The blosta (1/2)

 

His bowed back assesses the heigh of an adult léfenn of great size. Provided with a bristling and thick fur, the blosta has short and sharp horns, two long teeth tilted outward and a fat flat muzzle with nostrils turned forward. Laid-out on the sides of a tapering face, his little eyes are often black, but some blosta have red or yellow stained irises, which make their stare more piercing. His four legs have three hard black fingernails, and are strong and brawny, allowing him to walk for some time all day long.

 

Living in troops, blosta never settle in only one place, always leaving in search of the huge quantities of food their heavy and squat body needs. They are mainly evolving in the forest, under the shelter of trees and bushes, feeding them with grains and bulbs, insects, bark, grass and green branches. Their troop is organized to allow each member to eat one’s fill, or to be protected in case of predatory attacks. Blosta communicate with muffled growls and short shrill shouts, but I suspect their language to be more evolved than we can detect as léfenn, because they are remarkably organized and take their decisions as one being.

About our mysterious neighbors, Riliann Steliar.

Piece 3.1

My dear Tilkinn,

How are you ? I know I didn’t write to you for some time, but I have so much to do with my sister Patrèl’s pregnancy. A little Halz is born, in perfect health, even if we were a bit worried for his mother at the end : she was very tired and couldn’t work in the baths.

We can only now find time for each of us, during which I can write to you at last.

I promised to tell you about this so beautiful show to which I could assist, the Queen’s Coronation. It goes back to almost one cycle ago, as the street’s sound and its share of news often reminds me about, and yet I remember it as if it was yesterday !

It was freezing, and it was even snowing. I didn’t arrive in advance, while all the royal city seemed to buzz with activity for this event since the morning. I had to go deliver a young miller not far from the outside ramparts, her little one came a bit earlier than expected. It was bad timing, but as you know it, we can’t choose !

I climbed as fast as possible to the castle, without finding anyone to take me to move faster : all the streets were empty, left by their usual crowd. Nevertheless, the flares were lighting my road, as to make a way to the throne starting from the lower ranks for the new monarch, or anyway to guide me up there.

The more I moved closer, the more the rumor grew, and with it the smell of stuffed meats roasted for the occasion, or spiced pastries. Climbing the streets on soft snow blacked by the path of the whole city, I saw opened taverns, with their smoking windows gifting their happy music, their laughs, and the smell of fresh beer. As an official birther, I was lucky to be invited, because most people could only enjoy the coronation from there, even if they did not refrain from doing it. When at last I arrived at the foot of the royal citadel, I had to make my way through the crowd of onlookers who gathered there to listen to the throne orchestra playing for the ceremony. Ladies and gentlemen in beautiful outfits looked askance at me, in my humble dress, drawing to the guards my paper to enter. If I wasn’t so late, I would have smiled to them to cut their teeth on, there !

I didn’t come back to the castle since the princess’ birth. You have to know it’s a bit hard to enter there, you need a good reason. I remembered naked stone walls, elegant but sober. When I entered this day, all was lighted, as on the streets, and pink, red, white and purple ribbons hanged from the ceiling, clawed at the corners and cascading to the floor, finishing in gracious panaches. The proud and stern fortress I knew had changed in a palace of beauty. Guided by a guard, I followed this lovely corridor, to lead into a courtyard as much decorated. There we took the main stairs, coated by a crimson soft carpet. The orchestra I heard since my arrival was upstairs. I had never seen some of the instruments, which certainly didn’t leave the castle’s rooms : big twisted tubes, probably in wood, ornate with diul horns trimmed with ribbons, made a deep and powerful sound. And there was also a huge painted frame, carrying numerous stretched strings of all sizes, played by two musicians. It was somptuous, and very melodious. I heard somebody saying they added new partitions to the traditionals, written by the princess ! It was crowded again, and, as I’m not so tall, the guard helped me gently to have a better point of view.

I was in the big throne room, used to receive grievances and visitors from other kingdoms. On one side of the room we find big tapestries narrating the country’s history, and on the other there are high windows which let the light enter. This evening they were framed by flares and overlooked on the shining city below.

