Valur

[Noctis the Devious]

Noceda - Trading Hub

"...and he turns and says that's not a figlet, that's a durnum!"

The whole bar erupted into laughter while Ryder knocked back yet another fiery drink, a meaty hand rewarding him with a strong pat to his back and nearly causing him to choke on the potent liquid. To be honest, he wasn't even sure if his tale was all that funny, or maybe the guys he chose to accompany at the bar were more drunk than he initially assumed. He hummed when he finally managed a successful swig of the mead and felt, no, welcomed the beginning of a pleasant buzz.

Behind them, the thick wooden door separating the unwanted drunks from the rest of the sleeping community bonked against the heavy bell strung above it and the still chuckling barkeep glanced at the weary soul who entered his domain. "Welcome! What can I get you?" The young wanderer peered sidelong at the poor man who looked like he lost everything and then some.

"Something that'll keep my wife from finding out I lost our savings," he replied mournfully. "I swear I was looking to double it!" The boisterous men around them erupted into more fits of laughter and Ryder joined in, in spite of himself.

"What did you call it? The Dies Cave? No, no. The uh... Dreary Cove! That's right." Ryder nodded to himself as if proud of his little accomplishment. The barkeep snickered at him.

"Lad, you're safer here during a pirate raid than over there in that beast's belly!" He merely waved him off and dug around in his pockets, only to be stopped by the bearded man's laugh.

"I already paid didn't I?"

"Drink and board!"

Ryder chuckled at his own forgetfulness and ventured out into the cool night. Spring was around the corner but Winter continued to cling to her ankles like a child begging his mother for an extra hour of play. Boy did he remember those days. He shivered and tugged his cloak tighter around his scrawny figure. He had arrived in the town of Noceda not too long before sundown but had swindled away his evening telling stories and forcing down the mead the barkeep practically shoved down his throat. He only had three, yet the tankards were huge enough to equal two easy apiece. Either that man was generous or sadistic, Ryder couldn't really say.

He flicked his hood up and blinked away the haze clouding his mind. The building at the end of the street looked a little top heavy with the second extended over the porch and towering skyward with wooden ribs striped across its white face. Another slab of wood ran across them where the thatched roof began to peak suggesting an attic area, where a beam extended from and secured to it was a wooden barrow. Perhaps to catch rain water? The young wanderer wasn't sure and was best not to ask. While the surrounding buildings had already closed for the night, it alone claimed rights to the stream of people that seemed near constant, and to the man sprawled across a bench, an arm each show girl at his side, laughing at a volume uncalled for. Above their heads hung a single sign: The Dreary Cove, the one reason he was staying at a tavern instead of a proper inn.

Apparently the previous owner was bought out so some gambler could see his greedy wishes fulfilled, or maybe he lost the deed in a card game. That seemed to be a fairly popular way to loose things. He once came across a washed up witch whom lost all of his collected spells and enchantments in a card game. He shuddered at the thought. Wait, why was he going there again?

Security ambushed him at the front entrance and gave him a pat down, just to clear him and open the doors albeit reluctantly. Ryder flashed them a grin, almost sorry he left all his interesting trinkets back in his room. The gaming hall was a gaudy place full of assorted card tables and other means for one to loose more money than win, but there was one table which saw the most attention as well as provided the answer to his question. His back was to him, yet Ryder already felt drawn. That strange little need to investigate the unusual. His crystal hair stood stark against the neutral tones surrounding him, out doing even the most blonde of blondes, and guided the young wanderer to him, offering sanctuary from the sea of blurring faces. The redhead side stepped another man leaving heavy-hearted and allowed for a proper look at the oddity robbing his unsuspecting pray blind.

The object of the game was simple: make the best five-card hand using those on the table as well as those in your hand. Five cards were already face up, the shiny faces glaring back at the chandeliers half circling the dealer like some bazar defense spell. The pile of chips they were playing for was large, probably one of the largest in the room. Someone was going to leave rather happily. With a glance around the table it was easy to tell who. The only woman present made a small bet, contradicting her rather piercing gaze - too safe of a move given the circumstances, the man with the grey beard, judging by his shifting gaze, hoped his neighbor played it safe as well and called, and the man who remained had an easy smile - the smile of a man who couldn't care either way the game went as he was going to fold...

And those icy pools of blue saw it all. Ryder couldn't say how he knew. Sure two eyes were better than one, but the stranger's gaze didn't just see, it was like they pierced through guises with less mercy than his conundrum spell. Was he a mage? That was the only explanation the wanderer could come up with to rationalize the oddity, however rare they were. He shook his head as if to physically rid it of such foolishness. Of course he wasn't a mage, Ryder would have sensed it the moment he walked in. The man was just attentive and probably had his hair magically modified by a witch. Still, it ate at him.

