Upon seeing the maze, Dala let out a sigh of annoyance. She knew there was a maze that she had to get through in order to get to the temple but this was far larger than what she wanted to deal with. But if she wanted to see the healer then she would have to suck it up and deal with it. The child headed down to the maze and stopped before entering it. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a handful of leather strips. Dala dropped one on the ground before entering and kept dropping them as she traveled through the maze. It didn't take long before she hit a dead end and had to retrace her steps.

She followed the leather strips back to a fork in the road and chose the path that didn't have leather strips. Her technique would not get her through the maze right away but it would keep her from getting too lost. Dala didn't trust her sense of direction and she hated the idea of leaving it up to chance. The child ended up in many dead ends which made her increasingly more frustrated. Eventually she ran out of leather strips towards the end of the maze and she had to guess the rest of the way. After several attempts, she was finally able to get her way through the maze. 

"Damn fucking stubby legs!" She cursed out loud.

There wasn't time to sulk about that now, so she looked up to see the building and its volcano habitat. The path winded up to the gate, which made her more angry as she had small legs and it took double the amount of energy that it would take somebody grown. Dala bite down on her tongue and began to make her way to the the doors of the Celestial Citadel. The child pushed herself until she finally reached the doors. The constellations seemed closer and far more beautiful than before. She shoved the blackened steel doors with all her might and was able to open them. Stepping into the hallway, the child noticed how cold it was inside. The child figured that the god of anger could do with some fireplaces. Was the entire building this cold?

Eventually the hallway opened into a large room with a dragon in the center of it. The child's eyes opened wide and her jaw dropped. This was the god of anger? He was a dragon?! Dala had a bright smile on her face, as this was the first time she had seen a dragon before. It was just like the one in stories that she once was told. It was taking everything in her to not squeal in delight at the sight of the dragon. Soon, after a lot of silent admiration, she calmed herself down and bowed in front of the dragon. 

"Oh great god of angerness." She said, "I've come with an offering and a question for your wife." 

She only bowed in front of the dragon because it was a dragon. Dragons were to always be respected, god or not. 

Alairia was unaware of the young girl that was making her angry way through the maze. She was unaware that the girl’s anger was steadily growing the longer it took her to get to the temple itself. No, Alairia was not aware of any of this as she was curled up in a large bundle of blankets with her two canine companions. Both were sleeping soundly while on either side of their mistress. The three of them were curled up on the giant couch that she had recently brought in the bedroom that belonged to herself and mate, Raith. A light smile lingered on her lips as she listened to the light snoring from the pair that slept deeply. Even with them acting as ‘sentinels’ for Ria, she found that they were enjoying the heat from the nearby fireplace more. More often than not did they fall asleep while tucked in close to her as she read the newly acquired books.

The healing for her eyes was going slowly, but there was much more progress than previously. Even with this, Ria had been enjoying the books gifted to her that allowed the blind to read. Worlds were reopened to the young elf’s mind with raised bumps for her to interpret the stories. She had found that she was practically devouring these books to the point where Raith and her family were having a hard time keeping up with the demand. Alairia was content to reread stories until new ones were delivered.

A pull tugged at the back of her mind that told the healer that a new image was going to come from Cass. The fae dragon had taken to enjoying her ability to fly new places. A new image came to Ria that showed a young girl bowing to the dragon behind the throne. This was an odd sight since Raith was not there at the moment and the girl was bowing to a statue.

With a heavy sigh, Ria reluctantly closed her book. She gave a quick shove to her two ‘heaters’ to wake them up from their naps. ”Let’s go you slugs,” she teased. Rather long and loud yawns were given in response as they stretched while getting down from the couch. Ria folded up their blanket to hang over the back for later use. Hands attempted to push out any wrinkles in her pine forest green pants. She then tugged on her white button up shirt that was tucked into her pants in order to look presentable. Normally, Alairia would put on an entire formal outfit, but she was still too comfortable from her cuddling to want to change. Tugging on her knee high trek boots, Ria reached out for the fur that stood on either side of her to guide down to the throne room.

