• Closed • Polyglot

[Harpy]

Date: 60 Ashan 717

Viden was cold. Achingly cold. Aeodan would find that for all the joys the city of knowledge had to offer, it still was not kind to his body. He had been aching ever since he arrived, and most likely would until he left - if he left. But the distractions of the city of knowledge would hopefully be enough to warm him - or at least distract him.

But there was another ache that the city of Viden brought. His mark denoted him chosen by Yvithia, and it was obvious. Scarred over his eye, there was no escaping that recognition, no pretending otherwise. For all that the city of Viden claimed to want their knowledge sourced to everyone, Aeodan would notice strange looks from the Eidisi of the city. Why had he - a weak human - been chosen? And, as the Eidisi he interacted with started to figure out, one with very little knowledge of the Ancient Language. One essential to understanding Viden.

And the answers lay in the Prime Atheneum. They had to, right? When had books ever failed he and his sister? Who needed people to teach you, when you could curl into an armchair and absorb knowledge without ever having to speak to another person? The library was the largest in all Idalos - there had to be something there to help him.

In the library of the Academy, Aeodan would feel small. He was not yet a student - had not had a chance to enrol in the Academy, but what would be the point in doing so if he did not have a grasp on the Ancient Language? It would be too embarrassing to speak with that broken accent and stutter to Eidisi who were fluent. No, it would only cause them to doubt his mark even further. And so, to the library. To learn.

His heart longed to be up in the Caesious Wing, undoubtedly, but first, to the Linguistics section. All around the library were Eidisi and Humans bent over books, studying, but one person stood out as he approached the stacks he required. There, a woman. An Eidisi woman. She was fair, and young. Beautiful. And yet on her pale blue face, there was undoubtedly an expression of pure disgust as she stared at the bust of Yvithia that sat announcing the beginning of the linguistics section.

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[Aeodan]

Having just escaped the chill of Cylus in Andaris had been so nice. The warmth that began to permeate the air in Andaris was certainly not present in the frozen city of Viden. The prospects were phenomenal for the Xypha; after all, this was the city of his Immortal. Yvithia was in everything in Viden, and Aeodan's heart was soaring. He was happier here, even with the cold air causing him pain in his legs.

And so his excitement took him to the library. In all honesty, it only made sense for him. The fact that he hadn't come to the library as soon as they arrived in the city was astounding. Of course, he wanted to ensure that he, Edalene and Duncan had settled in well before rushing off to observe the wonders of the Ancient City's university. But as soon as he had time, he made his way to the library.

It was no less magnificent than the younger twin had imagined. Towering stacks of scripts, scrolls, tomes, primers, guides, maps... They were everywhere, as far as his eye could see. Aeodan paused in the entry to the library, taken aback by the massive amount of knowledge contained in this one room. His heart raced in his chest as he thought of all the information he could learn, all the languages that must be written in and translated from here. It was overwhelming, simultaneously exciting and anxiety-inducing. His poor heart nearly exploded in his chest. He should have been truly concerned, what with all the pork he ate. But he was not in the least concerned about it, at least not then.

As he passed by the students of the University, both Eidisi and Human alike, Aeodan drew many stares. The mark of Xypha showed him to be a follower of Yvithia, and almost instantly made him an enemy of the Eidisi who'd spent their lives worshipping the Immortal of Language and received nothing. Baleful glares and jealousy were just as common here as smiles were in Andaris. It was off-putting, but Aeodan could think of nothing here except the possibility of learning. He loved to learn.

As he approached the Linguistics section, he nearly passed by the pretty Eidisi glaring at the bust of Yvithia. In fact, he was so enraptured by the bust that he almost crashed into her, but he drew up shortly before he did. He paused, briefly taking his eyes from the bust to look at the Eidisi, then turned back.

"My apologies... I was... Well, you can understand, right?"

Aeodan was painfully oblivious to the look she was giving the plaster head of Yvithia. He was too in awe of the sculpture to notice anything but the look of mystery on the Immortal's face. He stared at the bust, waiting for her response.

