29th Spring 516AV, Night
Elysium Hall, apparently anyone on Tenten could direct her to it. The huntress didn't doubt that the Ethaefal's home would be a memorable one. It was impressive enough that Alses had her own home, at least in the Inarta's mind. She had no idea if it was common for people to own their own homes. Obviously the Solar Wind Apartments were rented accommodation, but the rooms available there seemed only for visitors to the city as far as she could tell. There appeared to be a number of cottage homes on the peak where the Okomo lived but she had no idea if they were provided by the city free of charge or not. A hall certainly sounded impressive enough and the young woman was somewhat worried about going to it. It sounded like it would be magnificent and a reflection of the woman who lived in it. Of course, the idea of visiting it made the girl quite nervous and if she had a choice, she wouldn't go there.
Azira had gotten in a day's hunt, luckily without any incident involving fire, but that didn't mean that she was safe. Today seemed to be an exception to what she'd experienced over the past few days. Magic had been leaking out of her at odd moments, things went on fire near her and it seemed to be tiring her out and making her head throb and everything. It felt great when it was happening, aside from the fact that she was using magic outside of her control and being a danger to herself and stuff around her. Feeling the magic trickle out of her was exhilarating, the more that left her heightening her pleasure, but also making the after effects all the worse. The redhead had tried to control it. She'd tried to stay calm and focus where the magic went, when it went on fire and when it stopped and started. All she'd gotten for her trouble was exhaustion, pain and frustration. She didn't have any arcane knowledge so it was unsurprising she'd failed to produce good results. Alses on the other hand, she knew something about magic. She'd said herself that she knew nothing about reimancy but surely there was something she could do for her, even if that only meant pointing her in the right direction.
The notion of approaching the woman was nerve-wracking. Azira had scrubbed her skin raw to make sure that there wasn't a speck of dirt anywhere on her body. She'd scorched her skin with boiling water to ensure that she was truly clean. The grubby Inarta clothing she'd worn during her hunt was exchanged for the more uncomfortable garb more typical to Lhavit. Well, the black trousers were normal but the blouse she'd chosen seemed to be an unusual colour for the natives. The dark green went well with her hair of course so she figured it must look good on her. There was nowhere near as much flesh visible as there would be if she was wearing her vinati but the huntress made do by undoing a few buttons at the top to expose the top of her breasts and at the bottom so that her midriff was exposed as well. It had taken quite awhile for her to determine that such a style might work for her and even then she was uncertain if wearing the blouse in such a way might be uncouth. The huntress decided to take the risk, finally settling on knotting the bottom of the garment above her belly button. She slipped her cloak on over the outfit, tying her scarf about her neck and pulling gloves on before leaving for Tenten.
En route, she considered purchasing some manner of gift for the Ethaefal, not wanting to arrive empty-handed to Elysium Hall to make demands of the woman. Halfway across the bridge to Tenten, she turned on her heel and headed back to Zintia. Her exploration of the peak had turned up some interesting things and she had spotted a little jewellery store nestled away. She stepped in to a place of shining metals and glittering gems, everything in it suggesting that her coin purse was going to be left a lot lighter when this was done. Azira browsed the various wares, unsure what she could buy that wouldn't be a bit presumptuous on her part. There were rings, earrings, armbands and necklaces. The huntress thought that a necklace might be a bit much but there were also some less popular pieces. While looking at a selection of brooches, a beautiful silver one caught her eye. She was sure that it would hurt her pocket but she couldn't let it go. It was an Okomo, the curving horns studded with tiny, clear gems, the eye of it a beautiful, violet stone and the etching on the gold giving the impression of the hairs of the animal's coat. It was stunning, each of the clear stones catching the light in such a way the brooch seemed to be aglow, a source of light itself. The craftsmanship was remarkable and she was appreciative of it. It was smaller than its kin, about an inch by an inch, but it was so exquisitely wrought that it more than made up for its small size. It was certainly eye-catching. She pointed to it, suppressing a wince as she heard the price but passing the money over just the same. If Alses didn't like this, or thought it was too fine a gift for a friendly visit then Azira would be in hot water.
Clutching her gift to her chest as she set off once again for Tenten, she was more than aware of the darkness that had enveloped the city. She'd wanted to visit Alses in the evening so that she had a chance to get some work done, but she'd also had a niggling curiosity ever since Halin'a had mentioned that Ethaefal had another form. She wanted to know how Alses appeared at night. It could have been a simple matter of asking her but instead, the young woman had decided to see her with her own eyes. That might not sit well with the other but the huntress had set her course and was sticking to it.
