Sun glistened through the small window pane landing perfectly on Eryk’s chin showcasing the proclivities still present from his venture from the night before. The small stains of wine, food and beauty products that marred their way onto Eryk’s face and shirt now sparkled in the early morning sun that only highlighted his hasty retreat to his well kept and ever clean bedroom as the contrast between the two reflected Eryk’s personality and relationship with etiquette. The small sliver of sun now stationed at Eryks eyes became a torrent of unstoppable energy as the house butler, Fearghus Dovell removed the last possibility of the beautiful sleep that Eryk was very much enjoying. Fearghus Dovell, the Butler for House Bertel curtly pulled and anchored the curtains allowing the mid morning sun to bathe the bedroom in a much needed light that Eryk was attempting to avoid by covering his eyes with the closest cloth he could reach.
“Fergy… how many times must I say this. Just wake me up. Why must you insist on assaulting my senses directly with violence?”
“Master Bertel, it is with the up most due diligence that I remind you that that it is proper etiquette to receive your father in a state that is respectable with your station. As such, a proper bathe, fresh clothes and removal of personnel that do not belong to this house is a minimal amount of effort to appear fully corporeal to your father.”
“I need you to give me a dictionary, or a thesaurus that you can just give me whenever you decide to speak with me. Honestly, there are way too many large and overly complicated words that you just said. From now on, you will wake me up without opening the curtains, and will also provide me with a dictionary whenever you come in.”
Fearghus walked to the end of Eryks bed and with a twist and pull removed the last vestiges of sleep that Eryk clung to. Exposed to the elements of daytime, Eryk was fully dressed from the prior nights activities with the exception of a loose belt and trousers that hung down below his knees.
“Master Bertel, please do change. While you are fully dressed for a… occasion, Lord Bertel will undoubtedly rebuke your choice of wine stains and cosmetics that are still present on your face even if you are still hiding behind a pair of lacy pink women''s underwear while you are speaking with me.”
Eryk looked down at his hands that grasped the pink lacy panties and promptly dropped the panties over the side of the bed as if he had never seen them before. Glancing to the unseen side of the bed and back to Eryk
“I will prompt the bathing maiden to prepare a full scrub and wash for you…and you alone within the hour.” Fearghus adjusted his emblem on his tunic and grunted a cough in expectation of a response from Master Bertel.
Eryk sighed deeply.. “I hate full scrub downs… Fergy, why do you have to be so mean?”
Fearghus bowed slightly with his head and pivoted on his heels to turn towards the door just stopping shy of the threshold. “One last thing Master Eryk, please stop calling me Fergy. Perhaps you will remember that during your full scrub. I hear Mistress Olya has newly imported pumice that she has yet to try. Perhaps I shall ask her to prepare it for you?”
In a careful tone Eryk responded, “No that wont be necessary Head Butler Fearghus Dovell.”
“As you command Master Bertel.” Fearghus resumed his departure from Eryk’s room leaving the young master contemplating his fathers return, and what to have for breakfast.
From the side of the bed where Eryk had departed with the pink panties came a women''s voice. “I’m not sure your butler likes you very much”
Eryk sighed again, “He’s actually very caring, and gentle. Much like how you would care for a rose, just avoid all the prickly parts, don’t grab it with your bare hands, and be sure to keep an assortment of compliments that you can use for leverage.”
“I don''t think that''s how you care for a rose”
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Having donned fresh clothes, and avoided a near catastrophe with Mistress Olya as she insisted on trying the new pumice, Eryk was enjoying a handful of grapes within the great hall of the Bertel estate. Flanked by a cadre of staff, Fearghus Dovell entered the hall with an assortment of ornate deep storage chests, neatly folded stacks of white, blue and silver linen, and six segments of a large dark wooden table with glyph type inscriptions engraved throughout the top that were lined with a silver and gold leaf pattern. Eryk strode towards the cadre of staff and approached one of the segments of table inspecting it closely. The patterns from afar were static and non moving deceiving most peering eyes. Up close the pattern reflected a wild and almost intangible quality akin to a majestic waterfall that sprays its life into being before returning into a water. Turning his head towards the leader of the cadre, with a quizzical look “Fearghus, do you have any idea when or better yet, if my father ever intends to teach me about the larger world of magic?”.
“I believe that is a questions best answered by Lord Bertel. I believe he would be the best person to ask about what he intends to do.” Ferghus responded with a trivial tone without glancing at the young Master.
“Good Talk Fergy.”
Ferghus glanced with only his eyes towards the young master, but Eryk could sense that the glance carried a slew of threats that would likely be carried out at the behest of the head Butler and his impeccable ability to self control through due diligence would almost certainly spell certain doom of Eryk. Quickly looking down and avoiding eye contact with the head butler, Eryk resumed his study of the silver and gold leaf pattern leading his thoughts back to his father returning and the thought of magic filled his mind once more. Eryk envisioned himself a spell sword, able to track his opponents movements through magical means, removing the physical limitation of his body and replacing it with the magical abilities that enforced the very nature of strength and the foundation of magic that are found so often in knights of the realms. Eryk lacked the foundation of discipline that every magic user requires. His chaotic nature ravaged by poor impulse control and a knack for witty responses left his reputation of a potential lord in the lower depths of not possible. Day dreaming, and pretending to be a lord throughout the days left him with an unfulfilled desire to achieve more but limited by his own lack of control. Pondering how to use magic, Eryk closed his eyes attempting to feel the mana etched into the table by the head of the engravers guild as a gift to his father. Eryk understood the conceptual nature of magic, and even theory craft to some extent as it pertained to items that he had seen. While the table was very interesting, it lacked the more nuanced feel of danger and excitement that Eryk gravitated towards. To Eryk, the table was interesting, the many others, a treasure worthy of loosing ones own life in defense of.
