A small smile curved Zintila's mouth at Madeira's decidedly polite but barely stilted returned greeting; the girl was familiar with politics, it seemed. That suited the Alvina just fine. It could very well be useful down the line, but only time would tell.
She made note of the way Madeira commanded the man, Allister, even without words; and how he, in return, doted upon her without a thought, disinterested in anything else, putting himself between her and the most obvious sign of potential danger. What devotion, she thought, almost wryly; she had only ever seen such behaviour in Kelvic bondmates before, and she was almost certain such was the situation with the strange duo before her.
Madeira's next words, a sort of plea, confirmed this. "Ghosts and Kelvics? What an interesting family dynamic," Zintila commented. The words could perhaps be taken as snide, but her tone seemed genuine enough, and it was impossible to read her face, her sparkling eyes remaining entirely neutral.
"Did you go to see the artifact on display on the bottom floor of the Twuele, earlier this season?" Zintila continued, disregarding the answer either way. "If you, nor any member of your family, have not done so, then you are as safe as you can be. However I cannot promise that you will remain entirely unaffected, as there are many things here outside even my control."
At her accusation, Aysel visibly bristled, but Talora beside him put a calming hand on his arm; his silver eyes glared at Madeira, shining with irritation, but he remained silent. Zintila arched a brow. "It is not Aysel's place to give answers with such a matter. You may feel slighted but I assure you, with the exception of the few I hold in close confidence, anybody else would have been treated the same."
Suddenly, Chiona threw her head back and let out a high-pitched, bloodcurdling scream, followed by shrill, chilling laughter; the scream caused everyone but Zintila to jump. Even Lheili flinched back before edging close again, hushing the deranged woman, pleading with her quietly as she stroked at her dirty, matted hair.
Just then, the opening of the doors announced a new presence; a pale woman with silvery hair and piercing crimson eyes entered. The heels of her shoes clicked on the floor as she nodded briskly to Zintila, striding with purpose over to where Lheili and Chiona sat, holding a small silver platter with several medical supplies.
She pulled up a chair beside Lheili, murmuring quietly. Zintila watched, idly, as the doctor injected something into Chiona's arm. The woman screeched again as the needle pierced her skin, thrashing about, before falling quiet, the only sound her harsh breathing. "That should sedate her for awhile," The woman spoke briskly into the silence.
"Thank you, Doctor Alessia," Zintila nodded. "Please, if you would, I do request that you stay in case we are in further need of your skills." The woman, Alessia, simply nodded, and moved away from the table to give the other two women there some privacy.
"Where was I," Zintila said, turning back to face her two guests. "Ah, yes. From the beginning, you say? Very well."
"Several seasons ago, in the spring, there was a meteor shower. These are not uncommon here, however they are always valued; we do our best to collect the fragments of these meteors, for they are useful in constructing skyglass." Zintila waved a hand around vaguely, motioning to the many crystalline pieces of decor and furniture in the room.
"Some of my Constellations went into the Unforgiving to collect them. Not all of them returned. Those that did were injured and seemed dazed, so a search party was sent to see if it was possible to find at least the bodies of those who were missing. Talora accompanied them." The Alvina glanced over at the blonde woman purposefully, and Talora cleared her throat.
"We didn't find the bodies, but we found where the meteors landed. There was..." She hesitated, then continued. "There was blood everywhere. The ground was all torn up. Broken branches...something vicious attacked them. Maybe more than one something. While we were looking around, we found what must have once been a building."
"It was very, very old...perhaps even preceding the construction of Lhavit. Discussion with some others leads me to believe it had been shielded, but someone or something broke it when the original party discovered the area. Inside there was an artifact. I...we decided it was best if it was brought back to the city."
Talora fell silent, glancing away; guilt weighed heavily on her. She wondered if she had never brought the skull back to Lhavit if these things would never have happened; or perhaps it had been too late once the shield had been broken.
Zintila nodded, then continued the story. "Not long after, a strange and heavy fog enveloped the city and surrounding area. It was a strange thing indeed. We still aren't certain what exactly it was, but we believe it somehow had traces of wild djed within it. That season was a catastrophe. Anyone who used any sort of magic found themselves experiencing strange symptoms and side effects. They weren't always bad, but more often than not they were."
