Nodding and smiling at the one person I happen to have met so far on my walk between the two cities of this mountain, I turn it to the landscape. The focus of my eyes goes up and down, up past the snow-barred peaks and down their sides and back up again. The tops of plants flutter in the wind and small wild animals watch me with caution, my large claws a well-known threat. Well, not mine, but, how can a silly little thing with fluffy ears and a unendingly nibbling mouth get that?
A flock of birds fly by, disturbing the rest of the area and sending it into a rampaging panic that turns as silent as death. Giggling a little at my insincere look at something very important for these animals, my focus returns to Suhurlodst. The delivery I have for someone there jumps up in my grip and I catch it again, my hands quickly refreshed. I can't deliver it to the customer directly, I need to drop this notably big package to the Visitor's Centre at the end of this path.
While I already know what the little shadows buzzing about the enormous school are, with each step closer I am, the clearer it is. Students in the air, flying without a care against the currents of Thrurstradtur's mechanisms and the flash of spells. Mostly shades of green ranging from muckier mosses to limelier brightness in far more coherent forms. All of which is nothing compared to the unending emerald coming from that massive warship belonging to some human prince.
The sight of all of this, however, only really en-trances those who do not reside on the grounds of the school. Envy might captivate many of the students here, but they're all here for one purpose, to get as close as they can to that constant reminder. I suppose they appreciate the presence of that machine, it constantly shows them the kind of magic they aspire to cast. The way it dyes their hair and eyes, the galeful breath it adds to their voices.
It's not much to me, though I've seen plenty of it, advertisements and pieces of art that honour this kind of dedication. Locks of hair with colourful phrases like Breezing Star, Returning, Unondsburic, Lancer's and True Emerald being thrown about. All of it together is meaningless to me, even with the enthusiasm of captivated girls and inspired boys explaining it. The people of this land, the humans, anyway, they cannot express enough how much love and pride they have for the magic that comes in through their lungs.
That undisputed emperor over all other mountains is a god in all but name and style of ritual.
"Though, admittedly, all their talk of shades of green does certainly mean a lot to me when my eyes are the topic." I giggle, a random memory of a lovely poem coming to mind. I can't remember who wrote it for me, but, he seemed to have been on the receiving end of them in quite questionable circumstances. He went on and on about how beautiful my eyes are, how he believed I must've been a beauty trapped deep underground for so long my eyes became the very gemstone everyone knows by heart. If only I could hear such words from someone else whose name I can recall...
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"HEY! HEY! BE CAREFUL!" a girl shrieks and I freeze up, taking an emergency step back as a wrecking ball of rhyolite-tainted wind magic adds a new dirt path to the road. Shredded grass flies down like the strangest rain I have ever seen and I blow up my disturbed bangs. I would've been fine personally, though, my baked goods may be a little ruined if there's any flaky pastry in this box.
"She has a point!" I echo out to the argument breaking out between this girl and a familiar voice. Raising a brow, I slowly approach what turns out to be a greater group than expected and the face that I know comes into view. A confident swagger to his gestures as he strikes his staff to the ground, blowing up a few specks of dirt.
"SEE! LOOK WHO YOU NEARLY JUST GOT KILLED! WE'RE TOO CLOSE TO THE MAIN ROAD!" the girl screams at my somewhat distant friend's face. He turns my way, metallic-tinted robes swinging with magic-induced exaggeration.
"Liadanann. What brings you down here?" Baltanthan asks, a slight smile coming to his lips while I still try to register how his recklessness nearly caused me some insignificant monetary loss. The moment he gets within range, my amulet lights up and I whack him over the head with a hand-reinforcing construct that makes his head bobble.
"A delivery, like usual." I huff, amused at how accepting he is of my light assault. He continues to nod again and again and then he starts to get all nervous. A first for the young man who's never seemed to have had a bad mood since the tournament thing that happened when I first got here.
"I did pay for this beforehand when I ordered it, didn't I?" he asks and my eyes widen a little. I check the box over again and the memory comes rushing back to prominence. The student's address written down is his place!
"Yes, yes you did. Though, now that I am reminded of how this is yours, I'm a little angry." I say although my expression is more so one of amusement. It's nothing, really, but, I have my preferences.
"Huh, why?" the clueless human goes and I shake my head, mouth open a little while that girl behind us crosses her arms. An all too familiar frustration on her face. She wants his gaze on her but, she has to deal with the opposite. Much like Nin with Iner-
"We're supposed to be friends and you chose to order all of this without ever popping in to say hi? Some friend you are..." I mockingly go and his expression sours a little, a wordless defence taking over his features. He stops and sighs, a shake of his head ending whatever it was going on in his head.
"Well, I guess I'll take my delivery, then..." he quietly goes, moving his staff-free hand towards the box still in my hands. Stepping back a little, I smirk in response to his frown.
"Sorry, have to do this properly and make sure it's registered at the Visitor Centre!" I go, skedaddling off back to the road with a rhythm in my hips and tail. Footsteps start to hurry my way, the sound quickly changing.
"But it's mine." Baltanthan goes once he's at my side though he makes none of the effort to take it.
"BALTAN! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!?" the girl from before screams with all she has as she really cannot believe what she is seeing.
"Who's your girlfriend?" I jokingly ask, seeing as it seems I now have a companion to walk with.
"Oh, her. Her name's Rosheney. She's the sister of my good friend, Michney." he explains and I smile at his words, perplexing him with said expression.
"I see you didn't deny my claim!" I tease and his straight expression remains unchanged.
"So?" he goes without so much as any real emotion and laughter takes me over. I can understand that poor girl's frustrations so very well right now!