I rapped my fingers on the table at the inn, my hard nails causing a noticeable sound on the hard wood. I was staring at Nafir as he sat ahead of me. He’d followed me into the closest inn and watched as I cursed up a storm under my breath as I cleaned the wound with something called dragon fire and stung like a bitch was hardly the correct combination of words.

Currently I was simply glaring at the man as I felt like passing out just to get away from the fresh hell I was in at the moment. Acting like I was unaffected by the pain was increasingly more difficult as time went on. As much rest as I wished for I did see the benefits of the training I went through each night. Though now I was clearly sweaing and my breath was coming in slightly harder as more and more of my energy went into suppressing the pain.

I placed a hand against the beige wrappings around the side of my face. I’d managed to create a shell around to seal the wounds with my defensive carapace before I’d gotten Morice to bandage me. We’d managed that out of sight from Nafir and his guards, who now surrounded the inn and kept everyone out.

In one corner stood Abhorash or knelt really with Akasha still sniffling a little sitting on his knee. It had taken me five minutes just to get her to let go and reassure her I’d be fine. It was kinda strange, the feeling I’d gotten with her so distraught over me. It was warm and not something I’d felt often through all three of my lives now.

On the other hand the woman who’d been whipped and her boy were on another table with bowls of stew and drinks at my insistence. The boy’s a tough little sucker that’s for sure and he seemed to be cut from the same cloth as his mother. Only her spine was that quiet unyielding one that wouldn’t bow to anything so minor as a petty brat with a whip and a foul mood. I’d seen it in her eyes as we’d entered the inn.

I shook my head and looked at Nafir, he had a studying gaze as he stared right back at me. Then as I was about to speak he waved his hand, sub vocalized something and a shimmering barrier surrounded us. I felt my muscles tense and I was a second from activating everything I had to end the man when he spoke. “Worry not, this is simply so our conversation can be private.” He said with a kindly smile and I felt the tension in my body ease but not go away.

“What is a necromancer doing in the city even with the one hanging outside the gates?” He asked as he cocked his head at me. I blinked, the normalcy of the tone and the pure curiosity on his face had me a little stumped for words for a second.

“I… Ah….” I started and failed each time I was about to speak before I gave up and asked simply. “How?”

Nafir chuckled and smiled. “Identify is a rather useful skill once you're through the expert ranks.” He answered and my mind went blank. Was I this unlucky? If he had identify at the tail end of expert or master ranks his main skills and abilities would be at the pinnacle… right? I swallowed down the rising fear I began to feel towards the man.

I grimaced at him and then sighed. “The man you so unceremoniously killed and defiled like that was the kindest human I’ve met in a long time. Not to mention he told me he’d lived here in Veta for years and he didn’t do anything to you now did he?” I said looking straight into Nafir’s eyes.

“In fact the so called noble of Deepguard wanted to feed me to literal wolves at his gates the moment he saw me so tell me. If necromancers are so evil that every single one of them has to be killed...” I paused now as I noted the look of interest in Nafir’s eyes and before I knew it a bit of a bestial rumble had made it into my voice. “How should I look at the rest of you humans hmm?” I said with a sickly sweet smile and I noted that Nafir seemed to flinch just at the implication or thought my words might have invoked in him.

I then sighed and cracked my stiffened neck. “Besides it isn’t like I had much of a choice in class selection.” It wasn’t a lie per say I’d gotten a choice in classes and I’d just taken all three on offer, like the greedy bastard I could be.

That statement seemed to interest Nafir greatly. “Is that due to the Von Carstein line?” He asked me and I didn’t look at him with surprise as I was sure he wanted. He’d been able to pierce my Advanced mortal Disguise skill so I was sure he’d seen everything as it was supposed to be.

I smiled a little bitterly at him. “Something like that.” This too wasn’t exactly a lie, as I was the first of this new line I couldn’t be entirely certain that necromancy wouldn’t tie itself into my blood line as some classes could do. Though that only happened to the exceptionally skilled, talented and/or powerful users of a given class. Not that I was so sure of having actual offspring of my own.

