At night the closest thing to a rug that anyone could find was the wide leaves of the nearby trees. For Varma and Nofa the soft beakmounts proved comfortable to lean on at night. In the morning Yilka woke up when he heard his name being called quietly.
"Yilka. You've got to help me." Came a call from the bushes.
He rubbed his eyes and looked into the bushes where the voice came from and he recognised the voice as Venamo's.
"What is it?" Yilka said into the direction of the bushes.
"I need something to wipe with. Can you find anything?" Venamo's voice said from the bush.
"Just use the leaves like we do at home." Yilka replied.
"These leaves are too coarse. I need something else. Check the bags for any paper." Venamo requested.
"We didn't bring any paper with us. It's not like we just have some spare paper lying around that's fit for wiping. Wasting precious paper on wiping your arse, are you mad?" Yilka asked.
"Well, these leaves won't do. They're not soft like the bush leaves homeside. Check Nofa's sack for any paper." Venamo requested.
"I'm not going to steal her belongings so you can wipe your arse on them." Yilka replied.
"She has plenty of paper. She won't even notice if a piece goes missing. If you do this favour for me, I won't bug you and her again." Venamo promised.
"That's a lie." Yilka replied.
"Listen, brother. I am desperate." Venamo begged.
"That makes me happy." Yilka said smugly.
"Don't be like that." Venamo warned.
"I think I'll be like this." Yilka said and went back to lie down on the makeshift bed he had made out of large leaves.
"You can't abandon me like this." Venamo warned from the bush.
"I can. Be quiet. I want more sleep." Yilka said and closed his eyes.
However, he couldn't get any sleep as he kept hearing his name being called from the bush over and over again. There's only so much a man can bear, and he eventually stood up again.
"Fine. Will you shut it if I find some paper for you?" Yilka asked.
"I will. That is a promise." Venamo answered.
"Fine. Just let me sleep." Yilka said and snuck his way to Nofa's sack.
He looked into the sack and the contents within. He figured he shouldn't rip any pages out of any books, but he did find one folded paper that seemed to have been ripped out of a book. He unfolded the paper and saw text written in red ink.
"I shouldn't read her personal writings." He thought to himself and was about to fold the paper again, but not before he noticed certain words in the bottom of the paper.
It made him curious enough to read the page in whole.
"Nofa, my love. I know you are leaving, and I do not know when you will return home. I will wait for as long as it takes. It will be painful, but I will remember the nights we had together to relieve the pain of separation. When you return, I will take you to Lupiller where we can start our new life, away from this wretched village. We can leave everything behind and be happy. Remember me while you're away and don't give up.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZxLWddpXF
From your love."
After Yilka had read the writing on the page, he only stared at it silently for a moment.
"So. That's the case then." He thought to himself and crumbled the paper into a ball.
He walked over to the bush and tossed the paper somewhere in there.
"There." He said and went to lie back down on his makeshift bed.
"Thank you. I knew I could trust you." Venamo said from the bush.
Yilka didn't listen. He only stared at the sky and let feelings of betrayal, anger, embarrassment and heartbreak run through his mind.
"Who wrote that letter? Why didn't she tell me? Why did she let me get so close to her? Why did she pretend like we had something when she already had someone else? I thought nobody there wanted to talk to her. Why did she lie about that too? Why did I let myself fall for a liar like her? Was Vena right about her all along?" Yilka thought to himself while laying on his back.
He then heard rustling from the bushes. He ignored it, figuring it was only his brother moving about in there. Then he heard a growl from the bushes and finally got alerted. An animal with four long limbs, brown fur, a round head, a wide mouth and pitch black eyes jumped out of the bush right at Yilka.
He rolled out of the way and avoided the animal that almost landed on top of him. He grabbed the cudgel that was next to his makeshift bed. The furry animal went to chomp at Yilka's neck but he used his cudgel to protect himself, letting the animal only bite at the wooden weapon. Yilka used his forehead to strike the animal on its forehead, which made the beast stagger and let go. Yilka stood up and kicked the staggering animal in the ribs. When Yilka was upright, and animal on four legs was only about as tall as his knee, but when it sprung on two legs, its head could reach Yilka's chest. Before it could lay a tooth or a nail on Yilka's skin, the young man swung his cudgel at the beast's head. The enchantment on the cudgel showed results. The beast's head went flying into the bushes. The headless body of the beast was stumbling around on two feet, but it couldn't do that for long before Yilka hit the headless body in the ribs with his cudgel, sending the whole body flying several steps. He walked over to the broken carcass and was ready to land his cudgel on it again to unleash some rage, but he stopped himself.
