Chapter Text
Soft and pillowy snowflakes fluttered on the frigid breeze before finally settling against the chilled cobblestones beneath her feet—only to disappear without a trace. Pulling her thick fur coat against her, Elysia Heliane couldn’t help but feel like her attire was hardly enough to keep out the piercing cold of Garlemald. The locals around her seemed unbothered by the weather… Perhaps to them it was even a nice day as they went about their business, milling around her with disinterest.
With a soft puff of visible breath, the Hyuran woman reluctantly removed her bare hands from the warm haven of her sleeves to confirm the address she had written on a piece of torn parchment. Focused as she was in attempting to memorize the letters to save herself the hassle of having to subject her hands to the bitter air, she almost walked headfirst into a Magitek. Luckily having caught herself in time, she laughed and apologized profusely to the rider inside, who seemed unimpressed about this ditzy outsider before continuing on their way. Watching after it, Elysia looked around at the city she had found herself in. Though she had never been here before, she had read plenty in her preparations for this trip! Continuing on her way, the young woman mulled over some of the information she had studied.
‘Garlemald is unlike the other civilizations on Etheirys, for it has long forgone magical pursuits in favor of science and technological advancement. The magical bloodlines native to this Ilsabardian country have all but dried up, and the use of sorcery is no longer paramount to their style of living. Though of an unforgiving clime, the region is rich in abundance of Ceruleum, which has allowed for the production of machines that make use of it as a fuel. The region has made substantial income in selling their creations—dubbed ‘Magitek’—to the other continents, and enjoys a comfortable lifestyle economically. Though there was a history of territorial disputes in the past, with the newfound way to live off the land and a steady stream of a product only they could provide served to quell tensions.’
The area was most definitely unique… The architecture consisted of tall and dark buildings mostly covered with metal on the exterior. It was an attractive gothic look that was admittedly quite lovely against a sky full of fluffy white snow. However… It was already evening and Elysia didn’t care to be out late in such an unfamiliar place. She was venturing further and further from the more populated areas of the city, the snow now starting to accumulate beneath her boots. The crunch was pleasant to listen to, but she couldn’t shake the unease as the amount of people around her dropped until it was only the occasional other wayward soul. Inhaling a clarifying breath, the young woman steeled her resolve, muttering to herself as she often did.
“You can do this. You’ve come so far. It shouldn't be much farther ahead…. Oh, but what if the address is outdated. Again. Ugh…. Still, it’s all I’ve got. The last few leads proved useless but hopefully this is the one.”
Elysia continued down a side alleyway nestled narrowly between two buildings. This should be the correct area… However, after walking down the length of the alleyway, she found no visible doorways. A dead end was all she was met with, causing her to heft a sigh and set her bag down to search for her map. As she lingered to try to figure out her location, a shiver shot up the back of her neck that was decidedly not from the bitingly cold wind. The aether around her was shifting almost imperceptibly, making her hair stand on end. Her initial hunch might have been correct.
Excitedly she rummaged around in her cluttered bag for one of the magical artifacts she knew she had righttttt…… here! With a triumphant smile, Elysia pulled out a gold rimmed looking glass. This was a somewhat common magical tool used to see hidden passageways, messages, and aether trails! Anything a magic user would hide from the unknowing, unmagical populace would be visible. An area of high aetheric disturbance in a place as barren of magic users as Garlemald had her heart racing with hope, but she swallowed it down.
As she held it up to her gaze, the aether around her was visible. The aether current swirled and twisted into a sort of tempest against the back wall of the alleyway. Elysia approached slowly, speaking softly.
“Reveal your secrets to me, why don't you?”
The aether almost seemed petulant and unwilling to yield to her command, swirling all the more violently.
“...Please?”
Nothing.
“O…Open sesame?”
It seemed almost angry, now.
However when she got close enough to place a hand on the wall, the tumultuous aether became docile all at once. Slowly a shimmering door came into view, remaining even to the naked eye after she lowered the looking glass. A smile came to her easily, one of giddiness and triumph. Such a strong cloaking ward could only mean something important lay beyond, right? She couldn’t help but feel as though her quarry might be displeased at her for breaking his spell, but if she was to prove herself she had better be able to do at least that, no?
