(( Crossposted from here ))
August 20th, 2015 -- 2pm RST
Though he was rather behind the schedule he?d wished for the dojo?s opening, Shadow was working tirelessly to assemble all the instructors for his increasingly ambitious project - to begin teaching the youth of Rhy?din self defense. He?d already met with Rayvinn and become the elfess? errand boy in gathering supplies and providing what logistical support he could; Shae was well on her way to assembling her first class; discussion had been opened with both Jaycy and Andrea regarding their contributions.
But Ahni was Shadow?s squire, and even had rooms in the dueling school turned urban townhouse. He should have had easiest access to her, though with the state of the Isle as it was, all the Keepers had concerns beyond what was occurring in the ?real? world. He wasn?t sure if she would be in her suites, but it was there he?d first seek her out.
A gentle rapping of the ArCane?s crystal at the door to her living quarters sounded, a tap-tap-tapping that was followed by the elf leaning one pointed ear toward the Victorian-style portal, trying to catch a hint of movement within the chamber beyond.
It was strange, really, having multiple places to live. Ahni had bustled between the dueling school and the Seraphim House nearly every day after becoming Shadow?s squire in an effort to make her new quarters a bit more comfy. A bit more hers, even if she lacked many material things. Unfortunately for Shadow, she had no actual concept of time; thus the delayed schedule was a bit lost on her. Fortunately for the Baron, she just happened to be in her quarters at the time he went searching.
Tap tap tap. Though the knock was gentle, it still startled her. The little half-elf jumped, squeaked, kaleidoscoping irises flashed through a few emotions before settling back on emerald. "Um. Just a moment!" She called, skinny fingers rushing to hang the blown-glass decoration Hope had given her so long ago. The little bird was one of the few possessions Ahni had taken from the Tower of Earth after the fall of Ragnarok. Once she was sure the bauble was secured at the top of the window closest to her bed, she dusted herself off and hopped down from the stone step she?d created. As soon as her toes hit the ground, the step silently disappeared into the floor. She paused on her way to the door to make sure the Dragon?s Gate squire?s quarterstaff remained propped up in a corner. It was important, after all!
Soon enough, Ahni flung open the door -- because surprises were always fun, right? -- to greet her visitor. ?Oh! Hello, Shadow!? She beamed and stepped aside, silently inviting him in.
He was in luck! The little Keeper was in residence, and that made his life this morning a great deal easier. Wilson was off on some other task, and without the old human butler and personal assistant, Shadow often found himself lost in the details of day to day life. But this was an important inquest, to speak with Ahni! Things were coming together apace for the dojo, but with only Shae to instruct the children in magic, there was certainly a gap to be filled. None would be more perfect, Shadow thought, than Ahni, one of his most trusted friends for years now - a rare and precious thing in Rhy?din.
When the door opened, he was leaning on his cane, and offered Ahni his best, most cheerful smile. Even when he wasn?t feeling cheerful, something about the half-elf?s presence had ever soothed his nerves. ?Good morning, Ahni. Are you busy?? A quick, furtive glance around the entry room of the suites Ahni had as Squire; he wasn?t snooping, really, but he had to check for, say, gigantic man-eating plants and so forth. ?I was ah, wondering if you might be interested in helping with a little project of mine,? he explained succinctly enough (he hoped) to cue her in on his purpose here.
Though she had spent quite a few days ?fixing up? her Squire?s quarters, it was still pretty bare -- and definitely no giant carnivorous plants were present. It would've surprised Ahni to know that Shadow was aware of Olva, though that was mostly because the little lady had already forgotten about the mental link the elf and his cat familiar had. Honestly, the murderous plant hadn't bothered her in so long that she'd almost forgotten its existence herself. Almost.
