Search for traps and treasure

[aestrix]

There is a library.

It is actually an excellent example of one: it has books on history and philosophy and astronomy and science and languages and even a little modest section for storybooks, tucked in a corner against the wall. These books are all easy to pick up off the shelves and read, like ordinary libraries.

The books on magic, on the other hand, are behind locked and spelled glass, with their position signatures scrambled and constantly shifting so they can't be teleported away, each one built to set off a silent alarm that'll alert the owner if touched, and to turn completely blank if opened without permission. And then burst into flames if someone tries to force it to show what it's hiding or tampered with in the wrong sort of way.

Just another day in Kystle. Stealing peeks from books in a mage's library is not recommended for the casual reader.

Comments

[pythbox]

The very next day, at about one in the afternoon, politely inquiring after a convenient time for the boys to visit soon.

From the impeccable handwriting to the impeccable etiquette, it could have come from the pen of a somewhat over-earnest adult mage in their early twenties, but it's signed Tierval Kastien.

[aestrix]

Kavetnia takes this letter as a challenge. She will reply, herself, and it will be just as impeccably written and with the same impeccable etiquette.

...

This is not an easy task. She gets help from her mom with the wording. The handwriting she does herself. It takes her a bit of trial and error, but by the end she has something an over-earnest mage in their early twenties would be proud of.

Apparently tomorrow at two in the afternoon is an excellent time, and her brother would also like to meet them, is this all right with them?

[pythbox]

Near-immediately, rather as though someone was watching the mailbox very closely indeed: yes, that would be just fine, and they look forward to meeting her brother.

[aestrix]

Excellent. Then it is agreed. He looks forward to meeting them, too.

[pythbox]

And so, the next day at exactly two in the afternoon, the boys appear outside Kavetnia's house.

[aestrix]

Excellent. Kavetnia and her brother are already waiting; their parents nowhere in sight.

"Hi!" says Kavetnia, grinning and looking excited. "This is my brother Savril. Savril, this is Tierval, Serin, and Orion Kastien."

[all_too_familiar]

"Hello," says her brother.

Her brother is quite a bit older than she is. Practically a grown up, in fact. But he doesn't look condescending or bored, just sort of amused with how excited his little sister is.

[pythbox]

"Hi! Nice to meet you!" says one of the triplets, beaming. One of the remaining two smiles in a friendly, engaging fashion, and the third one gives Savril a long thoughtful look and doesn't smile at all.

[all_too_familiar]

"Nice to meet you, too. We went through the library and made a section we're all fine with you reading, if your parents are okay with it."

[aestrix]

"The others we might let you read but you should ask first," says Kavetnia sagely.

[pythbox]

This gets a faint smile out of Serin. (It's reasonably clear by now that Kavetnia managed to identify all of them correctly.)

"Great," says Tierval.

"Our parents are fine with us reading whatever we want," says Orion.

"They're very good at accepting the inevitable," Serin says dryly.

[aestrix]

"That sounds familiar." Kavet gives Savril a not-so-subtle look.

[all_too_familiar]

"Kavet, you're making me look bad in front of the guests. Don't you know I have to be sufficiently pompous and magey before you make me look bad in a shocking twist of political intrigue, it's the rule of Kystle."

[aestrix]

Kavet snorts.

[pythbox]

"Dumb rule," laughs Tierval.

"Infighting weakens an alliance," says Serin.

"Do you have any more cookies?" says Orion.

[all_too_familiar]

"Yes it's a dumb rule, yes, I agree, and yes we have more cookies. Do you all want some?"

[pythbox]

"Yes please!" says Tierval. The other two nod.

[aestrix]

"Okay, this way!" says Kavetnia, and off they go to the kitchen where cookies are kept.

One of the benefits of being a mage family: you can have a cook that will bake you cookies. There's the cook! There are the cookies, in a cookie jar, in easy reach of ten and nine year olds alike!

Kavet waves brightly to the cook before retrieving it. "Cookies," she pronounces.

[pythbox]

"Cookies!" says Tierval delightedly. Orion grins. Serin smiles. There is a brief triplet-subset conference between Tierval and Serin, barely more than an exchange of silent glances, and then Tierval adds, "Serin wants the recipe."

[all_too_familiar]

Aw, that's cute.

"Thurvis, could you please make a copy of the recipe for them to take home?"

[aestrix]

Thurvis looks sort of delighted with having his cookies liked this much.

"Oh, um, yes - but they haven't actually had any yet?"

"They were here earlier," clarified Kavet, "and had some then."

"Ah, all right then. I don't have any paper -"

"I'll go get some, hold on," says the nine year old brightly. She solicits a cookie and then leaves the kitchen to fetch paper.

Thurvis smiles a bit.

[pythbox]

The triplets each take a cookie.

"Thank you," beams Tierval at the cook.

"They're really good cookies," says Orion.

[aestrix]

"Thank you," says Thurvis, looking even more delighted. "I made the recipe myself."

[pythbox]

"Serin is very impressed," translates Tierval from an unreadable glance. "So'm I, but Serin's the one who's learning to cook."

[aestrix]

"Oh! Uh, I would be happy to give him some lessons if he'd like. As time allows, I mean, I do work for," he waves a hand at Savril. "This family."