Tucking her things back into her bag and hefting it onto her shoulder, she took a moment to make sure everything was in order. When Elysia had strengthened her resolve and turned back to the door, on the stoop in front of it sat… A bird. A very odd looking bird.
It was fairly large—Dark gray with long legs, a flat beak and foreboding, judgemental eyes that pierced through her as it stared across at her. Oh… She couldn’t help but fidget a bit under its scrutiny, but she found it rather cute. It was a familiar, perhaps? Most any sorcerer, mage, witch or whatever title one preferred all had a familiar or two at their behest… but she had never seen such an odd looking bird as this one.
Elysia gave a small smile and approached, giving a bow of respect to the creature. The movement shook her long peach colored hair over her shoulder which she reflexively tucked behind her ear.
“Hello there… I don’t suppose your master is in today?”
The creature made no indication it heard her, but its eyes followed her movements. It simply continued to stare at her. The air between them was silent for a few moments as she waited, but to no avail.
“Uhm… Are you capable of speech? Are you…even a familiar or just a weird native bird? Ahh…”
Elysia was a bit weary and looked around for anyone nearby—perhaps the sorcerer himself laughing at her expense. When she turned back, she was startled to find the bird had disappeared. Thrown off kilter a bit, she shook her head and decided to approach the door directly. She gave a few light knocks on the thick wooden door, waiting patiently.
After a few minutes, there wasn’t an answer or any indication one would be coming. Pressing her ear against the wood, she couldn’t hear any sounds indicating someone on the other side. Elysia muttered under her breath.
"Shit. Perhaps he really has vacated this home and only uses it for storage? Would he even return any time soon? Could I afford to wait around for however long that may be? …Does this place even belong to him in the first place?"
Wringing her hands, Elysia soon brought them up to her mouth to breathe some heat back into the chilled extremities. Tipping her head back, she looked up at the darkening sky. Maybe this had been a mistake…
Wrapped up in her thoughts as she was, she failed to notice the light slowly seeping from the crack beneath the door or the sound of approaching footsteps. The sound of hinges creaking open snapped her from her thoughts. Her honey colored eyes went wide as they met a molten gold gaze, the door now open before her.
It was him, the man who she had been trying to track down for the past four years.
Emet Selch.
She couldn’t get a perfect look at him from the dim light inside the home, but she just knew it was him. It had to be.
They looked at each other in mutual disbelief, one pair of eyes reflecting admiration while the other were dilated in shock. Her lips parted and before she had a chance to utter anything of the script she had meticulously prepared beforehand, the door was promptly slammed shut in her face.
Eh?
Huh???
Elysia’s shock was plain on her face. She had expected to be dismissed, but to have the door wordlessly slammed in her face! It took her a few seconds to recover before she pressed up against the wood of the door between them.
“Um! Mr. Selch? That is you, right? I-I’m sorry to bother you, truly but I just would like a few moments of your time to talk to you about some things…!”
She was mentally chastising herself for forgetting what she had planned that she would say to the sorcerer that she looked up to immensely. She was surely making a fool of herself on his doorstep! She clenched her fists against the wood, waiting but hearing no answer.
“Please. I need your help. I know you probably have much better things to be tending to than some strange woman at your door, hahah… But I’ve been searching for a way to contact you for a while now, and--”
A voice came from the other side of the door.
“While I’m surprised you managed to find me at all, does making my presence so scarce not clue you in to the fact that I would much rather be left alone?”
Despite his vitriolic words, the woman continued on unperturbed.
“Yes, I had assumed as much. However, I would humbly like to ask you to… to take me on as your apprentice. If you’ll just allow me time to explain myself to you. If you decide not to take me on—which you are fully in your rights to do—I’ll leave. However, if I still think I have even a small chance at convincing you, I’ll have to keep trying.”
Silence met her declaration, and she was ready to continue her speech before the door was opened again, this time only a crack. Still, that was enough to give her hope.
An audible, beleaguered sigh came from the man.
