Hello ladies and gents! :D If you're looking for Sandi, she isn't here right now; So, yours truly (Dick) will be posting this story! :D ...In her absence...lemme just say, if I disappear, it's probably because she found out I did this...NO telling her! 'Kay? So far as anyone knows, I was never here. Got that? Alright, let's go. :D
A/N: (adventurer's note) in this one, a little girl and I start talking in another language that you guys probably won't know...but if you do and the translation is what was not intended, my apologies in advance...Now I see why I prefer Sandi doing all the warnings. If something happens, she's the one who gets blamed. :/ ...And now it's me. Drats.
''Dick...Dick, please, no. Don't tell me you're actually going to eat tha-URGH, he actually ate that. Gross, gross, so gross''
Sucking the wet (still squirming) tentacle the rest of the way into his mouth, Dick cocked an eyebrow.
''Whart?" he asked, one cheek puffed out.
Mason had his head down, staring at the table while shielding his eyes with his hands, trying not to imagine the 'food' still wiggling on his brother's dish. How did the guy eat that stuff? He didn't want to know. Beside him, he risked a glance over to see Viper was munching on some sort of dried insect dipped in a gel-like sauce with black seeds in it. His expression never changed so Mason assumed it was alright, but he wasn't about to try any himself.
''Mason, seriously, what is it?''
He peeked up. Dick had swallowed. Whew. Straightening, he made a face.
''How can you eat that?''
''What, it tastes good. Don't believe me, try it. You just have to get passed the smell, the look, and how weird it feels going down and then you'll be fine...Though, before they're cooked, you can't look at them. The babies are adorable and afterwards it makes you feel bad.''
At the mention of 'how weird it feels going down', Mason gulped and took a look around at their surroundings.
It was a cozy room; made of large stone and dark wood, lit by the large fire in the far corner, it was warm despite the bitter wind that still howled in the mountains around them. Faded cloth banners - once so brightly colored - hung from the beams of the thatched roof. The air was heavy with the scent of cooking spices, various meats, sauces and drinks, the fire's ash and the earthy scent of stone and wood.
Taking a deep breath - now relaxing from the idea of eating still-moving cave Mollusca, Mason smiled a little. After sterile Kamino, it was...different, yet in it's own way charming. He was beginning to warm up to it and said as much to his brothers. As he said it, Dick's smile seemed to grow just a little and there was a slight twinkle in his eyes.
''Just wait. The night's not over yet and the best is yet to come. Speaking of that...''
His eyes trailed over to a small group of natively dressed men making their way to the large fire.
''Part of the reason why I brought you is about to begin.''
Before Viper could ask what he meant by that, he was stopped by a haunting note of some sort of fluke like instrument.
All eyes turned to the front.
Bards and their musicians stood or sat in a neat row, none of them watching their companion as the flute's notes curled through the air, but rather stared at the ground as they waited. Then...
Thump thump...thump, thump thump...thump...thump, thump thump...
Struck lightly, the hand held drums added a darker side to the song, dark lacquered wood carved with figures of animals and flowers that glinted in the dim light.
Beside them, another flute - lighter and clearer in tone - shrilled to the tune.
When Mason and Viper both glanced at Dick, they were surprised to see he had closed his eyes, swaying ever-so slightly to the beat of the leather drums. At first they couldn't understand why...then the song truly unfolded as the bards began lifting their voices in a song once sung by ancients.
The language was beautiful. It flowed, twisted in the air and with it, the men's deep voices resonated within the stone walls of the inn; the warm lights seemed to flicker to the ancient tune. Handmade drums beat to the thump of their hearts.
As they listened, they were no longer in the inn, eating foreign foods and seeing a culture that had barely managed to hang on.
No. As they listened, mist fell in the room. They were in an ancient city, bright and vibrant of life...yet simple and fair. The smell of the forest rested heavy on the souls of all who sat there. The breeze brushed against their faces, tinted with roasting meat, spices of trade, sweet flowers of the valley. Sunlight kissed the plains as the great light waned in the night, flinging it's light for the last time to be greeted by the blossoming stars on the dark canvas of blue.
