Further Description Forthcoming: GurinbarΔ-to sits as the Imperial Capital of the Empire of Fire and Houses the following:
[ GurinbarΔ-to Index ]
β’ Imperial Palace | The Palatial Estate of Emperor Hatake Masahiro.
β’ The Iron District | Home to the Surutameni, the valiant guardsmen who take the guard-duty of the Emperor as their Sacred Calling and dedicate their lives to keeping justice in the Imperial City. This District houses the following: ~ Barracks | 7 [ C ][ B ] Ranked Guards ~ Armory | ~ Watchtower | Occupied by [ S+ ] Lieutenant [ Granted through Squadron Slot, must maintain upkeep Monday's ] ~ Imperial Acquisitions Mining Company | Mining Rights - 12/27/19 ~ Royal Treasury | 5/19/20
β’ Residential District | Home to the various denizens of GurinbarΔ-to, as well as the inn for new arrivals.
β’ Canopy District | If the heart of a village is its youth and endeavors of the soul, while the blood is it's merchants, this would be the district wherein the heart resides. Within this district are found the following: ~ Imperial Academy of Hei | [ Study Hall / Academy ] ~ Tenryo-shin Dojo | [ Tatami Room / Dojo ]
β’ Copper District | The Blood and Sweat of GurinbarΔ-to, the mercantile quarter's, with the earliest craftsmen of the village on display, teaching new generations their trades. This district contains the following: ~ Twice Fallen Hammers | [ Personal Forge ] ~ Arboreal Illusions | [ Personal Workshop ] ~ Uncle Iroh's | [ Deluxe Kitchen ]
β’ MasaTek Headquarters | The Conglomerate personally operated in the name of the Emperor, shelled and operating on designs from Masahiro in times before he ascended his position.
The search for these 'copper roads' was going South rather quickly. Civilians who she requested directions from were just as confused as she was. Why would roads be made of copper? No one was exactly sure. However, she was given the suggestion of looking around in the Copper District, known to hold forges, shops, and workshops of the city's finest merchants and craftsmen. The main road was bustling with activity already, with the sound of clanging metal, roaring fires, and friendly banter filling the air.
The streets certainly were not made from copper, but Sango assumed this was the area where she'd find the one called Nightingale. From the riddle and her experience with these types of secret meetings in her past, it was likely The Street Rat wanted her to find this person on her own. For as many eyes as their group had, there was the possibility for their enemies to have just as many. Sango walked down the main road, glancing at some of the forges as she passed by. In order to garner this Nightingale's attention, she needed to play a tune. Her flute retrieved, a random melody started to play as she continued walking. Citizens around who noticed, listened, letting the melody uplift them emotionally and spiritually. On the occasion that ryo was tossed her way, she gave a silent, respectful gesture declining the monetary gifts. Being paid for performances had their time and place, but this was not one of those times. Sango's passion for the current performance took over, letting the civilians enjoy the melodies played from her heart.
Time passed, though the young street performer was unsure of how much of it had gone by when she awoken from the trance of being deeply engrossed in her music. Retaking in her surroundings, she noticed she had walked quite the distance from the entrance of the Copper District, with no signs of this Nightingale she was supposed to meet. There was the off chance that this individual might not be around at the moment, but if this person was expecting Sango... Is there something wrong with my music? Unfortunately, Sango only possessed her own voice and her treasured flute to call out to this person, though generally the mystic stringed instruments created by the group were known to have special properties for bringing people together. The Street Rat was incredibly proficient with such instruments, as evident since the day she first encountered him so many years ago.
Wait. Sango recalled the riddle, where she was required to play "her tune". She still hadn't found her melody. Sango tossed it up to not having enough training, despite being musically talented. So many of the songs she played, she played with intense passion, yet none of them were enough to call out to her inner melody. However, the briefest of flashbacks reminded her of the tune The Street Rat constantly played, even during their enslavement as (younger) kids, they all woke up and fell asleep to this same tune. It was more impressive that the melody still held true when playing with rubber bands around a can at the, versus the harp he was famously known for using, now that she was looking back on it.
'This song harbors a piece of my soul that will live on forever even after I am long gone. When you hear it, feel it. Play it, and I will come to you - even if you cannot see me. Knives, I am passing this melody to you, in hopes that one day you will find yours and do the same.' Those words rang deep within her mind, bringing about a sense of warmth and happiness she'd only be able to feel when he was physically around. Years after they escaped and she had officially joined the group of nomadic entertainers, The Street Rat entrusted her with something more valuable than any treasure in the shinobi world. In that instant, the current melody she played on the flute stopped, switching to the melody bestowed upon her by her dear friend. βͺ There was an obvious difference in the sound of the melody played by the flute versus the harp, but the pitches were all there. After completing the duration of his tune the first time, the sound of a choir echoed throughout her ears, echoing the melody back to her.
