Closed [Sayana's Apartment] Catching up

[Garland]

Summer 3

Garland had more or less recovered from what had happened, his wounds have healed with the help of the healers, and he was fit for duty in only a few days.

Today though, he wanted a bit of insurance, his fists and body were already weapons in his eyes, and in most cases the bloody pulp of his enemies would agree, but his fists were nothing compared to setting things ablaze or a punch strong enough to break trees.

He was looking to learn magic, and he didn't want the knights to know about it. As much good as the knights did as a whole, he simply cannot trust an individual knight unless they prove themselves in his eyes.

Sayana is well-traveled in Syliras and as far as he knew, he was the one of the only people in Syliras that knew she was back, at least in her old circle of friends.

"Papap! Papap!" Garland was lost in thought and just remembered the two toddlers strapped inside the cradleboards on his back. He couldn't help but smile, they had said their first words only a few days ago and they just wouldn't shut up.

They were so precious, they were his pride and joy, and they were the anchors that keep him focused on what is important; protecting them.

Garland walked through the grey corridors of Syliras, making his way down a path he had rarely used in a few seasons. There was no here he would visit other than one person.

Sayana wanted to keep a low profile, staying in her apartment would not be wise, but he had no other leads as to where she was, hopefully she was staying here, or left some sort of clue or is following him right now.

The twins had been more and more observant as they grew older, and even louder as they learn to talk, it wasn't really hard to follow Garland, he had two noisy toddlers strapped to his back after all.

Garland finally made it to Sayana's old apartment, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

[Sayana]

The cloak she had bought was second hand, yet it still looked too good to be worn by a beggar, a nobody. Sayana sat in her apartment with the cloak on the table, a couple of daggers in her hands, and a bucket of dirty water at her feet. Very dirty water. Systematically she began cutting tears in the garment. It needed to look natural, so even though she would start them with the point of a dagger, she would then proceed to rip the material with her hands. She started near the elbows, then moved to places where low shrubs might snag the material, and finally worked on fraying the edges of the cloak. Then she plopped the whole thing into the dirty water.

Just as she was about to pull it out for some finishing touches, a knock came at the door. In the past, the occasional visitor would be welcome and perhaps not so uncommon either. But now… She glared at the door for a tick or two, then got up and sheathed her daggers. After a quick scan of her apartment, she closed the chest she had been working out of then proceeded to the door.

There wasn’t time to conceal or disguise herself, but it would also help in the long run that she did actually look like herself in her own apartment. She grasped the handle and turned it slowly. All to reveal…

“Garland? What brings you here at this bell?” Sayana asked, genuinely surprised by his presence at her home. “And are those two…?” She recalled the mention of children, plural, when they had encountered the slavers. “Are they yours?”

She opened the door further to let him inside and gestured to the couches in her apartment. “Have a seat,” she spoke before going to fetch a pair of cups and a pitcher of water. As he settled down with the babes, she focused in on a specific emotion. Gratitude. While busying herself in the kitchen area she began to weave her djed in and out of the emotion she held fixed in her mind. Wrapping the thoughts and feelings in a warm blanket of magic, she held onto the thought as she returned with the cups. Then, as she caught the squire’s gaze, she let the magic gently get released. It would be subtle, and certainly not strong, but the feelings of thanks and gratitude would surely reach Garland’s mind in some form or another.

This was just a primer. As the Eypharian settled down and took a sip of water, she lounged with her arms spread out upon the couch. “They are beautiful, aren’t they?” She spoke gesturing to the babes. “Did you end up getting your retribution on the knight? Or have you come to offer your services after being rescued back there. Like a favor for a favor?”


ReceiptCloak: 5 sm

Credit: Shimoje

[Garland]

She was here after all. He was relieved that she had gotten away from what had happened to them and made it to the relative safety of the city.

When she asked if the twins were his, he gave a large grim and a nod. "Yup, I made these!" He said with a large smile. He pulled off the cradleboard from his back and stepped inside.

He took a seat when Sayana had offered him. He couldn't help but look at the two kids in his arms and feel happy. He was grateful for having a chance to be with them at least.

