abraxaslogs | We Can't Wait For Progress

Viktor is largely disinterested in swords and knives. They serve a practical purpose here, and he's fine with Jayce making them because so many residents of Cadens are hunters, but given the choice, he would rather not be involved with any of this.

The schematics, however, are of interest, and he's quick to pull them across the worktable in order to better inspect them, which doesn't take very long before he nods in the affirmative.

"Yes, I'm sure I could duplicate the mechanism. Do you anticipate finding yourself in situations where a retractable blade is necessary?"

Especially one mounted on the wrist--doesn't seem terribly practical.

"I have often enough in the past that I'm not comfortable going without it, whether or not the need arises." He lifts one shoulder in a shrug; it's a casual, believable half-lie. "They're common where I come from, and provide a means of defense when a sword isn't practical."

Truthfully, Altaïr isn't at all sure he'd be making use of a replacement hidden blade, at least not in the typical way he's used it. No doubt men are as susceptible to corruption in this world as they are in his own, but he has little knowledge of the land and no brotherhood to back him up. He has not met or heard of anyone he would consider a target.

None of that matters. After so long wielding a hidden blade, it is quite simply a part of him. He feels the loss of his weapon more than he ever did the loss of his finger.

"It's rare someone brings their own schematics."

It's a compliment! Jayce and Viktor love making schematics for their work, usually people have to tell them what they want and they make it that way. This cuts the work in half, although they would have been able to come up with it on their own too. It is a really interesting design though. A retractable blade is not that far from Jayce's collapsible weapons, so he assumes it's for a similar reason. Ease and protection.

"This seems like it would be more helpful as a last resort sort of thing. I can see how that would be a good call." Jayce doesn't know if there is enough fighting around here to worry about that, but being prepared hurt no one.

"I can make the blade, he can make the mechanism." They're a perfect partnership for these details. Technically Jayce can also make the mechanism, but Viktor's always been better at them.

"Yes," Viktor agrees, sounding slightly less complimentary--he's still studying the blueprints. "Did you produce these from memory?"

It stands to reason that if Altaïr had the ability to make it himself, he wouldn't be asking them. Still, he must be intimately familiar with the device. Jayce seems amenable to making the weapon, though Viktor regards him with a raised eyebrow. Maybe it's because he's not a hunter himself, but he can't see how this would be more useful than a regular blade, when it comes to killing monsters in the desert.

"What is it you did for work, back home?"

"I'm a mapmaker." Altaïr's response comes easily and without hesitation, but also isn't too quick in an obvious sort of way. He doesn't fidget or have trouble making eye contact. There's absolutely no sign that he's lying.

(Very technically, perhaps he isn't — he's made maps before in the course of his work, in his own head or on parchment. But they were utilitarian, temporary, and nothing special to look at. Malik had been the real the real talent when it came to cartography.)

"Unfortunately, my home has been plagued by war for years now. Foreign crusaders came to claim the land for their god, and they dislike it when those of us who were born there don't stay in one place," he says. "It's best to always be armed, particularly with a weapon that can't be easily taken away. I've maintained my blade long enough to sketch its components, but I don't have much skill in the forge."

Jayce is as terrible at detecting liars as he is at actually lying, so it wouldn't occur to him to distrust the man. What he says makes perfect sense too, and Jayce feels for him, that sounds like a very difficult place to be in. War seems to be wherever people are, no matter what.

"I wish I could say you don't have to worry about that here, but this world is on the verge of war too." Jayce keeps being hopeful that maybe they'll work it out, no one has started an attack yet, it's all just been threats. His optimism says peace could work, his realism says it's better to be prepared for war no matter what.

He glances over at Viktor to wait for his final call on it. Swords, blades, they are sold pretty regularly, but this is slightly more intricate work. He gets final say on weapons that aren't of the regular kind.

Viktor appears to consider this for a long moment. He doesn't quite like it, but he supposes it's no different than the collapsible tools Jayce has been making. After some apparent internal deliberation, he sighs a little and hauls himself to his feet, to grab something out of a toolbox.

"I will need to take some measurements. Is it your right hand, or your left?"

"Of course."

He'd be disappointed if they they did not. To be truly effective, a hidden blade wielded by a master must be customized to him. Altaïr quickly rolls up his sleeve.

