Private Tales Coasting Along The Waves

[Aecmald]

CORTOSI COAST
Lumen

As a rule Aecmald did not interact with many of his fellow students. Not past your usual 'hello's', 'goodbyes' and 'what is going to be on the test next week'? It seemed... counter-productive when any one of them could become your rival at a moment's notice. While the days of throat-cutting and deadly duels fought in the moonlight were over come the revolution? Aec wasn't sure it would last.

Competition was the way to proper strength and achievement.

You couldn't suddenly convince a teenager otherwise when he had been raised with that idea from the moment they took him away from his parents.

But the teachers had different ideas. They noticed with their little greasy fingers and even greasier eyes that Aec did not consort often with the other students. Perhaps that was why they assigned him to a new mission together with another student. Lumen. He had seen her, of course. A bright-faced blondie who was too nosey for her own good.

The stories down the halls about her kicking the shit out of bullies and otherwise intervening into matters that weren't her concerns were abound plenty.

This was exactly the last person Aec wanted to be around.

But apparently Vel Anir had caught side of a smuggling operation. Cortosi pirates that were smuggling magical objects out of the continent. To where? Rumors spoke of Nordenfiir reavers paying high prices for as many magical artifacts as possible. Some said they were preparing for another murderous expedition and needed as many sharp edges as possible.

This was not for Aec to determine.

No, their mission was boring and simple. Sit on this marked hill that had a good view of the shipping lanes off the Cortosi coast and mark any suspicious activity there was.

This was exactly why Aec suspected the mission was either not real or came secondary to the real purpose.

Having them chat with one another for reasons unknown.

Aec found that to be a bit patronizing.

"Have you seen anything yet?" He asked over the edge of his book. They were swapping turns, because both staring at the same horizon for hours at a time would be even more dreadful yet. "Besides the shape of a new wave, of course."

 

[Lumen]

"No," teeth ground quietly, tawny-eyes sweeping between the ships entering and exiting the harbor and docking area. What were they supposed to see? It's not like smugglers would fly some smuggler or pirate flags unless they were the worst smugglers in all of Arethil.

And once again, she proctors gave little to not enough information for a mission.

Just like the mission where she'd been assigned Prince Babysitting duty, she had to wonder if she'd done something wrong in one of her courses or trainings to be assigned this type of mission? She should be on the front lines with the armies in the West. Or ridding a village of werewolves or other foul and terrorizing beasts.

But no.

She was here, sitting on a sun-lit grassy hill dotted with wisps of dandelions and bright daisies and watching ship traffic. A quick and curious glance to the book he held. Like her, he was one of the few non-nobles in this so-called Gilded Class of theirs. And like her, he came from a family of middleclass. A rare few in this group of initiates.

"What're you reading?" A quiet question as she diligently did the job she was assigned.

 

[Aecmald]

He sighed.

That had been too much to hope for he reckoned.

Finally Lumen said something that made Aec look up from his book. Rather surprised in fact, before glancing back down to the book as she asked him what it was. "Alena's Treatise." Which was rather unhelpful and Aec realized that a moment after.

"It explores the distinct ways elvish magic differs from human magic, while delving deeper into the best ways to neutralize its threat to us."

It was a controversial thing to study when the Republic had declared they were all turning a new leaf, but.

"I believe it's best to be prepared. Generational hate does not simply dissipate because a new government commands it to do so." Would the elves suddenly veer out of their forests and attack the capital? Most likely not, but he'd be a bad Dreadlord if the thought didn't occupy his mind anyway.

Finally the book closed as Aec returned his attention to the fellow student.

"Are you looking forward to... graduating?"

It was a weak foray into personal discussions, but Aec wasn't exactly trained in this.

 

[Lumen]

The new Vel Anir was tenuous as best. While a few elves came and went more freely, the elven district was still one of the poorest districts in the city. More akin to the slums. And one of the books he held was from the forbidden section. He must have sway with the Librarian.

Or he'd just stolen it.

Surprise in her tawny-eyes at his next question. That would've been a strange question to ask a year ago. Before the revolution, graduation was a time where they'd have to face another classmate and kill them in order to graduate. She might've been placed against him. Or Caeso or Zinnia or any other number of classmates she hadn't immediately wished death upon. But in order to survive the grueling years, she'd promised herself she wouldn't think about it until she had to.

And then the revolution happened and everything changed.

"I'm not sure," she finally admitted. "Moreso now than...before. But with how the graduation went with the class above us," voice trailed off. "Even after the revolution it seems like nothing is safe or can be trusted."