Nafir then looked over at Akasha and Morice for a few moments. His lips turned to a sad or rather bittersweet smile. “I see neither of them are your true children though I’m certain they might think of you as such. It is interesting though. For example your daughter is in fact a dark elf and snow elf half-breed, pardon me using the common names for the races.” He said with a kindly smile at me and I grew rather worried.

“Your son on the other hand is even rarer.” He continued and I grew curious and confused. “He’s a dark elf as well true but only half of him is, the other is a changeling. I think he isn’t even fully aware of the abilities his blood might grant him.” He then said with a widening smile.

I raised my only visible eyebrow at him. “And how would I go about allowing him access to those abilities?” I asked him carefully, if felt like I was dealing with a jolly multi million dollar CEO. Sure he was acting kindly towards me now but an idiot wouldn’t have even made the first cut of candidates for his position. I decided he was a shrewd old fox or something like it, perhaps a snake in the weeds might be more appropriate?

Nafir’s smile turned knowing before he clapped his hands at me and leaned back with a satisfied smile on his lips. “Well… give him to me and I’ll handle teaching him.” He said only to have his eyes grow wide as I’d reached forwards and materialized a small ethereal flame of pure mana at my fingertip. It grew until it looked to be the size of a small dinner plate.

The form turned to show a skull for just a second before I made it disappear showing him that even if I couldn’t cast silent spells like he, I could still fling pure mana at him at a whim. Thankfully no one noticed the dim flash of light as the whole action had taken less than two seconds.

“If you think I’ll let you touch my children just like that, think again. I have no qualms of ending this empire if harm comes to them.” I said harshly and I then fixed him with a glare. “And death is little impediment to me so I’ll always come back just a bit angrier.” I said with a smirk and he stuttered a bit and then cleared his throat a little.

“I was wondering about the deathless title… I can understand your fierce protectiveness but don’t you think you’re going a bit overboard?” He said a little sheepishly. “I mean your kinda fiercely overprotective. Don’t you think?”

I blinked a little and thought over his words for a little while. Deathless? I hadn’t seen that among my titles. This required more investigation on my part at a later time. I then sighed and chuckled in a self-derisive tone. “Well can you blame me when most of the humans I’ve met are… less than… let’s put it kindly and say less than trustworthy and honorable.” I said with a bitter smile at him.

He just looked at me for a few moments before he narrowed his eyes at me. “You haven’t had good interactions with humans have you?” He asked and I decided to simply nod at the question.

He sighed a little and then pondered for a few long moments. “Well as you are a new noble in this city you must present yourself to the emperor and he’ll have an orb capable of master rank identify so he’ll see through the skill you’ve used to disguise your viewed status. Which might be a problem. Then again it wouldn’t happen for maybe three or so months...” He continued to ponder out loud and I narrowed my eyes at the man.

“What is it that’s making you so interested in me? Besides if I don’t resolve my primary reason for being here in two months I’m de-.” I cut myself off and he almost did a double take as he looked at me and narrowed his eyes. I noticed he was muttering to himself as he peered at me more and more and I felt through my sense of mana around me the rabid fire spells he was throwing out one after the other. My throat went dry at the thought of dealing with this man in any manner other than conversation.

His face twisted at his latest spell and he looked at me with pity. “Who did that to you?!” He asked with horror and I raised my one eyebrow again at him. Sensing I most likely had no idea what he was talking about he continued. “Your soul it’s… tattered, like the aftermath of great tears in the very fabric of it.”

I could understand his twisting face but the pity I wouldn’t have accept and I pointed at the young woman that was the healer for his guards. “Her goddess.” I growled.

Nafir stared at me stunned. I was sure he’d ask for the story but I felt I had trusted enough people with my story, hell I couldn’t even remember if I’d told Campbell or not but I felt only those closest to me should know. So right now that meant Morice, Akasha and my minions.

“I take it you wanted to come here to get it fixed then?” He asked and at my nod he grimaced a little. “I’m afraid the church of light is the only one capable of such a feat.” He then said.

