Orinei nodded, looking mildly interested at Amaryllis’ description of the next parts of the process. Truthfully, she was fascinated—her façade was only a response to the arrogance she felt once more from Amaryllis. Her eyes widened slightly and she nodded again, approvingly, as Amaryllis told her about the special work from Lab 15. Should be interesting, Orinei thought. It must be someone important, if they’ve got Lab 15 slaving away for them. And speaking of slaves…she couldn’t help but shudder as Amaryllis told her that the discarded remains of this man’s innards was going to feed slaves. Cringing inwardly, she found herself suddenly glad that she had never been to Sahova in her human life.
As Amaryllis introduced her next task, Orinei was excited—until the words “go to Lab 15” came out of her mouth. Orinei was perhaps not crestfallen, but definitely not pleased with this arrangement. Her eyebrows immediately raised, but she held her tongue. Possible scenarios ran through her head, the chief possibility being the fact that she was going to have to traverse the whole of the Citadel in these terrible, stinking clothes. And not only that, but Lab 15 was not close by. With her luck, she’d run into every important wizard on the island in succession—and then have to carry back some ridiculously heavy Gadgeteered creation. She said nothing, though, wondering if Amaryllis would continue. So she wants to break me in? Embarrass me? Let her. Her defiance would have showed through on her face, but she attempted to mask it with a pleasant smile.
Thankfully, Amaryllis continued with good news—a secret passage. Orinei’s pleasantly disdainful smile turned into a genuine one. So she wouldn’t have to go through the whole place in these clothes like some pulser errand girl after all. “Thank you,” she said, truly grateful that if she did have to go as far as Lab 15, at least she wouldn’t be seen. Inclining her head slightly, a tiny gesture of respect, she turned to leave. She stripped off her gloves, leaving them on a side table before exiting the Surgery Chamber.
As she reached the door, she glanced furtively out into the main chamber, hoping no one would be there to see her without her finery. She quickly slipped out of the room and back into the main chamber, making a beeline for Amaryllis’ office. It felt strange to be alongside the palatial swimming pool, dressed so poorly; she disliked the feeling. She rounded on the door to Amaryllis’ office, opening the door and immediately closing it after she’d entered. She scanned the room quickly—the wardrobe Amaryllis had mentioned blended in a bit among all the other cabinets in the room. She set eyes on it at last—a huge, ornately carved wardrobe cabinet, taller than her and obviously sized to hold Amaryllis’ finest clothing. Careful not to touch anything with her soiled clothing, she opened the doors to the wardrobe. There wasn’t much in it, but she gingerly pushed a few hanging dresses to the side before stepping into the wardrobe and knocking three times, as prescribed, on the back panel.
Silently, the panel slid open to reveal a simple, dimly lit stone tunnel. She peered in apprehensively before taking a step forward; she visited dark tunnels such as this one very infrequently, but she was always a bit hesitant. There’s nothing in here, stupid, she reminded herself, shaking her head and beginning to walk briskly. It isn’t as if you’re going below the 15th level. She walked for several chimes, arms folded brusquely, until she came to the first steep incline. Nearly stumbling, she started down the rocky staircase, going down, down, down…she truly was in the depths of Sahova, now. She pressed on, step after step, starting to feel very, very alone in the dim, silent tunnel.
Until suddenly, things weren’t so quiet. It had been close to a bell, she thought, though the lack of light made it understandably hard to judge the time. The secret path had deposited her on the 15th level, very near the entrance to Lab 15. It was familiar to her; she’d visited once before to take a lesson with a young Animator, on a whim. When she entered, she found the place to be not unlike the last time she’d been there: it was bustling with activity, resplendent with shouts, clanging, the squeaking and hissing of golems, and the reprimands of masters to their apprentices. And just as it had been that last time, she knew it would be a bit of a challenge to find the man she was looking for. “Cid,” she muttered, staring around and taking a few steps forward. It seemed her outfit was of no consequence here; golems wheeled around her and wizards paid no mind to the various bodily fluids on her clothes as they hurriedly brushed past her.
She wandered for a few moments, not knowing where to begin, until she managed to catch the arm of a young pulser crossing her path. He whipped around, surprised, frightened by the gaunt woman in dirty clothes that stood before him. “Excuse me,” she said sharply, with a strange sweetness. “I’m looking for Cid.” The human nodded, looking eager to get away from her. “Over there, miss,” he mumbled, gesturing wildly to a workstation nearly across the lab. “Big man, beard. Can’t miss ‘em.” With that, the boy wrenched his arm free and nearly ran away from her, as fast as the jostling crowd would permit.
Without hesitation, Orinei set off across the lab, letting the rhythm of the perpetually moving golems and people carry her across like waves in an ocean. The noise and clamor of the room was unfamiliar to her, and unsettled her; she preferred the peaceful quiet of the Palsa Hydrasa and wasn’t accustomed to such…dusty surroundings. However, she crossed the room without complaint, finding herself at the workstation of a person just as the pulser had described—a big man, bearded. Though he was larger than her, Orinei could see immediately that this man was not only human, but had been on Sahova for some time. Only vestiges of his former self remained; he looked as if he was wasting away. “I assume you’re Cid,” she said, though not impolitely; it was more an efficient statement of fact than anything else. “I’m Orinei. I work under Amaryllis. I’m here to pick up the modification for Host 17.” She glanced around his desk; judging by his workspace, and just generally what was going on in the lab, she hoped that the “modification” wouldn’t be too heavy to carry back on her own.
