• Graded • Fruition

[Doran]

Ashan 20, Arc 722

The search for Enri von Smooglenuff had taken Doran much longer than he had expected. Almost an arc before, to that very trial, Qylios had given him a task. She wished to understand how her nephew had been involved in the events that had led up to the Forging. At first, he had read books, he had visited libraries and shops and talked to people, but before long, he had realized that the best way and maybe the only way to find out for sure how Enri had been involved was to find him and talk to him. He didn’t want to – no, he couldn’t rely on second-hand sources in such a situation. People could be biased, and books could be full of misinformation, and you might never know.

This was too important.

It had almost been an arc now, but he had never gotten discouraged, and he had never lost hope that he would find Xiur’s son. He had continuously uncovered new information and found new clues. He had found out what Enri looked like, what he was like, and what his family had been like, and he knew several of his aliases now. In the end, he had come to the conclusion that it was probably not even particularly strange that it had taken him that long to get all the information that he needed. Enri was a Mortalborn and at least as old as he was, if not older. He had followed him through four centuries.

He was close now, very close, in fact. He knew that Enri had helped out after the collapse of the docks but a handful of arcs earlier. Enri had gone on adventures every now and then, but he had never stopped caring about Scalvoris, and he had never abandoned his beloved island during times of crisis which led him to believe that he was back now. There had been no bigger crisis than the conflict with Slag’s Deep in recent times, after all. The fate of the island – and maybe the fate of the entire world on top of it – had been at stake back then.

One of his last steps, he decided, would lead him back to the beginning. In the early trials, he had visited the library and talked to Rose who had been with him in the Glass Temple. He had barely known anything back then. He would, he decided, research there once more, and look for further mentions of Enri, of his aliases, of his children, of people that looked like him and people that had been a part of Enri’s life for a time. By using what he had learned since his first visit as a basis, he might uncover the last few pieces of information that he needed.

He was quite curious about Enri, he had to admit. He wanted to know what he was really like, and what he knew.

He couldn’t help but wonder if Xiur’s son might be a kindred spirit.



Rose LeFluer was sitting at her usual desk when the Mortalborn entered the library, dressed in a suit of dark blue with hints of silver, with a cloak draped across his shoulders and a bag that contained some of his research notes in one hand. He nodded at her before he approached her in order to greet her and exchange a few words with her. No matter how important his work might be, he wouldn’t just walk past someone that had helped him save the world.

Before long, he was sitting at one of the tables in the history section though, a couple of sources that he wanted to look through as well as an empty notebook in front of him – he always summarized his findings, and he took notes if a source turned out to be useless as well. He had decided to not only consult monographs and anthologies this time, but also recently published newspapers as they could contain important clues as well.

He had also brought another thing: The locket with Enri’s picture that he had found the cycle before, on the branch of a tree, was lying next to his notebook and his pencil case.

He didn’t believe in lucky charms and similar objects – he was not superstitious - but perhaps, there was something about it that he had overlooked so far. Perhaps, one of his abilities would reveal something, and perhaps, one of his sources would mention something about it.

Every little thing could be relevant.

[Pegasus]

All was quiet in the library.

This was not, of course, surprising in itself; libraries were, by nature, quiet and Rose ruled this one with an iron fist. So, this library was usually very quiet - so much so that most people wouldn't notice.

But Doran wasn't most people.

Doran was possessed of skills which most mortals -and come to that most mortalborn - could only dream of. One of those skills was his ability to notice things. Slight, subtle changes which most would not heed. But for Doran, the fact that the birdsong he had been able to hear outside grew quieter, slowed down and then stopped, was a clue. There was a slight - not uncomfortable, but slight - drop in temperature and even the background noise of Rose's breathing seemed further away.

Everything in the library seemed to pause, to hold it's breath.

And Doran heard footsteps.

The steps grew closer, closer again - they were the sound of someone walking towards him. As Doran heard that, he heard a low whistling, too, a jaunty tune, one that Doran might have heard becoming popular around these parts. It was a sea shanty, telling the tale of the ship Libertalia and how Baer and Rorom had defeated a terrible beast .