Dusk and Ky slowly guided Alairia down the trek to the door that would empty in the throne room below. Magic opened up the door for the trio where the young girl was waiting in her bow. Cass was perched up in the ceiling area to keep an eye on everything below.

A light growl was elicited from Dusk, her Night Wolf, to give warning ahead of any untoward attempts on his mistress. Ky was silent while leading Ria to the side of the throne where she perched on the armrest. A gentle smile was on her features while ‘looking’ down at the girl. ”Good day to you, my dear guest. I am afraid to inform you that my love is currently not in residence to take a meeting with you…” She was attempting to give the girl an out on having bowed to the statue instead of her mate. ”But I believe you had a question for me? Though I am not his wife….not yet anyway,” she added with a slight blush. There had been small talks here and there about the topic, but nothing was yet decided between the couple.

”So, brave one, what may I do for you? You have made quite the journey to this temple to ask a question of someone like me. I am surprised. I am no one compared to the deity I am bonded with,”[/b[ she said with a light laugh. ”I am honored that you would have an offer and question for me!”

The child was confused as to why the statue wasn't replying. Perhaps the fact that she was a child bothered the great dragon. It was always something to do with the fact that she was young. Every single person that she had met only looked at her age and nothing else. Suddenly, a door opened and a woman with long hair entered the room. The woman had a silver circlet around her eyes and she had a voice that was sweet and gentle. Dala pushed herself to her feet and faced the woman, listening to her as she spoke. Why would a dragon have a wife who wasn't a dragon? After hearing that her partner wasn't in the room, Dala's face turned red with embarrassment. Luckily, the woman didn't press the issue of her bowing to a dragon. The child looked over to the statue and realized that it wasn't breathing. It was a statue. Further embarrassed, the child decided to walk towards the woman. 

"Well…It's kinda more than a question." Dala admitted, "But first you need to take your offering, your highness." 

Dala didn't know how to address the partner of a god. She was still learning the titles of nobles and the best ways to address people. To her, she was a lady of great power and she owned an entire volcano. A queen was just a woman who owned land and power. Therefore, this woman was a queen. The child reached into her bag and pulled out a stained glass music box. The stained glass was the shade of blue and in the center was a white butterfly. A small silver crank was attached to the side of the box. Dala carefully held the box and began to turn the crank. She finished turning it then released the crank and the music began to play. The music was slow and sweet, but it held the sense of a nostalgia. As though the tune held some long forgotten sweet memory. Soon the music stopped. 

"There's also a secret compartment." Dala explained. 

The child pulled the crank, as though she was going to take it out. Instead the side of the music box opened to reveal a hidden compartment inside the box. There was plenty of room for jewelry and a variety of other small items. Dala pushed the compartment back into its original position. 

"My question is more of a request." She explained, "I need to know about medicine. Specifically the basics. I don't ever expect to be able to know as much as you about healing but I do need enough knowledge about it to keep myself alive. And I need to know what its like for healers in this world. There was this book about recent healers in the world and your name was on it. Angela was on the list but I'd rather learn from somebody who has worked in a shop with other mortals, rather than an immortal goddess who has been separated from mortal society."

She didn't mean any ill-will against the goddess but her words were true. Angela lived in her palace, took care of her kids, and healed those who came to her domain. But the child needed information from somebody who worked in a shop. Someone who knew what it was like to run out of ingredients, to deal with pricing, and interacted with customers. And there was also the issue that Dala didn't want to deal with a woman who was known as a mother goddess. Mothering was the last thing that the child wanted. 

"Are you willing to teach me?" Dala asked. 

(Here is the music box song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPPgH5DaBic)

A coy smile pulled at the edges of Alairia’s lips as she ‘watched’ through Dusk’s eyes the blush rise on the young girl’s face. It was quite adorable to see that such a young girl held herself with an abundance of maturity, and yet still had that childhood innocence. Cass shifted in the rafters as she attempted to get a better angle to provide Ria a better view. Ria folded her hands on her lap while resting on the arm of her mate’s throne. She knew that Raith would not have minded if she had sat there, but it still didn’t feel right. ”Oh dear, you can just call me Alairia. I am not a ‘highness’…..at least I don’t think so. This is still all very new for me. Don’t concern yourself with using such honorifics for someone like me.” The gentleness of her words were backed up with the softness of her features, the ones that could be seen despite the circlet over her eyes. Ria was working on her self-confidence of the scars that marred the skin on her eyes and bridge of her nose.

