Completed The Principles of Water Control

[Ricky Maze]

"Not entirely..." Ricky admitted with a bit of a bashful blush in his face, he wasn't one who really partook in as many fights or brawls anymore. When he was younger of course that was a different story, but given that he hardly liked to be in fights now he generally did his best to stay out of them. Given that this was more of a demonstration to help better Ricky's own techniques with Reimancy though, he could see now how unarmed combat in general mixed well with the use of magic. It wasn't the fighting but the style that was put into it, given the fact Aoren seemed to have his own sort of approach in the demonstration. It was impressive really, for Ricky to watch and observe just how closely tied the two were to one another.

He'd heard that saying many times too, the whole 'Res is an extension of you' deal. Ignotus stated it once or twice, Annalisa reminded him a couple of times, and of course Clyde clarified that with his own logic to back it up. Yet why now? Why did Ricky really seem to start grasping at it better than before? Was it because his mind was truly more open about this now? Did he no longer feel the compulsion to be secretive and cautious about practice? Since he had little to fear now with others in the city knowing he could use magic, the only real obstacle he had to hold him back now was himself... and since he was deeply interested in honing this discipline, he actually didn't have any fear to hold him back any longer. So Aoren's concept seemed all the more clear to observe, and easy to grasp now that Ricky could actually look and feel fully engaged in the practice that was involved with the lesson.

"Oi see yer point. Worryin' bout how me Res responds isn't what matters, its what Oi want de Res to do dat Oi should focus more on." He pointed out with a faint smile on his face, hopeful that the idea of the concept sounded as good aloud as it did in his head. Once he'd been told to try again by Aoren the first thing Ricky did was give a nod, with a humble smile on his face as he turned to face the direction away from Aoren so he could focus more on his Res once more. The fisherman took a deep breath once more as he went from a state of relaxed to a state of contemplation, his mind wrapped around the idea of how he normally stood when engaged in a brawl or something. At first he stood normal and straight with the ball of Res buoyantly floating next to him, but as he slid his right foot back some he angled his body to where he stood in a defensive position with his arms brought up to their defensive positions. It was at that point where he felt natural with himself, with his own movements as he changed the positioning of his arms and legs to make it easier to move into a state of offense.

His legs were apart and bent a little, where his balanced was stable and in sync with his body. His arms were apart and stretched away from his center, allowing movement around the space he could reach in all around. Now with the transition from defensive to offensive his right foot was moved forward, angled to where he could easily throw a punch at a given target where there something there for him to hit. At this point his Res no longer seemed loose and relaxed, the water that rippled and flowed around it seemed to stiffen as the core within tensed just a little. With his mind grasped at the concept that his Res was an extension of his being, Ricky imagined that it was like the ball was a joint in his body. The shoulder perhaps, or just the right arm in general. When Ricky brought his arm inward from the right towards his chest, the water orb seemed to shift and mold into an egg like form during the process. Then with one gentle sweep outward, the Res mimicked the motion of his right arm as the water lashed out like a tendril to whip the sand.

The motion itself was easy and simple, far too soft and gentle to actually cause any real damage. Yet the manner in which the Res responded was in fact what Ricky had thought to test out, and now that he'd learned how to pair the two together he finally grasped at how his Res responds to his will and intent. "Heh, Oi t'ink Oi'm gettin' it." He stated as the water and Res flowed back into the orb, he looked to Aoren to see if the man might by chance approve or have anything he may have wanted to add to it.

[Aoren]

Aoren watched Ricky grasp the fundamentals of the concept he was trying to explain. He studied the motion of Ricky’s arms in conjunction with his legs. Fluidity of movement was, in Aoren’s mind, vital to the use of water reimancy. Like the natural element itself the easiest way to grasp it was to emulate it. When Ricky performed the technique with mild success, Aoren merely inclined his head.

“Well done. From here it is just a matter of practice with the technique. The more you use it the more refined it will become.” Stepping forward Aoren reached inside of himself drawing upon his djed once again. He brought up his hands producing enough Res to equal the size of his fist.

“One of the greatest tools at a reimancer’s disposal is their ability to be creative. You should never get so stuck in your mindset of how Res can and cannot be manipulated that it prevents you from bringing it to become a true expression of who you are. Reimancy is both an art and a discipline.” Aoren thinned the Res that he’d conjured until it was almost silken in its consistency. Rotating a wrist he willed the Res to ripple before slowly spiraling up to take on a vaguely humanoid shape.

