Come out and play (Malia)

[Liminal]

Early Spring, 510 AV

Ah, Sunberth.

It was a town built on the complete absence of anything resembling order. It had no ruler, no laws, and, as was obvious from the ramshackle collection of buildings that comprised it, no building codes.

What it did have an abundance of was violence, danger, and a seemingly unlimited variety of dealings of questionable morality. It was the sort of place that mothers across Mizahar warned their impressionable children to stay away from. But that didn't mean that people didn't come anyway.

This included Malia, naturally. However, she might have been safer than most people, given that few of them even here wanted to tangle with a Nuit...especially with Sahova being a mere stone's throw away across the water. Indeed, almost nobody was interested in so much as talking to her.

"Hello!"

It seemed, however, that there was one exception. A girl, maybe sixteen years old, was leaning against a wall to one side of the road. She had red hair messily tied back in a ponytail, a wide nose, and green eyes that regarded Malia with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

"I ain't done think I've seen you here before. You a visitor? We've been getting more inter-esting visitors lately than I think I've seen in a long time."

She stood up a bit straighter. The girl was wearing a shapeless brown dress draped over her bony figure. There was a wicked-looking knife at her side, but that was pretty much par for the course in Sunberth.

"Anything in particular you're looking for, visitor?"

[Malia]

Malia was walking down a deserted alley in Sunberth, sucking in the fresh air and inspecting the faces of the buildings framing her way. She had traveled by foot from Syliras, had passed woods and followed rivers and seen trade caravans – although not too many of the latter. After staying in such a culturally diverse city it had felt good to be in the wilderness again. More natural. Of course, as a Nuit she had to take care of her fragile porcelain-skinned body, but she was used to those dangers from many restless years with her ‘Master’.

Sunberth was the second city she actually visited and the first one she didn’t intend to stay at for long. In fact she would be off in a few days, moving on along the coast to Zeltiva and eventually Sahova. However, it was important to her to get to know the place she was staying at, even if it only was for a few days.

Everything about this city seemed to revolve around chaos. The streets, the buildings, even the citizens seemed to be devoid of any natural order. Obviously there was no community, no diligent workmen and no talkative housewives chatting with their neighbors – like in Syliras. Of course, no other place could be like Syliras … for which Malia was quite grateful. A fresh wind blew through her mind when she inspected the environment.

Suddenly someone called out to her. Malia stopped and turned around, quite surprised that someone would address a Nuit on the street. She hadn’t tried to hide what she was, rather she liked the dangerous, eerie attitude that her appearance radiated. That girl with the fiery red hair and bright green eyes, however, obviously didn’t care about the rumors.

She simply nodded to the girl’s question. “Yes. I’m only passing through though.” She wondered whether the girl would assume that anyway, considering the reputation of the town. When giving a closer look, she noticed that the girl was quite bony and wearing a knife at her belt. No surprise, but she still kept that little detail in mind. Even knives could get nasty for Nuit.

The girl’s next question surprised her a bit, though. Was there anything she was looking for? She hadn’t seen Cosette in a while, but they would certainly meet later at the inn. They had come to Sunberth without any particular purpose. Of course, Malia had goals to achieve in life, but she doubted that the girl could help her with one of those. So she simply replied: “Anything you’ve got to offer? I haven’t come here with a particular purpose, no.”

She leaned forward, curious about what the girl had in mind.

[Liminal]

The girl laughed lightly. "You might call me Sunberth's unofficial ambassador. It's either my hobby or my mission, depending on the day, to see if'n I can't get new arrivals to Sunberth to stay alive longer'n ten minutes. You'd be surprised how much of a challenge it can be," she added with a wink.

She extended a hand. "I'm Gemmy, by the way." There were scars all over her knuckles, though they seemed to have been acquired a long time ago.