“Yes, of course you’d be so tenacious. Fine. Come in. Though be warned, you had better make this worth my time.”
The door opened slowly with a swish of the man's hand, who had already turned his back and had begun walking into the house. Eager not to squander the chance she had been given, Elysia offered her cheerful thanks and gratefully followed behind him into the house. Once she had entered, the door swung shut behind her with finality.
It was blissfully warm inside, but she couldn’t afford to let her guard down. Her true test would be convincing this man of her worth as an apprentice! Absent-mindedly rubbing her wrist, she followed the man’s retreating silhouette deeper into the building.
Coming out of the entryway, the smell of magic and spices hit her strongly. Incense burning to remove the odor of a recently brewed mixture perhaps…? The aroma of sage and warm cedar welcomed her along with the pleasant scent of old parchment, which no doubt came from the walls being lined by books and… crystals? Hmm. They were long and cylindrical, half blue and orange and comprising an entire row of the bookshelf. She had never seen anything like them before…
The more steps she took, the more she was enveloped in what felt like an oppressive blanket of aether. The residual arcane energy in this house was much stronger than any she had been exposed to, making her skin prickle into goosebumps.
The main room was decorated primarily in muted colors—the woodwork was stained dark with accents of gold that snaked up to the beamed high ceiling which extended up further into blackness. A long desk was set up on the right hand wall with a brewing station nearby, likely for ease of access. Papers were spread across the mahogany surface, but she didn’t dare walk over to pry into the contents. Nearby was a very organized and lavish ingredient shelf. Crystalline bottles of opalescent liquids and powders occupied the space, the rarity of some of the labels catching her eye and making her hands itch to explore his collection. Dried herbs and flowers lined the walls, pinned into neat bunches and hanging over the shelf.
On the left was a fireplace with two plush armchairs facing its warm glow, a cozy looking aubergine dyed wool rug thrown over the hardwood beneath them. Magical trinkets and baubles lined the shelves above the fireplace and she found herself resisting the urge to inspect them by touching. There was another door near the large staircase at the back of the home, but Elysia couldn’t be bothered with her surroundings anymore. Her eyes were drawn to the man in front of her, now sunk into the red armchair and illuminated by firelight.
The sorcerer appeared to be in his late thirties to early forties, frown lines and a seemingly perpetually furrowed brow giving him deep set wrinkles. She knew his appearance was not reflective of his actual age. Emet Selch had been alive for hundreds of years at least, though the exact amount of time had not been cataloged and was likely known only by him. His hair was a warm shade of brown and kept neatly styled just above his ears, complete with a charming swathe of snow white bangs that fell into his face. He was adorned with an ornate robe dyed dark purple complete with a fastened cape to the back; the shoulders of which were lined with pale fur.
The man sat languidly perched on the armchair, resting his chin on top of his palm as the two looked at eachother. His golden eyes were mesmerizing due in part to the fact that his pupils were faceted almost like a gemstone. In the room alight by the flickering flames of the fireplace, those golden irises almost seemed to glow. The emotion in his expression threw her off of her planned speech. His brow was furrowed and he looked at her with an intensity that she couldn’t quite put a name to. With a light cough into her hand, she shifted under that heavy gaze. Perhaps it would be best to break the silence?
“...Thank you for giving me the chance to speak with you.”
When she spoke, his eyes snapped back into the present and with a cursory look at her up and down, he hefted a sigh as though he was unimpressed.
“You would have been more of a nuisance in the long run had I dismissed you outright. However, where are my manners? Make yourself comfortable.”
He offered a vague wave of the hand to the matching armchair behind her. With a smile and a nod, Elysia gingerly slipped her large fur coat off of herself to reveal a long sleeved maroon shirt and black slacks underneath. Setting her coat onto the seat, she stood with her hands clasped in front of her, clearly doing a poor job of fighting off her nerves now that she’d finally gotten here.
With a raised eyebrow and a show of perhaps amusement or pity, Emet Selch took the lead before she was able to.
