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Absolutely Zero; for Gray
Topic Started: May 4 2010, 12:08 AM (374 Views)
prismcircuits
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Songbird~
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
((Kasper of Ephrem - but disregard the weapons, and probably the fancy clothes too. And please disregard that I'm essentially telling you to disregard 90% of the picture [for the ultimate in disregard-ation *insert jingle here*]))

The guards who stood in front of the towering (by definition : there were two literal towers jutting out majestically from the structure itself) gates of Aden were taciturn, battle-hardened men by nature. Having prevented several sneak attacks upon the town, kept out the poorest riffraff, and being overall 'pains in the ass' about how seriously they took their job, it could be said that these two men had earned their stars and scars and thus fully lived up to the esteem and honor that being guards of the gates of the city (see: the first people always to be killed in acts of war) required. The fact that they'd lived so long was proof enough of this. Which was why it came as such a terrible blow to their towering (see earlier comment) egos when a skinny farm boy was suddenly right under their noses brandishing a letter from some out of the way hick calling himself 'Meyor of Ephrem village' written in proud yet shaky script on the front of his tightly clutched document. Had he been brandishing something with an edge, both of them likely wouldn't have made out alive, much less had the time to ring the warning bell. He'd almost appeared literally out of thin air with only a small 'hem' to announce his presence before he'd thrust the letter at the more dignified looking of the two guards.

"Where'd you come from?" Guard #1 demanded, his mustache quivering as he used his substantial spear to shove the young man back to comfortable killing distance.

"The path."

"What path?" #2 asked.

"That path."

"There's only one path," #1 started, "and it's the path we've been keepin' our eyes on this entire time. Now don't play games, boy. Where'd you come from?"

The young man's eyebrow twitched. "The path." His arm shot out to indicate a sinister, wooded area far to the men's right.

"There's no path there," #2 laughed.

"There is if you make one."

"But why would you want to when there's a perfectly good, trustworthy road right in front of your eyes?" The first guard asked.

The conversation was getting more ridiculous by the minute. "Because while I started on this path you've pointed out I...unintentionally veered off of it in my travels and to be honest, I'm lucky I found my way here at all."

"...but it's a straight trail for miles..."

The young man waved his hands in deafeat. "Look, would you please just give me entrance? I'm to see the court physician."

The spear shot out again and this time the young man was knocked right off his feet. Dust settled into his already filthy, wrinkled clothes but he didn't seem all the worse for it, just a little irritated. His cordial smile was now rather forced as he dusted himself off and held out the letter again. Neither man made an attempt to take it from his clearly diseased touch.

"Keep away. If you're sick then we can't let you in."

"Why would I travel for over a week just to see your physician, no matter how brilliant he is? I'd be dead already if something were the matter. He's an old friend of my mother's as it says in this letter if you would please read it. I'm here to assist him."

They seemed suspicious, and #1's mustache had reached a strange high, with the tips plastered amusingly on either side of his nose, as though it could display his utter lack of trust toward this dirty stranger.

Not for nothing, they were battle-hardened guards whose pride couldn't allow them to balk at the sight of a filthy farm boy, so clearly the braver of the two reached out and tore the letter from the young man's grasp. He opened it with utter disregard for the sanctity and state of the letter itself, sending the envelope behind him were it would surely stay for centuries, and he quickly perused the contents therein. His eyes were the size of saucers by the time he was finished and he gave the boy an appraising, if not slightly less cautious, look.

"It's gotta be the real deal, alright. No man in his right mind would intentionally misspell so many words when he had so important a task. That's a backwoods farmer for you."

While the boy clearly took offense at being referred to as 'it' so directly, he kept quiet in hopes that they'd finally see it his way and open the gates. The two men exchanged glances in the silent, meaningful language that men of battle developed when the spent so much time together and #1 shouted for the men inside to raise the gates.

"Thank you so much," the young man said, brightening so considerably in demeanor that he seemed almost a different person. His back straightened and he pulled his pack up with renewed vigor as he took his first steps into what would hopefully be his shining, promising future.

Only to have muck splattered on him the moment he'd passed the city guard. So he was technically about thirteen feet into the town itself, and thus he'd had about thirty second's worth of shining personal glory before he was yet again reminded that things didn't tend to work out as perfectly as he'd imagined them. It was alright, it kept him humble.

"Oh. Sorry about that, I didn't see you there," yelled the woman from the two-story building who had unintentionally rained waste down upon him. The young man wiped his face and kept back a shiver.

"Don't worry about it, ma'am, that seems to be happening a lot today," he replied, flashing a smile with teeth that seemed even whiter since his head was now more brown than not.

