Private Tales Fire and Water

[Gerra]

Back and forth she swing by the smooth movement of her legs, long, lithe and ebony. Her feet caressed the surface of the grass, slowing her.

Gerra watched the motion.

Appreciatively.

“Yes, you would.”

He rubbed idly at a ruby earring.

“You know, I often reside in Ragash. Sometimes I rest at night on the balcony and enjoy the cool night air. And the views, of course. They are marvelous.”

 

[Noelani]

Lani smiled at the idea of working with Kailyn - the girl had grown on her considerably during her short stay in Ragash. The two of them would make a good duo when it came to ensuring trade ran smoothly to and from the Empire. Perhaps, she would even be able to fulfil Kailyn's wishes of seeing some more of the world if Gerra could spare her; she had a feeling the younger woman would appreciate the wilds of the isles after her history as a slave.

The Emperors words slowed her gentle swinging even more as the realisation began to set in of what he was implying. A slow coy smile spread across her face.

"Interesting, I preferred to stroll about the gardens at night personally."

 

[Gerra]

He did not move as she slowed her swinging save to examine the nail beds of his right hand. Ornate and ancient rings set with precious stones glittered on his fingers.

“It can get quite cold, don’t you think?”

 

[Noelani]

Lani's eyes narrowed a little at his innocent action and a sly smile wound its way across her face.

"There were more than enough warm bodies in the bed when I got back."

 

[Gerra]

“Mmm,” Gerra looked up and seemed to move to an entirely new subject as he stepped forward and traced a finger along one of the intricately wound ropes that held up the swing.

“Expert craftsmanship. Made for the Lady Tuankh and her son twenty years ago. The fiber is spun silk and the wood comes from one of the tallest pines in the Seret. You know, they say I am a man of large appetites, but I always prefer quality to quantity.”

He paused, finger stopping just above where hers wrapped around the rope.

“And patterns. I have a collection of exquisite carpets, you will have to see them at some point,” his eyes flicked to the swirl of tattoos peeking out along her arm. “Patterns do intrigue me.”

 

[Noelani]

Lani shifted in the swing so that her back was against one of the lengths of rope and she brought one foot up to press down against the wood of the seat. It allowed her to look up at him in a more relaxed fashion as he spoke about the swing, her other foot that still rested on the floor pushed her back and forth slightly still in slow motions.

"It's not so much the patterns that interest me in a carpet, more the softness," she followed this new train of conversation seamlessly with him whilst she watched his gaze wander over her skin. "When a Seawitch graduates they choose a tattoo to show their connection with the sea - it goes all the way down my back. Perhaps your balcony doesn't offer you the advantages of being able to see the details of your marvellous view."

 

[Gerra]

The half-giant raised an eyebrow as she reclined on the swing, long limb dangling off like fishing line from a boat. He wondered where the hook was, or if he had already swallowed it.

“Then perhaps I should acquire a different vantage point.”

There was danger, playing this game.

“And the carpets are quite soft. Though they’ve been known to burn... on occasion.”

 

[Noelani]

"That sounds like a wise idea, as a vizier I guess I should get used to advising you on such manners?" her head canted to the side as she watched him with eyes no longer calm but churning with mischief like a stormy sea. It only grew worse when he spoke of carpet burns and her smile turned into a surprised laugh. Not the answer she had been expecting but a pleasant one nevertheless. "I guess it is a good thing I am a water mage if we're talking about burns."

"When was the last time you just did something fun?" it was her time to change the subject this time, circling back to her earlier thought. "Dived off a cliff for a thrill, went streaking through a palace...?"

 

[Gerra]

The sound of her pleasant laughter brought forth the crack of a smile on his lips, mere and meager though it proved. Her only answer to whether she might advise him on such affairs.

“The responsibilities of empire are all-consuming, but I carve out for myself time to do the things I enjoy... collecting art, smithing silver trinkets. Certainly I have never been prone to cliff diving.”

Did something haunted lay behind the smoldering embers of his eyes?

“Nor can I say I would delight in astounding my subjects with my nakedness.”

Well, not all of them.

 

[Noelani]

So he could smile. He gave off such a serious energy she had wondered if he was merely incapable. Perhaps it was just now the conversation was moving on from politics and if that were the case she could sympathise with it. Leaders had to be a different person when the future of others rested on their shoulders. What he did for fun however did surprise her. Her eyes drifted to his hand which was still a hairs breadth away from her own and tried to imagine his large fingers creating anything delicate.

