[The Fine Eye] Grandma's Apartment

The fog lazily shifted behind Felweave, as the door shut close. The elderly lady, that seemingly was perfectly fine with Felweave’s appearance, made quite an impression on him. It wasn’t common for him to meet someone who wasn’t immediately taken back by his presence, but she was so much more than just a person maintaining their reaction. The bird skull glided along with the body towards a chair on the opposite side of the table. While there was no lacking of strangeness in this room, the scene of Felweave’s body folding and adapting to a siting position was quite comical. As Grandma spoke, Felweave couldn’t help but think of the last time when he was offered a job. Ah yes, how exciting those times were. I miss digging, he contemplated listening to a Grandma all the while. Before the thoughts in the bird skull formed into words, his conscious slipped into thoughts of the silver lock, idly hanging on his chest. The last leaking dam holding back the ocean  of eldritch. 

“I am Felweave. I have expertise in magic, specifically necromancy in all its tricky manifestations, and I know a thing or two about archeology. Of course, I possess many other abilities, but these are what I consider myself the most proficient with. Now, it wouldn’t be fair if I concealed this from you, whatever task you have in mind for me, please take in consideration that I... loose control over myself at rare occasion, but when I do nothing good ever happens. Another point of interest for me is the method of payment that you have in mind. Money is not an option.”, every word manifested as a whisper from a different space in the room, every single one almost having a different voice, the skull remaining unmoved, the dust still layered with an everlasting peace.

Felweave’s untraceable gaze was directed at Grandma with alarmed curiosity at her interest in the lock. “Oh, I don’t have a lot of people to talk to. As far as anyone outside this room is concerned, I’m just doing additional research.”, as the scroll was offered to Felweave, a spectral hand manifested in the air, the whispers simultaneously hushing, and gently brought it to the opposite side of the table. Another one helped to unfold it, after which Felweave spent a short period of time contemplating the contents. “I doubt that whatever this scroll is made for can prevent my... issues. The problem extends further than a simple anger problem. Nevertheless, I will keep it in mind.”

The hollow darkness inside skull’s empty pits almost blackened further, sucking what little light there was in the room almost completely. There it was, the very emotion that undid him, curiosity. It seemed to be a common feeling amongst people of Felweave’s caliber, of course he considered Grandma to be one of such. In fact, she was the closest being towards whom Felweave felt the same way as one may feel towards a peer. “I need information, or rather anything that can further my research. I will not go into significant detail, but it concerns soul manipulation on a level that the school of my expertise has not yet extended to. So, any items, artifacts, scrolls, books, beings, are welcome as a form of pay. I must say, the matter is not pressing for me, so I am able to wait. For you however, it seems to me, if my intuition is as remotely trained as yours, that you are in quite dire need of someone like me. Otherwise, why would you hire me?”, the whispers arose once again, now with notes of playfulness and curiosity in their mixed cacophony.

“If I may, I would also like to inquire about your own abilities and the nature of the job. After all, I’m capable of a lot of things, and yet I don’t like being under informed. To be perfectly honest, I am not entirely certain what my limit is.”  

“I do not have positive expirience with contracts. Would you be comfortable with keeping this verbal? I trust that access will be granted to me upon the completion of the task, and I expect you trust me with the provision of accurate and valid information. Other aspects are satisfactory, so I believe we can proceed to the operation itself. However, and I apologise if my curiosity is reaching too far here, may I ask how do you have a complete access to Enclave’s Library?”, the whispers now spoke with vigor, the fog emanating and dancing in weaves instead of lazily trailing about. Felweave found this being more and more curious. He could already feel the familiar hunger, the dreading sense of a rumbling stomach in front of a feast, the final moments before a storm. The locket shuddered ever so slightly, barely visible to Grandma and to Felweave himself. This Black Vale must be an interesting place.

Everything was clear now. This individual started creeping, with maliscious effectiveness, into the realm of Felweave’s curiosity. She was practically second in command of the Empire, maybe she was the one who is holding it together. How much more can I get out of this? 

Indeed, how much?

The voice almost shattered Felweave’s mind, the fog surrounding him swirling in unfathomable patterns, the lights dimming almost fully, the whispers coalescing in their combined cacophony. And then the locket, towards which Grandma held a curiosity, briefly sparked, ending this swift but very noticeable struggle. A moment of silence glazed the room, as even the faintest sound of ever mumbling whispers was hushed.

”Excuse me, this happens from time to time. I imagine we will work together in future, how that I am aware of your formal occupation. I will await for the date and location. Anything else you wish to discuss as part of the job?”