After the breakfast discussion it was decided that me and Marian would go over to Ellie's to see if she could help, there wasn't that much time left in the school year so it was imperative that we find a solution quickly. It was still rather early in the morning as Marian and I walked through the streets of the residential district, the houses becoming shabbier the further back we went.
Ellie's home was a single story building that was around middle-class, despite the fact that she could have afforded a much grander place. Unlike when I normally visited I knocked on the door and waited as I heard footsteps getting closer before they ceased and the door opened. Ellie stood there with a sleepy look on her face as she blinked a few times while looking at me, taking some time before she was able to speak. "Oh, it's you Vell, you could've just walked in you know?" she said with a yawn before opening the door further.
"I'm not here for pleasure, I've-we've actually got some business with you." I said as I gestured towards Marian who was standing next to me.
Ellie took a moment to look at Marian with a look of confusion. "Your sister?" she asked, unable to recognize Marian, not that I would blame her. Marian did look more like Kalista than she had before so it was an easy mistake to make, especially considering the truth was far stranger.
I shook my head as Marian gracefully curtsied. "I'm Vell's mother, Marian. We met during Vell's birthday celebration not too long ago, I wasn't aware that I was so forgettable."
Ellie blinked and looked back and forth between me and Marian in disbelief before shaking her head and waving a hand. "No, no, no. I clearly remember Marian and while you look similar, you are far too young."
I smiled wryly at Ellie's disbelief. "It's true though. There are some extenuating circumstances which caused it and we came to seek your help and advice on the matter."
Hearing my words Ellie didn't have much of a choice but to believe what I was saying as she motioned for us to come into her home. No matter how many times I'd been here, the barren and impersonal feeling, as if it was a show house, always bothered me. It was like Ellie had no personal life outside of being a Skill Transferrer.
Ellie asked if we wanted anything to drink as she had us sit down on a sofa in the living room, though neither I nor Marian took her up on that offer as she sat across from us, a steaming cup of this world's coffee in her hands. The sofa Marian and I sat on seemed new and unused, something that didn't surprise me seeing as the last time I'd been here Ellie and I had broken her previous one with our intense play.
Ellie took a sip of her drink as she looked towards the two of us seriously. "So what happened? And why are you seeking my advice out?"
Marian and I looked at each other while I pulled out a piece of parchment, a Pact Scroll, as I called it. It was something akin to the contract scroll that Arya had told me about, but this one was more effective and didn't require anyone to risk their lives, a unique byproduct of using Pact Magic to create it. The terms on it were simple: whoever signed the scroll would be sworn to secrecy about the secrets of Vell and any of her companions.
"This is a Pact Scroll." I said as I presented it to Ellie. "I need you to agree and sign it before I tell you anything."
Ellie read the scroll over before examining it in all manner of ways. "I'll agree if you tell me where you got this scroll."
I felt it was an odd request but it didn't bother me to reveal to her that I could craft them. "I made it myself." I saw Ellie tense up as the words left my mouth, as if she wanted to cry out against me, however she kept her calm and let out a deep breath. "Do you have any spare parchment?"
I nodded as I took out a blank sheet, I'd started carrying around all manner of miscellaneous items for instances just like this. Ellie took the sheet and held it out in front of her with her left hand as she began to trace against it with a single finger. At first I didn't understand what was going on but I soon saw black lines of reversed text through the sheet despite the fact that Ellie wasn't making any motions of writing. I could vaguely sense magical energy that was similar to Pact Magic, but slightly different.
It didn't take long before Ellie released a breath as she handed the parchment over to me. It seemed to be a Pact Scroll, but it was slightly different. Much like the terms of mine, Ellie's was also simple. Whoever signed the scroll would be sworn to secrecy regarding Elven secrets. I didn't understand why she had made this not quite Pact Scroll, but she looked at me seriously. "I'll sign yours if you sign mine, I have a feeling that there are going to be many things to talk about that will require this guarantee."
I shared a look with Marian before signing Ellie's scroll. I felt like I had somehow gotten involved in something that had nothing to do with my original purpose, but I was also very curious to see what secrets would be revealed to me. If I was lucky, there might even be something concerning the Outsiders I would need to defeat.
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