Aitast felt her shoulders slowly hunch in as she walked. Everybody was staring at her, their voices dropped to whispers. By the time they reached the wooden, one story house she was about 5 seconds from curling up in a ball in the nearest corner.
Kele, the blood man, pulled aside the curtain which seemed to have replaced the door. He gestured her inside.
She hesitated a moment, before stepping in, and the curtain fell shut behind her. It took her eyes a few moments to adjust from the bright sunlight to the dimly lit interior of this place. It looked like a gypsy caravan. The fortune telling kind. There were thick colourful rugs. Jars and bottles on high shelves with questionable contents. The windows were hidden and candles provided the only light. The only thing missing was a crystal ball.
And a person. The place appeared to be empty.
Instead of snooping Aitast scrubbed at her face with her hands. She didn't know what was going on but she got that it was some sort of naming ceremony. She didn't appreciate the blood though. When she pulled her hands back, however, her palms were clean. Well, about as clean as crawling about in a forest makes you, but there was no blood.
She moved her hand up to try and scratch it off before realising she had claws. Claws + scratching + face = pain.
She was about to rub her face again when an old, bony hand closed around her wrist. An odd sound escaped her mouth as she jerked away. An old woman was stood beside her. Aitast hadn't even heard her approach.
Wrinkled and in a tatty old cloak, she didn't fit the rest of the tent.
When her claws pricked her skin, Aitast realised that she was clenching her fists. Taking in a deep breath, she forced herself to relax. The woman didn't pose a threat.
She was suspicious though. The only skin that Aitast could see was that of her hands, which were quickly covered by the cloak when the woman followed her gaze.
"Logqa'nq rhoukk!" The woman exclaimed suddenly, throwing up her hands.
Ears back Aitast watched wide eyed as the woman hobbled over to one of the shelves and pulled out something square. Moving with surprising swiftness, the woman all but shoved it into her hands.
It was a mirror. Aitast didn't know how the woman knew what she was doing, In fact, she wasn't aware she even knew where she came from. Kele hadn't stuck around to introduce her.
Impatient, the woman gestured wildly that she looked in the mirror.
A pale, dirty face with wide dark eyes stared back at her. No blood to be seen.
Then the face was gone as the woman jerked the mirror back out of her hands, moving to put it away. Aitast didn't understand. She'd seen Kele cut his thumb, she'd felt the warmth of his blood as he had wiped it on her face.
The woman grabbed her wrists again, pulling her to the middle of the room then pushing her down to sit on the rug.
Wincing, Aitast did as she directed.
Rapidly the woman moved around the room, far faster than Aitast would have expected given her age and hobbling, but it didn't seem to hinder her at all. All the while the woman was muttering short words under her breath and, unsure why, Aitast got the feeling she was muttering curse words.
Curling her upper lip, Aitast flexed her claws. She added learning the language right underneath finding out where she came from. Before might be better, given how not knowing the language greatly hindered her abilities to ask questions.
The woman plopped down in front of her, smelling heavily of incense.
Maneuvering Aitast into position, she then went on to circle them both in small white pebbles. Both palms on the floor in front of her, and legs crossed Aitast fought the shudder that was creeping up her spine. The smell, the light, it was all setting off alarm bells. It seemed familiar. And not in a good way.
Part of her seriously wanted to just up and leave. Another part of her whispered that the moment the first pebble had been set down something had begun. To leave now would be more dangerous than to stay.
Oblivious the old woman pressed her hands over Aitasts, and the puddle of her cloak moved to cover them almost of its own accord. This time, the shudder couldn't be stopped.
Close as they were, Aitast could see under the hood of the cloak. The old woman wasn't hideous or scarred. Just wrinkled in old age and her lips pursed in concentration. Her eyes were shut.
Then she began to speak. She spoke but no sound came out of her mouth. Aitast could feel her breath on her face, and a strange resonance in the air. When she tried to pull back, the woman’s hands tightened over her own, but her eyes never opened.
That was when Aitast noticed. Around them, a translucent dome had sprung up from the pebbles. And outside of it, small lights were moving around the room. Gentle, they moved around on invisible currents of air. They reminded her of fireflies.
The first thing she could truly remember, and it was an insect with a glowing abdomen.
One of the lights moved closer, and when it touched the dome it burst with bright light, sending ripples across the domes surface. Then, the lights were gone. A drip of water ran down the dome. Then another. And another. It was raining, but when Aitast looked up, the drops seemed to simply be appearing from nowhere.
Abruptly, it stopped.
The remaining water sizzled and steam rose from the carpets. The air rippled with heat and Aitast imagined she could almost feel it on her face.
Expecting it this time, it didn't seem odd when the heat dissipated.
Electricity was next. It danced across the dome in white-blue arcs. Then the curtains - the plant in the corner, they all whipped wildly as a hurricane seemed to rage around them. Sometimes, there were odd gaps, when things seemed to be happening that she couldn't see. One time, she thought it was another gap only to spot the plant in the corner wilting, then suddenly spring back to life.
