krim

Trouble grabbing things? He sighed and made a mental note to at least try working on the gloves as soon as he could, despite her protests. She was functionally crippling herself even if she didn't realize it. Though her next question surprised him "A vampire?" he asked, amused. Even for her, that was a new one. "If I was one of those, don't you think I would've shown my fangs by now? Or at least tried some acrobatics?" He knew even less about vampires than he did about the undead, but that sounded right. "No, I haven't really gained anything from - " he cut off as Rhian and Ceridwen started screaming at one another over some slight. Very loudly. He muttered a quiet "...great." before returning his attention to Naomi and giving her a look that clearly said not to get involved. They were going to draw every dragon knight in the fortress to them if they kept it up, and he'd rather not be associated with them if it came to that.

Fallon resisted the urge to grimace when he saw her hands. He had known about that, of course, but he had thought it stopped burning her once she learned to control it. "It doesn't hurt, does it?" he asked, concerned. She never showed any indication that it did, but it was best to be sure. He was still looking at the burn scars when a thought hit him. "Regardless, it looks pretty bad. Do you remember what I said earlier about the gloves at Scarleticia? They were magically reinforced. I wonder if it's possible to design something similar that would channel it through the gloves instead....?" he shook his head, bringing his attention back to her. "I'll have to look into that later. In any case, we all have different things that keep us going. If your power is yours, there's no reason to let it torment you. As long as you can control it, nobody has reason to be scared. And if they are, they probably weren't going to be a good friend anyway. How could they be if they aren't willing to give you a chance?"

A surge of happiness ran through Fallon at her praise. He couldn't even remember the last time someone believed in him like that. Well, he could. But he didn't want to. Marsilia and Caim had tried to help, sure, but it didn't seem like they truly understood how important this was to him. And the greybeard was just his teacher, who had left him to his own research. He watched her demonstration with a smile on his face. Though that changed to a more curious expression soon after. "Ah, the barriers. I knew you used some kind of energy for your magic when it hurt you early on, but the tomes not being used as the conduit is....strange. It's possible of course, with a lot of training. But compared to anyone Ive heard of, you didn't really have that. Hmm...what do you do to build up the reserves of magic again? Just wait or...?" he asked, deliberately ignoring her point about her family. What parts of that he knew about told him to never press the issue.

"You aren't exactly wrong. I had originally intended it to only be used for combat, but I've realized that there are all kinds of things that could be made with focused magic. Back in the library, there were fortified gloves that prevented things from getting dirty or falling apart. Healing staves are also magical, and amplifying them in specific ways could treat things we currently can't. Things like that should be doable....I think." he said, and shook his head at her acknowledgment of the undead. Of course, she wouldn't believe in them either. "Like I said, most people don't believe that things like that are possible, but there are....strange occurrences in this world that wouldn't make sense otherwise. I've never seen one before, but I have a feeling..." he trailed off. He remembered how Caim had looked when he spoke of them....and with memories of the incident, it made sense to him. They were real. He just barely knew anything about them. "Well, that's not important. Is it only order magic that you have trouble controlling?" he asked curiously. Despite all their time together, he actually wasn't sure if she had ever tried anything else. "Chaos is...difficult sometimes." he said, thinking of the whispers that had thankfully not shown themselves since leaving Scarleticia "But it generally does what I want, so long as it's something I've learned."

Fallon smiled for the second time that week. He didn't think he was the best at giving advice, but she seemed happier and back to normal. Though he did raise an eyebrow in surprise when she asked about his research. "It's going better than it has been. The librarian at Scarleticia gave me a tip-off. Does the name Sierra Andon sound familiar to you at all?" he asked. He doubted it would, but it was all he had to go on at the moment. " Apparently she's the only one that's ever tried things close to what I've been looking at." then, dropping his voice to a whisper, he added "Going off of something he said when I had first asked him, I think the undead might be involved. But it's rare to find someone here who even thinks they're real, let alone has actual knowledge about them."

