Zerlleth
12-18-08, 11:38 PM
A Day For Strange Omens
“Je... Jech... ru--ru... ruvofke... zel... che... chervroux...? Dus... Vo... o... ol...ka... nes...”
“You better put that book away, boy.” Feonalthos’ voice resounded in the boy’s mind, prompting him to raise his head and look up at the Eagle that idly rested with its talons clenched on the crow’s nest of the old merchant ship. He frowned and turned his eyes back down to the open book lying in front of him on the wooden floor of the vessel’s main deck.
Zerlleth scratched his head and looked back up again. “I can’t understand this spell very well, Guru... It’s very complicated.” He said softly and with a tone of nonchalant. Most of the crew and passengers around stared and raised their eyebrows at his comment; only a few seemed to notice the bird, and out of them only one seemed to realize that he was actually having a conversation with it. Most of them felt unsettled by it, but still pretended not to care out of mere politeness.
“Well, boy, there is a reason for that...” The Eagle started with a lecturing voice. “That spell is far more suited for someone like your father than it is for you. I would be most frightened if you were able to cast it as you are today, not to mention everyone else within a few hundreds of feet.” He chuckled. “In any case, just put the book away like I told you. We’re about to make port.”
“Okay...” He answered reluctantly, closing the book and putting it back in its usual place within his robes.
“Uh... excuse me, boy...” A male voice reached Zerlleth’s ears from behind prompting the young Wizard to turn brusquely, startling the crewman standing before him. He was a young man, barely into his twenties, judging from his appearance; he looked quite nervous as drops of sweat were constantly trickling down from his forehead, and he seemed to have difficulty staring at Zerlleth straight in the eye.
“Yes?” Zerlleth let out coldly and with unintentional harshness while taking a step forward, prompting the man to flinch.
“Uhm... It’s just that... well, some of the passengers were-- Uh, they were wondering if you were feeling alright...? Where are your parents, child? Do you want me to help you find--”
“Are you an Elf?” The boy asked flatly.
“I’m--I’m--I’m sorry?”
“I asked you if you were an Elf.” He spoke again, keeping the same firm tone and gazing blankly into the crewman’s face and its growing expression of distress.
“N--No--no, I’m not, I’m just a man--”
“Then would it be possible for you to please stop addressing me as ‘child’? I’m well over a hundred years old, and since you’re ‘just a man’ there is no way for you to be older than I am. You weren’t even born when I was already considered as ‘old’ by the accounts of Humans, so I find it strange to be called a child by someone who is a child by my reckoning. Now, to answer your questions, I am feeling perfectly well, so please be sure to make the concerned passengers aware of that, and my father is dead. If that is all...” He leaned in closer and took a few sniffs.
“... You smell like seawater. Please stay away from me.” He turned and walked away.
They had been travelling for the last seven days. The trip from Corone to Scara Brae was usually calm and peaceful, and this was no exception save for the presence of the strange boy that upset most of the crew and passengers; however, to Zerlleth the trip was rather dull. He was expecting to find something more amusing at sea, but after the initial awe experienced when discovering the strange smell of seawater impregnating a man, followed by the sad realization that all seamen carried the same stench, there had been hardly anything worthy of his attention; all that, however, was about to change.
“What is that place called?” Zerlleth asked absentmindedly while approaching the ship’s railing, his eyes fixed on the city perking up over the horizon. The Eagle gazed at the boy and swooped down fast, making a swift landing on the railing to his right.
“That, boy, is called Scara Brae.” Feonathlos answered.
“Hhhmmm... It looks... strange...” He smiled.
I don't expect many people to join this thread, if any, and that's fine. But if you are thinking about joining, please PM me before you do as a small courtesy. Thank you for reading. :)
“Je... Jech... ru--ru... ruvofke... zel... che... chervroux...? Dus... Vo... o... ol...ka... nes...”
“You better put that book away, boy.” Feonalthos’ voice resounded in the boy’s mind, prompting him to raise his head and look up at the Eagle that idly rested with its talons clenched on the crow’s nest of the old merchant ship. He frowned and turned his eyes back down to the open book lying in front of him on the wooden floor of the vessel’s main deck.
Zerlleth scratched his head and looked back up again. “I can’t understand this spell very well, Guru... It’s very complicated.” He said softly and with a tone of nonchalant. Most of the crew and passengers around stared and raised their eyebrows at his comment; only a few seemed to notice the bird, and out of them only one seemed to realize that he was actually having a conversation with it. Most of them felt unsettled by it, but still pretended not to care out of mere politeness.
“Well, boy, there is a reason for that...” The Eagle started with a lecturing voice. “That spell is far more suited for someone like your father than it is for you. I would be most frightened if you were able to cast it as you are today, not to mention everyone else within a few hundreds of feet.” He chuckled. “In any case, just put the book away like I told you. We’re about to make port.”
“Okay...” He answered reluctantly, closing the book and putting it back in its usual place within his robes.
“Uh... excuse me, boy...” A male voice reached Zerlleth’s ears from behind prompting the young Wizard to turn brusquely, startling the crewman standing before him. He was a young man, barely into his twenties, judging from his appearance; he looked quite nervous as drops of sweat were constantly trickling down from his forehead, and he seemed to have difficulty staring at Zerlleth straight in the eye.
“Yes?” Zerlleth let out coldly and with unintentional harshness while taking a step forward, prompting the man to flinch.
“Uhm... It’s just that... well, some of the passengers were-- Uh, they were wondering if you were feeling alright...? Where are your parents, child? Do you want me to help you find--”
“Are you an Elf?” The boy asked flatly.
“I’m--I’m--I’m sorry?”
“I asked you if you were an Elf.” He spoke again, keeping the same firm tone and gazing blankly into the crewman’s face and its growing expression of distress.
“N--No--no, I’m not, I’m just a man--”
“Then would it be possible for you to please stop addressing me as ‘child’? I’m well over a hundred years old, and since you’re ‘just a man’ there is no way for you to be older than I am. You weren’t even born when I was already considered as ‘old’ by the accounts of Humans, so I find it strange to be called a child by someone who is a child by my reckoning. Now, to answer your questions, I am feeling perfectly well, so please be sure to make the concerned passengers aware of that, and my father is dead. If that is all...” He leaned in closer and took a few sniffs.
“... You smell like seawater. Please stay away from me.” He turned and walked away.
They had been travelling for the last seven days. The trip from Corone to Scara Brae was usually calm and peaceful, and this was no exception save for the presence of the strange boy that upset most of the crew and passengers; however, to Zerlleth the trip was rather dull. He was expecting to find something more amusing at sea, but after the initial awe experienced when discovering the strange smell of seawater impregnating a man, followed by the sad realization that all seamen carried the same stench, there had been hardly anything worthy of his attention; all that, however, was about to change.
“What is that place called?” Zerlleth asked absentmindedly while approaching the ship’s railing, his eyes fixed on the city perking up over the horizon. The Eagle gazed at the boy and swooped down fast, making a swift landing on the railing to his right.
“That, boy, is called Scara Brae.” Feonathlos answered.
“Hhhmmm... It looks... strange...” He smiled.
I don't expect many people to join this thread, if any, and that's fine. But if you are thinking about joining, please PM me before you do as a small courtesy. Thank you for reading. :)