“Did you expect to send a gigantic dragon to a place that isn’t often graced by such powerful, majestic, and devastating creatures, especially in cases when they have good will and
not have it investigated?” Vahki asked, an amused smile playing on his lips as he leaned forward, and quirked his head - he was waiting for a genuine answer. “If you want people not to notice, you might want to choose something a bit more inconspicuous because I’ve found that the people of this land are very often thorough - even some of the college magi. I myself happen to be one of the thorough folk.” Vahki said, not thinking he was generous with the sly-not-compliment about college magi, but rather just hoping to have a fun conversation. Getting in a hit against those arrogant bastards made everything more fun, after all.
“Finding your dragon was, unsurprisingly, very easy. We didn’t even look for him. While he was flattening bird houses, and making memories, he had left a trail that could be followed.” Vahki said.
“Did you know that everything in this world has memories, Felix? Even the air, though it is quick to disperse, and so often forgets things.” Vahki said, approaching the table, and reaching to the center to grab a bundle of grapes. He twisted one off and popped it into his mouth, gauging Felix’s reaction.
“Your great drake seems to have retained many, and knew exactly where to report to for his latest check-in.” Vahki said.
“It took only a bit of patience for him to, indeed, turn in a report. I realized then that this wasn’t his first. He was too far familiar with the process, too comfortable lowering himself in servitude to you. Even before that, though, I noticed that the dragon wasn’t aimless, or simply seeking a new home. He was
searching for something. So, of course I tried to figure out what. Then I tried to find out what each of you was interested in. I deal primarily in information, knowledge… maybe a wish or two here or there.” Vahki said, taking at least a bit of offense to what Joromodo was doing - unaware that it was not true servitude, but gratitude - “and I thought that we could help each other.” Vahki said.
“I will impart to you some advice that took me longer to learn than I like to admit. Amongst this land - one either continent that Arillia straddles - your shadows may very well have eyes, sometimes even literally. Though, in this case we just tracked the drake. What you leave behind means something. To evade detection you must be
nothing, you must leave no trace, and, most importantly, you must not be a giant dragon making a lot of noise in places frequented by more mortal creatures.” Vahki said.
“Discretion is the savior of all. If you don’t find some, I will only have been the first to find you, and only the first to get a glimpse into what you are doing. There are things a lot more dangerous than I am here. Some of them are very, very old, too - almost unimaginably so.” Vahki continued.
“Magicians, Felix, you
must find a defense against to survive - and discretion is one such thing. The curious will not become so if they see nothing, hear nothing, feel nothing, and know nothing.” Vahki finished. He looked to Felix’s hair and then back down to his handsome features.
”Well, perhaps not only discretion will help.” He mused. There was a reason that an alienist was able to make a living in
Alliria, after all. Scaleless ones were…
problematic.