1 Ashan, 717
Anos was returning from yet another successful bounty, and rubbing at his temples. The odd vision he seemed to get when gazing into people's eyes had returned again, and he had nearly killed the thief before he got himself under control. Whatever the matter was with him, he needed to figure it out before-
He cut himself off, but the thought was already through. Before I kill someone like I did my mentor. The absence of grief seemed far worse to Anos than any amount of sadness could have been. He felt as if he should feel grief, feel pain, by seven, anything beyond the faint satisfaction he had for ridding the world of another monster.
Anos banished the thought from his mind as Cassander, his owl, pecked at his ear good naturedly. He smiled and stroked the owls head, letting its gentle, rhythmic purring set his troubled mind at ease.
His boots crunched through the snow and he strode up the steps into the Inn, shaking loose the last bits of snow that clung stubbornly to his trousers.
The heat inside struck him like a wave, and once again, he was glad for the thick coat he wore over his armour. He walked quickly over to a table near the first and sat down, shaking off his coat and spreading it out over the closest chair.
He didnt notice the small group of people whose conversation he'd interrupted by arriving, nor the dirty looks they shot him as he sat one table over from them in the otherwise empty room.
The bartender walked over, and Anos ordered his regular meal, settling deeper into the chair as the warmth from the fire relaxed his muscles. His toes were beginning to thaw and they tingled in a not-quite unpleasant manner. Content, he set Cassander down on his lap and leaned back. His eyes drifted closed as his hands moved in an unconscious pattern, stroking the owl as he sank into himself. He breathed in and out gently, focusing his attention inwards. He felt the stresses of the trial slip away, the meditation doing wonders for his mood. The feeling of the air moving through his nostrils was the only sensation, the gentle murmur of conversation a pleasant backdrop. His focus didn't latch onto their words, though it was hard not to, and he let the feeling of awareness wash over him.
He was startled up by the barkeep dropping his platter on the table and opening his eyes, he nodded at the man. Cassander hopped up onto the table and cocked his head at the chicken leg on the platter. Her chirruped quizzically, and Anos chuckled and pulled a strip off and tossed it to him. He caught it in his beak and gulped it down whole.
"Slow down, you greedy goose." He muttered at the bird who looked at him and chirruped again.
A scraping chair opposite him drew his attention and he glanced upwards to see a tall Eidisi man settling into the chair opposite him. His hands were long and slender. Spread out on the table, they reminded Cassander of blue worms, and the small bird hopped forward with his eyes locked on them.
The man quickly withdrew his hands, shoving them inside his white, billowy robes. They were an odd set of clothing, Anos had to admit. He hadn't seen their like since he left Andaris, and even there people on the streets had avoided the few Eidisi they saw. Up close, he was slightly unnerved by the man's iris-less eyes, though he felt as though the man was staring him down. His long blue fingers slowly returned and steepeled together as he leaned forward, resting his chin on them as he gazed at Anos.
"Good afternoon. I apologize for not being properly introduced, however circumstances demand a bit more...expedition. My name is Celian Watersson, and I have a business proposition for you."
The man's voice was cultured, smooth, and aristocratic. It was lightly accented, but it had a pleasant ring to it. Anos leaned forward despite himself. There was something mesmerizing about the Eidisi man.
"Think nothing of it," Anos said quietly, trying to match the man's formal tone. "I'm, uh, pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Anos."
A small, slightly mocking smile crossed Celian's face, and he inclined his head in a whisper of a bow. "Thank you. I have followed your recent exploits and I am quite impressed with your ingenuity. I am looking to take on an apprentice to assist me with various, similar tasks around Idalos."
The compliment warmed Anos, and Cassander seemed to sense his masters feeling, hopping back and nestling himself in the crook of his arm. The sentence was vague, and Anos wasnt quite sure what to make of it. He'd been "following his exploits", and Anos felt oddly exposed, but he shrugged off the feeling. In all honesty, he was rather aimless as it was. After a conversation with Faith in which Anos realized he was a child of an Immortal, he wasnt sure what to do with his life. He suddenly found himself with more power than his younger self could've ever hoped for. The old fantasy he and so many others at the orphanage had shared of a noble parent with incredible power was actually too humble for Anos. Despite that, he wasnt about to just jump into a contract with this Celian fellow.
"Is that so? Well I'm afraid that I know nothing about who you are and what you do. I'd like to know a bit more about you before I agree to signing my life away."
Celian's eyes tightened imperceptibly and Anos leaned back unconsciously at the sudden hint of anger on the man's face. It was gone as quick as it came, and Anos was left wondering if he'd imagined the reaction.
"That is a very fair question, and I can give you a bit more information, to set your mind at ease." Celian said gracefully, not appearing insulted or concerned in the slightest.
"As I have already mentioned, my names is Celian. As is also plainly obvious, I am an Eidisi." This he said easily, but he paused slightly before continuing. "I have recently been diagnosed with a wasting disease of the mind that will likely kill me within five arcs." This too was said in a matter-of- fact tone, but Anos caught the barest hint of anger in the Eidisi's face.
He could only imagine how it felt, your own body betraying you like that. He opened his mouth to ask the Eidisi if he had looked for a cure, and stopped himself. If the man said it was going to kill him, Anos believed he had tried everything possible to prevent it. Instead, Anos covered this internal dialogue by asking, "So what does this mean for me? Why have you looked for me?"
Celian smiled broadly. "I have made several commitments and will be unable to fulfill them. By training you and providing you with the skills to do these tasks, I am able to assuage my personal guilt over the failure."
That Anos could understand, but it still didnt answer his question of exactly what he would be doing. Just as he opened his mouth, Celian held up a long finger.
"However, that does not answer your original question as to our purpose. I will take and train you to do as I have done- travel as a mercenary of sports, taking only what coin is needed to sustain yourself. We live to protect the innocent from those who would harm them. We stand as the shield of the world. It is our duty to protect those who infringe on the freedom of others. That is our purpose." The speech was delivered with no small amount of self righteousness and held the air of an oath or formal pledge, but it moved Anos. What else had he wanted to do since arriving here? That was why he had gone out to save the children. That's why he had gone to save the kidnapped woman. To make a difference.
His mind flashed back to when he was a child and the cruelty of the bullies. If he could train and prevent this from occurring to others, how could he refuse?
His heart pounding and feeling full of hope, Anos extended his hand to shake the Eidisi's, and sealed his fate.
