Chapter 3: The Transporter
Deryk exited the library, the dynamis locked box in his hand. He sighed, looking around. This sort of thing would attract... all the wrong type of things. Yet, this was his task, and he couldn't let anyone down. A personal flaw of his, perhaps, but in this case... it was handy. The thought was to just teleport to the Shroud, and with a small step into the garden he let the aetherstream take him.
The problem with a box full of aether draining 'books' was... well... the aether draining. Using the aetherstream to move... didn't really aid him as much as he had hoped. He landed right in the middle of Doma. A soft growl escaped his throat as he looked around. Nope, this wasn't where he wanted to go. The box seemed... heavier... and he grunted as he almost dropped it while he stumbled on a rock. "Merde..." he mumbled, using his Master's favorite curse... before he teleported again...
Limsa Lomensa... really? He sighed and looked around. At least no one seemed to find the Hyurzen holding a black box to be suspicious. At least. He could take an airship, but the airships ran on aether too. What if the box decided to leak? To steal the power from the ship midair? He'd be fine... but what of the pilot? What of the other passengers? No, he couldn't risk that. With a wince, noticing the box grew even heavier... he decided to just press on. He'd tell Qaelemont about this... oddity... when he returned. Another step into the aetherstream... another, hopeful, aim toward the Shroud.
The desert heat hit him before he could realize where he was. He... was outside the gates of Ul'dah. The dread that grew in his heart was no small thing, as sweat broke out across his brow. His heart felt like it would burst from his chest as he laid eyes on his old home... the small camp where he grew up. Adults he barely recognized... children he had grown up with, now with families of their own. Children of their own... A deep ache resonated inside him at seeing it, and with crimson tears in his eyes, he looked away. Why did he crave those things? Why now? Why did the stupid box bring him here?! With growing anger at whatever was toying with him and his mission, he made one final attempt to reach his Sire's manor... and the woman he knew lived there.
The gates of Blackrose Manor lay before him... He felt relieved... but taking a step was... almost impossible. Were the books inside the box heavy from all of the aether they had consumed? Did the box prevent them from giving the energy to whatever it was they were feeding? He didn't know... but it took all his strength to climb the small steps to get into the garden of Blackrose... where even the wards there didn't stop the feeling. A weakened knock on the door was answered by a regular sized Miqo'te. The seeker's pale white eyes looked at Deryk with no emotion, like he was seeing through the man. Deryk was used to that. Sokhor did that all the time. He wondered, absently, if G'lado and Sokhor had more in common, but brushed it off as he offered the box. G'lado looked at it for a moment, then back to Deryk. Deryk winced again, holding it with difficulty. "For... Ravena. She knows what it is." G'lado nodded, moved to get a metal cart, and let Deryk put the box on the cart. With that, he walked off to place the cart and box into Ravena's room.
Deryk slumped over in the garden, letting the snow fall gently on his face. His strength was still sapped from other things... and now this... but he was slowly recovering. Safe... with a job well done. He stood, groaned, and then in a moment went right back to his Master's mansion, having no issues this time. He dragged through the door, into the back chambers... into his own bed... where he passed out as soon as he hit the mattress, not even bothering to take off his clothing.