I arrived just in time, because the music stopped soon after I took my place. All the people there were waiting, silent, bordering an open path between the throne, left empty since our King’s death, and a wooden door. Near the seat, there was the Bursar who managed the transition on the days between our sovereign’s loss and the coronation. The Bracelet of Power always surrounded his wrist, and he was holding a big glass box, with the crown inside, even if I couldn’t see it at this time. The door’s hinges creaked, I held my breath and she appeared.

The princess changed a lot. That’s right, personally, I found her strongly different than the lovely baby I took in my arms. But I didn’t recognize the fragile and shivering creature that his father’s funeral’s witnesses had described.

This already was a queen who moved forward on the stone floor.

Piece 2.3

He walked following without knowing it the road traced by the dirt ball he was, crossing the forest, the fields, going back up the corridors adorned by minerals, to finally enter the biggest room, without window as others, but lighted a diffuse light from which he could not see the source.

Laïlo awoke as he arrived, as if Mildenn brought her/him to life. Her/his long hair, making a sheet under her/his body, lifted up before her/his head, light, to bloom around her/him, golden as the fields Mildenn had crossed. The Laïlo’s beauty struck him, irradiating of grace, of strength. Her/his body was at the same time thin and robust, but also muscular and delicate. Her/his large and huge eyes, green as forest’s moss, stared him with kindness. A tender but powerful voice echoed in his head, whereas the fleshy lips in front of him gave a hint of a smile :

 

« Welcome Mildenn, my child. You are lovelier and stronger as in my dream. My brother Ulepal can be pleasantly surprising in spite of himself. »

 

Subjugated by the beauty of the being fronting him, Mildenn managed anyway to answer :

 

« So, is that you who created me ? »

 

Laïlo smiled more. Her/his voice went on in Mildenn’s mind :

 

« Yes, and no. You have took control of your own existence leaving my kingdom to find alone what would make you unique, perhaps by chance. Ulepal completed you without realizing it, with the aim of growing his army. But you are different, because you took from me and from Oelynn to become Mildenn, the first léfenn, « the one who goes ». »

 

Mildenn completely realized his being, that he was alive, and also that he was alone.

As if s/he understood what he was feeling at this time, Laïlo added :

 

« Don’t worry, you won’t be alone for long. My lands are huge, and I would like to see you growing into them. Take care of them, and they will give you back. My brother doesn’t understand that we need each other to exist. You, our child, could maybe tame him and unite us durably.

 

– But how ? »

 

Laïlo lifted a slender but firm arm towards the corridor.

 

« Follow this way, and take place in a bedroom, you must be tired. You’ll find your answers, I have no doubt about. »

 

In fact Mildenn felt his body grow heavier, as if he was drained of a part of his substance. His steps drove him to the neighboring bedroom. He extended himself on a raised slab, and fell asleep, like Laïlo.

He started to dream.

 

Mildenn didn’t known how much time he slept, but noise and movement awoke him. When he opened his eyes, an entity similar to him was standing in the room and looked at him.

It looked like him very much, but adopted Laïlo’s beauty. It was like a copy, well achieved, of the pattern he was. Built by chance, dream and various emotions, Mildenn could see that this second léfenn, unique itself, was imagined with what he had not, to improve and complete him.

He stood up and approached it, realizing their differences, with the desire to know this second being growing in his belly. The other one walked towards him.

 

“Mildenn. I have dreamed of you. I will be Naeza.”

 

The Naeza’s softer body met the rough Mildenn’s skin and shivered. It slowly moved forward, and pushed the first léfenn against the slab where he rested few instants ago, and laid on him, their bodies melting together, finishing their creation.

 

When Mildenn and Naeza woke up, the eternal light’s room and the stone palace had disappeared. They were lying on moss, near a field, on the forest’s edge.

Their life began.

Piece 2.2

At the end of powerful arms, Mildenn discovered an entity which looked like itself, blue, the head crowned by living rocks, two big black eyes, and legs longer than its, not ended by feet but by fingers connected by a thin translucent skin which made it feel easier in the streams. Mildenn noticed that even if it saw the complete body of the entity, this one had no real limits, and it was bathing in this being.

