Winter 4994, 21 Aoimoth

Veon-Zih returned to the table, sliding the key to their third room to Yua. The Ranger took it with a grateful nod, then grinned at Velona and opened her mouth to speak. Before she could, however, Ryuuko flew fast and straight as an arrow across the pub and out the front door, clipping Tuth's hand with its wing as he raised it for a drink.

"Ow... What?" The Mage stared out the door, but the pseudodragon was long gone, "He didn't seriously kick it out after being separated for days, did he?" 

"Cold-blooded, that one," Yua said with a snicker.

Tuth hummed in thought, and Veon-Zih had to wonder what happened at the Temple. The young man had left clearly angry and ready to give Shon a piece of his considerable mind, but had come back subdued. The Monk was just about to ask the Mage about it when Ryuuko reappeared through the front door. Landing in the middle of the table and hissing at all of them, as if they had something to do with it being barred from seeing Lily with Shon. 

"Seriously!" Tuth called, gesturing at the irate little dragon, "Ryuuko hasn't seen Lily awake either. I've never heard of a Sorcerer being so dispassionate with their familiar." 

Velona and Veon-Zih exchanged looks. Velona shrugged, saying, "He probably just didn't want an audience,"

"A what?" Tuth asked.

Yua smothered another laugh behind her hand and leaned her chair back to smile at the ceiling, "Well, he'd better get used to the idea. I don't know if any of you ever had an animal companion or even a pet, but they don't understand a human's desire for privacy." 

Tuth looked at the Ranger as though she were speaking a foreign language, but Velona just laughed, "Oh? Speaking from experience Ranger Yua?" 

Yua just continued to smile at the ceiling but shrugged, "I had a crow companion for a while... He had a nasty habit of perching himself on the headboard and even cawing as though giving advice at the most inopportune times."

Veon-Zih chuckled, "I'm sure your partner loved that." 

But the Ranger just looked down to grin at him, "She was a Druid and would talk back to him sometimes." 

The Monks both laughed, and for at least a while, it felt as though the last few days hadn't happened. Tuth looked between all of them, then down at Ryuuko -who just hissed again- then back at all of them. Waiting for an explanation he could understand. 

"Joking aside..." Veon-Zih started,

"Who said I was joking?" Yua responded, but he continued over her, 

"I doubt anything will happen considering recent events." 

Velona hummed, rolling her cup in her hands and staring at the tea inside with a grin to rival Yua's, "I don't know... I seem to remember another dangerous battle followed by unsure circumstances that ended exactly like this..." She shot Veon-Zih a sideways glance that spoke volumes more than her words and caused his face to heat up, "Emotions are running high, and you're the one who got the extra room. Why bother if you didn't expect exactly this?" 

"Oh?" Yua asked, holding out the key to the Monks, "You sure you two don't want this? I'm sure I could survive bunking with Tuth for a few nights."

"What on earth are you all talking about?" Tuth burst out, throwing his hands in the air in frustrated confusion and almost hitting the poor serving woman bringing him his drink. 

They ignored him. Velona looked to Veon-Zih again before she shook her head with a warm smile, "There will be plenty of time for that later, Yua. But thank you." Veon-Zih just rubbed his face and over the top of his head, wishing Shon and Lily would come down and distract these two from him. At least Tuth still hadn't picked up on the topic.

"So," Yua let her chair fall back to all fours and leaned on the table, "In all seriousness, how long do you think they're going to take?" 

Veon-Zih sighed, "Well, this is Shon's first time-"

"Oh, say it isn't so! A warm, communicative, fellow like that?" Yua feigned surprise.

Veon-Zih smiled but continued, "-so, probably not very long."

Velona snorted, "Sounds to me like you're underestimating your protege Grandmaster." Then she leaned over and whispered loud enough for the entire table to hear, "You look very fetching in red, Veon-Zih."

"No, seriously... What are you all talking about?" Tuth asked again, pulling everyone's attention back to him.

"Tuth..." Yua said, leaning over to look him directly in the eye, "You are the dumbest smart person I think I've ever met."

The Mage spluttered indignantly, and even Ryuuko laughed a twittering dragon giggle at him. He finally managed to say, "What did I miss while I was at the Temple?!" 

Velona shook her head but only answered with, "Nothing at all, Tuth. Nothing at all." 

Before the young man could argue further, Veon-Zih asked, "What happened at the Temple, Tuth?"

"Shon gave his report to the full Paladin command." The smiles faded from every face, but Tuth just shook his head and took a long drink before he continued. "Apparently, he spent all of yesterday and today drafting up a legal argument for Lily to keep her powers, complete with examples and documentation."

Yua's jaw hung open for a moment, then she asked, "And they let him? I thought only Pal-" 

"And that's another thing!" Tuth interrupted her, glaring at all of them, "Why didn't any of you tell me he isn't a Paladin?"  