Smiles are contagious, they say, and Shadow?s smile only made Ahni?s grow. It made her happy to see him in such a good mood! ?I am not busy, no, not really.? She held a hand up conversationally to gesture around the room. Flowers sat in glass jars atop nearly every flat surface; vines twirled around posts and furniture legs. Ahni had even placed a little pillow on the windowsill so Carbuncle could sunbathe! ?I am only making things nicer. I am not sure who stayed here last, but it was very boring with no color.? She shook her head slowly, lamenting the poor people who may not be boring, but certainly look boring because their dwellings lacked color and excitement and sugary confections. "I have made it much better." She sniffed, then skipped a few steps to the side to adjust the growth pattern of an actively-climbing, bright purple clematis. It just wouldn't do to have it growing along the floor!
After correcting the vine, Ahni turned toward Shadow and placed a hand on her hip. ?You require my assistance? I would love to help!? It truly didn?t matter what it was -- the little Keeper would do almost anything Shadow could have asked of her. Carbuncle stuck his nose out from underneath the bed to sniff at the elf?s shoe. Maybe the tiny Eidolon would get treats for helping, too!
She had made these suites better, Shadow noted as he studied the place, free of man-eating plants but filled with more color and flowers and life than perhaps the entirety of the rest of the dueling school. But he was not surprised, not in the least. ?The last squire was a soldier,? he commented as he moved to offer Carbuncle a friendly pat on the head; and lo and behold, there was a piece of turkey jerky in hand for the Eidolon. Hopefully it ate turkey! ?So yes, probably a bit on the boring side. This is fantastic Ahni!? Another wide grin split his face, as he sought a place to sit down which lacked a covering of vines or flowers.
A task that proved impossible, so he just stood.
Leaning casually on his ArCane, he settled his gaze on the half-elf and said without further preamble, ?I?d like you to teach some of the kids at the orphanage magic. Your magic; Earth magic; defensive magics. Some are learning weaponry, some are learning how to fight with their hands and feet but some! Some are of course magically capable. And I can think of few in this city or on this world more capable in that realm, than yourself.?
He paused there for her reaction, not wishing to overload her with minute details right off the bat.
Ahni might not eat meat, but Carbuncle certainly did! The critter snapped up the jerky and backpedalled under the bed to feast. It was highly likely that the little Keeper knew what Shadow had offered Carbuncle, but Ahni made no outward motion of disgust. In fact, her smile brightened. If the tiny Eidolon was happy, the tiny Summoner was happy! Wide emeralds swept across the room. ?Oh. A soldier.? Ahni nodded. ?Soldiers can be boring, uma.* Not always, but sometimes.? A memory flickered into her brain from her previous life, causing her to blink rapidly and shake her head for a few moments before refocusing on Shadow. Flashbacks were becoming a little more common lately, and Ahni wasn?t exactly equipped to handle them.
She swiped a hand through her messy hair as her elf friend tried to find a place to sit. Poor Shadow! ?You? would like me to teach the children?? She repeated, just to be sure. In all honesty, Ahni repeated most things just to be sure. The question was her only input for a few moments as she processed the information, turned it over in her head. She gestured with one hand as her addled brain worked. Finally, emeralds focused on Shadow and a skinny finger raised. ?The magic I prefer to use is the wild magic. I can attempt to teach the little ones how to wield it, but it is not for everyone. Um. I believe that is called the? fair warning?? She tilted her head curiously before waving a hand. ?I have other magic here,? she drummed fingers on her sternum, ?which I can use in teaching. Aier* is also very good with defensive maneuvers? He can help, or if he is feeling lazy I will teach them all... I will teach the little ones, mellonamin.* They will be safe with me.? Realizing she was rambling, Ahni pressed her lips together. And while she knew she had already accepted without knowing all the details, she still wanted to reassure Shadow for some reason.
A little smile for the Eidolon as he took the jerky (and while Rumpel loved Carbuncle just fine there may well have been a fight if the cat had seen Shadow?s furtive offering), and Shadow listened to her reply, nodding as he kept up fairly well. Ahni was an interesting sort of conversationalist, to say the least, as she ever tried to cover all the bases with, well, every sentence. He was grinning even more widely as she finished.
