{Zayti} ~ Rintho would like to know where his homeboys are at. ~ {Artel}

Last edited by Artemis on Tue Dec 11, 2012 6:13 pm; edited 2 times in total

I'm going to assume you know the rules, Zay Wink

Setting is around 9am, Skeloph's fancy audience chamber in the Council building in Didienne.

Intro:

A dead silence hung around Council Member Skeloph Shyvmore Yeriss as she glid down the corridor, seeming to move on wheels as she demonstrated just how smoothly she could walk- something she had spent more than a little while practicing. As ever, her hair was immaculately coifed, and behind her walked an unfortunate maid, head bowed in deference.

As she reached the wide, ornate doors of her audience chamber, two page-boys bowed deeply before heaving them open in unison, ready for the woman to sweep through without breaking step. Anakaria, her personal maid, dismissed the boys with a flick of her hand; they silently closed the doors and dispersed, leaving the two women alone. Skeloph took her usual seat, a well-decorated chair which verged on being a throne.
“Who is it today?” she asked coldly, a slight frown marring her perfectly made-up face. “How tedious these people are, sometimes I wonder why I bother…”
“First, ma’am, the necromancer here to see you. After-“
“Oh really?” She straightened up, her expression of pure boredom and distaste now mingled with interest. “Well, cancel anyone to see me afterwards. No matter who.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Anakaria knew from bitter experience not to question this; a tribal battle blood could have been booked to see the councilwoman next and she wouldn’t have changed her mind. Unquestioning compliance with Skeloph’s commands was the only way to stay on her list of tolerable people- a remarkably short list. Some could call the woman mad with power, but whether she was queen of the world or a kitchen slave who was lucky to have the honour of peeling potatoes, her attitude to the world would have remained unchanged. Many would assume that a person who didn’t bend under pressure would eventually snap; Miss Yeriss had never shown the slightest sign of doing so, and more did she intend to start. Those who called her emotionless were, perhaps, spot-on. Certainly if she did feel anything, she would never dream of letting on that she did so.

Now, she straightened her skirts and managed to sit up a little taller, hands folded demurely in her lap as she waited on the necromancer.
“What was his name, Anakaria?” Early attempts to persuade her mistress to call her Karia as most others did had proved fruitless; indeed, the low-ranked maid at the time had been informed that further requests would result in her being fired.
“He goes by Rintho, ma’am. Rintho Jurhaz of Jiluria.”
“Ah, yes…” Skeloph’s fine nose wrinkled in elegant distaste. “I must say, it seems an odd choice in life to turn oneself into some sort of undead monstrosity, but I have been assured by all my sources that he is the man for the job.”
“I’m sure you’ve got it right, ma’am.”
“So am I. I’m always sure I’m right.” A long-stemmed crystal goblet of water sat on the table beside her; she picked it up and took a delicate sip before wafting a hand towards the door. “Wait outside, Anakaria, and inform me when he arrives. Don’t just let him in.”
“Of course, ma’am.” The lady in waiting gave a deep curtsey before turning for the exit. As the door swung softly shut behind her, Skeloph stretched luxuriously and took another drink from her glass.

Rintho never did get used to a fanciful lifestyle, it did not go hand in hand with his aims...Even now, after travelling through to Didiennes' higher districts time and again he never had adjusted to the gaudiness of it all.
Then again, he had never been summoned to the palace (nor tried to meet with the royalty or councillors as it was) so now, all the higher districts he had visited paled in comparison to the sheer brilliance etched into every detail of this palace.

He collected himself, feeling quite anxious about this meeting, he was often ill at ease with people as it was...but to be here made him restless and unusually flighty. As was a given for him, he had made sure to smuggle in defensive mixes and primed his fingertips for magic...yet he already vowed inwardly to make sure it never would come to that. If it did, he would surely regret it. This should be an agreeable meeting. Yet, Rintho had heard words about Skeloph; not much. The councillors were choosy in what they allowed to slip beyond the walls, but he had the impression she was no lady to trifle with. Were Rintho able to sweat, he would have been.

Rintho bowed his head to what must have been the personal maid.
"My Lady, I am Rintho Jurhaz of Jiluria, I have been bestowed the privilege to speak with your mistress on mutual business."
He said nothing more, instead waiting for the maid to show him in...if at all...It would not be wise to be too forthcoming now of all times. What he had to say would probably rile her if it was not articulated precisely this way or that; the least he could do was make his nature more palatable with a humble demeanour. Skeloph, from what he had heard, did not take kindly to the arrogant. A person to take a peg down or two.
Rintho silenced these thoughts, content to wait.

