"This will be a simple challenge, nothing dangerous or hard… I assure you." Miri read the bounty over and over again as she waited for the others who was sure to also follow the trail of the diamond cave… she marveled at the beauty of the large complex and perplexing spires of gems that spouted throughout the mine, each one slightly different in color and hue. it was peaceful enough at the moment to hear the gentle flow of an underwater lake in the deeper shafts of the cave. Chatter of dwarfs and local drunks filled the room every few hours as the inn died down and they left for their shifts. Miri was certain to draw attention if she was in town, her appearance had caused quiet a stir the first time through town, shattered ice and frosty dwarvern guards still lined the streets and back alleys, no body hurt, just mass confusion and a few missing pints of ale. Now she waits, focused on the low laying mine entrance with mild impatience and half the mind to continue without the others. she has sat there for hours, frost covered the diamond spire she sits on, her presence has dropped the cave temperature low enough to freeze small amounts of water without effort.

Coming to the city of Baltil had been something she had been longing to do ever since she first heard about it while visiting Nisshoki. There had been a few traveling dwarves that had stopped by the noodle shop she frequented while visiting and they had been plenty happy to tell her of their home. In fact, they were so excited about going home themselves they drunkenly invited her to travel with them. She had immediately taken them up on the offer to their surprise. So now, here she was prancing through the dwarves streets of Baltil admiring everyone and everything. Everything seemed so amazing and new being done without much or any magic. Everything worked so well, fit so perfectly together, it was like a dream. It seemed like a place she wouldn't mind settling down in, she was sure she would be able to find something new and exciting every day. 

It was with this excitement that she entered a certain corridor leading into a quiet part of the city. She was about to turn back when she noticed something interesting. Her breath was visible before her. "Oh, is there something down here?" She asked herself excitedly straightening out the skirt of her grey with silver trim dress. Maybe she would find some more dwarves to talk to, they seemed quite font of telling stories about each and every part of the city, maybe there was an interesting tale that went along with this part too? She continued down the corridor, walking instead of prancing now, and only grew more curious as it grew colder the farther in she went. 

Not long after starting her walk she was someone standing up ahead. They didn't look like a dwarf but maybe they could share with her the story of whatever was in this part of the city? She approached with a carefree innocent smile and said, "Hello, beautiful day isn't It? Oh, well we are underground so I guess it's hard to actually tell but, never mind that." She started almost prancing again to close the last few feet between them. She looked around curiously before asking, "Are you waiting for someone? Is something fun going to happen?"

Today had been business as usual for Liselotte. After the deal for the shipment of quicksilver and other minerals for tinctures had been approved and signed she was free to roam as she pleased. Baltil was a common place for her to frequent as it was where one could obtain raw material for a wholesaler's price. She took one of the less traveled paths in the cavern network and found the temperature had dropped sharply. The little green wyvern clinging from her back  huddled under her hair, shivering. Even the alchemist was feeling the chill soon enough. "This is unusual, it's normally not so cold down here. I thought it would be warmer instead of cooler. Marcasite, come here." The little olive-green draconid peeked out from beneath her owner's golden tresses and climbed into her arms. Opening her travel bag, the little reptile crawled in.

 "I'm sorry dear, I'll bring you somewhere warmer soon. I promise." The bag shifted, as the little creature settled down. Venturing deeper, she didn't remember the path being this frigid, or for ice having even formed here before. The walls were lined with gems embedded in the earth, waiting to be freed by the miner's pick. These treasures were none of her concern as she went to investigate the source of this strange phenomenon. She saw two people up ahead, before the entrance of a mine shaft. What were they doing here, she wondered. Neither looked like the type to come here on a whim, nor were they dressed the part. She approached carefully, with a pleasant smile on her face. A disarming smile could do wonders that no sword nor shield could. "Pardon me, but have you noticed the change in the temperature and pressure? It's quite peculiar if I say so myself. If you don't mind me asking, why are you both standing before this tunnel?"

 "Who am I…. What am I… What do I need, know, see, hear and feel? It doesn't matter, what matters is who are you, why are you approaching me and why is it that you woke my meditations? She looked up, ice and frost chipping off the leather and ice sickles appearing as if fangs on the mask, the inner lines of the suit were covered by a solid ice that snapped instead of shattering. The crystals behind and under her had a thick coat of swirled ice and carefully etched steps showing off a fancy design and carvings of a castle with a large moon above it. Miri had been sitting there for a few days and had not been as still as she was in those moments since the fall of her kingdom. 

She stood and stretched, then stepped down in front of the girl. "Do you want to have fun? If so you've either came to the right person or you need to reconsider your approach."