The footsteps grew closer and, around one of the shelves strode a man. It was odd, because Doran knew him. He'd seen his face before - yet he had never met him. Enri von Smooglenuff gave a wide grin and stuck out a hand, offering to shake.

"Doran Thetys?" He knew who Doran was, evidently. "It's a pleasure to meet you. A mutual friend sent me here, said I'd run into you." He gave a wide grin and, assuming Doran was happy with him so-doing, he sat down. He didn't introduce himself, it seemed rather pointless.

"I understand that you might be interested in sharing some time together, telling tales of wonder and adventure. And that you may, just may, have a question or two for me," Enri said. Leaning forward, his expression was mischief all over. "Don't suppose you'd consider relocating to somewhere that serves food and alcohol would you?" With a shrug of apology, he added. "I'm starving!"

The world, it seemed, was standing mostly still. Or maybe the man in front of him was so full of life that it merely seemed that way. Maybe the energy with which he approached life was so vibrant and so pure that he himself outshone the rest of the world. Maybe. Either way, he was here and in the flesh and in front of Doran.

All was quiet in the library.

[Doran]

It was quiet in the library which was something that the son of Ziell had expected, and which he even appreciated. There was something about silence that he found calming and comforting, at least most of the time. This time, it was not the usual kind of silence though which made him pause. It was more, it was different, for the lack of a better word, he decided as he looked up from the book that he had just been leafing through, turned his head towards a nearby window, furrowed his brow very lightly and listened closely.

Most people didn’t believe that you could listen to silence because it was literally defined as an absence or a lack of sound, but there were degrees of silence that were dependent on several factors and that you could distinguish if you only were perceptive enough. This particular silence was not only categorized by the absence of conversation, or any other kind of noise; the birds that he should have been able to hear outside had stopped singing as well. It was almost as if the entire world were briefly holding its breath.

On top of that, there was a change in the air. It had become colder, but not uncomfortably so and not for any of the usual reasons – neither the door nor one of the windows had been opened. Instead, it was the kind of drop in temperature that was often a precursor to unusual or unexpected events which was why the son of Ziell put the pen that he had still been holding aside, abruptly sat up straighter, held completely still and focused in an attempt to figure out what had happened, or what was about to happen.

He could hear footsteps. Someone was walking towards him and whistling a jaunty tune that had become popular in Scalvoris recently. He smiled and started to tap his foot, very lightly and more or less automatically, only in order to stop abruptly when he saw him. He had never met him before, but his face was familiar to him, nevertheless. He had seen pictures of him, and he had heard people describe him. He knew what kind of adventures he had had, and how much good he had done, and yet, he had never exchanged a single word with him …

… until now.

When Enri von Smooglenuff walked up to him, almost casually – at least he had that impression – grinned at him and extended his hand, the Mortalborn did not hesitate for a single moment, even though he was surprised, to say the least. He simply returned the grin and shook the other man’s hand, firmly, before he gestured for him to take a seat.

“The pleasure is mine”, he replied. “I do indeed have a couple of questions for you, in part on behalf of your aunt. I could share some of my stories with you in exchange if you are interested, of Induks and magical beings and the wonders of Emea”, he offered with a smile.

He had been wondering what Enri, the real Enri would be like. He had been wondering if he’d be nervous when he finally met him – he’d almost counted on it, in fact; in his opinion, the man was one of Scalvoris’ greatest heroes, perhaps even the greatest. Enri was so mischievous, so easy-going and cheerful though that he just couldn’t be nervous though. He couldn’t help but be relaxed in his presence, and cheerful in turn.

When Enri proclaimed that he was starving he laughed before he remarked, “Let’s head to the Knight’s Rest then – provided that that place is alright with you. I lived in one of their rooms for a while before I bought my house. Their food and their drinks are quite decent”, he added before he quickly put the books that he had been reading back where they belonged – no matter how extraordinary the situation was, that was something that needed to be done. He didn’t want poor Rose to start to grumble about him.

“How long have you been back, if you don’t mind me asking?” he wanted to know, grabbed his things and gestured for Enri to follow him. He had already come to the conclusion that Enri would likely have returned to Scalvoris due to the conflict with Slag’s Deep and the Forging, but he wasn’t entirely sure when he had arrived, or under which circumstances. “By the way, this may belong to you”, he continued and produced the medallion with Enri’s portrait in it. “Now that I’ve met you, I shouldn’t hold onto it any longer”, he explained before he wanted to know, “So, what’s your favourite food? I’ll pay of course”, he said. Since he had questions for Enri, that only seemed fair to him.