“So, you came all the way to the outskirts of Garlemald—a place I’ll assume you are not overtly familiar with due to the way your body is trembling—to seek out the famed ‘Sorcerer of Eld’ in the hopes that he would take you under his wing and teach you how to be a famous, renowned mage, yes?”
She opened her mouth, but he continued nonplussed.
“Well you’re hardly the first to have tried, dear. While I commend you for actually managing to get this far, none of the others who have had the nerve to stand here before me with the selfsame aspirations have succeeded--”
“In convincing you to take an apprentice, yes? You’ve never taken one before… or no records exist to corroborate it.”
Clenching her jaw, Elysia ignored the polite part of her brain telling her to apologize for interrupting his speech, as belittling as it was. To fail in a battle of wills would only prove she couldn’t handle herself. She couldn’t allow herself to get swept away and dismissed so easily. As the sorcerer cocked an eyebrow to her antics she righted her posture and stood her ground, finally having gotten her bearings.
“My name is Elysia Heliane. I’m twenty six years old, and have been working as an assistant potion brewer since I was seventeen. For the past few years I've been digging up what leads I could and accruing quite a few owed favors to learn of your whereabouts to ask for your aid.”
Tapping his black painted nails on the upholstery, Emet Selch gave a small amused huff of breath.
"Well tell me then, my dear. Why should I choose to take you over the hundreds of other whelps who have come crawling to me over the past millennium asking for me to take them as my apprentice, hmm? A great many of whom sported credentials much lengthier and well… more existent than yours." The sorcerer drawled, followed by a murmur under his breath.
"Though I hardly care for such things besides..."
He leveled his gold eyes at her, seeming uninterested and yet he was focused on her with such intensity that she couldn't help but shift from foot to foot. It felt like he was looking right through her.... Perhaps he was. What little literature she had found of him prior lauded him as a sorcerer with no equal in terms of raw arcane strength. He was also purportedly one of only two who lived who could discern souls vividly and easily with his own eyes, without the need for a taxing spell or magical artifact. Meeting his mesmerizing golden eyes, she found that she could believe it.
Elysia inhaled slowly, measuredly. 'Yes, just like you practiced! You've gotten him to hear you out at the least, that's surely a good sign!'
Her fingers trembled in front of her where she had them clasped, but if Emet Selch noticed, he made no mention of it.
"Well, sir I... The truth of the matter is that I'd like your guidance. Your help. You see, I'm quite a fan of your work--"
An amused sound came from the man's throat, his brows pinching upward. "Mm, read some of my books, have you? Well you've got taste in literature, at least. Which one caught your eye then?"
Elysia smiled sheepishly, peering up at him.
"All of them?"
Emet Selch blinked once, his face smoothing out into a neutral sort of surprise.
"Pardon?"
Her eyes shining, Emet realized belatedly he had opened an invitation for a veritable deluge of information to come from the excited young woman.
"I've... Read all of your books. All of the ones publicly available at least, I have no doubt some were lost to the annals of time. I rented or purchased any of the ones I was able to get my hands on! I read at least ten or so in my teens and many more over the past few years! Your writings on the aetherial and celestial currents fluctuations was enlightening, but your work outlining the compatibility of one's aether directly affecting the abilities and strength of certain elemental affinity was my personal favorite!"
Well, he... certainly didn't expect her to be that much of a fan, nor so well versed in such topics. Perhaps he was wrong in his initial impression of her being a naive young thing doing this for foolish reasons. He cleared his throat after she continued to speak for another few minutes because as endearing as it was to be sung his own praises, he would know if that was her only reason for seeking him out.
Elysia flustered, apologizing for going off on a tangent. He waved his hand in dismissal, uncaring of such mundane things.
"Is that the only reason you came all this way? Surely not. If you're as well versed in the arcane as you seem, you must know that teaching one magic when they do not possess a born inclination for it is a task that—while not impossible—is not something I'd be interested in attempting. Therefore, you must be magically inclined, correct?"
His tone was patronizing, but she resisted letting herself be bothered by it. The sudden question caught her off guard, even though she knew it was coming in the long run. Elysia rubbed her arm, looking down at her feet. When she spoke, her voice was soft.