?Well, Ahni, the thing of it is, you get to choose which students you teach! Rayvinn, for instance, is teaching weapons to a group of girls we just rescued from..some very bad people. Well, Isuelt rescued them but anyway, young female orphans. But you need not teach only girls! What you will have to do is come to the Orphanage with me sometime and do some delving, decide who you want to take on for your class. Who really has the talent to cast the wild magic!?
Shadow was clearly excited as he spoke, not only Ahni?s manner infectious, but the project itself something which had put a strange, new fire into the normally calm, reserved Water Keeper. His amber eyes were glimmering strangely, a border of bluish, almost fluid light surrounding the rich brown pupils, something which had been happening more often lately. Perhaps the change of seasons was affecting the older elf?
?I know you will teach them. And Carbuncle is welcome to assist. You might also see Rumpel about..ah, assisting, in his way. He has free reign of the school and never listens to me when I tell him not to enter certain rooms. But I think you can work with that.? A sly, knowing grin, though he did not openly tell the half-elf that he knew she?d been sneaking Rumpel cheese for some time now.
Shadow had listened to Ahni?s strange speech pattern long enough to follow along, and that made the half-elf beam happily. She listened intently, head bopping to and fro as her brain filed away the information? though, something caught her attention. ?This? um. Iz-welt?? She said it slowly, enunciating carefully so that she didn?t mess up the unfamiliar name. ?I have not met this Iz-welt. But if they are rescuing people from very bad people, they must be nice, uma?*? Her head tilted again, skinny fingers catching a bit of coppery hair and twirling it. ?They must be nice,? she repeated at a lower volume and nodded.
Once again, a skinny finger lifted as an idea came to her mind. ?It is not fair to only accept the students that I believe can cast the wild magic, mellonamin.* The ones that can or have the ability, yes, but the ones that cannot should not be excluded from the teachings.? If anything, Ahni was fair. Besides, she wasn?t exactly sure how to detect an affinity for wild magic in others. She only knew how the ability manifested in herself -- but she also knew that magic took as many forms as there were beating (and unbeating) hearts in Rhy?din. It was comforting to know that she could pick out her class. It would give her a chance to fill the space with a variety of talent, see how the children acted together and separately. It would give her a chance to grow.
The thoughts spiralled through her brain, making her more and more excited as each formed. Suddenly, the little Keeper squeaked and clapped her hands together. ?Let us go! Right now!? Giggling, she leaned forward to grab Shadow?s hand. The movement was unconscious and harmless; simply speaking, Ahni was used to grabbing someone?s hand and taking them somewhere. (It was an especially humorous sight when a tiny Ahni could be seen dragging a much larger, muscle-bound Jin Eternity through the Marketplace to show him something in a shop window.) Though much taller than she, the sight of Ahni dragging Shadow to the Orphanage would probably not be too out-of-place. She was just so excited!
He should have expected something like this, but with Ahni, expectations could be a dangerous thing! Or at least confusing. Yet, the underlying essence of her excitement had blended with his own. He found himself laughing merrily as she took his hand; and he had not laughed like that in far, far too long. The cares of this world, this city, were weighing heavily upon the old elf of late, with nightly dreams (some would say prophetic visions) of building his Last Ship, a vessel he?d use to sail off into the western seas, seeking out Arvandor for the final journey of his mortal life.
But he was not ready to go just yet, and it was his connections to friends such as Ahni that kept him from heeding that visceral, instinctual urge.
?Well...let?s go then! Again, you may choose who you wish, Ahni. I will provide all the materials you need, you need simply tell me - or Wilson, the older gent you sometimes see bustling about dusting things around here - and your wishes shall be made real.? When they exited her room, Rumpel fell into place beside them, trying to sniff at Ahni?s free hand, trotting along as he endeavored to keep up with the...group which had formed. ?Oh, and Isuelt is a Scathachian, they are a temple of women warrior-priestesses who ah, kick bad guys? butts. I bet Neo knows of them!?
Surely Carbuncle was coming along too! Mere minutes would find them at the Orphanage, on the threshold of this next great adventure. A job had never seemed so exciting!
