FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Adventures of Dusty Yote

Part II, Chapter 12 - A Meeting with the Steward

7970 words

It was early morning. The first light of day was on the horizon. Dusty had already been up for the past hour. He had woken up with a chill again, but the memory of it was not simply forgotten as it had been before.

He had woken up in the middle of a strange dream. He couldn't tell if it was a continuation of the one he had before on the road or whether it was a new one related to it. He only knew it involved him staying in Dormian with the raccoon they had encountered on the road. But after what he had heard the raccoon say with Kuroga the idea that Dusty could have gone with him was unthinkable.

He didn't want to tell Kuroga about it and worry him. He no longer felt like something was following him and he didn't want the lion to suspect he had some form of paranoia. The longer he thought about it, the more Dusty was sure he did not want to go back to the raccoon. And yet the dream had felt so real that upon waking Dusty had spent a quarter of an hour wandering the room in a daze as though trying to parse what was real with what he saw in the dream.

But... what was it he had seen in the dream again? A look over a moderately nice house, a quiet dinner of sausage and roasted potato in a red wine sauce, coffee and conversation on a comfortable-looking couch, a kiss on the hand before parting to bed. None of these were real and yet there seemed to be a bit of flattened fur where the raccoon in the dream had touched his paw. And yet the lion's gentle snoring in the bed next to him said he wasn't there, and wondered what was happening to him.

He was unable to fall back asleep so easily and felt strangely naked even in full dress - he had worn to bed a loose shirt and shorts that might have been meant for comfortable off-days back in Riverwood. The dream made the coyote feel strangely off-kilter, and his only recourse was to pull his knees up to his chest, sit in a ball on the bed, and wait for morning. It seemed that was the easiest method to hide himself, and he slowly waited for the feelings to fade.

Now, at first light, Dusty finally ventured to creep his legs out and undo himself from the ball. His legs settled to the floor and he went over his gear and armor. He initially thought of the gear he had bought in Dormian, but the dream made him wary of it and he spent the time dressing and buckling his leather armor. After a moment's deciding, he also slipped his shield over his back on a harness and buckled his sword in its sheath at his side. He doubted anyone would try anything quite so brazen here, but all the same he decided he'd rather not try his luck again so soon.

He wasn't kept waiting long. Kuroga was up soon after Dusty had gotten himself ready and now got himself dressed. Unlike Dusty, he packed away most of his armor and even left his spear on a hook in the room, trading it out for a pair of thick but loose-fitting pants, a shirt long enough that he tied it around his chest, and a long jacket that he belted around his waist. He capped it off with his turban-like hat that he normally wore, and put his own shield on his back.

Dusty soon realized he had seen a few of those types of clothes on many of the people that Kuroga had pointed out were from Ushtani. He also soon realized it left little of the lion's figure to his imagination. Kuroga's legs and arms were thick but not abnormally muscular, and the tie of the shirt was between a decently-muscled chest and a slightly chubby belly that poked the jacket open just enough to see the soft beige fur running from his neck to his waist. Combined with the face framed by the mane, gold and brown with traces of red or auburn throughout, Dusty had to admit the lion was rather handsomely put together.

"You okay?" Kuroga asked.

It took a moment for Dusty to realize he had been caught staring. Not helping was the cocky smile on the lion's face as though he knew exactly what the coyote was doing. It was clear the lion hadn't been putting on a show, but it was also obvious that something had grabbed Dusty's interest. The coyote coughed and recovered himself as well as he could.

"Yeah, fine," he said. "Did you have any particular plans today?"

The cockiness disappeared and Kuroga's voice was without judgment. "Well, we have up to a week before you have to meet the Steward. I figured we could just kind of wander around today and see when you're comfortable with meeting them. It will also be nice to take a chill day after the trip over the mountains, and Domasis has plenty of spots to wander."

"Sounds good enough to me. Should we head down to the tavern and get some breakfast?"

"Nah, there's better. We can head over to one of my usual places on the western side by the coast. From there we can hit up a few shops and watch the fishermen at the harbor. That'll be a good lazy start."

They locked their room and headed back onto the main road. It was quieter here and even in the early morning sun it felt like the city was just waking up. Gentle wafts of smoke came up from houses getting their morning fires ready, blown north and east over the ocean. They passed a few shops here but nothing was open, only one or two proprietors visibly setting up in the windows or cleaning the fronts.