"Well... Yes. I was born with a magical affinity, but..."
"but?"
She rolled up her sleeves slowly, extending her wrists out toward him. Bare skin at first glance, after a moment Elysia's aether spiked much in the way it does when one tries to channel magic. The young woman gave a pained hiss as black chains appeared on her flesh where there had seemingly been none prior, searing into her skin slowly like flames before ending in two dark arcane shackles over her wrists.
Emet Selch narrowed his eyes as he sat up a bit straighter in interest. Oh?
"Your powers have been sealed away."
Slowly, the shackles faded away as her aether regulated itself. Elysia’s face was pinched in residual pain, but when she looked up at him, her eyes reflected her turmoil.
"...Yes. It's been like this since I was seven years old. I can barely remember what it feels like to use magic."
His golden eyes held intrigue. People having their powers sealed away wasn't exactly a common practice, since the spell itself wasn't something simple that could be performed by just anyone. It was asserted as forbidden magic many years ago due to its nature and not many knew of the spell or had permission to use it through legitimate means. Nowadays it was really only cast on criminals who had been deemed unfit to practice their magic for their crimes, mostly those who were a danger to themselves or others. Since she had these, assumedly, since she was seven however...
"Well, that's certainly unexpected. So you must wish for me to remove these restraints, correct?"
Elysia nodded slowly, peering up at him with a determined gaze. She seemed like such a naive little thing, but perhaps there really was more to her than met the eye.
"If you would be so kind... I do of course still wish to study under you. I never learned to properly control my powers since I was so young when they manifested and were subsequently taken away. My respect for you and your work is indeed a reason I sought you out personally, but not the only one. Every other person that I went to for help was either unable to lift the enchantment or wouldn’t even attempt it.”
Emet Selch curled his lip, clicking his tongue in derision. “Honestly, it’s not as if it’s difficult. Perhaps for such pathetic charlatans it would be a challenge, but for me it would be no more difficult than breathing to remove you from your restraints.” He clearly held a disdain for self proclaimed powerful practitioners of the arcane.
The sorcerer's affirmation that he could indeed help her made Elysia’s eyes light up with hope. Emet Selch stood up and sauntered over to stand before her properly. He was taller than her by a good margin, making her crane her neck to meet his gaze. As he drew closer, she was met with the smell of sandalwood, lily and ginger. It was pleasant and somehow befitting to his nature—earthy spice with a floral undertone.
Wordlessly, he presented his jewelry adorned hand out to her like he was expecting something. Blinking a few times, Elysia mentally floundered. What… was it that he wanted?
“Uhm…”
She glanced back at her bag, but she had a feeling that anything she had in there wasn’t what he wanted. Not having anything on her person, the only thing she had to offer was herself. Hesitantly she placed her still chilled hand into his own larger one, causing the man to make a sound akin to one of praise to a pet finally grasping the trick being taught to them. Emet Selch shifted to hold her wrist, his other hand wrapping around her forearm to press his thumb against the inner part of her elbow. Color came to her face, painting her cheeks a flushed pink.
“O-Oh, I…”
“Hah! Is this truly enough to fluster you? Are you sure you came here with intentions to be my apprentice? Don’t get so excited, I’m only checking your leylines.”
Oh... Yes, of course. Leylines. She felt a bit of shame for getting so startled, but if he had mentioned his intentions at the start she wouldn’t have had her heart jump out of her chest! His hands were surprisingly warm as she felt some of his aether tingle against the surface of her skin. It felt cool in a refreshing way, like a haven of shade on a hot summer day. Despite coming in from the cold outside only recently, Elysia found that the shadowy chill of his aether was very pleasant.
He was seeking her leylines; the aetheric channels of energy running through her body that enabled the use of the arcane arts. Leylines were primarily spoken of referring to the magical channels woven throughout the land beneath them, but could also be used to describe the ones in magic users. Everyone was born with them, but some peoples leylines would open naturally, thus were able to gain aether manipulation and the ability to use magic. This usually happened early in their life, though there were exceptions. One could train to open their leylines themselves, but the process took years of study to master.
