Spy Versus Spy [Emrik]

[Aurin]

"Alas, I am unlike to settle. I've learned to make loneliness work for me." After a pause and a sip of wine, he corrected, "That sounds maudlin. I don't mean it to be. I'm not a pessimist, just a realist. As for mobility, I do appreciate that ability."

Though he couldn't read Emrik's features, he could at least surmise that he was thinking. Wheels were turning. But at the mention of Aurelio, he laughed.

"Aurelio was the Avialae who demanded I spar with him. I didn't know him to be a regular at the Cabaret, but I think he's quite young so perhaps that is a new pastime of his." After considering Emrik's surprising views, he could only nod in agreement. "You are the first Avialae I have heard who agrees with me about their veneration. Few people of any race seem willing to own the privileges accorded to them that they haven't earned. And surprisingly few people of any race have admitted to finding fault in the Avialae being the ruling race." He sighed. "Perhaps it comes from being an outsider."

If Emrik's slip about the theaters of his home were a clue, it wasn't enough for Aurin to place him. There were enough large cities now that could boast such, even if one stuck only to Karnor. The world was still a dangerous place in between the centers of civilization, and people craved their illusions of safety.

"Another goblet," he agreed, and it seemed the bartender had finally come to their table after Emrik had been attempting to catch her eye. Aurin's wasn't finished. He was pacing himself, knowing better than to try to match someone who had that much mass on him. After she had gone, he considered Emrik. "And are you looking for work or are your hunting skills already retained?"

[Emrik]

He was amused to learn that Aurelio had been that Avialae, though it wasn't far out of line with the fractions he had seen of his personality. The man was eager to prove himself. Emrik and Aurin, on the other hand; realists, both. He did not imagine the other man was driven too fiercely by strong desires. As much wit as he harnessed within his words, there was an aspect to him that was subdued. The Kathar found a sort of comfort within that. He did not need to act with such haste; he instead probed at the edges of their conversation, at acceptability.

"We are not the same," he piped up, clearing his throat from the wine as he brought an elbow to rub at his lips. "Avialae, I mean. The Synnekar take freedom to mean domination, wielding their physical supremacy as a flail. My kind, on the other hand, are respectful of our place. We are killers, not leaders. Wings nor wide shoulders do not give us the austerity or wisdom to rule." Rather than Imperial propaganda, that was his own perspective. Administration and warring were two separate factors in leading a nation. Perhaps the Avialae should command retinues within Kalzasi's militia, but they carried no special nature to them that made them exalted rulers. He imagined it was merely a perception; the human willingness to associate stature with majesty, scope with prestige.

It was a trick that even fooled the most learned of women and men. He was not surprised his people might find nobility in foreign lands.

"We are both outsiders," he nodded. Aurin ordered his refill; the man returned the favor with a faint smile, meager but earnest in his display of appreciation. All niceties meant rather a lot to him, having been exposed to so little across his life. It always conjured questions, being shown any degree of kindness.

"What work would you have me do?" he inquired. The woman returned before long, pouring more into his cup. He offered her more coins to purchase out the remainder of the bottle, before sliding it over to the other man. "My prey are intelligent; that is my specialty. Some would even say sapient. I specialize, further, in dispatching those gifted with magic. In my home away from here, I have a collection of runes carved from skin plastered across my wall. A selling point. I'm afraid, here, you'll need merely to trust in my word. I am the best of the best."

If it wasn't clear already... whether or not his services were retained, he was open to more benefactors. "I apologize if my words disturb you," he offered, sensing a faint silence broil as he concluded his explanation. "Do not worry. If you would wish them to have never been spoken, then they never were... and we may return to discussion of... I don't recall; your deficiency to commitment."

[Aurin]

It hadn't occurred to Aurin that Emrik was a Kathar. In truth, he wasn't a scholar of their race. They were most common here and in the Gelerian Imperium, Synnekar and Kathar. He knew the stories, of course; those that were common knowledge. Once, he had considered the Imperium, knowing Ava and Galeas wouldn't follow him there, but then Galeas had marked him with damning runes that would get him killed. For a job. He couldn't have known he was closing a door to him forever, could he? There had been a brief stint in Zaichaer, but even as careful as he was, it was impossible to settle. Everything in the Brass City had made his anxiety spike.

He let his eyes widen in realization.