It only took Ryder a moment to realize the game was between the white-haired man and the one deciding whether or not playing it safe was really the best way to go. If it he was him in his seat, the redhead would have went all in. Playing it safe in a game like this only got you eaten alive. Unfortunately, the man called, and the game crumbled around their very feet...

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

Correctly assumed by most at first glance, the white-haired man was by no means ordinary. Of course, those first impressions faded away quickly - nothing else about him was extraordinary. In fact, perhaps the most extraordinary thing about him, besides his hair, was that he was sitting with his chair facing backwards, his chest resting on the back. This was to allow the maximum comfort for the scabbarded broadsword strapped across his back tightly. While it seemed completely ordinary, aside from the red gem in the pommel, it was extraordinary for the fact that it was still on his person. A closer inspection of the scabbard would reveal that there were very light smudges against the leather of the grip and the scabbard that looked almost like fingerprints. Of course, they were fingerprints - those of the two security men who tried to take the blade away from Valur on his first night there. He had warned them of what might happen but like mortals tended to do, they went for it; he made no move to stop them.

They had been smart enough to let go when they felt the burning sensation and so were left with little more than scorched fingers. After that, he had given them the short version of how the sword was a charge placed on him by a higher power and that to take it would mean retribution from that higher power. They didn't buy it but with a few coins placed in their palms, he earned a night with two pairs of eyes on him. With that sort of foot in the door, he was in and in less than an hour, he was at the card tables and having others laughing with stories and most of the rest placated with rounds of beer from his winnings. He didn't draw much attention from his playstyle; he was charismatic and his manner never changed whether he was winning or losing. What did happen was that when he lost, he didn't lose much, and when he won, he won big.

Valur was a silver dragon, one of the few that ventured out into the world for his own sake rather than an oath or a mission. Of course that could be attributed to his unusual circumstances of birth and early life. The silver dragons could tell the truth of things: when people were lying, when they were hiding something, when they were misdirecting, any sort of deceitful behaviour they could see the truth of the matter. Bluffing was no different. He could tell when someone's hand was a bad one and they were bluffing or if they had a good hand and were trying to downplay it. That gave him the edge of knowing when the fold and when to stay, when to raise and when to call. There was no magic involved - it was just the way he was.

The dragon's ice blue eyes met those of his opponent - the last in a game of exceptionally high stakes for the night thus far. He knew she had a bad hand, or at least, she had one compared to his. As expected, when she laid down her cards, his hand was better and he scooped up the pot, dumping the coins into a small sack beside him. It was clearly magic of some kind as the pot was too large to fit into it but did so anyways. He did however save a handful of coins for the next round while the cards were being collected.

"Ready for the next round?" he asked with a grin that revealed canines both longer and sharper than would be expected on a normal human but still within reason.

"Nah, ya cleaned me out for the night," one of the other players said, standing up a disappointed but still friendly look. "I think I'll head on over to the bar for a drink or two."

"Looks like we have room for one more," Valur said, louder this time.

It was an invitation all right, but one to a dance that many of the onlookers had seen before and while some wanted to get some of their hard earned coin back, more wanted to keep what they still had.

 

[Noctis the Devious]

"Sure, I'll join," Ryder blurted without thinking. He was sure his coin purse would pay for it later but right then all he cared for was getting to know the stranger and what better way to do so than over a game of cards? "Don't start without me!" He flashed a grin before diving into the throng of bodies flowing between tables and toward the cashier cages lining the back wall. Once he had all of what he wanted to spend converted to the much needed chips, he snaked his way back to the table and slipped into the seat in time for the dealer to start another hand. He decided to begin with a small bet, thinking it better to work his up for a better grasp of the game and those playing to be a decent enought stradegy.

There was also no point in trying to bluff. The man already proved himself proficient in seeing through any and all forms of deceit, which made Ryder either more drunk than he thought or a masochist for even considering being in the same room as someone so closely aligned with the truth. So, he wasn't even going to try to hide his reactions to his cards. The two-card hand was dealt and the young wanderer whistled at his luck, or lack thereof. Damn, there was no possible way he could turn it over. He chuckled and with a lopsided grin piped up, "I'm going to need a drink." The man with the grey beard laughed and clapped his shoulder.

"By the looks of things lad, you've already had a couple down at the Loyal Storm. Sure you can hold out?" Ryder waved him off. He prided himself in his alcohol tolerance. If not for that he'd be drunk out of his mind singing along to folk songs with long gone men slain by the very stranger he sat with. Still, Stormy Mead was nothing to undermind, those drinks were strong and flowed freely! Soon a bottle of Firefly Brewed Mead was at his side and once again five cards were being turned over.

"So what's with the sword?" he ventured, glancing at the white-haired stranger. At that distance he should be sensing some form of magical interference but there was none, meaning it was natural. Curious. So very curious. Could he really be a mage? Water perhaps? He never met a mage before but he did know enough, and most mages were colored after their element. Yet, the only feeling he was recieving was from the large weapon secured to his back and there wasn't much he could make of it. More importantly, how did he get the monstrous blade pass security when he barely got away with his cloak?

