In the coming weeks, Enchoron taught Max about subjects that he found appealing. They still went out to the tavern for their meals, but Phaedra made herself present during each of them. Outside of those times, she rarely seemed to be in their adjoining set of rooms.

As time went on, the attitude relaxed. Perhaps this feeling wasn’t targeted at him in particular. After all, Rotheburg’s taverns did have a number of travelers and with the wars in recent times between the forces allied with Rotheburg, and those of the Dumar Citadel, mercenaries were not an uncommon sight.

Max learned about the chief pantheons, the Nobilis and the Shardborn. He’d not understood why it truly mattered what Gods someone worshipped, but he’d also learned that there had been wars covering the continent that were because of these zealots on both sides.

He learned about the old Sargovian Empire and the dynasty. This city was founded by that empire. It had all started with an immortal emperor become God that united the continent under his rule through a series of conquests and liberations.

There was so much to learn, and there seemed to be so much time as well.

Max started to leave the tower the tavern was in more and more, taking time to go and rest against the bridges and to peer off into the mist.

One day, he finally got the courage to head to the western part of the city. It was there that he heard the sounds of people playing loudly. He walked several bridgeways and started to spot a series of nets illuminated by the grey mists under them.

“Here it is!” Max said excitedly as he saw a group of people cheering and betting on a Grafter game. He rushed over to get a good look and that is when he finally saw his new friend, Coriander, again.

Coriander was wearing a tabard that denoted his team color and he was currently in the middle of climbing the far tower that was built into the city wall. Max saw that he’d been right, his apparent disability was not one at all when it came to digging his hand into the gaps between the stones. The ball was about 20 feet up from the nets that they crawled along and Max could immediately see just how much more intensive the game was here. People were tackling each other and dropping into the nets and others were climbing for the ball and trying to pull each other down or climb on top of each other.

The game wasn’t violent, but it was physically rigorous. He watched as Coriander managed to climb the tower stones and approach the ball at the same time as someone from the other colored tabard did as well. Coriander looked down and back and saw that he had another team mate close on his own heels. “Not today.” He called out to the other player that was so close to the sticky ball. He took a leap of faith as he launched off the wall and wrapped his arms around that players waist. A high pitched yelp came from them and they both fell into the netting.

Coriander cheered from where he was wrapped up in the net with that other player as his team mate managed to grab the ball and hoist it up in victory.

As they celebrated and they brought the ball back to an old tower top that was lower in height and aligning with the upper nets, Coriander spotted Max.

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Max waves over at him. He bounds over through the elastic netting and climbs up a small ladder to the stands. “Max. Its been a while. I was wondering if we were going to see you.”

Max smiles at Coriander and puts a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve been busy learning. I haven’t had much time to explore further.”

Coriander waves an arm as he gets the attention of the other players. “Hey everyone, this is Max. He’s from the Homesteads. They play Grafter back where he’s from too.” The players from both teams waved, looking to be rather excited for another friend. Coriander looks back at Max. “In fact, do you want to play a round for old times sake?”

“No, really, I don’t think I should.” Max shook his head, almost intimidated by how much more involved the game looked here than it was compared to his game back home.

Coriander put a reaffirming hand on Max’s shoulder and then stripped off the tabard he had been wearing. It was quite clear that Coriander had a better physique and it made Max blush to see it. “Nonsense, get out there, just for one round.” And with that he put the tabard into Max’s hand. “Just watch out for Jessica. She is quite a tough opponent, so quick.” And he points to the player that he’d tugged down off the wall to save the victory.

“Okay, why not.” He shrugs as he puts the tabard on tightly over his tunic to not get Coriander’s sweat on him.

“Off you go.” Coriander says playfully as he gives him a little push down into the nets to where the others gather to start the play.

Jessica, her hair so short that she looks almost boyish, grins as comes to line up in front of him. “Let’s see what you’re made of, country boy.”

Up close, Max actually thought she was pretty cute. She had smudges on her face and had a bit of a look of a street urchin, but her skin also looked soft and her eyes were a cool green hue.

Max lines up along with all of the other players on both teams, some of the bigger players were on the solitary bridge that went up to the tower that they played on, obviously ready to wrestle more than go for the ball, taking out the quick and easy path.

The player took the ball and he got set to kick it, one facing of the ball was totally devoid of the sticky sap so that it could be easily launched as far as the tower. A player would score no points if the ball didn’t at least hit the tower.

The guy kicking it had a little hint of beard, but was still too young to grow a full one, but his legs were bursting with musculature. He held the ball and spun about as he lobbed it up in the air and then gave it a kick, sending it pretty high up on the tower, probably about twenty-five feet. All of the players started to scramble and run as each team mate tried to posture to help someone else get by.

Max could see why Jessica was formidable in the nets. She was an acrobat in her movements. She managed to wrap her body around Max’s and got Max tangled in the net a bit. As soon as that was done. She pushed off Max’s body and bounded in the direction of the tower.

Max was panting already and he’d barely made any progress at all. He could see the safety net below this one, the last defense against falling into the mists. This sport here was definitely one for the daredevils.

He managed to get his leg out from in the netting and gingerly crawled along it. He didn’t have the skills for this and he made it only to the base of the tower by the time Jessica was securing the ball after pushing her foot off of the shoulder of one of Max’s team mates.

All of them laughed and cheered and had a wonderful time. Max liked getting this chance to restart with kids his age, though of course, this was not like at the Hamlet. They were all nearly men and women if not some of them actually were already.

Still, Max recognized something. Unlike those strenuous moments like playing Grafter when he was younger, he seemed to be able to keep a cool head and not get overwhelmed by all the feelings.

He went to go climb up out of the netting when he felt a dainty but strong hand on his shoulder. “Max, you did alright, at least you touched the tower. It was nice playing with you.” He looked back and saw Jessica smiling and he could immediately sense that it was genuine.