Surviving is the Key [Conrad, Sama'el]

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Timestamp: Day 10 of Spring, AV 511 Eldon stormed through the silent city (if it could be called that) of Endrykas. His footsteps were loud, but not so much as to awaken everyone that slumbered in the night. He had no desire to awaken the whole of Drykas people, just one Drykas, and one that was not. The first was his cousin, his most trusted friend, the other, Conrad. Conrad was no more than an acquaintance to Eldon. Eldon had no true opinion of this man, except that he was not Drykas. In fact, if it wasn't for Sama'el, Eldon would not have met Conrad, nor would he have been convinced to initiate the stranger into Reimancy. It was a sacred art among their family, despite being well known in the world of Mizahar. As Eldon walked between the Sapphire Pavilions, his four canine friends trotted behind him and next to him. They were important to him, as companions, but more so, as protection. They were the best for hunting, to detecting, and they would be responsible for warning them of any trouble should it come. Eldon stopped outside of Sama'el's Pavilion, wondering if he should speak aloud to get his cousin's attention, and risk awakening the others that might be within, or if he should enter and risk stumbling upon someone or something he shouldn't witness. He considered the latter after peeking inside, and assuming it was clear. He stealthily moved inside and gave Sam a brief shake and whispered to him. "It's early, we initiate your friend today. Gather anything you need, perhaps water and a weapon should trouble arise. The sea of grass is awakening from winter, hungry. Meet me at his tent." Eldon exited the pavilion as quietly as he entered, he quick trotted through Endrykas again, next destination, Conrad's tent. It wasn't long or hard to find the tent. It was small, flimsy, quite pathetic really. He had to remind himself that it was a tend, not a Drykas pavilion. It was not meant to be one. This time, without so much as a worry about startling anybody or stumbling in on indecency, Eldon stepped in the tent. He's probably alert the monster talking bird, but it didn't matter. His foot nudged the non-Drykas, assuming he wasn't already startled awake by any possible bird cries. Eldon spoke, he had learned a little of Common since their last meeting, though it was barely enough make a sentence with. He stuck with Pavi. "Get up. The time has come."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sama'el slept more lightly now that he was a Watchman. He could still sleep in, ignore certain noises when his body knew it was safe in Endrykas, but he could wake up instantly these days, and so he was already getting ready when Eldon's head disappeared from the tent. He wasn't far behind Eldon, jogging to catch up. Apparently they weren't taking their horses with them, or perhaps Eldon felt wrong riding his father's Strider. But in any case, he had all his weapons strapped on and his own wounds carefully bandaged because he had two healers always fretting over him who didn't want infections setting in. He smiled when he caught Eldon's attention, then cleared his throat to translate. "You come now or we kill you!" he said in a harsher voice than was natural for him, hoping to give Conrad a bit of a fright. He liked the man, but they were taking a chance on him, teaching him magic. It wasn't like teaching an outsider to Web, but still... there was a spiritual aspect to Drykas magic. "Come along, Conrad. You wanted this."

[Conrad]

Conrad was silently snoozing when he suddenly was broken away from his blissful sleep when his little buddy was chewing on his nose. "Stop that," he sleepily mumbled as eh swatted at his parrot,who just let out an offended squawk, before continuing to try and warn him for the footsteps just outside his tent. Conrad was a fast sleeper though so he was only half aware when eldon entered his tent and nudged him with his foot. yelling a few things in pave to him,to fast for him to understand. Not to much of an issue though, he wouldn't have understood it in this state even if he was speaking common. It did make him sit up straight and look around for a bit still half asleep. He sleepy murmured something that wasn't understandable rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. when Sama'el tried to be funny and yell at him to kill him conrad was to sleepy to really hear him, he just struggled his way from underneath his blanket and began pulling on his pants his parrot already tucking his head back under his wing, trying to get back to sleep. After a few moments he finally got his clothes on and walked outside of the tent, sleep still on his face. "It happens now?" Conrad hackeled out in broken pavi, he yawned and gathered up his hair behind his head before fixing it once again in his trademark ponytail.

[Eldon Sunkiss]

