The Dark, the Darker, and the Blue. (Aren Anazasz)[Closed]

[Wystern]

Time Stamp: Summer 21, 510.

Another day in this work. The Knight was a little after the end of his work shift. He was up for the most of the night, it was about noon now. Wystern just walked out of The Undeniable Interests, slightly irritated. Crow couldn't get the information he wanted; Dominic Ariva, was the shopkeeper's name, and Wys couldn't blame him. Such knowledge isn't discussed that much in Syliras, but the man was a walking book, and Wys could tell Dom was lying, but Wys understood all too well. No, the one reason he didn't tell Wys is because the man definitely knows a discipline or two, and he won't tell the Knight because the latter is just another curious set of ears, much like many others.

Wystern spent sixteen days, since he got the idea from the time when he was training with Fade, searching. He wanted to learn magic. He even found out the name of the discipline he had the desire to learn; it was called Reimancy. And that was about all that he could find out. People don't know much about the subject, they don't talk about it unless they know it. Those who know it, don't usually take Knights as apprentices. When he tried to find out from the more knowledgeable-looking figures who came up to the stallion, he kept hearing about how the art is evil. Same old crap that even the Knights knew: it is extremely dangerous, not to be trifled with, and dealt with extreme caution. Still it took many long nights at The Stallion listening to conversations, trying to hear rumors. It became easier every now and then, but still all too difficult without drawing attention.

Magic is not exactly forbidden. Not exactly, it's just deemed so...dangerous, so very dark. Hell, Wys even saw it once, about a year and a half ago, some merchant got stolen from when Wys was on guard duty; and the thief was getting away. The merchant held Wystern's shoulder and shook his head, then his eyes glowed-literary-but just for a couple of seconds. Then a a bunch of spikes came up from the ground, and the thief was impaled.It left a mess, more of a mess than if Wys would just cut the thief down, and then the spikes vanished back into the ground like nothing ever happened. The merchant didn't break under the Knight's curiosity, and then Wys had some other matters to attend to. It never crossed his mind to learn to do what the merchant did.

Wystern was still nowhere. He now needed to find a new master, a magic teacher. Maybe learning that skill could get him a promotion that he was longing for, not that he would be getting one for a while. It was difficult to train with a shield, so that's why he chose dual wielding, very much like Loren Dyres did. Training would come later, he was still on his feet, and he felt like he could find out something more today.

Crow found a bench near the bazaar and sat down, a bit gloomy from his thoughts. He rubbed his eyes, shaking off the tired gaze and looked at the crowd, faintly hoping to see someone who looks like he or she knows Reimancy. How prophetic.

[Aren]

Aren sat down on a creaky looking bench by one of the shops at the market. He was peripherally aware that there was someone else sitting on the same bench, but he didn't pay the man too much attention. He was too busy taking in the hustle and bustle of the streets. They were rife with merchants, buyers, browsers, and of course, the occasional thief. "Even though things are different, they are so very much the same." The Akalak mused. "Am I right?" Finally, as he looked directly at his neighbor, he couldn't help but be struck by a familiar face, "...Crow." Aren reviewed the man's profile with curiosity. "Don't you sleep?" Noticing the tired look, which he always seemed to have, it certainly begged the question. Being a Knight couldn't have been an easy job, neither physically, nor mentally. Not only did you have to chase down all manner of dangerous individuals, but you had to follow all sorts of ridiculous laws and rules, even if you didn't agree with them. To Aren, it seemed that was a bit like going hunting with one hand tied behind your back, and your head firmly entrenched between your buttocks. It kind of forced him to wonder why anyone would choose to accept the miserable task. Still, he couldn't help but admire those individuals who chose to carry the burden of upholding the justice of the realm, even if there wasn't all that much actual justice involved sometimes. "You look like you've been up all night. Was it business or... business?" When he said the word business for the second time, the intonation shifted subtly, and Aren flashed Crow a suggestive look.

[Wystern]

Wys looked up at Aren, throwing off the tired gaze. "They are always the same, Aren. I was up for most of the night because of my shift. Remember how I so slyly skipped a few days? They somehow found out. They gave me another 'talk', meaning I got away with it again...except for someone decided to mess with me and put me on the night shift for a few days." He chuckled with a slight bitterness. However, ironically the night shift was so much more interesting than the day. There is generally more action to occur during the night than day, just because darkness is a good cover.

