An Irritating Search

by **Lucas Skyglow** on June 14th, 2018, 9:51 pm

The 9th of Summer, 518 AV.

Lucas sighed.

He arrived to the town of Lhavit only four days ago, but the gloomy atmosphere from the thick fog and the sadness that he was feeling before had already combined together and altered his mood to an extremely depressed, and tired, state. Despite the many books that Lucas had read on Lhavit, he would have never imagined there to be as many mages as he had seen around on the streets yesterday and today, though in hindsight that was merely the result of his naivety and ignorance of the ways of the world. All he had ever known before coming to Lhavit was the confines of his bedroom, and the endless piles of books within it.

He looked upon the crowds of people once again, hoping to the gods that he may see his teacher, Anton, there, but all he saw were people he had never met before. He looked back at the Mhakula Tea House, a place revered for the finest tea in all of Lhavit, and sighed once more. He knew of his uncles 'intense' tea addiction, and had hoped that he may be able to find him there. Though looking at the building now, he became far too nervous to enter. He simply stood there, looking between the Tea House, the crowds, and occasionally the scenery of Lhavit covered in fog.

by **Raeyn** on June 15th, 2018, 8:33 am

Raeyn simply could not get used to the sling around his neck. It felt as if his left shoulder ached more due to the embarrassment of it all, a wounded pride. Then again as of late he was constantly nursing that big ego of his.

As he went about his daily business, the alchemist hid the contusion beneath his fur lined cloak. Smartly dressed, as he was, with his red and white hair braided up neatly, he was certain none would notice the white bandage cloth poking up from between layers of clothing. He had enough of Orath's questions about the matter. The alchemist exuded splendour and demanded to be treated as such.

But it hadn't just been Orath playing on his mind. Far from it. Raeyn woke up with a certain unease in his stomach that had carried on into the day. An inexplicable feeling that even a good breakfast couldn't fix. His mind had been busier than usual which was quite the feat for the mind of a mage never ceased to turn with all the worries and possibilities that such otherworldly power brought with it. It wasn't just the alchemical codes and equations, however that plagued his mind. It was also uncertainty, paranoia and the impression as if everyone's eyes were on him far more than usual as Raeyn perhaps was not the most common of sights. Then again no one in Lhavit could be accused of commonality.

As the alchemist strolled along the cobbled stone alleyways, he peeked around to make sure no one was following him. No unsightly so and so's lurking in the shadows, just out of Syna's luminous reach. This unease only a good cup of herbal tea could fix.

"Raeyn..."

The alchemist spun around on his heal, convinced he heard his name only for his eyes to lay upon a cloaked figure standing across the street, staring at the tea house building. Whatever glimpse of the face, beneath the hood, he could catch was not one he recognised. Perhaps it was someone from the labs, he though and so without thinking much of it Raeyn walked over.

"Can I help you?" he asked crossing his arms before a sharp ache reminded him that such an action was near impossible right now.

by **Lucas Skyglow** on June 15th, 2018, 2:59 pm

Lucas stared at the strange man that seemed to attempt an awkward pose. He was guilty of staring at this man before, due to his strange looks, but he did not think that he was noticed by the man at all. He feared the worst, instantly worrying that his Vantha heritage had been found out, before he took another look at the man. This man was an Inarta, just like his teacher, and had asked him if he needed help. Perhaps he knew his teacher?

After staring dumbfoundedly at the man for a few seconds, he forced out some words. "Um... Yes, i think you might be able to help me... Do you know of an Inarta wizard, an old man in his later years, someone who is obsessed with summoning magic?" He realized that his description might have been a bit too vague, and added, "His name is Anton, and he likes tea..." His lack of social skills seemed to show through his nervous tone, and he subconsciously began to hide beneath his hood.

by **Raeyn** on June 15th, 2018, 3:45 pm

At the mention of an Inarta mage Raeyn's first though was that yes he did indeed knew one for it would be off to exist without knowing oneself. There he stood. A mage and an Inarta. A formidable force of nature, or so he thought. But there was no way this stranger could know that. The introvert that he was seldom told others of his craft. Even in a city where magic was perhaps more permissible than in the rest of Mizahar a mage had to watch his back around every corner. To put it simply, Raeyn invited no trouble his way that he would not have the time or patience to deal with. That was exactly why the next few words coming from the stranger's mouth baffled him so very much.

He was given a name he never heard of, a magic discipline he had no interest in pursuing and one hell of a blabbermouth on his hands. How very troublesome. The last thing the alchemist really wanted to be doing was spending the say helping some unwashed street urchin look for his master. But one thing remained unexplained and that was the only reason Raeyn decided against going on his merry way. How did this man know his name?