“As long as it isn’t someone devoted to Aona, Ymros, Revesis or Thohana, I think I’ll manage.” I said though my distrust and overall opinion of the so called pantheon of light was evident in my tone. During my travels Aona had this little inner circle which consisted of Ymros, the god of order and honor, Revesis, the god of chivalry and war, as well as Thohana, the goddess of commerce and wealth. I was rather certain that those four were a circle of conspirators in Aona’s little game but I couldn’t say so for the other two.

Enja was the goddess of beer and music and Etarr was the god of dreams and stars. According to what I learned in Wolfsgard they were benevolent but mercurial deities. Such individuals I suspected didn’t fit with Aona’s need for secrecy so if either of their servants could fix me then I’d take that in a heartbeat.

Nafir pondered for a few very long moments and then nodded. “That might be doable… It’ll take some time though.” He said slowly, as if unsure himself. Then there was a long drawn out silence between us.

I looked at him, sighed and decided to bite the bullet. “Why are you helping me? Why are you so interested?” I asked with such a tone that made it clear I wouldn’t budge until I had answers. I just hoped my natural ability to lie without blinking might translate to spotting such lies from others.

“Ah.. we’ve already come to this stage huh?” He asked looking a little disappointed I hadn’t spent more time circling this question. Not that I’d go out of my way to humor the man. Nafir sighed a little before he spoke again. “I’m hoping to change a few things in this empire. That and now I’ve gotten rather interested in you. Your mana materialization is quite rare, that is a lost art you know. I wonder what other secrets you hold.” He smiled slyly.

“You're even a vampire baron but you’re a god blooded dark elf. That’s even stranger, how’d you manage that?” He then asked me and I felt a chill run down my spine.

This man wasn’t someone I could easily mess around with. He was probably more experienced and comfortable with his power than me. Even including all three of my so called lives, most likely he is more cunning than me too. I’ll have to move forwards with the suspicion he’s at least six steps ahead of me and plan accordingly. This was already giving me a headache.

“So what? You want me to turn you into a vampire or something?” I asked offhandedly but the curious glint that came into his eye at that made me curse my big mouth. I glared at him pointedly. “I’m not doing that. I won’t turn others.” I said giving him a firm glare from my one remaining eye.

Rafar seemed to deflate at those words and huffed, yeah actually huffed at me. “Suit yourself.” He said placing his head on his hand as he propped it up on the table. “But I’m more interested in what you are capable of. I can try to help with his majesty but you’ll have to be darn persuasive to make him allow you to settle here for a while.” He said and he raised an eyebrow at me as I smiled.

“Oh I have a few trump cards if decency isn’t going to be followed.” I said knowingly. If it came down to it revealing who my teachers are and maybe insinuate they might retaliate with me could be the metaphorical nuke I can hang over their heads not to mess with me. I also did know a very high level spell I could create the spell circle for… it would take all my mana to create and I couldn’t hope to activated it but they didn’t have to know that. Intricate magic circles were above and beyond normal to be able to create. Such circles would allow me to not only sub-vocalize a spell but it could also empower it beyond normal with just a little less mana.

Németh and Zalruk had taught this method to me, apparently it was a forgotten art I could only really realize through my use of mana manipulation, mana materialization, spell casting and spell craft. It had taken three whole months to get me up to speed with this method and let’s just say I had to create the intricate circle of a rank 9 spell in a second flat as the final exam. That alone took me a week of nonstop practice to achieve, not that I could actually consistently cast spells above rank 2 at the moment with my meager mana reserves even if I knew any good ones.

They’d only taught me a few basic spells then a few more advanced spells. Mostly to train my use of creating the spell circles but also a few I could carve into a floor to help augment my own abilities in creating or modifying undead with my skills and spells.

Only problem was I had intended to buy a property in the city with a large cellar to use but if this guy was already at this stage would I need to do so outside the city?

Nafir seemed to realize what I was pondering and smiled a little. “How about you move into my spare mansion in the city?” He then asked and if I was drinking water I’d have spit it all out onto his face.

“What?” I asked startled but now even more sure that any dealings with this guy would have several strings attached. I narrowed my eyes at the kindly smiling old man and growled. “What’s the catch?”

He didn’t seem all that surprised I’d asked and chuckled. “Well the mansion does come with the string that you’d have to be a professor at the magic academy. However since you can materialize mana I’m sure you could teach that.” He said with a wide smile.

