Novels2Search
Steel Hearts, Scars of Amber
Chapter Three: The translator

Chapter Three: The translator

As the pieces of stone crumbled into dust, Fiannah reflexively assumed her dire wolf stance once more, but shortly dropped it once she realized. What stood in front of her was just the same, except more colorful, and fleshy. It was yet another impossible person. This one the woman in the statue, or rather, encased in stone. She blinked and looked up at Fiannah. The impossible woman was about 155 centimeters tall. She wore a black bob cut and had dark, copper colored skin. Her sclerae and iris were like Durkhann’s except hers were a sharp burgundy, rather than indigo. She also had white pupils. Her pants were in the same style as Durkhann’s and she wore a leather shirt that was open on the back, revealing the rune Fiannah had activated.

“No fucking way.” Cursed the Lady of Yastra again. “There’s just no way, two of you dipshits in a row? Caldor would be losing his mind right now. I just don’t want another cracked rib alright?” The small woman blinked and looked around her, wincing when her eyes met Fiannah’s glowing orb.

Finally she turned to the giant woman in front of her, “my lady, please do not swear so profusely in my vicinity, it is uncouth.” Fiannah’s eyes widened. Unlike Durkhann, she could actually understand this woman, as if she was speaking perfect Exgrunnish. Wait, no that’s not it. Fiannah realized the sounds the woman was producing weren’t from Exgrunn. But the Cleaver instinctively understood them anyway.

“Ok, what’s happening? I just met another one of you and we could barely talk to each other.” The diminutive woman opened her mouth in slight shock, seeming to understand something suddenly.

She turned her back towards Fiannah and said: “My communication rune, my lady, it grants us the ability to understand each other regardless of language. Are you a foreign ambassador visiting our country?”

Fiannah was still processing the first part of the sentence when the second one hit her: “Wait, no, your kingdom has been dead for centuries, my stupid best friend and I are exploring your ruins for our guilds. You guys being here really throws a wrench into everything we thought we knew about Larawe. Also, what’s your name, and what was that about a translation rune?”

The Laraweian, whose name was in fact Raelitha, slowly blinked and digested Fiannah’s words. Still in shock, she stuttered, “m-my name is Raelitha my lady, I uh…” And looked down to her hands, still covered in some stone powder.

Fiannah noticed that she had just callously informed this woman that her people were long dead, and that she was likely one of the few survivors left. This is why I need Caldor when I meet new people. “Look, nice to meet you Raelitha, I’m Fiannah of Yastra. You can just call me Fiannah, okay? Let’s slow down a little. Here.” She took off her coat. It was made of thick black fabric, and very large, so she assumed it would be as comfortable as it could get, and set it down in a bundle in front of Kraelitha. “Let’s sit down and talk, try to get each other up to speed, okay?”

Raelitha slowly nodded and blinked some more, “Yes, alright, thank you my lady.” And she sat down on the coat bundle. Fiannah crossed her legs and laboriously also sat down, wincing at the pain. Raelitha noticed the gel in the lady’s wound.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“First of all, again, just call me Fiannah please. Second of all, I’m sorry about springing all that on you, I was overwhelmed. So, before anything else, do you have anything you want to ask me?”

Raelitha smiled at Fiannah and said, slowly: “I am also very overwhelmed. I had thought this to be my time, but apparently I was put under a conjuration that preserved me until… Whenever I am now. What are your people called, my la- er, Lady Fiannah?” And kept smiling, a sad smile.

I wonder if that’s also what happened to that Durkhann guy, Fiannah thought, and replied: “we’re from Exgrunn, so well, Exgrunnish. We’ve been exploring the Laraweian ruins for a few years now. Your runes really helped us enhance our own magic.” To demonstrate, Fiannah cast her Drespranké invocation again. “See?”

Raelitha’s eyes shone witnessing the arcane circle of runes. She pointed out that “we only used the runes non verbally, I don’t quite understand it yet, and I guess I never will; but we just used them to manipulate a force called ‘Paracausality’. No vocal components necessary.”

Fiannah thought one more time that man, Caldor would love hearing this. And continued: “paracausality? I’m gonna be honest with ya, no idea what that means. I gotta find my nerd and then he’ll probably know how to translate all this.” Raelitha laughed, genuinely. First real one, so far.

The ancient woman breathed in and replied: “Frankly I’m not so sure myself. I was supposed to be a scholar’s apprentice, but I guess that happened.” And nodded her head towards the mound of dust behind her.

“Right,” was Fiannah’s response. “Wait, what about that huge rune on your back? You said it was a communication rune?”

Raelitha perked up and said: “Yes! Well, sort of. It is actually a variation of the opening rune, or something to that end. It is what gives me the ability to understand your language. I used to work for the Major Council of Larawe, I had this rune carved onto my back so that I could understand and relay foreigners’ words to my country’s leaders. I was also responsible for negotiating and drafting treaties with them, always having the Council’s wishes in mind.” Fiannah thought she could hear some anger in the woman’s voice during the last sentence.

Fiannah looked impressed, “damn, so you’re a pretty big deal huh?” Raelitha laughed again, Is there something on my face? Fiannah frowned.

“No, no, I’m sorry. It’s so obvious for me, but there is no reason it would be for you. You see, there are - were, plenty of us. We were all seen and treated as disposable and undesirable servants of the Major Council. Council members were the bearers of the words of God, and as such, not to be tainted by the languages and filth of heretics.”

Fiannah’s eyes widened with each word of that sentence. “I uh, that sounds kinda shitty, this God is probably an asshole if that’s how the ‘bearers of his word’ treated you guys.” Raelithaonce again wore her sad smile. Her features softened and she looked at Fiannah with melancholic eyes.

“Yes. He is, or was as you put it, an asshole. That’s why my mentor and his partners killed him.”

Fiannah blinked one time, two times. She was waiting for Raelitha to say she was joking. The tiny woman was dead serious, no hint of sarcasm or irony in her voice, she smiled slightly waiting for Fiannah’s response:

“I’m sorry, did you just say your mentor killed a god!?”