Harnio followed Mouse closely watching his hand signals and nodding. "Interesting... Using hand signals makes it easier to communicate, a lot of information quickly... Keep teaching it to me Mouse."
"If you started to talk like that only the firewarrior would know what you were saying." Harnio ignored Drummen walking behind him and looked over Mouse's legs. "That must of hurt... Did they do anything to remove the pain when it happened? He watched Mouse's head shake and sighed. "You must have high tolerance... Very interesting... I understand why you keep them covered... People would do strange things to you, if they saw them."
"What would they do?" Harnio looked down at his legs as they walked through the Capital streets. "Well... If it was me, I would want to do experiments, see if there was blood and nerve tissue... among other things." He looked at Mouse with wide eyes sparking. "Your body is amazing... cough... cough... Don't worry I wouldn't do anything without permission." He watched as Mouse looked at him with a smile and made hand signals at him. "Harnio... He says... That he finds you interesting the fact that you were able to stop his attack with a wall of wind... He wants to spar with you and help you with your technique."
Harnio nodded. "That sounds great... All for the advancement of knowledge... Will be very interesting and fun."
"I also want to spar with Mouse... I think it will help me stretch these arms and legs of mine... I haven't had a good fight in a while..." Harnio looked at the firewarrior's back. "You want to spar with Mouse as well?"
"Yes... Strong always want to spar with the strong, to see where they are in terms of strength..." Harnio nodded. "Fair enough... That sounds interesting to say the least."
"We brothers also want to spar with him... It will be fun to see if he really is a one man army, especially with my skills..." Harnio looked at the back of the priestess. "What about you priestess?"
"I am not interested in measuring my strength... I already know how strong I am, and also if I was against someone like Mouse if I would win or lose." Harnio nodded in thought. "You would lose wouldn't you? He watched as the priestess's shoulders tensed for a moment, and than relax. "Something like that... Our roles are very different... Maybe a draw." Harnio smiled. "A draw... Interesting. I think I would like to see that." He turned to Mouse who smiled and made a thumbs down motion with his hand towards her, sticking his tongue at her.
"Hahahaha..." Harnio looked at the ground in surprise. "Why did we stop moving?"
"Harnio did you just laugh?" Harnio scratched his arm and felt his face start to turn red. "Was that the inappropriate time to do that? I don't know when to do these things... People are just too hard to understand..."
"No, that was the correct time to laugh... I am sure the others haven't heard you laugh like that before... You seem to be very different around Mouse... Why is that?" Harnio looked at his hands, and his body. "It seems, because our gifts came into being after we both had an unfortunate accident... Maybe we understand each other's pain and hurt..."
"That makes sense... Comrade in arms... Just like my brother and I." Harnio smiled at the ground, scratching his arm. "Come on... We can't stay standing in the street looking at Harnio, we need to register before it all closes." Harnio nodded and wiped the tears from his eyes and followed closely next to Mouse.
Harnio floated in his mind palace enjoying the quiet, staring at all the books and parchment he planned to read through. "I must do as much research as possible about the ritual..."
"Harnio... Wake up... we're here to register... You need to focus now." Harnio nodded and left his mind palace seeing himself standing near a lang table with attendants staring at him. He looked down at his feet and took a step back. "We are here Harnio... Don't worry... Smoke your pipe if it helps." Harnio nodded and lit the pipe and started smoking. He felt his heart rate lower after letting out a long sigh.
"You are here to register for the ritual?"
"Yes... I am the firewarrior of the group. Stannir, and this is my team."
"Fine... Lets see. How many members in your group?"
"We have six at the moment. Five main and one support."
"That is acceptable... Please write your names under his, and than you will be in the ritual."
"Uhh... Harnio can you help me?" Harnio looked at the firewarrior's shoulders. "What is the problem?"
"I... cough... can't... cough write... yet. Can you write my name when you write yours?"
Harnio nodded. "I can do that... I might spell it wrong since being in the old tongue, but I can try."
"Thanks..."
"Our fearless leader doesn't know how to write? This is a bit of a worry."
"Ouch... What was that for? If you weren't someone important, I would return the favor... I like my ribs the way they are, and not bruised or blackened. What would the ladies say if they saw me with broken ribs priestess?"
"Keep your wide mouth shut... He's from the north... They don't write up there... Just kill. How can someone kill with just words? Well... apart from Harnio, I don't see anyone else doing that."
"Fine... Don't mind me Stannir... We can drink later to forget about it." Harnio stepped forward and started to write on the parchment. "Hey Harnio, can you also do that for me?" Harnio nodded. "Yes, Cliffhopper. I won't have trouble writing your name down, since it is easy to remember."
"Brother you also don't know how to write?"
"No, why should I? Have you seen someone like me hold a pen in my paws?"
"Ahh... Good point brother. You can join us for a drink later too."
"Ouch... Why is everyone punching me in my ribs."
"I was going to join in on the drinking regardless if you invited me or not." Harnio turned after writing and looked at Drummen's hands holding his ribs with the priestess and Cliffhopper staring at him. He looked at Mouse and shrugged his shoulders. "I think they are always like that... Not too sure though."