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

Before any other could jump in, the silver dragon heard the next victim being reeled in. His thin lips curled at the edges in a smile as the boy ran off to get his coins converted to chips. He was not the only one to notice the boy's haste and several onlookers and one of the players shook their heads, expecting Ryder to lose it all - who came to play without already having cashed in for chips? Of course, just because he seemed new to this, it didn't mean that he couldn't be a good player, but individuals like that were few and far between.

Finding the boy returning through the throng to his seat, Valur leaned back, propping his heels up on one of the support beams beneath the table. He could tell that the boy had already tossed a few back from his gait but he seemed aware enough to play. Maybe not to play well but enough to play. It was his funeral to play like that; the other players knew it too. What made it worse was that Ryder decided to go for another drink as soon as the first hand was dealt.

As the center five were being dealt, he asked the question that most people were intelligent enough not to ask without it actually being their job. It just went to show that Ryder had more in him than he should to be playing the game. However, Valur didn't really mind answering, not that anyone would know much from the answer.

"What's with the sword is that someone important decided that it didn't need to be where it was. So I'm taking it to where they think it should be. Simple enough job but that someone is paranoid. The sword hurts anyone who touches it aside from myself. It's a nasty protection spell - a couple of towns back, a highwayman tried to steal it only to have his hand burnt to the bone. And I can't do anything about it. Easier for everybody to let me just keep it. Besides, I've been here for four days now and haven't drawn it once, despite being in.... how many fights has it been?"

"Twelve now after Brogner called you out for cheating and dived over the table," came the answer from the man to Valur's left.

"Twelve fights. If I haven't drawn it once for a fight, when would I draw it? Probably never in this place. Probably never anywhere else."

Looking at his cards once more, he raised the bet before it went to the left.

 

[Noctis the Devious]

Ryder whistled, impressed by the sword's abbilities and the sheer number of fights the stranger had been involved in. What was even more impressive, as well as respectable, was the fact he never drew the sword. It was logical honestly. The sword was huge, it didn't belong in silly fist fights. Logic, unfortunately, wasn't a hereditary trait. "So much violence," he chided with a playful edge to his words. "But you know what they about guys with big swords." He chuckled at his own lame remark while the fellow with the grey beard laughed loudly.

"Lad, you either have guts or a death wish!"

Ryder dissmissed him and called. His cards didn't exactly guarantee him a sure win yet they weren't so bad he'd opt to fold, and if they were Ryder was feeling far too stubborn. Maybe it was the mead. The young adventerer took a sip of his drink, deciding to go easy on it. As much as he'd love to regain the buzz chased away by the night's chill on his walk over, he had the mind to stay at least semi sober for the card game.

"So while we're tossing out careless questions and the like, I gotta ask, how did you loose your eye?" The bearded man tapped his own left eye and Ryder offered a lopsided grin.

"Can't say." And added when he recieved a look of confusion, "Well I can't very well explain something that never happened." The truth was, he was rather self conscious of the resulting scar and found people easier to talk when he wore the eye patch to cover it up. It didn't completely mask the disfigurement however, tendrils of torn flesh peaking out from the top and bottom of the black leather. "Word of advice: if you suddenly gain magic powers, don't use them to to try and one up a witch with years of experience on you. They don't take too kindly to that."

The man laughed and shook his head; if they didn't think him reckless before they sure did now! He couldn't stop from wandering though, just how good the white-haired stranger was at detecting falsehood. Even if he never clarified what he had stated applied to him, what specifics were given were slightly altered. He laughed at how paranoid his thoughts must have sounded. The guy wasn't a lie detecting spell! He probably didn't even care either way. Nevertheless, he took another sip of his Firefly Mead for good measure.

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

"Violence is a hazard of living," Valur said, raising an eyebrow. "And yes, I know what they say - How the hell can you wield such a thing? With two hands, of course."

A flickering smile crossed the silver dragon's lips. He was liking this new player - at least he made interesting conversation. The rest of the players had seen in this place were rock bluffers; they showed little to know change in their actions and mannerisms as the situation evolved. This one though... he was boisterous and he had the gall to make comments like that, especially after having been told just how well the silver dragon handled himself in a fight.

He did happen to share a bit about himself, perhaps more than he intended to, given the dragon's capabilities of seeing through lies and falsehoods. It was true that he retained his eye and an observation of the patch over it showed that there were bits of healed scar tissue at the edges of the leather. No doubt that the scar itself prevented full function of the eye. If the muscles were frozen then it could be a detriment to interaction, something that Ryder seemed to enjoy. It made sense to Valur why he might want to cover it up. What was more was that he admitted to having magic.

"So then..." he said, taking a drink from his own tankard. "What is the first thing you should do if you suddenly gain magic powers? Surely you wouldn't take on a dragon."

