Duncan looked to Ebon as Kelski mentioned the man's animal shape. Ebon's description of the black lion; the way the kelvic spoke of preying on humans sounded to Duncan to be more matter-of-fact than anything else. It was an odd perspective at least to Duncan but did speak to the part of him that valued strength. Those who were not prepared and/or not physically capable of handling themselves in the wilds, away from civilization, would either grow stronger or die; an unfortunate reality of life.
Ebon's comment about wanting to fly away from his problems brought to Duncan thoughts of how his own internal struggle with trying to live up to being the son of his heroic mother and devout priest father. It felt overwhelming at times. More than once Duncan wanted to just run from it all. While it was more a problem when he was a bit younger; his training and time in communion with Izurdin having helped, the thoughts are still there albeit a bit deeper and better managed.
Duncan thought he could hear pain in Ebon's voice. Perhaps it was the Anvil in him that saw an opportunity to guide and inspire or maybe it was the Hammer that sought to help others rise to call of war against their problems. Whatever it was that directed him, Duncan looked into the fire as he offered a comment to Ebon, his voice quiet yet still reflecting strength, "The thing about trying to escape your problems is that no matter how fast you fly or how far you run, it will never be enough, the problems will always be there, always trying to beat you down."
Pausing a moment, Duncan continued, "In the heart of Sultros Kingdom, there is a place called, The Plaza of the Crimson Arm. The ground is made up of countless crimson stones arranged in breath-taking patterns. Lining the outer perimeter of the plaza are great statues built to honor isur who've died as heroes. My mother's statue stands there. Carved into the base of her statue are the words she spoke upon becoming one of Izurdin's Hammers."
Still staring into the fire, he recited the words he knew by heart, "Life is hard, often unfair and not without tragedy. To rise above requires one to accept the challenges of life in true humility. No matter what destiny has planned, it can never be a cause for defeat, but a challenge which is a privilege to surmount.”
Duncan offered a soft smile as he turned his gaze from the fire and looked over to Ebon and Kelski.
"I am new here and I don't know what you have experienced in your lives. However, that you live and thrive in the heart of darkness is a remarkable display of personal strength." The serious moment changed quickly with the arrival of the small child.
Duncan turned to look at the newcomer as she entered the room. At Kelski's mention of Ember being a kelvic as well and a mouse, Duncan realized it would take him a bit to get used to the duality of life in the Gem.
Ember's excitement and nervousness was obvious in her introduction. When she jumped into talking about Kelski, her family and slavery, Duncan raised his eyes briefly from Ember to Kelski then back as it was revealed just how complicated all three of them apparently were. His attention back to Ember, he lowered his head in respect and said, "Thank you, Lady Ember, for the welcome. Please, worry not about scaring me. While I may be short in height, it's the short ones who are the fiercest." He didn't have much experience around children but hoped his little bit of humor wasn't lost on the little girl.
Duncan listened as Kelski spoke of Akajia a bit more and the fact that the kelvic appeared so interested in speaking about the divine was refreshing to him. It had been too long since he'd had the opportunity to speak with anyone at length about the gods and faith. "Most certainly, I would enjoy speaking with you about such things. It's been too long since I've had a chance to speak with others about Izurdin or any deity to be honest."
Duncan found himself feeling still a bit concerned about the talk of magic even after Kelski assured him that she would fill him in later. She was right though, there was a lot going on at once for him since first walking through the doors of The Gem. If not for his training and devotion to patience, he likely would have reacted much different to all that was being presented to him so quickly. He gave a mental prayer of thanks for having such an opportunity to be patient.
When Ebon left for a few moments only to return with a plate of food, Duncan thanked him and took a few pieces of fruit; savoring the taste.
Frowning at Kelski's mention of kelvics being treated no better than animals or pets, Duncan offered, "It may surprise you then to hear that among my people, animals are often seen as members of the family. In fact, my father shares a special bond with a mountain ixam, Istaris. A mountain ixam is a large lizard, almost 20 feet long, standing six feet tall. She is family."