Veon-Zih shook his head, -how had he not known?- and answered, "It isn't a comfortable topic for him, Tuth. You know now, and I have to request that you don't bring it up again if possible." 

"To answer your question, Yua," Velona interjected, "Anyone can make an argument in a legal case. It's just that no one but Paladins and Clerics are educated in the process and procedure necessary for keeping such efforts from being thrown out as personal opinion." 

The Ranger snorted, "And I'm sure they would rather keep it that way."

Veon-Zih sighed, "Hengist Paladins and Clerics tend to prefer to trust their gut, and god, on a case-by-case basis. But you can thank the Temple of Saint Giorgos for writing into kingdom law that if a past ruling is made, then it sets a legal precedent that must be observed in future cases. Otherwise, the case can be brought to a higher court, the province, or even the kingdom itself. Assuming one knows how to fill out those documents as well."

"And Shon knows how to do that too?" Tuth asked. 

Veon-Zih could only shrug, "Yes, but he isn't a specialist by any stretch. The Temples all have some Paladins, but mostly Clerics, where that's their entire job. They are the ones in charge of defending anyone who knows they're allowed to ask for it. Shon only got the basics while in training."

"But that's still far more than the average citizen," Velona said, grabbing Veon-Zih's hand under the table, a new hope shining in her eyes, "So they might not take Lily's magic after all." He didn't have the heart to remind her that even if they could take Lily's case to the kingdom, the Temple of Saint Giorgos delt more harshly with Sorcerers than Hengist. 

"He made a very compelling argument and presented two examples of precedent that fit Lily's close enough that it seemed at least half of the command was already convinced. And that was before he shamed them all by explaining why he did it." Tuth told them, taking another long drink of his mead. Ryuuko fluttered onto the Mage's shoulder and chirped proudly. They all stared at him until he lowered his drink, looking around and asking, "What?"

"Shamed them? A room full of Paladins?" Velona asked. Veon-Zih nodded in agreement at her shock. One of his best friends was a Paladin General, but even he knew they were an insanely proud lot, every one of them. Veon-Zih was convinced it was some kind of prerequisite beyond the ability to channel divine magic. Their mutual Ranger friend had insisted that Paladins must keep a spare weapon stored up their backsides to keep them so stiff.

Tuth nodded and answered, "He explained that Lily has been serving the kingdom since she was freed and that pursuing justice was never any trouble." 

"Are you sure he isn't a Paladin?" Yua asked Veon-Zih skeptically after Tuth's explanation. 

"Very." and the fact that Shon, even at a young age, had fit the role so naturally made it that much more heartbreaking when he'd been denied. Deemed unworthy by the god himself.

Tuth shook his head and stared into his half-full cup, saying, "I honestly thought he was going to turn Lily in without ever seeing her again-" Ryuuko bit him and chittered angrily. Tuth slapped his hand over his ear and with a loud, "Ow! I know better now, damn it." 

But Ryuuko had perked up, and digging its claws into his shoulder for better leverage, lept off of Tuth and flew for the stairs. Veon-Zih turned in his seat in time to see Shon wave off the little dragon with his free hand, his other carrying his sword. Ryuuko hissed in his face before landing on Lily's shoulder and nuzzling her cheek.

She was glowing. Her joy enough to banish the lingering darkness in the pub's atmosphere. Lily ran past Shon, who Veon-Zih had never seen so relaxed in his life, sprinting across the floor to Velona who stood to meet her. Holding out her arms Velona nearly fell over as Lily ran into them with a tight exuberant hug. 

"Master Velona!" She called, then whispered nearly as loud, so even the neighboring tables could hear, "I had sex!"

Shon turned a shade of crimson to rival Lily's scales and covered his face with his hand. Yua fell forward, slapping her hand on the table and laughing so hard she could hardly breathe. Tuth's eyes went wide, his mouth forming a small 'o' of finally dawning understanding.

Veon-Zih stood while Lily continued to talk in an excited rush to Velona, "It was amazing! Now I know why you didn't want to stop after that first time. But how on earth did you manage to wait so long! I would have..."

"Let me buy you a drink," Veon-Zih said to Shon, turning him by the shoulder and leading him away from the table towards the bar. A chair scratched on the floor, and Veon-Zih turned to shake his head at Tuth. The boy fell back into his seat and rested his forehead on the table while Lily continued to jabber, gesticulating with her hands, and Yua wiped tears from her eyes. 

Shon lifted his hand from his face to run through his hair and mumbled, "She's going to be the death of me..."

"Perhaps," Veon-Zih chuckled, leaning on the bar while Shon took a seat, resting his sword against his leg. Catching the tender's eye, Shon tapped the wood for a drink, and Veon-Zih continued, "But even so, would you at least die happy?" 