 

[Noctis the Devious]

Ryder inwardly winced. He was right though, violence, unfortunately, was a hazard of life. But his thoughts were chased away by the stranger's response to his comment and he laughed. Then he mentioned dragons. A quizzical look morphed the young wanderer's facial expression as he pondered his response. "Why would anyone do something like that?" he decided to ask. "I already learned my lesson: if you don't understand it, don't engage it in battle!" He copped a cheesy grin, which broke out into a chuckle when he realized he was quickly loosing the hand. Well, at least the game itself was turning out to be rather fun.

"That'd be the wisest thing you've said all evening," grey-bead quipped, folding his cards once more. "So then, I take it your a witch? Can't be one of them facy mages, your eye color ain't right for that."

Ryder hummed. "Someone knows their classes, but no I'm not a mage." Pity, too. He'd love to be one instead of what he was. At least his eyes would be blue or at least a shade red or orange even. Wouldn't that be cool? "Honestly, I can't decide if the white-haired sword fellow is a mage or not. He definitly has the coloration for water." The young wanderer gave a good natured smile to show he was joking. Even if he wasn't, most witches took it as a sign of disrespect to have their class thrown around so carelessly. "But I am wandering: why dragons? Have you been faced to face with one? Battled it even?" He certainly had the sword! Yet Ryder had mixed feelings towards the existence of the mighty beasts. He had never accountered one before but heard many stories of their impossible feats and unmatched skills, most of which he discounted as mere hype.

"I certaintly like to meet one," he continued, becoming lost in his thoughts. "If only to see if the tales were true. Could such a beast exist?"

The man with the grey beard continued to laugh at him. "Lad, don't mean to alarm you or anything, but I think someone done spiked your mead!"

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

"If you already learned the lesson, then why play against me? You certainly didn't understand my blade or myself and yet here you are, engaging me in a battle of wits, albeit we play with the handicap of good mead. Perhaps it's just part of the mortal races: curiosity. It's why adventure is so enticing - there's always something new to explore, something unknown. It's why I like going to new places and playing in game halls. Every hand could be an adventure if you let it."

Still smiling as he took another drink, he set the tankard down before raising the pot once more.

"But dragons... Oh yes, I've met a few dragons. I've battled them too. They exist, but you wouldn't know it. They're isolated - they don't want much to do with the mortals unless it affects them too. Just imagine it... dragons flying everywhere telling you what crops to plant, how much to sell your cloth for. Be glad they don't have such a heavy hand in affairs.

"Meeting one? You may have already but would never know. Many of them can take the form of one of the mortal races. You could have met one and never know. One of the people in this game right now could be a dragon and none of us would be the wiser. Well, unless another player was a dragon too - they would know. But if that were the case, I don't think they'd let me hang onto their money."

The last line had the silence that was interrupted only by the clinking of coin destroyed by uproarious laughter. Some who had been looking between others wondering who might be a dragon were visibly relieved by Valur's common sense reasoning.

 

[Noctis the Devious]

[My sleep schedule is so jacked up xD]

"Never thought about it like that," Ryder mused. "But I don't think it's much of a battle since I'm not all that smart."

"You don't say."

Ryder waved off the amused bearded man and continued, "I just happen to be where ever there's good company and decent drink." He set his bet as he listened to the white-haired stranger speak and thought more deeply into his words than he probably should have. It wasn't until a few gazes fell on him did he realize some assumed him to be dragon! He laughed at how easily they were made suspicous of each other and by the words of some one they most likely didn't even know! The tension was quickly broke thankfully and the game continued.

Soon Ryder had only a half a bottle of his mead left bust still somehow retained a clear head. Player after player folded and dropped until it was only Ryder, the stranger, and the bearded man, who Ryder assumed only stuck around to pick fun at him. No matter, he wasn't exactly the perfect guy either and Ryder made it known every now and then. While the stranger had a keen six sense for the truth, the young wanderer had a thing for detail. No matter where the conversation went though, his mind kept back tracking to all of what the stranger had said.

Mortals. He sure it was nothing but his mind was stuck on his phrasing. That abd he kept thinking back to all of the people he had met and rumors he had heard. With seven years of travel under his belt, he had a lot to think over. He shook his head and placed another bet, which consisted of the rest of his chips. A bold move but he wasn't planning on playing another hand. The most he wanted to do was finish he Firefly Mead and maybe chat some more before stumbling over to the Loyal Storm. The redhead yawned, earning himself a snicker.

"What's this then? Burn yourself out already?"

Ryder laughed. "Half the place is cleared out. I have to say, I'm not entirely feeling the shame." He could feel the beginning of what could be a hangover though. Damn, his alcohol consumption, while mainly absorbed by his magic, was going to claim revenge ten fold. "But what I'd give to return to a bed of gold!" He shot the white-haired stranger a teasing smirk. "Sleep fit for dragon, wouldn't you say?" In all seriousness Ryder didn't place too much value in money. There were more priceless things out there that gold could not buy nor replace.

