Closed Ayatah's Fortune

[Lucas Arias]

Continued from here.

Winter 10, 512 AV

„Hello!“ Lucas replied cheerfully – his fake fortune telling business was really going well so far – and then he looked up and stared at Ayatah. He didn’t give her a strange look nor did he seem to be disgusted, on the contrary – his eyes were wide with fascination. There was something familiar about the woman who had just entered his tent, about the color of her skin and the way she moved. She reminded him of the beautiful four armed creature he had met in Syliras ages ago – only that she only had two arms for some reason.

„Please come closer and sit down. Do you want to have your fortune told? Do you want to know what the gods have in store for you?“ He gestured towards the chair opposite his own. His eyes were still wide, and he was smiling. He usually told people complete nonsense and tended to prank them rather than give them a real fortune telling, but he decided that he would make an exception for her. She deserved a little honesty. He didn’t see her Myrian side – or maybe he didn’t want to see it – he only saw the Eypharian part of her, a race that he had been fascinated with since he had been a little boy.

„You aren’t from here, are you?“ he asked her and then he abruptly switched to Arumenic and said a few words in that language, assuming that Ayatah would understand it.

[Ayatah]

The voice from inside of the tent was cheerful and inviting, so Ayatah stepped inside willingly. In Taloba, people haggled, but they weren’t scammed - at least by other Myrians. So Ayatah was perhaps a little naïve in thinking that this young man could actually tell her future - or at least hint at something that might arise.

It was fascinating, but she did not lose that Myrian suspiciousness, either. When the young man eyed her… strangely, it made her stop. But he wasn’t looking at her like most Zeltiva locals did; he almost looked… impressed. His eyes were wide instead of narrowed with dislike.

”Ye-s,” Ayatah said slowly; the idea of having her future told was strange. Only Myri knew what was in store for her - but perhaps this young man had been touched by many of the Gods, and could therefore give hints to what they had planned. A thousand questions flittered through Ayatah’s mind; will I meet my father? Where will I go next? Will I ever see… She snapped her mind out of questions that she mulled over and over ever since she moved to Zeltiva.

The young man had asked her a question, but then started speaking in a strange language. Was he trying to speak Myrian? ”I am from Taloba.” She said plainly, her head tilting to one side once again, ”What… other language are you speaking?”

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Lucas Arias]

„Wonderful!“ Lucas exclaimed as Ayatah confirmed that she wanted to have her fortune told. „Please sit down, and then we can get started right away. What kind of tools do you want me to use? The bones, the crystal ball or the cards? I can also try reading your palm, but I’m afraid I’m not particularly good at that yet. So what shall it be?“

„Taloba?“ he repeated as she told him where she was from. „I’ve never been there. Isn’t that where the cannibals – I mean Myrians – live? Did they try to eat you? And how did you get from Taloba to Zeltiva?“

While he waited for her to explain things, he arranged his various tools on the table in front of him. Lucas might be trying to scam people and prank them, but his oracle book contained real oracles, and his crystal ball was made of real crystal.

„Oh, that was Arumenic, the language of the Eypharians. But you should know that since you are some kind of two armed Eypharian. At least you resemble the Eypharians I’ve met so far. One of them was working as some kind of high class prostitute in the Golden Dragon in Syliras, but that probably doesn’t really interest you, so I won’t tell you any more about her.“

„So why do you only have two arms?“

[Ayatah]

She obliged his offer for her to sit, and looked around the inside of the tent whilst she half listened to him chatter away. She shrugged her shoulders when he asked what she would prefer him to use, ”I don’t know anything about fortune telling.” Especially whether it is true or not - though she kept this to herself.

“I’ve never been there. Isn’t that where the cannibals – I mean Myrians – live? Did they try to eat you? And how did you get from Taloba to Zeltiva?“

That got more of a reaction from Ayatah. She gave him a frosty glare, eyes narrowed and her voice suddenly full of coldness rather than curiosity, ”I am Myrian.” Although, that was at least how she saw herself. This young lad was the first person to question her heritage, and she couldn’t help but be slightly impressed that he had noticed.

She watched as the young man laid out his equipment, but once again he caught her full attention at the mention of Eypharians. ”I’m… half Eypharian. I lived in Taloba with my Myrian mother.” A quizzical look came across her face, and her head cocked to one side, ”why are you fascinated with my father’s race?”

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Lucas Arias]

„Well, then I’ll try to read your palm“, Lucas decided as Ayatah admitted that she didn’t know anything about fortune telling. „I’m in the mood for a change. For the past couple of days I’ve only been looking at bones from questionable sources.“ He sighed.

„Oh“, he said as she informed him that she was Myrian. „I suppose I should apologize? Sorry. You are not a cannibal of course. That’s just a stupid prejudice that humans have. I believe that you should judge people by what they do, not by what they are.“

He smiled at her as if he really meant what he said.

„I don’t know.“He shrugged his shoulders as she asked him why he was fascinated with her father’s race. „I’ve always liked Eypharians, since I was a small boy. I find Eypharians much more interesting than humans. They are so elegant and graceful. I like their language and their culture – and that they have more than two arms.“

„Humans bore me.“

„Don’t you find Eypharians fascinating? Did you know your father?“

[Ayatah]

”I’m in the mood for the change. For the past couple of days I’ve only been looking at bones from questionable sources."

