• PM To Join • Fit the First The crew was complete: it included a Boots

[Oram Mednix]

8th Trial of Cylus, Arc 720

The perpetual dusk of the season made it hard sometimes to be certain what time it was; as a result, Oram wasn’t certain he had the break right when he entered the market to sell the fisher cats he had trapped. The marketplace was strangely quiet, even given the gloom and the cold, and the fur trader, while open, was not busy when he arrived.

”Do I have the time right?” he asked, looking quizzically out onto the sparsely-peopled streets. ”It is mid-trial or so, isn’t it?” He hoped so. Else he had missed his meeting with his new acquaintance, Darius Baer, for whom he had a proposal: word had it that the Scalvoris Academy was putting together an expedition to find and capture some sort of black owl or night owl. It was a rare creature that supposedly was most easily found in the season of Cylus. And Oram was interested in pursuing this creature. But obviously he could not do it alone, so he was looking for partners. That was where Darius came in, or so he hoped.

He hadn’t actually known the man for long, and had no idea if he was any good in the field. But he was one of the few people he knew that might be up for the adventure and, what was more, he could read where Oram could not. Knowing how these academics were, Oram knew he needed somebody along who could read and write if he was dealing with them.

”You have the time right, Oram,” the fur trader answered, cutting in on the hunter’s thoughts. ”Why, you meeting somebody? A lady, perhaps?”

Oram gave the trader a look that must have looked sharper than he had intended, because the man quickly raised his hands as if to apologize. ”Not that it’s any of my business. Just making small talk.”

Oram shrugged. ”I don’t mind. But no, it’s not that sort of meeting. That price will do nicely, thank you.” He pocketed the nels the trader gave him for the fishers, then turned his attention once more to the street, looking for the man he was meeting.

[Darius Baer]

Arc 720, 8th of Cylus

It had been agreed, not long after their time together during the Dusk Festival, that Darius would join Oram in his search for the Cylus Owl. It was the month of Cylus, after all, and though Darius was no bird watcher by any stretch of the imagination, he was of a curious enough nature to want to explore more of Idalos, and his intended companion seemed to know his way around a wilderness experience. A perennial sufferer of wanderlust, the seafaring blond was more familiar with traveling on a caravel than a caravan, but that did nothing to deter him as he adjusted the pack on his back, left the relative comfort of his home, and made his way towards the Scalvoris Town market.

Seven trials had come and gone since the Dusk Festival, and the green sand that had once been lined up with many flaming bonfires was much less populated now. The shoreline had few isolated figures at its edge, with a pair of men pushing a rowing boat into the cold water and the occasional fisherman here and there the only people brave enough to let themselves risk getting wet.

Darius had never doubted his ability to find Oram. The fellow seemed to spend much of his time in the wilderness, and he dressed accordingly. The market being quiet would just mean he would locate the man even more quickly, and that is precisely what happened.

"Good trial to you, Oram," Darius greeted the hunter, offering a hand when he drew close. "I trust you are well?"

Oram had never seemed like the talkative type, but it was polite to ask all the same.

"Are you ready to go?"

Darius didn't know if the expedition was just the pair of them, or if Oram had recruited others. He also didn't know where they were headed in any great detail, but he didn't want to bombard the poor fellow with too many questions at once.

[Oram Mednix]

A,B,C,D,Ph.D.

To the hunter’s relief, Darius showed up not long after Oram had finished with the fur trader. So he had the time right, after all, in spite of the trial-long twilight of the season. ”Good trial, Darius,” he answered, taking the offered hand. ”Well enough, and you?”

Darius, thankfully short on small talk today, got to the point. Oram nodded. ”Right, so, this hunt is being run by the Academy, so I reckon we need to go there first and talk to the people running it to find out more.” He paused a moment, not sure if he needed to add anything. ”Like what they actually expect, if there’s anybody else, and what if any support the academy’s offering.” Thinking that was it, he started walking.

”I’m glad you agreed to come along,” he told the carpenter as they walked, ”I wanted someone a more lettered than me to come with. I’ve never dealt with professors before, so I don’t know what they’re like. You?” ‘More lettered than’ Oram meant little more than ‘able to read and write’, but the hunter reckoned that it wouldn’t do for him to walk cold into the university, not being able to read at all. How often had he been invited to ‘just follow the signs’ or such, as if he could tell anything from those things? How much more of that would he be likely to get from academic types, and how would they react when they discovered he was illiterate? He didn’t want to find out.

