“Uh…” it was Tedi that vocalized the confusion all the teens had on their faces, “What just…?”

Vasskr was panting, too, snapping his whip into a spear and using it to get to his feet. He glanced at the teens, then looked away before approaching his brother.

<< Don’t,>> Drazaria signed at him, staring at the ground and trying to get his vision to focus.

“… we’ll talk about this later,” the kradreen promised softly.

The sorcerer scoffed, lurching to his feet with a groan - and nearly falling on his face.

Vasskr caught his arm and added, “I won’t tell them anything, but I couldn’t…”

“Later,” Drazaria rasped, pushing away and stumbling back before catching his balance. He glared at his brother - then glanced at the kids before turning and wobbling off. He hadn’t exhausted his magic, but it was only by the closest of measures - he would need to walk home the old-fashioned way, it seemed.

Vasskr sighed behind him and then turned to his charges to herd them away.

Drazaria hadn’t made it far before Owal and Heline appeared from wherever they’d been hiding after following him.

The vanin teen whistled low as thon pulled one of the sorcerer’s arms over thons shoulders, “That was intense.”

“Are you and Sir Vasskr… fighting?” Heline asked, too short for Drazaria to lean on.

The sorcerer was too tired not to accept the help and replied, “Nah, he’s just… going to yell at me later…”

Drazaria then blacked out.

He came to in his bed and groaned as he sat up, rubbing at his eyes.

“That was stupidly reckless,” Vasskr called up, tone icy.

“You sound like Vallas,” Drazaria replied, which was a low blow, and he knew it.

“Don’t try to distract me,” his brother replied, climbing up the ladder and depositing a bowl of soup beside the mattress, “Eat. It’s medicinal.”

Drazaria rolled his eyes but accepted the food anyway. It burned as he drank directly from the bowl, which made him feel more awake.

“What were you thinking?” Vasskr demanded, standing a few rungs down and leaning forward for balance. He crossed his arms, “I’d ask if you even were thinking, but you always are, so tell me - why would you use that ritual?”

<<I don’t need to explain myself to you,>> Drazaria signed after setting the bowl back down. He debated pushing his brother off the ladder, but it seemed a bit… extreme.  

Vasskr opened his mouth - then sighed, deflating, “No, you don’t. But I wish you would - I… I thought I would be too late this time.”

Drazaria sighed and signed, <<I didn’t need your help.>>

“Maybe,” his brother said, “Please at least tell me you’re never doing that again. You endangered the kids too, you know.”

The sorcerer looked down at his hands - he’d endangered them in more ways than one. He shook his head.

Vasskr clasped his shoulder, “I’m sure it’s more for your own reasons than my peace of mind, but thank you.”

Drazaria snorted, then signed, <<Move.>>

“Where do you think you’re going in this condition?” his brother demanded - even as he did climb down.

“Get a drink,” the sorcerer replied, “Is that alright, mom?”

Vasskr rolled his eyes, then asked, “What are you going to do about your… guests?”

“Apparently, you’re not the only one who thinks I need help,” Drazaria said, pulling on fresh-ish clothes and his usual cloak, “After today, I think I’ll give them the chance.”

“They want to fight?” Vasskr asked, cupping his chin, “You hate kids fighting.”

<<Better kids versus kids than…>> Drazaria paused, pursing his lips - then he sighed, <<Than me losing control.>>

“… I see,” his brother replied.

Drazaria rolled his eyes, scratching at his arm as he walked out the door.

Vasskr followed him out, “I suppose you don’t want to discuss that…”

“No,” the sorcerer replied, pausing to watch Owal and Heline once again sparring a bit off. I’m going to have to actually train them now…

“… I’m surprised Cloir let her come out here,” his brother said.

Drazaria snorted, <<She shouldn’t have.>>

“Probably not,” Vasskr agreed, then sighed, “I’m still mad at you.”

<<I know,>> the sorcerer replied and turned in the direction of Ked’s inn. That was another plan he definitely didn’t want his brother’s opinion on.

“At least try to keep yourself in one piece, would you?” said brother added.