There was, he decided, as he looked at Xiur’s son and waited for his answer, something extraordinary about him. He was filled with such a vigorous and vibrant energy that everything else seemed to pale in comparison. Enri, he concluded, almost seemed to be larger than life.

[Pegasus]

Doran was pleased to see Enri and, it had to be said, Enri was delighted to be seen. He was more than willing to accompany Doran to the Knights' Rest and he nodded his assent, eagerly. "Back? On Scalvoris? Oh, a while. I pop in and out, you see," he said. "I got back here yestertrial, but I hadn't been gone that long." He gave a slight grin. "In the scheme of things anyhow." There was a glint of mischief - of delight at life, it seemed - that was ever-present in his eyes. He watched (and helped) as Doran put the books back, he called a cheery farewell to Rose who blushed and told him to shush in a library, and he was happy to walk alongside Doran. Enri's long strides seemed to match Doran's own and he ambled along happily.

"I like the Knight's Rest," he said. "I stay there quite regularly, when I'm here." He nodded and then his eyes widened in some surprise as Doran offered him the necklace. Enri shook his head, a chuckle escaping him. He had a natural quiet charm and grace which made every movement seem comfortable; there were people in the world who were uncomfortable in their own skin - Enri was the very opposite of this. "You keep that, if you'd like to. It's a keepsake of an investigation well considered, a puzzle well solved, is it not?" There was a sound in his voice as he said that - it was clear that the solving of a puzle like this was important to Enri, he was impressed that Doran had done it.

"I love it here," he said, as they walked. Gesturing around to Scalvoris, his arms opened in a wide gesture, encapsulating the place around him. "The people, the place. I think it might be to do with Fei's fracture, you know, but it might be something else." He shrugged and turned his gaze to Doran. "What do you think? Have you been researching Fei? I must admit to being a little intrigued myself." He shrugged slightly and then gestured to the sky - that place where the stars always were. "I imagine that you have a hundred questions. About me, about Xiur, about... well, all of it really." The Knight's Rest Inn was in view as he spoke.

"Understand that, often, I wasn't entirely aware of the reason why I did something. Cassion, for example, asked me to write a book and pass it on to Stan, in the Glass Temple. He's a meddler, and then some, Cassion." Enri chuckled, fondly. "Come on, lets get in,"

Inside the Knight's Rest Inn it was warm and comfortable. There were candles lit and fires burning. And then, a booming voice called out. "Enri!!! Welcome back!"

Whit, the owner and proprieter, called over and Enri gave a wide grin. "And Professor! Why, I didn't know you two knew each other! The best table in the house, of course. Come, come!"

Doran always got a good reception here, always found that he was welcome, but he had never seen anyone get the kind of welcome Enri did. It was rather like Whit was greeting an adored brother when he greeted Enri. "Zana, bring these good men the menus, please!" Zana - Whit's daughter - was also happy to see them both and she kissed Enri on the cheek.

When the two of them were finally settled and they had ordered drinks and food and Whit had stopped fussing around them, Enri grinned at Doran. "So, I have no doubt there are questions. Ask, and I will do my best to answer."

[Doran]

“In that case – welcome back“, Doran replied and grinned when Enri told him that he had gotten back the trial before. There was just something about his fellow Mortalborn, he observed as Enri helped him put the books back – without any prompting on his part – and as he watched his cheerful interaction with Rose. He didn’t simply outshine the rest of the world. He was filled with so much joy, with so much delight at life, that the people around him momentarily became a little brighter in turn. He knew that Enri and he were of a similar age, but the son of Xiur didn’t give him the impression of being in any way bored, or existing apart from mortalkind. He was very much a part of this world.