There was hardly time to let the door close noiselessly behind her before Anakaria turned to see a man approaching her, guided by a pageboy, who could only be Rintho. While he looked human for the most part, there was obviously something off with the colour of his skin… a clammy paleness, a slight marbling of green. Still, he wasn’t anything like as repulsive as she had feared.
“Very good, sir,” she now said, bobbing a light curtsey to him and smiling slightly at the honorific. It wasn’t often she was addressed in such terms, and it certainly made a nice change from hearing it directed at Skeloph. She might call the council member “ma’am”, but only the woman’s maids had the privilege of that familiar term. “If you would please wait here… Any refreshments you desire can be provided.” She gestured to a bellpull on the wall with a meaningful look at the pageboy, who nodded obediently. With a satisfied noise, Anakaria swept away in a manner she had unknowingly picked up from her employer.

The maid used a side door to let herself in, tapping twice on the wood and waiting for a response before letting herself in.
“He’s here, then?”
“Yes, ma’am. He seems much as we believed him to be. Well mannered, slightly unsure of himself, slightly… discoloured.”
“Yes, very well. He won’t damage the upholstery? The number of complaints I received that time was outlandish.”
“No, ma’am, I’m sure he won’t.”
“Send him in.”

A few minutes after she had left him, Anakaria returned to Rintho and held out an arm to the doors.
“Please, enter,” she instructed him as the pageboy hurried to heave them open. Dismissing the page with a flick of her hand, she stepped into the audience chamber after the necromancer, but as her gaze fell upon Skeloph the woman held up a hand to stop both of them dead.
“Anakaria, I will not be requiring you for this meeting. You may wait outside,” she decreed coldly. Taken aback, the maid curtsied graciously and silently departed, leaving Rintho alone with the council member.

“Welcome, Sir Jurhaz,” Skeloph now said, rising and gliding a few steps towards him, her face expectant.

Rintho was surprised by how prompt the whole affair was, he had expected perhaps a line of the usual blabbering nobles to hold him back for a good hour or two at least. Rather, he was shown in to Lady Yeriss's meeting room, designated for the guests. He was quick to bow to her deeply, speaking politely as he often did.

"A pleasure, Lady Yeriss of the high council. It is most gracious of you to accept me." He then thought sharply, he had better carry on before she grew impatient with the formalities. Though he did not want to offend her, either.
"I understand that we are here on even grounds for benefit, I do not know of the business you have planned for myself precisely, but I do know I have been informed I am capable...Lady, I will do my utmost to fulfill your wishes if you would kindly return mine if you see fit."
It was now that he bowed very slightly with his head, there was a slight joltiness about the way he moved and nervousness on his face. Taking a pause in his breath he allowed his body to sink into the luxury of a well padded chair.

"I do not know to the extent you have been told of myself, but I work within all kinds of magic, though most prominently in matters of life and death. To good effect though, Lady Yeriss, I am not a malicious man. If I may boast, you will not find a more trustworthy necromancer for many miles. If one does indeed exist."
It was unusual for Rintho to commend himself openly, but he felt the least he could do now he was here was sell his abilities, if not his social grace, which lacked the effortlessness of a typical noble, well accustomed to these "meetings".

Afterall, he had yet to state what he needed, choosing instead to stay quiet for now, so that at least he could take her fancy first.

Last edited by Artemis on Tue Jul 10, 2012 6:50 pm; edited 1 time in total

The first impression Skeloph had of Rintho was not a bad one. He seemed to know his place, immediately paying respect to her, and she liked how well-spoken he was. It was immensely tiring trying to decipher the rough accents of peasants, and it said only good things about him that he had schooled himself to speak cleanly. Coming from Jiluria, it couldn’t be easy.
“If you live up to your reputation, then I am sure that my request will require minimal effort for you.” Pausing for a moment, she considered his request, her expression blank and unchanging. His grasping attitude was rather unbecoming- but of course, she was always generous in her payment. The lich seemed to be requesting something other than gold in return for his work. Understandable; Skeloph had a great deal of power, and if you wanted a favour done then there were few better people to ask. “I believe in rewarding my people well for the work they do for me,” she continued after a few moments. “Perhaps that is something you have heard of me. In accordance with this, I will hear your request, and if I feel it is fit then I will see what I can do about granting it.”

