I do not understand these creatures.
Veleria opened her eyes. With a mild groan she sat up and briefly glanced around for any sign of Adrian. It was nearly sunrise. He seemed to be doing his final patrol.
She started cleaning up their campsite. They were now within the elven borders, and would be at the Pearlescent city before dusk. As she was loading up their horses, Adrian emerged nearby. He helped her finish up and, once ready, they were off, though Veleria found herself feeling more apprehensive than before.
There was something about these lands that didn’t sit right with her. Worse than that, she almost felt disgusted. During her last trek out this way she certainly hadn’t felt so strongly about these lands, nor the elves. Yet, for some reason, now she wanted nothing to do with them.
She kept her concerns to herself, however. The feeling was familiar but foreign. Another change she filtered into the bucket of other recent changes that she did not understand.
As they neared the stark white marble of the gates to the Pearlescent city, Adrian snorted.
“Never thought I’d fuckin’ come back here.” He mumbled.
“Was it really that bad?” She asked, innocently.
“Buncha damn hardasses that want way more than they’re willing to bargain for.”
“Oh, so they haven’t changed.”
Veleria blinked. Adrian raised an eyebrow. She…She hadn’t said that. Had she? The two stared at each other before the guardsmen at the gate stopped them.
The kinds of guards they employed at the front were decently armored. Most of the armor they designed out here was of an off white coloration, and it was somewhat lighter than plate.
“State your business,” one of the guardsmen said. They were direct, without emotion.
“I am Adrian Giarmund, current head of the Giarmund Thieves Guild. I sent ahead a letter. With me is Veleria Garris. Lord Auros De’Tarsons should be expecting us.” Adrian said, gesturing towards Veleria with a nod of his head.
The guardsman who spoke glanced to his partner, who nodded their confirmation. Then, they went to open the gates.
“You will be escorted to Lord De’Tarsons.” One told them, as they worked the pullies that controlled the gate. Once it was open, they dismounted, and the guards took the reigns of their horses and led them off to what they assumed would be the nearest stable. Inside, another guard came to get them, and walked them into the city proper.
Nothing had changed in the last year. Past the gate there was a long stretch, with more stops and more gates. It took somewhere around thirty minutes from the main gate to reach the actual city, where the residents lie. Then, from there, another forty minutes or so before they were at the building where the Autumn Council was known to reside. Most of the citizens of the city didn’t even bother to look their way. That was how it had been last time, too. The elves were a different sort than men.
They were passed off to another, more lavishly dressed guard once they were at the council’s whereabouts. Adrian sighed more than once. Once inside, more than ten minutes passed before the guard brought them to their final destination. Most rooms inside the building were similar, all white marble with intricate doors and the occasional painting or sculpture. Every door was closed if it wasn’t a connecting hallway. This one was no different, though Veleria recognized it from the last time she was here.
Following a knock, the guard peered inside.
“Lord De’Tarsons, both Adrian Giarmund and Veleria Garris have arrived.”
“Good. Let them in. I will take things from here.” A voice responded, deep and commanding. The guard opened the door and gave them room to enter. Doing so, Veleria gave the man one last glance before he closed the door behind them.
Inside, the room was well-lit from multiple wall-length open windows. Bookshelves were built into the opposing walls, and multiple tables, chairs, and lighting fixtures were placed circularly around a large desk in which their charge currently sat.
Auros De’Tarsons was a tall, dark-haired elf of slender, almost gaunt stature. He wore black robes with red accents, which Veleria found odd given the lighter coloration of everything else in the city. He was certainly different than the others.
“You made it, Veleria. I pray you’ve brought me good news?” Auros said, getting to his feet. He towered over her, and even looked down at Adrian who was well taller than her. “You have my thanks for escorting her here, Giarmund.”
“Yeah, no problem.” Adrian nodded, taking a seat at the nearest table.
Veleria couldn’t stop herself from grimacing.
“I don’t have good news.”
“I figured you wouldn’t,” Auros placed a slender finger below his chin. He glanced towards Adrian with a look that Veleria couldn’t parse. “This conversation concerns the lady Alk’Hath. You may leave if you wish, though I recall that you are not affiliated with the sorceress in any way?”
“I’m not, and I know a lot more now than I ever wanted to. You are free to discuss this with me.” Adrian replied, though Veleria could sense his hesitation.
Auros looked back towards Veleria, expectantly.
Veleria sighed, “There’s something below the temple. I can’t say who or what. All I could see was…Well, nothing, but I knew it was a living, breathing creature.”
Auros added a second finger while the first stroked his chin. He appeared unfazed.
“Yes, as expected.” He said, much to Veleria’s chagrin. “We were given this information from another of our contacts, though I merely wanted to confirm the claim. Thank you for—“
“Something else happened.” Veleria said quickly, interrupting him. His gaze turned sharp, a hint of concern behind his dark eyes. She continued, “I didn’t make it, Lord De’Tarsons.”
“Come again?” The elf dropped his hands.
“I…I didn’t make it. One of her servants murdered me.”
“Yet, you stand before me.” His commanding tone returned.
Veleria shook her head, then undid her blouse just enough to show Auros the top of her scar. He raised a brow, while Adrian shifted uncomfortably.
“Adrian found my corpse.” She told him.
“She wasn’t a corpse for long.” Adrian added, watching them both turn towards him.
It was at this moment that Auros decided to sit across from Adrian and motioned for Veleria to join them. She did so, then trained her gaze on Adrian with a hint of venom. She knew he had withheld information from her. The man let out a strained, tired sigh.
“Do go on,” said Auros.
“Right, well.” Adrian fidgeted with a gold band on one of his fingers. “Veleria was on top of a corpse pile in Dovetail, though I doubt you know the place. I was, ahem, adding to it, so to speak, and that’s when I saw the sky light up.”
“Interesting,” noted Auros, a hint of recognition flashing across his dark eyes. Veleria noticed it but remained silent.
Adrian continued, “a streak of fire burned across the sky, and before I realized what I was even seeing it touched down beside the pit. Kind of looked like fire in the shape of a man. Then, it went into the pit, and washed over Veleria. I guess it went inside her. When I went to check, I saw that she had color, that she was breathing.”
He shrugged, noting Veleria’s open mouth.
“You knew all this? Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked, breathlessly.
“Because it doesn’t really tell you anything. It’s not like I understood what I was looking at.”
Between them, Auros made a humming sound. He glanced between them, then settled on Veleria with a thoughtful look.
“Have you noticed anything different? Other than being alive.”
Veleria reluctantly took her eyes from Adrian. She would have to set aside her compounding frustrations with him.
“Yes,” she nodded. “I don’t know if I can die again.”
Auros narrowed his eyes.
“My wounds seem to heal very quickly since that day, and as far as I can tell fire no longer burns me. Heat doesn’t really bother me.”
“That is quite intriguing, Veleria. Would you be willing to show me these changes? I am reluctant to speak among my peers without sufficient evidence.”
Veleria briefly looked away, sheepish.
“I…can, but I think it best we do it somewhere outside. Preferably over water. Nowhere near anything flammable.” She said.
“That can be arranged.” Auros smiled softly. “Would you like to have Giarmund join us for this display?”
Adrian shook his head.
“That would be unnecessary. Is there anywhere in this city I can get a stiff drink?” He asked, an awkward smirk on his face as he rose from his seat and pushed the chair back in. Auros joined him then, as did Veleria, though she couldn’t stomach looking at Adrian for the time being.
“Of course. I will have one of my men escort you to such a place, then we will retrieve you once we are ready.” Auros looked down at Veleria, extending a delicate hand to her. “Shall we?”
Veleria took his hand.