Iceblade Ascendant

3: SPRITE

Jaewyn looked up at the crimson and bronze swords, crossed above the door of the Sunset Scimitars. They glinted in the evening light, against a backdrop of wooden a-frame and glowing, yellow fungi. Partially embedded into a giant branch, it was one of the few places in Anarys that had exterior architecture and served as a tavern, gambling house, pleasure den and social club. Easy atmosphere, relaxing music, racial diversity and alcoholic fruit drinks – these are what made this place the local haunt of Jaewyn's somewhat disreputable friend Zephyrle "Starbreeze" Alexis. A fiesty little firecracker, Zephyrle was strong-willed, outspoken and confident. Zephyrle and Jaewyn had been friends for five cycles and they'd been through some serious times together. However, as the Blood Hawks' resident Rogue, it was her special skills that Jaewyn needed on this mission.

She strode purposefully up the cream-coloured, gilded tiled ramp and onto the first floor. As she made polite nods and words of greeting toward the many who recognised her as the queen's Blood Maiden, she made her way through the small crowd of Beltharin, Antharin, and Galladorians. Her route took her past exquisitely carved, wooden tables and tinkling wind chimes and up another ramp to the second floor. She brushed aside the curtains of azure and violet wysterion flowers and breathed in the thick aroma of incense and wine.

Zephyrle was seated by herself. Her table was covered in plates of cookies, cheese and bread, brightly coloured berries, luxurious bottles and bowls of nutritious fire grubs. Zeph was staring out the adjacent window, seemingly into space. Jaewyn wondered what her friend was looking at. It just looked like a bunch of leaves and forest canopy. But she knew Zeph was a Sprite. She was probably drugged up on Treesap as usual. Maybe she was seeing the gorgeous sunset transformed into some cosmic anomaly beyond mortal understanding? Jaewyn took a seat opposite her.

"Daydreaming again Zeph?"

Zephyrle spun her head around, her red-brown forelocks flicking out like an insect's feelers. She was wearing her blue glass goggles on her head. Her copper rings, one in the left side of her nose, and others in the top parts of her ears glittered. Jaewyn herself had a nose ring, except hers was in the right side, she and Zephyrle having got it done on opposite sides. Her friend grinned, revealing her elongated canines, and her violet eyes, which seemed to be almost all iris, stared right into Jaewyn's soul. One thing for certain about the Sprite was her eyes were beyond mortal understanding.

"Heya Jae." Zephyrle sucked noisily at her coetha juice through a reed straw. "I got ya message." Her slender eyebrow went up. "Is there trouble?"

"Yeah, something's happened at Deepmoss." Jaewyn turned towards the bar and raised her chin slightly at the waitress before turning back to her friend. "They were doing research there...now it seems like they're missing. And Thalleron said something about blue cracks opening in the spiritscape. Anyway, we're going down there to check it out."

"Running another errand for the queen?" Zephyrle giggled but tried to hide it by slurping the rest of her juice.

"Yes, if you must call it that." Jaewyn rolled her eyes. "Look, I need you on this one Zeph."

"Yeah?" Zephyrle narrowed her purple eyes. "Well...what's in it for me? I'm not really a fan of the queen. She kicked me out of Ember Elite, remember? Guess I wasn't really handmaiden material."

"We might need to...get through some doors," Jaewyn said bluntly. "And Esmeraedyn was right about kicking you out, you did steal that ruby statuette from her..."

"It was one little thing! She's got heaps!"

Jaewyn smiled inwardly. Zephyrle Starbreeze: notorious thief, rogue and Sprite. But that was half the reason why Jaewyn loved her.

"Look, just help me out this time, okay? Please. I don't want to have to get the mechs down there. As amazing as they are, it'll just take too long. Besides, they're only proto-types, they'll probably fall apart on the way. Thanks," she nodded at the waitress as her goblet of juice was set down. Zephyrle was unimpressed; her gaze drifted out the window. And why would she be, Jaewyn thought. Zephyrle had led a hard life so far. Three cycles ago, on an important mission, Zephyrle had got separated from Jaewyn's team in a subterranean, burning fortress and, after a pitched battle, Jaewyn had been forced to depart to the surface, not knowing whether or not her friend had survived. Zephyrle was bitter, for one so young. She deserved something... especially as Jaewyn was about to ask her to come on the mission. Zephyrle wanted to live. But her skills were too valuable to ignore.

"Okay..." Jaewyn smiled cunningly. "How about if I promise you a picnic at Diamondlight Falls? And we can go hiking near there?"

Zephyrle's eyes rolled back towards her. The corner of her mouth turned upward.

"Ah, you get me Jae. I do enjoy a good feed. Overlooking the most beautiful falls."

"Done," Jaewyn clucked. She'd been meaning to take a couple days off soon, and the waterfalls at Sunhaven in the Dawnglow province were apparently spectacular. Also, there were supposed to be some ancient ruins beneath the city, with an entrance behind one of the falls. She knew Zeph would appreciate that.

"I look forward to it," Zephyrle chuckled, twisting around, stretching her legs out on the seat next to her. She was wearing her tight, black leather breeches with the lacing up the sides and her sleeveless jerkin that was both low cut and short. Jaewyn swallowed a mouthful of juice.

"You know, maybe you should wear a breastplate this time. I could get you one from the palace --"

"I prefer my mobility," Zephyrle protested hotly, her eyes flashing with purple fire as she glared at Jaewyn. "There's no reason I can't mix practicality with style."

"Phoenix armour offers practicality with style," Jaewyn scoffed. Although heavy and complimented with fine scale mail, phoenix armour was the best defence a Beltharin warrior could get. But as agile as Jaewyn could be, she knew she would never be as mobile as Zephyrle in her leather. That was the sacrifice she knew all warriors had to make: clanking metal armour gave greater protection at the cost of mobility. Aefion had told her of the Galladorian knights living in the city of Vigilance to the north and how they wore full plate armour into battle. Although she thought it must be spectacular, she wondered how on earth they survived in Belanyr's heat.

"Yeah...I dunno Jae... I'm just not a breastplate kinda girl." Zephyrle looked dubious.

"I could get you one with lots of gems on it?" Jaewyn offered half-heartedly. But she knew Zephyrle's mind was made up. She'd worn phoenix armour once, and wearing it again would only bring back uncalled for memories.

Zephyrle frowned. "Jae, we both know the gemstones and rings each represent achievements and stuff. I..." She glanced toward the sunset. "If you don't want my help, fine."

"I'm sorry." Jaewyn bowed her head. "I guess our fighting styles are completely different... and it's not like we'll be on an open battlefield. Who knows, we might not even see anyone." She smiled at her friend. "But if we do... with your cunning, and my experience, nothing can stop us, right?"

"We do make a pretty good team," Zephyrle laughed. "You're a good leader Jae, the best. The queen's a lucky bitch to have you."

"All right, you coming? I said I'd meet the others pretty soon. Let's go doosh some dukar!"