An Embalmer's Secrets [Mirage]

[Annalisa Marin]

86th of Fall, 513 AV

Anna moved at a brisk pace through the Quarters, her tattered cloak billowing out behind her and giving her the air of an experienced and world worn traveler. Her black hair was tied up in its usual tight ponytail, her bangs carefully placed out of her eyes. Her strides carried with them purpose, each step measured and confident much as she herself was. She looked alive and she was proud of it, a pulser in the land of the undead.

The Chaon was moving quickly due to a summons received from her mistress, Amaryllis, coming with the first of her two daily meals. The apprentice had been quick to finish her food and depart her room, feeling more alive than ever now. She no longer looked the part of the nearly battered and broken woman, just another pulser. No she felt stronger, wiser, indeed, more deadly than ever since arriving here. Sahova was indeed shaping up to be a dangerous place, but one she would be more than glad to call home.

It was all thanks to the Embalmer really, a dangerous thing as it meant she was sliding further and further into debt to the crafty Nuit. Anna respected the undead, but that hardly translated well into trust. She would be a fool to believe Amaryllis had her best interests at heart, however for the moment she was the closest ally and patron she had. Then there was the mysterious favor owed to the Nuit, anything she might desire at any time. It wasn't as though she couldn't take whatever she wanted from Anna, she was just her apprentice after all. Still it made her uneasy not to know how to handle the possibilities.

The apprentice crossed into the Courtyard, her strides taking her directly in the direction of the Palsa Hydrasa. It was indeed a place of great beauty, unmatched by anything the wizard had ever seen. Well, that was not exactly true, the visage of Rhysol had been magnificent and terrible to behold as well. The greatest structure then, even better than the Wright Memorial Library. The Nuit was right to take pride in it.

As she walked her thoughts inevitably found their way back to Daren, her one true obstacle to power. Ironically, it was because of him Anna had gained her apprenticeship anyway. Likely if she had possessed no involvement from him Amaryllis would have dismissed her as just another Pulser, however because of their conflict her worth had been increased. Perhaps this was what the summons was about, Daren and some new information she'd happened across.

It would likely afford Anna a chance to inquire after a few persons of interest anyway, specifically Riyanna Sterder and her apprentice. Perhaps she might even finally ask about the voice heard in the Tears of Uldr, she still hadn't informed her of it. Whatever the case, Amaryllis always seemed to have answers when she lacked them. Anna had been a busy little pulser these past few days, hopefully the fruits of that would pay off.

Finally Anna arrived at the ornate set of doors that led into the Palsa Hydrasa, which she pushed open with confidence. She had nothing to fear her, the place was rather her sanctuary at these times. As she opened it her eyes were met once more with the incredibly astounding Pre Valterrian beauty, a glimpse into lost Alahea. The placid pools were as always smooth as glass and the Embalmers Office was within walking distance.

"Amaryllis, I am here. Is there something you needed me for?" The apprentice inquired as she neared the office, crossing into the Embalmer's domain with the same confidence as before.

[Mirage]

The still surface of the pools rippled as a shape raised up from their depths. Non other than Amaryllis, cloaked in serine calm that almost masked her nakedness even as droplets cascaded down her bare flesh. Unlike most nuits her body did not show the slightest bit of decay on any inch of her body. Nearly flawless skin, smooth and with the slightest coloration looked as alive as the day it had died. Tossing her long hair droplets created smaller ripples across the pool.

The waters came to just below the Embalmer's waist, and as she pulled herself up to sit on the edge of the pool the nuit would look back over her shoulder to Annalisa, "You seem in good health. I trust you are finding your strength returning?" Her hands moved to brush out her hair, a towel beside her used to pat dry the long strands though she did not bother drying off the rest of her body, "Have you any news you wish to share? Any meetings with a certain hypnotist you wish to discuss?" she chuckled. The Master Emblamer always seemed to know something, some bit of information or fact that she knew Annalisa would be interested in. Whether or not it was an act though was not so easily discerned. Then again, such was the art of one of Sahova's greatest political powers.

