Arreyis

Devouring Light

She noticed him tighten his robe and looked down again. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. When he stood Ayrie stood with him, smoothing out her dress.

"Okay, I'm going to go find Markus. He told me to meet him when I was ready. I'm sure I'll see you at the festival later." She said, smiling. She picked up her shoes, not wanting to walk through the building with them on, and carried them behind her back as she made her way out. She waved goodbye to the girl at the front.

"I'll be back for more of that food, it was delicious." She said, leaning doen to put her shoes back on.

Devouring Light

Ayrie followed his lead and began picking at the fish, dipping it carefully in the sauce as she ate. It was just as delicious as the rest of the food had been, but by now she was truly getting full. As she began eating less and less her mind started wandering, first to her sheilds and then to the many questions she wanted to ask him.

She settled for studying him as he ate, her eyes drawn to the opening of his robe at his chest. There she could see the line of more markings like the ones on his arm. As she filled up she stretched out on the pillows, leaning back on her arms lengthwise beside the table. She didn't notice because she was looking at him, but the hem of her skirt had slid up higher on her thighs as she did so, and a small birthmark shaped like a lantern was visible just above her knee.

Devouring Light

"I only annoy you? Last night and this morning I thought you hated me. This is progress!" She said with a laugh. She fiddled with the end of her braid with one hand and took a bite of food with the other. She couldn't help but get excited for the next entree, as she loved sweet and spicy sauce.

"I take back what I said earlier, this is the best meal I've ever had." Ayrie giggled as she happily took another bite. She had never eaten so well back at the monastery, but she never would have told the cook that.

Devouring Light

"I'm sorry... Mayor." she said, pulling her hand back and putting it in her lap. She had a hunch that whatever he was about to say would have given him away to her if she only knew more about magic. She sighed, "I wish you would at least give me a name other than Mayor to call you by."

She finished eating her first plate of food and helped herself to a bowl of the second course, she wasn't really hungry anymore, but this kind of food was so easy to eat a large amount of. She thought about her past as she watched him, wondering if she would get the opportunity to ask him any more questions while they ate.

Devouring Light

Ayrie was more ready for it this time when he snapped, so it wasn't as shocking.

"It's ok, I understand your frustration." she said, watching him rub his arm. The marks were reddening. "Those hurt?"

She immediately wanted to soothe them, and started to reach across the table before realizing she probably wasn't welcome to touch him. Not after that spark the night before anyway. She had an inkling it was because her sheilds weren't stable, but she couldn't patch them without Markus's help.

"I wish I could help you with that..."

Devouring Light

She nodded, wondering just how Nadia had gotten her scars. She decided she would ask her if the right time arose when they met next.

"Religion is a touchy subject in most places." She said, nodding. "It's why I do not preach the way many of my elders would like me to. I don't feel that anyone is inherently in need of scripture or sermons in order to feel the light I offer to them."

She looked down and sighed, "That's part of the reason they sent me here, to get me away from the younger crowd so I couldn't influence them with my way of thinking. They can't get rid of me, as until I am married off or taken in by some other house I am their ward under their laws, but they can send me away from my home and my friends. The elders that are joining me are also of more progressive persuasion, but they are still very much held by the old standards. They won't get in the way, they are too old to do much of anything and they are non-magic users, but they will report my actions to the rest if I am not behaving appropriately."

Her mother had chosen the Church to give birth to Ayrie and take refuge after her father had beaten her again. She had not recovered well from the abuse, constantly anxious and afraid, she lived only until Ayrie was ten. Growing up under the thumb of the Church, Ayrie had had no choice but to become a priestess, as there were no other family members that could be found to take her. It was just dumb luck that she hadn't become a cloistered nun, shut away from the world under a vow of silence. Her power had relvealed itself just after her fifth birthday, and the one elder left who knew how to train light magic had died only days after teaching her how to sheild herself. 'It's probably my power that keeps them from punishing me too severely or locking me away.'

Devouring Light

Ayrie smiled at him again, feeling better now that her stomach wasn't growling.

"It's beautiful. Everyone I have met so far has been nice." She said, "I met the summoning teacher today in the park, and Markus offered to mentor me." She didn't go into detail about how little she knew of her power.

"It's certainly a pleasant place to live, what with help around every corner and everyone being so friendly." she said, taking another bite of food.

Devouring Light

"Well, if you're little man hadn't pushed me in the door and the woman at the front had given me a moment I might have." She shot back with a smile.

She grinned larger when the food arrived, and happily waited her turn to serve herself. It looked delicious, and she was hungry. She wasn't very good at chopsticks, but she was passable, and she took a few bites.

"This is very good." She said, "Actually I think it might be one of the best meals I've had."

She relaxed visibly as she ate, allowing all her worries to melt away. She did hope that Markus wouldn't worry about where she was, and that he wasn't waiting for her. She spared little thought for the priests that were arriving any day, but she knew they would not approve of her having dinner alone with a man. Especially a man as dangerous as the mayor. 'They'll just have to deal with it.' she thought to herself.

Devouring Light

Ayrie watched his face carefully as he spoke, looking for any sign of his previous anger. As he motioned to the other seat she saw more of the markings she had noticed before, but he quickly hid them. This only made her desire to see them and know what they were grow.

"It's okay... I take it that the Church must have done something horrific to you for you to feel so cross about them." she said, removing her shoes and settling herself on a pillow. "I know of the history, but I confess I was never a good book student."

He seemed to be trying very hard to apologize, and if she was being truthful it was working.

Devouring Light

As Ayrie stood outside the bath house a sudden crowd of people began pushing her away in the direction of a restarant next door. When a sunglasses wearing short person in a suit told her the mayor wanted to see her inside.

"Okay..." He pushed her not so gently through the door and another woman told her the mayor was waiting. "Thank you, I guess."

She was starting to feel as though she was going to go whether she wanted to or not, so she followed the woman's direction to the VIP room. There, she saw the mayor seated on some pillows at a table meant for sitting on the floor.

"Hello." She said simply, standing near the door and waiting for him to tell her why she was here.