Proposition with a Side Order of Philosophy (Agaenos, Private)

[Duncan Sythe]

It could entirely be said that Duncan was an honest man, no, Duncan considered this problem as he waited just inside Agaenos’s quarters, leaning against the wall facing the door, arms folded, head slightly downcast; focused on the floor and an indeterminate point in the far distance until the door opened.

He wasn’t an honest man or a nice man, he was simply someone who got the job done and knew what had to be done, for without knowing he’d go mad, funny thought that, madness, he’d seen it before at least twice that he could put together and didn’t want to see it again.

What happened when you went mad and came out the other side? Duncan was what happened, the question was what happened when you went mad in a place where you could hurt people and came out the other side, that was what he never wanted to find out. So far he’d lost all hope in remote spots where the only things he could hurt were sadistic bastards, if he ever lost it in the middle of a city…Gods help the populace because little else would.

Power corrupts and ironically it was true, the more power was used the more it needed to be used to keep everything down and equal, the more it was used to do that the more people got used to it. Duncan didn’t precisely want it but he found it immensely useful, not only that but he found that he needed it to survive, not in any kind of moral or spiritual sense but in a very real physical one, without it he’d be dead ten times over.

Now he was about to use it again, not directly but in a very real way use his power to manipulate another, he wanted Agaenos and he would get the man, whatever he had to offer him to get him there he would give him, the man would become like him, to think like him, to believe in Duncan’s philosophies and then he’d be given a powerful military unit; who would he owe this to? Duncan of course. The man couldn’t be too much like him, then he’d begin to think he didn’t owe Duncan anything but enough that, theoretically, he’d come if called and provide help and information, that was what Sythe thought he needed, whether it was wasn’t his question to answer.

So he waited for Agaenos to return to his quarters, wearing that damned hat again and wearing green and black rather than military gray, not that there was really any question who it was; the silver hair was visible enough and few others in the military would have the ability or the arrogance to walk through Agaenos’s door and stand there waiting for him; his superiors would just go through proper channels.

[Agaenos Phidion]

If only he knew that some high-ranking officers could have simply waltzed into his room in a casual, care-free demeanour without even first consulting his own room-key, he would have been very cross and annoyed with the degenerated administration system of the City Guard. If only he had his way, this place would have received a multitude of harsh and unforgiving complaints from him, and much less in the way of compliments. Truly - from what he had seen before, that particular joke had been far from funny. In fact, so far that the phrase 'pathetic' would have suited it better...

As such, he had entirely not expected anyone to be within his quarters as his legs carried him towards his own quarters from his brightening of duty. Up to now, of course, he never knew what the true purpose of Duncan was - all he knew, being wihtin that mystical shroud as he was in that other brightening when he found himself so steeped within the weave of illusion of the Archmage that he had been unable to discern between reality and the utter facade he was placed in. All he knew was, however, he would receive a straight jump from his position as a measly Corporal within the Abestatian City Guard, and be able to transform himself into the leader of the Mage Corps - something he had never even endeavoured of dreaming about. That, however, was as far as his good providence went; the Corporal was, even at this moment in time, still shrouded within the darkness of unawareness. For a start, he had no idea how much Crowns the leader of the Mage Corps would earn, much less what one would need to do there. Another concern grew in his mind lately as well - he doubted that, after having forgotten to salute Sheng, the first impression he had given was good; he would have one Aeternia of a time in this position if his speculation, often somewhat unreliable, was correct.

Regardless, having anyone, much less the Mystic and Captain Duncan within his quarters was the very last thing on Telath he had expected. His footsteps brought him towards the doors of his own quarters. He half-expected to perceive an empty room with his peripheral vision, and even prepared to throw the sword sheathed safely within his scabbard upon the table first - darn, standing guard like that all brightening, although it never gnawed away at his temper or disposition, did not do his legs or body good either. Why on Telath did he still insist on wearing those armours there...?

"What the -?!"

A shocked tone never really sounded nasty on purpose...

The signature glowing eyes, and, funnily enough, the all-too-recognizable hat shaded in the cold tone of grey, wisps of silver hair betraying his otherwise youthful countenance, although verdant shades coupled with the darkest of ebony tones became his attire instead of the grey which would have matched the hat. Of course Agaenos took complete cognisance of who that man was. As for how he managed to enter his room without his prior knowledge, that remained to be a complete mystery. He was darned sure he locked his room before leaving it this morning...

"Excuse me there." His lips and teeth stretched to the beginning of a grin. "Serale Captain. Important matters?"

Gently, he allowed the door to close. He knew for whatever reason he was in here - and the Corporal had one speculation in mind - importance would be an emphasis, not to mention them being not for the ears of others.

[Duncan Sythe]

“That’s Commander to you, but I won’t hold you in contempt for not being able to see rank tabs on an off duty officer.”

Duncan said absently, removing the hat and leaning back, holding it in one hand, in front of him, top open, picking absently at a thread on the inside of the brim, not looking at the Corporal after he’d made sure the man wasn’t going to try and kill him.