Aoren was hardly artistic enough to bring out fine details such as facial features or anything minute but the overall shape he could conceive. Carefully he condensed the surface layer of the Res lowering its temperature. He then transmuted the underlying layer into fire weaving it together with the surfaces layer as he transmuted it to water. The result was a wispy fog that Aoren had control of for a few brief seconds. In those seconds he willed an arm of the misty figure to reach out to Ricky before the whole conjuration whispered away into nothingness.

“The shape and appearance of your Res, of your manifestations is only as limited as you are.” He regarded Ricky for a moment.

“You should also always be aware of your environment.” Aoren gestured to the cliff around them.

“Using the attractive properties of Res doesn’t expend as much djed but there may come a time when you are in an environment where the elements you command are nowhere to be found. For instance, if you were a reimancer who manipulated Air and Fire but found yourself submerged in Water. I’m sure you can imagine other situations. In those instances you will find another property of Res to be very useful.” Folding his arms over his chest Aoren pondered for a moment on how best to explain what he was thinking of.

“Res, can be divided into layers. These layers can work together but remain independent of one another. I would venture to say it is this property of Res that enables wizards to craft the para-elements such as Ice, Lightning, Lava and so on and so forth. Indeed, for wizards wishing to maintain more control over their spells they often divide the layers of Res they are working with. This requires more concentration than if you simply worked with a uniform manifestation but it allows a great deal more variety in what you are able to achieve.” Aoren gestured vaguely to the space where his foggy figure had lingered not but a few moments ago.

“Separate layers of Res was how I managed that. It was also how I turned the water to ice. I was using the same amount of Res both times I merely divided them into parts that could be manipulated independently of one another.” Aoren wasn’t entirely sure whether or not Ricky was going to be able to grasp everything that he was saying. It had been a lot for Aoren to take in when it had first been explained to him. It had taken him a great deal of practice before he had been able to get the technique down seamlessly.

“The more adept you become with Reimancy, the more you will be able to freely manipulate your manifestations. Initiates are very limited in their scope. When I was an Initiate I could only ever manage to bring about two layers in my Res. As an Adept, I was able to sustain three or four in a single spell. As a Savant I could work with upwards of six and now as a Master I have yet to really test my limits.” Aoren was not entirely certain of what a great reimancer was capable of. Truthfully speaking he had yet to work with his fourth element, Earth but he could feel it. Whenever he reached for his djed and instilled in his Res the idea of being able to transform into another element he could feel them all. Air breezed through him as easily as breathing. Water flowed like his blood. Fire burned like the passion and underlying drive he felt inside of him. Earth waited for him with the patience and unyielding strength of his bones.

“Have you ever tried dividing your Res?”

[Ricky Maze]

To have received the praise Aoren gave when Ricky had hoped for the best, it certainly proved very uplifting and heartwarming seeing as how he had just started to further understand the nature of Res. With the natural synergy he started to develop with his own Res it started to feel easier, enough to where his will could almost make it all act upon his very whim. Yes. It had to be the fact that he not only practiced but learned from several great teachers, as Ricky felt he finally started to get past all that awkward feel towards his own power. What felt unusual but at the same time indescribable started to become familiar in a sense, a part of his own being that seemed so distant and foreign now felt like an old friend once more.

Creativity was something that made him truly wonder what possibilities awaited him, seeing as how ingenuity played a huge part in the way tricks and techniques worked. Reimancy as a whole had definitely turned into a discipline he started to fear just a bit less, so long as he remembered to maintain respective control over the very power that could turn on him later. With the demonstration to provide Ricky more insight, he was soon baffled with awe at how life like the aquatic humanoid became just before it transitioned into the mist like form that died away. If Oi wanted t' Oi can shape an' mold me Res into different t'ings, any particular form Oi can imagine is possible so long as Oi remain creative 'bout it. Where he felt skeptical and more pure logic based on Reimancy, he soon found himself already in a different state of mind. A concept of a inventive mind allowing one to not just create but mold elements, and even possibly make transformations with them somehow just appealed to his better nature.

When the next part of Aoren's lesson was the layering of Res, Ricky couldn't help but wonder with intrigue as he listened closely. The concept definitely sounded interesting but a little complex at first, but with the basic principle that served as the key point known Ricky could somewhat understand it well enough to get him started. "Never t'ought t' try it 'til now." He admitted after Aoren asked if he'd ever tried the division part, given that he had learned quite a bit already he was practically keen on trying all the new things he'd been taught. Thus when Ricky looked at his water sphere which still buoyantly floated next to him, he focused at the center where the core of Res resided and thought for a moment about how it would work. Simply put to divide something was to split it into two or more parts, so where there was one sphere there could be two made instead. With this the idea in his head started to take form, and sure enough his Res began to respond to the intentions directed toward it.