He nodded as he watched Mouse sign. "Ahh I saw one word I know... I am learning. He turned. "Firewarrior what did he say this time... something about family?"
"Yes. He did... He said this is how family interact with each other. He and his brothers always do this when they are around... But he hasn't seen his elder brother for a long time." Harnio nodded and looked at Mouse. "Where is your eldest brother?" He watched Mouse sign again.
"He said. He is in the firelands on a mission. He has been there for nearly two years." Harnio looked at Mouse. "Will you go and look for your brother one day?" He smiled as he saw Mouse nod. "When you do that, I will travel with you Mouse." Mouse signed in reply. "He said... Only if you can keep up." Harnio smiled. "Don't worry about that, I can move if needed... You are the one who will have to keep up with me."
"Hahaha... He is learning how to bite back... He's growing on me brother... He must of learned that from me." Harnio shook his head. "I just learned that from watching the priestess and firewarrior... I haven't seen how you and your brother interact with others monk..."
"Don't worry about that Harnio... We will teach you the fine art, of wine and women. When you can charm a women by a single sentence, then you have become a master." Harnio nodded. "I have never drunk wine before... I don't like the smell and the effect is does on the mind, but the professor did have some good tea... I think I will just drink tea."
"What about women Harnio... You are a guy, you should have need for company...unless..." Harnio shook his head and scratched his arm... "No need for that... I don't have the time for it with all my research, study and forging as the armsguard."
"Are you all done now? Can you leave so others can register as well for the ritual?" Harnio turned and felt his face turn red. He looked at the ground and walked away from the table with the rest of the group. "Come back in three days... The ritual will begin than."
Harnio nodded, and stood looking at the shoes and feet of those around him. "What should we do now? We have three days to prepare for the ritual... What happens in the ritual anyway?"
"No idea... It is all secret, they don't even tell the firewarriors about it." Harnio frowned. "Than it would be some sort of mission or task to complete... A race or something?"
"Maybe those Trolaiths are the part of the trial?" Harnio frowned and shook his head. "I think not... The person who made them, did it at a time when there was a lot of distraction from the ritual. To hide his creation I think."
"What Harnio says makes sense... The timing and the locations of the Trolaiths are quite remote... The only thing that is strange is that they would hide their presence around here, yet on the island they attacked in force... Are they going to blame the island chains for them?"
He heard Drummen curse. "Those people over there are innocent, and have done nothing wrong... If it is to start some war between the island chains and the Capital, than I have to stand with them... They would be slaughtered."
"My brother is right... We were over there, when they attacked. They tried to destroy an entire port city, but we stopped them..."
"You mean my brother stopped them by himself, with no one else helping him." He saw Cliffhopper shake his head and looked at Drummen's robes. "One day, he will save your life... Will you thank him then, and tell everyone he was the one who did all the work?"
"Hahaha... He's right brother... How many times have I carried your injured body around now?" Harnio smiled as he watched Cliffhopper;s hand start to count fingers. "Brother... It seems I don't have enough fingers to count... Can I use your fingers too?"
"A bunch of kids and idiots... Harnio ignore them, we need to do some preparation before the ritual... I suggest we go outside and start some training in the forest with targets or something." Harnio turned to the priestess. "You are right... We need to learn how to work together... And there are people who want to spar Mouse. Let's go outside the Capital and do just that?"
"That is not a good idea Harnio..." Harnio turned to the firewarrior in confusion. "Why is that? Don't we need to learn how to work together?"
"Yes, we do, but if we do that, others will be watching us, and if we have to fight against other teams, they will know all our abilities and know how to fight against us... It is better we find a place hidden from view, or if we spar only use physical skills, and nothing fancy."
"The firewarrior is right Harnio..." Harnio frowned. "What about the place where we found Mouse? Can we practice and spar in there without others seeing us?"
"If we go there, we don't know about the passing of time... It is better to wait..." Harnio lowered his shoulders, and looked at Drummen's robes and Cliffhopper. "Than I am going to a forge. I have things to make." He turned to Mouse. "Do you want to come too? Forging items is quite fun and interesting." He frowned when he saw Mouse shake his head signing at him. "He said he has been busy for a long time, and needs to rest and meditate... He will go to the tavern and wait for your return."
Harnio nodded. "That's fine too. I will visit you once I am done with the brothers." He turned and started to walk off from the group. "Wait Harnio... I will come with you. I also find forging very interesting... I might learn a thing or two from you." Harnio nodded. "Than come firewarrior... Let's go make the brother's some excellent armor and weapons..."
He breathed a sigh of relief that he wouldn't have to walk to the forge through the crowds alone, and smiled at his feet when he heard the footsteps on the firewarrior near him. "Wait Harnio... We brothers are coming too, since it is for us, we want to see what you are going to make." Harnio nodded and waved his hand towards them. "Then come, try and keep up." He heard cursing as he took a step. "Stannir, stop him from doing that..."