Heleion Archives

“Mnn mmnn'ph gmph nmmnm mmnphh phhnph mnn hnnmm?” Anina’s muffled, unintelligible voice came through her mouth sealed beneath the five layers of silver sealing tape Tawheeda wrapped around her head. She regained her consciousness only a few moments ago. While she felt anger at herself first, she calmed down and tried to reason with her captor.

“Yeah, I know. I really should change occupation. But my only choices with this skillset are either to be a courier or well a soldier. And with this curse, both would bring equal headaches, and worse pay.” Tawheeda said as she leaned on the opposite shelf with her back as she sat in front of Anina. She just finished putting Edith to sleep after she taught Tawheeda was casting a killing spell.

"PHhnph'ph nnph mmhnph N... Nmfmrmnnn." Anina tried to speak, visible agitated this time as she strained forward, the sealing tape keeping her to the shelf prevented any movement aimed to get her further from it. Her sharp cheeks under the layers of tape puffed out as she breathed deeply, calming herself once more. For a while she thought to scream, so someone may her hear. But she discarded it as she still wished to live out her life, even though she was in a business where premature death is somewhat normal.

“Anyway, it was nice talking to you for this bit. But time to make sure you won’t attract the attention of the nearby guards. This room can only fit so much of you.” Tawheeda said with a sly smile as she envisioned a room stacked full with bound Black Roses. At a time she was thinking of following after her fellow Sisters who joined the Black Rose after the Great War, but in the end, she decided to remain independent in the south.

“Sleep well my little beauty.” The tip of her ring and index finger locked together on her right arm as she funneled her mana into them. A golden spark allured Anina’s gaze to them as Tawheeda waved her hand in a horizontal clock’s shape before a golden spark resembling ethereal sand flew into center of Anina’s forehead, sending her deep into sleep.

Tawheeda took one last look at her handiwork, sent one last kiss to the three bound and sealing tape gagged Black Roses softly whimpering in their sleep as the shadows of the closed room swallowed them.

“Now, time to climb thirty-four more floors.” Her eyes gazed at the ceiling with tiredness as she exhaled. Then the golden, sparkling sand enveloped her body as she leaped to the ceiling, phasing straight through it.

**

Meanwhile on the top floor, an hour ago

The thrumming of the Flottirion echoed alongside the fury of the storm as it gradually increased its assault on the ward that surrounded the Blundaeorn Tower. The magicraft transport slowly descended with its blinding lights bathing the top landing pad hovering over the edge.

The four Volvaeth stood silently as the generated winds blew their Vigrieth Type-IV coats scraping the ground. Their hoods pulled down as their rich colored long hairs cascaded down onto their shoulders and backs.

Their high collars resembled the northern fountain flower. Split into two parts, a vertical, curving almost into itself with the zipper shining brightly even as shadows veiled it. And a horizontal designed after the leaves of said flower, with sharper ends coated in snow silver adramantyrium.

“Welcome Amirah Nuha Al-Bilal! Everything has been prepared as you wanted!” Helenaith appeared out of thin air in a burst of snowflakes and frosty magical energies as she welcomed their guest with a deep, eloquent bow, her deep, serene voice laced with respect.

A snaelv elf with a soft triangular mature face, skin as white as the finest of snow found blanketing the mountains, contrasting with her military attire. Hair equally white with ends frosty like the top of the lakes. Eyes rich crystalline pearls in a pond of pure whiteness. Her exceedingly long hair parted over the right, draping half her chest.

“Thank you, my Helen. I’m thankful that it is you this time. The other one was quite the, how should I say this, loafed maybe the right word.” Nuha said with a wide smile across her experienced face as the two hugged each other.  While some wrinkles appeared already on her rich, coffee tanned skin, compared to others in her age, she kept herself well. Her long, graying dark hair knotted in a high bun decorated with ornaments of the rich golden hue of the southern sun. Her attire a typical shailonian dress of mauve and golden with both the bottom and top ending in curves similar to a gouged apple.

“Is she here yet by the way?” Then she asked as her eyes darted all over the place. Her tone a bit dejected as her eyes only fell upon the four Volvaeths and the staff that rushed up the stairs before standing in a disciplined line in front of the four.

“Something came up, so she can’t attend tonight’s gala. But she wishes you the best of time for tonight.” Helenaith said as she snapped her fingers. The baggages inside the back compartment of the Flottirion hovered in the air, slowly followed after them like disciplined servants as they walked down the twisting stairs leading into the extremely large suite.

“With you again, I doubt I’ll have a bad time.” Nuha gently tapped Helenaith’s bottom as they entered the suite.

“You can leave for now.” Helenaith serene voice echoed within the four volvaeths minds. They gently bowed down before they hurriedly left through the elevator.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have to take a long bath. The way here was awful for a lack of better word.” As the staff grabbed the baggage hovering the air, prepared drinks and food, Nuha Al-Bilal said with a deep sigh while taking in the view. Helenaith showed her the bath before giving orders to each staff member through telepathy. The suite turned busy as the hour rapidly approached midnight.

