Azoth Nights

[Hazuki]

Azoth Nights (http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/213/e/1/east_city_by_tenshikii-d59dfvd.png)
~ (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=644783)

The creature of curious origins was stirred from her slumber of lazy occupation by pounding feet in the streets and whispers shared by the conservative citizens of Azoth. Moving about from day to day was beginning to get stale, besides the secrets she was certain lurked in the minds of the elves who willingly shared their city with her. Perhaps they were not as all-knowing as they believed, and, even with their secrets of their mind, failed to perceive what she truly was. Or they did know, and they were testing her with their silence and hospitality. She couldn't know, besides hearing the tales of the creatures that were imprisoned for daring to step past the gates for the sin of bearing magic.

Since she'd entered, Azoth had been calm; which is why, in that morning, the commotion caught her attention and prompted her to chase down the source. The guardians of the city, standing as they did along almost every street to aid the citizens or visitors with whatever they needed, were surprisingly helpful in revealing the information Bim sought. Despite their apparent impartiality and supposedly solemn gazes, with eyes that pierced any veil, they were more than amicable to the strange human woman. Even they seemed to subvert her expectations, lacking the coldness that the stature of the city and its people seemed to imply. They were either genuine in their readiness to support her, or she was getting complacent.

Bim found out that a prisoner had been taken trying to pass through the gates of the city, and swiftly imprisoned for charges of being a magical creature and passing their sensors as a creature tainted by vile magicks. Along with a few possible charges of murder in the surrounding lands, yet why she would enter the city dressed as such escaped the faculties of Bim's mind. Perhaps she was innocent, somehow, and left scared and alone by sudden hostilities from the city. Bim could only be thankful for the fact that this day was sunny; and that the prisoner didn't arrive on a night like she had. Black clouds hanging in the night, punctuated by thunderclouds and the heavy downpour of rain, while windows lit by dim light glimmered in the towering buildings...the memory made her gut twist.

Still, Bim set off towards where she'd heard the prisoner was taken; outside of the Temple and imprisoned in a barred cage to await the judgment of the city's leaders, which would assuredly last for a long time while they checked through their records and figured out a way to divine their prisoner's charges. The citizens would not cause trouble, for the most part, unless the troublemakers who'd been importing banned goods were still at large and felt like attempting to steal a prisoner right from the center of the city. But that would be a silly thing to do.

The soft hum of music greets Bim's ears as she enters the square, the bustle of a polite marketplace tickling in the background while the citizens go about their day and largely ignore the large metal cage that set before the many steps of the temple. It sits at least ten feet wide and long, oil-treated bars of wood serving to prevent the prisoner's escape, each sitting half a foot apart and cross across each other to stop anyone from attempting to slip in or out. Other than the padded floor, for the comfort of their captive, and the wheels attached to the bottom, the cage has few defining features. A few guards stand along the steps of the temple, but make no motions as Bim approaches the cage, apparently having no issues with it.

Sitting in the corner of the cage, with her back leaning against the corner while she lazily watches the marketplace of Azoth, is the prisoner. She appears not to have been harmed in her imprisonment, even wearing a lovely green cloak that covers most of her form, and seems to be suffering from little distress other than soft glares occasionally sent in the direction of the guards. One thing is for certain; this woman, however beautiful, is not from these lands, and her eyes possess a certain peculiar quality to them. Which Bim becomes only more aware of as they settle on her, staring, but giving no other gesture.


http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/208/8/b/warlock_by_darkredrose-d41tija.jpg

[Moonwolf727]

Bim would admit, quite easily in fact, that this was unsettling her. The staring. Not the cage. Honestly though, it looked quite comfortable in there, not that she wanted to find out, of course. She at least hoped the woman, who was still looking at her like that, was being treated well. Seemed like it.

Really though, the staring was getting uncomfortable now, it might help if the captive woman would just blink or something. There wasn't even any way of starting a conversation. it was just awkward staring and all Bim could do was look back blankly, albeit not as fixedly. She supposed she could try talking to the woman, if the guards didn't take offense to her actions. It was all she could do to quietly address the girl in the cage. "Uhm, I must say, you're making me just a tad worried. Not to be insensitive at all, I don't mean to offend..... Are you at least comfortable in there?".

[Hazuki]

A slight smile came to the caged woman's lips as the woman she was staring at approached her cage and spoke to her in a voice fairly demure for somebody talking to a prisoner. It wasn't a mocking smile, or predatory, but perhaps simply pleasant, as she got to her feet in the cage and wrapped her hands around one of the bars, so she could meet Bim's gaze properly. Her cloak swished at the back of her heels, covering the entirety of her form, save for her head and the hair that flowed from it.

