No, you still have things to discuss.

"Yes, though I won't keep you much longer. I'm sure you have ... other business to attend to." Brighid giggles and snuggles back up against you. "I would like to address the full Council. It isn't an emergency, and it doesn't need to be a formal meeting or anything, but I'm sure you all have questions for me and we might as well cover it all at once rather than having each of you approach me individually or summon me to a formal Council hearing. Would you mind conveying my request to the other Councillors?" Ailis just nods her agreement. "Thank you. The only thing remaining is that, as head of the mages in the village, I would like to make a request to you directly. Recent events have shown me that I cannot rely on just my Fire Magic forever; once word of Bannagh Macht spreads, anyone who comes for me will be prepared with heavy fire resistance. Do you know of any other mages who both have a magic suited to offensive use and would be willing to try and teach me?"

Ailis narrows her eyes at you. "You can already use Fire Magic, Beast Magic, and Vivimancy; what makes you think you would be able to learn another magic school? People with even three schools are incredibly rare, four is almost unheard of."

Shit, forgot about that, you think to yourself. You don't respond to her for several seconds, thinking furiously, then finally you ask, "Ailis, can I trust you to keep a secret which would get me killed if the wrong people -- possibly even among the village -- learned of it? The secret isn't dangerous to anyone unless it becomes less of a secret, I promise." Brighid tenses slightly against you but doesn't say anything.

She gives you an unreadable look, but eventually nods and says, "As long as what you tell me does not harm our people, I will keep your secret. And if I do judge it to be harmful, I will let you know and allow you the chance to dissuade me."

"Fair enough," you agree. "I have a hidden Trait called Limitless. It sets my affinity for all Skills at 100%, permanently." Ailis's eyes widen and bulge in shock. "I know, I have had it explained to me very thoroughly that it is absurdly powerful and likely to get me killed. I guess I should add a much smaller secret just so you understand; I am not actually from the Realms. I was brought here from another world where magic and abilities and traits and all of that don't exist. I'm learning as I go."

A wide range of emotions pass across Ailis's face: confusion, awe, fear, greed, even lust. She remains still and silent for several minutes, then slowly shakes her head in dismay. "You are cursed with blessings, Aidan Lostlorn, and I fear that your next surprise will be our last. But you are a good man, and you are one of us even if the vote might have gone differently had we known of this at the time." Her voice has a tinge of stern disapproval in it. "Still, what is done is done, and you are one of us now. I will not turn my back on you, and I will keep your secret. You are correct that it is only a threat if the wrong people know about it. However, you must be very, very cautious who you tell of that Trait, Aidan. I know, my daughter knows; does anyone else?"

"Only my Patron and whoever, whatever, the old man was who greeted me when I first arrived in the Realms. I suspect he was an agent of my Patron, and regardless he isn't an active threat -- he could have just killed me over and over, he was already in the canyon where I return to life."

"Good. Please, keep it that way unless an urgent need arises, and then consult with Brighid or I first. The more people who know the secret, the more dangerous it becomes to us all." At your nod of agreement, she sighs and continues, "As for your request ... yes, I can introduce you to an air mage, and you already know Ceirios. While her spells are mostly defensive in nature, earth has plenty of applications for attacking, even directly attacking. I can also help you more directly; I assume your Magical Theory Skill is not very high, given that you come from somewhere without magic and have not been formally apprenticed to a mage?"

You shake your head. "No, I only have 8 levels in it, and if you're offering to teach me, or find me a teacher, I accept. I have a Class Talent which gives me a higher success rate with creating my own spells, but my Magical Theory level is too low to try to do that."

"Yes, that is exactly what I was going to suggest," Ailis confirms. "And for a related reason. I did not know about your Talent, of course, but creating your own spells and rituals will allow you to carve your own path instead of taking the road laid out for you. I will teach you myself; with what I know now, I do not trust anyone else with your general magical education. Learning the basics of a magical school is one thing, but you do not even know the basics of magic itself, and the wrong question could raise dangerous curiosity in another teacher. Since I know you have the affinity for it, we will also cover other topics. You are have far too much potential, and are far too important to our peoples' future, to allow you to remain ignorant any longer. You will be at my home an hour past sunrise each Seventhday, and I will stuff you full of knowledge until I can see it spilling out of your ears; plan for that to take all day, save a break for lunch."

You stifle a groan. Back to school again? Then you consider Ailis's nude form and can't help but ask, "Will lessons be taught like this?" Brighid laughs and claps a hand over her mouth.

Ailis, for her sake, manages to remain composed. "Those are advanced lessons. Study hard and learn well and we will see." Is all she says.

"Well then, I look forward to studying under you and learning everything you have to teach me." You smirk at Ailis.

She returns your smirk and says, "It is always a pleasure teaching students who are eager to learn."

"Then in three days time I will be at your door, bright and early. Until then, I believe I speak for both of us when I say that you are always welcome in our home. I will inform Cai and Llwyd that you are allowed entry at any time. Please, feel free to stop by and join us whenever the mood strikes you."

Brighid collapses against you in a fit of giggles, but she manages to tell her mother as Ailis rises to her feet, "Yes, Mother. Come and visit us whenever you like!" Then a whole new batch of giggles overtakes her. The petite silver-haired centaur rolls her eyes at her daughter but gives you both a smile before pulling her shirt back on and lacing it back up, then leaving the house.

Once Brighid gets her giggles under control, she tells you, "I cannot believe how well you handled my mother! She was off balance from the very start, and if you pushed just a little harder she would have let you take her here and now."

You shake your head and say, "Maybe, but it would have been a mistake. She would have regretted it later and it might have driven a wedge between us. With things as they are, though, she wants more. Her ardor will cool a little once she gets home and rides her riding stick, but instead of withdrawing from the memory of this afternoon she will be eager to revisit it. I assume I have your blessing to take things as far as they will go?" You ask your lover.

"Of course!" Her eyes glitter with lust and she smiles widely at you. "I already told you that you should give her a ride. It makes me wet just thinking about it, and Mother has been alone for too long anyway. I do not think she will ever let herself be as close to you as I am, but if you ride her half as well as you do me, she will be a lot happier."

"I still don't understand how you can throw me at another woman like that -- your mother no less! -- but are perfectly fine being only mine. You really don't mind if I have other lovers?"

"I really do not." She kisses you lovingly. "Although I should note that while you are the only male I ever want, I fully intend to give and take just as much pleasure from any woman we can lure to your bed as you do. I love you Aidan, and I know you love me. I know that our love will never fade or burn out. Knowing that, why should I worry about you taking pleasure from other women? Why should I even worry about you falling in love with another woman? I know that you will always come back to me, no matter what happens." She smiles warmly at you and you can't help but feel a surge of love towards her; you do not know what you did to deserve her, but you thank your Patron every day for putting you where your paths would cross.

"I guess I can't argue with that logic. But you are my Soulmate; if you don't want me to sleep with someone, tell me. That overrides even the collar. Speaking of which, what was with you and Ysbail earlier?" Brighid blushes and mumbles something that you can't quite make out. "Speak up, little mare."

"... I do not want you to ride on another mare. Take Ysbail to bed if you want, but having you on my back feels so much more intimate somehow than just sex." She is blushing furiously. Somehow, her jealousy actually makes you feel much better about the situation, and you promise her that she is the only centaur that you will ride, barring urgent need.

"Well, I think that's enough lazing about for us this afternoon. I want to go ahead and tell Sarpedon that I accept his Quest; do you want to join me? I'm sure you have work piled up in the forge, but there isn't that much daylight left today."