Nyx
Before I could spiral down that rabbit hole, Elias lightly put his hand next to mine. I could feel his body heat radiating off of him. I released the ribbon to meet his eyes. Let's just be honest. I want to trust that Elias wouldn't involve himself or me with someone who didn't have good intentions towards me.
"That is why our interactions have only been through you, right? You know this is sort of weird, right? Is this…courting? Are you and your friend trying to court me?" Elias's expression went thoughtful before he came to some sort of decision.
"To answer your questions in order: Yes. For now, my friend would like to remain anonymous. Mainly because he would like to be formally introduced to you first. I understand that, with your memory loss, this arrangement does seem odd. This isn't typically how things are done, but there is a precedent for someone closer to the courted to be the go-between. The primary difference is that the go-between is not usually someone who is also…interested in the courted."
Elias paused, drank down his whole glass of water, poured himself another glass then slowly drank it down halfway. I noted everything from his words to his actions and even the quiet in between. I didn't make any assumptions yet. I let him present his explanation however he felt would best clarify his and his friend's intentions.
In the midst of this pause, Líma set down our salads, entrées, and beverages before us. She moved the gift bags onto the rolling cart next to me before once again retreating inside—nearby but out of sight.
Elias delayed the rest of his explanation by inhaling his salad before turning his full focus back to me. I was hungry and would not be rushed, so I kept eating my salad at a normal pace but indicated he could talk while I ate.
"Okay. So picking up where I left off. These gifts aren't officially courting gifts, so no, we aren't technically courting you right now. These gifts are exactly what I said they were: congratulation gifts from friends."
He paused again, then chuckled. "Well, one friend and one potential friend."
I chuckled too, setting our salad plates on the bottom shelf of the cart. I began eating my entree while Elias watched with a soft gaze.
"When you are being courted, Nyxara, you will know. You will know because your suitors will make it known to you and your family that they wish to do so. You're still technically engaged to Koba Dillard, so until the dissolution of the engagement is in progress, it would not be protocol for you to be officially courted by others at this time. Kind of a "straighten out your mess before inviting anyone else to the party" sort of thing."
"So, you basically can date someone but can't court or be courted by anyone right now." Elias explained in between eating his steak.
I sat with that, then decided to drop the topic. I have enough on my plate, and I don't want to go into this ritual worrying about something I'm honestly not even sure I'm ready to deal with.
"Okay. I will leave the matter of courting alone for now and accept these gifts from my friends. I'll open the gifts after we finish eating." Elias nodded his head, and we ate the rest of our meal in comfortable quiet.
Once we were done eating and Líma cleaned up the table, I pulled the glitter sparkle bag from the cart to set it in front of me. Líma set a platter of cookies and brownies with glasses of milk onto the table while I pulled out the first item—a small wooden box. Inside was a ring big enough to be placed on my middle finger. Glyph-work was etched into it.
If I'm reading the glyphs correctly, this is a ring of focus. It will help me with spell precision and stability. Pleased and excited to see what else this bag held, I reached in to pull out another box. It was about the same size as the ring box, but what was inside was no ring.
Nestled on the plush lining was a luminescent white scale. Elias gasped when he saw it. He reached for it, then snatched his hand back."He even dares to give you this. That…that scale is not an appropriate gift for this occasion."
"If I didn't think it would cause even bigger problems, I would suggest sending this gift back to him. But that would only escalate things faster than you are ready. So for now, I recommend letting no one else know you have that scale."
Elias's tone and expression were so serious, but I felt conflicted. I felt inexplicably drawn to and protective of the scale. "Keep it safe. If he decides to actually court you and you accept his pursuit, then you can wear this scale to show your acceptance." Elias said while angrily texting on his phone.
"Dumbass actually gave you one of his scales. He knows what that represents, and if any of your family discovered he did such a thing and I helped him…man, I'm screening any future gifts from him before giving them to you."
Elias looked like he was working himself into a fit. While I did find him increasingly adorable, I did not want him to be stressed over something I didn't yet have context for. I reached out and took his hand, instantly stopping his rant.
He looked up at me, surprised, as if he had forgotten I was sitting here. "So this is a scale from your friend, and it's…some kind of breach of protocol that he is giving this to me?"
Elias took a few deep breaths, set his phone down, seeming to have finally calmed down. "Yes, and yes. Dragon scales, especially one from him, are immensely valuable. He is only supposed to give one to individuals he considers part of his inner circle. Not just family but intimately close with. As a witch, there are a lot of things you could do with an item this powerful."
I heard all the words Elias said, but my mind was caught up on him telling me I now owned a dragon scale. "Did you just say this is a dragon scale? Your friend is a dragon?"
Elias's eyes narrowed, then his head tilted. "Yes, he is a dragon shifter. Does that frighten you or lessen your interest in him?"
