Closed Simple Enjoyments (Duncan)

[Kynier]

5th of Fall, 518 A.V.

13th Bell

Kynier wiped the sweat from his brown as he rounded the stairs at the bottom of the Training Area and climbed them to the store front. Whether it was busy or not he gave no particular notice to. All he wanted was a cool beverage and to be off his feet. Preferably not on his hands and knees either. Installing a wood flooring by himself was more difficult and time consuming than expected. It made his hands feel stiff in a similar fashion to what his last bout of overgiving had given him.

Climbing the stairs to the Great Room, Kynier went straight to the kitchen and grabbed a glass. After a couple of pumps, it was filled with cold water. Greedily Kynier emptied the contents down his throat. With a loud intake of air he refilled the glass before venturing out onto the balcony. There was a brief pause in the rain it seemed. All the furniture had been pulled inside to avoid having it ruined. But with the temporary relief Kynier pulled out one of the chairs back onto the balcony to have a seat. A pleased groan emanated from his lips as he sat down.

It did not appear to be very late in the day, though it was difficult to judge the exact time with Syna still behind the clouds. Kynier sipped on his water as his eyes lazily looked out at the sea before him. In his moment of rest the mind wandered over several things. Kelski was at the forefront for a good deal of them. Things were changing between them and he wasn’t sure of where they stood anymore. Both of them were trying, but common ground was difficult to grasp. These thoughts Kynier pushed aside. They were thoughts he had been thinking over and over again for days now. He forced a different set of thoughts into his mind.

The mysterious slab and the Daggerhand’s intentions for it? No. That would not allow him to relax any more than the previous topic of thought. Contemplating his sacred duties would also dampen his spirits. After sorting through all the important aspects of his life, Kynier decided perhaps what he needed was to just think of nothing and escape it all, even if only for a chime. Leaning back in his chair, the human closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the air that was thick with moisture. The swelling of his lungs with fresh air felt good, as was the heavy exhale to banish it all out. Tension and anxiety following his outward breath.

All images were banished from his mind as he focused on the feeling of the air in his lungs. The relaxation nearly drove thirst from his mind. Nearly. Eyes still closed he took another drink of water and concentrated on the pleasant sensation of it going down to his gullet. Then he extradited his thoughts to have a clear mind. Not even thinking of the pleasure of sitting down on a pleasant day and listening to the waves crash in the distance. Eventually, he felt his head dip as sleep tried to take him. Kynier’s eyes abruptly opened and his head popped back up in unison. Gods, he didn’t realize he was that tired. Perhaps it would be best to leave the project for the rest of the day and recuperate. Sitting on the balcony and enjoying the water seemed like a good start to that plan.

Credit for the boxcode goes to Luminescence!

[Duncan Rightstone]

Duncan arrived back at The Gem a short time after the weather managed to find a momentary break. He'd finished a couple of deliveries for Kelski which had taken him to opposite sides of the city and took the better part of the morning. As he walked through the door and into the shop's main show room, he couldn't resist the slight but noticeable smile that diffused his otherwise stoic look. While it had been a relatively short number of days since his arrival in Sunberth and initial employment at The Gem, it was starting to take on the semblance of feeling like home. While it wasn't as cool, dry and easy on the eyes (dark) as his home in Sultros, there was a comforting simplicity to it all that made him feel happy when he returned after a long day of walking the city streets, delivering valuable packages to the more well-to-do customers who had placed special orders with Kelski.

He hadn't encountered any real trouble during the day's outing yet he was keenly aware of the odd looks he received from those he passed. While the terrible weather had kept most people inside or at least out of the main streets, there were still a few who braved the elements, either by choice or not, whose looks at Duncan were felt if not seen. Such looks were not a surprise to Duncan. He was after all, a five-foot tall adult male with a 50" chest size and a sapphire blue arm. He tried to diffuse his appearance or at least not stand out as much by keeping his cloak clasped tightly and avoiding eye contact whenever possible. His gauntlet, sporting irregular protrusions, teeth, on the fingers, knuckles, wrist and forearm, had a intimidation factor that Duncan made sure to take advantage of in hopes of deterring any deeper unwanted attention. Still, each time he went on a delivery, it always felt awkward.

Once inside The Gem, he spotted Ebon and offered a respectful bowing of his head. Duncan admired Ebon for the strength the man possessed. As a Kelvic Night Lion, Ebon was to Duncan, a prime example of inner and outer strength worthy of great respect. The fact that Ebon selflessly offered Duncan medical attention upon their first meeting served to further Duncan's respect for the man.

