The tiny creature flew, beating it's gossamer wings with all the muscular strength in it's small body. It whizzed through the streets of New Rydynn; through a broken window here, across an empty floor and out another broken window there. Had anyone noticed it, they would have seen a glistening shimmer of iridescence surrounding it, supporting it, guiding it on to it's destination.
It zipped over a sign post and around a corner to avoid the sudden appearance of a large, hideous head -- in reality, that of a street walker with her hair poofed up too high -- and crossed one final street. Then it zoomed in through a tiny crack opened in the doorof the Laundromat that stood looking eerily abandoned and empty.
The reality of course was that it was not empty at all.
Dylisse' head snapped around beneath it's hood to follow the trail of the tiny creature as it flitted past. No more than a pinpoint of light it seemed to be. Her brows drew into a frown. Nearly impatiently, she pushed the hood back, revealing blonde hair pulled back into a braid. Sapphire eyes regarded the building.
Garnet Ross watched the odd creature from within the Laundromat; it almost seemed like an apparition as it flitted into the dark, gloomy building. Hazel eyes regarded the creature inquisitively. Garnet took a step toward it, dark mahogany boots making little sound ... one advantage to the amount of wear they had accrued and hence the thinness of the sole. Her long and tattered patchwork skirt swished with each slow, easy step.
Jerrimiahh sat in Trace's chair. He was used to the spot by now, but he was not at all comfortable there, or so the look on his face said to any audience in attendance.
Dylisse had actually set out today in hopes of finding...something green. Who knew then why her feet had brought her here, in time to see that creature. She sighed. Fates, leave me be. Her hand closed around the three deep blue beads that rested in a pocket of her cloak. Not a bad gift, if a bit superficial perhaps. But she'd wanted green. Green for the color of his eyes. The cloak dusted the ground as she peered into the dusty windows, looking for that little bit of flying light. Nothing but nothing. Imagination. She turned away from the building, thinking now...
The tiny winged thing whizzed by Garnet and promptly vanished ... much like the little trick that flies always seem to do the moment you pick up something to swat them with. It zipped past the unseen men who held the magic in place inside the Laundromat, so that passersby saw a dark dingy place, but those 'in the magic' saw the truth ... once they were inside ... once it was decided it was 'safe' for them to see. It swerved under Jerry's door and landed on his desk.
Garnet's shoulders slumped minutely in disappointment and she sighed.
Jerry stared at the tiny critter, held out his hand and said in a magical tone something that might have sounded remotely like Old Earth Latin. But Sabatt was a long way from Old Earth. Most of it's people knew only it's history, only it's power and lack of power.
"Revealus," he whispered.
Sweat started on his forehead. This was a particularly draining spell for him. Trace's idea, damn the man. The tiny creature spread its ephemeral wings. They expanded to the size of a sheet of standard vellum, but far more translucent.
"Illuminatus..." he said and on the 'paper' words began to glow. A message from Williams. He read, sighed several times in the reading, whispered, "Memorius permanatus" then said aloud, "Disspell!" with a bit of authority to his voice.
Garnet ventured further within the room, exploring with more of her senses than simply sight. She could 'feel' the magic. There was even a faint trace of scent about it.
The tiny critter let out a squeal of an earpiercing cry of distress and vanished. "Shame about that," Jerry said aloud. "Only good for a way or two." Once upon a time, with all the powers of the Nexus at hand, such bits of light would have followed their masters always and done their bidding. His own power sustaining them for his lifetime as such a thing was made of his very essence. No such power could keep them so long alive now. He leaned back in the chair and thought about what Trace had said in the letter.
"Might not be coming back..." damn him. "Who does he think he is anyway?"
The image of the dark, gloomy room, devoid of people seemed to almost ripple, but Garnet, though she looked, couldn't quite 'see' past what she thought might be mere illusion. She had been within these walls once before ... even within the walls surrounding physical walls.
The outer room of the Laundromat was a typical Laundromat to the uninitiated eye. Old washers looking broken down, old dryers ... but beyond the magical facade, there were people and desks and a quiet, very quiet bustle ... and lighting. All in all -- it was just the outer layer of the 'onion' of the entrance into the Fellowship.
Dylisse intended to find a way home...a safe way. She closed her eyes...spoke some words...lifted a hand. "Show me..." she demanded quietly. Her slender frame shivered beneath the cloak as images came to her mind. Of the streets around her� The alleys� People. Or lack thereof... The intention was to see which route home might be safest.
The images flashed, repeated, faster and faster until she nearly swooned. A sigh escaped her lips. She'd never been high before, but she imagined the feeling would be rather like this ... it was exquisite, even as the illness settled in. For a dazzling moment, she felt as if her body was floating.
At that moment Garnet glanced back outside, sensing a 'fluttering' or even 'tingling' almost electric sort of vibration without.
Jerry got up and left the very Spartan office that was Trace's place to go into the outer room.
"Cease," Dylisse hissed finally, but not before she had the keen impression that her magic had come in contact with someone else's. Two electrical fields touching. She slumped against the wall. If there was magic in place somewhere nearby, to Dylisse that was motivation to get moving elsewhere. A safe path home had been revealed to her, all she needed to do now was to wait for the strength to take it.
