Witches and Stones

The salty smell of the sea, the bustle of the crowd, the bright colors that hung off laundry lines spanning the gaps in the streets, were all charming distractions to her. She was relatively unknown in these lands, in fact, she quite welcomed it. The lack of a coterie of guards, the constant orbitals of advisors and students or lack thereof, was quite refreshing to the woman. Though, the flickering of eyes toward her and her objectively out-of-place appearance still garnered attention.

Her University uniform stood in stark contrast to the loose brightly colored clothing that every living soul chose to wear here. Men with their wide-brimmed straw hats, each having a pipe smoking away in their mouths; most shirtless and sturdy work pants, shoulders draped in various straps holding everything between farming tools and empty casks. The women had barely anything on, just enough to retain their modesty, though to their credit, the Isle of Estile was a tropical wonderland.

The heat and humidity made Emily's shoulder-length hair frizz up like it had a ship to catch. The only thing stopping her from having a tangled mess was her massive Sages hat. Looks of shocked adoration at the scale of the thing made her laugh. Still, she was here on business. Having been told that a VIP had recently returned to Moreoleo. She had to admit, stepping away from the bartop with a chilled fruity drink in between her hands, that she enjoyed this place despite its rather morose reputation.

The vast majority of the citizens here were friendly, at least outright. Perhaps they only saw her as a tourist, it didn't matter to her. Making her way toward the outskirts of the city, the Citizens would treat her with far too much formality if they knew just who she was anyway. The sharp cinnamon sting of the rum in her drink colored her cheeks making her smile. The wide brim of her hat shaded her from the worst of the noonday sun, heavy booted feet echoing off the cobblestone streets making her way through the crowd.

It wasn't far, but she enjoyed stopping and listening to music wafting through the air. Such a lively place, full of life and vibrancy, sounds of guitars and maracas dancing through the heat. She took her sweet time getting to where she wanted. Besides, the fact that she stood out so much was only a benefit, she knew the Council of Elder Farmers would have people watching. Would make her appearance less of a shock by the time she got there.

The old mausoleum was her target, a beautiful gothic structure from the time when Huron were the owners of the island. Though it matters little to those living here, having covered nearly everything in their cultural sensibilities. The bustling town gave way suddenly to a sleepy quiet graveyard. Though where crows would have lived, the chatter or parrots and brightly colored tropical birds stood singing away in the few trees dotted amongst headstones. Beautifully carved things they were, palpable was the soul and effort put into each one.

She knew she was noticed immediately stepping out of the townscape. Wasn't really hiding when her uniform and hat gave her away like a fire in a haystack. Gold and silver glittering off the stitching and buttons, the military presence it gave off. The long cloak flowed behind her, like a spectre in the wind. The only thing she didn't have with her was her staff, she really didn't need the thing, it was ceremonial anyway. Though that staff would have marked her as the Sage of Huron in a heartbeat. No, instead here she was, casually strolling through foreign lands with a drink in her hands.

What she first assumed were mourners dotted throughout the graveyard, she quickly realized were causally clothed armed personnel. "Huh, seems they were expecting someone else." She thought to herself, though not a single one of them made any movement to try and stop her. The mausoleum quickly coming into focus, she noticed quite a few familiar faces.

"Well, what a fine day to run into you, Gentlemen!" Emily happily greeted them. The old men, sitting in even older wooden chairs, each one with a shotgun in their hands. "Expecting trouble, Hernandez? Preze? Alero?"

The sun-kissed Counsilor of the Elder Farmers to her right spoke first. "We weren't expecting 'chu yet Querida." The old man stood from his chair, creaking as much as it did, pulling her into a hug. The slight apprehension she felt initially vanished instantly. "From you? No. There are a few in the city that object to the Grave Bell, so we are watching over her personally while she visits here." He sat back down, pulling a pipe out of his pocket and lighting it.

"Why would anyone have an issue with her?" Emily asked, "I'm actually here to see her."

"We figur'd as much from your letter, Miss Von Eule. It just happened to be a 'appy accident that we were already planning on meeting you before." Hernandez said, handing his gun off to one of the guards dotting the place.

"Did we have more to talk about?" She asked, somewhat puzzled. "I thought we had settled the issue before I arrived on the island?"

