He straightened up, giving her a cheerful salute. “Have fun at the Collection! Maybe we’ll explore the festivities tonight.”
“I always do,” he replied brightly, ruffling her hair before turning and disappearing into the crowd, his white hair gleaming in the sunlight.
The Ortus was buried deep underground, and she had to wait in line for almost another hour, slowly moving forward as people got their yearly stock. Finally, she reached the front of the line, where a tired-looking government official was checking off names. "Last name and identification, please," she said.
“Enkalyn,” she mused, scanning through the documents. “Enkalyn, Enkalyn...” Her quill landed on Calliope’s name and she checked her off. “Wonderful. You’ve been here before, so you know the drill.”
As she walked down the steep, dry ramp that led to the Ortus' dwelling, the air grew colder. Water dripped from the ceiling, forming tiny rivers that followed her feet as she descended down. A few torches lit the way, and she finally emerged into the gigantic cavern that held the Ortus. It was beautiful. It always had been. A machine of millions of intricate, golden gears that never seemed to rust, it was suspended in an enormous tangle of branches and roots that stabilized it in the air. The water that she had seen pooled into a large lake that reflected the glow of the machine. Uncolored Magyck lit up the room, casting warm light against the walls of the cavern that enclosed it.
Cal looked around in wonder. Every time she came here she was amazed. Her hands gripped the bag tighter and she stood before continuing again with a small sigh.
The lake that surrounded the Ortus parted in four places, one for each species. As she continued down the Elf pathway, flowers grew at her feet, reacting to her presence. She was alone in the cavern, as it was supposed to be, but she was instructed to move with haste to make room for the next people.
As she approached the Ortus, she would see something she hadn't seen before. Another elf was standing there. He has a long cape on, and his head was tipped back as he studied the machine, tapping it. This was not allowed; tampering with the Ortus was strictly forbidden.
She was immediately on edge, standing straight as the hands summoned defensively. "H.. Hey! You're not supposed to be doing that!"
He turned to look at her, his head tilted in thought as he studied her. He had black, curly hair, and grey eyes. These eyes flickered to the hands and he smirked a little before turning back to his task and reaching his hands into the Ortus, resuming his work at a faster pace, paying her no further mind.
He glanced down at her before pulling his hands out of the Ortus. "Hm. You make a good point," he replied, his voice low and smooth, but she would get the distinct sense that he was laughing at her. "Maybe I'll stop because some elf with two smoke hands is irritated with me."
