The Aerai were a people who did see grey. Erin's words regarding her fallen kin stung her, but she could not deny that there was some truth in what he said, perhaps. Something she had noted among the Aica was that they were very rarely if ever any of the more powerful of her kind, always on the lower tiers. But she wondered if this was less a matter of their mental susceptibility, or simply a matter of their ability to resist.
"The war began here," she said, addressing his mention of the signs of war present even here,
"our city was infiltrated by a very powerful entity, and there," she pointed very high up to the city's highest tiers. Even from where they were, even through the dark, they could see the enormous structure high above, the great Temple, alight with torchlight and magic,
"once there was a great tower which touched the clouds when they hung low. From there our council kept their vigil, and this creature brought that tower down."
Her eyes cast down as the remembered the great conflict, now well over a century ago,
"for many years we fought him, and there are many of my kind no longer here because of it. Do not suffer needlessly, Erin, but do not mistake me. You are better to us in whole health than with a dead arm, and for those who may die much more effort must be given, and fewer ready to raise their blade all the while. Be sure to take care of yourself, as soon as you are able to. The healer's will know when and how."
Though she hated to admit it, she'd become far more pragmatic in recent years. Life of all sorts were of deep importance to her, but the preservation of her people had become paramount.
Arkhivom and his ilk sought to undo them, and it was with a near sense of desperation that the Aerai resisted. It crept into her, and without her knowing, changed her little by little.
Sharyrdaes proved to be a large city, taking quite some time to travel through to where they were headed. As they moved up the levels, it was on into the fourth tier where almost everybody they came across was an elf. All of them were very fair, with varying shades of blond hair but predominately white or platinum. These parts of the city were the best kept, and looked to have little to no evidence of conflict as the lower levels had. The people seemed friendly enough, some regarding them as they passed by with regal nods, but for the most part they were a very quiet people.
Entering into the sixth tier, there was a vast courtyard, far larger than the one in the first tier. Standing tall and wide at the far side was the Temple she'd pointed out before, and on either side the city continued, build around this vast structure which ascended into the next tier beyond.
"From the balconies above you can see out over the entire city. Its quite marvelous with the lower levels inhabited once again," she remarked, and pointed high up the tall walls before them as they approached.