After Eldon and Sam made completely certain their foreign friend was awake, Eldon stepped out of the tent. He waited for Conrad to get ready, which may not have been too long, but he was already impatient. With Sama'el, his Drykas brother, he could easily take all the time in the world to get him prepared for what happened, and five days later here he was, walking around with Eldon and taking the passenger seat in his second initiation (as an observer this time thankfully). However, Conrad was not his blood, not his kin, not his race, and did not yet earn Eldon's respect. In fact, the only reason he was here, now, ready to initiate Conrad was because Sama'el spoke for Conrad, that and Eldon wouldn't lose any sleep if Conrad wound up dead. Caiyha would be pleased with the sacrifice. When Conrad finally stepped out of the tent, Eldon grabbed a hold of his by his shirt collar and pulled him close. "Now!" Eldon quite literally barked in Conrad's face, and in Common too, just to make certain Conrad understood him. To be honest, Eldon didn't know why it angered him so much now, to be doing this. It was irrational to hate Conrad so much for absolutely nothing. There was a part of him that knew that if he survived, he would respect him some, at least a small amount. If he died, he wasted his time and would have to realize that Sama'el had been wrong. Perhaps the latter reason is what truly bothered him, just the thought that Sam's judgement was off. It would be the first, truly serious miscalculation of his cousin's that Eldon would witness, but knowing that it was a life (Drykas or not) is something that just made it more... intense. Eldon released Conrad as he turned on his heel and walked briskly through the labyrinth of pavilions. The four canines prancing and dancing about him as if they did not quite grasp the seriousness that had quite literally made Eldon cold and heartless. "I don't doubt you cousin, but are you certain he can be trusted? Trusted to respect the art? Trusted to understand and respect the Drykas? Can he be trusted... to survive it? You've felt it, survived it, but you are Drykas. He's a mutt." Eldon gnawed on his lower lip as his pace remained strong, there almost seemed to be a shadowy cloud hovering around him as he stomped fierce from Endrykas to the near vicinity. It wasn't like Eldon to be racist like this, especially not against another human. Sure, he held a subtle fear of Akalak men, and there would always be the hesitation to trust Pycon after a single bad experience, but a Human. He was Human, Drykas, but still human. Conrad, not Drykas, still human. He wouldn't want this man associated to the Drykas at all if he proved too weak to handle what was to come. "I'm sorry to do this to you again, but I still don't know enough Common to converse. Until he passes out, you must be my voice."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sama'el knew various reasons why Eldon took this so seriously, and he was sure there were more of which he was not aware, not being an inhabitant of Eldon's soul. He shared several: Drykas xenophobia, respect for the Sapphire Clan's mysteries, respect for strength. But Conrad seemed a worthwhile gamble to him, and if he failed, his body would fertilize the Sea of Grass and his bird would make a fine meal. Sama'el was certain the little buddy would be much better company after being impaled on a spit and turned into rotisserie. "He survived the trek to join us in Endrykas, brother. He is young and strong, and it would not hurt us to have allies outside of the horseclans. If we had, my own pavilion might still ply the Sea of Grass." He looked vaguely troubled, but it was only shadows of the past and this was the future. "If he breaks faith with us, I will track him down and kill him. You have my word as a Watchman, and as your blood kin." To Conrad, he spoke in Common: "I will assist in your initiation and translate for you. If you misuse this power, you will become an enemy of the Drykas nation, and your blood will water the grasses beneath our hooves." He spat in the dirt, not unfriendly, but deadly serious. "It is a great honor to earn our trust, and a great offense to break it. We take such things deadly serious. Do you understand?"

[Conrad]

To say conrad was surprised when eldon grabbed him by the collar and yelled as hard as he could in his ear. "I'm up I'm up don't need to yell." He mumbled out, a bit cowed by eldon's impressive lung capacity. When eldon released him again he wiped the spit of his face before following the two drykas that where talking amongst themselves in pavi. Conrad didn't even try to follow the conversation, he could speak a bit of pavi but given how fast they where talking and the amount of words he didn't know it was a lost cause. He quickly paid attention when sama'el began to speak to him though, when he began talking about honor and how he would hunt him down and water the sea of grass with his blood if he betraid them he gave them a grim nod. "I grew up in riverfall so I understand and I swear on the blood of my father that I won't break your trust, may aquirias strike me down where I stand if I ever do." Conrad said in a completely serious voice, the small jokingly tone that usually was behind his words not apparent now.He looked at sama'el."You want me to swear in one of your ways to or is this going to be sufficient?"

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Once they had traveled by foot a significant distance out of the roaming city of Endrykas Eldon stopped abruptly and pointed at the ground. "Down." Again what little he spoke of Common was harsh, rude, commanding. Eldon was literally telling Conrad to sit on the grass. Eldon was experiencing conflict with himself. Despite Sam's promise to destroy Conrad if he disrespected them or the magic, and despite Conrad's promise to respect it always, he was uncertain. He needed to know the motive for Conrad's desire to know. Eldon paced momentarily occasionally he glanced at Conrad, but more often to Sam. "Why does he want to know reimancy? He's not from here, he should know other can teach him, those that speak his language, those that would forgive him for breaking an oath. Those that would sell the art for coin rather than demand respect on penalty of death, they exist. Why is he here? Why is he trying to be Drykas?" Eldon was asking himself more than Sama'el, and his questions weren't directed towards Conrad in the least, but rather only were about him. Eldon felt uneasy, a disturbance, a hesitation. It would cause distraction, could cause Eldon to kill Conrad, just a mistake. A cut too big, an accidental transfer to water while the Res was in Conrad's body... He would be drowned instantly, crushed by stones, perhaps both. It's not what he wanted, so he had to be certain Conrad had just motivation. If not, Eldon would have difficulty, more difficulty, in succeeding. "Cousin, please ask him why he must know. I want to know specifically why he wants to know. I want to know why he's here. I want to know if he trusts me." Eldon struggled with the last part. He was worried that he wasn't trusted, despite obviously being the most knowledgeable in the immediate area. What if Sam was just lucky to survive? What if Eldon messed up so bad that Conrad, not a Drykas, just couldn't live through it? It would be a waste, a risk, and even though he doubted it until now, a lasting guilt.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

