"Awaken, my blood, and grant me your frost," echoed in the heated room as the echoes of hammers rang around her. "Let it cool off the grandest of heats and chill whatever stands before it." She could feel her skin shift once more, as if scales trying to push their way through from under her skin before breathing out a gentle blow.  Ice encapsulated this breath as it wrapped around the scorching white-hot metal. It was not until it was more red did she stop and the orc next to her sigh.

"Thank you," he told the Draconian as the apprentice smith nodded to her before turning over to his master. "I will not make the same mistake again."

"Worry about it later," he informed his pupil. "The metal is still malleable. Do not waste time on apologizing and get to shaping We need to be sure it fits before we have any time to worry about setting the gems. Remember that!"

"Yes, sir!" The echoes of the hammer rang through once more, giving a nod to the master before getting up to leave.

Jesgil had found herself here for about a week, doing what she could to help those around her with whatever tasks they had, earning silver to pay for room while aiding those in need. It also helped her to try and control herself as well, as a look into the river showed the deformation. "Why does this always happen?" she muttered to herself, concentration to form her face back to normal before pushing her hairline back. "And more silver is showing up, too… And ehre I thought I had more time before I needed to dye it again…"

Mo'mey hadn't been high on Dalanesca's list of places to visit, but her duties had taken her there none the less.  A madman, known for his violations of innocent women and children, had managed to escape the Ninth Circle of Inferos, where he had been held as a prisoner for his crimes.  Dalanesca was convinced that one of the Mutes, the servants of her realm, had aided him in his escape.  Reconnaissance and her spies on the mortal surface had led her to the city of Sviet within the steppes.

Traversing through the wilds on her way to civilization had dulled her weapons.  Beasts had been on the prowl in larger numbers than she usually found, and while they posed no threat to her, she could not pass up the opportunity for sport.  Hacking through the bone and sinew had taken a toll on her favorite sword.  Her goal now became to find a place to have her weapons repaired before continuing on the search for the escaped prisoner.

Of course, the goddess traveled incognito.  Her appearance remained much the same, though her divine aura was not visible to even the keenest of eyes unless she allowed for it to be.   She paused near a river, where she someone looking at her reflection in the water.  She said nothing as she approached, though her movements were not muffled - she was not concerned hiding her approach.  "Something interesting in that water?" she asked, squinting to make out the features of the person as she approached, her icy blue eyes probing for any sort of revealing information.  

When she finally approached close enough to speak at a regular volume, her voice maintained the same intonation.  "I'm passing through the area looking for someone," she said, offering up information without having been asked.  "But my weapons have taken quite the beating on the journey here.  Know of a good place to get a blade sharpened anywhere nearby?" she asked.  She could smell the soot of a smith on her, ever so faintly, but mentioning such would do nothing but give away her true identity.  

Dalanesca's would be able to catch most of Jesgil's face from the water's reflection, just as she was looking into it herself. While most of her hair did scream a bright red, her roots were showing about a half inch's worth of silver coming out of her head, and the embarrassed face the owner had about it. However, it would take the sharper eye to watch her skin ship shape as it smoothed out around her mouth and cheeks, as if the scale details were sinking back in to reflect more on her human look for her.

While she did hear the footsteps from behind her, she did not really pay them much mind. After all, this was an active settlement, so it was common for people to wander through. She would even be one to admit that, as she was now, a stranger would look over questionably on her action. Still, it did not stop her from jumping a bit when she was directly addressed. Quickly fixing the front of her hair to hide the silver, Jesgil pushed herself back up straight before dusting off the dirt and soot that was caught on her apron before turning to the other.

Listening to her request, Jesgil was quick to smile before telling her, "I think the man you would like to speak with would be Sir Uram. If you would please follow me, I will gladly take you over to him." Uram would be a building away from the jeweler's building she was in, so offering her guidance, she head the other over to the blacksmith's shop.

"Sir Uram!" she called in as she opened the door, "A guest has come to see you!"

Who else to greet them than a massive orc, dirty grey skin with tar black hair cut down into a triple short mohawk. He was quick to spit at Jesgil with, "What have I told you about honorifics?" before turning over to Dalanesca. "So, how can I help you?"

Strange appearances, be they mildly strange or incredibly so, did not stagger Dalanesca in the slightest.  She had been alive for a very, very long time, and had seen many interesting things in that time.  The bit of silver hair showing at the root of the stranger's hair contrasted greatly with the crimson of the rest of it, but she found it far from peculiar.  She assumed that she was just something other than human, as were many things in Revaliir.  She could, of course, note the small changes of her skin as it kept a more human form - she chose not to point this out, as it would only further point out her inhuman nature.  It was of no consequence to her - she was more concerned with finding the escaped prisoner from Inferos.

She stifled a laugh as the girl jumped at the sound of her voice, watching her fidget quickly to fix her appearance as she turned around.  The smile that crossed her face put Dalanesca at ease, and she was sure that this had been the right person to approach.  "I appreciate the offer, and I would take you up on it.  I did not mean to startle you," she added, in reference to her addressing her upon approach.  

