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Scales & Shadows Ch20: First Lessons
🕑 Added 2023-04-28 02:03:07 +0000 UTCKyrae and I followed Phaeliisthia out to the courtyard, where the smell of flowers was strong in the air. Bird calls shattered the silence of the estate’s interior, and the soft notes of hushed conversation drifted over from a flat area of large black paving stones just beyond a massive white stone sundial wider across than I was tall.
The gnomon of the sundial was edged in gleaming gold, and that same sunlight warmed the paving stones and bled the vibrant greens and reds of the trees across the open space. Ahead, coiled near the base of a half-ring of white stone columns, Ussyri Noksi and Ssiina were talking animatedly.
As we approached, they quieted.
“Phael?” Noksi called. “Is everything alright?”
“A spate of homesickness and unsurety.” Phaeliisthia waved her hand flippantly. “Nothing more.”
“Issa?” Ssiina asked.
“I’m good!” I smiled back, forcing a chipper tone.
I couldn’t tell if Ssiina bought it.
My hssen-raised sister turned to our elf sister, leaning her arms against the warm, clean-swept stone. “Kyrae?”
“I’m… we’ll be fine.” She forced a smile. “Thanks.”
Ssiina nodded hesitantly. “A-alright. If you say so, Sis.”
While we spoke, Phaeliisthia strode to the center of the small plaza and sat down on a low stone stool. “Are we all ready to proceed?” She sighed. “Truly, I do not plan to start with a grandiose display of power, or dive into complex topics.”
After sharing a glance, my sisters and I all nodded. Ssiina and I took coils near Phaeliisthia’s stool, while Kyrae took another stool like the mysterious woman’s.
Phaeliisthia clapped a single time. “Wonderful! Then let us proceed! Nok-Nok?”
“Me?” Ussyri Noksi pointed at herself. “Phael, you agreed that I would only aid in the teaching of base level magic theory.”
“Precisely!”
“Did you not tell me we would start with glyphs and history?”
Phaeliisthia nodded. “I did indeed! Glyphs are important building blocks of magic sigils, and magic theory is critically important to the history of Jii’Kalaga.”
“Glyphs from a very different language!” Noksi protested, hissing her words slightly and raising up on her lower body. “I will also argue that magic theory is, at best, a side topic of our history. I will elaborate at such instances if need be.”
“Do you plan to renege on our agreement, Nok-Nok?” Phaeliisthia asked sweetly, her smile blindingly sharp.
Ussyri Noksi gulped and deflated, sinking slowly. “O-of course not!”
“Marvelous! Now, shall we determine what my students know?”
Ussyri Noksi nodded meekly.
Phaeliisthia smiled, and with a wave of her hand conjured a vertical board of gleaming white stone in the center of the plaza. Another wave of her hand conjured three smaller boards, one for each of us. The odd woman passed them out; the stone felt warm to the touch, and tingled against my fingers.
Satisfied, Phaeliisthia pulled several sticks of charcoal from her pocket, tossing one to each of us and Ussyri Noksi. “Then let us begin!”
What followed was a blur of glyphs and sigils, each of us tested thoroughly on their meaning and how to draw them. After what felt like hours, Phaeliisthia announced that she felt confident she knew where we stood, and separated Ssiina from myself and Kyrae.
Our hssen-raised sister seemed to already know the meaning of all but a few glyphs as well as many of the sigils. Ussyri Noksi was tasked with teaching her sigils, while Phaeliisthia herself deigned to teach us basic writing.
If the grandiose woman felt demeaned by the act, she said nothing about it. All I could feel from her was unrestrained enthusiasm. Kyrae, unfortunately, shared this with our tutor. My elf sister had surprised me with how many sigils she knew. Meanwhile I… knew four or five glyphs, not counting numerals which were easy.
I felt a little like I was in a class at the orphanage again. This time, I at least tried to pay attention. Phaeliisthia narrowed the glyphs she taught down from the head-spinning amount she started with during our test to a much, much smaller amount. Maybe a dozen?
As I worked, my nervousness eased. Unlike at the orphanage, and despite her frankly terrifying presence, Phaeliisthia aided me patiently and persistently, steering back toward the right answer when I went astray. She complained about it the entire time, but stopped short of outright insulting me, and I started to wonder if her complaints were even serious.
By the time the sun started to set, changing the color of the plaza to darker hues of orange and violet, I felt I had at least a few of them down.
