| She blinked in amazement as she stared at the large home that her sister acquired within the city. Slowly, Val entered the home, her eyes wandering around the living room. Paintings, tapestries, and statues displayed themselves around the living room as Val took off her cloak, tossing it on the nearby coat hanger. She looked around, searching for signs of her sister before her nose inhaled the plesant smell of herbs and candles. Her nose lead her into the hallway where she found the opened door to the bathroom. Val could feel the heat rushing out of the room as she stepped into the bathroom. Her eyes were drawn to the waterfall that fed water to the pool below. Candles surrounded the pool, giving out most of the light within the room. Shutting the door behind her, she stepped in further, eventually finding a place to sit as she focused upon the ball of light floating above her sister. A few locks of silky green hair as well as her pointed ears escaped the towel enclosing her older sister's head. Her glasses rested on the bridge of her nose while she read the book within her hands. Val tugged on a few knots on her clothes, loosening them from her body before she slipped out of them. Stopping at the edge of the pool, she removed her undergarments before she stepped into the pool, walking into the center. Slowly, she submerged herself in the heat as she held her breath. She let a few bubbles escape her mouth before Val raised herself, letting the water stop just short of her shoulders as she sat across from her sister in the pool. Resting her arms along the edge of the pool, she stared at her sister who bookmarked her book before she set it aside. A smile appeared on her sister's face. "It's nice of you to join me." "I told you I had some business to take care of with a job. Just ran into some ruffians wanting trouble." "Oh? And who's the target this time, hmmm?" Val looked away from her sister, staring at the fountain. "You know I don't like to talk about it, Neve." Neve gently launched herself from her spot, swimming across the deeper center before she took a seat next to her sister. "You know I can help you with what I know, but I can only help you if I know who it is." "I doubt that even you would know much about my target, other than what I know already." "Oh?" Her sister elbowed her gently, grinning. "I think you're challenging me there." She turned her head away from Neve, shaking her head. "Why don't you go back to your reading?" Her sister began to trace the runes tatooed on Val's body with her fingertips. "Because you know I won't leave you alone until I find out who it is." She pushed off from her seat into the center, tredding water as she grumbled at her sister. "Fine. You know how much I hate it when you touch the runes." Neve giggled. "I don't see why. Now do tell for my curiousity's sake." Val closed her eyes, letting herself sink underwater. She ran her fingers through her hair, releasing some of the small bubbles still attached. Eventually, she opened her eyes, looking up above at the surface. She released some of the air from her lungs into the water, watching the bubbles floating to the surface before her feet pushed off from the bottom of the pool. She rose to the surface, swimming back to where her sister sat until her feet were able to touch the inclined floor of the pool. Val took her seat next to her sister, giving herself a little more space than before. "Ren Aswald." "Lord Aswald? Well... he isn't really a lord yet, but there is no doubt in my mind that he could become one..." Her sister paused, thinking before a frown crossed her face. "Well, you are right, I don't know much about him at all. Let me guess, your client is the former owner of the mansion. Politics as usual, hmmm?" Val shook her hair out, letting the droplets of water spray out. "As usual. The reward for the deed is high enough to make it worth it." Neve grinned at her sister. "He's rather young for a human. Not even married. But with all the rumors that came with his appearance, I'm not surprised. After his few feats in the Arena, some say he isn't even human. Others say he has a pact with a demon, which would explain where he got the succubus. But... your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that you might have some trouble with him if you're not careful." "Only if I have to deal with the succubus. Which is why my best bet is at the party my client is preparing." "It's a shame. I'm suppose to meet with the boys in a few days." Neve stood up, letting the water drip off her body as she walked out of the pool. She proceeded to dry herself off with a fresh towel before she wrapped it around her body. Val watched as her sister sat down in front of a mirror, removing the towel around her head as her hair fell from its place down past her shoulders. Neve began to run a brush through her hair before Val focused herself on the pool. "I wonder how those two are doing." Neve turned her head to Val, continuing to groom her hair. "Zane and Praz? Probably mischief as usual." Val grinned. "Spoken from the mouth of the queen of mischief herself." "Hey!" Her sister stuck her tongue out at her. As she focused back upon the water, she noticed a small stream of water shoot from the surface at her. She raised her hand to block the water before she turned back to her sister, who continued to gesture at the water. The pool continued to shoot small jets of water at her face until she began to feel the jets of water hit her body underwater. Val's face turned red as the jets continued to hit her. "Watch where you aim those!" Neve's lips slowed down with her gesturing, eventually stopping at grin. "That's what you get." "Will I ever be able to have a peaceful bath without you causing trouble for me?" "Doubtful." She giggled. Val closed her eyes, letting her mind focus on one of the runes on her body. As she opened her eyes, she looked at the glowing rune for a moment with a smile on her face before she looked at her sister, trying to keep the hair in control from the wind that blew around inside the room. Some of the candles blew out before she released the rune, letting the air calm back down. "That'll teach you." Her sister frowned slightly, brushing her hair back out. "Now that was not needed." "I could put your hair on fire instead if that is what you would prefer next time." "No... I like my hair the way it is, thank you. Speaking of which, do you want me to do your hair before I leave?" "... alright." Neve finished her brushing, setting the brush down in front of the mirror. Her sister changed out of the towel and into a robe, tying it loosely together. Slowly, she made her way to Val, crouching near the edge of the pool. "Are you sure you'll be able to go through with it? He is rather young... and new to the scene. You don't know if he's like the rest of the nobles or if he'll be different." "I'll be fine. With power like his, corruption comes naturally. It would just be a matter of time." "If you say so..." Her sister stood up, shutting the door behind her as she left the bathroom. Val sighed, staring at the water for a moment before she pushed off back into the water. She rolled over in the water, floating on her back as she started at the ceiling. As her mind began to wander, she leaned back, diving underwater to the deepest part of the pool. Setting her feet on the pool's floor, she slowly began to walk away from the center, ascending slowly until her head broke the surface. Val sighed once more before she shook her head to free her from the thoughts of what was ahead. She continued to the outer edge, hopping out of the pool to one of the fresh towels nearby. She dried herself quickly before she put on the remaining robe. Grabbing her clothes, she left the bathroom, focusing on the rune one more time to blow out the rest of the candles. Val shut the door behind her, looking around a little bit before she departed upstairs, looking for her room. She found a door left open, and inside she saw the bed prepared for her as well as her travel bag. She stepped in and closed the door behind her, taking out her nightgown. She proceeded to change out of her robe and into the soft, smooth cloth before she crawled into bed. Focusing on the one rune, she blew out the candles inside the room, letting the moonlight shine through her window to supply her with her only light. Val closed her eyes, letting her mind wander off slowly until her eyelids felt heavy. I shouldn't focus on the job, or else I'll lose my control. |