"I'm comfortable, for now. I have little to do but sit around, so there is not much in the way of entertainment. But now you are here, talking with me, so I think things are going in my favor. Wouldn't you agree?" her words are nonchalant, but with a clear wry bite to them that shows she isn't quite as pleased as she would pretend. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Mithra. How can I help?"

[Moonwolf727]

She blinked slowly a couple times, both a sign of her surprise and a considerable acheivement. For the longest time Bim had struggled to co-ordinate the blinking of her multiple eyes and she was proud of her ability to do it now, even if was nothing to everyone else. Either way, this was unexpected. Those words were cutting, dominant and they carried command.
Pecking order: established.

Bim's lips twitched nervously for a second, she was trying to hide her mild intimidation behind a friendly smile. It was a genuine one of course, she did want to make this a nice experience after all, but that didn't change that she was clearly not in control here. Regardless of the bars. "I'm honestly not sure there's anything I need help with..... or that you can do from where you are. Not in a bad way of course! Just you are kind of caught up in that... cage. I'm Bim, just so you know". She began to extend her hand but hesitated as she quickly remembered the obvious bars in the way. She doubted the guards would allow any kind of contact at all so she withdrew it sheepishly and looked down, shuffling her feet somewhat while she waited for a reply.

[Hazuki]

Mithra patiently listened to Bim's response, her smile disappearing for only a brief moment as Bim mentions the cage, before it returns and she shot a glance over the guards that stood at the steps of the temple. Then her eyes turned back to Bim, not bothering to look down at her twitching lips or her shuffling lips, or perhaps noticing them anyway and not letting Bim know. Either way, she blinked her captivating eyes and let out a soft sigh.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Bim. The fools have kept me locked in here under the charge of being evil. I kept telling them that it's a mistake, but no, they have to check with their superiors. It's this cloak, I tell you; and I was the one who slew the woman who committed the crimes for which they are blaming me. A reward would be expected, alas, now all I have is a fancy cloak and a potential prison sentence." She tilted her head at Bim again. "I cannot help you now, but perhaps I could, once I am freed. I would ask a favor of you."

[Moonwolf727]

Perhaps Mithra hadn't heard what she said, as she was fairly sure she'd made it clear that she didn't require any help. She was unsure of herself but frankly she didn't like that she'd been ignored. "I've already said, genuine apologies if I didn't quite speak clear enough, that there's nothing I need help with. Thank you.".

Still.... it was an interesting offer, she hadn't planned on staying in this town forever or anything so getting in trouble with the guards wouldn't be too bad, and it could be a nice change of pace. Albeit she didn't particularly want to get in trouble with the city guards either. Bim visibly pondered for a moment before replying once more, in a curious tone "I suppose I could help anyway, if you like. It all depends on what the favor is, so no guarantees. Thank you for asking though, I appreciate that you're not just commanding anything of me".

[Hazuki]

"Apologies, I misinterpreted. I appreciate your confidence in your own abilities and your position in life." Mithra gavea nod of her head at the end of her words, blinking away and staring back at Bim with her smile only slightly lessened. "Not many people have that, you understand. I wasn't expecting to find somebody who does...makes them rather dangerous, you see."

"Regardless. I require some form of defense that doesn't come from my own lips, as I doubt the guards will trust my words, and I would not appreciate them probing my mind themselves. I understand that there are those who specialize in dealing with matters of the law; if you could find one and convince them to come to me, I would appreciate it. Alternatively, I believe this city has a law requiring that one must prove their innocence with evidence of misdeeds, if accompanied by an escort. We could attend the scene of the crime together..." She removed one hand from the bar and takes a look back over her palms, avoiding Bim's eyes. "Though it would be dangerous. That place has a history best left undiscovered, even for a scribe like myself."

Mithra's eyes shot back to Bim's. "There is power there. Of a subtle kind, hidden in writing and words, and it called me deeper into the tomb of the forgotten dead. None too harsh to best my body, frail though my flesh may be, and I marched along far past my comfort, and it seems that of the sorceress too. Only by donning her cloak did I realize that enough was enough and fled from the whispers of corrupt power." She shuddered. "It is one thing to be tempted. Another thing to fall."

Bim felt a force wash over her limbs, crippling her muscles and her mind for only a moment, as her body crumpled to a heap in the ground before the cage, and it was away, just as soon as it had come.

The woman in the cage bit her bottom lip and frowned. "Perhaps I have said too much..."

[Moonwolf727]

Thud. The sound was elegant in its simplicity even though it was, in this case, accompanying Bim's decidedly inelegant drop to the floor. More like Bim just crumpling, as if gravity had suddenly been doubled for her and her alone, than a drop though once the force receeded, whatever it had been. Regardless, she had picked herself up a moment later. Dusting herself off and swaying slightly from whatever had caused that.