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[Harpy]

Aeodan would get no response for a moment. It was almost as if the Eidisi woman was a statue herself, her expression schooled into an unmoving snarl directed towards Yvithia. Whether it was at the art or the Immortal, who could tell? There was a moment where it seemed as if she would not reply to Aeodan's apology, but after a long pause, she slowly turned her head towards Aeodan.

"Of course I can understand," she replied, her eyebrow raised in disdain. "Who do you think I am? Everyone here speaks Common, boy." And to her he was a boy. She towered above him, and stood with perfect posture, barely moving like a statue. She looked at Aeodan for a moment, as if his face was a puzzle she was trying to figure out, and then that scowl was back as she watched him stare at the statue in wonder.

"You don't have to look so happy," she grumbled, finally moving her arms up to cross them in front of her chest, almost as if she were trying to restrain herself from snapping. "It's not that good. The statue. But heavens knows it's Viden, so we can't forget just who and what we're working for." She nearly turned away, as if to leave, but a second glance at the boy pulled her up short.

"Although," she said slowly, eyes scanning Aeodan's enraptured face. "Not like you'd want to forget, would you?" Her Common was perfectly spoken and accented, but strangely, not as stilted or formal as the other Eidisi Aeodan would have spoken to. "You know, there are plenty of my kind who would kill for a mark like yours." For the first time, there was an emotion in her voice beyond disdain. It was almost as if she were gleeful. "What'd you do, huh? How'd a little human like you snub so many hard working Eidisi by getting Xypha?"

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[Aeodan]

Oblivious to her acid tone, Aeodan continued to state at Yvithia. There was something in the bust that the boy couldn't describe, something drawing him to it in an inexplicable way. Perhaps it was in his mind, or perhaps Yvithia really had called him to this place, with this fascinating Eidisi woman. Still looking at the bust, Aeodan smiled broadly.

"It's nice to know that I am among those who understand me. I've spent my entire life alienated by my intellect and physical weakness. It's been said that I am weaker than most girls, and while sad, that may be true. But my... our Lady, Yvithia, saw something in me one evening. I was trying to translate a script from Ancient into Common, which would be considered a tragedy were I anything but human, and she saw my ability."

He frowned for the first time, remembering the immediate backlash of those in his community. Those in the Anthropology and Linguistics Department shunned him initially, feeling that he was cheating at his work. His supervisor, Neville, was the only one who took pity on him and did not edge him out. And in that friendship, Aeodan flourished. But that was a story for another time, and not one he was going to share with a complete and total stranger.

"Never felt much kinship to my kind. Perhaps this will help me find some here." Aeodan did not understand the faux pas, and instead turned to the Eidisi. For someone with Xypha, who was supposed to be able to communicate more effectively, Aeodan was woefully unable to understand physical communication. He couldn't read the woman's expression, or her tone, and instead thought she was being open and inviting.

"This is the most magnificent bust I've seen of our lady. Though, I must admit, I've not seen many. In Andaris, the only worship that is allowed is of The Seven."

He frowned.

"So this may also be the only one I've ever seen. I will admit, it does not compare to the true entity."

He smiled absentmindedly, turning to the Eidisi again.

"Forgive me again, I tend to get carried away easily. My sister said it's my most annoying quality." He chuckled and held out a hand. "Aeodan."

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[Harpy]

"Your ability?" she asked incredulously. "I'm sorry... what?" She turned from the bust, looking at Aeodan directly, towering over the skinny boy. "Everyone in Viden knows the Ancient Tongue. Even people from Rynmere know it - but apparently you struggling through warrants you Xypha. Can you even speak the Ancient Tongue now? More than a few words, anyway?"

She paused. "Anari." She took his hand, shook it with a firm grip. Her ire seemed to have disappeared somewhat, and it seemed as if she had come to some internal decision. Anari drew herself up, and beckoned. "Come with me."

Anari turned, not waiting to see if Aeodan followed. She presumed he would; a human such as he had come seeking knowledge. It would be unlike him to not curiously follow this thread to the end. She moved quickly through the library, and then through a door which led to the Caesious Wing - the Institute of Languages. She went to a grand staircase, and began moving quickly up to the second floor. She took Aeodan past doors upon doors of professors and classrooms, and then stopped before one door in particular.

