The Convenient Acquaintanceship

[Rheinallt Gandauensis]

SPRING 511 AV - Day 1

"Oh gods.. this is not the most pleasant of days.." Rheinallt sighed wearily and leaned forward on the wooden bench he was already so precariously sat upon. The market place was a buzzing hive of activity around him, merchants hidden behind their wooden stalls flourishing all sorts of intricate and interesting creations. Delicious smells of spices, fish, cooked meats, and freshly made bread wafted through the air. Zeltiva was a busy city indeed but the markets were an even more busy place to be than anywhere else in the port; excluding perhaps the university. The young man sighed once more despite all the beauty around him and slumped in his spot. He stared out amongst the crowds of shuffling students, beggars, and sailors and lazily began casting out his abilities once more.

Hypnotism was always one of his favorite methods of getting what he wanted. When he was younger he made the mistake of forcing far too much on a single man and drove him insane to the point of suicide. Rheinallt never understood his own personal feelings on the matter. He didn't really care that the man died. There was a neutrality about death that just left him unaffected. Besides there was nothing a man of mere twenty-three cycles could do about it now.

Rhein shifted his gaze to flicker over to one of the homeless men sat at a corner stall. The merchant was arguing with him about leaving the little spot because he was scaring customers away. Frowning with distaste at the beggar's refusal to leave he cast out a piercing idea to the stall owner to strike the man down. The merchant was already furious and accepted the idea without hesitation, striking the ragged hobo across the cobblestone street.

Satisfied that the quarrel had been settled the university student relaxed against his seat and crossed his legs to continue his surveying of the wide open market square. "Much better." He chuckled.

[Rigg Evis]

Pain. His left hand ached in such a way Rigg couldn’t stop biting his lips continuously. In fact, it was not as dolorous as it had been for the last three days, but rather an unpleasant, irritating sensation. He observed with an almost obsessed gaze the glove which he wore in his burnt hand. Maybe it was just a hallucination, just like Master Mylu had taught him he would have if he exceeded his abilities with the Res? The temptation to remove the glove and check if it was true was great, but he had already done that multiple times that same day.

"Where am I?”, thought he, distressed. The young man had been walking aimlessly through the streets because he had nowhere to go. He instinctively hid his severed hand inside a pocket in his cloak, afraid of the idea someone could suddenly grab it or even touch it lightly. He was in the market, full of people and merchants and stalls and goods… a place he had loved since a young age. He grew up there, sometimes helping his uncle’s business. The different tales he had heard, which brought an interest in adventures to his heart... all in that same place.

He was worried, thought, about what had happened. The burning of his home with only him as the survivor was looked by some with suspicion even though Rigg apparently had a good relationship with his surrogate family. He turned his attention towards the passersby, who seemed unaware of his presence.

"I need to calm down… they will talk about the fire as the story will spread and I need to steel myself. It was a mistake made by mother, who let a candle nearby the curtain while everybody was drunk…”, he had been working on that story for a while, trying to find any flaw which could compromise his situation.

Evis then saw a wooden bench in which another person sat. He paid little attention to his features, instead focusing in how he could explain that conflagration which had killed seven people. Proceeding towards the bench, he sat down without even looking at the other man’s face.

[Rheinallt Gandauensis]

"Two men upon a pedestal. A plethora of horses." Rhein mused to himself in his head. He paused in his imagination, the corners of his mouth turning downwards as he began to frown. "It's such a bad habit to talk to myself this much.. Every day I just go on and on with strange images and-" the young man's thoughts were interrupted suddenly by the approaching figure of another man. There was a strange way about him Rhein noticed. Every stride he took thumped a bit faster than the rest of the people around him. It almost seemed as if he had a pressing matter to attend to. "Maybe he is late to his merchant stall." Rheinallt chuckled to himself.

There was quite a bit of surprise and suspicion that creeped into the young man's head when, without warning he was greeted by the sight of the distracted person tossing himself beside him on the bench. Rhein raised an eyebrow and stared at his quiet form for awhile before suddenly getting an idea. He reached forward and tapping his shoulder, passed a soft whisper into his ear. "You know if you're looking for a place to rest.. I'm sure that there's an inn far more comfortable than here. I could take you there with ease.." All the while he poured a bit of hypnotic suggestion into the words. He needed someone to practice his little tests on. Luckily enough his Djed wasn't being consumed too fast at all. He'd only been applying small amounts of power anyway, and wouldn't be surprised if he was denied.

Rhein smiled a bit softly as he began to lean back to await the other man's answer. He'd been practicing his hypnotism quite a lot recently. He didn't fear overusing his Djed, as he could tell when the little tugs were too painful and how his eyes got sore. But he had no issue inserting snippets here and there to help along his cause, and if no-one noticed, well all the better!