It got busier as they headed west over the bridges. The central island was already beginning to fill up with plenty of well-dressed government officials and people trying to get in as early as possible. And while it had only taken them about twenty minutes from the hotel to the second bridge, the western side was already full. Fishermen called out to each other on the docks as their catches were weighed, supply ships loaded and off-loaded cargo with large half-mechanical cranes. The warehouses were full of various species hauling freight and organizing goods, and a few shops and taverns were already quite full with the morning crowds.

They found a place on the other side of the harbor, a restaurant called the Northern Wake, and settled in for breakfast. Two large cuts of bacon, a pile of scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes with tomatoes and onion, fresh crusty bread with butter, and assorted berries were served with strong coffee and a large glass of orange juice. The meal washed away the last of Dusty's reservations about his stay in Domasis and the contents of his dream, and he felt rather more satisfied if this was the normal level of hospitality.

After breakfast, Dusty realized he wanted his circlet cleaned, so they went and searched for a magical accessories shop in order to clean it properly. As they walked, Kuroga asked when Dusty wanted to see the Steward.

"I know we have the whole week to decide, but I would rather get it out of the way," the coyote replied. "Perhaps tomorrow just so I don't have to sweat over it."

"How long do you want to spend here?" Kuroga asked.

"I do not know," Dusty replied. "I would like to see if I can use the Academy's library for a few days, perhaps some chance of speaking with the teachers there if they will let me. But I should also not mind exploring a few days just to see what this place is about. It has really been a while even since I left Riverwood, and a few weeks outside should be good."

"Perhaps a month in total, then," Kuroga said. "Two weeks or so plus we must consider another week to get back over the mountains. But that should be sufficient enough. Let's talk with the Steward and then we can kind of plan from there. I know a few places we can go that may help around Domasis, and if you don't mind we could go back to Dormian for one or two."

Dusty figured he'd had enough of Dormian for now, though he said nothing. To his credit, Kuroga didn't pursue the issue any further.

The magical accessories shop looked rather like a jewelry shop with an older harvest mouse at the helm. He recognized Dusty's circlet as a channel instantly, and when Dusty said he wanted it cleaned the mouse needed no further specifications. They were told to wait on a couple of chairs nearby and he'd have it sorted out.

Kuroga had recovered his guidebook and once again was thumbing through it as they waited. He and Dusty decided there was a public park with a small museum and gardens they could go to on the eastern side. They also could stop in at a few marketplaces and a bookshop or two for Dusty to get personal primers, and cap it off with an early dinner somewhere on the eastern side. It seemed the easiest way to spend a day getting used to Domasis, and Dusty welcomed the relatively slow pace that the lion was willing to take.

---

After the relatively easy day and a late morning in at the Overlook Tavern, Dusty felt better about going up to see the Steward. Kuroga dressed in his casual clothing again and Dusty figured it better to dress in his new clothing as a sign of deference. Kuroga helped him brush his fur down in the tavern's washroom and they went to breakfast at the tavern's own restaurant. Slices of a sort of scrambled-egg pie with meat and vegetables cooked into it were served with sourdough bread and slices of fruit, and they drank a couple cups of strong coffee.

It was already late into the morning when they headed for the river island and made their way up to the Academy fortress. They passed through the courtyard to one of the main buildings at the back, where they went to the lobby and up to the representative they had been directed to by the guards at the checkpoint. Kuroga showed the scroll he had been given from Maran and they were instructed to wait on a bench just outside in the foyer.

The building they were in was more like an inn than a school. From the large foyer, they could access a tavern, library, recreational rooms, washrooms, and even a few shops. A stairway to the upper floors was marked with signs for the dormitories, and anywhere outside the foyer were marked with signs saying "No Admittance Without Proper Escort". According to Kuroga, the courtyard and this foyer were allowed public access, but outside of that they kept to a minimum so as not to disturb classes. Magic required concentration if you didn't want to accidentally hurt someone, so no one was allowed who wasn't already enrolled.

They weren't kept waiting for long. A red fox came up to them dressed in a fine-collared shirt and tailored pants. "Master Yote?" he said. "The Steward is ready to see you now. Alone, if you please." He turned politely to Kuroga. "You may avail yourself of the amenities here on the floor until we come back. As you are his primary escort, we ask you do not leave the premises until we come back."