The Viden Academy (it was called for some reason even though it was here in Scalvoris) was hard to miss; the round building stood alone and distinct. It had only opened a couple arcs before, and had caused quite a sensation. In that time, Oram had never been closer than the edge of the campus; he thought of it is a strange and exotic place. And now he was going to see the inside.

That inside turned out to be disappointingly like other insides of buildings. There was a reception desk, much like there was in the Elements Hall. The receptionist, upon hearing Oram explain their business, looked at the two men doubtfully for a moment, then told them that they needed to see Professor Jasper Seams. His office should be listed on the directory. Oram looked up at the table of markings the receptionist indicated, then turned hopefully to Darius. ”Shall we?” he asked, waiting for his reading buddy to lead the way.

[Darius Baer]

"Aye, well enough," Darius nodded at Oram as they exchanged pleasantries.

The bearded blond listened carefully as the man explained the purpose of the task that awaited them. He didn't mind that they'd covered most of the details during the Dusk Festival - repetition was a good tool for remembering important details.

"More lettered?' he chuckled. "My tutor wouldn't have called me 'lettered', but he was a flying turd."

The insult was, perhaps, a little harsh. Darius had hardly been a model student, always getting up to some kind of mischief with his friend Nael. The seafaring human chuckled at the memory.

"No," he shook his head when Oram asked him if he'd been around professors. "My education was on the seas much more than it was in a classroom."

The walk to the Viden Academy was a short one, and Darius decided to let his companion awkwardly take the lead. The quest was, after all, closer to the trapper's heart than the seafarer's.

When they entered the building and Oram approached the receptionist, Darius seized the opportunity to look around the room. He was reading the inscription on a small plaque when he suddenly realised the conversation in the room had stopped. He saw Oram's glance and nodded in response. Looking at the ledger, he ran a finger down each line until he saw the name they were looking for: Professor Jasper Seams.

"Zoology department," he muttered to himself, before lifting his head and looking back at Oram. "Follow me."

Darius guided his friend out of the room and down a series of hallways, going from building to building, until they came to a heavy oak door with some writing on it. The blond nodded at Oram to suggest this was the correct room, and after knocking on the door, he gently pushed it open.

"King's piss," Darius whispered under his breath as they stepped inside.

A grown man, purportedly Jasper Seams, was squatting atop his seat with his back to the door. He held a half-peeled banana in one hand as he thumped his chest with the other. He turned at the sound of the door, mouth half agape, and stared at the new arrivals.

"Apparently it's lunch time," Darius whispered.

He said nothing more, instead deciding to turn to Oram and let the trapper introduce himself to the odd professor. This was his expedition, after all.

[Oram Mednix]

The Librarian?

Oram’s eyes went to the desk…and then up at the strange figure squatting atop it. Gaping, he could only nod at Darius’ exclamation. King’s piss, indeed. After a moment the man noticed them, half-eaten banana in hand. For a moment, he glared mistrustfully at his two visitors, as if he feared they would steal his food or something. Then, after swallowing a mouthful of fruit, he clambered down from the desktop and waddled across the floor in an odd, bow-legged gait towards the two of them.

”Who?” he asked. ”Who? Who? Who?” The words were repeated rapidly, sharply, almost as if the syllables weren’t actually words. Oram looked uncertainly at Darius, then cleared his throat. ”I’m Oram Mednix, and this is Darius Baer,” the traveler began, speaking more slowly and carefully than normal for some reason. Might as well keep it simple, he thought. And avoid sudden movements.

The man gazed back and forth between them questioningly, but said nothing. After a moment, Oram continued ”We heard that the Academy was organizing an expedition to search for something called the Cylus Owl.” The man said nothing. Oram returned his questioning look. ”Cylus. Owl?” he repeated, enunciating.

The man looked at him, put his arms up in a wing-like pose and flapped them. ”Who-Who-Who?” he asked.

Oram nodded. ”Yes, that’s right. Who wh-” Too late, he caught the glint of mischief in the strange man’s eye, then clamped his mouth shut, chagrined. A roar of laughter filled the small office.

”Yes,” the man said after he had regained his composure. ”I am Professor Jasper Seams, and I’m looking for people to help me find the Night Owl of Cylus!” He chuckled, patted Oram on the shoulder. ”Sorry, I just like having some fun some times. People do find my table manners…off-puting, which is why I prefer eating alone. A bit of humor helps to break the ice when that happens, I find. Come! Have a seat.” The Professor walked back towards the desk, no longer waddling, though his gait was still notably bow-legged. Once he reached the desk, he hopped onto a chair, squatting atop it with his knees resting against the desktop and his rump against the top of the chair’s back. This attitude made him look somewhat taller than he actually was.