Oddly, no-one aside from Mithra seemed to be looking at her, not that she could tell anyway. Maybe they were, she was still a little wobbly, both in the head and legs. Once Bim was back on her feet and relatively stable again she looked towards Mithra and spoke, rather firmly in fact "I-i.. I'm afraid I d-don't want anything to do with this, at least, not until you say more than just c-cryptic warnings of some vague dark power".

"It's not because of you but I really don't think I can deal with this. I might be willing were I getting some recompense or if I could have a gaurantee that whatever that was won't hit me again. I'm honestly quite scared..... you have my apologies Mithra". And with those, clearly boldening, words she turned to walk away. Slowly and unsteadily at first since she was still the tiniest bit unsure of her capabilities after that incident.

[Hazuki]

"Wait, wait!" Mithra tightened the grip of her unsteady hands on the bars of her cage, pushing her forehead up against one. "It was a spell. A spell to make you fall over and scare you away from the second option, which I provided only so you would not believe I am forcing you into an act of servitude by allowing you some form of choice. Plus, it was not in my interests to return to that place, because it is a lot more work."

"The spell was one of Command; simple and elegant in that it would allow me to speak a word and have you obey it. It required me to speak one word clearly, in this case, 'fall'. To hide it, I worked it into my sentence and stressed a word in the previous sentence so that my command wouldn't be out of place following another emphasized word. I had thought it was clever."

With that, the trapped young woman sighed once more. "I apologize. It was a violation of your personal rights to honesty and to feel safe, and it was foolish of me to attempt to make an already firm grasp on your aid, earned through trust and the goodness of your heart, with something overly dramatic, complicated, and unnecessary. I have no allies in this city, and I fear for what will happen to me if I do not have the aid of another, be it imprisonment or worse. It was wrong of me to use such deception to gain your aid, and I pray that, with this explanation of my wrongs, you will understand, if not forgive, this transgression."

"But I am scared, Bim. I will offer my servitude to you in return for freeing me. For how long, I do not yet know, but I will allow you to choose a reasonable period. I am a mage of considerable talent and knowledge, and I trust that you will find some use for me."

[Moonwolf727]

Bim was, quite frankly, somewhere between livid and wanting to curl up into a ball and cry, though thankfully tears were not forthcoming. She was speechless at first, her facial expression switching slowly and unsurely between anger and shock, finally it settled very slightly further towards the anger end of the spectrum with a harsh glare, directed towards Mithra. She wasn't manifesting her other eyes but they were all directing their attention towards her, in spirit at least.

With a sigh, Bim began speaking slowly and clearly"I suppose I shouldn't be upset by this, I'm in a city full of psionically gifted people after all. Somehow though, I still am. You've repeated why it was wrong in several ways, but I feel you have missed the most important reason. You violated the sanctity of my mind".

"You're a mage, that's an accomplishment in and of itself. It probably took you a while to learn that spell. But let me tell you something, you may be able to cast it but that doesn't mean you fully understand it. For a moment there I wanted to collapse, it wasn't just some tingling in my knees and a quick falling over. You altered my state of mind enough to make me think it was a good idea to just flop onto the hard stone pavement with no accord for my own safety".

"No. I do not forgive you, I hardly even want to help you at all except for how pathetic you seem debasing yourself with your words. That apology wasn't to me, you were apologising to yourself for hurting your own chances of freedom.". At this point Bim turned her back to the cage and took a single step away. Before turning her head around so that she could see Mithra from the corner of her eye. She sighed and then frowned before speaking again, more softly this time. "I will help you still if you want me to, but I require a promise. Two in fact. One that you will not even attempt to use magic on me again without my permission. And the other is simply that you will not ask for my permission."

[Hazuki]

Mithra's eyes slightly shirked away as the full glare of Bim was focused on her, subtly, but noticeable enough. She made no motions to stop or interfere with the words that slowly uttered from the lips of the free woman, her breathing steady and the day passing by along the market without any interruption by the tense few feet focused before the steps of the temple. Life passed on for them while Bim explained her offense and the bile in her throat at both the caged woman's actions and her apology, although she managed to notice, however briefly, that one guard flicked an eye in her direction.

As Bim turned, as though to walk away, Mithra's hand was retrieved from the bars and placed against the chest of her cloak. A few tense moments slipped by, until Bim spoke again, and a smile returned to the woman's lips.

"Excellent choice." Mithra let her hand fall backwards, tucking it behind her back. "I, Mithra Hurtu, swear by my tome and my blood that I will never attempt to use any magic within my control on your person, nor shall I ask for permission to use any magic within my control on your person." She gave a nod of her head. "I would use some form of magical bondage, but I am afraid such is not within my means right now. Perhaps after you have aided my freedom, yes? Until then, you will have to take me at my word."

