* * *
Catching sight of Kukurnal and Garnedell, Joe waved to them before heading over to them and collapsing into a seat at the table. Almost at the same time, the chair next to him scraped free and Joe looked up to see Kilniara join them. He glanced up and looked around, looking for Zilnek but didn’t find him. He looked to Kilniara to question her but was interrupted by Kukurnal.
“Are you well? You look dungeon dead!”
“Dungeon dead! Hah! I like that. That makes a lot of sense. But, no. I’m fine. Just very tired.”
Kukurnal nodded before smiling, “So all is well.”
“Except my need for sleep, yes. Kilniara, where’s Zilnek?”
“He left to explore.”
“Oh, that’s fine. Will he be OK?”
“Certainly, Joe.”
“Good,” Joe replied.
Kukurnal watched this with a bit of interest, “You do well by your apprentices, Joe.”
“Heh. It’s my job. I must.”
Kukurnal nodded but smiled, seemingly grateful for Joe’s behavior. Joe smiled in slight embarrassment but said nothing, shrugging his shoulders. Kukurnal said nothing so Joe looked away with some embarrassment to the other two.
“Do you guys want to head out and explore? I’ll give you some of your allowance. We need to get that figured out. Remind me to do that later,” Joe finished while looking to Garnedell for the last.
Garnedell nodded eagerly with a cheeky grin, “Yes. I would love to explore. And I would love an allowance.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right!” Joe replied with a smirk, “How about you, Kilniara? You want to head out and explore?”
“If it is OK with you, I would prefer to stay,” she replied with a sadness that Joe recognized immediately.
“That sounds fin…” Joe cut off when Kukurnal interjected.
“Kiliniara, if I may intrude. Your master and I have private Mimir business. May we have a moment. You may join him after.”
Kilniara looked to Joe as he shrugged. He shared a glance with her but turned back to Kukurnal, “What is it about? I am fine with her staying with us. I have nothing to hide from her.” For now… Joe added silently with a tinge of embarrassment.
“I am glad you do well by your apprentices, but this is Mimir business and only for Mimir followers.”
“Ah, I see. How long will this take?”
“It should not be long. You are exhausted and I do not wish to keep you long.”
“Ah, ok. Then, where will we speak?”
“Here is fine.”
Joe glanced around the crowded common room with a small hint of confusion as he waved at the crowd around him with his hand, “What about them?”
“I have a measure for our privacy here, but she cannot sit with us at our table.”
Joe nodded and looked to Kilniara, “Is that OK? I guess you can stay here, explore the city, or hang out up in the room?”
Kilniara quickly nodded in agreement but did not voice what she would choose to do, simply remaining silent. Joe nodded in reply before turning his attention back to Kukurnal.
“Mind if we do it after Garnedell and I eat? I’m starving.”
Kukurnal quickly laughed and shook his head, “Please. Enjoy a meal.”
Joe nodded and the food came quickly enough, warm and filling if not that delicious. All four enjoyed a simple if subdued conversation and Joe’s exhaustion left him ill rested to handle deep thought or intricate debate. Joe found himself ravenous, and tore through his meal before ordering a second almost immediately. He finished both meals almost about the same time that Garnedell took to finish his one. Kukurnal watched on with amusement while Kilniara colored her amusement with a hint of concern poorly concealing a bone deep sadness. Joe struggled hard to ignore her pain as he was focused on his food.
With Joe finally done, he settled back in his seat and just rested, hand on a bulging belly while he enjoyed feeling of well-fed satisfaction. Garnedell and Kilniara quickly stood, leaving to head out and Kukurnal’s amused and relaxed attitude shifted to one of import. All business, I guess.
Kukurnal sat forward and sat a small strange pebble of some kind in the middle of the table. It buzzed strangely before becoming increasingly violent and hopping around on the table before suddenly leaping into the air and spinning lazily but calmly, its violent shaking now replaced by a simple calm spin with a hint of buzzing. A light glowed from the object for a bit before it began expanding slowly to surround them and their table. The glowing globe stayed around their table, isolating them from the others, but the small oddly shaped pebble also glowed dimly as well, offering a warm glow that lit the table in a comfortable fireplace like glow.
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Joe watched with some interest as the bauble glowed in the air in front of him before he quickly reached up a finger to poke the magic thingie. His finger got close before he looked over at Kukurnal.
“Uh, may I?”
Kukurnal smiled and waved in permission, “Please.”
Joe nodded and reached out, his hand poking the thing a few times before dropping his hand. It seemed to be firmly attached to its location, although it did wobble a bit from Joe’s pokes before it centered itself back to where it had been before. Huh! Cool! Joe stared with some fascination before he noticed Kukurnal’s grin and he cleared his throat and sat back, a hint of embarrassment in his movements.
“Sorry. Just… very interesting.”
“We have many more such things to show you as well, if you wish.”
Joe grinned and nodded, “That would be very cool.”
Kukurnal nodded and then continued, “I will make sure to show you such things after you move to the temple. But first, let me guide you on Mimir and advise you on what a follower of Mimir is.”
Joe nodded politely while hiding his alarming concern. Move to the temple?