Kuroga nodded. He had not come unprepared, and pulled out a book while he remained sitting on the bench. Dusty wished he could have come with, though, as he did not like the idea of facing the Steward alone.

The fox led Dusty through the back of the foyer through one of the "No Admittance" doors to a "Building 2". They climbed the staircase up to the top floor of the building - almost five floors high - and led him down a hall to a single door at the end. It had it's own small lobby, where the fox himself went behind a desk that labeled him the Steward's "Assistant Manager". He waved Dusty over to the door.

"The Steward is ready to see you," he said. "I'll wait until you're done and will escort you back."

Dusty nodded and stepped inside.

The Steward's room was a mixture of an office and a study. It was fairly wide enough for a couple of large desks, one facing the front with a high-backed chair and two armchairs, and another off to the side that looked like a writing desk. The sides of the room had two large shelves each that were filled with books in many colors and even some in a few different languages that Dusty could not read.

Sitting in the high-backed chair was a brown horse with an almost sandy mane and a white nose. She wore a dignified simple purple jacket with white highlights over a long-sleeved black shirt. As she stood up and walked over to Dusty, the coyote could see her hooves were black, her wispy tail was similar color to her mane, and she wore black leggings with a purple skirt over them. She had no real adornments and the dress was almost simple; only the fact that the clothes looked tailored showed any real position or status.

"Welcome, Master Yote," the horse said, bowing slightly and politely holding out her hand for Dusty to shake. Dusty returned the gesture, finding the horse's handshake to be firm but somewhat reserved. Yet when they released the horse was smiling. "I am Steward Andrea Gilbert. For what it's worth, I am the current ruling head of Domasis, the head of its Academy, and manager of most of what goes on in this country."

"If a full introduction is required, then I shall give you one," Dusty said. "My name is Master Dusty Yote of Riverwood, in the kingdom of Irilian. I am a knight of the Order of the Holy Cross, and a Hunter of the Riverwood Hunters' Guild."

"You bear the badges," Steward Andrea said, motioning to both the pins on Dusty's chest and to the fang that hung around his neck, "and you bear them well. Now, I believe you come to our country looking for answers. As it happens, we have also been looking for answers to something. Perhaps we may make a trade, answer for answer."

"I am slowly becoming of the opinion my answer will take far longer than a simple talk will satisfy," Dusty said. "But perhaps one or two of the more prudent questions shall be enough. But, as you seem to have called me up here before I even knew I was coming, perhaps you should ask your question first."

The horse laughed. "Gallant, but your perception is slightly off. I received word ahead of time from a mutual associate of ours and was told to keep a look out for you. That is all; you would be summoned when you were able, not by my whims. Though I do appreciate your punctuality."

Steward Andrea took a small break and motioned Dusty over to sit in one of the armchairs. The coyote bowed and accepted the offer to sit, while the horse went around to the large high-backed chair and sat down in it. She pulled out a few pieces of paper that she had received, as well as an oddly familiar fang, and set them down in front of her on the desk.

"I mean not to interrogate you, just to hear the full story," the horse said. "From my perspective: a dangerous rogue escaped our vigilance perhaps a year ago and fled down into Riverwood. He was a bullsnake naga known to us as Zemeya. He was a student of our school, but broke multiple ethics violations and tampered with the forbidden practice of magic-draining. We had been on the lookout for him for a while, when recently I received a letter from our mutual associate, a lion by the name of Kuroga Asteran, that he had encountered and quickly dispatched of Zemeya. It was done not alone, but with the assistance of one Dusty Yote of the Order of the Holy Cross, who had both strange resilience to the magic and a well of power on their own end." Steward Andrea folded her hands and placed them on the desk. "Please, explain the circumstances of this from your side."

Dusty took a deep breath then started from the very beginning. Back even further than Zemeya, he started with the Guild's accidental blaming of the whole ordeal on Bernard and their (now mild) disagreement. Then he jumped to the missing persons' posters and went through the rest of the story until he and Kuroga had teamed up to defeat Zemeya at the logging camp. He even presented his own version of the fang to the Steward in order to let her see it as proof. Throughout the whole of the story, Steward Andrea remained passively interested, saying nothing and letting Dusty talk for as long as he needed to.

When Dusty had finished, the horse drummed her fingers on the desk for a moment as she picked up the other fang gained through Kuroga's letter. She set it back down and eventually gave back Dusty his own fang before nodding.