[Moonwolf727]

Bim's expression softens, relaxing somewhat as Mithra speaks aloud the promise, although she did wonder why no-one seemed to have noticed the happenings around them. She snapped back to attention from her musings at the mention of binding magic, although it turned out to be a fairly reasonable proposition in fact. Except that the prospect still left her unsettled, she wasn't keen to experience it herself and after ranting she did feel a little bad, enough so that she wasn't eager to inflict it on anyone else. Even if they were willing.

"I.. uhm, really no, that's alright. We don't have to go to quiet that length for this sake. I'll trust you to keep your word, at least I hope I can.". At this stage Bim turned, back towards the cage, whilst sheepishly rubbing her arm and glancing down at the floor. "And, well I'm sorry for that. Well... most of it anyway. I shouldn't have said some of what I did, though I stand by certain parts. I won't ask you to forgive me, seeing as I didn't forgive you.". She shakes her head lightly before looking up and towards Mithra properly. "Anyway, enough of that. I've only been here for so long, although I imagine you've been here for even less of a time. Do you have any idea where I could find one of these lawmasters you mentioned?".

[Hazuki]

"Thank you for the apology, though I don't deserve it. Let me see." Mithra retorted with a smile playing at her lips again, reaching into her robe to pull out a small book that she began to flick through, her eyes dancing from page to page until something finally seemed to satisfy her. She re-clasped the leatherbound book and tucked it back inside her robe, allowing Bim to get a brief glimpse of the simple outfit beneath; a white tunic unbranded by any significant markers that the free woman could spot.

"There is apparently one such woman who hangs around in cornerclubs; goes by the name of Deluvia. Distinctive hair and extremely pale, she supposedly knows her way around the law." Mithra explained, speaking as though she was reciting a list of facts, rather than some knowledge she's personally familiar with. "One could also attempt to go to an official service, but that would require coin, and I have little to my name." Bims' eyes sharply picked up on the caged woman brushing a possessive hand over the fabric of her own cloak. "You could also represent me, but...do you have any experience with the law?"

[Moonwolf727]

Bim spoke slowly and unsurely in reply to Mithra's last question "Not precisely, no..... and even besides that, I'm not usually a very confident speaker.".

Shaking her head again and glancing away, practically everywhere but the cage and the woman inside it, she spoke up once more. "I also lack much in the way of wealth I'm afraid. We've both got items of value that could raise the money". she motioned gently towards Mithra's cloak and patted her own bag silently. "But this is for your benefit so I am loath to part with my possessions, and you seem to feel the same for your newly acquired treasure. I'll see about this Deluvia but if she proves to be a hassle then we are simply going to have to search the crimescene together. As that is still an option, regardless of your disdain for it".

[Hazuki]

As Bim pointed out the fact that she'd picked up on Mithra's subconscious action, Mithra laughed softly to herself and gave a nod of her head, her silver locks bouncing with the motion. "Fair is fair. I look forward to seeing your return, Bim. Farewell, and thank you." She gave a small wave of her hand and caught Bim's gaze one more time before the latter left, leaving the caged woman to sink back to her knees in the cage and rest her head in its corner, taking to staring at her surroundings and the guards at the bottom of the temple steps.

Her first option being to ask around the town, Bim found little success in asking after the woman known as Deluvia, what with most citizens doing their duties for the day and those in the bars not wanting to be disturbed by the curious citizen. Luckily, spending three hours traipsing through cornerclubs looking for information on somebody who lives in them had the unsurprising side-effect of eventually leading the outsider to the objective she sought; in the Azoth Gate Cornerclub.

The bar gifted Bim's nostrils with the scent of soft incense as she trod across its polished wooden floor and comfortable atmosphere of slow music being played in the background, by an elf who sat upon a cushion in the center of the room, softly strumming a lute. Only a few people were within its walls, most hidden by booths of paper drawn across wooden frames, save for the few on cushions around the strumming bard, and the lone person sitting at the bar, atop a stool, with a few books laid out before her as she lazily swirled her finger around in a colorful beverage.

Unlike most elves in the city, she seemed to lack a crystal circling her head, but if Mithra's description was anything to go by, this was Deluvia...


http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs45/f/2009/130/7/f/7f84ad93fac49630e27cb1dfadec7245.jpg

[Moonwolf727]

Well, the atmosphere here was something new to Bim. She'd been in a cornerclub before of course, other than the numerous ones she'd popped into over the course of the last three hours. This one was quite honestly..... seductive. That was the only word she had for it. And some of the patrons too she mused before walking nervously up to the bar, her stride was as normal but she still felt a little out of place. She sat down quietly on the barstool next to her quarry, or who she assumed was her anyway.

Bim turned her head towards the woman beside her, presumably Deluvia, cleared her throat and gestured to the woman's drink "If you're not going to drink that care to share it with me? Or just maybe I could buy you something different to drink, perhaps a little bit stronger?". She added a wink onto the end for effect, nothing too forward. She sort of hoped this wasn't actually going to end the way her words implied she wanted it to.

