AA3 34 - Invite II (Patreon)

The journey to the Cor family Hall was a little longer than the others they’d taken, which gave Verdan more of a chance to get a look at Glarn and the Kranjir way of life.

It was strikingly familiar and yet distinctly different at the same time.

A lot of that difference stemmed from the caelin in Verdan’s opinion. Such a visible mark of social status and accomplishments was enough to let people know immediately who they were dealing with.

Unsurprisingly, the average person lacked the elaborate scars he’d seen on people like Sebastian or his son, but that made the subtle differences more noticeable.

The Cor Hall was a hive of activity when they arrived, and Verdan noticed that there was a much larger presence of guards than at the Bark Hall.

Their guide seemed to have anticipated the extra people, and they, in turn, were expected, as Verdan and the others were led through the bustle without interference.

“This way, please,” the guide said, leading them into the largest building in the compound.

“Welcome, Wizard Blacke and companions,” an older man wearing the clothing of a Cor servant greeted them as they entered. “The Keeper and his other guests are waiting for you in the feasting hall.”

Verdan kept his expression carefully neutral as he nodded. “Please, lead the way.”

Verdan’s gut was telling him that there was something more to this meeting than he’d expected. The fact that the Keeper had other guests was a surprise and not necessarily a welcome one.

The servant nodded and led them deeper into the building before opening the door to the feasting hall, which seemed to be based on the same design as the other two Verdan had seen.

In contrast to the others, all but one of the tables here were occupied. The one table with space was at the end of the hall, where four people sat waiting for them.

The atmosphere in the hall was tense as Verdan and the others followed the servant over to the table. While the room was quite full, there was little chatter between groups, which seemed odd.

The Kranjir at each table they passed stopped what they were doing to watch Verdan and the others pass by, some more warily than others.

The man sitting at the head of the table rose to his feet as they approached. Verdan recognised some of the symbols on his face from the Keepers he’d met, and given that he looked to be in his twenties, Verdan assumed this was Keeper Corstan.

“Wizard Blacke, welcome!” The Keeper called out with a broad smile, gesturing to the empty seats at the table. “Please, there are seats enough for you and your companions. Join us. I am Staran Corstar, Keeper of Clan Thrain.”

“Thank you, Keeper,” Verdan said, giving the other man a shallow bow as he cast his eyes over the others present.

To the Keeper’s right sat a fierce-looking woman that Verdan recognised as the one who had been with the Thane during their encounter.

To the Keeper’s left sat an older man, his hair long since turned grey, though his eyes were sharp and undulled by time. Verdan thought he could see the mark of a Keeper on his temple, but the scars were old and hard to make out.

Next down the line on that side was a much younger man with a similar look and build as Ciaran. There was a somewhat protective air to the younger man, and Verdan noticed that both he and the older man wore the emblem of a black rampant bull atop a white shield.

“Please, let me introduce my companions. This is my sister, Aisling Corstar,” the Keeper said, gesturing to the woman at his side. “She is a Chosen of Clan Thrain.”

“We’ve met,” Aisling said, giving Verdan a terse nod.

“Ah, very good,” Staran said, his smile growing strained for a moment before he turned to his left. “And this is Garran Merkstan, Keeper of Clan Menteith, and his great-nephew Osran Merkstan, Chosen of Clan Menteith.”

“A pleasure, Keeper Merkstan,” Verdan said politely. “You are the first of your Clan that I’ve met. Are you based in Glarn as well?”

“It is the duty of those Clans who do not keep watch over our borders to support those who do. We are here to fulfil that duty,” Garran said in a gravelly voice, looking over to study Verdan for a moment before seemingly dismissing him.

“Clan Menteith shares a border with us at the northern edge of the foothills around the Bristaen,” Staran said as he took his seat once more. “Our Clans have a long and storied history of mutual support. But, please, introduce your companions.”

Verdan did just that, noting how Staran didn’t seem surprised by who Kai was and how Garran was particularly interested in Barb’s prosthetic.

The old Keeper didn’t say anything to show his interest, but Verdan noticed his eyes lingering on it as he finished up the introductions.

“Magnus, does your presence mean Keeper Macstan is still intending to work with the good Wizard?” Staran asked offhandedly as he gestured to one of the servants.

