<div class="floatleft">(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/99/de/80/99de80dd4fb18a5a2b5229f5fe73ae72.jpg)</div><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 24pt;"><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: impact;">Twin Oxenbridge</span></strong></span><br/>Human Wizard X<br/><hr/><br/><span class="bbc_u"><strong>Milena meets the Wizard.</strong></span><br/><br/>The wizard remained impassive as Milena spoke, but he seemed attentive, though not enthralled.  How could he be?  He found the topic so boring.  He would have preferred to speak of the tides, or the clouds, or the mountains, but instead, perhaps the most beautiful woman on the continent wanted to speak of<em>bureaucracy and business opportunities</em>.  The sinister woman hadn't even introduced herself.  Had the unquenchable thirst for power finally consumed any vestige of civility that the Great House Nox once possessed, he wondered.<br/><br/>"Did young Davriel mention that?" the wizard asked.   "Hmm."<br/><br/>He bit at the stem of his pipe thoughtfully.<br/><br/>"That is a very interesting question," the wizard said finally.   "The continent is big enough to have some forces that might object to your presence, but none have made their way to the South side of the Continent, much less here to Tide Pool.  Not that they have not tried."<br/><br/>He then shrugged.<br/><br/>"At present, shipping companies are struggling to find a consistent and safe approach to the continent.  The approach is dangerous because of the weather, the angry sea, and the monsters that lurk in the water and in the sky.  I have scried the sinking of many ships.  As for smugglers... well, this is a lawless place, and so I am not sure that there is much of a difference, really, between a smuggler and a shipping company.  As for pirates... well, there are three different outfits that are harassing vessels traveling along the northern coasts, but they are presently at war with one another."