The water that cloaked the Res would shake and poke out as if it were alive, as Ricky imagined the very center to begin stretching. It started to stretch as planned and therefore the core started to split apart slowly, the water surrounding it dripping loosely in the process as the new core that was to developed started to break free from its original host. In this process most of the water had been lost but enough remained to cover the first sphere of Res which was now smaller, while he finally had a second sphere of Res that floated in front of him. Both spheres were able to cover half of his hand if he were to hold them, and they seemed to naturally orbit him now as he felt slightly proud of accomplishing this minor achievement. "Ain't so bad, just requires more concentration on de two on me part." He admitted with a chuckle as he brought the sphere of pure Res closer to him, when it floated close enough he positioned it above his right hand as he mentally held it in place.

[Aoren]

Watching Ricky contemplate the information that he’d just received was simple enough. There was nothing outside of informing the Wave Guard of the various techniques that Aoren could really do. Personal magic wasn’t as structured or reliant upon methodical processes as World magic. Aoren was only just beginning to grasp how vastly different the two forms of magic were albeit there were still fundamental similarities between them. In the meantime he closed his eyes letting the noise of his thoughts fade until there was naught but quiet to be found. He drew upon his djed pushing it to the furthest reaches of the outer layer of his soul, his aura. Opening his eyes he focused on Ricky. More than that he focused on the magic that Ricky was manipulating.

Carefully, Aoren worked on bringing into balance their two auras by molding his own to match the scope and flow of the Zeltivan’s. It was only after this steady process of synchronizing their aura was completed that Aoren was able to actually see the djed Ricky was toiling away with. He could see the interior of the ball of water shifting ever so slightly. That was largely it though. He was able to perceive that what he was staring at was indeed magical in nature. He could see the slight rippling in Ricky’s aura as bits of himself flowed into the sphere only to become parts of its weave.

Auristics was a path of magic that while he was growing to understand more, was still somewhat difficult to use. He did not yet fully grasp its subtle nuances nor was he altogether entirely certain he had delved into exactly all that it was capable of. After a moment or two of studying Ricky’s aura as well as the magic he manipulated, Aoren released his hold on his djed. With a blink of his eyes his vision returned to seeing the world as normal. Auristics still required his undivided concentration whereas reimancy came to Aoren as easily as breathing.

“Very good. Well, there is not a whole lot more that I can teach you as far as principles go. At least nothing I can think of. Is water the only element that you are able to manipulate?” It was an honest question. Aoren had already revealed to Ricky that he possessed an advanced degree of familiarity with reimancy. His words implying that Aoren was capable of manipulating all four of the natural elements, something only masters were capable of. If Ricky were capable of wielding two elements Aoren could perhaps go into a lesson about teaching the man how to weave together para-elements.

[Ricky Maze]

There was that great sense of achievement for Ricky but after hearing Aoren say those two words, he felt all the more accomplished in not only grasping this new concept he'd finally learned, but confident in his abilities to control the very nature of this power he was given. Yet when it came to the question that Ricky least expected, all that he'd just learned seemed lesser than what it was to him when he found himself quickly pondering how he would've learned how to manipulate more than just the element of water. He'd personally never felt himself able to use anything but water, that was before he'd decided to actually start practices to learn what all he could do. "Well..." His eyes diverted from Aoren as uncertainty was definitely found within his voice, as he made it painfully clear that he'd yet to discover the control over a new element.

Thinking on it though, Ricky always had a deep connection with water. He'd known this for a long time but never really pondered this connection, and in turn wondered if it was what gave him his first element as a Reimancer. Did other Reimancer's feel the same way? Did they find some similar sense of familiarity with their element, as though they were naturally a part of that element from the very beginning? He thought more and more on it, and surely enough his thoughts led him to think deeper into the subject. "Oi ain't never t'ought t' practice control ot'er elements, now dat ye mention it t'ough Oi can't help but wonder..." His contemplation led him to find a deeper sense of self awareness somewhere, his attention focused on the two spheres of Res he had orbiting around one another.