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

The silver dragon could see that Ryder was throwing in the rest of chips not just as a move to see if he could win, but also because he was calling it for the night. Valur had been watching him for the game the same as he had the other players and he could tell that the alcohol he had been having as well as what he had had before coming in, judging by his breath, was taking it's toll. Meeting Ryder bet with his own, Valur smirked at the bed of gold comment.

"I've tried it and trust me, it's not that comfortable. They don't actually sleep on it - more just rest as they guard it. Of course, scales might make it easier to sleep on. But piles of gold keep moving with every shift in weight and as large as dragons are, you would think they would be rolling in their gold. No, I'll take a mattress any day. That or a hammock under the stars. Keeps travel light."

As his last coin clinked into the pot, the bearded man folded, knowing he didn't have enough to keep playing the hand. The last card was laid down to reveal a woman with a heart in the corner to go along with her husband further up the line and the ten just before.

"And that's game I believe," he said turning his hand over to reveal the ace and prince of hearts. "Wasn't expecting a royal."

 

[Noctis the Devious]

Ryder hummed dreamily at the hummack comment and wandered why out of all these years of traveling around, he hadn't thought of that. Without realizing it, he began to sway back and fourth as he imagined sleeping on nothing but air, all nice and coccooned in soft canvas. Yeah, he would take the stars over a matress any day even if all he had was a bedroll. Unfortunately it got lonely. One would think the young wanderer would have joined a party yet he remained alone for reasons he'd rather keep to himself, but he at least had inns and taverns. His swaying came to an abrubt halt when he leaned a little too far to his left and nearly toppled over. Laughing, he righted himself and checked his hand. Damn! His first ever four of a kind and the stranger pulls out royals left and right.

"I do believe it is," Ryder agreed. "Well, I'm gonna bade you all farewell and happy travels cause this wa-witch is done." If he wasn't a little out of it, he probably would have had a panic attack right then and there, but as it were, Ryder merely giggled at his near slip and staggered to his feet, digging out the cash he was saving for a breakfast at the Stormy Tavern and handing it to the dealer as a tip. He would regret the move later when he was awake and sober enough to realize he no longer had the coin for a hot meal but he'd live. He'd just have to scrounge up the rest of his rations to hold him off until he refreshed his supplies.

He stared at the pot for a moment and laughed a little to himself. "You sure know a lot. Almost as if you lived with them. Or maybe you're a hunter." He chuckled and leaned over, doing his best not to land in the white haired stranger's lap and some how succeeding (his lap sure did look comfy though...). "Or maybe you are one. Wouldn't that be something! Makes loosing my money not so bad." He grinned cheekily at him and gave his shoulder a friendly squeeze. Then collected his bottle and took a swing as he stumbled away.

"Lad? Where you going? The exit is that way!" the bearded man laughed. He was talking to two others and thus had not heard the redhead's drunk ramblings.

"What? How did that happen?" He stood there for a moment as he looked between the cages he was heading towards and the actual exit, which had not moved at all contrary to Ryder's belief. "I could have swore I came from this direction. Maybe there's a back door. There's gotta be a back door." He continued to ramble about back doors as he continued in the wrong direction. The people behind the counters just laughed him while trying to explain there was only one exit and entrance. Somewhere during the goofy exchange the young wanderer began spouting cheesing pick up lines. "Hey, hey girl, where you a cat in your past life? 'Cause you are purrfection." The man behind the counter simply laughed harder.

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

Underneath his white hair, one of Valur's eyebrows rose. While he had figured that Ryder was a caster of some sort, he had just admitted that he was a warlock, though to anyone around them it could have been a slur of the tongue. Scraping his winnings into the small sack he had, he could feel the other's eyes on him. Ryder was even getting closer, nearly falling into Valur's lap with his tipsiness. He did however laugh at Ryder's drunken conclusions.

"Only someone who needs to sleep off the booze would think that. I merely pick up a lot of things traveling. You would too if you didn't spend so much time drinking."

He watched the rest of them as Ryder tried unsuccessfully to find a back door to the gaming hall. After several unsuccessful attempts and the laughter of many, Valur stood up, tucking the pouch into a pocket before going over to Ryder. Clapping a hand on the warlock shoulder, he sighed.

"Alright then, where are you staying? Someone has to make sure you don't wind up unconscious in an alleyway somewhere. Might as well be me since the others are either laughing their asses off or just as drunk. I'll make sure you get there."

 

[Noctis the Devious]

Ryder was used to being smacked and groped so the clap to the shoulder didn't bother him, what did surprise him was the presence of the white-haired stranger and his words. He chuckled and pulled away from the cages; it wasn't common someone actually stepped in and offer to walk him to where ever he chose to sleep. Not unless they wanted a little favor in turn. "Everyone needs a good laugh every now and then." He winked at the exchanger, who snickered with a roll of his eyes. "I think I know the way back. It's the Loyal Storm Tavern I do believe. Hey, you need to try their mead! That's something that will really give you a run for your money." He laughed and staggered toward the actual entrance (after clarifying once more there indeed wasn't a back door), dragging the white haired stranger with him if only to buy him a drink.