The music gave the healer a sense of ease. Standing up from her perch, she reached out for Ky who was immediately at her side. With his guidance she stood before the young girl to receive her gift. ”Thank you, little bird. I appreciate this gift and shall treasure it for many years to come.” Her hands lightly explored the music box as well as the secret compartment that was mentioned. A small flick of her wrist summoned a Celestial that had been waiting silently in the shadows. ’Please take this to my rooms. I would like it on my desk,” she instructed. The female Celestial took the gift before leaving with a bow.

”Now,” she said turning back to the girl, ”I’m curious as to why I would be your choice, but I am honored. Come, what is your name, little bird?” Alairia smiled down at the girl while placing a hand on her back. The blond elf began to guide the girl towards a door that when opened let sunlight that would be found shining during high summer. White gravel crunched beneath their feet as they walked into the newly created realm that had been designed just for Alairia. Dusk and Ky flanked the pair that walked along the winding path.

Flora and fauna were planted in strategic places for herbal needs that Alairia would designate later. ”This was created for my work as a healer by my love. Here, I can grow any herb that I could possibly need for medicinal works. Even the more rare herbs are able to thrive here under my guidance.” As they walked along there was a gazebo where a table already laden with refreshments were waiting. Ria took up a seat while offering up the seat across from her.

”Now, I understand to some degree why you want to learn. I am curious why you want to learn such a detailed level of it. I have learned over the years due to my mother’s business, and keeping stock. Is there something that you are wanting to know in particular? How much time are you thinking this training will take?”

Ria sipped on a cup of tea that she had just poured. The steam wafted before her face that fogged up her beautiful silver circlet slightly to highlight the details that had been put into the creation. Holding the cup between her two hands in front of her face, the woman inclined her head slightly. ”If I am to teach, it will take time. I am open to taking on an apprentice. I would teach you how to tend to your own garden if you were to ever have one. It would be appreciated to have help tending to this large garden in here…if you could call this a garden.” There was a waterfall in the distance that tumbled over a large cliff into a pool below. The ‘room’ was its own self-contained ecosystem that merely needed trimming to bring it to the needs of the healer. Teu, Ria’s mother, was already excited for the new available stock to use for the rarer medicines needed as of late.

”Is that what you are looking for?”

"Dala Asher Nesca" She said, "Good to meet cha!"

The child felt a hand on her back and tensed at the woman's touch. Realizing that it was just Alairia, she relaxed slightly but it was clear she was still on edge. Her tunic was made out of rough cheap fabric and was made for an adult. Dala walked with her towards the door. Sunlight peaked from beyond the door which confused the child as she had assumed that they were on a volcano. Confusion crossed through her face as she realized that the sun was more present than it normally was. They were at the beginning of Glacium and yet it didn't feel like it at all. Plants surrounded them but the child could tell the difference between any of them. A table waited for them to take their seats. Dala climbed into her chair then began to listen to Alairia. 

Apprenticeship was a possibility. She would be able to learn how to garden, what plants were what, and how to heal almost everything. However, there was one small issue with that. The child knew that she wouldn't be a professional healer. And she knew that the likeliness of her owning a garden anytime soon was slim. A full time apprenticeship involved a lot of work and she would have to give up her traveling. She couldn't do that. Her survival depended on her travels and the money that she made.

"I'm not a healer." The child said, "I need to know the specifics of how a healer works because leaders need to know these things. A leader needs to know what their healer's needs are. I feel that if I knew more about what it was like to be in the shoes of a healer, then I'll be able to understand them better." 

However there was more than that to her story. She pushed herself out of her chair and walked over to Alaira, gently attempting to take her hand. Dala's hands were rough and covered in callouses. The child moved Alaira's hand over to her wrists. On both her right and left wrists were scars from where something burned her. The scars were ugly and circled entirely around her wrists. As though there were burning cuffs that used to be there, a long long time ago. Up and down the child's arms were a variety of different scars. Some were from blades, some from burns, some from whips, and some were scars of a disease that happened once upon a time. 

