The looks around the table ranged from eventual recognition from the various Circles to immediate appreciation from the Keepers, as well as Brooke looking at Drysi like a proud parent. Following that line, the American picked up the paper and looked at it with a broad smile on her face.
“Premo choice, Drysi! Glad the game’s ended, cause I ain’t got a clue what I’d draw to beat him,” Brooke exclaimed as she demonstrated that her fawning wasn’t limited to Ruarc.
“Was he that strong?” asked a Second from across the table, making Brooke react as though she’d been slapped.
“He’s a modern legend in our Circle, even discounting his conquest of Cendrelanth the Moonlight Shard,” Claudia began before Brooke could snatch the conversation completely.
“The Champion of Crosshaven! Where he saved a town from being overrun by sluagh when he was only seventeen! Slew an abhartach by the time he was twenty outside of Wexford! And rumor claims he once even rode with the Wild Hunt. This isn’t even touching the fact that his familiar was a grizzly bear. Ireland doesn’t even have grizzly bears!” Brooke wasted little time in extolling how cool she thought the old druid had been, eventually setting the paper down and settling back into the seat beside Drysi. “I can just imagine the stories Master Flynn tells about him.”
Moving forward, a Sage reached across the table and picked up the drawing. She analyzed the chaotic piece of art for a minute or so before setting it down again and beginning a chant. A mist rose from the paper, and within the shrouded void sprung a lycanthrope stalking in the shadows until a roguish druid sprang forth and shot at it; at least until a bag was pulled over his head. The scene unfolded, gradually growing into a bedlam of characters, items, and entities vying for supremacy. There was plenty of comedy with some of the drawings, and plenty of intensity with people like Kagami Miyuki making an appearance. All culminating in an intense roar vibrating the room as the mist became dominated by a fierce dragon leveling much of the battlefield. Then from the haze of the carnage charged the cloaked form of Niall Flynn. The dragon let loose a terrifying roar as well as a gout of flame that the viewers could practically feel. Niall captured the flames, and turned them back on their host before plunging a silver blade through the beast’s heart.
[The Keep] Walking to Skye
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
All three of Drysi’s eyes were kept in rapt attention of the ethereal display. She was eager to see her own drawings come to life, never having enough patience to do enough drawings to make her own work come to life. Her heart thumped rapidly in her chest as the action unfolded, with one entity after another rising, striking, and being stricken down in rapid succession. It was a chaotic series of events, but it was all worth it for the last entry. Niall Flynn, the man himself, striking the finishing blow with almost the same flourish and vitality she had pictured in her mind.
“That was SO COOL!” squealed Drysi, unable to contain herself. She wiggled from one side to another, and shook Brooke, “Better than a movie, that.”
The triclops stood, a bit triumphant in her new air, staring down at the drawings, “Master Flynn, he only told me that Niall Flynn was his mentor. He doesn’t talk much about his gran’da, not to me at least. But… I know he’s a great man, because he made Master Flynn the man he is today.”
”That legacy must be a hard thing to live up to,” surmised Gideon, ”If Master Flynn’s grandfather had to go through something like he did at seventeen, it might be a sign that his bloodline is one destined for hardship.”
”And glory!” countered Drysi.
”Has the Master you’ve known ever cared about glory?”
That thought sobered Drysi’s energy, and she began to settle back down into her spot on the couch.
“Do druids retire?” she asked, suddenly, realizing that the legends and figures they kept talking about were either still living hard lives, or dead.
“That was SO COOL!” squealed Drysi, unable to contain herself. She wiggled from one side to another, and shook Brooke, “Better than a movie, that.”
The triclops stood, a bit triumphant in her new air, staring down at the drawings, “Master Flynn, he only told me that Niall Flynn was his mentor. He doesn’t talk much about his gran’da, not to me at least. But… I know he’s a great man, because he made Master Flynn the man he is today.”
