Uncovered Truth

The Golden Scale

Saria tucked her knees into her chest, hugging them closer to herself as she cried. Her forehead was resting on her knees. The sun was starting to raise in the distance, the light shimmering off the lake's calm surface. The morning had a chill to it but it wasn't noticeable to her, she was numb to the world.

She had been sitting near the lake since Schuyler left her in the classroom. She felt it was best to leave him alone for now. Everytime she closed her eyes all she pictured was the hurt look in his eyes. She looked up when she felt a sudden warmth on her shoulder's. "Yuki...?" She said looking at the blue haired boy. He had placed his coat over her shoulders. "You made a contract?" She shook her head softly to his question. "It's a long story." She told him plainly looking back at the water.

The boy just stood near her, unfazed by her appearance. He never asked her anything, just stood in silence. "Give him time." He suddenly broke the silence. "Scales, horns and a tail you're still our Saria." She looked up at him as he turned and left, his wolf following suit. Sometimes she really didn't know what to think of him.

She hugged his jacket closer, she was freezing. She just sighed softly. Once again she was alone at the lake. Her eyes stung from her tears. She suddenly wince at a loud squeal in her ear followed by static. Her earpiece wasn't connecting. She removed the small silver like ring that fit perfectly on her left horn. She held it in her pale hand, wondering who would be calling her.

"Alden..." She suddenly remembered the other reason why she came to this side. She moved closer to the water and whispered in a ancient language. The water softly sparkled with a cyan blue.

"Saria." A male's voice called out softly from the water. A weak smile came to her face seeing her dear friend. He looked to be fine, however his energy was off. "Alden... Are you well? I received a strange signal from you?" She was worried about him, even if it didn't show well in her current condition.

The conversation went on for while. All details he had found out about the mission she had asked of him. She smiled softly to the the girl Alden had introduced to her. She spoke with a slight confusion until he explained the illegal potion in the water. In all reality this girl should have been dead, perhaps the water muffled the side effects.

She closed her eyes lightly, this wasn't good. She needed to return home and help put an end to the smuggling. Her blue eyes opened instantly into a glare when she heard his question. She quickly brushed it off before turning it around on him. She had another conversation with her friend and the girl. She chuckled lightly hearing him tell her to shut up. She smirked before returning to the task at hand. She needed to help them out, more importantly revive a lost a skill Alden had lost from years of neglect.

She closed her eyes softly and placed her hands over her heart. She took a deep breath as she pulled her hands away from her heart. A blinding white ball of light followed her hands, swirling around it was smaller ones and shimmering lines of the same light. She lead the ball towards the water. Floating away from her, it landed softly over the image of her friend, sinking into the water. She could see their side brighten as it purify the scrying water he was using. Once the light faded, she smiled weakly. "Drink the water after we disconnect. You will be rusty but your abilities will be returned." She looked at Alden then to the girl. "I will meet you at our last regrouping spot. Be careful, both of you." She told them softly before ending the connection.

Weakly she stood up and looked at the sky. Bleeding pinks, orange, yellows and blues. She sighed softly before turning to leave. She slowly made her way to the door she had been staying with her new husband. With great hesitation she knocked on the door before opening it and stepping inside. She leaned against the door seeing Conrad in a chair. There was a empty bottle next to a nearly empty one, a small glass closest to him. By the way he was sitting, he was there all night drinking.

Silence filled the room as she tilted her head towards the floor. She took in a heavy breath before speaking softly. "I have to leave for a while... my job requires me..." She jumped at the sudden sound of his voice. "Right now, do you think I really care." She looked to see the plain scowl he had before everything between them, romance and this.

Her heart ached as if more pieces were being ripped out. "Conrad, I..." Her eyes began to tear hearing his words as he continued. The cruelty of his words cutting her deeply. A soft cry escaped her lips, she covered her mouth to stop as the tears began to flow once more. "I thought you were different Saria but I don't know who you even are..." He stood up before walking over to her.

She looked at him, her eyes flowing with tears and sadness. "I can't do this..." He told her plainly, never looking at her as he spoke. "Move." After looking at him for a second she slowly moved off the door and he left, slamming the door behind him.

Falling to the floor she landed on her knees, she hid her face in her hands and started to cry. Her heart was squeezing tightly in her chest. She felt worse then when she had died. Shakingly she stood up after several minutes of crying had pass. She went to the nightstand near her side of the bed, reaching out for the handle she froze seeing the shimmering scales on her wrist. She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall once more. She removed the Star globe from the drewer.

She had gathered her things she would need, the flatten Star globe hung at her side from her belt. She smoothed the note on the counter, a simple 'I'm sorry' in delicate letters. The thought of him tracing her scales in curiously last night came to view every time she saw them shimmer in the light. Her tears made their way down her pale face once more before she unbuttoned her shirt slightly. She took a deep breath as she traced the golden scale over her heart, it was the thickest she had.

She pressed her claw like nail on the skin tracing it, she whimpered from the pain as blood made its way from the spot. She cut the skin around it before biting her lip from the agony as she pulled on the scale. It took a while but it was finally free, covered in her blood. She held her bleeding chest, the cloth she was pinning to her wound was soaking up most of it. She looked at the scale in her hand. Once the bleeding stop and just the stinging pain remained. She cleaned the scale and threw the blood cloth away. Setting the scale on the note, she left leaving only the note and scale behind.