Closed [Sullin's Laboratory] Magic Man, Gimmie Magic Hands

[Garland]

Summer 4

Garland had been wandering around Winthrop for a good few bells now, he would have thought a shop for magical stuff would be easy to find, but no! It was hidden to look like any other building.

Well not hidden, but not exactly a shop like Sayana said. It was more... of some sort of clinic or where people go to get fortunes read. At least it looked that way. Garland had to ask for directions just to walk pass it several times.

Garland looked out on the street, he had no reason to be cautious, he had checked out this Clyde person's profile and he was a mage, a crafter of magical trinkets for the knights that deserved it, and judging from his profile, he seemed very level-headed.

Level-headed and mage were two words Garland didn't see often together, so something was either very wrong with Clyde and he hides it well, or he's actually sane and not too crazy.

He remembers Nivel, and her eccentricities. He just assumed it was magic that made Nivel a tiny crazy clay... thing.

Garland sighed and knocked on the door, not loudly, like a gentle tapping on the wooden door. Knocking really loudly could lead to several accidents if this Clyde person was doing something where he needed to concentrate.

Just barging in was also a very bad idea. If this mage was as good as Sayana said he was, he could vaporize Garland in a heartbeat. Also the fact he could be changing clothes, it wouldn't be the first time Garland did that, wouldn't be the last.

After a few chimes with no reply, Garland knocked again, a bit louder this time. Waiting for this mage to make his appearance.

In Garland's mind, he envision this Clyde to be an old hermit kind of person, long grey beard that reaches down to the ground with an equally long staff for walking and magic.

Aged and powerful, patient. Even though Garland read Clyde's profile, he didn't really have time to read it fully, he just skimmed it, he never saw that Clyde was actually a young man, only a little older than him.

Garland waited for a few more chimes and thought that maybe this Clyde wasn't home. He knocked one last time, a loud knock at that. He waited and it seemed Clyde was either too busy to care about guests or out on some stroll.

The squire turned around to go back home.

[Clyde Sullins]

It was early in the morning when Clyde awoke. Having been working on a project the last few days he had been waking early and getting little sleep. He had therefore gone to bed early last night in hopes of sleeping in, but had in the end woken still rather early in the day.

Habit perhaps becoming ingrained into his sleep cycle, or simply his restless body, or perhaps something else had woken him.

Rising he took up Cha in his hand, the length of blue wood he always carried, and headed outside with Rye his dog.

The red eyed hound followed along with its normal sedate pace, as he took him out to use a tree and to go for a general walk.

A few bells later when he was heading home and heading down the street his house was on he noticed something. Something at his front door. A person.

As he walked up he pondered who it was and why they were there, watching as the boy knocked on his door repeatedly. Clearly he wanted in, or wanted Clyde.

Keeping up his pace he headed for his home, key in his pocket to unlock the door, he watched as the boy continued to knock with increasing intensity.

Just as he was nearing his home, it appeared the youth gave up and began to turn around. For a moment Clyde pondered simply walking on, making it appear that he wasn't headed to that house as he was still simply walking along the street in general and not heading towards his house.

But after a bit of thinking Clyde decided it would be better to address things now, instead of ignoring it.

Rye stood at his side, the dogs red eyes glaring at the person at their front door, as Clyde turned his walk to head towards the door just as the knocker completed his turn away from the door.

“Can I help you? Your knocking on my door. Which I'm clearly not home to answer, as I'm out here talking to you.”

[Garland]

Garland turned to see a young man, coming back from walking his dog. Did he say this was his house?

"Sorry, I must have gotten the wrong house. I'm looking for a Clyde Sullins." He said, he just stopped himself short from spilling his plans to this young man. "Business I have with him is personal, though I've never met him before."

Garland looked at the dog, he was usually good with animals, at least for the most part, but something tells him that this dog wasn't some lapdog for a young rich person. This dog had teeth that had probably bit off someone's throat before.

"I'm Garland, if you could direct me to Sullins' home, I would appreciate it. I'm sure this was the place, though. Tell me, are you this Clyde's assistant?" Garland asked, he was being polite, but in truth he was very annoyed.

