Closed Truth Or Lies [Kirvan]

[Gabrielle Seawind]

8th Winter 512 AV Anchorage Flotilla, Morning “What do you mean he saw a Manalim?” asked Gabrielle. She was sitting on the edge of her casinor and there was a bucket of newly caught fish by her feet. Her casinor was roped to another similar ship, and that ship was tied to another. They were in the Anchorage Flotilla and she was speaking to a middle-aged Svefra man who was telling her of rumours about a young lad who was said to have seen a monstrous creature. Gabrielle’s was frowning. Utmost disbelief clouded her mind. She had never met anyone who had ever seen a Manalim. There were few who said they had, but their stories were farfetched and implausible, she simply assumed they were telling tall tales. After all, bringing together odd but exciting stories appeared to be a favorite past time of many aged ones of her race. “Not only seen. He killed it,” replied the man as he scratched his chin thoughtfully. They were speaking in Fratava, and while Gabrielle found comfort in being amidst those of her race and language, she couldn’t help but be distracted by the tales she was being told. “What was his name?” asked Gabrielle. “Not sure of the name. Kevin or so,” was the reply. “Of the Deepseekers. Ask around and you’ll find one of them.” Gabrielle grabbed the bucket. It was quite heavy and she trained her arms to hold it up. There was about half a dozen sea bass violently flipping their fins, and she was about to see what she could barter off her catch. And on her way there, she would keep a lookout for the Deepseekers. Those from the market would likely know where to find him, most especially if he had recently tried to sell of Manalim meat. What would Manalim meat be like? She had no idea. Gabrielle didn’t even know what the creature looked like. The tales were too varied, the descriptions too different. Finally, she spotted a good place to sell of her catch. The Svefra placed the bucket on the floor and stretched her arms. She stopped before a woman who was accommodating others who had also brought fish with them. When Gabrielle finally had the chance to show off her own catch, instead of asking what she could get in exchange, she first asked, “Would you know where to find the Deepseekers?”

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

8th of Winter, 512 AV Anchorage Flotilla Kirvan needed a new way to fish. Maybe he could pick up a rod like one of his old podmates, just lean it over the side of the boat and wait there for the little bobby thing to drop and then pull in whatever was biting. Or maybe just get a net like he once had and drape it over his stern, sailing through the water and snagging some catch. Ster could help too, shepherding the fish into his open net and making things go by faster. Something that he could pick up easily and move from aft to fore, then sell and be on his way. This was where his sentiments were at as he carried in his arms a large swordfish he had caught early in the morning, the giant fish nearly as big as a human. After tying up to the Flotilla a few chimes ago, he had to somehow hop from boat to boat with this large marine animal slumped in his arms and avoid falling in between the ships. He tried getting a spot close to the market, but it was inevitable that he would need to walk some distance before finding a vendor to sell his catch to. And he would have to repeat this process later in the day again when he caught some more, tuna or great marlin or swordfish. One time, he had to carry two dolphins ashore. At least in Syliras, they had dockhands help you carry it to the fish market, which was right next to the piers. With the Flotilla only a bell's distance away, he had no idea why he chose to came here instead. Closer it may be, but worth the effort? Well, that was to be decided. Finally making it to the ships that traded for the catch, he set down the swordfish on the deck with great relief, shaking his arms to ease the ache. Some of the younger and inexperienced fishermen looked at the catch with wide eyes, amazed at its size and probably hoping to catch something that big themselves. Kirvan could only remember how much trouble the blasted fish had cost him, and was seriously considering buying a net. Suddenly, out of the blue, he heard his pod name. Someone was looking them, though they had not said why, and by the time he looked up he could not see who had asked. There were quite a few svefra of all ages and genders with their catch, selling on these boats that dealt with the fish. "Someone looking for the Deepseekers?" he called out. "I know how to find them, or will do if you like."

