Under the caress of shadow, her features remain cool and hidden from the harsh touch of sunlight. Golden eyes blurred out the myriad of faces around her and only focused on the road presented. Here, in the desert, she found little comfort, but had arrived earlier with purpose that put aside any displeasure she may be enduring. Here, in the sea of sand, the bowmaiden weaved through the denizens and merchants, clutching a particular object in her grasp. She believed this could be examined quickly and she may return home, with less doubt shadowing her heart that this was simply a gift for her performance in society.
There was something amiss in the gift that she was given this Starlight; when alone, the stone looked to be any ordinary gem, though the goldsmith hinted that there was something out of the norm about it. This sparkling gem felt unusual enough to cause suspicions to flourish from within her. It seems, she was not the only one that carried such a trinket; another woman reported to have ventured within the guild with a different carving in the ruby. What made this even more interesting is the group used their very symbol within the gemstone; the Lotus was a symbol that grazed the ebbs of her memory. This was something old within her family's line on her mother's end. No one knew how symbolic this was, except very, very few.
By chance, one of her contacts here was to meet her on very short notice; the very same thaumaturge that assisted her with a prior assignment, offered his service once more. But there was always a price, in this occupation, she knew such knowledge came was accompanied with the splendid melody of gil falling into his small hands. They met at the hangar of the airships, where they sat down at a table. He looked over her attire, light and airy, not the same woman who was adorned in heavy habiliments with layers of leather and fur. Her hair had become shorter, her features more sun-kissed, but her eyes are never-changing, they bore into his like a serpent.
"I have something for thee to see, what can ye tell me about this, Mister Roku," Rivienne retrieved the gem from the satchel, wrapped in silk cloth, and placed it at the center of the table. Fingers danced over the fabric and pulled the folds aside, unveiling the ruby. Withdrawing her hand, her eyes studied him with a scrutinizing gaze; she waited for a flinch, for a smirk, for any indication that this was something other than some gift from a well wisher.
Alas, nothing crossed his features. For a few moments, he stared with a blank slate upon his visage, admiring the gem and became tempted to simply have her pawn it off to him as payment for his time, but that changed suddenly..
..when her hand hovered over it.
He reached suddenly across the table and took a hold of her slender wrist as she stopped ilms from touching the stone. He studied the sudden fluctuation surrounding the object, how it reacted to when she drew near. Something else, however, he had noticed was the tendrils of aether, slight as they may appear, barely caressing the surface of the faceted stone. Her energy breathes life to the, otherwise typical, ruby.
For a few breaths, Rivienne dared not to move and narrowed her gaze as she saw hints of something stirring in the air, but could not explain it, perhaps her eyes were playing tricks on her; such was not the case. Realizing he had her wrist still, and after finding her confused gaze had settled on his features, Roku pulls back his hand and gently bows his head apologetically.
"Where did you find this?" He inquired with a tilt of his head while gathering the silk around the stone and folding it over. Gingerly, it is placed into her open palm. When it came in contact with him, everything he witnessed came to a halt. It was when it fell into her awaiting hand that he saw life from it once more.
"It was a gift. Though I know not the source well, those who call themselves the Sisters of the Red Lotus sent it during the moon of Starlight." She replies, looking down at it with a wrinkle at the bridge of her nose. Rivienne waits to hear the ill news that would spill from his lips. Her eyes suddenly glance across the table to catch his perplexed expression.
"A gift crafted for your touch. Aether surrounds it, aether is drawn to it. And you, Miss Delacroux, can activate it. So far it is harmless, it is not drawing from you, but it is using you." He steeples his fingers and smirks, causing her to scowl in response.
There was something amiss in the gift that she was given this Starlight; when alone, the stone looked to be any ordinary gem, though the goldsmith hinted that there was something out of the norm about it. This sparkling gem felt unusual enough to cause suspicions to flourish from within her. It seems, she was not the only one that carried such a trinket; another woman reported to have ventured within the guild with a different carving in the ruby. What made this even more interesting is the group used their very symbol within the gemstone; the Lotus was a symbol that grazed the ebbs of her memory. This was something old within her family's line on her mother's end. No one knew how symbolic this was, except very, very few.
By chance, one of her contacts here was to meet her on very short notice; the very same thaumaturge that assisted her with a prior assignment, offered his service once more. But there was always a price, in this occupation, she knew such knowledge came was accompanied with the splendid melody of gil falling into his small hands. They met at the hangar of the airships, where they sat down at a table. He looked over her attire, light and airy, not the same woman who was adorned in heavy habiliments with layers of leather and fur. Her hair had become shorter, her features more sun-kissed, but her eyes are never-changing, they bore into his like a serpent.
"I have something for thee to see, what can ye tell me about this, Mister Roku," Rivienne retrieved the gem from the satchel, wrapped in silk cloth, and placed it at the center of the table. Fingers danced over the fabric and pulled the folds aside, unveiling the ruby. Withdrawing her hand, her eyes studied him with a scrutinizing gaze; she waited for a flinch, for a smirk, for any indication that this was something other than some gift from a well wisher.
Alas, nothing crossed his features. For a few moments, he stared with a blank slate upon his visage, admiring the gem and became tempted to simply have her pawn it off to him as payment for his time, but that changed suddenly..
..when her hand hovered over it.
He reached suddenly across the table and took a hold of her slender wrist as she stopped ilms from touching the stone. He studied the sudden fluctuation surrounding the object, how it reacted to when she drew near. Something else, however, he had noticed was the tendrils of aether, slight as they may appear, barely caressing the surface of the faceted stone. Her energy breathes life to the, otherwise typical, ruby.
For a few breaths, Rivienne dared not to move and narrowed her gaze as she saw hints of something stirring in the air, but could not explain it, perhaps her eyes were playing tricks on her; such was not the case. Realizing he had her wrist still, and after finding her confused gaze had settled on his features, Roku pulls back his hand and gently bows his head apologetically.
"Where did you find this?" He inquired with a tilt of his head while gathering the silk around the stone and folding it over. Gingerly, it is placed into her open palm. When it came in contact with him, everything he witnessed came to a halt. It was when it fell into her awaiting hand that he saw life from it once more.
"It was a gift. Though I know not the source well, those who call themselves the Sisters of the Red Lotus sent it during the moon of Starlight." She replies, looking down at it with a wrinkle at the bridge of her nose. Rivienne waits to hear the ill news that would spill from his lips. Her eyes suddenly glance across the table to catch his perplexed expression.
"A gift crafted for your touch. Aether surrounds it, aether is drawn to it. And you, Miss Delacroux, can activate it. So far it is harmless, it is not drawing from you, but it is using you." He steeples his fingers and smirks, causing her to scowl in response.