”That legacy must be a hard thing to live up to,” surmised Gideon, ”If Master Flynn’s grandfather had to go through something like he did at seventeen, it might be a sign that his bloodline is one destined for hardship.”
”And glory!” countered Drysi.
”Has the Master you’ve known ever cared about glory?”
That thought sobered Drysi’s energy, and she began to settle back down into her spot on the couch.
“Do druids retire?” she asked, suddenly, realizing that the legends and figures they kept talking about were either still living hard lives, or dead.
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
“Huh? ‘course we retire,” Brooke responded with a half shrug, the Sage had taken a bow and returned to their seat. The druids gathered began to drift off with the game concluded, while a couple decided to stick around while starting their own side conversations. “The Order is voluntary, at the end of the day; though we Keepers have more of a sense of duty with it. For Master Flynn, the added weight of legacy. That said, many druids do choose to just keep working, driven by passion.”
“Aye, take Engleby,” Hodge chimed in. “Man is absolutely ancient, but refuses to hand the archives over to someone younger.”
“Mastrogiacomo’s predecessor retired,” spoke a Third Circle druid, the man appeared to have just come up and carrying a shoulder bag over a coat marred with grease, soot, and sap. “Nice guy, but he felt Chief would excel, and figured it was a good enough time to retire and be with his family.”
“An’ I’m not sure if this bit is true or not, but word was Master Niall Flynn was planning on retiring after Master Ruarc got settled in as the new Keeper of Ireland. At least until… well,” Brooke quieted down and looked uncomfortable.
“Yeah, there was a Keeper no one thought was gonna be taken down,” it was the Keeper James that spoke up. “I joined up a couple years after it happened, and some of the older Keepers still occasionally chatted about it in disbelief.”
“Aye, take Engleby,” Hodge chimed in. “Man is absolutely ancient, but refuses to hand the archives over to someone younger.”
“Mastrogiacomo’s predecessor retired,” spoke a Third Circle druid, the man appeared to have just come up and carrying a shoulder bag over a coat marred with grease, soot, and sap. “Nice guy, but he felt Chief would excel, and figured it was a good enough time to retire and be with his family.”
“An’ I’m not sure if this bit is true or not, but word was Master Niall Flynn was planning on retiring after Master Ruarc got settled in as the new Keeper of Ireland. At least until… well,” Brooke quieted down and looked uncomfortable.
“Yeah, there was a Keeper no one thought was gonna be taken down,” it was the Keeper James that spoke up. “I joined up a couple years after it happened, and some of the older Keepers still occasionally chatted about it in disbelief.”
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
“What–...” Drysi stopped herself before she could ask the question. All the Keepers were treating the subject with a degree of reverence she wasn’t sure she had. Niall had been the occasional anecdote, something Mr. Flynn would use to cement a lesson in life.
It felt wrong to ask about someone’s family through someone else.
“What happened? Does anyone know?” asked the triclops, warily gauging the gazes of all the Keepers present.
It felt wrong to ask about someone’s family through someone else.
“What happened? Does anyone know?” asked the triclops, warily gauging the gazes of all the Keepers present.
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
The Keepers looked among themselves before Brooke took the lead. The American leaned forward in her seat and ran a hand through her asymmetrical hair as she considered the question. After a few moments she cleared her throat.
“I asked my Master about it, a few years back, when I first took an interest in Keeper exploits,” the older teen’s rough voice said, her tone oddly somber. “He told me that the whole incident was classified as high it goes. Even the funeral in the Valley was just an empty pyre. I’m… not sure even Master Ruarc knows what happened.”
“I asked my Master about it, a few years back, when I first took an interest in Keeper exploits,” the older teen’s rough voice said, her tone oddly somber. “He told me that the whole incident was classified as high it goes. Even the funeral in the Valley was just an empty pyre. I’m… not sure even Master Ruarc knows what happened.”
