[Undeniable Interests] Dust and Dander Repel Danger (Harper)

[Xalet]

29th of Fall, 511 AV


Living in Syliras your entire life gives you a special insight to places of value. Some places just had a more inconsistent value than others. Over time the squire had heard of fine treasures and lore most valuable coming from within the crusty walls of Domniac's shop. He'd also heard of others getting swindled out of their miza's attempting to purchase some object, normally under some amount of urgency or duress. That as it was, Xalet couldn't help but find himself inside of the shops walls now and again, even as much as it agitated his allergy to such particles visibly floating through the air.

Shortly after waving to the old man just outside of the immediate entrance Xalet let out a loud sneeze. The place was getting to him more quickly than normal. When you were covered in armor, you couldn't even wipe your nose with your sleeve if you wanted to. The occasional oil rag was the only serviceable device for shielding anyone else present from that type of forceful expulsion and, as usual, Xalet was indeed dressed in the 'uniform of the day'. This was his full plate armor, as beaten and worn as it was, although his gauntlets and helm had been removed, not necessary for such an environment. His large shield lay strapped against his back, a large circular disk wide enough to span past the width of his reasonably broad shoulders, while his training short blade was seated serenely within its unremarkable sheath.

The akalak never had any interest in magic. Or more specifically, he never had any intent on learning magic, although he did have some interest in understanding how it worked, if only so that he could protect himself against it as a Knight. There were many Mage Knights with powerful capabilities, and even Domniac was said to possess more than one type of mystic art. No matter how Xalet looked at it, no matter what direction he approached the concept of magic; it seemed more dangerous than it was worth. Worse yet, it seemed like just the thing to set off his dark-half, something he struggled to bury below layers of emotional and disciplinary fortifications.

Today his particular research was involving methods of protecting against magic. Not wanting to wield the stuff himself, finding a weakness in the various arts were imperative to defeating it when he encountered it. To say he would never encounter it was not viable, as even in his short years he had already been the target of magic several times. Both for training purposes, by covert citizens and passers by, and by more overt methods simply meant to distract or humiliate the squire.

[Harper]

In the short amount of time that Harper had been in Syliras, she had never come across a shop quite like The Undeniable Interests. Harper was surprised by the amount of dust and dirt that covered the cluttered shop. She entered, seeing all of the dust particles in the air as the sunlight bled into the shop. She was a little disturbed, knowing that she would be breathing in all of the filth, but she was determined to look inside. Harper smiled weakly at the elderly man waltzing around the store, whom she guessed was the own since she saw no one else in the shop, and dove into the rows of shelves that lined the store. She knew what she was looking for: a book on Familiary. Harper had been thinking long and hard on it, and she had decided that obtaining a familiar would be a good idea for her. A companion would be nice after so many years on her own, and one that would help her in her magic, nonetheless. So that was her quest, and she hoped she would be able to find one. After a while of searching with no profit, just as she was about to go up to the shop owner to ask for help (which she was nervous about doing simply because the man looked deranged!), she spotted another person stalking along the shelves. An Akalak! Harper had only heard of them, but she had never seen one in person. She didn't know much about them, but she knew a few things: They were almost always strong, good with weapons, and they often had two personalities. The perfect incarnation of Yin and Yang; good and evil. Let us hope that it's the nice side... She thought to herself nervously. "It's not often that I see an Akalak, and I'm a curious person, so I simply cannot stay away," She said as she walked up to the man. She held a slight smile, and her eyes were deep-set into her skull with dark bags hanging underneath from the lack of sleep. "I am called Harper; it's a pleasure to meet you."

[Xalet]

He was wrong, he should have worn his gloves. Xalet couldn't help but lament his decision as he swatted a few cobwebs away from some particular books he was looking over. Just where did all the cobwebs come from? With the rotating stock, Xalet visited at least a few times a season, and it seemed the cobwebs always returned no matter how many times he destroyed them. Perhaps it was all part of some magical plot? Magical cobwebs? No, that was far too paranoid a thought for a squire.