”The Night Owl,” he continued from his perch, ”is supposed to be a large black owl -just how large varies by who is telling the story, anywhere from crow-sized to wolf-sized- that lives in the Scalvoris Mountains most of the trial. In this season, it supposedly comes down from the mountains to these lower elevations, where locals claim to have seen it around Egilrun, and sometimes even on the edges of the Sweetvine.” The Professor leaned forward, looming over the desk in a menacing way at odds with his friendly demeanor. ”Just recently some farmers around Egilrun have started complaining of a large black owl -the biggest they’ve seen- attacking their chickens. There’s an uproar; the locals threatened to put a bounty on the thing to kill it.” Seams shook his head disapprovingly, his head yawing more side to side than turning to and fro. ”Humans can be so bloodthirsty. I would like the owl to meet a different fate. Why kill it when we can capture it, alive and healthy, so that we can learn from it? That’s what the expedition is for.”

Jasper Seams looked up at Oram and Darius. ”So far, you are the only two to come forward for this. Does this sound like something you’re interested in doing? I should warn you: the countryside can be quite cold and forbidding in Cylus, especially so near the mountains. But if you are interested, I can tell you more. Speaking of which, what more can you tell me about yourselves?”

The professor looked inquiringly at Oram, but the hunter, still stinging from embarrassment, was reluctant to talk. Seams looked over expectantly to Darius.

[/style]

[Darius Baer]

Darius' brow was furrowed in sheer bewilderment as the professor continued his ruse. Like Oram, the bearded blond had fallen for it, and were it not so awkward that he didn't want to say a word and draw the curious man's attention, he might have questioned aloud how someone who thought himself an animal should be a professor at the Viden Academy.

He was quite content for his companion to address the man - for it was Oram's expedition, after all - but he felt for the trapper when their host burst into laughter.

And so it turned out that Professor Jasper Seams was much more human and much less like the animals he was so fond of, but the interaction had still made for an awkward introduction, and had Darius been there with someone he didn't feel a sense of loyalty to, he might have been content to return whence he came and not return.

And yet, that was not to be. The professor did indeed appear to be the person to speak to about the Cylus Owl, and Darius joined Oram in listening to what the man had to say. Scalvoris Mountains; Egilrun; Sweetwine Woods. It seemed that wherever their destination, they would be heading in an easterly direction. The seafarer was still considering this information when he realised the professor was addressing him.

"Me?" he asked, and he immediately knew the answer to his own question, though he was unsure quite what Seams wanted to know. "I'm a Scalvorian. I've spent a fair bit of time on ships, sailing the Hollow Sea and beyond, and I'm used to being exposed to the elements, but I haven't seen all that much of the island itself, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to..."

He faded off for a moment as he realised Seams' frown was growing, and he decided to change what he had been about to say.

"...to help protect an iconic bird like the Cylus Owl."

The professor nodded, seemingly satisfied with his intentions, though that said nothing of the pair's ability to actually capture the giant creature. He then turned back to Oram for a response. Apparently their prospective employer was not going to let them leave without answering his questions, and Darius could only hope his companion had had enough time to compose himself.

"And how do you propose to 'rescue' the Cylus Owl from those who would do it harm?" he asked the man. "Do you have any experience with live animals?"

[Oram Mednix]

It Seams to be going smoothly

As trills passed and Darius spoke, Oram felt his embarrassment and annoyance subside and his jaw un-clench by degrees. This would no doubt be one of those things Osric would assure him he would look back upon and laugh about later. Certainly it was the sort of situation Osric would look back upon and laugh about at his younger brother’s expense.

It helped, though, that the conversation was turning back to business, and at that to a business Oram knew. By the time the professor turned his attention back to the hunter, he was composed and well-disposed enough to answer his question promptly. The professor wanted the owl caught alive? At least it wasn’t a wolverine. He nodded.

”Birds are easier to catch live, anyway,” he said. ”Drop a net over them, or draw ‘em into a cage trap with bait.” He shrugged. ”Handling and transporting the owl after it’s caught would be the trickier part, especially if it’s as big as you say. We’d need a cage the right size for it. Since’ it’s Cylus there should be plenty of snow to pull a cage along on a sled.”

The hunter scratched his beard. ”Egilrun, you say?” He looked over at Darius. ”We should probably take a dry run out there, see if we can catch the thing’s trail, get a feel for how big it really is, assuming it’s real.” He glanced back at Seams. "Anywhere from crow-sized to wolf-sized’ isn’t enough to be sure what kind of gear we’d need. We need to find out more. So that’s what I’d propose we do. Then we can come back and tell you more about what we need.”