As she spoke, she watched Rintho seating himself. There went her good impressions; insolence indeed. Would be presume to take a seat were a member of the royal family standing beside him? Wondering how long it would take him to pick up a hint, Skeloph arched her finely plucked eyebrows a few millimetres and stood to her full height- not that her posture hadn’t been immaculate before.
“I am adequately informed about you. I am glad that you consider yourself a trust-worthy person; I hope that I am not misplaced in trusting you with this task. I am sure I do not have to remind you that punishments for disobeying a council ruling are severe.” Her mouth curved into a polite, refined smile which did not reach her eyes. “You are, after all an intelligent man. I am quite confident that it will not come to that. Now, then…” Folding her hands in front of her, she began to move slowly and deliberately around his chair. “Shall we lay out the terms of our arrangement? After all, we must ensure that we are both satisfied with the deal before any work is to begin. I do not know how long these things take you, but it cannot do any harm to begin more efficiently, can it?”

Reaching the back of his chair, she halted and placed her hands lightly on the backrest, looking down at his rather unkempt hair. She supposed it was only that way because he lost it monthly and usually wore a hood, but it was still unattractive now. At least he’d made an effort to look more presentable than he normally did.

As it happened, Rintho was unaware of his faux-pas in the councillor's midst, but was acutely aware that she made him feel very uncomfortable. There was intensity in every movement she made, and when she rested her hands on the back of his chair, sliding behind him the grace of a winding snake, Rintho felt quite convinced he might lose his neck at that moment.
Nonsense, get a hold of yourself...
Rintho waited for her to finish speaking before responding.

"Ah yes, the terms and the ideas..." He tried to collect his thoughts, tossed about like scattered leaves in the wind. "High Councillor Lady Skeloph, there is an old, dead and buried scholar within your family. Likely you will know more of her than I do. I require her body, or perhaps, what remains of it...But I need it such that there are no conditions on my having it. I must have full possession." He adjusted himself in the plush chair, feeling as if things were already beginning to get a little more uncomfortable. "I believe she died, to my knowledge, about eighty years ago; the woman wasn't much of an adventuring type. T'was unfortunate and delicate enough to catch a fever in the western tropics." His voice had been clear, though reserved, but now it started to falter a little.

Now, for his reasons. "You may wonder why I need this, but, you must understand. I thirst for knowledge and to help us, of Dragons' Cove, in our quest to perfectly control our magic, a part of our lives everyday...I believe this woman, that I believe also may be related to you, may have known more than she thought. It is my duty then, to speak with her in death...and retrieve this...this knowledge." He now considered the final part, more terms.

"Oh, of course, I in return will do as you ask my lady, as long as it is just and wise; I am certain it will be." He meekly added, fearing the worst.

As she waited for Rintho to finish speaking, Skeloph tapped her forefingers lightly on the back of his chair, considering his request.
“I would ask that you address me as Lady Yeriss, to begin with,” she said, a very slight note of distaste tainting her voice. “I do not intend for our relationship to progress any further than a business one, and so we must address each other appropriately.” Gathering her skirts, she swept briskly round the lich’s seat to a cabinet at the edge of the room, elaborately decorated with patterns tracing in to a small golden keyhole in the centre.
“Now then, about this relative of mine. I have little need for the corpses of my ancestors. If she is a close enough relation to follow my family’s traditions, however, you will not be able to remove her from the tomb. I would also ask that you do not disturb any of the other bodies. You would most certainly regret it; there are protective spells on each of my deceased ancestors’ coffins to prevent meddlers, or thieves who might wish to take valuables buried with them. Of course, this will be no issue for you and so I will lift the spells as you work. I would not want them interfering with what you do. Nor do I particularly care what you do, provided the body is left in the same state it was when you began. I hope all of this sounds reasonable?”

She had rattled the words out swiftly, though with clear articulation. Now, without appearing to care about the answer, she drew a key from where it hung on a chain around her neck and underneath her dress. It took only a moment to unlock the cabinet and locate what she was searching for; taking a book from within, she locked the cabinet once more, replaced the key and carried the book over to where Rintho sat.
“This contains a record of my family as far back as it can be traced,” she informed him. “It may help you to identify exactly whose grave you will need to disturb; if not, then I will be able to find the information for you. And there is one more thing I must tell you, Sir Jurhaz… There is no “as long as”, no doubt in whether or not you will do this task for me. I am allowing you this access, not something I would give out to many, in return for your service to me.” Her face entirely flat, she stared down at Rintho, daring him to defy her.

