Ruli shrugged a shoulder. "I don't think they do." He admitted. "It's dormant in the majority of them, and while they can all manage enchantments and potions, salves, the like, its rare that its active in them. At least thats what I remember her saying decades ago." Ruli shrugged again.
"Aera's the current exception. Again. Its like the Kartaian's ability to hurt through skin contact, but its concentrated in her hands. Last I knew, she couldn't control it, so she never takes off her gloves."
He tilted his head toward the two. "Why?" He wondered, narrowing his eyes. "What are you planning?"
After setting Ysaryn down on the table draped in white linen, and seeing the three elves gowned as court healer's approach and begin their work, Aera led Zeke back out into the court. He was struck dumb by the beauty of it. In the sunlight it had been bright, reflecting the sun, but in the moonlight, it was something else entirely.
The marble glowed as if it had absorbed all the sun had given it, the stone warm as a lover to the touch. The flowers opened everywhere, blooming in the night. Their round, white and purple faces peered upward in every direction, their smell sweet and inviting. More of the court was awake and roaming now, and the faces that looked his way, while still wary, had much less of the cold calculation in their frowns. A few bent into sweeping bows to Aera, who addressed them in return with a slight nod.
"It's like a whole different city." Zeke said, awestruck.
"We wouldn't be doing our job right if we failed to make this place something we wanted to live in." Aera said as they strolled together through the lowest tier. And owl hooted somewhere just off the court, and Zeke sighed, glad to hear animals again.
"We were worried the Kart-"
"Shh." Aera whispered. "Do not utter their name here."
Zeke thought a moment. "We were worried you were destroyed, as Ziad was. Nine months ago."
"We are aware." Aera admitted, turning to Zeke when he looked at her, accusingly. "Envy wrote to me. I received it about a week and a half ago."
"How..." Zeke frowned. "How did he get a letter to you? How did he write a letter!?"
"I have never doubted his abilities." She mused, a hint of warmth crossing her face. "I miss him. And you."
"We've missed you." Zeke admitted. Whether she knew about his injuries or no, she walked slowly for him. Perhaps just to let him see as much as he could. He glanced her way. In the moonlight, her dark hair was like the night sky itself; the light catching to make it glitter like stars, the ebony colour shone blue in the crests of her strands.
"But you understand." Aera said, her voice hollow.
"Yes." Zeke said as they approached the edge of the tier, and rest their hands on the marble top. They peered down into the forest, only a few feet higher than those on the ground level.
"We would never have intruded. But the friend we're looking for, Envy think's he's here."
"He is."
Zeke looked around to her again. "He is?"
Aera bowed her head in a single nod. "I had been debating on writing Envy back about him." She admitted, looking down to fidget with the hem of her sleeve. "I wasn't sure what to make of the messages the scouts brought back. But when I saw the woman in the cell; she looks just like him." Aera turned toward Zeke, now. "Is she ...?"
"I think its the magic suppression." Zeke admitted. "She's usually ... not that."
"If I allow her out, she'll need to wear the bracelets."
"They suppress, too?" Aera nodded, and Zeke continued. "Then you will not get much out of her."
"What of the tall one?"
"Her ... I don't know. Officer. Maybe lover."
Aera nodded again. "Delivering her to her kin in such a manner would not bode well. Would you trust her without the suppression?"
"I do." Zeke sighed. "She's got a smart tongue, and she's brash, but she's kind. She's gone out of her way to help us survive. She's not that unlike Ru- er. Unlike him."
Without answering, Aera wandered down the marble steps and into the cool forest floor. She led Zeke along a gravel path of ground marble, answering Zeke's inquiries about the court, the elves, while he entertained her questions about where they now lived, how they fared, and how Envy was managing without sight.
After a few minutes, they approached a small arena tucked between some trees. Here, elven soldiers were in practice gear, clutching sharp weapons as they flew at one another in spar. "Beleger." Aera said as she approached the arena and the soldiers within. One figure turned toward them; a mortal. His blue eyes shifted between the elf and the man beside her, curiosity painting his face. He took a step back from his opponent and approached. Aera studied his gait. Beleger. Strong one. That was the name the elves had given him, for his unwillingness to concede to his injuries or the loss of his home. His isolation. He'd stood up straight on healing legs and faced everything. Rising so far beyond their expectations for a mortal man.
When he drew near, Aera switched tongues. "This is my dear friend Zekiel of Ziad." Aera introduced. "Zekiel, this is Edward of Amria."
Zeke bent slightly, assessing the man before him. The sweat that coated him from his workout, the swell of his muscles through his elven garb.
