Legacy of the Heart

There's a rather nondescript house on the edge of the nobility district. It has a certain feel to it that is familiar to the neighborhood. A feeling of old weath. Not new wealth such as is displayed in the more luxurious homes in the center of the neighborhood, but older money. People who have been wealthy for some time and no longer feel the need to display it in the way that those newer to it often do.

The most remarkable thing about the house in fact is that it has perhaps more land around it than its neighbors. Enough to sport a small garden in the back which can be seen if one is coming up the street in the proper direction. It is a lawn and garden neatly attended to and shows no signs of weeding. In fact as luck would have it, there is a mul'niessian man in the lawn, down on his knees weeding the plants in the front of the house. He has a small pile of plants pulled free of the earth to his side, and fresh dirt on his pants.

His clothing is casual and comfortable today, his hair pulled back into a bun on the top of his head. Braided and very neatly done though time has made it unravel a little bit. He looks up as he hears the approach of people walking down the street, showing vibrant red eyes.

Plodding along the nobility district was a well dressed mul'neissa woman with a friend in tow. A pair of well made silver shades matched their silvery vest and black slacks, yet it seemed like a perpetual frown rested on their lips, and they held onto their friend's arm as they went. "Where the fuck is this place...?" Aryia muses aloud with her free hand.

Just as she thought they were about to exhaust their search, she finds a pair of ruby eyes peering up. She pauses, lets out a shuddering sigh, and raises a hand in greeting. "That's D-A-E-D," the mute woman signs to her friend, pointing at him as they make their way over. <Handspeech>

Seyardu was not as well dressed. Her clothes were simple, and the silver breastplate on their chest likely ruined any sense of style. Not that she minded. Her mind was more on getting the parcel to the person in question before it got stale. And so she walked. The noble district was a lot more pleasant when not being harassed by them, but there was still a certain distance to the place.

Seeing the person pointed out, she too waves and joins Aryia in walking over. "Daed, yes? Peace on your nest."

Daed rises to his feet at the sight of Aryia and her companion Seyardu. His red eyes flick between the pair and he offers a welcoming but somewhat reserved smile. "Peace on your nest. Aryia right?" His smile widened for a fraction of an instant when saying Aryia's name and then looks at Seyardu. "I saw you at the... event that Lord Altay set forth."

His lips tighten at the memory and he shakes his head. "I do not think that we were introduced. You may call me Daed." He offers a slight half-bow at the end of his words.

Aryia gives a slow nod, confirming her identity, but her frown somehow deepens further at the mention of the event. She detaches from her silverscale friend and fidgets with her fingers nervously. Eventually she pulls out her journal and flips around in it, looking for something. But also distracting herself. Delaying the inevitable.

"Yes, this one saw you there, but was too, preoccupied with matters to get to know you. Apologies." Seyardu sighs. She pats the elf on a shoulder once, looking into her bag. "While I wish this could be under better circumstances, we were seeking you out to deliver a message. Perhaps it would be best done inside."

"An inauspicious meeting to be sure." Daed shakes his head and at Seyardu's words nods. "Of course, of course. You are both welcome to my home."

He moves to the front door, motioning for you to follow him as he glides inside. He'll wait there to close the door behind. The house itself is simple enough. Cozy if not particularly warm. There's a feeling to it as if no one has really lived here for very long. The furniture is lovely but not very well-used. There are no pictures or knick-knacks on the walls or shelves. It's... empty.

He leads the way to the back of the house where there is a small dining room attached to a kitchen with a small island separating the two. He bids the two to take seats and stands next to the island for a moment. "Can I get either of you some tea perhaps? Juice? Water?"

Aryia follows him inside, her casting a glance behind her to scan about before slipping in. She looks about the room with a thumb in her journal to a page to keep her spot. Shades are pulled off and pinned to her collar, eyes normally a shimmer in the indoor light now muted, with a too-tired expression on her visage. Vaguely, something pulls at her memory about the space, and it sets her at ease. Somewhat.

The hospitality was... expected? But also unexpected? She reminds herself of something before giving a small sigh and sitting down. After a long moment from the question, Aryia gesture with a common sign, "Water. Please." <Handspeech>

Seyardu followed inside, stopping at the door to turn and glance out to the street before the door was closed. She takes a look around as she joins them in the dining room. She was not used to softskin homes.

