17th of Cylus, Arc 719
Continued from here
Edyn looked uncomfortable at the idea, but Praetorum stared her down, folding his arms across his chest. The two of them sat in silence for some time, before Edyn finally relented, sighing. "Alright, alright. I'm going to preface this by saying I haven't made up my mind about you yet. I've got a good feeling, but I want to get to know you better first. And in the end it'll be your choice, of course. But I've been looking for... an apprentice, I suppose. A successor. And you seem like you might fit the bill."
Praetorum stared at her, openmouthed.
"See? This is why I wanted to lay the groundwork before I brought it up."
"I don't—when you say an apprentice—what—"
Edyn sighed, turning away from Praetorum to stare into the fire. "I told you, having a spark of magic... changes you. It's different for everyone, but it's a bit like magics all have their own personality. And once you take it on, they impart a bit of themselves to you, pull you to do what they want as well. I don't mind it, for the most part. Defiance is kind, makes you think about the elements as real people, in a sense. Makes them real to you, not just tools to be used. Hone is generous; it's a magic to help, to heal, or at least the type that I have is. It makes you want to give to other people, to raise them up and protect them. But Rupture... Rupture wants to move, to explore. Staying in one place, with one group for too long, it doesn't like that."
She sighed, lying back in the grass. "Selyin's been as accomodating as possible about it; I can leave whenever I want, and always have a place here. But the Hand relies on me, now. And when I'm not here, I'll need someone to protect them in my place. The defensive division does what they can, but there's no replacement for having a mage at your side in the heat of battle, you know. I.... I'd feel better knowing there was someone else with them when I'm not."
Praetorum considered that for a long while, pulling chunks of fish from the skewer and feeding them to Sivan. He watched silently as the kheledzan delicately took the treat from his fingers, trying to figure out how he felt about Edyn's confession. "Why me?" He asked finally, when the last morsel had disappeared between Sivan's teeth, and she nuzzled into his palm. "There are others in the band who've known you longer, who are stronger and faster than I am. I don't understand why I'm the one you're considering."
Edyn looked uncomfortable at the idea, but Praetorum stared her down, folding his arms across his chest. The two of them sat in silence for some time, before Edyn finally relented, sighing. "Alright, alright. I'm going to preface this by saying I haven't made up my mind about you yet. I've got a good feeling, but I want to get to know you better first. And in the end it'll be your choice, of course. But I've been looking for... an apprentice, I suppose. A successor. And you seem like you might fit the bill."
Praetorum stared at her, openmouthed.
"See? This is why I wanted to lay the groundwork before I brought it up."
"I don't—when you say an apprentice—what—"
Edyn sighed, turning away from Praetorum to stare into the fire. "I told you, having a spark of magic... changes you. It's different for everyone, but it's a bit like magics all have their own personality. And once you take it on, they impart a bit of themselves to you, pull you to do what they want as well. I don't mind it, for the most part. Defiance is kind, makes you think about the elements as real people, in a sense. Makes them real to you, not just tools to be used. Hone is generous; it's a magic to help, to heal, or at least the type that I have is. It makes you want to give to other people, to raise them up and protect them. But Rupture... Rupture wants to move, to explore. Staying in one place, with one group for too long, it doesn't like that."
She sighed, lying back in the grass. "Selyin's been as accomodating as possible about it; I can leave whenever I want, and always have a place here. But the Hand relies on me, now. And when I'm not here, I'll need someone to protect them in my place. The defensive division does what they can, but there's no replacement for having a mage at your side in the heat of battle, you know. I.... I'd feel better knowing there was someone else with them when I'm not."
Praetorum considered that for a long while, pulling chunks of fish from the skewer and feeding them to Sivan. He watched silently as the kheledzan delicately took the treat from his fingers, trying to figure out how he felt about Edyn's confession. "Why me?" He asked finally, when the last morsel had disappeared between Sivan's teeth, and she nuzzled into his palm. "There are others in the band who've known you longer, who are stronger and faster than I am. I don't understand why I'm the one you're considering."