“I’m not doing that.” I answered flatly and the man sputtered, much to my inner amusement.

“Wh-what? Why not?” He asked looking like a man that just lost his life line.

“If you humans forgot how to do it, it isn’t up to me to teach it to you again.” I answered again as flatly as I could then let a slight upwards turn come to my lips. “But I might be able to point you in the general direction of it.” I then said with a slightly mischievous smirk on my lips.

A mansion just to teach a few privileged noble brats how to use mana properly? Good deal if you asked me, but I certainly would be tearing through and making any wards or spying spells I’d see before doing anything remotely necromantic. Then again this could also just make me a lot of enemies, if that brat had been any indication then this empire might be rather human centrist like Wolfsgard is. That could be a problem.

“Then it’s settled! I’ll meet you here tomorrow after getting the mansion in order and then I’ll start on the church of light for you.” He said with a happy smile before I noted the sound barrier dissipating.

“It was a pleasure meeting you Baron Aesir.” He said giving me a curt but respectful bow and then left. I was left there half standing at my table scratching my head, the man was like a hurricane, disappearing as suddenly as he appeared. It annoyed me, I felt like I’d been played somehow, it frustrated me to the point I began to grind my teeth a little.

Dust landed on the table next to me and Ashes on my shoulder. “He seems like a kind, generous soul... I hate him.” Dust said as he stared daggers at the back of Nafir’s head. I only smiled and ran my hand down Dusts spine in agreement. Something was off about Magistrate Nafir and I didn’t like not knowing his angle.

I sighed and took the silver lining I could collapse from the pain soon. I noticed that the elven mother was looking my way curiously and I walked over to her and smiled. “How are your injuries?” I asked and she stiffened a little and I saw the boy almost go right into protect mom mode.

I lowered myself to sit opposite her and smiled, allowing my exhaustion to slip through a bit on my face. She swallowed and bowed her head to me. “Th-thank you milord. For your help.” She said hiding the wince she’d had from seeing my bandaged eye.

I simply smiled at her and handed her a small bag with twenty gold in it. “Here, get yourselves some better clothes and food. Hopefully I’ll have a place to stay for a while in this city and who knows I might offer you a job.” I said with a kindly smile and she just looked at me almost gaping.

She thankfully didn’t go into the whole I can’t take this from you phase of nagging one had to get through with some people but surprised me a little in her straightforwardness. “Why are you doing this for me? Why help me out on the street there?”

I chuckled a little and looked at her with a cheeky grin. “Us single parents have to stick together right?” I said to her and she looked at me dumbfounded. I’d noticed the distinct lack of rings or bracelets on her hands. While a wedding ring was normal on this continent the commoners often couldn’t afford it so used other types of rings or jewelry around the arms to signify it. I’d seen quite a few kinds on my travels as Robert and I saw none of it on her.

She looked at me for a few long moments and then down at the coin pouch before she reached out and took a hold of my hand. I saw the tears begin to well up in her eyes and I realized she’d been on her last legs. I cursed myself for the gift I’d given her. I’d given her hope, the very thing that just might destroy her. I felt bad now about offering her a possible job but I wouldn’t rescind it.

My best friend back on earth had only his mother to depend on and her kid reminded me a little of him. He’d been that same stupid kind of brave and foolhardy but a heart of gold, he’d almost been my only real friend til he and his mother had died in a car crash when I was just reaching adulthood.

If it was a whim I’d still do it. I hated seeing parents on their last legs, killing themselves trying to provide a better life for their children and I felt empathy for the woman. It was something I’d grown used to feeling back on earth but forgotten as Robert. These sudden explosive feelings of empathy for others, hell I’d been a sobbing mess at the end of that Adam Sandler movie Click, when he’s old and calling out to his boy in the rain. For some reason that scene had killed me just out of the blue.

She thanked me with teary eyes and after a few reassuring words that if she decided to come work for me in three days and if I wasn’t here the innkeeper would tell her were to go. Afterwards I sat down and sighed heavily, letting the pain and fatigue sound in my sigh as I felt the edges of my vision go blurry and darken. Then I felt it.