The night, breaking early morning, had cooled considerably since his track to the Dreary Cove and the young wanderer pulled his cloak tighter around his body. It was his subconscious draw to heat that that had him walking closer to the white-haired stranger until they brushed against each other with each step. "So where you staying?" he ventured, not one for silences of any sort. "No, wait, don't tell me: you're going to simply buy a house." He gave a wistful sigh at the thought of a stable home but dismissed those thoughts with a chuckle and a shake of the head. Not that he had forgotten the stranger's sword - it was just a nice thought. His nostalgia quickly turned devious as he gazed sidelong at the man accompaning him to the tavern.

"But why would a dragon need a house if he has the sky?" He grinned and leaned closer. "I wouldn't bother trying to deny it. As drunk as I may be, my sixth sense is just fine, better actually now thst it's just you and me, and I have to say, I've never felt a presence quite like yours." He closed his eyes and trained in on the crystanette, simply taking in the man's aura. It was deffinitly unique; old, strong, honest. No, that wasn't quite right. It was something akin to honest... There was even more there, layered upon one another, and something that Ryder couldn't place. It wasn't quite like anything he had felt before and that made him all that more curious.

He hadn't realized he had rested his head on the others shoulder until he opened his eyes and blushed. "Uh, sorry about that, I must be more out of it than I thought," he chuckled sheepishly. The man, whoever he was, probably didn't want anyone to know what he actually was, assuming Ryder was correct, and that was something Ryder understood. The fear, the loathing... He couldn't bare it if anyone knew what he was truly capable of.

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

Valur shook his head at the offer of booze. The stuff hardly affected him, or at least mortal alcohol didn't. It would probably take the entire stock of the tavern to give him an actual buzz. The only reason he drank any while gaming was to keep up pretenses and because, against all odds, he actually licked the taste.

"I find places to sleep..." he said by way of answer.

In truth, he had a bed at the same tavern, something he had expected given the proximity between the gaming hall and the tavern. This was just an easy excuse to let him have a few hours rest before returning. He did happen to notice though that Ryder was moving in closer to him, but the silver dragon merely took it as the human weaving from the booze. It didn't bother him that Ryder might need someone to lean on.

"Truth be told... and I don't tell this very often... the sword was actually given to me by a dragon. You're probably sensing his magic on the blade and the connection it has to me. But it's an easy mistake to make, especially if you don't have all you're reasoning. It's how I know as much as I know about dragons - I've met them and even lived with them some."

Truer words never spoken, just not the entire truth. He looked down at Ryder, whose head now rested on the dragon's shoulder. The warlock was more perceptive than he thought, but it was a contingency he had planned for.

 

[Noctis the Devious]

"Same here," Ryder chimed. "I can quite literally crash anywhere. I once slept on a bed of needles. Boy, that was one heck of a festival! Ever been to the Lands of Hono? They have some really quirky traditions! Good times. Good times." He wasn't even going to mention he probably would have decided the treck wasn't worth it and would have actually passed out in the alley. With his streak, it would have been the alley next to the tavern too!

He took a moment to mull over the stranger's words and nodded. "That makes sense. Wouldn't be the first time I was wronge. There was this one time I actually accused this poor guy of being a genie! But in all fairness, my drink was spiked and I was really drunk and that guy made for a very convincing genie! I kept trying to wish for free booze despite the booze being free to begin with. Oh, and hair cause that poor guy - I kid you not - had not and strand on his body. Can you imagin? I swear he waxed his head."

His seemingly endless chatter finally came to an end upon stumbling through the threshold of the Loyal Storm, and their arrival was puntuated by a voice booming from across the bar, "Ryder! You traiterous dog! I was suppose to get you drunk." The younger wanderer grinned and waved at him as he made for the stairs.

"Maybe some other time. Right now I think I'm gonna go lay down and cuddle my pillow. Hey, wanna be my pillow?" he inquired, wiggling his eyebrows at his escort from the game hall. It was remarks like that, that more often than not landed the poor redhead in situations he didn't intend, even if he was only kidding, but Ryder couldn't help make such comments in his unfiltered state of mind.

He laughed it off and staggered up the stairs, tripping over a few yet somehow making it to his room fairly unharmed. Of course he forgot he had rearranged the room to better suit his needs and had carelessly left the bed in front of the door, blocking full access. His mead-addle mind didn't fully comprehend the predicament though and chose to bang the door against his frame a couple of times. He finally took a couple steps back and held out a hand, meaning to work some magic on the door, but instead of the door obeying, a loud bang resounded from somewhere in the room. "No! What did I blow up?!" He lurched for the door and his banging became more frantic.