More importantly, it wasn’t until the shadows lengthened and I could really feel them, that I realized I hadn’t thought about them since the lesson began. Even when I recalled the orphanage’s classes, my mind hadn’t drifted to the other, darker parts of that time in my and Kyrae’s lives.
Perhaps it was Phaeliisthia’s magic that held my attention, or perhaps it was the warmth of the plaza, the peacefulness of the garden, and the respect I felt from those around me.
For all her faults, Phaeliisthia’s enthusiasm did much to blunt her sharp criticisms. The strange woman didn’t mince words, but I didn’t mind; she didn’t dwell on my mistakes, rather she corrected me.
Ever since waking up into this new fantastical life, I’d been shuffled from one place to another, or told what to do. That part hadn’t changed: people telling me what to do.
But, I couldn’t really curl my tail around it… this time I felt more involved? That might be it. I did something. Me.
People doing things for me rubbed my scales the wrong way. Favors returned tended to be worth far more than favors given, after all.
As dusk crept in, Phaeliisthia called out for another meal: a simpler, lighter one. Cooked fish, sliced fruit, and steamed root vegetables on a small plate were brought out to where we were all gathered.
“Lamias eat differently from elves,” Phaeliisthia explained, daintily picking at her fish despite the plate’s position on her lap. “As I assume you are already aware: larger meals less often. However, for today we will eat together. In the future, I will have my servants adapt your schedules.”
“Schedules?” I asked, barely remembering to swallow first. There was an eating schedule? My own plate, like Ssiina’s and Noksi’s, was balanced between two lifted loops of my lower body.
Phaeliisthia narrowed her eyes at my lack of chewing and cleared her throat. “Yes, schedules. From now on, your days will be meticulously planned, with one day off per week for relaxation or independent study. At some point in the future when I deem you competent, you will also be allowed to leave to visit the city. I am thinking that etiquette will need to be a priority.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled, then immediately shoved the other half of the fish into my mouth.
“Sorry will not suffice, but I also understand that you do not know better. Given that you have also had a regrettably stressful day, we will end early rather than risk subjecting yours truly to inattentive students.”
“Early?” Ssiina piped up nervously, her face clean and her plate neatly picked over.
Phaeliisthia raised one eyebrow and chuckled menacingly. “Yes, early. You should not need more than six hours for sleep, yes?”
Ssiina paled, whispering, “But ten…”
“Six hours is plenty generous, Tutor Phaeliisthia,” Kyrae responded quickly. Her own plate was somewhere between my mess and Ssiina’s unnatural organization.
Phaeliisthia gave my sister an odd look before smiling. “Wonderful!”
Again, I looked at Ssiina who met my gaze and mouthed, “Really?”
I nodded. Six whole hours! All at once, every night! Sure, the lessons would be long, but I could pay attention, right? Especially with so much sleep!
“When will we begin our specialized training?” Ssiina asked somewhat timidly.
“When I believe you three have the necessary tools to succeed. That may be at different times for all of you.”
“Am I truly so unprepared?” my hssen-raised sister asked carefully.
Phaeliisthia laughed. “You know less than you think, child. Particularly when it comes to the workings of life for those born without your privilege.”
Ssiina bit her lip, but didn’t interject.
“Perspective is important, and not always quickly gleaned. We will see what it is your sisters can teach you.”
I glanced over at Ssiina and she gave me a wry smile. I don’t know what Phaeliisthia means either, Sister.
***
“Today, we will start with history,” Phaeliisthia announced, striding fashionably late into the plaza. The late morning light gleamed off her golden horns and white hair, the latter bound up today and streaming down to the small of her back.
Our second day of tutoring was today, and I was still shaking the sleep away after a big morning meal. Ssiina looked more than a bit tired, and I stifled a yawn—the sleep may have been good, but I missed Kyrae during the night. My elf sister certainly seemed plenty awake, an eager fire in her eyes that warmed my hearts like the sun did my scales.
Ssiina perked up a little straighter next to me, whispering, “Dyni’s an avid enthusiast of history. I’ll cover for all of us.”
“By all means, go ahead,” Phaeliisthia smirked, then gestured to Ussyri Noksi. “I look forward to your assistance and distinct opinions as well, Nok-Nok.”
Ssiina jolted at her whisper being addressed. I gave her a sympathetic smile.
The ussyri’s lips drew into a thin line. “Of course, Phael.”
Phaeliisthia made a come-hither gesture, beckoning my blushing sister to take the stage, so to speak.
“May—where should I start, Tutor Phaeliisthia?” Ssiina asked in a small voice.
“Why the beginning of course! What good story doesn’t start at the beginning, hmm?”
