Good Advice is Beyond All Price [Æden]

[Hilana Chenzira]

Mid Ash, Year 122

[Closed - Æden]
Hilana was busily back at work following the adventure in the Expanse when the courier came in. She had plants to prepare, solvents and oils to mix, teas and tinctures to blend… Vasilei was glad to have her back, and she had a task list as long as Tiaz of things to do. Just the way she liked it. The bell rang to indicate an arrival, and the girl looked up, smiling in greeting. “Matsi Chenzira Hilana?” The woman inquired of her, and she put the jar back on the shelf, turning to face her and approach.

“That is I. How may I help you?” She inquired cheerily, inclining her head in greeting. “Is there something you need?”

“I have something for you,” the woman offered her an envelope. Hilana looked at it quizzically before reaching to take it. She saw the symbol on the envelope, and realized it matched the courier’s own tunic and her eyes got even wider than normal. In her long skirts and halter top, she hardly looked like a member of Populus Equestris, but looks could be deceiving. She stared at the invitation, and then at the woman.

“I thank you very much,” Hilana bowed her head to the courier, her eyes about ready to come clean out of their sockets. That was about all that she could manage at first out of surprise. “I would be honoured.”

“Good day to you,” the courier nodded, turning to go. Hilana’s head bobbed on her neck and she watched her leave, raising her hand in farewell, and once she was alone in the shoppe again, she stared at the invitation, dumbfounded and rereading it. Maybe Arvaelyn had pulled some strings, or one of the other Domini that she had met. One thing was for sure… she was going to need advice on this.

There was a local she knew she could hopefully find and would frankly tell it like it was to her. Which was why after she was done with work for the day, she tucked Tiaz around her shoulders, made sure her invitation was secured in her rucksack, tucked amongst the pages of her heavy duty book of plants to continue her studying with. That way it stayed flat and it stayed safe. She headed off to the Forge that the Platinum Elf had mentioned earlier in the season. If he wasn’t there, then she would try the Headquarters of the Golden Legion to see if Sandworm was in or not, because if she wasn’t then Æden was likely out with her… in which case, she would just have to wait. But first stop, the Forge.

She knocked on the door before peeking in, and approached the counter. “Salve, good afternoon. I was wondering if Dominus Æden might be in?” She smiled at the receptionist, hooking her thumbs in the straps of her rucksack. Worst case scenario, she was camping out and waiting for him to return with Sandworm…

[Aeden]

The forge where Æden spent much of his days off — still working, granted, but on runeforging commissions — was not like most other forges. Located in the Sorokyne District, as it was owned by a wealthy Vastian man, The Silken Hammer was a bustling business, with a number of apprentices and employees who worked to keep up with the demand. It was only a part time job for Æden, and while he had a number of projects he lead, he usually shared responsibility with other employees at the forge for leading projects. He knew he would have to start his own outfit for the Aurisian Ball soon if he wanted to finish it in time, knowing that the Praeventores could send him on a mission and interrupt his work for days at a time.

He had arrived early in the morning, long before the sun had risen, to finish what amounted to little more than a mood ring. A number of collaborators were involved, and required the assistance of Semblers who were paid well enough to show up and contribute their rune to the work. Some cheaper mood rings used scrivening for temporary effects, which was much cheaper and was plenty suitable for parties and fads — but this woman seemed intent on knowing her exact mood at all times, and displaying it to everyone else. It was not even an uncommon commission, though it was not as common as their regular work for a nearby instrument shop that specialized in selling near identical scrivened instruments that, with a command, played in such a way one could not naturally get an instrument to sound. Their specialty items, up-charged from the cost of runeforging, would do so permanently, and were prized possessions of Solunarian musicians. Most could not afford them.

It was less than a minute after Hilana had arrived that Æden had arrived at the counter. It was already half past one in the afternoon, and he'd been there since five in the morning — the ring still needed a day or two to finish, but if he overworked it, there was chance of malfunction. He heard Hilana before he saw her, and though he had told her that he worked in the forge on his off-times, he didn't realize she would actually come to see him.

"You were looking for me?" He asked, already ready to leave, though his hair was still tied back in a ponytail. He walked around the counter so that he was beside her. He was dressed more modestly than usual, not much different than the rest of the artisans and mages alike at the shop. It certainly wasn't cheap, but it wasn't flashy, either. A tunic and sandals. He studied her face for a second, but she didn't look troubled. "What do you need, gazelle?"

[Hilana Chenzira]

She was relieved and delighted to see the Wyvern Rider. That was good; she had found him on the first try. It meant she didn’t have to run from the Sorokyne District over to the Military’s grounds to the east, though if Hilana had had to, that was nothing to worry about either. Needs must: she would have crossed the cities - both of them, the Luxium and the Umbrium - in search of Æden.

“Salve, Dominus, good afternoon,” she greeted him, inclining her head and bowing slightly to him. “I am in need of some advice, actually, and I was wondering if I might trouble you to ask of your opinions on some things.” Hilana stepped away from the counter towards him, shifting her bag off of her shoulders despite the python that was lazily hanging out with her, his head up and scenting around the shop. His presence probably made some sort of sense, considering her complete and utter adoration of Sandworm...

From what looked to be a colossal tome in the rucksack, Hilana drew out an envelope that the Starborn was likely personally familiar with and showed it to him. For some reason, the Equestrian girl had gotten an invitation to the ball being hosted by the Aurisian Embassy. Her eyes searched his face. “I thought that perhaps you would have some guidance about this. That... an invitation like this is probably a summons, and if you’re invited... it would be unthinkable not to go.” Considering how confident she had been in the Expanse, it was clear that the girl was out of her element. Not that that took any stretch of imagination, especially with those long skirts of hers that she was still wearing in the city, even if they were a different colour today, her tiers alternating between white, black, and teal.

“You know far more about social protocol and where the smarter places to go are,” Hilana added. In Tertium, all of this had been arranged for her, simply because her father did not want her out and about where she could embarrass the family. The servus took care of all of it, Hilana was simply dressed as she was more or less told. But now, she was well away from that control, but at the same time... she did not want to humiliate herself or anyone else by association by showing up woefully unprepared.

[Hilana Chenzira]

Review

Name: Hilana

XP: 10 Points, no magic
Lore: 15 Lores
Injuries/Ailments: None
Loot: None

Notes: Thread abandoned.