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna turned, her eyes widening in slight surprise as Amaryllis rose from the normally placid and glassy waters of one of the pools. That had been... unexpected to say the least. The apprentice noticed the Nuit's nearly flawless body with interest, Amaryllis normally appeared alive but it appeared that translated to the whole of her body as well. The apprentice had been under the impression that rot usually marred at least some of a Nuit's body, apparently that was not the case with the Embalmer.

Anna smiled faintly at Amaryllis' inquiry after her health. It was indeed true that she felt stronger, better equipped to face the trials ahead of her. Though yesterday had... been less than pleasant in terms of a number of questions being raised in her mind. These were, for once, questions the Embalmer would not have the answer to. Her purpose, her life, her magic and her faith. She kept silent about these questions, they were hardly why she was here. They were things for her to question and her alone. Her problem, not the Embalmer's.

So instead she simply inclined her head respectfully to the Nuit. Appearances were important to keep up of course. It was expected of her so it was a motion she followed on.

"I am indeed well, Amaryllis, your generosity has certainly made the tasks ahead of me more manageable." She responded.

Physically that might be true, mentally was another story. Her notes had revealed some disturbing things that occurred yesterday, the raw emotions that had set upon her afterwards validating them. Lost was a better way to describe her at the moment, but such things were for personal reflection not for this place. So she kept yesterday's events to herself, the person met and information gathered. It was not important anyway.

"I have unfortunately not crossed paths with said hypnotist, if I have I'm afraid my memory is a bit foggy in that regard." Anna replied.

Idly Anna decided that perhaps her encounter in the Tears of Uldr would be a good thing to share, to move her mind from the questions she couldn't ask.

"Actually yes. I traversed into the Tears of Uldr the other day. I won't bore you with the details lets just say I was escorting a friend down there, one without the means to enter. As I was turning to leave I felt a chill down my spine and a voice whispering that 'they' would be seeing me soon." She said, sounding ever so slightly unhinged.

"Other than that... nothing interesting has happened as of late. Dreadfully boring and routine mostly, preparations to make and alliances to solidify. I'm more curious as to why I was summon." Anna said, shrugging slightly.

Part of the apprentice wanted to tell the Embalmer what had happened in the Dungeons, but so much of it was unclear to even her. Alive she looked, and physically she felt much the same but mentally, as she reflected upon it she felt dead. That was hardly a good sign. Her passion was burning just a little less brightly, her desire to enact Rhysol's will on the world was just a little weaker. She hated it, but she kept her silence all the same.

[Mirage]

"I never said which one," Amaryllis responded softly, finishing with her hair and standing up. She made quick strides to her office, opening the door and leaving it wide enough for Anna to know she was free to come in as well. She walked around her desk, heading to a wardrobe there and opening it to view her collection of clothes. As to be expected most of her outfits sported her trade mark peacock style.

"Voices, voices and more voices. There seems to be a trend here don't you think Annalisa Marin?" she looked over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow but leaving her apprentice to work it out. She looked back at her collection of outfits, "I wonder what voices you hear. Are they connected with Daren? Are they awful spirits that roam the halls? Or perhaps Maelstrom was right and you truly are close to madness." Finally the Embalmer withdrew a rather plain colored breeches and tunic, which she dawned quickly. Then with practiced ease she pulled her hair back into a pony tail, tying it off with a hair tie produced from her drawer. As she was working she said, rather unbidden, "You should mind what you say, and where you say it. There are ears where you would never expect, and eyes in the most unusual of places. Take more care from now on." It was a warning, clear as her eyes were serious as she found Anna's once more. It could have been because of anything, but given the context, and what had occurred the day previously, there would be little doubt as to what she meant.

