Vikkar stared at the man in front of him in utter incomprehension. What on earth was a Wizard? Still, the man said he could translate for them and if it turned out he was just a lunatic it wasn’t like their situation could realistically get much worse. “Right. Well Mr. O’Hara, town is right this way, if you would follow me.” Lupin had briefly considered making the man walk in front of him, but decided that it really wouldn’t do much good. The man was massive, and Vikkar could tell by the way he held himself that it wasn’t all fat. If Lupin had wanted to kill them he would have just had to fall forward and that would be the end of it. So it was best, in Vikkar’s opinion, to just get on with it.
Walking on the island was a rather simple affair outside of the swamp. The earth was flat and it would take little more than 15 minutes to jog from one end to the other. Lupin didn’t give silence any time to settle in as they walked, “I must say child that you gave me quite a fright with how you held that ax of yours. You must be quite the storied hero back home ay?”
“Oh of course. Back home everyone always called me the next Stormcaller, Scourge of the Seas.” Emilia hefted the ax above her head, doing her best to look fearsome. Unfortunately she mostly looked filthy.
“Don’t leave out that the reason they call you that was your inexplicable ability to sink rowboats before you even left the dock.” Vikkar chuckled as he adjusted Havi’s sling on his back. The poor girl had sunk herself completely into the covers, not wanting to be seen. He knew Emilia would be glowering at him. She’d come to love the Stormcaller nickname as she grew up, and he’d come to love reminding her of its origin.
“Oh shove off Vik, you know more than anyone that I earned that name a thousand times over after that, admittedly unfortunate, incident. First of my age to sail a kite ship, the youngest ever to be able to draw the entire star chart from memory, and I even beat Havden the Bear in a duel!” The sun was still rising off to their right causing them to cast long, spindly shadows. A gentle breeze followed the light, bringing cool air and the sound of ocean spray with it.
“When he was piss drunk, sure.” The town was in view now. The Mantis’ living homes cast in their strange translucent green, and the whole town wreathed in dark shadows by the dawn light.
“The man is four times my size, it still counts!” Emilia complained, but there was no doubt in Vikkar’s mind that she was beaming at the chance to brag.
“Well you can colour me impressed.” The big man laughed. “Those buildings up ahead are fascinating. They’re alive aren’t they?” They were close enough now to see the buildings shifting as they breathed. Vikkar found the sight a little unsettling when paired with the long shadows they cast, as if they entire place was a mass of undulating darkness.
“Yes, the Mantis grow their houses out of type of seed, and then cause it to rapidly grow and take the shape they want with the magic of their Singers. It’s interesting, not sure I’d ever want to live in one truth be told.” Just watch them from outside was giving him goosebumps, let alone actually having to be inside one.
A pair of guards peeled off from the shadows of the town approached them, each carrying a wickedly barbed spear and encased head to toe in the red chitin of their exo-skeleton. Lupin took the lead now. The guards leveled their spears at him as he approached and accosted him in the rapid fire clicking of Mantis speech. ‘Here’s the moment of truth, is he a mad man or our salvation?’ Vikkar thought.
Lupin fired back in the same rapid clicking, and just for a moment it seemed to Vikker that his mouth was not quite moving in time with the sounds he was making. Then he blinked and everything was as it should be. The conversation went on for quite some time, seeming to grow quite heated, before Lupin settled them down with a series of harsh, angry clicking. The guards seemed to level wrathful glares at Vikkar and his sisters before one turned to leave and the other waved them to follow. “Rather reluctant fellows I must say. Something about not playing host to Riddari savages or some other. A promise of some basic magics got us a room for the night and food at least.” Lupin shrugged and began to follow the Mantis.
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“I apologize for causing you so much trouble Mr. O’Hara. Our people are quite warlike, so I suppose their reticence is understandable.” Vikkar offered, falling into step behind the large man.
