His huge," leonardo says in disbelief.
For some reason, he finds it easier to talk to this girl than he does with Anna or Elara.
"How much does a butler get paid?"
"about 40k draws," aymara says after looking at her fingers for a bit. "My family actually deals in finance," she adds with a pursed tone.
"Uh huh, thanks."
"How'd you become their guide?" Aymara asks.
"Why are you asking me this?" Leonardo replies, visibly confused.
"To be honest, I really don't know," she says, then continues, "You denying the sage's request is more interesting."
"How so?" Leonardo replies.
A boy arrives, clearly ecstatic after receiving his unwritten skill. His outfit, a mix of ceremonial and practical, consists of a richly embroidered robe in deep blue and gold, reflecting his elevated status and excitement.
He wears a finely crafted belt with symbolic embellishments and carries a staff topped with a crystal, happy at his newfound skill.
"Is that a wizard?"
"Yeah I suppose so"
"Can you explain all that for me, wizards and the bunch?"
"I feel tired," the Aymara says.
"I do not," Leonardo adds.
Leonardo glances at aymara, clicking his tongue in frustration. He finds her peculiar and wants the conversation to end.
She turns slightly, and her intense gaze seems to draw him in. Her eyes, shimmering with an almost hypnotic quality, make him uneasy.
"Argh!" Leonardo screams in shock. "What was that for?" he asks in pure confusion, as the girl simply says, "Joking."
Leonardo is extremely unsettled by how the girl can shift her eyes and ask questions that seem both strange and spot-on at the same time.
It's Anna's turn. "State your name," the voice says coolly, sending shivers down Leonardo's spine from where he stands, the constant blue light casting eerie shadows on his face.
"Anna de Meaux," Anna says her full name, in a voice that sounds different from the one Leonardo is used to hearing.
She rises as the blue light envelops her, creating a striking visual effect as if she is being lifted by an ethereal force.
"Hm," Henri says, anxious for his daughter's safety.
Anna lands slowly with a small thud. "That was magnificent ," she says as she looks at the floor.
"Is she looking at her text?" Leonardo wonders, curious if all the texts are similar to his. She pauses, sighs a little, and continues walking towards Leonardo with the girl still next to them.
"Leonardo," she says.
"Anna."
"And?"
"Aymara ," she replies coolly.
"Thanks."
"So, uh," Leonardo shifts his gaze from the girl to Anna, his face moving from confusion to a more familiar expression of meeting friends.
"How was it?"
"It felt surreal, like I was plunged into a large body of water and seemed to be drowning for a few seconds before I was helped up," she says, gesturing toward her hand as if someone had gripped it and raised her in a single swoop. "I wasn't able to scream—I think I did.
They dipped their hands in the ocean—ah, it's confusing, but it was deep. I felt like a rat in a bucket," she pauses, "I loved it. They saved me practically."
Leonardo pays attention to every detail. "Maybe I should've just accepted," he says, laughing a bit.
But he knows he shouldn't; he needs to communicate with the tour guide about anything. The tour guide said two months, and he doubts they will finish in that time.
"Yeah…" Anna replies, showing signs of awkwardness as the girl watches them silently.
"I didn't seem to get your name…" Anna replies, attempting to start a conversation.
"You didn't hear me say it?" the girl replies.
Even Anna seems to be getting incredibly embarrassed.
"So, Leonardo. Uh, why didn't you want to get an unwritten skill?" she asks, then continues, "Don't tell me you believed what Marquis said— that guy doesn't have a single brain cell!" She says, palming her face.
"Uh, no. I felt like the tour guide wouldn't allow me. He told me to wander if I remember right, not go into things with the sage," was Leonardo's response.
"You're a tour guide?" the girl asks, interest piqued even more.
"Oh, what makes you say that? The sages and tour guides have a good relationship in the history books," he responds.
"Maybe I made a bad mistake," he says, sounding unsure.
They both ignore the girl, acting as if she were a mere ghost in the dimly lit hall, which is continuously illuminated by the blue light.
"Your daughter is done," Alphonse says to Henri.
"Your son isn't," Henri replies.
"The church," Alphonse then says.
"Not that again. I said I'm not signing it," Henri says, visibly tired of the question.
"Most heads did. It will help the tower, Henri. I didn't want to bring it up because of 'unexpected events,' but now is the right time, with the sage and the heirs busy accusing their unwritten skills."
"You mentioned it before, using the few times we meet for business talk," Henri's eyes go pale. "I will not be signing that sheet."
"You're simply minded, Henri."
"So are you, Al-phon-se," he says, emphasizing the separation of the names.
Elara's turn arrives. "State your name," the voice commands.
"Elara de Meaux," she says with anticipation.
She rises slowly, her ascent markedly different from Anna's. The blue light wraps around her body with a more gradual and elegant flow, almost like a curtain of shimmering waves.
As the light envelops her, it forms intricate patterns, highlighting her tall, poised figure. She reaches the height of the light's embrace, which then slowly recedes, allowing her to descend gracefully.
Her landing is soft and controlled, signifying a balance between strength and grace.
Marquis stands a few persons away, watching the proceedings with a mix of curiosity and anticipation.
She lands with grace,
"Hahaha, elara seems taugth to land like that" Leonardo says unable to contain her laugh, unlike
"Yeah I suppose so" Anna giggling too,
"That was amazing, I want to get another unwritten skill again,"
"Well how was it?"
"It felt like I was falling, the breeze on my skin, then I got saved by someone, I think they wore white, they looked at me, I mean I couldn't see his face but I think its male, he saved me from falling and dropped me off at the base of the tower, it felt as it he was faster than the right star too!"
"Huh so people experiences it different" Leonardo pauses, "if I did it, I would've been the king of an empire no kingdom, and we would be in a war with another kingdom, and that guy would come and save us, which would make the people like him, wait..," he pauses, "no that-"
"Dumb" Anna finishes his sentence for him
"Yeah and jinx, almost" he says
"Yeah sure jinx" she mutters
"Well its uh, whats the right word"
"Fascinating" the girl says
"Uh yeah and you are?" Elara say, bending down to match the girls height, already knowing of the girls pretense but not acting on it sensing both Leonardo and Annas tone
She smiles in a polite tone shifting her gaze to both Leonardo and Anna, who are moving their hands in a gesture of no, don't, do not. INTERACT.
"Huh?" Elara says confusion laced in her face
Elara turning her gaze back to the girl who is looking at her with her usual big eyes
"Oh" she finally realizes,
"So what skill did you get?" Elara asked Anna, excitement evident in her voice, the question sparked something in Leonardos head, something he's been meaning to ask
"Oh yeah, don't you think we should tell each other our skills?"
"Yeah.. not here though" Anna replies, acknowledging Leonardos question
The girl for some reason dosent move but stays silent.
"You forgot me?" She says toward both Anna and elara
"What?" Elara replies in pure confusion
"How could you!, I came to your house 7 years ago!!" She then says her saddened moves slowly shifts to anger as Elara tries her best to suite her, acting as she's an ordinary child
"Don't!" She says turning to walk away
"That was interesting" Anna says
"Yeah.." Replied Leonardo
She seems to be moving towards her guide, who is a male, their outfits contradicts each other fully,
but not easily visible as light is very scarce in the hall.
"Everything seems alright" sir Eadric says noting how the heirs collect their unwritten skills and move on without any conflict