Rikisi Disease was an awful ailment. It covered the inflicted in sores, disrupted their eating habits, and burned off their body mass with fever. When the merchant’s wife first asked Therelin to take a look at her ill husband, Therelin had found a man near death. Now, nearly two weeks later, Master Mos’yim was able to sit up in his sweaty bed sheets. While Therelin sat in a chair nearby, his hand held toward the merchant, the nearly-healed man leaned against the headboard and calmly read from a book. At least he hadn’t commented how awkward it was to have a quiet Ketho man staring at him for hours each day.
After making enough progress to exhaust both himself and Mos’yim, Therelin set out through the damp streets of Noress-That-Was at a slow pace. Two days earlier, he had heard about a local magician’s guild and was now off to see if anyone would speak to him.
A mage he had met at an orphanage had recommended that Therelin seek out a small guildhall on the edge of Cobblestone Bog. It was a small house by guild standards, but a large one by the district’s standards. Therelin got some looks from the passersby, but compared to facing Master Nolicrin it was nothing. He strode up to the door and knocked.
A man at a desk inside recommended that he speak with one Master Gheran who had just left. Therelin drew even more looks when he marched briskly outside and then ran along the indicated street to find the magician.
“Are you Master Gheran?” Therelin asked a bearded man with olive Raderan skin and a large book under his arm.
“Who are you?” the bearded man asked, looking Therelin over.
“Therelin of—”
The short man cut him off. “Don’t tell me. You’re from… Keth? Yes, Keth. I am Master Gheran, yes. How may I help you?”
Therelin looked around the street for a moment. A crew from the harbour was moving up the street surrounded by guards. “I only said my name,” Therelin replied, stepping aside with Gheran to allow the sailors through. “You have quite an ear for accents.”
“And an eye for tattoos,” the man replied. “Walk with me, Therelin of Keth.”
Therelin strode alongside the robed man as invited. He was impressed by the man’s knowledge. Only two of his tattoos were visible—the stars on his forearm and the boar over his heart, visible at the bottom of his V-neck collar. “I’ve been studying magic for seven years, but mostly on Keth. Recently, I’ve begun studying abroad.”
“The best way to widen your horizons,” Gheran said. “So, you are looking for learning opportunities in Noress-That-Was?”
“Indeed,” Therelin murmured with a smile.
“Well, there are several magicians that hold residence on the estates of the Matriarchs, our city’s rulers,” Gheran said. “But they probably won’t speak with you. They barely even spoke with Master Akursh when he visited, and he is a magician of renown. That is why our guild exists. Speak with a few of our magicians. I’m sure someone can manage another apprentice.”
Therelin smiled. For two steps, they walked in silence. Then, Therelin decided to say, “I will actually be studying with Master Nolicrin in Saanazar, so I’m looking for something more temporary. Do you know of Master Nolicrin?”
Gheran blinked. “Of course. He is a man famous for his intelligence and neutrality.”
“Hmm, thank you.” They continued on quietly. Gheran still hadn’t said where they were going, but it didn’t much matter to Therelin. He knew what his next question was, but fought the urge to ask it. Finally—almost reluctantly—he gave in. “One other thing: in my inquiries, I have heard rumor of Nolicrin’s having involvement in something called the Conclave,” he explained. He focused on his tavern room at the Lowtide Tavern. Just in case. “Have you heard of such a thing?”
“What—what are you…?” Gheran stammered. He stopped walking and sighed. “When was the last time you were on—Oh, I see. I can’t help you, I’m afraid.”
With that, Master Gheran strode away from Therelin. Therelin raised his hands with a wordless curse. Why won’t anyone give me answers?! He shook his head. Enough is enough. He marched briskly after Gheran. “Wait,” he said. Gheran paused briefly, but Therelin seized the opportunity. “I don’t mean to press difficult issues, but I really just need to know with whom I am getting involved. Do you know who might be able to help me with this information?”
Gheran stared at him.
“If I am still crossing too many boundaries, then I will be on my way,” Therelin hastily added.
“‘What you’re getting involved with’?” Gheran demanded, incredulously. “Modern magic culture is a knot of a dozen secrets many are happy to kill to protect—and a few people are physically incapable of even—” The mage cut himself off disjointedly, then took a deep breath and continued: “Enough. It’s not my job to explain the delicacies you have clearly been blundering your way through. Your past masters have done you a disservice. Maybe ask them for the answers?” With a mock shrug, turned and hurried away.
Therelin stood in the street dazed. People “physically incapable…” of what? And my masters knew these things? he wondered. Maybe Gheran was right. Maybe I should ask Master Myandin what I’ve been asking in Saanazar and Noress…
It was time to think. Therelin set out for the city gate—he was running low on food and needed to harvest more. Some time spent wandering the forested mountainside would give him a much-needed respite from the chaos of the city. By the time he reached the city gate, he had decided one thing: he would be going to Keth again in the near future.
Healing Master Mos’yim of Rikisi would not earn him much. The merchant’s wealth had been squandered during his long illness. Therelin might be able to afford to support himself another week past the expected duration of his coin pouch, but any sort of long travel was out of the question—with Journeying or without. “I still need to sail on the Smith’s Trove,” he mumbled quietly to himself, as he peeled some edible ulom moss from a large tree trunk. He would tell the captain that he would be disembarking from the ship in Starath, their first destination. From there, he would teleport directly to the city of Keth, to ask his old Master why everyone knew about the Conclave but him.