[Outside the Garden of No Return] Lower Education (Open)

[Seidaku]

With a nod of thanks and a smile, Seidaku turned his attention back to his class. His attention had not been diverted for more than a few minutes, but already some of his more... adventuresome students had already begun to woolgather. They were quick enough to return to their studies as soon as he turned back, so he was content not to make an issue of it. He did make a mental note to pay special attention to their progress. It was possible that they were losing interest because the subject matter was difficult for them.

He stopped to watch a young boy rapidly scribbling away in a tangled mess of letters. Kneeling down, he recommended, "For now, focus on accuracy. As you advance, speed will come on its own. Also, ah," he said, taking his own slender piece of chalk and beginning to write upon the ground, "Spreading out your letters and words will make them easier to read. Like this."

When it was apparent that the lesson had taken root, at least for the moment, Seidaku stood and made his way back up the row of students. Turning to head back down the next row, he spotted a most pleasant surprise.

From the corner of his eye as he helped his students learn, he realized that he had one more student in his class than he had realized. The newest student though, was not learning to write. He was learning to teach. Watching intently and mirroring gestures and possibly turns of phrase if the apparent muttering were any indication. It was quite gratifying, really.

Before he knew it, he heard the chime of the bell signifying the end of his assigned teaching period. More than one of his students was already standing and moving toward him before the first bell finished tolling. Standing in the center of a jumble of students, Seidaku collected pieces of chalk and bade his pupils good evening as they turned and hurried home through the shifting streets of Alvadas.

Once the last of his students had departed, he dusted his hands once more and crossed the square to where Keido kneeled. "Hopefully that was, umm, not too dreadful?," he asked with a grin.

[Keido]

Why was it that Seidaku did not discipline the students for playing around there and then? When Keido learned in the past, the underlying idea was discipline. A student who fooled around will promptly get a rap from their teacher. But Seidaku's method of being caring and supportive seems to work on them.

"Accuracy, advance, speed." Keido repeated as he continued to mimic Seidaku.

With his finger pointed to the ground he pretended to write in the air. K-E-I-D-O he wrote since he did not know the word in question. At first he wrote his name big and slow. As he progressed, he brought the letters closer together and did it faster. Like he was showing it to another student how to do it just as it was happening right in front of him now.

Was it really that dreadful as Seidaku had said? At the question, Keido turned to the side to watch the departing children. They were walking off with a lot of energy in their step. Some were even leaping. And on their faces were the biggest smiles he had ever seen. If Keido did not know any better, he would say that the children are more satisfied with their lessons than their teacher was.

"I wouldn't know Master Seidaku. The opinion which you want would be your student's and not mine. But I would say from how happy they are with their lessons you did a good job." returning Seidaku's grin.

"So do you want to talk here or should we retire to an inn?" As nice as it was being outside, a drink and conversation would be better done indoors.

[Seidaku]

"Thank you," Seidaku answered the compliment with a smile and a nod, "If the student's stay, umm, interested in learning, they continue will to do so... even once, umm, they have mastered the basics."

"Oh, umm, yes," he muttered, looking around to see where they happened to be now. There was nothing that resembled an inn or tavern in sight, and no major city landmarks presented themselves. Which meant that any direction, save wandering into the Garden, gave them an equal chance of locating a place in which they could speak in relative peace.

"Yes, an inn would be, umm, best, I think. Perhaps this way," he turned and walked a few steps toward a street paved in some sort of supple leather, pebbled and of a dark green hue. Maybe some species of lizard?

As he walked slowly, he checked over his shoulder to make sure that Keido was following.

[Keido]

He took a quick look back before they left. The Garden would have to wait for another day then. But at least he had found someone more interesting. Keido picked up the pace and hurried along after the man to the inn.

"Go ahead, I will be right behind you."

Keido allowed the man to lead on. Thinking if he was able to get a job as a teacher which required a lot of trust to work with the children, he must be a local which has had lived in Alvadas along time. At least longer than Keido who just got in at the same season. And the could not get as lost as Keido would be. After all there was nothing to lose from following the man but only so much to gain. But why did he have to say perhaps?

Walking through the streets was a little bit quiet. Eventhough they were supposed to talk at the inn, Keido felt a little bit uncomfortable. So he attempted to break the ice before they reached their destination.

"So Seidaku, how long have you been teaching already?" Keido had no other questions to ask and so was only able to give the first one which got into his mind.

[Seidaku]

With Keido following, Seidaku led the way through the streets of Alvadas. To an observer, it would appear that he took turns at random, completely unconcerned with where they might be going. In fact, this was precisely the case. He had learned years ago not to fight the city, as it would take you where it wanted you to be, and allow you to arrive at your destination in its own time.

It was a life lesson of sorts. In Alvadas, the journey was more important than the destination, and the sooner one learned that and was able to stop and appreciate the journey, the happier they would be here. And with its ever changing nature, the City of Illusions was able to provide an infinite variety of distractions along that journey.

When he heard the other man's question, Seidaku walked in silence for another few steps, considering his answer. He reached the end of the street, footsteps crunching in gritty sand, before he finally decided on the simple truth of, "For, umm, almost half of a Season, now."

Turning left at the end of the street, his steps crunched to a halt inches away from a sheer sided, deep earthen trench with an expanse of murky water at the bottom. Through a tangle of ropes that appeared to be the only way across the pit, he could barely make out the brightly colored walls and carefully stacked cubes of the Cubacious Inn.