Wys looked at Aren with a skeptical look. Would the Akalak know anything about what Wys wanted to know? Wys was off tomorrow, and today is too precious for information gathering to let go. Maybe the Akalak would know. It's not something you just bring up, but...at this point in time Wys a little too tired to care. A thought ran through his head, "Why can't you have normal urges? Why do you seek magic?" Wys chuckled, at how true that was. Why can't he be like a normal person? The answer was on his neck. There is hardly a way to go back to a normal life after one gets the crest. At least not for Crow, after all his "other" normal life, wasn't normal at all.

"Aren...what do you know about Reimancy?" There he asked it just like that. It took Wys a few seconds to realize what he just said, but it was already out. He needed to practice better intelligence gathering.

[Aren]

The Akalak leaned back on the bench, and looked at the knight through the corner of his eye. He didn't want to lie, but at the same time, he wasn't really inclined to tell the truth. Aren didn't exactly know the status magic held in human lands, or what kind of laws there were in Syliras about it, but as a rule of thumb, you didn't tell people you met on the street that you were capable of using magic. He did know Crow, though, at least to a degree. He knew this particular knight of Syliras was not in complete agreement with ALL the laws he was supposed to uphold. Still, a lot of people think they know someone until that person turns on them, and Aren had no desire to get bitten on this particular subject. "If you're asking, I suspect I know more about it than you." He decided to tell the truth, even if it wasn't the whole truth. In previous encounters, Wystern had proven adept at recognizing deceit emanating from those around him, so Aren thought the only lie he'd tell would be one of omission. "What brought this up?" The Akalak's voice hinted at more than just a cursory note of interest as he asked the question. Crow had asked about reimancy in particular, and not about magic in general, which struck him as peculiar, if not downright suspicious. Did the man already know that Aren was a reimancer? The thought crossed his mind, but the fact that it had been quite awhile (not to mention quite far away) since had used magic in private, let alone in public, caused him to dismiss it after a moment.

[Wystern]

"I'm hunting down those who know about and can use it." He said sounding entirely serious, and after he received that strange look from Aren, the Knight burst out in laughter. "Alright, honestly this time, I want to learn it. I spent two weeks looking for someone who knew about it and would be willing to talk. The only thing I found so far was the name of the art. And that's about it."

Wys looked down into the ground and thought about what he just said. He rubbed his eyes again and felt that he was receiving another strange look. Wys looked at Aren and chuckled again. He was a bit too tired to take anything seriously at this point in time. Still he was trying to find out more.

"Seriously, I spent two weeks looking for information. I even regularly pray to Eyris now. I just came out of Undeniable Interests, annoying the life out of Ariva. Do you know how much that man knows that he is not telling? He is scared like most, and I understand that. Most Knights of the Order do not practice magic, though it's not forbidden; but as you see, I'm much different from the others. Especially for my tendency to bend and break the rules."

Wys chuckled at how ridiculous he sounded. He often didn't like to lie, more often that not, he didn't have to. One of the three Gods of the order actually looked very much down on lying. He reflected at what he just said, and thought about the fourth God, or rather what's left of him. Did the Windoak choose him because it knew of Wystern's future disregard of the code? It saw him, it would have known. That blasted tree couldn't be less clear, could it?

"Anyway, magic isn't forbidden. At least, I don't think Reimancy is. Think of it like wielding a weapon." Wys pointed at his blade."One can carry a sword around, no problem. One can show it off, still no problem. One starts swinging it, now, there is a problem. Hell, most of the Knights choose not to learn magic because they are too damn scared, and they have a reason to be. It's the simple fear of the unknown that drives the mad and scares the weak and the ignorant. I wish to break the holds of ignorance that are upon myself. Tod do that, I still need a teacher."

[Aren]

When the Knight mentioned that he was hunting down those who knew about magic, Aren was a stone's throw away from smacking himself across the face, for his stupidity. But then, Wystern's pose broke, and he changed his story with a laugh. Sweat drops of relief visibly gleamed off the Akalak's cerulean brow. "They're right to be scared..." The thing with magic wasn't simply a question of bring frightened of the unknown. Just the act of using magic, alone, could have very real consequences, "Because it IS like a sword, except this sword is the very elements of nature, and they can be very unpredictable." He had said more than he intended, but the Knight's odd desire tickled his sense of irony; the man was eager to learn what Aren had so hated being forced to, many years ago. Still, Crow was adamantly looking for someone capable of teaching him, and now he had found someone who might be able to, though this was a matter for debate. Fate certainly did have a sense of humor. Unfortunately, fate wasn't enough for Aren, "Tell me, why would you want to learn something so dangerous? You're already a fine warrior, you wouldn't be a knight otherwise, so why would you risk your life, not to mention your sanity, for this?" Again, he had said more than he intended, but Crow needed to know what he was thinking about getting into.