He had been searching around for this Clyde's house for a good few bells now, and now he may have gotten the wrong house is just plain aggravating.

Garland noticed the staff the man was holding, was it his? Or was it for the old man Garland imagined Clyde would be. "I've been all over Winthrop looking for him, and everyone pointed me this way... You must his assistant then! Sorry to have been knocking so hard. Since you must know Clyde I guess it would be fine to tell you."

Garland looked around, seeing if anyone was listening or watching them. He knew that Sayana said this didn't need to involve any cloak-and-dagger stuff, but Garland would rather be cautious. "I heard he's a mage, a good one at that, and I was wondering if I could ask him to teach me some magic, at least something I can practice with."

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde quickly became annoyed at the person knocking at his door. He'd quite clearly stated it was his door, and still he continued to run off with some idea that Clyde watching some assistant to the person who lived here.

Narrowing his eyes for a moment, he glared at the man, clutching Cha tightly within his grip.

Spitting his words out he spoke, allowing some of his annoyance to show on his face.

“I am Clyde Sullins. This is my house. I am not anyone's assistant.”

Glaring one final time, Clyde pushed past the man at his door, unlocking it turning the knob so that the door would swing open an inch, before turning back to face the knocker.

When he turned back his face had once more grown passive and blank, simply looking at the man instead of glaring at him.

“Now, who told you I was a mage? And what makes you think I teach magic to random people coming by my house whom I've never met before? Do you think magic is some simple trade taught like carpentry or blacksmithing?”

“Why should you be taught magic? And whats it worth to you?”

His words annoyed Clyde, but he kept his breath calm and even and kept his visage plain and even instead of letting it show.

His comment, about showing him something so that he could practice, showed how little the man knew of magic, how it was taught or learned, and what it meant.

“Clearly you have no respect for magic, if you think I'd teach it to some random person who I've known for a half chime, not to mention if you think its something you can be shown and then just pick up and practice like a new weapon. What exactly did you think was going to happen when you met me?”

[Garland]

It seemed he was right after all, this was Clyde's house, and Clyde was the standing right in front of him, looking a bit crossed.

"I didn't expect a free lesson, only idiots expect something for free." Garland said and crossed his arms. When Clyde turned back to look at him, he looked calmer, most likely hiding his irritation.

Garland was observant, and Clyde was good at hiding his emotions, but there were subtle hints that pointed to his annoyance. "Let's get down to business. I don't know anything about magic, I try to avoid it as much as possible, letting others handle all the magical hand waving and such."

He paused and sighed. "I'm a squire, I could ask a knight to teach me, but I'd rather not. I've been burned by the one of the knights, I use to trust anyone in a uniform back then, I was a fool. I'd rather have something up my sleeve in case someone tries to betray me again. I thought about this before, hidden daggers all over my person for emergencies. The problem with that is that you can remove daggers, toss them aside, and all you'd have left is your fists. As far as I know, you can't remove magic, and if you can, it's not common knowledge."

"I'd want to keep this a secret, only you and my friend know what I intend to learn." Garland saw Clyde's eyes, he was definitely, but his eyes betray his experience, what he seen and what he's done. Garland couldn't read the details but he knew that this Clyde was the real deal, not someone throwing around parlour tricks to curry favors for the knights.

"I didn't know what I was expecting to be honest. First I thought I'd be meeting an old man that had years of learning his trade, knowing all the secrets and looking for an apprentice to pass his knowledge on to some bright-eyed boy. It seems I was sorely mistaken. Having a squire that owes you a favor would be useful I think, I'm offering my services and I always pay my debts. Oh the person that pointed me to you was Sayana. She didn't tell me much, just that you're the mage she recommended to me."

[Clyde Sullins]

The flippant manner in which the man spoke of magic annoyed Clyde further, but he schooled his appearance, only letting his blank expression shine outward. He exhaled his annoyance on his breath, seeking the calm center within himself, the dark and calm inner core with a small flame flickering sedately in an unseen wind.

