[Sharp Tongue Pub] Drawn Together

[Hadrian]

Hadrian himself had been marked by more than one deity, but he didn't pry into Lucas' own affiliations. It was rude, of course, but seemed even more taboo here where they did not worship the local Alvina with the same fervor as their monks did. He smiled a little as the redhead fired off his rapid questions, and then followed him out before he began to answer them. "Queen Morwen was much as you've heard. Aloof and cool in many ways, though fiercely protective and loving of her people. They were hard pressed when I left, though. I nearly killed myself producing ice for their reavers to apply to her palace. The storm brought in hot weather... melted the city walls down. "And I would trade Nader-canoch for Arumenic and some choice swear words," he agreed. "Linguistics live near to the heart of cultural anthropology. Anyway, I think things are only free in Nyka. Zeltiva is not a theocracy, but there are foodstuffs from the world over when there isn't a famine. I miss the kelp beer, but most foreigners hate the stuff. I did at first, but I was determined to go native. Anthropologist in the making, I was."

[Lucas Arias]

„Avanthal melted?“ Lucas repeated to make sure that he had heard correctly. „And you helped repair Morwen’s palace? You must be pretty good at magic then. Nyka didn’t melt. It didn’t really get hotter here either. All the monsters just left the Aperture for some reason and ran around in the city which was why I was camped in my house for a couple of days, and then I decided to go into the Aperture because it seemed like a pretty safe place with all the monsters on the surface …“ He didn’t realize that he had begun to ramble a bit. He was just so caught up in the memories of his trip into the place where the monks usually went for their monk tests or whatever they were called.

„I’ll teach you Arumenic and swear words then, and you’ll teach me Nader-canoch“, he decided. He didn’t really know anything about linguistics nor did he particularly care about that subject, he just enjoyed making fun of people in several different languages. He also enjoyed eating a lot of different foods, so he reacted comparatively well to Hadrian’s statement that things were not free in Zeltiva.

„I suppose I can live with that“, he murmurred. „As long as I get paid. Do you really want to make me your assistant when you become a professor? You don’t really know me. I mean, I could be really evil and try to chop off your head with an axe when you are sleeping. And I would absolutely love to try kelp beer. It sounds weird!“ He grinned as he said that. He liked to try out weird things.

“Anyway, please sit down!“ He quickly removed a drawing that depicted a three headed snake from a chair and dumped it onto his bed, and then he grabbed all the papers that were lying on the table and also dumped them onto his bed.

[Hadrian]

"It did," he confirmed. "You will have to tell me about the Aperture, though. I spoke to a monk of Uphis about it briefly a couple of days ago, but I was under the impression only the monks could go inside. I might be interested to take a peek myself... And, ah... a deal, then. Linguistic exchange. I like it. Anyway, I know you can draw and have a grasp of linguistics -- at least, the amusing bits -- and if you were a squire you should be able to handle yourself in a fight, the which I cannot... If you are serious about wanting to be my assistant and travel to Zeltiva, I would certainly interview you regarding your skills and qualifications. I'd like to think a former squire and citizen of a city of monks would be trustworthy, but we could always make a Grand Oath part of your contract of employment." He grinned like he was kidding, but he was not. He was sure he could write one; now he just needed a reason to. "But if you wish to travel to Zeltiva and study at the University, working as my assistant would help make that easier. They would likely waive some tuition, give you a stipend and a place to live. At least, I earned waivers and a stipend for being a research assistant. It's something you should consider. I will likely be leaving on the 80th, so you have some time to think on it." But he was sitting down, enjoying Lucas' modest if honest hospitality. It was oddly comforting to be sitting there with someone he had met in Syliras; there was a link there, a connection that, even if it was tenuous, set him at ease.

[Lucas Arias]

„Well, I didn’t go into the Aperture alone“, Lucas admitted. „A few monks also went. It was some kind of expedition. There were no monsters, but a few weird things happened.“ He shuddered. „Anyway, if you want to go there, feel free. I’m pretty sure you could get permission somehow. And yes, I can handle myself in a fight. I even won a fight in that tournament. Did you watch it?“ He beamed at Hadrian. Lucas was very, very proud of his accomplishment.