The girl followed the path to the library, remembering that Alses had said her home wasn't too far beyond it. Once she reached the Bharani library, she nabbed an exiting scholar to ask for directions.
"Apologies. Where is Elysium Hall?" she questioned the woman in slow Common. The other raised her brows but directed her to higher point on the peak, claiming that she couldn't miss it. Such a declaration only added to the knot of anxiety that was building in her stomach. It must be a spectacular place indeed! Following the kind woman's directions, the huntress soon realised what she had meant. Compared to her own meagre, rented quarters, Alses resided in a palace.
A low wall with open gates marked the boundary of the property, a winding path leading up to a sprawling one-storey building that could only be named a mansion. The path cut through a garden that later in the spring would no doubt look magnificent. The harsh winter had taken its toll, stripping the bright petals from the flowers and stripping them of their foliage but had already regained some of its glory since the snows had finally melted. There were the remnants of winter flowers, now dying off; new blooms were beginning to appear on the multitude of roses, the nighttime lighting only giving a hint at the array of colours present; trees carried the shiny greens of new foliage. It was startling and everything about the place screamed wealth. The girl walked up the path with slow, shaky steps, the urge to turn and run becoming more powerful the closer she got to the building.
You need her help. You have to do this, she urged herself, forcing herself onwards and doing her best to remain calm for fear that she would cause an accident; that would be a disastrous beginning. Walking up to the ornate double doors, she made her presence known and waited anxiously for a response. Her eyes took in the magnificent artwork that flanked each door, realising that Alses was a woman who enjoyed fine things. She looked down at her own minuscule gift in the face of all this richness and wondered if it would be appreciated, or even wanted. It was while she was looking down at the shining Okomo that the door was opened. Her eyes rose to meet an unexpected sight. There was a man standing at the door, a man who must be a servant. He had an imposing bearing, reflecting the majesty of the place and certainly seeming to suit his employer from his crown to his toes. In the face of this man, Azira had little knowledge of what decorum she was supposed to follow. In the face of her ignorance, the bluntness of her race came out, her Common clipped and to the point, if a little shaky.
"I am here to see Alses. She knows me. I need her help. I am Azira," she blurted out, unsure how her manner would be judged by the butler.
Elysium Hall, apparently anyone on Tenten could direct her to it. The huntress didn't doubt that the Ethaefal's home would be a memorable one. It was impressive enough that Alses had her own home, at least in the Inarta's mind. She had no idea if it was common for people to own their own homes. Obviously the Solar Wind Apartments were rented accommodation, but the rooms available there seemed only for visitors to the city as far as she could tell. There appeared to be a number of cottage homes on the peak where the Okomo lived but she had no idea if they were provided by the city free of charge or not. A hall certainly sounded impressive enough and the young woman was somewhat worried about going to it. It sounded like it would be magnificent and a reflection of the woman who lived in it. Of course, the idea of visiting it made the girl quite nervous and if she had a choice, she wouldn't go there.
Azira had gotten in a day's hunt, luckily without any incident involving fire, but that didn't mean that she was safe. Today seemed to be an exception to what she'd experienced over the past few days. Magic had been leaking out of her at odd moments, things went on fire near her and it seemed to be tiring her out and making her head throb and everything. It felt great when it was happening, aside from the fact that she was using magic outside of her control and being a danger to herself and stuff around her. Feeling the magic trickle out of her was exhilarating, the more that left her heightening her pleasure, but also making the after effects all the worse. The redhead had tried to control it. She'd tried to stay calm and focus where the magic went, when it went on fire and when it stopped and started. All she'd gotten for her trouble was exhaustion, pain and frustration. She didn't have any arcane knowledge so it was unsurprising she'd failed to produce good results. Alses on the other hand, she knew something about magic. She'd said herself that she knew nothing about reimancy but surely there was something she could do for her, even if that only meant pointing her in the right direction.
The notion of approaching the woman was nerve-wracking. Azira had scrubbed her skin raw to make sure that there wasn't a speck of dirt anywhere on her body. She'd scorched her skin with boiling water to ensure that she was truly clean. The grubby Inarta clothing she'd worn during her hunt was exchanged for the more uncomfortable garb more typical to Lhavit. Well, the black trousers were normal but the blouse she'd chosen seemed to be an unusual colour for the natives. The dark green went well with her hair of course so she figured it must look good on her. There was nowhere near as much flesh visible as there would be if she was wearing her vinati but the huntress made do by undoing a few buttons at the top to expose the top of her breasts and at the bottom so that her midriff was exposed as well. It had taken quite awhile for her to determine that such a style might work for her and even then she was uncertain if wearing the blouse in such a way might be uncouth. The huntress decided to take the risk, finally settling on knotting the bottom of the garment above her belly button. She slipped her cloak on over the outfit, tying her scarf about her neck and pulling gloves on before leaving for Tenten.