If Conrad grew up in Riverfall, then Sama'el thought he should have been used to hazing worse than this by a hundredfold. He shook his head when Conrad offered more oaths, but they would find out what Eldon required when they got out to where he wanted to do this. "He says," he explained to Eldon as they walked, "that he swears on the blood of his father, may Aquiras strike him down..." But when they got further out, Eldon seemed all the more agitated. With Conrad on the ground and Eldon pacing like an irritated cat, Sama'el's face grew strangely still and empty, an abnormal thing for what was normally an open and generous visage. After Eldon got his questions out, Sama'el turned to Conrad. "Why do you come here to Endrykas seeking knowledge? The elements are wielded all over Mizahar, so why do you seek to learn from us when there are those in Riverfall who speak your language, might sooner release you from the consequences of a broken oath? Why do you seek this? Why? And do you trust Eldon to do this thing, of which there is much danger." The evidence of that was in the bandages worked around his forearms from his own initiation five days previous, but he wasn't going to explain them or say anything to prepare Conrad. There was no preparation; one was ready or not. He waited to translate Conrad's answer to Eldon.

[Conrad]

Conrad gave a weary look at the pacing eldon, not feeling really at ease at the sight, not to mention the fact that he couldn't even make out half of what they where saying in their own language. Quickly following eldon's command to sit down, he wasn't going to piss of his teacher right now. Waiting patiently, if nervously, for sama'el to translate what eldon was asking. When sama'el finally repeated the questions in common conrad fell silent as he thought over them before finally speaking up after a few chimes. “I seek to learn the art of wielding the elements here because they aren't any teachers in riverfall, they see the act of using magic similar as using a crutch so they do not use it and I have not found any human teachers that knew of the art.” Conrad replied in a honest tone. “And in riverfall one does never break an oath or besmirch an akalak's honor without severe repercussions and I am aware of the danger sama'el, do not forget I am already a mage myself and why I seek initiation?” Conrad once again paused for a few seconds before continuing to speak, “Well I always was dying to know more about magic and how you could use it to help others with or how to defend them with it. That and since I am thinking of traveling the world of miza and taking a look at all it has to offer, I may fall without a weapon and magic while very dangerous is always there, both in good and bad ways.” When on the subject of not thrusting eldon he just gave sama'el a blank look. “You thrust him enough so I thrust him, no questions asked about that.” Conrad just said with a frim voice, waiting for eldon's answer.

sorry for taking so long, I actually forgot about this... you can kick me for that.

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon smirked as his cousin translated Conrad's answers. A smirk that eased into a soft desperate chuckle, and a shake of his head. "Brother, he rambles on doesn't he? I ask for an answer and he tells me a story. You can tell him, I care nothing for the ways of the Akalak. We are not amongst them, we are the Drykas. It would serve him well to remember this." Eldon continued to stand, pacing slowly in circle around Conrad, who was still seated on the ground, awaiting for Eldon's final decision. Eldon alone had the power right then to give Conrad what he wanted, and right now Eldon wasn't convinced he wanted this stranger to learn this art. If he died, he wouldn't care, but if he lived and misused it, harmed the innocent, even by accident, Eldon wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Sleep was already difficult to come by. "So, he wants a weapon does he?" Eldon sighed, that answer probably pushed Eldon farther away from agreeing to all of this than anything thus far. Eldon took one of his throwing axes from his belt, gave Conrad a glance that could just about cut skin or break bones, and handed it over to the man. "You weapon." His Common was cruel at best, but even then, it was obvious what was going on. To Eldon, this all sounded like some man seeking power for the sake of destruction, that's all a weapon was. This, offering his ax, was only a sign of refusal, and almost in a sense, mockery. "I will not teach him if this is his reason. Sama'el, I trust that your judgement isn't false, but I cannot ignore this foul churning in my stomach. I need to hear his reasons, and I need to be certain he plans on using this well." "Tell him, I refuse." It wasn't his final answer, despite sounding precisely so. If this man truly wanted reimancy, he would not give up with a simple 'No', unless he was a coward. Eldon prepared to be fed another excuse, and if it digested well, perhaps he would change his mind.