Akasha’s little fingers moving in to grip my hand. The feeling caused a warmth to swell in my chest. The feeling was quite frankly indescribable as I looked up and saw her worried little face stare at the bandaged side of my face.

Akasaha then pushed forwards to grip around my neck and hugged me tightly, to the displeasure of two undead ravens that had been perched on my shoulders at the time. I hugged her right back closing my one eye as I felt her push herself up to sit on my lap, which ended up in her giving me a full body hug with her legs also wrapped around me. I smiled a little as I opened my eye and saw how she was clinging to me desperately, the start of tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

I realized then that while I might not be looked upon as her father just yet but I was still someone she relied on. Seeing someone you relied on hurt wasn’t easy for a child let alone an injury like I just got. “Hey, hey. It’ll be all right.” I said gently to her as I began stroking the top of her head with one hand while the other held her in a tight and warm embrace.

Morice was sitting next to me and also looked at me with a worried expression. “It’s just a scratch all right, I’ll be good in a month or so.” I said with a smile though a sudden notification made me internally grumble like the old codger I could be.

Due to the severity of your injury it’ll take a week to finish healing the open wound but to recreate the eye, the user will be required to imbibe blood to gain the required boost to start the regeneration of the eye.

I furrowed my brows and then looked at Morice. “I’ll be healed in a week but my eye will… need something else to help it along.” It took him a moment but then a look of realization dawned and he nodded at me.

“Your eye?!” Akasha’s suddenly frantic voice came out from my neck and she quickly arched her back so she could look at me. Then she began to cry. Both myself and Morice panicked as we both tried to reassure her.

“Its ok, I’m all right, I’ll heal ok.” I tried to reassure her as I hugged her with both hands now. I felt helpless in trying to reassure her I’d be fine. Thankfully no one decided to come to the inn and after an hour Akasha had grown exhausted and fallen asleep. My neckline was soaked with tears after I’d exhausted every thought I had to try and reassure her. From gently rubbing her back and telling it was ok to singing or humming and everything in between.

Morice helped me stand as I carried her, supported by Morice to our room. I placed her into bed and then moved on over to my own bed and sat down, letting out a breathy sigh. “You know you are becoming like a father to her.” Morice said softly as neither of us wanted to wake her up again.

I chuckled softly as I rubbed the back of my neck, working the kinks out with soft pops of my joints. “And what does that make you? Her older brother?” I said back with a slight smile on my lips. I’d seen how the two’s changing in interaction from their first meeting had gone. Morice was just a big lug wrapped around her finger and she didn’t even know it.

He let out a sigh of his own as he shrugged, almost theatrically. “Alas if I must, I guess I am.”

“I think working on your acting has messed with your head a bit.” I grinned at his overly theatrical shrug.

“And who’s fault is that? Hmm? Daddy dearest?” He shot right back in a sickly sweet tone.

I pointed at him and sternly spoke in a scolding tone. “No… just no.” I pointed my finger at him with each no for emphasis.

He gave me a goofy grin right back as he sat down on his own bed, I was thankful there actually was a three bed room at this inn. Most likely since it was a middle lower end one they had odd numbered parties move through so they adapted. “All right fine.” Morice then said with an amused snort.

I shook my head a little, the throbbing ache of my wound getting to me. A jolt of the pain got through the barriers I’d erected around my mind and my fist clenched and shook with the effort of not voicing my pain. ‘Mind over matter.’ I chanted in my head, a mantra without real meaning to the words just something to drone on in a chant to focus on and block out everything else.

I’d grown accustomed to physical pain, one has to really when one looses a limb. It’s a pain on a whole other level than what people actually might think. The breaking of a bone is like a pale shadow of that pain but the worst part is how it persists even as your healing has started. I still felt it from time to time, even now in a whole new body even. The phantom pains I’d had to deal with on occasion.

That was the first time I’d been unraveled fully. My arm was lost at the elbow, at first, then necrosis had set in due to the hasty triage I’d been given. I’d lost half of my remaining bicep from that, I remembered the times when I’d gone delirious from the pain and had to be held down. The burning that had to be done still haunted my nightmares, the way I felt my skin sizzle and cook from the flames and the sickly sweet aroma of cooking meat I’d loved coming from my own flesh.