[Gabrielle Seawind]

Slightly startled, Gabrielle turned her head to look at the man who had spoken. He had the familiar traits of a Svefra man, his eyes as blue as the sea, with interesting speckles of green. The woman she had been speaking to gave Gabrielle a comforting smile and allowed the two to speak amongst themselves as she looked through the young woman’s catch. “I am looking for them,” said Gabrielle. She looked at the man from head to toe. A look of curiosity was upon her. “More particularly, I am looking for one person. Are you of the pod?” She gave him a grin. The girl enjoyed rumors, gossips, and far-fetched stories... and so did most of her kin. It wouldn’t be odd that what she was about to say had reached her ears. And if he was of the Deepseekers, he could prove it by at least showing recognition for the rumor she was about to mention. “Kevin Deepseeker,” she stated clearly, obliviously getting his name wrong. “He brought down a Manalim. I want to speak to him is all. It would really help if you could send me towards him.” The old woman who had been inspecting her catch gave an amused snort. When Gabrielle looked back at her, she said, “I could trade you maybe two pounds of beef for these.” Gabrielle scrunched her nose. She wasn’t interested in beef at the moment. “If you’ve got mizas, that would be much better.” Shrugging, the older woman started to rummage through the folds of her clothes, looking for the coins that Gabrielle preferred. As she did, Gabrielle looked back at Kirvan, waiting for his answer.

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

The woman who answered his call was one of his own kin, bearing familiar svefra traits like her largely blonde hair and eyes as blue as the bright sunny sea. She was slightly shorter than himself, and clad in black trousers with one of those wrap-around things covering her chest and a vest covering that. She looked the curious sort, those like himself who loved following up on hearsay and words. Stories were the lifeline of some bored svefra like himself, and anything that could be interesting or out of the ordinary was worth looking into. "I am," he answered, taking a brief pause to look around for a vendor nearby. All the buyers were busy though, so he had to wait a bit. May as well spend it with a sister of the sea. "I know most of my podmates from a while ago, though if any have joined since Summer's end I can't help you. Which one are you looking for?" Kirvan's brow furrowed in thought at the name, then widened at the mention of what this so-called Kevin had done. "A manalim?" he thought aloud. Just then, someone called out and he looked to see one of the fish-buyers pointing at his swordfish. "That's a fine catch there," he said, gesturing to its size and the small hole in the side of its neck. "Most of the meat is still good too. I can give you a few days worth of vegetables for it, or two days worth of salted beef. Sound fair?" Kirvan looked at his sea sister, but she was busy with a trader of her own. Turning back, he smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but if you could give me its worth in mizas then that'd be easier. I'll be visiting the city quite often, and they only take their coinage." Shrugging, the vendor shook his head. "However you like it brother. Just give me a moment and I'll find some coins." With the buyer busy, Kirvan turned back to his sea sister, who had finished with her distraction as well. "I am not aware of any of my podmates bringing down one of those creatures, I thought I was the only one," he told her honestly. "If there are more of these attacks however, that might bode ill. I'm afraid I don't recognize the name, but if you give me some time I could send a message to my pod and ask for this Kevin."

[Gabrielle Seawind]

Gabrielle looked at him, blinking. If he was a Deepseeker and he was able to slay a manalim, then he was most probably the one being spoken about. What were the chances of two individuals slaying a manalim in such a short time? The chances that they both came from the same pod were even more miniscule.

She snorted rudely, a look of amusement present on her face. Once again, she looked at him from head to toe. He looked nothing special to her. He was lean looking and appeared to be strong, but a manalim had died in his hands alone? She had been enjoying someone much bigger, and someone who had more knowledge in their eyes.

“Are you mocking me?” she asked, grinning widely. Gabrielle didn’t mean to offend him. It was quite obvious that she had been speaking about him, and his name was not Kevin. However, he lent her such a clueless atmosphere that she couldn’t help to think that he was teasing her. “You slayed the creature? Really? Where is your proof?”