He had to make light of the situation or else it would just be too depressing. This was the first time that he, Kasper, had ever really been away from home and he couldn't succumb to depression over being overlooked at every step along the way and showered with the fully processed and expired remains of someone's dinner in addition to the pangs of homesickness he'd already been feeling since his village was well and truly out of sight. No, Kasper had a mission to fulfill and it was to make it alive and in one piece to the doorstep of one of his mother's oldest friends so he could beg for a job. All the while keeping that whole magic thing a secret.

Yes. Magic. Kasper scarcely could even say the word, since he didn't have a death wish. His mother's unstated reason for sending him here had to do with his magic. It was just too dangerous for him to stay in their village any longer without being discovered. He could only hope to keep it together without being outed as a sorcerer in Aden.

Kasper shook his head, sending trails of brown left and right, hitched up his slimy pack again, and set off toward the somewhat distant, glorious structure of Aden Castle in search of his new mentor and with a bit of hope still flickering strongly in his soul that here, with any luck, he'd find a way to be of use.

((So there's my intro post. I do hope it was alright. I'm so sorry it's so random, it just sorta ended up like this. I'm sure my writing will revert to more normal dimensions once I've gotten it out of my system XD))
<center><img src="http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w586/satelliteolove/kosignew_zps709e1219.png"/>

<size=2>
And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't;
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road.
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope;
It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat.
</size></center>
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Gray
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Braaaaaiiiinssssss~~!
[ *  *  *  * ]
((Quinn Edan... but minus the psycho look. O_O))

Galaris, personal servant of King Karis Edan, physician to the King, his son Quinn, and his ward Elaine, as well as any guests who happened to come to the castle by request of the court, was currently occupied in cleaning, organizing, and otherwise rearranging his living quarters to suit the addition of his new protege. Being as old as he was, and having remained unmarried to better dedicate his life in service of the royal family, and thus having no sons to teach his trade so that his profession could be carried on, he figured the least he could do was mentor an old friend's son, give him a place to stay, and perhaps gently guide him in the way of a personal servant/physician.

With a frown beetling his thick gray brows together, Galaris recalled the fact that he'd never particularly cared for children and their loud, obnoxious, mouthy ways. Rolling vibrant blue eyes that still held a bit of mischief despite his advanced age, the elder gentleman prayed silently that his new guest would be above the age of causing trouble, and that he, Galaris, would be able to stand the noise and bother of it if he were not.

Completely losing track of the time and forgetting why, exactly, he was cleaning and rearranging, Galaris passed by his work table and, seeing the orders he had yet to fill for medicines, tonics, elixirs, and the like, he decided he'd better get to work. And the first thing he'd need was water to wash and sterilize all of his instruments, beakers, and bottles.

Picking up his wooden bucket, the silver-haired physician made his slow, quiet way down the circular stone steps that led from his secluded tower, and, passing by the guards that stood at the base of the stairs, he offered them a raised brow and a curious glance. Though they had never before bothered him for ailments of their own, they were there to keep the 'rifraff' from bothering him with their requests; and he was sure there were many. Infections and diseases ran rampant among the lower social classes, and there were many who had tried to get past the guards in an effort to gain admittance to Galaris' chambers in order that they might beg relief for an ailing friend or family member.

And though his heart ached at the knowledge that he could not help them all, fury burned brightly inside him at the fact that he was not even permitted to try to ease their suffering, per the King's orders.

Perhaps his new protege could help there. Perhaps the lad would be willing to find out what ailments there were, and bring him back a list so that he could prepare what was needed. Of course, he would have to take on the most series cases at first, but he hoped that, given time, the health of the general population would see a vast improvement.

Feeling infinitely better about the addition to his practice, Galaris quickened his steps and arrived in the courtyard just in time to see a young man have a bucket of filth dumped on his head. Wincing in pity, he hurried forward and had to fight down a disgusted frown at the stench that rose from the hapless boy's befouled clothes and pack.

"Oy there.... boy. You can wash most of that mess away over here." Gesturing for the boy to approach him, he held up his bucket of water and indicated that he would dump it over the youth's head to help rinse away the muck. "I'm afraid your clothes and any further cleaning will have to wait until you get to where ever it is you're going."

Reaching out with one hand to help the youth bend over, Galaris quickly pulled back and wrinkled his nose.

"Mmmm. Yes. Bend over, and I'll dump water on your head to get the worst of the... er... chunks... out."

((By the by, sorry my reply was so late. Life has decided to conspire against me, and at least until school is out for the summer, my online time will be vastly limited. <3))
Humanity is a never ending loop of amusement for one reason or another; you just have to dig far enough past the bullshit and fake faces to find the true core of idiocy.
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prismcircuits
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Songbird~
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
((No problem! I'm in my happy end of semester place and I know life gets hectic for everyone so I don't mind at all. Thank you for telling me though.))