I sighed and held my head in my hands. That must have been the first crack, no one could come out fully sane or ok from that.

“Hey are you ok Vlad?” Morice’s voice sounded concerned when I heard it. I realized he must have called to me before at least once or twice.

I didn’t really show a reaction but I spoke when I moved my palms to my cheeks so I could speak. “I’m just in pain… don’t mind me.” I almost slurred from exhaustion as I felt my shoulders sag and I had to place my elbows on my knees just to keep my head up and to stop from rolling forwards off the bed.

“I still can’t believe that nobles like that exist.” Morice said and the hardness his voice took on made me think he was thinking of the brat that had done this to me.

“They do, much like I’m sure there is a noble the exact opposite to that brat exists out there. However both are rare, megalomaniacal types like that brat are exceptionally rare… I hope.” I said as I slowly began to summon the strength to take off what I needed to before I got into bed, boots foremost.

“What about this Magistrate Nafir?” He asked as he watched me slowly leaning back into bed. Most likely trying to figure out if he needed to sprint down a healer for me or not.

“Him? I don’t know.” I answered before noting Dust standing on one of the foots of Akasha’s bed. “Dust hates him for… what was it again? Seeming like a kind and generous soul?” I chuckled as Dust almost crowed at me in annoyance before remembering on who’s bed he was perched and simply shot me a glare.

“In all seriousness though.” I started as my chuckling died down and I paused a little. “I’m sure he might be an honorable man but in the position he’s in? There has to be an angle I’m missing, something he’s trying to achieve that might require me. Either as a patsy or something else. I can’t really put my finger on it but I could see in his eyes that he didn’t lie to me and doesn’t have ill intent towards me or either of you.” I was almost rambling at this point and stopped as I weakly looked over to Morice who was looking at me with a slight smile and his hands in his lap.

“I’m kinda amazed you’re more worried about the two of us rather than yourself.” He said gesturing to Akasha and himself.

I smirked at him and held in a cough that came about from some spittle most likely going down the wrong tube. I cleared my throat and then looked at him. “Well even if I’m acting as your father I still must play my part right?” I said with a roguish grin at him before I fully fell unconscious.

Morice – Vlad’s apprentice.

He stared at the passed out man in front of him. Then a slight smile came to his lips and he rubbed the back of his head a little. The last words Vlad had said to him echoing in his head. He found the man strange, he was unquestioningly but there was his way of doing things. He hadn’t hesitated over ending the brat that had taken his eye though he had stopped. Morice had no doubt Vlad would have ripped the kids throat out if he had the chance to.

What he found strange was his manner of conduct. He clearly didn’t like seeing children hurt or exploited in some way but he didn’t really go out of his way to fix all such situations he came across. He was practical with his more ‘morally upright motives’ as Vlad had put it in one his lectures during the trip to Veta.

There wasn’t really a way to describe Vlad, he didn’t exactly fit in with the definition of a bad man but neither could he be defined as good either, not by a long shot. The man was too kill happy with anyone who crossed him, of that Morice was certain. The man was strangely paradoxical that way.

Then he remembered that night in Bedelev, when Vlad’s control had slipped. The broken mess of a man that was left after all he’d been through over the last few years. He was sure a big part of Vlad wished that he hadn’t survived the sword plunged into his back like he had.

Morice could see it at times, when the smiling or smirking face fell and the exhausted world weary expression shown through the short slip ups. Looking over to Akasha he watched as the girl he was actually starting to think of as a little sister figure’s chest rose and fell as she slept soundly. Perhaps it was Vlad who really needed them, as a sense of normalcy or familial bonds he missed or subconsciously sought after as something to hold onto while he drowned in a world not even his own. That was what Morice thought about Vlad at times.

He was like a drowning man at times getting that last second wind to fight on desperately to reach the shore. Grasping for things he needed to keep going. Onto something that didn’t bring him pain. He was a man that didn’t see others in a friendly light, everyone was a potential enemy. Not to get Morice started on Vlad’s rather twisted world view but he guessed he couldn’t really blame the man.