Enri possessed the kind of comfort and contentedness that the son of Ziell had only attained very recently, after he had met a young etherist in the world of dreams and found Xiur’s forgiveness. Had this been any other time, he might have wondered about the ease with which the other man went about life, if it came to him naturally, if it was simply a part of his being, or if he’d struggled to attain it as well. As it was, he was entirely focused on the moment though. There was something about Enri that made him pay attention, not out of any kind of compulsion, but simply because his joy was so contagious.

He noticed how Enri’s eyes widened when he offered him the necklace. He’d expected the other man to be glad to get it back, but when he said that he could keep it, he nodded, put it away and thanked him before he proceeded to walk through the city next to him.

“So do I”, he agreed when Enri remarked that he loved it here and momentarily let his gaze sweep across their surroundings before he focused on him again. He briefly furrowed his brow and considered his statement before he replied in a quiet and somewhat thoughtful tone of voice, “I don’t know. I think that it’s due to more than just the influence of the Grand Fracture of Fei though. I think it’s also the attitude of the people here. Of course, Scalvoris has its problems and will continue to have its problems, but when I first came here, a couple of arcs ago, people made me feel welcome. In Viden, your caste is very important, for example. Here, such things matter a lot less”, he decided.

“I’ve been researching Fei, as well as the other Originals. Information about them can be hard to come by – a colleague of mine wondered if someone was destroying sources on purpose – but I have learned some things, about her life and her death, regardless. I can share what I’ve learned about her with you. She was your grandmother, wasn’t she?” he asked in a softer tone of voice before he cast a glance at the sky as well, laughing slightly when Enri remarked that he must have a hundred questions.

“Hundreds of questions”, he corrected him before he briefly looked up again. “It seems as if Fei might have come from within Emea, or a place that lies even further beyond, an entirely different world. Do you think that’s what the stars are? Other worlds, or at least gates to them?” he wondered before he waved his hand a little, a sign that Enri didn’t have to answer if he didn’t want to; he’d been thinking aloud, to some extent. He did that sometimes even though he was usually a quiet and disciplined man, when he was especially curious about something, or comfortable in someone’s company, for example.

“Stan gave me that book later on”, he remarked when Enri admitted that he hadn’t been entirely aware of the reason why he did something, his eyes widening slightly before he decided, “Cassion’s meddling makes life fun though, doesn’t it? Did you know that he helped us save the world?” he asked, just as the Knight’s Rest came into view. He momentarily fell silent as he followed Enri into the inn. When Whit welcomed the other Mortalborn back, his eyes widened for the second time within as many bits. He hadn’t known that Enri frequented the same inn that he did, and under his real name.

“I didn’t know that you two knew each other either”, he remarked and grinned slightly. Whit had always made him feel welcome, but he had never seen anybody get that kind of treatment before. It was as if Whit were greeting a good friend, or a brother. “Enri and I only met each other in person very recently. It’s good to see you again, by the way, Whit – and thank you”, he added when the owner of the Knight’s Rest offered them his best table. He gave Enri, Whit and Zana as much time as they needed to greet each other, smiling slightly at their enthusiasm, before he took a seat.

“What would you like?” he asked Enri – he had offered to pay, after all – before he placed his own order, an Elite Cheeseboard and a glass of Moseke’s Harvest, a white wine.

“I’m especially fond of their homemade chutneys. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of them”, he confided in Enri, smirking slightly.

“As I told you, your aunt, the Lady Qylios, approached me”, he admitted when Enri told him to ask his questions. “She came to me after the Forging and told me that she wished to truly understand the story of what had happened and how you were involved. She wants to see the bigger picture, I think. I have to admit, I’m curious about that as well. And besides, Cassion told me that your cousin Araman and you were as close as brothers once. Did something eventually drive you apart – if you don’t mind me asking?” he added, in order to let Enri know that he didn’t have to answer if he didn't want to. He acknowledged that parts of the story might be painful to talk about.

With that thought in mind, he fell silent again and waited for Enri to speak, or to ask questions of his own – he had offered to share a few stories of his own as well as his knowledge of Fei with him, after all. His posture was relaxed. He appeared to be at ease, and the expression on his face was curious, but more serious than it had been before.

