[Windward Boardwalk] Queer Seed (Hadrian)

[Oluse]

Oluses body began to relax with a gradual ease as the hypnotism receded. In it's place he firmly enforced the trend of calm, tranquilly applauding his own self control within. His mind now fully attentive again, he stared at the man. He could tell Hadrian was thinking as his finger rose, so he sat patiently in the snow, pulling his hood back up for warmth as he waited.

As his hands lowered in preparation over the seedling Oluses curiosity peeked. He wanted to ask what Hadrian had planned, but decided to let Hadrian's actions answer for him.

Boredom began to set into Oluses mind, wanting to continue speaking out loud his thoughts on the plant. This boredom, however, was brushed quickly away by what at first appeared to him as a slight shimmer of light, maybe a sparkle from the sun. His head tilted up, and looked into the heavily blanketed grey sky. His brow furrowing, while he cast looks all around. No lanterns, no glowing flora or fauna, no reflective surfaces that could condense light. That's when he saw the glimmer again. Again between Hadrian's steady hands and the seed.

He lowed himself a little closer to the situation, trying to peace together what he was seeing. Just as his face got well within a foot of the experiment a refulgent blue began to envelope the stranger's finger, flooding upward along the rest of his hand. Oluses eyes grew wide. Confusion clouded his mind a moment as he shifted back. The shock subsided a moment after, held at bay by a ringing in his mind to remain calm. He inhaled deeply, his eyes still focused obsessively on the lights. He felt quite strongly two ways. The first: Scared. He didn't know what this was, but he felt it might harm the seed, or more importantly harm him! The second: Intrigue. He had seen some simple magics from a far before then, but never so vividly, and never such an intimate and private showing. He deliberated, and decided to sit it out, and see what became of the undulating lights, and the defenseless seedling.

He sat patiently, enthralled by the enchanting swirls of energy. His face remained relaxed, and primarily receptive. His breath stayed constant, and quiet. Occasionally his eyes would wander only slightly, up at Hadrian's face as he worked, the way he held his body, and his posture. Or, looking around to make sure nobody would come up on them as heavy clumps of snow fell from nearby tree branches.

As Hadrian drew his skillful presentation to a close, and rose upward Oluse remained sitting, just looking up at him. His eyes revealed the calm, but concerned questioning in his heart. He wondered if taking this man back to his room was indeed a good idea. After a moment of contemplation he rose, deciding that he must remain dedicated to his previous resolution to explore this strange seed. Perhaps the strange man would simply prove to be another exploration by his own merits.

He lended a kind smile, at last. "I'm impressed. Please, Mr. Aelius, follow me." His words finding a new level of respect and politeness for the older man. He then lead the man to his room, careful not to turn his back too obliviously. After all the giant of a man could still very much pose a threat. His paranoia had been what allowed him to travel at such a young age, and he knew that only one over trusting moment could mean a very permanent end to his travels.

With a friendly smile and wave to the Warrens Steward, he led Hadrian up the sturdy stairs to his room. His accommodations were not overly impressive, though ordered nicely. Between the Steward occasionally cleaning the room, and Oluses desire to be ready to travel at any time, even in the middle of winter the small room was nearly spotless. The room featured a wide basin for bathing, a well crafted heavy oak bed, and a small writing desk with several sheets of paper, accessible by a thin stool stationed before it. Across from the doorway was a window, closed with curtains drawn, best to hold the heat in. The room itself managed about five degrees warmer than the bulk of the surrounding rooms, stationed directly against the chimney which connected to the large fireplace in the more expensive room below him. One entire wall was made of stone, and emanated the execs heat of the fire.

"Please, make yourself comfortable." a small gust of warm air escaping as he swung the door open for him. He hurried in after Hadrian, deliberating a moment over weather to close the door or not, but deciding to do so, encase Hadrian felt the need to perform any more of his magic. Although his reasoning for wanting the door open was the same. Oluse picked his pack from the stool, setting it discretely at the head of his bed, and grabbed the wash basin, setting it on the foot of the bed. "You can put the specimen here, I cleaned it this morning."

[Oluse]

Unfortunately, as fun as this seed was to start developing it was a little um... over ambitious. And it's pseudo sentient abilities did not pass founder inspections. As such this thread will be discontinued.