His face grew dead, empty, serious, and blank. He was a good negotiator, and knew there was a time for emotions. His showing of his anger at the start had been on purpose, and served its reason. Now though he knew that showing more wouldn't help him, but simply off put the man.

He wasn't surprised to hear he was a squire, his time in the city had shown him half the people he met were as such. Perhaps, he grudgingly admitted to himself, that was an overstatement. But still, he'd met quite a few of them.

What did interest him more was that the squire had a reason to not trust the knighthood, and wasn't just another blindly loyal follower.

Such chinks in ones armor was the exact sort of thing Clyde was searching for. All the better to plant a few seeds within, letting it sprout and grow and spread until the surface crumbled over time.

He had to be cautious still, but he wasn't one to give up an opportunity.

Teaching a bit of magic in exchange for gaining the use of a squire wasn't such a costly thing.

He kept his face blank throughout his explanation, not showing anything. Not as he spoke of his distrust of some of the knights. Not as he spoke of hidden weapons and removing magic, something Clyde himself knew how to do to a degree... He was well skilled in keeping himself calm and in hiding his reactions and emotions when the need arose. Something that certainly fit this meeting.

Gesturing at the door, Clyde motioned for the squire to follow him within.

“Fine, we can talk further within in private, as you appear to want to keep things as such.”

Opening the door he would let Garland go in, and assuming the squire entered he'd follow and close and lock the door behind them.

Within the front door they'd be inside of Clyde's lab. In the middle of the room was a stone pedestal, with various bits of furniture and things about the room. However the most obvious feature would be the glyphing across the floor. To a non-glypher it would be meaningless, a combination of words, pictures, images, scrawls and scribbles, and all manner of written things in between. However what was most noticeable about it was the quantity, as nearly the entire floor of the open room was covered in them besides a few bare spots and the pedestal itself.

It was painted in a strong black color with inscribing paint, which seemed quite durable and lasting.

Turning to the squire, Clyde spent a moment examining him mundanely, before letting his focus slide into Cha his staff. By will a tendril of his aura sight and focus extended from the staff, latching onto the squire's aura silently and seamlessly without a whisper. Even if the squire had been a skilled aurist he'd be unlikely to detect such a thing. Clyde was quite proficient with his art, particularly most of the ones he'd practices longest.

Shielding was perhaps the sole exception to this, as it was one of the magics he'd practiced longest but one he'd never found ease in using. Then again, he'd also seldom used it, so lack of practice likely played a part in his lack of skill.

“Rule number one of magic, don't assume anything. Your eyes can deceive you, your assumptions can lead you astray. Logic and reason can help at times, but at other times those logic's and reason's can find you in a false direction. Few things are so clear cut. Do you think I'm some upstart, some mage by name only who's been dabbling about with a few magics for a year or two? I've been practicing magic for eighteen years.”

Clyde didn't expand on his words, letting them sink in and watching with his eyes for a reaction to his true words. He didn't lie, he didn't need to. He'd become a mage when he was five years old, and so he had been practicing it for eighteen years.

In the meanwhile as he paused and gave the squire time to react, he focused his aura sight, letting the tendrils snake outward and roam, seeping ever deeper into the aura of the squire, seeking out deeper knowledge.

Even for one as skilled as he information took time, though he'd already taken in much of the simpler bits of information. His first focus was to seek out djed residue, signs of personal magic used or used upon him.

If he as he said wasn't a mage, and if he'd not had any magic used on him, then he'd find nothing.

It was a particular thing he'd learned how to find long ago, through much trial and error and the inspection of many mages and non mages aura's both while receiving magic being used on them and using it themselves.

“Don't assume my youth means I don't know things, that only grey old men can have knowledge. I've faced trials you couldn't imagine, have survived things lesser men crumbled and died when tested against, and learned things in my few years that many wouldn't learn with a full life spent in the attempt.”

“I have nothing to prove, and know what I know. And I'd hardly call you a bright eyed boy, now would I?”

Clyde paused for a few moments, looking at the squire, all the well letting his focus slowly fade into greater sight, the haze ever lifting and the view of the aura ever becoming more focused.

