Thar Shaddin

Horatio smiled at Rya and simply shrugged, "i don't entirly know why, it just seemed that it would be enjoyable." Then, turning back to Alarakh, he shook his head. "I've heard small rumors about a child like that, but things like that are kept rather hushed in this town. I've seen people arrested simply for talking openly about magic." He then leaned back and thought for a moment. "I don't understand what all the fuss is with magic users in this day and age. A child can't use a gift he's been given under penalty of death? A sad day it is when we must hide from the powers that be, when we could, in truth, take this world for ourselves and make it a better place." He said, stroking his goatee for a bit.

Ryalyn nodded at Heratio, knowing he meant his answer, and fell silent again. She saw Alarakh's inquisitive look but didn't quite understand the reasoning behind it. She returned a puzzled look as she continued to listen to Heratio speak of the magic restrictions in the town. Her and Ayden had indeed noticed them but didn't find it much of a problem as they both knew such displays of magic would have given them away. Even without using magic they had been tracked. And she still did not understand who the assailants were. While turning over these thoughts in her head she noticed an abnormal silence. <i>You're uncharacteristically silent ... </i> she thought to Ayden still hidden away in one of her pockets.

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Ayden watched silently from his pocket hideaway, his eyes dimmed to keep himself unnoticed. He felt that this new person was quite intriguing. Unlike Heratio, Alarakh kept much of himself quietly and inconspicuously hidden. Layers upon layers of secrets.... <i>How did he meet another Edelan?</i> Ayden wondered silently to himself, <i>Did that Edelan have a Vegra like me?</i> Similar thoughts seemed to circle in his mind unanswered, that is, until they were abruptly interrupted.

<i>You're uncharacteristically silent ... </i> Rya of course.

Mentally raising an eyebrow he retorted, <i>Am I to be under the impression that you see me as an insufferable talker?</i>

Her mental laughter echoed gently through his thoughts. <i>Should I even dignify that with an answer? Of course you're not! But you're usually quite opinionated about my present company....</i> She sounded amused with a tinge of concern.

Cuddling against her in her pocket he tried to impress upon her that he was fine. Apparently satisfied, he felt her attention drift back to the two men, as he himself once again took to watching from his hideaway.

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Still concerned about Ayden's silence, Rya allowed him some piece of mind and drifted back into the conversation. Feeling compelled to speak, Rya commented, her voice clear and serious, "People fear what they do not understand. Those who do not possess magic feel that it is dangerous not only because they do not understand it, but because they are jealous that they do not share it. To them, it's an advantage that magic users have over ordinary people. It's frightening because it is unpredictable. You can tell what someone with a crossbow aimed at you plans to do but someone simply standing there with a bit of magic in their blood, who's to say what their intentions are?" She looked quite serous and almost sad as she concluded, "It is unfortunate that most people automatically assume the worst of others. That's probably why magic users are so easily persecuted."

She fell silent for a moment, thinking. There was something else here though. She could feel it when she got to this province and she could still sense it now. There was something more subtle at work, whispers of it seemed to flow though the city....

"But, this place feels ... different. And I am curious.... Why does the government here take such a hand in crushing magic when they have magic users in their ranks? I've seen a few of them myself and they are most assuredly mages."

When Horatio replied to whatever Rya had asked, Alarakh realized it wasn't directed at him, so he gave a slight shrug and took another sip of the whiskey.

"Think about it, lass. Just because the government of Thar Shaddin is corrupt and bigoted doesn't mean it's stupid. While the hatred inspired by fear makes a handy excuse to keep the restrictions in place, it wasn't the original reason for those restrictions. Thar Shaddin was founded after the Great War, so the founders already knew of magic. But Marn and Shim aren't ruled by the people, they're ruled by the Judges, who recognize that magic presents a very real danger to their position. By the same token, they also realize that, if controlled by them, magic makes a very potent weapon that can be used to keep the populace in line. While the population in general fears and hates magic, the government simply wants to keep it for its own purposes. But there's something even more than that. I don't believe the judges on their own made the decision to ban magic. That old vampire, what's his name, he's the puppet master."