The woman she had been previously bartering with made a soft chuckle. “He is the one, Seawind,” she said quite clearly.

Gabrielle gave another laugh. This time, it wasn’t rude. Rather, it was full of amusement. She watched as the old woman took away her catch and in exchange handed her a few mizas. Taking a quick glance at them, she saw that she had been given more than what she had expected. Excellent.

“Well, really…” said Gabrielle as she shifted her attention back at Kirvan. “I just wanted to hear about it. Maybe see some of its carcass. Perhaps a tooth, or an eye. Did it fetch for a good barter? Perhaps you would want to go and catch more; I hear their meat is mighty expensive. I have never met anyone who has seen one before, and perhaps you would know where to find them.”

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

Surprised by the snort, Kirvan cocked his head at the sea sister who had approached him. He was being genuine, no jokes thus far, yet she found him entertaining. What was it that he had said that amused her so? She looked him over, and stared curiously. "Is something funny?" he asked, a little annoyed at her sudden rude behaviour. Family or no, he did not like to be mocked without at least knowing why. "Mocking you?" Kirvan asked, now truly surprised, his eyebrows raised and his mouth open slightly. "What do you mean mocking you? I wasn't joking when I said that I could contact the pod, find this Kevin for you." Then she clarified, and Kirvan's face relaxed with understanding, suddenly serious. "Yes, I did," he answered simply. Her reluctance to believe was justifiable, after all he wasn't exactly the biggest man around nor the most impressive. "My proof?" he asked, though it wasn't a surprised tone. Rather, it was one assured in his own accomplishment, and he began thinking how long it would take him to go back to his casinor. Then the old woman behind his sea sister affirmed his claim, and he nodded gratefully. He waited patiently as the two did business, the woman passing his sea sister her mizas, who counted them. The laughter was pleasant to listen to, but Kirvan could not really understand what was so amusing about all this. Manalims weren't exactly fun to play with. It may be an accomplishment, but he wanted people to believe him so they could understand how dangerous they could be as well. "What is there to hear that hasn't already been said?" Kirvan asked. "It was a great big four-flippered monster with lots of sharp teeth inside a big jaw. I sold most of what was left of it, everything from its neck to its tail, so there's not much I have to show you. The barter worth was quite high." He paused, thinking. "If you would like, I could show you some of its teeth. Quite large things, sharp too and could potentially be sharper if someone knew how to do that." Now it was Kirvan's turn to chuckle as he shook his head. "Believe me, if you had been there you would appreciate how deathly dangerous they are. I'm not too eager to find another one, though it would probably be easier with a couple different boats. Don't know where to find them though, they kind of pop up randomly, or so I've read. Sheer luck, good or bad, that one happened to take an interest in my boat." A nudge from behind him drew his attention to an outstretched hand full of mizas, belonging to the vendor he had sold his catch to. Taking them graciously, Kirvan thanked the man and slipped them into his pocket, turning back to meet his sea sister's gaze. "Kirvan Deepseeker by the way," he introduced, grinning. "Like I said, I can show you the teeth if you want to see them. Also have a little bestiary with a small entry on them in Fratava if you want to read that too, though books can be a little slow at times."

[Gabrielle Seawind]

Kirvan’s responses confused her. After a while, her expression turned much friendlier as she realized that it had been nothing but misunderstandings to that point. She also realized that he was not one who appreciated rudeness. That seemed to be a trait that most people had.

“Oh, you do have some of its teeth!” she exclaimed, her eyes going wide. Gabrielle clapped her hands together once. She was evidently excited at the new piece of information. “Would you be selling it? Can you imagine it… a necklace with such a creature’s tooth. That would bring me much luck!”

The Svefra were superstitious, and Gabrielle was not an exception.

When he introduced himself, she stopped herself from grinning. Kirvan. Not Kevin. It was close enough and she forgave herself for the mistake.

