Zi’da 7, Arc 721
Doran had never spent an entire winter on Scalvoris before. In the past, he had focused on his duties in Viden. He had only recently decided to take a leave of absence in order to focus on his research and his work for the Immortals. He didn’t think that this was normal though.
As he stood in in the large garden behind the former lighthouse where he resided nowadays and gazed at the trees that seemed to be thriving and growing new blossoms, he couldn’t help but wonder if the Grand Fracture of Fei was involved yet again.
The place where Xiur’s mother had shattered had played a major role during the events of the Forging; the fracture had neither been closed nor had it disappeared. For a moment, he felt a hint of melancholy – he couldn’t help but mourn her death even though he had never known her, but only known of her – and then he carefully moved forward.
His employees had cleared the paths that led to the street and to the small dock that was still in a state of disrepair (He planned on having it fixed come spring.), but the ground in the garden was covered with a layer of snow.
A few moments later, the Mortalborn who was garbed in a fine dark winter coat, mostly out of habit (Since he had received his father’s mark, he had become much more resistant to cold.) plucked a few blossoms and leaves off of an apple tree.
A part of him was perfectly content to admire this unusual natural phenomenon, but another part of him wanted to examine the samples in his laboratory and see if he could find anything out.
He had just deposited his samples in a metal box and was making his way back to the house – he was leaving deep footprints in the snow – when Elias, one of his mortal servants, informed him that his guest had arrived, a little early. He thanked him and quickly entered through the backdoor.
He left the samples on a small table next to it where it was a bit cooler than in the rest of the house, took off his coat and his boots – he was wearing a comfortable dark-grey suit underneath – and made his way into the salon where he had asked Elias to take his guest in the meantime.
The former lighthouse was a hint less luxurious than his apartment in the Obsidian Prism in Viden where he lived among the members of the aristocracy, but it was more than most people had – which was something that he would always be grateful for and never take for granted.
The woman that sat in one of the two comfortable looking armchairs in front of the marble fireplace where a fire burnt quite merrily and filled the room with pleasant warmth, was in her early forties, by his estimates, with bright red hair that she wore in a thick braid. Her clothes were somewhat plain, an off-white blouse and brown leather pants.
She also wasn’t wearing any shoes.
He raised an eyebrow slightly for a moment before he approached her and extended his right hand for her to shake. “I’m pleased to finally make your acquaintance, Miss Ward. In your letter, you told me that you wanted me to alchemificate some equipment for you?” he asked.
“Alchemificate?” Miss Ward wondered – her voice was a bit on the deep side, he noticed.
“A neologism - a term that an acquaintance of mine invented and that I decided to adopt. It means ‘to enhance something with alchemy’”, Doran explained in a calm tone of voice.
“I see”, Miss Ward remarked and continued, briefly glancing at her feet that were encased in extremely bright blue, yellow and green striped knit socks that stood in contrast to the rest of her clothes, “I left my boots next to the door as there was a rather noticeable amount of mud on them, and I didn’t want to ruin your nice carpets. Your servant offered to find a pair of shoes for me, but I’m rather comfortable only wearing socks, so I declined”, she explained cheerfully and wiggled her toes a little.
Doran had never spent an entire winter on Scalvoris before. In the past, he had focused on his duties in Viden. He had only recently decided to take a leave of absence in order to focus on his research and his work for the Immortals. He didn’t think that this was normal though.
As he stood in in the large garden behind the former lighthouse where he resided nowadays and gazed at the trees that seemed to be thriving and growing new blossoms, he couldn’t help but wonder if the Grand Fracture of Fei was involved yet again.
The place where Xiur’s mother had shattered had played a major role during the events of the Forging; the fracture had neither been closed nor had it disappeared. For a moment, he felt a hint of melancholy – he couldn’t help but mourn her death even though he had never known her, but only known of her – and then he carefully moved forward.