"Anyways, I've got all sorts of things to offer. It depends on if'n you can tell me what you like as to whether I can match it to your preferences, if'n you know what I mean." She chuckled to herself. "But, if'n I'm telling you the truth, Sunberth has something for...well, not for everyone, not less'n you're counting a knife in the back. But for a lot of different people."

"I was just now on my way to...you could call it the market, I guess, though if'n you're thinking about fruit carts and wool, you'll be disappointed. But if'n you're a curious sort, you might enjoy coming along with me. There ain't a place like it anywheres else, and you ain't never gonna find it if'n I'm not there to show it to you."

She shrugged, and then winked again. "Though if'n there's something else you'd like to see, I ain't averse to taking you there."

[Malia]

Ambassador? Malia raised her eyebrows at that description since she still couldn’t decipher the exact meaning behind the term. Was the girl some kind of tourist guide? Someone who showed foreigners around and introduced them to how Sunberth worked? Malia was surprised to find such a nice and open person in a town like that, but then looks could be deceiving. Better be careful.

“Nice to meet you, Gemmy”, she replied and took the hand, hesitantly, but self-confidently. Her touch was ice cold. “My name is Malia.” Oh, she would have to come up with a pseudonym when entering Sahova. She didn’t expect Kahnikivas to roam the Syliran east coast, but one never knew.

Then Gemmy spoke of preferences and knives in the back. Malia wasn’t sure if she understood what the girl meant, but it sounded like a chance. These days she was more willing to take risks than before. She had been given a mission to complete, so she would seize every chance she got to gain an advantage in that play. Yes, sometimes she thought of it as a play, an eternal struggle between two opposing powers. Maybe Sunberth was all about playing as well; at least she sensed that kind of attitude around Gemmy and the worn buildings.

The market sounded good to her. A market always provided goods to purchase, either in exchange of money or other goods. Malia hoped that nobody would expect her to give more than she possessed … A double-edged sword.

But if she could only find the market together with Gemmy, there was no decision to make. “Let’s start with the market then”, she suggested, waiting for the girl to lead the way while at the same time observing her carefully. “In which way is this market different from an ordinary one?”

Her own movements were fueled with more energy too, since she was about to take the leap and hop into unknown territory – something she hadn’t done for quite a while.

[Liminal]

Gemmy laughed lightly. "If'n you're used to places like Syliras, or Zeltiva, or even Sahova, from what I understand, you know there's certain things you ain't gonna find, no matter how much you pay. Expensive stolen goods, unchecked amulets, pilfered pre-Valterrian manuscripts, slaves, and plenty as what's more. Some of that, you can find in any shop in Sunberth, but the best of it ain't gonna be up there."

She started walking as she was talking, skipping quickly through a convoluted series of alleyways and mud-covered streets. Finally, she stopped in front of a worn brick building that didn't look much different from any of the others nearby. The windows were boarded up, but she pushed on the door and it swung open noiselessly. A set of stairs were there, barely lit, leading downward. Without any hesitation, Gemmy began to descend them.

They went down for what seemed like a long, long time. Certainly, they were four or five stories below the ground. Abruptly, the stairs ended in front of another door. Gemmy knocked once, four times, then twice, and pushed it open.

Inside was a vast room, several hundred feet at least on all sides. It was teeming with activity. Stalls of goods and shady-looking merchants were everywhere, and many people were examining the wares. It was clear that Gemmy hadn't come in through the only entrance, given the number of people here.

"Welcome to the Underground," she said, gesturing expansively with one hand. "Ain't nothing like it anywheres else, and that's a Lhex-incarnate fact." She turned her head to Malia with a lopsided grin. "So, Miss Malia, anything as what strikes your fancy or interests you? I'll show you where to find it."

[Malia]

Obviously the girl didn’t have any problem with talking to a Nuit, Malia noticed with mild surprise. Perhaps Sunberth was just filled with so many weird people that one more extraordinary exemplar didn’t really attract as much attention as in cities where law and order were respected. People who were defenseless often believed in mere tales that frightened them – but here everyone had to care for themselves and nobody protected the citizens.