Water. A heavy yet passive element, ever flowing as it works as consistent as change. Powerful in its ability to heal an purify, its nature could very well be described as gentle and loving. Only to a degree though, as its fury was just as wicked as its grace. As Ricky thought this through he couldn't help but wonder if the characteristics one could find in water were similar with his own. Where these the characteristics that governed his ability to control the element? Was it by his very nature that he was able to grasp the element upon initiation? He'd always felt a spiritual connection with it before, and afterwards it only seemed to grow more in turn. So if water was the element he felt naturally inclined to, then the next element he should learn to control should be just as familiar with him as water.

Laviku's waters carry me.... The second part of that prayer he knew, that part he never personally connected to up until this point. And Zulrav's winds guide me. Could it very well be wind? He'd lived with it around him his whole life, as every other sentient being did. Yet the influences of wind... how did they impact him? He sailed with his father once or twice, and sailed on to other places later on. Yet... he felt differently about it. Water was something that he felt resembled emotion such as love, while air resembled something more along the lines of force. A will of intellect and maybe even inspiration, it is an element that governs force in its very manifestation. Force. Force o' de mind, force o' de spirit. He focused on the Res that hadn't any water attracted to it, in turn thinking about the methods of attraction.

With water which was a pure substance, attraction was done with the idea of a "pull" to his Res. So if that pull was by very nature a force, wind should easily react accordingly and succumb to that force in turn. His mind concentrated on the sphere as he thought this, the methods of attraction in work as he started to feel a transition occur in the process. It was definitely more than a constant one felt the natural cool spray of the sea in Zeltiva, as there was almost always a soft draft that blanketed the city it seems. That breeze was no different today, and if water could so easily succumb to the forces of attraction, then wind could by far be no different. Sure enough the royal blue core started to rotate a little, while the Res started to take a transparent appearance. He felt a natural drift in the space around it, as though the very fabrics of air had bent and given in to the force that drove it to react.

And then finally, wind seemed to concentrate around it. Its form was soft but nevertheless present, all while Ricky finally found himself able to release the air he held for the chime he'd been so focused. He'd been so caught up in thought he nearly forgot to breath, and yet look where it led him to. The discovery of another element, one that he found himself able to control. "Oi... T'ink Oi got it." He finally said with a crooked smile, another look to Aoren to see what would come next now that he'd managed to grasp his second element.

[Aoren]

Whether Ricky was successful in transmuting his second element or not was something Aoren didn’t know. That was until the Wave Guard vocalized his belief that he had a proper handle on it. The statement lead Aoren to observe Ricky for a moment expecting a display of the element itself. When nothing overt was forthcoming it left only one thing to deduce.

“Air. Your second element is air.” Aoren nodded drawing the only reasonable conclusion there was to be had. If Ricky said that he’d gotten a handle on it and Aoren had not seen a visible display of the power already that was all there was to it. Given the breeze that was wafting up off of the sea he’d hardly noticed the pick-up of wind in the area.

“Air is a far more versatile element than you would think. Like water the limits are only what you yourself are limited in imagining. I myself have gone so far as to compete in a wizard’s duel using the element of wind exclusively.” Aoren made no mention of the fact that he’d actually successfully won that duel. The point wasn’t to brag but to leave to Ricky’s imagination just how versatile the element itself was.

“If that tells you anything I would hope it is this, victory and progress does not necessarily mean you are one who achieves spectacular feats of power. Sometimes it’s a difference between knowing how to use that power as opposed to just using it for powers sake.” Aoren really hoped that made sense. It could be received in a number of ways. The first of which was that it might just be philosophical garble that made no sense whatsoever. The second would be that it proved to help give Ricky insight into his own potential. Folding his arms over his chest Aoren gave the Wave Guard a firm nod before releasing a relaxed sigh.

“I don’t know if there is much more that I can teach you, Rick. The principles of Reimancy, connecting to the elements, making it an extension of yourself, those carry across the progression and change very little. It is only the elements themselves that shift and open new roads for you to explore.” Reaching inside of himself Aoren drew upon his djed willing it to seep out of the pores of his skin as an azure gas. Aoren could feel himself growing fatigued. Despite his abilities with reimancy he had been going between auristics and the elemental discipline draining his djed more rapidly than if he had been using just reimancy. He took hold of the gas with his mind. He had produced only about enough to loosely fill a wooden bucket.