“Gabrielle Seawind,” she stated, pointing a thumb at herself. She was the last of the Seawinds, so technically she was no longer part of a pod. But when she introduced herself, she did it in that manner. It was possible that her pod’s name would be recognizable to him, as the pods who had been wiped out by the awful storm a few seasons past were remembered by most of the race. “I would very much want to see them. Of course, I want to see the bestiary as well! Let’s go, Deepseeker.”

The bucket she had brought was empty now. It was going to be a pain, but she had to carry it with her. If they were passing by her casinor on the way to his, that would be an advantage. She picked the bucket up and held it in her hands, urging Kirvan to lead the way.

As she followed him, Gabrielle could not help but ask more. His story interested her, and she was not going to let the topic die soon.

“Was it difficult to slay? How did you do it, anyway?”

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

Glad that the confusion had passed, as well as that awkward bit of rudeness, Kirvan felt a lot lighter and easygoing about showing his sea sister the teeth. Her own mood turned lighter and pleasant, which reflected in Kirvan's own demeanor. A grin was still stretched across his face, one of his friendly expressions though it made him look a bit wild. Her excitement was refreshing as well. Kirvan had told many about the manalim - it was hard to sell a giant boat-sized carcass quietly - but this lass was the first who was so enthusiastic about seeing the actual proof. Almost giddily she clapped her hands, and the slightly taller svefra couldn't help but smile. "I think I could barter a couple," he replied. "Yes, I imagine that would benefit you somehow. I was actually thinking of finding a maledictor somewhere to make a few talismans out of them, though I don't know of where I could find one." Seawind, Kirvan thought to himself. The name sounded familiar. He tried to place it, the pod sounded like one that his Lia had told him of some time ago, maybe close to the beginning of the year when that horrible storm crashed through the Suvan. Gods, that felt like so long ago. Maybe Seawind was one of the pods lost in the storm. Yes, that was it, Seawind had been one of the many families lost to the waves that day. An immense feeling of empathy welled inside Kirvan. Not pity, genuine empathy, understanding the loss but not quite what it felt like. "You are the last of them?" he asked, already knowing the answer. "My apologies, sister. Their name looks to be in good hands." Nodding at her urging to lead the way, Kirvan turned and began heading back to his casinor, remembering which boats would lead him in the direction of his ship. Some might find it difficult, but much more difficult was trying to find a single room in a labyrinth of corridors like in Syliras. He shrugged his shoulders, relieved of the burden of the swordfish and his pockets a few mizas heavier, a good feeling to have. As he jumped from boat to boat, he heard Gabrielle behind him ask some more about his manalim encounter. He began answer, still keeping his footing on the multitude of moving decks. "Difficult? Definitely." He grabbed the side of a boat and vaulted over onto the next one. "I could only finish it with two harpoons fired from my launcher. The beast came close to killing me more than once along the way as well. He would rock the boat - at least I assume it was a he - quite violently too, and I nearly fell into the water many times. Near the end of it all, he leaped onto the bow and opened his maw, tilting the boat forward and waiting for me to fall in. Clever monster he was." Turning back to look at her, he suddenly realized that she was carrying a bucket, probably used to carry her catch when she had some. Without saying a word, he took it gently from her hands, a silent offer to carry it. "We're nearly there," he said, tucking the bucket under his arm and leaping to the next boat, keeping his ears open for the questions she would inevitably ask.

[Gabrielle Seawind]

The recognition that fell on him in regards to her name annoyed her. What was he apologizing for? Did the storm come from him? Gabrielle had heard all sorts of condolences, and each of them only served to annoy her. Within her, she fought down the urge to be rude. No, she needed something from him. She could not offend him further.

She simply reminded herself that he meant well.

Instead of reacting to his condolences, his apology about her name had gone to the depths of the sea, ignored.

When he talked about his encounter, she unwittingly wished she would come across one as well. Gabrielle followed him, going from one boat to another. It had always been fun to cross the expanse of boats that the Anchorage held. Gabrielle was also startled to see that she was grateful for his offer to carry the bucket, and he let her do so, handing it to him.

