I See The Light|Skyheort | Talen'sul

[Kender Bard]

There was a soft tapping on the door of Zira's bookshop. A man in billowing scholarly robes stood, waiting patiently outside the door. It was hard to tell if it was a man or woman, for though he had a masculine face, his body was soft and almost curvy like a woman's.

[Darastrix]

Zira looked up from his book in mild surprise. With Cobalt and Holiday's wedding reception in full-swing, he hadn't expected anyone to stop by. Then again, he wouldn't put it past Maestra Harper to come to try to coax him back out. That in mind, he gently set his book on the counter and flipped his hood up to shield his eyes before opening the door.

"I'm terribly sorry, but I don't--oh, goodness," Zira opened the door wider to admit the man. "My apologies, I thought you might be the maestra. Please, come in."

[Kender Bard]

Smiling, the man took a step into the shop and looked around, pausing and admiring the books. When he spoke, even his voice had an inflection that left gender to question; soft, but deep. "You have a most impressive collection," he breathed. "It's very wondrous to behold. I love books so very much."

[Darastrix]

Zira smiled in response before closing the door softly. He had to admit he was a bit curious as to his customer's actual gender, but it wasn't an issue. He was hardly in a position to judge, anyway.

"Thank you. It's not often I have someone with a real love for books in my shop," he commented, lowering his hood in the shop's dim light. "Please, feel free to look as long as you wish." Zira wasn't technically open, but he could hardly turn away such an obvious bibliophile.

[Kender Bard]

The man breathed in deeply the intoxicating scent of old books and parchment and dried ink. He ran his fingers lovingly over the spines of books, new and old. Eventually he selected one - a book of theories concerning all the Forces and their relation to the stars.

"I'll take this one," he murmured, bringing it over. "Admittedly I came here, though, to ask for a favor. I wish to go to the Shrine of the Forces, for I'm told it offers a beautiful view of the city and the land, but I'm not quite sure where it is.. And would appreciate an escort. How much is this?" He held up the book.

[Darastrix]

Zira returned to his seat and book as the man looked over his selection. Instead of reading, he found himself watching the other and smiling at the reverence the man showed the books. Book-lover or not, he was rather relieved that the man chose what he did. Even though they were on his shelves as stock, there were quite a few volumes in the shop that he simply didn't want to part with.

"For such a lover of books, one copper will be plenty," Zira said with a smile. "And the Shrine does give a beautiful view of the land, especially when all the stars are out. I've not seen it in daylight, myself," he commented. "I would be glad to show you there, if you don't mind walking a bit slowly when we leave the shade." He gestures vaguely at his eyes. "I'm rather sensitive to sunlight, even for a Talen'sul Wind."

[Kender Bard]

"That's a shame, and I do not mind at all," the man commented, reaching into a pocket and handing over the copper piece. "Thank you very much for the book." Tucking it in another pocket, large enough to hold even a book, he waited graciously for his escort to ready himself. "I can leave whenever you are ready."

[Darastrix]

"Oh, you're most welcome," Zira replied, taking the coin. "This won't take long," he said, placing a long white feather in his book to mark his place. He was still wearing much of what he'd donned to attend the wedding, so his torso was already covered. He picked up the pair of dark blue sleeves he'd discarded upon entering and slid them over his arms, tying the lacing at his shoulders with the ease of much practice before slipping on a pair of tight-wristed gloves.

"There," he said, flexing his wings slightly to make the fabric of his cloak fall across his shoulders as he pulled his hood back up. "We can go now."

[Kender Bard]

The man nodded and headed outside. As they walked, he murmured, "Is this an ailment with which you were born? I must imagine it is incredibly inconvenient to not enjoy the full light of day."

[Darastrix]

Zira nodded. "Yes, I was born this way. Lamplight and candlelight hurt my eyes if it's bright enough, and the sun can burn me very quickly if I'm not careful, which is why I take such precautions." He tilted his head thoughtfully.

"Inconvenient? I suppose, in a way. But I've lived my whole life like this, so I don't really know anything else." Zira shrugged a bit. "I grew up in Talen'sul, some people grew up in Naurorod. Some people grew up in the sunlight, I grew up among starlight. It's just different. And the night has its own beauty. Besides," he adds with a wistful smile, "there is...are...people that I may never have grown close to without being restricted to the night."

[Kender Bard]

"This is true," the man conceded, "But the day has beauties to be enjoyed as well, such as sitting under a cherry tree in blossom during the spring to read. The smell of the morning breeze. Things like that. Someone as thoughtful as you should not have to live in eternal darkness."

When he reached the shrine, he paused and smile. "Come inside and share the view." The temple was a very open, spacious thing; the Winds have no fear of heights and only ornate balcony separated visitors with a long fall. But the man seemed undaunted as she bowed to each of the altar icons, lowest of all to Thuoth.

And, suddenly, the man asked, "May I see your eyes? They look to be of a peculiar and enchanting shade under the shadow of your hood."

[Darastrix]

"A friend of mine mentioned that very thing once--reading under a cherry tree in spring-- before he realised I couldn't sit out in the daylight," Zira murmured, as he followed the man inside. The winged Wind also bowed to the icons, bending lowest to both Thuoth and Efil.

Zira looked at his companion, startled, and flushed slightly. He was fairly certain the request didn't mask some ulterior motive as it would with, say, Zack, but he'd never had someone call the colour of his eyes "enchanting" before. Strange, odd, maybe pretty, but enchanting? It sounded almost like one of his old friend's lines.

"Ah, of course," he said, pulling his hood away from his face after making sure the light wasn't too bright where he stood.

[Kender Bard]

The man put his hands to either side of Zira's head - not touching, but hovering there - as he looked into Zira's eyes. "Marvelous," he murmured. "Your eyes are the color of the Learned Lord's. How simply fascinating." He moved his hands and stepped back into the sunlight and made a come-here motion. In the blink of an eye, Zira was in the full sunlight, as though he had been transported.

It didn't burn. It didn't hurt. It was as warm and comforting as the sun should be. Smiling, Thuoth said, "They look even more striking in the sunlight, my follower."

[Darastrix]

Zira was uncomfortably aware how heated his face was getting as the man stared into his eyes. The attention was a bit unnerving, and this was really starting to sound like one of Zack's lines. How did he know what colour the Lord's eyes were, anyway? As Zira thought to ask just that, the man had stepped back into the sunlight, and suddenly, so was he.

Zira flinched reflexively at feeling the sun on his face, then blinked at the man, confused. A beat passed before his mind finally wrapped around just who this person was and what he'd done for him, and his eyes filled with tears. "My...my Lord," he whispered softly. Unable to find words to express his gratitude to Thuoth, Zira simply met his gaze, trusting that his expression would say all he wanted to but couldn't.

[Kender Bard]

Thuoth smiled wider. "It is not spring anymore so the cherry trees are not in blossom," he noted, "But enjoying a book in the summer sun is just as fine." His smile faded a little. "However my gifts are limited. You asked for something else, and so what I give you today is only temporary. I wish you to enjoy it for the day. It is a token of my appreciation for your collection of my most beloved treasures. Keep your faith strong and someday I may be back and you could feel the warmth of the sun for a longer time." He touched Zira's forehead and then his heart. "May contemplation see you through." And then the god was gone, teleported away.