 

« I will be Mildenn. I am now. I was nothing, nothing but a dirt ball. And you, who are you ?

 

– I am Ulepal. I’m the seas guardian, and I’m part of it. I’m it father, I’m it master. My power is strong, and as all in here, you must accept that. My army is big, and I’ll punish Laïlo, who thinks be able to march on my kingdom with hers/his. »

 

Fluid as clear water, Ulepal turned around Mildenn, which air kept on it side.

 

« The Laïlo’s dreams drove you to me, dirt being. S/he had wanted you her/his instrument, but you’ll be mine. Your body is beautiful and seems strong to me. Join my army, we’ll be stronger than the enemy ! »

 

Pressed by questions, his mind waking up to the doubt, Mildenn did not know what to answer.

Ulepal never waited. If he often changed his mind, he was already narrow-minded and bold.

Without allowing Mildenn any time to choose his destiny, he enfolded him in his liquid arms, and his immeasurable strength dragged him under water. Again, the air wanted to flee, but this time it was to rescue him. Mildenn was lifted up outside the streams by an invisible force, tore off from the Ulepal’s grip. Everything was black around him, and he was lifted far away the seas territory, wrapped in softness. A loud voice made itself heard :

« Don’t worry, Mildenn. I’m Oelynn, I’m the wind which is blowing in you, and all around. I manage air and sky. Ulepal gave you life, but it’s Laïlo who waiting for you. I’m bringing you back to her/his house. »

Carried by air, Mildenn soon felt the soft sand under his feet. Oelynn went away, with the dark clouds that obstructed the sky. Mildenn always felt her reassuring presence by his side, which pushed him towards the stone palace.

Robert 1

Robert, Robert.

Robert is a fat wild rabbit, who lives in his rabbit hole with his fat mate Regina and their less fat younglings.

Robert has limited horizons, but he loves to give his opinion about everything.

 

Robert likes a lot to go tie one on with his buddies at the Undergrowth Bar.

The refreshment institution is not always reputable, it’s better not going there too late to avoid bugging when you are a fat rabbit as him. He already saw there Piotr one or two times, this nasty carrot-top with a predatory smile, and teeth too long that scratch the floor with ambition. Piotr is rather smart, and Robert doesn’t like it much, he feels Piotr sees too deep in his round eyes, and it makes him uncomfortable. Robert feels his big long ears going down on his neck when Piotr is looking at him, and he always doesn’t know how to react. This guy scares him the fuck off, and he doesn’t want his buddies seeing him scared like that. And who knows, perhaps he’s serious, Piotr, when he threatens him gratuitously. Robert is ashamed, but he prefers to just look him in the eye. In many cases, it helps to see the things coming, and doesn’t kill.

 

And it’s not just Piotr. When you stay after five pm, often in the cold second half of the year, when the days are shorter, the barman changes. It is not François anymore, this nice and fine zytholog toad, it’s Gisèle, an old owl, who takes over. Gisèle, she doesn’t make prices, even to regulars like Robert. She doesn’t speak a lot, Gisèle, and Robert doesn’t like silent people, because he loves listening to others, it calms him down. And she has a bit the same look than Piotr, sometimes. Her manucure is a bit special, Robert doesn’t show it, but when she’s serving him, he’s always thinking that she will keep his rabbit’s foot in trade for his glass, and he freaks out a bit. It would be bad luck, and a little embarassing in everyday life. To find some courage and to break the silence of this hole, Robert comes out : « It’s again your ladies’ coquetries, there, Nellahr, isn’t it ? I saw that in Regy magazines, they are doing that everywhere today ! But don’t you hurt somebody with this stuff ? Isn’t it hard wiping yourself with that, huh ? »

 

And to get started a big laugh on his buddies Franck the marten and Momo the badger – »It’s Muhammad, not Maurice, but it’s too long, I know. », he answers when you make the mistake. Momo often ends his sentences by « I know. »-. Gisèle doesn’t say anything, winks her big yellow eyes. You don’t know if it is because she finds it fun too, or if this is because she’s shocked or because she doesn’t give a fuck at all, and that she brushes aside this bullshit with the blink of an eye. Sometimes she comes out with a sight, or chatters her beak, which makes Benjamin jump, Robert’s vole neighbor, who sometimes sneeks in his group at the bar.

