Flashback Break with the past Part 2

[Karsynwa]

2nd - 3rd of Spring, 490 AV

He had been right about how he would feel after sparring practice. His mind felt much more sluggish than before and he had a hard time keeping his eyes open as he poured over the journal open on the table before him. A lone candle lit the small desk he was at. He’d strung a blanket across his little nook to shield the light from the rest of the small apartment for on the other end his parents were currently sleeping. His own cot lie directly behind him, and it called to him. Karsynwa resisted only because it made him anxious to think about going to class unprepared tomorrow, even if he did have an answer for the professors vague question. He was of the mind that one race was not nearly enough so he was now skimming the journal for mention of something besides the Svefra. As interesting as they were, he felt like he had learned enough about them for now. His mind yearned to know a race unknown to him. He stopped paging through the journal when he came across an unfamiliar name that was repeated several times along such modifiers as beautiful and comely. The words was Konti.

[Of all the women in the world, are there any more beautiful than the Konti? I have never met an unattractive Konti. I think they do not exist, or at least, the unattractive ones do not leave that island of theirs. Their race gives me much to think about for in many ways they are the opposite of us. My mother was a Konti actually, and I think that is perhaps why I have such a love for the sea. She told me much of her homeland in Mura, an island far away off the east coast of Mizahar. She spoke of a city both on land and in the water where her people worshiped their gods and goddesses in peace.

The Konti are like us in that they are all the same sex. They are all female, and they always produce a Konti from mating unless they mate with one of our kind. Then there is a chance for them to produce a Konti or an Akalak. I don’t exactly know what that means for our joint histories, how far back in time we stretch, but that match is significant. Without them I fear our race might be truly doomed as they have more success than others with bearing our children. They are truly blessed, and not just with the natural gifts birth has bestowed upon them.

My mother was marked from birth by the goddess Avalis. She spoke of a water there that gave her a special gift of sorts. Gave every Konti that dwelt there a gift. Hers was a knack for sensing when a storm was brewing well before the signs came for any of us regular folk. Naturally she fell in well with my farther as such a gift is invaluable out at sea. That and the fact she was a better swimmer than any one of us could ever be. She was as much a creature of the water as I am of the land. I tried holding my breath longer than her once when I was kid until my father finally explained to me I would never beat her because she had gills that allowed her to breath under water. I can’t tell you how many times I asked him when my gills would develop or when I would get webbing in between my fingers.]

Karsynwa paused to laugh.

WC - 598

[Karsynwa]

Date, Season, Year

Now that he knew what he was talking about, he could picture the women he was talking about. He’d seen a couple about the city before, sometimes shepherding his peers home after classes had ended for the day. They were always fair skinned and as beautiful as he said. Karsynwa hadn’t noticed that bit about the webbed fingers or the gills though he’d only ever watched them from afar. Perhaps the next time he saw one of them he would try to get another look. Respectfully of course. He turned the page and read on. There wasn’t a lot of extra information on the Konti as he read on. Mostly just going over the Konti women he had met in his travels which didn’t really interest Karsynwa at this late hour. He kept it up for a few more pages before finally closing the book when another race hadn’t been mentioned. Then he fell into his cot into a dreamless sleep.

When it came time for his class the next day, he felt less than ready even though he had studied as much as he could. Their instructor Felaris was waiting up front with a number of rolls of parchment in a neat pile that students were to grab as they came in. Karsynwa waited until he returned to his own seat before he unrolled the parchment. It was mostly blank save for a list of names along the left hand side written in a neat script. Between each name was enough space to write down additional information. In preparation, Karsynwa removed the stopper from his inkwell on his desk and rolled the nip of his quill between his fingers. Then he waited for the rest of the class to filter in.

Felaris watched them all carefully from the front of the room as he stroked his chin. Then he clapped his hands together to gain everyones attention. “Well, what did we learn yesterday? Lets start with the front row on the end there.” He said, pointing to the left hand side opposite of Karsynwa. There a boy a year his junior shuffled through his own notes before speaking hesitantly.

“Well to begin, most of the other races have two sexes with the exception of our race of all males, and the Konti race of all females. Every race except for Akalaks possesses a singular soul. In the case of an Ethaefal with an Akalak seeming, the second soul is not present. When-” The boy said, continuing to speak as Karsynwa’s mind drifted. It made him distinctly uncomfortable when the subject of a second soul came up. He knew many of his peers had already experienced the emergence of their ‘brother’ but he had yet to undergo such a transformation. The fact made him feel slightly lesser even though he knew there wasn’t much sense in that opinion. His father counseled him that his brother would emerge when he was ready, and that he must train his mind to prepare for him. An he took that warning seriously, though it was hard to imagine what exactly it would be like because when he asked his peers they described it as simply overwhelming. Fat load of good that description did. He shook his head at the thought and tuned back into the conversation at hand.

