Feyrahl, SoFurry Edition

Strengthening Bonds, Ch 3.1

Selecting mentors and spending time in a 'council of scholars' was what Mac presumed to be 'the hard part', but the next few weeks proved him wrong. Other than gaining the attention of the court Mystic, the Human found that both Asha and Rolin seemed to have high expectations of him. For the first fortnight, the alchemist Impala and the woodsman Lynx-Bear traded him off daily. He hadn't really been 'put to work' until that moment, but his two mentors wasted no time in filling his daily hours with activity.

One day he'd be in the middle of the city learning about the proper use and most efficient way of using a mortar and pestle, and the next day he'd be training his body twice as hard as his mind, going for a foray into the woods nearby the castle. Mac would then be uprooted again the next day and spend daylight hours in a greenhouse learning about cultivated herbs, only to go to bed late and wake up early so he could join Rolin for a ride in the countryside to learn about wild herbs. The constant bouncing back-and-forth was dizzying but that only lasted until Rolin got called away on an assignment given to him by the Emperor.

At that point Mac was turned over to Asha exclusively, who would mentor him during Rolin's absence; the forecast was for his assignment to be somewhere between seven and ten days. The next week was spent in a combination of alchemical work, studying ancient recipes in Asha's shop, and constant trips to the market or to the storage warehouse. Mac memorized a number of recipes, but worked with Asha to rework at least twice as many, since his knowledge of chemistry revealed itself to be far more sound than the mysticism and half-complete scientific understanding of alchemy. One alchemical art which he could not improve upon, however, was magical potions.

Mac wasn't exposed to the magical portion of alchemy until his fifth consecutive day with Asha. The components she'd begun adding to the cauldron held no real significance for the Human; they seemed like they'd been thrown together with no more thought than a kid randomly pulling a handful of candy out of a Halloween bag and yet, somehow, as the incantations began and the enchantment took hold, a potion came together, imbued with the mana from the spell, creating an effect that transcended the mere effect of chemical components. At that point, Mac's training intensified.

The next two days revolved around Asha showing Mac several more magical potion recipes, even going so far as to have him repeat the list of ingredients and the measurements to her. The order was incredibly important, it turned out, and, despite the fact that he couldn't use magic or channel mana, meant nothing as she ultimately made him concoct the potions with the ingredients alone, then had him follow along as she wove the enchantments and channeled the mana on his behalf. She worked the incantations for him, even when he had not worked the recipe correctly, pointing out that he needed to learn from his mistakes and see the effects of a magical potion gone wrong. Fortunately she aborted any time the results could have been dangerous which, as it turned out, were two of the seven times.

On the morning of the eighth day, Asha let him know that he would be having his last day of lessons with her, since Rolin had just returned the prior night-- after a day of recuperation, he would take over Mac's training once again. Although Mac was somewhat relieved that he'd get a break from alchemy he, at the same time, was a little forlorn since he finally felt like he was making some progress. That inclination was reinforced by Asha's lessons for the day: she was going to have him repeat all of the magical potion recipes she'd taught him. Much to his relief, and to her satisfaction, he got every single recipe correct, and she even awarded him with a Soothing Potion to take home for his trouble.

The Soothing Potion was a combination of a heartfelt and worthwhile gift with a backhanded, chiding poke at Mac's upcoming time with Rolin. The chemist had told his horned mentor on more than one occasion, that one of the things he enjoyed the most about alchemy over herbalism in the field, was that he could stay in one place to do his work and not go traipsing all over the countryside-- the older Impala woman readily agreed. Considering she was gifting him with a potion that soothed aching muscles and restored vigor, it only made sense that she had been listening to his objections and was sending him off with a gift that suggested 'better you than me'. Her mischievous farewell smile, further reinforced that impression.

The following week, just as he'd feared, was entirely taken up by field work. For most of the days, Rolin took Mac out into the wilderness on foot but, for the last two days, the Ranger had taken along mounts for them: two large reptilian steeds known as Heglises. The Human had no experience riding a horse, let alone a lizard-- he hadn't even ridden a bicycle in years, but Rolin  was an incredibly skilled and patient teacher, so it didn't take long for Mac to grow at least passingly comfortable on Heglis-back and, toward the end of their second day out on mounts, he was able to keep up with his mentor without the Lynx-Bear having to slow down much at all.

Despite Mac's worry about spending so much time out in the wilderness, his time with Rolin turned out to do him a lot of good. His stamina was definitely improving and he even managed to gain a little muscle definition. The first four days of activity, gave way to an appreciation for nature, and by the end of the week, he didn't actually mind spending so much time outside, especially considering his company.  

Rolin had always been polite and welcoming, but the Lynx-Bear actually started to open up a little more as the two got to know one another. By the time their last day together was coming to an end, Rolin had transitioned from using his surname, to calling him MacKenzie. As they said their farewells for the night at the castle's stables, Mac realized something: although Rolin had always been pleasant and kind, the Ranger had only really just begun to actively convey 'warmth', and that felt good.

