[Farson Home] Ward You From the World

[Hadrian]

"Fairly strong," he said through gritted teeth, as it seemed to require more and more effort to maintain fine control of his res-writ glyphs farther and farther away. His range was now as far as he could see, and he could sense his energies even shrouded in the stone of the wall, but there were still challenges to it. "The glyphs I'm laying," he said, speaking slowly and in fits and starts to accommodate his effort, "will help settle it without taxing me unduly. But I'll still need that, that tea. Before we fly." Then he fell silent, pushing the rows of res glyphs out until they reached the ends of his previous work. Then he took a deep breath and sent his will rushing through them, the stone under his control transmuting to crystal, differentiating it from the stone sheathing it. And then he leaned against the wall, eyes closed. "It's strange. I get more powerful, but a lot of it is just being more efficient with my energy expenditures. One of these days, when I have the gold, I'll have to magecraft tools for myself to make it all easier." His eyes opened, still storm-bright and a little wild around the edges. "Thank you for watching out for me, and now for the children. You make an excellent Wave Guard." He smiled. "Just give me a moment and I'll lay the Shield. It'll absorb any magical attacks, and they'll only make it stronger. I don't know if it'll be stable enough to survive another djed storm were that to happen again. My shields were shorted out back in Avanthal. Too much energy to absorb and too fast. They just spluttered out, but you remember... These shields will also be impervious to missiles, like arrows and the like, but you should still be able to land here."

[Ethan]

Ethan kept his distance as his companion worked, careful not to touch him at the final stages of laying out the shield. Instead, he paced along the walls, watching the runes turn to crystal amongst the stone. It was easy to loose sight of the dangers of magic when the results were so breath taking. "I almost forgot how wonderful magic is at times... Perhaps I'm training too much." Ethan muttered more to himself than anyone. When Hadrian spoke of the storm in Avanthal. He looked up at the cloudless blue sky and grinned. "I wouldn't worry too much about another spat like that. That sort of thing only happens once in a lifetime. And you'll be back before winter when the real storms hit. So it should be alright. If anything I can take the children to the pass. I know one or two spots we can hike to that are well out of harms way. I can hunt for em, maybe fry up a couple of the pudgy ones when things get bad." He remember a particularly stout one named Phillip. He looked half a sow already but chose not to bring the thought up, lest Hadrian think he was serious. "When are you going to teach me how to do this anyhow? The glyphs and everything? Isn't it about time?" In truth, Ethan was still coming to grips with his Reimancy, the latest art Hadrian introduced him to a season or so back. But much like his teacher he hungered for knowledge.

[Hadrian]

He smiled faintly, glad that Ethan still saw the wonder in working with djed as he did. There were others who saw it entirely as a tool, a science, and there was that, but there was an art to it as well, a beauty and joy. This was not to be confused with addiction, of course. He did not truck with that. "You want to learn to glyph?" he asked. "Well, I can teach you when I get back from Sahova? The basics are simple enough." He leaned his forehead against the wall and began to extrude Shield energy. The glyphs would do most of the work, and so this oughtn't require a great deal of energy. True to his expectations, he felt the glyphs light up and then the energy was tugged away from him. When he stopped producing the Shield energy, he settled in with his auristics to feel how the glyphs provided the structure rather than forcing him to mold the Shield. The energy traveled the ring of the walls and then rose up and sank down to protect on all sides. It was invisible to most, and gossamer thin energy to Hadrian's senses, but it was stable. A soap bubble of protective force that would grow stronger for magic sent its way, absorbent rather than diverting. He put his arm around Ethan's shoulders, pretending to be weaker than he was just to have him under his wing. "Feel free to do a little target practice on the shield later," he said. "So how about that tea?"

[Ethan]

If Ethan noticed his Teacher's subtle trickery he gave no sign. He agreed it was high time for that cup of tea and walked with Hadrian across the once immaculate courtyard. Into the equally rundown Orphanage. Before Ethan went to the kitchen to fetch them a kettle and some food. They talked about Glyphs and the current repairs and upkeep still needed to be done around the Campus. He would miss these moments. The minoot conversations,the subtle affection. His presence was a luxury he had become too fond of. And it was unsure if he could get used to it's absence now that it has become such a integral part of his life. "How does it taste?" Ethan said as he poured himself a cup. Meeting his teacher back in his office with the foodstuffs and tea as wanted he quickly poured for Hadrian and set out a small platter of cheese, bread and fruit. Serving himself only when Hadrian had taken his first sip and bite.

[Hadrian]

When Ethan started busying himself with domestic chores such as this, Hadrian didn't stop him, but wondered if he realized how dangerously close they always seemed to be to the bonding he dreaded. They parted ways in the foyer, and as Hadrian climbed the stairs, he was glad Ethan wasn't there to see how much the work had taken out of him. He knew he could work past it, that this was merely his body's way of warning him that he was spending energy faster than normal. All spell-casting pushed beyond the body's norms. But the tea would help restore him, and the morphing was not so difficult now, especially since he had a model to work from. He wasn't long in his office when Ethan found him sitting on a couch barely big enough for two in front of a simple coffee table. It would be more comfortable for the both of them than the desk and those chairs. Hadrian was leaning back into the deep, overstuffed cushions. Hadrian smiled, bringing the tea close to his face to inhale its subtle aroma and enjoy the warmth it brought to his long, slender fingers, the steam a gentle caress of his face. Thoughtful Ethan had brought food, too. After a bare sip of the steaming stuff, he nodded his approval. "Excellent, thanks. And for the food. Just a little snack and chat and I should be right as rain and ready to fly. But tell me... how do you find the Wave Guard? I'm delighted you've found a place to put your energies, but I'm surprised it's one that binds you somewhat to a specific place."