"I have a feeling we'll see Hati again. People with armor like that don't walk around without a purpose. And the fox..." he trailed off. He hadn't actually left with Hati, only in the aftermath of the battle. "He seemed to like you. Which means you got to know him at least a little bit, right? I'm sure he'll remember you." Sighing, he sat down next to her as the conversation got heavier. "I don't think anyone here hates you. If that were the case, Johanna could've had you removed for being problematic." chewing on that for a second he thought about how to relate it to his own experiences. "And if they do, so what? You're you. You don't have to change yourself to fit what other people think you should be. I'm not exactly the perfect model of a scholar, am I?" he tapped a finger to his eyepatch as he said it. " Sometimes people just....have trouble relating to what they don't understand. And the only way to fix that is to teach them. Just like with chaos magic." "You know I can't go back, Naomi. I only went to Foen in the first place so I could come back here and...fulfill a purpose. As much as I enjoyed living there with you and the greybeard, I'd never be able to return without regretting it for the rest of my life. At least not until I finish my research and do what needs to be done." Letting silence stretch between them for a while, he added. "If... you truly despise it here, I could have someone arrange your discharge. You're only here because of me...and I don't want you to waste your life drowning in hate." He knew a little too well what that could do to a person.

Fallon stood with his back against one of the walls that made up the stronghold. He seemed lost in thought, but really he was focusing on making sure no one could pick him out. He didn't think anyone would realize who he was with how much he had changed. but this was absolutely the worst place he could have ended up, battle aftermath or not. Memories were welling up inside him and it was getting harder and harder to push them away. He looked down in surprise when Naomi tugged at his sleeve. With anyone else, he would've been annoyed, but she was always good at sneaking up on him like that. "Yes, it has. I'm afraid I haven't been a very good friend recently, have I?" he said. In truth, he had done almost nothing but research over the last few weeks and had never so much as considered how she must have felt about it until the ride to the stronghold. The familiar feel of the wind on his face and the success of his confrontation with Johanna had served as reminders that sometimes there were more important things than his goals. Shaking his head briefly, he continued. "I'm sorry about that. How was your time at Scarleticia? Everyone seemed to go in different directions once the battle ended."

Fallon only glanced towards Idriss momentarily as he started growling. He knew the dragon wouldn't hurt him but...maybe he was right to be wary with all that's happened recently. "I...." he stuttered. What she asked was not at all what he expected. They were alone, weren't they? Why wasn't she angrier? "I...could be better....but I'm alive. And that's what matters." then he dropped his tone to almost a whisper "I don't know what all he's told you but...there's a lot we need to talk about. Not now though. The meeting is more important...and I'd rather it be somewhere private." he said, his heart beating wildly. He had put this off since he had first seen her again, always making excuses so he wouldn't have to face her. But the exchanges in the library, and now her concern, had changed something in him. He just still wasn't sure how she would take it.

"Everything's changed since I was here last. There's probably more I don't know about this place than I'd like to admit. Better to ask now than when it bites me later." he said grimly. Because with his luck, it would. "As long as she's more stable than Millich, I think we'll get along fine. Thanks again." As he made his way back to where he had left the rest of the guard, his thoughts railed against his mind. Why would someone do this? Millich was crazy, but it was clear now that this was much more than one man with a superiority complex. And if he really was working alone, why hadn't they received any word from the rest of Caliss? When he got to the door, he rubbed his temples briefly to clear his mind, both of the irritating whispers and his own thoughts. Then he stepped inside. "Joha-...Captain Johanna, I think you need to hear this. I've talked with some of the residents. Apparently Millich had boasted about drawing away the guard with those escaped prisoners from before, in order to make it easier to attack the knights' stronghold. From the way they said it I...don't think he was working alone. And there had to be some correspondence with whoever let them loose. Do you know what's happening out there? The silence from greater Caliss after a major event like this...it's not normal. And I have a bad feeling about it."

A bit disappointed but understanding, Fallon nodded. "It was odd how quickly this happened after we subdued them. I wonder....?" he trailed off. Johanna wouldn't do this intentionally. But who was above her? Joshua? Thinking about him brought the voices back. It wouldn't be out of character....but allowing a force to attack the knights as a whole? It didn't make sense either. He didn't know enough about the Calissean military structure when it came to the guard to even begin thinking about that. "Thank you. I'm going to have to bring this to the commander. Though I'm not sure how well she'll take it." he made to leave, but turned back around before passing the doorframe "Before I do, though, what was your sister's name? I have a feeling we'll be meeting her one day if she knows about all this ."

Fallon smiled at the touch on Caim. He had gotten the same feeling, though wasn't surprised when he didn't get a response about it during their conversation. It seemed like the war had taken a heavy toll on him and he hadn't wanted to press too hard. The information she gave on Matthias fit in with what Caim had told him, but one part still bothered him. "And which would I be closer to, do you think? A knight or an oddity?" he said lightheartedly. Another question he wasn't sure of himself. " I did have one other question about the story. What happened to the other son, Klaus? Caim implied there was something important there but said it would be better to ask you."

