Location: The Haven
Creeeeeak.A door closed behind Morris, plunging a hallway into darkness. He could faintly hear the footsteps above ground, and locked his side of the door. His construct waited patiently for him to continue giving instructions.
”...And this one is to be delivered to Winnifred. Next, this one to Helena,” Morris instructed, handing letters down to a servant. He was a knee-high Unliving creature, with the bones of birds for his center mass and the bones of an ox for extremities. It was a somewhat humanoid design, hunched over with wing bones for a chest and a slightly, disproportionately small bird’s skull for a head. Joints were made from metal hinges, with bits of oil to keep things quiet to a certain extent.
”Afterwards…” As the two walked and shuffled down the hallways of the underground structure, Morris reached into his coat and withdrew a compass for drawing. He handed it to the Unliving.
”This goes to Ysolde. She’ll borrow it and return it to you. When she does, return it to my room. Then rest.”Tagen the Third gathered up the letters and the compass, sliding them between his ribs into a compartment specially made for this exactly purpose. He was a courier of a sort, constructed to run errands and retrieve things sent to Morris. It was a good investment considering the cost to make him. The first Tagen was lost with the Saint Judith, the second was incinerates by one of the girls a month later. This one was made of stronger stuff… Ox bones, instead of deer bones
Morris had given him a list of names and letters addressed to them. Some from family members who didn’t have the privilege of entering this place, some more clerical to be given to newcomers so they could have basic information about food, who taught what, not to mind the macabre goblin he called a servant, and so on.
”Go.”Tagen’s bones creaked and clacked as he hobbled with more speed, about as much as someone jogging. Morris let the little creature do his thing, and then turned down a hallway. He had a few things to drop off to people, some things to discuss and other things to ask about. He walked down some steps, and into the wider, common areas of the underground. He went about his day, doing what needed to be done and bringing people something from above ground after his mail run.
Location: St. Eustace's School
"Now, let me be sure that I understand this..."Two young boys stood in front of him, a blonde one named Johnathan and a dark haired one name Wallace. Johnathan was covered in fresh bruises, and yet Wallace was barely even scratched.
"You two were sparring, teaching each other methods of self defense, using your abilities. One of you decided it was safer to avoid that, and yet you both persisted." Silas craned his scaly head to Wallace, fixing a look on him that showed nothing. The boy looked away. They had been throwing fists back and forth, and Johnathan's telekinetic gift wasn't very conducive to that. Unlike Wallace's gift for exaggerating damage.
"Why?""He- I tired to tell him, sir!" Johnathan squeaked. "He insisted, he-"
Silas raised a hand to stop him, keeping his eyes on Wallace.
"I know he insisted, young man. I want him to explain to me, in certain terms, why he did so. Wallace, you have attended this school for two years, now. You should know that not everyone is as capable with their gifts as each other.""And?" The boy retorted. He had an attitude that Silas
really didn't like. "What is the purpose of learning the skills to use these abilities we have, if cannot
use them?""Are you suggesting you have a right to brutalize a student who wanted to end the training?" Silas asked him, rhetorically.
"You are better equipped for defending yourself than him, but you do not learn such a thing in one day. I am disappointed in you."Johnathan looked ready to fall over. The boys had been fighting, as students tended to do, in a training area for those who wanted to learn self defense. Johnathan insisted he needed to stop, and Wallace had kept going.
"Sir, with all due respect, Johnathan has been
repeatedly asking to cut it short, every time," Wallace said. "He needs to learn if he's going to keep wasting time with-"
"It is not for you to say whether time is wasted, Wallace. Everyone begins somewhere.""And yet, he hasn't begun. He expects a fair fight, when we're all Enlightened."
"You barely touched me, and now my leg is numb!" Johnathan remarked, just a little indignant.
"That's the way of things. You can't expect a school full of your own kind to fight
fair.Silas rubbed his eyes.
"How has it come to be that you-""I've only attended for six months!"
"You could have learned so much by then! When I was in my first year, I had already learned to wield a sword with competence. What have you-"
"Oh, God have mercy, Wallace. Not everyone is fortunate enough to come from noble parents such as yours."
"Boys.""I'll have you know,
Johnathan, that I learned that skill here. You could stand to step outside your comfort zone, you know. Fairness is a myth, do you think-"
"Enough."That shut them both up. Wallace stood up straighter, and locked eyes with Silas. Johnathan, on the other hand, just looked down at the floor. Silas was short on patience with this boy, who came from the Gentry and thought himself above other students. He'd been here long enough that he should have known better. But it seemed he'd have to sort this young man out the hard way.
"Johnathan, you may leave. If your teachers ask about you, tell them I said you are to be given time away from your studies until your wounds have healed.""Yes, sir." He quickly limped away. Leaving only Wallace. There was a long pause where the two stared at each other, as Silas thought long and hard about how he'd set the boy straight.
"Fairness is a myth..." He echoed.
"Do you believe that? Truly?""Well, I-... Yes, sir. Were it not, there would be more of us in the world."
"I suppose so. Then, boy, let me show you how correct you are." Silas took a step back and curled his fingers into a fist. Wallace saw the punch coming from a mile away and ducked it. He ducked the incoming elbow as well.
Silas stepped towards him, swinging fist after first knowing damn well that Wallace was quicker. He kept swinging and swinging, deliberately giving him space to duck and dodge, but not space to escape. It resulted in Wallace being back into a brick wall. A look of abject terror was written on his face, betraying that smug sureness he had seconds ago.
"Defend yourself!" He rasped.
Wallace shot his hand out, put a fist against Silas' chest. He felt the boy's Enlightenment kick in, an ability to exaggerate pain and damage tenfold. But Wallace was a lightweight, he leaned on it too much. He was all speed and dexterity, no
force. The amplified punch barely stung against his own Enlightenment that gave him skin sturdier than oak.
Wallace looked like he'd seen a ghost when Silas didn't flinch.
"I could flay your flesh from your bone," He began.
"I could brandish you as if you were no heavier than a sword, and toss you over the trees. You'd land in grass or in water, and you'd be unable to hurt me enough to prevent that situation.""I-"
"I choose not to. Because in this school, we are fair. Now, you will apologize to Johnathan at the earliest opportunity. And once you do, your sparring matches for the remainder of this week will be with me.""Of course- Yes sir- I understand."
"Good. Now go."As the boy ran off to nurse his injured pride, Silas cracked his neck, and began strolling back inside the school where other students were milling about. Some waved at him, some followed him for moments to engage in idle chat. It was just another day here, at the school he represented. Lately, there hadn't been many new students Lord Poe himself didn't go out to speak with, so Silas had spent more time among the students. Some were more inclined towards combat and weaponizing their less benign Enlightenments, and the dignified dragon loved a good scrap.
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