[Flashback] Arrival in Denval (Oluse)

[Veldrys]

Autumn 90, 510 AV, Evening

Denval had fascinated the Symenestra since he had first heard about it as a boy. One of the human traders that occasionally came to the underground city of Kalinor to do business with his father had talked about it. Veldrys could still remember how he had sat opposite the man wide eyed. He had claimed that Denval had been isolated for centuries following the Valterrian and that it was surrounded by a huge mass of rubble that had been thrown up then. It had only been discovered by chance by an expedition, but a few decades prior. The Denvali, the man had claimed, welcomed all visitors warmly and were interested in any opportunities for trade.

He’d already wanted to go there earlier, to hear accounts of the way the world had been before the Valterrian, but he had been unable to do so because of his training at the Purging. He had wanted to finish that first. Besides, he hadn’t been ready to leave everything behind. As a teenager, he had had a different attitude towards things. There had been a time when he had thought that his duties to Kalinor were more important than anything else, even more important than his own happiness. It had only been after his meeting with Seven and Seran that his attitude had changed, that he hadn’t been able to bear the things that his people did anymore. He had left to preserve his own sanity … and maybe find a solution to Kalinor’s problems …

He had persuaded another trader to let him come with him – the man that had first told him about Denval had passed away by then. They’d travelled together for part of the long and dangerous journey, until Veldrys had boarded a small ship that would take him to Denval. Ships made the Symenestra who was more used to climbing the walls of the underground caves of his home fairly uneasy, and the people on the ship had been a little suspicious of him.

They had been polite enough, but the captain had sent his daughter away whenever Veldrys had been nearby. Veldrys could not help but wonder how the man would have reacted if he had said that he would never sleep with her because she was fat and ugly, and he disapproved of using surrogates anyway. The girl weighed at least two hundred pounds, her face was covered with pimples, and she was missing most of her teeth, albeit she was only in her early twenties.

As the ship approached the harbor the Symenestra stood on the deck, looking at the city that became visible in the distance. He couldn’t help but feel uneasy all of a sudden. He was convinced that he would find important information in Denval, information about the past that would help his people, but how would the Denvai react to him? Had they ever met a Symenestra? Did they know what his people did? How would they welcome him?

[Oluse]

Oluse had been chatting absently with the pier master when he spotted the ship crest the opening of the bay, riding like a small seagull ridden dot upon the horizon. He leisurely finished his conversation and released the man to go perform the duties he had been shirking, even taking up conversation with the young thirteen year old boy to distract him. Oluse didn't mind, he always enjoyed casual conversation, and he even managed to sell a vial of Sweet Bay
Bay is not only used as a bug repellent, but has been known to soothe sore joints, treat infections, and when added to a bath may help with relaxation. External uses of bay should be avoided if you have sensitive skin as it may cause a rash. oil to the man, promising him eased joint and some protecting from the Autumn insects. Though the insects were less during Autumn, they were always by far the worse, causing large welts which sometimes would become infected. He conveniently left out the part where the man would smell like a salad for a week after applying the essence.

His father had charged him with tending the docks for this week's shipment of newcomers and transients stepping off the boat to stretch their legs. His sister would usually handle selling the infusions, herbs, and droughts but she had some lesson or other at the Opal Clinic. Oluse hadn't asked for details, he just took the large portable cabinet with him down to the docks as he was instructed. The cabinet itself was something to behold. It was crafted from an old oak, comprised of over two dozen small drawers which could house five or six glass vials each. Every drawer had a polished silver latch at the front, which with a careful hand or small fingers could easily be opened. Oluse jokingly believed it was a safe proof mechanism, only those with trained hands like a true doctor could even hope to get hold of the miniscule loops. The only downside of the container was it's weight, making it somewhat difficult for Oluse to handle it. The thick leather straps around it secured fast to his body, however, and tightened to distribute weight well, even to his small frame.

