Nyxara
[Thursday, Umbrafall 18, 4310]
—Ajei Solvarin Pavilion: Small Ballroom—
As Zen and I walked into the ballroom, the first thing my senses picked up was the sound of the occupants. There were layers of sounds. Laughter woven into conversations. Measured and hurried footsteps alike crossed our polished stone floors. The low hum of active enchantments woven into the walls, the chandeliers, the masks themselves hummed in my ears. Over these past few days, my sense sensitivity increased to the point that Aspen and Korran created a dampening talisman to help me regulate my senses while I trained with Elias on how to control my increased sensitivity.
Being trained by Elias has been both the most frustrating and enlightening recent shift in my life. I'm learning faster than when Lux and Keir were in charge of my training. Elias trains me in a brutal cycle of pushing me until I'm at my limit, then letting me rest for five minutes before he pushes me again. When I complained about him bullying me, he told me my body was being trained for extended battle rhythms.
In a dry tone, he knelt down and told me while I lay gasping for breath on the floor, "It would be wonderful if we lived in a world where you would always have time to not feel like your body is one move away from falling apart, but that isn't reality. That is a line of thought that I, as your trainer and possible future squad mate, can't allow you to have. Now get up and resume battle-ready stance."
I would love to hate this man, but I'm too pragmatic for the feeling to stick. Elias is now my official combat trainer, so I spend three hours and forty minutes every weekday morning being trained by him. He attends at least two of my refresher lessons during the combat portion with Azrail every week. Lux and Keir train me in the Ajei paramilitary combat style on Saturdays so I won't lose my skill proficiency in it.
Elias, he's also there, but only as a training partner so Lux and Keir can focus solely on training me. Apparently, it's a requirement for Ajei heirs to be proficient in the style on top of whatever other combat styles we know. Being a part of a ruling family is not for the weak. Aspen had softly whispered this when he thought I was resting during my bi-weekly physical exam.
My thoughts eventually wandered back to him. I felt like I could constantly sense him nearby even if I didn't see or scent him. He is literally everywhere. Every time I turn around lately—he is there. Everyone around me when I casually brought it up told me he has always been around just that I never noticed before because of my—Grey's—previous obsession with the Dillards, my academy studies, and then always going away on trips.
I had no reason to be paranoid about his constant presence, but I couldn't help the feeling I was being stalked. He had mentioned yesterday while I was winding down that he would be here tonight. That he was invited as a friend of Lux's —since when were they friends?—so I was discreetly looking for him between being introduced by Zen or Líma to anybody Nimra told them I needed to at least greet.
I've barely graduated from walking exercises. However, I am enjoying being able to openly train and use the katas Azrail has taught me. Elias is the one drilling and training me in my grandmother's katas now. Because of course, Elias, as a Blood-Forged, is unnaturally talented in learning fighting techniques.
It tookhim only three days to completely learn the whole set of katas so he can teach them to me instead of Azrail. He has been pushing me so hard to learn them that I now move and breathe on a completely different level. I notice the micro-changes every day. The walking exercises I had been doing until yesterday transformed what had already felt natural to me when I practiced the katas into something entirely instinctive. I no longer have to think about my movements; I simply move.
So I'm thankful to him and respect him, but I can't help feeling betrayed by my body and mind whenever I'm around him. I get all warm and distracted. My scent becomes difficult to contain, so I've been working with Lux to finish the permanent glyph on my tertiary core sooner rather than later. I'm not blind to the fact that I'm attracted to him, but my heart isn't ready. Especially after the confrontation with Koba. So understand this: we are not engaging with anybody romantically any time soon. Hell, I'm not even going to go out of my way to make friends.
It was the soft chuckle accompanied by the scent of vanilla and tonka bean that pulled my attention away from where Líma and Zen were guiding me. I noticed him leaning against a wall nearby, talking to Keir and Venus. His warm amber eyes were on me, however. When our eyes met, he gave me a nod, which I returned. When he did not break eye contact with me, my body shivered and my breath caught in response to his intensity. I turned away before I did something crazy like smile at him or go over to him.
I was lucky or unlucky in that the next person I greeted was still within sight of him. While I made light conversation with the dean of the Kaethryn Institute main branch here in the capital, I examined Elias's costume. His costume was understated—so understated that it almost didn't qualify as a costume. He was dressed in what I assumed was a merchant or banker's attire. He looked understatedly wealthy. For all I know, he could be dressed up as a historical figure.