[Hazuki]

The woman retrieved her hand from the particular line of one book spread open before her, but did little to impede Bim's ability to read them. From a glance, it seemed as though they were lists of imported and exported ingredients, followed by information only useful to somebody concerned with such things. She flicked her eyes over Bim, before locking gazes with the stranger coming to visit, her expression fairly warm.

"Who am I to say no to good company and booze?" She greeted with a chuckle, turning around in her seat to greet Bim properly and retrieving her finger from her glass, which she quickly licked clean. "Oh, that's right; Deluvia is who I am. And what's the name of the pleasant sight I see before me?" She turned her gaze away to greet the elf tending the bar, and shot a smile her way. "A glass of Caelestos, please. The human besides me is paying." She slid the glass that had her finger in it over to Bim, then smiled back at her. "Sorry for the books and clutter; work work work. You know how it is. Back to your name; is it as pretty as your eyes?" She asked, with a lopsided grin.

[Moonwolf727]

Bim let slip a small and soft little giggle at Deluvia's comment, she had always liked her eyes, she made sure they were the right shade every morning in the mirror. Twas a shame the woman could only see two of them. "I suppose you could say they are, the name is Bim so you know, I'd think that yours outdo mine though". She smiled slyly and across to Deluvia and had her other hand slip down to her side bag and pick out two gold coins, placed for the bartender to collect when he came back with the drink. "As for work, I wish I weren't here for that but sad story is that I am.". She sighed and continued, holding her chin in an arm resting on the bar, looking into Deluvia's peculiar eyes. "It can wait, I've got your attention and I'm not sure I want to lose that privelage just yet". Bim quietly accepted the glass and idly sipped from it, tongue darting out to lip her licks briefly afterwards "You add your own flavor to this at all? It's sweet and I feel enough could make my head spin".

[Hazuki]

The bartender soon came by to drop off a glass of curious red liquid, scooping up the coins with a silent thanks for the business, before he left the two to their conversation. Meanwhile, the elven woman before Bim made sure to keep their gazes together, while her pale finger rolled around in the glass that was delivered to her and she gifted Bim with her expressions. With the given name, she nodded her head, pink bang bouncing while she folded her legs. One over the other, and brought the human's attention to elegant black robe that adorned her legs, patterns of flowers woven through it with a loose sash hanging around her waist to hold it together.

With the mention of work, her eyebrow cocked, but it was soon replaced by a gentle chuckle and an amused shake of her head. "Just a finger or two does the job." Deluvia tilted her head, balancing her chin on her thumb as enraptured eyes watched Bim. "Tell me your sad story, Bim. I'll make sure it has a happy ending." She said with a determined, or perhaps woozy, nod of her head, as her foot briefly brushed against Bim's leg.

[Moonwolf727]

Bim started suddenly at the contact, not visibly showing any signs of her reaction aside from a couple rapid blinks before she fixed her gaze back at the woman in front of her. She simply admired Deluvia for a moment before speaking again with a smile gracing her lips "There's not much to tell really, my sad story vanished when I saw you. Still. I have no objections to an even happier ending". Bim slowly raised the glass to her lips again, actually drinking quite a bit less than the length it was there would imply. She looked into her aquaintances eyes again and grinned gently.

[Hazuki]

Further drinks of the liquid did little to quell Bim's cheerful mood. It tingled on her tongue with the taste of various fruits and spices mixed together with sharp, but brief, bite.

"I don't want anything on your mind, but me..." Deluvia reached her free hand over the counter, glancing briefly along the lines before she met Bim's gaze again. "But my boss is gonna be upset if I don't get some work done today, and I gotta pay for my bed..." She furrowed her brow slightly, giving the smallest worrisome smile. "We can catch up fine later if you don't have any complaints?" She offered as a small token of apology.

[Moonwolf727]

Bim tilted her head and looked into Deluvia's eyes again, nodding and then smiling ever so slightly at her before speaking again in a reassuring tone "Not a one, gives me something to look forward to after all". Bim blinks and looks thoughtful for a moment before continuing. "How much is your bed anyway? I'll pay the fee for you tonight if you like. I'm not trying to buy you off or anything but the less worries you have on your mind the better". She nods quietly as she inquires and offers a small smile, hoping not to seem shady or fake in her kindness. It was honest concern after all.

[Hazuki]

"It's five gold a night, but you really don't need to pay for it, Bim." Deluvia assured the generous human with a wide smile spread across her lips, tucking a pink bang behind one of her pointed ears and wiggling the fingers of her free hand to turn to pull another book beside her glass. "But...thanks, anyway." She admitted, cringing at herself and giving a nervous laugh. "Ah, you should get outta here before I start going red..." She licked her lips and smiled again, her eyes sparkling in the dim light of the cornerclub to let anyone know she was only teasing.

