[The Kelp Bar] Going Native (Hrair & Hadrian)

[Hadrian]

Hadrian sighed again.

"Not one man, Hrair. A cult. The Tainted of Vayt, led by Vusna'tausk," he said, his mouth forming the strange syllables of the high priest's name with ease. He had been doing his homework for years now. "I don't know where their headquarters is, or if the same man still leads them. I've only studied them academically, and not in depth. You might check with a Rek'kelian Healer; they're sort of enemies. But it's a cult-in-hiding. I doubt you'll ever find them."

He didn't respond to the personal questions. His own family life was none of this man's business. One shared battle didn't make them bosom buddies, and Hadrian didn't want to get attached to people with deathwishes. They might rub off on him or something.

But then he got an idea and looked at Hrair speculatively.

[Hrair Ansoub]

Hrair listened carefully, taking the information in and storing it in his library. Not been able to read, save for his charts and some navigational terms, Hrair had gained an amazing skill for remembering and recording information in his mind.

"What" said Hrair, "why you looking at me like that?"

[Hadrian]

"I just had an idea, I think," he said. "For extra credit."

[Hrair Ansoub]

"shoot" said Hrair. "what you thinking?"

[Hadrian]

"Well, this sister of yours... she is your true sister, right? You share blood?"

He immediately started engineering a bauble, an amulet, in his head. A small quartz ball with a single, large rutile. Hrair's blood. Some other reagents, perhaps. Blood calling to blood. A blood-compass.

[Hrair Ansoub]

"She is" replied Hrair "Does that make a difference?" Hrair began to cast his mind back to his childhood, and the happy memories of his sister.

[Hadrian]

"It would in this case. I think I might be able to help you."

He wasn't sure yet, but he could draw up his plan, show it to a professor, and then use the university's facilities to craft this thing. It would be a small triumph if he made it work, and further proof that he was ready to go off as a journeyman sooner rather than later.

[Hrair Ansoub]

"Please explain" said Hrair, "anything to help...I would be eternally grateful." Hrair had a tear in his eye. "What do you study by the way?"

[Hadrian]

"I study magecrafting," he said, "and I was just thinking of a way for you to track her. I could make an amulet with a bit of your blood so that you could track your blood kin... I think..."

[Hrair Ansoub]

Hrair raised his eyebrows. He did not not know whether the young scholar in front of him was telling the truth for Hrair understood little about magic and magecraft. Sure his parents had told him a little but had never told of the true power a serious mage has.

Hrair scratched his head. "If you can do it, like I say I would give anything to find her." The pair walked along the dockside and Hadrian outlined his plan with some of the technicalities. Although Hrair did not understand all the ins and outs of Hadrian's detailed plan he understood enough to know it would be a challenge, would not necessarily be possible but more importantly gave him hope.

The pair chatted for a long while about Hadrian''s idea for the blood amulet. Hrair became more and more convinced they could do it. After he had been discussing the plan for sometime Hrair realised they were almost back at his mooring.

"Say Hadrian, this is me...that is the Hope" Hrair pointed at a small and beautifully crafted sailing boat moored to a berth in the harbour. "You much of a sailor?"