Seams nodded thoughtfully. ”We don’t have much time, however. Cylus is a short season, after all. Plus the villagers grow impatient with this beast that’s eating their chickens. How much time do you think you’d need?”

Oram shrugged again. ”A few trials. Egilrun isn’t that far away. We go there, ask around a bit, see if we can false-set a trap for it to get a look, or at least some tracks. Then we come back and get what we really need.”

”A few trials,” Seams repeated unhappily, as if he grudged every trill. ”How soon could you set out?”

Oram shrugged again, glanced over to Darius. ”I could pack this afternoon and be ready to go first thing tomorrow. You, Darius?”

While the traveler waited for the sailor’s confirmation, Seams cut in. ”Tomorrow’s the Ninth.” He did some mental math. ”Can you be back in my office no later than first thing on the Thirteenth? Time is not our friend here. Apart from the wrath of disgruntled farmers, there is the end of the season to worry about. At the end of Cylus, the owl is like to return to the mountains, after which we will have lost our best chance to catch it.”

Oram nodded. ”Understood. Like I said, I can be ready to set out tomorrow morning, as long as Darius is, too.” The hunter and the professor both looked over at the sailor expectantly.

[Darius Baer]

Darius looked cautiously in Oram's direction as Seams turned to face the hunter. It wasn't that the bearded blond didn't think his companion knew what he was doing - he was clearly more comfortable with the wild than with the trappings of a bustling city like Scalvoris Town - but he was nervous about the man's ability to articulate himself.

So when Oram's response came in its confident and decisive form, a visible expression of relief washed over Darius' features. He was impressed by the hunter's knowledge, for he had assumed that a dead bird would be easier to capture than a live one, but he did not have the experience that his shorter companion could boast of.

So he did what any self-respecting salesman would have done, in an attempt to impress a potential customer: he nodded confidently in agreement.

"Aye, I can leave on the morrow," he nodded when Oram asked him when he could be ready. "We'll be as swift as we can while still being thorough."

That Cylus was a short season didn't help, but there was nothing they could do about that.

Arc 720, 9th of Cylus

The snow was thick the next morning, and though the streets of Scalvoris Town had been cleared as effectively as a few citizens with shovels could manage, the cobbles were covered with a mixture of slush and new snowflakes. Darius stood, blinking one such flake from his eyelashes, peering out of the city gates. The world beyond was largely white, pockmarked by the occasional traveller. Even the roads that led to other towns looked like little more than the scars a fork made as its prongs scraped through mashed potato.

The blond had packed his usual travel gear, which had been stuffed into the knapsack that hung over one shoulder. His longsword - surely useless against a live bird - hung from one hip, while his dagger adorned the other. The human shivered, pulling his gambeson more tightly around himself as he silently watched the wilderness and awaited Oram's arrival.

[Oram Mednix]

How much do you think I paid for this mule?

Oram started to relax. It sounded like things were coming together, and the Professor and Darius both seemed in agreement with his plan. They would set out tomorrow for Egilrun to investigate, then return to tell Seams whatever they had found, and plan their next move. As Darius made to leave, Oram made one last request of the professor. ”I meant what I said about the sled,” he explained. ”If the Owl’s as big as you say, it’s going to need a big cage. I can probably make the cage myself, but I need something to transport it on. I’ll also want snowshoes, and poles. We’ll probably want more, once we’ve had a look at Egilrun, but those things I already know we’re going to need now.”

Seams scratched his beard. ”I doubt we could get them for you today, but certainly by the time you get back. Anything else?” Oram shook his head. ”I hope we’ll know when we meet again. Till then. Good trial.”

”Safe journey,” called Seams. He did not move from his perch atop his chair as Oram left.

---

Darius would not have to wait long for Oram; the traveler was eager to get on the road. He had Mule with him, with most of his gear loaded on the animal’s back. He smiled and waved at the sailor when he spotted him, then strode across the snow, swinging his spear like a walking-stick. ”How are you this morning, Darius?” he asked his companion once he was close enough to address him without raising his voice. ”Did you have a good breakfast?” It sounded like small talk, but Oram found that people trying to get an early start on the trial sometimes skipped breakfast. And they had a long walk ahead of them, in the snow. Fortunately, he had brought plenty of food. Regardless of whether Darius had already eaten that morning, Oram would offer him an apple and a heel of fresh bread as a snack for the road. The hunter didn’t know about second breakfast, nor elevenses, but he knew that one needed plenty of energy for a trek through the snow.