[Pegasus]

Enri was very happy to go to the Knights' Rest. He had nodded at Doran's comment about Cassion and how the Taleweaver's meddling was fun. As for how Cassion had helped he nodded, eagerly. "I heard that! It sounds like a marvellous adventure!" Once they were in the Knights Rest, he ordered the same as Doran, after he had greeted Whit and Zana and he was happy to settle down in a comfortable seat and then, Doran asked him about the man who Scalvoris knew as the Warden.

For a moment, Enri was quiet and then he spoke. "We were like brothers," he said. His voice didn't sound angry, but rather he just sounded deeply sad. "We shared everything, told each other everything. We were like brothers. You understand, don't you, how important that is for people who live as long as we do?" That was something that he knew that Doran would understand. That relationships, memories, traditions - they became very very important.

Enri's gaze was serious, his voice earnest as he remembered. "I don't know when I realised what was happening, really. The woman, the mother of his daughter? He was besotted with her, he truly was. I was happy for him," Enri stopped then and he gave a slight shrug. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't also a little jealous, just a little envious. He was so happy." Enri sighed and sipped at his drink, then continued. "And I pulled away a little. Maybe I shouldn't have, maybe I'd have seen something earlier, if I did." That he felt guilty there was no doubt. "But I did what I did and so, I didn't see it until it was too late."

Carefully putting down his drink, Enri lifted his gaze to look at Doran. "I thought he was in love, but it wasn't love. It consumed him, and i mean that literally. It ate him away until my friend was no longer who I knew. I didn't suspect for an instand who the woman was, or I would have acted. But she hid herself well, and I found myself..." pausing for a moment, Enri sighed slightly. "I wanted her. I envied him and I wanted her and I knew that it was wrong, so I stayed away, I kept my distance." A wry smile lifted his lips with no humour "Which was exactly what she wanted, of course. So I played right into her hands. I still saw him, we still had drinks now and then, but I wasn't there enough to see. And he was always a good actor."

With a shrug, Enri took a sip of his drink and then he continued. "Then, he started getting dark. I mean, he'd always had a dark sense of humour, but this was really dark and I was too wrapped up in my own head and my own feelings and my own guilt."

Whit brought them appetisers - tiny morsels for them to try. Enri picked each one up and looked at it, savouring each bite. "And by the time I realised just what was happening, what had happened, it was too late and I couldn't get him back." He shook his head. "Should I have done more? I have wondered. But I believed that he would sort things out, that he would find himself again." He ate a small pasty and made a noise of delight. "Try that, it's delicious," he pointed to the one on Doran's plate. "But if I'd known everything you found out? I'd have acted. I just had no idea that it was Audrae playing him. I thought he'd lost himself and his way and his soul. People do."

Enri lapsed into silence, for a moment, and then asked Doran. "How much do you think it was his fault? His choice? Or was it her?" Enri wanted to believe that his friend had been entirely played but, equally, he knew that everyone had to take responsibility for their actions in life.

[Doran]

When Enri started to tell him what had happened between Araman and him, Doran leaned forward slightly and listened quietly and attentively, with a thoughtful expression on his face. Everything about him, from his posture to the way that he looked at his fellow Mortalborn suggested that he cared and that he hadn’t just asked the other man to tell him this particular story because he had been told to find out what had happened. He felt for him and wanted to do something, to take that deep sadness away, although he didn’t know how. He had felt much the same way at various points in his life though.

“I do”, he confirmed with a light nod when Enri talked about the importance of relationships, of memories, of having someone to share things with. “I was lucky enough to occasionally find someone, mortals, and most recently a son of Chamadarst, although he is long gone now, perhaps lost in Emea”, he admitted – he had come to the conclusion that it would be alright to mention Llyr’s status as long as he didn’t reveal his name. “Did you ever find someone that you could confide in again after Araman?” he asked before he added in an apologetic tone of voice, “I hope that this is not too personal a question.”

It interested him though, how ancient Mortalborn, like the two of them, formed relationships, and if they found it harder to grow attached to someone and trust them after having lived for so long. He had never met anyone that had lived as long as he had before. He also wondered how Enri had coped with the fact that he remained young while nearly everyone else around him died – his children had to be long gone now. He seemed to be happy and full of life for the most part, but there had obviously been struggles as well.

He decided not to ask, but focused on what Enri told him.