Having been out in the rain for most of the morning, Duncan desperately wanted to dry off and change clothes. He made his way through the show room to the stairs at the back and up to his room. Once there, he removed his nettle cloak, stripped out of his wet clothes and took off his gauntlet. While at The Gem he usually wore only his leather war skirt and boots, it was different when he was delivering. While traveling the city streets, he wore his war skirt and boots as well as his cloak, shirt and pants. In his room, he dried himself off with a towel along with his war skirt. The treated, hardened leather skirt was his preferred clothing. Primarily black with blue highlights, it offered the perfect amount of protection and mobility. When he was dried off and had put his war skirt back on, he strapped the gauntlet back on.

It was then that heard movement outside his room, he seldom kept his door closed. Whoever it was had gone into the kitchen. As Duncan was but one of a number of other inhabitants who called the upper level of The Gem their home, hearing someone else moving about was not a surprise. Laying out his clothes to dry, Duncan left his room and went to the kitchen. Whoever it was that he heard a moment ago was not there.

Duncan looked around the kitchen with his eyes focusing in on a small bowel filled with fruit. He picked up and apple, spun it around in his hand and nodded in approval. Apples were a delicacy that did not grow in the Kingdom, it was simply too cold. Since leaving Sultros, he had the pleasure of discovering the wonderful red fruit and being able to partake in it on a handful of occasions. He tossed it in the air and caught it in his metallic hand before looking to the balcony that overlooked the rear of The Gem.

Walking through the door, Duncan stepped out onto the balcony. Immediately his attention was drawn to someone sitting in a chair. It was a man and he looked to be asleep. Since starting his service to Kelski and The Gem, Duncan had seen the man only in passing. They had yet to engage in formal introduction. He knew the man to be a resident at The Gem and that he was very close to Kelski but knew little else about him. As the man dozed, Duncan took a moment to assess him; something he did with everyone. He noted the man's height and that while not physically impressive, he looked as though he paid at least some attention to his health and overall fitness, as much as was possible for humans. Duncan, although far from being racist, couldn't help but look upon humans with a biased eye. They had potential but so many, in his experience, chose not to embrace it. This man looked exhausted. Duncan, a student of the physical form, could see that the man was clearly drained; his posture, it looked as though he hadn't meant to fall asleep yet sleep came regardless.

Duncan looked away from the man and out onto the water beyond. He resisted the creeping feeling of being so small in a world so large as he looked at the apple in his hand. As he brought it to his mouth to take a bite, the man sitting nearby abruptly raised his head and opened his eyes.

Duncan, still looking out over the water, went ahead and took a crunching bite of his apple, chewed, swallowed and waited for a breath before speaking with a relatively clear yet uniquely odd accent, "Beautiful isn't it? The water. It's sometimes hard to believe that in a world so harsh, there are wonders such as this."

Duncan allowed the man a moment to compose himself before looking away from the water and to him. He took a step forward and offered his metallic blue hand. "My name is Duncan, Duncan Rightstone. We have yet to formally meet. Kelski hired me to help her out around here, deliveries, security and general maintenance. I am pleased to meet you." If Kynier were to clasp hands with Duncan he would find an impossibly firm though far from crushing grip. Duncan's hand felt like perfectly shaped metal or even unfathomably polished gemstone.

[Kynier]

With an almost still mind the heavy steps of person coming out on the balcony was impossible to miss. A wave of unease brushed over his skin at the presence of an unknown in close proximity. The feeling was nulled with another long quiet breath and a little will of the mind. Though when he opened his eyes at last, Kynier’s head turned to see who it was that had joined him on the balcony. It was the Isurian he had been told about. It was the blueish hue of the skin more than the height that had indicated the man’s race.

The more nocturnal nature of Kynier’s employment had only allowed the two of them to glimpse each other in passing over the last three days. While his work did not function solely at night, it frequently required toiling into the early bells of the next day. Most of the sights he had seen of the new guard were when Kynier had been retreating into the master suite to sleep. Now he really looked at the newest resident. The fellow was like a boulder with his bulk. As though he were a statue chiseled out of a larger stone.