I do appreciate Hadrian's patience and careful attention to posts, however. And would still very much enjoy some grading love, thank you =^.^=

EDIT: Ok, we'll see what else we can get out of the thread too, by distracting them from the seed *uses hypnosis on character* Good thing he is susceptible.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian followed Oluse, but made few words with him, his concentration instead focused upon the Shield that protected the whorls of Air, the yellow res, in which the seed floated. Were it merely a matter of the res, he would not have needed a half of the concentration, but Shielding was a relatively new discipline for him, and so occasionally along the way he had to mutter a few phrases, ancient incantations dug up from dusty scrolls in faraway libraries, to bolster his work. A few people caught the palely glowing yellow sphere hovering between his hands, but nobody stopped them, which was all for the good as he might have lost control and the seed. He found the room neat, a trait of which he highly approved. But he could not get comfortable until he banished the Shield at least, so he was glad when Oluse pointed out the basin. He sat across it from Oluse, and let the sphere rest upon the bottom of the basin. First he released the Shield, and then eased the seed down with the thinning res, letting that too dissipate once the seed lay intact. Breathing deeply in and releasing it, he smiled, a job well done. "Sorry, such delicate work requires a lot of concentration."

[Oluse]

Oluses brow knit together, as he stand over the basic, across the bed from Hadrian. He was scared, well more worried. It was good to see the mage had limits though. If he had trouble holding a seed then how much threat could he really be? Oluse quickly corrected his mistake, magic was dangerous and he knew that. He refused to let his guard down. This, however, would not stay him from being polite, Hadrian did look thirsty.

"Would you like me to get you some water? You look um... thirsty?" He didn't really have a word for how Hadrian looked. He seemed drained and diminished in a way that was not entirely physical, and this confused Oluse some. He had been studying his entire life to tend to peoples bodies, but whenever he saw fatigue of the soul it confused him.

He went to his water skin as he thought, and picked it up. He handed it to Hadrian, as he began pulling off his thick coat, the heat finally reaching him. He was never truly warm in Avanthal, but he found sudden temperature changes caused him to sweat, which in turn made him even colder. He was sure his body would never acclimate for such an environment.

[Hadrian]

"Yes, please," he said, because creating his own water would be more trouble than it was worth unless he was dying in an Eyktolian desert. "Magic drains a person," he added, not psychic, but following the logical thread of Oluse's thoughts. Many had asked him after witnessing such an exertion. "The body replenishes itself. Or the soul, rather. But it comes from the body's health. They're connected. With rest, food, and drink, I'll recover. Really I'm not that drained. It's just mental. It wasn't a lot of power, just very delicate work that required concentration." He looked around again, this sweep of the place picking up more details. He carefully pushed the basin toward the wall, out of the way. With the mental weariness, he didn't want to study the thing now. He hoped Oluse might wait until tomorrow, perhaps. Looking at Oluse, he blinked. "How old are you?" he asked. "Sorry... I don't mean to be rude, or condescending, but you seem awfully young to be living on your own."

[Oluse]

Oluse listened to Hadrian's knowledge attentively. The talk of magic worried him, and he couldn't shake the feeling the man might be lying to him, trying to lower Oluses guard. But, there were certain aspect of the information that he couldn't help but be curious about, specifically the drains of magic, and how it was replenished.

As Hadrian relocated the basin Oluses mind shifted off the previous topic with freight. He was deathly afraid the specimen might develop in some way, and he'd miss it!

He retained enough focus on the current conversation to answer the question, however. He wasn't offended, it was true he was very young for traveling, especially in such an inhospitable climate, and had he not done some less than noble deeds he would not be in possession of the money necessary for such an exploit. Money that he held securely under his thin shirt, the bulge not completely concealed, despite the stream line waterskin shape of the pouch. Only fitting since the pouch was indeed made from an old waterskin.

"Yes, well. I'm fourteen years old. It's normal for Denvali children to move out of our home this young." A lie, of course, but he already knew Hadrian didn't know much about his culture, and it was easier than explaining how he had run away. His mannerism, however, didn't handle the lie very gracefully. His voice lowered slightly as he spoke, eye contact broke, as he moved onto the bed, sitting down and brushing some hair from his brow. "I just, you know, decided to travel too." He then looked up at Hadrian, half to see if he saw through the lie.

He then gave a smile, as a lighter thought came into his mind. "I've always been enthralled by the idea of traveling, and the Vani language. Avanthal was only the logical destination. But, my age aside, travelers aren't extremely common here. What brings you this far north?" He wondered if the mage was hiding from something. The young boys mind went wild, spinning a tale of the mage's nefarious exploits to the south, a band of an apposing cultists chasing after him, the mans only escape being to Avanthal before winters embrace secured any travel coming and going. He knew of course this probably wasn't the truth, but the thought excited him non the less.

He had other questions as well, but decided to pace himself.

[Hadrian]

"Ah," he said, nodding, more content that he had been right than worried about the boy. Hadrian might have slipped out of Syliras at that age if he had been sure of his ability to survive outside the safety of the Order's aegis. But he had studied quite a bit of cultural anthropology alongside magical theory and, eventually, magecrafting. "I know Denvali like to travel, and then return home. I was not aware of a new trend in their age." He shrugged. "I'm not going to turn you in to the authorities or anything. You can relax. And I came here because I got into a spot of trouble in Ravok. Also, my friends were headed in this direction. "I would advise you don't get into any trouble in Ravok. In fact, don't travel there at all. There are beauties, but they are all of them deceitful and dangerous. They would eat you up and spit you out." He nodded. Perhaps Oluse reminded him of his younger brother, Verus, just a little. That entitled him to give unasked for advice.