Looking around, it appeared none of the other civilians could hear it, as they continued on with whatever they were once Sango stopped playing. The singing voices came from her right this time, down an alleyway between two workshops. Sango's brows furrowed in curiosity, her body already heading in the direction of the sound before she even thought about doing so. The choir continued to sing, leading the young street performer further down the alley and behind the buildings. This area was no secret, for the dim lighting of lanterns illuminated the path. Various flowering plants and small trees littered either side of it, with what appeared to be an old, rundown shop at the path's end. This shop, had a large, gnarled tree growing out the back of it, with branches sprouting an abundance of golden-red leaves upon them. Upon a first glance one might think this place was closed, but the light being shown through the semi-broken windows proved otherwise. Her first thought was to approach the door, only to be guided further by the singing choir as she made her first step. Behind the tree?
Walking off the path she cautiously stepped around the fauna growing around her, finding the edge of a hill hidden behind the overgrowth, and new pathway presented by stone steps. The back end of the tree was partially exposed here, growing out of the large hill while rooting itself into and beneath it. At the base of its trunk where some of the larger roots were exposed lay a door, partially opened as if inviting Sango inside as the singing of the choir slowly decreased in volume until all was silent once again. It was suspicious to say the least, but if The Street Rat trusted this person enough to recommend them to guide her, then that was all of the convincing Sango needed. As she approached the door and casually walked inside, the first thing she noticed was that is was eerily dark in the room. "Hello?" There was no response, at least not immediately. Sango stood as a brief silence consumed her.
"Well, well... you must be Knives." A feminine, somewhat elderly voice called out to her within the darkness. Turning to the source of the voice, a flame flickered to life - a small candle. The flame illuminated the woman's face, revealing a middle-aged woman with long, silver hair that framed the sides of her lightly wrinkled face. Her lips were curled into a smile, amber eyes settled onto the girl who stood only a footstep beyond the entrance of the door. "I am... are you... The Nightingale?" The woman chuckled, "It's one of the many names I am called. To answer your question, yes am I." With a snap of her free hand, other candles were suddenly lit, dimly illuminating the room, and allowing Sango to get a better view of the woman, albeit not the best one. Her body surrounded in a high-collared, indigo cloak, there wasn't much else Sango was able to gather from her features. The room, however, appeared rather basic. A bed off to one side, with a shelf of numerous books and a few instruments strewn about on the other. Behind the woman lay a small workshop of sorts, littered with vials of liquid, paper, and plant samples, among other things research related.
Glancing back at the instruments, Sango found her eyes trailing back to gaze into the woman's. "How did you guide me here?" The smile on the woman's face widened, turning to set the candle on the desk behind her, "I didn't. The Street Rat did." Sango's eye furrowed. Sato was off somewhere far from here, that was impossible. "His melody. You played it, correct? I heard it from here. His music possesses the power to bring people together, like it did you and I. The melody has been gifted to you, and therefore a part of that power is yours." Sango stood silent; confused. Melodies could be shared? "I guess... I didn't know anything about that. I have yet to find my own tune.""You will, in time. That is exactly why you're here! I've been tasked with helping you find your tune, as well as preparing you for your knew life as a citizen of GurinbarΔ-to... Her voice trailed off, closing the distance between her and Sango with a focused look in her eyes. "My child... where were you born?" Sango initially leaned back, trying to figure out what The Nightingale's lack of personal space had to do with where she was born. She tried to recall, but the furthest she could go back was when she was captured. She was young then, only the memories of fear stayed with her after all of these years. "I-I... don't know. I was kidnapped as a child; sold into slavery." She admitted meekly, still confused on what the woman was going on about.
The Nightingale continued to examine her, "Those eyes... they are... oddly familiar." Her focused gaze returned to normal with a blink, and she quickly turned around to her desk, rummaging through the stacks of papers and tools splayed about. "Don't mind me... Some old memories resurfacing, is all. I suppose you'll be needing proper training after being inactive for quite a while, yes? The military here would be a fine choice if you're looking to make use of them.""I've done a little catching up, actually..." Sango's lips curled into a slight smile, her hand raising to gently tap the bow on her back with two fingers. "Oh, is that so? Then I have a few things you could help me with. I'm sure you saw the Apothecary above? I run that. Judging by the way it looked and how out of the way it was, Sango was surprised if anyone besides her had come this deep into the Copper District. However, she was still very new to this city, so there was no telling what else she was missing out on. She approached The Nightingale's side, glancing down at the desk as she gathered specific tools and materials from the otherwise giant mess of clutter. How on earth does she find anything on this desk? The next thing she knew, she was being handed some of the tools.
