So the internet went out and I decided to make some wholesome content with the references already on my phone. This is a group selfie that my DnD mates took (Lishari is posed after my DM, for example, and Jespar after me). Characters featured: Jespar, Lishari, Calia, my prophet, and those of @tenwhiteapricots and @nuka-zombie
Suprise!
Lishari looked up from the book in her lap. She was sitting on a bench in the courtyard when the boy walked up to her. She shifted her magelight aside so she could see him clearly in the evening sun. “Hey, what’s up, kid?”
The little boy took a moment to look at her. He had a letter in his hand. “Oh, my mistake. I’m sorry to disturb you. I think I have the wrong person…”
“Who’s that from?” Lishari queried, nodding at the letter.
“Mysir Dal’Varek, mydame.”
‘That mercenary Constantine hired...’
“And... who is it for?”
“I was told to deliver this to a ‘beautiful woman with bright green eyes’, but...” he answered, and looked at her closely again under her light. “But your eyes aren’t green…”
“Oh!” Suddenly, Lishari’s curiosity was piqued. “I think I know who you’re talking about.” She looked past the boy to scan the courtyard. “Last I checked, she was in the Emporium speaking with Grandmaster Aranthael… Oh!” Maera had just stepped out of the building. “There she is!” Without a word, the boy went to her.
Observing from afar, Lishari quickly noticed the look on Maera’s face. The Prophetess had a blank expression, but her eyes held traces of both anger and frustration. ‘Looks like the trial was rough on her…she looks positively furious with Aranthael right now.’ The boy came up to Maera and his sudden appearance before her broke her out of her troubled haze. ‘Well... let’s hope that kid is bringing her good news.’
Upon him handing over the letter, Lishari smiled as she observed the Prophetess pay the boy a handful of pennies with a gracious smile. As the boy skipped away, Maera opened the letter and read it. A surprised look crossed her face.
‘Beautiful woman with bright green eyes, huh…?’
The Prophetess visibly blushed. Lishari could not help but grin in amusement.
‘Lucky man.’
---
‘He’s still here…’
Maera stared at the letter.
Jespar wanted to meet her to congratulate her for passing the trial.
“...in person.”
‘I thought I was never going to see him again…’
All of a sudden, Maera’s frustrations with Arantheal were forgotten. She took her gaze away from the letter for a second, and looked back, reading it again. She could not believe what she held in her hands.
‘What am I supposed to think?’
‘Maybe he’s just trying to be polite.’
‘Last time you spoke, he was planning to leave the country.’
‘But he didn’t.’
‘But why?!’
“Secret admirer?”
Maera yelped in surprise as Lishari tapped her on the shoulder, having snuck up from behind. Before she could react, Lishari had plucked the letter out of her fingers and began to read it herself.
“Lishari, give that back!” Maera chased after the mage as she pranced away.
“...it would rob me of my sleep to know that I didn’t congratulate you in person…” Lishari read Jespar’s words out loud, “Should your holy duties allow it- hey!”
Maera managed to grab it back, thankfully without wrinkling or tearing it. She immediately tucked the letter into her leather tunic. “Lishari...that was personal,” she murmured weakly in embarrassment, her cheeks completely flushed.
“Oh, lighten up. I was just curious.” Lishari laughed.
“What’s going on?” Calia had joined them.
“Nothing.” Maera piped up, her voice small.
“Our Prophetess got a letter from her lover,” Lishari teased relentlessly.
Maera threw her a withering stare. “Lishari, we’re just friends...” she murmured sadly.
“Constantine mentioned he was planning to leave the country...” Lishari responded back. “I wonder why he decided to stay?” she pondered outloud with a mischievous grin.
“May I see it?” Calia asked Maera with as light-hearted and polite of a tone as possible. Her curiosity was also having the best of her. Lishari giggled.
“No!” Maera crossed her arms, as though to protect Jespar’s letter. “By the Sun, you two are like a bunch of little girls.”
“Well, being surrounded by these old folks day-to-day….relatively speaking, you’re not wrong,” Lishari argued playfully. She looked at Calia. “Unfortunately, Calia, it’s honestly nothing too juicy. Dal’Varek simply wanted to congratulate her on becoming one of your lot.”
“Oh…” Calia seemed a little stunned as Lishari spoke to her. Maera noticed her cheeks reddening as well.
‘Looks like I’m not the only one with an infatuation…’
“I was only teasing our Prophetess,” Lishari explained. “When I saw her read the letter, the reaction I saw on her face made her feelings for Dal’Varek so damn obvious, I wouldn’t be surprised if she ca-”
“Lishari!” Maera did not want to hear the rest of that.
“I see.” Calia’s raised a brow in amusement.
“So…” Lishari turned her sights back to Maera. “Are you going to go see him now?”
Maera huffed. “Of course I am. Like I said, we’re friends.” She turned away and began to head out.
“Tell us what happens after!”
Without looking back, Maera flipped her off on her way out. Lishari simply laughed.