[Wystern]

"My life? I wouldn't call it living, exactly. I feel like an empty shell. Sure, I get some laughs, meet some interesting people, but I'm tired of being ordinary. Funny thing to call myself after the status I achieved, right? I'm bored with this, I train and train and train, but I'm still far from where I want to be. I threaten and sometimes kill completely untrained people. Sure, that's what I signed up for, but there is hardly any danger in this morbid duty." Wys broke out a rant out of nowhere.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to learn magic to find trouble. Though, I wouldn't call it trouble, I would rather say excitement. I want to break my ignorance. As for my sanity...I've hardly had it to begin with." He finished with a smile. "Now I know that Reimancy controls elements of nature, as you mentioned. I already have a a desired element I want to deal with. I know what I want to do with my abilities, assuming I can manage to learn them."

Wys looked at Aren, giving him as much a serious gaze a he could muster. Maybe Aren was right, maybe he didn't know what he was getting himself into, but it wouldn't be the first time. Aside, maybe the clerk from The Interests might open up if Wys revealed that he himself was also a mage.

"And one more thing. Promotion. Magic can earn me a promotion, some power. A way out of Syliras. A way to pursue some quest...did I ever tell you that I always wanted a Gnosis?"

[Aren]

Aren palmed his face. "Those are exactly the kinds of reasons that are going to lead to down the path of the sweet whispers." Crow had a bit of a twisted perception of life, and that perception would manifest badly in his attempts to cast magic. This meant it probably wasn't that good of an idea for him to learn reimancy, of all things. Aren didn't know if the Knight was aware of what sweet whispers were, or of any of the other side effects of magic, but his motivations didn't exactly lend themselves to restraint. "If what you want is power, magic will give you more than you can handle. And, if you're not mindful, it will give you death as sure as any blade." The Akalak was actually starting to become concerned with Wystern's desire to learn reimancy. The man seemed more likely to kill himself with it, than anything else. "I suggest you clear your mind, and find some tranquility in your life, before you continue down this road." And a dangerous road it was, at that. "When you've done that, come see me at my room in Stormhold castle and we'll... talk more." Aren sincerely hoped Crow would follow his advice, especially regarding the matter of desisting in his attempts to find a teacher. Anyone who would attempt to initiate him in his current state likely didn't have his best interest at heart. This was particularly dangerous when you considered the fact that the initiator was capable of killing the subject during the ritual, either through incompetence or sheer malice.

[Wystern]

"I know my limits. I know what I will have to do. You have to understand that I'm not as mindless as I may seem. I know my limits all too well." Wys looked at the Akalak, with all the words of the danger the idea seemed even more intriguing. Though Aren was partially right, he was getting ahead of himself. Wys didn't desire power for power. Wys desired power for freedom; not from the Order, if he was stronger, he would be let outside Syliras more frequently.

His second desire was to be acknowledged by one of the Gods. But tranquility? He was already tranquil, he was trying to escape that. He had emotions, like other men, Wys couldn't escape that, after all, he was still only human.

"You still misunderstand. I don't seek power for power's sake. I seek power so that I would be able to have more freedom. I don't want freedom from the order, that's impossible. I want the order to be more lenient towards me, and the only way to do that is to gain an edge. I turn to magic because I simply need it."

"I will be ready to talk more whenever you are."

[Aren]

Aren nodded his head, "You're not getting me. It doesn't matter WHY you seek power, just that you do." He got up from the bench, and started pacing back and forth from one end to the other, "Magic will allow you to focus that desire as far as you can take it. It's not like training one's body, where eventually the body simply cannot continue and you must stop. With magic, you feel like you want to do more and more, all the while killing yourself without even realizing it." The Akalak snorted in disgust, less at Crow, and more at something he clearly wanted to pretend never happened. "Let me tell you something about limits: everybody thinks they know theirs, but very few actually do." He seemed to be coming from a place he had some experience with, as anger and remorse lashed out with every word, "And needing something, and being ready for it are two very different things." Again he shook his head, clearly bothered a great deal by the position he found himself in. "Just..." Aren looked around, suddenly very aware that they were discussing such a sensitive subject in a very public area, "...let's go somewhere a little less crowded, and I'll tell you what you want know. Afterward, you can think on it, and decide what you're going to do." Realizing that Crow was not a child that needed protection from himself, the Akalak thought the man at least deserved to know the specifics of what he was in for. If Wystern still wanted to go through with it after he was fully informed of the potential repercussions, then Aren's conscience was clear. "My room should do. The Castle's usually nice and quite this time of day."