Elysia tried not to think about how the man whose hands were holding her arm and inspecting her very essence was the same man who’s books she read while curled up at night in bed; losing the hours until the sun was peeking through the window. The very same man she had been seeking for years, in the hopes of him finally being able to free her from these shackles that had been plaguing her for so long. There was… something else, a quiet tingle in the back of her mind. A faint sense of déjà vu, but the notion was so out there that it was dismissed quickly. The feeling persisted.
The aforementioned sorcerer was pleased to find her leylines and aether to be perfectly intact, simply unable to be used by the so called ‘curse’. In reality it was just as it seemed—A restriction on the expulsion or channeling of aether and pain response when it was attempted. The amount of power that was locked away behind those chains and shackles only served to confirm his lingering suspicions, however.
With a heavy sigh, Emet Selch looked back to the young woman’s face to find her looking up at him with a starstruck glimmer in her honey colored eyes. The sight startled him out of his spiraling thoughts, making the corners of his lips curl upward in amusement without meaning to. He couldn’t help it, especially given that she looked…the way that she did.
With a chuckle his hands released her arm and Elysia found she was immediately able to think more clearly without his hands and aether upon her skin. The sorcerer put some distance between them and she was grateful for the reprieve to collect her thoughts as he continued to speak.
"Your aether and leylines are in fine condition. There's been no degradation in them over time, though if you left the shackles in place there would be some in the future. There are a few likely reasons I could theorize why any of those other witches, wizards or what have you wouldn't attempt to remove your bindings."
In a theatrical manner, the sorcerer started to pace around the sitting area and gesticulate with his hands as he spoke.
"Assuming they even had the ability to remove them, they likely either didn't want to be responsible should something go wrong and you lose your powers entirely or they didn't want to pull the proverbial plug holding back your powers when you had no knowledge to control them…"
Emet-Selch circled around behind the chair to rest his elbows against the plush velvet back. With golden eyes glowing in the low light, his face became darker.
"Perhaps they also doubted your story of how you got those shackles."
Elysia stiffened, her brows furrowing in distress. Suddenly, some of those distasteful glares she had received when presenting her problem to the other magic practitioners made sense.
"I-"
"Surely you know that the enchantment to lock away one's magic has been deemed forbidden? Otherwise, people would be running to and fro cursing their competition to shackle their powers away. The spell has long since been stricken from the books and most no longer even know the incantation for it."
Emet-Selch's polished fingernails drummed against the fabric, his eyes scrutinizing the woman before him down to her very soul.
"It's almost exclusively reserved for criminals nowadays, who have been found guilty and unworthy to practice magic."
Elysia jerked in surprise, her eyes reflecting panic and confusion all at once. The sorcerer practically watched her soul languish before him as a faint tremble came to her limbs.
"I-I'm not a—... I've never been…"
He watched her stumble over her words for a bit, her posture shifting and her panic inevitably fizzling out. Her soul—Golden and shining as the sun as it had been when she had entered his home—was now dulled with her despair.
Emet Selch felt his brows furrow, the sight making his chest feel uncomfortably tight with nostalgia. The feeling pooled in his sternum like molasses, a slow drip of unpleasant weight against his ribcage. Before he gave in to the habitual desire to bring liveliness back to that glow, to assuage the woman that he didn't actually believe she was a convict, she spoke.
"...My parents were non magic users. Nobody in their bloodline had ever had powers before. Mine were a surprise… An unwelcome one. There was--"
Elysia cut herself off, curling a lock of her hair around her finger for comfort as her eyes bore holes into the floor. She didn't dare look up at him. Emet Selch knew there was more to this story, but it's not like he would wrest her life story from her upon their first meeting.
"...When I was seven, they brought me to a local sorcerer who did this to me. I wasn't awake for it, so I don't know who did it or how. I… think they gave me sleeping medicine or something similar, to make sure I stayed unconscious and didn't make a fuss. They were afraid of me."
It was silent for a few moments, save for the sound of a steady ticking chronometer on the wall and the flickering crackles of the fire licking at the wooden logs in the hearth.
