Zilo and Alaroc stayed awake longer into the night with Zilo telling Alaroc the details of his time being raised in the Plane of Shadows up until he came to the material plane. Alaroc's sight may have wobbled here and there, but his attention didn't waver as his friend spilled his past before him.
"Takes a cunnin mind and Adamantine balls to cross a dragon, bully tah you Zilo." Complimented the cavalier as he lifted and drank down his mug. While Zilo wasn't as far gone as Alaroc, he was by no means sober, he shot a finger gun to his friend and said,
"Yer darn right my man. But nuff about me, what about you? How'd you get here."
Alaroc froze as his head lifted from his head down position and said, "Yer parents' never taught you, basically the dad takes his-" Zilo splays out laughing and shouts, Noooo! Ya loon! Get here in life!"
Alaroc's expression cracks as he laughs back and shakes off the drunkenness a bit to tell the tale.
"Well, me pa was a strict son of Dema. Always had me tryin to learn bout the world to turn out better than he was. Ma was different, but just as demandin. She taught me the way of the sword and horsemanship. She wanted me to know how to handle meself. Both a them were larger than life though, let me tell ya."
Alaroc leans back looking off wistfully and continuing, "Pa had been a great leader since he was almost half my age, and people respected him for his council and how he could so objectively weight consequences. He was always thinkin, and I thought he'd never make a wrong choice."
Alaroc leans back in and spreads his arms wide, miming swinging a sword, "And Ma was devastating, wasn't as much a leader as Pa, but when she defended her home, the guards at her back would rest easy, since half the monsters were already as good as dead."
"Was she like a guard captain or something?" Asked the bard. Alaroc lifted and stared at his mug and said, "Sure, that's how Pa met her. He picked her for the job, another brilliant decision of his since they fell in love. Still are too, far as I know."
"They sound incredible. Might we meet'em one day?" Asked Zilo. Alaroc put down his mug and sighed as he poured more ale, "Mine ain't in another Plane like yours, but I don't think that'll happen. It's kinda complicated, We're on bad terms since..."
Alaroc swigged down his drink but that last swallow did him in, and his head went swimmy and heavy. Before the cavalier could steady himself he was off the stool and face first on the ground. the bard looked down to the cavalier and began thinking to himself.
"I wonder if me and Aria would make good parents? Is it weird for me to think that? How long we been in this? Almost a year? I think? Is it too soon? Well first's marriage. I should get a ring. What's her ring size? I could ask. No, stupid, then she'll know. Best to wait. Prolly too soon. But then aga-"
Zilo's Thoughts are shattered as someone new takes Alaroc's spot. The bard's gaze is double, but he manages to focus enough to make out who it is. It's a woman, thin, piercing light blue eyes and silky blonde hair down to her lower back. Elven ears, that was the clue Zilo needed, she was one of the competitors.
"Hello there, You're one of the swordsmen competing right?" She asks with a light inviting tone that tickled Zilo's ears.
"Yes ma'am, just celebrating the ruling on my friend." Says the bard lifting his half full mug. The Elven woman nods and continues, "Of course that's why I wanted to speak with you, I wanted to thank you for that ruling, it means I can let loose for the rest of my matches. You see I also have a bit of magic about me."
Zilo looks her up and down, before casting a bit of Detect Magic he can feel a primal power come from her body, but she giggles and says back, "It's rude to invade a girl's privacy sir." Zilo's face swaps to shock and he bows his head.
"OH, I'm sorry ma'am."
She smiles warmly, "It's fine, you could at least introduce yourself first though,"
Never missing the chance Zilo hops up with a twirl and a bow, stumbling a bit from his drinks and proclaiming, "Zilo Realms! Master of Strings! At your service my lady!" The Elf woman smiles and stands with a curtsy in turn and says,
"Tessa'ladra Hare'nela, of the Western Tower Elves, though most of the common tongue call me just Tess." She raises back up and she tilts her head and asks, "So with your friend lost to the drink, seems you have some free time, care to let me thank you proper with a stroll around town?"
Zilo looks down to Alaroc and considered helping him to his room, but without Cruxis or Leo it would be far too much effort. The bard shrugs and says, "I don't see why not."
Tess smiles and offers her hand. Bardic etiquette kicks in and Zilo offers out his arm and leads the lady out of the bar. As they wander out the door Leo, from the window, peers out to see the two with a neutral face.
"Out with another lady huh?" Leo looks down to his spell book on the desk, "I feel like Aria would want me to prep an extra Fireball."
Zilo looks over to his new elven friend Zilo as the two waltzed around taking in the night sights of the city. He asked her, "So now that we are introduced, May I ask what kind of Magic you wield?"
The Elf smiles and squints and says, "Planning to tell your drunk friend how to beat me?"
"Oh yeah, you would be facing him. No, that wouldn't be fair if I did that, I'm not like my friend Leo."
"The Magus?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"Not hard to tell when you are also a magus, even though our powers are a bit different."
"How do you mean?"
"I'm a Bloodborn Magus. My magic comes from my magic blood."
"So like a sorcerer."
"Sorceress, and yes, only I can take a punch. Bit of Elven Combat Training goes a long way."
"You'd be surprised, I know a little guy who can dish out quite a bit of damage, saved me from marrying an orc with his left hook."
"Suppose I should thank him then, otherwise you'd be stuck with the missus rather than helping me win the tournament."
"You haven't won yet, I'm still in the running." Responds Zilo with a smirk.
"Fair enough, anyway, I told you mine. What do you got?"
"You've hardly told me anything, Knowing you're a sorcerer-! Sorceress, means nothing without your bloodline."
"Deal, but only if you explain yourself after."
"Fine. So what's in your blood?"
"I've got a bit of Draconic blood, Bronze to be specific, not just that, but I've refined it quite a bit, and I'm now what you would call a Dragon Disciple."
"Really, Dragons from were I'm from wouldn't even consider mixing blood."
"It's very helpful in a fight, not only is my magic even stronger, but my skin and body is hardened and strengthened thanks to my training."
"I feel bad for Alaroc, anyway fair is fair, but rather than tell you, how about I show you." Zilo takes Tess off his arm for a moment. Zilo takes out his violin and begins to play a somber lilting tune that seems almost to harmonize with a moonlit air of the city square.
Slowly the people of the town still awake move to their doors and windows to here the performance and watch on in a trance as Zilo uses a small amount of magic to fascinate them, but leaving Tess unfascinated to show her his magic.
As the performance comes to an end Zilo stands looking at the elf staring around to see the people looking on.
"A bard? Don't see many of those."
"Same could be said of Dragon Disciples, anyway, this has been fascinating, but the night grows late, and we have matches tomorrow, would you like an escort back to the Inn?"
"I would be delighted Sir Realms." Says the woman with a smile. The two walk back to the inn and as they part ways in the hall and Zilo Closes the door, Tess stops to gaze at the bard's closed door for a while, thinking,
"Humans' dark cousins seem more pleasant than ours it seems. Pleasant dreams Fetchling Bard"
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