The town was bustling with activity, men and women shouting death threats about a piece of questionable meat while young children hung off the ends of their mother's dresses, glancing up at the bazaar sellers with curious eyes. Their older counterparts wandered the streets, girl and boy alike, and one so graciously nearly bowled Kasper over as he ran in pursuit of his friend.

"Eww. You're covered in muck!" the boy yelled, and pushed at Kasper with both of his equally filthy hands to keep him away as a girl passed.

"Yes. But I don't do this for fun so you hopefully won't see me like this again," he replied uncertainly to the child.

"Eww, stay away from him, Maddie!" the child shouted.

The young man couldn't really blame him. He was certain he'd traumatize any little girl for life if he'd brushed up against her covered in...he didn't want to even think the world or else the few crusts of bread he'd had that morning might come back up to greet him. Either way he only nodded at the boy and allowed the trail of children to pass before straightening and continuing on his way.

He was called to again a moment later, and Kasper raised his head toward the voice of an elderly man in what he thought were some sort of scholarly robes, who hefted a bucket his way. His eyes widened accordingly at the sight of such charity so soon after he'd been nearly beheaded by the guards.

"Y...yes sir," Kasper managed, hurrying forward until he saw the reaction of well concealed disgust due to his soiled state. Good move, just rush right up to the first man who had offered him assistance in Edan.

The burst of water that fell over his head as he felt the steady hand of the older man at his back may as well have been a heavenly breath in Kasper's mind as he felt lines of filth wash right down his dark hair and over his face. He reached up and wiped at his mouth with the clean inside of his sleeve to keep much from sliding into his mouth.

When the last of the water had washed away what it could from the unfortunate youth's head, he stood back up and gave the kind older man a relieved grin. Now that some of the filth had been washed away, the shape of his nose and eyes, reminiscent of his mother's, could be better noticed. His hair was dark brown naturally, except for a section in front that was as white as an old man's that he'd had from birth. People had talked, they always did especially in such tightly knit communities, and had at first been wary of him as they did not know what to make of it, but his mother had laughed it off as saying it was a sign he had an old soul, if even his hair was starting to turn that color. His friend had outdone them all when he said that he didn't understand all the talk since it just made Kasper look like a skunk.

Though his eyes were roughly the same shape as his mother's, hers were a warm honey brown, and the steadiest thing that had kept Kasper going through his early childhood. His were blue, which seemed common enough for most, but they were really the only hint to his status as a sorcerer (though untrained). Whenever he did an enchantment, whether instinctively or for mischief, they flashed gold and then back to electric blue.

Kasper took the bucket from the elder's grasp and glanced around at the courtyard, through eyes in a cleaner head, before they rested on his savior again.

"Thank you, sir. I wasn't sure what I'd do if I met the court physician completely covered in excrement. Would you mind pointing me in the right direction to see Galaris? Oh, first I'll carry this and help with your errand, it's the least I could do to say thanks."
<center><img src="http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w586/satelliteolove/kosignew_zps709e1219.png"/>

<size=2>
And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't;
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road.
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope;
It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat.
</size></center>
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Gray
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Braaaaaiiiinssssss~~!
[ *  *  *  * ]
Careful to keep well away from any splashing muck that might happened to rain down as he helped the boy rinse the excrement from his head, Galaris directed the stream of water from his bucket to rinse over the places to seemed to be coated the most or had the largest chunks - the likes of which he ignored to the best of his ability, as to do otherwise would see him adding the chunks of his own breakfast to the hapless lad's head.

Finally, dumping the last bit of the water over the youth's still-smelly but less brown hair, the old physician straightened himself with no small amount of creaking and popping coming from the region of his back and knees.

Groaning quietly as his bones protested loudly, Galaris hefted the now-empty bucket and prepared to refill it. However, he quickly found it taken from his grasp, and his surprise at such an action caused his bushy silver brows to climb nearly into the long gray hair that was swept backward off his high forehead.

Turning to face the boy more fully, he listened as the youth spoke about meeting the court physician, and, despite his surprise, managed to keep his heavily lined face from showing the expression too much. Taking a moment to study the boy, he raked wizened blue eyes over brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a long, lanky body that spoke of the awkwardness of youth and the promise of manhood.

Finally, leaving his bucket in the youth's dirty hand, Galaris turned to lead the way back to the communal well, saying over his shoulder. "Aye, and I know Galaris well enough, and can point you to him, if that's what your needing. But, lad, who are you, and why is it you've come to see an old man like him? You've not got the look of someone who's ill or ailing, and you don't have the sadness about you that says you're after asking for a loved one. Why, then, do you seek a physician?"

