The kind reply startles Cera in a way, and he listens in contemplative silence as Smith proposes this alternate idea. Hums softly in the hollow of his throat, and traces the scar on his chest once more. A telling habit, not that it mattered for someone who wore their heart on their sleeve as he did, but one that brings a grounding sense of comfort. "Self-esteem is like a warped mirror at times though, distorting the truth of the self in your own beholding eyes," he says softly. But a small smile comes to his lips nonetheless, eyes flicking to the snowy raven. "But you're right, as I'm sure you often are," he teases, quite enjoying the intellectual conversation. It was a breath of fresh air after so many years raised by a thousand variations of soldiers and kings.
Warmth floods across the tenuous bond between them, and it catches Cera a little off guard. He pokes at it tentatively with his mind, inquisitive. So could it transfer more than direct, worded thoughts? "Interesting," he whispers euphorically to himself. Quite an advanced method of magical communication between Attuneds. He almost wishes he'd had it in previous realms.
All it takes for Smith to be firmly cemented in Cera's mind as a friend is the mere mention of metalworking, and fireworks must surely be alight in his eyes as he swiftly turns to look at Smith, dazzled. "You are a crafter too, Smith? Surely you can't be so perfect!" he teases, but his voice is suffused with a deep abiding joy. It helps soothe the sting of Smith's last, hollow-ringing words. Of course, no land is without its troubles. The existence of any kind of higher-thinking creature always seemed to lead to such problems, which lent itself to many philosophical debates.
A frown plays at his lips, a seriousness drawn over his eyes to darken them. "Tyranny, and self-professed tyranny at that, never lasts long against the might of the masses. Especially those who suffer beneath it." Each word rings with a dead sort of weight, remembering a thousand lifetimes worth of kings and queens being toppled by those they were supposed to lead. A thread of concern tugs around his neck like a noose, and he's careful not to dislodge Isuma as he turns to pin Smith with his gaze. "Are you safe? You seem to know quite a lot about this Tyrant, is word of mouth that strong already?" Already his desire to shield and protect this new friend and guide of his builds in his chest, as willing to devote and sacrifice himself as he always had been in the past.
Warmth floods across the tenuous bond between them, and it catches Cera a little off guard. He pokes at it tentatively with his mind, inquisitive. So could it transfer more than direct, worded thoughts? "Interesting," he whispers euphorically to himself. Quite an advanced method of magical communication between Attuneds. He almost wishes he'd had it in previous realms.
All it takes for Smith to be firmly cemented in Cera's mind as a friend is the mere mention of metalworking, and fireworks must surely be alight in his eyes as he swiftly turns to look at Smith, dazzled. "You are a crafter too, Smith? Surely you can't be so perfect!" he teases, but his voice is suffused with a deep abiding joy. It helps soothe the sting of Smith's last, hollow-ringing words. Of course, no land is without its troubles. The existence of any kind of higher-thinking creature always seemed to lead to such problems, which lent itself to many philosophical debates.
A frown plays at his lips, a seriousness drawn over his eyes to darken them. "Tyranny, and self-professed tyranny at that, never lasts long against the might of the masses. Especially those who suffer beneath it." Each word rings with a dead sort of weight, remembering a thousand lifetimes worth of kings and queens being toppled by those they were supposed to lead. A thread of concern tugs around his neck like a noose, and he's careful not to dislodge Isuma as he turns to pin Smith with his gaze. "Are you safe? You seem to know quite a lot about this Tyrant, is word of mouth that strong already?" Already his desire to shield and protect this new friend and guide of his builds in his chest, as willing to devote and sacrifice himself as he always had been in the past.
