A search for Inspiration

by **Laudus** on January 21st, 2012, 1:04 am

Scorpio 1/19
You need to deal with an impulse that can lead in all sort of directions.
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50th day of Winter, 511 AV

Impulses were something everyone faced. A man might have an impulse to hit that drunk in the face when he made an off-handed comment about his wife. That woman might have an impulse to buy that new blouse even though she was shopping for her husband. That little boy might have the impulse to stick that snake in the girl's pocket just to scare her. Everyone human suffered impulses because they just didn't have the time to plan everything out. Sometimes in life, decisions had to be made immediately. But Laudus wasn't human, nor did he lack in time known as lifespan. Yet he was suffering from this annoyance known as impulse.

It had only been three days since Laudus had arrived in Denval. Yet in that time, Laudus had already been hired on as an alchemist for the government of Denval. The nuit already had two-room home with one room acting as his lab for his experiments. He chose his own experiments, and had no boss besides the Captain of the settlement. And unlike many others living in Denval, he didn't have to worry about death. As long as he had a body ready for him when the time came, he would never have to worry about dying. So would he have to worry, after three days in the settlement, what his first experiment would be? With no clock ticking down to his death, why would he have to prove so early on his worth?

For some reason, that was the exact reason Laudus sought to perform his first experiment. The Nuit wished to prove to these humans that he knew what he was doing. For his assumption, he figured there weren't many alchemists in the town, if any, so he wasn't trying to prove he was better than others. Even a meager amount of talent in the world magic was better than nothing, and Laudus had more than meager skills. But for some odd reason that the Nuit could not fathom, he felt he needed to do something. Maybe it was his brain telling him something important. He wasn't on an island with Nuits anymore. He was among humans and he needed to think like one. So if his new humanistic approach came with these aggravating decisions, Laudus would have to accept them.

And Laudus' first acceptance as an impulse pleaser was to wander Denval in search of his first idea for alchemy. He didn't know if any of these humans knew the difference between a fount and a filter, so he didn't bother to ask. Instead he once took the advice of what he read in a book on art long ago. The author wrote that art, whatever kind, could be found with any of the five senses. A new composition could be written just by listened to the birds around you, and chefs could create a masterpiece just by catching a whiff of an inspiring aroma. So the nuit was going to tweak that and find his artistic vibe for magic in one of the stalls in Raster Market.

Laudus was strode between stalls quietly with slight help from his Shadowsilk Robes. Hood drawn up, only Laudus' grey beard could be seen protruding from the shadows. Besides a slight few who knew who Laudus was, most Denvali saw nothing more than a frail, old man who had recently arrived to Denval; Atleast Laudus expected that these people would know when someone knew arrived due to their small population. Whether or not they did notice him Laudus did not care. He merely ventured out to find him an idea.

Watching with blue eyes and listening for a hawker's cry that interested him, Laudus wandered the market. Most traders' wares bored the Nuit. Who cared about beads or fresh fish when there was knowledge to be uncovered with just one successful experiment? But as he continued his search, Laudus was getting frustrated. Did these human traders have anything interesting? Or if not that atleast something that could help him?

It wasn't until Laudus drew to the very back of the market did he find something remotely interested. Behind a stall with glimmering gems and fish strung up, a fish-like humanoid stood. Laudus chuckled softly. Well where humans failed me, a fish might just provide the answer. With a quick glance at the stalls to his left and right one last time. The nuit hoped he didn't look like an eager customer. He merely wished to sate his impulse.

by **Laudus** on January 21st, 2012, 3:37 pm

The colors of the gems resting on the table was enough to catch Laudus' attention for a moment. Not because he was interested in them but because he was curious about them. He had little need for them, and he was wondering if anyone else in this settlement would either. Maybe a jewelcrafter could use some of these in his profession, but at the moment, Laudus was in no need of jewelry.

Maybe Laudus had a disappointing look on his face, but it did not matter with this man. Mostly because his facial expressions were shrouded in shadows, but part of it was the fact that this Charoda wished to make some miza. With a simple swipe of his hand, he showed off his wares. "Are you a collector of gems or a fantic of fish? Whichever you are, Melo can provide."

