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“Here, in here, I believe I’ll be able to hear you and your decrees better in here when I’m snuggled in my favorite chair,” Terra waved a weary hand, the flying book reaching and trailing her every step, and then from within the steep curving corridors of the spiraling tower’s interior carried the hard echoing rattle of an opened door. “Well, Lordship’s first, I suppose? Enter, I can hardly wait to hear what you have in store for me today.”

“As am I, my dear Magus,” beamed Wilvur, striding into the now open doorway. “Umm, you may stay out here,” He added quickly, briefly turning back at Eshwlyn. “Not for your ears. And don’t loiter too far now-I’ll return soon enough. I suspect the Magus is keen to keep our visitations on her doorstep brief.”

“Oh, very keen indeed,” Terra said, flashing an enormously sweet smile. “Now get in the room already.”

Then with a resounding slam, the door swung shut, the hovering book only just managing to slink through the rapidly shrinking gap and Eshwlyn was left in the barren isolation of the winding halls, the directives given to her allowing her only the freedom to peer through the copper-tinted windows, offering a brownish view of the vast township now stretched so far below that the once-looming buildings seem nothing more than just oddly-shaped pebbles strewn across the earth.

True to his words, in spite even of her sharp sense, Eshwlyn could not understand a single word spoken from beyond the tower’s thick stone walls. It was as if someone had placed an invisible, watery dome over the closed door, drowning whatever dispute they were having within into nothing more than the sound of gurgling water.

And a dispute it was. Twice, Eshwlyn heard the alarming yet dampened sound of raised voices, ultimately culminating in an aggressive stream of black hair storming out into the corridor, whirling quickly out of sight followed closely by a speeding book and a hail of profanities echoing in furious mutters.

.....

“A new precedent. Took her a whole hour to go walking out on me last time,” Wilvur spoke, slowly emerging out of the room wearing a rather meek expression. “I suppose I should go after her, shouldn’t I? No need to follow, just hang about for a little while more, there are only about fifty possible floors she could have marched herself into-couldn’t have gotten far. Well, hopefully...”

And so for the second time in quite a short span of time, Eshwlyn found herself alone and bound inescapably to his soft-spoken orders, only except-the door to the room hung partly ajar, and much to her great surprise, her footsteps stayed unimpeded even as her cloak slowly skimmed across the old timbered flooring.

She recognized the slightly small, squarish space as a study from the furnishings dwelling within. A long narrow desk sat on one end of the room in a cluttered mess of wrinkled parchment and strange artifacts that would surely have earned her another harsh ‘reprimanding’ had it been her duty to clear it away.

The ceiling was draped in glittering strings of multi-colored light, shifting gradually to a warm white pulsating light as she strode forward further, for amongst the brimming shelves of wondrous objects, the bizarre decor hanging against the walls, something had ensnared her gaze.

Something mundane, something that did not belong... at least when compared to the other wondrous relics that the room carried. But it was solely because of that exact same mundanity that had, in her eyes, set it vastly apart from everything else.

Hanging high behind the desk, encased in a solid glass framing was the very same garment Lenora had sewn and stitched for Terra long ago. Closer now, Eshwlyn could see her breathless reflection in the glass, unawarely tracing her fingers across the gleaming surface-instantly recognizing the different types of hides used that made up its form. A bit of Klep, the large pelt of a Kalf, and many, many more. She remembered Lenora, she remembered that tiny hunched figure sitting beneath the shade of a tree for hours, how brightly her green eyes then shimmered upon completion. The very same shade of green that now hauntingly stared back at her.

“Hey! Get away from that! You-You’re not supposed to be in here, are you?! Go! Shoo! You want your stupid boss to hear about this?! I’ll make sure he does!”

Recoiling and stumbling back alarmed, Eshwlyn hastily darted around and found a piercing pair of deep blue eyes looming from beneath the doorway. Terra’s temper had not yet abated, instead only rising more at the sight of her there.

“Am I need of a sign? Do you people really need telling twice? Thrice? Is it seriously a necessity for me to bewitch my tower for trespassers every time I have – ” She never finished. Terra looked around her study, the bright radiating lights swaying about highlighting the sudden confusion flooding into her wide, opened eyes. “Wait, white? Why are they glowing white? Why are you white? Hang on, hold on, that doesn’t make any...”

Large, wide strides had the bemused Magus closing the gap between them in seconds, her book loyally hovering at a close distance. Eshwlyn felt her muscles spur, her given orders of not drawing attention obscuring her face in the dark crimson shade of her hood.