I stared at him, confused. "What? No! I'm just amazed I now possess a dragon scale. This feels utterly badass." Elias's amusement at my statement felt offensive, but I didn't know why, so I just glared at him.
I closed and set the box with the scale in it aside before I pulled out the last item in the bag. It was a journal. It had the scent of herbs and neutral essence coming from it.
Inside I found some pages already filled with spells, rituals, sigil and glyph work. The handwriting of the person who filled these pages was bold and elegant. They shared their insights on a few of the filled pages. I couldn't help noticing that the shared information would be useful to a witch who can use Savran arcane methods.
Curious indeed. Is it wishful thinking on his part that I'm able to do Savran casting? Or does he know that I can? What is written here is deep and inspiring. The contents made me want to try them out. I wonder what my primal nature is? Would I be able to summon a familiar?
Elias helped me put everything back in the bag before he placed his gift bag in front of me. It was a sapphire blue with a velvet feel to it. The first item I pulled out was wrapped in an embroidered cloth that I knew I would be keeping in my treasure keepsake chest.
Inside the cloth were four engraved weighted bracelets made of some type of dark metal. I examined them, testing their weight. Not too heavy, but not light either. I looked at Elias with a question in my gaze.
"Two for your wrists and two for your ankles. They will adjust and become heavier as you get used to them. They should last you until Veil 3 tier. They can be for training and something to use to help center yourself. I made sure they were attractive enough that you wouldn't mind wearing them often."
He helped me put on the ones made for my wrists. I tried not to think too hard as I let myself enjoy the calm his touch brought me when he wasn't using his hands to train me. "I recommend taking them off when you are resting or just relaxing. You will find yourself moving faster when they are off, so be aware that you will experience multiple adjustment cycles."
I accepted his advice, then dived back into the bag. It was a jacket. A very familiar looking jacket. Not the same one, but one that would fit me. I stared at him. Making the connection but unsure if I was ready to speak about him being there the night I arrived in this world.
Under my gaze, he cleared his throat. "Since you liked my jacket so much, I figured you would like your own. I'll still provide you with…scented articles of clothing, but I…hope you won't mind me wanting to see you in this matching jacket." He then stuffed a brownie in his mouth and refused to meet my eyes.
I examined the jacket to find it was exactly like the one that comforted me on my first night here, just in my size. It even smells like him. I unabashedly took a deep inhale. I felt his stare, but I kept my eyes closed as a sense of belonging washed over me.
It was as I was setting the jacket aside that I caught another scent coming from the jacket pocket. I pulled out a handkerchief that smelled equally enchanting but completely different from Elias's. The scent of cardamom and smoked leather filled my nose.
I met Elias's exasperated but amused stare. "Yes, that is my friend's scent. I don't even know when he snuck that in there. The man is a complete menace."
I giggled, strangely pleased and elated by this move. Each interaction told me this man was subtly but consistently luring me closer. I just hope he is worth all this built-up tension.
The last item at the very bottom was a small case. When I opened it, I discovered the most beautiful pair of earbuds. Held in my hand, I could tell they were not simple earbuds; they felt like so much more.
"They aren't just earbuds. They have multiple functions. They have essence sync capability. This means they can sync with your internal essence rhythm. Another feature is once inserted, they will not fall out. You can dance, fight, or exercise with them, and they will stay put."
Elias pointed to a small side button, then explained its function. "If you tap that button, your awareness filter will be engaged. You can cancel out all noise, or make it so you can hear your music and the outside world simultaneously. So they are good for personal or combat use. You seem to really enjoy music, especially when you exercise, so I figured upgrading you to something multi-purpose would be the right move."
I didn't say anything during or immediately after his info dump. I simply smiled. I was very pleased with all the loot I had gained today. "Thank you for everything, and please let your friend know I love my gifts."
"You can tell him yourself. I'm recording right now. You seemed unsure when you offered the video call, so I stuck with just recording you opening our gifts." Elias pointed to the phone he had propped up at an angle that could capture me unwrapping my presents.
So I waved and smiled at the camera. "Thank you, Mr. Dragon. I appreciate you picking out such lovely gifts for me. I look forward to meeting you soon." With that, Elias stopped the video, then sent it to his friend. He also stood up and bowed.
"I enjoyed this chance to eat dinner with you. It is getting late, and you need your rest. You will have an early start to cleanse and prepare yourself for the ritual. Enjoy the rest of your evening." Then, without giving me the chance to say a word, he left the patio and disappeared into the night.
It was at that moment I realized I forgot to ask him if he was my Rhazin guard. Well, if I make it through this ritual, I will have plenty of time to confirm my suspicion. I left Líma to clean up the table while I went inside to take a shower. Thankfully, when my head hit the pillow, I was out before I could worry that I wouldn't be able to sleep due to excitement.