Nik nodded slightly. "Are you a good strategist, then?" he questioned, looking at Kaylum. "And fighting is not really all it's…cracked up to be, I suppose." he ran a hand through his hair with a faint frown, then shook away the memories that had popped up.
Kay mulled over the question. “In theory? I’ve helped my mother a few times, but she’s the real strategist. She tells me I’m good, but I’ve only heard it from her and Father.”
He noticed the frown, recognizing it quickly. He’d seen the soldiers and veterans wear that same frown before. “Sorry, I…” he shook his head. What was he saying? “I didn’t think so. I didn’t envy my mother each time she earned a wound or scar.”
He blinked at the other man, then shook his head quickly. "It's quite alright, don't worry about it." he replied, giving the other man a quick smile. "I was only…memories. That's all."
He grunted. “Memories are powerful.” Lapsing into silence again, he rested his arms on his legs. If talking about fighting and such brought back painful memories for Nik, then Kay didn’t want to bring it up.
Nik cleared his throat faintly. "But, it's a good thing you are decent at strategizing, then." he said, going back to what they had previously been speaking about. "It's a useful skill."
He made a vague mutter of agreement. “Too bad I don’t get to use it most of the time. I bet you’re very good at it.”
"I am not the best, but I'm pretty good, yes." he agreed. "And even if you do not often get to use it, it is still a useful skill for when you are king."
Oh boy, yet another thing he didn’t want to think about. He laughed a little. “I don’t know if you know this, but we dragon shifters have a lifespan of up to three hundred years. I will not ascend to the throne for a long time, unless both of my parents abdicate.”
(Sorry Kay I’ve got some bad news for you sindkjdkjds)
"Oh." Nik had not known that, no. "Well that's…ah." what did that mean for them? Nik was, as far as he knew, fully human, and would only live to perhaps 90 if he was lucky.
Kay couldn’t help but laugh more at Nik’s reaction. “Wow, you didn’t know that.” He shook his head. “Well, I’ll at least help them out as they age. After all, the responsibilities only pile up from here.”
Nik cleared his throat faintly. "No, I did not. When Kevra conducted reconnaissance we were less concerned about lifespan and more about, ah…weaknesses." anything they could exploit and use to their advantage, really.
“Well of course, but still…” Kaylum snickered. “Pretty basic information, I would think.”
He began absentmindedly playing with his dreads again, twisting them around his finger.
He ran a hand through his hair, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe to you. How long do you think humans live?" he wondered if Kaylum was as in the dark about human lifespans as he had been about shifter lifespans, but he somehow doubted that that was the case.
“I know you have shorter lifespans than us. Less than a century, right?” It wasn’t like he could recall an exact number or anything, but he remembered being educated on most intelligent species that existed in the world, from their common attributes to their relationship, or lack thereof, with Tesh.
"Yeah. Most of us, unless we get a disease or are killed, live to be between 70 and 90 years old. If we're lucky, 100 is about the oldest we get, and we're usually really frail by that point. I'm in my prime right now, and will be for another ten or fifteen years. After that, it's all downhill, physically speaking." he said.
Kay raised an eyebrow. “Well, I wasn’t aware of that. But I supposed shifters are the same way. We just have longer… ‘primes,’ as you call it. Ours don’t end till around… 100 to 150? And then it goes downhill.”
He shrugged slightly. "YEah, makes sense." he replied, clearing his throat faintly.
Kay couldn’t help but chuckle again. Humans were so puny. Shaking his head, he twisted his dreadlocks one last time, then flipped them over his shoulder.
“Is there anything else you would like to talk about, prince?” He asked.
He cleared his throat. "I…do not know." he replied slowly. "I only wanted to get to know you a bit better, and I suppose I have accomlished that?" he shrugged his shoulders, studying Kaylum still.
“Indeed.” Kay nodded. “And I have gotten to know you better as well. I… actually don’t mind these talks, so if would like to speak to me again, don’t hesitate to ask.” He flashed a grin at Nik.
Nik returned the smile with a quick one of his own. "Good." he replied, tugging on a lock of hair faintly. "I don't mind these talks either, so, ah, same to you." he shifted very faintly.
(Do we wanna skip now?)
(yeah lol. to the attack? or?)
(Yes pls, the attack ^^)