"Huh... That is a, ah, a first," he said over his shoulder to Keido with a grin, "The inn is, umm, on the other side."

[Keido]

Keido was not even aware that Seidaku had no direction in mind. Keido himself had no idea where to go where they were supposed to. So as for following Seidaku blindly, he had no choice. Fortunately he answered the question.

"Half a season? Then you are just like me. And already you look like you are used to it" he said with a smile.

After staring at the oddly positioned trench and fighting through the ropes, Keido had the familiar sight of the inn he had been living in. All those squares stacked around was unmistakable since it was something he had to look for every night when he wanted to rest.

"A first? You mean you haven't been here before?" mistaking the reason for the statement.

So he hurried along with Seidaku around the trench to reach the inn. Opening the doors into the comfortable inside which did not look as messy as the outside. After the pair selected their table, Keido called for a drink?

"What is it you want Seidaku? I'm buying." Since he was the one who extended the invitation, it was only fair.

[Seidaku]

The statement was true enough. Even with his previous experience with the handful of individual students he had taught, he was just beginning to understand how to impart knowledge to others in a fashion that would allow them to retain and later utilize it. He nodded his acceptance, his main focus on trying to plot a path through the seeming maze of ropes that would not send him on a long drop into murky, scummy water.

"Oh, the Inn?," he asked, taking his gaze away from the ropes to look back at Keido, who had already started across, "I have, ah, been there several times. It is just, umm, that it is normally easier to get there."

Sticking close to the building fronts, Seidaku edged along the lip of the trench behind Keido, pressing his body flat to the walls and gripping as tightly with his palms as he could. Occasionally ducking beneath or stepping over a rope that tied off onto the wall, he could not help but wonder if it would have been easier to have just tried to shimmy along the ropes. One look at the murky, scummy water disabused him of the notion.

"We might have tried another way," he breathed in a relieved gasp as his feet landed once more on ground wide enough to support him fully, "But if Alvadas gave us a challenge, the, umm, detour would have likely been, ah, much worse... Maybe aligators again. Something unpleasant, anyway."

He mopped his forehead with the back of one sleeve as he took a seat at the table across from his potential assistant, "Oh, umm, ale is fine."

For a single, greedy moment, he had considered the fine taste of unwatered wine. But his more pragmatic side reminded him that the nutritive properties of ale were superior, and then reminded him of the slender state of his belt pouch and the myriad expenses he was likely to entail if he wanted to succeed as a teacher.

"Yes," he reaffirmed with a decisive nod, "Ale is fine."

[Keido]

It was normally easier to get there since Keido normally followed the path. So he could not help but wonder why did Seidaku take this route. But at least now they were here. Following Seidaku, Keidp pressed his body on the wall. Stepping carefully with one foot going right beside the other at the edge of the trench so that he would not fall. Finally at the end, Keido took a big leap to the other side of the trench.

"Alligators? What do you mean? And what about Alvadas?" Keido asked not knowing much about the city.

Keido waited in his seat until Seidaku told him what he wanted. Ale sounded good so it means ale for two. Keido looked around the inn for the person he wanted. Making eye contact, he raised his arm showing two fingers. Two fingers for two people who wanted two mugs of ale. After the message got across he turned back to Seidaku.

"So you seem to be more knowledgeable on social aspects right Seidaku? Do you think you can tell me anything interesting about Alvadas?" based on the subjects Seidaku said he knew.

[Seidaku]

"Oh, well, probably not literaly alligators," Seidaku said with a shrug, "Though maybe. Or, umm, tigers. Or anything, really. It's just something you, ah, get used to."

With a grin, he added, "And maybe, umm, learn to enjoy. Alvadas is never the, umm, the same city twice. Surely you have noticed?"

"I am not terrible, uhh, well versed socially," he said, shaking his head, "But the city itself is, ah, fascinating. Scholars have dedicated their lives to trying to, umm, understand its movements and changes, and are no closer now than when they started. Nothing about Ionu's city is uninteresting. Unless, ah, unless it wants to be."

When his mug of ale slid in front of him, he took a short sip and nodded his thanks to Keido, "It can be, umm, daunting. But that, umm, passes fairly quickly... that is what I have heard, at least."

[Keido]

What Seidaku was saying made no sense at all. If alligators and tigers ran loose in the city, someone would take action. If not the authorities then definitely people who were afraid of being victims. Alvadas looked like a very peaceful and artistic city and nothing like a literal urban jungle which animals went around freely. Unless those animals were kelvics. He decided to ignore this strange statement and continue on with the other.

"What do you mean by never the same city twice? If you mean the people then I am sure I have seen many different faces" he replied. It was just too soon for him to notice that Alvadas kept changing everytime he walked through it.

"I am sure Alvadas is no different from other cities then. Places come and go whenever they change hands or people leave. I don't think that scholars should waste too much time to understand these changes?" he asked with the same reasons as earlier. "But what do you mean by a city which is uninteresting unless it wants to be? Do you mean places like the Colosseum?"

Following suit Keido took up his own mug and nodded before taking a sip. Allowing the warm, refreshing beverage to quench his thirst. Seidaku talked about this things like he experienced them himself but the last sentence made it seem more like hearsay.