"The fog lasted the entire season of summer. That season also brought with it a large amount of Zith attacks. Only this very season, near the beginning of autumn, did the fog finally disappear once we destroyed the artifact. However it seems its adverse affects have not left us just yet."
Zintila considered for a long moment. "The artifact was a maledicted skull of a monster. The Unforgiving is known for pools and pockets of wild djed; my theory is that the skull somehow interacted with such a pool, which amplified its effects. Have you ever heard of a Journeyman?"
She gave a slight pause before explaining further. "They are vicious monsters who can take on many different forms; the only constant is they have no mouth. When they hunt, they become obsessed with their prey. It's not clear how they choose their prey, but once they do, they stalk it for as long as they think they need to in order to understand it. They observe, and stalk, and then they kill. Viciously. And they observe the insides."
Very pointedly, Zintila's gaze drifted over to Chiona, who was now slumped over, in a deep, medicated sleep. She let Allister and Madeira take in all of the information she had just given them. "Sound familiar?" She finally asked, looking back at them.
"Chiona is the only one who has behaved in such a way thus far. I know she observed the skull...however, many others have as well. It's impossible to say if others will act like she has tonight, but I have a sneaking suspicion she was simply too curious, and handled the object with her bare hands when there was a lapse in attention; that is why she was affected so strongly. Still, the Shinya are on high alert, and have several times their usual numbers patrolling the city."
Zintila let out a sigh, briefly rubbing her fingertips over her cheekbone, the only sign of stress or worry she had given away thus far. Even that action was brief and almost unnoticeable before she once again was entirely focused on the two in front of her.
"While we had our suspicions, nothing lead us to believe this would be the outcome. Chiona has been acting strange, but not murderous and insane. Lheili awoke to find Chiona gone, and knowing she had been acting strangely, was concerned. Rightfully so, it seems."
"But now it's my turn; I've fulfilled my end of the bargain. If you have any more questions, Miss Craven, I ask that you hold them for later. Aysel has told me all that you told him, so I won't force you to repeat yourself. But I will ask; you are quite sure it was only Chiona in the park? There was nobody else? If there are others who pose a risk, I need to know."
"Otherwise, it is our hope that Chiona will recover from this and be able to return to her position at the Tower. She, of course, cannot be held responsible for her actions tonight, as she was not in her sane mind, so she will not be punished. That being said, Madeira, you say you work with her. You're an outsider; you are not biased, and while I imagine you do have your own agenda and goals, I doubt you are blindly loyal to the tower which employs you."
"That being said, I have a favour to ask of you." Zintila beckoned Madeira closer; Lheili was not paying attention to the conversation, but what the Alvina had was for the spiritist's ears only. She had no doubts that the information would be relayed to her bondmate, but such was the nature of that beast.
Once Madeira moved closer, Zintila leaned in to speak quietly in her ear; her breath was cool and pleasantly tingly as it ghosted along the outer shell of Madeira's ear. "Keep an eye on Chiona moving forward; I want to be absolutely certain this does not happen again. If you have concerns or doubts, if you think she is acting strangely or may harm someone again, come here and request to see Aysel or Talora immediately. I may have more favours to ask of you in the future, but this will do for now."
The favour, most likely, would seem absurdly simple to Madeira; all of that information, just to keep an eye on a mad woman to make sure she didn't go insane again? The Alvina, of course, had her reasons. If the spiritist could prove herself in this simple task, then indeed Zintila may have use of her in the future; and she would be owed that use due to all the information she had just given to Madeira so freely. To be in the presence of divinity could be both a blessing and a curse.
Zintila was always suspicious of the Towers and their members; they were by their very nature, selfish and power-hungry. They had already had one Day of Discord, and the Alvina did not want another. If Madeira proved useful, as an outsider with no personal allegiance to the Tower, Zintila could very well make use of her to keep an eye on the going-ons of all the Dusk Tower members...but that would have to wait. One thing at a time.
"Do you have any further questions? If not, I believe it high time the two of you got some rest. You have had quite the exciting night, and I'm sure you have much information to think over." Zintila spoke gently; if Madeira had more questions, she would answer them patiently. If not, she would nod, and thank them for their time.
