Assistance

Missing Shard

Written by V. Charis owns the hot genius featured here.

With the dinner coming to a close and the evening growing dark, Djehuti gave a respectful bow to Sune-ku and left the main room. Others might have been content to remain and chatter mindlessly about the trivial events of the day; the white haired Doitra preferred the peace and quiet of his own workshop. He had managed to eloign the newest blueprints at the close of the meeting, keeping them concealed until he arrived at his door. As the knob turned, eh could hear the rapid patter of feet on the path. Djehuti hastily pushed the door open and shut it, not wanting to endure the rambling company of a certain perky Silver Doitra.

"Djehuti-sama!" Breathless, she came around the corner, just as the door slammed shut and the curtains were drawn closed. Arms around a sheaf of parchment, Nini stood on her toes to peek at the window. "Djeuhti-sama! Y'dropped de papers! Y'new Egyro drawerings, dey were on de path! Y'dropped 'em on de way outta de party!"

The surly genius swore underneath his breath, carelessness making him even more irritated. Muttering oaths, he flung open the door and scowled at the tiny beaded Rubi islander. One hand reached for the parchment, the gesture abrupt and voice rough. "Thank you, Ninitehane," he offered, rerolling the blueprint in a tight scroll. Had she gotten sand on it? Chocolate smudges from dessert? He examined the edges for dirty fingerprints from childlike hands.

She stood quietly, smiling up at him even as he searched for some sort of damage. Nini had watched the Gold Doitra all through the meetings, her silence and restraint a contrast to her usually effervescent personality. Her chattering seemed to bother the older man, and being the youngest of the group made her somewhat uneasy. Besides, the mere presence of figures once only noted in story and legend resulted in an odd sort of starry-eyed worship. Sandals kicked at the dirt as she awaited her dismissal.

"Was there something else?" Finding no torn edges or muddied spots, Djehuti tucked the drawing under his arms and turned his full attention to the girl. "A message, perhaps?"

Nini had been exceptionally careful to speak with the most extreme respect to the elder Doitra. Beads clicked as she shook her head from side to side, her smile velleity for more familiar conversation. "No. but, Djehuti-sama? I've a kyistone 'bout y'drawerings-"

"You looked at the design?" His choleric tone was only exacerbated by the fact that he towered over her, expression nothing short of displeased. The last person who had dared to glance uninvited at an Egyro scroll had been threatened with immediate defenestration, and the poor servant had never returned.

Despite her fright, Nini remained on the step, her entire body shaking. "It. it was open, an' I could see de bird, an' it looked all pretty an' el'gant, wit' de wings an' de frames an' de stone in de center an'-" She gesticulated wildly as the words tumbled out, nimble fingers seeming to replicate pieces of the drawing in the air. Her voice tearful, she rambled on even faster. "An' I like de sil'vry bits an' de way it makes de' noises an'-"

"Ninitehane." Her name rumbled above her, smooth and impossibly low. A hand came down to stop her runaway explanation; Nini's flinching went unnoticed by the stunned genius. His expression no longer annoyed, Djehuti regarded her with an almost-smile that smacked of intrigue. "Do you mean to say that you were able to comprehend the diagram and the notation for each individual component?"

"Sorta?" Red eyes wide, she waited for another reprimand. "I. I get it. Kinda. It's all parts of a bigger t'ing, isn't it?"

He straightened up, the almost-smile still on his face. "Well, yes. Really. Perhaps. perhaps you could come by tomorrow? I believe I have an intellectual opportunity for you."

It took a moment for her to understand what he was saying, but Nini managed to nod in reply. "Y-yes, tomorrow. For what?"

"I require assistance in transcribing notation from some earlier drawings. If you can manage to refrain from insipidly chatter in that time, then you may be of some help. Are you able to abide by such rules?" He folded his arms across his bare chest and waited for her answer.

"I. yes. Yes, I'll be here t'morrow. Mornin'?"

"Morning, Ninitehane."

The resulting display was nothing short of humorous, as Nini flung her arms about the poor man and hugged him soundly before remembering whom she had wrapped her thin arms around. With an apologetic squeak and bow, she stammered a red-faced apology before running back down the path. For his part, Djehuti simply stared after the fleeing girl. Amused and bewildered, he returned inside with the retrieved drawing.

The next morning would certainly be an interesting one.