"Hm?" Xalet turned slightly, letting two books he had leaned to the side to get a view of what was behind them fall back into their original place with a puff. As he turned he saw a sickly girl, or perhaps she was just tired. Even he had days like those. She was Human, as most people in Syliras were. Her comment was most unusual though.

Xalet wasn't about to say he knew everyone in Syliras, but chances were over several decades if someone was a regular, he had probably met them in passing. More so, people didn't forget a seven foot tall purple skinned squire, and Akalak's were rare as it was in the Knights. Akalak's in general were always held with suspicion, and Xalet couldn't help but understand to a degree. He had met and heard of others of his kind that were not in control of their darkness, or worse yet, allowed it to dominate them. So, when someone wanted to introduce themselves to him he was thankful, and at the same time skeptical.

"Harper, it is good to meet you. I am Xalet, squire of Sergeant Irine Braklin." he replied, returning the polite gesture. Typically a declaration of title would have made it's way into his introduction, but alas as a squire he had no such thing. Quickly he had to add, "Although normally people would rather keep their distance, rather than be unable to stay away. You are new to Syliras?"

[Harper]

The dark tint of the room made the Akalak man look somewhat frightening, but Harper didn't let it bother her. Her spoke to her, and he was of the Knights, and that interested her even more. "Oh, you're only a Squire? They're the grunts of the Knights, correct?" Harper only realized after she had said it, that her comment could be considered quite rude. "Oh, please do not take offensive from my poor choice of words; I am ignorant to most customs of society and I often says things that I don't mean to say." She let out a weak, raspy laugh and coughed into her sleeve. "Excuse me," She said with a wheeze. "Anyway, being in the Knights sounds quite exciting, being the governing body of the city. All of that power would be quite fun to play with," She chimed as she looked at the shelf in front of her, sifting through the books and random items lining along its edges. "Is it hard to be an Akalak in a place such as this, surrounded by so many humans? I find it difficult, to be honest, and I myself am human! I can imagine you get many stares." "But yes, I am new here. I've been traveling for quite a few years now, staying in random places for short periods of time. I wanted to settle down though, so I decided this would be a nice place. It's a tad crowded though; a little too crowded for my taste, if truth be told." Making conversation was usually difficult for Harper, but she found herself spilling every thought she had onto the man. She was caught up in the thrill of meeting an Akalak, and distracted by the search of the book she needed. Together, they proved to make a distracted Harper. "I'm sorry, I'm talking way too much. So, what are you looking for in this lovely little shop?" She asked as she looked back up to him with wide eyes.

[Xalet]

"Indeed." Xalet said in response. He had heard worse things in his time, so being called 'just a squire' or even a 'grunt' wasn't all that disheartening. "Squires have no rank, and receive no pay. In return we get training and equipment to work toward the goal of becoming a Knight." Of course, looking at Xalet's equipment it was plain to see that the armor and weapons they were loaned weren't in the best of shape. They fit well enough, and they didn't fall apart, but the armor he wore was nothing like the brilliant, finely polished full plate a Knight was given when he went through his Knighting ceremony.

"There is...much responsibility. The Knights are responsible for everything you see here, from the walls to this very store. Even the fields plowed for food is over seen by the Knights." Xalet brushed some of the dust from his hands as he described the monopoly the Knights had within Syliras. To some used to the freedoms of a smaller settlement it may have seemed a bit overbearing, but it was the price of safety within those sturdy walls. Outside them death and life was a gamble, but inside there was nigh total sanctuary, an impenetrable safety that hadn't been in question for years.

"But yes, I would like to see more space for all those in Syliras. The population grows, and so should our living quarters. It can feel very...cramped. That is why I spend time outside of the gates, but not too far." Xalet wasn't all that good with conversation himself, at least not with those outside of the Knights. It wasn't often he spoke at length with a person not of the caste.

