They say blood makes you related but
loyalty makes you family
”Wessex.” The correction was automatic, and Loren gave Aonghas a sheepish and apologetic grin. ”Sorry. Habit. But also don’t call her by the wrong name.” The queen was a good ruler—better than most the summoner had served under—but she wasn’t always the most forgiving or understanding. Then again, that might be part of what made her a good ruler. At the other man’s comment about acting superior, Loren cocked his head. While the Launceleyn wasn’t sure quite what to make of the statement, better to be safe than sorry. ”Well, some people, myself included, took longer to learn that lesson than others, and it caused us all kinds of problems. So listen more than you speak, if you can.” Again, sage advice, and one that Loren would do well to follow. Spoiler alert: he wouldn’t.
Waving away the other man’s words, the Launceleyn grinned. ”Trust me, I understand curiosity. But I also understand that if you come back here with a good night’s sleep under your belt, dressed in proper clothes, and with a hot meal in you, your research will be much more fruitful. Besides, I’ve barely scratched the surface of Caido, and I’ll bet your reading will be much more targeted and take much less time if you learn a bit more about this world before diving into musty tomes.” There was indeed much to discover, but not all of it could be found in the Atheneum, and most of it came from better sources than Loren.
At Aonghas’ tone and question Loren hesitated. There was something in the other man’s voice that made the summoner think this answer was more important than he otherwise might realize. ”Not blunt at all. I’m always happy to talk about my magic.” Pausing, he tried to come up with a succinct explanation. ”I’ve always had magic, but no, not everything stayed the same when I came to Caido. I gained some abilities I never had, and never even heard of in my last world, and lost some that I had before.” Giving Aonghas a considering look, the Launceleyn decided to keep going. ”Some of what I lost came back. But something about the process of being brought here...changes people. Some forms and skills are apparently incompatible with this land, and were lost in the transition, but others became more than they once were.” It sounded like Aonghas might be one of the former, which made Loren’s heart go out to the other man.
"Why do you ask?" There might not be anything the summoner could do besides provide comfort. But sometimes that was enough. Indeed, Astra was already responding to Aonghas' cautious and quiet inquiry by nuzzling her head against his leg, careful to keep her antlers out of the way.
Waving away the other man’s words, the Launceleyn grinned. ”Trust me, I understand curiosity. But I also understand that if you come back here with a good night’s sleep under your belt, dressed in proper clothes, and with a hot meal in you, your research will be much more fruitful. Besides, I’ve barely scratched the surface of Caido, and I’ll bet your reading will be much more targeted and take much less time if you learn a bit more about this world before diving into musty tomes.” There was indeed much to discover, but not all of it could be found in the Atheneum, and most of it came from better sources than Loren.
At Aonghas’ tone and question Loren hesitated. There was something in the other man’s voice that made the summoner think this answer was more important than he otherwise might realize. ”Not blunt at all. I’m always happy to talk about my magic.” Pausing, he tried to come up with a succinct explanation. ”I’ve always had magic, but no, not everything stayed the same when I came to Caido. I gained some abilities I never had, and never even heard of in my last world, and lost some that I had before.” Giving Aonghas a considering look, the Launceleyn decided to keep going. ”Some of what I lost came back. But something about the process of being brought here...changes people. Some forms and skills are apparently incompatible with this land, and were lost in the transition, but others became more than they once were.” It sounded like Aonghas might be one of the former, which made Loren’s heart go out to the other man.
"Why do you ask?" There might not be anything the summoner could do besides provide comfort. But sometimes that was enough. Indeed, Astra was already responding to Aonghas' cautious and quiet inquiry by nuzzling her head against his leg, careful to keep her antlers out of the way.
LOREN