Realizing he was backed into a corner, Fallon sighed. "What...exactly do you want to know? I'm afraid there isn't much to say other than what I've told you. I was born here, in Caliss, and later went to Foen to study when I heard the war was brewing. Like I told you before, I'm not terribly fond of battle, even if I am good at it." The whispering voices he had quieted before entering the library briefly returned at this, but he shook his head and kept speaking to tune them out. "I came back at the end and helped clear some bandits and the like to hone my combat abilities, since I had to learn those somehow....,but I wouldn't call that important. My search for others experienced in chaos magic led me to the guard and....now I'm here." he said. It was thorough enough and almost entirely true. "My studies currently revolve around the Druidic branch of chaos magic, which involves targetting specific things and breaking them down. The current techniques can only break down general objects, weapons mostly, but I think we can hone and intensify it to use it for other purposes. It's just that Druidic is often looked down upon among students, and even in Foen there is little information that could help me do that. So, like I said, Ive been traveling. Finding places like this. And people with connections to chaos magic, like the old general and Caim. The latter even gave me a lead!" his voice rose in excitement at the last statement. He wouldn't admit it but he did actually find the prospect exciting. It had been so long since he knew what - or who- to look for. The guard was more a lucky break than anything. Calming himself, he cocked his head quizzically. He told her more than he had anyone for a long time, and now he was really curious about that story.

Marsilia's question gave Fallon a few moments pause. Who...am I? Now that is a question, isn't it? Truthfully, he hadn't given it much thought. Not since the incident. He had always known who he was before then, but now....? His head throbbed with things he had tried to forget. Was he truly the earnest scholar he wanted to be now? The hardened veteran his face betrayed him as? No, he knew there was something more there. Deeper. And when he faced it head-on, he didn't particularly like it. Taking a deep breath and shelving those thoughts for later, he responded. "I am a scholar, as I said. Though storming a castle with a bunch of knights would make me odder than my fields of study, I would think." he said, hoping it would come out like a joke, but it sounded humorless to him. "If you must know, I was educated in Foen in the art of chaos magic, and have been traveling to study it. That's why I'm with the Guard. It has a way, of....finding people. And the knowledge they keep. Though whether or not that's a good thing depends on who you ask." It was true, for the most part. The Guard had led him to a lot of discoveries....and people. As much as he'd put off talking to them. "As for your family history, it relates to my studies. Chaos magic has attained a...bad name here, while I was gone. And it seems like Matthias was directly involved. I initially only found that letter, but it coming from a Flux tome held by a man with no magical abilities had me curious enough to ask about it." he stopped to clear his head for a second before returning his attention to the conversation; it was getting harder to focus as questions of his own existence slowly crept back in. "..I just want to know what happened with the magic, assuming it had a part in all this. Maybe we can prevent it from happening again without the masses demonizing it entirely."

Fallon listened to the story, but the only responses he gave while it was going on were brief nods. He really had missed a lot while in Foen. Word of the war did get there, of course, but...the newcomers weren't exactly the most reliable sources. Chaos magic having a bad name here was something he thought of more as cultural differences than the result of one person, but he supposed it checked out. A power few understood left in the hands of a man gone mad like Matthias....well, it made sense that people would fear it. Though that made him think. A hunger for power - willing to brutally kill for it at any cost - he knew someone like that. Too well. But that had nothing to do with chaos magic, as far as he knew. He rubbed his temples as the red-haired sneering face flashed in front of him, until it disappeared again. No, that wasn't chaos magic. Just a man without morals that had somehow attracted a cultlike following. Taking back the letter from Caim and tucking it into his robes with the other one that was just written, he walked over to the stacks once more. "I believe I will. Thank you again, Caim. You're a true scholar, despite first impressions." and then he smiled. It felt strange after so long, but -just for that moment- it felt like he was back in the middle years of his time spent in Foen, studying under the greybeard with Naomi. He never forgot what happened then, but it was the best distraction he could have asked for. Making his way back to the front of the library, he kept his eye out for anything strange. Caim had said something about a gem, hadn't he? When he got there, he cleared his throat and got out the letter again. Best to be direct about this. he thought. It seemed a touchy subject, and that had worked well for him before. "Marsilia? There's something else I want to ask about. Caim wasn't able to explain the ending. The Windamiers...he told me about their history with ancient magic, and part of what happened with Matthias. It came up because of this letter. You can read it, if you'd like." he said, holding it out to her. "What exactly happened to Klaus?"

