[solo] an apprentice
Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2020 1:55 pm
24th of Ash, 120 Steel
Talon stepped to the front of his shop, leaving his companion behind to dress himself. Entering into the main floor room he found a young Avialae staring at one of the swords that Talon had on display. The young man seemed rapt with fascination as he stared at it with a focus that said he was very interested in the art of swordsmanship. It was either that or he was trying very hard to discern something merely from staring at it that was not immediately obvious. The Avialae had the wings of a hawk just from the shape of them. The feathers were a chestnut brown color and were speckled. He was young, Talon estimated that the young man had either recently completed his Warren March or had yet to do so.
“Welcome to the Skyforge, brother. How may I help you?” The young Avialae’s head turned in Talon’s direction. As soon as he saw him, the young man’s eyes went a little wide. Before Talon truly had a chance to react, the young man had swiftly stepped forward and dropped into a kneel. He brought his hands up to rest upon his knee, his head was bowed and there was a stiffness to his posture that told Talon he was incredibly nervous.
“Shinsei, please forgive me for disturbing you. I am Velkan, third son of House Kaz. I have come to beg you, Shinsei. Please accept me as your apprentice.” The young man continued to stare at the floor with a rigid intensity. Talon merely blinked at him in surprise. His delivery sounded as though it had been very rehearsed, as though he had gone through the motions at least a hundred times in his head. He had heard of House Kaz. They were a family that fell under the banner of his own family in one of the outlying townships in the province. The family was comprised mostly of farmers and miners.
“Well--...” Talon began to speak but Velkan interrupted him.
“I completed my Warren March. I am a strong and able warrior. I will work hard. I will study harder. I have traveled from the countryside to pledge myself…” Talon held up his hands trying to get the young Avialae’s attention.
“Velkan.” His attempt went unnoticed as the young man seemed fixated on getting whatever it was out before Talon had a chance, he assumed, to deny him.
“...to your service. My family has been loyal to House Novalys for many generations. I know that we have not always brought much glory to your House, we are humble but…”
“Velkan!” Talon was growing a tad concerned as the young man seemed completely fixated on what was running out of his mouth, ignoring or simply oblivious to the fact that he was trying to get his attention.
“But I swear that I will not bring dishonor to your work! I swear that I will serve as faithfully as my family has for generations! I swear--”
“Kid!” Aoren’s voice cut through the speech making Velkan fall silent. The young Avialae looked up. There was a determined set to his jaw and in the stillness of his shoulders. His chin was raised slightly and he seemed to hold himself even more stiffly. His mouth opened and closed as he stared between Talon and Aoren. Aoren finished tugging on his boot as he walked forward, sliding his fingers through his hair. He folded his arms over his chest as he stared at the young man. “Breathe, will you?”
Talon gave his companion a grateful look as Velkan blinked and let out a breath.
“Oh. S-sorry.” He dropped his gaze, wings wilting slightly and Talon could only shake his head.
“Velkan? Please stand.” The young man got to his feet. He was only slightly shorter than Talon himself but appeared solidly built which came as no surprise given House Kaz’s reputation of being hard laborers. He clasped his hands behind his back. His wings were tucked in closely with a slight curve to them as though he were trying to resist the urge to wrap them around himself and hide. Talon’s gaze softened. He gestured to one of the rooms off to the side where rest a table and some pillows. It was Talon’s workshop study where he typically seated himself in order to map out designs and schematics for different projects.
“Come.” He motioned for the young man to follow him into the room. Aoren remained where he was standing, eyes watching the young man closely. It was only after Velkan passed him to follow after Talon that his companion followed into the room. He posted up next to the doorway, leaning against the wall adopting a leisurely pose. Talon seated himself on one side of the simple table in the room. It was covered in neatly organized papers, each depicting something that Talon was either working on personally or that he had been commissioned to design. He motioned for Velkan to seat himself. When the young man glanced back at Aoren, Talon smiled.
“Aoren is my bondmate. He is here because there are few places we do not go together.” Velkan turned and offered a bow to Aoren.
“Lord--”
“I’m not a Lord, kid. Just a soldier. Now, relax. You’re making us both nervous.” Aoren smirked slightly as he studied the young man. Velkan just nodded as he took his seat. He remained quiet. Talon picked up a pen and a bottle of ink. He drew out a piece of paper and made the tools ready in case he felt the need to take notes.
“Velkan Kaz.” Talon said the name and thought on what he knew of the family for a few moments. “Your father is Hythor Kaz, yes?”
The young man nodded. “Yes, Shinsei.”