Garnet strode briskly to the front door, tugging it open and dashing outside. She held one hand in the air as though testing the direction of the wind. The air faintly crackled with dying magic.
The brush of magic to magic wasn't just felt by Dylisse. For the first time, Jerry moved through the outer room and 'out' of the sphere of the spell without speaking to anyone. Always before he would let them know where he was going, what he was doing. Immediately, he saw Garnet just outside the door.
Garnet in turn saw the figure, slumped against the wall and moved across the street with alacrity to kneel beside her. "Are you all right?"
The door. Through half-closed eyes she saw it open. Then a woman was beside her. Dylisse shook her head. "Fine. Just tired." She answered quietly. "Was looking through the windows...I didn't see you in there..." She squinted at her.
He would be plainly visible now to anyone passing by in the street. At his ear, he heard a sound, a faint whisper -- quite an effort put forth by one of the guardians -- to actually speak to him.
"It's ... hard to see things in there at times," Garnet reassured her. "Do you want to go in � to sit down or something? Maybe I could find you some water."
"No, Simon... I'm fine. Don't risk cover," Jerry whispered back and Simon's self faded away to blend in with what to Jerry was now only a faint prickling along his skin. He had several options to consider and stood there so that one might present itself in line with the will of the gods.
Already the weakness was fading. A few more deep breaths and Dylisse found herself able to slowly get to her feet. "I'll be fine. Thank you. I...how did you know I was out here?" Suspicion rose up, played in the back of her mind.
"I thought I heard something and saw a flash of light out of the corner of my eyes. I'm not sure though now." She took a step back toward the door. "Be careful out there, ma'am."
Was this woman the source of the magic she'd touched? Dylisse regarded her, then straightened her cloak. "Mage." She said, finally. Asking. Or maybe just confirming her guess.
Garnet inclined her head in the barest of nods, acknowledging her fledgling gift. "I can hardly call myself such, but ... I'm learning."
Dy nodded. "Then it wasn't just you I felt. What I felt was...powerful. There are more like you nearby." All the more reason for Dy to leave and find safety. But her feet didn't move.
Another nod. "Yes. I met one of them once ... but I can't seem to find anyone today. They hide themselves in some manner. Even they need protection."
"The streets aren't safe for magic-users." A long, delicate arm gestured about. "Many of the Cult would still like nothing better than to hunt someone like you down. Don't forget that."
"Hiding...may be very advantageous."
"I won't forget. How do you keep them from finding you? Oh � but I don't mean to pry into any � secrets." Garnet was suddenly abashed.
"Some of them already know me." And here, her eyes grew a shade darker. "I was one of them once." Usually very private, Dy didn't seem to mind the question for some reason. She almost seemed amused as she looked for a reaction.
A flicker of something, perhaps fear, flitted through her hazel orbs. "Used to be ... b-but not now?"
"Not now. I no longer have any affiliations. I have no reason to hurt you, or anyone unless they try to hurt me." Smiles were rare from Dy, but there was a bit of kindness about her face now. Maybe a bit of reassurance.
"It sounds like ... a lonely life," Garnet commented, meaning nothing by it, only a reflection. There were so many questions she could ... she wanted to ask, but restrained out of prudence. It would not do to anger someone who was likely a powerful magic user, nor to trust someone too far who was hardly more than a stranger for now.
"Advantages to being alone though. No one to hurt you, you see." She paused, playing with the beads in her pocket. In honesty, Dy did have someone in her life, someone that was becoming very important to her. But she wouldn't admit it, not yet. "What do they call you, young one."
"Garnet," She paused "Garnet Ross." She shook her head, daring another question, murmuring softly, "But how do you know who to trust?"
"Garnet. There is a burgundy stone with that name, if I remember correctly." Then she chuckled, very quietly. "You don't trust. Not at first. You watch, you pay attention. You ignore words and study a person's actions. Those will tell you in time if you can trust that person or not. I tell you though, there are not many people worthy of trust around here."
She nodded, taking each word in attentively as though someone thirsting for water. "Then how did you learn to use your magic? Her voice dropped so that it would only carry to Dy. "Can anyone be trusted to teach it or must it be learned alone?"
Dylisse grew very still. "Some I learned when I was very young, on my own. The rest I learned while in the Cult." It pained her to think of it. "If I were you, I would try to find a teacher who can earn your trust. Get to know them first, you see?"
Garnet nodded. "I'm sorry if I asked too much. What do they call you?" She was trying to shift the topic from the difficult moment.
"It's all right. I don't mind it. You just have to understand that who you pick for your teacher is of importance." Then, she sighed. And actually gave a half-grin. "I don't usually tell my name. But...you may call me Dy."
"I'm honored then � thank you � Dy. I ... really should go now, but I'm glad we met."
Her hand fluttered about, a flicker of embarrassment. "I am too. Take care of yourself, Garnet. Please." Her soft smile was one to be remembered.
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