Parvil & Aspen: Renewal Day

A few years ago.

Magical lights dipped, swirled and spun in time with the music providing an extra rhythm for the dancers on the floor. A mix of upper crust, and wizards of the protectorate of magic. All enjoying a day off, Erneuerungstag or in the more common tongue ‘Renewal Day’. Despite its liveliness all the conversations were in huddled groups talking in tones and volumes to not be overheard. Private conversations for one reason or another. Some for reasons of manners some not wanting dealing to be overheard but it didn’t matter. It was a party.

Parvil being Aspen’s plus one and her ‘body guard’ leaned against a table, chewing lightly on the wooden skewer from his recently finished kabab. Watching Aspen doing some kind of waltz with a fellow wizard and someone she’d gone to wizard school with, Thradin but couldn’t recall his surname. Despite his skill with the sword and fairly balanced foot work on the battlefield, applied to dancing and needing a certain kind of accuracy and lack of improvisation gave Parvil two left feet. But he stood watch, Aspen could handle herself if Thradin got a bit too comfortable with the closeness required to dance a waltz; she'd likely rather not step in, as it would look bad for her view. So he’d step in and pull them apart in the sense she was getting uncomfortable.

“Hmm.” a voice came from Parvil’s left, causing him to look at the source from the side of his eye.

“Hmm, what?” Parvil asked, casting his eyes back to Aspen.

The man turned to look in the same direction as Parvil before speaking again. “Just sating my own curiosity.” Enanth leaned on his staff slightly. Then he started to speak as if Parvil had engaged with the topic at hand. “I wonder if you could humor me, perhaps answer a question that I have had on my mind for sometime.”

Parvil sighed softly. “I suppose,” he said.

“I was wondering if you could tell me. What is it that she sees in you?” he said, plowing through the question with no regard for kindness or courtesy of the wording.

“She?” Parvil asked, mostly to not play along and annoy Enanth.

“Justicar.Alamoore.” Enanth said.

“Right, right.” Parvil said, playing dumb. “What do you mean ‘see in me?’ not sure I understand.”

Enanth turned his head to look at Parvil. “Do not play stupid with me child.” he said, “We made a special exception for you. I want to understand why, of all people, she chose you to be her guard.” he said. “We gave her many choices of powerful combat mages to defend her during her investigations and much to our chagrin she chose you, a normal human without a lick of magic potential, and no mana to speak of, your skill with a blade is admirable but there are many a warrior more skilled than a farmboy from nowhere. I am simply asking you to explain what skill you have that sets you apart from the score of other people more skilled and more powerful than you. If anything she is protecting you.”

“As shucks Enanth you flatter me.” Parvil said. Parvil looked sideways to see Enanth’s sour face, not pleased with the joking. “Why don’t you tell me how you really feel?”

“Child I do not believe your emotions could handle my true opinion of you. I am here asking you simply to change my opinion of you, prove you are worthy of being worthy of respect. It is earned not given freely.” Enanth lectured.

“I’m sure she’d know that answer better than me. I’m not in her head.” Parvil said.

Enanth raised a fuzzy eyebrow. “Are you certain about that last statement?”

“That I am not in her head?” Parvil asked. “I don’t know how she thinks, she’d have to tell you what she thinks of me. Telling you what I think she thinks of me would be rather biassed would it not?”

“Perhaps.” Enanth said. “You still haven’t answered my question. What skills do you bring to the table to protect Justicar Alamoore.” he waved his free hand in the direction of Aspen and Thradin. “Just look child. She is at least eight meters away, dancing with someone who she might know but you have scarcely spoken to. Do you trust him? Do you believe yourself fast enough to cover the ground between this table and her before he could do something to her? With all the people crowding the dance floor?” Enanth questioned.

Parvil in turn swiped a hand in gesture to the dance floor. “Look around, if something happened do you truly think I would be the only one to act?”

“What if you were?” Enanth asked.

Parvil shot a burning look at Enanth, not afraid of the arch-mage. “Is that a threat?”

Enanth put up a placating hand. “It was an observation.”

As the song ended Parvil cast his eyes back to the dance floor, pushing away from the table to go meet Aspen. He was about to excuse himself from his ‘wonderful’ chat with Enanth, when he saw her trying to pull away from Thradin. He had pulled her back to him, close, her head was leaned about as far back as it could naturally go as he tried to force a kiss on her, her arms were pulled in a way she couldn’t form cantrips and avoiding the kiss kept her from speaking the words for spells.

“Well?” Enanth said, observing, but Parvil was already moving. Dumping a tray of finger foods onto the table, he took off in a run. The dancefloor had mostly emptied out, holding the tray vertical Parvil whipped the silver serving tray, it whizzed horizontally. It collided with Thradin’s right arm. Aspen pulling away and backing up. Parvil was right behind the thrown tray. It barely stunned Thradin but Parvil was on him before he could react. Swiftly grabbing him and shifting the grip into an arm bar. But before Parvil could lock the hold Thradin hit Parvil with some spell packing the force of being tackled by an orc. But Parvil was quickly back on his feet. The people who remained on the dance floor had run for cover, both the rich and mages alike. Thradin came at Parvil, fists coated in flame, throwing wild punches, clearly not a fighter but he knew any connected fist would do damage regardless. Parvil on the back foot, stepping just out of the range of the thrown fist, but still feeling the heat off it. After the volley of punches Parvil landed a solid straight on punch, the blood poured from Thradin’s nose before Parvil’s fist pulled away, and he fell to his knees looking up at Parvil, speech slurred through a mouth filling with blood and likely broken teeth. “You’ll be sorry,” he said. “You’ll pay.”

“Sure.” Parvil said, walking away to check on Aspen. “Are you okay?”

“Shaken but okay. Are you okay? That was a powerful force spell.” Aspen said giving Parvil a quick look over.

“I barely felt it.” Parvil lied.

Aspen frowned but took his arm. “I think I’m ready to go home now.” Aspen said.

Enanth nodded at Parvil, and Parvil heard the man’s voice in his head. “You have made strides in answering my question, well done, do not disappoint me.”

Parvil knew the song and dance of the spell and was about to reply when the connection between minds were severed. The two walked the long walk to the front door in perfect silence. The only sound was their footsteps on the stone floor. Stopping at the door waiting for the guards to open it. Aspen opened her mouth like she was going to speak but closed it before saying anything and so they continued on in silence. As they walked behind them they heard far off explosions. Looking back they saw the fireworks display.

As Parvil watched the fireworks, Aspen stepped in front of him, she got on her tiptoes and grabbed Parvil’s face on either side with her hands pulling him down to meet her in a kiss. The kiss didn’t last very long but did last long enough their lips began to part, more intimate than a simple peck but more as if they were testing the waters. But the moment broke quickly Aspen pulling away and lowering flat on her feet. “Happy Renewal, Parvil.” she said cheeks particularly pink against her white skin, Parvil’s cheeks equally hot. “H-happy Renewal, Aspen.”