AN: This was supposed to go up yesterday, then came so much stuff. Figures.
Thanks to Matthias for letting me use his character.
Trust IV
The answer is pretty drunk.
I had four empty mazers littering me and three others had been taken away. It
was about that time the music entered my brain. I was gripping my chair because
the room had begun to spin out of control. I was pretty sure I was no longer
attached to the Earth.
What is that? Something sailed into my ears, silken and rich. It nestled
snuggly into my mind, then into my heart.
A fire ignited inside of me, sending heat through my blood and into my
muscles. I sunk into my chair. It's music. I know it's music. My eyes sank shut
as the strings played up my spine.
At home we had musicians the play for us. I could spend my evenings serenaded
by the sounds of violins. My father paid them too much and frankly they were
only okay. But I still loved their music.
Now though it was completely forgotten. All music to me was forgotten except
this. I opened my eyes.
The tent was warm, smoky maybe? Lights and figures blurred past my eyes as I
looked for the source. What is that? I tried to stand up and found myself
sitting again. Don't have control over my legs...
"Hey." The blurs ignored me, "Hey!" Speaking came in forced bursts, like a
weight was wrapped around my chest. "Whosssse playing that music?" The blurs
ignored me, or maybe I wasn't talking.
"Hey! Damn it I'm talking here! I'm talkin'...." I swallowed. Now some of the
blurs drifted closer. The music kept playing also. I tried to grab at a blur.
"Hey who's playin' the music?"
"Let go of me." The blur slipped through my fingers. Not that easy. I tried
forcing myself up only to stumble and slam into the table. Mazers scattered
around as I collapsed onto my back.
Well the music stopped. The light was halos around me. Fuzzy faces crowded my
field of view.
"Excuse me; I believe you were asking about the music?" A hand came in front
of my face. Hairy, black fingernails and thick fingers. Only two fingers
though? I grabbed it and let the person pull me up.
That accent...Pyralian? Oh like you can recognize accents. The hairy arm
poured me back into my seat. The other blurs resumed their activities as the
other person sat down.
"Did you like the music?" My head rolled to the other side.
"Yeah...it's nice..." I focused on the speaker, trying to keep the world from
spinning. Right now I could see three of them. "Isssa...uh..." I swallowed and
rubbed my head. "You play the viola?"
"I do." The three became one at last. My gaze focused on the complete speaker.
"I am Sir Yacoub Egland."
He's a knight...and a deer. That figures... Sir Egland sitting towered above
me, he was a tall fuzz colored brown figure. He was in green, a doublet maybe?
I don't remember, I know something was on his legs but I was too drunk.
What stuck out to me was his face and head. His face was like that of many
deer I'd seen, but more. It was happy, his black eyes were inquisitive. His
head sported two massive antlers, giving him a majestic look.
He had a viola resting on his lap. His arms almost rippled with strength and
his big antlers looked like they could gore me. Beautiful. This was where the
music came from?
That was how he looked then. How would Sir Egland look now? Does he live? We
were both so young then. I wish I knew how lucky I had been then.
"You're a deer." I said. Master of the obvious, that's me.
"I am an elk." He said. "A kind of deer in this region. And you?"
"You're also a knight." I sneered, "I don't like knights, go away." Sir
Egland's face remained blank but his ears flicked. Irritation or confusion?
I'll leave up to your judgement my friend.
'A musician, a knight and he seems happy? Interesting.' I tried to keep my
countenance from betraying my thoughts. "You haven't spoken to me yet? Do you
dislike me?"
"If you keep talking I will." I said. Still the elk sat there and watched me.
"I dunno what I am, I don't care. This damn curse..."
"It's not fair but we adjust." Sir Egland said. "I have. I never planned to be
an elk. I doubt you planned to be...a lizard?"
"I'm not a lizard." I mumbled. "I am James of...uh..." My family history
slipped from my memories. I was really drunk. The elk sniffed the air and his
muzzle contorted into a frown.
"You've had enough to drink, don't get anymore."
"You can't tell me what to do." I stammered, "I am James of House Dorothea,
son of the Lord of Isenport and...some empires too!" Sir Egland gave me a
bemused and almost pitying look. "Don't you laugh at me!"
"I wasn't laughing. I don't know how to react now." His voice was strong and
confident. Mine wavered back and forth.
"I don't care how you react. I'm a noble..." I belched, "Nobles don't care.
They don't care about that music...I've got a bodyguard! He'll stab ya." What
was I talking about? What was I thinking?
"A noble? I don't see anyone noble here." Sir Egland said. "To be honest, you
look pathetic." I barked a laugh.
"Coming from the elk? At least I can clear a doorway without having to duck
under." Sir Egland didn't respond. He just fixated upon me. "What?"
"How long have you been in Metamor? A few weeks?" I scowled.
"Too long. Long enough to...get stuff..." My head began to spin again so I
gripped the chair.
