Jax stared at him a moment longer - then seemed to come to a resolution as they jumped up and kicked him hard in the chest.

The sorcerer stumbled back, healing a cracked rib and struggling to breathe in surprise.

“By the wrath of the cosmos, I heed the call!” the Guardian called out, gaining their hammer and red armor. They didn’t hesitate to charge forward and swing this time.

Drazaria raised his barrier-coated arms at the last moment, even as the swing broke his defense and sent him flying across the platform—or would have if large vines hadn’t caught him midair.

As Heline set him down, the sorcerer laughed - getting his feet under him and grinning up at the once again charging Guardian.

That’s right, kid, he thought, charging up his barrier armor again and running to meet the hammer swing by kicking it to the side, Give it everything you’ve got.

Jax let their hammer swing - following the arc to bring it all the way back around.

Drazaria leaned back to avoid it - then turned and fired a burst of attack magic at the ground to launch himself up and avoid the Companion charging at him from the side. He landed on his feet and had his arms up to block another hammer blow that sent him skidding back a few feet. Gone was any of Jax’s previous concern as they went on the offensive, the Companion making it nearly impossible to use the hammer’s slower speed to get a hit in himself.

The sorcerer was oddly proud of the kid for it.

When he’d had enough punishment, Drazaria called out, “I concede - you win this round.”

As the platforms split apart again, Owal and Heline managed to end up on the same smaller platform as the sorcerer.

Kendra taunted after them, “Yeah, just like every round!”

“She really has no idea you basically let them win, does she?” Owal asked quietly, with a smirk.

“… not this time,” Drazaria said - and jumped up to another platform and further, out of the gorge, rather than elaborate.

The sorcerer dodged more questions by shutting himself up in his tower and pouring over the books Heline had brought from the Royal Library. They went into more detail about the Companion - it had been crafted later by a Guardian witch that had needed the physical fighting prowess. She’d done it by combining her familiar with the Guardian’s original focus - turning them into something not quite either. Which didn’t tell him how to beat the thing… yet.

Knowing the Companion’s origins told him a few things he might be able to use later - it had more free will than the average Companion Focus, retained memories of the previous Guardians that had managed to unlock its powers - four total, including its creator - and was equally connected to Vaseridan and Swordheart as power sources. He could work with that.

So he spent the rest of the night pouring over more research about familiars and companion focuses in general, considering his options to get the damned thing out of the way. Even with more experience and less reticence, Drazaria was fairly certain he could beat Jax if they were on their own.

It wasn’t until the next day that he emerged and left Heline and Owal to their individual training routines before heading to Ked’s inn.

“Welcome back,” the woozhi said, pouring a pint and setting it down as soon as the sorcerer had seated himself.

“Thanks,” Drazaria snorted, taking a drink and glancing around - no sign of Jonoor this time. Probably for the best.

“The way you… sit,” Ked asked, tilting his head and giving the sorcerer a cursory once over, “Is that a result of living in Oralie?”

Drazaria sighed - everyone always had a comment ready about the way he sat, really. Or where. Today, he was crouched on the bar stool again, so replied, “You could say that.”

The innkeep chuckled, “I just know a lot of kradreen that don’t spend much time down here seem to forget how chairs work.”

The sorcerer rolled his eyes, “Well, it’s not like they have any - and honestly? They just take up space most of the time.”

“So is not sitting on my bar another way of being… polite?” Ked snorted.

“People do tend to yell at me when I sit on their tables, yeah,” Drazaria smirked back - he was glad Ked was surprisingly easy to talk to. It would make this whole seduction thing much harder if he was constantly trying to play nice like he usually had to.

“I wouldn’t yell,” Ked said, shrugging casually, “I’d just kick you across the room.”

It was the sorcerer’s turn to chuckle, and he asked, “Noted - but what about that no-fighting rule?”

“The wonderful thing about owning an inn, Zawn,” the woozhi said, retrieving a bowl of stew and setting it before the human, “Is not only do you get to make the rules - you also get to break them.”

Drazaria snorted, considering refusing the food - he hadn’t intended to order it this time around. But then his stomach gave a rumble that reminded him he hadn’t actually eaten today, so he gave a nod of thanks before tucking in.

“So what caused you to be adopted by a kradreen family on Oralie, anyway?” Ked asked, shuffling about cleaning and organizing.

The sorcerer paused, chewing slowly as he thought up an answer. Normally, he would just lie - he’d only ever told Vasskr and Vallas what happened, and that was the day after the event. But, he wanted Ked to trust him - he couldn’t very well seduce someone suspicious of him. So, after a moment, he settled on the truth, “I don’t talk about that.”