With that the subject seemed to drop from Amaryllis' mind, for she was already heading back out the door, waving for Annalisa to follow, "As for why you were summoned, well you are my apprentice after all. As of late I have allowed you to acclimate to your new situation, but not it is time for you to earn the gifts I give you. Starting today you will assist me in my duties here in the Palsa Hydrasa." Amaryllis snatched a clipboard from a table they passed, handing it back to Annalisa, "You will need this."

OOCThought about it a minute, and I decided I did not want to rush this too fast. So they are now walking to their next destination. In this time Annalisa can feel free to contemplate what was said, and ask Amaryllis anything she sees fit about her words, and about what she is going to be doing ^.^. Lets have fun!

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna had arched her brow in confusion when Amaryllis had commented on not specifying which hypnotist she spoke of. Daren was really the only hypnotist she knew of, other than the 'friend' she had taken into the Tears of Uldr. What did the Embalmer mean by that little comment? She mused over that as she entered Amaryllis' office after the Nuit, noting that it apparently contained a wardrobe as well. Considering splendor of the place the apprentice wouldn't say that was really a shock.

Amaryllis' comment about the voices was, Anna had to admit, spot on and rather close to the conclusions she had reached. Mention of voices seemed to pop up wherever she went, though the significance was still not apparent to her. Perhaps she was indeed going completely mad, her actions yesterday seemed pretty close to that theory. Telling Celeste so much, admitting everything to her and laying her heart bare. To do such a thing reeked of some form of insanity.

The Embalmer's next words actually served to chill the blood in her veins, talk of watching her words and the locations spoken. Did she know? Had the Embalmer somehow figured out her moment of weakness, or was she speaking of something else entirely? The warning was still there though and the apprentice did indeed make a mental note to take it to heart. Yesterday... it had been strange, in a good way, but that didn't mean she was entirely comfortable with the way it had played out.

She was still rather paranoid about the whole affair, there was really nothing to prevent Celeste from stabbing her in the back. The apprentice wanted, wanted so badly, for the absolution granted to have no strings attached. However she was still a Chaon, she still knew what the worst was that people could do to one another.

Anna was rather surprised when Amaryllis handed her a clipboard and told her of her duties today and likely for the foreseeable future. This had been... rather unexpected, to say the least. The woman was a wizard, a powerful wizard with a blessing granted from Rhysol. Most of her duties involved less clipboards and more manipulating the elements to do her bidding. Still the woman was quick to follow the Embalmer, as skeptical about this whole thing as she was she had not desire to annoy Amaryllis.

As they walked Anna found herself with a multitude of questions for the Embalmer, the one regarding hypnotist prominent however the questions about her duties were also kind of important for whatever she was going to be doing.

"Amaryllis, you mentioned not specifying which hypnotist you spoke of. The only one I've had dealings with is Daren, at least so I've thought. What other hypnotist might you be referencing? Also what duties are expected of me today?" She inquired.

Anna had many talents, however embalming was certainly not one of them. The Arcane was her realm, that of magic, caring for the bodies of the dead was not exactly something she had picked up. The apprentice looked down at the clipboard and raised an eyebrow. At least today didn't seem like it would involve anything deadly, perhaps this might even prove a good break from the stress present in her life. She allowed some optimism to take root in her mind.

OOCI was actually wondering when Amaryllis would be having Anna run around with a clipboard for a while now.

[Mirage]

Amaryllis did not look back as she replied, "You still have some way to go, but at least you are closer to the right questions than you ever were before." She paused to say a few words to another nuit walking in the opposite direction before continuing on her way, picking up the conversation as if it had not been interupted, "You will find out soon enough, but know that there are far more hypnotists in your world than you yet realize. They are not so easy to spot as, say, a reimancer." She smiled to herself, "But as for today, I shall show you to the heart of the Palsa Hydrasa, the most important place in all of Sahova." The approached a pair of intricately carved double doors which Amaryllis threw wide open, "The Rubellum Chamber."