Yseulte Keant
Dean of the Institute of Languages

"In here." Anari opened the door without a second glance. Inside was a small office, but richly furnished, with bookshelves lining the walls. There was a large mahogany desk, with plush red leather seats on either side. Without waiting to see if Aeodan would take a seat, she went to the bookshelves. She knew exactly what she was looking for, but browsed a little before pulling out two textbooks.

"If you're going to snub the Eidisi by being marked, you may as well do it well. Let's get some learning into you." Taking the seat meant for the Dean, Anari dropped the two textbooks onto the desk. One was in the Common Tongue,
titled Ancient Tongue-Common Tongue, A Dictionary and the other seemed to be a book of children's stories in the Ancient Tongue.

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[Aeodan]

The Xyph smiled slightly as the Eidisi took his hand, introducing herself. She was much stronger physically than he expected, especially from her slight frame, and Aeodan flexed his hand as she let it go.

"Pleasure to meet you, Anari." His voice was sure and secure, and he finally made eye contact with her. She was taller than he was, but not by much. Her milky white eyes caused goosebumps to raise along his arms, and he only held her gaze for a moment. Luckily, she was the one who broke the connection, and instead turned to lead him away. For a moment, he hesitated, wondering if he could trust this woman that he just met.

But her assumption had been correct. Since arriving in Viden, his thirst for knowledge dictated nearly everything he had done. He'd spent as much time at the Academy, and was finding very quickly that he was enjoying the work he'd started with Neville de Bougervile in Andaris. In fact, the Atheneum of the Academy had far more texts on the subject, and he had been itching to dig into them, but had yet not found time. Instead of doing so this trial, however, he found that he wanted to follow Anari to wherever it was she was taking him.

As she approached the Caesious Wing, Aeodan began to feel a sense of familiarity. Since moving to Viden, he'd spent a lot of time in the Wing, and had grown accustomed to its look and feel. He found that his breathing became shallower as they walked, as if he were quieting his breath in the halls. He knew that the Academy after hours would be quiet, but there was an eeriness in the silence that enveloped the two of them. Not far behind Anari, Aeodan quickened his pace to close the gap further.

"Where are we going, if you don't..." And then it hit him. Without finishing the sentence, they arrived at the Dean's office, and Aeodan's interest was piqued. At first, he assumed she would be in the room, but when Anari opened the door, the room was empty. Curious as to whom this Eidisi was, Aeodan followed her into the room. He watched her diligently as she set about gathering the texts, following her every move with curious eyes.

As she set the texts on the desk, Aeodan took his appointed seat. Quickly, he scanned the covers of the works, and recognized the second immediately. A book of nursery rhymes, all written in the Ancient Language. He'd seen the text before, and it brought a bittersweet smile to his face. He still remembered some of them, but his grasp of the language was considerably better now, and he had a tutor that could correct him if he was wrong.

"You're going to teach me the Ancient tongue? I am already moderately proficient." He said to Anari. Keeping his eyes on her now, he waited for her to make eye contact. As soon as she did, he spoke to her using the gift his Immortal had granted him. He sent to her a wave a gratitude, expressed through the mental waves he imparted into her mind. He did not consider that the action may be taken hostilely, instead hoping to show her exactly how thankful he was for the help.

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[Harpy]

Anari crossed her legs as she regarded him. He had a soft smile on his face, as if he were remembering an old memory. Anari herself had odd memories of the book, as she had taught herself to read with them. This copy was, in fact, old and battered, and if Aeodan flipped it open, he would be able to see little scribbles in a child's hand on some of the pages.

"If you're so proficient," she said, examining her nails while she leant back in the chair as if she owned the place. "Prove it. Translate one of the nursery rhymes in the book. There's paper and ink on the desk." A pause, and without looking up. "And stay out of my head," Anari said as if she were commenting on the weather. "I know what you're doing. I may not be Xypha myself, but my mother is, and I've had enough people in my head for a lifetime." That being said, there was a soft tone to her voice, as if she were appreciative that Aeodan was grateful.

"And while you're at it," she said, still in a casual tone. "Talk me through what you're doing. What you're doing, why you're doing it. I'll help you out as we go." She picked a little bit of dirt out from under her nail. For all her nonchalant attitude, she really did want to help Aeodan - the only question was why.