As he spoke, he led them over to the well, and indicating with a long, bony finger, had the boy fill it from the water within.

"Seeing as it's quite a bit heavier full than it is empty, would you mind carrying the bucket a bit farther for me, lad?" Without waiting for an answer, he started off once again, headed in the direction of his own quarters. Passing by the two ever-present guards, he offered a stiff nod and a raised brow, but, as usual, got no response in return. He led the way up the circular stone steps to the top of the tower, then pushed open the door of his quarters and went inside. Pointing to the table upon which rested his medicine kit, various herbs and plants, and all of his bottles, he said, "Set it there, if you please."
Humanity is a never ending loop of amusement for one reason or another; you just have to dig far enough past the bullshit and fake faces to find the true core of idiocy.
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prismcircuits
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Songbird~
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
He could hardly speak to this man, kind as he was, about the reason why he'd been sent here. Kasper wasn't entirely certain he could tell Galaris about it, when it came down to it. All his mother had told him was that she was worried about him and this would be a good opportunity. It was an unspoken thing between them, that Kasper was going to Edan for the sake of not being discovered as a user of magic. She'd given him a letter before he'd left, one written in the neat, abbreviated script of a woman who had been well versed in the art during her youth, but usually found it great trouble to sit down and write in her busy life. She'd pressed it into her boy's hands after delivering a firm kiss to his forehead the way she would do when he was anxious as a child, and told him he was absolutely forbidden to open it and, magic less or no, she would find out if he had and promptly make him shovel manure for the rest of his life.

She'd be amused, doubtless,to find that he'd spent a good stretch of time entirely covered in the stuff. Wait, scratch that. She'd mended his current shirt so many times that to hear of such an unsavory fate would probably send her lips into a stern line and he would be berated with a lecture on watching where he was going, especially in a city where people flung excrement about.

He tried to rope his wandering mind back into the topic at hand and the elder man's words. How disrespectful, to be thinking about manure of the human variety when this man was telling him something. He could very well be the King's own advisor (though why he'd be getting well water on his own made Kasper disinclined to believe that possibility). Kasper nodded and followed the older man to the well. He balked a bit about being asked why he needed to see the court physician. He must have seemed like a lunatic, wandering into the castle courtyard covered in filth and asking a complete stranger if he could see the court physician while looking perfectly well for an abominable dung monster.

"You know, Galaris, sir?" he asked, catching onto at least one thread of the other man's statement even though it wasn't a complete secret, the stated reason why he came all the way from his remote farming community to the center of commerce in the region.

"Well since you're an associate, the least I can do is explain myself," Kasper finally stated. He lowered the bucket into the clear, refreshing waters below and steadily brought it back out, though his arms protested the movement. The days of traveling and sleeping in questionable places (up a tree) on his way had made his bones and muscles stiff and not quite eager to suddenly be imposed upon by a bucket of water. But the young man didn't complain as he fetched the pail with his dirty hands and followed the kind stranger into the castle itself. He waited until they were past the suspicious guards before he spoke again.

"Galaris is an old friend of my mother's. Julianna from Ephrem. It's a small farming community near the border of Castor. I think she sensed my restlessness in the village and so she wanted to give me the best opportunity she could by sending me to Galaris. I hear he's quite the talented physician, coveted by the king for his innovations in scientific medicine."

It couldn't hurt to drop a good rumor, especially if these two men were friendly. It didn't seem as much like he had no idea what he was getting into that way.

He entered the fairly large (by his standards it was at least the size of the mayor's house, or what wasn't cluttered with books and strange instruments) room at the top of one of the castle towers and placed his watery bucket down on the table indicated before sitting on the bench behind it. He suddenly felt like a puppy that had unwittingly slipped into its master's house to foul up the carpets. He hadn't been certain about the full coverage of the excrement in the yard but his guilty eyes now fell upon small, suspicious brown smudges on the interior of the doorframe and scuffs leading right up to where he sat.

"So how are you acquainted with the physician, sir?" he asked in a regrettably high voice.
<center><img src="http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w586/satelliteolove/kosignew_zps709e1219.png"/>

<size=2>
And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't;
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road.
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope;
It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat.
</size></center>
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Gray
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Braaaaaiiiinssssss~~!
[ *  *  *  * ]
The brow that had gradually lowered its stance to join it's twin on the climb up to his chambers hiked just as slowly back up again when Galaris turned and saw the muck that was spread over his floor and led to the boy's booted feet.