[Ethan]

"Oh I hope not." Ethan grinned. "Rain is absolutely dreadful, especially for flying. How about 'right as clear skies' or 'good as sunshine'?" Doesn't really rhyme but you get the idea. The closer they got to Hadrian's first take off, the more out of hand his excitement grew. Magic had open his eyes to an existence without boundaries. But he never thought this was possible. There are some lines your mind cannot fathom crossing. But now it was within reach, just a matter of hours instead of a life time. Soon he and his teacher would take to the skies and share a passion and experience few couples ever did. Couple... where they a couple? At times the lines seemed to blur horribly and he wasn't sure where they stood. Only that they stood well. "The Wave Guard? It's doing well enough." He obviously wasn't interested in the topic. His passions were elsewhere but he dutifully elaborated. Hadrian needed rest and restful conversation. Discussing his flight would only rile him up further. "The commoners have come to like me. Although I wish I could say the same for my brethren. They've had some... assumptions about Kelvic's which are hard to erase. But humans are masters of subjective ignorance. Nothing I can do." Ethan grinned wickedly. "present company excluded."

[Hadrian]

"I think it was a farmer's wish," he said, ever the scholar. "Right as rain meant the crops would be fed, and there would be grass for the livestock. But you're right. If I'm to become a bird, I ought to wish for clear skies and gentle winds." He listened, nodding, occasionally sipping tea or taking a bite to eat. His appetite was a funny, fickle thing, but the food was there, and he had just undertaken a serious act of magic and was hoping to perfect his morph into a lammergeier, which wouldn't take much in the way of energy anymore, but to fly... Well, he forced himself to feed and to rest. "I don't know that I should be congratulated for what should be a common understanding," he said. "The children, at least, will be raised to respect you as much as they respect their fellow humans. If we cannot change the present, at least we can nurture a better future. Nestlings." He chuckled at the thought of the orphans as nestlings, wondered if that was how Ethan saw them. He reached for a piece of cheese. "What's on your mind?" There was something.

[Ethan]

It was hard not to love Hadrian when he said such heart warming things. "Nestlings." He muttered, smiling. It was possible to shape someone's nature through early training. He was proof of that. Although Kelvics loved a good beating as a general rule and Human's had more free will than they knew what to do with. It still seemed plausible. "Plenty of things are on my mind." Again he smiled, it was begginging to be an annoying habit around Hadrian. "Hatchlings for one. I'm not getting any older and the urge is... unrelenting. Sometimes I wake up and the first thing on my mind is a son or daughter. But there aren't many women with the mettle for me to couple with." He leaned back into the sofa cushions, aware of their proximity and the over powering scent of Hadrian's pheromones. A natural and intensly alluring perfume. "Human women are so... soft and round. Pleasant to touch, but horrible to fend for a child. I need someone like Sondra, but she seems more likely to burst into flame than settle down and have a child."

[Hadrian]

All Ethan's little smiles were contagious, and he reached out to ruffle his vaguely curly, windswept hair. Long association with the Kelvic made such familiarity feel natural, and he was becoming more affectionate, less standoffish, the more he worked with the children. Nestlings. Hatchlings. Whatever. "Well, if Sondra would have a child with you, of course the child... hatchling, could stay here. With you, with me once I return from Sahova. I would treat your children as my own. If you would let me." He hoped Ethan read that as Hadrian being a doting Uncle rather than a grasping Master. They generally stayed on the same wavelength, but sometimes little triggers from Ethan's past caused little explosions. "But you might be surprised... Find any woman you want to make a family with, and if she lives in a place like Zeltiva, the children will be protected by the city. Of course, if they are Kelvics, you'll have to guard them when you take them out and teach them to hunt."

[Ethan]

Ethan leaned closer to Hadrian in response to his affection. They had gotten past the point of being reserved with one another. And for that the Kelvic was very thankful. Hadrian was excellent at displaying love and frequently sent shivers down his spine with the simplest of touches. The idea of Hadrian taking care of his child as his own was sweet in it's own way. But it ripped at wounds still healing. He quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of, how are the little orphans doing? Anyone I should have my eye on? I don't want to be surprised by anything if you get my drift. Bed wetting, sleep walking, likes to diddle their peers." His words were spoken with precision, sprinkled with warmth and humor to give them the appearance of life. But he could feel the darkness slowly creeping up his back, as it did hundreds of times before. The nightmares would be back tonight. He could keep them at bay during daylight, but at night he belonged to them. Still sitting close to Hadrian he formed a slow trickle of Res and let it pool in his palm. Practicing his control on the substance was the easiest way to keep his focus on less stressful topics. He began to change it's shape and texture as he listened to Hadrian speak.