Kelski's question about training brought a smile to Duncan's face. "The term warrior doesn't quite tell the whole story but yes, I am indeed trained in combat and physical development."
He chuckled at the mention of big muscles and said, "You don't need to look muscular to be muscular. I would be happy to show you what I've learned from my training and simply being an isur. For example, your running on the beach. Try running in knee-high deep water instead. It will build your leg muscles and improve your ability to breath and delay the muscle burning and fatigue from extended periods of running. I would be happy to join you on such runs." Duncan chuckled again at the idea of seeing a lion's paw prints on the beach.
Duncan looked to Ebon as the man offered his own question regarding medicine and healing. In response, Duncan said, "I know a little about reactive medicine; tending to wounds after they've been received; a rough stitching of a cut sort of thing. It's not pretty but it stops the bleeding. See, the isur are more skilled in preemptive medicine in the form of physical fitness and overall health. A varied diet, exercise and muscle development help build upon our already healthy bodies. As you've seen already, Izurdin has blessed us with thick skin and breaking a bone is almost unheard of. It would take quite a blow to break isurian bone. Yet, we are still a physical race. We engage in matches of wrestling for fun, for combat, to solve interpersonal issues and for competition. A good bar fight among spirited friends isn't uncommon either. Men and women alike engage in all manner of physically demanding activities, both alone and together and injury does happen." Duncan paused to eat some more fruit.
"Bloody noses are treated with bits of rolled up cloth in the nostril to halt the free flow of blood. Ice cold baths followed by heated ones help strained muscles to heal. Massage, my personal favorite, is also a common aspect of isurian life because of the relief it has on overworked muscles. I've seen wounds suffered in combat be sealed with a heated blade. It smells pretty bad and looks a bit uncomfortable but it does leave a scar worthy of conversation. Also, my people are extremely skilled in the art of magecraft. While I don't know how to use it myself, there are many items that have been created with it that help with pain and injury. I would be happy to talk more with you later about it all but most of what I know about medicine comes from my combat training." Duncan took all the questions in stride, answering each as best he could. There was difficulty however in describing all the relevant details of a race that hasn't had much positive contact with outsiders for centuries. Still, he tried.
Ember's question brought a wide smile to Duncan's face as he recalled the food back in Sultros. "We like to eat many things. My favorite are the albino shrimp of Lake Sultros. See, there is a great underground lake that surrounds the Sultros City. The shrimp that are found there are all white and blind but they are very fast and can sense even the slightest movement in the water. They are very good when fried in goat-butter and mixed with mushrooms. I have only made it myself a couple of times but I find it quite appetizing. I could attempt to cook it for you but I'm certain I'd have to use different shrimp and different mushrooms. I don't know if it would taste the same. The lake also has all manner of blind, albino fish. Above ground, in the hills around the mountains, there are those who raise herds of goats for fur, things made from their milk like cheese and butter as well as for meat. Our hunters also bring in rabbit, deer and elk. Raspberries, strawberries and blueberries are also good. As for actual meals, I'm not sure about everyone in the Kingdom but I enjoy smoked fish with a bowl of lettuce topped with goat cheese, blueberries and a glass of goat's milk." Duncan laughed lightly at Ember's mention of the one named, Ren, burning cookies.
To Kelski's question about hunting, "I don't dislike hunting. I'm not especially skilled at it unfortunately. I've yet to learn the concept of being quiet. I mean, I'm not exactly built for sneaking up on anyone, especially a creature born ready for such things. From what I gather though, I'm in the right company to maybe learn how to rise above my physical constraints." Duncan smiled wryly.
"I think you've explained plenty about the job and as I said, the details all sound acceptable. If you will have me, then I would like the job. It seems obvious that there is much more to it than a simple job, which that too I accept. I guess the question that comes to mind at this moment is, how is that you managed to create all of this? You say that kelvics are usually seen as pets at best. Yet here you are, the owner of a jewelry shop." Duncan took a breath and listened to Kelski's response.
As he listened, he absently felt the back of his head where Ebon had tended to the wound that was there. There was next to nothing as far as pain was concerned which Duncan still marveled at.
Word Count: 1,812