From that point of view it appeared natural that the city offered different services and goods than others. Malia was intrigued and thought about Gemmy’s explanation while they were walking. She had to consider every single detail. In Sunberth one had to be careful …

Eventually they reached a worn building that appeared to be uninhabited, although of course everything here more or less shared that look. What Malia noticed next was that the door swung open noise- and effortlessly, so there had to be someone who tended to it and made sure that the entry to whatever was inside stayed clean and usable. While following the girl downstairs, Malia turned her head into every possible direction only to see spider webs, dust and dirt in the corners and at the ceiling. And the staircase didn’t seem to end.

Malia stayed silent all the way down. Since she didn’t know what to ask Gemmy and also didn’t intend to start a light-hearted conversation, she was comfortable with saying nothing and being left alone with her thoughts in turn. Of course, she did wonder what Gemmy’s own story was, but she wasn’t as rude as to ask her directly after they had just met for the first time. No, she would save her curiosity for later … if she got an opportunity.

Then they stopped in front of another door. Malia watched as her guide knocked. Obviously a secret code, the Nuit reasoned and memorized the pattern. Once. Four times. Twice.

The extensive room that unveiled behind the door surprised Malia. Had the exterior of the building looked that big? Apparently they had entered some kind of underground market, the biggest and best in Sunberth, judging from the activity. Malia’s dark eyes grasped everything in immediate proximity; they sparkled with curiosity, although she maintained the emotionless façade. So this was the Underground.

When addressed, she turned back to Gemmy and, after a while, replied: “I can’t really name a single aspect I’m interested in first and foremost, rather a wide variety of things seem exciting here. To an outsider like me, everything is shiny and new. But if I had to choose … magic. Animation, to be exact.” Then she paused and inspected Gemmy with a strange look. “You’re doing a lot for me. Do you expect something particular in turn?” Her voice didn’t reveal that she actually thought the question to be rhetorical. Why wouldn’t the girl exchange one favor for another? Merchants were merchants, after all, everywhere and from every social class.

[Liminal]

Gemmy shrugged. "Like I said, it's my hobby to try and keep folks from getting killed on their first day, if'n they ain't averse to it. Or...whatever the equivalent of killed is for a nice dead girl like yourself."

She was being playful, but her voice shifted, becoming more serious. "I ain't got nothing against violence itself, but I ain't never liked killing someone for no reason. It ain't Viratas' way, and if'n it makes sense, I ain't much for things that ain't his way."

The million-candle smile returned again. "'Course, I ain't no idiot, and if'n I help you, I imagine you'd help me if'n I needed it. But I ain't expecting anything right away, so you can breathe easy. Or however it works for nice dead girls who ain't got a use for breathing."

Then she was walking in the direction of a stall covered in strange-looking pieces of iron and stone. They were etched with an odd sequence of glyphs, and had been polished until they shone. Next to the stall was a eerily lifelike statue of a strange animal, something that looked like a cross between a cat and a lizard.

"This here is ol' Ivan's. If'n it's magic you're interested in, ain't nobody better in Sunberth to ask. Ivan, this is Malia, and she's got a few things she wants to ask about, if'n you don't mind."

The Ivan in question was a wiry, fidgety man with brown hair rapidly going gray. He wore a simple gray cloak, and he nodded at Gemmy. "All right." He seemed nonplussed by the fact that Gemmy's friend was a Nuit. "What are your areas of interest?"

[Malia]

Malia was careful to keep her face emotionless like always, but she couldn’t deny the resignation she felt when thinking about the mortality of Nuit. They weren’t immortal, certainly not, in fact they were weaker and more vulnerable than many people knew. Even immunity to poisons and illnesses helped not at all if Malia’s ichor escaped her body. Then another one had to be in close proximity, or she would die just like any ordinary human. She knew about the risks of being a Nuit, so she was very careful, especially at a place like that.