WC - 554

[Karsynwa]

Date, Season, Year

“Aside from that, our race distinguishes itself with its martial culture. It-” The boy said, stopping suddenly when Felaris raised a hand.

“That’s enough. Now because I didn’t stipulate this I’m not going to fault you for it, but we are not looking at cultural differences because that cuts too fine a line. There are plenty of marital cultures out there, and one could argue some put more of a focus on it than we do. Take the Myrians for example. They survive in one of the most hostile environments imaginable because they are a strong warrior race. The Drykas too could be argued as equally as martial as we are, maybe even more so because they don’t have a city to protect their weaker members. They do not allow outsiders into their assemblies while we often welcome them with open arms. So you see why we should refrain from making cultural distinctions because even the most peaceful culture pays respect to martial prowess otherwise they would not be able to survive. Next please.” Felaris said, pointing to the next boy in line.

Karsynwa could have cursed at himself when he heard those words. He should have asked his mother about the Myrians but he hadn’t thought about that last night. That could have been an easy source of information about another race that he could have gotten instead of paging through that journal for bells on end. Sucking it up for now, he penned what Felaris had mentioned about the Myrians and what the other boy had said about the Ethaefal. Once he had finished scrawling in a tight clenched script that was hard to read, he turned towards the boy that was the next to speak.

“In my research I came across a race with multiple arms known as the Eypharians. They possess six arms and reputedly secret a pheromone that smells like a perfume unique to the individual. Eypharians are obscenely dexterous and many are known to competently dual wield their weapons. I also approached the subject of Kelvics but didn’t get beyond the fact that they were shapechangers.” The second boy said, seeming a little nervous as he added that last bit.

Felaris was quick to step in. “Kelvics are more or less animals that choose to wear a human guise from time to time. Hardly a fitting contribution to this list as they are not a race per say, but rather a curious bit of fauna. Also, future reference, please refrain from adding embellishments and simply stick to the source material. While your description was colorful it lacked the scholarly tone I am looking for. Next please.” Felaris said. After this one it would be his turn. Karsynwa’s stomach lurched as he finished penning down the information about the Eypharians. He considered what the professor had stead, and thought about how to shape his words appropriately while the next boy spoke.

“I studied the Dhani, a race of true shifters that can take on three different forms. Their first form is a snake. It is the one they are born into and the first part of their lives are spent in this form. The next one they learn is their Dhani form which is in between a human and snake. The final form they learn is their human form which is indistinguishable from your average human. They also come in three different varieties, constrictor, rattler and viper. Their pregnancies last a full year after which they will birth multiple snaklings.” The boys said, folding his hands when he finished speaking. Felaris seemed pleased and somewhat mollified from his previous attitude.

“Very good Arctous. We actually have a clutch of Dhani here in Riverfall. You all have probably seen one without even knowing but rest assured, the snakes are well watched by the Kuvay’Nas. Next please.” Felaris said, looking over at Karsynwa. Writing as fast as he could manage, he scribbled down the last portion of what the boy had said before looking up at Felaris.

“I touched upon two races during my research. The Svefra and the Konti. The Svefra are a blue eyed race that sail the sea, and are marked by Laviku at birth. Konti are an all female race with gills and webbed fingers. They make their homes both in and out of the water in their homeland of Mura. Each has a special gift that comes in the form of extra sensory information like sensing an oncoming storm. For this I read the account of a fisherman who’s mother was a Konti and had a close relationship with a pod that goes by the name Oceanheart. Thats the name of the Svefra’s family unit. Their pods usually travel along with their tavans which is a sea mammal of significance to the pod in question. The Oceanheart pod usually travels with seals for instance.” Karsynwa said, trying to be entertaining as he relayed this information. From Felaris’s muted expression it was hard to tell, harder still when Felaris simply said. “Next please.”

WC - 840

[Karsynwa]

Date, Season, Year

Karsynwa stewed on that response for the rest of the class. It wasn’t at all like what he had been expecting. Was his presentation good? Bad? Boring? It was hard to tell with that complete lack of a response. The thought troubled Karsynwa more than it should have. Perhaps because he had spent so much time researching that information. One by one each of the students elicited a longer response than his had, and Karsynwa started to feel singled out. That wasn’t a good feeling. He was used to being at the top of his class in sparring, receiving all manner of praise. This indifference was unsettling to say the least. It made him reconsider approach.