“There you are! I was beginning to think you skipped town,” Lishari sighed with relief. “Aranthael has been asking for you, you know? He’s been sending people out to look for you for over two weeks now.”
“I was away.” Maera crossed her arms and stared at the ground. “I’ve been…” she hesitated. ”I’ve been doing some jobs here and there...went back to Riverville to help out its residents,” she explained. Maera nodded her head towards the board. “I just came back to Ark this morning to see what jobs are available here. Riverville is mostly out of work for me now, but I’m so close to being able to purchase the place I was looking at in the city. I need a place to stay, after all. I don’t want to keep staying at inns or outdoors if I can help it.”
“Oh? Which one?”
“The place in the Noble Quarter, across from the Bathhouse.”
Lishari balked at her. “You’ve already earned enough to buy that place?!”
“No, almost. Just need a few hundred more.”
‘Wow...Emissaries are crazy…’ Lishari thought to herself. She then blinked, remembering why she was there. “Maera, you do know that if you work with us, you could have - at the very least - room and board covered, right?” Lishari pointed out. “They would also pay you to work with them.”
“But I would have to join the Order first,” Maera replied, rubbing her arms in discomfort, “I just...don’t like the idea…”
“...of joining a religious military group?” Lishari looked up at the sky, pondering, “Yeah, I understand that. From what I’ve observed, their members can be... how should I say it? A little too much...even for my liking, I’ll admit.”
“Mhm...plus…”
“Hm?” Lishari looked back at her curiously.
“I just…” Maera paused, wondering how much to tell the Nehrimese mage. “Coming to Enderal...I just...want a fresh start and have my own space...” she explained, “I want to live my own life.”
"You..." Lishari took a moment to think. "You didn't like what old Aranthael told you, huh?” she wondered out loud, “The whole doom-and-gloom-endtimes Cleansing business? The idea of being some chosen one or the 'Prophetess', as he likes to call you?" she added, her fingers raised in quotations.
Maera groaned and visibly cringed at her words, wearily covering her face with her gloved hands.
"I figured as much," Lishari sighed with an empathetic smile.
“I doubt he even remembers my name…”
“Well, I can’t say I’ve heard him mention it yet,” Lishari murmured. She looked up in thought. “To be honest, I can sort of understand how you feel,” she began. “We’re both beautiful, talented young women, and we have our whole lives ahead of us,” she thought out loud, “I don’t know what your life was like before coming here, but personally, if it wasn’t for the whole world-ending factor of this Cycle, I too would probably resent having to put my life on hold in order to follow someone like Arantheal.”
Maera brought her hands down to her mouth. Her eyes met Lishari’s.
“But I will say this,” the latter continued, “You may not agree with how he or the Order operates, but we - and by we, I mean the Order and us Mages - are trying to stop some serious shit from happening. Regardless of how you feel about them, you’ll have to admit that you cannot ignore this Cleansing business forever. It’s going to affect everyone one way the other, including you.” Lishari placed a hand on Maera’s shoulders. “And again, like it or not, we need your help,” she reminded her.
Maera turned away from Lishari to look at the job board. There was still plenty of work for her to do - both within and outside Ark, but despite how close she was to getting that place, there were other finances she had to consider. For one, she could not keep residing at inns as a long-term solution, especially if she wanted to purchase furnishings and supplies once she acquired the place. On top of day-to-day supplies like food, potions, and upgrades to her armor - nevermind a weapon - there was also the idea that she has yet to figure out the recipe for Ambrosia, which she unfortunately now depends on to relieve her Arcanist Fever. It was incredibly pricey and easily the biggest drain on her purse. She hated to admit it, but Lishari was right. She needs the Order and its resources.
Maera sighed heavily, exasperated.
“I don’t like this.”
“I know.”
“I don’t like him.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“Yet you still think I should join him?”
“Join us,” Lishari exclaimed. “You won’t be working with just him and the Order, remember? I’ll be there too - with Constantine and the other Nehrimese Mages.”
“Lishari, I still have to join the Order,” Maera repeated, her discomfort flashing across her face. “I won’t go into details...but I’m not exactly the ideal candidate to join a religious group…”
“At this point, I don’t think Aranthael will care where you came from,” Lishari explained, “especially given the fact that you’ve been developing your magical abilities a ridiculously fast rate. Pretty much anyone who is magically gifted is needed by the Order right now. Plus, you know, the fact that you are the Prophetess and everything...”
“I see.”
“Listen, Maera...” Lishari walked up to stand beside her, throwing an arm over Maera’s shoulders. “If it’ll make you feel more comfortable, I’d be more than happy to help you get adjusted to staying at the Temple. The members of the Order haven’t exactly warmed up to us Mages yet, so suffice to say, I still feel like an outsider around them…”
“Lishari, that...doesn’t sound hopeful at…”
“Well, just between us, I can at least help you develop your magical abilities, if you want of course.”
“Well…” Better her than the others, Maera admitted to herself.
“And if Aranthael or the Order gives either of us shit, we can grab a drink together in the Fat Leoran to bitch and moan about it.”