The innkeep watched him shrewdly for a few moments, then asked, “The adoption itself, or anything to do with it that isn’t annoying kradreen or complaining about your brother?”

Drazaria snorted, “The adoption itself. The rest is fucking boring, anyway.”

“Boring is relative,” Ked replied with a grin.

The sorcerer rolled his eyes, “I became the ward of Vallas and her apprentice in magic. While my combat training was with the other kids my age, I spent most my time helping her with her research on Sources and studying advanced magical theory.”

And hey, she tried to kill me because she couldn’t find another way to keep Oralie from crashing to the ground in time, but what’s a little sanctioned murder between family? Drazaria added - the Taboo of the Martyr twinging in his head to remind him that he wasn’t allowed to discuss the Role of the Martyr outside of the sealed Tribuni Chambers.

He took a long drink as Ked excused himself a moment to help another patron - Drazaria genuinely held no ill will towards his foster mother, truth be told. She’d spent her life trying to protect her family from a shitty Role and had been happy to be the one to die instead of one of her sons. And he knew she’d really loved him as a son - the Ritual of the Martyr wouldn’t have worked otherwise. Which was more than he could say for his father.

“I have to say,” Ked said, as he returned, “You don’t strike me as the… studious type.”

“Well, I’m definitely not a fucking white robe,” Drazaria replied, “But you can’t fight a war with your head in a bag, can you?”

The woozhi laughed in surprise - then asked, “Wait, don’t tell me - you were in the Deadman Brigade?”

“Fuck,” the sorcerer said, “I forgot that was one of his.”

“Good old Captain Caedo,” Ked chuckled, “Heard he retired.”

“He did,” Drazaria confirmed, taking a drink before adding, “Married my idiot brother and moved to paradise.”

The woozhi laughed again, then asked, “You’re serious?”

“Unfortunately,” the sorcerer shrugged - but found himself smiling in good humor, “Though I could have worse in-laws, I suppose.”

“They could have been more kradreen,” Ked said.

“You have a point,” Drazaria snorted, then paused, “Were you in the Deadman Brigade?”

“I was,” the woozhi smiled, “Up until I fucked up a job and quit. Just before they went full Scourgeliner.”

“Must have been just before I joined up, then,” the sorcerer replied. Then something… he felt like he was forgetting something, and could only remember part of it - so he ventured, “The farm you get your ale from…”

“Calabaam,” Ked supplied.

Drazaria nodded as it clicked, “Right - that’s Hez, Renaa, and Uvul’s surname.”

“You knew them?” the innkeep arched a brow ridge.

“I did,” the sorcerer replied, pausing to take a drink, “I don’t tend to trust other humans, so I fell in with them when I was a Deadman.”

“Can I ask why you don’t trust other humans?” Ked asked.

Drazaria shrugged, “I’m imeni.”

“Yeah, that would do it,” the woozhi snorted, “Especially human mercs - not that Caedo would have put up with that kind of bullshit.”

“Not unless you wanted a new flash fire scar,” the sorcerer agreed, “But there’s only so much he could do in the Pit.”

“True enough,” Ked said, “You keep in touch with the Calabaams?”

“Nah,” Drazaria said, “How’ve they been?”

“Good - they’ve got some offspring now,” the innkeep replied, “Two girls, a boy, and two razza.”

“Good for them,” the sorcerer said - and meant it. The Calabaams had been good friends to him - well, good friends to Wren, in any case. That had been the name he’d used as a mercenary - short-lived, compared to the others he had - though still the source of most of his more… colorful titles.

“Could pass along a message if you like,” Ked offered, watching him… like he was searching for something.

It was weird when Drazaria considered it - finding so much common ground with one of Jax’s fathers. If things had played out differently, they might have known each other for years. But of course, they hadn’t, and it hardly mattered anyway. His time with the Deadmen seemed so long ago - more than the…

“Shit,” the sorcerer frowned, then shook his head, “Sorry - forget it’s been almost twenty years since I saw any of them. Might not even remember me after so long.”

“I feel like you probably made a strong impression,” Ked said flatly - but with a smile.

Drazaria chuckled, “Guess I have a pretty memorable face… but, nah. I don’t even know what I would say.”

The woozhi hummed noncommittally but didn’t press the issue.

Drazaria paid for his meal and left soon after, as Ked needed to handle other patrons arriving at the inn. He made a mental note not to arrive later than he had so far - it seemed that was when the inn started to draw a crowd.

Now that they were building up a rapport, the sorcerer supposed he should remember to be more flirtatious next time.

Need something to read while waiting for the next chapter? Check out these other AF Tourney entries below! (Links in description.)