Vane: The Arrival

[gorgonfondness]

There is a magic circle, and with that comes a gentle sort of sliding feeling, followed by the arrival on top of a similar magic circle in a similar room. When Zelgadiss opens the door, he is greeted by a guard.

"Majesty Mia has told us a little about you. Another guest of Milliways, right? Welcome to the Magic Guild. If you would like, you can wait in the lounge until Majesty Mia is ready for you."

And he begins to lead the way down the hall, the way to both the lounge and Mia's office on the other side of the Guild Mansion.

Comments

[chime_ra_tilt]

Zelgadiss looks around as he arrives, on guard despite the empty appearance of the room. In the next room, he nods at the guard's question, and follows.

He doesn't relax. This other world feels foreign, and it's getting under his skin. In an effort to distract himself from the feeling, he examines his surroundings as he follows the guard to the lounge.

[gorgonfondness]

Obviously recently repaired, as some parts are starkly new compared to others. There is a somewhat winding walk from the hallway to the stairs, another hallway, a left, a longer straight walk, and then finally the lounge.

"Majesty Mia left on some business to Meribia this morning with Master Draco and young Alhena, but they should be returning soon. If there is anything you would like in the meantime, please don't hesitate to ask."

And the guard gives a nod, ready to leave at Zelgadiss's word.

[chime_ra_tilt]

Zelgadiss glances around the lounge, then back to the guard as he listens.

"About how soon is soon?" He asks. Really, the word could mean anything from a few minutes to a few days, and he'd rather know beforehand if he'll be going back to Milliways for meals and sleep while he waits.

[gorgonfondness]

"In time for lunch, I would think. They've just gone to clean up Master Draco's shop, which shouldn't take long. He's from Milliways, same as you, so he's still adjusting. And I'm certain little Alhena will wear out before long, which means Mama and Papa will have to bring her back."

The guard chuckles to himself.

"Didn't think I'd get to talk about Majesty Mia like that so soon. Kind of silly. But to give you a clearer answer, it's safe to assume they'll be back within the hour. If you like, I could have a message sent to them to return quickly."

[chime_ra_tilt]

Zelgadiss waves a hand, dismissively. "No need to rush them," if they're going to be here that quickly, anyway.

"I'll be able to occupy myself until they return."

[gorgonfondness]

"Very well, sir. If you change your mind, there are guards stationed throughout the Guild. They have been told of your arrival and will be happy to help you, as Majesty Mia requested."

He gives Zelgadiss a bow and then walks back to his station near Mia's bedroom.

Speaking of Mia's rooms, her office is just down the hallway. In fact, it's the only other room in the hallway.

[chime_ra_tilt]

Zelgadiss waits until the guard leaves, then wanders out of the relatively empty lounge to look around more.

He sure that, if Mia had instructed the guards to help him, they won't mind him looking around while he waits.

Being the only other door off of that particular hallway, Mia's office is the logical primary destination.

[gorgonfondness]

And, as Mia did give permission to go there, the door is unlocked for him. But once he opens the door, he'll find that the office is rather occupied.

By books.

Gads of books.

Scores of books.

Mountains of books.

Cascades of books.

So many books that they have literally filled every corner of Mia's office, wall to wall, floor to ceiling.

[chime_ra_tilt]

...That's... a lot of books.

What's a helpless chimera to do in the face of all that potential knowledge?

The obvious thing.

It could be said that, when given time to research things, Zelgadiss is almost content. As it is, the next hour passes quickly for Zel as he leafs through various books, most of them centering on the magic of Lunar.

[gorgonfondness]

And it's not even the entirety of Vane's library.

But Mia can tell him that, as she's rushing down the hallway at the end of the hour, a bandana in her hand and a few smudges of paint on her face that she couldn't scrub out quick enough.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting, Zelgadiss, I've been-" she had started to explain, but when she actually came up to Zel, she stopped in the middle and said, "Oh. You've found a way to occupy yourself. If you're interested in Vane's library, there's much more than just that. My family's been holding all of the books while we rebuild it. Look through it at your leisure, either before or after you depart for the Spire."

[chime_ra_tilt]

The hour, silent but for the paper-thin sounds of turning pages, has done wonders for Zel's mood. The magic of this world is so very different. So very interesting.

"I may have to ask to see the library, then," he smiles slightly. "I hope you don't mind that I let myself in." He gestures to her office.

[gorgonfondness]

"Of course not. I'd be a hypocrite if I minded after I said you could."

She reaches into a pocket in her sleeve and produces a map.

Down to business.