"Ah, I hadn't realized," he admitted, eyes glancing down to his neck though he didn't comment on the lack of collar. That would be rude. Perhaps they were a myth, though, as so many things were when they were about some faraway place. "But I would agree with you. I'm not an enemy of the Synnekar, but I am a critic. If this is to be my home, then I must be able to voice my concerns. Come what may." He considered. Then, "Curious. They will suffer a Kathar to walk the streets of Kalzasi and fly in its airspace, but the Imperium would either execute or... commandeer a Synnekar." He paused, eyebrow raised, in case Emrik would correct his assumption. "I wonder if that makes the Synnekar brave or foolhardy. Or both."

It was strange to feel some small kinship with the man, but it was interesting, for certes. He didn't respond to what might have been a barb or merely a misunderstanding. Rubbing his jaw thoughtfully, he considered.

"I haven't a mark for you at the moment, although that could change quickly. But I would not be surprised if I come across a contact in need of your skillset in the near future. Don't worry," he hastened to assure him, a hand raised. "I'm not looking for a finder's fee. I've found that connecting people can be advantageous in other ways. If people come to know me as a man who can find what and who they need, they are more likely to come again. If I should find you work, ought I to leave word for you here?"

Aurin would understand not wanting to advertise his address given that his line of work was something most would consider distasteful. He didn't subscribe to the belief that all mages were evil, but he had known plenty of mages who ought to be dead. How differently might things have turned out if he could have paid someone like Emrik to accompany him on that fateful job in Cathena? But his mind shuddered away from traumatic memories. But he certainly wasn't going to divulge his own runes. It wouldn't matter to an Imperial-trained mage hunter. At least he knew not to play his seeing trick to assess the flyboy. There was the possibility that he could See back. He may have bested young Aurelio in the ring, but he didn't give himself great odds should Emrik decide he needed to be dead.

[Emrik]

Aurin's observation - that he lacked in a particularly accessory of Imperial ownership - was not one that went unnoticed by the Kathar. It was true; he was collarless. Most Kathar who had fled found a way to remove that binding before doing so, though in his case, they had removed it willingly in order to prevent suspicion from arising. It was a privilege he had only earned for being willing to murder his father in cold blood; a final test of loyalty. Tragically, the act had only shaken his loyalty more than anything else. Thus why he was busy fraternizing with a handsome man, rather than actually attempting to fulfill his duty.

"They are equal parts brave and fools," the man quietly concluded, looking up to meet the auburn-haired man's eyes. He had a curious quality to him; there was much he wanted to know of the man, but considering his own secrecy, he could expect no more than he was given. "But yes -- criticize their establishment as you will. I certainly will not stop you, though I cannot assure that they won't. That is their prerogative; this is their land. For now."

For now. An allusion to what was to come, perhaps. One day.

"Don't worry, I am not so desperate for gold that I must beg for work. Anything I do outside of my primary employer's will is for my own entertainment. If you come to me with a contract, lovely. If not... I will not find myself too dejected. But yes -- sure, they can meet me here. I appreciate your patronage in that regard, especially considering I have not offered you anything in return. Would you like that to be different?" The man leaned forward, elbows pressed against the table, his arms tucked into his chest. His eyes narrowed, discerningly, as he carefully examined Aurin's features.

"What is it that you want, my friend? From this city, from this conversation. I am certain there is something there; some will of yours. Is it anything I might be able to help you acquire?"

Reaching over, he picked up the goblet's length between his pinky and ring finger, the liquid swishing about slightly as he drew it to his lips, and took a prolonged sip.

[Aurin]

"'Twould seem they have more important detractors; at least, Great House Novalys ought to be more worried about Great House Senue than modest Aurin Kavafis." He considered Yserloo Choi, the Synnekar lord who was co-equal with him on the leadership team for the Theater and friendly, but with an edge of condescension. Aurin could never rise to nobility, perhaps, but if he founded some house, it would never match the lowest of the Great Houses no matter how powerful it became. There was a problem there. "But you are correct: history teaches us that no empire lasts forever; even the Boundless Empire had, in the end, boundaries."

The Imperium ought to learn from history, but he knew they wouldn't. Eventually, they too would collapse, though perhaps not until long after he and Emrik were dust.

At the pointed request, he leaned in too. With a foxfire smile, "Ah, but I value my mobility. And I suppose that is what I have wanted from this city: mobility and agency. So far, I have them. So I will stay here. For now." He echoed the earlier sentiment of impermanence, though Kalzasi was as close to a home as he had ever had.

He leaned back again.

"But we have exchanged pleasantries, which have actually been pleasant, at least for me. We have exchanged information and decided on a point of contact should there be a future need. I can leave you to your thoughts, observations, and your wine if you would prefer to be alone. But, in general, I seek information. Gold will do in a pinch. Knowledge is power, gold makes things happen. They both support my mobility and agency."