"It's important to get the right balance. Leaders can often lose themselves when they are focused on others all the time," she searched his eyes for that flicker she had seen. Had it been sadness? Fear? "Though, if you happen to entertain the rest of us at the same time I shan't be complaining," she offered him a smile and an out should he choose not to take her way into a deeper conversation. They were new acquaintances after all.

 

[Gerra]

Whatever had been present in his gaze was gone, burned up beneath the fires of austerity and blistering confidence that made up the soul of empire.

“Oh?” he rumbled, “And how would you care to be entertained, Noelani?”

 

[Noelani]

She debated saying something further but let it slide and swept back with ease into the throws of harmless flirting with a laugh, letting her head fall back more to gaze up at the sky. The clouds were beginning to take on shades of lilac and rosewater as the sun began to set.

"Oh... I can think of more than a few things..." a soft hum. "But I'm here to learn your ways, what do people do for fun around here?"

 

[Gerra]

“They peruse the bazaar, fish in the great river, go hunting in the savannah, or smoke hashish and drink with company.”

Gerra eyed the setting sun.

“I’m partial to the latter.”

 

[Noelani]

The fishing piqued her interest and she made a note to add it to her list of things to go and see when she had free time in-between her meetings with various dignitaries. She couldn't imagine Gerra doing something like that though so she opted for the latter. She gave one small final push of the swing before flowing to her feet. The split in her skirt allowed a brief flash of skin and the dagger once more, before the gauzy material settled around her legs once more.

"I missed out on the view in Ragash, but perhaps, as long as you don't have any other engagements, you can show me where the best place to see the sunset is here over a glass or two?" she canted her head to the side and held out her arm.

 

[Gerra]

“My pleasure,” The emperor took the proffered arm somewhat awkwardly due to the difference in height and walked with the foreign dignitary through the grass back toward the entrance to the labyrinthine ziggurat.

They passed under the old stone archway and entered one of the sloping hallways that led up, toward the private imperial chambers. Slaves scurried about, lighting candles and lanterns to illuminate the halls in preparation for the sun’s death.

“A very nice dagger, by the way. Sereti steel? Theirs is the best, you know. And what was that handle, bone?”

 

[Noelani]

If the height difference bothered her she didn't show it as she walked - it was actually a nice change to not be the taller one. Lani's attention was taken up more with the general architecture which was a far cry from how her cities worked back home. She was watching the slaves with a hint of curiosity when he asked his question. Her hand fell to her thigh briefly where it rested and then, after a hesitation, drew it and passed it over to him to inspect. As a smith perhaps he would enjoy the craftsmanship.

"Sereti steel, but the handle is actually a coral that can be found around the Isles," as the firelight caught the blade faint ripples and patterns could be seen within the metal. The handle was surprisingly smooth to the touch, very similar to the feel of bone and its pale colour could easily mistake it as such except that it held a faintly peachy tone. "A gift, when I was awarded my rank, from my mother. I promise I don't have any other hidden weapons like Nym," she said with a soft chuckle.

 

[Gerra]

Gerra did not laugh.

“Elegant.”

He held the knife up to better see it in the lantern light, inspecting its edge and balance.

“And yet it will still cut. I admire when function and form are of equal status in a blade.”

He reversed his grip and handed it to her hilt first.

They entered a spiraling staircase. Gerra eased past her, releasing her arm, and began the ascent.

“It’s quite the climb, even as far up as we are. I hope you’re not afraid of heights.”

 

[Noelani]

Lani slid the blade back into its sheath on her thigh then let the fabric fall back around her. From a smith she counted his comments as high praise and made a note to pass it on to those who had made it back on the Isles; it would warm them. Small things such as that went a long way when fostering a relationship between two peoples.

"Not particularly," she gathered the material of her long skirt in one hand and lifted it so it was out of the way of her footfalls. "As long as it's worth the view," Lani lived for experiences such as this. It made life all the more interesting.

 

[Gerra]

After a few dozen steps, they emerged into a hallway that led to Gerra’s private quarters - the last ones below the flat top of the ziggurat where sat his throne.

He greeted the two Immortals guarding the door to his chambers by name, then entered with Noelani in tow. Immaculate rugs of every design decorated the floor and walls. His enormous four poster bed sat in the far corner, while a table and chairs took up the center. Sitting pillows lay scattered along the rug and a hookah lay amidst several.