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
“Isn’t that a bit… painfully mysterious? That’d be like one of the Chief’s dyin’ and no one’s allowed t’know!” suspected Drysi, a little miffed that Mr. Flynn couldn’t be allowed to know how his own gran’pa died. Drysi knew her gram was dead, but had yet to confirm whether or not her spirit was rotting in hell like it should, so she could empathize, if not just a little. “What are y’hidin’ if the family can’t even know?”
”Drysi.”
“What?” the triclops turned to the snake, who paused to carefully consider the others.
”Remember, you’re on day two here.”
“Oh.”
The triclops’ eyes flitted between Brooke, her snake and the others, “Um. I suppose… I figure… Secrets… Some of’m are not so secret. What coulda’ Mr. Flynn’s gran’da be doin’ that needed to be more secret than something like…”
Alexei.
“... like hidin’ Carneath from tha’ mundies? Or other mages?”
”Drysi.”
“What?” the triclops turned to the snake, who paused to carefully consider the others.
”Remember, you’re on day two here.”
“Oh.”
The triclops’ eyes flitted between Brooke, her snake and the others, “Um. I suppose… I figure… Secrets… Some of’m are not so secret. What coulda’ Mr. Flynn’s gran’da be doin’ that needed to be more secret than something like…”
Alexei.
“... like hidin’ Carneath from tha’ mundies? Or other mages?”
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
“Welcome to the Druid Order. Serving up mysteries and subterfuge since time unwritten,” Claudia drolled, to which a number of druids around the table gave somewhat dejected nods.
“Chances are, whatever the cause was, it’s kept secret because they don’t want to the public to know how a big shot Keeper was taken down,” Brooke added.
“Or perhaps what could have taken said big shot down,” came James’ addition.
“Or by who,” Claudia capped the supposition.
“After the Reformation and the founding of the contemporary Druid Order, secrecy once again became a core tenant of our Order,” chimed a new voice. It was a woman in her early twenties passing through the lounge. Wearing a rich royal purple cloak, and looking very prim and business formal despite the fact that it was Saturday, it was clear the woman belonged to the Fourth Circle; the Liaisons. “It might seem extreme, but its relatively common for druid deaths, Keepers in particular, to be classified to some degree or another. Times, places, involved parties, any of number of factors can be altered or undisclosed at the behest of the Council. It ties in with the policy we keep of never disclosing our total population. Those who join are celebrated but not listed; and those who leave, alive or otherwise, are mourned but not registered. Even our dead are burned and uncountable, although this one has more of a spiritual basis than a logistical one.”
“Chances are, whatever the cause was, it’s kept secret because they don’t want to the public to know how a big shot Keeper was taken down,” Brooke added.
“Or perhaps what could have taken said big shot down,” came James’ addition.
“Or by who,” Claudia capped the supposition.
“After the Reformation and the founding of the contemporary Druid Order, secrecy once again became a core tenant of our Order,” chimed a new voice. It was a woman in her early twenties passing through the lounge. Wearing a rich royal purple cloak, and looking very prim and business formal despite the fact that it was Saturday, it was clear the woman belonged to the Fourth Circle; the Liaisons. “It might seem extreme, but its relatively common for druid deaths, Keepers in particular, to be classified to some degree or another. Times, places, involved parties, any of number of factors can be altered or undisclosed at the behest of the Council. It ties in with the policy we keep of never disclosing our total population. Those who join are celebrated but not listed; and those who leave, alive or otherwise, are mourned but not registered. Even our dead are burned and uncountable, although this one has more of a spiritual basis than a logistical one.”
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
“A fourth! I knew they kept the pretty people in hiding somewhere,” Drysi thought aloud.
”Considering they’re liaisons, they probably don’t hide very often,” addressed Gideon, turning his head so he could look both at his druid and the woman who had come in.
”I know that! I– Ugh. Do you have to be so literal?”
”Someone needs to stay real in this space.”