"Um... wha-" Before she could finish, The Nightingale went on to explain her dilemma. "My shop is opening soon, and I'm running low on supplies. I know you weren't expecting your guide to give you a bunch of fetching tasks, but please bear with me here." She turned to Sango, shooting her a nervous smile. It just so happened to be one hell of a coincidence that she'd show up when the woman needed something done, right? ... Or, was it? On top of the various tools handed to her, she was present with a small bag to put them all in, and a journal with a note attached. Of course she was instructed to prep the tools, so she did just that. Making sure everything was cleaned and in order before storing them into the bag and taking a look at note attached to the journal: [ 2 posts ]
Ingredients Needed β’ Nightshade β’ 5 Servings of Honey β’ Ginseng β’ Golden Thistle β’ Golden Light Flower Petals
"Alright..." Sango's eyes moved from the note back to the woman. She started to wonder how this had anything to do with furthering her training or finding her tune, but she'd put her trust in her guide. Sato wouldn't have lead her to meet this woman if it wasn't for a good reason, after all. It also gave her a little more exposure to this otherwise new city she felt completely lost in. The Nightingale was aware of this, even leaving directions and drawings of specific locations and herbs so Sango could gather the materials with minimal obstacles as possible. The two headed back up the stone stairs to the top of the hill. According to the notes, Golden Light Forests had everything she needed to gather there, with the exception that some items would be harder to find than others. With minimal threats in the area as far as The Nightingale was aware, completing the task shouldn't be too much of a problem. After her final goodbyes to the woman, Sango headed off to the aforementioned forest. [ 3 posts ] [ Exit ]
-1 paragraph for missions and careers. (Non-Bloodline Perk) Polish Supplies: Mission Complete
ββ CHAKRAx 600/ 600xββ STAMINAx 350/ 350xββ XPx 300 xββ RYOx 6000 ββ Land of Fire (GurinbarΔ-to)xββ Civilian xββ D-Rankxββ Street Performerxxxxxx
Zak the Panduh
Dapper Partner
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Zak the Panduh
Dapper Partner
Offline
Posted: Mon May 11, 2020 8:51 pm
S A N G O - "KNIVES" - O S A D A
Sango sprinted all the way from the Golden Light Forest back to the apothecary, unaware of time slowly returning to is natural state until she finally arrived. It was late evening, and The Nightingale was already preparing to close shop for the day. However, despite Sango's relentless apologizing, the Nightingale didn't appear to be upset with her. Rather, she expected the outcome all along. The fetch task was given with the idea of environmental exposure and skill acquisition in mind, which Sango apparently had performed admirably. Sango was instructed to stow the ingredients away in the small room behind the main room which acted as the storefront. The small bell chimed as she started making her way towards the back - likely the final customer for the night. With the ingredients meticulously placed in their respective storage locations, the Nightingale called back for her to bring a vial of greenish liquid. The vials were not particularly hard to find, and after nabbing the one with the requested color of liquid, Sango appeared from the back room and handed it to the Nightingale. The exchange between the store owner and the customer was what Sango focused on, taking mental notes that she herself could use when she assisted her guide the following morning. Until they were finished, the young street performer took it upon herself to prepare the closing of the shop by getting the counters cleaned and sweeping the floors. By the time she was done, the exchange was complete, and the Nightingale closed down for the day. [ 4 posts; Pharmacology ]
Early did the two raise the next morning to begin the work day. Well, the Nightingale was already awake, and had to rouse Sango awake who was peacefully sleeping in her bed. Yesterday's gathering session had her beat, but today was a new day! Instructed by her guide, she was to complete a set of tasks that would help streamline the store owner's focus on fulfilling orders for their customers. While the Nightingale went to the back room to begin completing the remaining medicinal items from yesterday's list, Sango grabbed the broom and went outside to make the shop look more presentable. Other than the overgrown roots from the tree, low overhanging branches, and large garden out front which added to the unique scenery of the apothecary, there was very little of what could be deemed as a "mess". The walkway was swept, and all of the lights along the sides were cleaned. Some of them were out, which Sango immediately went to go get replacement bulbs for. With the outside of the shop looking more presentable, she returned inside. Immediately after closing the door she was called to the Nightingale's side, who was working on extracting some of the materials Sango brought for her the day before. She explained that the extraction method was important for getting necessary materials needed for specific medicines. This one in particular was for an ointment, which required the oils of golden flower leaves. There was a bowl of a strange substance, which the Nightgale claimed to be the other ingredients for the ointment. The newly extracted golden flower petal oil was mixed in, until the substance was consistent and smooth. Sango watched with excitement, handing the Nightingale the final container that would be used to pass on the ointment to the customer. [ 5 posts; Pharmacology ]