[Moonwolf727]

Bim laughs quietly and smiles at Deluvia. "I don't see the problem with that, you certainly liked the shade when it was in my eyes after all". She nodded solemnly afterwards though, drinking roughly half of what remained in her glass. "I honestly don't mind though, I'll not bother you since you need to work. My friend can wait for her freedom, its not like she can be represented at this time of day anyway". Bim shrugged at this and relaxed in her place at the bar, waving vaguely towards the books with one hand "Get the important things sorted first, I'm not pressed for time. Not sure I can offer any help though, sorry.".

[Hazuki]

"Shared boredom it will be." Deluvia laughed gently, her finger still swirling in her drink, as she span back around on her stool and returned to the books laid out before her.

The next few hours were spent in a bubble separated from the rest of the bar, with the pink-haired woman largely ignoring the goings-on around her and occasionally sharing a few words with Bim before the silence between them could get uncomfortable, flashing the human a smile or calling the barman over to fetch her another drink. Her work mostly seemed to consist of taking notes or adding them to the books, along with writing a particularly long parchment and flipping rapidly through the pages of her books to search for information. At the very least, she seemed to know her way around them.

After four hours of such activity, with the cornerclub getting more active as the evening comes along, Deluvia packed away her books and asked Bim if she was prepared to leave. What the elf got was, instead, an advance on her person, to which she restrained a grin from spreading across her lips and looked away from Bim's eyes, the lightest of tinges pinking her cheeks.

"Ah..." Deluvia licked her lips and places a comforting hand on Bim's shoulder. "Perhaps another time? I am so, so sorry to say..." She shot a glance down at her packed away books, before meeting the human's eyes again. "But I think it would be best to get to know you a little better before we get to know each other better. I'm sorry, it's just the way I've been brought up...hard to get that across that I'm not, ah, just leading you on, y'know?" She flashed a shaky smile at Bim, biting her bottom lip.

[Moonwolf727]

Bim, with half-lidded eyes and an understanding smile, nodded at Deluvia's reluctance, gently backing away from her person and casting her gaze downwards for a moment before making eye contact once more. "I understand, it's perfectly reasonable. Besides...". Bime glances away nervously and lets a hint of a smile touch the corners of her lips. "I'd feel kind of bad if you thought I was taking advantage of you anyway". She backed away further at this point, just enough to allow herself room for a quick bow as a form of apology. Seconds late she stood up normally again and faced Deluvia with a calm look on her face and one extended hand meant to guide her while the other gestured towards the door. "I apologise again for my advances, please don't feel bad about turning me down. Now, Shall we go?"

[Hazuki]

Deluvia allowed her comforting hand to slip from Bim's shoulder as the latter moved away from her, offering her own words of apology and assurance. "Let's go on an adventure." The elf's smile returned more confidently, as she slipped her hand into Bim's and hefted her pack with her other hand; fairly large and curiously shaped, it was wrapped in silk material that she used to keep the books attached.

With that, they departed from the Azoth Gate Cornerclub and its supposedly seductive atmosphere, leaving it for the darkened streets of the city itself. With night having fallen, the majority of their citizens had returned home or to their nightlife, which left most of the streets vacant, quiet, and calm, save for the few guards who stood posted on every street. Their stroll through the streets was fairly pleasant, especially compared to the boredom of Deluvia's working, as she seemed to enjoy making small talk along the way to the center of the city and its temple.

They found themselves approaching Mithra's cage, in which the woman still lurked, albeit in a slightly different position from where she last rested. She had apparently been having fun with some chalk, drawing things into the padded floor of her cage and only placing it down once she saw Bim and Deluvia approaching. Dusting off her chalky-white fingers, she folded her hands together and placed them in her lap, already facing the approaching figures.

[Moonwolf727]

Bim put on a nervous smile, she was trying to appear pleasant but the nervousness was genuine, as she approached the cage leading Deluvia by hand. A hand she glanced down at and spontaneously decided not to let go of. "Sorry it took so long, I know I said I'd just skip if it was a hassle but.... it honestly wasn't". She grinned lightly, still apprehensive, and used her unnocupied hand to gesture to Deluvia. "And, well, this is Deluvia though I suppose you know from her description. Dear, this is Mithra. She's in need of some help as you can tell. She can describe the situation better than I can though.". Bim inclined her head in a half-nod and fell silent, leaving room for either of the others to speak.

[Hazuki]

Deluvia gave the caged woman a wave of her hand, stepping closer to the object itself and meeting Mithra's eyes with a friendly smile plastered across her lips. "Hello, Mithra. I think I see your problem..." The elf gave a concerned look over the structure of the cage, brushing her fingers along the wood with the hand unclaimed by Bim. "But before we can talk about getting you out of there, I'm gonna need some way of getting paid...I'm sorry, it's just how my boss works, y'know? But I'll be more than happy to help you out of there with as little hassle as possible." She shot Mithra another bright smile, meeting her eyes.

