Around the words 4 - Neos' world

Karl gave him a soft smile. "You don't have to justify yourself all the time, you know. I understand."

Neos nodded excitedly. "I'll go alone for that, though. Are you ok to stay with the others a bit ?"

Maverick sighed, relaxing a bit. "Sorry. It's an habit of mine, I guess. ... along with saying sorry too many times", he added on a second thought.

Michela smiled broadly. "Not at all. It's not like you are leaving me alone with people I don't know. ... otherwise I'd be more worried for them than for myself."

"You shoudln't feel threatened here. We're all your friends, right ?" said Karl as he finally got out of bed, stretching yet again.

"Good." Neos pecked her lips, and smiled at her. "Go get dressed. We'll get breakfast afterwards."

And actually, both Michela and Maverick were pretty curious about breakfast, so they were both soon at the door, impatiently waiting for Neos to guide the group. In the meantime, Maverick was explaining himself to Karl... again. "It's not about being threatened, really. If anything, I think you are the person with whom I feel more at ease!" The people, he had meant to say the people. Aah, why did that have to be so awkward?

"... Me only ?" Asked Karl, rather perplex. "Why me in particular ?"

"Alright, let's go!" said Neos as he opened the door, and lead the way for anyone to the great dining hall of the mages, where a lot of people were actually gathered. There were also lots of tea pots floating around a serving people, as well as croissant trays following them. He gestured for his friends to sit at a table, and quickly grabbed whatever floating stuff they needed.

Maverick looked away, feeling embarrassed. "W-well, I wouldn't know. You just put me at ease. You don't make me feel like I am not at the same level as you, and stuff. Well, not that Michela or Neos do, but...", he shrugged. "I just feel this way." He stopped talking, mirroring the awed "Wow!" that Michela let out, seeing all that floating stuff. Michela whistled, looking at a teapot almost bumping against Maverick's head as they sat down. "Well, now I can say I saw yet anoter thing worthy to be seen!", she said.

"And you haven't seen the library," Neos told her with a wink, as he sat down by her side, offering her a croissant. "We have plenty of talented mages here. Actually, only a few are specialized in only one element, like I do."

Michela smiled, accepting the croissant and taking a bite of it. "So you can specialize in a lot of stuff? I thought it could have been simpler to just concentrate on one single thing. Back in my world, I knew a witch. She specialized in necromancy. Nasty stuff, that... but she was a pretty decent girl." She rambled a bit, happy to be in a place that didn't seem threatening.

Maverick served himself a croissant too, studying it carefully as if he was trying to figure out something.

Quite alarmed, Neos hushed her as fast as he could. "...Alright, let's make things clear. Do NOT speak of that kind of magic again, understood ? If someone were to hear you, we'd be in great trouble," he whispered.

Karl looked at Maverick, quite oblivious to the conversation happening beside them. "What's wrong ?"

Michela still had her mouth stuffed. "Why that? Do people here frown upon that kind of magic?", she asked, quite curious. She lowered her voice though. "I hope it is not because of stereotypes bullshit like 'that's evil'! Because then I highly doubt they would appreciate something like me being around."

"Ah, nothing, it's just... it has this... weird form..." Maverick held the croissant from one of the tips as if it was trying to bite him, between his thumb and index finger. "What's this called, anyway?" He smelled it.

Neos sighed, and took a deep breath. "Alright. I should have probably warned you about this. Since we are mages travelling through the worlds, and that we get confronted to different kinds of magic, we sort people using magic into three groups. The magicians are people like us, using the elements and objects. Then you have the trespassers, people who will use mind control abilities. Those are bad. Extremely bad. Controlling someone's body against their will, whether they are still alive or not, is the upmost form of lack of respect towards any individual." He frowned deeply.

Karl held back a soft laugh. "It's a pastry. Just bite in it, and see if you like it !"

Michela frowned. "Hey, I agree with you on that. I don't mean anything like that when I say necromancy. In my world, a necromancer is someone who talks with spirits, and asks for their help, with the utmost respect. Of course then you have the ones that force those spirits back into bodies and force them to fight for them. But you can misuse any kind of power, honestly, even a power like yours." She sighed. "But well, I won't talk about it anymore then. No need to cause a fuss over nothing."

