Fiendlady Saga II
The Sapphire-Haired Shadow
As was her experience around a year ago, Asteria, Fiendlady of the Mystics, who was also in fact Schala, the lost Princess of Zeal, found herself once again falling through the endless abyss of time. As she fell, she was baffled. How could Lavos have awakened? It was soon after pondering that she soon fell into wet, cold snow face first. Alert and shivering like crazy, Asteria clutched her cloak tightly, trudging through the snow as fast as she could.
It was after a minute or two that she then stopped and held up Mursamune, staring at the dark blade. “Why am I trudging like a weakling through this foreign snow?” she asked herself before holding Mursamune in front of her and narrowing her eyes to a glare. Within moments, a beam of heat roared out of the Mursamune's blade, tearing a path through the thick snow out to the horizon, leaving the ashes of once-frozen vegetation to decorate the newly uncovered path.
Asteria then took off in a rapid soar down the path, within minutes finding a human settlement within a cave at the foot of a mountain. She stopped dead in her tracks after an attempt to move closer. In crude carving, the name Alghetty was carved into the mountainside by the cave entrance. “Someone inside is bound to recognise me... I must be cautious.” she said.
After some time, Asteria had fashioned herself new regalia consisting of a hooded gold-lined mask, her own midnight blue cape, long loose sleeves and pants, a sash chest cover, and gold jewelry mainly around her wrists and neck, topped off with a warm midnight blue robe. She wandered into the village, with people taking notice.
“Another newcomer...” an elderly gentleman said. “I thought that new Prophet was strange enough...”
Asteria passed by him without notice and headed for the pub, desiring a warm place to sit. As she approached the bartender, she noticed many were forking out handfuls of gold just for small glasses of water. She shook her head at the situation and looked at the shaggy earthbound bartender. As the bartender asked what she'd have, albeit anxiously, she thought for a moment. Her voice would likely give her away as well. She thought for a moment before a light went off in her head and she opened her mouth to speak.
“Jah mon. I be desirin' yah finest tonic... No ice.” she spoke out as the bartender quirked a brow at the obvious accent. “Come again?” he asked. “Tonic, mon! I be needin' da tonic!” The bartender glanced at her awkwardly. “O...kay, but it's not cheap.” Asteria held out her hand and dropped before him a ridiculously large pile of gold.
“Holy sh-” the bartender said, with bar patrons also noticing the large clitter-clatter of money dropping. “R-Right away, Miss uh....?” the bartender stopped curiously. Asteria thought for a moment before answering. “I be known as da Oracle of Calaspera. When da kingdom rose to de skies, I stayed behind wit' da rest.”
The bartender blinked. “Unique accent you have. I never knew something like that went around.” Asteria chuckled. “No no, it be meh own trademark accent mon. I be havin' it s'long as I remembah. It gets da folks attention in business ah-course...” The bartender smirked. “Whatever puts bread on the table I suppose.”
Asteria pulled her mask down just enough to chug the tonic down and set it back on the counter within a matter of seconds. “Keep da rest of da gold. I be havin' plenty.” she said and turned to head out of the village.