LOREN
Yeah, like Remi would actually listen to a word Loren said. So when the alchemist said the summoner had asked the other man not to judge without knowledge, the librarian just snorted. ”Humility can take many forms. And it’s certainly better than pride. When I said we were supposed to be humble, I meant that we were not supposed to reach above our station.” That surely had to be a form of humility. As for Loren himself, well, he just shrugged when Remi accused him of not being humble. It was probably true: the summoner’s list of faults was longer than most. But he had his reasons to keep his secrets to himself. Most importantly, though, he didn’t know what he was capable of, not anymore, for a variety of reasons.”Not necessarily. But I imagine loathing the job won’t make it any easier. Which means the work itself will suffer.” And the people could always tell when a leader wasn’t strong, or ready, or prepared to take on the responsibilities of their station. It sounded like Wessex and Ronin had a system, now that Edy was gone, and Loren was getting tired of trying to meddle in a situation he didn’t want to be involved with to begin with and knew he didn't fully understand. It didn’t help that all his comments were rejected pretty much out of hand. Still, when the other man expressed confusion, the Launceleyn had to speak up. ”You have Ronin’s ear, so whether you care to admit it or not, whether you mean to or not, you influence his thinking and decision-making.” And if the alchemist hadn’t already thought of that, thought of how he might be affecting the policies of this new and nascent kingdom, then he really was naive.
This was getting them nowhere. ”If only you were actually listening to me. I told you I would write this all down for you. Or for them directly if you’d prefer. But no one will want to hear it from my lips or with my name attached except for you.” Seeing as the summoner had already explained why that would be a very bad idea, he didn’t know what else to say to convince Remi.
Then, of course, the small spark of annoyance melted away at the reminder what they were all striving for to begin with. ”He won’t die. The two of us are too stubborn to let him.” And Loren was willing to pay whatever price necessary to keep those more worthy than he alive, safe, and well. And he knew that Remi felt the same, although the summoner imagined they had very different opinions of the alchemist’s worth. As for coming back to life, well, they wouldn’t rely on it, because from Ronin’s explanation it seemed to be a one time offer. But if Loren had to go toe to toe with the god of death, and find something to appease that divine being, the librarian would. Or at least he’d never stop looking.
Unfortunately, the warning was not enough. Oh sure, Loren HEARD the utterly perplexing statement from the other man, but the summoner didn’t have a chance to understand what it meant. And when he turned, all he saw was a blur of brown and black and teeth and claws. His mind thought ‘THREAT.’ In that split second of confusion, the Launceleyn’s training took over and magic exploded out of him
A manticore—twin to the alchemist’s own form—would appear directly in the path of the raccoon, its mouth agape, ready for the tasty morsel, just waiting for Loren’s command to snap.
A beggar's book
outworths
a noble's blood
