History was to repeat itself when it came to the Devorak siblings, since julius was started visiting the docks. Just he would be using his newly gone skill in card reading to tell the fortunes of sailors and docks hands. Not that his sister didn't earn a pretty penny when she used Asra's deck to do a many tarot reading for them. Gain her a following and quite a reputation among them before she left to be trained as a nurse. Seemed to now re- focus on her brother when he came within the wee hours of the morning to visit the docks. Sometimes he would take as seat on the one of the poles and look out toward the water's edge. Hands in his pocket the whole time he stood there and watched fog begin to clear with rise of the son. Other times he came in the company of Kipling and just stood at the beginning of the dock. Just looked out over the water without a single word being exchanged between them and whoever bothered them.
When the two got bored of waiting around or when Jewel wanted to started saving a few extra coins for the Masquerade. Kipling ended up putting his natural skill with a sword to work for Nadia by giving fencing lessons to new soldiers. He was given a steady income that he started to put away in jar hidden under one of the floor boards. Got a few extra added from julius when he started doing a form of card reading that had a 50- 50 chance. All he's pull a random card from his pocket when a sailor or dock hand walked up to him with a fortune related question. Results was never the same and always left him with same payment method that his sister would accept. Which left him to feel he wasn't making much of a difference since he was waiting for a boat to show up.
"You kinda doing what your sister did." Kipling told him once.
"What can a I do when he misses her.." julius held up a letter. "These aren't enough sometimes."
"At least you guys are keeping in touch with each other." Kipling took the letter.
He unfolded the piece of paper to read the latest new his sister had to inform him on her education and training. Others that were there to learn and train beside her didn't really get along with her or saw her as a strange thing. Making friends with them a lot harder for her since there was nobody she knew here and made her feel out of place. Didn't stop her from finishing as quickly as she could return home to her family and home. Not that she hadn't caught the eye of a young noble men from a foreign land when she is studying in library. The guy wouldn't take no or leave her alone as an answer when she repeated rejected his advances toward her.
"She seems as informative as ever." Kipling was somewhat glad. "I hope this noble knows she taken."
"I have confidence in her to tell him off." julius knew his sister. "She'll get to carry away."
"She is the daughter of the famed doctor of Vesuvia." Kipling wiggled his eyebrows around.
Two would privately smiled at their inside joke about Julian and the reputation people outside of Vesuvia know him by. Had them remember how early they the shop that morning and miss a breakfast made by Jewel. Around they would turn to spot a some guy with nothing more then a made-shift grill and basket of food. Two Grilled chicken Kabobs with Chicken Shawarma stuffed inside two pieces of warmed pita bread. Were handed to them in a piece of newsprint from the other day that two would share when the paid the vendor. Returning to where they were standing with Kipling pocketing the Juliana's latest letter in between his bites.
"I was thinking of adopting orphans from Nevivon, if we don't decide on using the ritual." Kipling adjusted the collar of his cloak.
"You don't think a abdominal incision is good enough for you? julius joked.
"More like a fear in a horizontal side-to-side cut in my lower abdomen." Kipling sighed.
"I could always carry or you can always do the deed with my sister." julius spoke with full mouth.
Kipling would blankly stare at him ad he grew quiet about the suggestion julius made about him EVEN sleeping with Juliana. In no way did he find her attractive in that kind of way or would he betray Narseh by bedding her.
"What?" julius could feel Kipling burning holes in him.
"I would like to keep my heart." Kipling mumbled at him.
"I told you, he is nothing like his dad." julius warned him.
Kipling was the one that pointed out the physical traits that Narseh genetically inherited from his father. Being his color of his hair and features of his body/ face were one of the handful compared to his natural abilities. He Way he got along with animals, could ride a horse and even wield a sword were almost simular.
"He isn't a vain and volatile." Kipling listed traits that Narseh didn't have.
"He could be." julius saw error of his statement. "He's going to kill me and torment you."
