Syna climbed steadily to the side of the pair. Oftentimes the sun made Wanda feel warm, sometimes it simply made her feel sweaty. Today, though, was definitely a warm kind of day. The gentle sway of the horse as they prodded along, coupled with the relaxing outdoorsy environment, provided a soothing environment. Wanda found herself closing her eyes in comfort as she munched away.
With her eyes closed, Wanda didn't notice the man's smile falter. Must be gathering his thoughts, she noted of his hesitation. She listened intently to his words, fighting the urge to ask increasingly more questions as he continued. "Country boy, huh? Ah, me, I just can't imagine living anywhere beside the city -- there's always so much cool stuff goin' on, and you never know who you'll meet! Prime example," she chortled, poking his shoulder, eyes half-open. His second pause almost had her protesting before he managed to elaborate.
Cyphrus? Wanda contemplated, never heard of it, I don't think. Well really, she probably had heard of it, it just never stuck in her mind. The "Sea of Grass" sounded vaguely familiar, though she might've just been imagining the feeling. She shrugged to herself. "Sounds like a really nice place!" she concluded simply.
Wanda peered through her eyelashes and smirked as he passed the conversation over to her. "If you say so!" An absentminded finger tapped her chin as she searched the recesses of her brain for a story. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of any. Guess I'll make it up, then! she figured brightly.
"Ah, so I guess I'll begin at the beginning, then." She pondered for only a moment, a kind of sense of calmness seeped into her from the surrounding nature. She closed her eyes and let imagination take over. It probably wouldn't be the most exciting story, but she hoped she'd at least be somewhat entertaining.
"A very wise man used to live here in Syliras," Wanda began. "It's rumored that he spoke all the languages under the sun, and knew how the world had been created. His only possession was one black book clasped with iron, which he kept chained to a table, which was fastened to the floor; and when he read out of the book, he unlocked it with an iron key, even though he was the only person who could read it, since it contained all the secrets of the world.
"The master also had a foolish student, who acted as a servant. He was hardly let into the book's room, and was never allowed to even look at the book.
"'So, of course, when the master went out one day, the boy couldn't hold his curiosity and rushed to the chamber where the master kept his tool for changing copper into gold, and gold into silver, and as well as his mirror that could show him anything in the world, and all other kinds of magical things. The boy tried to turn copper to gold, and he stared into the mirror for nearly a bell. But the metal wouldn't change, and he couldn't see anything in the mirror." She certainly wasn't the best storyteller (it was difficult to transfer her organic enthusiasm into a story without making it corny), but this story wasn't as poor as some of the others she'd told.
"'I can't do anything,' he realized. 'The information I need to use these is locked up in that book.'
"He searched around and by the gods! The book had been left unfastened. The master had forgotten to lock it before he went out. The boy rushed over to it, cracking open the front cover. The words were in red and black ink, and it was mostly jibberish to him, but he put his finger on a line and read it out loud. A pause for dramatic effect, of course. Not that it was very dramatic.
"Suddenly, the room darkened, the building trembled, thunder filled his ears, and before him a horrible, horrible creature -- "
Here Wanda stopped as her mind strayed. Surveying their distance from the city walls, she gauged that they might be roughly a mile from Syliras by now. Not that she really had any clue. Of course, if they strayed too far from the city, they ran the risk of encountering some unpleasant encounter, but she figured they could get as far as the Avitar River with any troubles, right? How far away was the river, anyway? She had no clue, but surely it couldn't be too far.
"Hey!" she chirped suddenly. "You don't have anywhere to be, do you?" A delicate finger prodded the man's shoulder as her story temporarily slipped her mind (and she was fairly certain it was a headache-inducing kind of tale anyway, more suited for children). "How's about we make this into a day trip?" came her eager suggestion, accompanied by her wide grin. "I figure you could probably just catch us something for lunch anyway, yeah?"
EditSwitched it to a better story! Credit goes to Zeluna.net, "The Master and his Pupil".
With her eyes closed, Wanda didn't notice the man's smile falter. Must be gathering his thoughts, she noted of his hesitation. She listened intently to his words, fighting the urge to ask increasingly more questions as he continued. "Country boy, huh? Ah, me, I just can't imagine living anywhere beside the city -- there's always so much cool stuff goin' on, and you never know who you'll meet! Prime example," she chortled, poking his shoulder, eyes half-open. His second pause almost had her protesting before he managed to elaborate.
Cyphrus? Wanda contemplated, never heard of it, I don't think. Well really, she probably had heard of it, it just never stuck in her mind. The "Sea of Grass" sounded vaguely familiar, though she might've just been imagining the feeling. She shrugged to herself. "Sounds like a really nice place!" she concluded simply.
Wanda peered through her eyelashes and smirked as he passed the conversation over to her. "If you say so!" An absentminded finger tapped her chin as she searched the recesses of her brain for a story. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of any. Guess I'll make it up, then! she figured brightly.
"Ah, so I guess I'll begin at the beginning, then." She pondered for only a moment, a kind of sense of calmness seeped into her from the surrounding nature. She closed her eyes and let imagination take over. It probably wouldn't be the most exciting story, but she hoped she'd at least be somewhat entertaining.
"A very wise man used to live here in Syliras," Wanda began. "It's rumored that he spoke all the languages under the sun, and knew how the world had been created. His only possession was one black book clasped with iron, which he kept chained to a table, which was fastened to the floor; and when he read out of the book, he unlocked it with an iron key, even though he was the only person who could read it, since it contained all the secrets of the world.
"The master also had a foolish student, who acted as a servant. He was hardly let into the book's room, and was never allowed to even look at the book.
"'So, of course, when the master went out one day, the boy couldn't hold his curiosity and rushed to the chamber where the master kept his tool for changing copper into gold, and gold into silver, and as well as his mirror that could show him anything in the world, and all other kinds of magical things. The boy tried to turn copper to gold, and he stared into the mirror for nearly a bell. But the metal wouldn't change, and he couldn't see anything in the mirror." She certainly wasn't the best storyteller (it was difficult to transfer her organic enthusiasm into a story without making it corny), but this story wasn't as poor as some of the others she'd told.
"'I can't do anything,' he realized. 'The information I need to use these is locked up in that book.'
"He searched around and by the gods! The book had been left unfastened. The master had forgotten to lock it before he went out. The boy rushed over to it, cracking open the front cover. The words were in red and black ink, and it was mostly jibberish to him, but he put his finger on a line and read it out loud. A pause for dramatic effect, of course. Not that it was very dramatic.
"Suddenly, the room darkened, the building trembled, thunder filled his ears, and before him a horrible, horrible creature -- "
Here Wanda stopped as her mind strayed. Surveying their distance from the city walls, she gauged that they might be roughly a mile from Syliras by now. Not that she really had any clue. Of course, if they strayed too far from the city, they ran the risk of encountering some unpleasant encounter, but she figured they could get as far as the Avitar River with any troubles, right? How far away was the river, anyway? She had no clue, but surely it couldn't be too far.
"Hey!" she chirped suddenly. "You don't have anywhere to be, do you?" A delicate finger prodded the man's shoulder as her story temporarily slipped her mind (and she was fairly certain it was a headache-inducing kind of tale anyway, more suited for children). "How's about we make this into a day trip?" came her eager suggestion, accompanied by her wide grin. "I figure you could probably just catch us something for lunch anyway, yeah?"
EditSwitched it to a better story! Credit goes to Zeluna.net, "The Master and his Pupil".