Maverick carefully took a bite out of it. He chewed, then swallowed. "... ! It's sweet!" He munched the croissant happily, even taking another one.

Neos sighed. "Thanks. Just... Don't mention the word. And don't.... use the words 'sorcerer' or 'sorceress' here. It's important too."

Karl laughed kindly. "What were you expecting ?"

"Ok, ok", Michela said, waving and taking a sip from her cup of tea. "Then I guess I'll also have to avoid mentionning my 'condition'?", she asked with a sigh, abandoning the croissant.

"I don't know. I've never had anything like this", Maverick said, happily finishing his croissants in the matter of five seconds. "And what about you? Are you not eating?"

"No, that has nothing to do with it," Neos said with a soft smile, as if it was obvious. "Only a few creatures are proven truly threatening to mankind. Although vampires might kill, there are a lot of vampires among the worlds who are just like you."

Karl was a little startled at first, but took a croissant himself. "Ah, sorry. I often forget that I can actually eat, now," he said as he took a bite.

Michela chuckled. "I think there are a lot of people that would think the exact opposite. A creature that can leave me dried out and that can easily break my neck with a flick of a wrist? Let's bring out the torches and pitchforks!" She made a gesture with a fork, mimicking a stab.

Maverick laughed kindly. "I guess you have to make an habit of a lot of things, don't you? Don't worry! I'll remind you to eat when you need to, if you need." He smiled, drinking his tea.

Neos held back a chuckle. "Trust me. There's worse." He kissed her on the cheek, before he drank a bit of his coffee.

"Thank you," Karl told him with a smile. And since his movement reminded him that he needed to drink too, he imitated his friend.

Michela smiled to him. She finished her tea and put the cup down with a satisfied sigh. "So, are there other things I should be careful about though? People I should keep away from? I am quite a handful, but I'd prefer to be ready in case I say the wrong word to the wrong person."

Maverick put down his cup. He fidgeted a bit. "I hadn't actually been in a room this crowded since a while... but it feels kind of nice." He smiled looking at Karl.

"Nah, it should be okay now." Neos said with a smile. "You'll be free to wander around the gardens while I talk to my master, if you feel like it."

Karl nodded. "Yes. I kind of like it here. Even if gets a bit... hard to listen to each other," he admitted.

"Eeh I don't think it is a good idea, given that the weather is... bad." Michela looked with distaste at the sunny sky, well visible from the windows. "I think I will stroll inside a bit. I still have no hat, after all", she mused.

Maverick nodded. "Yes, that's true..." He heard Neos speaking about the gardens and he clapped his hands. "Oh, that sounds nice! Were you planning something after breakfast, Karl? I would like to take a walk in the garden! Since Michela just said she can't come, I was hoping thay maybe, if you want to... stick with me, I would be glad", he added with a bashful smile.

"I'm sorry," Neos told her in a soft voice. "We'll get you another hat or umbrella soon, ok?" He smiled at her as he took her hand in his. He did feel way less stressed in this world.

"Well, sure, if Michela doesn't mind staying alone, of course. I wouldn't want her to feel abandonned or something like that !" Karl told him with a beaming smile. He sure loved being outside.

Michela grinned at him, gently squeezing his hand. "Don't worry, it's okay. I do prefer night time, after all. And I can use this time to...", she sighed, "... practice on something, I guess. i kind of need that, honestly." She looked at Karl and Maverick. "Don't worry, I won't die of solitude! You guys go and have fun under the ugh sun."

Maverick snorted at her forced disgusted sound, then smiled at Karl. "Great then, we'll have a good walk! I'm curious to see how is nature around here."

"Thank you, Michela," Karl told her with a kind smile.

"Just don't go too far away," Neos warned them. "It's better if you remain close to the castle." He then looked at Michela, with a concerned look. "What do you need to practice ?"

"Well, we will not get further than the garden then. Why though? The surroundings are dangerous or something?", Maverick inquired with a worried frown.

Michela smiled. "Oh, shapeshifting, stuff like that", she said with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry. I assure you it is nothing dangerous. And if you want, I can close myself in the bathroom, so no one will see me", she half-joked.

"It's ok, you can do that here," Neos told her, apparently relieved. Then he looked at Maverick. "Nothing ... dangerous, per say. But the knights tend to train in the forest around us, so you'd better not get caught off guard there."