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In Paraasilan, Esmaar, a pair of roommates are about to break a rule that, compared to the one about running in the corridors or even the one about unlicensed teleportation, is there for a good reason.
In unison, they complete their shared spell.
Adarin in Elcenia
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"Fair enough," he sighs, looking a teensy bit miserable. "Then I suppose she'll just have to find out some other way."
He rubs his face, a bit. Then he looks at the green-haired woman, then her husband. "I do apologize for the bad introduction. My name is Adarin. It would be a pleasure to meet you both, under different circumstances. You seem like pleasant people."
He rubs his face, a bit. Then he looks at the green-haired woman, then her husband. "I do apologize for the bad introduction. My name is Adarin. It would be a pleasure to meet you both, under different circumstances. You seem like pleasant people."
"I'm Keo," says the woman, "and this is my husband Kanaat, who is the headmaster of the school. And we do apologize for the circumstances."
Nodding, Adarin properly composes himself. He seems to be recovering! Hurrah.
"Thank you. I haven't asked yet, but I probably should have - where exactly am I? Aside from... Absurdly far from home," asks Adarin. A name of his new... Temporary home would help him settle. Probably.
"Thank you. I haven't asked yet, but I probably should have - where exactly am I? Aside from... Absurdly far from home," asks Adarin. A name of his new... Temporary home would help him settle. Probably.
"Binaaralav Academy, in the city of Paraasilan, in the nation of Esmaar, in the world of Elcenia," says Keo.
Deadpan, Adarin says, "It's fortunate that I've spent most of my life practicing how to say things, isn't it? How in the world do you say- 'Binah-ralav?'? Binaralav-"
He sighs. "... The entire language is like that, isn't it."
He sighs. "... The entire language is like that, isn't it."
"It does contain a vowel that non-natives have some trouble with, yes," says Keo. "You'll have an accent."
"Marvelous," he says. "Well. I- could I trouble you for an explanation of the country I'm in? You have sane laws of consent, and powerful magic that doesn't require a bloodline, but I know little else."
He pauses. "Aside from the fact that you are a dragon? I... Don't understand how that works, I'm afraid. You don't look like a dragon. Er- no offense."
He pauses. "Aside from the fact that you are a dragon? I... Don't understand how that works, I'm afraid. You don't look like a dragon. Er- no offense."
"Yes, I do," says Keo, fluffing her hair. "I look like a dragon in human form. I'd show you my natural form, but it wouldn't do the architecture any good. Esmaar is a magocracy with popular referenda and an extreme policy of pacifism; is that the kind of thing you wanted to know?"
"It will do, thank you. You can... Casually change shapes, then?" asks Adarin. He's still really, really unnerved. "I do hope it isn't painful."
His magic has something like that, but it was only used by some back-water offshoot of the first bloodline. Extremely painful, unable to change the amount of mass in an object or person, and had the high chance of going horrifically wrong. It fell out of style very, very quickly. Adarin knows of its existence, but little else about it.
His magic has something like that, but it was only used by some back-water offshoot of the first bloodline. Extremely painful, unable to change the amount of mass in an object or person, and had the high chance of going horrifically wrong. It fell out of style very, very quickly. Adarin knows of its existence, but little else about it.
"It doesn't hurt at all," says Korulen. "Why would it?"
"Because changing your body involves moving around all sorts of nerves and muscles? Every book I've read on the subject says that pain is a given," replies Adarin. "But I suppose the writers have never met dragons."
"It doesn't change it like that," Korulen says. "I have two bodies. I can just - swap."
Adarin opens his mouth. Then, he closes it. It takes him a little while to reply, but he manages, "Two... Bodies. Alright. I don't understand how that works, that breaks every law of magic I've ever heard of."
"Well, you're from another world, which no doubt has other rules," says Keo. "Now. Why don't I show you to one of the empty rooms available, and Kanaat will talk to the girls about what's next for them."
She turns and heads out of the room, apparently expecting Adarin to follow her.
She turns and heads out of the room, apparently expecting Adarin to follow her.
The expectation is correct! He follows, still reeling a little. He's so very, very far from home.
"I've been away from my world before, but the same rules applied. I suppose that's why the scry said I was such a long way away," he muses, mostly to himself. Do his rules of magic apply here, to his magic? He's going to have to test that out.
"I've been away from my world before, but the same rules applied. I suppose that's why the scry said I was such a long way away," he muses, mostly to himself. Do his rules of magic apply here, to his magic? He's going to have to test that out.
"It's frankly lucky that your magic works here at all. Wizardry most likely wouldn't work in yours, comments Keo. She opens a door at the end of the hall, which leads to a small windowless room with no other door, and gestures him into it.
"Then I'll consider myself lucky," he says, peering at the... Room. "Is- that my room? It seems to be missing key elements."
"No, this is a lift. It will take us to a different hall. Your room will look more like the girls'."
"Oh. You don't use your teleportation magic? It seems plentiful," comments Adarin, stepping into the lift.
"Ataan Hall," Keo tells the lift. It starts to descend. "I can teleport, but this is a school; many of the students haven't learned to do it yet, so there are lifts. I use them, as long as they're there."
"You can't create portals?" he asks, stumbling a little from the lift's movement - it's a sensation he's not used to.
"True, no one at home bothers with them either when stairs don't carry the cost, but- it seems obvious."
"True, no one at home bothers with them either when stairs don't carry the cost, but- it seems obvious."
"We have teleportation circles, but those are very hard and unpleasant to cast, so there's usually not more than one per major city."
The lift starts moving left.
The lift starts moving left.
"Unpleasa-?" he begins, then the lift goes left. Adarin nearly falls, and then proceeds to brace himself to the wall, trying to regain composure.
"... Ahem. Yes. Unpleasant? I was under the impression that your magic was painless," says the man trying not to look like he nearly fell over. "Or it wouldn't be used so casually?"
"... Ahem. Yes. Unpleasant? I was under the impression that your magic was painless," says the man trying not to look like he nearly fell over. "Or it wouldn't be used so casually?"
"Small spells are. Not so if you go over half your channeling capacity," says Keo.
"I see. I could create a pair of smaller portals reasonably close together with little trouble, though I would need to rest in between making them," replies Adarin conversationally.
He's wondering if he doesn't need to have his fortune summoned at all, if he could just... Make portals for people for pocket money. Not the most pleasant job, but it's better than going without another set of clothes.
He's wondering if he doesn't need to have his fortune summoned at all, if he could just... Make portals for people for pocket money. Not the most pleasant job, but it's better than going without another set of clothes.