Fallon looked on wordlessly as Caim rambled. He still didn't understand what any of this had to do with the undead, but if this Sierra person could help him, it was worth a shot. Though something he had said in the middle echoed back to him. Studied the ancient magic branch before what was probably the war....wasn't that like...? he thought as he rustled around his robes until he eventually pulling out the letter he found in Kiba Windamier's Flux tome. ""For many years, you've asked me to support your studies in magic, and I was unsure. I suppose I was always worried that a second Matthias would find his way into our family. I hope this tome is enough as an apology. I have known no better son."" "Thank you Caim. This breakthrough could mean a lot for....my studies." he said, extending his hand to let him see the letter "But there was one more thing that came to mind before I go off to the stacks.. You said that you practiced Ancient magic a....time ago, correct? Would you happen to know anything about the Windameir family and their relationship, with it? I came across this in an ancient magic tome that the old general had when we....well thats not important. " he cut off. Best not to get into other generals when he had reacted so strongly to Millich. "More specifically, who was this Matthias person? What happened to him? And why was the general carrying this when his son would have been miles away?"

As they spoke, Fallon saw Caim change for the second time that night. He'd gone from the angry defeatist, to the enthusiastic scholar, and now to...this. He wasn't sure what it meant, but it was certainly strange. By normal standards anyways. As he looked down to the floor, he mumbled something that Fallon didn't quite hear - and then asked a question that caught Fallon off guard. The undead? His eye narrowed. They...weren't a topic just known by any scholar. Even in Foen, discussions had been hushed and infrequent. He hadn't even seen one himself to prove their existence, though somehow he knew they had to be real. He mulled it over for a bit before responding. What little he knew about them wouldn't be something to speak of lightly, even if he had never seen one. Caim probably knew that. But it seemed important to him. "A bit." he said, choosing his words carefully. "Not much is taught of them, even in Foen." Thinking a bit more, he continued. "Listen, Caim. I think....we both know you're more than you let on. Two people with that type of knowledge, meeting here, in Caliss? Where rumors of them are even less than rumors? The odds are practically one in a million." It certainly wasn't something he expected to be asked, at least. " What....exactly do you want to know? I doubt I'd know any more than you do." he said, hoping it was the right answer.

"A specialist?" Fallon asked, raising an eyebrow and thinking about it for a moment. He knew there were those that only studied one field of chaos magic, but that had always seemed short-sighted to him, even if his studies were focused on Druidic at the moment."No, I wouldn't say that. I've just taken an interest in a field that is rather underdeveloped. Can we really call ourselves seekers of knowledge if we only stay between the lines of what's expected of us?" He let that question hang in the air as his mind raced to Caim's next. He wasn't exactly sure where to start. He had never actually gotten this far with someone since he returned from Foen. Though he supposed - and hoped - that it would be easiest to start with the entry point already provided by chaos. "For now, I'd like to start simple. Chaos magic already provides an advantage over Anima, and the Druidic variant intensifies this through Black Fire. As such it would likely be the easiest to further break down." he said, grimacing when he said the name. That terminology would probably have to be changed. "Doing so would involve targetting the Anima subsets, Fire, Wind and Thunder on their own. Any information on their weaknesses - even just historical accounts of major or extreme usage - or their interactions with Black Fire would probably help." his expression shifted to a scowl briefly as he said "Thunder" but it was replaced with scholarly calm again in an instant. He really needed to stop doing that.

Blue lava? He blinked in surprise. What an odd thing to ask about. He tried to think of an answer, though Caim had started talking again almost immediately. As they made their way into the guest room he glanced at the covers of the older books, though he was unsure of what exactly he was looking for. Then Caim asked about his research. He took in a deep breath. This would be his first time officially presenting it. Even back in Foen, it was mostly theory, and he had only let a select few people see his notes. Exhaling again, he decided to just jump right into it. No need for formalities here. "Indeed. As I'm sure you know, there is a subset of chaos magic that we call 'Druidic'. It's most often used to target specific things and destroy them." he said, holding up his flux tome and making a ripping motion in the air next to it. "However, it's not as targeted as it could be. There are many subsets of items it can affect, and it doesn't often account for those differences. I believe that finding a way to do this will make the magic inherently stronger." Closing his eye for a moment, he tried to think of how to continue without losing his audience. Most scholars weren't as concerned with warfare as he was. "Of course, this wouldn't be used for only destruction, or at least I would hope not. Having very specific, targetted magic could be a huge boon for creating utility items." he tapped the gloves he was wearing together as he said this. "And it could be a gateway to working with and reinforcing other magic types in ways we haven't yet seen."