"Hold... hold up one moment. I'm very confused." he said, staring the visibly uncomfortable man right in the peepers. There was a certain dominance with which he spoke, an assertion that only a man who thought himself superior to the rest of the world could muster. "How do you know my name? Did this mage tell you?"

by **Lucas Skyglow** on June 15th, 2018, 4:38 pm

The mans stare was not pleasant at all, and Lucas felt a sense of superiority coming from his tone of voice. He did not like being treated as if he was inferior, all his life he had grown up believing himself to be superior to the other children, and even some of the adults. Had the situation not had as many unknowns, he would have begun arguing with the man, and perhaps, have even started a fight.

The mans words confused him, despite it being the man who had called him out, he did not seem to know him at all, and judging by his response, he didn't know his teacher either. He didn't think that the conversation would end well, if it continued in the way that it has. Carefully putting together his next words, Lucas began to back away from the conversation, slight irritation evident in the tone of his voice.

"No, I dont know your name, and I assume that my teacher doesn't know you either. I just thought that you might know him, because only he or someone he knows would talk to me without reason." Lucas begins to slowly step away, while muttering "Why does he think I said his name anyways..." under his breath.

by **Raeyn** on June 15th, 2018, 7:46 pm

The defensiveness in the man's reply took Raeyn off his guard somewhat. A dumbfounded, almost an unbecoming expression lit up his handsome face. "But... but you said my name.... did you not?"

For a moment Raeyn doubted his own words, starting to hear just how ridiculous he sounded. Coming to think of it, he didn't hear the man's voice ring in his name. But then again he couldn't quite remember who'se voice it was either and as logic would have it, there must have been a rational explanation. Looking around for a moment he came to see no familiar faces in the passers by. No lurker in the shadows who could have been following him for whatever reason. And so if it wasn't the voice of this man, and not the voice of any other, then could it have been possible that Raeyn has simply imagined it?

Coming to precisely such a realisation the alchemist blushed with embarrassment. There was a million ways he imagined himself spending this very day but this was not one of them. It took him a moment to compose himself, but once he spoke again there was a far calmer demeanour about him. A polite smile and a nod of the head. "My apologies. I believe I have no explanation for this unfortunate turn of events. Who are you anyway? Since you seem to believe that only people who know this Anton fellow might have reason to talk to you."

The Inarta's eyes narrowed but the smile remained. There as something intriguing about the stranger. Then again Raeyn found many things intriguing.

by **Lucas Skyglow** on June 15th, 2018, 8:29 pm

"My name is Lucas... Anderson, and I just recently arrived in this town. There is only one person here that would know me, and that would be my uncle. Heck he's probably the only person in the entirety of Mizahar that knows that I exist..." Lucas hesitated when he mentioned his fake surname. He wasn't entirely used to using it, and only hoped that his hesitation wasn't noticed by the man. Upon mention of who might know him, he begins to remember his deceased family in Avanthal, but quickly removes those thoughts from his mind. Lucas had already assumed that the man he was talking to was one of the types that would pick a fight with another person for no apparent reason, but the man seemed to have changed his tone to a more polite one. This slightly confused him, and he couldn't truly get rid of all suspicions he had of him, but it was a welcome change.

"About hearing your name, perhaps someone called out a name similar to yours, and you misheard? I doubt that it was nothing though. Usually one can trust their senses more than other peoples words." Lucas scratched the back of his head slightly, throughout their strange conversation, he had begun to be more comfortable with speaking with the man. Perhaps there previous interaction was a mistake, as they both didn't seem to know what was really going on.

by **Raeyn** on June 18th, 2018, 9:08 pm

Raeyn stared at the man with a raised eyebrow. After all, he know what he heard. Didn't he? This was a name he had grow up with all his life and thus learned to distinguish between times when people are talking about the weather and calling out his name quite early on. Otherwise it would have made for quite the interesting childhood in a city where, rather often, it rains.

Putting it down to the the stranger's poor form of communication however, he shrugged off the remark. However much the situation puzzled him, he didn't want to be standing in the middle of the street in the cold fog for any longer than necessary. "Is that so?" he smirked, tossing a white lined eye towards the tea house and then back to Lucas. "I suppose a formal greeting is required then. Welcome to Lhavit, Mr Anderson. My name is Raeyn. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Unlike Lucas, he didn't go into it far deeper than that. Shall the man ask, he would begrudgingly part with the information about his occupation or even reveal some tiny slivers of personal information. Raeyn as a fiercely private man however. And due to this need for privacy he fully intended to keep his knowledge of magic as much of a secret as it could be; considering that anyone could easily spot him entering and leaving the Twilight Tower on lecture days.