* uma = yes
* Aier = ?small one,? meaning Carbuncle
* mellonamin = friend
August 20th, 2015 -- 2pm RST
Though he was rather behind the schedule he?d wished for the dojo?s opening, Shadow was working tirelessly to assemble all the instructors for his increasingly ambitious project - to begin teaching the youth of Rhy?din self defense. He?d already met with Rayvinn and become the elfess? errand boy in gathering supplies and providing what logistical support he could; Shae was well on her way to assembling her first class; discussion had been opened with both Jaycy and Andrea regarding their contributions.
But Ahni was Shadow?s squire, and even had rooms in the dueling school turned urban townhouse. He should have had easiest access to her, though with the state of the Isle as it was, all the Keepers had concerns beyond what was occurring in the ?real? world. He wasn?t sure if she would be in her suites, but it was there he?d first seek her out.
A gentle rapping of the ArCane?s crystal at the door to her living quarters sounded, a tap-tap-tapping that was followed by the elf leaning one pointed ear toward the Victorian-style portal, trying to catch a hint of movement within the chamber beyond.
It was strange, really, having multiple places to live. Ahni had bustled between the dueling school and the Seraphim House nearly every day after becoming Shadow?s squire in an effort to make her new quarters a bit more comfy. A bit more hers, even if she lacked many material things. Unfortunately for Shadow, she had no actual concept of time; thus the delayed schedule was a bit lost on her. Fortunately for the Baron, she just happened to be in her quarters at the time he went searching.
Tap tap tap. Though the knock was gentle, it still startled her. The little half-elf jumped, squeaked, kaleidoscoping irises flashed through a few emotions before settling back on emerald. "Um. Just a moment!" She called, skinny fingers rushing to hang the blown-glass decoration Hope had given her so long ago. The little bird was one of the few possessions Ahni had taken from the Tower of Earth after the fall of Ragnarok. Once she was sure the bauble was secured at the top of the window closest to her bed, she dusted herself off and hopped down from the stone step she?d created. As soon as her toes hit the ground, the step silently disappeared into the floor. She paused on her way to the door to make sure the Dragon?s Gate squire?s quarterstaff remained propped up in a corner. It was important, after all!
Soon enough, Ahni flung open the door -- because surprises were always fun, right? -- to greet her visitor. ?Oh! Hello, Shadow!? She beamed and stepped aside, silently inviting him in.
He was in luck! The little Keeper was in residence, and that made his life this morning a great deal easier. Wilson was off on some other task, and without the old human butler and personal assistant, Shadow often found himself lost in the details of day to day life. But this was an important inquest, to speak with Ahni! Things were coming together apace for the dojo, but with only Shae to instruct the children in magic, there was certainly a gap to be filled. None would be more perfect, Shadow thought, than Ahni, one of his most trusted friends for years now - a rare and precious thing in Rhy?din.
When the door opened, he was leaning on his cane, and offered Ahni his best, most cheerful smile. Even when he wasn?t feeling cheerful, something about the half-elf?s presence had ever soothed his nerves. ?Good morning, Ahni. Are you busy?? A quick, furtive glance around the entry room of the suites Ahni had as Squire; he wasn?t snooping, really, but he had to check for, say, gigantic man-eating plants and so forth. ?I was ah, wondering if you might be interested in helping with a little project of mine,? he explained succinctly enough (he hoped) to cue her in on his purpose here.
Though she had spent quite a few days ?fixing up? her Squire?s quarters, it was still pretty bare -- and definitely no giant carnivorous plants were present. It would've surprised Ahni to know that Shadow was aware of Olva, though that was mostly because the little lady had already forgotten about the mental link the elf and his cat familiar had. Honestly, the murderous plant hadn't bothered her in so long that she'd almost forgotten its existence herself. Almost.