"The stories match, albeit yours was told far more thoroughly than Master Asteran's account," Steward Andrea said. "It also answers many questions I've had about your coming to us."

"I believe I have begun to put together the bits and pieces I've gained," Dusty said. "Though I must ask one question now to confirm, and perhaps one of the easier ones. Kuroga would not say who he worked for, only that there were others like Zemeya who wanted the bullsnake taken down. I assume there would be something like the Hunters Guild here in Domasis who put a contract out?"

"Less our own guild, more that Zemeya even by our laws was a criminal renegade," Steward Andrea replied. "But where we keep our army to maintain our borders, we sometimes partner with the Hunters Guild to take down those who have escaped our vigilance. The ability to cross borders on official missions with a recognized league of Hunters is sometimes valuable."

"But why would Kuroga say nothing of you up here?"

"Domasis has long considered itself isolated from the rest of the world. First by mountains, then by war, then by something of a closed mindset. Admittedly, the times we've poked ourselves out to the wider world since the discovery of our special brand of magic have not been received fondly. Of all the kingdoms out there, truly only Ushtani and Marrakhan have treated us with anything resembling civility. The others tolerate us because of our school of magic, but 'tolerate' often equates to 'barely stand for economic reasons'."

"So he could have told me about Domasis and the Academy?"

"Probably," Steward Andrea shrugged. "But the outside world does not like our magic very much. If they found you consorting with someone like that in Riverwood, they either wouldn't like him or wonder why you didn't do anything to him because he's a heretic."

---

Dusty had to consider this last point for a moment. "That does lead me to another question: I've been watched and made to stop at checkpoints while I've been here. My partner, Master Asteran, has informed me that at least some of it is because of my affiliation with the Order of the Holy Cross. Why the need for a watch and the stringent measures around one of the Order?"

"Because emotive sorcery is heresy to the grand majority of the church," Steward Andrea said matter-of-factly. "To use one's emotions and interests and perceptions to alter the nature of themselves and the world around them subverts the will of the Creator according to their teachings. The church often believes that the way things are at birth determines what one should be or do with themselves later in life. Emotive sorcery is a way of both altering and utilizing that determination, and the church considers that counter to what it believes."

"Master Asteran informed me that many ethics classes are needed at the Academy in order to perform emotive sorcery."

"He has informed you well. One per year that covers the basics of what they're doing with magical theory, gradually getting more specific to the right and wrong use of areas within the chosen branch." With a warm and understanding smile, she added: "Including those who do eventually decide to take blessings here, for that, we believe, is also a form of emotive sorcery."

Dusty was not quite as certain, but decided to ignore that point for the time being. "It appears a lot of study and moral lessons could be gained from the code of ethics, including some that may at least put the church at ease if not in partial alignment. Why not try and persuade them?"

"The higher members of the church who have aligned themselves with the Academy still believe there is something corruptive about most forms of emotive sorcery," Steward Andrea said. "I could present our books of ethical codes, both general and specifics, regarding our branches and they will still say it was gained from infernal rites or, at its basis, goes against the will of the Creator. Very little could persuade them otherwise."

"Truthfully, I have encountered one or two who might stand as examples," Dusty began.

He did not go much further. "If you refer to Zemeya, I must remind you that examples like that are rather lower than might be expected," Steward Andrea cut in. "For every one thousand people here in Domasis, there is but one practitioner of emotive sorcery. For every one thousand practitioners, there is but one who becomes corrupted by not following the ethical guidelines set. That you have encountered two is not the nature of emotive sorcery but the nature of your position as a Hunter, and we here also keep watch for the same thing."

Steward Andrea was stern enough that Dusty flinched but gentle enough he realized she was not quite mad at him yet. He coughed and made to continue. "Then perhaps the same could be true of the opposite direction, where a statement made against the Order does not apply to all of the members. If there are ethical codes, perhaps then there are plenty of ways it could be used to help people."

"That is what we want to do with it," Steward Andrea said, warmer now in tone. "Enchantment spells are being used to help with things like anxiety or sleep disorders or anger management. Restriction has found use in law enforcement for disarmament and nonviolent capture of dangerous individuals. Manifestation has found use in architecture or workplaces for lighting, air flow management, or even security. And Transformation and Evocation have an even wider variety of uses depending on the spell and context."