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[Aeodan]

Distracted by her tone, Aeodan looked into her eyes again. He immediately shut down the gift his patron had given him, and instead regarded Anari with a bit more coolness. For more than a few trills, he watched Anari, who kept her head down. Slowly, and embarrassingly, it dawned on him exactly who the Eidisi seated before him was. With a light sigh, he finally connected the dots.

"Your mother? Yseulte." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. He would never admit it, but Aeodan had a difficult time locating distinguishing features between Eidisi, so he found it difficult to tell them apart, or assign familial traits to any of them. Even if the Dean and Anari were to stand next to each other, he may not have been able to identify that they were related. The slow realization bugged him more than a little, and he tried to shake it off.

"Ahem, okay. The nursery rhymes. Shall I start with the first?" He frowned at the book, intensely familiar with the first nursery rhyme. 'The Seven Hands of Rynmere', the rhyme was called, and Aeodan's mother sang it to Edalene and he when they were children. "I don't think I should. I'm quite familiar with it already. Perhaps I'll just choose one at random. Is that agreeable?"

With that, Aeodan opened the book near the center. He flipped a page or two to find the beginning of a nursery rhyme. The title was easy enough for him to decipher. He was familiar with the Ancient Tongue enough to remember the similarities between that and Common. With a smile, he looked back at Anari.

"'The Winged Frog'. I don't remember this one. So I'll begin." Grabbing the quill and ink, he began to transcribe the text. The beginning was simple, as the nursery rhyme used simple words for children.

"Enz-uh, hesh vennae sal tinevre." He said the words aloud. The accent wasn't spectacular, but it was actually better than most humans who tried to pronounce the language. Without looking up for affirmation, Aeodan translated it aloud as well.

"Once, there was a frog so green." Aeodan chuckled. 'Frog' was a strange word to him in both Ancient and Common. He never concerned himself with the amphibians much in his life, and so the word made him smile. He looked at Anari finally, checking to see if her pupil-less eyes were on him.

"Basic words, honestly. 'Frog' is so strange in the Ancient Tongue. 'Vennae' sounds nothing like it's Common counterpart." He chuckled, still watching Anari. He was seeing her through a new light.

"Sind lesh alt tu mehn." He smiled again. "Who found himself very mean." He could already see where the rhyme was going. "May I ask you a question, while I continue this line?" He looked up at her with curiosity. "Why the disdain for me? I did not understand at first, but now I think I do. Is there some resentment towards me for my gift?"

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[Harpy]

"Yes," Anari said, nodding her head. "My mother." There was a tone of bitterness in her voice. But why would she be so unahppy that the Dean of this very institute was her mother? Obviously there was some animosity between the two, but Anari would not give anything else away. She instead sat up straighter, leaning forward to see what Aeodan was writing down.

At Aeodan's pronunciation of the Ancient Tongue, Anari couldn't help but smirk. It wasn't cruel or mocking, but it was amusing to see the human attempting to speak the tongue that came so easily to the Eidisi. "Your accent could be better," she said, nonchalant. "If you try rolling your 'r's, it'll come out more fluently. With the Ancient Tongue, it's important to elongate the vowels in between the consonants. The sounds becomes more rounded, and more fluid. Like this." She repeated the phrase effortlessly, and it was like music on the wind. "You see? Now you try."

Anari watched Aeodan laugh to himself passively. She didn't see what was so funny about it. "Just because the Ancient Tongue and Common have similar roots, doesn't mean every single word has to sound the same. I mean, Common has lots of influences - Rakahi, for example. The word for frog comes from the Rakahi root - 'furak'."

"You've translated that part right," Anari said for the second line. "The words themselves are a correct translation, in a literal sense. But in Common, it does sound a little odd, doesn't it? Who 'found himself'? Part of translating is making it sound fluid in both languages, not just literal. Is there another way you can phrase this so that the meaning is the same but the words sound more fluid in Common?"