Kukurnal smiled brightly back at Joe’s nod and then began to give him a basic rundown, “Mimir is first and foremost concerned with the gathering and preservation of knowledge. You will gain much service with Mimir with every piece of knowledge you hand to the temple for safe keeping. Such offers are some of the most powerful forms of service members can worship Mimir with. In so doing, the temple returns knowledge in equal measure for your own pursuit.
“Mimir also demands loyalty and offers protection. Those who are willing may offer themselves in martial service, although such individuals are rarely needed and rarely called for. If you wish to do so, you may join the Brotherhood in their pursuit of strength. You seem as intent on growth as you are knowledgeable, so I have little advice beyond personal hope that you will continue to share your knowledge with us.
“In return, all those of Mimir are granted the formidable protection of the temple, access to the wealth and knowledge of Mimir for those projects that align with the goals of Mimir, and access in trade for any knowledge available to Mimir.”
Kukurnal fell silent, smiling brightly at Joe and Joe realized he was done. He thought there would be quite a bit more but was a bit relieved to find that it was much more lenient than he’d expected. Not bad. I guess it’s more of a trade or contractual based system, bartering knowledge and shared research results. I wonder what’s available? Maybe… and… not staying at the temple… so…
“I will likely continue on here as it is best to apprentice them in the dungeons. I assume they cannot join me in the temple?”
Kukurnal frowned at that before nodding in answer to Joe’s question, “Unless they also become acolytes of Mimir.”
Joe frowned, “I would not make my apprentices choose a god or goddess against their will.”
Kukurnal’s frown remained until he finally sighed, “It seems… you would have to remain here.”
Joe hid his relieved sigh and nodded, “But I would still seek knowledge exchange.”
Kukurnal did not hide his own relief, nodding eagerly, “I would hope so and look forward to our continued exchange!”
Joe smiled, “Good. Then what knowledge is available and what trade would such knowledge expect?”
Kukurnal’s eyes rose at that before he shrugged, “There is much available, but you would need to ask.”
“And the trade… oh, it’s the same as when I first went to the temple. I don’t know if there is anything available but I’m required to reveal what I’m searching for and the other side can demand a cost even if they have little or nothing in return.”
Kukurnal grimaced at Joe’s observation before shrugging, “This is the nature of knowledge. It cannot be shown before it is paid for or the person will have gained without pay.”
Joe shook his head, “This is why knowledge should be free.”
Kukurnal gasped more in rage than shock, “This… still? I should not be paid for the work I have in finding and teaching this knowledge?”
“Of course you should be paid for teaching. But the knowledge itself should not be paid for. Offering what knowledge is available so those seeking to purchase it will know what they are gaining when they ask for your teaching is only fair in return. They will then judge whether your teaching is useful or not. A teacher should be paid, a book should be… well, that doesn’t matter here, but those who pass knowledge on should be paid for the work of passing the knowledge on. But the knowledge itself must not be a treasure horded by the few, as those of Mi…” Joe trailed off as he realized he was just about to call the whole temple of Mimir out and tension packed into his shoulders.
Kukurnal looked on with a bit of shock before shaking his head and laughing, “You still speak of this, but you have not given sufficient defense. Maybe you should call for a debate at the temple, for priests only. It would certainly be of interest. Or…” Kukurnal trailed off with a frown as his thoughts caught up with him and he looked up at Joe with a bit of chagrin, “or… maybe not…”
Joe felt his tension lower before he chuckled, “Maybe not… Knowledge and the perseveration of knowledge is vitally important, and Mimir and the temples should be more than adequately compensated for such great work. But that knowledge should also be gifted in return to the people to increase all people’s wealth, stature, life, and general happiness. It will only lead to a greatness you could never believe.”
Kukurnal only shook his head before he cut off the debate, “We can continue this debate, as you wish, but please, speak to me of Mimir, your role in the temple, and any questions you may have of your place and time in Mimir.”
Joe found his emotional swell quickly flattening as he realized Kukurnal was right and he wrenched his thoughts back to understanding what it would mean for him to be an acolyte of the temple, “OK. Then as before, please inform me of any taboo or dangerous thing that would bring about the ire of the temple or priests. I have no desire to offend and bring danger upon me and mine. Please warn me of the appropriate culture of the temple of Mimir.”
Even as Joe finished speaking, he felt the pulse of mana form in front of him and his eyes widened in shock as he quickly looked at the point forming in front of him, mana rushing into its formation much like matter into a black hole before it suddenly froze all mana point movement in the area; an almost stop on time itself before it exploded outward in the familiar wave he’d always seen as it flooded out of the room. Mana points! I’m seeing mana points! They’re everywhere, and they’re just… His eyes tracked it before suddenly he stopped and looked to Kukurnal, watching his gaze carefully and noticing that he wasn’t seeing anything other than simply looking at him. He can’t see it. And if he guesses I can… Joe tried to distract Kukurnal away from his obvious gaze at something but then relaxed when he saw Kukurnal distracted by his own epiphany.
Kukurnal’s face suddenly froze after the wave passed, his eyes meandering the room as he stopped in obvious and delighted thought, “Hmm! Interesting! What a strange and interesting concept. Culture. I have never… so … unusual. I’m… I understand the concept; a gift from your language skills, but I’m uncertain how I could respond.”