Drazaria waved over his shoulder in acknowledgment, enhancing his walk as he hit the tree line.

Like before, he walked straight to the bar from the door and straddled one of the seats there. Jonoor was in attendance again, and Drazaria almost hoped they picked a fight this time - he could use a fight with someone he could actually hit.

“Welcome back, Zawn,” Ked drawled, strolling over almost as soon as the human sat down, “The same as before?”

“Yeah,” the sorcerer said, scratching at his arm - then he snorted and added, “Please.”

The woozhi smiled at the afterthought and brought out a bowl of stew and a pint of ale.

After drinking half the ale at once, Drazaria smacked the mug back on the counter and said, “I have a brother.”

“Oh?” Ked asked, arching an eye ridge.

“Yeah, and he’s an idiot,” the sorcerer added - Vasskr wasn’t the only one that was pissed off, and Drazaria supposed this was as good a time as any to let off some steam.

And if it had the added bonus of causing Jonoor’s glare to burn holes in the back of his head, well, he wasn’t about to complain.

Ked looked past him with his top two eyes and asked casually, “Is he kradreen?”

Drazaria grinned, “Yeah - one of the real stuck-up ones. Obsessed with duty and responsibility. It’s part of what makes him an idiot.”

The woozhi leaned down to say softly, “Instigating isn’t against the rules, but it is frowned upon.”

“You don’t seem to be stopping me,” Drazaria snorted, turning to glance back at Jonoor - who quickly looked away, as they were meant to.

Ked straightened with a flash of a grin, “You seemed like you had more to say.”

The sorcerer considered their audience, then shrugged and took a drink before saying, “Not really - unless you want to hear about Oralie.”

That made Jonoor rise to their feet.

Over Drazaria’s head, Ked trained all six of his eyes on the assassin with a warning look.

The sorcerer smirked as he listened to Jonoor stomp across the floor and shut the door to the inn with more force than necessary - he’d definitely be getting that fight he was itching for now.

“Was that a real offer,” Ked asked, nonchalant as if the previous minute hadn’t happened, “Or were you just getting rid of an eavesdropper?”

Drazaria shrugged, “Bit of both.”

After all, discussing Oralie - in general, at least - wasn’t a Taboo.

“Well, I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn more,” the woozhi said, leaning a hip against his side of the bar.

“Not much I actually can tell,” Drazaria started, rolling his eyes - this was less fun when not irritating Jonoor, “You ever seen a kradreen building?”

“No,” Ked replied.

The sorcerer nodded - most non-kradreen hadn’t, after all. He went on, “They don’t have them, mostly - not the way we think of them. Most structures are carved into mountainsides or the ground in spirals. When you first step off that port, you’d think you were looking at an almost untouched, verdant paradise - especially since the weather is enchanted to always be perfect. They plan rainstorms - have the fucking schedule up and everything.”

Drazaria remembered that feeling he’d had so many years ago when he’d seen Oralie for the first time himself - it hadn’t been from the port, though. It had been from the balcony of one of the few constructed buildings on the island - the Tribuni Chambers, where they had officially accepted him as Vallas’s ward. It had been a perfect view of paradise that filled his thirteen-year-old heart with so much wonder he’d almost forgotten what had brought him there in the first place.

“There’s no currency up there, either - whole damn island is enchanted to provide enough for everyone,” the sorcerer added, taking a drink to wash the metaphorical bitter taste out of his mouth as he thought to himself, Every real Oralian, anyway.

“For somewhere so… utopian,” Ked said carefully, “Your tone isn’t very fond.”

Well, if you found out everyone was just tolerating you so you could die for them and then had your home caved in when you didn’t, you wouldn’t be too fond of a place either, Drazaria thought. Out loud, he forced a grin and said, “Too many kradreen.”

“And yet a kradreen eye is your focus,” the woozhi observed dryly.

“I ‘earned’ it,” the sorcerer said sourly, taking another drink but finding his mug empty. He scowled at the bottom of it - according to kradreen law, he had earned the eye… not that he’d ever felt that to be true himself. Setting the mug down, he added, “And it’s only most of them that suck.”