Motioning with her hand Amaryllis approached one of the large drawers that littered the wall, pulling it open to reveal its contents. A large block of ice, and within this was a perfectly preserved corpse. A young woman, close to Annalisa's age, short blond hair, moderate build and since she wore no clothing her body was bare for all to see the modest curves that were still... perky. Amaryllis ran a hand over the ice, looking down at the body with fondness, "This is where every body for every nuit in Sahova comes from. I collect, record and preserve each and every one, and then I find bodies that match as closely to the nuit's desires as possible. I will say one thing for Sahova's new policies, they provide me with a much larger range of vessels than ever before in Sahova's history." She looked up at Annalisa, nodding at the clip board in her hand, "From this day on until you leave my apprenticeship, you will keep records of each and every body that comes through the Palsa Hydrasa. Shipments come only a few times a season, but when they come there are quiet a number that must be recorded. Once the bodies are prepared, as this one is, the body is assigned a number which is on the front of each drawer. You will write down the numbers of each new body, and record their physical features such as sex, height, body types, and other features that might be useful or worth noting."

Stepping back Amaryllis closed the drawer once more, waving her hand at the wall before her, "The newest shipment has just arrived, and every drawer here must be recorded and every body made note of. That will be your job through the rest of your apprenticeship. Complete it as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Any questions?"

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna quirked an eyebrow at Amaryllis' comment, chewing over the implications of the words. Hypnotists, the mages of the discipline had always been the subject of rumors around the University. Their strange mind altering powers made them a formidable force to be certain, but in the short time she had been on Sahova the sorceress had grown to despise the wizards. They were subtle, but when you knew of their power you took away much of its kick or sway. What was hypnotism compared to the power of the elements? Or the ability to open Portals to another dimension?

Still, if there were more hypnotists than Daren around then she would need to be very careful and tread lightly. She had no desire to be manipulated by the wizards, though perhaps some research into the subject of hypnotism would be warranted. To know ones enemy was the first step to defeating one's enemy. Her attention was returned by Amaryllis' declaration of the place they were going being the most important place on Sahova. A bold claim but Anna was curious now.

Rows upon rows of drawers met her vision, Amaryllis opened one and what met Anna's vision was a corpse. It was perfectly preserved and looked almost like she had just died yesterday, a cold chill rising from the ice that encased it. The sorceress had to wonder how the corpse had been sealed within there, magic most certainly had to be involved here. She bit her tongue though and waited for the Embalmer's explanation of her duties as an apprentice.

All told it didn't sound too difficult or stressful, in fact compared to the excitement of past days it sounded downright therapeutic. A little tedious perhaps and morbid most certainly, but nothing life threatening. The knowledge that this was where every body that was given to Nuit's was stored played at that chaotic part of her mind, her mark flaring up just the tiniest bit. The chaos possible if one were to... accidently curse the corpses was astronomical, catastrophic one might say.

The sorceress dispelled that thought almost immediately, that would be quite unwise all things considered. Especially since Amaryllis likely knew what she was. So that was definitely not the direction to go towards, especially now when she was trying to recover a little of what she had once been. The mark couldn't rule her actions, no not now.

Questions, well actually there were a few rattling around in her mind. Being a reimancer she was innately curious in regards to the elements and their subsequent para elements. From what she recalled, water and air made ice though it was a branch she herself had yet to gain access to. Did reimancy have something to do with the freezing of the bodies? Or was it something else entirely?

"How are the bodies frozen like they are? Is some form of magic involved? Also, how are they delivered here exactly? I haven't noticed any carts hauling around corpses since I arrived." Anna inquired.

Really the task seemed very simple, though again it was a bit disturbing when one thought about it too deeply. Anna herself was among the ranks of the living still, though she had dealt with Nuit in the past before arriving in Sahova. Nuit jumped from body to body, it seemed rather like that would be difficult for keeping one's identity intact. Then again, was her body what defined her or was it her mind? An odd question to ponder. Though, that was amidst many questions she had as of late.