"Then if you allow blessings as part of the curriculum of magic courses offered, then perhaps you at least acknowledge both the positive effects of blessings and the church."

"That we do," Steward Andrea responded. "Blessings are allowed because they are often very good and helpful, and truthfully are one of the least corruptive forms of magic in existence. Much the same, we do have the church here in Domasis in some capacity for worship. And if worship leads people to do good things, then there is nothing wrong with allowing the church and worship. But perhaps you can tell me: what is the defining rule of the holy texts - not the church, but what the church is supposed to teach?"

Dusty considered it. "That the greatest expression of faith is found not through works of worship, but through the care one shows for their neighbor. Whether that is in the respect of their property by keeping it clean and whole, or the respect for their person by making sure they do not fall into vice."

"You are correct. Now tell me: if there is already a section of the public work made for the correction of vice via our law enforcement and psychological therapy, then what is the need of a militaristic enforcement of the church's desires?"

"To keep people from falling into vice," Dusty said simply.

"That can be done without the sword. It can be done with a word of warning, done out of friendship or responsibility for another's well-being. And for those who would lead others into vice, that is what is often labeled as 'criminal behavior'. Thus the job of the Order can be covered by law enforcement to dole out just and fair punishments, or psychological therapy to correct and lead one back to becoming an upstanding member of society. So what is the need for the church to have it's own armed unit?"

"To help protect from outside threats?" Dusty said, no longer so sure of himself.

"That is what the kingdom raises the guards and their garrisons for, is it not?" Steward Andrea responded. "If a religion is truly committed to peace in its fellow man and their neighbors, does it really need a sword of vengeance to hunt down perceived wrongs? It is the job of the church to heal and support and forgive those who have repented, not to pass judgment. And yet our prior history with the Order says that judgment is most of what they come here to do."

Dusty's eyes widened. "Not if you are truly in need of help," he said. "It is part of the job of the Order to go out and find those who need help and to give it, whether that is those who are poor and destitute who need help getting back on their feet, or those who have been assaulted by corrupted individuals."

"I wish that were the case," Steward Andrea said mournfully, bowing her head. "But very often the church decrees that emotive sorcery is corruptive, and members of the Order have led protests of our Academy, harmed our students, and attempted to tear apart the foundations in the name of removing corruption. We have perhaps one incident every three months of someone going rogue and corrupt with sorcery to the point where they need to be hunted down. Far more often than that - perhaps once or twice per month - a member of the church or the Order suddenly decides that our teachings are heresy and protests us, sometimes violently."

"B-But what about helping the poor? Surely the church and the Order have still gained some standing with that."

"To a certain extent," Steward Andrea said. "But I would advise you, when you go home to Irilian, to ask what a clergyman or a pastor or a deacon makes, versus what portion of their offering goes to such pursuits. Too often churches hoard wealth and power, channeling their offerings into their paying their clergy more often than helping the poor and destitute. Not all towns need an elaborate sanctuary and a priest earning more than a guard, or a deacon earning more than a librarian, or even an acolyte who ears more than a farmer or a tradesman. Here in Domasis, we make sure that the church leaders both earn their appropriate keep and utilize their offerings to the benefit of others."

Dusty bowed his head. "I... I'm sorry if I keep expressing my disbelief. I joined to help protect our people, to give aid, and the Order gave me training to defend against threats both magical and non-magical. And yet now I've heard quite a few people who are good-at-heart telling me my Order is a weapon and not a shield. What do you expect me to do?"

The horse smiled gently. "That you are allowing for self-reflection at all is a start. But have no fear; your talents have been put to good use against a genuine threat with the defeat of Zemeya, and you have acted honorably according to Master Asteran's word. Do not despair, Master Yote, for good teaching in the hand of a good mind can do good things, even if the teacher does not mean it that way. You have likely done other good things under the word of the church, as well. But you need to determine what actually follows what you've been taught and what might be used as a tactic of self-interest."

Dusty looked up and smiled back, though he did not say anything.

"Now, I shall relieve you on one end," Steward Andrea said. "So long as you respect Domasian law - quite similar to Irilian law with respect to civilian rights - then you are free to walk even in the clothes of the Order. No longer will you need to stop in at checkpoints, but if you wait here a few days, we shall give you a card of sorts that identifies you as a friend of Domasis, and you may travel between here and Irilian without fear or suspicion."

