The Music of Steel [Finn]

[Talisman]

When Finn yielded, Vespera lifted the blade away, moving it to her free hand and offering Finn a hand up from the sand. "Well-fought, Finn Farstrider." There was satisfaction in knowing he had made the young Princess have to think and adapt, and he had held his own for longer than most could against her. He had come a long way in a fairly short time, and it was sadly a pity that he was with the Umbrian royal family.

Even if he was a human.

For all of her race's racism, the Moonborn was realistic enough to see the skill and value the young man had, especially as Avaerys had seen fit to bestow His Emblem upon him. He was decidedly important as an ally, and with the number of Runes he possessed, not to mention his Mastery of them, he certainly qualified as a Magnatus. It was good to have him in Solunarium, one way or another. Even if relations soured further between Upper and Lower Cities, then they would just have to be prepared. Certainly, he learned some of her tricks, but she was also learning his.

With the sparring session at its end, water was necessary in the unrelenting heat. Neither of them was Vastian, and once they both drank their fill, Vespera set the onlookers to their next tasks before heading for the temporary sunshade. Her servus brought over a satchel for her that he had been holding. She took it from him with thanks, and motioned Finn over. "This is for you. You've mentioned your interest in some of our native instruments, and this one is one that I have enjoyed before." If he opened it, he would find an ornate lyre wrapped in padded silk, intricately crafted, golden, and polished to a high shine. The strings were immaculate and already tuned to his masterful ear. While it was Runeforged, it was also heavily Warded against damage and destruction by Vespera herself. "It is a good start to the harp and the grand harp." Those he had seen her play, the massive one needing Kinetics to actually succeed with due to its sheer size. Her lips twitched into a smile... suggesting that that instrument that he now held might well be more than it was.

[Finn]

Even getting a hand up from the ground was an opportunity to learn. She placed her feet just so, shifted her center of gravity such that she wasn't pulled over by his greater mass. He knew there were mathematics involved in calculating such things, but he wasn't educated like that. But learning to intuit such things was helpful, and he hoped he was learning. Accepting her help, he used her hand for a bit of leverage and balance, but used his own power to get up.

"Gratias, præceptor."

If Finn was unsure where on the Pyramid he was meant to abide, in the practice ring, she was supreme. He thought that might have greased the wheels between them, too. They mostly interacted within an educational framework, wherein he was inferior. So, when he showed her deference, there was less chance for her to be upset by an uppity human putting on airs.

It didn't seem to matter what Aværys decreed: some Re'hyæan elves continued to see him as lesser even as half of their pantheon raised him above them. Well, not above Vespera, perhaps. Truly, he had never spent more time considering power and importance than he had in Solunarium. His God had awakened a hunger for power in him, but he was more concerned with knowing how to act within the byzantine power structure of the Dual Empire. So did most of its residents anymore since the return of the draconic dynasty, but that was hardly his fault.

People who didn't feel firm on their foundations were likely to lash out. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of such things.

He drank his water as Hilana had taught him: in a measured pace. Staying hydrated was important, but too much water too quickly could cause problems as well. Everything in life seemed to be a balancing act, and he still didn't have the mathematics to calculate much.

His eyes widened slightly, and then wider as he pulled out the bundle and unwrapped it. He couldn't semble, but with the magic he did own, he could almost sense it thrumming with something Other.

Unable to help himself, he ran a quick arpeggio over the strings. It sang. He smiled, a softness and eagerness in him that was not present when they trained. He could not maintain the subtle mnemonics and meditations to prepare his soul to reincorporate his pact weapons, but that could wait.

"Thank you," he said again, simply and without flourish. He was sincere, though. She knew that well enough by now.

Finn could already play the lyre, albeit not expertly. There was a certain level of mastery with one stringed instrument that made it relatively easy to play other stringed instruments, though nothing would be so seamless a blend of skill and soul as the lute for him, perhaps.

He didn't ask about the magic. An Assessor would tell him later if he asked. The instrument was finely crafted whatever magics were woven through it.

"A princely gift."