Another time, the candles were suffocated, and they were plunged into pitch black. The next, everything seemed to age around them. The plant bloomed, then died. The dust settled over the dome like a blanket of snow. Each time, the room would be returned to its original state.
Aitast glanced at the woman, wondering if she too was seeing all of this, but her brow was furrowed over her shut eyes, and her silent words seemed to be raising in volume.
Then, everything grew still. The hair on the back of Aitasts neck settled and whatever magic had possessed the room died down to a low hum, far more obvious now that she knew what it felt like.
The old woman was looking right at her, and released her hands only to place them on her temples.
This time, when the woman spoke there was another, higher voice speaking over her. A voice that she could understand.
"Lost One, for a season and a day, you are the same as a granddaughter to me. You will learn our ways, speak out language. When that time ends, you may do as you wish, seek the answers to the questions that fill your mind. Until then, you are one of the people. Under the tutelage of Kele you will learn how to survive in our world. You will make your first kill and give your offering to the mother spirit. Now leave me, the ceremony has drained me."
Aitast opened her mouth to ask questions- hundreds of them but the old woman scowled at her from under her cloak. The words caught in Aitasts throat.
"Bugger it all. I'm not here to answer your questions, Lost One. Learn to speak as we do, and maybe some other poor sod will answer you. I am tired and I going to rest now." Her mouth kept moving, but there was no translation this time.
Aitast had the sneaking suspicion she was cursing again. At her, this time.
Gritting her teeth, Aitast was about to demand she answer when she bit her tongue. She needed to work with these people. They might simply throw her back into the forest if she offended their hospitality.
She would do exactly what the old woman, who hadn't actually bothered to introduce herself nor learn Aitasts name, suggested. More or less.
She would lay low, learn what she needed to survive. Learn to walk like them, talk like them and be like them. Then she would find some 'poor sod' to answer her questions.
From there on out, everything was up in the air.
But she'd be damned if she just gave up. She was tired and hungry, but she wasn't dead yet. Until she was, she wasn't going to stop looking for answers.
Muttering the old lady went through another curtain, deeper into the house and leaving Aitast where she was. Aitast ought to leave, but she found herself wanting to investigate. Somehow, this woman could do magic. Real, honest to god magic.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
First, she went through the notes. The diagrams were fascinating, depicting nightmarish creatures to adorable rodents. The handwriting was so messy, however, it was illegible. Even if she had been able to read the language that the old woman had written them in.
Then, she went through the bottles. Some of them held bodies, bleached in some kind of preservative. Others contained liquids - some of which had drawings of skull on the front. She avoided touching those ones.
Her most fascinating discovery by far was a time glass. It had writing etched-or maybe burned into it. Within it were two incredibly detailed tiny people. In the bottom was a mermaid, sleeping within the thick blue liquid. At the top was a fairy, her hands tied to the top of the time glass with thin ropes. Behind her, her wings were translucent and shimmering.
When Aitast moved to pick it up so she could see it better the fairy opened her eyes. Aitast dropped her hand and jerked her head back. It was alive.
The fairy snarled, her mouth full of tiny sharp teeth and her wings flared crimson as they fluttered wildly to get to her. The tiny creature looked as if nothing would please her more than to kill Aitast.
Swallowing Aitast moved away from the table very much aware of how ignorant she was. And how things in here were likely not as pretty and harmless as the ritual that she had been through earlier. It was time for her to leave.
Kele was stood outside. Arms crossed and legs spread he looked like some sort of body guard. Nodding to her he pushed forwards the girl to his right.
She looked about the same age as Aitast. Her hair was black and cut short. In fact, Aitast thought, she was the first person she had seen in the whole village with short hair. Most of them seemed to wear it much like Kele's; long and plaited.
This girl was different. She jerked up her chin defiantly at Kele before stepping closer to Aitast. Something told Aitast these two were familiar, probably father and daughter. She was a head shorter than the cat woman, with a lithe body and very little clothing. In fact, she seemed to dress the opposite of everyone else. Her breasts were barely hidden behind the piece of blue cloth she had wrapped around them so tight they must've ached. Her toned belly was completely bare and the short, darker blue skirt around her waist seemed to be torn by fashion rather than survival.
Instead of foot-wraps, her toes poked out the end and the wraps continued up her calves. Like boots, her mind supplied. Any information that popped into Aitasts head seemed to be inconsequential things. The names of clothing, and animals. It was better than waking up without a language-or anything at all, Aitast admitted to herself. She might not be able to speak the language of these people, but not being able to speak at all...she didn't even want to think about it.
The girl pressed a hand to her chest and introduced herself as Tal with a clear voice. Aitast pressed a hand to her own chest.
"Aitast." She couldn't help the small smile that came with this. Having a name seemed like such a privilege.
Tal shook her head and gave Aitast a grin. "Ai."
