Closed Jack's Fortune

[Lucas Arias]

Summer 48, 513 AV

The man who had been handing the letters out was staying at Atri’s place, and he didn’t exactly look like a man – or a fortune teller. Although Lucas had just turned nineteen, he looked more like fifteen or sixteen. He was barely 5‘6“, with bright red hair lilke an Inarta, lots of freckles and big blue eyes. What little he possessed in the ways of facial hair looked more like dirt. He was also dressed in a rather colourful ensemble, and had a big sword with him that was lying in its sheath on the bed in his small room.

He looked more like a somewhat eccentric runaway squire – which was exactly what he was.

He didn’t greet Jack with ominous words as fortune tellers – who were usually old people – tended to do, but smiled all over his face. „Hello, Hello! What can I do for you? Do you want a fortune telling? Please sit down.“ He gestured towards the table near which a chair stood. „Are you taking part in the expedition as well? I don’t remember seeing you at the gathering or on the boat I took to Riverfall, but there were so many people there that I might just have missed you.“

[Jack Benefort]

Jack eventually made his way across the first tier to Atri's Place, which was apparently where the expedition was housed at this point. Or part of them? He wasn't really sure. Not that it mattered. He walked into the building and after asking around was quickly pointed to a small room where the fortune teller was apparently staying.

"Hello, Hello! What can I do for you? Do you want a fortune telling? Please sit down."

The sudden friendly greeting caught him completely off guard, and very quickly he found that everything else about what he as seeing did just the same. He had expected a fortune teller. That is, an old, possibly ominous man who spoke riddles or some nonsense like that and was probably using the 'free' service to trick people into paying him for something. Instead he was greeted by a very excited looking young man. And an Inarta, if Jack was reckoning correctly. As he went to sit down, he had to reassure himself that he was indeed in the right place. After all, he had been directed to this room, and this friendly young man wouldn't be having him sit down and all that just because, would he?

"Are you taking part in the expedition as well? I don’t remember seeing you at the gathering or on the boat I took to Riverfall, but there were so many people there that I might just have missed you."

Right, the expedition. He had forgotten that this service was being offered to them. But surely he would understand the need to meet one from his hometown. And he seemed a nice fellow. Jack hoped for the best with this encounter. It was definitely going a fair bit better than most of the random encounters he had with people.

"Actually, I am not part of the expedition, truth be told. I found- or rather, was found by- one of your fliers and saw that you sailed from Zeltiva! Zeltiva is my hometown and it has been several years since I was last there, and I had hoped simply to share the company of another Zeltivan. And of course, if you would be willing to give me a fortune telling, I'd take it happily. I'll pay if you'd like though, since I'm not with the expedition."

[Lucas Arias]

„Oh“, Lucas made. He looked just a little surprised as Jack told him that Zeltiva was his hometown. „Zeltiva was the last place where I lived. I studied at the University – poetry, can you believe that?“ He laughed. While Lucas definitely didn’t look like a fortune teller, he also didn’t really look like a poet. His poems had been weird and at least slightly controversial, and they had either made people blush or want to beat him up.

„I also assisted Professor Hadrian Aelius“, he continued. „Have you heard of him? Before that I was in Nyka, but I’m originally from Syliras. It’s a boring place though, full of knights that pretend to be honorable and have no sense of humor, so I left. While I enjoy fortune telling and poetry, I don’t think I would have made a good knight.“

„Why are you not in Zeltiva anymore?“ he wanted to know. „Did you get bored? What’s a man from Zeltiva doing among all those red, green and blue giants? Oh, and what’s your name?“ Lucas had written his name on the flier, so he thought it was only fair if he knew who his customer was.

„A few golden mizas would be welcome“, he said without hesitation and extended his hand. „What kind of fortune telling do you want? Bones? The crystal ball? The cards? Or shall I read your palm? Master Anselm was always rather fond of the bone oracle.“

[Jack Benefort]

'Hmm, a poet and a fortune teller? Definitely an interesting character. He's not from Zeltiva originally, but it would seem I have found someone worth speaking with nevertheless.' He thought to himself as Lucas shared about himself. Jack began to heartily laugh at the mention of the Syliran Knights having no sense of humor. "You know," He said, still trying to catch his breath, "I wondered if I was the only person out there who thought that!" Now regaining his full composure, "I was in Syliras for a year before I came to Riverfall, so I got to have a few experiences with the knights. They are respectable but as you have hinted, a little too tightly wound for our tastes. And about the Professor, though I never met him, I have heard a fair bit about him. My father was a professor himself at the university, in his younger days- though that was a very long time before either of us were born- and he kept in touch with the faculty. He liked Aelius quite a bit if I remember correctly."