The bell chimed in the distance, and Sango immediately left the back room to attend to whomever had arrived. She was met with a smaller-sized man carrying a bag, and in his hand was a note with a small bag of supplies. He stated the note and supplies were for the store owner; a new list of today's orders as well as the supplies she paid shipment for. Sango took the notes and supplies, thanking the delivery man for his service and then returning to the Nightingale in the back room. While her guide worked on the final order of yesterday's list, Sango quietly read the new order list aloud for the Nightingale could keep a mental note on what to work on next. With the bag of supplies, the Nightingale requested that Sango take care of putting them in their designated locations, and taking out specific items to place on the display shelf for customers to pick up. The two exchanged lists: The Nightingale receiving the new order list, and Sango getting the note of customer-ready items to display from the newly acquired supply bag. Sango left the Nightingale to work in peace, heading the storefront to complete the task given to her. Making her way behind the counter, she opened up the cabinets above where the ordered supplies would be placed. Yikes! To her surprise, the cabinets were a complete mess! Now that she thought about it, so was the Nightingale's working table most of the time. How she found anything in such chaos was beyond the poor girl. It was so much easier to get the things one needed with a well-organized and tidy space. Doing a small favor for her guide, she decided to work on organizing the cabinet's contents before sorting out the delivered supplies. First she took out all of the empty vials, containers, caps, and other storage units out and placed them in one pile. She'd do the same with the oils, balms, ointments, herbs, spices, and other medicinal creations. All of the storage containers and materials that weren't product to be used for the store were placed on the uppermost shelf of the cabinet. While medicines and related items used for the store, customers, and crafting were placed on the lower part of the cabinet. Everything was separated into groups, with the most frequently used items placed in the front. [ 6 posts; Pharmacology ]
The bell chimed once more, just as Sango closed the newly clean and organized cabinet. She turned to spot an elderly woman into the store, greeting her with a smile. The older woman explained to Sango that she was looking for some specific herbs and to pick up an order that she placed. Starting with the herbs, Sango directed her to the shelf with all of the herbs, asking her which ones she was looking for, and how much of each she wanted. Unfortunately the older woman forgot her glasses, and couldn't see any of the herbs in great detail, on top forgetting her list so she could remember what she came in for. Instead, Sango asked the woman what she wanted to do with the herbs, so that way she could consult the journal behind the counter to find the requested herbs. After the elderly lady described how the list of herbs were going to be utilized, the young girl went behind the counter to read the journal. Sango was only beginning her journey as a botanist, thus her experience with a variety of different plants and herbs was pretty low. However with more practice, experience and exposure she'd get much better at it. The list of requested herbs were collected after reading over the journal, each measured to the appropriate amounts. After placing them into storage containers for the elderly lady, it was time to retrieve the pickup order. Having yet to sort out the supply bag she received earlier this morning, Sango had to rummage through it in order to find the two vials of liquids with the elderly woman's name on it. First Sango received the payment, and then the vials were passed to her along with the selected herbs. She'd give the woman a goodbye wave, holding the door open for her exit, then focus on that supply bag that needed to be sorted out immediately. It would be much easier to hand out pickup orders to the customers if she had them displayed on the shelf, tags presenting their names thus making the process the most efficient. [ 5 posts; Pharmacology ]
The contents of the supply bag were emptied out on the counter, and divided into three groups: customer pickups, general supplies, and the Nightingale's shipments. The general supplies were easy to take care of, thanks to Sango's earlier efforts of organizing the cabinets. They were all placed into their proper spaces, and for now Sango wouldn't have to bother with the cabinet for a while. The customer pickups were placed on the table beneath the cabinets, behind the counter where they would be safe from any potential shoplifters. The ones that were already paid for had a special stamp across the label, while the others remained blank. Sango lined up all the customer pickups on the table with the labels facing out so she could see the names. This would make it as simple as finding the matching item with the customer's name, and handing it to them after receiving payment, if it was required. There appeared to be no more customers trying to enter the store at the moment, so now was a perfect time to