"We did, but we thought of some other things as well. We can discuss it 'ore lay'er, though we'd like it if you threw your weight around in the Galcian courts for us." Hernandez said quietly as he opened the doors of the mausoleum for her. "You have someone you wish to see, besides the Grave Bell has a new addition with her."

"New addition?" Emily asked as she stepped through the doors, the air a wholly different thing as she stepped through the doors. Whereas the outside was downright steamy, in here the hard-packed earthen floor soaked it in, leaving it cool and dry.

"Oh you'll see, quite the little chatterbox." Hernadez laughed as he shut the door behind her.

'Huh, I guess I will' she thought to herself. Though what he meant by that was anyone's guess, The Necromancer of this age was always alone. In the company of the living seldomly, unless she was visiting some foreign land much like herself. She had apparently taken the time to light all the candles in each of the alcoves. Candy skulls and rosemary hanging next to each of the urns.

'Odd custom, bright and lively even in death huh.' Thoughts wandered as she walked deeper and deeper into the crypt. Burning sage filled the lower levels of the tomb, even more candles having been lit, nearly as bright as the outside at this point. By the time she reached the main chamber, she had been hearing a set of two voices speaking for some time. Though the words echoed off each other with such frequency as to make them incomprehensible.

"Is she speaking with a spirit?" She asked herself, pushing open the heavy oaken door. It glided effortlessly open on oiled hinges, well taken care of. Compared to the walkways and richly decorated tombs, the main chamber was something else entirely. Brightly light as to be outside, filled with vivacity and color, like stepping into the market of Glaion.

"Care, Chu'. You want to speak to them, not shout." The Necromancer said with a slight chuckle to her raspy voice. She was looking down at something Emily couldn't see behind one of the few sarcophagi in the crypt, a joyous smile plastered on her face.

Emily could remember the last time she had seen Azorez without her hat, she had forgotten her hair was so messy and tangled. The sandy blonde strands framed her face like a portrait, a soft glow coming up from where she was looking. Emily was more than surprised to hear a child respond to her "But, Ma! They don't listen! They keep telling me to hush up."

"Ma?" Emily thought to herself as she walked up to the grave, Azorez didn't even twitch as Emily set herself down on top of the heavy stone lid. She merely brought a finger to her lips and made a motion to the child seated in front of an absurdly complex rune structure. The tyke was completely hidden by Azorez's hat, skull bouncing as the kid waved its arms in frustration.

Without missing a beat, Emily swung down and crept up behind, waiting for the rune structure to glow brightly. Without a sound, putting her face just behind their ear. "Boo!"

Azorez and Emily laughed deeply as the kid screeched and stumbled forward. Panic quickly turned to annoyance and pouting as the kid crossed their arms and dipped the Necromancer's hat low over their face. "That's not funny!" Emily realized it was a little girl now that she paid attention to the voice.

"Chu' calm now, all in good fun. Talia, I want you to meet a good friend of mine. This is someone you should remember, she's a big wig around most of the courts we've visited these last few months. This is Emily, she's the Heroine of Huron." Azorez said walking over to the little girl, plucking the hat off her head, and placing it back on her own.

Emily had to suppress a shudder as she saw her face. It would seem that Talia was a resident of Skjalich, the wide open eyes nearly lidless. Being born in the dark halls of the ruins tended to lead many there to be bug-eyed like that. Though the thin snaking scars across the burns on her face horrified Emily. It seemed that Azorez noticed her reaction, though she hid it well.

"Ah, Chu' don't fret over little Talia. Life in the Necropolis isn't easy for anyone, she's with me and under my protection now. Besides, she tells me, te' little liar." Azorez fake pouted down at the girl.

"I'm no little liar, MA!" She copied her nearly perfectly, hip out and everything.

"That she doesn't remember what happened to her. But, knowing the odd things and strange whispers that haunt the halls of the damned, it could have happened a number of ways. Shadows moving without light, wind in still air, madness that strikes at random." With a shrug, the Necromancer scoped the girl up and blew a raspberry on her cheek. Causing her to laugh trying to get away.

Setting her down, she ran out of the crypt back up to the main doors of the mausoleum. "To what, do I own the pleasure of your visit Miss Emily? It's not often the Sage comes to visit little ol' me." She asked leaning back against the sarcophagus.