When Whit brought them appetizers, he briefly looked away and thanked the mortal though before he tried one of the pastries that Enri seemed to like so much. “It is delicious”, he agreed with a smile and ate all of the pastry before he took a few sips from his drink and finally became much more serious again. “You cannot look into another person”, he told Enri. “Sometimes, you cannot see what is happening until it’s too late. Even those that we are close to aren’t always easy to read. As for whether you should have done more”, he continued and furrowed his brow slightly as he wondered what exactly he should say. He wasn’t sure if Enri expected an answer, but he wanted to give him one anyway, and take away some of his feelings of guilt.

“Even if you had done more”, he eventually spoke, in a tone of voice that was both gentle and firm at the same time. “It might not have helped. He might not have stopped. I was similar to him once. I had lost my way. I’m not sure if anybody would have been able to reach me in my darkness and despair and make me see the truth. I was the only one who could truly save me and turn my life around”, he admitted. The expression on his face remained calm for the most part. There was just a tiny hint of sadness, for but a moment. Xiur had forgiven him, but he still wished it had never happened. He didn’t mention what he had done though. This was Xiur’s son, and even if the father had forgiven him, the son might be affected if he knew.

“I think …” he answered Enri’s next question, slowly, and choosing his words very carefully. “I think that both Audrae and Araman were at fault. It’s hard to see through the manipulations of the Immortals sometimes, but there comes a time when you need to take responsibility for your actions regardless. Araman was not blameless, and he might have been a dark man, but I think that he could have been redeemed if he had lived. Much of what he did happened out of love for his daughter, I think, and that love is not something to be ignored. She’s alive and well, by the way”, he added in order to give Enri something positive to focus on, a new family member. Audrae had nearly doomed the world, but she had left something good behind.

“Her name is Joy”, he told him.

“Araman was not alone. He didn’t act alone”, he said after a while, in a thoughtful tone of voice. “I do not know which role exactly they played in this particular story, but there were twenty Pirate Lords all in all, and at least another one of them was like us. Daia called The Scourge her niece. She mentioned that some of the nineteen spent some time in the service of Augiery, and that her niece sails under her mother’s flag in the Ivorian Empire now, but at the same time, I’ve heard stories about the tunnels and caves under Scalvoris being the true home of the Pirate Lords.”

“Do you know if there is any truth to it? I’m just wondering if it isn’t really over yet”, he explained his reason for asking Enri about something that he might have mixed feelings about. “When I stood in the Heart of Scalvoris, I vowed to protect the island and its people. And”, he said, having decided to ask one more question, an important one. “Would you be okay with me sharing what you told me with Qylios? If there is any part of this story that you’d rather keep a secret, let me know. That also goes for my questions. There are things that one cannot or doesn’t want to talk about”, he remarked – he knew that there were things that he still found hard to talk about.

He didn’t want to pry, or give the impression of doing that, and he wanted to respect Enri’s privacy, but he was not uncomfortable or particularly worried regardless. He was still quite calm. He enjoyed his fellow Mortalborn’s company, and he enjoyed the food as well as his drink and the atmosphere around him. The Knight’s Rest had always been a place of comfort to him.

[Pegasus]

Enri seemed to be one of those people who you just couldn't put down for long. He grinned at Doran when Doran asked if he'd ever found anyone he could trust and share with in the way he had been able to. "I live in hope," he said and chuckled. "I suppose that's in my blood, really." He raised an eyebrow when Doran said that he'd found ~ and lost ~ people he could talk to. "Life is such a transitory thing," he said. "Even for us. Maybe especially for us, since we're so prone to forget it." He smiled as he spoke. "People are in your life for a reason, a season, or the duration I always think. It's just finding out which it is that's the trick."

It was not Enri's way to stay maudlin, but when Doran shared that he too had been in a place of darkness, Enri nodded. "I know," he said. His eyes met Doran's and his face was calm, compassionate. "I know what happened, what you did." Enri's voice was quiet, but in the way one speaks when in a public place, not in a whisper. He was quiet for a moment as he regarded Doran and his lips lifted in a slight, very tiny smile which was almost sad. "I'm glad that you found your way home. Hope always has faith that the person will find their way, but it's good to see it come to fruition."

