Flashback Break with the past Part 1

[Karsynwa]

2nd of Spring, 490 AV

It was hard not to fall asleep as the instructor droned on in the warm lecture hall. The change of grain prices over one century ago was not an exciting subject in the least, and after his morning combat training, Karsynwa just felt like setting his head down for a quick nap. Instead he tried writing down what was being said even if he didn’t find it interesting in the slightest.

Fortunately he didn’t have to carry on the act for long as the lecture soon wrapped up. Their instructor, Felaris Kalgotha, left them all with a for next lesson. What makes the Akalak different from the other races? Homework in other words as he would certainly ask for an answer from each of them. Looking at his chicken scratch he realized he certainly had some work ahead of him. His notes for today were less than useless so he’d have to work on that before tomorrow. Thinking about it, he decided that it was better to get it over with now than wait till after his evening sparring session. The library would be just as dreadfully warm as this lecture hall and he expected it would be even more of a struggle to stay awake in that quiet place after sparring.

Reasoning this, he went for a short walk and a snack before he came to the library. An it helped. He was feeling more alert now as he puzzled over what all he needed to read. As he walked in Karsynwa’s eyes alighted on a tall Akalak behind the front desk. The man looked up and favored him with a smile.

“Come to read of another battle?” He asked. Karsynwa’s eyes widened, a little confused at the question. Not knowing what else to do, he offered a little bow before he spoke.

“I’m sorry, have we met before?” Karsynwa asked, drawing another smile from the man, this one warmer.

“Not directly. You came in with your father and spent several bells paging through an account of popular war stories. Your father said it was the longest he’d ever seen you sit still.” He said, and there was a confidence to his words that left little doubt in Karsynwa.


“I don’t remember that, how old was I?” Karsynwa asked, taking a step closer to the front desk.

“This was several years ago so I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t quite remember it. You were still sounding out every word as you read with your father helping you with the more difficult pieces. Usually I try to discourage speaking outside of the storyteller corner, but you were quiet enough.” The librarian said, offering him a slight wink before continuing. “My name is Zandar. I am the head librarian here. What is your name?”

“Karsynwa” He said without hesitation. “You must have a good memory if you can remember all of that.”

Zandar laughed gently. “Yes I do. Very astute. Is there anything I can help you with today?”

Karsynwa chewed on that for a moment before speaking. “I’m hoping to learn something about other races for a class. Do you think there is a book for that here?”

Zandar tsked and came around the front desk to stand by him. “Something is such a useless word. If you are after specific information about a race then you should say it, otherwise just lead with the general questi-” Zandar paused, and Karysynwa realized his face must have betrayed his confusion.

“I get it. Tukant isn’t as interesting as sparring, but one day when things slow down, you’ll realize the value of using proper language. Now about your request, we’ve got a number of journals on the topic. How about we start with the most common race of all. Humans.” Zander said, and started walking deeper into the library. Karsynwa followed. They past shelf after shelf of dusty tombs until they arrived at one seemingly at random as far as Karsynwa was concerned. The shelf was not marked in any way that he could discern, however Zander seemed to think that this was the right shelf. In fact, he didn’t waste time at all picking a large grey book from the shelf. Gingerly, the librarian brushed a coat of dust off of the cover and read it out loud.

“’The humble journal of a fisherman’ A personal account of one of our oldest sailors. Its a bit fantastical in parts but only because he waited a long time before actually writing any of his experiences down. You see, I’d met him in a tavern where he’d regale me with these wild tales of his until I finally managed to convince him to write it all down. He’s met more than just humans in his travels to be sure, but it is his depictions of the human race that I found the most worthwhile to read. Zander said, handing the book to him before continuing. “He tends to go on and on about fishing of course so you might want to brush over those parts. Feel free to come find me if you need help finding another.” Zander left him between the shelves then, and Karsynwa stared at the faded cover for a little while before finding an alcove. There he carefully laid out the book on the small table before he started to read.

WC - 893

[Karsynwa]

Zander had been pretty accurate about his description. At least about the fishing part. There were pages upon pages on fish. He seemed to get especially excited when elaborating on the length, weight and sex of the fish. Occasionally when it was a particularly remarkable specimen, he would release them back into the sea which was baffling. Karsynwa leafed through about a quarter of the book before he finally got to his first mention of humans. He started reading but immediately had to go back a few pages to get the context.

[Of all of the humans I have ever met, it is the Svefra that have the most colorful language. There is a pod that frequents these waters, the Oceanheart, and I have known them for a few generations now. I met their first Lia when she was young and apart of another pod that has long since departed for the deeper waters of the Suvan. She is long dead now, but I remember her fondly from that time. The Svefra have such wisdom about the sea, more than even me with all of my years. In the water, they swim almost as well as a Konti, and none match their expertise at sailing. In fact, it was only by crewing with them that I have been able to get my biggest catches because they know these waters far better than I.

