38th of Summer, 513 AV
The Scarlet Sanctum
The Scarlet Sanctum
He waited, reading a small copy of a history book he had paid the library to copy for him. It was a very thin thing that was already a little dog-eared from quite a few bells of use. It had been a pleasant surprise to stumble across copying services in Sunberth, much less an assortment of books to read. While there hadn't been the most vast selection, there had still been material that he didn't have a clue about. The history of Sunberth was one of these things. From what he had seen in his brief moments in the library, there wasn't actually a single source of information. Everything was a fable, a tale, a journal. The manuscript he was slowly reading at that very moment was the accounting of a miner who worked deep within the shafts. He spoke of oppression and pain, of back-breaking labor that he couldn't handle for much longer. It was quite the tale.
The harlot set the book aside, eyeing the bottle of white wine and the two filled cups beside of it. The Sanctum had plenty of this on hand to help set many of the customers at ease. This was not his intention. He simply was aware that the Svefra he was meeting was fond of the drink. She had been kind to him multiple times in the past, so he in turn could be kind to her. He thought it was kind, at least. She liked alcohol, so he was giving her alcohol for free. Not enough to get her drunk. Their lesson wouldn't go well if she was drunk.
Matthew still wasn't sure how he felt about the lesson. She was one of the very few who knew about his magic. He didn't think she was the sort to ever use that against him. No, instead, she turned out to be the sort who wanted to learn from him. A sigh leaked from his lush lips, blue stare turning distant. He was scared of magic, even his own. She seemed so enthusiastic. He didn't exactly fault her for it, he just wondered how. Then again, it seemed that everything the Svefra did she did with so much life. Why should this be any different?
Still. If he was a friend like she had called him before, then shouldn't he act the part of a friend? He had studied the term once before. He supposed he would need to put it into action today. He had told her he could teach her. He had told her it would be dangerous. She hadn't really blinked an eye, if he remembered correctly.
The harlot was dressed in the normal garb of Ruby's Sanctum, an outfit he wasn't sure if Edreina had seen him in. Had he been wearing it back when her and Razkar enlisted him? A black bowtie was tucked neatly under his chin, and his upper half was completely bare. Black pants hugged his hips, completing the rather interesting look. However, he had made some changes for his guest. The most noticeable would be his scent. The air immediately around him smelled of the sea.
Returning his thoughts to the wine, he hesitantly reached forward. He hated wine, didn't he? He felt oddly scared about this meeting and the harlot had long since learned that if he could feel it, it was no doubt intense in some way. Hearing footsteps, assuming them to be Edriena's, he quickly made up his mind, grabbed the glass, and tossed it back.
There was only a moment of hesitation before he sprayed the entire contents of the glass back out into the air, apparently not able to handle his share of a fruity alcoholic beverage.