"Why are you barefoot?"

Inside, I sighed with irritation. Outside, I thinned my lips slightly and
focused the utmost of my attention on a heavy tome perched atop the pedestal
before me. It would be foolish to display feelings as carelessly as this tome
divulges its contents to any literate passer-by. Childlike, I hoped he might
just drop it seeing my complete lack of reaction to his query. I could always
simply silence him with a single stare but I preferred not to risk chastising
him into servant-like obedience and fearfulness. I needed my additional eyes and
ears brash and honest above all things. Answering with the truth was out of
question, I needn’t my sanity questioned.

"Lady Heresiarch?"

I squinted down for a brief second as I was studying the tome. There they were,
my bare feet glimpsing from beneath the robe. One of the chiffon layers has
rolled up, tangled within a hem ornament. They were, naturally, in immaculate
condition with darkened talon-like toenails. Whilst I were known to practice the
tailoring craft I was at least able to dismiss it with one of the ‘A shoemaker
wears no shoes’ phrases. Alas, now that I have replaced the needle and thread
for an Enchanter’s pentagram it hardly served for a good excuse.

"Mercy... bind to the Earth... then the Unseen, channel energy through
Netzach..." I muttered to myself clutching at a perfectly oval stone in my hand
as my talons trailed down a page. A minute or two passed before I looked up at
him for a brief moment as my eyes travelled to the stone in my hand. There he
was, black-robbed, leaned against the wall and cloaked in shadows of the corner
he wedged himself into. And, unfortunately, as focused upon me as he was few
minutes ago, his question painted on his face.

What excuse is good enough for a Countess and leader of the demonic Nihilists
to walk barefoot across the city? Perhaps I should carry a pair of slippers with
me at all times and lay it by the door to avert suspicion. Then I could just say
I enjoy the softness of the plush carpet, or despise mud on pristine surfaces.
But right now I had no diversion but the truth.

And what was said truth? Ah, it is quite simple. My beloved is a Geomancer, one
of the old kind who follow the Libellus Geomancie rigorously. Wearing clothes
and washing comes across as a redundant necessity and hinderance to that
particular kind of -mancers. Whilst there are strict guidelines and recipes for
Enchantment, there are none such for relationships and I had to struggle and
bargain to reach the current status quo. He wears clothes, or at least robes,
and succumbs to the occasional bath. I, on the other hand, study the glorious
Earth element and pay it respect by staying in close contact with it. Somehow
that ended up with me not wearing any shoes to maintain said contact, which
leaves me wondering if status quo is indeed the best to describe it.

"Shoes are redundant." I uttered at last with icy dismissal. "Haven't you
anything better to occupy yourself with than my looks? Like that essay about
undeath that was due on my desk a few days ago." I approached the pentagram in
brisk steps and extended my hands over it, ready to begin the process.

"Oh, you know I only seek to emulate you, Lady Heresiarch. For a moment there I
thought perhaps it was a clever ruse to quieten the footsteps or ease walking on
the rooftops" he replied with a cheeky grin and a mocking bow as he flourished
his dark cloak.

I snapped my fingers, cosmic flame quickly appearing in my palm, and sent it
racing for his feet before moving my focus back to the glowing stone in my other
hand and the onyx circlet within the pentagram. He tried to dodge but the flame
caught his cloth shoes on fire so he dropped to the ground and quickly pulled
them off. Panting, he cast them to the side where they turned to ash rather
quickly, leaving behind a small smouldering pile.

"I was just kidding!" he whined as he carefully probed his feet. As an
afterthought he added, "My apologies, Lady Heresiarch", and sat down comfortably
with his satchel in his lap.

"I have no sense of humour" I replied off-handily, hint of a smirk passing over
my features. I looked over to him as he was wrapping more black cloth from his
satchel over his feet, making his own shoes. A resourceful lad.

"So... there is this lucidian Aquamancer at the Megalith of Doom" he started
conversationally, "He is glowing all sort of colours like a ridiculous rainbow
as he probes it. Thankfully for him, he is not trying any of his filthy water
spells on it or the plague lords would have made trinkets out of him by now.
Thought you would like to know".

I considered his words in silence as I finished focusing the Beauty enchantment
on the circlet. A convert material is nothing to dismiss, especially for me. I
should attend to it soon before some over-eager Grunt comes up with the idea to
test whether his katana slices through stone or not, and asks for permission
later.

"Let us see what this is about then" I replied as I gathered up the circlet and
slid it onto my forehead. The painting upon the eastern wall was enchanted to
connect with another within the Necropolis so I gathered up the rest of my
belongings, adjusted the troublesome hem to cover my feet, and touch it, my
protege at my heels. In a confusing flash of colour we were immediately
transported to the sibling painting in a quiet study besides the Megalith.