Apparently Hadrian wasn’t worried that Lucas would chop his head off while he was asleep, so the redhead answered, „I wouldn’t mind becoming your assistant, although I’ll miss the Sharp Tongue Pub. It’s an awesome place. Still, to see the University …“ He grinned, but the grin disappeared as Hadrian mentioned something called a „Grand Oath“. He looked a little worried, and then he asked, „What exactly is that? It doesn’t sound very pleasant. Can we just do an interview? I’m pretty sure I have lots of useful skills, and I’m very trustworthy, so that oath won’t be necessary.“

A stipend, waivers and a place to live? That sounded almost too good to be true. He’d thought he’d nearly go broke if he ever decided to study at the university! „That sounds great“, he remarked. „I’m definitely considering it. You know, I was worried about how I was ever going to be able to afford going to university. So … about that interview you’ve mentioned … and do you want anything to eat or drink, by the way?“

[Hadrian]

"Ah," was all he said about the Aperture, nodding with interest. He hoped he would have a chance to study it more closely while he was in Nyka; he would just have to arrange it somehow, perhaps if the monk Kassan might sponsor him... "I was not here for the tournaments, but I would imagine that any squire of Syliras would comport himself well." He offered a smile. "You'll have to tell me about that. "Oh, there are pubs aplenty in Zeltiva. Some for the sailors, some for the students, some for the traders, and there's some mixing here and there. Of course, if you're assisting me and taking classes, you won't have time to work in a pub too. Perhaps a drink or two in one from time to time, but... the people of Zeltiva are industrious." He ignored the Grand Oath as it was mostly a joke, unless, of course, he began to do intense studies that required help with discretion, or he needed Lucas to come to the secret laboratory his ancestor and Eyris had bequeathed unto him. "Well, sure. Tell me what other skills you have and what you want to study and what you could do for me if you were my assistant... Food and drink would be nice. I have a tendency to forget to eat, which might become your job: to remind me." He wondered how it would work out, whether Lucas would best be utilized as a research assistant or more of a manservant. Any help would be, in a word, helpful. The Kelvics who flocked to him didn't seem of any mind to bond to him, and while Ethan would fly reports back to Syliras for him, he wasn't really a servant in that sense, and if Hadrian became busy, he would need someone to see to all the various and sundry mundane details of life.

[Lucas Arias]

„My opponent in the first round of the tournament was a mage“, Lucas revealed. „He threw stones at me, but I managed to dodge them, and then he was on the ground and tried to cover himself with stones to protect himself, but something went wrong. When he gave up and took his helmet off, he suddenly had white hair. I suppose he overgave.“ He shuddered a little as he said that and wondered if voiding had the same side effects.

As Hadrian revealed that there were pubs aplenty in Zeltiva, he grinned. He intended to visit them all! „Working at a pub is not the important part“, he told Hadrian. „I enjoy a glass of beer every now and then much more.“ As Hadrian stated that the people of Zeltiva were industrious, he made a face. He hadn’t liked being a hard working squire in Syliras at all, but he supposed it wasn’t as bad if you did something you actually liked. He could be just as industrious, at least for a while.

„Well …“ he murmurred and thought about what else he could do besides fight with a sword, serve drinks and swear. He exaggerated a little, as always. „I know a couple of different foreign languages. I can draw. I’m actually pretty good. I also like to invent stuff. I can read and write and do maths, and I’m quite decent at holding a speech or negotiating with people. Besides that I know a little magic. Voiding. A girl in Syliras showed me. That’s what I’d like to learn in Zeltiva. Voiding. And painting. And poetry even though the other squires always said poetry isn’t manly.“

„And I can definitely remind you that you need to eat and drink. I never forget that. I’m always hungry and thirsty. I can also take notes for you, translate stuff for you, get things for you so that you have more time to teach and assist you in your research. I make quite a good assistant.“

He was relieved that Hadrian didn’t talk about that oath anymore. In fact he was so relieved that he put a box of fine cookies in front of the man and served him a delicious drink that was made of various fruit and wonderfully sweet.

