3rd Day of Winter in the Year 515 AV
Now into her third day in Riverfall at The Sanctuary, Ialari felt, for the first time in a few years, awkward and out of her element. Amplifying this was the withdrawal she was experiencing from being away from the Ukalas and her Dominion. Over the past five years she had spent an increasing amount of time away from Mizahar, instead residing for longer periods of time in her Dominion. The scrolls given to her by Izurdin which held the secrets of Dominion, had stated that spending a long time in the Ukalas had unknown long-term consequences. Just as the Domineer affects the world around, the opposite also holds true. When she first arrived in Riverfall through a Dominion Door, her sight was the first thing she noticed had been altered. She could see the strong patterns of djed in people and objects. These patterns appeared as glowing fibers that weaved their way through everything. Unfortunately, that was the only positive thing she felt upon exiting the door.
Although it wasn't as pronounced at first, the feeling of separation from her Dominion had started to take its toll. In her Dominion, Ialari was connected to every aspect of the space she had carved from the Ukalas. She could feel herself walking across the ground as if the ground were a part of her own body. With some concentration, she could see herself from the perspective of her Dominion and could even alter the temperature, weather and mood with a thought. Upon returning to Mizahar, that bond was severed and Ialari was left shut out of inner workings of the world; forced to rely on her mundane senses in order to function. These limitations caused her to feel anxious. She found herself looking over her shoulder often and jumping at the simplest of noises.
The one feeling that remained that wasn't quite pleasing yet not all that unpleasant either was ever so slight jolt of energy she felt whenever she touched something. She discovered the feeling after the first couple of years of crossing between worlds and it was the only altered feeling that she found remained with her long after leaving her Dominion. Although the scrolls didn't mention it specifically, Ialari deduced that because she was gradually becoming a creature of both realms, her body was acting as some sort of small conduit between the two only in that by touching items in the mortal realm, she was able to physically feel their connection to the Ukalas. It was a connection that all things, living and not, shared and it was one that Ialari was thankfully still able to feel.
As morning arrived and Ialari awoke, she quickly realized that she'd slept the majority of her second day at The Sanctuary. The first day was spent getting to know the place and its owner, Kavala. The konti had displayed unrivaled generosity and kindness toward Ialari and in return asked only for an exchange of knowledge and services. Such a concept was something Ialari thought reserved only for the Isur. In return for her aid, Ialari agreed to work in Kavala's forge. The idea was yet another win in Ialari's mind as working a forge would allow her to be even closer to Izurdin.
Sitting up in bed, Ialari rubbed her face and looked around. It was dark though Ialari's vision adjusted almost immediately. Although there was sources of light, she preferred the dark. Slowly she slid out of bed and stood. On the stand next to the bed she found a pile of folded clothing and a pair of boots on the floor. Examination revealed the boots to be knee-high black leather while the clothing included silk undergarments, a blue linen dress, fur leggings, a fur tunic, a new fur cloak and a black silk chest wrap and skirt to replace the tattered ones she wore when she first arrived.
It was a nice selection that brought a bit of comfort to Ialari as she sorted through the cloths while deciding what to wear. She'd already decided she would visit the forge first thing. It would give her the chance to commune with Izurdin while also getting a feel for the place where she would likely be spending a good amount of time. While the chill of winter was heavy in the air outside, Ialari knew that wearing fur clothing in a forge was a ridiculous idea so she settled on the skirt, chest wrap and boots for the time being. The cloak would be more than enough to keep the cold at bay on her way to the forge. Next she looked for her backpack which lay up against the nearby wall. Taking it and setting it on the bed, she began to search through it. The pack had seen better days but still held up to the extreme amount of "stuff" that had been packed in and on it. Deciding to go through it all in detail later and start settling her possessions into her new room then, she retrieved her rather dull, well-used ceremonial dagger, her netted bag of seashells and a few of the smaller whale bones. While her primary task at the forge would be more of a occupational one, she had an idea for a gift for Kavala as a sign of gratitude.
Before heading for the door, Ialari retrieved the tube containing the Dominion Scrolls. She then knelt down and peered under the bed before stashing the tube in the bed frame. While grateful for Kavala's kindness thus far, Ialari was, by nature, not a trusting person and didn't know who all had access to her room. Making her way to the door, she noticed something on the floor in front of it, a key. A half-smile sat on her lips as she reached down for it then opened the door. Stepping out into the hall, she then turned and used the key on the lock. It seemed that Kavala was one that understood Ialari's distrust even if the two still didn't know each other all that terribly well.
Ialari then made her way to the main above ground facility as best as her memory of the brief tour Kavala gave earlier would allow.