The sorceress was actually wondering exactly why she wanted her to do this job, it seemed an odd thing for the Nuit to command if she looked at it from what she knew about the Embalmer. Everything she seemed to do had a hidden meaning behind it, every word spoke had multiple ways of being interpreted. Of course, it was entirely possible she was just reading too deeply into it. She was her apprentice after all, this did seem like something Amaryllis would command her apprentice to do.

[Mirage]

Amaryllis smiled slowly, looking back at the drawers with some fondness, "A lofty question my apprentice, and one I shall choose not to answer... for now." She looked back at Anna, folding her arms over her chest as she raised an eyebrow, "You of course cannot expect me to give up one of the greatest secrets I hold, perhaps the key to some of the power I now wieled, so easily can you? Perhaps, in time, I shall tell you. But not for some time, or perhaps never at all. Such is the way of Sahova." She shrugged and then turned, walking toward a large set of intricately carved doors.

Resting her hand on these doors Amaryllis looked back at her apprentice, "I shall answer your other question, however. Where do the bodies come from? Why they are shipped to us from the mainland through various contacts in other cities. They are delivered to the Harbor, and to a certain warehouse there." She smiled, "And then they are carried through a secret entrance to be delivered right through these doors that you see before you."

Chuckling softly Amaryllis walked past Anna, pausing to hand the apprentice her very own peacock feathered quill, giving her a long look before releasing it, "Do your job here well, and I shall reveal to you a secret... something that might very well aid you in the future." She then made her way to the door, but stopped right at the frame, looking back once more, "Oh, and do pay careful attention to M-25." And without any further explanation she simply left, offering only a wave as she departed.

The body Amaryllis mentioned we be that of a middle aged man, thin wrinkles etched into his brow and the corners of his eyes. His hair was black, eyes green and had a very noble air about him. He might very well have been some high noble in one of the larger cities. With a medium build, decently fit despite his age, the body was, all in all, still good looking, save for the dead aspect of it.

OOCOK! So Anna can have fun sorting bodies for about... Oh 3 or 4 bells? I would write more but I am severely pressed for time, and I wanted to get something up before I left ^.^

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna was disappointed that Amaryllis was not inclined to share her methods, which meant either she'd need to wait until the Embalmer was willing to let slip her little secret or experiment on her own when the ability to create a new para-element came to her. Neither were particularly appealing prospects however they were all that were open at this point, so the wait and see option applied to both. Annoying but she had patience if nothing else, she was willing to seek the answers if they didn't come to her. It was what she had been doing for quite sometime since arriving in Sahova, searching for answers that yielded more questions which brought more answers which, in turn bred more questions. Maelstrom was right, this was going to drive her mad.

The sorceress regarded the doors, her grey eyes glinting slight at the sight of the door and word of its function. So it led out of the Citadel entirely did it? No doubt in the event of needing to be utilized it could function as a handy escape route out the Palsa Hydrasa. Anna made a note of such a thing for future reference and paid heed to the item Amaryllis offered her.

Anna caught the look Amaryllis paid her as she carefully took the peacock feathered quill. Really this only paid more weight to Anna's half joking theory that the Nuit possessed some form of peacock fetish. Anna, being a woman whose taste's could swing either way and possessing a certain domineering side, was not exactly one to judge. Though that didn't prevent the faintest of smirks being had when the Embalmer turned her back. Apparently Maelstrom wasn't avian enough for the Nuit. Anna barely managed to hold herself from chuckling, having no desire to come up with a lie as to what she'd been thinking of.

A secret that would be helpful? Hmm... perhaps it was best to take this more seriously then, one never knew when an Amaryllis secret could prove very useful. So the Apprentice filed her Master's possible bird related deviancies away for a laugh away from the Palsa Hydrasa, setting her mind on the task at hand. As she turned she caught Amaryllis' parting words of a body to regard with especial care.

After the Embalmer was gone Anna walked down a row of the drawers, trailing a finger along the numbered panels.

K 25, L 25, ah M 25. Let's see here...