En route, she considered purchasing some manner of gift for the Ethaefal, not wanting to arrive empty-handed to Elysium Hall to make demands of the woman. Halfway across the bridge to Tenten, she turned on her heel and headed back to Zintia. Her exploration of the peak had turned up some interesting things and she had spotted a little jewellery store nestled away. She stepped in to a place of shining metals and glittering gems, everything in it suggesting that her coin purse was going to be left a lot lighter when this was done. Azira browsed the various wares, unsure what she could buy that wouldn't be a bit presumptuous on her part. There were rings, earrings, armbands and necklaces. The huntress thought that a necklace might be a bit much but there were also some less popular pieces. While looking at a selection of brooches, a beautiful silver one caught her eye. She was sure that it would hurt her pocket but she couldn't let it go. It was an Okomo, the curving horns studded with tiny, clear gems, the eye of it a beautiful, violet stone and the etching on the gold giving the impression of the hairs of the animal's coat. It was stunning, each of the clear stones catching the light in such a way the brooch seemed to be aglow, a source of light itself. The craftsmanship was remarkable and she was appreciative of it. It was smaller than its kin, about an inch by an inch, but it was so exquisitely wrought that it more than made up for its small size. It was certainly eye-catching. She pointed to it, suppressing a wince as she heard the price but passing the money over just the same. If Alses didn't like this, or thought it was too fine a gift for a friendly visit then Azira would be in hot water.
Clutching her gift to her chest as she set off once again for Tenten, she was more than aware of the darkness that had enveloped the city. She'd wanted to visit Alses in the evening so that she had a chance to get some work done, but she'd also had a niggling curiosity ever since Halin'a had mentioned that Ethaefal had another form. She wanted to know how Alses appeared at night. It could have been a simple matter of asking her but instead, the young woman had decided to see her with her own eyes. That might not sit well with the other but the huntress had set her course and was sticking to it.
The girl followed the path to the library, remembering that Alses had said her home wasn't too far beyond it. Once she reached the Bharani library, she nabbed an exiting scholar to ask for directions.
"Apologies. Where is Elysium Hall?" she questioned the woman in slow Common. The other raised her brows but directed her to higher point on the peak, claiming that she couldn't miss it. Such a declaration only added to the knot of anxiety that was building in her stomach. It must be a spectacular place indeed! Following the kind woman's directions, the huntress soon realised what she had meant. Compared to her own meagre, rented quarters, Alses resided in a palace.
A low wall with open gates marked the boundary of the property, a winding path leading up to a sprawling one-storey building that could only be named a mansion. The path cut through a garden that later in the spring would no doubt look magnificent. The harsh winter had taken its toll, stripping the bright petals from the flowers and stripping them of their foliage but had already regained some of its glory since the snows had finally melted. There were the remnants of winter flowers, now dying off; new blooms were beginning to appear on the multitude of roses, the nighttime lighting only giving a hint at the array of colours present; trees carried the shiny greens of new foliage. It was startling and everything about the place screamed wealth. The girl walked up the path with slow, shaky steps, the urge to turn and run becoming more powerful the closer she got to the building.
You need her help. You have to do this, she urged herself, forcing herself onwards and doing her best to remain calm for fear that she would cause an accident; that would be a disastrous beginning. Walking up to the ornate double doors, she made her presence known and waited anxiously for a response. Her eyes took in the magnificent artwork that flanked each door, realising that Alses was a woman who enjoyed fine things. She looked down at her own minuscule gift in the face of all this richness and wondered if it would be appreciated, or even wanted. It was while she was looking down at the shining Okomo that the door was opened. Her eyes rose to meet an unexpected sight. There was a man standing at the door, a man who must be a servant. He had an imposing bearing, reflecting the majesty of the place and certainly seeming to suit his employer from his crown to his toes. In the face of this man, Azira had little knowledge of what decorum she was supposed to follow. In the face of her ignorance, the bluntness of her race came out, her Common clipped and to the point, if a little shaky.
"I am here to see Alses. She knows me. I need her help. I am Azira," she blurted out, unsure how her manner would be judged by the butler.
Nari | Common
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