Azeal Neralum

Ch 13 - OORAH!!!

'What did I get myself into...?'

Thought Azeal as he was led away by Roland and Harold. He could not fathom how different the customs and traditions are compared to his world...

'Well when I put it like that, then I guess it does make sense. I ... I was just not ready for it.'

As they walked, Harold put his hand on Azeal's shoulder and said,

"This is a great honor for me and my house to have you as an ally. In your time of need, we will be there for you, and we hope you will be there for us in our time as well."

With a beaming smile, he gestured forward towards an enormous pavilion.

"Yes, it is an honor. Hopefully, we won't have to ever deal with a darkest hour..." Replied Azeal nervously,

"We can only dream, Azeal. We can only dream... Now on to a more important topic", Having entered the pavilion he noticed that it was filled with maps and parchments of various distinctions. Looking around the messy interior, a table with snacks and three chairs surrounding it caught his attention. Unlike the rest of the room, where everything was clustered together, the table seemed like an island in the midst of an ocean of paper and furniture. As if an invisible barrier kept everything a good distance away from it.

As Azeal walked towards this eccentric scene, he worried he would have to kneel on the ground due to his size in comparison to the small chairs. Yet, the closer he got, the more he noticed a massive and opulent chair behind the clutter of things.

'I wonder how they got a chair my size so quickly?'

Rubbing a hand on the chair, he felt how smooth the hard wood felt under his large hands. Tracing the swirls carved into the chair, he lost himself in how long it would take to create something so intricate.

"I see you enjoy such luxury; we used a few logs of Mahgol wood from the border of the Forest Elves of Retuali to create such a beauty."

Commented Roland, mistaking his intrigue in the chair for a sense of fashion rather than how it was made.

"Ah Yes, it is indeed quite something" Not knowing what to say Azeal choose to speak as neutrally as possible. He had a rule of thumb he tended to follow when he was caught daydreaming. One was to try to sound intelligent. The Second was to be as neutral as possible, lest he causes an unintended issue. In this situation, he learned anything he says or does has a significant impact, so he was determined to find out a bit more of this world, so he doesn't make another major mistake.

Azeal did not know who these people truly were; for all he knew, they could be rebels on the run lying to him the entire time. Or they could be a well-respected group that will make his entire life easier.

"Azeal," Called out Harold breaking him out of his reverie. As he looked towards him, he noticed Harold's solemn face. Straightening his back, he knew something important was going to be said, so he prepared to make this conversation go on as long as possible to learn more about their customs.

"We have taken it upon us to help you; I do not know who you escaped from or where, but the fact remains that you are a Raug..."

Unable to stop himself, Azeal blurted out, "How does my race affect how others perceive me? Should they not judge me by the content of my heart rather than the color of my skin or ... or how different I look?", falling into his modern sensibility.

Calmly Roland spoke with mirth,

"Of course, in an ideal world, you will be judged by your actions and your intentions, but this is not one. You will be seen as a political tool, to be used until you are worthless and then discarded. Or you will face fear from those who do not understand you. It is the way things are done in the Seven Duchies. Don't get me wrong, there are many pure-hearted people in power, but they are the vast minority."