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The table absorbed the ambient white mana that was always present and stored it within its engravings. Because mana is not meant to be contained, the engravings forcefully move the mana from one point to the other releasing portions of the contained energy which are directed into glyphs where the assumed recipient would be sitting. In this case, the table was being put together, and the glyphs were four to a table, for a total of twenty four individual engraved glyphs with two additional master glyphs at either end of the long treasured table. As the last segment of the table was connected, the inter connected patterns melded and removed all crevices, cracks and imperfections of the table making the once segmented magical item now whole. White and Blue linen bundles were neatly unwrapped, and subsequently placed on the table in the same rotating pattern of white then blue which draped over the short end of the table and down onto the floor where it hung low enough to almost touch the floor on either side. On either side of the table where the master glyphs were located, intricate silver linen were neatly and precisely placed with a circular openings embroidered with gold thread to showcase the master glyphs.
Eryk watched as this amalgamation of nuanced magic formed in front of him in silence. The only sound and movement were from two members of the cadre bringing high backed regal chairs to each glyph location making the scene feel like it was a dream in the making. Eryk knew that magic did not just occur, or at least the magic that he was witnessing. He had seen this act performed dozens of times, however now that Eryk was approaching his twentieth solstice, the expectation of devoting yourself to the study of a magic realm was all but assured. Most his age had already been taught in the basics of magic, mana manipulation and aura control, however Eryk never had the ability to control mana at a young age. He never could feel its vibration in the air, or the sundering of sound when a mana wave would pass. Eryk for all intents and purposes was magic less and he roiled in that fact every day succumbing to his choice of celebration as he had done the night before. Making unadulterated reckless choices was his was of controlling that fact. To be in control is to be out of control, or so Eryk would repeat the mantra until he chose a easier proclivity that address the mounting desire to be more but lacked the discipline and absolute potential to do so. Eryk was given ample opportunities to excel at other professions, studies, athletics, weapons as his family name carried the calling card of the Steel General, his father it was to be expected to at least be a solider. Time and time again, Eryk found himself comparing magical abilities of other students to his lack there of and always coming up short. Every profession, study and even common households all carried magical abilities of some sort and type.
Eryk watched as this amalgamation of nuanced magic formed in front of him in silence. The only sound and movement were from two members of the cadre bringing high backed regal chairs to each glyph location making the scene feel like it was a dream in the making. Eryk knew that magic did not just occur, or at least the magic that he was witnessing. He had seen this act performed dozens of times, however now that Eryk was approaching his twentieth solstice, the expectation of devoting yourself to the study of a magic realm was all but assured. Most his age had already been taught in the basics of magic, mana manipulation and aura control, however Eryk never had the ability to control mana at a young age. He never could feel its vibration in the air, or the sundering of sound when a mana wave would pass. Eryk for all intents and purposes was magic less and he roiled in that fact every day succumbing to his choice of celebration as he had done the night before. Making unadulterated reckless choices was his was of controlling that fact. To be in control is to be out of control, or so Eryk would repeat the mantra until he chose a easier proclivity that address the mounting desire to be more but lacked the discipline and absolute potential to do so. Eryk was given ample opportunities to excel at other professions, studies, athletics, weapons as his family name carried the calling card of the Steel General, his father it was to be expected to at least be a solider. Time and time again, Eryk found himself comparing magical abilities of other students to his lack there of and always coming up short. Every profession, study and even common households all carried magical abilities of some sort and type. Even of the most common elements that were present at the lowest dredges of society were missing in his magical codex of which was an barren land of silence. Ruminating over his lack of control of his fate, Eryk once again looked up at Fearghus and pushed out the comedic relief that Eryk had needed to attain prior to his father arriving.
“Fergy, is it possible to make wider chairs for the table? Have you seen some of the banner men that my father employs? I think we need wider chairs. Positively wider. Or maybe just less food? Maybe offer them light snacks? Would they be offended?”
Head Butler Fearghus ignored Eryks attempt at humor by clapping his hands with infused mana to bring attention to himself. Rising his voice by breathing in mana, Fearghus gave standing orders to ensure a proper welcome was created and to bring attention of any changes to the upcoming welcome ceremony. Fearghus turned and walked calmly with precise steps as his shes crested and fell making slight clicking echos in the great hall stopping within whispering distance of Eryk.
“Master Bertel, Lord Bertel will be returning today with an escort. I have been instructed to inform you only once his Lords arrival was imminent. The instructions relayed via magical courier were very clear. You are to sit at the head of the table opposite of Lord Bertel when he and his employ are seated. I was informed that his escort… is… a teacher of magical means. Please do refrain from comedic outbursts, unwanted commentary and undistinguished behavior that would be unbecoming of your station.”
Eryk felt a wave of nausea. His assumption of the typical day to day activities that would come came shattering down as his mind raced through every possibility of a magical teacher and what that meant to his nature and his wellbeing. For the first time since he was a child, Eryk was left speechless. Master Butler Fearghus searched between Eryks eyes, as Fearghus had been with the family since before Eryk was born left him with familial bond that he had been attempting to hide from others as to be the stern figure in Eryk’s life. In the rarest of moments, Fearghus smiled at Eryk with such authenticity that made Eryk almost reevaluate his relationship with the head butler. Fearghus returned to his station with the rest of the cadre attending to the various accoutrements prepared by the chefs and kitchen.
The horns on the outside of great hall entryway leading to the prim and manicured estate of the Bertel family sounded with such great alarm that Eryk jumped just slight enough to break his stupor and hear the Head Butler state with an incredibly strong mana infused voice. “HIS LORD, THE GOVERNOR OF FELIX AND EMBASSADOR TO EMBER HAS ARRIVED!”