He had yet to enter his first growth spurt, and as such still stood at just shy of five feet tall. He didn't mind so much his height, not knowing any better. He just stood, short as could be, at the base of the docks, waiting for the first person to depart the ship, save the captain who would be busy with the pier officer.

[Veldrys]

He had thought that Denval would be different. It was smaller than he imagined, and the people that waited at the dock, they didn’t seem to be hostile, at least not at first glance. As the sailors readied the ship, the Symenestra stood there and watched the Denvali as they went about their work. They seemed happy, curious about the strangers that the ship had brought to their little city. But what would they say when he stood directly in front of them? What would they say when they realized that he wasn’t going to leave anytime soon? Would they appreciate his interest in their gods, in their history?

He followed the other passengers slowly. His amethyst eyes were wide with curiosity as he took a look at his new surroundings. The houses of Denval were completely different from what he was used to. In Kalinor they hung from the ceiling. Here they stood on the ground and resembled blocks of stone. They looked comparatively ugly, but as long as they were warm inside, the Symenestra decided, he could live with it.

Most of the people around him seemed to be human. Of course he had expected that, but he had thought, he had hoped that there would be at least one other Symenestra somewhere. It was strange if you were the only one of your race within miles …

His gaze fell on a boy that stood nearby, holding what looked like a cabinet, something he had seen his fellow doctors and herbalists use. Was he selling the contents or had he merely stopped to take a look at the ship?

His curiosity was instantly peaked, and he decided to approach him, aware of how he had to look to the young Denvali. Veldrys was tall and pale, with silver hair, slender, with hands that ended in blackened nails, and his clothes were made of the finest silk.

„Good day“, the Symenestra said and inclined his head, as if he were facing a grown man and not a child. His accent waas noticeable. At this point in time he had not mastered the language of the surface world yet. „I couldn’t help but notice this here …“ He gestured towards the cabinet. „Are you perhaps a healer or a healer’s apprentice? What kind of things do you have in there?“

[Oluse]

Oluse was turned away, as Valyrs approached and began to speak, though he gave forth a short grunt to notify Valdrys he was listening. The young man struggled to get the cabinet off of his shoulders and onto to ground next to him. He did however listen politely to the man's words as he spoke. He was excited he might have a customer without having to chase anybody down. He did hate having to act a salesmen.

Once the cabinet was set beside him he began to turn and respond to the question, "Yes, Sir. I'm an apprentice to my father at the Fortis-Saro remedy sho...-p." His last word drew out then came to a pointed stop as his eyes finally setted on the man before him. He knew nothing of Symestra, and as such wasn't sure what to make of the traveler at first. He took a long moment to look the man over. The nails seemed not only intimidating but unhealthy. He knew nails were prone to turning dark when circulation wasn't getting to them or when bruised, but perhaps the man had just painted them, since he didn't seem to be cradling them in a way that suggested they were painfully sensitive. His hair was foreign, and the primary indication that the man was not a human. The second was his eyes, they were very odd, though not all together unhansom. The man's skin, however, struck Oluse as very sickly. He thought of maybe a nutrition deficiency on the ship. Perhaps his race was disliked by his shipmates so he didn't get fed? Even with being food deprived, the slender man must have had some preexisting medical issue to bleach his skin so horribly with what seemed like a precursor of death.

He cast a short look around at the man's fellow shipmates as they disembarked, taking in how they appeared to regard the man. He couldn't quite place the looks, but not seeming outright hostel he returned his attention to his new patient by making confident eye contract. "My name is Oluse Fortis-Saro, and these are quite honestly the freshest, highest quality remedies you will find in all of Denval. Each component was retrieved with skill and care by my family's hands. I have been trained in the medical application, and creation of all of these remedies by my father. Would you please tell me what ails you? I will do my best to attend to your," He paused looking the man over again, "condition." His words weren't malicious, in fact they seemed sincere and a bit worried with compassion for the foreigner.