"I came here to... ask you a favor and to say thank you. I would have no doubt that I could have broken free from those slavers eventually." He boasted and laughed. "But who knows how long that would have taken, they were careful with their slaves, taking only a few so they could move quickly, I have no doubt that they wouldn't let me leave easily."

He paused and looked up to Sayana. "Thank you, if there's anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask." He said and took a bow.

The twins had been in the cradleboard too long and had started getting agitated. Garland took them out before they started crying, and set the two on the couch. The pulled themselves up with the help of Garland's arm and shakily stood up and started ambling towards Garland.

"As for the traitor... He got away, I almost had him, but the knights showed up at the wrong time. They thought I was the one that sold them out, I was kept in the tank for a day until the other knight got me out." Garland said with a coldness to his voice.

"Enough about that... I have a favor to ask of you. You've done a lot for me, but all I need is information, a contact. You're well-traveled in Syliras and beyond, correct? I need someone to teach me magic." He paused, he didn't know how Sayana would have reacted and Bakar was no where to found, Bakar was the only other mage outside the knights that he knew and he wanted to keep his learning of magic a secret.

"Ball knows something called Flux, it made it stronger, more than regular. I want to learn something like that, as good as I get with my fists, they're still just fists, they can't stop a blade, I never want to be caught without a weapon ever again. So I was hoping if you know any mages in Syliras that can teach me anything."

Aneeka had slowly half-climbed half-fallen off the couch and crawled towards Sayana's leg. She tugged on Sayana's clothes and wondered and marveled at the color of the fabric and the feel of the texture and made of the clothing.

And then she tried to eat it.

[Sayana]

Sayana lounged with her left arms resting upon the back of one of the couches and her rights sprawled out in front of her. She listened curiously as he discussed the recent events and with her high right she brought the glass of water up for a sip. The Eypharian nodded in acknowledgement as the squire went on to ask about magic and who might be able to teach him. As the little toddler climbed over to Sayana and half tumbled, she ruffled the young girl’s hair fondly. That is, until the babe started to eat her skirt. It took a fair bit of multi-tasking to pry the child’s mouth off her garment, while still maintaining a dignified posture with her glass.

“I have not heard of Flux, but I do know someone who is well-versed in several magics.” Sayana replied while straightening her posture to scoop up the young girl in her arms. Using her lows to hold the babe, she entertained the girl using her other hands. A wiggle of her fingers, a light bop on the baby’s nose. However, there was a strange detachment as she turned her attention back to Garland.

“I met this mage once,” she carried on. “And within a chime or two of meeting him, I knew he was strong, very strong in magic. However I do not know the extent of his knowledge or whether he knows the magic you seek.” She paused and noticed that the baby girl was sucking on her fingers, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“But he’s also protective of his knowledge and would probably require a fair exchange. His name is Clyde and he has his shop up in Winthrop Alley. In fact, I plan to visit him early this Summer. I could put in a good word, or you can see him yourself.” For a couple ticks she wondered if she had revealed too much about the mage, but the majority of what she had said could be found out just by asking the right questions in the right neighborhood.

“But Garland, magic is not something you frivolously learn. It’s hard, it doesn’t always work, and it can be mentally consuming…” Her warning was mostly to avoid Garland coming up to the mage and asking for magic without having truly thought it over beforehand. And thus making her look like a fool for referring Garland to Clyde.

[Garland]

Garland thought about it, and without a weapon, he was nearly useless. And if he learned anything from the slaver incident is that there will be times where he wouldn't have any weapons to fight with.

"It there was any other way to have a weapon on me on all times, something people can't take away, I would take it... I've even considered removing a finger and placing a fake one in it with a concealed blade." He half-joked with and followed by a weak laugh. Phobos pretty much stayed near Garland and wrapped his tiny arms around Garland's neck in a hug, while he stared at the weird six-armed lady.

"I'd rather not have the burden of magic on my mind if I had a choice, but I'd rather have and not need than need and not have." Garland said and let Phobos down on the floor. "Go on, she won't bite."

