12th of Spring, 521 AV
Rohka walked up to her patient door and let herself inside.
In just a few steps, she was next to a window. Since arriving last Fall, she’d been moved around countless times with doctors telling her that her treatments required inspection and their effects served as lessons for the students and assistants. Today, all of her belongings were moved into a new area of the centre. She was told that there would be a new system of treatment for her here, and that it would be part of a study on her mental state.
It had been a while since she was given a room with a window. Even her room in Ravok, the one above the Malt House… she didn’t have the means. Here though, through the glass stained a shade of light marigold, set high above the ground, the buildings of Zeltiva seemed to sparkle in the light of Leth’s smile. It wasn’t quite high enough for her to see the shoreline, but it was enough to catch a glimpse of the sides of mountains in the distance. If this was a balcony, she knew she would’ve stepped outside immediately. Instead, it was a barred view, with the same familiar, musty scent of the Healing Centre lingering on her nose.
“Hello?”
A voice from behind the door sounded slightly nervous.
“It’s Reilmai. I brought a friend. She might be able to help you. You were denied citizenship, right?” asked the voice.
How did they find me? Rohka wondered. If the sybil hadn’t already suspected that something fishy was going on at the centre… this moment certainly solidified it.
She clicked her teeth, turned away from the window, and walked to the door, opening it.
“I don’t need hel—“
“Look, they moved her again, just like I said they would,” said Reilmai, in a smiling whisper that wasn’t at all like a whisper. The sybil furrowed her brows, hearing this. “Rohka, meet Tessa. She came into the shop the other day, telling me about a private performance being held at the Key Notes, and she needed a particular string modified and—“
“Hey,” said the woman standing next to her, moving a strand of tight red curls away from her line of sight, the sultry velvet tone of voice on the verge of apologizing. “May we come inside?”
Tessa’s tone put the sybil at ease, and she immediately felt her the tension in her muscles melt away. She gave them both a smile and took a step back.
“Sure. Sorry,” said Rohka, as they walked in and closed the door behind them.
“Is this about a reading?" Rohka paused and pulled at a few threads in her djed, to sense a bit of their auras, finding some light greens and a hint of yellow, along with an ocean breeze that she wasn't sure how to place, emanating from the woman she didn't recognize. What that a sign of her history, by any chance? Or was it more symbolic, having something to do with waves? Rohka began to remember her tattoo and instantly felt an ease come over her once again. The sybil released a breath and gestured to her fairly dull amenities. "I don’t have a place for you both to sit.”
“It’s fine,” said the Konti walking over and climbing onto the patient bed, smiling. “Plenty of space here.”
Rohka shook her head with a smirk and followed, climbing up to sit with her back to the headboard. Tessa stood by for a tick of hesitation before climbing into the patient bed as well.
“It’s weird that she has her own room, right?”
Tessa pursed her lips, crossing her legs underneath her. From her shoulders, the woman removed a small saddlebag and placed it beside her on top of the sheets. There were a few more ticks of silence before the Konti broke it.
“Gods, just tell her what you told me and get on with it!”
Rohka walked up to her patient door and let herself inside.
In just a few steps, she was next to a window. Since arriving last Fall, she’d been moved around countless times with doctors telling her that her treatments required inspection and their effects served as lessons for the students and assistants. Today, all of her belongings were moved into a new area of the centre. She was told that there would be a new system of treatment for her here, and that it would be part of a study on her mental state.
It had been a while since she was given a room with a window. Even her room in Ravok, the one above the Malt House… she didn’t have the means. Here though, through the glass stained a shade of light marigold, set high above the ground, the buildings of Zeltiva seemed to sparkle in the light of Leth’s smile. It wasn’t quite high enough for her to see the shoreline, but it was enough to catch a glimpse of the sides of mountains in the distance. If this was a balcony, she knew she would’ve stepped outside immediately. Instead, it was a barred view, with the same familiar, musty scent of the Healing Centre lingering on her nose.
“Hello?”
A voice from behind the door sounded slightly nervous.
“It’s Reilmai. I brought a friend. She might be able to help you. You were denied citizenship, right?” asked the voice.
How did they find me? Rohka wondered. If the sybil hadn’t already suspected that something fishy was going on at the centre… this moment certainly solidified it.
She clicked her teeth, turned away from the window, and walked to the door, opening it.
“I don’t need hel—“
“Look, they moved her again, just like I said they would,” said Reilmai, in a smiling whisper that wasn’t at all like a whisper. The sybil furrowed her brows, hearing this. “Rohka, meet Tessa. She came into the shop the other day, telling me about a private performance being held at the Key Notes, and she needed a particular string modified and—“
“Hey,” said the woman standing next to her, moving a strand of tight red curls away from her line of sight, the sultry velvet tone of voice on the verge of apologizing. “May we come inside?”
Tessa’s tone put the sybil at ease, and she immediately felt her the tension in her muscles melt away. She gave them both a smile and took a step back.
“Sure. Sorry,” said Rohka, as they walked in and closed the door behind them.
“Is this about a reading?" Rohka paused and pulled at a few threads in her djed, to sense a bit of their auras, finding some light greens and a hint of yellow, along with an ocean breeze that she wasn't sure how to place, emanating from the woman she didn't recognize. What that a sign of her history, by any chance? Or was it more symbolic, having something to do with waves? Rohka began to remember her tattoo and instantly felt an ease come over her once again. The sybil released a breath and gestured to her fairly dull amenities. "I don’t have a place for you both to sit.”
“It’s fine,” said the Konti walking over and climbing onto the patient bed, smiling. “Plenty of space here.”
Rohka shook her head with a smirk and followed, climbing up to sit with her back to the headboard. Tessa stood by for a tick of hesitation before climbing into the patient bed as well.
“It’s weird that she has her own room, right?”
Tessa pursed her lips, crossing her legs underneath her. From her shoulders, the woman removed a small saddlebag and placed it beside her on top of the sheets. There were a few more ticks of silence before the Konti broke it.
“Gods, just tell her what you told me and get on with it!”