---

"Besides inquiries about the Order," Steward Andrea continued, "I assume you have questions beyond what has happened with Zemeya. Please, if you may, ask another question."

Dusty felt heartened by the previous words of the Steward with regards to his Order and was well mollified, and so felt better about asking his next one. "It has been many months now since I first had this question," the coyote said, "but it is something of a multi-faceted one. I apologize if it takes me a while to get to the main point. Firstly, is this place the origin of... emotive sorcery?"

"Far from it," the horse replied. "Ushtani to the south and Marrakhan to the east knew about it before our school ever appeared. It gains its traces in the old witchcraft of those countries, and there are still practitioners there who remain. But it was here where the branches were ultimately decided and the old craft studied, perfected, and tamed, and emotive sorcery as we know it was born."

"So almost anyone from there has learned and obtained their knowledge from here."

Steward Andrea shrugged. "For the most part. While prominent, we are not the only ones who teach it. There are places in the other kingdoms who have tutors for particular branches. Many students in the full term of study choose to spend a year of practicals by heading off to another kingdom, and we work with those kingdoms to sponsor, send, and house such individuals who decide to go."

Dusty coughed. "Forgive me if it sounds a bit presumptuous, but if you teach people how to use the magic, then would it not be wise to teach also how to resist such magics?"

Steward Andrea chuckled. "You are not being presumptuous at all. Indeed, one of the best primers has been written by a scholar from Marrakhan. It is well known throughout the regions and is often required reading in any magic-oriented or magi-historical class. But, I'm afraid I must speak against your fair church once more: the Order has such a firm grip on it that few copies in Irilian exist the last I heard. It is forbidden reading because it implies legitimacy instead of simple defense."

Despite the slight at his Order once again, this time Dusty was shocked. "A close companion of mine searched through the whole library of Riverwood upon realizing a trend. We couldn't find a single piece of information after searching through row after row. And yet you say we do know about all this? Then why does it take them so much at shock?"

"The information is pertinent but dangerous. Again, it implies the legitimacy as opposed to merely defense. I could not teach you myself, but the scholar is, in fact, in town and may be able to give you some pointers. I could refer you to her, if you would like, and you will see very easily why they would be scared: she is quite proficient in one of the stranger branches of emotive sorcery, Transformation."

Dusty was beginning to catch on. "Ah, they would distrust the source then. Either she is giving false information and false hope as a lure, or else they expect favoritism to things they would not agree with."

"You are absolutely correct. Either the source is duplicitous and untrustworthy, or else advocating that it doesn't defy what they see as the 'predestined order'. You would think that a scholar of many years would be the most learned and knowledgeable about magical resistance, but prejudice often stands in the way of logic."

"I wish to throw my own prejudice aside for the sake of knowledge. Please, Steward, can you make this referral for me? I should like to know, for perhaps my questions would be better answered by her or someone like her if she knows so well. For a great many of them are likely technical in the asking, though perhaps my main one to you would be rather more philosophical."

Steward Andrea nodded. "Your request shall be granted. After our meeting, I shall be able to write a letter to her on your behalf. But first, at least ask your main question. Do not skip or skirt the issue any longer, or else with your current trend of questions, we shall be unable to learn everything in the span even of a week."

"I am here for as long as I need to be, but I will acquiesce. My main question is this: I seem to be devastatingly weak to it, but why? I have heard some technical explanations - corruption increases power, sometimes it acts as a magical dampener, perhaps some emotional power is at play with regards to its own name. But why, when as a member of the Order I am trained to not give in to vice so easily, do I let myself fall?"

There passed between the coyote and the horse a long silence. At first, it seemed like the Steward was trying to collect her thoughts, so Dusty waited patiently. And yet, as the silence lengthened, it seemed to Dusty that the horse was becoming almost troubled. Not as though she was unable to find the answer, for a spark of recognition shone in her eyes very shortly after Dusty posed the question. It was more as though she was dreading the answer itself. Dusty considered this fair considering his own reactions to a simple action by his Order, and yet he could not spurn any solution that presented itself.

"There is one who could answer that," Steward Andrea said carefully.

Another long silence. "...there is a trend of people speaking cryptically about things they say I'm not supposed to know about," Dusty commented, "and it's making me irritated that they speak in riddles instead of telling me to shut up."