His gaze did turn out to take in the view at the Isurian’s words. It was his favorite view from the Midnight Gem though he had taken to it less over the past fifteen days. Now his viewpoint had consisted of stone walls and floors. Whether that made the sight all the better at that moment, he could not say. Kynier took another drink from his glass as his eyes stared at the horizon. “It is. But that is the illusion, isn’t it? Those beautiful wonders are usually the harshest things in the world.” Kynier shifted his gaze to judge the other’s reaction to that. He did not know what the general mentality of Isurians were. This one would be the first he had a chance to get to know. His last encounter with one of his race was an exchange of fists rather than words.

The mage did not rise from his seat when he reached out his left hand to take Duncan’s. The impression of the man being cut out from a stone only intensified as he took the infamous Isurian arm’s grip. Kynier was no warrior but had an amateur climber’s grip. Though he felt no give when he applied the firmest grip he could politely offer. Duncan’s left hand was firm yet lacked a rough texture. “Kynier Haltara. It’s a pleasure to have you with us Duncan. The last guard we had left due to extreme differences of opinion. Though Kelski assures me that won’t likely be an issue with you.”

Trust but verify. Kelski’s eyes were sharp and her heart was very trusting of others that weren’t human. Being the only one to live at the Midnight Gem was something that had taken the better part of a season to grow accustomed to. All of them eventually learned of his magical talents. Duncan would as well, but whether it was from Kynier volunteering it or the fellow seeing the application, was going to be the question. The stronger Kynier became as a mage the more he understood why people were so afraid of magic. He did not know how magic was viewed from where Duncan hailed from. Which meant he would need to ease into it to find the smaller pieces that made up the whole of the Isurian’s viewpoint.

Kynier shifted in the chair and propped an ankle up on his other knee. Both hands wrapped around the glass as it settled in his lap. “I am curious though, as to why an Isur would be in Sunberth. It is a long way from Sultros.”

Credit for the boxcode goes to Luminescence!

[Duncan Rightstone]

Duncan listened to Kynier's words regarding beauty and harshness. These people truly are damaged. He thought while still looking out to the water. In response to Kynier's view of the nature of beauty, Duncan took a brief moment then said, "It's all a matter of perception. Beauty is not a reflection of what is perceived, it is a reflection of the one who perceives it. If all you see is darkness, stare into it long enough and that is all you will see, whether it is there or not. I believe that only through understanding one's self, seeing the good, bad; accepting the beauty, ugliness, light and dark, held within you, can you see beauty in the world around you for what it truly is."

Duncan often pondered his place in the world; his relation to everyone and everything he encountered. He'd learned some time ago that those things that seemed so black and white, seldom were. The commonly held beliefs of not just the isur but the non-isur he'd encountered in his relatively short life, were easily dismantled with but a bit of thought mixed with a slight change in perception.

Turning to Kynier and clasping hands, Duncan gave a respectful nod and said, "While Lady Kelski may assure you of the compliance of my opinions, I can't make such assurances. I serve Izurdin first and Kelski, second. As long as what I am involved in here falls in line with what I feel is right, just and fair in the eyes of Izurdin, you will find no issues with me. As for what is right, just and fair, I will always be up front with that. Otherwise, I will serve the interests of The Gem and Lady Kelski with all that I am." Duncan offered another respectful nod.

Duncan turned his head back to the water and offered a slight smile. However, when Kynier asked him about his presence in Sunberth, Duncan's smile faded. He looked down for a moment then over to Kynier and said, "A fair question and a rather long story." Duncan gave a deep sigh, looked at his the palm of his sapphire hand before making a fist.

"I'll keep it somewhat short as I myself find details without the required context to be annoying." Duncan took a few steps to the balcony railing.

"I am what is known as, a Hammer and Anvil, a devoted servant of Izurdin and an enforcer of his might in regards to enforcing honor and justice in His name. Most recently, I was on a mission to protect a trade envoy from Sultros to Syliras. My fellow Hammers and I traveled from Sultros to the coast of the Suvan Sea. There we boarded an isurian sailing vessel and made our way across the sea to Riverfall where we were to meet with representatives from Syliras who would guide us from there." Duncan gripped the railing as he spoke, still looking out onto the water beyond.

"We were a few days from Syliras, late at night, when the ship lurched as if it had struck something. The alarm bell on the main deck began to ring and the ship shook once more. There were shouts all around. I had been asleep below deck when this all began. It all happened rather quickly. The hull of the ship was breached and water began rushing in. This in itself seemed impossible as an isurian ship is virtually indestructible. Yet it happened. With little to no time to assess the situation, I grabbed my pack, slung it over my shoulder and tried to make my way to the main deck. I got there just in time to see the main mast falling toward me. After that, everything went dark." Duncan slowly turned around to face Kynier.