"I need to know how to treat these." Dala explained, "And I need to know how to treat ones that will come in the future. I'm not gonna let some disease or injury be the death of me. That's why I need to know how to heal. I'm not interested in things like helping with baby birth or fixing somebody's teeth. But I do need to know how to heal myself when I get hurt or attacked."

The child's voice and eyes were filled with determination. It was clear she wouldn't allow herself to be killed. The world could continue to throw dangers and pain her way but she would carry on. 

"Will a half apprenticeship work?" Dala suggested, "I gotta go out and work to get money but I have enough time to learn." 

Alairia smiled at the way the girl introduced herself, though it did not go unnoticed the way a light touch made Dala tense. The elf femme took note of this for later. For now, she pulled back her hand as the child walked along towards the new world that had been created for her own personal use. It made her smile to see the slight confusion on the girl’s face at the world that surrounded them. Dusk followed at a distance, though close enough to give Alairia a good view of her new friend.

Both females took up a seat across the table from the other. It had been some time since Ria had a visitor that she could sit a talk with. Many were at the temple for the honor of meeting with her lover. She did not mind that in the least; Ria was deeply pleased for her mate as he had been waiting for a long time to be acknowledged by the world. Even so, it was good to have someone want to sit down with her for once even if it did surprise her. Ria savored the flavor of the tea as well as the steam that heated her face. It was soothing.

Alairia waited for Dala to decide what she truly wanted. There was a great offer placed on the table before the child, but it could be coming at a hefty price. Many did not realize how much dedication it took to be an apprentice, but Ria wanted to provide a home of sorts to the girl. From what the elf had noticed through Dusk’s eyes the outfit worn by the child was not even meant for her. It was not the woman’s place to try and be a mother figure….but it was difficult to hold back that empathy. The powers she now had were being tugged by a gravitational pull that surrounded Dala. They wanted to help the girl in any way possible.

The scrape of chair on granite floor prompted Ria to place her tea cup down. Feeling the young girl’s calloused hands made her feel a slight wilt in her heart. Such a young child having to take on such burdens…though it did align with the rest of her family. Healer’s light touch began to explore the scars that she had been directed to. They were deep to the point she knew that it would eventually inhibit the proper formation of muscles in her wrists along the tendons. A motherly click of her tongue could not be held back as her head tilted to the side. Her touch continued to diagnose the problem that needed to be solved.

No response was given until after Dala had finished with her suggestion. Ria sat back in her chair with arms crossed over her chest while contemplating how to best move forward. Finally, a gentle smile graced her lips. Motioning to back to Dala’s chair for her to take her seat again. ’I think we can do something like that,” she spoke while shifting her seat to tuck her ankle behind the other. ”You are no little bird, but a little wolf.” This made a brighter smile lift her lips.

”I will teach you the basics to start off. If you are a traveler, than it is important to know your herbs. To know what will help or hinder your healing. Not only that…I want you to learn some good poisons just in case.” Ria knew that this wouldn’t be quite an expected thing from her, but she knew the real world despite how her family sheltered her. ”You will help me tend to the garden here to know what is needed to identify them. With that work, you will pay for the room provided while you are here at the temple. It will always be open to you when you need shelter. The work you do to help me make tonics…that will pay for the tonics you take with you. And for your scars….we will work on those.”

She placed her hand palm up across the table towards the ‘little wolf.’ ”What do you say?”

At Alairia's motion, the child headed back to her chair. She pushed herself upwards and sat on the seat. Her eyes looked over to Alairia's face, mostly at the metal circlet wrapped around her eyes. The little girl was used to looking at people directly to their eyes, as they often revealed more about the person than anything else. The thought that Alairia might feel upset didn't occur to her. Instead she concentrated on the woman's words.