"He has arrived with someone claiming to be a relative of yours."
"Kire." Zeke said, studying Ed's face. "She and some giant female friend of hers are quite worried."
"Aera's the current exception. Again. Its like the Kartaian's ability to hurt through skin contact, but its concentrated in her hands. Last I knew, she couldn't control it, so she never takes off her gloves."
He tilted his head toward the two. "Why?" He wondered, narrowing his eyes. "What are you planning?"
After setting Ysaryn down on the table draped in white linen, and seeing the three elves gowned as court healer's approach and begin their work, Aera led Zeke back out into the court. He was struck dumb by the beauty of it. In the sunlight it had been bright, reflecting the sun, but in the moonlight, it was something else entirely.
The marble glowed as if it had absorbed all the sun had given it, the stone warm as a lover to the touch. The flowers opened everywhere, blooming in the night. Their round, white and purple faces peered upward in every direction, their smell sweet and inviting. More of the court was awake and roaming now, and the faces that looked his way, while still wary, had much less of the cold calculation in their frowns. A few bent into sweeping bows to Aera, who addressed them in return with a slight nod.
"It's like a whole different city." Zeke said, awestruck.
"We wouldn't be doing our job right if we failed to make this place something we wanted to live in." Aera said as they strolled together through the lowest tier. And owl hooted somewhere just off the court, and Zeke sighed, glad to hear animals again.
"We were worried the Kart-"
"Shh." Aera whispered. "Do not utter their name here."
Zeke thought a moment. "We were worried you were destroyed, as Ziad was. Nine months ago."
"We are aware." Aera admitted, turning to Zeke when he looked at her, accusingly. "Envy wrote to me. I received it about a week and a half ago."
"How..." Zeke frowned. "How did he get a letter to you? How did he write a letter!?"
"I have never doubted his abilities." She mused, a hint of warmth crossing her face. "I miss him. And you."
"We've missed you." Zeke admitted. Whether she knew about his injuries or no, she walked slowly for him. Perhaps just to let him see as much as he could. He glanced her way. In the moonlight, her dark hair was like the night sky itself; the light catching to make it glitter like stars, the ebony colour shone blue in the crests of her strands.
"But you understand." Aera said, her voice hollow.
"Yes." Zeke said as they approached the edge of the tier, and rest their hands on the marble top. They peered down into the forest, only a few feet higher than those on the ground level.
"We would never have intruded. But the friend we're looking for, Envy think's he's here."
"He is."
Zeke looked around to her again. "He is?"
Aera bowed her head in a single nod. "I had been debating on writing Envy back about him." She admitted, looking down to fidget with the hem of her sleeve. "I wasn't sure what to make of the messages the scouts brought back. But when I saw the woman in the cell; she looks just like him." Aera turned toward Zeke, now. "Is she ...?"
"I think its the magic suppression." Zeke admitted. "She's usually ... not that."
"If I allow her out, she'll need to wear the bracelets."
"They suppress, too?" Aera nodded, and Zeke continued. "Then you will not get much out of her."
"What of the tall one?"
"Her ... I don't know. Officer. Maybe lover."
Aera nodded again. "Delivering her to her kin in such a manner would not bode well. Would you trust her without the suppression?"
"I do." Zeke sighed. "She's got a smart tongue, and she's brash, but she's kind. She's gone out of her way to help us survive. She's not that unlike Ru- er. Unlike him."
Without answering, Aera wandered down the marble steps and into the cool forest floor. She led Zeke along a gravel path of ground marble, answering Zeke's inquiries about the court, the elves, while he entertained her questions about where they now lived, how they fared, and how Envy was managing without sight.
After a few minutes, they approached a small arena tucked between some trees. Here, elven soldiers were in practice gear, clutching sharp weapons as they flew at one another in spar. "Beleger." Aera said as she approached the arena and the soldiers within. One figure turned toward them; a mortal. His blue eyes shifted between the elf and the man beside her, curiosity painting his face. He took a step back from his opponent and approached. Aera studied his gait. Beleger. Strong one. That was the name the elves had given him, for his unwillingness to concede to his injuries or the loss of his home. His isolation. He'd stood up straight on healing legs and faced everything. Rising so far beyond their expectations for a mortal man.
When he drew near, Aera switched tongues. "This is my dear friend Zekiel of Ziad." Aera introduced. "Zekiel, this is Edward of Amria."
Zeke bent slightly, assessing the man before him. The sweat that coated him from his workout, the swell of his muscles through his elven garb.
"He has arrived with someone claiming to be a relative of yours."
"Kire." Zeke said, studying Ed's face. "She and some giant female friend of hers are quite worried."