48 Ashan 719
The morning was colder than expected. Zarik bundled himself in his coat and a heavy scarf made from soft wool. He spent a few bits with Asher and Bjorn before heading out to Lucretia’s for a day of study. The day before had gone well. He’d turned into Tyara for the first time, after a rapid transform between himself and Kiara’s totem. For the moment, he’d returned to himself. His sister, Tyara, had much too many internal ailments that he now knew about.
He walked up the steps, and used the key that Lucretia had now given him to freely enter and exit her home. It was a silver key that looked plain and would be easily overlooked by someone who didn’t know what door it matched with. Still, he knocked a couple times to announce his arrival before opening the heavy door. Zarik stepped inside and glanced around. He didn’t see Lucretia.
On a long study table, he shuffled through some of the papers and glanced at the notes. It looked like she was working on a new volume of her series Inquisitione Scintilla Meam. He had told her of his husband’s intention to acquire a fifth spark, and the failure that had become his Lothar servant because of it. Zarik casually read through the notes that Lucretia had jotted down about the matter while he’d been away overnight. He supposed perhaps the woman was resting, as she remained awake during the night and slept during the day. But he already knew that she didn’t require that much sleep.
Zarik went to the kitchen and looked around the pantry before taking out a kettle. He cleaned it out, though it wasn’t terribly dirty, and he prepared it to make some tea while he waited. It was nice and quiet, almost silent, in the place and he felt a sense of calm. As he boiled the water over a small flame, he caught sight of a scroll laying on the counter surface. The biqaj picked it up, unrolled it, and noticed that it was a note meant for him.
It had a list of three books, and instructions to read them. He glanced to the side where he saw the trio of books stacked at the corner of the counter. He brought them over, sat on the stool, and started to read through. They had to do with Transmogrification - or Becoming, as the laymage put it.
A few pages had been designated with ribbons for him to read specifically. Though Lucretia did not share the domain’s spark in her soul, she clearly had studied the discipline in depth. He wondered why, as she had evaded his questioning about her interest. Did she simply know about all domains or was there a particular reason? He set aside his curiosity though, to focus on his study.