Thanks to this conversation, Drysi went from an attentive listener to a furiously flailing bundle of arms spitting something about a scaly smartass. Gideon sprung out from his perch, avoiding his druid, slithering over Brooke’s legs, and shooting up the armrest. The triclops trundled over Brooke also, like a blonde, graceless version of Bowie, and chased Gideon over the back of the couch, shifting it from its spot. The heelback snake shot from under the sofa, out into the hall much like Brooke’s familiar had.
After much shaking and shifting, the sofa came to a stop and Drysi shot back up, red as an apple.
“And we’re all okay with that? Knowin’ that we might just… snuff out as far as anyone else is concerned? I know fer a fact that if I die, I’m goin’ out with the biggest fookin’ boom possible,” challenged Drysi, as if she hadn’t just made a fool of herself, “Good luck hidin’ that. An’ what about druids with big faces? Tha’ Ard Rhys isn’t unknown in the real world, and my Master Flynn is part of a group of mages so well-known that Brooke here knew that the RA from my dorms wasn’t just some bloke that just looked like yakuza… he was also one of the members.”
”Considering they’re liaisons, they probably don’t hide very often,” addressed Gideon, turning his head so he could look both at his druid and the woman who had come in.
”I know that! I– Ugh. Do you have to be so literal?”
”Someone needs to stay real in this space.”
Thanks to this conversation, Drysi went from an attentive listener to a furiously flailing bundle of arms spitting something about a scaly smartass. Gideon sprung out from his perch, avoiding his druid, slithering over Brooke’s legs, and shooting up the armrest. The triclops trundled over Brooke also, like a blonde, graceless version of Bowie, and chased Gideon over the back of the couch, shifting it from its spot. The heelback snake shot from under the sofa, out into the hall much like Brooke’s familiar had.
After much shaking and shifting, the sofa came to a stop and Drysi shot back up, red as an apple.
“And we’re all okay with that? Knowin’ that we might just… snuff out as far as anyone else is concerned? I know fer a fact that if I die, I’m goin’ out with the biggest fookin’ boom possible,” challenged Drysi, as if she hadn’t just made a fool of herself, “Good luck hidin’ that. An’ what about druids with big faces? Tha’ Ard Rhys isn’t unknown in the real world, and my Master Flynn is part of a group of mages so well-known that Brooke here knew that the RA from my dorms wasn’t just some bloke that just looked like yakuza… he was also one of the members.”
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
Much the same as she’d done when surprised by Bowie, Brooke yelped and tried not take an elbow to the face as Drysi clambered over her. Jovial laughter came from the other druids, which Brooke joined before long, as well as a few comments about how amusing it was watching new druids and their familiars. Meanwhile, the Fourth put a curled manicured finger against her mouth as she suddenly seemed to be analyzing Drysi, strictly business amid the laughs.
“Drysi Maelgwyn,” the Fourth stated at last. “First acolyte of Master Ruarc Flynn, and first Druid to come out of Japan. Scion to the Maelgwyn bloodline. As well as the first druid student attending Safeholme.”
It sounded more as though the woman was confirming she had her details straight.
“Welcome to Carneath. I am Sofiya Leshchenko of the Fourth Circle. And to answer your questions, they are all straightforward. Yourself going boom? There are several options available for boom ranging from gas line explosion to too much fertilizer being stored in a dockside warehouse. As for the Ard Rhys, should he die from anything other than natural causes, it would still likely be billed to the public as just that; natural causes. This is due in part to his public profile even in the mundane setting, but also in that, should it not be natural causes, whatever could take down an evoker of his skill could cause public panic across all sectors.”
Sofiya’s eyes shifted from Drysi to Brooke, causing the American to shrink a bit and awkwardly twirl some hair.
“As for the Menagerie, it is unsurprising to hear. Chief Brennan is rather laissez-faire about disclosing information to her Circle. I believe it is a morale tactic. As for your Master himself, considering his track record I wouldn’t be surprised if his own death isn’t subject to some black marker.”
