The Curiosity of Crows (Lyra)

[Cazaria]

Ash 65, 121

Caz'aria was flying over the many buildings of Kalzasi, paying close attention to the roads she was following. While she didn't like the city she lived in, she was putting in the effort to learn the trails and the layout of this disgusting, foul smelling place. It was always important to know where one was at, and to know where one was going.

Caza still didn't know this place, still didn't know what to do. But she had a lot more freedom in this land than she did in the wilds. She didn't have to worry about food or survival here, she had a warm bed at Flower Mama's and at Big Mama's. Food was easy to come by, and with those things taken care of, Caza found she had much more time than she knew what to do with.

So now she was exploring the city. Just as her and First Mama explored their forest together. Caza rode the buffeting winds, seeing the many other winged people flying around as well. She was surprised at how many there were, she'd never seen them before Big Mama found her. She'd never seen anyone else before, aside for First Mama.

Caza's wings were tiring as she went, and she began looking to pick out a roof to land upon to rest. Up ahead there was a large lake. The biggest lake she'd ever seen. She tilted down and began flying toward it, spotting a large building there. She circled out around it, eyeballing it from above. She saw no obvious dangers and swooped in on the roof.

She began the transformation back to her human form. It was chilly out, but she had no desire to be carrying around a bag of clothes with her. She had done that before, it was tiring. She would just rather be cold. Caz'aria walked over to the edge of the roof, swinging her legs over the side, and looking out over Lake Udori.

She saw those great big wooden floating houses out there. They were pretty. They were big. She felt the desire to go perch on them. It was a beautiful view, and a smile crept on the young girl's face. She could sit here a while, enjoy this spot, before flying off some more.

[Lyra]

The day was coming closer to its end, the wind carrying with it a faint chill of evening. Overhead the sun still stood vigil over the entire expanse of the Astralar mountains, but the first of the largest peaks was just beginning to touch the rim of the steadily reddening orb. The scents of the city were fainter here at the edge of Lake Udori, and within the parameter of the Manor, nearly everything was drowned out by the fragrant petals of wisteria that ringed the entire estate. The buildings were not yet fully complete, but they were close enough that from a distance one could ignore the missing windows of the guest wing on which the little crow now sat. Behind was a large courtyard still under construction, but the greenhouse just beyond already showed its bounty as green foliage leaked out from every opening.

To those sensitive to such things, there was a faint hum of power, magically wrought into the very foundations that gave off a slight chill in the air that had little to do with the temperature. It was a place made with purpose, and its master had been meticulous in its creation.

Lyrielle was herself, spread throughout the entirety of the manor, the "Temple" as that man had deemed it. Such an odd creature, but quickly he had made his usefulness known to Lyra. Because of him, the manor was nearer completion than she anticipated, and already he had found the staff to tend the needs of the estates so that Lyra herself could focus on her work. Because of these things and more Lyrielle chose to ignore his other eccentricities, and in some ways found them charming. That man was far closer to madness than sanity, and it was that very thing that made him so interesting.

Salem had the staff working to make the last of the preparations to the Manor. Furniture was being moved in, floors and walls cleaned for new paintings and works of art that were deemed worthy of her personal collection, and perhaps more exciting were the books that were steadily brought in one crate at a time to fill the library in Lyra's personal chambers. That old scholar in her nearly trembled in delight at the prospect of reading all that was contained in those dusty old tomes, but Lyrielle found such things tedious and boring. The manor had been built to very particular specifications, and because of the magic, she herself had finalized Lyrielle could, at last, move freely. She did so with abandon. She felt everything that moved within the walls of her new domain. She could watch as the cook prepared the evening's meal in the newly finished kitchen, observed the maids as they swept up the remains of the morning's work in the guest quarters. Her eyes moved to Salem as he worked in the library, and for a brief moment, she thought he looked toward her and smiled, but surely she was mistaken. Lyrielle once more could touch everything, and so when the little crow alighted on her rooftop Lyrielle took notice.

Curiosity drew her attention closer as black tendrils of smoke flowed up from the courtyard grounds up and over the roof. As she formed herself Lyrielle's eyes looked in the direction that the girl stared, tilting her head at the floating buildings before looking back to the Rathari.

"You sit upon our roof yet look so longingly to another." Lyrielle fully formed herself, condensing enough that she even had the vague outline of legs that she crossed while sitting in the air. Long silver hair flowed out like it was caught in a breeze, faint grey wisps of smoke flowing off the tips and the edges of her figure. Goldeyes stared down at the girl with interest, a small smile forming as she looked back out over the lake, "Is our home not suitable to your taste?"