She didn’t comment when Gemmy mentioned her race for a second time … She only hoped that nobody else listened to her light chatter. By that moment she also crossed out the possibility of a hidden purpose behind Gemmy’s words. The girl obviously meant what she said. So she merely nodded. “I will remember your favor.”

Then her attention turned to the corner of the market they were approaching. A stall, enhanced with foreign symbols that probably were glyphs. The statue of some unidentifiable animal equally fascinated Malia, although she wondered what the stall was made for. After a quick inspection, however, her eyes moved on to the middle-aged man in the grey cloak.

Apparently greetings weren’t necessary in Sunberth, so Malia recalled all the information she had read and heard about Animation and thought about what she really wanted to know or get. Until then she had more or less sucked everything out of her fingers and had realized how difficult it was to voice the wish for power. The wish to defeat someone. Maybe she should ask Gemmy about information on other Nuit next …

Anyway, after a while she replied: “I still don’t know much about magic, but I need something powerful. Whether this is an item or some secret information doesn’t matter to me. I’m interested in Animation because I got into a conflict with another Nuit.” Then she paused, waiting for anything the man called Ivan might come up with. If he needed further information, well, she would tell him, but she was still suspicious.

[Liminal]

Ivan nodded grimly. "Something powerful, eh? I've got something, but it's up to you whether it's worth it to you or not."

He waved one hand over the head of the bizarre cat-lizard thing. In an instant, its eyes opened, and it cast its gaze at Malia. The eyes glowed yellowish, and didn't look at all pleasant.

"This here's one of the finest examples of animation I've ever seen," Ivan said. The...thing didn't move, but its stare continued to burn into Malia. "It's powerful, all right. It's got the glyph for secrecy etched into its back, and you don't want to be on the wrong side of it. It's only designed to do one thing, and if you're in a conflict with someone else, this is one of the best animations you can possibly have."

He shrugged. "Thing is, the guy who made it needed some extra leverage, I guess, because he somehow convinced the goddess Akajia to give it an extra kick. It worked...but in order to control the thing, the owner has to pledge allegiance to Akajia. I don't know exactly how it works -- I've got a ward on it right now, so I don't have to worry about it. But I know that in order to use it, that's what you have to do."

[Malia]

Malia didn’t reply to Ivan’s comment, but curiously followed him over to the lifeless mixture of a cat and a lizard she had come across earlier. She had actually wondered if it was some sort of statue, but naturally a golem was more likely, given the business of its owner. While Ivan explained what the creature was created for, she carefully inspected it. What material was it made of? How did it move? Did the creator add any special effects and abilities?

Some of those questions were answered by Ivan. Malia straightened and tilted her head, still not satisfied. Although she had claimed to know a few things about Animation earlier, she didn’t refrain from asking about details. If she was to purchase that thing she needed to know everything it could and could not do. Apparently there were quite a few restrictions. To be precise, Malia didn’t see how she should worship a Goddess she didn’t have any relationship with just to get that golem going.

Anyway, after the man had ended, a monotone stream of questions flowed from her lips. “What does the glyph of secrecy particularly do? And do you know the one who made it and what he made it for?” She hesitated. “If you don’t know anything else about that Akajia thing … Who knows the details? I’m afraid I can’t afford to start worshiping Akajia just because I want to get this golem going.”

For a while she waited, biting her lip and considering until she realized that she was being too emotional. That Ivan was a merchant, so he obviously had to provide more wares to choose from. She would simply watch what he provided to her. While standing there she literally sank back into the shadows of the underground hall. A penetrating stare might cause Ivan to get quite uneasy.

Although the centuries had taught her to be patient, she wanted something. A quick glance went into Gemmy’s direction. The girl had brought Malia there with the intention to “keep her from getting killed”, so Malia expected to get something useful out of the whole trip. And she would. Departing with empty hands was not an option if she had already come so far.