She looked down, and a well-groomed golden retriever leaned against her leg.
“That likely sounded ruder than I intended. I should state that the Fourth Circle has a fairly unanimous approval of your Master and the Menagerie, with Safeholme Academy even being endorsed by our Chief.”
“Drysi Maelgwyn,” the Fourth stated at last. “First acolyte of Master Ruarc Flynn, and first Druid to come out of Japan. Scion to the Maelgwyn bloodline. As well as the first druid student attending Safeholme.”
It sounded more as though the woman was confirming she had her details straight.
“Welcome to Carneath. I am Sofiya Leshchenko of the Fourth Circle. And to answer your questions, they are all straightforward. Yourself going boom? There are several options available for boom ranging from gas line explosion to too much fertilizer being stored in a dockside warehouse. As for the Ard Rhys, should he die from anything other than natural causes, it would still likely be billed to the public as just that; natural causes. This is due in part to his public profile even in the mundane setting, but also in that, should it not be natural causes, whatever could take down an evoker of his skill could cause public panic across all sectors.”
Sofiya’s eyes shifted from Drysi to Brooke, causing the American to shrink a bit and awkwardly twirl some hair.
“As for the Menagerie, it is unsurprising to hear. Chief Brennan is rather laissez-faire about disclosing information to her Circle. I believe it is a morale tactic. As for your Master himself, considering his track record I wouldn’t be surprised if his own death isn’t subject to some black marker.”
She looked down, and a well-groomed golden retriever leaned against her leg.
“That likely sounded ruder than I intended. I should state that the Fourth Circle has a fairly unanimous approval of your Master and the Menagerie, with Safeholme Academy even being endorsed by our Chief.”
Re: [The Keep] Walking to Skye
When someone knows your name, it can be a bit surprising if you’re not ready. When someone knows your whole curriculum vitae, it can be unsettling. This was the take Drysi had, especially when the title Scion of the Maelgwyn Bloodline came up. It was nothing special, she thought at first, anyone could be a scion of any family. Ruarc was a scion of the Flynns, Willow was a scion of the Fairburns, even Brooke was a scion of Brooke Land in New York.
But people don’t tend to use the word ‘scion’ for a good reason.
As Sofiya went on, Drysi began to shrink more and more behind the couch. The dawning realization of suddenly disappearing from the world was a very real thing now. That was, likely, not Sofiya’s intent to impart, but it chilled the triclops.
“Well I bet,” started Drysi, firmly entrenched behind the sofa, “Safeholme is tha’ foremost generalist institution, all headed by a Keeper! Mr. Flynn and Ms. Laoise end up in M4GE regularly, and it’s almost always good press. My master is the squeakiest clean lookin’ Irishman that ever did go killin’ for Mother Nature.”
Reinvigorated, Drysi stood, planting her fists on her hips, “I’m surprised tha’ Fourth Circle is so fine and dandy about tha’ whole god-slayin’ thing. People keep makin’ that sound like a real stickin’ point.”
But people don’t tend to use the word ‘scion’ for a good reason.
As Sofiya went on, Drysi began to shrink more and more behind the couch. The dawning realization of suddenly disappearing from the world was a very real thing now. That was, likely, not Sofiya’s intent to impart, but it chilled the triclops.
“Well I bet,” started Drysi, firmly entrenched behind the sofa, “Safeholme is tha’ foremost generalist institution, all headed by a Keeper! Mr. Flynn and Ms. Laoise end up in M4GE regularly, and it’s almost always good press. My master is the squeakiest clean lookin’ Irishman that ever did go killin’ for Mother Nature.”
Reinvigorated, Drysi stood, planting her fists on her hips, “I’m surprised tha’ Fourth Circle is so fine and dandy about tha’ whole god-slayin’ thing. People keep makin’ that sound like a real stickin’ point.”