Ai, she liked that. Nodding Ai gave Tal a big grin to show her she appreciated the nick name. Tals gaze flickered down to her mouth and stayed there a moment before she looked up again. Self-consciously, Ai licked one of her canines and looked down at herself. She was dressed terribly, covered in dirt and on top of that she had the features of the animal.
Tal tutted and shook her head.
"Rha'nouy, yao noud o dorh." Ai blinked at her and gave an uncertain smile.
Grabbing Ai's hand, Tal pulled her along completely ignoring her father, who sighed at the girls quickly disappearing backs.
Dodging down a narrow gap between two houses they came out onto a largely empty street. Ai was disorientated, which was saying something considering the whole village was made up of only a few dozen, single story houses.
The house ahead of them now was much larger, with a sign on the front. The only thing on it was three wavy white lines. Ai let Tal pull her inside the doorway, to immediately be hit with a blast of heat. Outside was warm, but in here it was stifling. The air was hot and humid, and the reason why was clear. The floor didn't extend far, and then the ground was rocky, and in the middle of the whole thing was a steaming hot rock pool.
Tal had bought her here to wash. Conscious of the old woman’s words Ai tapped Tals shoulder to get her attention.
"Ai, Tal -" Ai tapped herself, Tal, then pointed to the pool.
"Dorh." Tal supplied. Then she pointed up and said "Dorh Rhao'tou."
Bath, Ai guessed, and Bath House.
This time, when Tal said the words, they sounded like 'Bath' and 'Bath House'. Ai wasn't sure how this worked, but decided not to question it. It was probably the old ladies magic.
When Tal began to undress Ai flushed. She wasn't use to people getting undressed in front of her. Ever. Turning her back and blushing she pulled the hem of her 'dress', otherwise known as a sack, over her head. Then the pushed off the eternally uncomfortable diaper. Looking back, it probably would've been smarter just to the thing when she had woken up. At least then there would be no painful rash.
Turning she saw Tal looking at her, hands on her hips and completely unashamed to be stark naked.
"Ganou an!" And with that she ran two steps the bath and jumped in.
Ai couldn't help the surprised squeal that escaped her mouth as the hot water splashed on her. If she was ever asked about it, she would claim that it never happened.
Far less ecstatic than Tal she crept over to the waters edge and stuck her foot in. Hot! She took a deep breath-and jumped!
Water closed over her, dark and hot against her bare skin. When her head broke the water, Ai gasped in the suddenly cool-feeling air.
Unable to do much but gasp and tread water for several moments, she heard Tal laughing. Getting herself under control, she couldn't help but grin. It felt like the first real grin she'd had in - well, forever.
With a kick of her legs she bought herself besides Tal at the edge of the pool; there was a ledge there that she maneuvered herself onto.
Without the ability to really make conversation, Ai decided to learn more. This was mostly body parts (she skipped over the breasts and lower regions, but Tal just laughed and told her the words for them anyway) but she also learnt the words for hot, cold, I, we and you, even the word and.
After she ran out of words, Tal pulled herself out of the water. Ai went to follow her but Tal shook her head.
"I qou you gra'rhout" She pointed to the messy pile of clothes on the floor.
"Gra'rhout." She said again, holding up clothes this time.
Ai nodded and added clothes to the list of words she had learnt. This way of learning a language was so fast, Ai had half a mind to thank the old lady right then and there. When she said a word to Tal, as long as she knew the translation, it came out in their language. She only needed to hear a word once and that was it.
Sighing she let her head fall back over the rim of the pool. The water didn't seem as hot now, and she was sure she could feel the dirt leaving her pores. She felt cleaner, more relaxed than she had felt in ages. So long as she was concentrating on learning new words and doing things, none of the darker thoughts she had plagued her mind. It almost seemed like a dream.
It wasn't, but she could pretend for a little while.
She must have dozed off, because the next time she opened her eyes it was to her head sliding underwater. Coughing, she pulled herself up and out of the bath. Tal appeared beside her and gave her a few good whacks on the back.
Gasping she pushed Tals arm away. She could breath now, no more whacking needed. Her next view was of Tals concerned face. Ai gave her a wobbly smile.
Tutting, Tal moved her away from the pool then handed her some new clothes. New clothes, with real, honest to god underwear. Ai felt as if she might cry.
Ignoring the way her vision had got distinctly blurry, Ai pulled on the clothes as quickly as she could, thankful it didn't seem nearly as complicated as the villagers nor as revealing as Tals outfit.
The top was dark gray with a low neckline and sleeves down to her elbows. The skirt went from dull white to black where it ended at her knees. The underwear was the comfiest that she had ever worn. Not that it would take much to be better than the diaper from before.
The only part she struggled with were the foot wraps, but Tal showed her how to lace them together quickly and efficiently.
Ai said 'thankyou' in her own language, which Tal then gave the translation for. Ai made a note to keep Tal around. She was helpful, considerate and Ai fully intended to make her the 'poor sod' that would answer all her questions.