The sorceress pulled the drawer out carefully and regarded the corpse under the ice, her grey eyes assessing the thing from bottom to top. The body was of a human male, either middle aged or in the earlier phases of advanced aging. He possessed black hair and his forever unseeing green eyes stared up at her through the ice, slightly unnerving her. His troubles were over at least, Dira got her due in the end as she always did.

The man had a regal look about him, her many conversations with her decidedly upper crust former friend Velia led her to believe that he possessed a rather noble bearing. An aristocrat of sorts perhaps, or a wealthy merchant? Whatever the case Anna believed it worthy of recording it down, Amaryllis had said to include defining features. If the man weren't dead he'd probably cut a rather dashing image, all in all it was the very definition of perfectly preserved.

So Anna recorded it down on her clipboard, cursing the fact that Amaryllis had given her a quill. She was much better acquainted with handling a brush, her handwriting with a quill was often rather hasty and scrunched together. Professors tended to develop some unfortunate habits, and that was hers, poor handwriting with a quill.

Numeric Designation: M-25
Race: Human
Sex: Male
Age: Middle aged, probably in early 40's
Height: 5'9"
Build/Fitness: Medium/Fit
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Green
Additional Notes: Subject appears to possess something of a noble bearing, possibly was a member of a wealthy family from wherever he was sent from.

Anna made certain to move the peacock quill slowly, so as to make her handwriting at least a little more legible. It was hardly her fault that Glyphing was easier with a brush and that just became her default writing utensil. Still at least the person reading the clipboard wouldn't need a cipher just to decode her written hand.

The sorceress stared at the body a moment longer, deciding to commit the corpse to memory. Amaryllis had none to subtly admitted it to be of import so it would earn a place her hidden notes. With a sigh Anna closed the drawer and moved down the row in order, deciding it best to take this task one step at a time.

She pulled open the next drawer, noting another male though this one was a bit younger and rather unremarkable compared the previous one. Anna gazed over the corpse under the ice, her eyes focusing on important details. She noted something immediately as the body was missing its right pinky finger, a stump being the only thing left of it. The condition of the body was well preserved, though Anna suspected that was a running theme here.

Number Designation: L-25
Race: Human
Sex: Male
Age: Young, early 30's
Height: 6'0"
Build/Fitness: Average/Average
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel
Additional Notes: Subject is missing pinky on right hand.

Anna sent another cursory glance over the corpse, not seeing anything else that would be worth recording. Again she placed the frozen corpse back in its drawer and moved on down the line. There was no doubt that this was a tedious process, but it was far better than being tossed into the Element Sanctum and nearly blow to tiny pieces.

The tall human pulled out the next drawer, and promptly stumbled the petch back away from it. As she looked at the decidedly female corpse inside of the ice immediate recognition had registered, a younger girl she knew as a scribe at the Wright Memorial Library. Naturally the sight of a familiar face under the ice was more than a little unnerving, however as she approached the corpse once more it was the implications she found a little unsettling.

Anna had travelled to Sahova via a trading vessel, though she had neglected to learn exactly what the petch they were trading. She'd simply assumed it they were common goods, but looking down at the corpse and hearing Amaryllis earlier words about contacts from other cities made her reassess that thought. Anna swallowed hard as she gazed down once again into the ice, calming herself as she recorded the necessary information.

Numeric Designation: K-25
Race: Human
Sex: Female
Age: Young, 19
Height: 5'6"
Build/Fitness: Slender/Average
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Green
Additional Notes: Subject possesses tattoo in the pattern of a cresting wave on her left shoulder blade.

Anna didn't need to see her back to know it was there, something the girl had picked up at the Equinox to honor her suitor in the Wave Guard. She'd been quite chatty for a scribe, a shame to see her here of all places. Even leagues from home there were constant reminders from whence she came, mildly annoying that.