Boistrous laughfter could be heard from down stairs and Ryder huffed, "Oh please, like I'm the most graceless drunk you ever had!"

"You're right, but most don't weild magic!" More laughfter and Ryder snickered.

The world suddenly tilted for the young wanderer and fell heavily against the wood of the door only to come face to face with a gap big enough to slip thtough. "Oh, that's how I got out." He chuckled sheepishly and waved at the stranger. "Well good night, and treat my money well you scandalous swordsman you." He laughed at his oh so cleaver wording and slid into his room without further incident.

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

It definitely seemed as though Ryder got up to far more antics than Valur did, these days, at least. Of course, that could just be the fact that he was one of the mortal races and their short lifespans pushed them to spend it as they wanted instead of with thought and reason. Of course, such was the silver dragon's life when he started out, being in the company of mortals like this. Though his father was not quite so... drunkenly amorous.

He could not help the laugh at Ryder's invitation to be his pillow for the night. While he was certainly not opposed to the idea, he couldn't find it in himself to take advantage of Ryder like that. Were he in a sober mood though.... Something could happen.

The boy also seemed to be just as adept at magic while drunk, unlike most mages, even if he couldn't control it as well; most mages couldn't even produce a wisp of smoke at this level of intoxication. As Ryder slipped from his grasp with his movements, Valur was about to help the other up only to see the spot that the boy had referred to.

"Come by tomorrow and you might have a chance to win it back," he said before the door closed.

Taking his own key from a pocket, he walked down several doors to his own room and went in, locking it behind him before his clothes vanished and he laid on the bed, stretching out to rest until the next day.

 

[Noctis the Devious]

Ryder yelped and scrambled out of the room that was most definitely not his. "I swear I only slept with your brother!" He was given no chance to ponder the implications before a bottle was hurled at his head, shattering against the opposite wall when he ducked it and falling in a delicate shower of glass. The door slammed shut behind him. Shuddering, the young wanderer hopped along the corridor stuffing his foot into a leather boot and stumbled down the creaky stairs of the old tavern where boisterous laughter could be heard coming from the bar.

"Well aren't you a lively one!" the barkeeper jested.

He groaned. It honestly wasn't what they thought. He really did sleep with her brother since even in his inebriated he didn't see it proper to lay with a drunk woman. Sure they may have been some cuddling, but he couldn't exactly help being a major cuddler now could he? If only the sister saw things his way. He took a seat at the bar and rubbed at his tender skull. How much did he have to drink last night? Three - six - tankards of the Loyal Storm's mead plus the alcohol he consumed back at the Dreary Cove, and then some more Stormy mead when he couldn't be bothered with sleep...

He pressed his head against the bar as if that would somehow relieve some of the pain pounding his brain to mush, suddenly not feeling all that peachy. Worse yet, he had lost all his "fun" money gambling the night away with the white haired stranger. A light clank caught his attention and he glanced up at the shot glass that had been set down beside his head. "An old family secret," the barkeeper explained. "It'll help take the edge off."

"Thanks, can't say I can pay for it though." The bearded man shook his head and insisted it was on the house. Not one to refuse generosity, the redhead knocked back the concoction in the shot glass and instantly regretted it. "Uck, what is that?" he smacked his lips, tasting egg white and... pepper?

"If I told you it wouldn't be much of a secret!"

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

Valur was awoken by the sounds of domestic fighting in the morning, alongside the shattering of a bottle. Despite having sensitive hearing, he had learned to block out most normal sounds over the years but impromptu and abnormal sounds like this brought him to wakefulness quickly. Of course, living ont he road for the first few decades of his life had probably been a contributing factor to this as well. Rolling over, he looked at the window into the light of morning and growled softly. He was more nocturnal than silver dragons were supposed to be, accustomed to stealthy travel at night but he could switch his schedule arund as he wanted.

Sliding out of bed, he stood up and stretched, thinking about leaving town in the next day or so and heading off. It would be a good chance to stretch his wings a bit As his clothes reappeared on his body, he checked the sword once more before he headed down to the bar. Art it he saw the young man from before, an obvious look of disgust on his face and the hollow eyes of someone who was rudely awakened. Vazlur could assume that he was the cause of what had happened that morning and that he had just taken some sort of homemade hangover remedy. Shaking his head, he took a seat next to Ryder.

"Looks like you didn't sleep as well as I did and maybe you're still asleep," he said, pulling out a few coins. "And you're gonna need more than that if you want to get anywhere today. I've got this."

Calling over the barkeep, he got the two of them something for breakfast. There were definitely eggs and homemade bread but there was a meat that Valur found hard to identify by any sense before giving up and guessing it was just an amalgamation of meats.

"Eat it and you'll be fine."