“You've said yourself though that not all can be trusted. Why should I trust you? Just because you promise favors? Talk is cheap. Though... If you are serious, there are perhaps ways we can both get what we want, and ways I can trust those favors beyond just empty words.”

Sayana. He was a bit surprised that she had directed the squire to him, but perhaps she'd done so for her own reasons and not out of a knowledge of what he searched for? He didn't think he'd given anything away, so he doubted she knew his reasons or directions.

“Now... I have the skills to teach you, if you can convince me and are willing to do as you must to learn what you wish for. Though I must know, how far are you willing to go to get what you ask of me? And magic is a broad thing. What in particular were you wanting to learn? Assuming I even have the particular magic you desire.”

[Garland]

Garland followed in, he looked over to the ground with a cautious eye. He had seen runes before but they were old, faded and made to be unseen.

Garland tried to see what the runes and letters meant but for all he knew it was just a bunch of pretty symbols created by some madman, artist, or a bored child. Though there seemed to be an order to the chaos of the room.

Garland felt a tingle on the back of his neck, a feeling he usually gets when someone was sneaking up on him ready to hit him over the head, he turned around and just saw Clyde standing there, he hasn't moved at all, he must just be nervous, this entire place just feels magical, it irked him greatly, he was out of his element, but he tried to hide it.

With Clyde's aura sight, he would see that Garland had been hypnotized around thirty days or so, and then a much stronger aura overpowered the older one, this aura was placed on him yesterday.

Garland just smiled at Clyde when he explained that magic was not so clear-cut. "Eighteen years? And by the looks of it, you're around your early twenties... Impressive. You must be some savant with magic then, or is it hardwork? Either way I never thought you were an upstart, you have that air about you that says that you didn't stumble to the top."

Garland's aura remained mostly unchanged from their earlier encounter, except for the small spark of curiosity when Clyde said he had been studying magic for eighteen years. He was surprised to see Clyde as a young man instead of a old wise bearded wizard, but so far his expectations had been met. Clyde was skilled, that much was evident, and how well he restrained himself from anger showed his patience, or at the very least he knows when to get angry.

Garland simply gave a light chuckle when he was compared to a bright eyed boy. He was young, but he had seen his fair share of fighting, gore, and death. "Eighteen years of being a child mage would temper anyone with wisdom or leave them dead by either their own magic or from the people that fear them. Age comes with wisdom, that's true, it also comes with complacency, you've got the right amount of wisdom and ambition to do something great and you don't need me to tell you that."

Trust was a word that meant a lot to Garland, people had to earn it, he knew that he shouldn't trust anyone fully, but he had a hard time not trusting people that had proven themselves to him.

"I'll do a lot of things to protect what's important to me if that's what you're asking. As for the magic... I don't rightly know enough to make a decision, Flux makes the body stronger right? What about that? Or any other offensive magic."

[Clyde Sullins]

While the fact that the squire wasn't currently using magic, detecting deeper things like past magic use or magic used upon the squire was a much trickier thing which took a good bit of time.

It was possible to detect such residual traces, but not simple or straightforward even for one as skilled as Clyde and having done so before and knowing what to look for.

Clyde let a small smile come to his face as Garland spoke of his assumptions of Clyde's learning of magic.

“Probably a bit of both. Hard work and natural talent for it. That and I've had plenty of chances to use it, to push myself while still keeping myself in check and within my abilities for the most part. I've not exactly had a boring life. People often tell tales of such things, of glory and honor, but I've lived it and I know those tales are trash. Clearly anyone who has lived such a thing and speaks of it in such a way has had their recollections addled by time or drink, or both.”

“Something I've learned, the stronger you get, the bigger the problems that tend to find you. You'd think being better or stronger would mean you'd be better able to face things, but that'd only be true if you faced the same problems as you did when less skilled. In truth the problems you face will grow as you do, or perhaps its simply that people will expect more of you and thus impose more difficult tasks upon you.”