His employees had cleared the paths that led to the street and to the small dock that was still in a state of disrepair (He planned on having it fixed come spring.), but the ground in the garden was covered with a layer of snow.
A few moments later, the Mortalborn who was garbed in a fine dark winter coat, mostly out of habit (Since he had received his father’s mark, he had become much more resistant to cold.) plucked a few blossoms and leaves off of an apple tree.
A part of him was perfectly content to admire this unusual natural phenomenon, but another part of him wanted to examine the samples in his laboratory and see if he could find anything out.
He had just deposited his samples in a metal box and was making his way back to the house – he was leaving deep footprints in the snow – when Elias, one of his mortal servants, informed him that his guest had arrived, a little early. He thanked him and quickly entered through the backdoor.
He left the samples on a small table next to it where it was a bit cooler than in the rest of the house, took off his coat and his boots – he was wearing a comfortable dark-grey suit underneath – and made his way into the salon where he had asked Elias to take his guest in the meantime.
The former lighthouse was a hint less luxurious than his apartment in the Obsidian Prism in Viden where he lived among the members of the aristocracy, but it was more than most people had – which was something that he would always be grateful for and never take for granted.
The woman that sat in one of the two comfortable looking armchairs in front of the marble fireplace where a fire burnt quite merrily and filled the room with pleasant warmth, was in her early forties, by his estimates, with bright red hair that she wore in a thick braid. Her clothes were somewhat plain, an off-white blouse and brown leather pants.
She also wasn’t wearing any shoes.
He raised an eyebrow slightly for a moment before he approached her and extended his right hand for her to shake. “I’m pleased to finally make your acquaintance, Miss Ward. In your letter, you told me that you wanted me to alchemificate some equipment for you?” he asked.
“Alchemificate?” Miss Ward wondered – her voice was a bit on the deep side, he noticed.
“A neologism - a term that an acquaintance of mine invented and that I decided to adopt. It means ‘to enhance something with alchemy’”, Doran explained in a calm tone of voice.
“I see”, Miss Ward remarked and continued, briefly glancing at her feet that were encased in extremely bright blue, yellow and green striped knit socks that stood in contrast to the rest of her clothes, “I left my boots next to the door as there was a rather noticeable amount of mud on them, and I didn’t want to ruin your nice carpets. Your servant offered to find a pair of shoes for me, but I’m rather comfortable only wearing socks, so I declined”, she explained cheerfully and wiggled her toes a little.
Letters
Esteemed Professor Thetys,
An acquaintance of mine told me that you had enhanced pots and pans for him so that their contents would always stay cool and thus stay fresh longer (He bragged a lot about your skill and told everybody how much he loved his new pots and pans!). I’d like you to do the opposite for me and make some equipment that is warm for me, clothes as well as a couple of tools. I’ll be in town on the 7th of Zi’da, and I would be immensely pleased if I could briefly stop by and if you allowed me to watch. I find alchemy quite fascinating, I have to admit.
~ Elise Agatha Ward
Dear Miss Ward,
I do of course have time for you on the 7th of Zi’da, and will let you watch me enhance the items in question for you, if that is what you wish. I have included my address and directions to my home, in case you don’t know how to get there.
Regards,
Doran Thetys
An acquaintance of mine told me that you had enhanced pots and pans for him so that their contents would always stay cool and thus stay fresh longer (He bragged a lot about your skill and told everybody how much he loved his new pots and pans!). I’d like you to do the opposite for me and make some equipment that is warm for me, clothes as well as a couple of tools. I’ll be in town on the 7th of Zi’da, and I would be immensely pleased if I could briefly stop by and if you allowed me to watch. I find alchemy quite fascinating, I have to admit.
~ Elise Agatha Ward
Dear Miss Ward,
I do of course have time for you on the 7th of Zi’da, and will let you watch me enhance the items in question for you, if that is what you wish. I have included my address and directions to my home, in case you don’t know how to get there.
Regards,
Doran Thetys