"My left," he says, extending his hand, and if Jayce or Viktor had any unspoken concerns regarding how the blade could be used without cutting his finger, it becomes clear why that will not be an issue.

It doesn't take Viktor long to see why this weapon, in particular, is of use to Altaïr, though of course it begs to question which came first--the missing finger, or the knife?

"Ah."

Perhaps he has fewer compunctions bringing up such abnormalities, because few people afford him the same courtesy. He reaches for Altaïr's wrist with the measuring tape either way.

"Convenient."

Surely this guy?? Did not??? Cut off his finger??? to use a retractable blade like this????

Jayce also doesn't assume that he cut his finger off specifically for this device, but rather the device was made to fit for someone without a finger. And he's also far too polite to ask about it. Frankly, the schematic is very interesting to him, as is the general design. He'll have to think about whether it's the type of thing Ciri or Dean might be interested in too. Emergency situations and all. Although he's positive they could make one without the finger being a problem.

"I don't think we met officially. I'm Jayce and this is Viktor."

Viktor's expression, along with the vertical journey of his eyebrows, practically scream the question that he doesn't voice aloud. Altaïr doesn't answer it, simply allows him to carry out his measurements with a placid expressions. If the man wants to know more, he can ask; if not, well, it's rarely a good idea to volunteer too much information about oneself.

But a name is different. "I am Altaïr," he says. "I'm curious — how long has it been since you were summoned? You seem very well set up here."

"It took some time." Viktor's not at all shy about letting other Summoned know just what it took for the two of them to get to this point. "I've been here more than half a year. Jayce, slightly less than that."

And even then, there's still plenty they don't have access to.

"We were lucky to have incredibly relevant skills, when it came to establishing ourselves."

"We're inventors and scientists back home as well, so we definitely had an easier time than most adapting."

Which is good, considering how useful they've been to the rest of the Summoned since establishing themselves. And how far it'll get them in their own ambitions too. Neither of them believes in taking it easy, so they've been working non-stop since arriving.

"We're far from the oldest people around though, several have been here over a year. Since the start, when it was only Thorne."

"Even so, half a year is impressive."

He doesn't seem like he's trying to butter them up; more like making a simple statement of fact.

Jayce's addition catches his interest, though. "When did that change?" he asks "I've been curious about the history of summonings here."

“We’re industrious,” Viktor says like it should be obvious. He can’t stand being idle, for a variety of reasons, and Jayce’s arrival only made them more productive—Viktor can now focus all of his time on his work, while Jayce takes on a more public-facing role. Not so different from their arrangement back home.

As for the history of the Summonings, well.

“Some of our number escaped from Thorne a few months before my arrival. You’d probably want to talk to them about their experiences there. Once the group made it to Cadens, it wasn’t long before the government began experimenting with a ritual of their own.”

They are very industrious and fell into step immediately, back to their habits, to the ways in which they excel together. Jayce was relieved to be able to get back to work. It would have been difficult, if it was technology neither of them could understand everywhere, or almost none to speak of. As for the Summoned.

"I would recommend talking to Sam Wilson, he's the one who set up our situation at the inn with Mag, who lets the Summoned live there. He was one of the first Summoned, and one of the handful that escaped here. Jaskier the bard as well. They both live here."

There are a few others in Cadens Jayce could point out to him, but he suspects Geralt and Nadine would not want to necessarily be pointed out right away to a stranger. That's why he picked two of the most visible Summoned in Cadens who seem to have no problem at all talking about their lives here and before. Very easy for a newcomer to feel safe with them.

Altaïr takes careful note of the recounted facts and the names that go with them. As soon as he leaves, he may write it all down — but he suspects he won't need to.

"My thanks." He nods. "It may not make much difference to most, but I dislike not having the context that others do."

Blend in. Hide in plain sight. Removed from his homeland and his brothers, Altaïr is still an Assassin, and he cannot keep to the creed without a great deal of knowledge. He has a feeling he'll be spending much of the coming days trying to gather as much of it as possible.

"I don't want to take up too much of your time," he adds a moment later. Especially when that time would be better spent creating what he came here for. "Is there anything else you need from me now?"

“He’s better equipped to speak on it,” Viktor agrees, giving Jayce a nod.

He takes another few moments to annotate Altaïr’s measurements, but seems to be wrapping up.

“No, this is all for now. We’ll follow up soon with a prototype to fit and test.”

We Can't Wait For Progress

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