For the first time in this whole conversation, Horation fell silent. The bard simply stroked his goatee and let all that had been said sink in a bit. All this talk of restrictions and the government using magic to keep the people in line while the people themselves are killed for it. And this vampire who's probably controling it all. It was giving him some very bad ideas, ideas of revolution. And who better to start all this then a bard. But still, all these thoughts the man kept to himself, gazing into the fire, the glint of hope in his eyes.

"Vampire?" Rya asked thoughtfully. She'd never seen a vampire but she had read about them. And she didn't know much about this place but she still thought it was odd that a vampire would be in charge. <i>He would have to be very cunning and powerful for these people to allow themselves to be ruled by such a creature,</i> she concluded gravely.

<i>It doesn't concern us,</i> Ayden replied bluntly, listening in to her thoughts and conversation with the others.

She knew in a way that Ayden was right but she was concerned with what the presence of such a power in these parts would mean. <i>He must be very old ... </i> she remarked back. <i>Do you think he has something to do with those who chase us?</i>

<i>Doubtful,</i> he remarked dryly. <i>It is highly unlikely that he would even care about our presence, other than the fact that we possess magic.</i>

<i>True, but why then are we being hunted in the first place?</i> she countered in frustration.

Ayden remained silent. He had no definite notion of why but he still doubted that the old overlord had any plans for them. At least, Ayden hoped that he didn't.

"Aye, vampire. And with that pleasant thought to focus on, I'm going to get myself cleaned up, and then I'm going out."

He stood up and, leaning on his staff for support, walked to an adjoining washroom. As he remembered, there was running water--even hot water. He shaved with a razor from his travelling kit and rinsed his face. He then walked back into the main room and pulled an empty sack with a shoulder strap from his saddlebags and began filling it with various items: a pouch of bishani, several wooden boxes, two metal flasks, a book, and some brightly colored cloth. Tying the sack shut, he slung it over his shoulder, straightened up, and nodded his head at the other two. "I'll see you later, I suppose." WIth that he headed for the door.

"Oh, trust me. If everything plays out as it should, you will." the bard said, standing up to see the man out the back exit. It was customary never to exit the way you came in, bard tradition dictated that it represented "having to go back every time one must go on, and that one should never look back."

Ryalyn sat and watched the two men exit the room. No sooner had they left that Ayden slipped out of her pocket and slipped into a snowy ermine form, standing like a sentinel on her knee.

"What odd men," he commented to her, eyeing the doorway with a face void of expression.

Rya laughed lightly and stroked the soft fur on Ayden's head, scratching behind his ears. Ayden leaned in to the administrations, temporarily distracted as he did so. Indeed these people were strange but they were kind and intelligent and she liked the company.

Feeling restless, she stood up, Ayden deftly moving onto the arm of the chair, watching her silently. Cautiously, she peeked out into the hallway, noticing for the first time the backdoor at which the men stood. <i>How curious ...</i> she thought.

Quietly turning from the door she moved back toward the chair thoughtfully. "Why do you suppose they used the back door? Was he followed? Were we?" Her barrage of questions slipped out of her with hesitation and worry filling the words. She had crossed the room to approach a window and careful not to disturb the hangings, peered cautiously out into the fading light.

Ayden simply eyed her with his dark green eyes. In a gesture of comfort and protection he changed into a leopard and made use of one of the poufs, flopping down unceremoniously. "Do calm yourself. If we had been followed, don't you think they would have stormed in by now? Anyone following anyone is going to suspect the prospect of a back door."

Rya turned away from the window and smiled sheepishly, not daring to look at Ayden. He was right of course. How could she have been so silly? <i>It's this place,</i> she thought. <i>Ever since I entered this city I've been on edge. And so has Ayden ... </i> Crossing the room she cast a glance back over her shoulder to the darkening curtains. "It's getting dark and it hardly seems like we've been here that long.... We didn't sleep the entire <b>day,</b> did we?" The events of the day had her a little off. Everything had seemed jumbled and confused.

Ayden looked perplexed. "I'm quite certain it is still daytime." Rya nodded. Using her senses she could feel the beginnings of an approaching storm. She smiled with mischievous mirth, her eyes glowing a darker blue. Ayden understood it immediately, his chuckle rumbling deeply. "At least this storm has nothing to do with <i>you</i>." His eyes glittered, reflecting her emotions while carefully hiding his concern. He hoped she would not recall Taelon again.

(( Thread closed due to inactivity. ))