Steady Waters [Liluth and Sarain]

Sarain had hoisted herself onto the port-side rigging of the ship. She probably wasn't supposed to be there as it was a pathway used by the deckhands to the higher parts of the ship, but she'd move when they came around. For now, it was an ideal spot to relax and watch as her homeland shrank to a white blur on the horizon. She closed her eyes contentedly and breathed in the salty ocean air. She loved sailing; the glistening waves, the wind in her hair, the breaching whales that sometimes rode the ships wake. It was wonderful, and she didn't always get the chance to experience it.

She was on her way to Song-Lu to catch a train to Koben. It was the empire's capital, but also - and more importantly to her - the alchemy capital of Alva. She wanted to go and learn as much as she could. Sure, she could make her own progress and discoveries, but she could learn a lot more in a shorter amount of time by traveling to the Empire. She knew she wouldn't receive a warm welcome as a light elf so hopefully she would be able to find an illusionist when she arrived.

She was stirred out of her reverie by a tall figure approaching to watch as the land vanished into the distance. Pale eyes blinked as she assessed the woman standing next to her. She was a beautiful dark elf, and with her calm demeanor offset by ruby eyes, she was somewhat intimidating. Sarain had met dark elves before, and most of those encounters had not been pleasant.

"Hello," she said cautiously, in case this woman did not take kindly to her own light elf lineage. She intwined her hands in the rope rigging, turning so she could view the other better without falling off. "Smooth sailing so far, isn't it?"

Sarain's lips twitched into a little smile of relief. So far so good, at least this dark elf was polite - a trait that often couldn't be extended to others of her kin that she had come across. A curious glimmer in dark ruby eyes suggested the statement had been a question, and the light elf did not mind obliging a response.

"It is rather unusual," she acknowledged. "I'm off to Koben to update my knowledge about alchemy. My name is Sarain, I'm an alchemist in Miras, and I feel it's about time to learn some new tips of the trade."

The spray from the waves sparkled like diamonds in the air before falling back to the sea. Sarain studied the spectacle thoughtfully for a moment before turning back to the dark elf. "If you don't mind me asking, Miss, where might you be headed?"

The light elf stood and swung off the rigging to land lightly on the deck. She took Liluth's hand without hesitation, beaming back brightly. "Pleasure's all mine! I can't say the same for some of your kin, but it really is refreshing to speak on such civil terms."

She leaned back against the side rail of the ship, mulling over Liluth's words. "I'm terribly excited for Song-Lu; I've been saving up for a while since I'm probably going to need a glamour to travel freely around the Empire. I wonder how I'll look as a human?" She giggled excited. Of course, if she hadn't been so absent minded before she left, she could have purchased the glamour in the Kingdom, though the spell probably would have worn off by the time they docked in Song-Lu anyway. The trip should take most of the week, if Sarain was correct. It would be nice to have a friend on the ship to help pass the time, despite the racial stigma that their races had on each other.

Sarain locked her hands behind her back, straightening her posture and sobering her expression. She realized she probably offended to dark elf, and she was surprised. Usually, most were even avidly against the idea of forgiving and forgetting. She had never met anyone who was avidly for the idea, and she gazed at the taller woman in fascination and awe.

"That would be extremely helpful," she murmured, more to herself than to Liluth. It would be great if everyone she met was like Liluth, but she doubted she would be that lucky without a glamour. She had very little knowledge of Song-Lu, but the dark elf before her seemed to know it pretty well.

"Perhaps, you could direct me to one when we arrive?" She asked hopefully.

Sarain smiled sheepishly and nodded. A guide was exactly what she would be needing. It would be especially helpful for Liluth to vouch for her to her sources, since the light elf did need the glamour rather badly in order to attain her goal. She didn't really have any other choice, and would rather go with someone who knew which mages were good and which were quacks.

At the question, Sarain almost laughed, her answer would certainly bring Liluth no end of amusement. "Actually, I'm an alchemist who specializes in crystals. I know crystals are Reluir's main export and thus more of a dark elf craft, so who better to learn from then the dark elves themselves?" It may have seemed like a crazy idea to her friends and neighbors within the city, but this kind of insanity would pay off, she knew. She had even brought three new journals, just to fill with the information she learned.

Sarain almost had to physically stop her jaw from dropping; she couldn't believe her luck. Aurea must be on her side, telling her that this was the right way to go about her search for knowledge; how else would she have been able to find an actual dark elf alchemist versed in using crystals without hiding her true identity?

"Yes!" She said enthusiastically. "Yes I would! I brought a few of my old notebooks, you could read them and see the things I've figured out on my own. We can exchange knowledge! I even figured out how to make explosives out of fire crystals," she laughed. She was excited and she couldn't contain it. She just hoped Liluth wouldn't judge her by her atrocious handwriting...

"When do we start?"

She watched Liluth go below deck, and stayed up top for a while longer, climbing back up into the rigging. The sea spray glistened in the air and Sarain smiled. It was going to be a good trip, she knew.

---

The sun perched just above the horizon, slowly being swallowed by the sea and spewing colors across the sky as its last act of defiance for the day. In the east, the moon ascended and claimed the space left by the sun while the stars sparkled into view. It was a gorgeous sunset, the prettiest the light elf had seen in a long time. Sarain watched the colors thoughtfully.

"Red skies at night, sailor's delight," she mused, noting the rosy hues above. She swung off the rigging, landing lightly on the deck. She headed below to her tiny personal cabin that the captain was able to spare her. Rummaging through her luggage, she found a blank, new journal as well as one of her old ones.

Eagerly, she headed down the hall to Liluth's room; being rather easy to find since it was marked 'healer' and most of the deckhands knew where it was. Smoothing her windswept hair a bit, she knocked quietly and stepped away from the door. It swung open, revealing her new teacher whom Sarain flashed a bright smile at.

"I'm ready to learn!" she chirped, holding up the small books and writing utensil she had brought.