[Ironworks] Forging Alliances (Eanos)

[Hadrian]

2nd Fall, 510 A.V. Hadrian was finally starting to come to terms with his time here in Syliras now that the end was in sight. His mother was dead. His family was still crazy. He had begun a magecrafting project for the Knights, who were now missing their one-time magecrafter, and when it was over, he would return to Zeltiva where he felt more himself. There were still issues from his jaunt to Sahova that he needed to work through. He wanted his little cottage in the student quarter, his bed, and his disgusting kelp beer. Thankfully, a great deal of the time during a magecrafting project was spent waiting for the djed to do its work, so Hadrian had time to be out and about. Now that he had an idea about when he might be leaving, he went to the Ironworks to find Rhuryc, who had expressed an interest in tagging along to Zeltiva. Hadrian could use an unofficial man-at-arms, and Rhuryc seemed to want the company, though Hadrian would probably tag along with one of his father's caravans. The young enchanter also knew Marcus at the Ironworks, so perhaps he would say hello and get another little lesson on the crafting of metals. Or Rhuryc and Marcus both could show him a thing or two. Such things would come in handy eventually if he wanted to turn his enchantment toward magesmithing. Unfortunately, it seemed like the world they lived in was more suited to enchanted weapons than the artifacts of old which so fascinated Hadrian. But he had long ago resigned himself to years of crafting what people would pay him for in order to accumulate the wealth he needed to pursue his own creative dreams. Since he had spent some time in the Ironworks now, not only watching, but participating in their work, even though his musculature was pathetic when compared even to the greenest of novices, he looked like he knew where he was going. Nobody seemed prone to question a person who looked like they knew what they were about. The only problem was he didn't see Rhuryc or Marcus Braeden. This posed a problem. Hm...

[Eanos]

The Ironworks was a busy place with many smiths working around the many forges. It was a place not only of activity but also of noise and indeed it was certainly the case that most likely would notice the noise long before they became aware of the flurry of activity of smiths and their apprentices. Most of the smiths Eanos was familiar with, at least on a nodding basis though few were anything close to what he might call a friend except perhaps the owner and there Eanos held him in the respect of his teacher for the other Isur was far more skilled at the craft of working metal, and teachers were to be held as teachers and not as close friends. Most of the other smiths had learnt to leave the somewhat grumpy and rarely openly friendly Isur to himself, something for which he was generally grateful for his work was not just with the metal but instead he was more interested in the properties of the metal and the djed related to it. This day he was working in the quiet corner he preferred, the as yet unhandled blade of a dagger clamped in a vice. Forgelight flickered from the blade, the only light in this corner but that did not prevent the Isur from carrying on with his task of carefully drawing the outline of a glyph onto a parchment. He paused to straighten his back and glanced around the Ironworks. Everything seemed normal, though his glance quickly centered on a human who stood nearby. The man seemed familiar in a vague sort of way and Eanos was sure that he'd seen him here before, but he also seemed a little lost, something which prompted the Isur to do something relatively out of character which was to talk to him, but this was business and the man would now be a distraction if he continued to stand there. "Is there something that I can be doing for you?" he asked, pitching his voice to carry cleanly though the noise.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian looked up from the dagger blade the Isurian was working on, blinking at the question. The gangling young enchanter was nearly a foot and a half taller than the smith, and certainly more awkward. He had noticed that bit of glyphing and curiosity flared in his chlorine blue eyes before he could hide it. "I, um... I was looking for Rhuryc, the smith, but I suppose he's not working today. At least, I don't see him here. I'll have to come back later." He wasn't sure that any of the smiths would want to play message bearer for someone who wasn't there to buy anything. After a moment to assess things, he took a chance: "I noticed your glyph. Are you a magesmith?" If so, Hadrian would certainly have a lot to say to this man. He already had half a mind to go to Sultros and study with the crafters and magecrafters there. They might not be keen on a human being there; in fact, he wasn't even sure if they allowed humans to stay there, but it was a thought.

[Eanos]

Rhuryc?" The name was as vague as this mans face, one of those that he had heard but could not put a face to. He shook his head dismissively, though it explained why he'd seen this man here before. It seemed likely to the Isur that he was a customer, for him to be talking of coming back later for surely an apprentice would have plenty of tasks to keep him busy and have a workbench assigned to him. He shrugged at the question, his lack of knowledge clear upon his face and his interest waning. He waited a moment since it seemed by the expression on the mans face that he'd expected to find this Rhuryc here and perhaps had some other question, and as a customer of the Ironworks this man deserved some courtesy. Caught off guard by the question which followed, his hand moved protectively and unthinkingly to cover the glyph. Surprise likely registered on his face but then he realised that crafters in Djed were not uncommon and it was certainly possible to buy glyphs, if not on the street then without too much difficulty, so he nodded slowly. "If I were to describe myself as a magesmith then it would give you a very poor impression of the work which the Masters in Sultros create, but I have some little training in it." He was being deliberately modest for while it injured his pride, clan pride was stronger yet and his beginners efforts were crude and clumsy. He sighed inwardly and wondered if he had opened himself to questions about magic swords or the like.