check on the Nightingale and present her with her shipment. The Nightingale was busy at work on another project when Sango appeared through the doorway to the back room. Normally busying away on a project, the Nightingale appeared to be stumped, staring intensely at a piece of paper containing compiled notes. Sango politely interrupted to bring news of her new supplies, varying from a restock in different materials to new or upgraded tools that would help with her work. The gadget for making pills caught the Nightingale's eye out of all of her shipment, for she was in the process of creating new vitamins. After Sango placed all of the other items from her guide's shipment in the proper places, she was instructed to join Nightingale at her side to review the notes. Preparations were to be made for a new vitamin she wanted to create, and Sango would get to see just how the process worked! [ 5 posts; Pharmacology ]
The first few lines of notes contained specific ingredients for the vitamin that would produce a certain result. From the note it looked like the Nightingale was interested in making a vitamin that lessened the effects of fatigue. There were lots of craftsmen in the Copper District who worked long hours, and growing tired towards the middle of the day was very common. With this vitamin, she could help those workers continue their craft without being hindered by weariness. This vitamin could also prove useful to shinobi or soldiers, improving their stamina reserves when they have run low. Side notes consisted of possible concoctions for a vitamin that boosted stamina levels, but required rarer ingredients that the Nightingale had yet to test. After reading over the ingredient list, Sango went to the cabinet behind her guide to gather them, bringing them back to the table after closing the door. The Nightingale allowed Sango to try her hand at using some of the tools, such as the mortar and pestle which could crush ingredients into a fine powder. Taking the various leaves, dried herbs, and minerals and placing them into the mortar and began crushing them with the pestle. It took a considerable amount of work before the leaves and herbs started to transition into a powdery state, mixing in with the minerals. After some time, Sango was able to see that all of the ingredients had successfully reached a powdered form, proceeding to mix them together until the mixture was evenly consistent all the way around. The Nightingale took over from here, taking the newly created powder mixture and separating small portions of it into a compressor. With the compressing tool, she'd be able to give the mixture a pill shape, and thus the vitamin that the customers would consume. An additional powdery substance was placed on the outside of created pills to change their flavor to something more tolerable. With the vitamins complete, The Nightingale concluded Sango's introduction into pharmacology. She wanted the young street performer to develop skills outside of her usual talents, as it was apart of the training Sango's mentor was unable to finish. [ 5 posts; Pharmacology ]
-2 paragraph count to missions and crafting (Non-bloodline perk). Mission - Preparation and Assistance (first chunk): Completed Mission - Assistance (the rest): Completed
The Nightingale thanked Sango for helping her out in the apothecary for the day and insisted she go explore some more of the city. Sango wasn't sure what she was going to do, but she was looking forward to something exciting. She left the Nightingale with a wave and went on her way. [ Exit ]
Arriving at the Cooper district, Hima entered into the forge, "Hey is my-" She stopped as she saw her weapons off at the side, not finished. Her cheeks puffed as she looked towards the man, "AW! Why is my weapons not finished?!" She questioned towards him. The man shrugged. "Not my responsbility. Your weapons, yours." Hima jaw's drop. What was she paying him for?! "But I-' She didn't get to finish her sentence as he intruppted her. He seems like he doesn't want to deal with the bouncy child, despite that she had aged. "Yours." He repeated. "Go to bed me. Night." With that, he entered into his house as he locked the door. An audible click of the lock could be heard. Hima looked on, completely flabbergasted at him! With a huff and puff, Hima removed her upper layers of Kimono and folded them neatly. She doesn't want them to get dirty!
After some searching, she had found some ropes. She used the ropes to roll her sleeves up. After all, she was on an important mission to Lands of Tea! Putting her golden locks up into a wrapped bun so it wouldn't go all over the place. Starting by pouring the water over the forge, it steamed up as she placed her katana into it. Brought it out, and using the hammer, she started to hammer it into shape. At least Hima had been studying! The stupid man didn't do what she asked! No matter. Maybe he was right, what was hers is hers. Perhaps the money was to keep her weapons here and not get sold away. With a roll of her eyes, she shoved the katana into the water as a loud hiss could be heard. At least that was nice of him, not to take her weapons away. This was repeated a few times until she was done. Satisfied with how it turned out, she wishes she had time to work on the hilt and the katana more to her design. Sadly, time was not on her side today. With a sigh, she gets the sheath and sheathed the katana. Placed it by the kimono, what was next was the bladed knuckles.