Smiles are contagious, they say, and Shadow?s smile only made Ahni?s grow. It made her happy to see him in such a good mood! ?I am not busy, no, not really.? She held a hand up conversationally to gesture around the room. Flowers sat in glass jars atop nearly every flat surface; vines twirled around posts and furniture legs. Ahni had even placed a little pillow on the windowsill so Carbuncle could sunbathe! ?I am only making things nicer. I am not sure who stayed here last, but it was very boring with no color.? She shook her head slowly, lamenting the poor people who may not be boring, but certainly look boring because their dwellings lacked color and excitement and sugary confections. "I have made it much better." She sniffed, then skipped a few steps to the side to adjust the growth pattern of an actively-climbing, bright purple clematis. It just wouldn't do to have it growing along the floor!
After correcting the vine, Ahni turned toward Shadow and placed a hand on her hip. ?You require my assistance? I would love to help!? It truly didn?t matter what it was -- the little Keeper would do almost anything Shadow could have asked of her. Carbuncle stuck his nose out from underneath the bed to sniff at the elf?s shoe. Maybe the tiny Eidolon would get treats for helping, too!
She had made these suites better, Shadow noted as he studied the place, free of man-eating plants but filled with more color and flowers and life than perhaps the entirety of the rest of the dueling school. But he was not surprised, not in the least. ?The last squire was a soldier,? he commented as he moved to offer Carbuncle a friendly pat on the head; and lo and behold, there was a piece of turkey jerky in hand for the Eidolon. Hopefully it ate turkey! ?So yes, probably a bit on the boring side. This is fantastic Ahni!? Another wide grin split his face, as he sought a place to sit down which lacked a covering of vines or flowers.
A task that proved impossible, so he just stood.
Leaning casually on his ArCane, he settled his gaze on the half-elf and said without further preamble, ?I?d like you to teach some of the kids at the orphanage magic. Your magic; Earth magic; defensive magics. Some are learning weaponry, some are learning how to fight with their hands and feet but some! Some are of course magically capable. And I can think of few in this city or on this world more capable in that realm, than yourself.?
He paused there for her reaction, not wishing to overload her with minute details right off the bat.
Ahni might not eat meat, but Carbuncle certainly did! The critter snapped up the jerky and backpedalled under the bed to feast. It was highly likely that the little Keeper knew what Shadow had offered Carbuncle, but Ahni made no outward motion of disgust. In fact, her smile brightened. If the tiny Eidolon was happy, the tiny Summoner was happy! Wide emeralds swept across the room. ?Oh. A soldier.? Ahni nodded. ?Soldiers can be boring, uma.* Not always, but sometimes.? A memory flickered into her brain from her previous life, causing her to blink rapidly and shake her head for a few moments before refocusing on Shadow. Flashbacks were becoming a little more common lately, and Ahni wasn?t exactly equipped to handle them.
She swiped a hand through her messy hair as her elf friend tried to find a place to sit. Poor Shadow! ?You? would like me to teach the children?? She repeated, just to be sure. In all honesty, Ahni repeated most things just to be sure. The question was her only input for a few moments as she processed the information, turned it over in her head. She gestured with one hand as her addled brain worked. Finally, emeralds focused on Shadow and a skinny finger raised. ?The magic I prefer to use is the wild magic. I can attempt to teach the little ones how to wield it, but it is not for everyone. Um. I believe that is called the? fair warning?? She tilted her head curiously before waving a hand. ?I have other magic here,? she drummed fingers on her sternum, ?which I can use in teaching. Aier* is also very good with defensive maneuvers? He can help, or if he is feeling lazy I will teach them all... I will teach the little ones, mellonamin.* They will be safe with me.? Realizing she was rambling, Ahni pressed her lips together. And while she knew she had already accepted without knowing all the details, she still wanted to reassure Shadow for some reason.
A little smile for the Eidolon as he took the jerky (and while Rumpel loved Carbuncle just fine there may well have been a fight if the cat had seen Shadow?s furtive offering), and Shadow listened to her reply, nodding as he kept up fairly well. Ahni was an interesting sort of conversationalist, to say the least, as she ever tried to cover all the bases with, well, every sentence. He was grinning even more widely as she finished.
