Under Darkness [AU]

[Tethras Clan]

"Not much good at either myself," Andy admits. "I already told you the club didn't ever click and it took me more than a decade just to master three sodding spells well enough to use in combat."

[Carver Amell]

"Three spells? Which ones?" 

[Tethras Clan]

"Well, three for combat and a few for not," Andy clarifies. "I can cast a very simple healing spell but only once. I can conjure a thimbleful of acid freely and I can conjure a double handful of acid but I have to touch my target. Other than that, I can clean food and create water. And that all took me close to two decades to learn."

[Carver Amell]

"Hey, don't knock it. Clean food and water from nothing is incredibly useful. Way more useful than anything I can do with a sword," he adds. 

[Tethras Clan]

"Not always. Sure, I can I can clean food but I need to have it first," Andy points out. "Your skill with a blade is a lot better for that sort of thing. My acid isn't strong enough to kill anything bigger than a rabbit and- assuming I even hit- it would ruin most of the meat anyway."

[Carver Amell]

"Fair." He sighs. "Healing is also very useful."

[Tethras Clan]

Andy nods. "True enough. Every tool has its job and no man can know every skill," he says in the tone of someone quoting. And then blanches, eyes squeezing shut as pain swamps him.

[Carver Amell]

"Wish more people thought like that. I've considered moving to Glaley, where they understand the use of a man's strength, instead of fawning after mages all the time." He watches Andy carefully, but he doesn't want to prod at the wound. 

[Tethras Clan]

Andy needs a moment but he manages to push his grief back down. "Ummm. Well. Can't say I'd pick Glaley myself but... well." His tail flicks in a nervous tell. "Aside from the tension, the nobles there have too much power for me to trust it. Say what you want about Nyra, at least there's a chance for anyone to get power, to have a say in things. In Glaley, if your parents don't real power or money, you won't ever have them either."

[Carver Amell]

"In Nyra, without magic? I can't even do a few parlor tricks. I have nothing. There's no chance to get power for the likes of me, none at all." He gives Andy a hard look. "I'm sure there are people in Nyra that would prefer you over me any day, tiefling or not. I'm just... dull, to them. At least you're interesting." 

[Tethras Clan]

Andy frowns a little. "...I... have you ever tried? To learn I mean. It's pretty rare- like... unheard of rare- for someone to be incapable of magic."

[Carver Amell]

"Some. But my sisters both oozed magic," he admits. "Froze things when they get mad. Me, I hit things."

[Tethras Clan]

Andy considers it a moment. "Might just be that your magic is different," he offers. "Are you... devoted?" Asking outright like that is a touch rude, but he figures he can get away with it given things being as they are.

[Carver Amell]

"I'm Astean, but she's never really spoken to me or anything out of the ordinary." He shrugs again.

[Tethras Clan]

"I doubt most priests or even clerics can claim anything more," Andy points out. "Then again, not all magic is spells and rites," he says with a shrug. "Could be more subtle than that for you."