Laudus only knew basic common, so some of what was said flew over his head. But he understood the basic meaning. But was that what Laudus looked like? Someone interested in fish and gems? With a slight shake of the head, Laudus answered. "I seek an idea."

Puzzlement appeared on Melo's face. "Trading or other?"

A small smirk on Laudus' face appears, but this man still doesn't see it. A quick glance to the left to make sure no one was listening, the nuit spoke again."Magic. Alchemy to be precise."

Puzzlement turns to disgust. Not many people delved in magic for fear of the effects. And Melo didn't want anything to do with magic. "I know nothin' 'bout magic."

Laudus was only slightly disappointed, but not enough to ruin his days. The nuit didn't understand the ways you could tell someone was lying, but he felt like Melo was hiding something. Whatever it was, Laudus was unsure. But he knew it was there. But if the nuit knew anything about merchants, they were always eager to make gold, no matter what they had to say.

Turning away from Melo, Laudus raises his voice for it to carry to the Charoda. "If only you did know. Any idea brought gold." And with that, Laudus headed away from the stall, walking slowly so he could hear what he hope would come. And thankfully it did.

"Melo might know somethin' 'bout alchemy."

by **Laudus** on January 21st, 2012, 7:19 pm

Laudus turned back around slowly. "You know something?" And with that, the nuit walked up to the stall, placing his hands on the wood. Just as long as this Charoda didn't touch him, he wouldn't learn what he was. And if he did touch him, maybe he would accept the crisp air as his skin-chiller.

Melo did nothing of that. Instead the Charoda merely stuck his right hand out, palm open. Laudus didn't need to understand the common language to know what the fish man meant by that gesture. He wanted the money before he told Laudus anything. "Tell me and then you get gold."

Laudus' attempt at negotiation failed of course; merchants were tough to deter when their eyes were set on money. Melo went ahead and made that simple fact verbal. "First pay me and then I will tell you."

Laudus shook his head. Reaching inside of his rober, he stuck his frail fingers into his coin purse, fetching out five gold miza. Laying three on the stall, he held the other two up for Melo to see. "Three now, two more after you tell me."

A quick hand reaches out, snatching up the three coins with precision. Melo must've done this often. The Charoda's face radiated considerment; Melo was deciding whether this was a fair deal. But finally, and thankfully on Laudus' part, the Charoda nodded. Placing the coin in a pouch around his waist, the man began to speak. "We Charodae don't use steel or leather in our armor. Instead we make do with supplies found under the sea. One of those supplies is kelp, which I believe is enhanced through the use of alchemy. After that, it is made into armor."

Laudus listened until Melo finished speaking, only understanding half of what he said. But what the nuit did understand really helped. A smile almost broke out on his face. Kelp enhanced into armor and woven together seemed like a good start to help out Denval and to prove his worth. Easier to find than ore and easier to collect, Laudus could enhance the plant to withstand as much damage as steel armor. In a short amount of time, he could have the entire militia outfitted in armor that cost the government have the amount of money to produce.

But Laudus knew not to get ahead of himself. What exactly was used as the fount and filter? Did they enhance the kelp before or after it was made into armor? Was there a certain kind of kelp used in this process, or did any kind matter? And even if these questions were answered, Laudus was sure Melo wouldn't know where the best place to harvest kelp was at. Yes, it was not time to jump ahead of reality with so little accomplished so far. But atleast he had a beginning.

"Is this all you know?" A nod from Melo. Did Laudus expect anything more from a merchant? But what Melo already knew was good enough for the nuit. Laudus placed the last two coins on the stall, and turned away. A plea from Melo to buy some of his sea bass was ignored by the nuit who was already planning. With just the word "kelp," Laudus had already come up with an idea for his experiment in Denval. Sure he didn't know what he was going to use as a fount or filter. Sure he didn't know where to harvest kelp. Sure his lack of knowledge on the Charodae armor crafting might cause him to fail. None of this bothered Laudus because he knew that while he might fail in the beginning, he didn't have the restraint of a lifespan holding him back. Eventually he would suceed.

And with that, Laudus left Raster Market, in search of his next objective; find someone who knew where to find kelp.

End

by **Mirage** on January 28th, 2012, 8:12 pm

The Truth Within the Reality

Laudus :

The Truth Hidden by a Mirage :