[Hadrian]

"One does have to regulate one's magic use," he agreed, wondering what sort of incompetent wizard would overgive with mere reimancy, but perhaps he was not being entirely fair. He hadn't been there and he was rather advanced as far as these things went. "Hm, perhaps you would be a good assistant at that. It was a chance thought, but now it would seem you have skills that would be useful, and if it will help you get through whatever studies at the University..." He held his left hand in a mudra, forming a circle with his index finger and thumb, the other fingers arrayed in curves from that circle like stylized beams of sunlight. But he concentrated on the space bounded by that circle, pulling all matter away from the center. "Poetry gets the girls sometimes," he noted blandly, "and Voiding can be quite dangerous." It was then that his will triumphed over matter and a tiny bead of darkness bloomed there in his hand, a portal to the Void. Then he looked up into Lucas' face with a faint smile. The Void was not his bailiwick, but he knew a thing or two about it to be sure. He reached for a cookie; truly, Lucas could keep him from wasting away for lack of food.

[Lucas Arias]

„Yeah, you need to be careful with magic“, Lucas agreed even though he hadn’t always been particularly careful and had once actually considered going into the void because he’d thought it was full of treasure. „Maybe Jett just wasn’t a particularly good mage.“ He shrugged his shoulders.

As Hadrian stated that he might be a good assistant, the failed squire grinned because he definitely agreed and he liked getting compliments! „It would definitely help, and I’ll do what I can to make myself useful. Thank you for giving me that opportunity.“ Lucas could be very polite and well behaved if he wanted to (he usually just didn’t want to), and in this case he had decided that thanking Hadrian would definitely be a good idea.

„So did you ever write poetry for a girl?“ he asked, wondering if Hadrian was speaking from experience.

He was just about to agree that Voiding could indeed be quite dangerous when he saw the portal to the Void that Hadrian had created. His eyes widened.

„I had no idea that you knew Voiding as well!“ he exclaimed. „Is there any kind of magic you don’t know?“

He immediately tried to imitate Hadrian. He narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow. Being as unfamiliar as he still was with Voiding, the effort was accompagnied by a few strange gestures, and finally a tiny, tiny portal appeared in front of his hands – only to collapse a few moments later. It would be a while before he could make a portal that was big enough to be useful.

„As I said, I want to learn Voiding in Zeltiva“, he said, somewhat ashamed of his tiny portal. “Properly. Not like this. I’m not sure if that weird girl I met in the laboratory in Syliras was a real teacher.“

[Hadrian]

"I don't write," he admitted, "but I can recite. Poets say things better than I do, ..." He smiled, a little nostalgically. Kendall hardly spoke to him anymore, and he could not guess at their chances of getting his original, female body back. Perhaps it was time to start praying to Kelwyn on that account. "There are a few," he admitted, not wanting to give full disclosure of his skills and the range of his dabbling. He trusted Lucas so far, but no further; not yet. "But I only really use the Void to prevent volatile enchantments from overloading and ruining an experiment. The excess energies get siphoned off into the Void. No harm, no foul." Looking down at his bead of utter blankness, he frowned at the effort of keeping it open. In a magecrafting experiment, he had glyphs to maintain the portal once he had opened it, but they got squirrely if he didn't keep his attention on them otherwise. He let it collapse in on itself with an audible pop, not wanting to waste magical power even now. He was mostly recovered from the overgiving in Avanthal in the wake of the storm, but not completely, and he wanted to be whole, physically and spiritually. "I'm not an expert, but teaching you would push me to learn faster. If you don't mind just learning from my mistakes."

[Lucas Arias]

„I can recite as well“, Lucas proudly informed Hadrian. „I’m even better at it than at writing poems. Writing is hard sometimes, talking never is.“ He wondered if Hadrian had a girlfriend – or a boyfriend – that he sometimes read poems to, but he wasn’t sure if he should ask. People sometimes reacted strangely when you were interested in their private life. Besides, maybe Hadrian would ask him about his girlfriend. He doubted that the man would believe him if he claimed to be in a relationship with an Eypharian princess, and the truth would be too embarrassing.

„I’ve never thought of using Voiding for that“, he admitted. „I only want to put stuff in it. Voiding would have been really useful during the tournament, but I was afraid that I would accidentially void myself instead of the rocks Jett threw at me. I don’t think it’s particularly pleasant in the Void, and unfortunately I’m not sure if you can open a portal from the other side.“

He made a face. That was one of the reasons why he had postponed his treasure hunt for a while. There was no point in looking for treasure if you couldn’t go back afterwards, even if the Void was likely full of interesting stuff.

„I don’t mind learning from your mistakes“, he assured Hadrian. „I’d love to have you teach me.“

„By the way, when exactly are you going to Zeltiva? If I’m coming with you, I need to prepare.“