The Origins of Legends
Chapter Two
By Arizima
AN: Here's the second chapter. Sorry about that unfinished sentence in the first AN.
Velana growled to herself as she opened the door of The Lonely Badger. How dare they, lie to her and say that she was welcome? She already had had enough encounters with wizards as a pup, and she was never welcome then. She looked around at all the people sitting around the tavern, laughing and talking happily. They were the ones who were accepted in this world. Wizards, Fighters, maybe even Sorcerors. No one like her. But, she expected that. Abilities of her kind were only found in children who hadn't had it beaten out of them yet.
" Honey, are ya gonna just sit there or are ya gonna order somethin'?" A human waitress by her table said.
" Well, what've you got?"
" You name it, we got it. Just order something."
" Fine. I'll have some chicken and some fruit juice, that okay with you?" Velana asked.
" What kind? We got apple juice, orange juice, grape juice, peach juice…."
" Orange's fine."
" Alrighty then, although most people come to a tavern to order ale, y'know. The only reason we got juice is cuz of them elves."
" Then pretend I'm an elf." Velana said, her temper beginning to get short again.
" Okay, don't get your tail in a twist!" The waitress scurried off.
" Don't get my tail in a twist? What's that supposed to mean?" The waitress soon came back, with a roast chicken and a large mug of orange juice on a tray.
" There ya go. Don't try an' escape without payin' your bill." The waitress said, and wandered off.
" Do you take me for a thief or something?" Velana muttered, and ate her meal. After she was done, she looked at the small scrap of parchment that was the bill, left a gold coin on the table, and wandered off to find the innkeeper, as it was beginning to get dark.
" Hey! Innkeeper!" the bartender looked over her.
" Yes?"
" How much is a room around here?"
" A spot in the common room is five silver coins. A room o' yer own wif free breakfast is a gold coin. A room o' yer own wif a hot bath an' breakfast is two. What do ye want?" Velana reached into her belt pouch and handed him two gold coins. " Right-o, then, ye get room number 3. Enjoy yer stay." Velana thanked the innkeeper and walked up the stairs after he had given her her key. She unlocked the door, and after doing all her nightly duties, jumped up on her bed, walked around on all fours in a small circle, and laid down on her stomach to fall asleep.
" OI! Miss Ikishinn lady! Time to get up!" called a male voice outside her door. Velana blinked, yawned, and opened the door.
" What do ya want?"
" Time to get up, if ye want yer breakfast."
" Yeah, sure, jus' lemme get dressed." Velana replied, yawning and scratching her nightgown.
" Okay, Ikishinn lady."
" One, it's Akaishien. Two, my name's not Akaishien lady." Velana closed the door, got dressed, and went downstairs.
" Oh, yummy. Eggs, bacon, and a lardy-looking thing. The breakfast of Paladins." Velana murmured to herself, poking at a pile of white goo with her fork. After she was done, she thanked the innkeeper again and left the building, blinking in the bright sun. She looked around at the glittering rooftops of the city, and decided to just wander around before she went back. So, she picked her way among the streets and alleys, stopping to eat some of her trail rations at noon. Suddenly, while she was eating, a tiny, kitten-sized gargoyle that seemed to be made of blue crystal and energy grabbed up her apple and flew as fast as it could in the opposite direction.
" An Astral Construct!" Velana gasped. She jumped to her feet, and followed the gargoyle. It led her to a back alley, where she arrived just in time to find the gargoyle hand the apple to a small boy with sandy brown hair, and then it vanished.
" You there!" she called. The boy gasped, and turned around, dropping the apple. His eyes were violet, and a pair of pointy, translucent fangs stuck out of his mouth. He was rather dirty, and seemed to be about five or so. His height was about the height of a Tallfellow halfling.
" I'm sorry!" he cried. " I needed food!"
" It's not that, little Svellai," Velana said sympathetically. " That Astral Construct, where did it come from?"
" What's an Astral Construct?" The boy asked fearfully.
" That gargoyle. Where did it come from?"
" I-I made it," he studdered.
" How did you make it?"
" I don't know…. I just concentrate and energy starts shooting out of my eyes and it makes the gargoyle, and it obeys me." The boy looked up at her. " You're not going to turn me into the Wizards, are you? I hate the Wizards."
" So do I, don't worry. How old are you, little boy?" Velana asked, sitting down next to him.
" I turn twenty-six this summer."
" So you are a Svellai."
" Yeah, why?"
" Nothing, nothing. What's your name?"
" Takeru."
" Well, Takeru, can I help explain to you where you got your power to create gargoyles from?" Takeru nodded. " Okay, let's not do it here. There's a tavern a little ways away from here, and I'll buy you lunch." Takeru suddenly picked up the apple, wiped it on his dirty, torn shirt, and held it out to Velana.