Miri then turned to the alchemist and took a step back, icy footprints formed underfoot and her suit still creaked with frost and the heavy scent of white herbs and leather polish. Her appearance made her out as a rouge or a lightly armored knight even though her magic was easily sensed yet foreign and ancient. "Who are you? A slight air about you gives me the hint that you know magic and anomalies…. I can't say I've ever felt a pleasanter temperature in all my years…"

The person had spoke in a way that made her feel a bit on edge, but she didn't let that stop her from giving her a 100 watt smile and replying, "Me? Oh well I'm.." she paused suddenly distracted as she finally noticed the crystal the strange woman was sitting on. She gasped and got extremely close to it, admiring the designs upon it. "Oh, so pretty!" She said with excitement. With the mention of fun, her attention was once again caught by the armor clad lady. "Hm? So are you fun then? What do you mean reconsider my approach? Did I offend You? I'm sorry." She asked hoping she hadn't done anything this person considered rude, she really hated to think that she had. 

Next to appear was another woman and Lily gave her a smile and a wave. "Hello. Yes I did happen to notice the change in temperature, it's what drew me here in the first place. I was just exploring a bit, Baltil is so fascinating I want to see every part of it and today I was drawn down this tunnel. The gods must have meant for us to all meet, how pleasant is that. I always like making new friends. I'm Lily by the way." The auras around the two people were strange to her, she didn't believe she had met anyone like them before. Though she had to admit the newest member of their little tunnel party had an aura that seemed slightly more familiar than the ice queen next to her. She glanced at the frosty lady and couldn't help it when a small smirk appeared for a moment. Even her aura was frosty. Even if they decided they didn't want to become friends with her, she bet it would be an entertaining day at least. She put on another bright smile and asked, "So what are your names my newest friends? Or should I think of something to call you instead?" She looked down the tunnel and pointed, "Also, do you know what's down there? It feels like it might be something fun waiting there."

It was then she observed that the woman in white was at the epicenter, if not the source of that abnormal cold. The temperature brought back memories of months ago, traipsing around in a place very much like this with her former teacher. Speaking to the woman of winter, she said: "I am Liselotte Ellebore. And yes, I suppose you could say that my profession focuses on when things don't work like they are supposed to and how to remedy those situations. You must come from a glacial climate if this is standard fare for you. Most of us aren't as blessed with such resilience." 

The other here was cheerful, like a lamp or a blaze with quick-burning tinder tossed in droves and set alight with oil. It was strong and overpowering, but somehow off. It wasn't mere innocent exuberance. Almost manic, even. These two couldn't be anything less than polar opposites, and she was the equator. Addressing the smiling woman she gave a polite curtsy. "A pleasure to meet you Miss Lily. Though I doubt the gods would be so idle as to meddle in such mundane affairs as ours, I do believe this is no coincidence." When Lily asked about the tunnel before them, Liselotte shook her head. "I've never been down this path before, not to this extent anyhow. But if you're eager to try, I don't see any reason not to." Her travel bag began to squirm as she was in close proximity of the frigid woman, and she tried to calm down the agitated wyvern hiding from the cold in there. "Shh, shh. Easy now. I haven't forgotten, Marcasite. When we get the chance to rest I'll brew you something warm, hmm?" 

To Miri, there was a faint voice that echoed in her mind. One unfamiliar but close. 'Cold…it's so cold… I want to go somewhere warm.'

Miri stopped moving and glanced down, a single tear leaving her mask as it caught gravity's pull. The ground's chilled yet earthy embrace took the tear as it shattered and glistened with the gems around her. Not only did she hear the voice in her head, but also deep in her heart. She felt suffering, but she also felt fear. Her icy cover on her leather armor shattered as she fell to the ground, her bag pulsing black and her icy mantle of frost fading to a black for a fer seconds. Her memories surged violently through her and her eyes gleamed brighter as she sat there, not only remembering her fallen home and shattered past with full force, but now recognizing the pain of the voice. The ice steps with the carvings shattered in a way that the castle appeared to steam before vanishing under the rest of the ice and frost. 

"If you're doing this now then I'll burn you!!" She whispered to her bag before clambering up, dazed and soaked in water. Looking at the alchemist she spoke quietly and quickly. "I must not be in the heat of most places… Such a thing would force me to become ill. I'm not going to tell you where I'm from North are you going to tell me where you're from. Such information is earned, not traded." 

She turned to the girl who looked like a ball of lightning in an ocean of shadows. "If you… So much as dare die while near me….. I will hire a necromancer to resurrect your corpse just so I can kill it again! I will not be responsible for someone so…. So… So much like I was…. When younger." This time she spoke loudly and sounded anger, her voice carried with a chill to it but she got quieter and her voice began shaking with sorry as she finished.

Her smile brightened when the women called Lislotte introduced herself and it only grew as she said she didn't believe this meeting was coincidence. She nodded and responded, "Ah, yes but the gods are more than those their powers are given to by the tree. The powers inhabit the people making them the embodiment of the gods, but I believe there is more too it than than, a force guiding this world that eminated from the same place as they do. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying they aren't really gods, I'm just saying I believe there is more to the powers they ha e than when they consciously use them." 

