======= INVESTIGATION (and the toils thereof)

The mental images reoccurred frequently in the midst of my chores, restoring my confidence in the rune's words. The more I envisioned what was to be, the quicker I became in my work, a rare eagerness to study arising in my character.

When I had finished my duties, I avoided passing by my lady's chamber when I put away my tools. The blind woman may have had good intentions in mind, but she concerned herself with my activities far more than I enjoyed.

I scuttled along the tile floor as quickly as possible, softly tapping down the spiral staircase until I reached the library. Allowing myself the patience, I closed the door slowly and let it shut with a barely audible click. This was all the discretion I needed, trotting across the room loudly before stopping in front of the towering bookcases. Or, rather, bookcase.

I found myself scowling, displeased, at the meager selection of materials. Teleportation, creature summoning, history…

"Ugh," was my intelligent response.

The reflection of my annoyance shone clearly in the recently cleaned floor, which I abruptly stomped on like a little child. A chair beside a table in the center of the room suddenly beckoned to me and I answered the call, dropping languidly onto it and sprawling my upper body across the hard wooden desk.

A sigh, then a curse.

"I must find a larger resource," I explained to my reflection on the desktop.

As if waiting for a suggestion, I fell silent for some time before noticing the open book sharing my table at only an arm's-length away. Curious as always, I pulled the textile over, closing it to read the cover.

Harmonia, a History of the Holy Land.

For a moment, I stared. Then another moment passed. Finally, I shook my head in defiance and growled to the obvious sign, "No."

A sharp pain coursed through my body, originating from my right hand. Yes, the rune seemed to argue.

I gritted my teeth, "Damn."

With an announcement to my teacher that I was leaving the island (and many assurances of staying out of trouble), I soon arrived in the humming, exhaustingly large city of Crystal Valley. Had I never seen the area before, the towering white buildings and excessive water features might have impressed me, or I may have gawked at the immense image of the Circle Palace in the distance. The only emotion I did allow across my features was that of disgust, making it a point to spit at the ground openly before attempting to locate the book house.

Ah, there. I had spotted it just where it had always been, south of the central square, across from the academy…

"Dear, are you lost? 'Tis a big city, indeed," asked a woman. She was a relatively aged woman who gripped my shoulders as if I would suddenly run off, making me feel highly uncomfortable.

"No, get off me," I growled, shoving her away indiscriminately. She recoiled at my action, perhaps hurt or perhaps stunned. Nevertheless, I did not care and I had already dismissed it.

Wherever you go, I heard my mistress's voice replaying in my head, do not stir up a mess or trouble anyone else, is that clear? I do not want a reenactment of that last incident…

Succumbing to her orders, I turned to console the kind woman, only to find her gone within the crowd of traveling magicians and busy temple workers. "……"

It was only then, standing in silence briefly, did I notice the odd glances from passersby. I would have smacked myself in the forehead, if it had befitted my character. Why would they not stare? My attire was hardly Harmonian, green amongst a nation of blue, and my dark hair and eyes did not help the least bit. My presence reeked of everything that was foreign and, despite my intentions, I stood out from the rest of the travelers with my brash behavior and dominating glare. If I did not wish to be caught as a fugitive by the temple, I had to blend back into the populace

Therefore, I tried. I removed my tiara for the time being and followed the pebbles in the pathway with my eyes, shrouding my face in hair as I roamed the path exiting the square. As I was already aware of the library's whereabouts, looking ahead of me was not as important as hiding my identity. Of course, I did not think that I might bump into someone.

"Urk--!"

The tiara symbolizing my apprenticeship clattered to the ground and I faltered backwards a couple paces. When I recovered, I quickly reached for my headpiece only to see a pale hand and flowing blue sleeve retrieve it first. "Give that back, that is m-" was my instinctive response that fell silent as my gaze ghosted upwards. My eyes traced up the arm to its shoulder and then to the head belonging to my attacker and apparent thief.

Destiny's rook had just taken my knight in the perfect setup that I had carelessly overlooked.

Evidently, I stood before a mirror. Oddly enough, my reflection wore robes of blue and black with white trim, crowned with a large blue… mushroom?

I was not fooled; the rune screamed messages to my brain that I should have sensed long before he stood in front of me. My brown eyes narrowed as his offending hand extended in my direction, offering his bounty.

"Sasarai." The word came out a hiss, dripping with venom as if it had indeed come from a serpent.

Here I was in the largest metropolitan town on the continent, albeit the headquarters of all that was holy, and being recognized out of hundreds concerned me more than running into… into him?

He smiled; he dared to smile at such a time! "I believe you dropped this," he stated as if discussing the weather with an associate.

Indignantly, I snatched the accessory from his grasp and refastened it around my head. His expression remained benign regardless of my glares and it only infuriated me more.

"What brings you to Harmonia, thief?" He sneered, dusting off his hand as if he has been handling soil. Regardless of his tone of voice, his expression never broke the facade of kindness.

Appearances, my mind grunted.

"Why ever should you care," I, on the other hand, had no problems displaying my emotions for everyone's viewing pleasure, "reduced to lowly bounty hunting, your holiness?"

Sasarai did not seem to enjoy my attitude and his features darkened with a narrowing of his eyes.

He hissed quietly in response, "Let's have tea."

Before I could protest, he had already seized my arm and ushered me onward.