"Where'd the kid come from? I get that she was from the Ruins, but..." Emily asked, crossing her arms.

"Completed a task for the unfortunate there. They gave me her as a reward for my efforts." She said without any flair.

"They gave you a child." Azorez only nodded. "Those that live in the ruins refuse to allow anyone past the main gate, what did they have you take care of? What spirit or undead monstrosity forced their hand enough to ask for your help?" The Sage walked around the tomb to examine the rune structure that was etched into the earth.

"Let me tell you this, there are some things in the world that shouldn't be spoken about. To say what was down there was not what I was expecting. An ancient thing, older than anything I've ever come across. Far wiser than any of the gods I've met." Her voice was hesitant, like she was picking her words carefully.

"Odd, did you know that I hear that phrase often from the Wayfare Guild and Gjorn, whenever I ask about certain things. So it seems you have experienced something rather... rare." Emily said simply standing up the rune structure, having traced it into a notebook.

"Emily, I will say this only once more, there are some things you shouldn't know. Beyond that, that thing down there told me to keep as much hidden about it as possible." Azorez said, before clasping a hand over her mouth.

"So it gave you a command. Interesting!" She commented standing back up to face her.

"It was more of a story." She said back.

"Well, regardless, you didn't even want to tell me that much. Why'd you pick that child?" Emily asked walking back over to her.

"How do you know I picked her? Also, why does this feel like an interrogation, Emily."

"I don't mean it to sound like one, you just seem awfully touchy about what happened in Skjalich. Besides as for the kid, I doubt they offered you something of value, so you decided to ask to take someone away from a miserable place. It's just who you are."

There was a long pause before Azorez answered, "You never cease to amaze me. Damn, Chu' You are too good at reading people."

"Call it a specialty. Well, what I came here for is to ask if you'd be willing to assist in my research." The Sage said, rummaging through a bag hidden in her cloak.

"Are you still looking into the Archon Stones?" She asked, relaxing a bit.

"I am, My Master and I found an interesting development while experimenting with one. Funny you should bring up things Ancient and profound. When we were delving into how the stones operate, one of our apprentices experienced something, and befell an unfortunate fate."

"What happened, and why do you think I would be of assistance? My magic is rather specialized." Azorez said, cocking her head to the side.

"Well, our apprentice witnessed a memory. One I can't help but get the impression is an ancient one, contained within the stone itself. Curious thing, it also aged the apprentice decades in a matter of a few moments. Plus, we think the trigger for using the stones is strong thoughts of family or loved ones." Emily paced as she spoke, pulling an odd metal container out of the pocket.

"Why do you think it's about family? Odd that it took the apprentice's time from them though, did they recover?"

"No, they died a few days after the event. Spoke in Elder Fae the entire time, ranting and raving about what they saw. They never learned that dead language, and afterward they spoke it with perfect clarity. As for the family bit, Atrimir and I both had a similar experience when we used the stones ourselves. So we told the apprentice to do the same thing and it worked. So whatever these stones are, they are tied to the concept of family." Emily said, handing Azorez the box.

Opening it, she went bug-eyed. A mix of fear, excitement, hesitation, and a gallery of emotions swam through her. The box held a perfectly round, smooth stone of perfect clarity. It seemed more real than the world around it, like the world itself was false, and it being the only truth left. She thought she could hear a soft song in the now quiet crypt, an ever-changing thing listless and somber. An Archon Stone.

"What? Why? What do you want me to do with it?" Her voice wavered, nervous, Azorez knew that they were potent conduits of power. Hell, Emily had eradicated an army with one, Atrimir had leveled several mountains. What could a Necromancer do with one? Ideas raced through her mind as she contemplated the amount of force she could wring out the universe for answers. Demand to be heard by the gods themselves.

"Not now, later. If you want to. You and your little girl are invited to the Palace of Huron to the Grand Archives to assist me and Atrimir." She said, handing Azorez a sealed scroll.

"Why not have me do something with it here?"

"We want a more controlled environment to test a few things. Where we are able to intervene if anything happens that we weren't expecting. Also, hopefully, to disallow what happened to our student again." Emily said somberly.

"Memory, something ancient. You want me to see if I can find a source? A thing trapped within? A spirit, or.... what?" Azorez asked slowly.