Sinking in the tendril of Aura sight, Clyde let it fizz and fuzz and spread, splitting at the ends into smaller strings he pictured in his head, threads which spread and roamed and found seems.

Within his second sight of the aura Clyde could see Garland, every inch at once and yet not at all, like a painting full of detail but which couldn't be seen all at the same time but examined bit by bit.

“As for keeping your word... There is a way... One involving magic. If you agreed to it, trust and promises being kept would be a null point on my end, something I wouldn't have to be concerned over. And if you already plan to keep your word, and are as honorable as you say you are, then signing it would do no harm but simply enforce what you already plan to keep.”

He'd had a feeling that the squire would want combat magic, something that Clyde knew several of. The main two were Reimancy and Voiding, both of which he felt skilled enough to teach as the squire's first magic. However as long as the squire would be keeping his secrets, it wouldn't hurt to show him one over the other, though he'd been keeping both secret from the knights.

“Flux isn't a magic I use, I couldn't initiate you into that. But... I do know a few other magics that you could learn. I could see at least one of those being seen as a combat magic.”

“As for the promise, there is a thing I know how to do, it involves a magic, and enforces a promise. Its called a Grand Oath. Its a contract of sorts, written and signed, and once agreed to unbreakable. If you signed one of those promising to keep my secrets as you've said you would, and promising to do me a few favors if I had the need arise, then I could see myself agreeing to teach you a magic. And since you'd already be keeping your promises, it'd be no trouble for you to sign it so long as you meant as you said.”

“That would deal with my trusting you, and I'm sure I could word it so that the favors would be dependent upon my teaching you as I promised, thereby meaning if I didn't keep up my end you'd not have to do any favors. Thus we could perhaps have some mutual trust, enforced by the wording of the oath.”

[Garland]

A magically binding contract? Garland was in a bit of a disadvantage here. "Forgive my caution, but what is a Grand Oath? What's stopping you from making a contract that would bind me in your service forever?"

Garland sighed, he didn't really have much of a choice here, he could either go to a knight or squire to teach him but the entire reason he was here so the knights don't know he has magic.

Garland looked around for a chair or something to sit on. "I don't have much of a choice do I? I mean I could just leave, but that would be a wasted trip and we both wasted our times. One condition for the Oath Clyde, no public killings in the city. I need to live here."

Garland saw a chair near the writing desk and a stool near another table. "Mind if I take a seat?" He motioned to the stool and waited for Clyde to reply before he took a seat. Everything just seemed magical and even Garland's steps were much more gingerly than usual.

Rye just sat by the door, glaring at the room, but specifically Garland. The dog didn't trust the squire and watched him carefully. Garland had nothing on him for Rye, if he did, he'd probably give him some food or something. He was never shy around animals, but the way Rye glared at him made him uneasy.

"How long have you been in Syliras, Clyde?" Garland asked, he didn't want to interrupt Clyde but unless he said that he needed silence, he would try to figure out more about the person he was signing a contract with.

"I've lived here all my life, but from what the orphanage tells me I was from Sunberth. Hated all the rules when I was growing up, hating fighting and hurting people then too... Time changes a boy, anyway, I met a friend that was almost beaten to death by a pack of bullies, stood up for my friend and got my ass handed to me, those were good times. A few years later, I pretty much broke his face and nose, he's even uglier now than when he was a teen, and that's saying something." Garland paused at the memory, Aventis was his friend, he just up and gone with his patron to some other place by boat and he never saw him again. A bit of sadness washed over him, he hoped he was alright.

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde shook his head, hearing the same question he had heard perhaps a half dozen times. It was something said almost every time he spoke of Grand Oaths, and so he wasn't surprised when the squire jumped to the same incorrect assumption every other person had.

He'd be more surprised to meet someone who actually knew what it was, or who used a bit of logic and didn't jump to the same wrong conclusion.

“A Grand Oath is a contract, and like any contract its meant to enforce what is worded in it. There is nothing stopping me from making a contract in such a way. However that doesn't mean you have to sign it, now does it? It only works if you agree to it and sign it. And you wouldn't do that if I made something crazy now would you? Thats why I make a draft first, make sure you agree to it, and then make the actual oath. I've been making them for quite some time, so I'm reasonably skilled at it. I don't often get too many complaints or issues brought up.”