When Elysia chanced a glance up at the man before her, she saw his face was mired with a scowl.
"How pathetic it is to give in to such ignorant fear and to lock away such a gift instead of nourishing it to watch it flourish. Ugh. Such a bad taste it leaves behind. You have such raw potential… If you had been taught right from the outset of your powers appearing, you would be a force to be reckoned with by now."
Elysia's eyes were wide as she stared at him. She felt her fear of judgment slipping away as she saw that he didn't seem to believe she was some criminal and was in fact… speaking of her worth?
Emet Selch ran a hand through his hair though his bangs fell right back into place as he did. He was at war with himself, his brows furrowed as he fought with what he should do, what he wanted to do, and what he knew he would ultimately do.
Elysia didn't speak, allowing him that time to think. She didn't want to interrupt him and possibly squander her chances by doing so. Sitting down on the chair beside her coat and bag, the woman admired the warm glow of the fire and collected her thoughts before her for a few minutes until the sorcerer announced his return from his musings with a long sigh.
"...I'm going to consider it. I find the thought of power like yours wasting away untapped to be egregious, however it would be irresponsible of me to remove the shackles from you without teaching you control. That would be inviting chaos."
Overjoyed at getting something other than a blatant dismissal, a wide smile came to Elysia's face. A small sound came from Emet Selch, almost one of resignation.
Raising his hand up, the man offered a sharp and succinct snap of his fingers. Elysia was surprised when in a flourish, a creature came descending from the shadowed rafters above their heads. It was the same bird from earlier!
"Oh… So that was your familiar I saw at the door after all! A bit intimidating, but I find it rather cute."
Raising a brow, the man shook his head. A slip of parchment lifted from the desk and floated over to rest in the air nearby him. A pen lifted up to follow, scrawling across the surface of the parchment as it followed the lazy swirls of the sorcerer’s finger.
“‘Cute’ is not how I would choose to describe him. I use him as an extension of my eyes and ears to observe things from afar. He’s modeled after a shoebill or ‘Balaeniceps rex’, though scaled down for ease… You may call him Rex if you must call him anything.”
Rolling up the message into a thin cylinder, Emet Selch tied it to the bird’s leg with a purple sash. With nary a word of instruction Rex took off flying, disappearing in mid air into a plume of dark smoke.
Busy watching the spectacle, Elysia jumped when the silence of the room was broken by the chronometer chiming. She chanced a glance at it, wincing inwardly at the display. It was already nine in the evening…
“Oh! I didn’t realize it had gotten so late…”
Emet Selch seemed to have been thinking the same as he looked at the chronometer, then to the woman before him. This back and forth continued for a moment before he grunted.
“I suppose I should lend you my guest room while I mull things over.”
Elysia turned to look at the man in surprise, but he wouldn’t meet her gaze. He instead turned to walk towards the stairs, expecting her to follow.
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to impose--”
“Well it’s a bit late for that, now isn't it? Do come along.”
How the man could be offering her the favor of allowing her to spend the night and doing it in such an unpleasant fashion was impressive. How could one be thoughtful and rude simultaneously? The sorcerer seemed to have it down to an art. Furrowing her brows with a huff, Elysia quickly collected her coat and bag into her arms to follow behind him.
The darkness of the stairwell was soon illuminated faintly by wall mounted sconces that turned on as they passed by them. Staring at the man's back, Elysia noted the tired slope to his shoulders. It was as if a pressure wore down on him, forcing him to buckle under its weight.
The hallway had more doors than she would expect it to have… In fact, this house seemed to be a lot bigger on the inside than was physically possible on the outside. Her brows furrowing, she simply attributed it to some magical nonsense and made a mental note to ask about it in the morning. The walls were decorated with many paintings, but the dim light wasn’t quite enough to make out the details well.
Emet Selch led her to the last door on the left, turning the ornate gold handle and pushing it open. The bedroom had… seen better days, that was for sure. Cobwebs littered the beams on the ceiling and the layer of dust settled on the furniture was so thick that it could be seen from the entryway. It held the bare minimum of furniture needed, including a queen sized bed, dresser, bedside tables and a vanity with a mirror. The commotion made just by opening the door kicked up enough of the dust that just peeking inside made Elysia sneeze.
