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  1. #11
    Althanian

    EXP: 8,146, Level: 3
    Level completed: 79%, EXP required for next Level: 854
    Level completed: 79%,
    EXP required for next Level: 854


    Professor Charles's Avatar

    GP
    1,050

    Name
    Charles Rivers
    Location
    Corone
    “They could have gone because they are girls and they get scared easily.” He folded his arms and slouched back in his throne.

    “That is awfully sexist of you,” I replied, picking off a ripe, round grape from a stem and popping it into my mouth. Apparently he owned a vineyard now, which was nice when it gave you fat fruit like these were. “Some of the greatest warriors I know are female.”

    “And how many warriors would a n’urd like yourself know?” he scowled.

    ‘N’urd’ was a progressive term I had heard some of my younger students use, both in Akashima and in Alerar. It referred to someone who was highly knowledgeable about particular subjects, and was sometimes used in tandem to them (for instance, I would be a ‘history n’urd’). Either it could be an insult (‘you are such a n’urd’) when one would not stop speaking excessively about a topic, or it was a self-confession (‘I am n’urdy about …’). It also seemed to be a general defining description for anyone who was a bookworm, or owned large amounts of books, such as myself. I was surprised that Morningstar was using it, and so I blinked at him a moment before I replied.

    “Because I have only been a professor for the last ten years,” I flatly replied. “And I know a lot of people.”

    “Oh, so you have met them all in those ten years?” He guffawed, then frowned, “How come it took you so long to establish yourself, by the way? People barely knew who you were when I started looking for you.”

    I grinned, and retorted in kind. “Depends when you started looking. And … how come it took all those years for you to come and find me?”

    Likely because he had not realised I had been free until recently. Deliberately, I had chosen to leave my name behind when I adopted the identifier of tiefling. Indeed, my name had stayed similar, so I was ‘Charles’ instead of ‘Charon,’ but at least I was still hidden, away from the world. With a good life, and locally known as a household modern historian.

    “The point is, I have found you now,” he raised his chin. “As I will find the others, and we will ride out this apocalypse together and I will rule on the other end of it.”

    “Or,” I suggested strongly, “You let me go, give me back however much of my power you stole from the King -”

    “Took, and bargained for,” he said defensively.

    “Morningstar, I am your brother,” I blinked at him, “I know how you work. You either stole it, or had it stolen by one of your lackeys.”

    His bottom lip drooped beyond his top one, and I knew I was right. Thus, I went on, “Yes, so you give me back my power, and I will go from here, towards the thing that is going to destroy us and stop it. Or at least, attempt to. It is much more practical than constantly searching for our siblings and trying to build an empire in a world of ash, that at least we could try to save.”

    Morningstar shook his head roughly, “No, brother. It is futile. If Klotho, Lakesis and Atropos have run, then the likeliest outcome is destruction. We must therefore hide, use what power we have to protect ourselves and emerge as new gods in the end.”

    “You are too obsessed with power,” I insisted. I leant forwards, going as far as my short chain would allow. “Morningstar, please consider the possibility. I am talking about a chance here, it might be slim, but we have to take it. Tell me what you know so far about it, I will go and attempt to ease the suffering. If -” I paused, and sucked in my breath, “if you are right and it destroys nearly all life, then damn, I won’t even have a university to go and teach in. Then I will come back to you, and we can take about fealty and all that shit.”

    His brow rose, and he stared. “Fealty? You would …”

    “Not if I can help it, you power-hungry maniac,” I responded entirely not amused. “Not until my last day. But, if it comes to the end of the world, then I won’t have much left to fight for. We can talk then about some sort of working arrangement."

    There was a smile across his face for a moment, then he lay his head back.

    “That is not enough of a deal, Charon, to have me free you. I could just keep you here until the end of things, you’d be bored enough then too.”
    Last edited by Philomel; 07-15-2018 at 03:47 PM.

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