He’d pried a little during the trip about his past to get more details from him. He hadn’t ever spoken unless Akasha was either napping or out of earshot. Aona had meant the world to him, someone he’d thought had loved him and he’d loved right back. He’d reveled in a feeling he’d never really felt fully or gotten the chance to enjoy through out his life on earth, nothing ever lasted back there he’d said. She’d promised him a life with her at the end of all the suffering, she’d been his guiding light in a dim world he didn’t know.

Morice felt he knew a little but could never fully understand the depth of fury and pure hatred that had bloomed in Vlad at her betrayal. Most likely he’d never really love another that way again after such a horrid outcome to his first taste of it. You couldn’t really say there are plenty of fish in the sea to someone that had literally been killed by his first actual love.

Morice sighed and shook his head. He just hoped the pain might have dulled by the time Vlad woke up. He on the other hand felt like a stiff drink was in order. Reaching out his hand he pulled out his own latest necromantic creation. A human just about the size of a forearm he’d managed to make with a little help from Vlad when it came to the bones.

It was entirely without skin of course but four more of these were taken out and set up in the room as guards. As he left the room he took Ashes and dust with him and headed to the balcony on the third floor that connected to the communal area of that same floor.

“I worry for them at times.” Ashes let out exacerbated as she half flung her head back.

“Them?” Morice asked with a raised eyebrow, glad there wasn’t anyone else renting a room safe them on the third floor.

“Well yeah, your little family.” She said shaking her head and he guffawed at her. “Don’t you laugh at me young man.” She said in that stern overtly motherly tone of voice she could do now. It made Morice shrink a little at that.

“Give him a break Ashes.” Dust piped up. “I know the little miss is masters daughter but that doesn’t make Marcus here part of that family you know.” He grumbled a little.

“He’s the masters apprentice, chief apprentice I might add.” She growled back. “If that doesn’t make him like the masters son then I don’t know what will.” She harrumphed at Dust.

“Only apprentice you mean.” Dust growled back.

Morice started to chuckle a little at the two bickering pair. “Then I guess that makes the two of you the grandparents or something?” He asked as he laughed out loud while placing them down on the handrail of the balcony.

Both ravens remained silent for a short while before Dust seemed to clear his throat a little. “I’d prefer ornery uncle that isn’t trusted with babysitting duty thank you.” He said imperiously which only made Ashes’s and Morice laugh at him, much to his clear displeasure.

Ashes was the first to gather herself and look at Morice quizzically. “So boy, why’d you bring us out of the room?” She asked and Morice decided to not point out that he was well older than both ravens, given their sentience at this level was barely two weeks old.

“I feel we need more information on our side. Think the two of you can scout around and eavesdrop on some higher up conversations? I’m sure the two of you could even use this opportunity to level up by hunting the rats and other critters in the city right?” He asked and the two ravens looked at one another and hummed a little.

“Yeah… Split our time doing either?” Dust then asked and Ashses nodded at him.

“Sure let’s see if we can’t find any gossip or details from around the inner and palace quarters of the city.” Ashes replied and the two flew off.

Morice watched after them and thought on both his conversation with Vlad just before and the one he’d had with the Ravens. He hadn’t known his own father, the man hadn’t cared to meet him after all. He’d gotten over it but would it really be so bad? Vlad would be a father figure but certainly not his father. Morice might look full grown but with most elves he was in the tail end of his teenage years really. He shook his head, yeah that wasn’t happening.

Vlad was more like that elder brother that had gone through life before him and might help out occasionally. At least that’s as close to familial bonds Morice thought his relationship with Vlad might go. Weren’t apprenticeships sometimes close to familial bonds?

He shook his head and remembered what Vlad had told him last time his thoughts spiraled into such things. “Just forget it, get a stiff drink and stop being philosophical. It’ll only give you a headache in the end.”

Morice smirked self deprecatingly and headed down to the inn’s main floor, it doubled as a tavern and he could hear the usual sounds of a quiet and comfortable tavern when he neared the stairs. He’d have a few drinks to drown his worries and then hope tomorrow wasn’t going to go all wrong.