When Alairia called her a little wolf, Dala couldn't help but smile proudly. It was rare that people saw her as strong. Most only saw her as a little girl that needed saving, instead of a strong person who survived through hardships. The child couldn't help but appreciate the new title of little wolf. Dala continued to listen to the rest of the woman's offer. After listening, Dala thought for a moment before her decision. This was an important choice and she wouldn't jump into it until she was a hundred percent certain that it was a good idea. A few seconds passed before Dala gave Alairia a nod. 

"I accept." Dala said reaching out to Alairia's hand, giving it a shake. 

It occurred to her that it would be a good idea to ask how Alairia's husband would feel about this agreement. After all, the child would be staying in this temple which was owned by the god of rage. With that title, would he be furious at his beloved because she made the deal without him. Suddenly Dala realized something. Alairia didn't need anybody to tell her what she could or could not do in her own home. This woman was not a child that needed permission from her husband to do anything. This lady was an adult and had the freedom to do whatever she liked. If this was a healthy relationship, then she could make the decisions she wanted. The little girl pushed herself off the chair and walked towards Alairia before saluting the woman. 

"I'm ready to start whenever you want me to." Dala declared seriously, "My name is Dala by the way. Dala Asher Nesca. It's good to meet you Alairia." 

Though the child told Alairia her name, she didn't mind the title of Little Wolf. She liked the idea that she was as fierce as a wolf. The little part was just a reference to her small size, which she couldn't deny. It seemed that Dala was prepared to get to work at any time. 

There had been business outside of the Observatory to be dealt with, and it had gone well. Since his Ascension, Raith had begun to cast out his influence, reaching out to those like himself, those who were sick and tired of the Light always having their way. He had recruited a few collections of Assassins, it had obviously taken time to find them, but he had pledged to be their God, if they would pledge themselves to him. Thankfully having Dae on his side helped this, it had meant he could find the people he required, and now that he had found them, he could start his real work. 

Returning home, Raith immediately felt the the presence of all those within the Observatory, and noted the addition of one he didn't recognise. Raising an eyebrow, the God cocked his head to one side, gaze narrowing after a moment. Whoever it was, they were with Ria, but no alarm had been called, so clearly she was not in danger. Oh would he never have a quiet moment? Sighing, he motioned for Silence to attend him, leaving their personal room, and following the vibrations that coincided with his beloved, he knew exactly where she was, already utilising the garden he had created for her to conduct business in, and he wondered whether maybe that was why they had a guest. 
Opening the door and striding down the gravel path, he let Silence guide him to Alairia and her guest, his 'eyes' fixing upon the child sat with his lover, an eyebrow raised at the sight of the pair shaking hands and striking some deal or other. He turned his 'gaze' towards Alairia questioningly wondering what on earth was happening. 

"I see we have a guest," Raith stated simply, placing his hands upon Alairia's shoulders and giving them a gentle, loving squeeze. "Greetings to you, I am Raith, I am God of this Domain, I see my Ria has taken care of you. Something I need to know?" He asked with a smirk, knowing that something was going on.

A slight aura shift when the title was given of ‘little wolf’ to Dala. Ria contained her smile as the young yet mature girl took the time to make her decision. There was a great opportunity laid out before her. That opportunity also had much tied to it that was going to change the little one’s life. Ria knew that, and it was important for Dala to decide based on her needs. The healer hoped that the offer was accepted. She could see herself coaching a strong a personality like Dala, so when she felt the warm small hand in her’s there was a bright smile to spread across her lips.

Alairia squeezed the small hand back in return before she set back in her seat again. Leg crossed over the other underneath the table. She smiled down at Dala with a gaze from behind her silver circlet even if she could not see. ”I am glad you decided to join me, Little Wolf,” she finally spoke with a tone that had an older sisterly love.

Already her plans were beginning to form, but those thoughts left her mind as the scent of her mate entered the sanctuary. Her features softened as she sensed Raith making his way over to them. ”We do,” she responded with a light laugh. A hand reached up to grasp his arm lightly to trace the forearm before resting on the hand that was still upon her shoulder. Whenever Raith referred to her as ‘his Ria,’ it always sent a little satisfied shiver down her spine.

