[table][row][cell][img]https://i.imgur.com/MrFrT8O.png[/img][/cell][cell][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/241224/2dff96a131a2215857bd81cacd3d277e.png[/img][/cell][/row]
[row][cell][sub]Location: Town Square > Aelios Temple[/sub][/cell][/row][/table]Quietly, Nyla wandered through Dawnhaven’s winding streets, her eyes tracing the variety of shops clustered around the town center. For a brief moment, she wondered what it was that the shop owners sought to do here. Did they truly believe they’d find a new start instead of meeting their end? Nyla had come out of desperation, but the humans who arrived willingly seemed to cling onto hope still. It was admirable, if naive. 

With each passerby, she noted their faces, offering a small smile if their eyes met hers. The townspeople seemed tense, and the guards watched her even more closely than they had when she first arrived at the gates yesterday. It set her slightly on edge, but she continued on, following wooden signs that pointed out important locations—armory, tavern, market, barracks, neighborhoods, and temples. 

The town was organized enough, she supposed, but sprawling in a way that made her wonder how much of it had been planned and how much had simply been built wherever it could go up the fastest. She couldn’t help but smirk at that. It suited Flynn, really. For all his plans and thoughts, he was still Flynn—Impulsive, willful, and always well-intentioned. 

Eventually, she found herself in the northeast neighborhood, where the homes were neatly aligned, well-kept and clearly occupied. She paused, considering a new direction to wander, when an Aurelian guard passed by, offering a polite nod. 

[color=DBA73D]“Excuse me, love,”[/color] she called out, her southeastern Aurelian accent lacing her words with a subtle, honeyed warmth. [color=DBA73D]“This area—most of the homes are taken, yes?”[/color]

The guard gave a small chuckle, adjusting his grip on his spear. [color=FA8072]“Aye, miss. Mostly assigned to guards and the like. You lookin’ to move in? You’d have better luck toward the west end, I reckon.”[/color]

[color=DBA73D]“I see. Thank you.”[/color] She began to turn away when the guard cleared his throat.

[color=FA8072]“Miss,”[/color] he called after her, prompting Nyla to half-turn and meet his gaze. [color=FA8072]“You should talk to the stonemason and his crew. Or the Prince, if he’ll deign to meet with you. They’ll know which homes are ready.”[/color]

Nyla flashed him a warm, easy smile. [color=DBA73D]“I’ll keep that in mind.”[/color] She gave him a gracious inclination of her head, and he returned the gesture, before she continued on her way.

She had no interest in tracking down Flynn or whoever the stonemason was. Flynn had already said she could have any home she wanted—so she’d take it. 

As she made her way back down the snow-laden streets, a wisp of steam caught her attention, curling into the crisp air from somewhere to the east. Intrigued, she followed it, cutting through narrow streets until she found herself at the base of a temple—perched atop a hill, framed by the forest, and radiating warmth that seemed to seep through the very walls. It wasn’t anything like the grand, glittering temples of Aurelia, but it held its own quiet dignity. 

She stopped at the foot of the steps, narrowing her eyes as she took it all in—the Temple of Aelios. The goddess whose followers had changed the course of Flynn’s entire life… and hers. 

Her lips pressed into a thin line as she looked up at the spires reaching up into the clouded night sky. She had never belonged to Aelios’ faithful, despite growing up in the eastern sands where worship was as common as breathing. There, faith bled into everything—prayers before meals, blessings for water, rituals for the rising sun, mediation under the blazing summer heat or in the warmth of a cleansing hot spring. 

She did not deny Aelios’ power, but the nomads lived by their own rhythm, guided by the wind. And Nyla had never cared for how religion tried to box people in.

Still, the temple’s heat called to her all the same, tempting her with promises of comfort like a familiar lover. Might as well, she thought, if only to see everything Dawnhaven had to offer.

Letting herself be drawn closer, she scaled the steps until she reached the doors and gave them a gentle push. The warmth spilled out, washing over her, and Nyla stepped inside. The vast, open center of the temple welcomed her with flickering firelight. At the heart of it all, the eternal flame burned—a beacon that made the air seem to hum with power. A familiar sight, and yet, so foreign at the same time. 

Near the flame stood a woman—blonde, petite, and strikingly beautiful. A Priestess, no doubt. But more curiously, she bore the unmistakable features of someone from the Ember Isles—despite the rarity of her sunlit hair. Nyla took a moment to drink her in before stepping forward, a soft smile gracing her lips as she moved with the unhurried, fluid grace honed on countless stages.

[color=DBA73D]“Warm greetings, Priestess,”[/color] she said, dipping her head in a respectful bow, keeping her gaze averted for a few breaths. If her life had taught her anything, it was to tread carefully around members of the church. With all their entitled pride, they weren’t often forgiving of perceived disrespect. 

When she straightened, her blue eyes briefly flicked to the Priestess's scarf before meeting her gaze. 

[color=DBA73D]“I couldn’t help but notice—is that a hot spring beyond the temple?”[/color] she asked, nodding toward the door at the back. [color=DBA73D]“It’s been far too long since I’ve had the pleasure of one.”[/color] She paused, her soft smile shifting, turning teasing. 

Because despite her inclination to respect the clergy, she was still Nyla—impulsive and willful. 

[color=DBA73D]“Is the hotspring reserved only for the devout, or might any heathen enjoy it?”[/color]

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[Sub][b]Interactions:[/b] Tia [@c3p-0h][/sub]