“...As you can see, it’s been unused for some time.”
The man before her snapped his fingers and just like that, in the time it took for her to blink, the room was spotless. Gone was any lingering trace of the dust and yet somehow the loneliness that permeated the room still remained.
Elysia nodded politely and stepped inside, setting her coat and bag on the bed. She turned her head, offering the sorcerer a genuine smile. “It will be just fine for the night. Thank you for having me."
Emet Selch looked at her for a moment, his face blank but his eyes a bit far off. After a moment he made a noise of acknowledgement, turning his back to the room.
“The bathroom is across the hall should you need it, and…”
As if as an afterthought, he waved his hand behind him and she turned to follow the movement, perplexed. Now sitting on the bed was a folded robe and set of silk pink pajamas. They looked… much nicer than any pair she had ever owned, actually.
“Some night clothes to change into. I’ll let you know my decision in the morning. If you happen to need me for anything else…. Don't.”
When she looked back at the doorway he was gone, his retreating shadow cast on the far wall as he descended back downstairs.
Sighing softly to herself, Elysia reached down to run her hand over the silken fabric idly. She should be happy. Why wasn’t she happy? This is what she had always wanted, right? He was offering to help her, potentially. He still could say no, but would he allow her to stay the night if he was going to turn her down anyway? She wondered idly about that message he wrote earlier and who it could be for.
Emet Selch made her feel… odd. Elysia knew for a fact she had never met him before, and yet the closer she was to him the more a part of her felt as though she had. It felt like something just out of her grasp, too hazy and undefined to even be a proper thought and not a dull sensation.
Something about this house felt lonely… But then again, Emet Selch seemed to be a lonely man. A hermit sorcerer who had lived for an indeterminate amount of time… That must be a burden indeed.
‘I should try to be kind to him…even though he’s a bit of a sarcastic arse. He can bet that if he accepts me as his apprentice, I won't take his barbed tongue lying down.'
Giggling under her breath at the thought, Elysia grabbed up the pajama’s into her arms and made her way to the bathroom across the hallway. This room clearly saw more use. As she flicked on the light she was surprised to see just how large the bathtub was. It could fit at least two people comfortably, deep seated and inviting. The vanity with the sink held quite a few products on it, from soaps to moisturizers and cologne. Most appeared to be handmade in self labeled bottles. Well, It was nice to see he took good care of himself.
Elysia looked at herself in the mirror, straightening her hair with her fingertips. She wanted to put it into a nice bun for the evening, but lacked a hair tie… If only she could conjure one from nothing as Emet Selch seemingly did. The way he performed magic was like breathing, with far more ease than others she had observed who muttered enchantments or used arcane items to boost their strength.
After getting washed up and changing into the admittedly very comfortable pajamas given to her, Elysia crossed back over the hallway to her room and shut the door carefully so as not to be disruptive.
The bed was thankfully much cleaner than the one at the inn she had been staying at before when she first arrived in Garlemald. Now free of all of the dust, she fell back into the sheets without worry of inciting a coughing fit. Resting into the sheets, she found her eyes much heavier than she would have expected herself to be at this hour.
"Gods… I didn't realize how tiring this all would be. I wonder if I even would have made it all the way across the city to the inn."
A yawn parted her lips, prompting her to curl onto her side and bundle herself under the covers. Elysia tried to taper her expectations so that she wouldn't be too crushed should he turn her down tomorrow. As anxious as she was to hear Emet Selch's answer for her, her exhaustion was the more powerful force. She was asleep within the hour, peacefully resting while downstairs the sorcerer sat in his armchair.
His eyes watched the dancing flames in the fireplace, his lips nursing his second glass of wine since he had seen the woman off to bed. Rex appeared again, sans the parchment that was wrapped around his leg prior, and settled to rest on his perch in the corner. Within ten minutes of the familiars return there were a few knocks at the door. Emet Selch stood to meet his companion with a sigh. There was already a faint headache forming at his temples.
His night was just beginning.