She made note of the way Madeira commanded the man, Allister, even without words; and how he, in return, doted upon her without a thought, disinterested in anything else, putting himself between her and the most obvious sign of potential danger. What devotion, she thought, almost wryly; she had only ever seen such behaviour in Kelvic bondmates before, and she was almost certain such was the situation with the strange duo before her.
Madeira's next words, a sort of plea, confirmed this. "Ghosts and Kelvics? What an interesting family dynamic," Zintila commented. The words could perhaps be taken as snide, but her tone seemed genuine enough, and it was impossible to read her face, her sparkling eyes remaining entirely neutral.
"Did you go to see the artifact on display on the bottom floor of the Twuele, earlier this season?" Zintila continued, disregarding the answer either way. "If you, nor any member of your family, have not done so, then you are as safe as you can be. However I cannot promise that you will remain entirely unaffected, as there are many things here outside even my control."
At her accusation, Aysel visibly bristled, but Talora beside him put a calming hand on his arm; his silver eyes glared at Madeira, shining with irritation, but he remained silent. Zintila arched a brow. "It is not Aysel's place to give answers with such a matter. You may feel slighted but I assure you, with the exception of the few I hold in close confidence, anybody else would have been treated the same."
Suddenly, Chiona threw her head back and let out a high-pitched, bloodcurdling scream, followed by shrill, chilling laughter; the scream caused everyone but Zintila to jump. Even Lheili flinched back before edging close again, hushing the deranged woman, pleading with her quietly as she stroked at her dirty, matted hair.
Just then, the opening of the doors announced a new presence; a pale woman with silvery hair and piercing crimson eyes entered. The heels of her shoes clicked on the floor as she nodded briskly to Zintila, striding with purpose over to where Lheili and Chiona sat, holding a small silver platter with several medical supplies.
She pulled up a chair beside Lheili, murmuring quietly. Zintila watched, idly, as the doctor injected something into Chiona's arm. The woman screeched again as the needle pierced her skin, thrashing about, before falling quiet, the only sound her harsh breathing. "That should sedate her for awhile," The woman spoke briskly into the silence.
"Thank you, Doctor Alessia," Zintila nodded. "Please, if you would, I do request that you stay in case we are in further need of your skills." The woman, Alessia, simply nodded, and moved away from the table to give the other two women there some privacy.
"Where was I," Zintila said, turning back to face her two guests. "Ah, yes. From the beginning, you say? Very well."
"Several seasons ago, in the spring, there was a meteor shower. These are not uncommon here, however they are always valued; we do our best to collect the fragments of these meteors, for they are useful in constructing skyglass." Zintila waved a hand around vaguely, motioning to the many crystalline pieces of decor and furniture in the room.
"Some of my Constellations went into the Unforgiving to collect them. Not all of them returned. Those that did were injured and seemed dazed, so a search party was sent to see if it was possible to find at least the bodies of those who were missing. Talora accompanied them." The Alvina glanced over at the blonde woman purposefully, and Talora cleared her throat.
"We didn't find the bodies, but we found where the meteors landed. There was..." She hesitated, then continued. "There was blood everywhere. The ground was all torn up. Broken branches...something vicious attacked them. Maybe more than one something. While we were looking around, we found what must have once been a building."
"It was very, very old...perhaps even preceding the construction of Lhavit. Discussion with some others leads me to believe it had been shielded, but someone or something broke it when the original party discovered the area. Inside there was an artifact. I...we decided it was best if it was brought back to the city."
Talora fell silent, glancing away; guilt weighed heavily on her. She wondered if she had never brought the skull back to Lhavit if these things would never have happened; or perhaps it had been too late once the shield had been broken.
Zintila nodded, then continued the story. "Not long after, a strange and heavy fog enveloped the city and surrounding area. It was a strange thing indeed. We still aren't certain what exactly it was, but we believe it somehow had traces of wild djed within it. That season was a catastrophe. Anyone who used any sort of magic found themselves experiencing strange symptoms and side effects. They weren't always bad, but more often than not they were."