"In truth, I only hesitate because the subject is hard to approach. There is one method to answer that question which may well take years in order to figure the truth of the matter. I could send you to Marchand to consult with mystics and meditation to find enlightenment, or else send you to Dormian to consult with a profession we call 'psychotherapy' to use Enchantment-based suggestion to release what is in your mind. But I'm guessing you do not have years in which to be satisfied."

"Though I have so far admired your country, I do very much feel disconnected so far from home. And technically the Order is a form of employment of which I do not have here, and I cannot abandon them so easily."

"Nor would I expect you to. And yet that leaves us but one recourse. But even that would require a fair amount of travel. I mentioned earlier that some of emotive sorcery's roots come from practice of witchcraft in Ushtani and Marrakhan, and there is an old sorcerer in Ushtani who may be able to answer your questions... uniquely but with far less time."

"What does it take to gain an audience with this... sorcerer?"

"Very little, to be honest. He fancies himself something of a religious leader in his own right, and he may be correct to an extent. So far as I can tell, it is benign, and we often send students their way for Enchantment or Manifestation purposes as he is quite skilled, but I might be able to send a letter making a special request for an audience. He... he has the same sort of distrust of the Order as we do, and for much the same reasons."

Dusty paused. He put a paw to his chest and bowed. "If you forgive me, I will wait on that for the time being. But I may need to ask at another time."

Steward Andrea sighed as though it didn't quite matter. "He may request you come anyways. He's rather odd. But if you need to, then perhaps that would be our repayment for helping us with Zemeya."

"The referral to the sorceress who wrote the primer will be quite enough," Dusty said. "We can figure out another method of payment if I need a letter of introduction to this Ushtani sorcerer."

Steward Andrea nodded and stood up, motioning for Dusty to follow suit. "We make our parting here, for the time being, as I have little more to tell you at present and other business to attend to. I will make the referral to the scholar to meet with you; if not her, I may have one or two teachers who might be available for questioning themselves. But otherwise, I give you leave to roam where you wish in Domasis so long as you follow our laws and respect our magic traditions. You are also free to use the resources of our libraries and ask down at the information desk for others who may be of help in your research. I'm afraid that's as much as I can do for the time being, otherwise the Assistant Manager may lead you back to Master Asteran at the entrance."

Dusty held out a paw to shake hands with the Steward. "Your information has still been highly valued, and I thank you very much for your time."

---

The Assistant Manager brought Dusty back to the lobby. They returned to find Kuroga sitting on the bench, the only sign that time had passed for him being he was about a third of the way through his book. He heard their footsteps approaching and stood up to greet them, smiling first at Dusty and then at the fox.

"Master Yote has been told about this, but I'll inform you, as well," the fox said to Kuroga. "We'll give you a new letter and seal stating that Dusty is free to travel with his Order accoutrements. We're also in the process of sorting out your new room and board while you're here; drop by the Hunters' Guild at some point for notice involving your accommodations. We'll make sure to include you both."

"That will be much appreciated," Kuroga said. "Anything else in particular I need to know?"

"Dusty will also receive a slight payment from the Guild with regards to the handling of Zemeya. He's also able to take jobs we have available should you end up staying a while."

Kuroga looked over to Dusty as though to see what he thought. The coyote merely shrugged. "Thank you," Kuroga responded, "but we'll see. I don't know how long we'll end up staying. I'll at least make sure to check in once or twice before I make my own way south again."

"We don't expect you to, just to know the offer is on the table." The fox bowed politely to the both of them. "Expect a few days for the official card for Dusty's trusted status to come through and you'll be able to travel freely from then. Otherwise, I bid you both a pleasant time in Domasis." And he walked off back the way they had come.

Kuroga sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "It is already evening. I won't ask what went on up there; your choice to tell me or not. If you would like, we can check down by the waterfront for a good place to eat an early meal and call it a day."

"I can't say I'm quite ready to call it a day," Dusty said, "but a good meal would help with digesting the information I've been given."

They left the Academy and headed west along the bridge so that they were back down by the waterfront. The best offer seemed to be back at Northern Wake, which had them tasting a "chateaubriand" for two in red wine sauce and served with vegetables and potatoes roasted with herbs. They sat by wide windows watching the late afternoon sky go from pale blue to orange and eventually to pink as evening set in.

The meal sat heavily in Dusty's stomach but he was thankful for it. After Zemeya, the trip over the pass, and talking with the Steward, the meal seemed to mark a decent moment of respite before tomorrow's work began. He said little as they dined, leaving it to Kuroga to talk about his own time in Domasis at the Academy.

