The City-State Of Vexil.
"I thought they exiled you for good" says the dragon Nol as he peers down at his visitor, who is with him in one of the side courtyards next to the main park, here in the grounds of the Mage College of Vexil.
"I'm allowed to visit" replies Mira Reinholt the mage who is sitting on a bench along one side of the courtyard, most of which is taken up by the massive frame of the dragon.
"I just can't live here" adds the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in The Southlands.
The dragon who is one of the tutors here at the Mage College, who has no classes today as it's seventh day, the day off for students.
Grunts after the mage Reinholt says "They've allowed me back ever since I helped stop that war with Tuledare about a decade ago".
"Hmmm that's right" rumbles the dragon who is black in colour, with a tinge of red, predominantly around the edges of his wings.
Nol who was hoping to bask in the sunlight of what's a fairly cold start to a spring day here in the capital of the city-state of Vexil.
Looks closely at the mage who is one of his former students. Who he sees is still lacking in power since he last visited.
Power that was burnt out of him after he miscast a spell a number of years ago. Which Mira said sent him offworld of all places. A time that he cannot remember.
The dragon knows that his former student speaks the truth concerning that. Hasn't, and for that matter, never will try to restore his memories even if Mira asked him to.
And for the fact Nol knows he's unable to restore those memories, or the quite formidable amount of power that's missing from his former student.
The college tutor, who like all dragons. Are more or less the most powerful spellcasters to be found on the world of Volunell.
The only thing or things more powerful, vastly more powerful for that matter, are the creators of Volunell. The Greater Dragons.
The dragon Nol suspects that Mira's memories were tampered with by a Greater Dragon. For the mage Reinholt has no idea how he returned to the world of Volunell after going offworld.
The dragon also suspects that one of the Greater Dragons returned the mage Reinholt to Volunell too.
For he's guessed over a quite a few millennia that they don't particularly like it when a lifeform from their world, goes off it. That's the physical world to be exact.
For Nol has first hand experience that the Greater Dragons couldn't care less if someone or something from the physical world of Volunell went to another plane of existence.
But going offworld itself, Nol is pretty certain that the Greater Dragons are not okay with that in the least.
The tutor and former student quietly chat, well as quiet as a dragon can chat. With Nol often thinking about how Mira was one of the most powerful mages he's ever taught, or for that matter, encountered.
Though the mage Reinholt as a child, then teenager, was highly arrogant. But that didn't stop him from being basically the top student of his year.
Not to mention, he was extremely hard working. Something one wouldn't expect, since he's from basically the wealthiest family in the city-state of Vexil.
And the fact whilst a student here at the Mage College, Mira went off and learnt to master the sword at one of the public training halls here in the city.
When most spellcasters, in particular mages. Don't bother to learn using a weapon at all. Especially mages, who are predominantly arrogant, who openly disdain using weapons of any kind.
Nol softly chuckles, which sounds like a low rumble that reverberates through the ground he's lying on.
When he asks the once powerful mage what he's up to at the moment. And the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, is more than a little evasive in his answer.
The Vexillian mage in exile wryly smiles, as he knows his former tutor, his favourite of all his tutors he had here at the Mage College of Vexil.
Could easily read his mind to see what he's up to whilst here in Vexil. And has probably done so, without Mira knowing.
And there's nothing the mage Reinholt could do to stop Nol. Who like all dragons, is immune to all magic.
"Well, all I can say, is stay out of trouble" dryly says the dragon, who has a wingspan of over two hundred and fifty feet.
Mira who sits there in the morning sun, with the hood of his cloak down off his head at that moment. Faintly smiles, as he definitely knows now that his former tutor knows what he's up to whilst here in Vexil.
The mage Reinholt who since returning to the capital city, has caught up with members of his family. In particular his younger half sister Carice.
Though not his mother, as there's a disconnect in their relationship. So much so, that Mira has barely spoken to her in the more than two and half decades since he was sent into exile.
The once powerful mage who at seventeen years of age, when he graduated from the Mage College of Vexil.
Was named a member of the Mage Council of Vexil. The youngest person in the history of the city-state, to be named in such a position.
For the Mage Council basically rules the city-state of Vexil. Even though there's an actual ruling city council. Who run the city-state on a day to day basis. And make most of the major, though mundane decisions.
Asks how things are at the moment in the city. Even though he knows Nol doesn't particularly care about what's going on in the city where the most prestigious center of magical learning on the world of Volunell is located.
After all, Nol wasn't present during the Battle of Vexil just over a quarter of a century ago. When Mira was exiled for betraying the nation of his birth.
The largest battle in The Southlands for nearly five centuries, conveniently took place during the summer break at the Mage College. When the large dragon always goes away for some rest and relaxation.
For if Nol was present then, he could of easily stopped the battle. Which saw a number of nations, and others from mainly in the central region of The Southlands, numbered just over quarter of a million soldiers. Attack the city of Vexil, in a battle that lasted just over three days.