" Oh yeah, what's your name?"
" Velana. You can keep my apple, I can always buy more food. Now, can you come with me?" Velana said, smiling at Takeru and standing up. Takeru nodded. " Alright, if you need to, hold on to my tail so you don't get lost," she said as she began walking out of the alley. Takeru stared at the ornament on her tail.
" What's that pretty crystal?"
" I'll explain it all to you in due time, don't worry. Now, come on!" Takeru nodded, and softly took the tip of her tail in his little hands, as they walked to The Lonely Badger.
Velana opened the door to the tavern, Takeru still grasping her tail. The two sat down at a table in the corner, so as not to attract attention. A Tallfellow waitress walked over to them.
" Oh, what a cute little Svellai!" she said, cooing over Takeru.
" Lady…. You're scaring me…." Takeru gulped, edging away from her.
" Don't scare the Svellai. I'll have come chicken and water. What do you want, Takeru?"
" I've never been in a tavern before, I don't know what they got. How about fish?"
" Yes, we have fish. What do you want to drink with that?"
" Um, how about milk?"
" Chicken and water, fish and milk? Okay, hold on, I'll get your order." Takeru turned back to Velana.
" So, what is that pretty crystal on your tail?" Velana removed the tail ornament from her tail, and handed it to Takeru to look at it.
" It's a Psicrystal. It stores a fragment of my personality." Takeru nodded, looking at the crystal from every angle.
" Which one?"
" Well, me personally, I have my sympathetic side stored in there." Takeru nodded again, and gave the crystal back. " Now, would you like to know why I have a Psicrystal?"
" Yup."
" Well, I'm what you call a Psion. I do stuff that's like magic, but not. I use mind power. Tell me, where are your parents? Velana asked.
" Well, when I started making "Astral Constructs" the size of little frogs, my parents thought I was a Sorceror, and took me to the university to be tested. But the wizards cast some spell on me, and said they didn't find the ability to cast sorcerous magic. So, my parents thought I was a mutant, a freak of nature, got my powers from something evil, and kicked me out when I was fifteen. They probably think I'm dead." Takeru sniffled. " Where are yours?"
" I had a similar experience when I was a child. I talked to animals and things, and my parents thought I was crazy. They told me not to do it, but I couldn't help it. When I got to school, it got worse. I could somehow read the answers on my teacher's face when she asked a question, and always answered correctly. The other pups called me the teacher's pet, they said it was impossible for me to know all the answers, and said I was cheating. I simply told them the truth, I read the answers from the teacher, and they ridiculed me even worse. They said I was insane, that I couldn't be a telepath, there was no such thing. But I was and still am. It led to them making fun of me, picking on me, even physically hurting me. I felt unwanted and hated, so I ran away."
" What happened?" Takeru gasped.
" Here's your food," interrupted a familiar voice. The waitress had come back and slid them their food on trays. Takeru took a swig of his milk and asked again.
" So, what happened?"
" Well, I was lonely for the first few days, but it was better than being with my peers. Then, I was ambushed by goblins. They knocked me unconscious, and nearly killed me, but I was spared. When I woke up, I was in a small community of Psions and Psychic Warriors who had saved me."
" What's a Psychic Warrior?" Takeru asked.
" Someone who mixes psionics and weaponry. Now, I told them why I had run away from my home town, and they understood me, offered me shelter. They helped me develop my abilities, and train to survive in the wild. After I felt I had trained enough, I left, to help other young Psions get the shelter and understanding they deserve, that I myself had never gotten until I found that community."
" Are there different kinds of Psions? I don't have any telepathic abilities or anything."
" Yes, there are six kinds. Your kind is called the Shaper. They specialize in Metacreativity."
" D'you think that group of psychic people would help me, too?" Takeru asked eagerly. Velana laughed.
" That's exactly what I was going to suggest. Are you up to the journey, the training?" Takeru nodded.
" YEAH!"
" Alright then, we'll leave as soon as possible, tomorrow morning. This afternoon, we've got to get you some new clothes and a bath." Velana looked Takeru up and down, gazing at his ripped shirt, torn trousers, and lack of shoes, as well as the thin layer of dirt and grime that covered his body. " I still don't understand why you didn't go to the priests of Lothrielle. They would have helped you get clean, and get along."
" Because I felt like no one understood me. Even the priests of Ianola would probably think my power came from something evil." Velana nodded.
" I understand the feeling. You'd better eat your fish." Takeru obediently tore into his food happily as Velana smiled to herself. She had saved another one.
AN: So, Velana's background is revealed, as well as some other stuff.