"When I awoke, I found myself on a strange beach littered with debris from the ship. As I stood and began looking about, I found no survivors. I remained on that beach for several days, living off of washed up fish, crabs and fallen coconuts. When I'd exhausted all ideas of what to do next, I prayed to Izurdin for guidance. He answered. He appeared to me and offered me a choice. He said most of my fellow Hammers survived and were rescued by Svefra and were on their way back home. He said I could choose to join them, travel back to Sultros and quite possibly die along the way. He then offered me another way. He said I could travel far to the east, to a city of refuse; a city lost to the darkest natures of man. If I chose to go there, I would be doing so in His name. I would serve as a model for what it was to live a different life; a life where one embraces their own strength and chooses their own path in life rather than have others choose for them. If I took this path, I would likely die, sooner or later yet I would be serving a greater purpose." Duncan ran the armored fingers of his gauntleted hand over the elaborated raised marks on the "skin" of his sapphire shoulder.

"So, Kynier, after a very long, not all that pleasant journey across the Wilds of the regions I now know to be Cyphrus and Syliras, I am here now, in Sunberth. It is my hope that I can find those yearning for a life free of fear, weakness, victimization and manipulation and show them what it is to be strong, just and capable of taking their lives back for themselves. So, if your idea of...a difference of opinion, doesn't allow for such things, then we indeed may have issues. If however, you are not opposed to such things, then perhaps we may find good things together." Duncan offered a neutral gaze, devoid of any definitive emotion. It was a look of resolve, a look that said he would do whatever it took to fulfill his duty yet one that was not opposed to assistance.

[Kynier]

Listening to the Isur’s reaction to his statement, Kynier quickly learned that Duncan was a long-winded fellow. But he was very deep with his thoughts. Kynier was struck silent for a moment to ponder over the words. About self-reflection and its influence on a person’s view of their environment. Though he probably wasn’t limiting his statement to the physical environment. It was very thought provoking and shattered any illusion that Duncan was simply hired muscle. He could only hope that the Isurian was not going to become a dilemma like their last guard had been.

As for the assurances, Duncan appeared to care so little that he completely dismissed them. That was refreshing. Kynier always wanted to form his own opinion on someone before determining what could and could not be trusted about them. To receive a disclaimer stating that there were no guarantees that they would like each other helped to keep the beginning of their relationship honest about what it was. They were strangers, that were now living together. But Duncan would be upfront with his opinions of “right” and fulfill his role as expected of him. Kynier was not terribly familiar with Izurdin, though the deity was significant to Duncan.

The story of how Duncan came to Sunberth was interesting to hear. Kynier listened intently, taking an occasional sip of his water as he did. When the events of the story had taken place had been omitted from detail. Whether recent or long past, the memories stirred a physical response from Duncan. The way he gripped at the railing as he stared out into the sea. The wood groaned under his grip as he delved into his own past for retelling. By the end of it all, Kynier had learned some of how devoted Duncan truly was. There was the commonality the guard had with the owner of the shop. An utter devotion to a divine being. A commonality that Kynier was lacking.

When the Isur’s core opinions were laid bare, Kynier leaned back in his seat again in a slow fashion. It was very… generalized. There was no specification to who he would lend his might to. The slaves? The mages? Kelvics? Some other group of people? Perhaps, Duncan did not fully know his purpose here in Sunberth and was still in the process of looking. Kynier took a thoughtful sip of water without taking his eyes away from Duncan’s. The fellow held a neutral expression but showed no intention of yielding anything for the sake of any friendship. That sort of attitude was going to make waves in the city. Kynier was interested to see exactly what the Isur would do in his view of “helping” the people.

He smiled at Duncan before casting his eyes back out to sea. “We have yet to see, Duncan.” Kynier was not going to spell out the situation for the Isur. In his faith he had thrown himself to a place where his opinion was going to pull him in every direction. Every citizen walked the fine line between victim and perpetrator. Who the correct person to lend one’s aid to was going to be a challenge itself for the Isur. As for the most important opinion of Duncan’s that Kynier wanted to know, he was willing to wait and see. So long as one of the other residents never let anything slip.

