[University of Zeltiva] Halls (Hrair, Hadrian and...

[Hrair Ansoub]

28th Spring 510

Hrair tucked his bag of gold under his cloak and headed through Zeltiva towards the University.

He carefully followed the directions Hadrian had given him. Even so, he found himself asking the University staff and other students for directions once he got to university. "This place is a real rabbit warrent" he thought to himself. Through the sweeping entrance hall and up the right hand side double stair case. He entered into the halls.

He eventually found the correct room and knocked on the door.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian looked a little out of sorts when he answered the door, like he had just woken up and was still confused as to who he was, where he was, and what he was doing. His robes were a little rumpled, and he had an armful of books and scrolls.

"H-" he began, then cleared his throat. "Hrair. Hello. I was just going home... How are you doing? Start any good bar brawls lately?"

He smirked a little, his humor slowly waking up.

[Hrair Ansoub]

Hrair scratched his head "Yeah sorry about that" he replied looking a little embarrassed. "I'm good, feeling a little better than I was the other day, I'd had one or two and wasn't really thinking. Listen about this blood amulet, I've been quite lucky on the nets the past few days and I reckon I can fund it...you reckon it'll work?"

[Hadrian]

Hadrian blinked at him, started to speak, then caught himself and whispered, "You made," he said slowly, disbelieving, "one thousand Zeltivan nilos in just a few days? What were you casting your nets for, petching mermaids?"

He looked up and down the halls at the students coming and going from the study alcoves, saw the backs of underclassmen and guests at the rows of carrel desks.

"Come on," he said, starting toward the exit. It would be best to talk at his home.

[Hrair Ansoub]

Hrair followed Hadrian making light chit-chat along the way. "It was a tight few days, I nearly drowned myself along the way, and you wouldn't believe the weather but I got there in the end" he said.

He followed Hadrian through the building, peering this way and that round corners and into rooms along the way.

"Is it far to your place?" he asked.

[Hadrian]

"Not too far," he said, shifting the weight of his books into his other arm. Internally, the wheels were turning. If this fisherman could come up with that much money that fast with his little ship, then he might be a candidate to bankroll further experimenting in magecrafting. It wasn't entirely in Hadrian's benefit, either. If the fisherman was going to go up against the Tainted, the least he could do is prepare with a few magical aids, with which Hadrian was one of relatively few wizards who could supply him.

Hadrian provided Hrair with a bit of a tour, at least pointing things out on the direct route to his home. The library and the College of Magic were in the Old Quarter, with its pre-Valterrian architecture. The next most interesting thing for Hrair, though, would probably be the College of Navigation, which was the only one outside of that august district.

He led Hrair to a modest neighborhood of small cottages huddled at the edges of the Old Quarter; he had taken more modest lodgings to conserve money in anticipation of his parents cutting him off.

"Here we are," he said, and let them in. The place had the bare essentials and a few personal extras. He was living like an ascetic almost, a scholar-monk. Magecrafting was expensive business, even using the university facilities for free as a perk of his tuition. There were books everywhere, and he set down his burden on a spare bit of counter space.

"Sit, please," he said, moving to the small kitchen nook to prepare tea. It was better than kelp beer, even if he had developed a taste for the stuff.

[Hrair Ansoub]

Hrair peered around the university, taking great interest in the College of Navigation. He peered around the door, ashis eyes flitted from left to right. Hadiran pulled at his arm and remarked it would still be here in the morning. Hrair sensed Hadrian did not quite share his interest in navigation and the sea and seemed distracted by his thoughts of magecrafting and the blood amulet. Hrair quizzed the young scholar at length but found he did not understand many of the terms used, nor was he able to even repeat some of the words Hadrian used. He tried to mimic some of the sounds but his tongue would not seem to do as commanded.

The magecrafter noticed Hrair was exceedingly polite and much more pleasant without the kelp beer in his belly and although he obviously had no knowledge of magecrafting, he seemed to be interested and was understanding some of the concepts. He made a good effort at some of the more difficult word shapes but it was apprent he would never have Hadrian's talent for the more arcane languages.

Hrair followed the young scholar through the streets. The young scholar had taken on a more definite and confident walk since their first meeting and seemed to be in his element in the university and the narrow streets outside. He also seemed slightly distracted. Hrair accompanied the young magecrafter to his dwelling and was rather surprised by the chaps modest living. He had presumed the well spoken young man would live in a far more affluent manner.

The magecrafter invited Hrair in and offered him a cup of tea. Hrair accepted politley, and again apologised profusely for his behaviour in the Kelp bar.

The magecrafter left the room to make the tea and Hrair cast his eye around the room. He examined the stout oak beams that supported the roof and appreciated their quality. He did not doubt the timber used in the buildings construction had formed part of a ship at some point.

Hrair turned his attention few sheets of parchment on the floor and picked them up. There were many strange runes and diagrams of what appeared to be a circular object.

He called through to the kitchen "this looks like quite a bracelet you are designing here" he said.

[Hadrian]

"Oh, that?" he asked, head popping out of the kitchen nook where the water was slowly heating toward a boil. Hadrian wished he was better at reimancy so he could cheat, but alas. "It's just a model. I doubt it would be worth the cost to make, but perhaps as a present for my mentor when I graduate... You wear it and your hand doesn't get tired. Or that's the goal. So you could write for twelve hours and your hand wouldn't get sore. Whimsical, I guess."

He came out with some plain porcelain teacups and set up things on the wooden table, getting that out of the way while the rest took care of itself.

"But news... My professor is going to let me make this thing for my term project. Which means I can use the university equipment. But he wants me to make it more complex than I originally planned, which means it will take about ten days to create. It should also cost more, but he's approving me to take from the university's reagent supply, so... it won't cost more. It won't actually cost anything."

[Hrair Ansoub]

"Wow" said Hrair, sipping his tea. "How long will it take and what do you have to do?"

[Hadrian]

"Ten days," he repeated. "Well, that's the process. I won't need your blood until the sixth or seventh day, depending on how it works out. Probably the seventh. I like to go slow and steady so there's less of a chance it all blows up in my face."

His chlorine gaze cut away at the whistle of the kettle. He stood up and saw to the tea, letting that settle in.

"I won't need much," he called. "A small vial, maybe. We can have one of the healer's extract it so it'll cause minimal damage and pain."