**

“Just one Drake’s Breath please!” Nynaail sat down on the tall chair, her enchanted voice a pleasure to be heard for the waiter behind the counter.

“Right away miss!” The young wood elven barista said with a welcoming smile and a tone that carried an air of heart-warming kindness. He wore the standard staff uniform, a silvery white shirt of the finest arcane-woven silk possessing quite a gracious sheen with a texture between soft and hard. On top of it a burgundy red sleeveless vest of a velvety kind going perfectly with the shirt and a black trousers and elegant shoe on the bottom.

“Eugh finally. Sorry, do you mind if we sit here?” Just as the barista disappeared to concoct Nynaail’s order, two extraordinary elven beauties showed up, seemingly jolting through the bar straight to the counter.

“I don’t mind. Quite on the contrary, it would be my pleasure.” Nynaail answered as she eyed the two elven beauties with the hidden gaze of a predator who just found their prey as she recognized the two for what they are. Black Rose Volvaeths who just managed to get away from their post on the top floor as was described in their intel.

“Oh where are my manners. Nynaail, a wandering merchant of the Gilded Sun Company!” She offered her hand to the dark elven closest to her.

“Zekona and here my less talkative friend, Amaliwyn.” As she introduced themselves, her soft, raspy voice got accompanied by the sound of her coat’s zipper pulled down. She quickly signaled to the barista who turned around sensing the two, and roughly ordered to Boreal Bears for herself and Amaliwyn on top of Drake’s Breath.

“So, what business one such as yourself have here if you don’t mind the question.” Zekona said as her chin rested in her soft palms, her long burgundy red hair parted to the left cuddled the glass top of the counter, while the right braided side got exposed to Nynaail’s view. Her blueish black gleaming complexion perfectly matched with her aetherna satin blouse that was dyed boreal blue for Volvaeths. Her eyes reminiscent of a predator’s were blessed with a rich mauve hue.

“Just some small business with some Hoshigawans, supply to their forces in the peninsula.” Nynaail recounted her cover story as she inspected the finer details the two possessed. Her eyes were mostly fixated on Zekota, but she also fantasized a bit about Amaliwyn, an umbral elf that appeared shyer than her fellow kin tend to.

With her ethereal beauty, she reminded Nynaail of porcelain dolls manufactured in Hoshigawa. An elegant, perfectly porcelain white skin that gave her a haunting elegance, paired with long hair with thick fringe impossible to see through reaching almost down to her bottom. Yet unlike many of her kin, her hair has been died in a mix of deep blue and green that still contributed to her air of mystery. The only thing that seemed out of place were her eyes, two swirling pearls of crimson red in a pond of pitch blackness.

“Now it is hard to notice your, well frustration as you barged straight here. May I ask why, just so that I may help it alleviate it.” Then as they got their drinks, she asked in whispers with slight charm imbued into her voice and honeyed breath.

“I’m not sure we can talk about that.” Zekona hesitated for a hot minute, turned to her silent friend who already took her first sip after she buttoned out her blouse down to her quite expansive chest, almost rivalling Nynaail’s. Her perfectly white cheeks reddened slightly as both the drink hit her, and the beauty of Nynaail registered in her sight and mind. She awkwardly nodded.

“It’s a bit complicated. But we’re here to act as bodyguards to a certain VIP personage. And well she can be a bit of a headache on top of our superior. But to be honest, we can’t really complain compared to the staff that has to attend their needs.” Her cheeks puffed out as her thoughts got jumbled, a small whisper notching her to lay out her gripes with their current assignment.

“Oh I get that. Before I got this job I served in the south’s army. Had a few jobs where I had to babysit some idiots who just got lucky and born into their wealth and power.” Nynaail offered her condolences with half-truths and lies. It was true that she served in the Shailonian army, but then got recruited by the Daughters of the Arcane Sand relatively quickly thanks to her assets and capabilities, both martial and arcane. And she did have similar assignments, but they were mostly to guard merchants from assassins, whom were a bit easier to put up with now that she thought about it looking at Zekona’s frustration.

“How was the change from a job like that to being a dealer?” Then to her surprise, Amaliwyn asked with her emotionless eyes piercing into her.

“Well, at first it was a bit weird and I was a bit afraid. But then I realized it is just like fighting an enemy, but instead of using my fist or magic, I use my honeyed words so to speak. Well it sometimes does get physical though.” She added with a smug smile that invited the gazes of the two, and the barista who took a peek while serving another.

The trio continued their chatter for a while before Nynaail looked at her clock. Zekona and Amaliwyn appeared a bit dejected, one because of the charm, the other simply because Nynaail was her type, which she managed to blurt out in her half drunken state. She invited the two saying that she has a partner in Tulaiha whom she can push her ‘task’ on.

The two looked at each other swiftly and nodded at the same time. They followed her after ordering a bottle of sweet champagne. A wicked smug ornamented Nynaail’s face as the elevator’s doors closed…