Although they do not have webbed fingers or gills that does not seem to hold them back from mastering the sea as they do. They drink from its waters like its fresh from the Bluevein and I have never seen them have complications because of it. A friend of mine says it is because of the mark they all carry. It looks like a small sea that is constantly moving across their flesh, always seeking uncovered parts of their body of which there is much. They are a almost carefree sort of people once you get to know them and they enjoy a rather loose style of dress. Men as well as women can be seen walking nude or almost so across their decks at all hours. It was shocking at first but once I got to know them and their bold personalities it started to make sense.

I am thankful for what they have taught me so far, and I believe Zandar will forgive me for not diving too deeply into that. Secrets should remain hidden. I will not betray our relationship. However I would consul whoever reads this to get to know these great people if you get the chance. Especially if one wished to know the sea well, and has a love for it like I do. I-]

Karsynwa paused to pull out a sheaf of parchment before dipping a quill into a well of ink. He looked over the page again before he started scrawling out a few of the more pertinent details he thought might be constructive to bring out in the lecture tomorrow. Unfortunately his writing left much to be desired. His words were tiny, practically illegible and ran into each other like they were wrestling for a spot on the page. He tried slowing down however that just made the mistakes in his strokes more pronounced. Sighing in frustration, he made sure his left hand was clean before he reached over to carefully turn the page on the book.

WC - 569

[Karsynwa]

Upon the next page, Karsynwa found that the man had quite a bit to say about the subject he was after. Page after page on this same name that continued to recur throughout. Svefra. He was curious at the name and how it was supposed to be pronounced as he leafed it open slowly to start reading from the beginning again. He did not want to skim ahead and miss anything important.

If one is of the travel bent, no doubt you have run into the Svefra already. I’ve worked off the docks for most of my life so I have gotten to know them quite a bit. I have even learned how to speak Fratava though I will admit, there were times I thought I would never get a decent grasp of it, and even today there are still words I have yet to learn. It is hard to know the right of it. They seem to have a name for anything and everything. Even nuanced abstract concepts like that feeling you get after releasing a fish that you truly struggled to catch back into the water. I could not begin to relate that word to you here because you have to simply hear it in person. Their language is so much more than just words, it is filled with hand gestures, facial expressions, and is best spoken with a quick tongue.

It is from this tongue that I have heard many of their stories. Some of the most beautiful ones concern their close relationships with the creatures that follow their pods around. One of my favorite stories includes such a relationship. It starts off with a young Svefra couple traveling the northern waters of the Suvan Sea with the rest of their family. The boy’s name was Curl which was a strange name when I first heard about it, but these Svefra tend to the unusual when naming their children. Curl had a killer whale for an animal companion. Now these are close relationships, beyond what I can understand although I have owned many pets in my life. What I mean to say is that when they start a tale like this, it says a lot about the personality of the boy who is the main character. As does his wifes animal companion speak about her. Her companion was a harbor seal which belonged to a larger group that tended to follow the pod along, but I feel like I’ve given too much of the story away so let me start over.

It begins with a boy named Curl and a girl named Seaflower. There’s was an unlikely relationship because everything about them should have gotten along as well as fire and ice. Curl came from a pod that traveled along with killer whales while Seaflower’s pod traveled with seals. If that wasn’t enough, Seaflower was a quiet girl while Curl was a loud boy. He was always getting up to mischief leaving little messes for her to clean up in his wake. Their families got along well enough but kept their distance because they did not claim the same ancestral waters. Curl’s family were hunters by nature, while Seaflowers enjoyed plying the seas for trade.

That was how they met actually. Curl was there trading skins where it is said he fell immediately in love with Seaflower. Theirs was a whirlwind romance, one made so in part because of their animal companions. Their tavans as the Svefra like to call them. She could not travel with his pod for the same reason he could not travel with hers. So they decided to strike off together, and brave the sea on their own. It was noble in its own foolish way, a dream only young lovers could share.

For the sea is no less dangerous than the land. Moreso one could say than our sea of grass for one does not have the Kabrin to guide them. An those waters hide strange, dangerous creatures in their depths while most of us just skim across the surface and just pray we don’t draw their ire. Unfortunately for Curl and Seaflower, they were not so lucky, or they were, depending on the way you look at it.

After all, her seal did not have any problems traveling with Curl’s killer whale which is as odd as seeing a Night lion befriend a rabbit. What I’m getting at is they had an odd family of sorts, one that managed to travel across the Suvan for almost a year without any significant problems. However this wouldn’t be much of a story if nothing happened.