The lucidian was rather young as far as I could tell, with few scratches upon
his cerulean body which briefly lit up with colours as he laid his hands upon
the Megalith. Several people were watching him with mistrust but the citizens
are under orders to allow free passage to non-enemies, even to those from New
Celest. How else are they to see the beauty of the Great One's blessing? Surely
not from afar where they are fed lies and told terrifying stories that hold not
a pinch of truth in them.

"What are you seeking, young one?" I asked him quietly and soothingly as I
approached him, his front to the Megalith as he hands were clutching the stone.
He turned around quickly a little startled and regarded me curiously, taking in
my appearance to gauge who he is speaking to. I must have passed his screening
process as he replied truthfully.

"I am intrigued by the power of the stone behind me, my Lady".

"The Water element is weaker than the Earth one because it remains in its
unevolved form, Aquamancer". He frowned at my quick evaluation of his profession
and then stopped his eyes on his coral staff which betrayed him. Clearly he has
not been carrying it for long. "There is naught wrong with the Water per say,
but the Earth was strengthened by the Blessing of Kethuru, whilst the Water was
not. What you see behind you is the Megalith of Doom, the more powerful version
of the old Stone of Truth. The Geomancers are the seekers of Truth and said
Truth lies within the stone, within the tainted stone."

"The truth..." he said uncertainly, "I am no longer certain what the truth is.
I try to see that which others do in the Light but all I see is a regime and an
endless string of restrictions. Even now as I simply study the land, the stone
here, that Megalith, my superiors torment my aethers with incessant inquiries
and accusations. I don't think I am doing anything wrong" he finished and the
glow within him subdued to match his uncertainty.

I looked behind on my protege who stood under the arch leading into the study,
hidden in shadow. He nodded his head, a faint smirk on his lips, and retreated
into the study. This lost lucidian will scarcely be a challenge for his skill
but it will be his first convert. He has been long waiting for this opportunity.

"I do not see how would you by simply sating your curiosity, Aquamancer. Come,
let us talk" I finished and gestured for him to follow me back into the study.

I watched them talk for over an hour uninterrupted by anything in the world. My
protege was as charming as ever, explaining the finer points of Celestian lies
with vivid gesticulation and florid exampled. Occasinally they would turn to me
for confirmation of certain facts about the Earth Plane, myself the
self-proclaimed authority on the subject for the time being. I could see the
already deep respect of my protege for me grow tenfold as he listened to my
detailed knowledge. Mayhap it was not such an ill-matched trade after all?

In the end, the lucidian was wrapped around my protege's finger so snugly that
he would probably sacrifice himself to the Earth and the Stone Lords of the
Citadel if such was asked of him. With little fear we sent him back to New
Celest so that he could finish his business and gather up his belongings before
coming over to the Geomancers. I could see him glow an excited azure shade as he
gathered up his powers before he melted in thin air as he returned to his
demesne in New Celest.

He came back a few days later, with a few fresh scratches across his body, and
a merian supplicant trailing him obediently. Much to our delighted surprise, he
divulged quietly that he seeks to make a fitting sacrifice to Magnagora before
he joins our ranks. He squinted at the supplicant as he revealed that and glowed
a proud sapphire hue.

We made our way to the ritual chamber within the Necropolis and he hobbled
behind us with his offering. I looked down on his heavily scratched and dented
feet, the long journey and, probably, an escape from New Celest with the
supplicant cost him a fair bit. The stone that constituted his body was rather
soft.

I left the ritual to my protege and the lucidian, content to watch the two come
up with deliciously wicked ideas and pristine execution thereof. It lasted a
fair while as he initiated the lucidian into various ritualistic nuances and by
the time they were finally done, I was close to walking up and simply stabbing
the merian in the heart.

Afterwards I took the lucidian to meet Maker of Mountains to formally join the
Geomancers and left the protege to clean up the disarray they left the chamber
in. He caught up with us afterwards, a smug grin on his face as he presented the
lucidian with a small package. Within was a pair of simple sandals made from
slightly bloodied merian skin.

"This is it!" exclaimed the lucidian with his cheeks golden, and quickly slid
them onto his battered feet. He straightened up proudly, apparently of the
belief that now he has completed his initiation.

"See, my Lady Heresiarch, shoes do serve a purpose!" my protege whispered into
my ear.

Outside, I exhaled loudly and rolled my eyes at him. Inside I thought, status
quo it is.