Lady Yeriss was a swift worker, no sooner had she recited her demands, she had a book removed from a splendid cabinet that appeared to melt into the background of similarly refined ornaments...
The book was a record of the family then? A good start though her task she had given him did come with uncertainty, he was not about to let on...
"Ah yes, thankyou Lady Yeriss. It is a great kindness that you should allow me this opportunity." Rintho realised he was in no position to argue otherwise, or point out the truth of the matter of just how dicey this was.
Honestly, he didn't want a repeat of a past situation or two he had had. Namely, accidentally absorbing the life force of his wife (perhaps he could mistakenly kill Lady Yeriss? He would certainly never see the light of day following that...) or perhaps failing utterly in such an old resurrection. That was not uncommon, even if successful the effort was utterly exhausting.

"Then I request kindly, that you will grace me with your accompaniment to the cemetary of royalty so that I may do as you wish, tonight would be best while I am still strong this moon." He hesitated, but it had to be said now..."Though I must tell you, there can be no watchers if you wish me to go through with this. I must confess myself now, my means are frowned upon the greater portion of all all peoples, most of all the "righteous" people of the Didienne district...I intend no harm to your ancestors but..."

He trailed off, waiting for her to complete the sentiments in his head.

In answer to Rintho’s words, Skeloph gave a gracious nod.
“Your skills and your dedication to your work has earnt you the opportunity. See that you do not squander it. Very well…” Still standing beside his chair, she folded her hands tidily before her. She saw no reason to tell him exactly what he was to do, not until he was about to do it. He knew he was here for a particularly difficult resurrection, and that was enough for him to gather any necessary materials. Anything more, well, that could wait. Evidently the man was fretting enough that she had to enlighten him somewhat, though, and she did so as briefly as she was able. One day, she wouldn’t have to waste her time pandering to the needs of others… not that she allowed much of that anyway. A tiny smile curled her lips for a second, but it promptly faded as she said,
“Obviously I will not allow the masses to watch you work. I have no more desire for them to know my business than you do. However, there will be one other spectator, a card dragon by the name of Jaden. I am sure you know of card dragons in your line of work. Come with me, then, and we will make our way to the cemetery.” She didn’t wait to see him get up- he shouldn’t have been sitting down at all- but just turned on the spot and glid from the room, the pages on duty outside whisking the doors open as they heard her purposeful footsteps. She didn’t make her way to the main doors of the palace but to one which opened to a lavish courtyard. Ignoring the balconies and decorations, Skeloph made her way to a carriage which sat waiting for them and halted by the closed door, staring impassively ahead. Through the curtained window looked a dragon, obviously the aforementioned Jaden. Swiftly recognising the two and accustomed to the high councillor’s ways, he nodded in greeting before sitting back inside the carriage and waiting for them.

It was good they were of the same mind, nobody else would have to know anything about this. Dabbling with this kind of power and in the very graves of important folk would probably earn Lady Yeriss far more unwanted attention than she'd like, even endangering her position he reckoned.
But what did he know?

That was when he heard about the card dragon, very interesting indeed. It would be a privilege to even be able to have a measure of its power...maybe this would go further his way than expected, and he doubted Lady Yeriss would be any the wider if he were to go down that route. Batting away this tangent of thoughts, that would likely harm him if found out, he followed obediently toward the carriage. It was unusual for him, any commoner would be expected at best to have a wagon, but this had the elegance fit for any royalty. The High Council were above even them.

It was then that he saw the waiting card dragon, Jaden, inside. A curious looking beast with large black ears and a slim, intelligent sort of face. He awaited the appropriate moment to enter the carriage after Lady Yeriss, taking his cue from the assisstant.
Rintho hopped up onto the step then slipped inside, a good feeling to be sheltered from this afternoon rain. The day had been oddly overcast for this time of year. Reading the pair for his company carefully he waited for a moment to speak.
"It is good to be making your acqaintance, Jaden. Councillor Yeriss values your skills very much, I hope we can make the most of this time together. For all of us." He smiled and nodded politely, then pressing a little. "In fact, if you'd be so kind, can you please tell me of your talents?"
He would also like to know how Councillor Yeriss had found him, but that would have to wait.

Yet again Rintho felt the need to prove his incompetence, though to give the man some credit there was an attendant who could open the door for her when he just waited as well- and he allowed her in first. All the same, it did nothing to heighten her opinion of her latest find. Skeloph adjusted her skirts and smoothed back her hair as he settled down in the opposite seat and immediately began talking once again. He was a self- centered little thing, wasn’t he? Letting her attention drift for a few moments, she finished tending to her appearance and then turned her gaze to the window. Thankfully it hadn’t been too wet as they walked out, but now the rain was getting heavier. There would be some provision to keep her dry, she knew; getting wet would compromise her dignity too much to be allowed. This was the sort of thing she had hammered out as always being arranged without her having to bother about it, as soon as she ascended to her council seat.