“When I came to Sunberth, I had a similar viewpoint with a specific objective in mind. It has not diminished, but recently I have been distracted from that objective.” Kynier stood up from his seat and wandered to the railing. “There’s one societal disease that I’ve wanted to eradicate for a long time.” Kynier turned to look at Duncan. “Slavery. It makes me sick to think that one person could put a tangible value on another’s life.” He looked away and shook his head. “And with a single collar a person is no longer treated with any dignity. They become beasts of burden with skillsets and uses.”

Kynier felt his temper rising as he thought back to his past and his reasons for his hatred of slavery. He closed his eyes and took several calming breaths. Then he looked at Duncan again. “If nothing else, there’s no difference of opinion on that.”

Credit for the boxcode goes to Luminescence!

[Duncan Rightstone]

Duncan continued too look out to the water beyond as Kynier rose and walked to the railing near him. The man's words about slavery and his apparent physical reaction to it was in some way, refreshing. In his short time in Sunberth, Duncan had little direct experience with the plague that was the enslavement of others yet he could see its effects. While on deliveries for Kelski, he'd seen a number of individuals wearing collars, serving others in various ways. Nobody seemed to pay any attention to such things as they were all simply a way of life. It was no less abhorrent to him yet it was something that had yet to enter his life personally. Despite that, he couldn't deny his agreement with Kynier's sentiment.

Still looking forward, Duncan took a moment after Kynier shared his anger before speaking. "Slavery...indeed, a plague upon the world." He paused before continuing. "It is a concept my people have rejected since the beginning. While we may see ourselves as perfect in many ways, we have flaws...great ones." The idea that the isur were flawed was not something most isur would admit. Their isolation combined with their relative progress and ability to flourish within it, hidden away from the rest of the world, tended to taint their view on the outside world. For Duncan however, he found himself in the minority in his thinking.

"Despite our flaws, slavery is something we view...something I view as weakness disguising itself as strength. It is the weakest of men who view others as cattle; to be bought and traded, abused and exploited. No, a person's worth is not determined by another." Duncan took another bite of his apple before turning to look at Kynier.

"Kynier, you strike me as a man of thought, a bit depressing and dark, yet still a man of thought." Duncan, also a thoughtful person, was still an isur and tact sometimes eluded him despite an upbringing that challenged such things. He chose his next words carefully as they were representative of thoughts and concerns that had been creeping in since his arrival in Sunberth and too at The Gem. "Since coming to this city and becoming a part of The Gem, I've witnessed...no, felt, something disturbing. Even among those who live and/or spend time here at The Gem, save for maybe the mouse, Ember, there seems to be a severe lack of joy; a lack of happiness or even satisfaction." He took a breath and wondered if the man next to him would understand what he was getting at.

"From what I've seen of this city so far, I can understand some level of angst, hopelessness and emptiness but here, here at The Gem, I see nothing but opportunity, strength and potential. Yet, it feels such things are missed." Duncan took a last bite of his apple before looking at the slightly browned core.

"If I am out of line in mentioning this, my apologies. It's just that...this city, it is...oh forget being delicate, this city is horrible. It is dirty, so dirty that every day I step outside I feel as though I need a bath. The people, not all but most, are in a terrible way, the weather is oppressive and with each step down the road I wonder who is going to be stupid enough to try and mug me. Yet, despite all of that, I find joy in the simplest of things. This bit of fruit for example." Duncan held up the apple core.

"Fruit like this is rare where I come from. It doesn't grow in the mountains and is rare in the foothills. I love the juicy, crispness of it." Duncan then looked again to the water beyond. "And that, the water. I've experienced great pain and loss to the sea yet I still see its beauty. Every day I spend a few bells in the basement, lifting weights and honing my body while communing with Izurdin. It is one of the greatest parts of my day. Even the challenges that await me every time I step outside these walls, they provide me with a chance to be better, to be more and it is something that I relish." Duncan momentarily felt like he may be coming across as too sentimental or even preachy but he continued.

"Which leads me to wonder. What, Kynier, makes you happy? What do you find the simplest joy in? Surrounded by all the ills that this city has to offer, you must find something that brings you happiness. Something that helps push back the despair. I know I am but hired help, a new addition who will never replace the one who came before me, an outsider who tends to speak his thoughts even if he shouldn't. Yet, I can't help but wonder. I mean, Kelski has her jewelcrafting, Ebon has his healing, but even so they seem to be simply going through the motions as it were. There has to be more." Duncan absently rubbed the amulet around his neck; silver with a blue stone in the center, symbols of a hammer and anvil displayed prominently on its surface. Was he being too forward? Perhaps. But for Duncan, he was responding to a feeling that was gradually pressing in on him. It was a feeling that he'd been warned about; a feeling of despair that had already consumed most of the city and that was becoming ever more tangible for him.