Phobos looked over to Sayana and back to Garland and the little rascal just tugged on Garland's pants and tried to climb back up to his father. He babbled on, saying things like up, or sounds like up.

Garland gave a small smile and picked him up. "He doesn't like meeting new people." He was interested in this Clyde person, he might check it out. "I'm new to this cloak-and-dagger thing, but how do I find him? Do I just ask around Winthrop, looking for a Clyde? Though I suppose you should put in a good word for me. I do have a good reputation with the knights and thus even the a few average people would know me. I'm by no means famous, but if someone were to recognize me and say anything that would indicate me as a squire, this Clyde could very well disappear."

The twins had absolutely no idea what was going on, though Phobos, being the more observant of the two, know that this conversation was serious. Aneeka on the other hand, was still nibbling on Sayana's finger, making little 'nom nom' sounds while she bit.

Phobos just stared at Sayana, confused at what was going on, and intrigued by the multiple arms, he was also quite cautious and held tightly on Garland, and whenever Sayana would look at Phobos he would turn away and bury his face in Garland's shoulder.

[Sayana]

“Garland, you’ve got it all wrong. There’s no ‘cloak-and-dagger’ thing. Clyde works for the knighthood. He’s got a shop of sorts. I’ve seen it. You just ask around like you’re asking for directions.” Even though she had come to know of the mage’s existence and the location of his shop through more stealthy means, there wasn’t anything in particular stopping a very honest and direct approach.

“But knowledge is useful and he’ll probably want some sort of exchange.” And some sort of promise. Sayana thought back to the Grand Oath that Clyde had described. She had yet to gather the materials for it. Just like magic didn’t come for free, acquaintances sometimes needed to be persuaded.

“Which brings me to my next point. Ever since you ran into that traitor ‘friend’, that knight, it’s got me thinking about whether there is corruption within the knighthood. And how much. Who can you really trust, and who might stab you in the back? I was thinking about conducting an investigation, an informal investigation, on the inner workings of the knighthood. I’d start with the names of the knights and squires, ranks, what kind of patrols are conducted and how often, and even go as far as learning their supply chains. Just think what sort of situation the Order would be in if suddenly their key stable master betrayed them and all their warhorses were stolen?”

“Now this is where you come in. I don’t have access to all the knighthood facilities and I also want to be discrete.” She paused a moment to let it sink in. “And discrete as in secret. If there are other knights who are as corrupt as that traitor, then they shouldn’t get wind of it at all. Otherwise they may try taking counter measures. Now I certainly don’t expect you to carry out the full investigation. I have other sources too, and I can do my own gathering of information just by watching and listening in on gossip. But to have someone, a squire, helping would certainly make things easier.”

[Garland]

Garland didn't know much about magic, neither did he know about much mages in the city. With Nivel gone on some long quest, he really didn't have anyone else to turn to.

"He works with the knights? But he's not a mage-knight?" Garland pondered about this, was it really a good idea to ask this Clyde person to train him in magic? This Clyde could rat him out, or some such.

"Knowledge is something I'm rather careful about these days, but I'll do favors for him, anything short of bloody murder though." Garland replied and pressed his head on Phobos' neck and kissed him, making the baby boy giggle.

When Sayana 'suggested' to become a spy on the knighthood, giving up their 'secrets' he just gave a smile. "You didn't have to ask Sayana, I would have done that anyway after I've found the petc-err traitor that got away."

Everything seems done, Sayana has a source inside the knighthood and Garland found a potential magic teacher. Now that the serious talk was over, Garland had a more light-hearted but equally important favor Sayana. "The reason I brought these two today was because I was looking for someone to watch over them for a while, a few bells to a day or more, firstly the traitor said something about taking kids from the orphanage and selling them to slavery, I haven't told the knights because there could be other corrupted individuals. This is completely my own investigation and I don't want the twins there for their own safety, so... can I leave them to you for the time being." He asked rather sheepishly and placed Phobos on the couch. "If you can't take care of them for long I can find someone else I trust, though preferably someone not from the knights."