He'd listened as they'd walked, and he'd had time to control his reaction to the news that this young man was his new protege. He'd thought the boy wasn't to arrive until Friday, but a quick glance at his calendar showed that today was Friday, and he was obviously losing what addled wits he had left to him.

Shaking his head, long silver strands swinging gently to and fro over his shoulders as he did so, Galaris sat himself down opposite the boy. His eyes went to the trail once again, and he couldn't help the chuckle that rumbled from his chest at the realization that while the youth may have passed the age to cause much trouble, he was obviously going to be very good at finding trouble, regardless.

At the question of how he knew Galaris, the old physician's face contorted briefly into a look of apology before he gruffly cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter on the hard wooden bench.

"I am Galaris," he finally responded, his gaze daring the boy to question him about his duplicity. Despite his age, the elder gentleman was still as fierce and as fiery as he'd been in his youth. Looking the boy over again, he murmured, "So you're Kasper. Julianna wrote to me of your birth, but I admit I had not thought so many years had passed between then and now."

With a sigh and a glance toward his list of medicines that would now have to wait, he slapped his hands palms-down on the table before pushing himself to his feet.

"I got behind schedule, so your room isn't quite ready for you. But there's a bed to sleep on and a dresser to put your things, and I'll finish clearing everything out tomorrow. For now, you'd best go and wash off the rest of that muck and get yourself settled."

Waiting until the boy had turned away to inspect his new quarters, Galaris raised an eyebrow and called, "Welcome to Edan, Kasper of Ephrem." Then, turning back to the room at large, the physician picked up a cloth from a pile of many, dropped it in the water that Kasper had brought up for him, and, kneeling down to the cold stone floor, began to scrub away the filth that had been tracked in by dirty boots.
Humanity is a never ending loop of amusement for one reason or another; you just have to dig far enough past the bullshit and fake faces to find the true core of idiocy.
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prismcircuits
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Songbird~
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
As Kasper waited, he became more and more anxious at the thought of meeting the actual court physician. Surely this man would let him clean himself up a bit before he met him. He would do his mother's name a disservice by turning up as the disaster he tended to be. But surely this man, kind as he was, would want to relate the tale of how he'd come to find the young apprentice standing in the courtyard and blinking through a thick, chunky layer of grime.

So when the news that the elder sitting across from him was Galaris himself, Kasper paled, paled and greened a bit so he must have looked like a monstrous swamp creature with his jaw down toward the table, eyes wide, and face crusted in the easily identifiable brown substance. He managed to pull himself out of his stupor a moment later and he ran a hand through his hair and immediately regretted the action since hair wasn't supposed to crunch.

"G...G...Galaris? Oh well you're just like mother described you...er...dignified. It was awfully kind of you to help me out and oh." His pack thud on the floor as he bent over awkwardly on the bench and pushed opened the soiled top to find the thankfully clean contents beneath. A moment later he had emerged with a letter, this one written in 'gently used' parchment with a count of cows and other livestock partially rubbed out of it artfully with his mother's efforts. "Galaris" was written on the front, clearly and with the authority of a woman who was clearly more clever than her station would permit. He laid it on the table, glad that the burden was now out of his hands.

Kasper stood up when Galaris motioned to the room that was hidden behind a precarious yet oddly organized stack of books seated on a bench. He lowered his head and pulled his pack back up, preparing to head up and revel in the fact (to himself) that he'd have an actual bed to sleep in.

He was about to reach the short stairs when he heard noise from behind him. Kasper turned, his pack sweeping behind him unknowingly at the sight of Galaris on the floor cleaning up the mess he'd made.

"Oh you don't have to do that. It was the one who--" He saw a strange greenish shape in his peripheral vision and Kasper moved to the side as he realized that he'd upset the gigantic pile in his rush to stop the elder from cleaning the floor. In a thoughtless instant his eyes flashed and the books stopped in midair for an instant before they were propelled backwards by magic and settled instantly back into their order before, with perhaps a bit more stability than when he'd first disrupted them.

"Oh..." Kasper uttered, as he glanced toward Galaris with wide eyes. his pack crashed to the floor again.
<center><img src="http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w586/satelliteolove/kosignew_zps709e1219.png"/>

<size=2>
And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't;
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road.
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope;
It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat.
</size></center>
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Gray
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Braaaaaiiiinssssss~~!
[ *  *  *  * ]
Galaris had eyed the letter that was placed on the table, instantly recognizing Julianna's penmanship on the outer flap of the parchment. He'd nodded to show that he'd seen the letter, then, considering the matter done with, turned back to clean up the mess on the floor.