They had played on multiple meanings for mobility, but he rather liked the way Emrik's interrogation had helped him clarify things. He didn't often articulate his desires, but he had been able to distill them down here and speak openly without feeling unduly vulnerable. That was nice. He glanced down at Emrik's naked neck again; there were types of slavery that he didn't find odious, but even with his unorthodox ethics, he didn't support chattel slavery. It was a shame, though; Emrik would look fine in a collar.

"And what do you seek from this city and your time here other than your prey?"

[Emrik]

He found himself enjoying the company of the auburn-haired man. His words were measured and reasonable, his philosophy founded in realism. He was articulate; well-spoken, charming, and he properly annunciated. Aurin had many of the things he lacked. Though he tried to hold his own, the man considered himself more an imposter; a grifter of self-styled eloquence, though even his 'eloquence' were another man's flat timbre and lifeless words. Despite that, Aurin claimed to have enjoyed their exchange, finding 'pleasantness' in their pleasantries. He could very well relate.

A placid smile carved into the edges of his lips, the man lowering his lashes into a half-lidded stare as he pondered for a moment, taking one small sip at the bottom of the goblet. His gaze flicking back towards the other, the Kathar softly inhaled. "I would prefer to keep my present company," he responded. It was clear, then, that a lonesome moment with his thoughts was not what he desired. Aurin's presence was.

The two men sought the same thing. For different purposes, he was certain, though not incompatible ones. Knowledge and therefore power, wealth and therefore the ability to enact change. While the other man peered at his neck, Emrik examined his features more closely. Their eyes were nearly the same color, he had noticed, though discerning the exact shade was difficult with the dim lighting of the bar. His brows were well-shaped, his beard well-maintained, all accentuating his handsome features, the color contrasting well with his light skin. Aurin would look well in a collar, too. As long as Emrik was holding the leash.

"As I told Aurelio..." he began, bringing the bottle of wine to his lips and taking a wide gulp, "...I am here to fulfill my duty, and to explore the splendors of life. Splendors which have been deprived of me in my time within the Imperium. Not the ability to choose my own destiny, but... the fine intricacies within it. To be able to choose my own armor, wear my own clothes, reside in my own home. To fuck, bleed and get plastered as I please. These basic freedoms have never been mine. And... that is fine, but I am curious as to what else there is. Perhaps I will decide I want to return to the collar at the end of it all, but I want the power to choose. Only then, once I know, can I be content."

[Aurin]

"Then you shall have it," he said of his presence. He smirked—most of his smiles were really smirks; not necessarily mocking the person he was talking to but indicating some amusement at the vagaries of life.

Aurin found Emrik's gaze and manner direct, while he was still well-spoken enough to dance with his words, which was entertaining. He found himself enjoying the encounter as he had admitted. As much as he thrived in the gray spaces between words and meaning, truth and lies, good and evil, sometimes he enjoyed choosing one over the other. The dance could get exhausting, but he felt as though whenever he stopped dancing, everything would fall apart.

And he listened, curious what Emrik had told Aurelio, wondering whether a bit of Kathar influence might be good for the impressionable Avialae. Aurin, at least, didn't equate Synnekar with good and Kathar with evil. People were too complicated for black and white. He nodded, chuckling. To focus on the debaucherous aspects of what he had said would be too easy, especially given he was admitting to something more profound and something infinitely more interesting.

"A noble quest of self-discovery," he noted quietly, raising his goblet. "I wish you luck and an overabundance of experience. We all live with duties and restrictions and we can all learn to enjoy the splendors around us. You are a good reminder that nations are made up of individuals, and there will be those who question the culture and law of their societies. And nations, even empires, should welcome questioning. If their orthodoxies can't withstand good-intentioned questions, then they are likely hiding weaknesses in their foundations."

Though he included empires in that, he was as critical of Kalzasi as anywhere else. Power structures needed to be challenged, needed to adapt. He wasn't a revolutionary, but he would ask the questions if given the chance. And he would rebel if he found a situation or a structure untenable. He had to respect anyone else with the same inner ethos.

[Torin Kilvin]

R E V I E W

Lore:

Aurin
Politics:
Someone to Know
Placing Eyes and Ears
Watching Power
Managing Assets
Nurturing Talent
Rubbing Elbows With Nobility
Working With Co-Owners
Gestures of Good Will
Accepting Gifts
Curbing Assumptions

Seduction:
Teasing Denial
Offering Others

Unarmed:
Street Fighting
Prize Fighting

Emrik
None Requested


Points: 8 points each, not for magic

Injuries/Ailments: None

Loot: None

Notes: Sad that there won't be more of this pair.