OOM: A Tale of Two Cities

[herr_bookman]

Pain never used to bother Autor, not really. He didn't dwell much on his or others'--there was no point wasting the time when he had so much work to be done.

But then Lohengrin flinched and Rabastan cried, so now the boy is looking back at other ponds he may or may not have made waves in. To his chagrin, he found a few. Even worse, he found some storms ready to burst.

So he put off his work and scoured the library for a solution. He devoured poetry after poetry book, history after history, and found nothing. As much as it irritates him, he's out of his depth. He knows he needs to turn to a person with experience in these matters.

Someone who knows him, but is disconnected from the situation. Someone who can't possibly guess who else is involved. Someone who happens to be walking right beside him at the end of a long day.

"Majesty Lemia?" he asks hesitantly, and then straightens his posture. "You have a great deal of experience in diplomatic negotiations, do you not?"

Comments

[gorgonfondness]

Nash snickers over his cup. "Aren't you hopeful? Some places might be beyond help, like Meryod."

"Nash, Meryod isn't beyond help," Mia protests.

Lemia nods and hands him her cup with, "More tea would be lovely. Thank you, Autor."

[herr_bookman]

"And why do you say that, Nash?" Autor asks smoothly as he prepares Lemia's second cup. "Is it not the Premier's responsibility to consider opportunities for trade and development in all cities--which can benefit not only them, but his own?

"I've read about you," he says quietly, gently setting another cup of Nash's preferred tea in front of him to replace his emptied one. "So I know you know that anticipating the needs of others is a useful skill--especially so in politics."

One he's finding more and more so as of late. He offers the man a brief, genuine smile and a shrug, as if to say, but hell, I'm a kid, what do I know?

He offers Lemia her tea and takes a seat next to her. "Now what's wrong with Meryod?"

[gorgonfondness]

"That responsibility isn't lost on me," Nash answers with a brief blink at his fresh cup of tea. "But Meryod is something different. They're a village suspended over a river by a network of bridges. The real miracle about that is the people there being able to nail anything not related to themselves."

Mia gives Nash a scandalized look.

"Oh come on," he tells her. "You saw what it was like. One guy tried to pick you up with, 'Didn't I see you at the family reunion?'"

[herr_bookman]

Predictably, Autor chokes on his tea. His cheeks riot against his will, flushing cherry red.

"So they're over a river, you say?" he croaks. "Well, free, non-magical power, right there. And a fishing business."

Regaining some of his confidence--as long as he doesn't look at Nash--Autor starts murmuring to himself. "You'd have to look for the resources around you, like forests for wood and game. Obviously you could set up a smaller village on the shore and open trade among the larger bridges, merging the two. If you have a few enterprising members, you can set up a shipping network, depending on the size of the river. I'm not sure what the initial draw would be for people to migrate there, though."

[gorgonfondness]

"That could be something worked out with Damon," Mia suggests. "His tower is just southwest of Meryod."

"I doubt he's just going to open his library to the masses, though," Nash remarks. "They would probably have to pass his trials, too."

"Perhaps Damon could be persuaded otherwise," Lemia offers.

The three seem to be considering it.

[herr_bookman]

"A tower, with a library?" Autor says, and chuckles. "Now that would be a good site for a school."

He closes his eyes and sips his tea.

[gorgonfondness]

Nash points out, "But it wouldn't be much good if it can't be read. Damon's enchanted all of the books in his Spire so that you have to pass his trials in order to read them."

"And the trials aren't exactly easy," Mia adds. "You already have to know some history and magic theory in order to pass them."

[herr_bookman]

Autor sits up a little straighter. All right, a lot straighter. "Really," he says, eyes glimmering with challenge. "And why would he do that?"

[gorgonfondness]

"Because, like most intelligent hermits, he enjoys his privacy," Lemia answers smoothly while lifting her cup of tea to her lips.

[herr_bookman]

Autor's grin nearly splits his face. "Which he has every right to," he points out.

"But if you pass his trials, do you get to meet the man?" he asks, giddy. "Do you have access to the library forever or do you have to pass the trials each time? How does that obscuring magic even work, anyway?"

Then he tilts his head. "More importantly, how would you ever persuade him to open the library when he has spent so much time setting it up as his refuge?"

[gorgonfondness]

Nash glances to Mia as if to ask something. Mia's look back suggests that she's used to this before she answers Autor.

"You meet him as soon as you arrive, as part of the trial is obtaining a password to give to Damon. He's also present for all of the trials themselves. Once you pass the trials, you have access to the library forever. I'm sure you've run into a book or two about the obscuring magic but it's possible that Damon's is written directly into the library, as he's the author of many of the books in there. As for persuading Damon, I haven't a clue."

