“Eibon.” Cece began, her tone both uncomfortable and icy. “What are you doing here?”
“Remember! I said we were accomplices. So, I figured I would help you with whatever it is you’re doing here.”
“You shouldn’t have, this is just a vacation.” She lied.
“Cece, I don’t know a lot about you, but I can at least tell that you aren’t the type to take a vacation.” He said crossing his arms.
“Why is that?” She replied defensively.
“Because you wouldn’t have usurped me so young, if you took breaks.” He replied quickly. “Now let’s go to the inn!” He cheered walking forwards into the building.
“Fine. This might as well happen.” She muttered. Cece was quite adept at skipping through the stages of grief, straight into acceptance. She wasn’t necessarily a go with the flow kind of person, but when your mind moved many times faster than a normal humans, you tended to behave like one.
For as frustrating as she found Eibon, she was relieved that he did in fact possess some tact, and chose to act like he didn’t know her when purchasing a room. Cece of course already had organized her stay and payment, so she simply checked in with the clerk in the lobby. The establishment was beautiful, it was sunny and full of potted plants. In the first floor was a lobby, with elaborately carved wooden sofas to form a central place to sit, and several smaller chairs and tables available as well. She glanced towards the back, where through a set of wide open doors, she could see the large pool behind the inn. It seemed like a nice place to relax.
She and Lotte took the stairs up to her room. It had a brass plaque on it, reading “13”. She used the key she was given and opened it to reveal a small, but luxurious room, with a desk, a dresser, a large bed with silk sheets, and a balcony overlooking the pool area. There was a bathroom attached to the room, filled with toiletries and towels. She had Lotte start putting away some of her clothes while she changed into something slightly more practical, for what she planned for the day. A white blouse, with a red suit jacket over it. She wore a pair of red shorts, a sturdy pair of walking boots, and a red cloche that matched the rest of her ensemble. Practicality was no excuse not be stylish. She switched her floral eyepatch to a dark red velvet eyepatch. Finally she began putting her hair in a simple braid to the side. As she finished she heard a knock on the door.
“Come in!” She called behind her. The door opened to reveal Eibon, holding a new drink.
“Where are we going?” He asked curiously.
“I’m going to a ruin, and I assume you’re going wherever you please.” She said with an air of exasperation.
“You assume correctly. Let me go grab my focus.” He said. Walking off to a room at the end of a hallway. The silence lingered for a moment before Lotte spoke up.
“Am I coming with you, Cece?”
“No, Lotte. It could be dangerous and I don’t want you to get damaged.”
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“I see. When will you return?” She asked.
“I’m not sure, hopefully within a few hours, but depending on how things work out I could be there longer. Don’t worry if I’m not back quickly, just stay in the room and don’t open the door for anyone.” Cece stated.
“Understood.” Lotte replied simply, going back to unpacking Cece’s things. Cece walked into the hallway, locking the door behind her. She found Eibon waiting outside his room.
“Soooo, where are we going?” He asked playfully.
“Iskaria.” She stated simply, with a soft grin on her face.
“That deathtrap? Cece I know we got off on the wrong foot, but why are you taking me there. I think it would be easier to just shoot me.” He said.
“I intended to go alone, but you had other plans. You’re welcome to stay here if you must.” She grinned.
“Nonsense, I’ll meet you outside, down the block.” He said waving her off and moving ahead of her. She simply nodded and let him go. She waited a moment before lingering in the lobby, trying to look like she was getting her bearings, before she exited the building and met up with him again. He somehow had already grabbed another drink, this one contained in a fruit she wasn’t familiar with.
“So why are we going to Iskaria?” He asked.
“I’m interested in their alchemy, and I needed a diversion while I avoid Solastria’s attention.” She said, despite the many people walking near her, since she had discreetly activated a silver scroll that would prevent noise from traveling.
“And you couldn’t have picked somewhere more survivable?” He asked with a slight chuckle. “How are we getting there anyway? I know it’s in Pharum, but isn’t it in the middle of the rainforest? That should be miles from here.”
“Iskaria seemed the most promising, and I’m confident in your ability to survive the unexpected.” She said smiling while tapping on her chest where she shot the man. “And we’re going to teleport, once I find somewhere nice and out of the way.” She said walking towards a nearby park. Despite being an urban area, plant life thrived in the high humidity of the city and the park was dense with bushes and trees.
“Oh, I didn’t realize you where teleporting. I can compensate you for the additional scroll if you wish?” Eibon said, sounding genuinely apologetic. Cece narrowed her eyes for a second in distrust before continuing towards a clearing behind the tree line.
“We won’t have to use an additional scroll.” She said simply.
“Did you already anticipate that I would come and make a scroll that could teleport two people?”
“No, I’m simply going to modify one of the scrolls I already have.”
“Out here? With what tools?” He asked. Cece blinked in confusion before remembering.
“Oh right, I forgot you haven’t seen this.” She said, starting to grin. Her commitment to efficiency meant that she so rarely had an opportunity to show off. Behind the cover of branches and leaves, Cece took off her eyepatch, while taking a scroll out of her bag.
Eibon had done his fair share of spying on Cece, it’s what good friends did in his opinion, but he knew very little about her boons besides her enhanced mind. He wasn’t a stranger to boons that changed your body, he lived in Ustrilla, and couldn’t walk around the town for more than five minutes without seeing someone who at least had horns. Still he looked at Cece with a mixture of curiousity and awe as she revealed her eye. Not because of it’s appearance, a daemonic circle, or pentagram, surrounded by many smaller symbols, but for the sheer amount of daemonic power it radiated. He had no idea how many boons were attached to that part of her body, but he couldn’t even speculate, as he was too distracted by what he saw next. The eye pulsed with light and the power inside of it surged. Suddenly parts of the inscriptions on the scarlet toned paper she held burned away. The eye pulsed several times in succession, each pulse accompanied by a burning sound as new inscriptions appeared.
“It’s done.” She said a moment later. “Are you ready?”
“What was that?” He asked despite his better judgment. It was passe to ask someone such a personal question, but he was a daemon of knowledge, it was his nature.
“Scribe’s eye.” She stated, surprising Eibon. Cece put her eyepatch back on and asked him again. “Are you ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be!” He said, feigning a bit more exuberance than he was actually feeling, his mind busy considering just how unusual his new friend was.