Axel walked their brother through the streets of Blonicku, for the first time in this way.
He'd had the spell done only a week ago, which had side effects that grandmom hadn't had to deal with. Apparently, because the True Sun is gone, Leigha Liam had to have healing magic as well as the usual spell. Afterwards, he was unconscious for two whole days, as his body healed and adjusted. Grandmom, when she'd gone through this same spell, had been asleep for one hour. Granted, she had the Nuthri themselves doing it.
But he was happy looking in the mirror, now. He still had not gotten over the glee of knowing his own body was right. He probably wouldn't entirely be done with it for months, if not years.
This was not the first time he'd been through Blonicku since then, but it was the first time with Axel. Everyone seemed to recognize him so far, from his previous outings, and no one said anything.
They were bringing him to Blueya's house, to let him see what jeweling was like. Blueya was a blacksmith specializing in jewelry, which none of their family did, despite being the most famous blacksmiths in the world on their dad's side. They'd created the occasional necklace or earring, but mostly kept it to fittings, weapons, and every day items. The jewelry they made was never very interesting either, lacking proper jewels and full decoration.
Liam was still too young to choose a Skill, but it was never too early to show him the options. Axel had chosen painting at 16, and had been very interested in it since 11. Liam had been interested in blacksmithing so far but hadn't much liked the results of it, not interested in creating any of it. He had been caught staring at peoples jewelry in the streets though, so Blueya, who made most of that street jewelry, agreed to meet him.
Axel had never met Blueya, so this would be an experience for them both.
Blueya's house was a relatively plain one, by Blonicku standards, as her house didn't really demonstrate the artistic side of her Skill. Granted, almost all the art she made was jewelry, so it was hard to work it into architecture. It was one level and relatively small, only six rooms, though made out of marble with a roof of gold.
The fun part of this trip was, they didn't tell Liam where they were going, just that they were showing him a new kind of Skill.
Walking up to the door, Liam having no idea who was on the other side, Axel had Liam knock and they waited for a moment.
No words came from the other side, and the door opened. They saw no inside.
Walking in, no one was behind the door either.
Had she set up her door to remotely open? That was possible with runes, though most didn't bother. Strange.
Liam had hardly noticed the lack of a person. He was staring at the walls.
Hung on pegs in glass display cases were dozens of elaborate necklaces. The display cases, on top of the cabinets and tables and thus that Liam couldn't see easily, had bracelets, rings, and more inside. They were all made of gold, silver, brass, etc, and the majority of them had some kind of gem. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds and the like. It was honestly incredible.
Liam was standing perfectly still, jaw dropped, eyes darting between all the jewelry around him.
Axel tried to nudge him to walk forward, to try to find anyone in the house, but he was too focused on the art.
They know they can't take their eye off him for risk of him actually trying to take off a display case and grab something, so they start calling out. "Hello?"
Silence.
"Blueya?"
Silence.
A few repeats of this before she appeared from the hallway. She was wearing a blue ankle length dress which covered all the way down to her wrists, and surprisingly little jewelry.
Still more than the average person, of course, but given the walls were practically painted with jewelry it wasn't a lot. She had golden bracelets each with an emerald on top, a necklace of silver with three gems of some variety Axel couldn't place, golden earrings each with a small ruby in them, and bronze anklets with lapis set in the front.
They didn't say anything, but stared at Axel and sent a conceptual thought over. Did no one tell you anything about me before they sent you here?
The thought came over with confusion and annoyance, both pointed at Axel.
Wonderful. They'd been here for less than a single minute and they'd already offended their hostess.
They responded telepathically as well, I wasn't sent here, all of it was my idea. Our family doesn't know where we are except that I'm taking Liam to see something.
Blueya looked confused, and her next thought sent over was Calchoras seemed to think it was your father's idea.
Oh, no. I never told him whose idea specifically it was when I asked him to talk to you, I guess he just assumed.
Blueya's next thought came with a hint of apology, then. Well then, my soul has something strange. Sometimes I can talk completely fluently, sometimes I have lowered grammar, and sometimes I completely cannot. Right now is the third. It doesn't affect conceptual telepathy, though.
Conceptual telepathy is sending a thought over without words, sending the idea without the vocabulary of any language.
This explained the door. She sometimes wouldn't be able to shout through it to let people know they may let themselves in, so she used runes to allow herself to open it from other rooms. It also explained the silence when Axel was yelling, of course.
I'm sorry, then. Can you understand words still? Liam is too young to send any kind of thought, words or no.
She nodded, so Axel introduced themselves verbally as if she didn't already know, and had Liam do the same. He needed to learn to do it on his own, after all, even though everyone in Blonicku knew both of them. It's the principle of it.
...It may have taken him a second to stop staring at the jewelry, which Blueya smiled at.
"Liam, this is Blueya. She sometimes can't talk right. Sometimes she can, sometimes she can't, sometimes kind of. Right now she can't at all, but she's sending thoughts to me. I'll tell you what she says to you, okay?"
Liam nodded, smiling at Blueya, before turning his eyes back to the display cases. He really was entranced by them, in a way they'd never seen him be for any other art form.
Blueya laughed, took his hand, and led them both to a room down the hall.
This room was clearly where she worked. Unmade jewelry was in various places around the room. Necklace chains on certain benches, dozens of gems in storage, raw metals in the corner, and so, so many tools.
Ask him if he wants to watch me set a jewel in a necklace.
"Liam, do you want to watch Blueya put a jewel in a necklace?"
"YES!" He screamed the word out and ran over to Blueya, while she walked to one of the workbenches.
She picked up a silver necklace, and gestured to Liam a collection of jewels. Each was a different type and color, and each was the exact same cut. Liam figured out what she meant, and chose the red one.
Blueya used several tools over the process of the next twenty minutes, and showed Liam close up how each one worked, where the metal had to be bent to accept the ruby and where the metal then had to be moved back to hold it properly. All the while Liam looked on with starstruck eyes, his soul emanating curiosity and excitement. She didn't utter a single word during the entire thing, but Liam seemed to understand well enough.
After it was done, a customer arrived for Blueya, and they decided to leave. Liam did get a gift from Blueya, though; the necklace she'd set that ruby in.
If he wants to, bring him around again. And later as a teen, I'd be willing to apprentice him, if he wants it then.
They nodded, Liam thanked her and actually hugged her, and they went on their way.
On the way home, Liam ranted on about the processes he'd watched and asked them about it, as if they'd have any idea what she'd done. They'd done occasional forgework, yes, but they'd never worked with jewelry and probably never would.
One thing was for sure, though; they'd be coming back.