“Humans are blue. Demons are red. Vampires are... and white is-white is-no, but that simply can’t be, unless... but... no, what are you? who are you?” Terra blinked, peering closer at her than ever before. Her deep blue eyes finally seeing past the red, the cloak, finding fleetingly the slightest glint of a familiar green. “No... no! Eshwlyn! Is that-oh, by the Divines! It’s you! Eshwlyn, it’s you! You’re here! You’re...!”

Terra’s gaping lips made even more movement, but no words would emerge. Her anger instantly dissipated. In shock, terror, failing to stifle a whole array of volatile emotions, she crashed into her desk. Her book, which previously hovered steadily and effortlessly beside her, plunged to the ground in a hard, echoing thud where it did not stir anymore.

“This can’t be-no, not you! Why you?” The tremulous Magus had managed to find her voice again, only shriller, higher. All around them, the swaying strings began flickering between blinding blues and whites in rapid succession. “How did this happen? When? Eshwlyn, how-why-Lenora! Oh no, not Lenora! Eshwlyn, where’s Lenora? What did they do to her?”

Even without her orders compelling her to silence, Eshwlyn did not have the slightest chance to respond. Her ears twitched, pushing hard against the fabric, hearing marching steps from a distance rapidly growing closer.

“Something the matter?” Now Wilvur stood beneath the doorway, the same raised eyes, the same narrowed lips, flicking quickly between them both. “I heard shouts. Has my subordinate over here done something to upset you? I certainly hope not. Especially not after resolving our regrettably heated affairs.”

Terra blinked the same incredulous blink, stared the same disbelieving stare. Briefly, she glanced at Eshwlyn, then blinked again...

“You’ve any idea how ominous-looking your red idiots skulking about are, your Lordship?” Terra’s face was filled with disdain, and contempt, walking towards Wilvur with her book quickly hurling back by her side. “Scared the magic out of me to see her snooping around in my study. Seriously, do you not teach your people about personal privacy... or is equipping them with the most horrid of spells your only priority?”

“She’s, well... quite new,” Wilvur limply smiled. “Rest assured, won’t happen again-will it now, Eshwlyn?” He asked, his tone with a sudden edge. “Come over here, do as I say.”

Once again, those forceful words from the stiffening curl of his lips-and Eshwlyn was stripped away of all control. She walked, every step like a violet pull of a rope grinding against her wrist, her legs. Behind her, she could feel the heavy linger of Terra’s gaze boring into the back of her head.

“Your lights,” Wilvur’s eyes amusingly darted about. “Hm, what do white represent again? I’m utterly terrible with this whole magic business.”

“Bugs,” Terra quickly said. “I found a terrible infestation of Ketertras just the other day. Been flickering white periodically ever since then.”

“Dear, dear,” He tutted, his gaze now shifting a little more warily. “Well, I pray you good fortune in dealing with them.”

“Yes, thanks.”

When Eshwhlyn had finally drawn back to her captor’s side, a moment of shared silence followed, a moment of shared gazes, before, with a resonating clap that traveled far, Wilvur jovially exclaimed, “Alright! I suppose that will be all then. I’m glad that we both eventually could come to an agreement.”

Faintly, Eshwlyn heard a derisive snort that he evidently did not hear.

“I suspect I shall be returning someday soon, so rest assured, you have yet to see the last of me here,” Wilvur threw Terra the most sincerest of smiles to which she did not return. “In the meantime-I still have one more thing I’ve yet to address here. So if you would excuse us, Eshwlyn and I here would be heading further down south. Ah, no need to show us out! I daresay I’ve trekked through this tower’s walls long enough to recall the exit.”

With a courteous bow, Wilvur began to walk away, and Eshwlyn, after much silent protesting, obediently followed. But then before they could completely turn out of sight, a voice suddenly shouted.

“Further down...? Oh no, no! You can’t mean...!”

A scurry of steps, an audible intake of breath, and all of a sudden, Terra’s panicked eyes stared back at them. Her pale face glowing a darkish yellow from the rays of light pouring into the empty hall.

“Yes?” Wilvur turned, raising a brow. “Is there anything else?”

Undoubtedly from Terra’s strained expression, there had to be. But then her lips thinned, the echoes of her footsteps began to die away-her book sank slightly.

“No, no, not at all,” She answered. “It’s just... you’re going further south, yes?” She continued on, her piercing blue eyes looking more towards Eshwlyn than to who she was directly addressing. “Please. You know how it is there. Exercise caution. Great caution.”

At that, Wilvur gave a hearty chuckle. “Why, Terra-I didn’t know you cared!”

Terra simply continued to stare.

“But of course, of course...” the pale-haired man gave another bow, manifesting another smile that for once, did not look at all reassuring. “Eshwlyn and I will both be extra careful.”