Carefully the tall woman slid the familiar corpse back into drawer, sighing slightly as she looked at the remaining work ahead. Rows upon rows of drawers assaulted her sight, this was going to take a few bells at the very least. Still, it was likely easier than the jobs a number of apprentices had so she should likely count herself blessed. With a sigh Anna opened the next drawer, settling into this mindset of cataloguing corpses.

OOCI decided to take some liberties with describing the bodies, let me know if anything needs editing.

[Mirage]

OOCNo that was great! I don't mind at all ^.^

One bell passed, and then two, and then three. Upon nearing the forth bell the doors to the Rubellum Chamber opened once more, and two pulser slaves came in carrying a stretcher between them. They looked tired, worn, and so very thin. Each wore robes that were dirtied, and their expressions were one's of defeat. Amaryllis soon followed after them, and now her attire had change completely from her usual norm. Her hair was tide back into a ponytail, and upon her shoulders she wore faded white robes, large sleeves rolled up and tied past her elbows. The robes were dirty, stained with blood and other bodily fluids it was best not to think about.

Strolling past the two men the Embalmer waved a hand, "That one, M-26. Take it to the Surgery Chamber."

Without a word the two responded, moving to the drawer in question to open it. One man stood before the frozen ice block, and something was done just out of sight for Anna to see, but in an instant the ice cracked and shattered, raining down sparkling bits of ice that soon melted as they hit the floor. The two men then lifted the body from the drawer onto the stretcher, closing the drawer once more before lifting the stretcher and proceeding out of the chamber.

Watching as they went Amaryllis came to stand next to Annalisa, "Useless bafoons with no tact or intelect at all, but at least they are good for something." She looked at her Apprentice and smile, "I trust you have found your time here enlightening? Leave the clipboard there on the table, and come follow me." She waved a hand, walking briskly out the door and into the hallway once more.

The Embalmer seemed in a hurry, her steps quickly carrying them through the confusing cooridors until they reached a room completely unlike any other in the Palsa Hydrasa. The room was completely barren save for a large slab in the center, where now lay the body from before. A long table rested against the back wall, an assortment of strange instruments there from small and large scissors, to cleavers and various sizes of knives. Walking past the corpse to the table Amaryllis dipped her hands in a wash basin, scrubbing her arms all the way up to her elbows before taking a towel that sat beside it to draw her skin. She nodded her head to Annalisa, "Come, was yourself. Today you will learn one of the greatest secrets I can offer you. A look at the true nature of the Palsa Hydrasa."

Moving around the body as Anna washed her own hands Amaryllis began gathering tools onto a tray, "Thus far you have seen little of what my true role is here on Sahova. I know many secrets of this island, and its inhabitants, but that is not my purpose here. That was not why I was chosen so long ago to come to this place." While she spoke there was a change in her tone. The pride and arrogance that normally filled her voice was gone now, replaced by something a tad more sincere. She was not someone trying to put on airs, someone trying to manipulate, scheming and plotting. It was as if, in this room alone, the Embalmer could truly be herself, "My work here calls for me to know much, and keep many secrets. You see I am the one who keeps and catalogs every single body that comes through Sahova. Each and every Nuit must come to me and beg for my work, lest their bodies rot and fall apart. Because of my skills, I have claimed a stable position in the political structure of Sahova. Yet still... That is not what I do, not what I enjoy."

Collecting the last of her tools Amaryllis brought them over and set the tray down at the foot of the stone slap, near the corpses feet. The Embalmer looked almost lovingly at the corpse before her, running long fingers over the naked flesh of it's chest and neck, "I give these creatures new life. I make art from each and every body. I apply my craft to perfect, and as a result I am heavily respected for my work. I am, and always shall be, an Embalmer. A preserver of beauty if you will, though perhaps my sense of beauty is different than post." She laughed, though it sounded like a real life, if only slightly.

Looking up from the corpse Amaryllis' eyes sought after Anna's. They were softer now, searching but not cunning in the way that Anna might be used to. "Would you care to learn my art, the true secret behind my hold over those Wizards despite my lacking of any magical ability at all?"