There came a point where silence was between them. Quickly, she reverted to a previous topic—a maledictor.

“Finding a maledictor would indeed be great… perhaps if we asked around, we could find someone on the Anchorage?” she asked. Gabrielle didn’t know any maledictors personally, but the Anchorage was massive, and its residents were so regularly changing. Some people even said that you could find anything and anyone on it if you really set your mind to the search. “If I can take one from you, I’ll find a maledictor on my own. And you find one on your own. Next time we cross paths, let’s see which of us is better at finding the right people.”

She laughed in a soft and playful way. Gabrielle loved challenges in so many ways.

“We should make a bet about it! First one who finds a maledictor for a tooth… well, I don’t know. What else do you have to offer? Hey, are we near your casinor?”

They were already close to the edge of the Anchorage. Across an expanse of boats, she could see the wide sea.

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

She didn't respond to his condolences, not that he had expected her to. Either sorrow or qnnoyance made her unwilling to talk about it, and guessing from the rest of her fiery and contesting actions he assumed the latter. He wasn't about to withdraw it though, he was going to let her know what he thought whether she liked it or not. If it annoyed her, too bad. She should receive acknowledgement to her painful past even if she didn't acknowledge it herself. However, he wouldn't press the issue, just apologizing was enough for him. The silence dragged a bit as they vaulted from boat to boat, Kirvan patiently waiting for Gabrielle to speak again, not giving a second thought to the bucket under his arm. It had been a while since he'd come to the Flotilla with his pod, a couple days ago was the first time in years he'd jumped from boat to boat like this, and it was nice to be ablr to go where he wanted so he could travel to places of memory for him. Though he didn't plan on staying here long, he longed to explore somewhere new. Maybe he could find a map-maker somewhere on the Flotilla. "Maybe," Kirvan replied to her question about finding a maledictor. "So many boats tie up here, I wouldn't be surprised if there were one near the edge of the Flotilla. Would definitely take some time though, this place is huge. I think it's grown since a year or two ago. At first, he wasn't sure where she was going with suggesting they each find one on their own. Then he chuckled and grinned at the challenge. Little rivalries never hurt, and it would be fun to see who they could find. "Sure thing," he answered. "Though how do we decide who is 'better'? I don't know a thing about malediction, but I hear it's a very uncertain science. Once, I heard that some poor sailor asked for a good luck charm and the next day was targeted by a dire shark." Gabrielle's mounting enthusiasm was contagious, and though Kirvan had never made a bet in his life he was considering taking this one. "Not much else I have to my name really, but hang on why are you asking what else I have to offer? You're taking the bet too!" Kirvan kept his eyes open. They were nearing the exterior of the Flotilla, Laviku's great domain stretching out as far as the eye could see, so his boat was nearby. "Should be somewhere..." he wondered. There it was, that little casinor over by the edge with the harpoon launcher at the bow and one of the manalim teeth wedged above the entrance. It served as an identifying marker, which actually helped quite a lot as many boats looked the same. He brought Gabrielle aboard and pointed up at the five inch long marker. "There's one," he said, half-jokingly. Setting her bucket aside on his bed, he brushed all the stuff on his trunk off onto the floor and unlatched it, opening it to his only possessions. As brusque as she seemed, he liked his sea sister's energy and enthusiasm, and he was hunrgy for a bit more. There were quite a few teeth, but he picked up one of the biggest. Straigtening up again, he showed the tooth to Gabrielle, the point dulling but still sharp enough to be used. The thing was about as big as a dagger, and could probably be used like one too. "This is from the jaw of my opponent," he said, letting the prize speak for itself. "I returned the head to Laviku so the eyes are gone, but I cut out its terth first. Was actually thinking of finding a weapon-crafter somewhere, I bet they could make good use of this."