"Good evening." Mithra gave a nod of her head in response to the greeting, and listened patiently for the following explanation and ending it with a smile. "My only issue is that I am unable to offer you anything in return as of this moment. I will be able to offer you a period of subservience following my release, if my friend there doesn't mind sharing me." She said, with a nod of her head towards Bim.

"She's your servant?" Deluvia asked the free human with a grin.

"There is no documentation yet, but I would be more than willing to become subject to some, or magical bondage, in return for the favor of her aiding my freedom." Mithra corrects, earning a nod of response from the elf.

"We can help with that..." Deluvia laughed softly to herself, leaning against the bars of the cage and glancing briefly at the sky. "But that's for later. You can't sign many things while you're in there, but I can march into the temple and get that all sorted for us once we've talked about a few details...

With that, Deluvia asked the trapped woman a few questions and Mithra recounted the tale of her duel with the rogue mage, including a few shared words over the assaults and torture that the rogue mage had allegedly been committing without being seen. Eventually, Deluvia was sitting outside of the cage, with Mithra sitting on the inside, and had written out a contract for her to represent Mithra.

"Now," Deluvia turned her crimson gaze to Bim and smiled at her. "I just need you to sign this to verify that you were the method through which Mithra found me." She said with a smile, tapping the vellum laid across her book and holding out an inked quill to the human.

[Moonwolf727]

Bim eyed the contract uncertainly, reading it over and accepting the pre-inked quill at the same time. Thankfully it seemed sound enough, nothing too binding on her part anyway, just a bit of testimony if needed. She scrawled her best signature onto the line Deluvia had pointed to, it didn't look too bad to her but she wasn't exactly a caligrapher. She handed back the quill with a nod and a smile to the pink-haired woman.

[Hazuki]

"Thanks, Bim." Deluvia said, taking back her quill and the contract, while Mithra looked at the other human with a smile on her lips and a grateful, but silent, thanks. With the contract signed, the night was done and it was time for those uncaged to return to what they otherwise would have done. While the caged woman returned to drawing pictures on the ground, Bim returned to the inn she'd been spending her time in and Deluvia strolled off into the temple to begin organizing things for the following day, with plans to met up after the planned court case, at the very least.

Bim's night was mostly uneventful following her departure from the two women, managing to get some rest in her room and spending the following morning preparing her appearance for the world at large. She spent the majority of her day as she had before, mingling with the locals and learning about the city as best she could, until the time came for her to attend the temple, which she caught just at the right moment.

Walking back through the streets towards the temple, she found Mithra, Deluvia, a robed elf, and two guards around the cage. She passed into earshot, but didn't approach just yet. Only enough to hear their conversation.
The robed gentleman unlocked the door to Mithra's cage, which allowed him to converse properly with her and hand over a slip of vellum that he mentioned would serve as protection from the guards of the surrounding lands should the same mistake regarding her person come up. With that, he turned to leave, followed by the two guards that stood nearby.

It was at this point that Deluvia noticed Bim and waved her over, Mithra taking a tentative step outside of the cage and feeling her feet brush against the soft stone of Azoth's center. Approaching the two, both of them were beaming, and it seemed that the elf had even taken the time to properly wrap up her robes for the occasion.

"That went well!" Deluvia announced, eyes sparkling in the sunlight as she spoke to both Mithra and Bim. "And smoothly enough; so you won't even need to pay us much. I work it out to be around one hundred and twenty gold, but we can talk about that a little later, and you don't need to pay up right away"

Mithra nodded in response to Deluvia's words, her eyes resting on Bim as she carefully began to walk towards her, the widest smile Bim had seen on her lips. "Thank you for making this possible, Bim. I hope you would not object to a hug, as thanks." She said, closing the distance a little further and holding her arms slightly outwards as a gesture of such.

[Moonwolf727]

"Errm.. Not at all, I suppose. You're welcome, Mithra". Bim stepped forward to accept the hug and put her arms around Mithra. The hug lasted for a little bit, during which Bim smiled nervously over Mithra's shoulder at Deluvia with a look of uncertainty on her face. Eventually the hug ended, and she backed up a bit, still unsure of why that had happened but not really begruding it at all. Mostly she was unsure of what to do now, she assumed Deluvia had something planned.

[Hazuki]

Mithra's eyes brightened up as Bim responded somewhat positively to her request of a hug, wrapping her arms around the other human and squeezing the two of them together, her chin resting on Bim's shoulder until they had to part. Throughout it, Deluvia gave Bim an encouraging smile, and it was only when the two separated that she reached into the pack she carried with her and retrieved another piece of parchment from it.