Robert doesn’t like Benjamin very much, because he’s too thin even if he doesn’t stop eating. To the point of thinking that his wife, Bernardine, doesn’t cook him good. Benjamin always comes with his crust to break, most of times golden wheat grains. Stuff which makes Robert drool, but if Regina knew that he’s eating outside, she would have a grudge on him. Anyway, he never saw Benjamin sharing. Benjamin, his big problem, it’s above all that he’s a real chatterbox, and that he often talks only for the sake of talking. It often makes Momo laugh, sometimes Franck too, even if he’s saying « Benj can’t control his kids ». Franck often repeats that when Benjamin’s not there. So Robert laughs too, even if he doesn’t think it’s funny.

 

But for instance, the other day, Robert went to the Undergrowth Bar after a big flageolets beans plate. Regina did her best and it was very good, but Robert’s fat belly soon made long rumbling noises, and because the rabbit’s digestion is fast and effective, he started to fart when he arrived. Momo and Franck were already there, at the bar, and Robert was hastened to tell his gas story, always ready to make his buddies laugh. It was pretty fun to a badger and a marten, because rabbit’s fart, it’s unvaluable, it almost makes no sound, it just let its vegetable smell. The furtive and sneaky thing, which makes a good laugh. But Benjamin arrived, chewing a thing, as always. He climbed on a stool and interfered with the group and the conversation, fast catching the thread, still, you could suppose it. And then, in the silence after the giggle provoked by a louder fart, he came out, the mouth full and all smiling : « Farts it’s a bit like the singing of assholes. » Momo, who wiped his tears from the previous fit of giggles, was up and running again in laughter, and Franck just followed. But Robert turned to the two bootee buttons which served as eyes to Benjamin, and looked far into them, as Piotr. He didn’t see anything, and Benjamin didn’t say a word again, but Robert didn’t like that, because he doesn’t know how to sing.

Piece 2.1

It is said that Laïlo, one night, exhausted, fell asleep, a dirt ball s/he modeled in her/his huge hand. Her/his long fingers sagged and the ball rolled on her/his spread hair, rolled on these golden threads. Its fall went faster, and the ball covered the huge rock bedroom, went along the shining minerals, picking up onits way the iridescent sand they left on the floor. Unstoppable without explanation, grown by the stones’ gift, the ball rolled outside the palace, driven by the corridors’ slop, to jump in the big ripe grains fields along it. On the way of the ball, grains came to stick into it, growing the heap of soil and mineral dust. Far from stopping it, it was like the ball became stronger, like moved by an uncontrollable force, even if unconscious. The ball still rolled, always, crossed a forest, as far as a beach, to finally be engulfed by the streams. It filled itself with water, grew again, and suddenly came to life.

The soil, stone, grains and water combined their forces to change into one entity, which was now self-aware. It named itself, Mildenn. It noted it had eyes to see, arms and legs so that it could move. It felt it still lacked of something. Far above a fluctuating membrane, a light was dancing, and Mildenn felt it calling it.

The entity pushed on its legs, feet, arms, on the top of its hands, and rose in the water, up to burst this coating and to spurt out. A pressure opened its mouth, the air filled its body and blew it up, giving it its voice and its space, at last completing it. A shout, hoarse and deep, came out from the Mildenn’s throat. Far in front of the entity, towered a big palace, on a surface jutting out the streams where it was. It wanted to go there ; the air helped it to burst the film, but its numb limbs hesitated in the thick streams.

« Who are you ? »

The voice came all around of Mildenn. Water licked its face, entered in its mouth, followed its body lines, explored it in the smallest detail.