“Air and Water. The most obvious thing that can be created by combining the two elements is ice.” As he spoke Aoren divided the res into four sections creating smaller clouds of gas. Two of the clouds he brought close together. As he brought them together he worked on weaving together the threads of the clouds bringing the djed in line lowering its temperature and transmuting the gas into both wind and water in a slow interval. The result was a solid shard of ice that fell from the air after a few ticks. Aoren reached out to grab it. The ice quickly began to spread cold through his fingers and in his hand. He extended the ice to Ricky.

“Now tell me, what else do you think can be brought about as a result of blending water and air?”

[Ricky Maze]

After a moment or two for Aoren to finally consider he concluded what exactly what the second element Ricky possessed was, a wry grin then came on the fisherman's face as he looked at the ball of Res that he felt had a second nature to it. "Air." He whispered to himself in repetition to what Aoren said, the element of Zulrav's very domain no less.

Yet Zulrav himself was a God of storms and weather, and the wind was more than just an element under his influence. It was a part of him, a manifestation of his being. Res was the same with the user in a sense, therefore manipulating the wind was to make it part of the user. For Ricky this meant he was taking force and manifesting it with his own will, and that force could easily be used in multiple ways that in turn could be very deadly with ingenuity.

When Aoren told Ricky about air and its versatility, the fisherman looked amazed for a chime when he heard the story of just using the element of wind alone in a Reimancy duel. To use just wind alone meant that there could've been so many possibilities for its use, and it all depended on just how creative the user was in the process of casting their techniques. "Power is power but its not necessarily what power ye 'ave, its de intent behind de power when in use. Am Oi roi?" Ricky guessed at the concept Aoren tried to explain to him, there was in fact other ways to take it to consideration when meditated on, but of course that was genuinely the first idea that came to mind when Ricky thought on it.

When Aoren then decided to display the first element, or rather para-element, one could do with water and wind, Ricky chuckled only for a tick as he found a sense of irony in what he witnessed. Ice. He'd encountered it twice before, even learned how it was made with the combination of water and wind. Yet even so he never thought he'd be able to use it, that is up until now since Aoren had helped him discover the second element.

"Well it depends, Oi've never seen one personally but Oi hear cyclones 're nasty encounters." Ricky thought off hand as he put two and two together, wind is brought into a powerful twisting force that pulls everything in a rotating vortex, while the cyclone itself drafts over the surface of water to make a rapid wet whirlwind. This of course was the initial idea he had in mind, but the possible combination of the two elements to form another para-element?

That led his mind to drift deeper into thought, immediately coming up with the idea of what would be a useful para-element to try and create. "Fog perhaps? A mage could definitely find use fer a fog in tricky situations." It did make sense to him after all, the combination of water which was moisture to add to wind could condense and create a mist like veil. A shroud that could cloak yourself or the environment around you, something that definitely sounded appealing for defensive purposes.

[Aoren]

“That would be right.” He was glad that Ricky was able to grasp the intent behind his words. Aoren wasn’t the greatest teacher in the world. He sometimes felt he explained things in an overly complex manner instead of sticking to the simplest solution. Nevertheless it made him happy that Ricky understood.

“And mist, as shown by my little display earlier. It’s all a matter of how much you are willing to experiment with. There are elements that I have thought of and still haven’t attempted to make.” Taking in a deep breath Aoren ran both of his hands through his hair letting out a content sigh as he thought for a moment.

“Well, I think that’s it as far as my help can go.” He gave Ricky a smile folding his arms over his chest. He passed his gaze over the area considering their surroundings for a few moments. “You have the tools to accomplish a great deal. All that’s left for you to do is use them.”

Aoren had found himself helping and indeed teaching a lot of people during the course of his stay in Zeltiva. He had went from being nothing more than a humble student to a little bit of a teacher himself. He recalled the days spent with S’Essy discussing the possibilities with Shielding. He had spent time with a flame wielding performer and discussed things about Auristics and Reimancy. Now here he stood doing some instruction with Ricky on Reimancy. Such thoughts almost tempted Aoren to stay in Zeltiva and seek a position at the University later on down the road.

Almost.

Riverfall called to him. He had uncovered things about the city during his time as a Healer that simply pointed him in that direction. The city by the waterfall demanded his attention. More than that though he felt that deep in his heart there were answers there for him that would change his life. He couldn’t be certain but when he’d reached the decision to travel there earlier in the summer season it had simply felt right.

“I leave tomorrow, Ricky. Riverfall awaits me. Before I go though I want to say that it has been an honor meeting you. I can’t say I’ll see myself back in Zeltiva. I can say that I won’t soon forget you. Especially since my first meeting with you almost got me killed.” He gave the Guardsman a smirk recalling the event with the old man who darn near sucked him and a number of other people into the depths of a black abyss. Aoren later learned that this magic was called Voiding.