The talk of his old friend caused obviously mixed emotions for Enri, but when Doran said that the girl was alive and named Joy, he first beamed and then let out an exclamation of pleasure. He was unequivocally delighted and he clapped his hands together in almost child-like glee. "Oh, that is great news!" His pleasure was undeniable and he grinned from ear to ear.

His gaze turned more serious at the mention of the pirate lords, though and Enri gave a slight shrug. "They were people- are people, I suppose, wherever they are - and so there were those who were not as bad as others, some who were awful. But they weren't good people and they weren't good for Scalvoris, that's absolutely certain." As for where they were now, Enri shrugged. "You know, Doran, I think my father knows. But he's not going to tell me. He might chat it out with Cassion, I suppose, and he certainly knows, but he won't tell either." He chuckled to himself. "Have you ever seen the two of them together, when they get going ? They're old friends, and that probably sums it up the best I can."

At Doran's request to share the story with Qylios, Enri nodded. "Share what you will, Doran. You've more than earned the story. I wonder, if you would, though. Would you answer me a question?" He gazed at Doran seriously, his expression without malice or accusation, but he was obviously interested in the answer. "You made the decision, in the Mummer's Ball, to turn your back on Syroa and knelt before my father." His voice was warm, no anger tinged any part of him. "My worry, my only worry is that something drove you to be in Syroas service in the first place." He didn't sound accusatory, but he was interested. "Can my father trust you not to turn back to anger, Doran? Are you truly changed?"

It probably wasn't surprising that Enri ended with three simple words. "I hope so." But obviously, he was waiting for an answer from Doran of some kind.

[Doran]

“There was a time when I was desperate because the people that were close to me were always gone sooner or later, because their lives were so much shorter than mine. Sometimes, they seemed to be gone within the blink of an eye”, Doran confided in Enri in a calm tone of voice. “Nowadays, I see the time that I spent with them as a gift though, no matter whether we spent a season, an arc or an entire lifetime together, and I truly appreciate the fact that I can watch the centuries come and go. It’s amazing how different things are now compared to when we were children, isn’t it?” he asked, his blue eyes shimmering brightly for a moment. Here, he realized, was a man that likely understood, and that had been young when he had been young.

He didn’t look shocked when Enri admitted that he knew what he had done, although he had not expected him to be aware of it. He was not worried or afraid either – he saw no point in that kind of behavior – although he would always regret his actions during the battle at Treid’s Tomb.

He simply met the other man’s gaze and inclined his head before he asked, in the same quiet tone of voice as Enri, “How did you find out?” The only person that he had talked to about what he had done in any detail had been Llyr - although he was pretty sure that Faith Augustin suspected something - which made him wonder if Xiur himself had shared the story with his son.

When Enri clapped his hands together and grinned from ear to ear upon hearing the news about Joy, Doran couldn’t help but grin as well, a genuine kind of grin, “You know, you could visit her if you wanted to”, he said a moment later, still grinning, but in a softer and much gentler way. “She lives on Faldrass with a good acquaintance of mine, Vega Creede, nowadays. I’m sure that Vega wouldn’t have anything against you visiting. The Creedes are good people. They know what happened – they know the whole story – and they love Joy”, he said. That was not something that everybody would do. There were without a doubt people that would judge the girl because her mother was Audrae, and because of her part in the war against Slag’s Deep, that would even question whether she had a right to live and find happiness.

“Perhaps I’ll ask Xiur or Cassion sometime then. I’d be interested in learning the whole story”, Doran admitted when Enri said that his father wasn’t going to tell him before he chuckled slightly, “No, unfortunately I’ve never seen the two of them together. I hope I’ll get the opportunity sometime though”, he added before he inclined his head in a gesture of gratitude. That Enri was okay with him sharing the story with Qylios was not something that he had taken for granted as it was deeply personal.

“Of course”, he simply relied when Enri asked him if he would answer him a question. That, he decided, was the least that he could do. When Enri spoke about how he had knelt in front of his father during the Mummer’s Ball, he inclined his head. He didn’t reply right away when Enri posed his question, but furrowed his brow slightly as he thought about it. There had been a time when he had been determined to keep what he had done a secret, when he had wanted nothing more than to leave the Hero of Oscillus behind, not truly out of fear, but because he wanted to have nothing to do with his old self anymore.