Clyde noted Garland's request, "no public killings in the city". Even if he wasn't a Chaon, that was a fairly open statement, and one he had no problem keeping... More or less.

“I will agree to that being a term of the oath, so long as I can add the exception of self defense. If I must kill to protect myself, I will, and I don't think it'd be fair to eliminate the oath and your end of the bargain because someone tries to kill me and I am forced to protect my own life. Or if the killing is indirect, or by accident. If I trip and knock into a person, and they fall forward and fall on a dagger stuck in the ground and die, that's not on purpose. Accidental and indirect killing doesn't count, nor self defense.”

With all of the time Clyde had spent pondering on and making oaths, he had a good mind for considering their terms and ways.

Heading over to his writing desk, Clyde took out a spare piece of parchment along with ink and a quill, and began scribbling out a draft for the oath. As he wrote he spoke, keeping Cha propped against his leg and within easy reach.

“This visit? I arrived last fall. So a few seasons, less than a year. But I was born and raised here in Syliras, before setting off on my travels. I've returned a few times since leaving in my youth, this being my most recent return.”

Clyde scribbled away, finishing the length of wording that was the draft in a short amount of time. He was quite familiar with the basic structure of an oath, which meant the only things he had to think on and consider was the changes and unique bits.

Once he was done he held out the copy of the draft for Garland to inspect. If he was not satisfied he'd have to make some edits, or at least rebut any problems he presented. If not, he would start on the oath, heading into his bedroom and returning with a packet of materials full of expensive and well embossed sheets of paper, various inks of different colors and consistency but all clearly expensive, and a finely crafted quill of a rare feather and a well cut nib.

I, the undersigned, hereby swear upon the divine halls of Ukalas and all those who dwell within that I shall do as follows:

- To not bring harm(defined later) to Clyde Sullins, either directly, indirectly, or through inaction, whether through means magical or mundane, unless said harm is to stop Clyde Sullin's assured and immediate death.

> In the case of Clyde Sullin's overgiving and total loss of control/inability to stop using magic when he should, the signee would be allowed to harm Clyde Sullins to hinder or stop him from using magic, so long as said action would not lead to the assured and immediate death of Clyde Sullins. Permanent harm or maiming would only be allowed as a last resort and if no other viable and less harmful method is possible.

-Favors- The signee will aid Clyde Sullins by doing favors for him, when they are owed(to be defined later) in any way possible, within their ability, so long as said assistance will not directly lead to the assured death and/or permanent maiming of the signee or Clyde Sullins, and so long as the favors do not require public killings within the city of Syliras.

Definitions:

Favors Owed- One favor will be owed for each lesson on magic or affiliated/related topic Clyde Sullins gives to the signee. In the case of a large lesson and an agreement between Clyde Sullins and the signee before the lesson on the number of favors that will be earned by giving the lesson, then the agreed upon number of favors will be counted for that lesson. If no agreement is made on the number of favors prior to the lesson, it will revert to the minimum of one favor per lesson. Initiation into a magic will count as two favors for this purpose.

Harm- Any permanent damage, diminishment, or undermining to a person, in terms of the person (list to be expanded upon individually)physically, mentally, socially, politically, intellectually, and/or monetarily.

> physically- Their body and person- bodily harm and/or maiming/death.
> mentally- Their psyche or mentality, or mental well-being.
> socially- Their social standing or growth.
> politically- Their political standing or progression.
> intellectually- Their secrets or non-publicly held knowledge - disclosing said knowledge to third parties beyond Clyde and the signor without express permission to divulge either in general or to specific parties.
> monetarily- Their possessions or property- to include damage, destruction, or theft.

Final Clause:

- The above mentioned favors clause will continue so long as Clyde Sullins does not publicly kill anyone in the city of Syliras. For this purpose accidental and indirect killing do not count, nor do killings in self defense.

signed___________