His appearance made him look like a distant cousin of himself. His height was shorter, his usual night-black hair now had red highlights, and his eyes were more round than oval. It's the kind of disguise that made him look forgettable. I wouldn't have identified him as Elias if I wasn't so familiar with his scent that I can pick it out of the myriad of scents in this room..
"Nyx, the dean was the last person on the list." Zen threw her claws up and did a little boogie, shedding her noble lady persona thus pushing Elias out of my mind from amusement. "Now we are free to enjoy the rest of the evening. Let's go dance while the floor isn't crowded." Zen pulled me onto the dance floor while Líma somehow faded away like the good android maid she was. I didn't doubt that she was nearby somewhere if I needed her.
As Zen and I danced to songs that strangely were either the same or very similar to songs I heard back on Earth, I embraced how the small ballroom glowed like a living thing to my senses even with my eyes closed. The lighting over the dance floor was dimmer as if it was its own mini space. The music seemed to thrum in my veins making me feel part of something bigger than myself.
When the song switched to the next one, Zen squeezed my hand, letting me know our illusion masks had cycled again. I pulled out a pocket mirror to see my illusion had transformed me into a woman with silver skin and crescent horns, my eyes glowing faintly teal. My hair was bleached white and styled around my horns. "Oh, I look exotic. Is my look based on a real being?" I asked Zen, who was examining herself in her own mirror.
"This one's my favorite so far," Zen said with a smile. She looked positively divine. She currently looked like an anthropomorphic elephant with four arms in a traditional skirt and breast band. Her tusks were as long as my horns. She was adorned with jewelry like an Indian goddess. She was striking poses, so I took photos. When she noticed, she pulled out her phone and returned the favor. I accommodated her by striking my own poses. We giggled and laughed in the photos we took together.
We walked off the dance floor to where Líma stood with a tray of water glasses for us. After our second glass of water, Zen finally answered my question. "Yes, your look is that of a ram shifter. I would pay good money to see you head-butt someone right now while in that form."
I placed my hand against her forehead for a fever and checked her breath for alcohol. "You don't have a fever and you aren't drunk, so what possessed you to want to see me head-butt someone?" Zen swatted me away. "I just think it would be funny. Also, I wouldn't mind testing out how well the illusion would hold up to the action." Zen said all matter-of-factly, but I didn't miss the chaotic mischief in her eyes. Oh no, it would appear Zen has either been infected by my crazy or she was already crazy and she is finally letting it out.
"Well, I'm not head-butting anyone at my brothers' birthday celebration, but I am willing to test out the hard physical limits of the illusion at a later date of your choosing." I held up my hand in a pledge mock-seriously. Zen giggled, "I'll hold you to that promise. Let's wander for now. I don't want to sit down, but I'm not ready to go back to dancing yet."
As we drifted through the warm room, we people-watched and made up fake stories about certain people as a game. Zen was telling me a made-up story about a pair of harpies we spotted talking to Nimra when I spotted representatives from the other three council families. Raine of the Xi Clan was surrounded by a group of arguing vampires. His ice-blue eyes were watchful even as he smiled and charmed those around him.
That particular shade of ice blue reminded me of something I had seen recently, but I couldn't clearly recall what it was. The ocean? Keir had asked for my opinion earlier on the location of his and Venus's mating ceremony, and the beach was one of his suggestions, so that could be what his eyes were reminding me of. While I pondered, my eyes caught on another council family member. Like Raine, I only knew who he was because of the portfolio I was given. Jasper Reign from the Reign Clan looked like trouble dressed like a Spanish King. His tilted crown and tall scepter made him look every inch the stoic conquistador.
I almost missed him, Sullivan Dillard. Once I saw him, I couldn't unsee him. He was dressed like a sad clown. A mute, sad clown. He reminded me of the Terrifier in style. The two black blades that blended into his black and white costume sold me on this image. It was hilarious despite that as I observed people either try not to get upset when he would just shrug and walk away from them or those aware of the blades and kept their distance when he came close to them. He is like a moving plague. I love it. Oh, Azrail has come upon him and shifted his costume to complement Crown Consort Dillard. Oh no. They are chasing people with weapons.
I almost fell over I was laughing so hard. This is the most entertained I've been in a long while. Actual, uncomplicated fun is hard to come by these days, so I am going to treasure and enjoy nights like tonight to the best of my ability.
"Let's hit the buffet before too many people crowd it." With Zen's agreement, we grab a plate each and descend upon the buffet tables like two hungry locusts.