With that the next bell rang loud through the city. Garland sighed, he wanted to spend some more time with Sayana, ask where the heck was Aren, he didn't know about Sayana's miscarriage, or even where she went, he had plenty of questions but now was not the time for them.

"I've got to go, I've got another patrol today. I should be back in a few bells or so." With that Garland took a light bow and left the room, leaving Sayana with the twins and a basket full of baby supplies that were totally with Garland when he came in and I didn't forget about or anything.

Secret :

So do you want to continue this thread with the baby shenanigans or do you want to end it here.

[Sayana]

Sayana smiled at his quick acceptance to feed her information about the knighthood. She just hoped he understood what sort of information she was looking for and that even small, seemingly trivial details could be of help. An organization like the knighthood does not seem to have many weaknesses, but when you get down to the details everything has flaws.

“I can take them for a couple bells, even a whole day. But if I find myself having more than one sleepless night in a row…” Sayana pointed an accusing yet playful finger at the squire. She smiled at the baby boy and cradled the girl in her arms.

When the bell chimed, Garland was quick to leave. Sayana just managed to get the names of the two babes before he was gone on patrol. “Phobos and Aneeka… aren’t you two sweet little darlings.” She spoke softly with a ruffle of Aneeka’s thin wispy hair.

The Eypharian rummaged through the baby supplies, finding a couple bottles of milk and some jars of mashed up food with a pair of spoons. There were some soft blankets and a pair of cloth diapers to replace the ones that were currently being used. At this point she scooped up Phobos. At least Garland, or someone, was well prepared for the two babes. “Let’s get you some milk before it goes bad.” The Eypharian proceeded to feed the twins, teasing the bottle to their lips. Of course there was a bit of squirming, but she hardly thought much of it as she took care of them both at once.

“Now I want you to say…” She was about to use the word Mama, but then decided on a much more fitting name. “I want you to say ‘Auntie’.” She was met by inquisitive looks, and Aneeka began sucking her thumb. “Papap?” Asked little Phobos. “Auntie,” Sayana replied.

Despite her attempts to get them to say ‘Auntie’, she was only met by babbles and the odd ‘Papap’. And of course, the occasional chewing of her clothes. Partway through, she found herself curious to try a bit of hypnotism on them. She started with something gentle, and she fused her djed with smooth calming thoughts of trust. If she focused hard enough she found she could even target both the babes as she pushed her djed out towards their auras. Next she tried an image. It was just a simple image and she targeted Aneeka first, slowly painting the picture of nursing the babe using her words coupled with her magic. It was hard to tell whether it had worked, but when she tried something similar on Phobos, he nuzzled quickly to her bosom.

For almost the next bell she felt compelled to continue subtle hypnotism attempts. It was addicting but she didn’t do anything particularly drastic. One thing she did do, was implant the idea of ‘this woman is auntie’ into each of the twins’ minds. Perhaps at a later date they might be able to recall the word she used.

Her mind was a little foggy from the excessive use of hypnotism and she was starting to feel the familiar taste of blood in her mouth due to the effects. But it was growing dark and the squirms from the babies and their occasional cries were a good indicator of how sleepy they were.

Should Garland return before nightfall, she would relinquish the babes over. Otherwise she would spend a somewhat restless night with the babies, with no better place for them but within her own bed. Regardless, she felt calmer looking after such innocent little people. At the back of her mind there was a dull ache at the loss of her own son, but it was oddly comforting to be of help and look after the twins. And the orphanage… Suddenly she had new thoughts regarding it and perhaps using it to its full potential.

Credit: Shimoje

[Dove Brown]

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Sayana

Skills

• Hypnotism 1
• Childcare 2
• Teaching 1
• Rhetoric 1

Lores

• Garland: has 2 kids
• Garland: willing to be an inside source
• Phobos and Aneeka: Garland's kids
• Hypnotism: 2 minds at once

 

Garland

Skills

• Land Navigation 1
• Childcare 2
• Storytelling 1

Lores

• Clyde: located in Winthrop Alley
• Clyde: a mage working for the knighthood
• Sayana: wants an inside source
• Sayana: looking after my kids

Comments: Short, sweet, and well written. Enjoy your grades