Big blue arms grabbed it on the waist, and shrouded it. When its head was dragged under the water, Mildenn discovered the fear. The air didn’t like water, and wanted to leave its body, but the entity could not lose now a piece that was completing it. It stirred trying to go up, to tear away from this arms which were holding it. It succeeded to burst again the surface and to breath life with all its body.

« Who are you, little being, who you need the air ? »

The khalam (3/3)

His natural fidelity commits him with one partner for all life.

The youngs come to life at the tepid season, approximately every two cycles. It is also the time their parents need to raise them. In fact, they are born hairless, blind and very clumsy with their movements. These are spastic, which seem poor trials to proove to themselves that they are alive, as they resemble almost exactly small carved pebbles.

Their parents warm, clean and feed them, they train them to hunt, and open them to the world. A little khalam withdrew too young from his parents will never be able to communicate with his master, and will become dangerous, his defensive parries becoming unpredictable.

The khalam regularly does singing exercices, often on the evening, with his partner or his younglings if he is accompanied. I suppose they train their vocal organs and their throats, in case of they have to parry, but they certainly communicate between several families as well. In some villages which have adopted these creatures for quite some time, you can assist at dusk at a strange festival of long rapsy growls, some scraping, or groans a bit gloomy, with chanted consonants, t t t, fff, ss ss. This is the khalam singing. It can be disturbing, but it is not comparable with the pure horror their shouts can generate, and it wont bother you as much as living near the forest.

 

About our mysterious neighbors, Riliann Steliar.

The khalam (2/3)

The khalam can offer so much more than protecting your harvest from small critters which would want to eat it. If he is afraid, he would not flee, but he will remain perfectly motionless. His body so flexible, almost soft, will become hard like the strongest rock, except the fact he will not crash if he falls. When he is under this form, the only way to defeat him is to suffocate him, by drowning or smoking him out. I think such rigidity comes from a strong pressure he imparts on his muscles and blood. His little heart and his breath become imperceptible, and his eyes seem to become bigger, huge on this stiffened body.

 

You can train a khalam to repulse any unknown person except you and your circle of friends. If the threat is confirmed to him, he will push a long, extremely powerful cry. I don’t know yet where he can draw such a strength, but this cry can last several turns. Some people talked about cases of deafness and strong earache if you are too close to a khalam in defensive parry. Other advantage, this shout can be heard from very far away. Initially used by the animal to communicate with his fellows, this cry will make the undesired flee and will alert you without any doubt, as well as the autorities.

 

A khalam will accompany you between ten and fifteen cycles, with nearly equal guard skills whatever his age.

About our mysterious neighbors, Riliann Steliar.

The khalam (1/3)

His big eyes change to grey, blue, in passing by green and mauve. His fine and soft hair has the color of the moons… The khalam is a recent discovery, which goes back fifty cycles ago. He comes from the Ekoes forests, on the south edge of Andaras islands. Originally rather arboreal, he hunts small flying or crawling preys, which had the misfortune to rest near his hideout. Discreet and shy by nature, he long lived hidden from our eyes, on the fringe of our villages. His thin and supple body, his agile and muscular paws, help him climbing and slipping into all improbable places, searching for comfiest lookout. He will settle there, sometimes for several hourglass’ turns, keeping an eye on the surrondings, or preparing to hunt his next lunch.

 

If he avoided our presence for a long time, the khalam finally agreed, after a lot of gifts, kind words and trust, to become domesticated.

 

He will treat his master, who will be more like a friend or a brother in meal and caresses, with as much gentleness as he received. His faithful and generous commitment makes him a excellent ally.

About our mysterious neighbors, Riliann Steliar.

 

Piece 1

Closing after him the door blocking his desk room from the house’s onlookers, he sighted in relief leaning on the wood. It was still early. No sounds made the boards and plasterworks vibrate in the house, his family certainly still being sound asleep. These few hourglass’ turns were for him.

There, he only heard the near ocean rumor, and the calls of some morning skells. He walked heavily to the reddening sunrise window, making his shoulders roll, stretching his stiff neck, still slowed down by the sleep. The pale moons still marked the sky, and the day star’s light printed on them pink and red shades, reflecting in the tides which throbbed slowly at the horizon. He savoured with delight this numb calm, always new to him.

