Prompt# 211 - Abscond - The Other Book - Tekia - Original

[tekia.livejournal.com]

Title: The Other Book
Fandom: Original
Prompt: abscond
Warnings: none.
Rating: G
Summary: Sari meets Nolyn and is given a quest and a mission.


Sari had developed a habit of chewing on her thumb nail. She didn’t know when she had started doing this, but, when she realized she was doing it, she glared at her hand as if it were at fault, before wiping her hand on her trousers and promptly forgetting about this new habit until the next time she found her thumb in her mouth.
At present, she was leaning against the wheel, one arm draped between spokes and the other holding her chin as she gazed at the island that reminded her so much of her home. It wasn’t anything like the village she had grown up in, as her home village was poor, and this one was quite obviously rich. There was a massive house peeking through the trees atop a hill, shadowed only by the great manse embedded in the towering mountain. The village proper was lively and loud, filled with merchants and pirates alike and Sari had to grin. Of course this would be a place her old man Rama would visit.
The air was filled with a strange incense that Sari could vaguely name as holy, and the wind picked the scent up at random to blow it into her face. It made her skin itch, as if she were on the edge of a cliff and just waiting for the word to jump into a pool of crystal water to escape from the heat of the noon sun. It made her want to run in the shadows of the trees and get lost in the jungle this small island hosted. She licked her lips and found her thumb nail between her teeth.
Scowling at the ravaged nail, she pushed away from the wheel and called out to Luck.
“Come along, then, to land with us.”
The youth had grown over the past few months into awkward limbs and knobby knees, but he still knew his job and did it well. He raced ahead of her and readied the longboat for their crossing from ship to land, as the docks were a swarm with ships.
A busy port, but out in the middle of near nowhere. As she sat, letting Luck row them closer, she wondered how this came to be. Why would the merchants and pirates and travelers alike all gather this far West, just for this island? It was so far out of the way. The only thing west of here was surely the Pearl Court.
Sari jumped out of the small boat as the water level lowered enough for her to pull the thing ashore and cuffed Luck on the back of the head as he dashed past her. “Be back here at dusk. I don’t trust this many pirates in one place.” He waved a hand in the air to show he heard her, but continued on his way into the busy village. City.
It was a city. A city of trade and commerce and it was alive. She paused to breath in the air, noticing once again that strange incense that filled the air, but also the smell of fish, bread, spices and herbs. Traders from as far East as Nexus were here, she noticed. Did everybody come here? Save for her. This was the first time she had heard of this city.
She paused just beside a bread seller to pick at the small loafs when she felt eyes on her. Casting her eyes to the side, she caught sight of Rama just as the man threw an arm around her shoulders.
“I’ve been waiting days for you to show up.”
She smiled sweetly up at him. “Didn’t your stars tell you I wouldn’t arrive until today?”
He grinned, his white teeth gleaming behind his black beard. “They told me more than that.” His arm slipped from around her shoulders to her waist to give her a proper hug. “I’ve missed you, little hellion.”
She turned in his arms to return the affection. After her father went missing, Rama had been her second father. It was Rama that put a blade in her hand, had put her behind the wheel of his own ship, and taught her to live. It was also Rama that helped her become secure in her exalted self.
“I’ve missed you as well.”
Greetings over, Rama pushed her away from him, his hands resting firmly on her shoulders and eyed her up and down. “That storm three days out didn’t do any damage to you or your’s, did it?”
Sari felt her eye twitch. “Lost a sail that we shouldn’t have lost had my crew been doing their job and not gallivanting like the idiots they are.”
He gave a healthy laugh. “You love them like they are your own children,” he sated. They stepped away from the bread seller and Rama led the way out of the city, past the big house on the hill. “Which is a good thing. They return the affection and will die for you.”
“I don’t want them to die for me,” Sari said, and she couldn’t keep the pout out of her tone. Really, it would be best for all involved if they just lived. She had had enough of death in the South.
“Well, that’s a good attitude to have while you’re here.”
“Why’s that?”
“There’s someone I want you to meet. He’s particular about humans.”
Sari scowled, “I think maybe we should all be.” Then she paused to think about that. “How particular?”
“You’re kind of particular. He doesn’t react well to us using humans as tools.”
Sari rolled her eyes and skipped over a fallen log. Once again that incense filled the air, thicker now that they were away from the dock. “What is that smell?”
“It’s from the temple. His manse was converted to a temple to be used by himself and his pet dragon.”
Sari’s eyes widened. “He has a pet dragon? Not Dragon Blooded?”
Rama’s laugh returned. “You’ll see soon.” He extended his hand to where the path opened to a small field that housed the front courtyard of the manse. Twin spirals of wind trailed through the field, ruffling the grass softly and singing to each other.