[Oluse]

When Hadrian mentioned he had been in some trouble, Oluse couldn't help but let out a sudden and surprised, "Really?" He was glad he had been right, maybe a disgruntled group of cultists really was after him. Not only that but it seemed Hadrian had a cult of his own, by the sound of how he mentioned those friends of his.

Oluse suddenly felt in the mood for story time! He reached out and grabbed the water skin for himself, taking a swig and setting it back down between the two of them. "So Ravok seems light a pretty frightening place for somebody like you. But, I'm not like you. I mean I don't practice..." He paused a brief moment, not sure what to call it, "Well you know, magic." The word itself came out as a slight hush, knowing from occasional over exuberant neighbors that the Warren's walls were not as thick as they might have seemed.

As he spoke he swung himself around, his back to Hadrian, beginning to disarmed to his possible threat. Oluses heavy boot laden feet then hit the the floor, as he perceeded to bend over, unlacing the complex binding of strings till he managed to take one shoes off, with a single heavy exhale of effort. Wiggling and streching the toes of the first foot he cast a look to Hadrian, "Do they have a problem with people like you in Ravok? Where is Ravok anyway? Are there a lot of witch hunts? Or are the witches the ones hunting?" With another heave he pulled the other shoes off, then stood up, tilting back and forth lithely stretching his over cramped feet.

"Would it be rude for me to ask for the full story, Mister Aelius?" He had indeed grown more comfortable with the man, and felt the man might have felt the same way of him. They were both scholars after all, and though he certainly understood a certain degree of reluctance to share past crimes, he also noted Hadrian's apparent wanton wanting to share and teach. Along with Oluses natural curiosity he believed perhaps there was a chance to get some good information out of the man. Or even better, maybe some bad information! You could never be too careful.

"I only ask because 'a warning is only empty until a man truly understands what dangers any given threat could pose, then that warning can be heard, if there is still a man left to hear it.'" Oluses voice had the clear ring of a quotation to it, though he didn't mention from whom, and it was unclear if he understood the true context of the quote. Having muttered his quote, however, Oluse stepped up onto the bed, watching he head carefully, and cautious of the waterskin and basin. Awkwardly he then dropped down onto his knees, and reached back for one of his two pillows. He tossed it down at the foot of his bed, where his head soon followed. Now laying on his stomach, facing toward the foot, he hooked his thinly clothed feet under the remaining pillow at the foot of the bed to keep them warm and covered. With a newly restored look of comfort and intrigue he crossed his arms under the pillow at his head, and lay the side of his face upon it, eyes and ears toward Hadrian, his story teller.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian took a thoughtful, slow sip or three while Oluse rattled off his questions. "Ravok is a pretty frightening place for anyone, whether they loyally worship the god of evil or not. I mostly kept a low profile, but I was kidnapped and..." His memory was a little vague about it all, but he didn't want to admit that. In any case, he wasn't going to tell the young stranger everything. "Anyway, when I escaped, my friends had gone and so I... worked a little illegal magic, making some trouble for the powers that be, I hope, and left on the next ferry. "They have a problem with people who don't submit to the will of the Black Sun and the Ebonstryfe," he explained as Oluse doffed his shoes and muddled about. "It's east of here, on an island in a like. I don't know that they hunt or are hunted by witches. That's probably about all I should tell you. The less you know the better if you ever travel there. You wouldn't want to be harmed on my account. I would not put that past them." And now Oluse was sprawled out on the bed, staring up at him. Hadrian peered back, unsure whether he should move. Growing up, books had been his friends, so if this was what boyhood sleepovers were like, he had no idea.

[Oluse]

Oluse was more than just a little put out by the lack luster explanation. He really expected more from a scholar. In his mind all scholars were story tellers, for what was knowledge if not a series of stories? He decided to prompt him farther.

"Sage, why are you so withheld? You know if I ever went there, and it sounds like I wouldn't want to, that I wouldn't be foolish enough to mention your name. Besides that could put you, and citizens of Avanthal in danger. If anything knowledge will arm me with the ability to avoid danger, and overcome obstacles. Wasn't that your goal in cautioning me to begin with? Knowledge makes you stronger, more versatile, not vulnerable. You aren't putting me in any danger.

Let's start with something really important. Like what is the Black Sun and Ebonstryfe and why wouldn't you just submit, if it would have meant keeping you out of trouble?" He then busied his mind trying to decide which god was the "evil" one. The tale had indeed caught his attention, and without a little more insistent disregard from Hadrian he wasn't about to let the story slip through his fingers.

oocHave you seen the movie "The Fall" I'm having flashbacks of that, lol.