She followed closely as she was lead to the Blacksmith's shop, and stepped inside behind the one who had lead her there.  When the large orc stepped out in front of them, chastising the girl for using titles, Dalanesca smirked a bit to herself.  She was of the same mindset as the orc, at most times.  She preferred to be called by her regular name rather than all of the divine titles that had been bestowed upon her, other than in situations where it was necessary for her dominion to be made known.

She addressed the orc, but not before thanking the girl for showing her the way.  "I appreciate your kindness in showing me this place… but I didn't catch your name?" she said, before turning back to the orc she had been informed was Uram.  "My blades have taken quite a beating on my journey here," she said and reached behind herself to draw out a long, thin blade from the sheath that rest upon her spine.  The metal gleamed in a strange manner, as it was something she had forged herself in Hellfire.  It would be easy enough for a regular smith to sharpen, and she held the blade out to him.  "Think you could give it an edge again?" she asked.  "I've got the silver to pay for it."

"Oh, forgive me!" she giving the stranger a quick bow. "I was so caught up in the moment, I quickly forgot." Raising her head, she flashed a smile towards Dalanesca, stating, "I am Jesgil Yamar, a wandering maid willing to help those in need." With the introductions passed, Jesgil stood silently as the two did business.

Even with his big hands, Uram was able to handle the sword with care as it was handed to him, examining the item in question. However, his eyes were more drawn to the metal itself rather than its edge. It was almost like a midnight black with creases of red flowing down its length. "I have seen many smiths try to replicate Damascus in the way the Ancients did, but this… this is something else. I tilt my welder's mask to the craftman," he complimented before finally taking a moment to eye the edge itself. "Hmm… yeah, whetstone cannot do its job proper. It will need the wheel, for sure." Taking the sword, he rested it on the rack as if to be in line for his next project.

"It would only take a couple minutes, but the shop right now is a  grand mess. Apparently someone broke in overnight and ransacked the place… took at least one of my finer works in the process. I will need to get in some cleaning done before I can do anything…"

"Well then," Jesgil perked up, "Let me he–"

"NO WAY!" he barked back. "I don't want no one messing with the shop except me. How about instead, you keep you guest company until the job is done. Maybe fetch yourselves a meal." He then turned to Dalanesca, before commenting, "You pay when the job is done, okay?"

Giving the orc a nod, Jesgil turned to the other before asking, "Is there anything you wish to try?"

She waved a hand dismissively at Jesgil as she bowed.  "No need for such formalities," she said with as warm of a smile as she could muster.  "It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance.  I am Ryalla," she said, using one of the pseudonyms she regularly donned when she wished to remain unknown, conveniently lacking a surname.  "I appreciate your kindness in showing me here," she repeated, turning her attention back to the Orc.

"I'm not entirely sure of its origins," she lied to the smith as he admired the workmanship put into the blade.  "I've come across a few other blades of its likeness, and their owners claim it was forged in the Hellfire of Inferos… but I'd imagine the Reaper isn't so keen to allow her blades to pass on to just anyone," she said, narrowing her eyes slightly.  "The wheel should be fine for it, but you're right.  I've got a whetstone of my own for some of my smaller blades, but the stone just crumbles when set against this," she added, nodding towards her blade as the orc rested it on the rack.

As he mentioned the break in that had occurred over the night, her mind began to turn.  A break in, with weapons stolen from a blacksmith?  It most certainly seemed to point towards the escaped prisoner that she was seeking - perhaps there would be some clues that would allow her to better discern the location that the prisoner had taken up.  "Do you have many intruders?" she asked of the orc, before the Jesgil was denied helping him.

She nodded to the orc when he told her to pay after the job was completed, and turned back to Jesgil.  "I'm not too hungry at the moment, but I could certainly go for a drink if you know of a good place," she said. "Also… I'm curious about this break in that occurred.  Do you know what it was that was stolen from the shop?" she asked, prying slightly.

"Not many," Uram stated, crossing his arms. "During the day, the sun exposes all, and at night, the patrols are heavier. It would be difficult for anyone to try and get around so easily with stolen good, especially an unfinished war hammer!" There was a brief moment of silence of him thinking before he scratched the back of his head, holding a finger up to ask for a moment before heading into the back. Not a moment longer did he return with a large scroll, set on the counter and rolled out, showing a form of blueprint. "I would prefer it not to be displayed in this fashion, but circumstances want to state otherwise."

There, he worked to point out the details of the tool at hand: a thick metal bar on top with a multiple flat ends separated by small gaps on one side and a sharp spike on the other, all connected together it its wooden handle with rivets. "I had not the time to really form the tail end of the hammer or rivet it together, let along any of the decals I wanted to add on. Still, it baffles me that such an item can vanish without anyone even noticing. Patrols are on alert, so all we can really do is keep our ears open to the wind."

Before anything else could be done, the orc rolled the parchment back up before tucking it into his arms. "I pray you ladies stay safe out there. Once I get enough working room, your blade will be as sharp as ever." He was quick to wave them out so he could focus on getting his shop cleaned up.