“The Wizard and his companions have come to our lands as guests of the Keeper. I offered to attend gatherings like this alongside them to assist with any cultural differences,” Magnus said carefully. 

“I had heard rumours that the Keeper was recruiting people from outside the Clans,” Osran said slowly, looking over to first Verdan and then Kai.  “There is talk of him putting together a punitive expedition to combat the Darjee. That he believes the current response is inadequate.”

A tense silence fell over the table for a long few moments before Staran cleared his throat. “I’m sure Keeper Macstan isn’t questioning the Thane’s decisions. After all, the Wizard hasn’t agreed to join the Keeper’s service, yes?” Staran turned to Verdan expectantly.

“That’s correct,” Verdan said, noting the slight flicker of surprise in Staran’s eyes. He had a feeling that misspeaking with this group would cause Sebastian more than a few problems, so he would stick to the honest truth.

Ciaran’s initial reluctance to let Verdan accompany them north was starting to make more sense now.

“See, as I said.” Staran let out a chuckle before looking over to Verdan. “Just what has brought you north then?”

“My apprentice’s mother has been offered a place to live by Keeper Macstan. I thought it best that we travel north so that he could spend as much time with her as he could. Beyond that, I have a few personal matters that I’m looking into, and I will render some assistance to the Keeper if needed.”

“How odd. Was this shelter for her payment for something you’ve done?” Staran asked thoughtfully, rubbing his jaw with one hand. “It is unusual for a Keeper to grant such a boon to those not born to the Clans.”

“Actually, they are both from Clan Mhorgain. They simply happened to be living to the south.”

“Your apprentice is Kranjir?” Staran raised a brow in surprise. “It’s rare to find Sorcerers amongst our people. I assume his father was a Sorcerer?”

“Actually, my magic is not the same as Sorcery, and Dirk’s father was a member of his Clan as far as I know. He said that his father and grandfather used to hunt monsters, and given what I know now, I think that might mean they were Chosen.”

“Impossible,” Garran snapped, turning to glare balefully at Verdan. “The son of a Chosen would never be a Sorcerer.”

“I am no Sorcerer, but I apologise if I’ve given offence,” Verdan said, unsure exactly what he’d done to anger the old Keeper.

“Please, Keeper Merkstan, I’m sure that the Wizard is telling the truth,” Staran said, raising his voice to interrupt the older Keeper before he could say anything else. “After all, if he was truly a Sorcerer, his apprentice would be little more than a glorified servant.”

A vein throbbed on the side of Garran’s head as Staran spoke, and Osran shifted uneasily at his side, seemingly unsure of what to do.

Verdan could see that the old Keeper was building this up in exactly the wrong way, but he couldn’t see a way to calm things down without running the risk of making it worse.

“Keeper, if I may,” Barb spoke up, bringing all eyes over to her.

Staran’s eyes narrowed, and he went to say something but was cut off as Garran turned to her and nodded. “Speak, daughter of Clan Baorlin.”

“Thank you, Keeper,” Barb said, nodding respectfully to her elder before continuing. “I can attest that Dirk is a true apprentice of Wizard Blacke. Neither of them are Sorcerers from what I can tell, and after speaking with Ara, Dirk’s mother, I can confirm that his father and grandfather were both Chosen of Clan Mhorgain.”

“That does make sense,” Staran said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. “I’ve heard rumours of the enchanted weaponry that the Wizard created for Keeper Macstan. That is definitely not the work of a Sorcerer.”

“Enchanted weapons?” Garran’s brow furrowed as he looked at Verdan. “Why not simply call yourself an Enchanter, then?”

“Because I don’t enchant things directly, I create Aether constructs that I attach to the items. The magic that I’m teaching Dirk is based in Aether, rather than Essence like that of Sorcerers.”

The old Keeper’s eyes briefly widened before he gave a terse nod and abruptly changed the subject, asking Staran about events within the city.

The others seemed just as confused as Verdan by the swift change, but despite Verdan coming up again in the conversation, the old Keeper refused to engage on the subject.

After a time, Garran and Osran announced they were leaving, and Verdan took the opportunity to do the same. There had been a strange atmosphere to this whole thing, and Verdan was happy to take the opportunity to leave.