[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/tHK3yAW.png[/img][/center] [hr][hr][sub][b]Location:[/b] Aelios Temple[/sub] [hr][hr] The High Priestess’ room was dark. The only light source spilled in from the candles that lined the hallway. Dark, but not dark enough. She’d only managed to make out Lord Raunefeldt’s pale silhouette, stark against the shadows, and yet she’d still seen more than she’d ever wished to. Eyes wide, her gaze snapped up to meet his — equally wide, and seemingly just as horrified. Her lips parted as she let out a shaky breath, brows drawn tight in worry as he rattled off a story of being robbed. For a moment, her eyes flicked to the window on the far side of the room. Whoever had broken into her room — had they come here too? Had they left something behind for the Priestess to find? Had they made a miscalculation and run into Lord Raunefeldt before being able to slip away? Turning into a weasel would explain why Charlotte hadn’t seen anything from the balcony. But… why take the Lord’s clothing? And why— Someone stepped out in front of her, filling the doorframe. Her breath hitched. Her frantic heart lurched up into her throat as she took another startled step back, taking in the tall figure looming before her. Gleaming armor of silver and gold — Aurelian. A strong, commanding voice that filled the hall. Completely hidden behind the guard, Eris nervously bit the inside of her lower lip as she listened to him begin to berate the nobleman. Slowly, she peeked around his shoulder, trying to meet Ayel’s gaze again. Confusion flickered across her face. Had he really been told to not enter the room prior to this? Was any of what he said true? But why lie? Even in the dim light, she could see the ire beginning to burn in the Lord’s eyes. Eris had never witnessed one of Ayel’s infamous meltdowns in person, but she’d heard plenty about them. They had a legendary reputation among Aurelian high society. Some enjoyed the show of it all—and what they could accomplish. Others abhorred it. But one thing was almost always certain: those who crossed Ayel Raunefeldt tended to regret it for years to come. In Aurelia, his influence meant something. But did it still hold the same weight in Dawnhaven? Eris glanced up to the guard as Ayel’s voice began to rise, spitting venom in his direction. The guard’s face was too shadowed to read, but he held himself steady under the verbal assault. She shifted her gaze back to Ayel, grimacing through the accusations and chastising. When the Lord’s fury suddenly turned on her, her expression faltered. She froze. Throat dry, heart still pounding in her chest. Her fingers felt numb from white-knuckling the gemstone and Tia’s hairpins inside her pockets. She had no interest in being added to Ayel’s long list of grudges. [color=B1E4FC]“I—”[/color] Her voice trembled as she shifted her blue gaze back to the guard, who let out a heavy sigh. She tried to recall who she’d seen when she’d entered the temple. There had been a guard. Dark haired and Aurelian, just like this one. When he turned to face her, she looked up, taking in his features as the candlelight illuminated them. The scar across his face was prominent — something she knew would have remembered. He was entirely unfamiliar to her. Sensing a new presence, she glanced down the hallway, spotting the other guard she’d seen now standing at the end of the hallway, watching the commotion. As the one before her began to question her, she blinked, her gaze returning to meet his brown eyes. [color=B1E4FC]“Well, I—”[/color] she began again, faltering as she tried to look beyond him to meet Ayel’s assured scrutiny, but his form completely blocked the nobleman from view. She drew in a breath to steady herself, willing her thoughts into order. [color=B1E4FC]“I—I did not see you when I arrived.”[/color] She admitted, eyes dropping to the floorboards in thought. [color=B1E4FC]“But…”[/color] She paused, returning her gaze to him. She studied him—his eyes, his posture, the way he held himself beneath the weight of Aurelian armor. Then, carefully, [color=B1E4FC]“Shapeshifting is not something easily done. Not by a human.”[/color] She stepped to the side, just enough to see Ayel again. [color=B1E4FC]“It’s… almost unheard of, Lord Raunefeldt.”[/color] The act of altering one’s body so completely was an ancient form of illusion magic. One nearly lost to time. Eris was a skilled illusionist herself, but even the finest Sage’s could not fathom how to achieve such a feat without dire consequences. Incredibly rare, but not impossible. [color=B1E4FC]“Such an act would take a great toll on an Aurelian right now,”[/color] she continued quietly. [color=B1E4FC]“If he were truly an illusionist, it would take him time to return to a human form.”[/color] She hesitated, thinking aloud. [color=B1E4FC]“Though it’s… possible that a blight-born could transform without the need for magic at all.”[/color] Her eyes flicked back to the guard, assessing him in silence. Blight-born had so many facets. So many unknowns and variables. At times it was hard to tell if they were blight-born or human, though the majority—thankfully—bore a visible tell that wasn’t easily hidden. On the surface, there was nothing about this man that would lead her to believe he was blight-born. He’d raised his voice to the Lord, but he’d spoken to her with such softness, even managed a smile. His eyes were kind. [color=B1E4FC]“Perhaps it was someone else you saw, Lord Raunefelt?”[/color] She turned her gaze back to Ayel. [color=B1E4FC]“You must be rattled after such an ordeal.[/color]” She managed a sympathetic frown, hoping to defuse the tension. [color=B1E4FC]“Certainly the Prince will want to be informed about what you saw.”[/color] Her gaze drifted back to the broken lock—the jagged hole splintered through the wood. She didn’t entirely believe his story, but she could not make sense of why either man would be motivated to lie to her. Ayel had a temper she did not wish to be in the crosshairs of, yet the fact that the guard claimed he’d already been told not to enter this room lingered in her mind. She couldn't help but dig for more information. [color=B1E4FC]“You said you were chasing the thief, Lord Raunefeldt? This door is… clearly broken. Did you see how they did it? If they took anything else? Or what they looked like?”[/color] The words left her before she could stop them. Silence pressed in around her. The thought of Ayel’s anger turning on her crept cold down her spine. Her etiquette lessons whispered in the back of her mind, urging her to keep her questions proper, never pressing. She’d never fully agreed. [color=B1E4FC]“It’s important,”[/color] she added, trying to soften the prying. [color=B1E4FC]“if someone is bold enough to force their way into the High Priestess’s chambers… they might not be finished yet.”[/color] Her eyes darted to the guard before her, uncertain which of the two men she trusted less. [hr] [sub][b]Interactions:[/b] Kale [@Theyra], Ayel [@Dezuel] [/sub]