"While I was waiting for the case, I wrote up the basics of a servant contract for the two of you. Well, Mithra really, but you'll be her patron. We can sort out all the details now, and have it signed up and ready in no time." The elf explained, stretching her arms out wide and licking her lips. "Might as well enjoy the sunlight on your lovely eyes while we can; so what do you want from Mithra in this thing, Bim?"

[Moonwolf727]

Bim rolled her eyes and smiled at Deluvia's eye comment, it was sweet of her even if it was idle flirting. Maybe she'd change it up sometime, she hadn't experimented with different appearances yet. "I don't know really... I've only had a small taste of what she can do, to be honest.". She glances intently over at Mithra before turning her attention back to Deluvia again. "I'm not even sure what would be acceptable, or how open ended the contract would be.". She blinks quietly before facing the Mithra with a curious expression. "You mentioned being a mage.... what can you do anyway?".

[Hazuki]

Mithra shies away from the glare sent her way slightly, letting her hands rest beside her cloak and lacing their fingers together. "The contract can be as full or empty as you like. The only clause is that it has to have reasonable way for Mithra to get out of it if things turned sour, which she can help with. Mostly anything she's uncomfortable with, so y'don't end up with cramps, legal or otherwise." Deluvia adds, drawing attention away from the other young woman for enough time for her to recover.

"I would be pleased to aid Bim in whatever matters she deems appropriate." Mithra confirms, giving the woman who freed her another smile. "Barring anything illegal, of course. As for my current set of skills...I am learned in a large variety of lore, as well as matters of diplomacy. Magic, and all things pertaining to it, are my focus, however. I can make use of, or even scribe myself, scrolls, however expensive they may be. My current repertoire consists of...well, that would be sharing too much with people I'm not yet subservient to. Suffice to say, I am capable of healing, protective, and utility magic. With access to scrolls, I will be able to serve even more effectively."

[Moonwolf727]

Bim tilts her head slightly whilst letting a nervous smile show in her expression "I'm honestly not sure what I'd want from you though, Mithra. I mean, I haven't really many goals of my own, none that I think magic could really help me with anyway...". She quietly reaches an arm around to the back of her head and rubs it awkwardly, still with that same uncertain but vaguely enjoying-herself expression. "Well... I suppose if you know anything about the far realms, I could use that. It's something I've always found interesting, trivia and suchlike. Just intruiges me, personally.". At this point Bim shakes her head softly as if innerly chastising herself for talking, which, unknown to the others, she was doing. "Either way, I'm happy with a fairly loose contract. I want to try trusting Mithra again, see if it works out. ...Speaking of, it occurs to me I don't even know why you came to this city, or what you intended to do here anyway. If you don't mind telling me of course, I won't pry if its your private business.".

[Hazuki]

"I have stumbled upon references to the far realms before." Mithra said after Bim's mention of the far realms, clasping her hands together at the front of her cloak and smiling a little more. "Far from my specialty, but I believe it's something I could help with, provided the proper resources." Deluvia seemed to say little, casually glancing about as though she wasn't eavesdropping on the conversation.

"As for my purpose...I will admit that part of it was merely wanting luxury after time spent in the wilderness." Mithra smiled, briefly looking away from Bim. "But there is also the fact that magic is uncommon in Azoth and their policies are somewhat, shall we say, imbalanced when it comes to those who wield it. And if nobody is around to use said magical equipment, much of it must remain in storage, confiscated and forgotten. Those would be what I seek."

[Moonwolf727]

"It's perfectly alright Mithra, you don't have to phrase it that awkwardly. If you want to do a bit of thievery to acquire magic that has been misused and abandoned then I am no-one to judge. It'd be hypocritical of me after all". Bim said in reply, smile hinting at her lips at her final remark. Honestly, saying that, she was indulging herself. "Regardless of misdeeds not yet done, I'd be happy to stick around and help you with whatever you need. As long as I find some benefit to myself in the end. I have to make the best use of your abilities while I can". A nod and a full smile were added onto the end of her speaking and she looked fully at Mithra for the first time in a while, new beginnings and all that. It seemed fitting. Bim turned towards Deluvia next and gazed at her serenely for a moment, memorizing her appearance, before speaking "So, what shall we do now? Did you have something in mind?".

[Hazuki]

"Thievery, after I was just released from that cage?" Mithra asked with an arched silver eyebrow, gesturing to said confinement behind her. "I would not dream of such a thing, or indeed committing any deed that I would be unable to get away with. But your companionship in this matter, even while I remain subservient to you, would be welcome indeed, although I feel that you will receive something of more worth in the end." Regardless of her words, the woman returned Bim's smile.

Deluvia smiled at Bim while the curious woman stared at her, before finally giving a nod. "I did! We just need to decide on a time frame, fairly loose rules ending in Mithra's subservience and your ownership, and then we'll have the contract done with a few signatures. Sound good?"