[herr_bookman]

"Then I will see his tower during the next time I visit," he says confidently, "pass those trials, and devour those texts myself."

Then he drains his tea and turns his sharp, glittering gaze on Mia. "Do you remember what you said about the lute? I don't know if this argument would work with him, but a book, like an instrument shouldn't be kept under lock and key. The knowledge was gathered with the intent to share it, and expound upon it. What better way to preserve the words on a page than to impress them in the collective memory of a people?"

He traces the rim of his cup with his thumb. "It's cyclical, you know? The knowledge of people create books, and vice versa."

[gorgonfondness]

Mia's eyes widen and she jumps out of her seat. "No! No, you can't take his trials! Not the way the Spire is now. It's overrun with monsters, creatures that could tear you limb from limb."

"Even we can't ascend the Spire on our own," Nash admits. "There are entire floors of monsters that are resistant to our magic. We would need Alex or Kyle to come with us."

[herr_bookman]

Autor blinks. "So these aren't intellectual tests on history and magical theory, then?" He stands, popping his nose in the air. "Tch! How annoying!"

Glancing at Lemia, he takes a few steps to the side to maintain a respectful distance. Then he fishes around for something in his pocket, and gingerly holds out what looks like a paper tube for inspection. "Would a grenade suffice for the magic-resistant floors, then? This is a simple one, obviously. No more than a firecracker. But I can make bigger ones."

He even has some in his sylladex right now.

[gorgonfondness]

Nash leans forward slightly.

"You haven't had those around my children, have you?" Mia asks with just a hint of ice to her tone.

[herr_bookman]

Autor is torn between rolling his eyes and flinching. He does neither, instead choosing to offer Nash a closer look, if he wants one.

"No," he says, and snorts. "They have guards surrounding them at all times, who will handle threats far more efficiently than my ordnance. Plus, I wouldn't want to injure them should something happen. Good heavens, Mia."

He sniffs and turns his head, clearly affronted by her lack of faith. "Nor do I carry them in the library, around the books, for the same logic."

[gorgonfondness]

"I didn't know you were carrying anything like that," Mia says, only a bit relenting. "Althena's sake, Autor, you could have said something."

"That's a cheery topic to bring up," Lemia points out.

"Does this mean you'll be taking courier jobs through Nanza?" Nash adds.

[herr_bookman]

"I could have," he concedes. "But there are pros and cons to being underestimated." Then he raises a brow, trying to keep a straight face. "And I figured you'd keep me from making them in the first place had I informed you of my intentions."

Then he shrugs. "Also, you didn't really ask. I don't have magical ability, so how could I possibly be a threat, right?"

He blinks at Nash. "That's a good idea. I'll probably make more money that way."

[gorgonfondness]

Mia cringes, unsure of what to say.

"You're too trusting sometimes, Mia," Nash tells her, essentially saying it for her.

[herr_bookman]

Autor replaces the grenade and sighs. He crosses to Mia slowly and offers his hand.

"'To this day, she still cares far too much about other people,'" he says, with an encouraging smile. "'Her council advises her to stop doling out kindnesses willy-nilly, as she'll likely get herself killed.'"

He shakes his head, chuckling. "And that would be a damn shame."

[gorgonfondness]

"But she'd never be able to forgive herself if it brought harm to the people she loves in her home," Nash remarks.

"Okay, that's enough," she tells them both. "This matter doesn't change what I know of Autor's character."

[herr_bookman]

Autor drops his hand and backs off as gracefully as he can manage. He's a little curious as to what she does think of his character. A little. The matter has been called into question pretty often of late.

He finds himself taking in more oxygen than his lungs actually need. So he turns to the woman filling his usual role, that of the silent observer. "More tea, Majesty Lemia?"

[gorgonfondness]

"No, I'm quite content," the former Guildmaster answers with a pat to Autor's shoulder.

[herr_bookman]

The boy nods politely and takes his seat again. Close, but not too close to the former Guildmaster.

Mia clearly underestimated him, again and again. And that bothered him. He didn't know why, but it did. There are many people who are threatening in Milliways. Am I not allowed to be? Why would I be the exception?

He had a sneaking suspicion that it was because she welcomed him into her home. 'You cannot misrepresent your city or your resources,' Lemia had said. And, remembering that, Autor winces.

Eventually, he screws up the courage to look at the younger Ausa again.

[gorgonfondness]

Mia gives him a sigh and a shake of her head.

"I wonder how upset Draco will be when he learns he's missed out on a potential potions apprentice."

"Does Draco need one right now?" Nash asks.

"Dragonlight's been swamped, as I'm sure you've seen, Autor. It's the shop at the end of Black Rose Street, the one with the fountain in front."