The was a voice, a quiwt one echoing through her mind as if calling out. Maybe this was the reason the gids had gathered them here, to find the voice? The ice had started to melt and was quickly gone, Lily watched with interest as the event unfolded before her. The ice queen, as Lily now called her in her mind due to a lack of a name, was muttering to a bag if hers and it seemed interesting. She spoke to the Lislotte and had basically all but ignored her, was she coming on a bit too strong for this woman's comfort? The voice did tone her down a notch or two as she gazed down the tunnel, wondering if the voice came from there.

The ice queen had finally spoken to her, but what ahe said only brought a slight smirk to her face as she tried to contain her laughter. The ice queens emotions were clear to see as she yelled at Lily but as she got to the end of her little speech the smirk had faded and it was a kind smile in its place. "There there my dear, the only way I'd die here is if one of you were about to, then I'd steal it from you. So as long as you don't die, I won't." A joking tone then took over as she continied, "But if you do need a good necromancer for such a task I know a few for you to call upon."

Her attention once again was drawn down the tunnel. There was definitely something, or well many things down there, she could sense the auras of them faintly, something was creating a bit of interference but she could at least tell for certain it was not completely void of life up ahead. She glanced back to the other two and said, "I'm going to go take a look down there, feel free to join me if you like my lady Lislotte, ah… other lady. Who knows it could be fun yes?" She gave them each a little curtsey and headed off down the tunnel path, her steps seemed light and carefree but her mind was anything but. That voice, maybe whatever it was needed healing, it sounded in pain. Whatever the cost, it was her duty to find those in need friend or foe and make them live to see another day….whether they wanted to or not.

The ice-frosted woman was being quite defensive to her simple question of curiosity. However Liselotte was not one to be caught up on petty disagreements. "Ah yes, that is understandable. I won't pry into your personal business if you don't wish to tell." She had seen her fill of those either haughty or guarded, so this was nothing new. What was strange was the woman's response to Lily. It was painfully clear that she was trying to mask concern with anger, quite poorly she might add. She had lost her composure and seemed intent on maintaining a certain image. Making a good-natured jest at the woman's outburst she quipped. "Oh come now, why go through the trouble of hiring a necromancer if you want to take your your anger on someone else? Wouldn't it be easier to do so on a corpse than a living, breathing being? It would be far easier to beat a dead horse than to revive it only to send it back to its death again." 

Liselotte had been wondering why everyone seemed to fall quiet for a moment. Taking off her bag from her shoulders she opened it and a small wyvern's face poked out. 'It's cold, here. I want to go somewhere warm.' Marcasite's inner voice echoed in the alchemist's mind. The little creature could not speak the common tongue but it could project its thoughts through telepathy. "I know, I know. It's the same for me." She whispered to her pet. "By the way, did you try reaching out with your voice just now?" The olive-green reptile blinked and gave her a look. "I see. Well I'll have to explain to the others while I let them know you are here. Please bear with the open bag for a little longer."

Turning to Lily and the winter woman, she took her bag and held it before her. "Oh one more thing. I'd like to introduce a little friend of mine. This is Marcasite, my wyvern. She'll be accompanying us along the trip into the depths. She can't speak, but she might try sending her thoughts to you. If you hear her, please do not be alarmed." The little wyvern shivered as Liselotte held the bag for the two to see. She then closed it, and the travel bag squirmed as Marcasite made herself comfortable again.

Lily was already making the first move to investigate the mine shaft, so the alchemist turned to the winter lady and motioned graciously. "After you, milady. Those of lower station must always follow behind their betters."

Miri rolled her eyes at the necromancer jokes and froze the ground in front of the walking Tesla coil of a girl. She smirked and heard a faint rustle, turning to see the lizard. She walked up to Liselotte and pulled a glove off, gently petting the wyvern before quickly putting her glove back on and freezing it. "She's cute! Good thing she's not a fire Drake…. They loose themselves fairly quickly." 

 Miri pulled her bag up, the locket on it made of a fancy elvish silver with ivory trim. The bag a frosted white leather like her suit, only one front and two side pockets which smelt like lavender and mint leaves. "This is all I have that may talk." Miri opened her bag and held the bag out of the others reaches as three large books emitted dark fogs and altered the color of the objects around them. Heavy amounts of whispering rose from the books in an unknown language and thousands of curses protected each book.

 She closed and froze the bag after locking it, sealing it from others and leaving the curses her burden. She used galvanized weave to block any attempts to pick up on her mental activities by creating 'dummy' pulses to hide her real thoughts and movement plans. She then pulled the glove off again and began petting the wyvern again. "You're just a little protecting cutie aren't you… Yes you are.. heh."