Anari sighed. It was clear she didn't want to talk about her mother, but the human boy was so very persistent that she felt she couldn't avoid answering. "No," she said, slowly, watching as Aeodan worked on his translations. "Not towards you. Just ... towards what you stand for." And then all the standoffishness disappeared. Words flowed from her mouth. There was no one in Viden she could speak to about this, and so perhaps an outsider might understand.

"My mother - Yseulte - is a single parent. My father died when I was not yet born. It's always been us two, but I feel like she resented me. My whole childhood, I was nannied - I very rarely got to see my mother. She was always here, at the Academy, working and studying. She privileged that over me. When she became Dean, she was marked by Yvithia, and that just added to her responsibilities. She is always away. And when she is around, she uses Xypha to get into my head, rather than ever asking me anything about myself. She never tries to know me."

Anari sighed, shaking her head. "This whole city - everyone loves Yvithia. I have no personal hatred of her, but to me it feels like this city values knowledge over family. Would you ever do that, Aeodan?" Her white eyes looked closely at him. "Would the pursuit of knowledge ever be more important to you than your family? The ones you love?"

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[Aeodan]

Aeodan paid attention as Anari spoke, absorbing the words quickly and processing them at an impressive rate. He was learning a lot about the Eidisi, and he was making assumptions as to her personality all the same. Aeodan didn't pity her, though he knew many would in her situation. Instead, Aeodan admired her for her strength of character.

"Rolling the 'r's and elongating the vowels... I can do that." And he listened to Anari do it herself, eyes glued to her as he watched the forms her mouth took. He replicated it over in his head, before repeating it to Anari. Again, his accent wasn't perfect, but he'd improved. "I'll practice in my free time. I promise." And his face told her that he meant every word he said.

Her reaction to his question surprised Aeodan. While he expected some animosity and perhaps a defensiveness, Anari did the complete opposite. She opened up to him about her mother's hands-off attitude. Aeodan could understand her position, since his parents worked a lot as well when he was a child. Rather than a nanny, though, Aeodan was raised by Edalene, and he couldn't have been more thankful for that. She had taught him everything he needed to know, and he cherished her for that.

"Anari, I... I won't say that I'm sorry that your childhood was as it was. It may have been insufficient, but it has crafted you into the independent woman you are now. I will say, though, that I am sorry I used my gift on you. Yvithia has given me this gift because, I think, I don't represent the average devotee."

And then she asked him the question. He paused writing, having translated two more lines, before he looked into her eyes. He could see the bitterness in the woman, and he needed to assure her that he would never do the same.

Would he?

Aeodan's work had consumed him lately, and though it had not dominated all his time, he'd spent significantly less with Duncan and Edalene. And as much as he loved them both, he wanted to solve this mystery, not only for Yvithia and the Academy, but to sate his own curiosity. But he doubted whether he could truly abandon Duncan and Edalene for longer than was absolutely necessary. He would, if she asked, abandon his dreams of the Jourkadri for Edalene. He knew she never would, even if he was the only one who could save her from total destruction. But he would give his life, and his dreams, for Edalene. And these trials... Duncan too.

"I love my work. I love researching, and I love learning languages. To be honest, I may love my job more than I love my parents, or anything else in this world... Except Edalene and Duncan. My sister is, without a doubt, the only constant in my life. From birth, we have been together, two halves to form one whole. Without Edalene, I wouldn't be the man I am today, and I will forever owe her my life for that. If she asked me tomorrow to quit researching and be her personal assistant, I would, and I would do so happily."

The sincerity in his voice was astounding. Many would lie to get their way, but Aeodan did not need to. He truly loved his little family.

"And though I haven't known Duncan since birth, I'm drawn to him in much the same way I am Edalene. In his presence, I feel invigorated. I feel like I can do anything in this world, and all I need is their support. They are my family, and my only unconditional loves. I adore Yvithia, and I would do anything she asked... Except leave them."

Aeodan frowned, looking back to the book. He looked at what he wrote before, having re-translated 'The Winged Frog' to be less awkward in its phrasing.

"Once there was a frog so green,
Of whom it was said could be so mean,
He grew two wings,
And flew over things,
So he didn't bump his arse every time he was seen."

Aeodan smiled weakly at the translation. It flowed, that was for sure. He repeated it for Anari.

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