Shon turned in his stool enough to glance at the ladies and poor Tuth, -who looked like he wanted to sink into the ground and never resurface- and nodded. His slight smile brighter than Veon-Zih had seen in years.

"Then that's all that really matters, isn't it?" Veon-Zih said, patting Shon on the shoulder. His cold had increased considerably, but the man didn't flinch under his Master's touch. So, this was Shon relaxed. "I take it you plan on staying with her. Are you open to the idea of Tuth and Yua continuing with you two if that's what they want after all this is over?" 

The bartender brought Shon his drink, and he lifted it but didn't drink. Instead, he arched a sideways eyebrow at his Master. His smile gone. So he'd noticed the word choice. When Veon-Zih didn't elaborate, Shon asked, "Us two?" 

Veon-Zih didn't answer right away. He halted the bartender with a wave and ordered a plate of drinks for their table, opening another tab. Watching the man walk away to pour them, Veon-Zih sighed, deciding to take a leaf out of Lily's book and be blunt. "I've decided to give retirement a try." 

Shon put his glass down, and Veon-Zih continued, "It isn't something I've ever tried. A new experience after fifty years of living on the road. And it'll be easier to deal with my responsibilities to the Monastery this way."

"And your timing?" Shon asked, swirling the mead in its glass and not looking at Veon-Zih.

"Master Velona will be coming with me," Veon-Zih answered in a whisper. Then managed a smile and continued with a bravado that sounded false even to his own ears, "Well, technically, I'll be going with her, at first. We'll be heading to Halakon, as winter is the only survivable season in the desert. Come spring, we'll set up a place in Oane, summer being the only livable season there." 

"And this has nothing to do with Lily and I?" Shon asked, looking over at the table again.

Veon-Zih could see his student's mind at work. It had jumped to the worst possible conclusion, as usual, and Shon was wondering if he would be forced to choose between his Master and his love. Unlike with the Temple, there were no legal loopholes here that would let him keep both.

But he didn't need one, "Shon." Veon-Zih said clearly, pulling his student's cold, sad eyes back to him, "Your relationship with Lily isn't causing this to happen. It's allowing it to happen. Master Velona has wanted to settle back down for a while, but she didn't want to leave Lily without someone stable and dependable by her side. And me? You reminded me yourself that I'm a Grandmaster now, and... I've lived without her for the last forty years. Could you do the same with Lily after finally finding her?" Shon took a deep, steadying breath and let it out slowly, then looked back down at his drink and shook his head.

Veon-Zih leaned closer and continued quietly, "I wasn't going to leave you alone any more than Velona was going to leave Lily. You are more than capable of taking care of yourself physically, but mentally and emotionally?" He shook his head, "You need someone to act as an ambassador. And Lily-"

"I don't-" Shon started to argue but stopped at Veon-Zih's glare,

"Yes, you do." Shon stared into his cup again, and Veon-Zih sighed, "You avoid human contact like a plague, Shon. And to keep you from closing yourself off more than you already are, you need someone who can act as a social buffer while still keeping you engaged with the rest of the world. Lily's already proven herself up to the task. If she hadn't, I wouldn't consider this an option." 

He turned to lean his back against the bar, crossing his arms and watching their companions talk at the table. Velona was grinning indulgently at Lily, but as she shifted her eyes and met Veon-Zih's, her smile turned warm. "I will miss you, Shon. More than I can ever truly express. But I also want this. Your relationship with Lily reminded me that I hadn't allowed myself to believe that she would still have me, and I don't want to let her go again. You two are giving us this opportunity." 

Silence stretched between them for a long time. The bartender brought Veon-Zih's plate of drinks and left again before Shon said, "I'll miss you." He finally took a drink of his mead, lowering the cup again and adding, "But I understand." 

Veon-Zih managed a smirk, "Well, I would hope so. Now, I think poor Tuth is going to die of embarrassment, and Yua burst before you come back into teasing range. If I'm reading that expression correctly, I think Yua may see making you blush again as the challenge of a lifetime." 

But Shon wasn't ready to lighten the mood just yet. He grunted in acknowledgment of Veon-Zih comments but said, "There's something I want to tell you, but I don't think I have the right words." 

"Try," Veon-Zih responded, turning back to lean properly on the bar and lifting one of the drinks.

Shon did, “I don’t know what a father is supposed to be like.” Veon-Zih paused, his drink halfway to his lips. Family, or lack thereof, was the one thing he and Shon had never talked about. It wasn't a sore subject -like Paladins were- but Shon had never brought it up, even in passing, and Veon-Zih had known enough orphans at the Monastery not to broach the subject without reason. 

