"I've never been to Aleah's park, where is that? I still have so much of this city to see!" She stopped to actually consider what he had said.
"Wait, do they really glow in the dark?" The first question was quickly followed by the second one.
"Wait, do I look like I do?" She raised her hand to look at it. Of course she took note of the gentle shimmer her skin produced in the moonlight, but she never looked at it as quite a glow, more of a slight reflection. But perhaps it was exactly as the moon, glowing in reflective light.
"I actually did hear a story I really liked," she said. She had no idea what kind of information or stories Zach would like, so she just went with the one she herself enjoyed. She thought she might as well tell him as they walked, as the story was rather short.
"Once upon a time, here in Lhavit, a young nobleman grew to be of the marrying age. His parents were not a true nobility, but were very rich. He had no maiden in mind, and his parents did not want to force anything upon him for material gain, so they decided to host balls where he could meet young women of the city and perhaps take a liking to some of them."
"Around the midnight rest, he would leave the event to go take a walk in the Unforgiving, for he liked to hunt and was a mage who could defend himself. The moonlight and the shadows would play with his mind, the beautiful serenity also being the dash of a deadly creature, fear and peace intertwined interestingly."
"Coming up to a small clearing, he would think for a moment that he saw a ghost of a beautiful maiden, embroidered of light before him. For a moment he thought his mind was still playing tricks on him, but the beauty moved gently towards him, preserving its shape. She told him that she wanted to attend his ball, but could not due to her immaterial nature. Taking quite a liking to her, he reached for her hand, but she pulled back and disappeared in front of him."
"He left the ball the next night as well to go look for her, and soon enough he found her. They talked and walked together for a while, and she seemed to somehow become more real with each one of his gentle looks and kind words. Night after night, they met in the Unforgiving, until one day he encountered her as a maiden like any other, though her physical form retained the ethereal beauty she had as a ghost."
"He finally proposed to her, asking her to come with him into the city and be his wife. She agreed, but made him swear an oath to always love her and be loyal to her, for it was his love that materialized her, and his love was what kept her alive. He swore on it without second thoughts, and so they came back to the city and married. They celebrated for days, and enjoyed themselves together for years to come."
"Years later, the man's father died, and a large part of the city gathered on the funeral, among them a young redhead woman, attractive and fierce, and with an obvious soft spot for the man. He stole glance after glance, not even noticing that his beautiful wife started fading away with each one. She faded until finally disappearing, leaving but a pile of clothes behind her. He went ahead and married the redhead, but had quickly realized his mistake. She was clearly after his kina, soon enough making demands and causing him grief. Upon seeing her true nature, he divorced her and started going into the Unforgiving every night, looking for his beloved."
"But she never came back."
"Some say that he still wanders the Unforgiving as a ghost, looking for her, for he could not forgive himself even in death, and lingered on to find her."Mauriel did not know what about the story attracted her so much, for it was very short and simple, and if it had some very deep meanings beyond the obvious, they went over the Ethaefal's head. The tragedy of it all was just so alluring, and she liked believing that the man's ghost lived on in the Unforgiving, despite knowing it was probably just a local tale.
She listened to Zach's comments about Lhavit and his work for the brief time they had left before getting to The Temple. A hunter! That was rather convenient. "Yeah, Lhavit has been really great. There aren't that many Ethaefal that I know of, but you must have noticed Aleah at Scholar's Demise, the bartender, she is also one of Leth's, and her husband Roric is a fallen of Syna. They have been really frielndly and helpful to me, and so have the priestesses at The Temple." However, his occupation was what interested her more right now.
"You say you're a hunter, yes? I was actually looking to learn my way around the wilds if however possible. Would you care to teach me?" She was not particularly interested in being an expert hunter, for she had little need for food, but it would come in handy to know at least the basics. She might need some meat despite the moonlight, given how draining journeys in the wilderness might sometimes be, and beyond that she was sure one had to learn a lot about the creatures they were hunting, which could surely be helpful with fending them off or fighting them as well, if it came to that.
When they reached The Temple, Mauriel was glad to help, though there was not much to say.
"There's a pool of water inside that you mustn't touch. Other than that, you may look around, pray, or not, whatever you prefer. Leth might care about your struggles to change and improve, or your gratitude for change he inspired." She paused, proceeding to whisper.
"Oh, and if you encounter a pale priestess with weird eye color and fangs, don't ask her what she is," a mocking tone escaped her again. Her companion seemed to have a habit of doing so, but with a Symenestra priestess it could prove to be quite awkward. Perhaps she'll tell him about her later, if he asks.
She entered first, slightly disappointed at the fact that the temple was
full of visitors. So much so that it was hard to see the pool of shimmering water in the middle, under the large dome crowning it. She should be happy for so many to show interest and devotion to Leth, but she was again selfishly possessive and judgmental. She took a position where she thought she could see the moon reflected in the surface of the water, the moon but in it the strength of change, progress, and evolution.
Thank you, she thought simply.
Thank you for taking me to be with you, thank you for casting me back to give me another chance, thank you for being a part of my life and driving me to reflect, for humbling me before you and before my fellow mortals whom I keep underestimating. She did not know this was what she would try to say to Leth, it just came bursting out upon seeing his reflection in the still water before her. She was not aware that she became so much more optimistic and happy about her existence here, despite her gnawing fears and insecurities.
I'll try and thank you by making use of it all. She had completely forgotten about her companion for the time being, though she was careful not to lose him in the crowd at the back of her mind.
. It was a pure bargain, and she loved its colors, deep dark blue of the night's sky, with silver embroidery in the color of the moon and stars. It was the perfect decor for her nightly form, but was somewhat stretched and awkward on her during the day, having to make space for her wings at the back and her tail being wider than her waist as an Ethaefal. The dress obliged however, and she promised herself not to risk damaging it like this again. She just wanted to wear it to the Festival too much.