She too sits down at the table. "Water would be good, Daed. That is what Aryia asked for." She says, reaching into her bag to pull out the cloth parcel and rolled up scroll attached to it, setting it on the table.

The mul'niessian man nods and sets about his kitchen, washing his hands before getting out a pair of clean glasses and filling them with water. Then he sets them on the table. One beside Aryia, and one beside Seyardu. He motions then at last to the scroll. "The letter you came to deliver I assume? May I?"

Aryia gestures a flat palm from her chin out towards Daed, "Thank you," before picking up the glass of water. The water sloshes about within the glass, trembling hand exacerbating the movements. So instead she sets it down and and puts her hands between her legs. Closes her eyes, and focuses on breathing. <Handspeech>

Seyardu gives a nod as the glass is set down. She pushes the parcel closer to him. "It has your name on it, and I promised things would be delivered." Seyardu says. She takes a sip of the water, sets it down, and puts a hand back on Aryia's shoulder.

"It is from Aya. This one wanted to deliver it before the food sat too long."

Interested, and clearly curious Daed picks up the parchment first and opens it. Inside is a pancake, shaped into a heart which is... not perfect but certainly with clear effort made in it being heart-shaped. Daed laughs a little gently at the sight of it and places it on the island before picking up the letter. He steps back from the table before reading it.

His expression softens as he looks at the words, but quickly his expression becomes confused and he looks at Aryia at long last. "What is the meaning of this?" His voice is soft, but confused.

Aryia leans into the hand as her fists clench tight. Breaths become shaky, and the seam of her eyes wet. She sniffles. "... s... s-st-r..." she hisses quietly. "... s... sh-..." Finally, she cracks her misty eyes open, her glancing over to the pancake. There's a choked, empty chuckle before that mote of amusement is wiped away, her looking up at Seyardu to explain.

Seyardu looks to Aryia, and nods. "Aryia is Aya's sister. In meaning, if not blood. The letter comes from her, after she underwent a task that she did not explain. But when she appeared last, it was brief, and she took off for unknown reasons. With these letters and reactions, it seems she planned to not be seen or avoid us. Which is why many are trying to figure out how to help her."

Daed rerolls the letter and sets it beside the pancake, his eyes never really leaving Aryia. "I... She asked me to look out for you. Her whole letter reads like a farewell. Like she never intends to see me again." There's a brief flash of hurt. "But if she means for me to look out for her sister, then I am at your service Aryia. Whatever I can do to help."

Farewell. Her fist tightens, and she shakes her head, a tear rolling down her cheek. ".. c-n't b- g-n-," Aryia hisses. A hand picks up a pen and scribbles more into her journal, adding onto what was already prewritten. She shoves it towards Daed. It reads in far better handwriting than he's seen before, some dried spots on it:

"Hello Daed. Aya says I should trust you. Sorry that I didn't before. I still don't, but I trust Aya. She said in my letter that I should go to you for learning about mul'neissan ways. Like with our blood's magic."

"Aya is gone. I think she made a deal again to save someone. But this doesn't feel right. Aya doesn't do this without some kind of plan. She's too clever for that. She wouldn't have opened up to you and accepted me without some kind of way out."

The addendum, ink still wet:

"I don't know what you can do. I just want my sister back."

"I do not know how much of a farewell it truly is." Seyardu says, trying to reassure. "She made me promised to deliver the letters, but she also made me promise to deliver them if she did not show up, yet she did." Seyardu speaks up after sipping on the water, squeezing Aryia's shoulder. "She may have planned for a few eventualities, which is why the letters are vague."

"But, for now, since she did not continue herself, it is to be assumed she needs help. And I will continue to help her."

Daed looks... shocked by Aryia's written words, and he presses his lips together tightly for a moment then shakes his head. "It would be my pleasure to do what I can to teach you about the mul'niessia magics. I can understand being distrustful of those you do not know." He smiles tightly here. "I can not be certain, but I hope she is merely on the run from the demon she made arrangements with, keeping us at arms length so that he will not target us. In which case... You are exactly right. We will need to aid her." He flashes his teeth. "It would be a pleasure to teach such a creature a lesson, if it has caused Aya so much trouble."