Shon continued, “I grew up with a bunch of kids who also never knew what a father was supposed to be like," or didn't want to talk about it after losing their own. "So I couldn’t exactly look at what they had because they didn't have it either. I don’t care about who my parents might've been, and I didn’t feel like I was missing anything important. I had a good life with the Church... and later... with the Temple...” he scoffed a little at that thought and took a deep drink. Veon-Zih waited for Shon to continue in silence, “But if someone asked me who I considered my father figure to be, it would be you.” Veon-Zih felt a burning in his eyes and couldn't interrupt. “And if someone asked me what I thought of you, other than being my Master, I would say you are the best father someone who doesn’t know exactly what that means could possibly ask for.” Finally, Shon turned to look at him, his cold eyes soft but not exactly sad, “I think the reason I never wanted a father growing up was because I already had one and just hadn’t put the words together.”

Hundreds of past conversations between Veon-Zih and his old retired friends all came flooding back to his mind. Weapon Master Danaus -who had trained Shon every day for four years at Hamerfoss- always referred to him as 'your boy.' Even General Rasnah had told Veon-Zih that every father found it hard to admit that their little boy wasn't a little boy anymore -after Shon's power had awakened and he'd been tested against a wyvern of all things. Veon-Zih had told her that Shon wasn't his son, and she'd answered with 'keep telling yourself that...'

Veon-Zih blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision, then managed a laugh and squinted into his glass before taking a long drink. It wasn’t often the Monk was lost for words. “Thank you, Shon.” He swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing, “I knew I would never have children, kind of hard when you take the vows my Master demanded of me.” He looked over his shoulder at Velona laughing with Lily and wondered if she felt the same towards the girl. “I'd made my peace with that, or I thought I had. Sometimes I watch you, and I see that ten-year-old in the Church courtyard, and I think ‘wow how you've grown,’” he laughed again, more genuinely, shaking his head, “and I wonder if that's the same way a father might feel when he watches his young son become a man.”

Shon gave a little snort, blinking rapidly and drinking in silence. “Shon,” Veon-Zih rested a hand on the man's shoulder until their eyes met again, “Taking you as a student was the best thing I’ve ever done. Not a day goes by that I regret it, or the time we’ve spent since. I am so immeasurably proud of you. I want you to know, more than anything, that you can still count on me.” Veon-Zih chuckled and shook his student, “Though you may need to send a letter or travel a little farther to find me.” 

Veon-Zih stood, taking the plate of drinks in one hand and reaching up to ruffle Shon's hair with the other, "Come on, if Tuth blushes any darker, he might end up hotter to touch than Lily." 

Shon took the friendly hair ruffle without complaining, though he did run his fingers through it again before he stood. Picking up his sword and taking one step back to the table, he stopped once more, "I don't know if I want to go back there..." he mumbled, his eyes locked, not on Lily, but on Yua. The Ranger looked like a cat who'd cornered a wounded mouse. 

Veon-Zih snickered but came back to push Shon forward, "Says the man who takes draken axes on purpose to shorten a fight. Come on."

Lily turned in her seat as they returned, then quickly stood to sit by Tuth. Leaving her old chair beside Velona available for Veon-Zih and the one next to him available for Shon. Veon-Zih passed out drinks while Shon sat, leaning his sword against the table, its pommel a dark navy that was slowly lightening to robin's egg as Yua stared at him. 

"Did you two have a nice chat?" Lily asked, leaning over the table to look past Shon at Veon-Zih. 

Veon-Zih smiled at her while Tuth gulped at his drink, his blush only just starting to fade. "Very much so. And you?" 

Lily just hummed a contented sound that turned into a giggle a moment later as she reached under the table to grab Shon's leg. The man jumped in surprise, though Veon-Zih wouldn't call it a flinch, and he didn't pull away. 

"It was very informative," Yua said a little too casually. Tuth snorted, lowering his empty glass. "There is something though..." Yua continued.

Shon was just about to take a drink of his mead when Yua let the sentence trail off. He stopped before the cup hit his lips and returned it to the table, pushing it away and arching an eyebrow at the woman. Smart move. She sighed in disappointment but then looked at Tuth -who was reaching for a second glass- before she grinned and started again, "So... Shon," She paused, perhaps for dramatic effect, or perhaps because Tuth was raising his new glass to his lips, then finished, "what does Lily taste like?"

Tuth spluttered mead clear across the table, showering both the Monks and making Ryuuko fly into the air, chittering around the table in indignation. Shon's face turned red, and he covered it with his hand again while Lily looked confused between him and Yua, who beamed like a woman who'd just found buried treasure. 

Shon spread his fingers enough to glare at the Ranger, who didn't blink. This was one battlefield where she would be the master, and not even Shon's cold could scare her off it. Finally, he ran his fingers through his hair, then leaned on the table and actually answered, "Cinnamon."

Yua let out a bark of a laugh and Lily a little "Hu?" while Tuth buried his face in his arms and the Monks just grinned at one another.