?Well, Ahni, the thing of it is, you get to choose which students you teach! Rayvinn, for instance, is teaching weapons to a group of girls we just rescued from..some very bad people. Well, Isuelt rescued them but anyway, young female orphans. But you need not teach only girls! What you will have to do is come to the Orphanage with me sometime and do some delving, decide who you want to take on for your class. Who really has the talent to cast the wild magic!?
Shadow was clearly excited as he spoke, not only Ahni?s manner infectious, but the project itself something which had put a strange, new fire into the normally calm, reserved Water Keeper. His amber eyes were glimmering strangely, a border of bluish, almost fluid light surrounding the rich brown pupils, something which had been happening more often lately. Perhaps the change of seasons was affecting the older elf?
?I know you will teach them. And Carbuncle is welcome to assist. You might also see Rumpel about..ah, assisting, in his way. He has free reign of the school and never listens to me when I tell him not to enter certain rooms. But I think you can work with that.? A sly, knowing grin, though he did not openly tell the half-elf that he knew she?d been sneaking Rumpel cheese for some time now.
Shadow had listened to Ahni?s strange speech pattern long enough to follow along, and that made the half-elf beam happily. She listened intently, head bopping to and fro as her brain filed away the information? though, something caught her attention. ?This? um. Iz-welt?? She said it slowly, enunciating carefully so that she didn?t mess up the unfamiliar name. ?I have not met this Iz-welt. But if they are rescuing people from very bad people, they must be nice, uma?*? Her head tilted again, skinny fingers catching a bit of coppery hair and twirling it. ?They must be nice,? she repeated at a lower volume and nodded.
Once again, a skinny finger lifted as an idea came to her mind. ?It is not fair to only accept the students that I believe can cast the wild magic, mellonamin.* The ones that can or have the ability, yes, but the ones that cannot should not be excluded from the teachings.? If anything, Ahni was fair. Besides, she wasn?t exactly sure how to detect an affinity for wild magic in others. She only knew how the ability manifested in herself -- but she also knew that magic took as many forms as there were beating (and unbeating) hearts in Rhy?din. It was comforting to know that she could pick out her class. It would give her a chance to fill the space with a variety of talent, see how the children acted together and separately. It would give her a chance to grow.
The thoughts spiralled through her brain, making her more and more excited as each formed. Suddenly, the little Keeper squeaked and clapped her hands together. ?Let us go! Right now!? Giggling, she leaned forward to grab Shadow?s hand. The movement was unconscious and harmless; simply speaking, Ahni was used to grabbing someone?s hand and taking them somewhere. (It was an especially humorous sight when a tiny Ahni could be seen dragging a much larger, muscle-bound Jin Eternity through the Marketplace to show him something in a shop window.) Though much taller than she, the sight of Ahni dragging Shadow to the Orphanage would probably not be too out-of-place. She was just so excited!
He should have expected something like this, but with Ahni, expectations could be a dangerous thing! Or at least confusing. Yet, the underlying essence of her excitement had blended with his own. He found himself laughing merrily as she took his hand; and he had not laughed like that in far, far too long. The cares of this world, this city, were weighing heavily upon the old elf of late, with nightly dreams (some would say prophetic visions) of building his Last Ship, a vessel he?d use to sail off into the western seas, seeking out Arvandor for the final journey of his mortal life.
But he was not ready to go just yet, and it was his connections to friends such as Ahni that kept him from heeding that visceral, instinctual urge.
?Well...let?s go then! Again, you may choose who you wish, Ahni. I will provide all the materials you need, you need simply tell me - or Wilson, the older gent you sometimes see bustling about dusting things around here - and your wishes shall be made real.? When they exited her room, Rumpel fell into place beside them, trying to sniff at Ahni?s free hand, trotting along as he endeavored to keep up with the...group which had formed. ?Oh, and Isuelt is a Scathachian, they are a temple of women warrior-priestesses who ah, kick bad guys? butts. I bet Neo knows of them!?
Surely Carbuncle was coming along too! Mere minutes would find them at the Orphanage, on the threshold of this next great adventure. A job had never seemed so exciting!
* uma = yes
* Aier = ?small one,? meaning Carbuncle
* mellonamin = friend