"No, your talking is of fine length." was his remark. He grew up with the humans, but he still had his full akalak blood burning in his veins. That meant it was easier to leave the talking up to someone else. "I'm looking for a book, something about protection against magic. A Knight should be prepared to ward off any attack, mundane and magical. Though there are Mage Knights I...do not use magic, so I must find another way." By 'do not' he of course meant, 'refused'. To Xalet magic was something of a pollutant.

[Harper]

"Well no pay would be rather difficult... How do you survive? You must have some kind of income in order to eat and to rent somewhere to live, correct?" Being a Squire seemed hard to Harper. Tons of grunt work, training, and taking commands from basically every single Knight in the organization, and getting almost nothing in return. "I think, if I were a Knight, I would feel most like a babysitter, unless I went on high ranking missions. That's what I would want to do the most, I mean. That would be exciting." The idea of living dangerously, being deployed out of missions all over and fighting sounded beyond exciting to Harper. It almost made her want to join the Knights herself! "Expansion would be difficult, would it not? The city is confined within this castle, and it's a tight fit. Adding on would take a lot of time, and they might have to knock down quite a few walls of the city to do so," She said while twirling a piece of her wavy hair, looking at the Akalak in the eyes. "I think they should start building outside of the castle. Build actual houses." Harper was just thinking out loud at this point, not actually putting much thought into what she was saying. But what the young Akalak said next caught her attention: A book on the defense against magic? And he didn't use magic, which she didn't find too surprising; most beings in Mizahar didn't use magic. Most were too scared. "Ah, well that is most interesting," she said with a smirk. Was he afraid of mages? If so, he might not take a liking to Harper once he finds out that she is a sorceress herself. "Well let me tell you this: magic is a tad more difficult to defend against than any melee attack. I know this, because I myself use magic quite often." Harper looked him in the eyes once more, and kept her faint smile painted on her face, awaiting to see the man's reaction.

[Xalet]

"The necessities are taken care of by the Knights. I eat and am housed thanks to the Knights, in return I give them my service. The Knights do supervise sometimes, but often it is the prerogative of the squire to advance himself, utilizing only the directions of their Patron." Xalet explained. Being a Paige was more like the burden Harper had talked about, and Xalet was far past that stage, and had been for more than six years now. Becoming a Knight was not easy however, and one couldn't simply go forward and say 'I'm ready'. The Knights decided when you were ready, they came to you, and some readied themselves quicker than others. Not all squires were created equal.

"I agree with you, building outside is advisable." was his simple response. Xalet wasn't much of an architect, so he had little idea of what made a stable and defensible structure. He knew walls and gates worked well enough, but it was the watchful eyes and the skillful arms of the Knights that protected those walls. If only there was a way to make the world less dangerous, now that would have more benefit than simply learning how to defend against the trying times.

When Harper mentioned her magic use, Xalet's throat tightened somewhat. Akalak's were not especially big on over-exaggerated shows of emotion, at least not unless the dark-half was dominant. In fact, they did well to cover their outward expressions as a showing of discipline, it was a demonstration of strong will. That meant most of their struggles were internal, although Xalet had grown up in a Human culture, meaning he was easier to read than others of his kind. "I...see." he said a bit hesitantly. This was an excellent opportunity to simply ask someone not of the Knights what sort of methods there were for defense. A mage would know how to defend against their own magic, right? "As a...user of magic..."

"You mean heretical slut. Isn't that the way of most women these days? You should tell her..." that voice showed up inside of Xalet's head, causing his brow to furrow slightly as he shoved it back down where it belonged, as far away from common conversation as possible, "Do you have any advice? You've no worry of such knowledge being used for inappropriate means. The Knights would never tolerate such a thing."