"I can perform magic," Kuroga said. "I'm just not very good at it. I went through three years because they read my magic levels back at home and determined I could be pretty decent at it. I got through my first year and then we ran into a conundrum: I couldn't cast a thing without the books."

"Forgive me, but... what books?" Dusty asked.

"The ones I was telling you about earlier," Kuroga said. "You take a journal and you make it only and specifically for writing special incantations, hand movements, and how each spell works on the body. It uses about twenty or so pages to do so most people only get five or six, but then you can pull out a weak version of it. Anyways, they tried seeing if I could cast it without the books and they went through every branch short of corrupted techniques. Nothing worked."

"Why'd they try every branch?"

"Most people tend to feel closer to one particular branch or methodology. They call up the energies quicker or more magic gets expended if they're attuned to the right one. So they went through everything and every spell and I couldn't even get the basic Evocation ones without needing the books. Supposedly I have some decent levels, I just haven't been able to get anything to actually come out of it. I've got the books and I do a little casting every once in a while just so I don't get all bottled up with unspent magic, but otherwise I don't have true magic power. Nothing on the drop of a hat like you can."

"So what do you know? What branches or spells?"

"Little bit here and there of a few types," Kuroga said. "Mostly what I know are utilitarian. Spark means I can light a fire without needing flint and steel. Lighted Path gives me a little orb that follows me around and gives off light."

"I remember you using that in the woods outside of the logging camp," Dusty interjected.

"Good memory," Kuroga said proudly. "I only used that one then because there was no one around to see it and wonder what it was. The others I have are worse, though: Emission is basically a magic bolt I can use to injure people, and Halter gives me a magic net that I can use to stop or slow down people and things. But I need time to cast them; it takes a few seconds even for the basic Emission, which is the theoretically simplest one in the entire inventory."

"And how many spells are there?"

Kuroga screwed up his face in concentration. "I know there's over fifty. And there's at least seven major ones per branch. But that doesn't include what the old Ushtani and Marrakhanese witchcraft can do - which is still technically qualified under emotive sorcery - nor does it include the fact that there's at least a couple of dozen spells that are currently in contention as to whether or not they fall under a particular branch or another and haven't been fully classified yet. There could be over a hundred so far as we know."

"And how many does the standard sorcerer usually end up learning?"

"Most will normally pick up three from their home branch, using two on a normal basis and keeping one for extra consideration. Then they'll make a personal journal and put in two or three outside-branch spells in it. Most don't have the vigor for learning more than that; keeping that many spells on-call can actually tire you out quicker. The strongest one I knew had seven in total, and that was three from the home branch and four available in a journal, and they even had one from the home-branch in the journal."

"It sounds complicated."

"Put it this way: let's say you have a barrel of water that you drink from in your house and three different ladles of different sizes depending on how thirsty you are. That's your main magic and your most common-used spells. It's most comfortable and the one that you feel the most natural using. But people like something else to drink every once in a while, so you might keep a small keg of ale or beer or a small barrel of wine for special occasions. That's the journal, except you're the one that brewed the beer or wine, so it's a small batch, not as good as the established makers, and every once in a while you have to refresh yourself on the recipe or else you forget how to make it."

"And then there's you who barely drinks at all."

"Rather it's less that I don't drink and more that I just drink what gets served me." Kuroga took a very large swig of the ale they had been served with the meal. "And here's the advantage of my particular condition: most magic doesn't work on me. It's a two-way street: if nothing feels good for me to use, it doesn't take well to me, either."

Dusty gave off a little "harrumph" but didn't mean it in bad faith. He just wished it was as easy for him to shrug it off as it was for Kuroga. A partnership was all the better if that was the case: he could fling magic off easy for offense and Kuroga could likely absorb or shrug off and blind-side if he couldn't be affected. It worked with Zemeya, at least.

Back at the Overlook Tavern, Dusty figured he'd had quite enough and proposed they turn in early for the night. Tomorrow they would look for some primers and get started on Dusty's actual mission of learning about emotive sorcery. Kuroga thought this was a good idea; it would allow him a refresher of the city again, he could show Dusty around, and hopefully they'd have word about their new boardings by that afternoon.

Dusty wondered if there wasn't a second reasoning, but he trusted Kuroga enough that he didn't bother to ask.