Gerra grabbed a jug of wine sitting on a table and two goblets and led the way onto the balcony that faced the setting sun. He lounged on several pillows, propping his head up with one hand while the other poured wine for himself and Noelani.

The sun’s setting rays struck the surface of the Gulf of Annuk and it became a sea of gold.

 

[Noelani]

Once the stairs levelled she let her skirt go once more to fall against the floor and inclined her head politely to the two guards who stood outside the door. A small swell of appreciation stirred in her for the man who was able to greet his people by name and not as faceless bodies. It spoke volumes about a persons characters. She would have attempted it herself with the two but with their masks on she wouldn't even begin to be able to guess at who belonged to which name.

As she followed him into the rooms she paused for a moment on the threshold. The rooms were an echo of his size and Lani's lips half lifted at the amusement of feeling small for once, but it was a novelty she was enjoying. Her eyes swept from corner to corner as she passed by the beautiful rugs and cushions, the artwork on the walls. But what captured all of her attention when her eyes finally looked up to where Gerra had gone to was the balcony. A warmth lit her eyes from the inside as she stepped outside. It was a lot cooler up here and instead of joining him on the cushions she stepped right up to the rail and leaned on it in wonder.

"This is..." she couldn't find the words. Beautiful seemed too beneath the view that stretched before her. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she rested her cheek in the palm of her hand and merely watched the world go by. "I can see why you spend evenings on your balcony now."

 

[Gerra]

For one who had grown up in the Blightlands, where the only sights were barren soil and the incessant pillars of smoke from eternal fires, this truly was an incomparable view.

“Yes,” he said, a certain smugness creeping into his tone. He took a sip of the wine, relishing the slightly below room temperature taste of the crushed and fermented grapes.

“The views are... unforgettable.”

He was no longer looking at the sunset.

 

[Noelani]

Lani half glanced over her shoulder at the slightly different tone to his words and when she caught the full force of that molten gaze her lips curled into a coy smile before turning her attention back to the sea. The wind that rolled across towards them blew her curls off her warm skin and gifted her with just a taste of the ocean spray. The hint of salt mixed in with the almost oppressive heat of the day licked at her and she welcomed the feeling.

"Perhaps I need to take another one of my midnight strolls in these gardens," there was a thread of amusement to her tone and after one more look she pushed off the rail and made her way over to the cushions which she settled into comfortably, taking the cup he had filled for her.

"To new relationships between our people," she raised her glass towards him.

 

[Gerra]

“Indeed.”

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he let show the barest of smiles. He raised his glass toward her, took another sip from his goblet, then swirled it gently and watched the scarlet whirlpool form. His reflection stared back up at him amid the waves.

“Novelty is the spice of life.”

He shifted so that he lay stretched out opposite her, weight on his elbow.

“New sights.”

His empty hand reached out, tracing a line upon the pillow where her legs rested, then up onto her smooth, toned calf.

“New sensations.”

 

[Noelani]

Noelani took a sip of her wine and let her eyes drift back to the view afforded to the view of the sprawling city and Gulf below them. The sun was beginning to dip lower now and as its golden glow retreated it left behind glittering stars on a velvet blue. She gave a soft noise of pleasure as the taste washed over her tongue and glanced back down to the wine with a renewed interest. It was a lot richer, bolder in flavour that what she was used to. She made a note to get the name and purchase some before her journey home.

As he stretched himself opposite her her attention returned once more to him. This close the heat was unmistakable but it was pleasant now that the temperature was beginning to drop as the sun waned.

"Novelty is all well and good," she half glanced down to his fingers as they ran up from the pillow to her leg where it had become exposed in her reclining position, the split falling to either side like a parted stream. "But novelties wear off," her lips twisted slightly. "I prefer toys that keep their charm and last."

 

[Gerra]

“I must admit that I’m not fond of toys,” he confessed, hand not moving any farther.

“I prefer those which are unique, or which surpass all others. The finest wine. The richest saffron. The headiest hashish.”

Gerra sipped his wine and looked over the rim at her.

“Perhaps they are right and my tastes run too wide. Too... vociferous in my pursuit of art. Yet in time you are right, live long enough and even the sweetest flower will smell stale. I suspect this is why the long-lived elves of the Falwood and dragons such as Aivrid seem so capricious to us. We are nothing new to them. They have seen it all before and suppose that when we die another one of us will take our place.”

His finger drew a circle on her skin. “They do not see the uniqueness I speak of, you see the perfect blade is uninteresting. It is the flaws that draw one. It is much the same with art. The imperfections are what make them valuable.”