"Why don't we tell him about the noble bothering her?" Kipling offered.
julius just stood there smiling between bites of food he shared with Kipling at the mage of Narseh facing another noble. One who had eyes set on his fiance while she was trying to become a nurse and not his bride like other girls. Become a image of blood and body parts that left him to start chewing slowly when sword stained red, appeared. Went on to be noticed by Kipling when he finished up his chicken Kabob since stick stuck out of his mouth.
"How long you want to stay here?" Kipling would come to ask."Until fog clears up or first ship of the day shows up."
He got a shrug since they usually as soon as the sun rises or when they had a small sack of coins to take home. Where they would fall into their daily routines for the day with one heading up stairs to help his dad, other heading to the Palace. Jewel the whole time wondered where the coin purse full of coins came from. Sometimes, she got handed the extra few coins they made upon greeting them upon their return. Others they would put the coins in Kipling's hidden jar when Jewel couldn't be found within the shop.
"Lets get a few readings in." julius wasn't ready to go home. "Then we can head home."
"Avoiding your parents?" Kipling asked.
"More like not wanting to be around them." He pointed out. " We're getting that close to the Masquerade."
Kipling become quiet when he started counting down from small get a way that he been in Vesuvia until he came to julius' answer. Had him sighing in personal admittance he did kinda have a homesickness for his back place in a way. Not that he wasn't happy where he was after dreaming about being here that his mother's stories formed from her memories. One he never once forgotten when he now was standing on the same docks she and her family once stood on. Looking at the rolling clouds of ice crystals suspended in the air above the surface of the water.
"Coin for your thoughts?" A question pulled Kipling form his thought process.
"Thinking of home." He whispered.
"You did send a invite to them?" julius asked.
Kipling would end up blankly staring forward over his shoulder not wanting to answer his question about his father. Held his youngest son at a distanced since his mother's death since her passing into the afterlife.
"Lets change the subject." Kipling pulled away from him.
"I say we go through with the ritual." julius' statement stopped him. "I'll want to carry the kid, I can possibly track what happens to me."
"Your making our future children sound like experiments." Kipling stared at him.
He got the stick handing from his lips snatched from his lips by gloves fingers before mumbling followed about him. How out of the two of them, Kipling wasn't as magically talented nor was he one to seat down for long amounts of time.
"Fine and you already know I want of each." Kipling waved his fingers around.
"Yea." julius sighed.
Their conversation came o an end when usual crowd of people familiar with his sister ended up with request for a reading. Kipling was the one that took their money while julius was the one that did reading using cards from his pocket.
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Narseh's return to Vesuvia was at night and straight to the Palace through the back end of the Palace through the large garden. Any guards on duty would end up saluting him when he passed them instead of halting him. He just waved at them with one hand while still walking not wantings to stop in his tracks and fill them in. Since he wanted to get to his room after the last few months spent in the company of a women he knew as his grandma. Women blew him off for the first few days of meeting him with no belief he was from her son. Despite him clearly having his except hair color and other psychical features when she looked him over. Left him to camp out in the woods and befriend a recovering albino eagle owl one night when he was night fishing. Two soon become close enough in those days to haunt as a duo before catching pale-skinned woman with platinum blonde hair. From there he would leave an impression on her with each passing day. She made him work hard during the simplest of tasks without letting him rest or even say anything to her.
Allowing his to return him with albino eagle owl on his shoulder after giving her blessing in the form of a tribal sword. Sending him off with a snared remark about life he was going to make for himself once he returned home. Still put a smile on his face when he walked through the grand halls toward his private chambers in hurried matter. Brimming with excitement on who he would tell first about the experience he been in. Turning corners and speeding down corridors just to breath in the perfumed air that filled his room.
"How I am going to explain Lood. " He spoke about the albino eagle owl.
He tried multiply times to release that albino eagle owl back into the wild when he travel day and night through the forest. Just have the bird return to him whenever he took a moment to rest his weary legs or eat.
"Mother is just going to compare to...him..." He sighed.
He knew he already had his two Salukis and currently caring for Juliana's Atlas moth while she was away. By adding one more this growing collection was going to get him labeled a miniature clone of his biological father. Left him a sigh when he caught his breath with a smile returning to his face at the thought of his sister. He figured she and youngest courtier got over their insecurities to started a relationship with the other. Would go on his mental list he's put side with the dim light of lanterns hanging over his head. Didn't do much to keep him warm since the chilly night air was getting to his achy form of worn muscles. He ended up ending adjusting his the collar of his tattered cloak to wrap further around his body. Kept little body heat he had left circulating through his form with the on going steps he continued to take.