After class ended, and the rest of the students had filtered out, Karsynwa approached Felaris. He kept his face slightly turned downward as he spoke.

“I was wondering if you had an critique for my presentation. I thought I made a good case for what I had learned about those races, and I spent a while studying the material.” Karsynwa said, phrasing his argument in such a way that he hoped was non-confrontational. He wanted to remain respectful despite what feelings he might possess. Felaris looked up from the parchment he was studying and nodded.

“I thought it was fine. You offered a good, comprehensive explanation of the races you researched without veering into the realm of hearsay. Did you think there was a problem?” Felaris asked.

“Not exactly, I just was surprised when I didn’t hear your opinion on my presentation.” Karsynwa said.

“Well it was good, no need to worry. I just couldn’t think of anything to add to it at the time.” Felaris said in an easy tone. Part of Karsynwa wanted to let it go at that, but his curiosity was eating at him.

“What are some things I could do to improve my next presentation? Anything I should be thinking about, from the research to actually laying out the information?” Karsynwa asked.

Felaris considered him carefully and laid down the piece of parchment. “If you are looking to improve, I would suggest finding multiple sources and comparing their notes alongside each other. This is because some sources are more dubious than others so it doesn’t hurt to double check your facts for authenticity. You are not always going to have an expert librarian to help pick out your materials. As for the presentation itself, I would recommend you read a collection of speeches to get an idea of what works effectively with public speaking. We keep records of all speeches made by council members and you can find a copy of those in the academy’s library.” Felaris said, and offered a slight wink.

Karsynwa had almost missed the comment, and quirked an eye brow. “You talked with Zandar?” Karsynwa asked.

There was a slight nod from Felaris. “Naturally I like to see if my students are taking their assignments seriously or not. I actually spied you at the library yesterday.” Felaris said. Chagrined, Karsynwa looked down at his feet for a moment before meeting Felaris in the eye again. “I will make sure to do that then. Thank you.” Karsynwa said, turning slightly towards the exit of the classroom.

“See you tomorrow Karsynwa.” Felaris said.

WC - 547

[Karsynwa]

Date, Season, Year

The next morning found him back in the library trying to get some studying in before his first sparring session. Zandar had been kind enough to help him again finding him a couple of small leather bound books that they used to record speeches onto. When Karsynwa had returned the fisherman’s journal on time the previous afternoon, Zandar had been happy enough to receive his request so the books were waiting for him when he arrived at the library this morning. Unfolding the strap around the first book, he noticed quite a bit of dust along the edges. The front and back had been wiped down recently though he also found some dust underneath the strap. He figured that meant this book was not opened much which made a sort of sense. Not many of his peers showed any interest in public speaking. Just pursuing the subject himself made him feel like an interloper in this quiet place that focused on martial prowess. Karsynwa flipped a few pages in to get to the first speech.

[As we have done in the past when the need arises, so we must do again. It is time for the grain rationing to take affect, and this Fall we must raise the amount that is to be put back for the good of the city. We have recently received information that we will have an unprecedented number of guests this Winter whom will be unable to leave Riverfall until the season has run its course. This is a direct result of the trade delegation we voted to petition for two Springs from the far off city of Lhavit, and this comes part of the return journey we sent off on that nearly year long trip. Because of the long journey involved, the foreign traders will need to Winter in our city to restock before moving on, and as we all well know, the harbor is impassible during the rough seasonal weather of our Winters.

In addition to the grain allotment, I would also like to bring to the floor of the chamber an idea I have discussed with our colleague Plienaro Monard. A craft fair where we invite our best craftsmen to make decoration designed to impress our visitors from Lhavit. Participants have a chance at a modest prize supplied from the council’s funds to encourage participation. Optionally, we can offer the winners favorable picks on future contracts with the council which would be equal in my opinion to any monetary reward. The focus would be on decorating the areas surrounding our harbor and the paths that lead up from it. So we would like you to strongly consider this opinion going forward as a way to increase the reputation of our city as a place for trade.”

- Aveti Zamora (447 A.V.)]

Karsynwa took a break before continuing onto the next speech which he expected would be one in response to this proposal. He thought about how Aveti had doled out the information slowly as he went, and presented the information as a what if, instead of it will. He supposed that was to make his argument more palatable as he certainly felt like had it been the other way it would have been harder hear out his points without thinking of them under a negative light. At least, he hoped he was construing that right. Taking out a piece of parchment, he wrote down his thoughts on the subject to help him remember to ask Felaris about it. Karsynwa continued onto the next speech.

WC - 591