"This is not necessary." He said to himself and lowered his weapon.
He then heard a rustle behind him and he turned around and swung his Beast Slayer at whatever came out of there.
Venamo crouched down to avoid the incoming swing and ripped the cudgel from Yilka's hand.
"Careful there! What went down here?" Venamo asked.
"I took care of it." Yilka said and went to sit on his makeshift bed.
"Seems that you did. Sorry for being so late." Venamo said.
"Don't be sorry about that. And thank you for everything else so far." Yilka said while sulking with his long hair covering his face.
"You shouldn't thank me for any of that. Now. Shall we wake up the others and go find some settlement around here?" Venamo suggested.
"I bet we should." Yilka said and went to the mounts where Varma was sleeping on the back of one of them with her wings flapping occasionally as she dreamt, and the other one had Nofa leaning against its side, sound asleep.
Seeing Nofa made Yilka feel uneasy. Mere moments earlier he had wished he could wake up next to Nofa. Now he wanted nothing to do with her. He only kicked Nofa's sack hard enough wake up both of the sleepyheads.
"Time to get going. Get up." Yilka said and returned to Venamo from who he took his cudgel back.
"Hm? What did he say?" Nofa said while stretching her arms.
"Always such hurryheads." Varma complained while also stretching.
Yilka then awkwardly returned to shake his mount awake as well while ignoring Nofa.
"I forgot that we need our mounts." Yilka said while shaking the beakmount.
The beakmount shook its body and stood up with no regard for the wizard's daughter who was still leaning on it.
"Umm. Good morning?" Nofa said, not understanding Yilka's demeanour.
"Morning." Yilka answered with no emotion as he mounted his steed.
"Get on." He then said without even looking at Nofa.
"Going to help me get up there?" Nofa asked.
"It's not hard." Yilka said.
Nofa only looked up at him baffled, raised her eyebrow and then climbed on with some difficulty.
"Is Bloodmist awake?" Nofa wondered.
"Been for some time." Bloodmist said as soon as she materialised.
"Everybody's ready to go then? Excellent." Venamo said as he woke up his mount and got on its back.
"Last night I saw reflections of light on the surface of the lake. About that way." Yilka said and pointed at the direction that he meant.
"You mean we saw?" Nofa said.
Yilka ignored her.
"Then let's head that way then." Venamo said and told his mount to move.
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2By0CULAO
Travelling parallel to the shore of the big lake proved much more pleasant than riding through the desert. Now that it was known that dangerous beasts hide in the terrain, everyone had to be more aware than they were in the desert. During the ride Nofa kept a firm grip on Yilka as she sat behind him. Yilka grit his teeth every time Nofa squeezed harder, but he couldn't dare to tell her to stop.
The travellers didn't have to ride for long before rows and rows of clay houses in several shapes, ranging from egg shapes to cube shapes to pyramid shapes could be seen ahead on flattened land by the shore. Further ahead on a hill a big vineyard could be seen. The settlement was built near the shore where there were long rows of soil, almost like piers going into the lake where crops grew. From the midst of the clay houses a tall tent stuck out. The tent had similar colours as the soldier tent back in Atalkor.
"I do believed we have arrived to the city of Sihisi. Named after an ancient king of the Venomfolk." Venamo said.
"And what did we come here to do again?" Varma asked.
"To ask the folk around if they know how to steal a lightning." Venamo answered.
"Do they speak the Vastu language? That'd help so at least you can ask them." Varma asked Venamo.
"Being under the rule of Greater Vastusar, I'd assume that they speak the language of their rulers, but we can't know until we go find out." Venamo said and rode forward.
As they entered the settlement, they noticed a striking detail. There really was no streets. It was more like a network of houses with enough room to move around without crashing into them. At this hour most folk were leaving their homes and going on to do whatever it is that they do. On the roofs of some cubical houses were city guards with crossbows. Some of the city guards were Venomfolk and some were Vastus. As the travellers rode along the roads and annoyed the natives by making them make way, Venamo asked everyone he passed if they could speak Vastusarian. He mostly got rude replies or replies he couldn't understand. Nofa felt especially uncomfortable with all the looks she got from the natives, but she understood why.
Once Venamo got tired of asking the natives and getting nothing, he decided he may as well holler at one of the city guards.
"Guard! Know anyone here who speaks Vastusarian?" Venamo shouted at a Vastusarian guard on a roof.
"I do!" The guard shouted back.
"Great. What does it mean to steal a lightning?" Venamo asked.
"I've heard that phrase before here. That sounds like something that a knower of the folklore would know. Not me." The guard replied.