Becoming quiet when a passing wind remind him how close he was getting and had him clenching his collar close. His ended up shivering out from the cold was a reminder to him that he was glad he came back before winter. Still being out there when the first snow fall had him picking up his pace when he whispers how thankful he was. Slightly warmness of his home gave the iciness of the forest still on him from his short time away from everyone. What he further welcomed when he closed his eyes to remember silk pillows large enough to sit on. Imported carpet laid underneath a large bed frame that held like sleeping on a cloud once laid upon. Soon be walked into when he dropped the only bag in his possession and whistled for Lood to come flying in. He made sure to kick off his boots and cloak onto a near by chair before she started to undo his fasteners to his clothes.
"Quick bath and some sleep." He found himself yawning.
Taking in the sensations of his own room was enough of a relief to him to the point he flexed his tired framed. Allowing last stitch to clothing to pool around the bottoms of the his feet when he stood nude and proud. Taking in a breath before he ran his fingers through matted and unwashed tresses of his long hair. Soon ended when he grabbed a kimono type robe made of a sheer fabric and sash he pulled on for minor cover. Making his way to the bathing chamber for a much needed wash with the usual view of the city. He would make his way toward the shelf that held bottles of bath salts and creams for washing one self. He pulled ones that held a blue piece of ribbon tied around the neck of the jar as a bow. Used after he sheds the robe he wore and stepped into the huge pool for a quick rinse of his person. Before ended up lathing up and covering himself from head to toes in suds before he dunk himself under the water.
To resurface and seat off to the side, where he would take hold of hair comb he had set aside with his discarded robe. Start to brush through his hair until each knot was untangled from the repeated movement with his hand. Until he loosen his hair enough to trade the comb for a bottle of hair wash he would use. Completely lathering up his hair when he dove backwards into the water to rinse out the soap suds. He swan around a few times before giving int weariness just seeping out of every pore of his body. Until he ended up just floating around in place with his eyes slowly closing and the light of the moon on him.
"That enough." He knew he had enough.
Out he went with water castrating down muscles that had been tested by grueling months of intense hiking and tracking. Not once was he given a chance to rest when asked to be last member of a haunting party. Put a smile back on his face when he walked over to his robe to pull on as the air dried him off. Scooping up the bottles and comb to return to the shelf before leaving to return to his room to recollect his thoughts.
"Hmmmm..." He felt cleaner and refreshed.
Once back into his room, he hang his robe onto a back of same chair to stand once more nude in middle of his room. Where he would stay for a few minutes until he made his way to his wore robe and pulled out some pants. A pair he always wore when sleeps with loose leggings and drawstring waist for comfort. He came to put on once he sat upon his bed and allowed him to recline fully onto the mattress with some modesty.
"Glad to to be back." He yawned.
He could feel his eyes drooping when he pulled his feet onto the bed to take on a full laying down position. Allowing sleep to take over when he feel himself giving into heaviness felt deep within his bones. Leaving him to ended up fall into a deep sleep until the wee hours of the morning when his sister wondered into his room. She was informed by a few guards about her brother's return when they were changing shift. To his room she went with his Salukis following by her side and found him sound asleep. Had her ordering fresh clothes to be set out for him after collecting his soiled one and what remain of his cloak. Servants would fall through with her order as she sat on her brother's bed to brush his hair aside. While his dogs would end up joining him on his own bed by taking up either side to lay down. Curling up on each side of him as what she requested was brought to her under the allowed time.
"Welcome back.." She whispered.
She left her brother alone with his boots cleaned, a new cloak, set of clean clothes on the chair waiting for him. Patting each one of her brother's Salukis in a gentle matter without disturbing her brother. Greeting the albino eagle owl perched on the ledge of the terrence outside her brother's room, in passing. Already planning to introduce her mother's owl to this one with hopes chicks would be born of the union.