Ayatah slid her left hand across the table, palm open. She had never had her fortune read before, but had heard and read about what palm readings entails. Still, the half-Eypharian was still not sure whether or not she believed in such a thing…

”I suppose I should apologize? Sorry. You are not a cannibal of course. That’s just a stupid prejudice that humans have. I believe that you should judge people by what they do, not by what they are.“

The words made her frown once again. Technically, I am a cannibal, she thought pensively. She kept the word to herself, though, knowing full well how unacceptable the idea was in Zeltiva. She was already generally disliked by the people; she did not want to be chased out of the city. Plus, it’s not like I’ve eaten anyone here…

”No, I didn’t know my father.” Ayatah said simply, shrugging her shoulders, ”my mother does not know his name, so neither do I. He apparently has four arms though.” But she did find her paternal race fascinating - but more for personal reasons that anything else. With each nugget of information she learnt about Eypharians, it felt like she as discovering a part of herself. The two races that had created Aaytah - Myrian and Eypharian - were almost as polar opposite as possible. There were the ferocious, aggressive Myrians who lived in the Jungle, hunting and killing (and sometimes ate) their enemies without asking questions. Then the Eypharians; desert-dwellers who thought themselves almost divine in status, cold and revengeful people who disdained the bloodlust that Myrians lived by.

And then there’s me. In the middle.

”So…” She said slowly, wanting to shift off the topic of Eypharians. It was an odd experience talking about something so close to her biologically, but so distant from her in every other way. ”How long have you been telling peoples’ fortune.”

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Lucas Arias]

As Ayatah slid her hand across the table, Lucas took it and started tracing the lines of it with a finger. He actually looked as if he knew what he was doing, as if he was doing more than just holding the hand of a woman he found interesting – or at least he tried to look the part. He grinned slightly mischievously, and that little grin never went away completely.

„Why does your mother not know your father’s name?“ he asked, furrowing his brow as he did so. „Did they not talk before they did …. you know … do it? How did an Eypharian end up with the Myrians anyway?“ As far as he knew, most Eypharians wouldn’t exactly consider bloodthirsty Myrians good company. They were prejudiced in that regard.

„Oh, a few months“, he replied as she asked him how long he had been telling people’s fortunes and shrugged his shoulders. „But I had the best teacher, and I’m a fast learner. So do you want to know what the lines of your hand told me?“

[Ayatah]

She let the young man feel her hand, dragging a finger across her palm as he stared downwards. He seemed to be concentrating, and Ayatah wondered what he was reading - if anything.

“Did they not talk before they did …. you know … do it? How did an Eypharian end up with the Myrians anyway?“

A tight smile spread across Ayatah’s lips. It entertained her how cautious city-dwellers were about sex. Back in Taloba, the act was seen as nothing but a natural part of life, and was thus conversed about in the same manner hunting was, or breathing. ”They did not speak the same language, so they couldn’t have chatted even if they’d wanted to.” She withdrew her hand, placing it on her knee alongside her other. Then she considered his second question, ”They did not meet in the jungle, but in Riverfall. My mother lived there for a while, though her adventures were cut short by -- well, me.”

She had long wondered whether mother had been disappointed by her time in Riverfall ending quicker than she had planned. Paira of the Scattered Bones had moved to the city in her twenties - much like Ayatah herself. She had left the jungle to further her physical training, seeking the knowledge of the blue-skinned male warriors that resided in Riverfall.

But instead, she had met a pompous a Eypharian who impregnanted her.

“But I had the best teacher, and I’m a fast learner. So do you want to know what the lines of your hand told me?”

She shrugged at those words, not knowing enough about fortune-telling to know whether simply having a good teacher was enough to impart decent skills. ”Yes, let’s see if you know what future holds.”

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Lucas Arias]

„What did your mother do in Riverfall?“ Lucas wanted to know. He smelled an interesting story – although he couldn’t imagine how a relationship could possibly work if you didn’t understand each other. Maybe it had been a purely physical relationship? Maybe the Eypharian and the Myrian had found each other so attractive that they had just spent the whole day in bed? „Isn’t that where the Akalak live?“

„Alright“, he said and smiled brightly as she wanted to know what the future held in store for her. „You have very interesting hands. I don’t know whether that’s because you are a combination of two such interesting races or because you are a special kind of person, but anyway …“

„You are going to live two very different lives. Do you see that line in the middle of your palm? It’s broken. That means a life-changing event – or another life. You are going to fall in love as well – more than once, but only one of those relationships is going to last. And do you see that line branching off the line in the middle?“

„That’s the child you are going to have.“

He stopped and looked into her eyes, hoping that she liked what he had said so far. Of course he had mostly made things up. Anselm had never taught him to read palms. He had only taught him about bone oracles – and Lucas ignored those teachings most of the time, preferring to make up exciting stories instead.

[Pulren Marsh]

A Grade is Coming
Your Wave

]It's a shame this never finished and she could absorb the reading and give her own opinion. The up side: Free reading due to short thread!

 

Ayatah

XP

• Socialization 2
• Investigation 1

Lores

• Lucas Arias: More A Talker Than A Listener
• The Social Stigma of Cannibalism

 

Lucas Arias

XP

• Observation 4
• Rhetoric 3
• Storytelling 3

Lores

• All Myrians are not Cannibals

Your Grader,


Pulren Marsh