"Oh the usual goings on I guess" says Nol the dragon in his deep rumbling voice, who stretches out a bit, as the cobblestones of the courtyard, heat up in morning sun. On what's a spring day here in the city of Vexil that has dawned cold.
"Oh?" says Mira Reinholt the mage, who has already got quite a lot of gossip about what's happening here in the capital city, after talking with his sister, as well as some of his cousins, not to mention his uncle, who is the head of the Reinholt family, and the business that bares the family name.
"Such as what?" adds the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster as he briefly looks away into the park, before looking back at the massive frame of the dragon, who is a tutor here at the Mage College of Vexil.
"Politics" sourly says the dragon, who keeps out of the affairs of both the ruling city council, and the Mage Council of Vexil.
"Think a couple of the Mage Council have been kicking up a stink lately" says the tutor here at the Mage College.
"Something about some disturbance up north near the border with Girdane during the winter" says Nol, who with a pointed look at his former student, adds "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?".
"Absolutely no idea" says Mira Reinholt, knowing that the dragon will see right through his bald faced lie.
The dragon Nol just snorts at hearing that, and shakes his head as he continues to stare at the mage who is in exile from his homeland of Vexil.
"Anything else?" asks the practitioner of magic who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, after he clears his throat, hoping that his former tutor, doesn't press him on what happened up in the hill country of northern Vexil, during the winter that's just gone by.
After arching one of his massive eye ridges, Nol snorts again, then replies to his former student with "That's about it".
The dragon after a brief pause, continues with "Unless you want hear all the juicy gossip about the staff here at college".
The mage Reinholt grins, for he's always known about how Nol might not care about what's happening in the city itself.
But when it comes to The Mage College of Vexil, and what both the staff, and students have been getting up to. The dragon is a busybody to be sure.
"Not particularly" says the exiled Vexillian mage, who couldn't care less what the students and tutors, as well as the other staff, get up to here on the grounds of The Mage College.
"Thought not" sourly says Nol, who then starts talking about a number of other things that he's heard about, in recent months, mainly here in the capital city of Vexil.
The two spellcasters, one human, the other a dragon, continue to chat for quite some time. When people going through the park catch sight of them. They wonder who it is that's speaking with Nol.
As most people here at the Mage College know the large dragon likes to keep to himself. Not to mention he doesn't like to be disturbed when he's dozing in the sunshine on a seventh day morning.
A little while later, and Mira Reinholt takes his leave. After thanking his former tutor for the chat about a number of things this morning.
The once powerful mage heads off, making his way north through the grounds of The Mage College of Vexil.
As the mage Reinholt walks away, Nol watches him in silence. Though the large dragon shakes his head, as he watches his former student depart.
Nol who knows that Mira, though no where near powerful as he should be for a mage. Is a far better spellcaster, than he was when younger, and he doesn't need his former levels of power to be effective, and dangerous.
The dragon continues to watch the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster, until the mage Reinholt walks around a building, and disappears from sight.
As he does, Nol the dragon hopes his former student Mira keeps out of trouble. But the dragon rather doubts that the once powerful mage will.
The Vexillian mage in exile walks north through the grounds of The Mage College of Vexil. There's not too many people about this morning. As seventh day is always the quietest day here at The Mage College.
The mage Reinholt who doesn't particularly want to run into anyone else, other tutors to be exact, who might recognize him.
Breathes a sigh of relief when he walks out of the open gates in the iron wrought fence, along the north side of the grounds of the most prestigious center of magical learning, not just in The Southlands, but arguably across the entire world of Volunell.
The exiled Vexillian swordmaster heads north through the city, making his way back to the Merchant's Rest.
The inn the group is staying at whilst here in the capital of the city-state of Vexil, the mage Reinholt's homeland.
The once powerful mage who knows this part of the city extremely well, to be fair, he knows the entire city extremely well.
Spots Zam the ex mercenary a little while later, when the teenager originally from the City Of Ruins, steps out of a shop.
The ex mercenary spots the mage Reinholt, who nods his hooded head, and crosses the street to join the ex mercenary.
Who has just purchased a new scabbard for his sword. As well a few throwing knives, that he has already secured to his belt beneath his cloak.
"Heading back to the inn?" asks the once powerful spellcaster, who is a member of the personal council to Lord Farque.
After looking up and down the street they're on, Zam the ex mercenary replies with "Might as well".
As the pair walk north through the city streets, Mira Reinholt asks the youngest member of the group "How was it traveling down here with that raving idiot Dorc?".
The ex mercenary who hails from the City Of Ruins sourly smiles at that, which causes the once powerful mage to chuckle.
Then as they continue to walk back to the Merchant's Rest on this fine but cold spring morning.
Zam the ex mercenary tells Mira Reinholt all about the journey he had with Dorc da Orc over the last week, as they made their way from the hill country up in the north of the city-state, down to here in the capital of Vexil . . . . . .
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