The mountains in the vast distance rose from the ground and the fortress loomed high above their heads. They could see the immense dark foe who stood in wait for the blood of the fortress's people...Feel the terror of the villagers and pride of the soldiers...the weariness of the kings and the their advisors.
It was all there. It was the time of dragons and great beasts. Of warriors and men. Great ladies and treasure. Adventure and miracles. Anything was possible so long as the hero was there to save the day...
By the time the song had ended, the room was in an hushed, awed silence. There was no noise save for the faint crackling of the main fire, the hushed rustling of the men as they made their exit, the merest creak of wood as someone shifted in their chair.
Little by little, the hearts of the inn's guests slowed and conversations began breaking the silence once more. A few moments later, the muted chatter of the patrons was all that could really be heard among the clattering of dishes and cutlery. Noise resumed, one little child came from the kitchen and began speaking at each of the tables.
When the little girl in a bright, multicolored dress and pigtails skipped over to them and asked Dick something in a language the others couldn't understand, smiling pleasantly and glancing from person to person, Dick's face split into a grin.
''Akashgri, mikourna. Sepionto haskori deopo.''
With a bob of her head, she skipped on to the next table.
Turning back to the table, Dick's grin never faded.
''She was sweet.''
''What did you two say?'' Mason asked.
''She was being a proper hostess and asked if we needed anything to which I replied something to the effect of 'no' and that we would be fine.''
''Why do you say 'something to the effect of' rather then 'this is what I said'?''
Dick shrugged. ''Still learning this language and I don't know all the ins and outs of it yet.''
''So what about the bard's song?''
Mason leaned in, curious. ''Could you understand it?''
''Most of it. This is my second time here so it wasn't the first time I've heard it.''
''What's it about?''
Viper too seemed to have gained an interest on the subject. Though, Dick couldn't say he was surprised. After all, that was part of the point of bringing them: so they would get curious about what was outside the Republic's borders.
''It was a traditional fairy tale of the surrounding mountains. These people have a legend about the great kings who used to dwell in the mountain caverns before a foreign enemy from another side of the planet drove them out to near extinction. Then they began living in the hills and when those villages were attacked, they turned to the ports. Finally, there was one warlord who managed to pull all the fractioned towns together to take back their homes. The first half of the song was about life before the 'Great Sorrow' - which is their term for leaving - for back when life in the mountains was prosperous.
''The second was of the terror of waiting while the enemy armies were barring down on their last standing fortress.''
''And the end?'' Mason pressed.
''About how they regained their home through the rescue of one of their true heirs the Vajqui - native for princess - and the death of her brother who would have been king. This part ends with the sisters lament and solemn oath that she would reign to the best of her ability - rather then marry and leave it to their closed relative - until 'she too was laid to rest and would join her brethren among the stars.' ''
He paused, then grinned. ''Favorite line in the whole narrative.''
''Yeah, wait, you said 'this part.' What did you mean by that?''
''What I mean is that the whole song is broken up into four parts. What we just heard was the first part.''
He paused, then glanced at his brothers.
''Care to stay to hear it to the end?''
Mason and Viper glanced at each other. Titan had given them leave with Dick for a little while and they didn't have to be back for another two days...
Grinning, Mason shrugged.
''Eh, why not...''
So, since I'm new to this, I was looking over how Sandi would end everything and I'm gonna give it a go...
Uh...I hope you enjoyed the story! :D (does she ever ask to leave a review or something like that? Idonno. Uh, looking back over the list...) Thanks to STARWARZMYLIFE, Cuthalion97, Revee, The Caramel Cat, and KarajeJinsta for reviewing the last chapter, glad you liked it! :D (I probably need to talk Sandi into doing the second half of that when I walked back in, but eh, we'll see)
Just gonna let ya'll know: because of all the notes afterwards and the fact that I'm new to this, posting this was a complete terror. (Also, I just noticed, I wrote this down in third person! :D) Just saying...Okay, okay, I'll stop talking. Seeya later! :D
-Dick