“As I said I would; I got the provision to put the Mage Corps back together… along with a promotion.” He continued to pick at threads, squinting at the hat idly, at ease, relaxed. “I have a few cycles to dedicate to this, then I need to leave for other matters and I doubt I’ll be returning here any time soon, although I don’t intend to resign my commission either, still, it means I need an executive officer.” Duncan glanced meaningfully at Agaenos. “And later a man to take over my position as Commander.”

He smiled thinly.

“Of course to promote you into such a position without even introducing you to those members of the Mage Corp who are still around is absurd, I know for a fact several former Lieutenant’s who were not at all pleased with my appointment as a Lieutenant and then as a Captain are still around. To put in bluntly they would be physical sick if I brought you from not only a Corporal’s rank but from outside the prime forces and without anything more than a meager magical knowledge in as a senior, ranking officer.”

Duncan leant over and put the hat on a bedpost, his eyes not leaving Agaenos’s face now. The man was of course wondering where this was going, especially after Duncan’s strong hints that the man could get a Mage Corp’s career not so long ago…he had every right to be utterly confused, Duncan just didn’t like rushing certain things.

“I am now a Commander, for the duration of that I of course have the right to give and take rank to those under my Command at will and seek to transfer those I wish to transfer…at will. Imperial Guard privileges give me rights not available to a city militia, because of this if I were to, say, transfer you to the Mage Corps with a provisional rank of either Corporal or Sergeant.”

The Commander was back against the wall now, arms folded.

“Before I dedicate to that though; tell me about your career in the Abestat military, what do you do and what have you been involved in?”

It might perhaps be surprising for Duncan to only now bother about Agaenos’s military career, then again the man had needed to be suitable in other ways before Duncan had even considered him, an apprentice; in a warped way, was what Duncan was seeking from the man and such a man needed the right temperament; skills and abilities could be taught and learned, an initial view of the world could not.

[Agaenos Phidion]

So it seemed, the Apprentice Elementalist had managed to get the rank of the officer in front of him completely wrong. Not a very glorious feat, he had to admit inwardly, although the there was one justification for him - Duncan was off-duty at the moment and had no rank tabs on him anyway. Still, closing the door behind him, his mind reprimanded the relatively young soul for such blatant mistake. Now was not quite the time for holding himself in contempt, however, even if the man in front of him did not.

Watching him picking rather casually at the loose thread on the brim of his head, he listened to him intently. Sure enough, he already knew that the Mystic had plans to put the Mage Corps back together. The details and intricacies of it, however, was still pretty much unknown to him, and he was rather eager (but he took care not to be too eager) to learn more. Standing just by the door, his back daring to lean just marginally against the wall, if just to ease off the weight of his body pressing upon his legs slightly.

"Ah, physically sick, hmm?"

His mind regarded that with a small tinge of amusement. A small part of him desired to imagine the scene of Lieutenants physically throwing up at some kind of news that would absolutely sicken them, although such thoughts were best left for later. For now, he knew that as a mere Corporal outside of Alleria Prime entering the Corps with only a scant amount of knowledge in the ways of Arcana would certainly be a very horrid joke to them. If the mere fact of Duncan's presence had been enough to put them in discontent, then the consequences of them having the knowledge that a relatively inept apprentice would be rather inappropriate to think about at this moment in time, if not unthinkable.

"My military career...?"

It came as somewhat of a surprise - he may have thought Duncan would have interested in his career at a slightly earlier time, but then, that assumption was proved wrong. There really was not much he could think of to say, although several events stood out in his mind. Bringing up his gaze, orbs of his soul's windows directed at the form of the Mystic, words of reminiscence flowing out.

"Well... I joined the military around Kalendryas, nine Eras after the Aetherfracture, and my first task was to put down some 'rebellion' of sorts by twenty female Vysstichi. We won... Kind of. The leader escaped through a portal, and our casualties were much heavier. I got promoted to Corporal for that... Not too long after, some of us went to the Carmena ruins to put down a group of Mystics... The Council of the Fallen, who had been causing mischief in Abestat, although that was before I have come into this city."

"Besides that," he added as a final remark, "I stand there and guard the gates now and catch the odd criminals on the streets."

Now that he his career biography of sorts had been spilled out of his mouth, it did not seem to sound as impressive as he had once thought for some reason...

[Duncan Sythe]

Duncan shrugged, there was no scorn there for the man’s limited accomplishments. For Duncan knew where a man of Agaenos’s mind would probably be led in due time and intended to use that by guiding that ‘due time’ to exactly where he had been more or less, granted not as harshly but harsh enough.

“Basic duties, but then everyone starts off at the bottom.”

The older man shrugged and smiled briefly, amusement, bt not directed at Agaenos, far from it, directed in fact at himself. Agaenos would do for now, Duncan suspected he could manage his problems with Sheng long enough to get the man the Commander spot when he had the ranks for it, he just had to find a caretaker for the duration of his time away before the man before him was ready.

“An acting Corporal for now then, but I would not move you in without the organization actually existing. That would be unfair, instead I will offer you the commission when it’s sensible.”

The mage inclined his head.

“Questions?”

He asked idly, his eyes on Agaenos none the less, the man might have asked questions before but now he could ask further ones or perhaps ones he had not considered suitable before, he’d let the man asked what he wished.