"What do you know of the Keep? What have you seen?" I shrugged. "Nothing?
Nothing at all?"
"Nothing." I snarled. Sir Egland shook his head.
"If that's the case you are a very stubborn man and you are choosing to see
nothing. Because this place is magical." I started to laugh but Sir Egland cut
me off. "It is James of House Dorothea.
"You say you have seen nothing? I can't believe that. I came here temporarily
and stayed permanently after..." Sir Egland's gaze drifted away for a second,
"After the death of the Patriarch, my comrades and...and I was hurt. Not just
physically, but emotionally.
"And here I healed. James Metamor is full of wonder and magic, things I had
never experienced before. It helped me; I don't feel shame for my beastly form."
"And being here did that for you?" I laughed, "What a load of crap." The rest
of the Deaf Mule tent fell away from us. Now there was only Sir Egland and I,
sitting in the void. "How can you not feel ashamed? You're a giant deer thing!"
"I have committed many sins." Sir Egland said, "This is not one of them." My
anger roared inside me but the alcohol kept it inside. At the same time though,
a different feeling stirred.
I've done nothing wrong. If I can't get home it's not my fault. It's the world
that punishes me for being a reptile. I tried to squash those thoughts. I
didn't want to think that. Of course being a lizard is bad.
"You said..." I swallowed, "You were here after...someone was killed?" Sir
Egland frowned.
"I was here when the Patriarch was murdered. I was with him actually, his
party." Sir Egland swallowed. "The Patriarch that's...gotta do with the
Followers?" I had actually been instructed on this by my tutors. Of course I
wasn't paying attention, why would I be?
"The Patriarch is the leader of the Ecclessia, yes."
"I never usssed to talk to Followers..." I slurred, "I...my family is
Loth...uh pagan" I giggled, "Uh I ain't."
"What are you James?" Always a difficult question. I shrugged.
"I'm a noble. I'm more noble than anyone here!" I think I shouted the last
part, I don't remember.
"You're not noble." Egland said
"I said I am a noble!"
"I know what you said James but you're not living up to that word. James in
the time we've spoken you've been rude, arrogant, close-minded and just plain
nasty." I grimaced at this.
"James, I got to survive the deaths of my friends and my Patriarch. I came to
Metamor Keep after my greatest failure." Sir Egland leaned foreword as his ears
pulled back. "Do you think that was easy?"
"I don't know." I mumbled. Sir Egland sat back in his chair, very calm and
very still. By comparison I was beginning to shake, though with fear or
frustration I can't tell. "You're a knight; you're supposed to be tougher than
me."
"You said you were going to lead a city." Sir Egland said, "Is what I do more
difficult than that?" He was right, even the bastard in me knew it.
"I...I don't..."
"I was more than scared." Sir Egland said, "I was petrified. I was cursed,
everyone in the outside world thinks I'm dead" My eyes grew wide, "and I'm
stuck in a strange city. But I'm still here." I swallowed.
"How do you deal with it?" My voice held firm, for a second the effects of
alcohol dulled in me. "You're so strong...you have to have something."
"I have my faith." Sir Egland said. "I know this is where Eli wants me to be
for now. I have love."
"And you just survive?" I asked.
"Day by day." Sir Egland said. "It's not always easy but I'll make it." He
smiled at me. "And I think you can too James." I shook my head.
"Can't do it. I'm not strong enough."
"I don't believe that." Sir Egland said. "You're not acting noble, but that
doesn't mean you can't be. So I'm going to challenge you James.
"My challenge is for you to become noble. Instead of whining about your life,
do something. Find something to believe in, a reason to keep going, and use it
to push yourself."
"You really think I can do that?" I laughed. "What makes you think I can
rebuild my life?" Sir Egland glanced around.
"You want to transform? You're in the right place." Sir Egland said. "We've
survived the curse and the Winter Assault."
"You've rebuilt..." My thoughts returned to Aaryn, what she had said to me
earlier.
Outside of this tent were crisscrossing streets and damaged buildings.
Surrounding this valley were people who would love to see Metamor wiped out.
Yet they rebuilt. Armies attacked them, yet they survived. When I looked up
again, Sir Egland was thirty feet tall. It took me a moment to realize I was
five inches tall then. He's been through so much, even worse than me. Yet he
survives.
"You think I can change?"
"I'm sure." Sir Egland said. "It's not impossible." He stood and I stood with
him.
"Wait!" Sir Egland smiled at me. "I want too...uh I mean..." The effects of
the alcohol came roaring back. I began to sway. "I want to change. I can
change."
"I know." Sir Egland said. "I'll be watching."
In a story this would be the big profound moment, the moment the character
makes a vow, cuts his hair and changes. Except this isn't a story. Two things
were still to happen. First my stomach had to lurch.
"Oh God!" My stomach flipped and I vomited all over Sir Egland's hooves.
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