He had no intention of reading Julianna's letter with Kasper in the same room; he would rather wait until the boy was washing, or, better still, sleeping. He didn't yet know if Kasper could read, though knowing Julianna, he would wager that she'd taught her son everything she knew. And, not knowing the contents of the letter, the physician thought it best to wait.

Upon hearing the boy start to speak, Galaris looked over his shoulder just in time to see Kasper's eyes flash and the stack of books that had been about to fall on him right itself.

Blinking furiously, the old man struggled to his feet for a moment before crossing the room to inspect the books. He saw nothing out of place, and nothing that would indicate how they'd managed to stack themselves up neatly again when they'd been on the verge of falling for days. He'd meant to put them in their rightful places on his bookshelf weeks ago, but between medicinal orders and preparing for Kasper's arrival, he hadn't yet gotten around to it.

After several moments, during which he could make no sense of the matter, Galaris whipped around and pinned Kasper with a fierce glare. He hoped beyond all hope that what he'd just seen hadn't been magic, but rather a trick of the light or, worse yet, his old mind playing jokes on him. Still, he had to know.

"What did you do?" he asked lowly. "An incantation? A spell? Who taught you magic?!"
Humanity is a never ending loop of amusement for one reason or another; you just have to dig far enough past the bullshit and fake faces to find the true core of idiocy.
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prismcircuits
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Songbird~
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
It had to be a record, the shortest mentorship ever. It had lasted approximately ten minutes by his count, from the bucket splashing till the moment he'd unintentionally saved a pile of books that he could have just apologetically stacked back up the manual way. But it just happened, the way it had right then.

He stepped back, panic coursing though his veins that made his blood pump uncomfortably in his ears. It was a steady beating that he tried to ignore as he repeatedly shook his head at Galaris.

"No. No...nothing like that. I don't know any spells or incantations at all. N...no one taught me anything."

His eyes shifted toward the books in question and he almost considered knocking them over again just to pretend that the elder man had imagined they were back up after he saw them start to fall...but that probably wouldn't go over very well. He'd see him knock them over after all and doing more magic would be counterproductive.

"Honestly, nothing, I mean it...it just happens. Sometimes, like that. I can't control it and before I know it something's changed. I know I'm doing it but...does this make any sense? I'm so sorry." He bowed his head, thoughts and tongue tangled past the point of rational sentence construction as he tried to think of any way to explain.
<center><img src="http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w586/satelliteolove/kosignew_zps709e1219.png"/>

<size=2>
And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't;
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road.
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope;
It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat.
</size></center>
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Gray
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Braaaaaiiiinssssss~~!
[ *  *  *  * ]
Galaris listened the panicked speech, his eyes searching Kasper's face for any sign of deceit, but he found nothing. Aside from the obvious fear that he would be kicked out and rejected, which was scrawled all over the boy's face as plainly as if he'd taken pen and ink to his skin, the physician could detect nothing.

Finally, he could only nod slowly, a surge of pity for this boy swelling up through his limbs and turning his fierce gaze more gentle. How difficult it must have been for Kasper as a child, always terrified that he might accidentally change something, as he had done not two minutes past. And how much more difficult for a child to control than the young man who currently stood before him, befouled head hung low as though afraid of being kicked like a common dog.

With a sigh, Galaris spoke gently, not wanting to scare the boy but needing to make himself understood.

"You must be very careful, Kasper, of not showing that particular talent to anyone. I need hardly tell you what would happen should anyone other than myself see such a display."

The law in Edan was harsh, but for good reason. It stated that anyone caught stealing would lose their dominant hand, and anyone caught practicing magic would lose their life. It was absolute; black and white. Why King Karis hated magic so was a mystery to most, but the law had been written in stone from the day he'd taken the throne, and it would likely remain so when his son took over the kingdom upon his father's death.

With a small smile, Galaris nodded for Kasper to go on and settle in; bathe; whatever he needed to do. "Just keep your head down, and you'll be fine. Now, off with you. I've scrubbing to do. Someone has made a mess of my floors." The sting was taken from his words with a quiet laugh, and the physician turned back to wash away the scuff marks from his floor and door frame.
Humanity is a never ending loop of amusement for one reason or another; you just have to dig far enough past the bullshit and fake faces to find the true core of idiocy.
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prismcircuits
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Songbird~
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Kasper always dreaded what would happen the moment someone of import learned of his powers. To date only two people knew, besides himself. His mother, naturally, since he'd been moving objects with his mind before he could even speak much to her astonishment, and his best friend, but he'd told him in confidence rather than making a flashy book-saving display.