“And yours, Sir Jurhaz. I have heard much about your line of work in my studies, and your name has appeared more than once. I am sure there is much that the two of us could teach each other regarding magic. I myself have been dabbling in other types of magic than fate, recently. My powers… well, they are hard to capture in words, I must say. There is certainly no comparable feeling to that of wielding fate magic. As I am sure you know, I am able to predict the future and, to a degree, influence it as I wish… Councillor Yeriss has, before now, chided me for my excessive loquaciousness. Quite rightly, of course.” The last was tagged onto a somewhat bitter sentence at a sharp and dangerous look from said councillor. “So please, do ask me any more specific questions you may have and I will do my best to answer them.” As he said this, Jaden shot a sideways glance through the window to the rain outside. An example of his powers would, perhaps, be suitable and indeed serve a useful role in the circumstances. He had no more desire to get wet than Skeloph did.

Even as he was just beginning to wake, Syruvis could immediately tell that it was not night time. All the same, if he was awake, then he saw no reason not to be out and doing things. Rintho never usually minded his presence; in Jiluria, an unusual magical pet was no uncommon thing. Syru knew he wasn’t really a pet, but that didn’t matter- the point was that Rintho was always happy to see him.
As a preliminary step to coming completely out of Rintho’s robes, the night dragon stuck his nose into the air outside, sniffing it curiously. He had thought so- more than a cloudy day had awoken him. Another dragon! And, he was sure, the dragon was using magic. Squirming his way out of the mass of cloth, Syru ran straight into the air in the middle of the carriage and came to an abrupt halt, blinking in baffled surprise at the coldly elegant woman whose eyes he now looked into.
“Winfo?” he asked quietly, his tail lowering in doubt.

The last thing Skeloph was expecting was for an infant dragon to explode into her faces from the copious lengths of fabric Rintho was wearing. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been surprised; it was, after all, not uncommon for lonely eccentrics to steal and raise a dragon egg as a pet or even, in the more desperate cases, a kind of substitute child. But really, why would he have brought it with him on such a meeting? Was the man’s brain sound, when he clearly had so little grasp of the technicalities of society?

Rather than say anything, she simply directed a shrivelling look onto the creature for a few moments before lifting it to the lich.

Rintho listened intently, for now, forgetting his respect he was due to give to Lady Yeriss, the task at hand was crucial. He had to know as much about this dragon as possible. It was just as he had heard, the dragon seemed to have a good grasp of its own fate magic, in spite of there being no other kind of dragon that practiced it...That was quite admirable. Rintho felt he could relate to Jaden in this way, similarly, they both were not best approved of for doing what they did best and he exchanged an uncomfortable look between Skeloph and the dragon.

"Ah I have so many, just as well, the journey is long and I am sure Councillor Yeriss would be interested too." He smiled, openly, then conscious that he had left his facemask and hood down...it would be rude to keep it up and in place, though it made him feel exposed.
Just as he was going to ask, he felt a stirring in the cloths over him and saw a shuffling underneath them, he could feel the grasp of tiny paws crawling along him and then, appearing suddenly was Syruvis. Syru was looking up to Lady Yeriss and called his name. Rintho would have felt a lump in his throat.

He took the dragon from Skeloph, whom he noted sourly seemed to handle him more like a filthy pest than a young dragon, and then placed him firmly on his lap.
"I apologise deeply my Lady, I should have informed you. This dragon is under my care and defenceless on his own, he needs me to accompany him for his own health and learning. I have high hopes; so young and proudly showing his intelligence." Rintho seemed more lukewarm this time, feeling the intense displeasure of the lady already yet, he was content enough to not immediately stuff Syru back into cloth pockets. He preened the dragon's back with the tips of his fingers fondly. Why was Syru already awake at this hour? Something must have upset his order somehow. Travelling to Didienne meant he hadn't been allowed his usual time to wear himself to tiredness in the night.

There didn’t seem to be too much of a problem. Rintho was talking to the woman, anyway, so she had to be a friend. Most of the words went over his head but, in the way children are liable to, he picked out the praise from the sentence and basked in it. A tiny purr emitted from his throat and he arched his neck as the lich scratched him on the back. Luckily, not that he realised it, he decided against spending too much time over Skeloph, instead flashing her a smile and then leaning over to the far more interesting card dragon, straining against Rintho’s hold on him.
“Whassa name?” he demanded, pawing at Jaden’s face. “Magic?”