 

[Noctis the Devious]

Ryder's attention was drawn towards movement on the stairs and for a brief, terrifying moment he thought the mad women from earlier had come to throw more glass bottles at him. But the shock of crystal hair had him relaxing and a friendly grin spread across his face, which threatened to turn into a grimace when his ache gave one last painful throb before dulling into something more management. "Way to rub it in," he chuckled, returning to laying his head on the bar. It was the mention of food that had him completely perking up and looking genuinely surprised. "You walked me back and buy me breakfast? Seems like someone is suffering from a bad case of victor's remorse." Not that he was complaining.


He dug into the food without a second thought. Free food was free food, who cared about specifics? It wasn't until he caught the barkeep's eye did he realize he had the two fingers pinched around some egg sticking out from his mouth and gave a sheepish grin, licking each digit clean. "A while back I had lost my utensils while crossing a river." Over a precarious log. During a flash flood. "I never really thought to replace them and I kind of grew used to eating with my hands, but the thing is, I only forget to use them in civilization after a night of drinking. Funny huh?"


The barkeep snickered at him and left the redhead to shovel food into his mouth, this time with his fork, but only after making a comment on choking. A comment that fell on death ears. It wasn't until Ryder had cleaned half his plate and slowed down did the barkeeper clear his throat. "Listen, I don't mean to bother you or anything, but, well, who else to ask but a witch? Lately folks have been disappearing and odd sightings have been reported in the forest; robbed figures murmuring to themselves, runes on rocks, odd looking circles carved into the ground. Black magic they say. Why, just the other day some poor soul stumbled in ranting and raving about blood sacrifices."


"And the guards?" Ryder asked casually. It was as if they were discussing the weather.


"The guards? The guards? What a bloody joke, them lot!"


Ryder winced at the escalated volume but waved off the man's apologies. "Not surprising really. They tend to keep these matters on the down low or dismiss them entirely. Unfortunately, I know exactly what's going on, or I think I do at least." He patted his person until he was able to produce a piece of parchment and coal, key materials every witch needed constant access too.


"Witch's magic works a bit differently than other arcane users." He drew a pentagram as he talked, a symbol the general public had came to associate with the devil but couldn't be further from the truth, and marked each point with its corresponding element: air, fire, earth, water, and spirit as the pentacle. "Most witches can only use spirit magic, magic that draws from the Source." To illustrate this, he drew a line straight down the center of the star. "Mages, as rare as they may be, can draw from the element they were born under as well as spirit, and rarer still are warlocks, witches with the ability to use two or more elements." An X promptly connected the elements across from each other.


He gave the man time to disgust the information, noticing how his gaze fell on the sectioned off center of the element star. "And this?" he inquired, tapping the curiosity with a fat finger. In response, Ryder scrawled six possible element combinations under his rough sketch: Fire/Air, Water/Earth, Fire/Water, Air/Earth, Fire/Earth, and Water/Air.


"These are what we like to call the Forbidden, mages with the power to not only control two elements but combine them, something the other witch classes cannot do, even warlock. Combining fire and air gives you the gift of flight. Water and earth? Gravity. Between these two alone the Forbidden can defy the very laws of physics or control them. Then there's air and earth: bone magic; and fire and water: blood magic - the power over oneself." But a lot went unsaid on how exactly to achieve such results.


"So, you think there's a blood mage/forbidden person running amuck?"


"Either a blood mage or someone trying to replicate it."


"And what about the last two?"


Ryder chuckled. "They're not important." He finished up his plate with little evidence left and tossed the stranger next to him one of his infamous grins. "Hey, since I'm only one person and I technically paid you in advance and you seem to be in a generous mood, want to be my muscle? You know, if you don't have people lining up to have their money taken by you that is."

 

[Yaoi Master Gavin]

"No, I just find you entertaining and the least one should do when entertained is show gratitude. As you say, I cleaned you out - I can at least get you breakfast," Valur said with a shrug.

He started going into his own food, using the utensils given though he had an odd way of going about it. While he used the fork, he used it only to stab at the food and bring it to his mouth, even when it might have been better to scoop it up; that was where he showed skill in doing it just as he had been. He managed a smile at Ryder's eating with his hands. It made enough sense for a human - of course, he could just shift a claw and spear food, much like he was doing right now, the fork an extension of his finger.

The story that Valur heard was one he had heard spoken of in whispers and rumours but the stories were often varying and often told by the scared or the drunk. Still, it made good table talk. The dragon only half paid attention, though he noticed that this tale had more details than most and the more details that were laid out, the more he agreed with Ryder - it was either a blood mage or someone trying to replicate it. In either case it was dangerous business.

What it did bring to the table for Valur was a question of what elements that Ryder had control of - he had nearly slipped up and said that he was a warlock the last night.

He was tempted to find out, the roguish curiosity of his adoptive father having slipped into him at an early age.

"I'm still around for fun and this sounds like it, especially with you. Besides, it sounds like a problem to both investigate and take care of - reminds me of the old days with my father. He was better at sneaking around than I was though. I should be able to get by though."