[Veldrys]

As Oluse abruptly stopped speaking and proceeded to look him over instead, Veldrys arched an eyebrow. Even though he knew that the Denvali had likely not seen a lot of Symenestra yet, he didn’t appreciate being stared at. It made him feel strange. In Kalinor nobody had ever looked at him like that. At least the boy didn’t scream for the guards and told them to kill the venomous man that had come to get their women. That fact comforted him slightly. But still … he didn’t really know how to deal with such looks. That was something he had never thought of when he had planned his journey …

„The freshest remedies, Mister Fortis-Saro?“ the Symenestra asked, just as politely as before. He decided that it would be best to pretend that he hadn’t noticed the boy’s looks. „May I see them? I might be interested in buying something from you. You see, I’m a healer myself and would like to know what kind of remedies the people of Denval …“ He broke off abruptly and stared at Oluse in confusion as the boy asked him about his condition just like the boy had stared at him before.

His condition? Was there something wrong with him? Did he have something on his face? There hadn’t been a mirror on the ship, and thus he had been unable to see his face, but he didn’t feel ill. He was a little tired and a tiny bit sea-sick, but on the whole he didn’t feel too bad. He touched his face though just to be sure. It still felt like his face. He furrowed his brow, and then he shook his head. That Oluse thought he was ill because he was so pale didn’t occur to him.

„What do you mean?“ he wanted to know. „Can you see something I don’t? What kind of illness am I suffering from in your opinion?“

[Oluse]

Oluse, still looking worried raised an eyebrow at the man before him. He couldn't understand how an alleged doctor could claim he felt no illness in him when he looked to horrid. "Sir," he said respectfully as he could, which wasn't very, "Are you hard of sight? Just look." He stepped forward, reaching for the man's hand to hold it. "Your skin is as white as a sheet, and your nails look as if they are about to fall off they are so black." He then looked Veldrys in the eyes and continued, "Your eyes are so bloodshot they are nearly pink, and your frame. It's so thin. When was the last time you've eaten, and sustained the meal?"

He shook his head in disbelief. "You look as bad I'm surprised you're still standing, Sir. I am surprised you do not feel more sick. As for a diagnosis I am unsure! I would guess malnutrition, Sir. Perhaps some flu, or allergy, or-" He shook his head, something not quite adding up in his mind. Oluse loved medicine, he really did. Like a puzzle, each patient was just a mystery waiting to be unraveled, but he felt that one might be beyond him. "Sir, I'm sorry, but I fear that your ailment is beyond my ability to diagnose, let alone treat."

As he finished speaking he pitched an ear curiously at a passenger who gave a hardy laugh at the words he overheard the Denvali boy speak to the Symestra, and kept walking. Oluse frowned, not understanding how somebody could be so rude and cold hearted toward the poor dying man before him.

[Veldrys]

„Ah, no, my eyes work perfectly“, he assured Oluse, sounding even more confused than before if that was at all possible. As the boy stepped forward to take his hand, he almost withdrew it, but unfortunately he wasn’t fast enough. He looked at his hand that did indeed look very white when compared to Oluse’s own hand, and then he laughed out loud. „I assure you, Mister Fortis-Saro, my skin has been that way since the day I was born. My home city is underground. I doubt you’ll find anybody with a tan there.“

„As for my nails …“ He shrugged his shoulders, realizing that he didn’t have any idea why Symenestra had black nails. He didn’t particularly care about that either. „They have also always been this way. They won’t fall off, at least not yet. And my eyes, that’s their natural color I’m afraid, and truth to be told, they are more purple than pink. Thank you for your concern though. It’s good to hear that somebody is worried about my health for a change.“

„I’ve eaten on the ship. I have to admit, I got a little sick during the journey, but it wasn’t too bad, and I’ve always been able to sustain my meals before. I don’t hav the flu, I don’t have any allergies that I know of, and I promise you that I won’t die, at least not where you can see me.“

Shock and confusion had made way to amusement by now. Could it be that the boy had never seen a Symenestra and no idea what they looked like? It seemed almost as if he thought that he was merely facing a human that was suffering from a fatal disease! Should he tell Oluse that he wasn’t human? Being taken for a sick human rather than a dangerous, venomous creature was a refreshing change, but still …

„If you are still worried though, you can check my heartbeat and my breathing or get me to a better healer“, he offered helpfully, deciding that he wouldn’t tell him just yet. Let the boy figure out that he was not human on his own.