“I’d much rather accept your thanks than an apology dear boy. On the matter of your people’s penchant for war; I don’t care how bloodthirsty they might be it will never constitute a reason to turn away starving children at the door.” Lupin glowered. “But such matters are resolved for now, let us tarry no longer when breakfast awaits.” They were led down the straight, measured streets of the town to a larger building near the docks. Flowers had begun to bloom on the surface, running in spiral patterns around the side that faced north, towards the sea. Their guide, acting for all the world their jailer, waved them hastily inside.
Vikkar was surprised by how warm it was, the chill of the early morning air nothing but a memory in the interior. The floor was soft and springy, made of the same translucent plant matter as the walls. Sunlight was filtering through, painting everything a slightly warmer shade of green. There were no furnishings in sight, unless the dark wood boxes piled high were counted as such. Vikker was used to much worse floors as of late, and saw little need to fuss over something so small. “With the way the guard was acting I was half expecting a damp room of dark stone to be our refuge. I must say I’m pleasantly surprised.”
“Certainly not the worst place I’ve ever put my feet up in.” Lupin grumbled, “Let me see if I can’t fix us up a proper dining area before anyone has the chance to complain.” Lupin walked to the first of the crates and popped the lid open with his finger tips. “We’re in luck! Unworked ingots, of what I assume to be iron.” Lupin ran his fingers along the crate and Vikkar watched in astonishment as the planks that formed it split from each other and floated in the air. Lupin conducted them with a series of terse movements. The planks moved and formed a small, basic table and a set of chairs. They were understandably rough to the touch and the nails hanging out of them did not lend any sense of comfort to the viewer, but they were usable.
Lupin then grabbed one ingot from the pile left behind and began to mold the iron as though it were clay. “Wow.” Emilia breathed from beside Vikkar, “He’s a Windcaller Vik.” Emilia ran up to Lupin’s side and began barraging him with questions. Vikkar shook his head in disbelief his mind stuck between asserting that the events of today could only be found in dreams and the knowledge that everything had decided to happen anyway. He untied the blanket from around himself, gently lowering Havi to the ground. Once on the floor she wrapped herself in the blanket like a pearl caught in seaweed.
The guard returned with a sack slung over his shoulder. Vikkar watched him bristle at the sight of the crate’s repurposing. After letting out a few disgruntled clicking noises he handed his burden to Vikkar and stalked off. A handful of vegetables and small chunks of meat were all that was given to them, but combined with the rations they already had on hand, they could make a decent meal for the first time in what was probably weeks. “They brought us the rations,” Vikkar called bringing the sack over to Lupin who had now finished molding a pan and a few sets of cutlery out of the iron.
The man’s face soured as he looked over the contents, “This ain’t near to being enough for growing boys and girls, unbelievable. I’ll be back in a shake.” Lupin set the sack and his fashioned tools down onto the table and made towards the door.
“What are you gonna do now? Are you gonna go beat up the guard who’s been all rude?” Emilia bounced along side him, brimming with excited energy.
“As much as I would like to give him a piece of my mind, no. I figure we’re close by the sea, and I happen to have a knack for fishing.” Then the pair was off, the sounds of their further conversation muffled through the walls. Vikkar let out a soft sigh, half at the overall bizarreness of the day, half in relaxed comfort as he settled back into his chair.
“What do you think of our benefactor Havi? He’s a bit odd, but he also seems rather earnest in helping us.” Vikkar grinned at his sister who had begun to fiddle with the iron cutlery on the table.
“I like him,” Her voice was soft, barely audible. It was a common occurance back on the Flotilla that her voice was mistaken for wind hitting the sails, or water bubbling in the tread of the giant ship. “He’s good. His eyes remind me of Ada’s, but Lupin’s are a bit harder, like he’s seen something that won’t leave him be.” Those who had heard Havi back on the Flotilla had learned very quickly that despite her short 6 years, she hardly talked like a child.
Vikkar sat back, a familiar , comfortable silence falling over the pair. The sounds of chaos were beginning to filter in from outside. But Vikkar made no move to investigate, deciding to trust this stranger who’d crashed rather suddenly into their lives.