Those thoughts occupied much of his time the following morning. After so many consecutive days working with his mentors, Mac had been told that the following day would be his alone and he'd be able to spend it however he so desired. By that point, being attended by Khosk had become familiar and he let his bodyguard assist him with his morning routine-- even the dour Lion's controlling nature didn't get to him as much as it used to, and Mac handled it with ease, going with the flow as he was guided down to breakfast. His otherwise casual morning came to an end, however, when he realized that he was not alone for his morning meal: at the small table in the guest dining room sat the Emperor.

The moment Mac saw the Elephant he immediately went to attention, bowing when Caldif's honey-colored eyes settled on him. The Human added a greeting as well. "Good morning, your Imperial Highness."

The Emperor waved away the formality with a casual gesture from his hand. "This is not a courtly meeting, Good Mr. Millman... let us keep things a little more casual, shall we? 'Highness' is more than sufficient for a private breakfast."

"O-oh... o-of course, Highness."

Mac hadn't even registered that he remained standing at the door until Khosk let out a sigh, pushing him over to the seat before heading back out into the hall; the Lion then closed the door behind himself, leaving the Human and Elephant alone. Caldif continued staring for several long moments before ultimately gesturing to the second of two chairs at the table. "Please... join me, won't you?"

Obediently moving to take a seat, Mac noticed that the small table was already adorned with a variety of foods. The Emperor had what looked like nut-and-seed studded flatbread in one of his large hands, the other smearing cream onto it. Caldif continued to make a variety of selections from the plethora of food platters, pausing only once his plate was full. The Elephant's golden eyes settled once more on the Human. "It would be very rude to expect me to eat alone, Gentle Mr. Millman."

Jumping out of his stupor, Mac mumbled an apology and quickly began grabbing at various items on the table. He'd come to understand what to expect out of the morning meals and was not the least bit surprised to see that, even when eating with the Emperor, the selection of fruit, nuts, breads, and cream was still roughly the same for breakfast-- granted, he realized, at the table set for the Emperor there were a larger varieties, and also honey. Mac took some of the same flatbread Caldif selected and spread some cream onto it, along with some berries-- he finished it off with a small drizzle of honey. "Thank you, Highness."

Caldif watched with unveiled interest, large ears rising and stretching. "You have a taste for honey, Good Mr. Millman?"

Mac nodded. "It was a lot more common where I came from, Highness. Lots of people in my land enjoy it in porridge, in tea, and as part of sweet treats."

The Emperor's ears swayed with obvious interest. "Mmm? Is that so? There are some nobles in Feyrahl who enjoy honey in their tea but I, personally, prefer mine without. You know, Honorable Mr. Millman, I was under the impression that you have not spoken much about your homeland with any of my subjects, and yet you bring it up now."

The Human paused, assessing the Emperor's sudden interest. He'd heard time and time again that Caldif was a scholar who loved nothing more than to learn about new things; considering Mac had resolved not to disclose too much about his own world, he realized that he'd made a faux pas. "Just... for comparison purposes, Highness... I don't want to be rude or seem ungrateful by constantly comparing your fine nation to my home."

The Elephant's ears stopped flagging and they drooped; despite the impression of a dour expression it conveyed, Mac was pleased to see a hint of appreciation and perhaps mirth in Caldif's eyes and the follow-up chuckle. "Ah... tactfully evaded, Good Mr. Millman... tactfully evaded."

Despite having the Emperor call him out, Mac was surprised to find that his host seemed content to let the issue drop. Shifting topics, Caldiff seamlessly slipped into a casual chat about Mac's time with his mentors. The Elephant asked about what the Human had learned, and also about his impression of the knowledge found among his instructors. He also asked what Mac had been teaching them in return, and seemed especially interested in the young man's explanation of chemistry and the changes he'd suggested in Asha's recipes.  

When the topic ultimately transitioned to magical potions, a glimmer in the Elephant's eye let Mac realized that there was yet more to discuss. The Emperor was not the least bit shy about going right into things. "The alchemists of Feyrahl are capable of making some of the finest magical potions in all the Empire-- it is a point of great pride among our scholars, alchemists, and our Mystics. Lor was telling me earlier this week that he'd heard you were doing well under the tutelage of Asha... I am pleased to hear that the rumors were well-founded."

Despite the casual nature of their conversation, Mac couldn't beat the feeling that, at any moment, the Emperor was going to pull out a proclamation, demand, or order. The Human was all the more put off balance however when, once Caldif had finally eaten everything on his plate, the Elephant stood and gave a decisive nod of his head. "Thank you for your company this morning, Gentle Mr. Millman. I understand today is your day of rest, so I shall not keep you. May the moons shine on your good fortune."

Mac managed to shuffle himself around enough to get to his feet respectfully as the Elephant departed, leaving the young man with numerous questions. They were apparently not going to be answered however, giving the Human the impression that he'd just been tested, but given no indication as to whether or not he'd passed. One part of him was agitated, but that was overshadowed by his general appreciation for someone who could so casually get everything he wanted out of a discussion and not overstay his welcome.