Ked snorted and grabbed the mug, refilling it as he asked, “Is there a three-eyed kradreen I can ask to confirm that story?”

Drazaria scoffed, “No. But you said you don’t chat with liars, so if you’re still talking, you must believe me.”

“I suppose you have a point,” the woozhi said, bringing the refilled mug back, “Does your idiot brother live in Oralie?”

“Sometimes,” the sorcerer said, pulling the mug back, “He still has a home there, in any case.”

“But not you?” Ked prodded.

Drazaria took a drink instead of answering.

The woozhi took the hint and changed the subject, “Does it hurt to speak? It sounds like it does.”

The sorcerer shrugged, “I’m used to it.”

“You’ve never found another way?” Ked arched a brow ridge.

“Kradreen have a sign language. I can use that,” Drazaria replied, then grinned as he saw an opportunity, “Why? Trying to get on my good side?”

“Maybe,” the woozhi replied, “Aren’t you trying to get on mine?”

“I’ve got more incentive,” the sorcerer replied, holding up the pint before taking another drink.

“So you do,” Ked chuckled, “Are you settling into the area well? It’s not paradise, but…”

“Didn’t care for paradise anyway,” Drazaria snorted, “Rough country like this suits me fine.”

“I have to agree with you there,” the innkeep said, “My ancestors were Basin-Guards, back when the woozhi controlled it. They passed the training down through the generations, the true Old Way. And the only work such lauded, sacred teachings were good for was mercenary work. It’s hard to go back to ‘civilized’ places after that - since most of them are bullshit anyway.”

“A man after my own heart,” the sorcerer smirked, feeling a little less like shit for a moment. Then he added, “Is that why you set this place up?”

He used it as an excuse to look around the room - just because no one had marked him on his first visit to the inn didn’t mean no one ever would, after all.

“One of the reasons,” Ked agreed, “It’s also nice to have a steady income.”

“Yeah, merc work isn’t great for that,” Drazaria shrugged.

“You’ve been a mercenary yourself?”

“For a bit,” the sorcerer replied, then grimaced, “Until other… opportunities came along.”

“Not good ones, by that look,” the woozhi arched a brow ridge.

“It had… a certain appeal at the time,” Drazaria glanced around the room before forcing a grin, scratching at his arm as he said, “Wouldn’t be the man I am today otherwise.”

He pushed down any memories of that time before they even had time to surface, not ready to delve into that particular hole of shit.

“So you’d be better off?” Ked asked.

The sorcerer barked a laugh in surprise at the question, then cleared his throat and rubbed at it with a wince before replying, “That or dead.”

The innkeep snorted softly, then seemed to consider for a moment before asking, “So what prompted you to bring up this idiot brother of yours?”

“Who says I need a reason?” Drazaria huffed, brief amusement dying as he shoveled some tasteless stew into his mouth.

“You didn’t want to speak about it before,” Ked shrugged one shoulder, “I assumed something changed your mind.”

The sorcerer chewed thoughtfully, grumbling as he saw the truth in that statement. He swallowed and took a drink before answering, “He’s… he keeps trying to help me, but he only gets himself into trouble for it. I don’t need it, and neither does he, and it’s about fucking time he figured that shit out himself.”

Ked took a few moments to consider his reply.

Drazaria forced more stew down in the meantime, losing his appetite for company now that his anger had been somewhat spent.

“Maybe you should stop putting him in a position to think you need help, then,” the woozhi settled on.

The sorcerer scoffed and grinned, “Where’s the fun in that?”

Ked grinned back, “You must have been an obstinate child.”

Drazaria’s smile died, and his gaze fell to the counter as he replied, “Nah. I was a good kid. Just didn’t get me anywhere.”

The woozhi blinked at him a few times, “That’s… surprising to hear.”

I’ll bet it is, the sorcerer thought, then pulled out the money he owed and placed it on the counter, “Here. Until next time.”

“Until then,” Ked said, arching a brow ridge after him.

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