"Who here knows the folklore then?" Venamo asked.
"My fellow orderkeeper called Saa is of the Venomfolk and he also helps out the bookmaster. He might be able to help you find the bookmaster and work as an interpreter. As scaly of a Venomfolk as you'll ever see, but a decent servant or law and order. Currently on roof duty at the shore. The scales around his mouth and right eye are black, if that helps." The guard answered.
"Thank you, sir." Venamo politely wished and headed to the direction of the shore with the others behind him.
The little conversation also made Venamo realise something that he hadn't notice earlier. All Venomfolk have different colour patterns on their scaly faces, and that is how they can identify each other despite their similar facial structures. Closer to the shore Venamo spotted a guard on roof duty but couldn't tell any details about them. He made his way closer and indeed from behind a helmet he could detect black scales around the guard's mouth and right eye. Venamo rode within talking distance to the house where the guard was watching on the roof.
"Guard up there! Are you Saa?" Venamo shouted at the guard.
The guard looked curiously down at Venamo.
"That I am. Why do ya know that and what do ya want?" Saa replied.
"A fellow orderkeeper said that you know the bookmaster. Might you find a moment to work as an interpreter for us when the time is right? We have coin." Venamo told Saa.
"Not like I'm needed anywhere after I put the helmet away anyway. So what do I need to interpret?" Saa asked.
"We want to ask the bookmaster how to steal a lightning. And where is the bookmaster?" Venamo asked.
"Pyramid shaped house with symbols of red wind drawn on the walls. You'll find 'em in the west end. I'll meet ya there when my duty ends."
"I trust you. See you there. Where is west?" Venamo asked.
Saa pointed his crossbow to the right direction and that is where Venamo then headed.
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzi0DWRf4WQ
After a bit of wondering around in the west end of the town where everything looked similar to every other corner of the town aside from a few bigger houses, the pyramid shaped clay house that Saa described was found. Venamo hopped off his mount once he reached the house and then just stood there without having explained anything to his fellow travellers. They however understood that when they're in a town, they should do what Venamo does, and so the others dismounted as well and waited quietly. Once the sun was directly above, a familiar looking face arrived at the scene from the east. Venamo gestured Nofa to hand over her purse. Nofa let out a quiet grunt and handed the purse to Venamo.
"I'll pay you an hour's wage for this favour." Venamo told Saa.
"I'll take it." Saa said and went in.
Inside the pyramid shaped house was a staircase that went underground. At the bottom was a large room that was like a labyrinth of bookshelves. The room was lit with candles hanging from the ceiling on undecorated chandeliers and the floors were covered in long carpets the fit perfectly on the paths between bookshelves.
"So. The bookmaster?" Venamo asked.
"She's usually somewhere in 'ere. Just need to find 'er. Or just call 'er name. KURPA!" Saa said and then shouted into the room.
Faint stepping could be heard and soon enough out of the labyrinth came an elderly Venomfolk lady with a hood and a slouched back, and red scales around her nostrils.
"Got some travellers eager to learn but they don't speak Kyranai. I'll repeat their questions to ya and tell 'em whatcha tell me. If ya got the time for that, of course, madam." Saa told the bookmaster in their mutually understood language.
Without saying anything, the bookmaster walked over to them and listened.
Venamo cleared his throat.
"How might one steal a lightning?" Venamo asked in the Vastusarian language and Saa translated the question to the bookmaster in the Venomfolk's language, which they themselves call Kyranai.
"Steal a lightning? Like Syrnï did?" The bookmaster replied and the question was translated back to Venamo.
"Who is that?" Venamo asked.