The common man and woman were fearful of magic and each one he'd ever heard speak of the matter believed all sorcerers to be black-hearted demons who sold their very souls for such unnatural talents. What did that mean for him? He'd certainly never done anything like that but Kasper was well aware of the repercussions of having someone figure it out.

His head shot up when Galaris didn't meet him with words of scorn and condemnation but, instead, gently told him to be careful because of his gift. He regarded the elder with renewed interest and respect at the sheer notion that he seemed to be accepting of his confused sorcerer status. If he could even be called that. After all, he hadn't once been lying. He'd had no training, knew no spells. What Kasper did was instinctive, as natural to him as running when the wind was against his back or to put a hand out to help a fallen friend in the field.

'Y...yes. Thank you," Kasper said, his still shocked gaze trailing after Galaris until he mentioned the mess. His eyes faltered and a painful, sheepish smile graced his features.

"Sorry about that."

This was getting to be too much for an afternoon. He leaned down and grabbed his pack before taking the short path up the stairs and to the small area that was to be his room. It was like a palace in and of itself, a space to call his own within the confines of such a large castle. He smiled to himself as he closed the door with his back and let his pack rest against the wall. He'd definitely have to think more about all this later.

Kasper emerged some time later, scrubbed so hard that his skin had a healthy, overeager pink glow but he was clean and properly attired.

"Thank you again," he said, and sat down in the same place he had before.
<center><img src="http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w586/satelliteolove/kosignew_zps709e1219.png"/>

<size=2>
And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't;
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road.
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope;
It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat.
</size></center>
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Gray
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Braaaaaiiiinssssss~~!
[ *  *  *  * ]
Galaris knew well the fear of discovery, as he had a secret of his own. He had no natural gifts, as Kasper did, but he had once studied magic, and practiced it with a fervent zeal in his youth. He'd been determined to master the art for healing, and had succeed to a good extent. It was due to his extensive studies in magical medicine that he was able to function so well as a physician without magic. He had a good, working knowledge of all the plants and herbs that grew in and around Edan castle, and those of the forest for miles around.

As he waited for Kasper to emerge from his room, he scrubbed the filth from his floor, table, bench, and door frame. He left the muck outside his door for the castle servants to take care of. Remembering the boy's predicament when they'd run across each other, Galaris was careful to look from his tower window and call out a warning to any who might be passing below before he dumped the filthy water out.

Glancing around at his room, his old gaze once again fell on the list that sat on his table, and, with a sigh, he picked up his now-empty bucket and headed down the stairs to fill it once again.

By the time Kasper came out his room, Galaris was sitting comfortably at his work table, small round spectacles perched on the end of his nose as he carefully measured dried herbs and other ingredients into a bottle. After putting a cork stopper in the top, he shook it gently until the liquids blended together and created a light blue potion. That done, he wrote neatly on the small label attached to the neck of the bottle, and set it aside at the edge of the table, grouping it together with three other bottles of similar design, that also head a light blue liquid.

Looking up, the physician offered a smile over the rim of his glasses. "Ah, Kasper." Gesturing, he indicated that the boy should sit down, and, when he had, Galaris pushed a plate in front of him. On the plate was a sandwich of thickly sliced bread, cheese, and meat. "It's not much, but it'll do for your lunch until I can fix us supper. Once you're done with that, I have some errands for you to run around the castle... medicines and the like that need to go to their owners." Nodding, he indicated the group of four bottles at the end of the table. "Names and rooms are on the labels, and instructions for administration are on the back. Eat up... I've got more medicines to prepare."

So saying, he went back to his work and left the boy to eat in peace.
Humanity is a never ending loop of amusement for one reason or another; you just have to dig far enough past the bullshit and fake faces to find the true core of idiocy.
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prismcircuits
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Songbird~
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
The youth's eyes turned curiously to the bottles laid out on the counter. He could see one of the names on the label closest to him, some lady's name from the respectful, tidy arrangement of the letters. Someone Galaris knew well, or had cause to write about often with the pleasing arrangement of the letters. But then, Galaris probably wrote all the time, unlike the people he knew in Ephrem. Kasper could read and write. His mother had made him practice every night once he'd gotten the basics down. She'd always wanted a respectful position for her son somewhere since she knew that while Kasper liked working alongside her, farming seemed such a remote occupation for someone of his strange talents.

He was strangely touched at the sight of the sandwich on the plate before him. "You're a really nice man, Galaris," Kasper plainly stated before he took the delicious piece of heaven in hand and put it to his mouth eagerly. The bread was so soft in comparison to what he'd been eating on the road that he felt he could die happy even though his secret had been kept for less than an hour after he'd arrived in Edan.