Aryia raises a hand to rest atop Seyardu's supportive grip, her doing her best to keep her cool as another trail goes down her face. This one drops into her lap, a tiny spec of shadow trailing off of it before she takes a deep breath. And sets her head on straight.

She takes her journal back, flips a page, scribbles for a minute, and shoves it back.

"I would appreciate that, but not now. -I- *scratchout* We need to keep our heads low for a bit. And find out where she is. As well as fuck with the demon as much as possible to make him slip up. I think he's slipping up. Maybe. We're not strong enough to deal with him. But we can do other things."

She takes her journal back, writes a few lines, then returns it for viewing.

"Actually. If you can keep tabs on Lord Altay for us. He's connected to that demon. That might help a lot. Might foreshadow whatever he's going to do next."

"Do not seek them out to teach a lesson." Seyardu warns, her gaze turning back to Daed. "It is unwise, and dangerous, and may put Aya at even more risk. But there may be other things, to do."

"Lord Altay has connections to them, in some way. But probing further may be dangerous. They seem to be seeking to tear down the adventurer's guild at the moment, for what reason is unknown."

Daed nods. "As you say. I will do what I can to learn more of this Lord Altay... through less obvious means. I have my contacts and I should be able to sort something out." The mul'niessa man looks at the pancake and his gaze goes distant, his mein quiet. For a long while he says nothing.

Aryia, too, settles her attention on the breakfast food. She slides out of her chair and glides over next to the mul'neissa man. Quiet, not wanting to break the silence. She brings up a hand and rests it on his arm. Her gaze rests back on the heart shaped food, and her jaw tenses, eyes regaining a bit of their glimmer.

Seyardu follows the gaze to the pancake. "You should enjoy that, when you can. As for Altay, it would be appreciated. Before they get any more ideas in their head." She speaks up finally, before falling silent, a long moment. "Aya meant a lot to both of you, this one knows. And she still does. This one does not know her as well as you too, but I can see the trust."

"I love her." Daed says simply, and the hurt is back on his features. "I... Only had one day to tell her so, and..." He shakes his head. "No, I have to believe that you are right. That she is simply waiting for us to clear the road for her to return. Stop the demon, and she can return to us." He touches the pancake and makes a sound that's brittle laughter. "I do not think I can bear to eat it."

Those three simple words make the mute woman tense. Her gaze, too, goes distant. She bites her lip, and her fingers curl into the sleeve of his shirt, as tears build up once again.

It's clear, without words, that she feels the same.

She picks up her pen and writes on the book a simple:

"I'll do everything I can."

"It would be worse to see it waste away." Seyardu states with a slight chuckle. She reaches into her bag to pull out another scroll case like she had given Aryia, which she sets on the table. "The letter, it will stay. But she made it for you to enjoy, I think."

"I, I believe you are right. She would not have agreed, not have called Aryia her sister, if she had intended to disappear like that." The silverscale nods. "Whatever it is, Aya is tough enough to get through it until we can aid her."

Daed nods and picks up the pancake. "Then... perhaps I can convince you to share it with me? It is the labor of her hard work and love." He smiles softly and picks up the pastry. "Please, it would mean much to me if you would share this with me."

Aryia sighs, nods, and uncouthly holds out a hand for a share of it. She felt her emotions welling in her chest again. Was she really going to cry over a cold, roughly made pancake?

...

Probably.

Seyardu looks up. She smiles, and nods. "If you would like, this one will have a bit. It will be, a promise. And a reminder."

She too holds out one hand, likely enough. "I am sure that Aya will be able to make you both another, in time."

It's difficult, to break the heart up into pieces. And yet the symbology of sharing Aya's heart with these closest to her is not lost on Daed. He shares. He gives up these pieces in the hope that they are right. That Aya will return to them all. If he loses a tear or two in the process he doubts anyone here would judge him harshly for it. Even if they did... he's not afraid to have it known that she means so much to him.

The pancake is not the best pancake ever made, but it's better than her first attempt. Proof that his efforts to teach were not in vain.

It tastes like ashes.

-End