Sari’s eyes followed the zephyrs as they danced and played, in awe at the pure happiness they were feeling. She jumped when Rama spoke again.
“This is an Air temple, open and welcome to all elementals to relax.”
They stepped into the temple and instantly a cool breeze drifted down her back, making her smile. The sun was hotter than she had realized, and only now, after the cooling, did she notice. Rama walked down the well-lit hall, leaving her to follow.
She quickly picked up her pace, reminding herself to come back later to read the murals on the walls and learn about who owned this manse a thousand years ago. If the current owner would let her.
They followed one hall into another and up a flight of stairs until they exited the shelter of the manse and were outside once again. The sun wasn’t as harsh here, as magic kept the air cool. Before them was a small pool, and in the pool was a massive serpentine dragon. It was far too large to fit in the pool properly, so his legs and tail hung out, deadly black claws at rest in the grass beside the water. His head was tilted to one side, and if Sari didn’t know any better, she would say the dragon was sleeping.
“Sari, this is Harashi, air dragon, and god of this island.”
Harashi blinked one bright blue eye at them, puffed a cloud of steam, then returned to his recumbent pose. Rama sneered.
“He’s a lazy dragon, but an alright god.”
Sari chuckled as Harashi snorted another cloud of steam, but otherwise didn’t object to Rama’s accusation. Then Rama pointed to the left.
There was a small grotto made of vines and flowers that surrounded a bench. A man sat on the bench, flipping through a book that was about half the size of himself. Sari quickly covered her mouth least she laugh outright at the sight.
“And this is Nolyn.”
Nolyn’s head whipped up at his name. He eyed Sari a moment, then set his book aside to stand.
“And you are Sari, Rama’s daughter,” he greeted, pausing just before the two of them to politely bow his head.
“I am. You’re not human.”
His eyes shot to hers and she noticed that, indeed, his eyes were an inhuman color. Yellow, glowing from within, much like Rama’s, with millions of tiny stars. The yellow eyes turned on Rama, who held up his hands in defense.
“Woah, there. She’s smart all on her own.”
The lower half of Nolyn’s face was hidden by a veil, but Sari could see the smile in how his eyes crinkled at the edges. “If she survived your rearing, then she can’t be anything else.”
Rama folded his arms over his barrel of a chest as Sari laughed, agreeing wholeheartedly with Nolyn. She faced him, “I like you.”
One thin brow rose gracefully as he refocused his attention on her. “Sari, it was I who asked Rama to summon you here. I have heard much about you from both him and Estaz.”
“You know Estaz?”
“I do.”
She grinned. Anybody who spoke of Estaz with such affection was alright in her book.
Nolyn continued. “I have a quest for you, something I believe, with Rama’s urging, that you will be well suited to. Do you have the time?”
She rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
He smiled again and she decided she liked him smiling. Somehow, she felt he didn’t do it enough. She didn’t know him, but he seemed sad to her. He needed more happiness in his life. She bit her lip and listened.
“There is a rumor about an old pirate who has returned to the seas. I must know if he really has.” Nolyn lowered his eyes, casting a look back at the book he had left behind. “I can not leave here, and Rama must be away to support Estaz in the East. Will you follow these rumors and find the truth for us?”
She shrugged. “It seems simple enough. What do you have to go on?”
He held up a hand, one finger extended. “A legend. Before this great pirate managed to abscond into thin air many years ago, he left behind many hidden treasure troves. It is believed that he shall return to these. You should be able to find him, if he is really still alive, wherever he has left his wealth.”
That cool breeze suddenly didn’t seem so nice anymore, Sari thought as she listened to Nolyn. True, there had been many great pirates throughout the ages, and nearly all of them had had hidden treasures sprinkled about the isles of the West. She licked her lips again.
“W-what’s his name?”
Nolyn smiled and Sari noticed that Rama had made himself scarce, poking the sleeping dragon with a stick. “He goes by many names, I couldn’t tell you one that was true. But I will tell you what I do know for a fact. He left his wife a book with all his hideouts marked.”
Sari’s body tensed. “I see. This is why you chose me. Did the stars tell you?”
Nolyn tilted his head to one side. “No, but Rama did. When the rumors began, he insisted it be you set upon this mission.”
“Find him? What else?”
“Protect him.” Nolyn motioned with one had toward the city. “I house many pirates in my cove here. If it’s true that your father is still alive, I need him to be safe from the Dynasty. They will hunt him.”
“Without a doubt.” Sari turned on her heel. “I’ll find him, don’t worry.”
“I never did.” She paused and looked back at him over her shoulder. There was something…
“Are you,” she hesitated. She didn’t know how to put it into words. “Are you all right?”
His eyes widened behind his veil. She had startled him, and that startled her. He stared at her a long moment, as if he were staring into her soul, which, as a companion of Rama, she wouldn’t put it past him.
Finally, he nodded. “I am.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. But you’ll do for now. Until I return. Then, we’ll see what’s to do about you.”
She left him, then, staring at her agape.
So… she needed to return home. For her father’s other journal.