”There certainly is something going on today, my heart. This young wolf, Dala, is going to be my apprentice. She will have quarters here, and help me tend to the Sanctuary here. Dala would like to learn about healing. You can see how fierce she is, and needs field medicine mainly I think.” Alairia squeezed his hand as the warmth continued to give her strength at every moment.

”Why don’t you sit with us?” Her head inclined towards a cushioned chair nearby for him to pull up with them. It still concerned Alairia that a young child had made her way to the Observatory. The journey was a dangerous one, and yet she had made it. ”So, little wolf, who are the ones you are leading? I am quite curious what your plans are?” The mate of Raith reached out her hand to hold his while they spoke with Dala. Ria wanted to get to know the girl that would join their happy….yet wrathful home.

It didn't take long before Dala spotted Raith. Her eyes went straight to his dragon wings and she held in a smile. So he was a dragon…sort of. A dragon person? Half dragon half…something? The child didn't want to think about how that happened. Instead she focused on his movements until he gave Alairia a gentle loving squeeze. After seeing that, she decided to relax a bit. The deal was between the child and Alairia, not Raith. 

"Nice to meet cha." She said, looking directly at him. 

Dala's face didn't show any fear but did have hints of admiration, though that had more to do with the fact that he had dragon wings than anything else. Dragons were cool, in all contexts. The child's eyes went over to Alairia as she explained the situation to her lover. Again, when Alairia mentioned Dala's fierceness, the child couldn't help but feel pride. The conversation turned back to the child's plans for the future and the people she planned on leading. Dala reached into her satchel and found her Endless Bag. The child pulled out a stack of twenty parchment papers all tied together with a string and placed it on the table. 

"Well I guess it depends on what part you want to know about." Dala said, "The people that I'll be leading will specifically be the people who have nowhere to go. Specifically orphans, escaped slaves, refugees, and other people like that. Despite popular opinions, these types of people do have skills and are more than just poor fools. I already have a group that I'd like to start with once I have everything set up. Its a group of orphans around my age. It'll take time for me to get everything together so by the time that I'm ready, they will be older and more prepared for this sort of thing." 

The child's entire attitude had changed to a serious tone. It was clear that this was no joke or silly little fantasy to her. Each of the parchment papers had a title on the top and had writing on the front and back. The words were tiny and squished together but still readable. Each side of a page had at least five hundred words written in readable but sketchy handwriting. The first page was labeled Economy. Dala lifted the page and placed it closer to Alairia and Raith. 

"That's the page that goes over the economy." She explained, "The Bohar Plains are going to be my top choice since its been left abandoned after the war. Its been a while since the war has ended but people have yet to return to their once homes. Its possible that in the time of my preparation, they will return but its unlikely. It seems that they have taken up homes in other locations that require less building. The economy will involve trading since travel through the Bohar Plains is common and faster than some other routes. However there will be farming involved too along with a variety of other things. Relying on trade would be foolish since there are many other locations that are known for being merchant kingdoms. The economy will have to find something else to base its income on. I would have explored other options but I ran out of money for more parchment and ink." 

Dala spread out the other parchment papers so that they could see them. The second paper was labeled Defenses. All the other papers went over Government, Culture, Laws, Religion, Education, Public Services, and Resources. Some topics like government went on for five or six pages while others stuck to one or two. It was clear that the child spent a lot of time and consideration over her plan and that she had knowledge over those topics. 

"My plans will have to be adjusted and changed but that will have to wait until I have the money for more ink and parchment." The child stated, "But before I start, I need to learn skills to survive long enough to get all of this done. It be stupid of me to try to start this now without knowledge over how to keep myself alive. I've been doing fine so far but only because of luck. I also would like to understand how a healer functions in their shop and what its like to be in their shoes. Healers are important to every society and can be the difference between life and death. You can't build a legacy without them. " 

After she was done explaining herself, she sat, waiting for their reactions. The child was preparing herself for mockery or her plans to be treated like a child's dumb idea. Most people that learned about her plans thought she was nothing more than a fool. But none of that mattered. They could scoff all they like or treat her like an idiot! But there was nothing they could do to stop her from trying to build a kingdom. A fiery passion burned in her heart that couldn't be contained or smothered.