This one, she hopes she would never have to use. It was made for close combat and it can be deadly. It also meant that she was in so much danger, that she would have to use them. No matter. Getting work to sharpening the metals and making sure they were the right fit especially since she had grown five years in 2 minutes. No joke. She had to widen the holes slightly and spread them out more as well as elongated the blade. After the shape was perfect, she sat down at the equipment with the round whetstone. Pumping her foot, the stone started to spin as she gently pressed up the blade against it. Sparks flying as she took her time with this. Even though she was pressed for time, she cannot do a sloppy job. It would reflect who she was as a person. Humming to herself, Himawari was careful and made sure she stayed focus. Most of the time, she does bounce around but when she focuses, she starts to hyperfocus. The world and time would cease to exist. Himawari heard the bell toll as she paused for a moment and started to count. It's been 45 minutes since Hikari told her to meet at the docks. With that, Himawari finished up with some finishing touches and then seal the bladed knuckles weapon onto the sleeve. Sheathing the katana and wrapping it around her to make sure it's secured, Himawari decided to be kind and help the man by safely shutting down the forge. After all, don't want to burn up the coals that can be used. When she was sure everything was done, Himawari removed the ropes as she started to put on her kimono. Humming to herself, she placed the ropes back where she found them and headed to the dock. While walking to the dock, Himawari let loose her hair and started to work to put it in a more clean bun.
βΊGot alove; β₯β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬TAKEMEAWAYβ¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬- β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬[And I know that it's -- all mine]β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬β¬
Himawari Yuki GurinbarΔ-to l Citizen l Bloodline l Bukijutsu l HyΕton & Seiryu Clan Suiton l Fuuton l 565/565 Chakra l 590/590 Stamina
The ever fastidious Lord Adjutant of Gurinbare-to continued his journey around the capitol, attaching seals per his lord's requests to secure the city further.
[ Five Seal Barrier pt 2 ]
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 10:00 am
tab} π· π π π π π π x π― ' π π π π xxxxx tabtabi dont know how to do thisxxxi step forward, you step backxxxdanced many dances but i'm not accustomed to this one yet..
Lillian sat, quiet, at one of the many tables in the tavern. She was hidden away in her usual corner-- from here she could see the whole of the establishment with barely a turn of the head. All the drunken brawls, all the sly looks, all the interactions between patron and staff. A waitress stopped by her table, a slim thing with hair like gold and purple hues. Emilie was her name. The blonde asked her if she wanted a refill of her drink. Lillian shook her head, and with a slight smile Emile was gone. She had spent a night with the girl once, and ever since then the waitress had refused to let anyone else serve Lillian at the bar. Wulfram had teased her about it once or twice.
The Dove looked down at the mass of books littered across her table. Some of them were written research by other scholars of this nation where some of them were old and worn tomes she had brought back from the temple. Lillian tucked some of her hair behind her ear before taking a sip from the mug beside her. Wulfram was away, doing something or another in the capital, and during his down time she studied ways to help him. If she could reverse this divinity, she would.
The old tomes she had brought back from the reliquary, or temple, or ruins, or whatever name you felt like calling it, were hard to translate. The language was intricate, and words meant different things depending on the words ahead or behind them. One word-- Svaena-- meant bird, but if Ynm came before it, it then meant freedom. If svaena was followed by the word ouk, it then meant coward. Capitalization and stressing different parts of the word also made a difference in the connotations of the word. SVAena was meant to convey an uplifting feeling, it was a compliment, whereas svaENA was meant to convey anxieyt. Translating the language Lillian had dubbed "Hythan" was a long and arduous process, and Lillian hadn't even gotten to the halfway point yet.
She had made the error of rushing her translation, and in doing so could have gotten herself killed. The words written on the pedestal at the rotunda now came floating back to her. She could fully translate the script now, 'We were desperate, and so we created a curse. A key. A way to lock these forsaken out of our realm forever, to open up a path to the other side and slam the door behind them. None of us could decide who would wield this terrible knowledge, for the power would surely lead to their death. But then we understood-- we would all carry this burden in hopes we would survive. May the god's forgive us.' If only she had taken the time, been smarter, she wouldn't be in this predicament.
The mark would consume her some day. Wulfram had been right. She hadn't had the heart to tell him, and he had been busy. But she would have to, some day.
Further Description Forthcoming: GurinbarΔ-to sits as the Imperial Capital of the Empire of Fire and Houses the following:
