Zeke tried to hide his reaction but was inwardly astounded by the way the stranger had addressed Tristan. Presumably, there werent many people who dared address the Bloodsword patriarch in such a way.
He studied the small gathering. Three people sat around a table. Each with a giant mug in front of them. They were all looking back at him, studying him in turn.
The first person his eyes landed on was the man who had spoken. The word man might not have been the best term to describe the being. He, and it was most definitely a he, looked like a shaved bear who had learned to walk upright. His nose was constantly twitching as if he was trying to track a scent.
A bushy, untad beard covered half of his face and his entire outfit seed to be little more than rags. It was a sleeveless patchwork of skins and hides that eerily resembled the mans own leathery skin. He was a mountain of muscle and fat that had sohow squeezed itself into an unproportionally small armchair.
A quick scan revealed that his theory was not too far off from the truth. Even though the being had most definitely been human once, his very essence seed to have been fused with sothing clearly inhumane. Could it be? Zeke had a theory on what the man in front of him was and there was only one way to find out
Greetings, Arch Druid. I am Ezekiel von Hohenheim, he said with a respectful nod. It is an honor.
The bear-like man eyed him with a bit of interest. Ohh? It is rare to be recognized by one so young. Did you et another of my kind? Or did Tristan tell you?
Neither, Zeke replied without missing a beat. But the fa of the Irrochian Druids spreads far and wide. Only a fool would not be aware of your might.
Enough! the man growled. Flattery will get you nowhere. However, Zeke didnt miss the pleased smile that had erged on his face. Flattery would get him far with this one. The giant growled, Co sit, both of you, as he pointed at the two open seats at the table.
Tristan rushed to take the seat further away, leaving Zeke with no choice but to sit down right next to the bear-like man. Now that he was properly seated, he was finally able to take a good look at the other people gathered.
On Tristans other side sat a stunningly gorgeous man with long, purple hair and eyes. Zeke had often been called handso, but he was not conceited enough to think that he could compare to this man. The purple-haired stranger looked like he was one of those perfect princes that was so often depicted in fairytales for young won. Zeke could hardly believe that soone like this actually existed.
On closer inspection, he noticed the reason for it. The man was a Flesh Mage. If his experience with the spy had taught him anything, then it was that Flesh Mages could take on whatever appearance they fancied. Furthermore, that spy had only been a Grand Mage that was trained as a disposable tool, while the man in front of him was an Arch Mage. And by the company he kept, he wasnt just anybody either. It was hard to imagine what the man in front of him was capable of.
Upon noticing Zekes eyes on him, the prince playfully winked. The gesture was so charming that Zeke almost blushed. This man was dangerous! Zeke had to make sure to keep him away from Maya and his mother at all costs.
Next to prince charming sat a giant, brutish-looking man. His rough appearance was even further heightened through the contrast to the rather feminine-looking Flesh Mage beside him. He nodded curtly upon noticing Zeke's gaze.
Zeke had considered Tristan to be tall, but this man took it to another level. He had to be more than a head taller still. However, it was not only his height that was impressive. His shoulders were proportionally broad. He could almost rival the Druid in sheer size. However, compared to the flabby physique of the bear-man, he didnt seem to have a lick of fat anywhere on his body. He was all bulging muscles and protruding veins.
Zekes inspection revealed that the man was an Arch Mage as well, but he didnt recognize the affinity. However, a theory started to form in his mind. Aside from the druid, there was a trio of Arch Mages, one Flesh, one Blood, and one unknown If his guess was correct, then the giant had to be a Bone Mage. These three were most likely representatives of the three ruling families of Valor.
Zeke noticed sothing strange. Despite so ti having passed, nobody spoke. They all seed to be waiting for sothing. If he had to guess, he would bet on this being so kind of test. In light of that, he decided to take another gamble. It is an honor. Would I be right in assuming that you two belong to the Formweaver and Boneguard households?
The giant rely grunted his assent, but the Flesh Mage actually clapped. Yes, you would be right, young man. What a pleasant surprise to find you just as perceptive as the reports made you out to be.
Reports? What reports? Had he been investigated? And if so, for what purpose? It was likely that the people here didnt an him any harm. Still, it wouldnt hurt to be careful.
Im glad to be able to live up to your expectations, sir Formweaver, Zeke said politely. Now that he thought about it, the mans ntion of reports had most likely been ant as a further test. A test to see if he would catch on to the implications. However, Zeke didnt bite. Only a fool would play a ga where the opponent held all the cards and set the rules.
Instead, he turned to Tristan. For what purpose did you bring here? I dont want to appear ungrateful, but I clearly dont have the right to join this gathering just yet.
Just yet the giant rumbled. Good Got a proper spine different from most Mind Mages Slimy cunts...
Zeke could see why the giant didnt speak more often. He had to force himself to even say this much. Zeke nodded at the praise but kept his attention focused on Tristan. He really wanted to know why he was here.
Well the Bloodsword said. I didnt an for this to happen, either. I genuinely had no other intentions than to et you privately. You know, as a fellow Blood Mage with a perfect affinity. However, the situation has changed sowhat.
Zeke had a bad feeling about this. How had the situation changed? Had Tristan sohow found out about his ability to create spells? One of his other secrets? This could turn ugly if he had
How has the situation changed, Zeke asked with the most innocent expression he could muster. He tried to appear as unflustered as possible. But it wasnt easy to appear nonchalant while his heart was hamring in his chest.
Luckily, he got support from an unexpected source. I would also like to know what all of this is about, The Arch druids said. So far, nobody has told why I am here.
The statent was like a balm for Zekes nerves. If Tristan was actually planning on ambushing him, he would not have involved an unpredictable variable such as the Irrochian. Who knew what the shifter would do if it ca to a fight? Zeke didnt know how strong the man was, but if the stories about the Druids were true, he could not be taken lightly.
Tristan cleared his throat. I assu you all rember the information package we received after returning to Tradespire?
The bear and the giant nodded approvingly. Only the handso man had a frown on his face. The Finsternis family must have managed to infiltrate soone very high up the command chain. No matter next ti, it will be my Formweaver family that will co out on top.
Tristan shook his head with a mysterious smile. How can you be so sure that it was the Finsternis family who uncovered those docunts, Devlin?
The handso man, who was apparently called Devlin, scoffed at that. And who else do you suggest provided the intel? The Invocatians dont have any spies worth a damn. Their reliance on their summoning makes them wholly unsuitable for such delicate work.
I agree, Tristan said. It wasnt the Invocations who uncovered this. However, I learned from a trustworthy source that it wasnt the Finsternis family either.
Then who could Devlin began, before suddenly putting the pieces together. His head snapped toward Zeke. The boy? He provided that information. Of course, he did. Thats why hes here. And here I thought you brought him over because you wanted to recruit him.
Tristan coughed as he choked on his drink. He glared at Devlin before beginning to clean the liquid out of his beard. With a sour look at his now empty tankard, he motioned for a servant to bring two new ones. The other one was most likely for Zeke.
Well he said with a glance around the table. Now that Ive said this much, it should be clear why he is here. So, who wants to go first?
Zeke warily eyed the group. Go first with what exactly?
, the handso man said imdiately. He eyed Zeke with a much sharper gaze than before. Where did you get all that information, boy?
Before I answer anything, Id like to confirm sothing, Zeke said toward Tristan. How did you learn that it was who provided that information? I was assured that nobody would learn I was the source.
Tristan smirked. That reminds I have a ssage for you. Lara says you dont owe her a favor anymore.
Zeke cursed under his breath. Of course, it had been her. It might have been a mistake to allow her to be present during that eting. If news spread that he had been the one to divulge empire secrets, the four great families might start to hunt him down in earnest
Dont worry, Tristan said, reading his expression. She is not spreading the information to just anyone. Even with the favor she owed , Lara was incredibly reluctant to tell . I had to promise her not to spread the news.
Zeke looked around. How was this not spreading the news? Tristan had only returned the day before and had already told everyone here. He would have to rember never to trust this man with a secret. He was evidently horrible at keeping them.
Zeke could only sigh in defeat. Fine, you are right. It was who provided that information. He turned toward Devlin. To answer the previous question: The information is a collection of Maximilians notes, rumors, personal connections, and many other sources.
Devlin imdiately followed up with another question, not giving anybody else the chance to ask anything. You would never have been able to produce such a detailed report with such unreliable sources. How did you do it?
Zeke thought about his response for a mont. He couldnt confess that he had accidentally uncovered a lot of secrets by passing by so offices. However, acting dumb or humble would only make him look more suspicious to a professional spy like Devlin.
Data examination is one of my specialties, Zeke stated, pointing at his head. It is hard to believe how much you can learn by combining information from countless unreliable sources.
Devlin nodded slowly. He didnt seem wholly convinced, but the fact that Zeke was a Mind Mage gave the statent so credence. Furthermore, it wasnt even a lie. Zeke rely forgot to ntion how vast his collection of knowledge truly was.
Tristan turned toward the giant. What about you, Randell?
The Bone Mage nodded. I want to know about the hidden forces you ntioned?
Over the next half an hour, Zeke found himself answering all kinds of additional questions about his report. Tristan would usually ask about the different families and their mbers. Devlin about the power dynamics inside the empire and Randell would focus mainly on troupe strength. anwhile, the druid never asked a single question.
Finally, after what must have been the hundredth, no more questions were forthcoming. Zeke looked around. None of the three seed to have anything more to ask, and instead, they were now discussing potential strategies and counterasures among themselves. Zeke didnt bother to pay attention. He would rewatch the mory later anyway and didnt want to appear too eager to listen in right now.
As it stood, he was already very satisfied with how this eting had turned out. If nothing else, he had t three important Mages and even managed to put them in his debt. This was a great outco on its own. However, he might be able to gain even more. With shining eyes, he turned to the man next to him. Do you also have a question, Arch Druid?
The man sniffed the air. Yes, he said, slowly looking Zeke up and down. Why do you sll so strong, despite being so weak?
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