“Why do you wish to become my apprentice here at the Skyforge?” Talon had been thinking about seeking an apprentice to help him around the shop in days of late. Especially as he was becoming more involved with the responsibilities of attending events in his father’s absence. It was practically a necessity at this point. As he awaited Velkan’s response, he half expected the young man to speak about how much glory and honor there was in working more closely with House Novalys, at which point Talon would thank him for his time and send him on his way. Instead, Talon was pleasantly surprised.
“I want to protect people.” There was a seriousness to Velkan as he stared down at his hands, which were clenched into fists on his thighs. Talon arched an eyebrow.
“Then why not join the Sky Guard?” To his question, Velkan nodded.
“I thought about that, Shinsei. It would be an honorable thing to do but…” The young man let out a low breath. “The Sky Guard are our protectors but who protects them? The blacksmith who forges their armor, the one who sharpens their swords, the ones who fletch the arrows for their bows and the runesmiths who forge the artifacts that empower the battlemages. I want to protect them.”
Talon could feel even Aoren’s surprise at the young man’s declaration. It showed an insight and clarity of purpose that he couldn’t say was common among Avialae so young. Their upbringing did not exactly afford them the chance to be very whimsical, especially as every Avialae boy prepared to face down the terrors of the Warrens to achieve manhood, but following that it was not uncommon for younger Avialae to throw themselves into more passionate pursuits. The joy of surviving, the freedom of being able to live past the expectation of delving into that horrible place, it was a relief. It was a relief that Talon had felt but he had other duties to tend to once he had recovered.
“That is a very honorable path to walk, Velkan. Do you have experience working the forge?” Talon stirred his aether into motion. He drew upon the power of Semblance in order to get a measure of the young man before him. Sifting through the surface of Velkan’s aura, Talon found traces of earth which was to be expected given his family’s background. He was immediately struck with the sheer resolve with which Velkan seemed focused on. He could get a sense that the young man was utterly determined. He was nervous. He was afraid but there was a certainty beneath those things that Talon had to admit, he was impressed by. On the edges of the aura he found traces of that ozone smell and taste that Talon had come to associate with the manipulation of aether. It told him that either Velkan was someone who was exposed to magic or who possessed it himself.
“I do not, Shinsei. But I am a quick learner.” There was honesty in his words and an earnest desire to learn. Talon let his vision return to normal.
“Where are you currently staying?” The young man ducked his head.
“I am renting a room at an inn in the Low-City. I-I promise that I will always strive to be on time a-and clean. I--” Talon held up a hand.
“Retrieve your belongings, Velkan.” The young man looked up at Talon and there was clear hope but also hesitation in his eyes.
“Shinsei?” Talon gave the young man a smile as he got to his feet. He walked around the table and extended a hand to Velkan.
“You will take your belongings to the Palace of the First Wind. It is customary for apprentices to live in the abodes of their masters, is it not?” There was a beat of silence before the young man leaped forward in a flurry of motion that caught Talon off guard. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Aoren immediately tense and move as though he were about to spring forward but he stopped when it was clear Velkan meant no harm. The young man had wrapped his arms around Talon’s waist and was hugging him tightly.
“Um...Velkan?” The young man immediately jerked back and Talon smoothed his shirt.
“A-apologies, Shinsei. I just...this is just...I didn’t think...thank you.” His voice was a bit raw with emotion. Talon would not have thought that accepting him as an apprentice would have had such a dramatic impact on the young man. He studied him more closely, opening himself up to the young man’s aura once more. There was relief, there was excitement, there was disbelief and there was an underlying note of...sadness? Closure? Talon could not quite make out the emotion because it was apparent that Velkan could not make sense of it himself.
“Of course. You came just in time. I will be beginning a rather extensive project. Another pair of hands, even if I must teach those hands, will be of benefit. We begin tomorrow. For now, gather your belongings and go to the Palace. I will make sure that rooms are prepared for you.” Talon clasped his hands behind his back, giving Velkan a smile. The young man bowed low.
“I will not disappoint you, Shinsei. Thank you. Thank you.” He backed out of the room, nearly bumping into Aoren along the way. The Kathar gently nudged the young man in the right direction before Velkan turned and darted out of the shop.
“There is a story there.” Aoren was staring after the young man. His gaze was thoughtful.
“Yes. There is. Perhaps he will tell it to us in time.” Taking his measuring tape out of his pocket, Talon ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
“And what are you about to do with that?” He looked over to his companion. Aoren had one eyebrow arched. There was a touch of a smirk on his lips.
“I need to take my measurements as well. I was going to stand in the mirror and use my kinetics to--” Aoren walked forward and snatched the tape from his hand. “--hey! I need that.”
In one smooth motion, Aoren slid the tape around Talon’s waist, tugging the Novalys heir forward so that they were pressed closely together.
“Allow me.” Talon blinked.
“Oh.” Aoren threw his head back and laughed before nudging Talon toward the fitting room. Talon swallowed.
So much for distractions.
