MOVED TO PRISMBURSTS

“Sure I can.” His statement was firm though a miniscule waver in his voice likely wouldn’t do much to convince the woman. Did she just forget about the man whom he’d taken down just moments before? Maybe if he had been able to get a bite in, have some blood on his teeth, she would be looking at him differently now. “You-you just don’t know what I am!” But that was no easy way to change her mind either.

He shifted his weight from leg to leg, rubbing his fingers as he watched her think. “My aura? What about it?” He didn’t even know what an aura was but she suddenly looked particularly interested in him. He wouldn’t dare make a move now.

“Sure you can?” A soft chuckle, holding so much more malice than one would expect of someone as seemingly sweet as Ignes. So this child... thought he might be the apex predator in these quaint woods. She would show him otherwise.  

   “Local folklore can be as elusive as finding anyone from that time.” Maxima hums with a smile, her hand resting against the side of her own tight straightening the fabric over her own skin. Local Folklore quickly ran in circles, into dead ends or help lies within truths and truths in lies, not knowing the difference between the two of them. Lying with a smile thinking that it was the truth, having the best of intentions didn’t mean that one was truthful. As for Nilfgaard and redanians… well… that was a whole different matter all together “You know that this conflict will not get resolved in the nearest future, hm? There are far too many profiting out of it and it is known that the Nilfgaardian Emperor wants nordling blood tainting the land that he wants to conquer before he does.“

Her left eyebrow quirked ever so slightly. “Really?” She inquired, before letting out a short laugh through her nose. “I’m not sure the Jarl would like hearing that. They’re all about having as much land as possible.” Her eyes wandered around the tavern, taking in the other visitors. The old man who lost his daughter to the civil war, spitting venom about the Imperials…which Svanna did not quite understand. His daughter had chosen to fight Ulfric’s self-indulgent war - why was it the Imperial’s fault?

Then, her eyes fell on the Argonians, and her expression softened. It warmed her heart to see love blossoming in hard times. Reminded her of the good in the world. Maybe someday she could find it, too.

“Hmm?” Her head snapped back to Ignes, her mind focusing back on their conversation. “Oh…there’s not all that much to know about me.” 

Orphan. Abandoned by her mother. Couldn’t save her father. Street urchin her whole life until she got caught up in the Stormcloak’s business then almost beheaded. The usual. 

“Found out I was Dragonborn after the Greybeards Shouted from their mountain which, obviously, scared the life out of me.” She chuckled softly. “I’m sure any bard can tell you my tale.”

After all…I’m sure she only wants to know about the Dragonborn. Nobody wants to know about Svanna Asgald…

„Now that is just poor scientific practice. You do not ask someone else to retell the events if you can ask someone who's been there... and after all... who knows more 'bout you than yourself?” A little chuckle. Ah, the girl was being vague. Something she could muster up understanding for. She, too, liked to be vague when asked about herself. There was so much to tell.. and nothing of importance.

“And before the Greybeards yelled for you from their mountain?” What kind of flame has she been forged in? Attentively, she let her crimson eyes wander over the girl, on to her hands, back to her face, and all over again. “You are … quite kind, I would say. You either knew no hardships that could have hardened you, or enough to teach you softness. You don't move like a noblewoman. You mostly use the bow, from what I’ve seen... a weapon easy enough to teach yourself. You seem to know members of the thieves' guilt... I knew someone who always used to say you cannot forge a fine blade without fire.”

A dream... just an awful dream. After a moment of restless breath, she realized that she was being haunted by ghosts of the pasts, not shades and monsters she could fight now. Sometimes the hardest battles... were fought on the inside. Slowly, she ran a hand through her hair, palm sweaty and cold. Her own restless movements must have waken her mistress too. Ah... once again, she was being a mess, then. Slowly, Ignes sat up and rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. The sun had not risen yet - and so, slowly, she fell back into the pillows, turning half to face the older witch.

    “May the sun never rise,” she mumbled, burying her face in a mass of soft, silver hair. Here, safely hidden away under warm blankets, the world could go fuck itself. With a little sigh, she placed a kiss against Quela’s neck, then another, and left her mouth travel along the slender line down to her collarbone. “... I’d stay in this moment forever.”

     A low growl escaped his mouth when she gave him… that kind of answer. A pure wave of magic came to him and then, in form of force, flew in her direction. A little frosty in their consistency, it hit stranger in front of him. Ignes’ back crushed into wall.

    “I would like your responses to be more specific. You are stranger in my estate right now and I am not delighted by it. Let’s start again, shall we?” monster-like voice behind helmet was almost free of emotion.

     Ex-general catched his staff more surely and took a step closer, magic ready to his command at any moment - well, he didn’t want to fight without reason but he was not one to step back from it as well. ‘I am Caranthir Ar-Feiniel, First Navigator, and you are in lands of Aen Elle. Who are you?”