He listened as Lucas went on to ask him about his purpose in Riverfall and his name. "My name is Jack! I left Zeltiva around 3 years ago. After father died, I resolved to honor his life by learning as much as I can about this world and seeking to be a man who can change it for the better. I felt the best way to start learning was to see everything I could, so I traveled. Sunberth first, then to Nyka. Sailed to Mura after that. Had a very brief stay in Ravok- I really couldn't stomach the Rhysol worship that's so prevalent there, left after one week. Spent the next year in Syliras and then I traveled across the Sea of Grass and ended up here. So it is the end of the first leg of my journey, and something of a treat to myself after all that I've experienced in the last few years. Riverfall really is a much easier city to live in than some other places out there. Nice and small and beautiful."

At his request, Jack reached into his pocket and counted out 3 golden mizas for Lucas. At his questioning about the type of fortune he wanted, "Then let's do the bone oracle!" He said, leaning forward in his chair, eager and excited, and not as worried about his Mizas as he should be.

[Lucas Arias]

As Jack admitted to not having been that fond of the knights either, Lucas smiled. That instantly made him like the man better. As Jack talked about his father having been fond of Professor Hadrian though, the former squire narrowed his eyes and looked at him suspiciously. „Hadrian is only a few years older than me. Your father can’t possibly have known him – unless you travelled forward in time or there were two Hadrians at the University. Was your father a time traveller?“ Lucas seemed to be honestly interested in Jack’s answer.

„I’ve never thought about honoring my father’s life“, Lucas admitted. „But then he’s just a knight and still alive. He would probably have a heart attack though if he found out I’m a fortune teller now. What did you do in Nyka by the way? Did you ever visit the Sharp Tongue Pub? I worked there for a bit. It’s my favourite pub in all of Mizahar!“

„Alright, the bone oracle“, he murmurred and started rummaging through his pack until he had found the bones in question. He put them onto the table. „I need a question from you. What do you want to ask the bone oracle?“

[Jack Benefort]

'Hm. Well that's embarrassing.' Jack thought to himself after Lucas made his inquiry about his father knowing the young professor. "Apologies for that- I spoke too quickly. To be completely honest, I am probably confusing my own personal hearsay about the man with my fathers' opinion- It is a mistake I have made before." He chuckled slightly as he spoke, a little uncomfortable, as Jack was not used to being questioned by others, or being wrong about things. But he quickly composed himself as Lucas began to speak of his father and of living in Nyka.

'Ah, his father is a knight. Perhaps that's why he is repelled by knighthood.' He thought to himself, listening to Lucas talk about the man, 'And from that heart attack comment, I'm guessing things didn't go very well between them when Lucas decided to choose a different type of employment.' He would say those things aloud normally, but he felt in this situation it might be best to hold his tongue. After all, he had only just met Lucas, and he was going to tell his fortune. It probably didn't help to start making snap judgements about these people when they were divining things pertaining to your life.

Jack was excited to hear of Lucas' mutual love of the Sharp Tongue and his time in Nyka. "I spent a lot of time exploring the different quarters in Nyka, meeting the different monks and experiencing the different things the culture offered. The daily festivals were a personal favorite." He said a smile growing on his face as he remembered his time there. "As to your inquiry about the Sharp Tongue, yes, I did visit it, several times actually. While I personally have developed more of an affection for kelp beer than anything else during my short life, the beer served there comes closer to being my favorite than anything else I've had since leaving Zeltiva."

Jack thought for a minute about what to ask the bone oracle, before answering, "Will I live to see my journey completed?"

[Lucas Arias]

„I always thought that kelp beer sucked“, Lucas remarked. „It was one of my least favourite things about Zeltiva. And my least favourite thing about Nyka was the food that they gave you. Its quality was lacking most of the time. But the people were great.“

Having been to Nyka, Jack likely remembered that selling food was forbidden in the city and that the monks distributed food to the people in carefully controlled rations. For somebody that loved eating and drinking as much as Lucas did this was a bit of a nightmare!

„Oh“, he made as he heard Jack’s question. „That’s a pretty important question. I should ask the bone oracle that as well. I’d really love to know whether I’ll survive the Syka expedition. But anyway, watch – and listen!“ With that he threw the bones onto the table and stared at them for a while before he pulled out Master Anselm’s oracle book and leafed through it.

„Oh my“, he murmurred as he read the passage in question.

„Water follows Water, spilling over any cliff, flowing past all obstacles, no matter the depth or distance, to the Sea.
The Superior Person learns flexibility from the mistakes he has made, and grows strong from the obstacles he has overcome, pressing on to show others the Way.“

„That means your journey will be a dangerous one. You are going to face a crucial trial that you will only be able to master if you stay true to your convictions. You may have to sacrifice something you hold the dear. Let’s hope it won’t be a person.“

He leaned closer to Jack and looked at him curiously. „Could you tell me more about your journey?“