Getting Cultured II

[Julius Starr]

15th of Winter, 513 AV A fire was raging in the classroom when Julius arrived, and the classroom was empty save for Nyolt. The instructor was seated at his desk, poring over a leather journal while Julius hung his wet cloak on the peg beside the door. He bit his lip, worried that the class had been canceled and he hadn't been informed. The city had been hit with repeated bouts of precipitation, downpours of snow and rain that made travel miserable. Though, Nyolt's presence obviously meant that class was still scheduled for the day, so he headed over to an empty desk. He had first pick of the lot, but as a man of tradition, he chose the seat in the middle. "Good afternoon, Master Nyolt," Julius said softly as he took his seat. Nyolt glanced up from his book, staring at Julius as if he didn't hear him arrive. "To you as well, Julius. I see you've come earlier today than before. So eager to learn, eh?" His words were laced with sarcasm, but they weren't mocking; here merely thought it funny that Julius had shown up before anyone else. He hadn't taken the old instructor as one for jokes, but then again, Julius was no great judge of character. The man closed his book softly, all the while watching Julius. "I also notice that you don't take notes in class." Julius shrugged as he rubbed his hands together for warmth. "I never felt the need to, sir. I have confidence that my memory will hold onto the important things I learn." Nyolt nodded slowly, a bit of his white hair falling over his forehead. "It seems a strong belief when your memory is strong, yes. I thought the same long ago, when I had just joined the Seekers." Nyolt paused, pushing the hair back in place atop his head. "Now at the time, one of the Disciples of the organization, a man by the name of Xayne, was twice marked by the Goddess Qalaya. This man had a memory beyond equal in the organization, yet he also kept the most detailed notes out of any man I knew. One day, I asked why he did so, since he most definitely didn't need the notes. And he told me this: 'take them anyway. You may never use them, but someone down the road will.'" Nyolt gave a small smile. "I've forgotten many things since then, but never that." Nyolt fell silent at this, leaving Julius to chew over the words in silence. It made sense, really, as they thought about it. Knowledge was worthless if kept to yourself, so the notes really added value to information. The talk of gods and Seekers, though, got Julius thinking even more. To join the Seekers, one had to to be a follower of Eyris, goddess of knowledge. Many of these followers were marked by her at some point, so . . . "Will you ever forget the day you met Eyris, Master Nyolt?" This time, the man's smile was wider, warmer. "No, I don't believe I'll ever forget my lady Goddess. The first time, I had been a rash man, but I had been floored when I came into her presence. She appeared to me as a fishmonger, like a woman you and I would pass on the street without a second glance. I wasn't allowed to look her in the eye, not even when she bestowed her gift upon me. They never tell you why you don't look her in the eye, but I wasn't really in a position to questioning it. She told me I would do great things for her, a statement I've tried to uphold since then." Julius nodded. "It must've been an amazing experience, meeting one of the divine. It was, is, something I've always wanted to do." "A dangerous dream, Julius, but entirely possible. Especially after my lesson today, when I'll give you some information to meet quite a few gods, if you're willing to work for it." Julius wanted to ask more, but before the words could spill out, a few of his classmates entered the room. Lyn from the Skyglass Restaurant came first, huddled beneath a fur-lined cloak. Anton, the hawked nose jokester, entered with the stonemason apprentice named Geoffrey. A few chimes later, Nysima entered, her shimmering blond hair damp from the rain. She was the last. The rest never showed, not that Nyolt seemed the mind. With reconstruction going about the city, not everyone was able to get off of work to attend class. Nyolt waited as long as he could before he rose. "Alright, class, instead of a lecture today, we'll be having a verbal discussion. Give your opinion, disprove your peers, but all the while be courteous. I will stand back, speaking only to give you all points to mull over. Now, is everybody ready?" Silence from the crowd. "Very well. The topic is this: divine leadership in a society and its effects on the culture. You may begin."