     The tingle of magic in the air was not lost to her, the split second before lightning struck. That’s what it felt like - and though she could have immaterialized easily, disappearing into thin air to gain a safer spot, she let herself be thrown against the wall. An intense cold spread in the room, as though the mere essence of the mage in front of her was that of winter’s merciless frost. It dawned upon her. 

    The Aen Elle.. she’d crossed the name more than just once in her studies, though she was never quite able to imagine they truly lived in a world entirely disjunct from hers - and she, a vestige of the conjunction of spheres, should she not know better?

Fear, as many argue, is a learnt trait in children. Some do not experience fear towards reckless acts because they have never had someone to tell them of the dangers. Others do not fear strangers as they have always been surrounded by those who loved them. Ikki falls into the former category. And his barefooted, confident stance in the room, ready to climb and scurry his way through any narrow opening to get away should he need to stood testimony to that. Ikki didn’t fear heights, drops, water, fire, closed spaces, open ones or depths… it was all simply adventure to him.

But Ikki Hanzo feared people immensely, especially strangers. As no one had ever taught him that there were adults he could trust. This was no different, and there was a noticible quiver in his lower lip as his scarlet eyes anxiously gazed towards the stranger in her armchair. His mind already racing as to what she might want from him -especially given that she was on good terms with Tanaka.

But big brother wouldn’t do anything bad…. right?

“He.. Told me that I was to do as you tell me,” Ikki explains politely. Tanaka had been firm on him to treat this stranger respectfully after all.

“And… to not complain or resist at all. S-So I’m gonna be a good boy!”

“Step closer.” She did not like having someone stand around in the middle of the room like a misplaced piece of furniture. This hotel room was already ugly enough, so ornery and flowery. Ignes preferred the sleek design of modern minimalism. Clean and simple, not overwhelming her senses with too many colors and details. However, she would have to do with this shitty place. She did promise not to cause any trouble this time, after all..

“Do you have any particular talents?” His lack of shoes was noted, but not given any further consideration – just the badly chosen fashion choice of a child, in her opinion. Now.. this was quite a matter. So far, she never had conducted experiments on human children due to their variability.. meaning that, until this child was grown up, it would serve her no purpose. She already could see the face of her father, should she go ahead and ask about starting a line of experiments on children. That was a line he would not let her cross... which made it almost tempting again.

                  that tone is not missed, which causes the herald to smirk. such fearlessness when she holds all the cards is amusing. “now now, is the herald not allowed to visit with the…help?” without invitation, theodora sits down in the only other seat, gaze predatory. “i’ve come with a proposition for you…one that i hope you will give a favorable reply to.” is there a bit of warning in her words? “there are some within the inquisition that do not agree with your sentence…they believe it should have been…shall we say, a far harsher sentence than what you got. did they call it…hmmmm a gibbet?” she gives a light chuckle, dainty hand rising to stifle the laughter. “so i have decided that you will accompany me on certain missions outside of skyhold. it will allow me to keep an eye on you, which will placate many.” and one quick spell to cast if the other woman tries anything funny. “do you agree to this, or must i ask cullen to erect stocks for you to be in?”

           “... It appears that I must carry the heavy burden of accompanying Her Worship and face my mortal enemies, fresh air and actual tasks.”  Ah, she did not even hide her sarcasm - when the woman spoke, she feared the worst. A revised judgement, give these people the venatori head fresh on a spike. To accompany this woman... was even quite better than merely sitting here all day, confined to the undercroft and the research conducted by the Arcanist.

“Thank you!” Ayalea replied, smiling in earnest. 

Ayalea placed her wand on the bed and went on to unload more of her belongings while Ignes pulled out her own wand. 

It was interesting that they both had phoenix feather wands considering it was the rarest core used by Ollivander. Wands with phoenix cores were known to have minds of their own, and this had been part of Ollivander’s warning–well, warning wasn’t the correct term, but he made sure she was aware. She had no idea what the meant though; would the wand just fire off its own spells? take itself out of her pocket?

“Unyielding?” she repeated. She had no idea what that meant.

“I haven’t had the chance yet,” she said. “Merfolk? Do you think we’d be able to see them? I wonder what other secrets the castle has!”

Was this girl a troublemaker like Ayalea? That could be fun…

“You know, like... rigid. Super hard. Like people who always get their way.” Or so her father had explained to her - apparently not all wands were equally stable and hard. Though Ignes did consider herself pretty flexible - maybe, one day, she would understand her wand better. Along with the strange warning tied to the use of phoenix feathers. 

     “Yes.” Eagerly, with shining eyes, the girl gave a nod of agreement. “Merfolk. I wish I could meet some.. and talk to them! i know there is care of magical creatures starting in third year so maybe then? We should look for the library and see whether there are books on them!” As far as she knew, her father (and her family in general) always had quite a natural talent for creatures of the sea... she hoped she possessed a talent too.