For the skies will fall
When the blood is spilled
Of the long-forgotten child
Of the one we killed, buried, and tilled
We took advantage of their grace
We desecrated their grave
May they forgive us
As scarlet comes to judge us all
— Lumisade Folksong
"Ah."
You could hear a pin drop.
"I see."
"Does Arty — of course she knows. She sent you with her recommendation after all." Ilmarë slumped back into the soft fabric of the sofa. She turned her head to look at the person beside her.
"Petra, what's your take on this?"
Petra was — as we expected — closing her eyes, refusing to look into Vera's eyes.
"Sorry... Vera." Petra looked down, clearly feeling guilty.
"It's fine! Don't worry Petra!" Though she tried her best to look okay, I could see the minute tremble of her lips. Her other hand was on her lap tightly squeezing her skin.
Petra stood up and walked over behind our sofa. She hugged Vera from behind while apologizing. In response, Vera held the side of Petra's cheek, assuring her it was okay.
"Il... Ilmarë, how about you? Are you... fine with this?"
She suddenly jumped up from the couch like a star, made a v-sign over her eye with her fingers and grinned. "Where do you think I'm from?! I'm nothing like those boors from Lumisade who believe in tall tales!"
"Are you calling Lady Artanis boorish?"
She started waving her palms no. "What?! No no! Of course not! Where'd you get that idea from?! Don't put words into my mouth! Why, I'd never do such a thing! Nuh uh, no way, no how!"
"Lady Artanis believes in the Butterfly, doesn't she?"
"That's completely different!!! The Butterfly isn't a tall tale at all! It's a written record with written evidence! You hear me? It's nothing like the stupid superstitions from Lumisade about the color scarlet."
A tiny giggle entered our ears, the sound of which halted my argument with Ilmarë. I shared a smile with her, our unsaid objective completed.
Things calmed down after that. Petra sat to my left, sandwiching me between her and Vera, using me to obscure Vera's eyes from her sight.
"So that's why you wear sunglasses twenty-four seven." Ilmarë did a little shrug in understanding.
We both nodded. "We know there's a stigma around scarlet, but we don't know why."
Ilmarë's eyes widened and her expression broke for a second. She drew out a long deep sigh.
"Petra. Can you explain?"
Petra nodded her head.
"There's an oral tradition passed down since long ago by people in the area now known as Lumisade. It tells of a sin they committed whose consequence has not yet been delivered up to today. Their judgement comes in crimson."
"Since then, anyone living in Lumisade actively avoids the use of crimson as they believe it invites bad luck and disaster. Maybe in more rural places, there's more details, but that's how it is in urban areas of Lumisade."
Petra stopped, silently debating within herself whether or not she should keep going. "Ah, right." A quiet sound of realization left her lips.
"For a snow elf — the locals of Lumisade — to have crimson eyes... it's hard for anyone who grew up in Lumisade to not be uneasy. That's why..." She trailed off.
She closed her eyes and turned towards Vera. I moved out of the way.
Her eyes met crimson. "I reacted like that at first... Vera."
"I'm sorry for turning away."
Red eyes glimmered in tears. This was the first time someone other than me — and maybe Lady Artanis? — talked to her while looking straight into her eyes.
"See? I told you it was just stupid superstition on their part!"
"That oral tradition is as old as Butterfly."
"Puh! Lease! Butterfly has loads of written records of her works! Nothing like that suspicious dodgy game of messengers you Lumisadians like to play!"
"There's a lot more than just oral tradition about that certain topic. At least we try and keep our traditions alive instead of burying them two meters under like what Edelasse did to Butterfly."
"Well that old-fashioned thinking is why Arty IS STUCK IN GOD KNOWS WHERE!"
Everyone stopped.
Ilmarë got her breathing under control and sat back down. She drank a cup of water. "I'm sorry Petra. I got out of control."
"As did I. I'm sorry too."
Vera and I were but mere bystanders to their sudden argument. It just devolved so fast and got resolved just as quickly.
"Are you two okay?"
Ilmarë waved our concerns off. "Yeah, we're all good. I just got overheated."
"Ah fuck, I'll be right back." She jumped to her feet and started heading into the kitchen. "Petra, want one?"
"Yes."
She came back soon after, carrying some bottles of beer. She was already chugging one when she walked in. She tossed one over to Petra who caught it without trouble.
"Sorry, none for you kids."
"We weren't interested anyways."
"Speak for yourself." She cackled.
I looked over and found Vera looking incredibly guilty as she made herself seem smaller while looking far away into the distance.
Ilmarë sat back down into the sofa, or rather, she lied down on her side on the sofa with a beer in hand.
"I've already ran my mouth once tonight. Might as well just go all the way, you get me?" She took a sip.
"When you see me like this, you think I'm fit to be the dean?" She took a chug.
"What? No replies? No retorts? No sarcastic comments from the peanut gallery?" She eyed each of us in time with her cadence, lingering at Petra for about a second longer.
"I don't think so either. I'm really just a seat-warmer for Arty. As soon as those fuck faces in Lumisade manage to pull their head out of sniffing each other's asses and finally let her free, I'm quitting and handing this over to Arty. If she wants it, of course. God knows it's likely she'd find something new to focus on instead." She took another chug.
"Oh right! Have I told you how Petra and I got to know each other? PETRA! Drum roll please!"
Petra obliged.
"She was Arty's previous recommendation!!! See! It's why I never had any doubts once I saw you two with her! Petra is such a good good girl! I swear! Be good to her, okay? Or else I'll get mad! Just as mad as I am at those FUCKERS!" She opened up a new bottle.
"Hell! They won't even let me get past the city of Lumisade! For fuck's sake! I'm banned from going into the forested areas of Lumisade. Like! What the fuck is up with that?! Barring a forest elf from going into a forest?! Let's see how those dusty old croaks fare if I throw them into lava! I'd kill them myself if I could — no. Arty wouldn't like that." She chugged right into it.
"I... haven't seen Arty for years now... All of our interactions have been through messengers like you and Petra... I just... want to see her again. Hear her voice. Talk about mana together... just like back in the good old days. Where we were Butterfly and Lilu..."
The empty bottle fell to the floor as Ilmarë finally had enough and slumped down into the sofa. Petra walked over, laid a blanket over her, and tucked her in for the night.
"Petra, you're not mad at her?"
A rare small smile formed on her lips as she stroked Ilmarë's hair. "No. She wasn't angry at me or at Lumisade. She's just angry at those in power in Lumisade. She's very kind to those around her. She's done a lot to help me get through the academy and over the years. The least I can do is help her vent her frustrations."
I didn't have anything to reply to that and it seemed like a good stopping point for the night. I rose to my feet.
"Petra... can you teach me a spell to hide my eyes?"
She nodded. "We'll teach you as soon as you can use your mana." She paused as if coming to think of something.
"Vera... you don't have to answer, but... how was it like?"
Vera looked away and drew me in for a hug. "It's why I got to meet Dina... I guess it worked out after all."
Her words sounded good, but her voice most definitely did not. Petra came closer and held Vera's cheek. She made Vera look at her. Brown eyes met scarlet. Neither one willing to break the eye contact.
"They're beautiful."
I bumped my hips into Vera. "See. I told you they're beautiful and you wouldn't believe me."
"Because you'd tell me I was pretty even when I wasn't!"
"You've never been anything but beautiful Vera. Even your ugly crying with snot running down your face is pretty."
And, more importantly,
"I'd never lie about beauty. Why would I, when Beauty is the truth."