How true that he should have informed her. What an irritating little creature this seemed to be. Still, Rintho did at least have the sense to hold it firmly on his lap. Older dragons were one thing, but the younger ones were like babies or animals. Either way, nothing she harboured any desire to communicate with. One day, she supposed, she would have to bear some children. If she had met the man she was to marry then suffice it to say the marriage would not be a happy one. An intelligent man also on the High Council with similar views to her, or one who elevated her own power, that would be tolerable. She was not entirely opposed to alliances, even one going as far as marriage- there was simply nobody worthy of it. She saw no reason to form partnerships where she would not benefit but in fact be disadvantaged.

“I suppose you cannot control the creature or predict its movements, Sir Jurhaz. If you feel it a necessary accessory to your work then I will tolerate its presence. But do please try to exercise some restrain over it, I have no desire for it to be clambering over me.” It was not the fact that it was a dragon; any human child still in infancy would be an “it” to her as well.

Admittedly, infants were not Jaden’s favourites either, but he wasn’t quite so disgusted by them as Skeloph was. In fact, when in the right mood he could almost consider them sweet- and a dragon such as a night dragon was fairly high up on his list of preference. With a similar build to himself and high, unique arcane power he quite liked the breed.
“Hello there, young one,” he said, leaning back ever so slightly from the claw-encrusted paws. “My name is Jaden and I was indeed using magic. It was clever of you to realise that. I hope that you will grow up a scholar just like your… ah, carer here.” He nodded, pleased with how he had managed the child, and then looked up at Rintho with a smile. “He is young, obviously, so I do agree that he has much potential. Perhaps he would suit an education in academics at the Academy?”

He wasn't sure how to handle Skeloph's obvious intolerance of the dragon; he was hardly misbehaving so instead Rintho insisted on him being essential to the process.
"My lady, as a man of humble status I only have what I need and when I need it. The dragon is a part in this, I assure you. One would not want to burden you with uselessness." Rintho smiled, though it was more hollow and awkward than usual, he did not appreciate her tone however much he should be paying her respect. He was finding it, on a personal level, very difficult to respect her.

On the other hand, Jaden seemed to be much more amiable toward Syruvis. Rintho had to keep pulling the squirming dragon back into his lap as he fought for a feel of the card dragon's face. It seems he had decided to make Jaden his fixation for the time being.
"Yes, I have considered it. If he is to stay with me and make himself useful, such a thing may be necessary..." Rintho visualised it for a moment, sending away the young dragon to the academy for some years, the northern one too. He didn't like the idea of it. It fell in the fuzzy borderlands between the DDC and Kaionar City State, the latter being far less savoury. He for one, was not sure what to make of the academies. Having never attended and rather, choosing to simply read their material or self teach, he felt skeptical of the system, the overwhelming unpopularity of necromancy meant the dragon could never hope to gain a true understanding at one of those places.

"You may indeed have a point there, though not for all things. Some things the academy will not cater well to...such as yourself, I doubt you'd find anyone capable of teaching you better than yourself Jaden. Syru may become the same..." Naturally, he did not explicitly state his reasons, but they should all have known. The true purpose of this journey was contact and use of the dead.
Feeling Syruvis persisting to be free, he pulled him back again. "Syru." His voice was serious yet softly so. "I'll let you go if you do not trouble the Lady or Jaden well." he said, giving the dragon a pat on the head and then relesaing his hands from the dragon's body.

Last edited by Artemis on Thu Mar 21, 2013 5:33 pm; edited 1 time in total

“Yes, well… As you must.” Skeloph’s lips were unmoved with any smile, but while the dragon was firmly on the other side of the carriage from her she supposed it was just about tolerable. “I am glad you realise I have no place for uselessness… those unhelpful to me do not remain in my presence long.” All this chitchat was distinctly dull to her. What did she care about the infant’s education? It was barely talking yet, and she wouldn’t be the slightest bit interested in what was going to happen to it if it were more of a person than a work in progress. How Jaden could bear to discuss such a tedious topic was beyond her, but he apparently he too was given somewhat towards the sentimental side. Scholars. What a relief that she rarely had dealings with them, excluding her scroll dragons- but they weren’t really the same thing when utilised as spies. Those learning abilities did come in so useful though.