He was still convinced that his remaining lifetime was not enough to accustom him to so much fullness. However, the silence offered him an undeniable comfort. He could concentrate and at last take some time for his projects, he who always gave to others and to Knowledge.

He had for so long listened to the sailors’ clamor at anytime of the day or night, the creaking of his ship under the swell, the calls of every creature crossed, the cries of the Oelynn’s winds or the Ulepal’s streams… All these sounds rythming his days have become so familiar, despite the anxiety they sometimes created, that he now often missed them. Each sound called a picture, sometimes a fragrance, and all the islands he approched aroused his senses in a unique way. To such a point that he could have mapped them from his own emotions.

All his life, he had travelled over the seas, searching for the meaning of it. His quest took, as time went by, all sort of forms : it could be a forgotten bandit’s treasure, science writings from a huge library, or the pleasure of a long trip without any precise goal, except the one to discover unexplored streams. With his commander, he even registered new islands on the Known Lands maps. His dream had long been to extend them, but his crew and him only succeeded to cover them with new imprecise spots. He finally realized he would let this noble work to others, who would one day perhaps manage to widen the very notion of space to the mappers, as these seas seemed to be limitless.

If almost eveything let him with no regrets and many good memories, something, yet, activated a striking twinge, which ran in his limbs like a shiver. He knew he had touched so big for him than he could not contain the entire thing. These secrets were too heavy. He could not load his family with them, frightened he would condemn them to a weight so huge that they would not have the weapons to defend themselves. The moral charge he was carrying terrified him each time entertainments could not help him to flee this thought. How could he be sure he would do good entrusting this knowledge to strangers ? Only a tightly bonded band, that he hoped without bad intentions, could comprehend the heart of the matter. To fight sufficiently long, to test their decision, to display intelligence, to prove enough wisdom to evaluate this discovery, and not using it for evil. He could only impose this hard test to those who would follow, but without any guarantee of a good ending. He was aware at the same time to gift as to curse the world with this present. As a quality or a wealth we have, those who would find it could use it for themselves or for the world, to make the best or commit the worst.

He knew he had done what’s best, or at least he finished to convince himself so. His travels showed him so many times that the Government was not reliable to receive this secret, nor all these monarchs, for whom the more or less visible power ambition seemed permanent on them to him. Only free minds like his, who would have paid the price of their efforts and of their sacrifice could understand, and deserved to understand. He sighted ; even if he would soon not be there to see that, he could not help himself to fear for the future, as Him must have prayed and feared in those forgotten times.

 

He stretched for a long time, perhaps thinking so he could hunt these fears from his old body, before going to sit at his desk, made from the workbench which travelled in cabin with him for so many cycles. He found his pages where he let them, copying tirelessly the same sheets. Everything would be finish soon. This time spent to complete his plan could at last find its meaning. He was happy he could manage this project to its end. It had become, like an obvious fact, his goal in life. The story of these things could not have an end, and his could only allow it to take a turning point. The direction of the turn worried him, but soon he could not do anything about it. Before taking more ink on his bolken stem to sign, he moved back slowly on his chair to read again his page. A satisfied grin appeared on his thin lips in front of this text he spent one entire cycle in order to make it sufficiently complex to take the opportunists away. In a certain way, his letters escaped his notice to become the new guardians of his secret.

All at his work, he had not heard the steps coming near the door, but its opening made him look up. His niece was in the doorway and look at him and the room surreptitiously, as she did not have the right to stay there. Touched by the four cycles old little léfenn, his smile bloomed under his greying beard.

 

« Come, come here, it’s ok you know. »

 

The big green eyes became brighter, and the child ran at his feet, laughing. He sat her on his knees, and made her jump on, imitating the swell and singing. The bursts of laughing of his niece made regret sparkle on his eye’s corners. So, in a breath, he whispered :

« Oh, my dear, my sweet Ada… What can I give to regain your innocence ? »