"I'm afraid the way to Damon's Spire is something of a trek," she says, opening the map and showing him where it was in relation to Vane. "And there are some stops that you'll be required to take along the way, but Damon's library is worth it for the wealth of knowledge it holds. First things first, though. We'll have to see if you can actually make it there, as I've heard that magic can be affected differently depending on the world you're in. Draco is able to manage well enough with his magic, provided he has that silly little wand of his, so hopefully you'll be able to use yours as proficiently as you can at home."

[chime_ra_tilt]

He smirks, peering at the map. "Treks don't bother me." His whole life seems like one big trek, sometimes.

"And if my magic doesn't work here, I still have my sword."

[gorgonfondness]

"That's true, but if you don't have your magic, it might make parts of Damon's Spire more difficult, at least if you go alone. Some monsters there are vulnerable only to magic, while others only to swords. If you go by yourself, being able to use both would be to your benefit."

She nods in the direction of the long hallway he went through earlier.

"If you would like to see, I know where you can go to test your abilities."

[chime_ra_tilt]

"That'd be helpful, certainly," he says, gesturing for her to lead the way.

He certainly doesn't want unnecessary property damage, after all. He never is an accomplice in such things.

Mia probably wouldn't appreciate it.

[gorgonfondness]

She leads them outside. They get a few steps out of the Guild before they hear loud barking back where they came from.

Mia turns to see a wolf pup trying to follow them.

"One moment," she tells Zelgadiss before going to the pup.

Amid all the licking and affection, she gets out, having to repeat a few times, "Go back to Papa for now, Alhena. Mama will be back to play soon."

When the pup finally gets the message and runs back in the Guild to search for Draco, Mia returns and continues leading the way to a small building just off the main road.

"I'm sorry about that. Alhena's never been here before and she's curious about everything."

[chime_ra_tilt]

Zelgadiss turns to watch Mia and the affectionate pup, smiling slightly.

"There's a lot to be curious about," he says, waving away the apology. He doesn't mind the dog.

[gorgonfondness]

"So many new people, places, and things she's never encountered. Poor thing had quite a time trying to negotiate with the stairs until Draco picked her up and carried her down himself."

She opens the door to the small building and another one inside, opening up to a cave.

"This is the Cave of Trial, which people were once forced to pass in order to enter Vane. The monsters here are excellent for trying your magic. And if you find yourself in a battle here and you can't use your magic, then your skills with the sword should suffice. We don't have to stay long, just until we're both satisfied with your magic."

[chime_ra_tilt]

The way Mia refers to the monsters reminds Zelgadiss of Lina remarking on the subject of certain bandit hordes. As a good warm-up.

It makes him smile.

"All right," he says, loosening his sword in its scabbard and striding out into the cave.

[gorgonfondness]

Mia follows a little ways behind him, mostly to make sure that he doesn't get lost, but also to see his skill. It's only the second time she's gotten the chance to see someone with different magic use it in a combat situation, and compared to this, the first time hardly counts since Draco didn't use anything stronger than a trip jinx on her.

[chime_ra_tilt]

Zel walks without fear of whatever trials the cave may throw at him, but is always on his guard.

"So, do you invite others into your world often, or is this a rare thing?" He asks, half turning to her.

[gorgonfondness]

"I offer the invite to all of my friends, but only a few take it up. Draco has been here the most often, but that's partly because he plans to make this world his home. Other than him, the only time people from Milliways have visited here was during the Midsummer to attend my Guildmaster ceremony."

Zelgadiss is the first to go to Mia's world on business.

[chime_ra_tilt]

"Draco is your husband?" He asks, thinking of the mentions of 'Mama' and 'Papa' and all the references to this Draco.

Mia seems a bit young to be married, to Zel's eyes, but one never knew.

He's rather distracted from the question as he sees what is around the next corner.

[gorgonfondness]

Even though she and Draco have been together for a while (over a year counting time at home and time at Milliways), she still blushes a bit at the question.

"No, we're not married. We talk about it sometimes, and he has hinted that he plans to ask me, but it's not necessary. It's not uncommon for the women of my family to be unmarried, even when they have children. Even on a level somewhere before engagement, Draco has given me more commitment than simply offering to one day sire my heir."

And the blush gets a little brighter.

"I'm sorry. That was more than you asked and likely more than you wanted to hear."

[chime_ra_tilt]

He glances at her, shaking his head. The long answer doesn't bother him too much (somewhere in the back of his mind is the thought that she could have just given a plain yes or no, but that is buried under yet another question).

"What is that?" He asks, pointing to the... thing some ways down the hall. Ogres, trolls, beastmen... yes. This thing is as foreign as the soil underneath his feet.