“I suppose that is a valid point, yes. I know my own studies would not have been aided in the least by a formal education, apart perhaps in me learning the general research skills which I picked up at a young age in Yarrowitz anyway. Any true scholar will find a way to pursue learning, I find, even if it is not in a way which is immediately obvious. All the same teachers can come in very useful, but then… Syru, did you say? Syru here, he will most likely develop an interest in your own fields of research, and I am sure there are none who could teach him more on the subject than yourself, or you would not have been hired for this job.” Jaden smiled knowingly, but the expression dropped away at a comment from Skeloph.

“Thank you, Jaden. Of course I hire only the best.” None of the words said it plainly, but her tone suggested a change in topic would be prudent. Their coachman knew nothing of the endeavour and it was going to stay that way.

She was an unpopular ruler amongst most all of her subjects, power held by the fears of others and her own resolve rather than adoration from those who obeyed her. Jaden was no exception; he did her bidding and put up with her, not even with any loathing, but he most definitely did not like her. There were a multitude of reasons but at that moment he simply felt sick of her controlling everything he did when in her presence, right down to the small talk he made with others.

The underlying thoughts and emotions whizzing about the carriage flew straight over Syru’s head. He scarcely even listened to the conversation about him, instead distracted by fine embroidery in Skeloph’s dress which glittered silver in the dim light that entered through the window. When Rintho addressed him directly, however, he bounced straight to his feet and into the air.
“Promise,” he sang, before immediately breaking that promise and crawling through the air on his stomach towards Skeloph. He didn’t encounter all that many women, and those he did were rarely so imposing and meticulously presented as Skeloph. Fortunately, he didn’t make it far towards her before the perfume- modestly applied- became too much and he fled back to Rintho’s shoulder in a sneezing fit.
“Sorry Winfo. Itchy nose. Sorry. Sorry, Lady.” Chagrined by what seemed some cruel trick of karma, he curled around the back of Rintho’s neck and rested his head on the man’s shoulder, wide eyes flicking from Skeloph to Jaden. When he thought about it, he felt somewhat drowsy, it being day- but he was determined not to fall asleep even as he cracked a colossal yawn.

Even in the midst of Lady Yeriss, Rintho felt himself loosen a little when he listened to Jaden. The dragon appeared to be on a similar wavelength to him, how true his words were. He smiled agreeably, opening his mouth to speak, yet Lady Yeriss herself had made her point clear. They were not to rouse any suspicion on their doings. Rintho of course, simply took this as a hint to be more tactful rather than drop this cold- he was not prepared to let their travel pass without finding out more about this extraordinary dragon beside him.
"Pardon me too Lady." He said simply with a flicker downward of the eyes in respect, then speaking to Jaden again. "Yes, the quest for knowledge is a noble one. As much as any other path I believe, through the sword, through the law or to be the right hand of those higher than us...perhaps the most important one there is." Smiling again, it died quickly when he looked back to Skeloph, not intending to slight her at all. Where others may have been ousted or punished for such speech, he realised that would be unlikely for him (for now perhaps?)
It would be all the wiser to be more careful. "Of course, no path can match to that of the Lady's herself. Where only great prowess places her. I do not wish for a role like such in life, a scholar's life is much better, I would be pressed weak for all the enormity of it..."

As if then to save his skin, Syru was recoiling from Skeloph in a bout of dislike. Rintho could not smell anything, perhaps Jaden might, but whatever had found its way to Syru's snout had not been pleasant. He dismissed the moment and reached a hand around to pat Syru briefly.
"Sleep Syru, you have been awake already far too long...if not, rest, so we may have a little peace."
It was not in Rintho's nature to ever scold Syru so much as instruct him, he had done nothing wrong- except perturbing a high councilor, yet he hoped he might be less active if only to make things a little less tense.
"I promise you, if you make yourself as useful as you are for this..." A white lie, if only to get him away from Skeloph's questioning. "Then we can see about you coming with me on my work more often...then you do not have to be alone so much."

Skeloph stared forwards impassively as the two wittered on. Though she could not bring herself to find their conversation interesting in the least, that did not mean she wasn’t listening. Her only reaction to Rintho’s ill thought-out comment was to deliberately slide her gaze onto him, her face remaining entirely blank as she regarded him flatly. It was hardly surprising when he immediately began to grovel and backtrack. She had that effect on people, and the man was undoubtedly the slimy type.
“Of course, a position such as mine is far beyond the capabilities of most, including the other High Councillors. How heartening to hear that the people appreciate me.” It sounded anything but heartening, from the tone of her voice; she accompanied the words with a warning smile. It would be difficult to replace Rintho, and she would certainly give him more slack than she would most who thought to insult her. It had been something which he had blurted without thinking, anyway; an unattractive trait, and not one without risk, but not as bad as outright defying her.