”Oh, and Darius, this is Mule,” added Oram, indicating the animal. The mule regarded Darius impassively for a trill, then snorted. With introductions out of the way, they were ready to set out.

The snow glistened white everywhere they looked, but in the perpetual twilight of Cylus, did not produce any glare that would trouble their eyes as they went. The road to Egilrun, which in the snow was little more than a groove flanked by rounded waist-high banks of looser snow. There were comparatively few people on the road; however, those that they did encounter would pass them close by, their paths funneled together by those same banks. The snow under foot was trodden smooth and only a few inches deep, and it crunched under their feet as they went through the otherwise mostly quiet country.

The journey, while cold, slow, and fatiguing, was uneventful, and at length the trio (counting Mule, of course) could see the blades of a windmill rising above the snow, against the vague blue outline of the Scalvoris Mountains looming farther to the darkening east. Asking around eventually brought the road-weary travelers to the North End Lodge, at the far north end of Merchant Street. Darius, Oram, and Mule passed many a business, still busy into the evening break, to arrive at an imposing and well-appointed inn.

A handsome, middle-aged woman greeted them in the courtyard. ”You have come from Scalvoris, yes? If you come in peace, your are welcome in Egilrun, and if you have the nels, you are welcome in the North End Lodge, as well. Tell me your business here, and perhaps I can help you. We’ve rooms, food, and other services for those with the coin.” Her eyes and words fell mainly on Darius, whom she found taller and more pleasant than Oram, as well as more likely communicative than Mule.

[Darius Baer]

Darius returned his travelling companion's greeting when he saw the man approaching with his pack animal. The sight of the mule, heavy laden with supplies for their journey, made the seafarer wonder if he had not packed enough. Granted, he had all he could carry, and his rucksack was bulging already, but there was no way he could match the amount of gear that a donkey could haul through the wilderness.

"Aye, I ate well, thank you," Darius nodded in response to Oram's question.

The bearded human had not done much travel on land, but he knew enough from his seafaring trips to Viden that he couldn't do so on an empty stomach. (Although he had also seen what happened when a sailor had too much to eat before riding a big swell at sea!) Even so, he gratefully accepted the apple and the bread, and he was impressed with his own efforts in finding a spare place in his backpack for them to sit until he was hungry enough to eat them.

A solitary blond brow rose when Oram introduced him to his animal.

"You called your mule...Mule?" he initially responded, thinking that there was no way such a name would be remembered thirty-seven arcs later, but then he decided that perhaps it wasn't such a bad name after all. "At least I won't get confused and think you're talking about another person, I suppose."

A shrug followed, before a rather awkward greeting towards the animal, whose impassive gaze could not be criticised.

Thankfully, the journey itself was fairly non-eventful, which seemed to be a good descriptor for the level of conversation they shared, too. Oram was not much of a talker, it seemed, which seemed oddly fitting in the quiet snow-covered countryside, with only the crunching of snow beneath their feet - and Mule's hooves, of course - breaking the silence.

Their arrival in Egilrun came as something of a relief, therefore, not only because they would be able to relax their tired feet, but because they would be able to enjoy a bed and a hot meal...and, he assumed, some hay for Mule. The sounds of tools were welcome ones, and had he not been in the town for an important task, Darius might have wished he'd brought a few of his own, but woodworking would have to wait until another trial.

As the traveling trio approached the North End Lodge, Darius found himself shifting uncomfortably under the the innkeeper's persistent gaze.

"Aye, we're from Scalv-Town," he nodded, "and we have nels. We've come to seek out the Cylus Owl."

The woman guffawed at the announcement, and a hand rested on her stomach as she barked in laughter. The reaction caused Darius to send a confused look in Oram's direction.

"Another one, eh?" the innkeeper managed to speak between giggles as her laughter slowly faded. "Every Cylus, I swear. You'll be wanting to speak to Rorn. He'll have some tips for you, I'm sure!"

The woman waved a hand in the direction of the inn itself, before approaching Mule.

"And you could do with some nice, fresh hay, I'm sure," she spoke in a soft tone, to which Mule said nothing, before finally composing herself and looking back to the two men and held out her hand, apparently expecting some form of payment. "We have a stable around the back of the inn."

Darius nodded, then looked to Oram once more. A tavern was as good a place to start as any, especially if this Rorn individual had some information on the Cylus Owl. Though it was a hot meal that the human was looking forward to, first and foremost.