Kynier, although Duncan had just met, was a man he'd seen a few times before in passing and one whom he'd heard a bit of from Kelski and Ebon. The feeling Duncan got from him was that he was a man, like many in Sunberth, who held much of himself away from the world. Unlike others however, Kynier came off as a man who knew more than he let on and who may be more enlightened that the average human whom Duncan wouldn't otherwise give a second thought to.

[Kynier]

Duncan was the first Isur that Kynier had ever had a civil discourse with. That gave him no additional insight to the Isurian people as a whole beyond what was more common knowledge about the race. They tended to be isolationists and were very skilled crafters by birthright. Also, they were one of the few races inherently blessed by a deity. Beyond that, all Kynier knew were the hereditary markings to indicate that a person was an Isur. So, Kynier had no understanding of Duncan’s race viewing themselves as perfect to be able to understand the significance of Duncan making such an admittance of their flaws. However, Kynier always held more respect for people that could openly admit their own flaws and limitations.

When the fellow commented on Kynier’s way of thinking, the mage gave a soft, bemused chuckle. Dark, from seeing and facing different kinds of hardship. Some deliberately, others not as much. Depressing was not the word Kynier would have used to describe it. Realistic or even practical. But, Duncan’s earlier point about a matter of perception was again being demonstrated. It was an obvious preface to something. Kynier waited through all the preamble. Another chuckle occurred at the abandonment of delicacy in Duncan’s words. It took a bit, but Duncan finally got to his question. What was it that Kynier found enjoyment in?

There was no time allotted for an answer. Duncan continued with his observations on the other residents of the Midnight Gem and their means of finding enjoyment. But once the Isur had no more words to speak, Kynier turned to look at the water again as he thought about it. The first thing that came to mind he pushed aside, as well as the second. Drawing was a hobby, recently discovered, that served to calm him and allow his mind to have a distraction from everything else. It was not something that Kynier could firmly claim to make him happy. “The simplest joy,” he repeated to himself after a moment.

“There is nothing, that brings me the simplest joy, Duncan. I draw, but it serves more as a distraction from everything else that I think about. There is enjoyment in seeing people’s reactions, if positive, to the end results. But that is time consuming and not simple.” There was magic, but it was too soon to know if he could trust Duncan with that knowledge. “Improving my skills and abilities is always satisfactory. But that’s not what you’re really asking about. Which leaves… nothing. There is nothing that brings me the simplest joy.” Kynier paused for a long moment. “But there is someone.”

Kynier gave Duncan a glance before turning his gaze back at the water. “Yet, she and I are having problems right now. So, forgive me if I seem reclusive and bitter. There are many things that I am passionate about. Often, following those passions generates trouble, which I try to keep the others here secluded from.” He thought about what the goddess of shadows once told him, about his destiny. How he would need allies to face the challenges that waited for him. Duncan would be a strong ally to have. Not for his physical qualities alone, but for his shared sense of “right” it seemed. When considering the selection of words, the goddess used, Kynier had changed his mindset a few times about his future.

“In truth Duncan, there are plenty of times that I’m convinced that I’m not meant to live happily. I chose to be here, in this wretched city.” Kynier looked at Duncan again. “Does that make us fools for choosing to be here? I too was of the belief that a divine being was guiding me, though much more indirectly than you. But I suspect the things I am expected to do for Akajia will claim my happiness and quite possibly my life.”

“Perhaps my form of thinking is more depressing that I was willing to admit.” Kynier was silent for another moment as he thought about what Duncan had said previously. “You said that you had come to Sunberth to help the people. I have seen many different problems existing in abundance that could use ‘help’ in coming to an end. Slavery. Indulgence in drugs. Starvation. As well as persecution. Which makes me wonder what problem of Sunberth’s you would first begin to deal with? Or are you a man that directs his focus on the smaller changes instead of the grand scheme?” Kynier second question was not spoken with an accusing tone. Rather, a neutral one people used when wanting clarification.

Credit for the boxcode goes to Luminescence!