The Distollovph
He sat across the table from her, tall and erect. Silence filled the room, his thoughts were slow and precise as he waited for her to continue. Yet no word came from her, nor any expression from her face. So he sat, saying nothing, continuing to wait for her next word.
- Does she know? -
Silence.
He was dressed in gentleman's clothing, a dark jacket, white shirt with many details, matching dark pants, black boots, a cane, and a tall hat. He simply asked a general question, which lead to the question of her knowledge, and then he provided proof he could pay her well. With her deep dark eyes unblinking, she took him to her library, to the table where they now sat.
He sat, still and silent, just as she was. After another moment, he bowed his head and rose, picked up his hat and cane and began to walk to the door. It was then that the long silent was broken.
"Then you seek the Distollovph." she finally spoke.
He attempted to not freeze in his tracks, not whirl about suddenly to her words - and he was successful. Thoughts, filled his mind.
- She knows its name -
He stood, near the doorway, looking at her. Her face showed little, and the atmosphere was businesslike and sterile. He nodded. She waved a hand to draw him back to his seat, but he only walked over to the table, and towered over it, over her, as a small smiled appeared on his face.
- Does she know the three elements? -
Silence again. Then, after some time, she spoke again, "I know how to summon it." The words came distinct and clear - and cold.
He nodded once, with a slight tilt to his head, and waited again.
She stood up, walked over to a chest, and opened it up. She moved several items about and then pulled out three metal objects. He nodded his head, acknowledging what she was showing him. Slowly, she placed the items back in the chest, and closed it. Then she returned to the table and placed her hands in front of her, fingers interlaced. He raised his eyebrows to her. A small smirk appeared in the corner of her mouth and she blinked slowly once.
He looked at her face, dark brown eyes and dark brown hair, braided and tried with a blue ribbon. She was not plain, yet her features were hidden in the silence. He noticed, though, there were four dimples hidden around her mouth.
"I know this is what you seek," She said, matter-of-factly. "I knew it when you first came into my shop, first asked me your question. You are already a man of great power and wealth, but if you want, I can bring it here - to this place."
Again, he made a small smile as inside he watched her keenly. "What of the signs?"
She nodded, stood up again from the table and made three distinct gestures, all separate from one another. He closed his eyes and nodded once more, as inside he formulated his plan. She sat down, as she had before.
His Source was always right, except once, and that had been over a century ago. His eyes narrowed, "What will you request of me to do this task?" His eyes were upon her face, but he had a difficult time reading her thoughts. She seemed to stifle them behind her emotionless face.
"To be able to live forever." she replied.
This time, he could not hide his surprise.
- Does she know who I am, what I am? -
"You ask for something only a handful may grant." He watched her, intently, hoping to break the spell over her. She breathed in relaxing somewhat, letting a small smile appear on her face. Two of the dimples began to show.
"I see you are one who may help me in this." Her smile remained and she did not move, and the dimples deepened.
- I must be certain -
He returned he smile and his face seemed to brighten. "How will you do this deed for me? Many know the name, but to - "
"Summon it?" she cut him off, completing the sentence. Her eyes showed a bit of fear and her voice trembled as she spoke. The dimples disappeared.
On the table, she wrote three words with her finger.
- She knows! -
He now had a limited number of choices: Death, obliviousness, and -
"Will you grant me this life?" she asked.
- Life -
He pondered the words.
The tension was extreme, all was well balanced - but soon that would change.
- Life -
He thought, slowly, precisely. No one who knows how to summon it is allowed to... And his mind began to whirl. Three choices: Death, obliviousness, and...
He smiled yet again. "Will you come with me, now?" he asked, gently, happily. The balance was now broken and the tension released. She breathed in deeply, quickly, as she had not the entire time he had been there. As if a spell had been broken over her, she came alive, she blinked and looked up into his face. He seemed different now, no longer was he some tall, dark gentleman seeking great power. It was if he were...
- A Sentina! -
He stepped around the table and held his hand out to her. "You will never need to say those words. I see more clearly now, you have learned that which was hidden long ago." Then his tone changed, and deepened. "And it must remain so."
Color filled her face as the air filled her, her mind was in a whirl, her face confused and fearful as she realized the great danger she had placed herself in - and the whole world. She reached out to him with trembling hands and took his. She was weakened now, and vulnerable. Unlike before: ominous, silent, and powerful. He pulled her to her feet.
"I cannot grant your request, but I will take you to one who can. Though you may never see this world again."
As he spoke, he changed. His eyes and face became bright and his clothing seemed to fade and then illuminate. She began to smile, once more, relaxed and peaceful. The room, once dark, was now filled with light. She felt safe and warm as she stood next to him now, and all her dimples deepened. He smiled.