[Oluse]

Oluse listened, adopting the bulk of Velrys' relinquished confusion. His hand still laid grasping Veldrys' own frail hand as Oluse repeated all the information in his head before responding. "So," he let out before another paused, unsure of his conclusion, "you are saying everybody where you come from looks like," He looked at the man again, and silently decided that his eyes still looked more pink than purple. "This?"

As his own words set in so did a realization. A realization of how rude he must have been if all of this man's people had those attributes! A deep flush met his cheeks and he released the Symestra's hand. "Oh, I am so sorry, Sir! I had no idea you weren't um. Are you human?" He was completely confused by that point. He had never paid much attention to his studying of geography or foreign anatomy. He had barely taken any interest in animal anatomy, the idea of ever treating many of either category a statistical doubt at best in his mind.

"If a human was frail, or had pale skin, or bloodshot eyes, or black nails they are likely in very poor shape. So, I just thought." He cast his eyes down, still hurriedly trying to explain his mistake. "I should have been more considerate, I apologize, Sir." He then gave a quick scratch to his hair, his scalp suddenly heating up, then remembered his herbs. "Please, Sir. Let me give you a discount on these herbs. I'll explain to you what they are if you'd like." And he did. He without lending a moment for objection began listing off as if he were some botany catalog, scientific names and recognized uses of over two dozen common Denvali herbs. His speech was lightning fast, and he barely took breath as he spoke. In lack of knowing what to say to express his embarrassment to the man, he seemed to choose to just rely on what he knew by heart. If you can't think, repeat.

[Veldrys]

„Yes, everybody looks like me there“, Veldrys replied. „Well, not exactly like me. Some of my people have golden eyes, some red eyes, some have black hair, and some have white hair, but they are all pale and have nails like mine. It’s probably hard to imagine a city full of people like me, isn’t it?“

As Oluse could see as he held the Symenestra’s hand, Veldrys hand didn’t only end in strange, black nails, it was also more slender than a human man’s hand usually was, and his fingers were longer.

„Apology accepted“, he remarked somewhat dryly as Oluse finally told him that he was sorry for his behaviour. Apologizing didn’t really make anything better – the harm was really done – but at least Oluse seemed to be aware that his behaviour had been a little rude. „And no, I’m not human.“ It surprised him that it had only taken Oluse a few moments to figure it out after all. „I’m …“ He hesitated. „I’m what you call a Symenestra.“

„And I’m aware that humans that look like me are usually on the brink of death“, he added. „Anyway, I would very much like to buy a few of your herbs.“ As the boy began to list the herbs, the Symenestra’s eyes widened. He could hardly follow his words. He still had a few difficulties with the Common language every now and then, and if people spoke very fast, it was worse.

„Ah … that was a little too fast for me“, he admitted. „Do you have anything that helps against seasickness? Against a fever? Something that will make tired people feel a little better. I’m not familiar with the remedies that your people use."

[Oluse]

Oluse's face was blank a moment as the word "Symenestra" tossed around in the back of his mind. He had learned about them at some point, but the information seemed so irreverent that he hadn't bothered to retain it. However, with the example standing before him and the word explicitly given his eyes suddenly widened slightly. Recognition.