[Harper]

The man did not make much of a reaction when he heard Harper's confession like she had hoped he would. He simply looked a little uneven. As he began to speak, something went across his face; a look of discomfort, maybe? Harper was a tad confused, not understanding what was going on inside his mind. But she simply waited for him to finish his question. "Advice?" She asked back. She wasn't exactly sure how to answer his question. How would she fight against a magic user? Well, she'd use magic, of course! "Hm, well. I guess my first advice is to be cunning. A lot of battles between magic users have to do with outsmarting one another. You can't be stupid and hope to live if you're faced with a powerful wizard." She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts, thinking back to the few encounters she'd had with fellow wizards. None of them had been too pretty. "It depends on what magic they're using, in my opinion. If they only know something like Auristics, you really don't have to worry about them because it can't be used to harm you. But if they know something like Flux, then you have to be careful not to let them touch you, because if they do happen to land a blow, they could take off your head. "Now, I practice the art of Voiding, so I'm going to be most help there, I think." Harper didn't want to mention that she was a Leecher. That was almost never a good idea, so she only told him of her Voiding. "If you come up against a Voider, I would caution you to either run, or cut off their head. Quickly. We can open portals to the Void, and place completely empty of matter and oxygen. If you were to get thrown into the Void, you would almost certainly die within minutes. "But there are ways to defend against it. It isn't likely that you'll come up against a master of Voiding, so the Voider will most likely take time to open portals. They cannot just be opened automatically; it takes time for the Voider to push the door open, so you can possibly kill them in the time that they're opening a portal. But the Voider might be able to create a Pull, which means the portal might pull you and everything around you into it. If that happens, then I suggest you try and get away as soon as possible." Harper wasn't sure if the advice she was giving him was any good; she never really gave advice to others. She brought her hand up to her mouth, chewing on the ends of her fingers. She wasn't sure of what else to say. "Each situation that you find yourself in involving magic will be different, and you just have to be able to figure out ways to survive and defend yourself against the magic the best you can. I'd try and study all of the different forms of magic if you are truly worried, that way you'll have an understanding about what you're up against." And with that, Harper was finished with her lesson, if one could call it that. She gave the Akalak a thin smile, and said: ''That's all the advice I can give you, I'm afraid."

[Xalet]

Cunning, that was not exactly Xalet's cup of tea. Rather than outsmart his opponent he usually attempted to outpace or overpower them. Or at least that was how his sparring matches went against the common man. He knew enough about magic to know it's power wasn't limitless, it took time and effort, and a man...or woman in Harper's case only had so much. The scary part of it was how some magic had unique gesturing, and some simply just happened. Xalet could develop his battle instincts enough to watch for mystic hand-wavery, but if something just came into being, forcing his mind to think outside of the standard 'combat' box and defend in a more three dimensional way was going to be troublesome.

"Hm. Voiding sounds...dangerous." he responded, although that remark seemed like something of an understatement. Portals that went into the void? Just great. The more Xalet learned about magic the more troublesome it became. How in the world did you go up against portals to the void? Pull sounded rather unpleasant. Xalet wasn't frail, or a lightweight, but if there was a possibility of being pulled off of his feet he needed to think of a way to keep himself grounded.

"Getting away isn't usually an option." said the squire, his hand coming to the underside of his jaw, thumb and forefinger lightly touching the underside of his chin. Even if you took the 'cowardly' portion away from the 'retreating' equation, the problem was the armor and equipment a Knight wore. Full plate with chain-mail beneath, along with a padded tunic and breeches at the very least. Xalet always carried his shield, sword, and crossbow as well. Perhaps the crossbow was the best answer?

"Harper, I have a request. Can you show me? Not here, but just outside the gates. Can you show me Voiding? I need to see it." his query was spurred onward by what she had said. To study the different forms of magic he could read about them, but seeing the way they worked was better. Much better.

[Harper]

Harper squinted at the man with hard eyes. His request was unusual. "I suspect that if other Knights see me using my magic, they might be tempted to take me out. If you can promise me that they will not do so, then I will agree." Harper would usually decline to such a request, but she wanted to help the man, for some odd reason. Plus, it would give her a chance to test herself in combat. She had a feeling she'd need the training eventually. "Lead the way to wherever you have in mind of sparring, young Akalak, and I will show you my power." With that, she awaited Xalet to lead her.