Jaek

Jaekel ran into Talon when he was heading back inside. The young male smiled when he saw Jaekel, beaming brightly. He stepped over, "There you are!"

 "Were you looking for me Talon?"

 "Sylvanus. You can call me by my name if you would like."

 "You don't mind?" Jaekel winced a bit at the memory of their first meeting.

 "Nah, you're my friend now, and I…trust you. So, call me by name." He grinned. "Anyway, I was looking for you because we should probably decide what to do next. I already finished what I came here for – so…"

 "Let's set off again tomorrow. I think Rune needs the rest of the day."

 "Did she tell her?"

 "So you did know?"

 "A red head from Carendlus? I put it together. I did know the basic story." He paused. "It was one of the reasons I did agree to help you guys."

 "I see." Jaekel sighed. "I keep getting the feeling you are holding out on information."

 "Ah…" Sylvanus frowned, a troubled look on his face. "Well… there are some things… that are not easy for me to talk about… it has nothing to do with trust. I just…"

 "It's painful?" He guessed.

 "Yes. Very. I do not wish to end up like my father. Or for my sister to end up like our aunt."

 "I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that."

 "Basically…I'm completely and utterly personally invested in your quest." He chuckled. "I think at the end of it everything will be restored to how it should be."

 Jaekel decided to ask something that he was pretty sure on, but wanted to confirm. "Sylvanus… you're from the old line of the Protectors, right?"

 "Yes. A fact that has only caused my family pain for many generations." He sighed. "Our… abilities are directly tied to our duties. Not being able to perform them properly eats at us."

 "I see." Jaekel frowned at that. "And I take it, coming here has to do with that?"

 "Again, you are correct. In order to fully take on our duties, we must meet some… conditions. The test was one of them."

 "I think I'm understanding." He frowned a bit, then asked, "And you want to restore the Old Kingdom?"

 "It's… been long awaited. My sister is trying to… make sure there are some ready for when it does come about."

 "Well, thanks for being forthcoming."

 "I'm not trying to withhold information." The other male sighed. "I just… well, some days I barely can keep my thoughts straight. And its hard to have a good conversation with someone with some… of my mental problems."

 "You really are feeling better today, huh?"

 "Yep." He sighed. "Burning curiosity is much easier to handle – The worst I'll do today is ask too many questions."

 "Like Rune." Jaekel chuckled.

 "I think it's a nice trait. Though it can be hard to know when to back off."

 "I like hearing her spout questions and seeing her try to figure out answers." Jaekel smiled, thinking of his best friend. "It's so normal it's become relaxing."

 They walked inside together, Jaekel wondering where his best friend was. Talking about her made him miss her. Suddenly Sylvanus spoke up again. "I think its about dinner time. I'm famished."

 "Rena isn't a bad cook."

 "Much better than I am. Only thing I can manage is hunter's stew." He laughed softly. "I wish I could cook more dishes… I do like food."

 "Niliah is a good cook as well."

 "I know! Nils' cooking has become my favorite! Well, some dishes I do like how sis makes them better! But overall…"

 "Maybe you should ask her to teach you how to cook?"

 "…She did teach me how to cook a steak… but I have no feel for the spices that would make it taste even better."

 "Your attempts at cooking are bland?"

 "Yeah. I could probably keep from burning things. But… the flavor wouldn't be right. It took me a while to learn how to make stew as well. Father had to teach me over and over again…" He fell quiet then murmured. "I'm glad he did. Those are actually some of my fondest memories from his last few years. He wanted to make sure I could make at least one dish if I wasn't with Mem. And… it was a good one for learning to make on the road."

 Jaekel was not entirely sure how to respond to the sudden emotional statement, though it was said fairly quietly there was a hint of raw emotion that made Sylvanus' voice tremble. So he merely patted his shoulder and walked quietly.

 Rena was, in fact, already getting food on the table when they came in. She smiled at them and bid them sit as she served them. Jaekel's eyes though were drawn to his best friend coming in. She sat down beside of him, throwing a light smile at him.

 He smiled back, just glad she seemed in a better mood now. He wandered what she was thinking though. Was she still feeling troubled over her new found grandparents? Well, he was sure she would tell him if she was having difficulty.