The past was a part of him though, for better and for worse.

“I saw too much cruelty and too much suffering over the course of the centuries, innocent people that died for nothing, children that took their last breath before their life had truly begun”, he said, quietly. He wasn’t in any way attempting to justify his actions, but simply thought that Enri deserved at least some sort of explanation as to what had driven him to be in Syroa’s service in the first place. Those were things that he had not even shared with Llyr – their last, longer meeting had been before the Mummer’s Ball, before he had been marked and found forgiveness, but he wanted to share them now.

“I realized that there is always hope though, even though the darkness can be so all-encompassing at times that you cannot see it. There is always a new chance and a new tomorrow, and there is so much more beauty than there is pain. What I said to your father that trial is true. I wish to serve him like I should have served him all along, for as long as I draw breath. I will never turn back to anger. I am changed. I live in hope”, he said, repeating Enri’s words. He was of course aware of the fact that anybody could claim that they were truly changed, but he was.

And if there were people in the world that didn’t believe him, it didn’t matter. What truly mattered was what he felt in his heart and his soul, much more than any reaction that came from outside. He had hope – and he wanted to share that hope with those that needed it so that they would have a little light in the darkness and something to hold onto.

“Has there ever been a time when you found it hard to remain hopeful, apart from when your friend turned dark?” he asked. He did, again, not wish to pry, but simply wondered whether a man that lived in hope had ever struggled in that regard, truly struggled. “And”, he continued with a light smile. “Do you want more to eat and drink?”

[Pegasus]

"I hope you don't mind me saying so, Doran, but it is an absolute pleasure to meet you." Enri said and he smiled happily. "I may well drop in on those people, see Joy. That's a good name for her!" He was genuinely delighted with how things had turned out and it showed. "Cassion's lad - and Champion, yes? And she's my father's Champion. I know of them." He nodded, "That sounds like good people." They chuckled together as they spoke of Cassion and Xiur together and then things grew more serious.

Enri asked a question and Doran answered it. It wasn't an easy question to ask - and it almost certainly wasn't an easy answer to give; but Doran spoke clearly and eloquently. Enri nodded and listened as Doran spoke - as he explained. "Thank you, for sharing that," Enri said seriously and when Doran asked him if he'd ever felt a lack of hope Enri nodded. He smiled as Doran added on the question of whether he wanted more to eat or drink and he shook his head, then reconsidered. "Should we? I must admit that I'm enjoying the time here," he motioned for the waiter to come over and started talking at the same time.

"In answer to your question, yes. Yes, I have had times where hopefulness is hard. My father tells me that hope is a choice, but sometimes it's a hard choice." He was watching Doran, looking at him intently. "Like you say, when I see some of the things people can do to other people, how they can harm children, hurt each other." He shook his head. "But he's right. It is a choice and sometimes it's a hard choice and sometimes the easier one would be to turn to cycnicism, but the good thing is that even if there's a moment of doubt, hope is always there when you look for it."

"Well, of course it is," a voice said as the large and imposing figure of Xuir stepped up and grinned at them. "Move over, boy," he said to Enri, who obliged. "Whit, some desserts for us please, a selection?" Whit rarely looked surprised, but he did at that and he moved.

"I was passing by," Xiur said with a wide and cheery smile, "When I heard you two ," he grinned at both of them, "and decided to join you." Unashamedly taking a sip from Enri's cup, Xiur turned to look at Doran.

"You are changed, Doran. I am deeply proud of you," he said. There was a sense of earnestness about Xiur which Doran might remember from the times he'd met him before. "And as the Devout of Scalvoris, you've publicly embraced your role as a religious man. One of my Exalted," he said and Doran felt a swell of energy wash over him.

Enri shook his head. "Always, he's got to steal the show," he said, nudging his father with a smile. At that moment, Whit brought them a selection of desserts - sweet treats and delicate nibbles. "So, how are you?" Xiur asked. He seemed genuinely interested - although he was also interested in the selection of sweet things in front of him.

OOC this is a chance for you to ask Xiur anything you'd like - one more post from you, I think, then I'll post a final answer and review.