The ease of the following question, however, caught him off guard. His shock overthrown by pure training. He gave an effortless shrug. "That's easy. Ginger." The words came out a matter of factly, and without reservation. Oluse considered it one of the most obvious cures, even most laymen knew about it. But, Oluse wasn't condescending, he was used to knowing more about herbs than his customers. After all, that is why he was selling them, and they were buying, and not the other way around.

He reached in to grab a rather large sixty gram glass container of ginger, corked on top. His hands tarried slightly as he looked over what else was there before grabbing the jar, however. He felt guilty for his thoughts, but now he knew what he was dealing with, and his natural response was to prevent the spread of any "illness" that he could. If suggesting a few herbs that reduced sperm count, or damaged fertility was what it took, was that really so bad? Oluse sighed, coming up with the answer quite quickly. Yes. He finished grabbing the ginger and turned around, no smile upon his face. Unenthusiastically he explained it. "Ginger is really a miracle cure, and unlike most it tastes quite good as well. You can either infuse it with teas or pure water, as well as put it on foods, or take it straight. There are no real side effects," he paused a moment a blush crossing his face again, before it had even completely left, "except maybe miscarriage..." He gave a short distracting cough trying desperately to avoid the conversation of reproduction with the man before him. "But, um, it helps with digestion, motion sickness, energy levels, and fighting off colds. For common symptoms this should help, if it doesn't then you should come back and we can figure out what might." He then attempted and failed a feeble smile. "This size would be about two copper mizas."

He then glanced back to the shelf and nodded quietly to himself, reaching for a container of parsley of the same size. "This is another good cooking herb that could help. But I wouldn't suggest it in tea." He gave another nervous laugh, wanting at this point to get the transaction done and over with as quickly as possible. He wasn't sure what one of Veldrys' people were doing in Denval, but it scared him. Was he there to steal away Denvali women, why all the way from Denval? "Parsley, not only does it help with fever, lower blood pressure, and fight allergies, but it also can freshen your breath with a sprig or two in the morning." He just let his mouth talk as his mind worked itself into a paranoid frenzy. "Oh and Garlic," He set the two in his hands on top of the little cabinet and grabbed out the Garlic and set it long with it. "Can help flush unwanted parasites from your stomach, treat chest colds, reduce blood pressure, help against clots, and of course fights colds and fever. It certainly will not freshen the breath, but tastes great in some stews." His feigned smile seemed more genuine this time. Oluse knew the Symenestra wouldn't find many Denvali who were willing to fake a smile, but Oluse didn't feel like being the one to get in a fight with the poisonous fiend.

He then reached out for his Echinacea, the signature Denvali herb. But, he stopped. He didn't feel like selling him that herb. It was a part of Denval, and he didn't want the man to have any of Denval. In Oluse's mind herbs were for healing, and this man was there to hurt them. He straightened up and looked Veldrys in his off coloured eyes. He opened his mouth to finish the deal when he noticed something odd about the monster before him. His eyes didn't focus completely, eyelids drooping slightly, and elbows tucked slightly in toward his sides as if his stomach were upset. His posture was less than perfect, and lips were lax. He was uncomfortable, and showed all the symptoms of a normal human for seasickness. Oluse had been so blinded by his differences, so obsessed with his other "symptoms," his race, that he had missed important physical queues before. The man before him wasn't talking to him because he wanted to steal away his mother and sisters, but because he was seasick. Oluse's fake smile dropped from his face, as he contemplated what to do.

He decided that regardless of Veldrys' intentions Oluse would sell him the herbs to alleviate his seasickness, if nothing else it may encourage him to travel on by ship. He would not, however, offer him Echinacea, nor teach him wrist massages or breathing exercises that could help with seasickness. He would however ask him a question once the services were done. "That would be two copper mizas for the ginger, nine silver mizas for the parsley, and just one silver miza for the garlic." His voice was flat, more business like than he had ever managed before. He was, however, focused on his customer as his father had always told him to be. He somehow felt this wasn't what his father had meant precisely.