They disappeared in a blinding flash. All shadows fled the room, except on the table, where she wrote the three words.
- Does she know? -
Silence.
He was dressed in gentleman's clothing, a dark jacket, white shirt with many details, matching dark pants, black boots, a cane, and a tall hat. He simply asked a general question, which lead to the question of her knowledge, and then he provided proof he could pay her well. With her deep dark eyes unblinking, she took him to her library, to the table where they now sat.
He sat, still and silent, just as she was. After another moment, he bowed his head and rose, picked up his hat and cane and began to walk to the door. It was then that the long silent was broken.
"Then you seek the Distollovph." she finally spoke.
He attempted to not freeze in his tracks, not whirl about suddenly to her words - and he was successful. Thoughts, filled his mind.
- She knows its name -
He stood, near the doorway, looking at her. Her face showed little, and the atmosphere was businesslike and sterile. He nodded. She waved a hand to draw him back to his seat, but he only walked over to the table, and towered over it, over her, as a small smiled appeared on his face.
- Does she know the three elements? -
Silence again. Then, after some time, she spoke again, "I know how to summon it." The words came distinct and clear - and cold.
He nodded once, with a slight tilt to his head, and waited again.
She stood up, walked over to a chest, and opened it up. She moved several items about and then pulled out three metal objects. He nodded his head, acknowledging what she was showing him. Slowly, she placed the items back in the chest, and closed it. Then she returned to the table and placed her hands in front of her, fingers interlaced. He raised his eyebrows to her. A small smirk appeared in the corner of her mouth and she blinked slowly once.
He looked at her face, dark brown eyes and dark brown hair, braided and tried with a blue ribbon. She was not plain, yet her features were hidden in the silence. He noticed, though, there were four dimples hidden around her mouth.
"I know this is what you seek," She said, matter-of-factly. "I knew it when you first came into my shop, first asked me your question. You are already a man of great power and wealth, but if you want, I can bring it here - to this place."
Again, he made a small smile as inside he watched her keenly. "What of the signs?"
She nodded, stood up again from the table and made three distinct gestures, all separate from one another. He closed his eyes and nodded once more, as inside he formulated his plan. She sat down, as she had before.
His Source was always right, except once, and that had been over a century ago. His eyes narrowed, "What will you request of me to do this task?" His eyes were upon her face, but he had a difficult time reading her thoughts. She seemed to stifle them behind her emotionless face.
"To be able to live forever." she replied.
This time, he could not hide his surprise.
- Does she know who I am, what I am? -
"You ask for something only a handful may grant." He watched her, intently, hoping to break the spell over her. She breathed in relaxing somewhat, letting a small smile appear on her face. Two of the dimples began to show.
"I see you are one who may help me in this." Her smile remained and she did not move, and the dimples deepened.
- I must be certain -
He returned he smile and his face seemed to brighten. "How will you do this deed for me? Many know the name, but to - "
"Summon it?" she cut him off, completing the sentence. Her eyes showed a bit of fear and her voice trembled as she spoke. The dimples disappeared.
On the table, she wrote three words with her finger.
- She knows! -
He now had a limited number of choices: Death, obliviousness, and -
"Will you grant me this life?" she asked.
- Life -
He pondered the words.
The tension was extreme, all was well balanced - but soon that would change.
- Life -
He thought, slowly, precisely. No one who knows how to summon it is allowed to... And his mind began to whirl. Three choices: Death, obliviousness, and...
He smiled yet again. "Will you come with me, now?" he asked, gently, happily. The balance was now broken and the tension released. She breathed in deeply, quickly, as she had not the entire time he had been there. As if a spell had been broken over her, she came alive, she blinked and looked up into his face. He seemed different now, no longer was he some tall, dark gentleman seeking great power. It was if he were...
- A Sentina! -
He stepped around the table and held his hand out to her. "You will never need to say those words. I see more clearly now, you have learned that which was hidden long ago." Then his tone changed, and deepened. "And it must remain so."
Color filled her face as the air filled her, her mind was in a whirl, her face confused and fearful as she realized the great danger she had placed herself in - and the whole world. She reached out to him with trembling hands and took his. She was weakened now, and vulnerable. Unlike before: ominous, silent, and powerful. He pulled her to her feet.
"I cannot grant your request, but I will take you to one who can. Though you may never see this world again."
As he spoke, he changed. His eyes and face became bright and his clothing seemed to fade and then illuminate. She began to smile, once more, relaxed and peaceful. The room, once dark, was now filled with light. She felt safe and warm as she stood next to him now, and all her dimples deepened. He smiled.
They disappeared in a blinding flash. All shadows fled the room, except on the table, where she wrote the three words.