Fallon blinked awkwardly as he was lead into the stacks by the man that looked like he had wanted to stab him just moments ago. Putting on the gloves, he listened to Caim chatter until he finally stopped to breath. He raised an eyebrow at that last sentence. It was true that some in Foen had odd customs...but if Fallon was what he considered normal, he wondered just who he was talking about. "You've been there then?" he asked. "It's not often people visit and come back this far." Or at all, really, now that he thought about it.

"Fallon Vaer." he said, suddenly feeling a bit apprehensive. Nobody here should recognize it, but before he had joined the Guard he made a habit of staying low in places like this."I just assumed he was being held against his will because some of the laguz had been here for years, and clearly didn't want to be." He looked up in surprise when the older man was called over, but his expression returned to neutral almost instantly. "As for magic...my areas of study focus on the chaotic, including the creation of tomes and their effects on their wielders or victims. I believe we may be able to take it's usage further than what we're currently capable of, though outside of Foen information has been scarce." As he finished the explanation, he turned back to the woman. "I don't think I caught your name either."

Relieved that the interrogation was over, Fallon let out a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding. It reminded him of old briefings, though those were held in a different light to him now. "One of the laguz told me that this castle held more secrets than just the passageway. It seemed like Grayson knew a lot about it, though obviously I can't ask him. I think...Millich may have been looking for something when he took him captive. And didn't find it." he said, expression going hard at the memory of the spores. "Besides that, anything on magic would interest me personally."

Fallon looked back and forth between the people and felt a pang of sadness for the child. He had no way of knowing which her father was, or whether he was alive. "The general is dead. I killed him myself. And out there...." he thought for a moment "We let the laguz in the outer courtyard escape first. Millich had done something to them and the old steward. They didn't seem to want to be here, but were trapped for a long time." he said, remembering the fox's words. "The human soldiers fled once they heard of Millich's death. There was a passageway we took that let us avoid half of them during the battle, but the other half..." he trailed off. "I'm sorry."

He took a deep breath, letting the accusations roll over him. He never was much good at this kind of thing, and the distracting voices coupled with his appearance certainly didn't help. "I'm not here for money. And quite frankly if I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have announced my presence or come alone. You would have been dead a half hour ago when the castle fell." he said, totally deadpan, though his expression did soften a bit when he saw the children. Of course the soldiers would have families here....and we probably just orphaned them. Ugh. Seeing them is always the hardest part. "Believe it or not, I don't actually enjoy battle. It gets to me, as I'm sure it does most. Is it so wrong to want to study instead? " he waited a moment to make sure they were still listening. The man behind the desk looked like he was going to faint. "As for storming your castle, the Allied Guard had their reasons, and they certainly weren't to harm innocents. I'd be willing to take a few of you to the commander if you don't believe me." To tell the truth, the mission wasn't confidential and would probably get out soon regardless. He just didn't want the children in the room when describing the things Millich had done. The rest of the guard had probably found even more evidence of his cruelty by now.

Fallon marveled at the library as he entered. He had never seen one this extravagant, not even before the incident. Peering at each shelf he walked past, he was surprised that everything seemed untouched. Millich didn't seem like the type to care about research or preservation...though maybe he just never came here. That was probably for the better. Suddenly he heard movement from further in and realized he was not alone. He jerked his head toward the sound and found what he guessed was the librarian, though the man didn't seem very happy about his presence. Looking down at his robes that were still a bit worse for wear from the battle, he realized how he must look "No need to be afraid," he said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "The fighting is over now, though we wouldn't have let it reach this place anyways." Before pausing to wonder about that for a second - what the regular people thought about their sudden occupation - he continued. "I'm just a scholar interested in the castle."

Fallon found himself contemplating after killing Oppenheimer. The echos of mages from long ago were always stronger than normal during times like these. He couldn't make out what exactly they were saying, but they almost seemed happy about how he had done it. That worried him. Even if the man was a brat that acted far below his station, it was needlessly cruel to ensure that he suffered during his last moments. There was only one person he'd wish that upon. Breaking out of his thoughts with a start, he realized that Johanna had been giving the briefing. By the look of the others, it didn't seem to be anything too important, but ignoring officers wasn't something he wanted to make a habit of. As his mind started to drift away from the killing, the voices didn't stop like they usually did. Annoyed, he strode down the hallway nearest to him and headed towards the castle library. If there was one thing he and they agreed upon, it was the importance of knowledge. They wouldn't distract him if he sought it. And maybe, just maybe, he could figure out more about the castle's "secrets" the fox had mentioned.