Happily contemplating the cocktail in her hand, it took Alses some time to reply, eyes distant and distracted. “Teach?” Krisa – and probably her friend – had to have been new to Lhavit; the Dusk Tower was the premier centre for auristic endeavour in the city, if not in all Mizahar, and most who were resident - or even visiting for any real length of time - knew that. Surely?
Still, confusion and interest were evident, swirling and eddying in the auras which whispered and shone around them, and her two companions were waiting for a response. “Oh, we're an instructor of auristics.” A faint, slightly mischievous smile. “The art of reading minds, finding lost things and seeing the flow of magic through the world, among other things. House Dusk is known for its expertise in the field.”
A pause for consideration and a judicious experience of her cocktail. “I suppose we should say I'm an apprentice instructor, actually,” she admitted, “Since whilst I teach some of the novices, I'm still receiving instruction myself. Lady Dusk thinks it's an excellent learning tool, teaching whilst being taught, and we can't really disagree with that.”
The slightly indulgent smile ran off her face quickly, however, coupled with a darkening of her expression, an unwelcome memory drifting to the surface. “The Djed Storm wasn't kind to the three Towers, although House Dusk got off the lightest.”
Making an effort, she brightened up. “That was last Spring, though, and everything's been restored since then. We're starting to have Open Days again, for example – there's one on the twenty-fourth, as it happens.” Absently, she cracked her fingers. “Which adds something more of a burden to me, since we agreed to craft an artifact and write scrolls to bring our subtle discipline to the interested masses. Auristics isn't exactly the flashiest of disciplines, not like the Morphing of the Twilight Tower or the Reimancy of the Dawn Tower,” Alses qualified and then shrugged, dismissive, although the smile on her face at the thought of her magic and its expression belied the indifferent phraseology.
“Not that we can complain, of course, since that openness means sorceresses are so welcomed here, thankfully.” 'And we'll be paid handsomely for our efforts,' she didn't add, save for in the privacy of her own brain.
Sat back in her chair, eyes half-lidded with pleasure as the tumbling melange of flavours exploded on her tongue, she contemplated the two figures sat opposite her. “No-one going to join me?” she asked quietly, the ice-filled cocktail chiming gently as she shook it for emphasis. “This place is rightly famous for its mixes.”
“Never been in here before?” she asked Liriah, eyes amused, sensing the mild wonderment and an odd soupçon of fear and...self-pity? maybe...as the girl looked around. “I suppose it is a little bit of a local treat, a secret just like the Azure Market and the shortcuts through the city. Have you been in Lhavit long?” Alses asked gently, widening the question to both of them, even though she was then slightly distracted as Krisa's industrious fingers began to peel away the protective towel-cladding around the cage-like affair she'd carried from the Plaza.
“It's a bird,” Alses noted, surprised – even though she shouldn't have been, not really, a bird with its head tucked under its wing and to all intents and purposes asleep, at least at first. Bright splashes of colour decorated its sandy plumage – rich red, almost the colour of blood, across most of his head, brilliant yellow flashes at its – his - wings and a pure white beak.
“We'll keep well clear, have no fear,” she continued, looking at her fire-opal hands with a faint shiver. “I rather like having all my fingers in one piece, after all. He's rather pretty - what sort is he?”
Still, confusion and interest were evident, swirling and eddying in the auras which whispered and shone around them, and her two companions were waiting for a response. “Oh, we're an instructor of auristics.” A faint, slightly mischievous smile. “The art of reading minds, finding lost things and seeing the flow of magic through the world, among other things. House Dusk is known for its expertise in the field.”
A pause for consideration and a judicious experience of her cocktail. “I suppose we should say I'm an apprentice instructor, actually,” she admitted, “Since whilst I teach some of the novices, I'm still receiving instruction myself. Lady Dusk thinks it's an excellent learning tool, teaching whilst being taught, and we can't really disagree with that.”
The slightly indulgent smile ran off her face quickly, however, coupled with a darkening of her expression, an unwelcome memory drifting to the surface. “The Djed Storm wasn't kind to the three Towers, although House Dusk got off the lightest.”
Making an effort, she brightened up. “That was last Spring, though, and everything's been restored since then. We're starting to have Open Days again, for example – there's one on the twenty-fourth, as it happens.” Absently, she cracked her fingers. “Which adds something more of a burden to me, since we agreed to craft an artifact and write scrolls to bring our subtle discipline to the interested masses. Auristics isn't exactly the flashiest of disciplines, not like the Morphing of the Twilight Tower or the Reimancy of the Dawn Tower,” Alses qualified and then shrugged, dismissive, although the smile on her face at the thought of her magic and its expression belied the indifferent phraseology.
“Not that we can complain, of course, since that openness means sorceresses are so welcomed here, thankfully.” 'And we'll be paid handsomely for our efforts,' she didn't add, save for in the privacy of her own brain.
Sat back in her chair, eyes half-lidded with pleasure as the tumbling melange of flavours exploded on her tongue, she contemplated the two figures sat opposite her. “No-one going to join me?” she asked quietly, the ice-filled cocktail chiming gently as she shook it for emphasis. “This place is rightly famous for its mixes.”
“Never been in here before?” she asked Liriah, eyes amused, sensing the mild wonderment and an odd soupçon of fear and...self-pity? maybe...as the girl looked around. “I suppose it is a little bit of a local treat, a secret just like the Azure Market and the shortcuts through the city. Have you been in Lhavit long?” Alses asked gently, widening the question to both of them, even though she was then slightly distracted as Krisa's industrious fingers began to peel away the protective towel-cladding around the cage-like affair she'd carried from the Plaza.
“It's a bird,” Alses noted, surprised – even though she shouldn't have been, not really, a bird with its head tucked under its wing and to all intents and purposes asleep, at least at first. Bright splashes of colour decorated its sandy plumage – rich red, almost the colour of blood, across most of his head, brilliant yellow flashes at its – his - wings and a pure white beak.
“We'll keep well clear, have no fear,” she continued, looking at her fire-opal hands with a faint shiver. “I rather like having all my fingers in one piece, after all. He's rather pretty - what sort is he?”
. Now I have a shiny new card and can hopefully get things back on-schedule!