"The fog lasted the entire season of summer. That season also brought with it a large amount of Zith attacks. Only this very season, near the beginning of autumn, did the fog finally disappear once we destroyed the artifact. However it seems its adverse affects have not left us just yet."
Zintila considered for a long moment. "The artifact was a maledicted skull of a monster. The Unforgiving is known for pools and pockets of wild djed; my theory is that the skull somehow interacted with such a pool, which amplified its effects. Have you ever heard of a Journeyman?"
She gave a slight pause before explaining further. "They are vicious monsters who can take on many different forms; the only constant is they have no mouth. When they hunt, they become obsessed with their prey. It's not clear how they choose their prey, but once they do, they stalk it for as long as they think they need to in order to understand it. They observe, and stalk, and then they kill. Viciously. And they observe the insides."
Very pointedly, Zintila's gaze drifted over to Chiona, who was now slumped over, in a deep, medicated sleep. She let Allister and Madeira take in all of the information she had just given them. "Sound familiar?" She finally asked, looking back at them.
"Chiona is the only one who has behaved in such a way thus far. I know she observed the skull...however, many others have as well. It's impossible to say if others will act like she has tonight, but I have a sneaking suspicion she was simply too curious, and handled the object with her bare hands when there was a lapse in attention; that is why she was affected so strongly. Still, the Shinya are on high alert, and have several times their usual numbers patrolling the city."
Zintila let out a sigh, briefly rubbing her fingertips over her cheekbone, the only sign of stress or worry she had given away thus far. Even that action was brief and almost unnoticeable before she once again was entirely focused on the two in front of her.
"While we had our suspicions, nothing lead us to believe this would be the outcome. Chiona has been acting strange, but not murderous and insane. Lheili awoke to find Chiona gone, and knowing she had been acting strangely, was concerned. Rightfully so, it seems."
"But now it's my turn; I've fulfilled my end of the bargain. If you have any more questions, Miss Craven, I ask that you hold them for later. Aysel has told me all that you told him, so I won't force you to repeat yourself. But I will ask; you are quite sure it was only Chiona in the park? There was nobody else? If there are others who pose a risk, I need to know."
"Otherwise, it is our hope that Chiona will recover from this and be able to return to her position at the Tower. She, of course, cannot be held responsible for her actions tonight, as she was not in her sane mind, so she will not be punished. That being said, Madeira, you say you work with her. You're an outsider; you are not biased, and while I imagine you do have your own agenda and goals, I doubt you are blindly loyal to the tower which employs you."
"That being said, I have a favour to ask of you." Zintila beckoned Madeira closer; Lheili was not paying attention to the conversation, but what the Alvina had was for the spiritist's ears only. She had no doubts that the information would be relayed to her bondmate, but such was the nature of that beast.
Once Madeira moved closer, Zintila leaned in to speak quietly in her ear; her breath was cool and pleasantly tingly as it ghosted along the outer shell of Madeira's ear. "Keep an eye on Chiona moving forward; I want to be absolutely certain this does not happen again. If you have concerns or doubts, if you think she is acting strangely or may harm someone again, come here and request to see Aysel or Talora immediately. I may have more favours to ask of you in the future, but this will do for now."
The favour, most likely, would seem absurdly simple to Madeira; all of that information, just to keep an eye on a mad woman to make sure she didn't go insane again? The Alvina, of course, had her reasons. If the spiritist could prove herself in this simple task, then indeed Zintila may have use of her in the future; and she would be owed that use due to all the information she had just given to Madeira so freely. To be in the presence of divinity could be both a blessing and a curse.
Zintila was always suspicious of the Towers and their members; they were by their very nature, selfish and power-hungry. They had already had one Day of Discord, and the Alvina did not want another. If Madeira proved useful, as an outsider with no personal allegiance to the Tower, Zintila could very well make use of her to keep an eye on the going-ons of all the Dusk Tower members...but that would have to wait. One thing at a time.
"Do you have any further questions? If not, I believe it high time the two of you got some rest. You have had quite the exciting night, and I'm sure you have much information to think over." Zintila spoke gently; if Madeira had more questions, she would answer them patiently. If not, she would nod, and thank them for their time.
OOC :
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