As Amaryllis introduced her next task, Orinei was excited—until the words “go to Lab 15” came out of her mouth. Orinei was perhaps not crestfallen, but definitely not pleased with this arrangement. Her eyebrows immediately raised, but she held her tongue. Possible scenarios ran through her head, the chief possibility being the fact that she was going to have to traverse the whole of the Citadel in these terrible, stinking clothes. And not only that, but Lab 15 was not close by. With her luck, she’d run into every important wizard on the island in succession—and then have to carry back some ridiculously heavy Gadgeteered creation. She said nothing, though, wondering if Amaryllis would continue. So she wants to break me in? Embarrass me? Let her. Her defiance would have showed through on her face, but she attempted to mask it with a pleasant smile.
Thankfully, Amaryllis continued with good news—a secret passage. Orinei’s pleasantly disdainful smile turned into a genuine one. So she wouldn’t have to go through the whole place in these clothes like some pulser errand girl after all. “Thank you,” she said, truly grateful that if she did have to go as far as Lab 15, at least she wouldn’t be seen. Inclining her head slightly, a tiny gesture of respect, she turned to leave. She stripped off her gloves, leaving them on a side table before exiting the Surgery Chamber.
As she reached the door, she glanced furtively out into the main chamber, hoping no one would be there to see her without her finery. She quickly slipped out of the room and back into the main chamber, making a beeline for Amaryllis’ office. It felt strange to be alongside the palatial swimming pool, dressed so poorly; she disliked the feeling. She rounded on the door to Amaryllis’ office, opening the door and immediately closing it after she’d entered. She scanned the room quickly—the wardrobe Amaryllis had mentioned blended in a bit among all the other cabinets in the room. She set eyes on it at last—a huge, ornately carved wardrobe cabinet, taller than her and obviously sized to hold Amaryllis’ finest clothing. Careful not to touch anything with her soiled clothing, she opened the doors to the wardrobe. There wasn’t much in it, but she gingerly pushed a few hanging dresses to the side before stepping into the wardrobe and knocking three times, as prescribed, on the back panel.
Silently, the panel slid open to reveal a simple, dimly lit stone tunnel. She peered in apprehensively before taking a step forward; she visited dark tunnels such as this one very infrequently, but she was always a bit hesitant. There’s nothing in here, stupid, she reminded herself, shaking her head and beginning to walk briskly. It isn’t as if you’re going below the 15th level. She walked for several chimes, arms folded brusquely, until she came to the first steep incline. Nearly stumbling, she started down the rocky staircase, going down, down, down…she truly was in the depths of Sahova, now. She pressed on, step after step, starting to feel very, very alone in the dim, silent tunnel.
Until suddenly, things weren’t so quiet. It had been close to a bell, she thought, though the lack of light made it understandably hard to judge the time. The secret path had deposited her on the 15th level, very near the entrance to Lab 15. It was familiar to her; she’d visited once before to take a lesson with a young Animator, on a whim. When she entered, she found the place to be not unlike the last time she’d been there: it was bustling with activity, resplendent with shouts, clanging, the squeaking and hissing of golems, and the reprimands of masters to their apprentices. And just as it had been that last time, she knew it would be a bit of a challenge to find the man she was looking for. “Cid,” she muttered, staring around and taking a few steps forward. It seemed her outfit was of no consequence here; golems wheeled around her and wizards paid no mind to the various bodily fluids on her clothes as they hurriedly brushed past her.
She wandered for a few moments, not knowing where to begin, until she managed to catch the arm of a young pulser crossing her path. He whipped around, surprised, frightened by the gaunt woman in dirty clothes that stood before him. “Excuse me,” she said sharply, with a strange sweetness. “I’m looking for Cid.” The human nodded, looking eager to get away from her. “Over there, miss,” he mumbled, gesturing wildly to a workstation nearly across the lab. “Big man, beard. Can’t miss ‘em.” With that, the boy wrenched his arm free and nearly ran away from her, as fast as the jostling crowd would permit.
Without hesitation, Orinei set off across the lab, letting the rhythm of the perpetually moving golems and people carry her across like waves in an ocean. The noise and clamor of the room was unfamiliar to her, and unsettled her; she preferred the peaceful quiet of the Palsa Hydrasa and wasn’t accustomed to such…dusty surroundings. However, she crossed the room without complaint, finding herself at the workstation of a person just as the pulser had described—a big man, bearded. Though he was larger than her, Orinei could see immediately that this man was not only human, but had been on Sahova for some time. Only vestiges of his former self remained; he looked as if he was wasting away. “I assume you’re Cid,” she said, though not impolitely; it was more an efficient statement of fact than anything else. “I’m Orinei. I work under Amaryllis. I’m here to pick up the modification for Host 17.” She glanced around his desk; judging by his workspace, and just generally what was going on in the lab, she hoped that the “modification” wouldn’t be too heavy to carry back on her own.
