Liana

Information

The break of dawn illuminates a violet tinged city filled with whitewashed homes that overlook steep cliffs that sharply descend into frothy waters. 

Myriads of docks extend from the land, punctuating the borders of the city with black platforms connected to the shoreline by gangway. Beneath the idyll waters sink several poles that keep the platforms in place, each of those poles embedded into the seafloor by giant anchors.

The dock is lifeless this dawn, as sapphire-colored birds soar into the sky before diving into the ocean below. They continue their journey along the coast and pass over an inconspicuous rock formation several or so miles away from the city.

A rock appears to have been moved to the side, revealing a stairway that delves into a deep darkness.

Liana, fully equipped with her steel breastplate, plate-legs, and her matching pairs of gauntlets, stares intently at Valentine, 28 years old, wearing a red, double-breasted coat and a matching plaid skirt that extends just above her knees. Valentine's purple eyes peer back, her black bangs falling just above her eyebrows while the rest of her hair falls beneath her chin.

The women sit parallel to one another, both of them supported by 3-meter couches comprised of leather and stylized with uniform lining and faint, avian motifs depicting birds soaring towards a sunset. Four pillows hug each side of the couch, each of them porting impressive gold inlays.

An oval-shaped table sits between them. Several pages, each of them splayed out, spreads from one side of the table to the other. 

The dimly lit ocean surrounds them, the unfathomable weight of nature held at bay by thick, glass walls with transparent runes snaking across them. Schools of rainbow-colored fish swim, disperse, and reform into swirling formations before dispersing again.

Valentine's eyes trail up and down Liana's body.

Liana takes a moment to clear her throat, "Thank you for meeting with me."

Valentine crosses her fingers, forming a bridge to rest her chin on. "Don't thank me for doing my job. If anything, I should be apologizing to you, Lieutenant. No one expects anything to go wrong," her eyes then shift towards the table. "But the higher-ups should have given you more to work with than 'being a bodyguard,' for Eldaren."

Liana then traces her gaze towards the first profile labeled THE QUEEN OF THE NORTH, depicting a youthful-looking woman with eyes the color of a calm shore, a black choker on her neck adorned with other pieces of jewelry. Her raven hair tied up in a bun, kept further restrained by a headband depicting sea monsters.

Liana says, "I know this one... I don't agree with her lifestyle, but any woman who excels in a male-dominated field will have my respect."

"You're well informed," Valentine's eyes shift towards another profile labeled SIRENS CALL, showcasing a full body profile of a young, lithe woman with pale blue skin, long dark blue hair, and fingers ending in squid tentacles. "What about this one?"

Liana shakes her head.

"She's a witch, but that's all we know. We scoured every database we could get our hands on. As far as the world is concerned, this person doesn't exist."

Liana says, "Eldaren is good with magic, right?"

"With the tuition his family paid, I would fucking hope so. From what our spies gathered, blue-babe hates violence."

Liana sighs with relief, "I'd hope so. As confident as I am with my martial prowess, I'm not sure how confident I am with facing a spell caster head on."