"The tavern master always has a good selection to choose from," Jesgil was quick to recommend. "Not exactly the fanciest drinks you could taste, but they at least know how to bring out what flavors they are after!" With a smile, she had no issue on leading her over to the local pub was. However, not even she noticed her ears forming a more rigid point, as if to listen more any suspicious sounds.

"I see," Dalanesca said, listening as Uram described the usual lack of criminal activity that took place in their vicinity.  His description of the piece that was stolen did indeed seem odd to her - why would someone take a weapon that was not even finished?  She thought on the prisoner that had escaped Inferos for a few moments, until she remembered that at one point he had been trained as a smith before he had been sent into the Ninth Circle.  

She moved closer to the orc to inspect the blueprint that he presented, feigning interest in the mere idea behind the weapon rather than the person who had stolen it.  "It looks like it would have been a rather wonderful weapon, had some brigand not taken it from you before you had the chance to complete it," she added. "I pray to the gods for you that the patrols find him, and your work is returned to you while he pays for his crime," she said, a respectful tone to her voice.  She nodded to Uram in thanks for his hospitality.  "I appreciate your efforts, and do not worry for our safety.  We shall be just fine," she said, and exited with Jesgil.

"I am a fan of taverns," she said to Jesgil, returning her smile.  "Give me a tumbler of whiskey and I could not care less if I was sitting in a pig sty drinking it," she added with a laugh.  She could see small changes happening to Jesgil's appearance, and it seemed that even the girl did not notice that the changes were taking place on her.  Before the pair could enter the tavern, Dalanesca pulled her aside.

"Forgive my forward speaking, but what are you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at the girl.  "I have seen many things in my life, and I can see the small changes that take place, such as your hair, and now your ears have changed ever so slightly - you are clearly not human," she said, her blue eyes penetrating towards her.  "You do not have to answer me," she said.  "But if you do, I'll tell you something about myself," she added with a smile speckled with darkness.

She could see the tavern come into view, her face smiling as she knew Ryalla had no issue with it. However, she was quick to stop the maid in her tracks with a hand on her shoulders and eyes like daggers down her spine. She listened quietly to Ryalla speak, her fingers moving over to feel the edges of her ear. Sure enough, they had toughened up, sprawling out with three ridges and an outward curve to them versus the human form. With a light sigh, she smiled, muttering, "And here I thought I had that trait under control at least," before turning over to the other, a smile still on her face.

"I guess its hard to hide when I rely on those traits, huh?" She asked Ryalla before answering, "I am mostly human, but I share the blood of a silver dragon from my father. From what you saw from my hair is my more natural hair color, but to me, it looks ugly. As for these," she rubbed the tip of her ear to point it out, "my body takes shape of what is needed to use. It also happens whenever I try to use magic or my Breath, as that too is connected to my dragon blood. While I may be able to become a full dragon if I try to call it all out, I had never once tried it. The need never arose." The fact she was scared about what may happened she kept hidden behind that smile.

And though she did ask to not give her such formalities, she still give Ryalla a quick bow. "Forgive me if it seemed like I was hiding some kind of secret. I more or less thought the need would never really arrive to reveal it."

Dalanesca gave Jesgil a warm smile and waved her hand in a rather dismissive motion at the girl.  "I am not one to judge someone for being different - I've secrets of my own, you know," she said, and her smile turned to something more akin to a devilish grin for a moment before transforming back to the warm one she had before.  She listened intently as Jesgil continued to explain a bit more about herself, her interest being piqued further as she realized that the girl had dragon blood.  "You're far from ugly!  And dragons are fascinating creatures.  I happen to know a dragon rather well," she said, her voice trailing off a bit as she thought about Story, her lover, for a brief time.  

"Probably a good thing that the need for that transformation has never arisen," she commented. "I would imagine that would mean you were in great peril, or perhaps in a very stressful situation," she added.  The girl did not seem too worried, but Dalanesca knew that deep down inside, everyone was a bit worried about one thing or another.  Some were just better at hiding it than others.  When Jesgil bowed, however, Dalanesca frowned slightly.  "You needn't ask forgiveness from me.  I am hiding a great deal more than you will ever hide from anyone," she explained.

"I do not blame you for keeping that information about yourself a secret from a stranger - and I apologize if you are offended that I asked you," she added.  "There are many people in this world who do not like things that are 'abnormal,' when in fact those things are amazing usually," she said.  "But as I promised, I'll let you in on a little secret myself," she began.  "That thief that stole the weapon from the Orc?  I am seeking him.  He escaped from Porta Inferni - from one of the Circles of Inferos.  Lady Dalanesca, or as some know her The Reaper of Souls or the Harbinger of Darkness, is particularly interested in his return," she said.  She was not entirely trusting of the girl yet and was unsure as to whether or not she should reveal her true identity.  A bit more time, perhaps, and she would be comfortable with such - but now was not that time.

They continued to walk, and pushed their way into the tavern, having a seat.  As they waited for the barmaid to come and serve them, Dalanesca leaned slightly towards Jesgil.  "Would you be interested in aiding me to find this criminal?  The rewards would be well worth your effort… and I have a feeling your… abilities, might become useful."