Prompt #5 - Matter of Fact
The scratch of a quill on parchment cut the long, awkward silence between the Sea Wolf Roegadyn at his desk and the four individuals who stood before him. The Roegadyn himself was crisply dressed in a well-pressed shirt clasped within a jacket that was tailored to fit him in quite flattering fashion. The colours were dark and solid, contrasting against the light, dusty green of his skin. Teal eyes peered up at the gathering of four from behind delicate-looking spectacles, a small smile framed within neatly groomed seafoam hair.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice.”
The foursome before him seemed an odd lot. An elderly Hyuran man and a young Elezen stood with the grace and poise expected of good Ishgardian upbringing, even though there was the slight tension of trepidation throughout their limbs. Next to them a pair of identical twin hyuran women stood, their beauty ringed with an almost reptoid readiness and wariness. None of them gave more than a nod of acknowledgement to urge the Sea Wolf on.
He took the encouragement with another little smile as he sat up in his chair. “Today I am pleased to report that our hard work has finally borne fruit. The four of you exist now without a trace of the archcrystal’s aether. The extraction was a simple affair, but the dissipation, not quite so. Instead, I sought to coalesce the aether into a crystal onto itself. That way, it would attune to a new bearer, and trouble you no longer.”
The Elezen seemed to have immediate concerns, reflected on the face of her Hyuran companion. “While that -is- good news, now we have to wonder if we’re not back to square one. Even if it exists as a crystal, it remains a problem for us, doesn’t it? It means we still aren’t free of it.”
The Sea Wolf didn’t have to answer for himself -- it was one of the twins who did it for him. “...he gave the crystal to someone,” She deduced quietly -- her dark eyes never left his teal ones. “He passed it on so that it would be someone else’s problem.”
“The authorities?” Piped up the Hyur. Though his tone was hopeful, his face showed that he had already guessed the answer.
“As much as I would have liked to pass it on to the authorities -- that being the Arcanist’s guild in this case, since I’m not quite trusting of the Thaumaturge’s circle -- I did want the act of surrendering the crystal to result in some sort of benefit to us.”
The second twin laughed; it was a melodious yet somehow spiteful sound, a very non-verbal expression of derision. “Is your skin green because of the Roegadyn blood, or the snake’s blood, I wonder?”
“Come now,” The Sea Wolf sighed, “Let us not throw darts. You are all free. Naturally, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like, voluntarily as ever, but the need has gone. The crystal and its aether are no longer a part of your lives.”
“But at what cost?” Demanded the Elezen. “Do you think the person who has it now deserves such a burden?”
The Sea Wolf’s smile moved seamlessly from warmth to a subtle sliver of potent, vindictive glee. It drew the attention of the twins, whose body language spoke of heightened wariness.
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