[Ricky Maze]

Ricky couldn't help but feel all the more better knowing that he'd understood the point of concept in Aoren's philosophy, in truth it was all the more pleasing to know that he had grasped the teachings he offered well. Yet as great as it was to have learned all of this, Ricky felt himself fall into a state of sadness for a chime as Aoren concluded that was all he could teach. The fact being that Ricky had learned everything he needed, finally, to help him better grasp at his reimancy, made him realize that he'd already developed a slight attatchment to Aoren that could only be described as friendship.

Aoren proved to be more than just a solid reliable companion to have around, given that his first night here in Zeltiva was indeed an eventful one. In truth Ricky felt himself connected to Aoren by means of understanding really, they both had similar perspectives from what Ricky learned and Aoren in general was just one of those people that were different. Different by right of individuality sure, but different in regards to being special. Without Aoren here Ricky surely wouldn't have recovered the way he did that night, and he certainly wouldn't have learned what he did today without the man's aid. Aoren was one of those people that were rare to find in the world, and were generally worth holding onto when it came to having them in your life. Unfortunately though such a idea wasn't going to become a notion, as Ricky had been told by Aoren that he planned to leave.

"Really?!" He blushed a bit feeling flattered to have been complimented so, his feelings in turn mutual as he flashed a genuine smile to the healer. "Ye've been someone Oi dun plan t' fergit eit'er, seein' as ye helped me out more dan once." He quirked with a chuckle, still slightly sad to hear that such a good friend would have to leave so suddenly. "Why is it ye're goin t Riverfall? Somet'in important Oi take it?" Though he asked he knew Aoren wasn't obligated to answer that question, and so if the healer decided to either indulge Ricky or decide to keep it secret, the resulting response he received would still be the same.

"Well, Oi guess Oi can understand yer reasonin. Oi 'ad t' leave fer Syliras 'fter all... Take care o' yer self Aoren, maybe we can keep in touch t'rough letters an' de like." He suggested with a hopeful smile on his face, a hand brought out to shake Aoren's as a formal farewell, in regards to this probably being their last personal conversation together.

[Aoren]

Aoren inclined his head. With a heavy sigh he directed his gaze to the sea. The early morning waves rolling up onto the shore captured his attention for a few brief moments. He rolled his shoulders reaching up to rub at the base of his neck.

“Yes. I’ve been making plans to leave for a little over half the season. I would have left sooner but I didn’t want to abandon my studies at the University. I’ve learned a great deal there. Besides, my brother needed time to prepare for our departure.” Aoren knew it was a lot to ask his brother to uproot himself from his life in Zeltiva. Riverfall was calling to him in a way that he simply couldn’t ignore but he didn’t want to leave without his new found twin.

“I won’t be forgetting you either, Ricky. If you ever find yourself in the city feel free to come searching for me.” Then came the question that Aoren wasn’t entirely certain he could answer. Why did Riverfall call to him? It wasn’t something he had words for. It was just a feeling. The whole of his time in Zeltiva had been filled with mentions of the city far in the region of Cyphrus. Practically upon arriving he had come face to face with an Akalak. That had been followed with a Konti healer who had just traveled from the city. That was then followed with numerous mentions of the medical center and the healing prowess of the city during his work as a Healer at the Infirmary. Riverfall had been in the background constantly singing its soft lullaby to draw his subconscious attention.

“I can’t explain it really. It’s a feeling. I’m drawn to the city. Every time I turn around I hear mention of it. I’ve met one of its natives, I’ve even met people who have actually traveled to or come from the city. I need to go there. I feel as if there are answers there to questions I’ve been asking all my life and even some that I’ve yet to ponder.” It was a very vague reason but it was the only one Aoren could give. He felt it was a decision that could bring only happiness in the end. He gave Ricky a smile reaching out to accept his hand in friendship. He gave it a firm shake and a nod.

“If you can find a courier willing to travel that far I don’t see why not.” A light chuckle escaped his throat. With a full intake of breath Aoren released Ricky’s hand running both of his hands through his hair.

“I leave tomorrow. My brother and I leave Zeltiva on a ship named the Suvan’s Grace. Do you have any tips as far as sea travel goes?” Given that Ricky by virtue of simply growing up in Zeltiva and thus being around ships regularly might know a thing or two about being on them, he saw no harm in asking.