He stood up and gathered the bottles in hand before nodding a farewell to Galaris and heading out the door. Kasper fully expected to work, that was the place he'd come from and he had absolutely no idea what nobles did with their time all day, without such tasks to occupy their hands and minds. He was certain he'd find out, just being in the castle.
<center><img src="http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w586/satelliteolove/kosignew_zps709e1219.png"/>

<size=2>
And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't;
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road.
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope;
It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat.
</size></center>
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Gray
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Braaaaaiiiinssssss~~!
[ *  *  *  * ]
Startled by the praise and unused to such things, Galaris only grumbled halfheartedly in response and turned his full attention to the medicines he was busy preparing. A small smile tweaked his lips up, however, as Kasper nodded to him and headed out to deliver the medicine.

In the courtyard, practicing with sword, dagger, and bow and arrow, was the prince of Edan, Quinn. In full armor, he fought against three of his own men, and the clash of steel on steel rang with a metallic echo as their mock battle waged on.

Finally, it ended in a flurry of blows from the prince's sword, lightly tapping his opponents until they knelt in the dust and admitted defeat.

Pulling his helmet off, a smile of victory on his handsome, warrior's face, a fall of ink black hair fell to his shoulders and was brushed out of cobalt blue eyes by a negligent hand.

"Knights of Edan!" he called sharply, bringing the kneeling men to their feet and those watching to attention. He glared sternly at them, then, with a roguish grin, announced, "Practice is over." Spotting the lad who cleaned his armor across the courtyard, he murmured to those closest to him, "I think I'll practice a bit with a moving target."

So saying, he strode forward, pulling daggers from his belt as he went. The boy was making his laborious way from the racks of equipment set out for the knights and their prince to the cool, dark room where everything was stored. He was carrying a large round shield and struggling mightily with it's weight.

With a quick grin and a wink for his comrades, Quinn threw his first dagger and had it sinking into the scarred wood up to it's hilt. The youth carrying the shield popped his head up over the rim with a quick, "Oy!"

"Don't stop," Quinn called, to the accompanying laughter of his knights. "I need a bit of moving target practice." Lining up another dagger, he took quick aim and threw it to land neatly alongside the first. Raising his brows, he commanded, "Run!"
Humanity is a never ending loop of amusement for one reason or another; you just have to dig far enough past the bullshit and fake faces to find the true core of idiocy.
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prismcircuits
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Songbird~
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
Kasper had a wonderful time navigating the endless corridors of the castle and asking wide-eyed maids and servants where the people in question resided within its walls. Wonderful being one of those words he used to avoid thinking about how utterly horrible it was getting lost so many times. that was one of Kasper's deepest, darkest secrets besides the whole magic things: no sense of direction. A negative sense of direction if it came down to it. It was why he'd had to leave his village two weeks before he was set to arrive even though normal beings could make it in one on foot.

But he'd finally delivered the last potion to the right woman, a kind and elderly lady who had immediately downed the whole bottle of potion even though the instructions said it was to be administered half diluted in water. He was sure she'd be fine. She'd smiled kindly and waved him out with the fervor of a much younger woman so Kasper could only pray for the best.

He traced his steps over several floors, keeping what he now knew was Galaris' tower in sight as he ran around the castle and kept looking out the windows. It was in a different spot every time, and somehow farther when he found an exit than when he'd started. Kasper stretched in the doorway to an outdoor practice ground and decided that if he followed the tower top from the ground floor then he might have a hope of finding it again before dark.

He heard a swift sound, like a blade hitting straw and the laughter of young men. Oh. Knights. Kasper's eyes took n armored young men chuckling it up as the handsome one (darn handsome knights. Kasper had always secretly hoped that the reputation was just made up as there wasn't a group of people alive more different than him) in the middle hefted daggers at a straw target.

It was a moving target with feet and as his eyes followed them up, there were legs and a crouched, terrified figure. The servant was being tormented by the knights, adding another notch in the role of knight that he'd heard of: arrogance.

Kasper could handle a bit of riffing between friends but he highly doubted that the servant was friends with such lofty knights, by the way they held themselves and the terror on the young man's face. Kasper hadn't really been considered notably brave in his village, but the teasing wasn't quite so insidious there and he'd always hoped that he harbored a great sense of personal justice for the common man.

This is what drove him to wait until the knight in the middle had no knife in hand before he moved forward and reached out a hand to steady the target and the man. A smile spread out slowly over his face as he gave the other youth a slightly off smile, instinctive to cover his nervousness.

"I think you've had your fun, friend. He's terrified."
<center><img src="http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w586/satelliteolove/kosignew_zps709e1219.png"/>

<size=2>
And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't;
So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road.
And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope;
It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat.
</size></center>
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