Nonetheless, she was sure she could find a new necromancer if she so desired.

Jaden was somewhat uncomfortable at Skeloph’s air, but it was hardly uncommon. In fact, finding her treating somebody civilly was about as common an event as a Guardian dropping in on Kaionar for a cup of tea and a friendly chat. He gave Rintho what he hoped was a reassuring smile, before turning to the councillor in hopes to distract her briefly and give the unfortunate man a break.
“I must say, my lady, I found your handling of High Councillor Kadland in yesterday’s meeting truly admirable…”

The other two occupants of the carriage were distinctly uninteresting to Syru when Rintho was paying proper attention to him. He scowled at the suggestion of sleeping, skulking his way down Rintho’s arm to settle on the seat beside him.
“Not tired,” he lied, stifling another yawn and sitting up pointedly to show how alert he was. Despite his best efforts, however, it was only seconds before he drooped slightly, the sun outside too much to not affect him at all. His miserable musings on whether or not he could stay up were soon interrupted by Rintho speaking again; this, if nothing else, revigorated the dragon. Face transformed with delight, he beamed up at his carer, too excited to know what to say in response. How could he make sure Rintho took him out more? Maybe if he acted more grown-up, Rintho would think him old enough to be helpful and come out more. Syruvis cast a sideways glance at Jaden, trying to decipher how the older dragon was behaving differently to him. After a moment’s contemplation, he drew himself up and puffed out his chest slightly, lifting his chin in what he hoped was an impressive manner.

OOC| Gosh Syru, you are so atrociously cute.

To his relief, once Lady Yeriss had finished her speaking Jaden was comfortable enough to make conversation with her, if she wanted that at all. He could tell from the moment he met her that she was hardly one that could enjoy idle talk with others, her cold manner was frostier than most for the least to say. As for High Councillor Kadland? Rintho did not even consider himself a part of the system that man governed, and he knew little of the individual; in fact he knew little of all of them, Lady Yeriss being the only one of much true influence that was apparent to others. A shame that she had to be so unlikeable, but then, he himself had little charisma to his name.

Leaving Jaden to speak with her, a wise idea on his part he thought, he now watched as Syru positively lit up. Ah he was so hopeful, the way he had woken very quickly from his tiredness (even if Rintho had hoped he might not) and now seemed to hold himself in tightly. Rintho followed where his eyes had wandered, seeing Jaden's posture...and then Syru's.
He smiled with a soft snort of amusement.
"Not tired? I think not..." He stroked down Syru's back, tickling behind his jaw. "You cannot stay like that forever...now, if you get a good rest then you can be a little more helpful to me tonight can't you? Then maybe we'll see about a treat for you..." Rintho mused, watching for the excited but sleepy reaction he'd have. Ah, hatchlings were so wonderfully sweet, he had never expected to have become the guardian of one.

Syruvis positively drooped as Rintho tickled him, the familiar and relaxing gesture only exacerbating his weariness. Despite himself, and his fervent desire to prove Rintho wrong, the little dragon soon found himself curling up with his head resting in Rintho's lap, jaw stretching in another bone-cracking yawn.
"'ll help," he muttered, eyelids fluttering slightly. "N'get a treat. Think..." His speech was interrupted by yet another yawn. "Sleepy..."
It was only seconds before Syru fell asleep once more, the light of day simply overcoming his willpower.

Jaden's best attempts at sustaining a conversation were simply insufficient, and the carriage's occupants had long since fallen into an awkward silence before they arrived at their destination. Skeloph, however, didn't seem at all bothered by the uneasy atmosphere and total lack of conversation; she stared coldly out of the window, practically motionless until the coachman called out to the horses and they rumbled to a halt. One by one, the group shuffled their way out of the carriage, Skeloph lifting her skirts a fraction so that they didn't touch the muddy ground. Clearly, this was not her preferred environment; nearly all of the courtyards and so on in the palace the High Council inhabited had paved ground, and it wasn't often that she had a need to venture far away from it. They proceeded, still stuck in their silence, through the graveyard until Skeloph eventually reached a small and modest mausoleum.
"The dragon's grave is here," she announced without preamble. "Doubtless you will wonder why; they are a minor noble family, and this dragon saved their heir a terrible death with her powers, so they repaid the favour when the dragon herself died by giving her a noble burial. Rintho, you are to bring the creature's spirit back to talk for as long as is required. Jaden, you are to ask it whatever questions necessary in order for you to discover how to use your powers fully. I assume that's clear?" She looked from one to the other of them, clearly not keen for any questions.

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