"Syrnï was the hero of legend. Champion of the Kyranaipa or "Venomfolk" as you fleshfolk call us. Back when our tribe lived in our homeland of bounty and fertility, he cleared the land of earthdemons and defended the homes of his kin from hordes of the wretched beasts that crawled to the surface from the depths. When he'd ride into a town with his staff of brass pointed to the sky, it was a relief for the whole town. No matter how numerous his foes, he'd survive. Nobody ever saw a wound on his skin or a scale missing. But one day, he disappeared without a trace. He was no longer seen in any town or any road. Without their hero, the Kyranaipa didn't know what to do when faced with a foe. A tribe of freakishly tall fleshfolk came from the south and demanded the lands of the Kyranaipa who had relied on Syrnï to fight all their battles. Some tried to fight for their homes, but most fled and now they live here in the land we named Kyrasar and some on South Uhmakas. Generations after the Kyranaipa arrived here, the land that we tilled and whatever trees we have here were always burned by lightning strikes, as if the clouds hated us. Even when it wouldn't rain, lightning would strike from the clouds. The Stormress living in the clouds didn't like it when anyone lived on the earth below her. When the Kyranaipa were ready to move to yet another homeland, Syrnï returned with his brass staff glimmering in the desert sun. Without asking for anyone's help, he built a tower out of clay that he dug from the lake right here. The folk helped him gather the clay and build the tower. Once the tower was finished, he climbed to the top of it and pointed his staff up at the sky for three days. On the third day, a lightning struck his staff, and by some miracle, the lightning stayed in his staff without frying him. Syrnï had now caught a lightning from the Stormress, and she did not like that one bit. She came down from the cloud and hovered above the town. Witnesses said she had dark gray skin and curvy horns that point upwards and she was as tall as the tower that Syrnï built. Syrnï told the Stormress that if she doesn't leave the town alone, she'd have to face Syrnï. The Stormress laughed, but Syrnï threw his lightning charged staff at her, and he hit. The Stormress let out a screech and sparkled with lightning all around as she retreated back to her domain in the clouds. Syrnï's staff flew far away as the Stormress sparked and retreated, and ever since then, lightning has never hit anywhere near the town, but into the desert instead. It is said that the Stormress is looking for Syrnïs staff by striking lightning all over the desert until she strikes something other than sand." The bookmaster explained.
"So to steal a lightning we need the staff of Syrnï which is still somewhere in the desert?" Venamo asked.
"I know no other way to steal a lightning. Go to the desert during a thunderstorm and search the places where lightning strikes. Then you may just find the staff." The bookmaster said.
"Hold on. I've heard that the Crown is going to send soldiers here periodically to search the desert, but they didn't tell us no reason. Are ya with those soldiers?" Saa asked Venamo directly.
"Yes." Venamo answered quickly with a lie.
"And the these folk with you are who?" Saa asked.
"My servants." Venamo said.
"Crown soldiers get personal servants? I have the wrong job." Saa stated.
"Well, to the desert we're headed then. Thank you." Venamo said to Saa and then nodded at the bookmaster.
"If you're going to the desert, do it tomorrow. Tomorrow the great rain begins and the desert's going to be muddy as my mama's memory, but also the time for thunderstorms." Saa told Venamo.
"What is the great rain?" Venamo asked.
"Over here, we only get rain once a year. That's why the lake means everything to us. For eight days a year, we get heavy, pouring rain all day long." Saa explained.
"Well, we have plenty of time to waste then." Venamo said and handed Saa three small coins.
"This ain't an hour's salary! This ain't even the right type of money. You don't have crownsilvers?" Saa complained.
Venamo handed a fourth.
"That's more like it but I'll still need to go change them for the right type of coins. Guess ya kept ya promise anyway." Saa said and put the money in his pocket.
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeE6dY4UJXD
Once the travellers were out on the streets again, Nofa very quietly asked Venamo if they could all go someplace where nobody can hear them speak. Venamo agreed, since he wanted to share his newly learned information with the others. He led the way out of town and found a spot by the shore of the big lake. By the shore Venamo told the others what they need to do and when. Once everyone had heard the situation update, they were doubtful.
"And you believe that she was telling the truth?" Nofa asked.
"It's the best lead we've got. A brass staff in the desert does sound like the best way to steal a lightning." Venamo replied.
"I believe him." Yilka said straightly.
"So we agree on what we should do then. Until then we have the rest of the day to train and do other things that need to be done." Venamo told everyone.
Nofa then got on the ear of Yilka to tell him something.
"Can we go talk somewhere? I really need to have a word." She whispered to him
"Hmph. I don't feel like it." Yilka quietly said back.
Nofa said no words back but Yilka could hear how bothered she was.
"What is up with you today? Are you angry?" Nofa whispered.
"Nothing that you should worry about." Yilka whispered but everyone could clearly hear what he said.
Nofa only looked at Yilka as her confusion became stronger and the fear that she may have done something wrong also became a strong occupant of her mind.
"I... I'll go memorise some spells." Nofa said and walked away.
Varma looked worriedly at Nofa and got on her feet to follow her, but didn't get far before Venamo cleared his throat.
"She likely needs to be alone when she studies." Venamo said.
"Well I want to study with her." Varma said and kept walking.
"No you will not, little girl!" Venamo insisted and walked after Varma.
Varma flapped a wing and sent a wave of hot air Venamo's way. The heat burned his face enough to get the message across.
"Leave her alone. Let's train." Yilka said straightly.
ns216.73.216.30da2