[Hadrian]

"Everyone has to start somewhere," he said philosophically. Though he was certainly competent within his sphere of expertise, Hadrian was more self-critical than most, and was never satisfied with his own work. It could always be better, and even though in his head he knew that he was certainly better than many. "I've always wanted to go to Sultros," he mused, still not quite sure if they allowed humans among them. "I can lay the enchantments, but the actual crafting remains beyond me." This he admitted not reluctantly, but with resignation. His frame was not made for shaping metal to his will, though perhaps his will would one day prove strong enough to force his body toward that goal. "Anyway, I'm sure one day you will be one of those Masters. These Ironworks are supposed to be one of the best in the world." It was left unspoken that Akvin Kultra, Syliras' famed master magecrafter, had left. He wondered who would teach the Isur the magical portion of the trade.

[Eanos]

The reply came as something of a surprise and the words forced the Isur to reassess the assumptions that he'd made about this visitor to the forges. His attention now came fully upon Hadrian for he'd said too much now to write him off as some casual gossip or dabbler in knowledge beyond his reach. "Sultros would be a long journey," he replied and proceeded to answer the unasked question, "and one which I think could be to your frustration. Visitors to the city are rarely allowed beyond certain markets where they can buy or sell goods, and I've never heard of any strangers being accepted into training, not even for smithing." This day was becoming a surprising one and he suspected that it's course was already shifting away from where he'd planned it to run. There were questions which were rising up in his mind and he was eager to pursue them. "You can magecraft?" He realised as the words were out of his mouth that it was not a politic question, but it irritated him only in that it revealed a hunger in himself that he'd not intended to be known. Once it was out though, attempting to pretend it hadn't would only make him look weaker. "The Ironworks is the best you will find outside of Sultros because it is run by Isur. You can learn the craft of smithing here as well as you could there, at least for the basics." He hesitated a moment more. "I have some training in magecraft but without my teachers to consult I have found it hard to put into practice some of the things that I thought I knew." He spoke quickly for it seemed that the man might leave. "My name is Eanos and if you would be interested in learning more of Isurian smithing then I would be interested in knowing more of your enchantments."

[Hadrian]

"Huh," he said, his face falling with disappointment. He had little patience for cultures that were so insular they would not brook true communion with others, though if he had learned anything from his study of anthropology it was to respect those cultures as much as any other. Even after five hundred ten years, Mizahar was still struggling with the fallout from the Valterrian and each culture, each person, dealt with it in the best way they knew how. Anyway, he would just have to learn Morphing, turn himself into an Isurian, and venture to Sultros with some story about being an orphan... "Yes, I can magecraft," he said, a bit startled by the vehemence of the question. The Isur were supposed to to be so very taciturn. He refused to smile, though the reaction pleased him. It was a nice change to be admired, perhaps, for his work. In Syliras, he still had to deal with his family, who did not approve of his life. After a moment's thought, he responded with his basic command of Isur, the language of Eanos' people: "It is an honor to meet you, Eanos. I am Hadrian, and I am amenable to your offer, though I will not be in Syliras long."

[Eanos]

It seemed that Hadrian was a surprising human, one almost who might pull himself out of the general category into which Eanos dumped all of the inferior races. Then again business was business and given his clans ability to mold the racial inhibitions to their own ends it wasn't so hard for him to balance what he could get out of it against the cost of it.

"Thank you Hadrian," he responded with a nod of appreciation to the mans attempt to speak in his own language. He made no attempt to respond in kind though he did file away a note to be careful about things he might say to himself in his own tongue.

He was ambivilent about the news that Hadrian would not be staying long. He wanted to learn what Hadrian knew but he didn't want the competition from a more proficient magecrafter either.

"Was there something that I could help you with in regards to your visit here today?"

[Hadrian]

If slightly miffed at the Isurian taciturnity, he accepted it as part of the culture. He continued on in Common, hoping he hadn't mangled some word or another and upset the would-be magesmith. Now that he had had a glimpse past the fabled Isurian aplomb, however, he wanted to see more. What made them tick? That sort of information would come in handy if he ever really did attempt to pass himself off as an Isur in Sultros. Suddenly businesslike again, he offered a polite smile. "I suppose I have time for a lesson today, and then tomorrow we could meet at Akvin Kultra's old laboratory where I can show you a thing or two about magecrafting."

[Eanos]

A lesson? His eyes narrowed in consideration but he nodded. He was hardly a teacher and certainly not ready to take on an apprentice, but still having made the offer he could hardly withdraw it. Then we have a bargain," he replied, wondering what facilities the magecrafter might have left behind him. "If I am to give you a lesson then first you need to tell me what you've been taught before and what it is that you are interested in crafting, if you have any preference that is."