Void Rift (rp) - Intermission

He lingers over Neal's ashes before leaving, never bothering to follow up with Tenebrae.

-----
Sapphire goes up to a palace guard.
"Hey, can you just let Aj know that I finished with the puppets? Thank him for me please, I have to book it to a meeting." She says, looking ready to warp off at any moment.

 

"I shall when he returns." The guard says, smiling.

 

"Thanks!" Sapphire's voice echoes, practically already gone.

...her puppets can be seen chasing after her.

 

The guard stays on guard outside the gates, mentally taking note of Sapphire's message.

Meanwhile...

Stephanie flies through the portal to Maralune on her broom, looking around.

 

There's a pile of ashes and a sinister tome off to the side, and everything else outside the respite is as twisted and withered as always.

 

Stephanie flies over to the tome, curious, picking it up telekinetically with a crystal in-hand.

 

It has eldritch runes along the cover, as well as a crystal eye that seems to be staring at Stephanie.

 

Stephanie drops the book immediately, flying away from it and the ashes quickly and looking for signs of other beings.

 

There are a few raptor-like birds looking at her uneasily from the withered brush, but that seems to be it.

 

Stephanie flies over to them.

"Hey!" Stephanie says, smiling.

 

They scatter, except for one.
"Hello, miss." They say, a bit nervous. "Uhm... you're not with the Academy, are you?"

 

"The Academy?" Stephanie asks.

 

"If you don't know, I'm going to trust you aren't in it. Uhm... what's your name?" They ask, easing up a bit.

 

"Stephanie." Stephanie says, smiling.

 

"I'm Gau. Uhm... could I maybe ride on your stick? It looks fun." Gau asks, uneasily stepping towards Stephanie.

 

"Sure, there's not much room on it though." Stephanie says, shifting forward to the front of her broom and tapping the back of it.

 

Gau leaps up and glides onto it, taking about as much space as Stephanie's foot would.
"How do you balance on it?" He asks, shifting a bit.

 

"Practice and time." Stephanie says, smiling as she takes off upwards.

 

Gau clutches onto it, panicked as he winds up losing balance and hanging off the broom upside-down.
"H-help?!"

 

Stephanie descends, offering a hand to help Gau up.