They ran into trouble down in the Southern Suvan. Well, Seaflower’s tavan did. Curl was out freediving with his Killer Whale when a shark took a bite of the seal. Curl’s tavan responded quickly, attacking the shark before it could get another bite in but it was already too late for the poor seal. They laid him to rest out in those open waters, and that would be that if Curl’s tavan hadn’t eaten the seal’s carcass right in front of them. Curl understood, though Seaflower was less than understanding. She demanded to return to her pod, and no amount of arguing by Curl was enough to dissuade her from this course.

Heartbroken and angry, Curl ended taking it out on his tavan an thus sealed himself off from her forever. For in doing this he angered Laviku, god of the sea, and one of the god’s children rose out of the deep to consume him whole. It was a being of monstrous size with a mouth that could easily fit the plunge pool in its jaws. It was so large that he didn’t immediately die as the story goes. Instead he found himself trapped inside of its gullet where he wedged himself so he would travel no further inside of the beast. There he was destined to starve.

However where he was weak, Seaflower was strong. She petitioned the mighty Laviku every day for forty four days before the god appeared to her. “Why do you still care for this man who dishonored you in his first breath apart from your presence.” Seaflower responded simply. “Because I love him.” Laviku heard her, but was unconvinced so he brokered a deal. Curl would live only if he spent the rest of his days on a remote island in the southern suvan. She would be his only tie to the outside world and the only one that would be permitted to visit him. Seaflower readily agreed to these terms and Laviku had the leviathan spit out Curl on a small remote island.

It was a desolate place with not a tree in sight, barely a patch of sand surrounded by leagues of ocean. He was almost completely starved when she found him there on her little casinor and over the course of the next few seasons she managed to nurse him back to health. Eventually she even managed to bring the supplies to build him a little shelter, and slowly provided other comforts as well. Unfortunately, this was not enough in Curls eyes who couldn’t see beyond his own nose in this moment even though he had everything to thank her for. All he could do when she was there was gripe about how long she had taken to visit him, and about whatever she brought was not enough to make up for this miserable existence on the island. Eventually he started accusing her of this being her fault that he wound up here.

Seaflower bore it all with grace and kept coming to that little island with supplies. Kept coming until one day he wasn’t there. Her heart broke into little pieces when she saw Laviku appear then with his corpse out of the sea. “He tried to swim when I warned him not to, but you kept up your end of the bargain. Never did you fail in your words to me.” Laviku was solemn as the girl wept, and left her there to mourn her lost love. She buried him on that island, and every year afterward would visit with gifts that she would leave by his grave. There she would tell of her life, and other stories till the sun long sunk beyond the horizon before leaving off to rejoin her pod.

You see she had started a pod of her own not long after that, and named her new family the Oceanhearts. I had the pleasure of meeting this Lia which is why you could say I am rather partial to this story. She was always a wise woman for all the years I knew her and had a capacity for laughter that I would not in her circumstances. I am happy to call her friend.

WC - 1400

[Karsynwa]

The page ended there and Karsynwa looked up to see that it was growing dark. He closed the book. That had been more engrossing than he expected, and he forgot to write down most of what had been written on those final few pages. Hesitantly he picked up the book before approaching the front desk. Zandar seemed to almost expect him as the librarian turned towards him as he drew near.

“How did you find Rathlas’ personal journal?” Zandar asked, a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Karsynwa smiled back.

“Interesting though I only had time to learn of one race. The Svefra. I was wondering if I might get more time with this book.” Karsynwa asked, his voice cautious. Though there was no need for apprehension as Zandar was already nodding as the words left his lips.

“Of course, just pen your name here and make sure to return it tomorrow. An I’m sure I don’t have to remind you to be careful with it.” Zandar said, his tone leading as his eyes flicked from Karsynwa to the book in his hands.

“I will be extra careful with it, thank you.” Karsywa said, nodding perhaps too eagerly as he he walked over to the other side of the desk to hastily scratch out his name. Zander tsked at his handwriting but favored him with a beatific smile.

“Take care then, I’ll be seeing you.” Zander said, offering a small wave as Karsynwa departed with the book in tow. Karsynwa made sure to wave back before he quickened his step. He had a feeling that he was running late for this evenings sparring practice.

He was as it turns out, and as a result had to run laps before joining the rest of the class. Karsynwa took the reprimands in good humor, making the necessary promises to be more careful with his time in the future. A satisfaction permeated him today that wouldn’t let the chastisements from his peers touch him. It was as if he was floating above it all. That feeling followed him all the way home, and through dinner with his family. Afterward he decided to crack open the book again an try writing out what he had previously read. This went much the same as it had before with him struggling to make his letters stand out from one another on the parchment. His r’s almost looked like o’s that was how bad it got in some places though he persevered if only because he found it helped him think. Perhaps even remember because he could recall bits and pieces of what he had tried to copy before even if looking back over what he had written was difficult.

WC - 458