[Rigg Evis]

Someone touched his shoulder. It was a quick tap, but it was enough to raise his paranoia once again. Then, a whisper in his ear… it felt different than those “sweet whispers” he had been hearing in his head the last day before they ceased completely. Were they returning? His mental state had been recovering and he realized that. However, someone had touched him. Rigg slowly turned his head towards the man, while pondering about the suggestion… had it been the man beside him who said that? Or his own conscience? Or something else…? “An inn… to rest… it would be good but I must focus on this subject before anything else! How to explain that?!” , thought he.

Then, he saw the other man’s face. It was clear that the blond man’s blue eyes had been irritated recently, but they were now less bloodshot. It was an interesting contrast, red and white and blue. His voice came in a low, distressed yet commanding tone. "Don’t touch me again." Normally he wouldn’t care if someone tapped his shoulder, may it be a stranger or an acquaintance. As Rhein leaned against the bench, Evis realized he had seen his face before. Somewhere, but he wasn’t sure and couldn’t dive further into his own thoughts at this mental state of fatigue.

"I think I know you from somewhere…" The market? A neighbor? Or maybe from the university? It was hard to tell, but Rigg was quite certain he had seen that man’s face before. The fact was that Evis had few friends and acquaintances, since some had avoided him and still avoided due to his troublesome history when he was younger.

[Rheinallt Gandauensis]

"Don't touch me." The other man abruptly spoke. Rhein's eyes narrowed with a feeling of annoyance at his commanding tone. He didn't like the feeling of control being swept out from beneath him. He did acknowledge the man's request however and simply studied his prone form. This stranger looked remotely familiar. "I wonder if I've met him at the University before and just don't remember.." Rheinallt lazily thought to himself, rubbing his eyes irritated.

"I think I know you from somewhere." Rhein paused with his rubbing and blinked blearily at the opposing man. "Oh you do then?" He responded, chuckling. "That's funny because I recognized you a little bit there. Do you attend the University?" Rhein's words flowed out of his throat like a smooth silk compared to the way he normally talked. His eyes had lit up with a vague interest in the other man, and his entire composition shifted a bit so he could face him better. "Or perhaps I've seen you around the Libraries or this very Market. I do love just relaxing among the people here."

[Rigg Evis]

The University and the Libraries. Probably, that was the answer. Maybe they had been together in classes? The truth was that Rigg’s life in the university had been solely dedicated to the study of Reimancy and of The Flux, ignoring many of his friends’ jokes and assuming a serious position. This led to some annoyance with his colleagues who thought Rigg perceived them as children.

Now, it was the least he had expected, to have to talk in this state. Evis balled up his right fist, trying to remain calm. Maybe he could try to relax now, since the plan had been carefully examined in his head. How he would run away before any suspicion arose within the Council. After all, it was not usual for a house to burn in a way it killed almost everyone inside. Once again, his thoughts were slipping towards those pressing matters. Rigg sighed deeply and hit lightly his own torso two times with his clenched right hand until he recovered his composure.

”Forgive me, I’m very tired. The University? I… have just graduated. I was a student of The Flux.” Surely he wouldn’t mention Reimancy, since his studies in this “art” were known just to him and Master Mylu, as far as he knew. If Mylu had told anyone else, it was another matter. He forced a nervous smile towards Rhein. ”I’m… most pleased to meet you. My name is Rigg Evis.” Hopefully his smile was not that of a lunatic of any sort.

In fact, Rigg Evis wanted to show himself as calm and confident as possible, even in the worst of any situation.

[Rheinallt Gandauensis]

Rhein softly smiled at the nervous appearance of his bench partner. There was a definite inner struggle going on with this man and it had peaked his curiosity far too much to be left alone regardless of Rigg's weariness. Rhein himself had no such personal strife. He accepted himself as he knew what and who he was. He could not help his habits or the lives of others. But he could certainly sate his wonderings. "You seem troubled, friend." Rheinallt suddenly spoke cheerfully, as though he were regarding the weather. "Anything I can help with? I studied Flux as well a bit, though I am not adept by any means. I also have a few other skills you might deem useful to your needs."

He stuck out his hand calmly, forgetting the previous comment about not touching him. "My name's.. Rhein. If you don't mind me prying, why are you so nervous?" Rheinallt's chocolate-like eyes flickered in a slight movement, a slight irritation seeming to spread across his eyes like little red veins as he began pushing more hypnotic suggestion into the question. He was compelled by Rigg. For reasons he did not know, but he wanted to help him regardless of the fact he was a complete stranger. Even if he needed to push him a little to get him to accept his help. Rhein did not ignore these gut feelings. They always led to some form of reward.

Even despite all this, Rhein couldn't help but suppress a feeling of doubt. He was being rather reckless. Helping a complete stranger, and quite the nervous one after all. Who knows what he could've done. Rheinallt knew literally nothing about him except what he'd gathered recently. Nonetheless this didn't stop him from shrugging aside his preconceived notions of danger. He was alive to live. Not to wander about like the rest of the common folk.