With an anxious nod, Ssiina cleared her throat and began. “Though there are ruins predating all known history, what we consider to be the start of the world as we know it comes with the ascension of Jaezotl to godhood.” Her voice gained confidence as she spoke. “In this event, lamia were created in the image of the forbearing elves and serpents, in Jaezotl’s image. Scholars debate the purpose of lamia: are we Jaezotl-given rulers, mediators, or perhaps even servants to the land which we call home?”
While Ssiina lectured, Phaeliistha walked calmly into the audience and sat next to me, cross-legged on the coil Ssiina had just left. She raised her hand, deliberately slowly, speaking without being called upon. “What of other lands?”
“O-other lands?”
“Yes, what of their origins?”
“I… well I know that some other species were also present in the time before lamia, along with the elves, but… but I don’t know.” Ssiina’s eyes started to fill with tears.
Phaeliisthia smiled, bright like staring into the sun. “Not knowing is perfectly acceptable. Had you tried to answer the question, to project confidence without certainty, then I would have been disappointed. You have nothing to be ashamed about, dear.”
Ssiina sniffled. “R-really? I mean, thank you Tutor Phaeliisthia!” She bowed deeply.
Phaeliisthia purred. “It seems that someone understands etiquette.” Her uncanny white eyes glanced my way.
I nodded my head in acknowledgement as I was taught. But that was still at least partly Kyrae’s fault this morning! She said it was probably okay to eat the rice thing that way—how was I supposed to know the filling would just shoot out everywhere!
Phaeliisthia stood again, addressing everyone. “I shall also clarify that I do not mean it is undesirable to assert falsehoods, vagaries, or guesses. You must merely ascertain with certainty whether your target is susceptible to deception, and whether the emergence of truth will be a detriment or boon. A complicated topic, and not one to be covered today.”
I shared a look with Kyrae. What were half of those words?
“S-shall I continue, Tutor Phaeliisthia,” a still-nervous Ssiina asked. She blinked the tears away, regaining most of her confidence.
Kyrae and I gave her the best smiles we could, and our hssen-raised sister took a deep breath.
“If you would, please. You may stop whenever you feel inadequate, or when you arrive at the unification of Jii’Kalaga.”
Ssiina nodded. “Lania’el took the mountains and misty highlands the upper river, while Ke’lania thrived in the watery lowlands. Between the two were Kelaniel, theorized by some to be the first among lamia. Along the most holy Hssyri, lamia flourished alongside our home jungle.
“As we flourished, so too did the ea, the elves. The blue Ean river, their own source of life, met the Hssyri, joining into its mighty flow. At that confluence, a midpoint between the lands of lania’el and ke’lania, ea and lamia gathered together.
“It was there the Empire was founded: a union of lamia and ea, and a unification of all of Kalaga under the benevolence of Jaezotl,” Ssina finished, looking toward Phaeliisthia.
The enigmatic woman clapped twice. “You were doing very well at the beginning, Ssiina! However, you’ve missed quite a lot. Not only have you left out the equally enthralling history of the elves themselves, but you did not mention a single conflict, a single elven deity, the reason for the union of the Empire of Jii’Kalaga, or why lamia are the ones in charge of the Temple of Jaezotl.” At the end, Phaeliisthia glanced at Ussyri Noksi.
The ussyri bowed. “Lamia are blessed by Jaezotl, though all may be equal.”
“’May be,’” Phaeliisthia quoted. “I understand that a religious debate is no one’s idea of a productive or well-boding morning, so I will refrain from holding one. I simply wish to clarify that there aresides to this issue, and a discussion to be had.”
“Are you not an ardent follower of Jaezotl?” Ussyri Noksi hissed.
Phaeliisthia placed her hand over her chest, taloned fingers splayed out. “Of course, I am. But am I a lamia?”
“No,” Ussyri Noksi replied.
“Am I an elf?”
“No,” Ussyri Noksi replied again.
“Would someone such as myself be allowed to be the Jii’Ssyri?”
“…No,” Ussyri Noksi replied again after some hesitation.
“And how does that make you feel, Nok-Nok?”
“Did you not say you would refrain from religious debate?” Ussyri Noksi glared up at Phaeliisthia
“I did indeed,” Phaeliisthia answered. “And I also believe I have made my point abundantly clear.”
Kyrae raised her hand and was called on immediately. “What of the elven history? And of our own gods? I don’t know much about them.”
Phaeliisthia side-eyed Ussyri Noksi, who sighed and nodded.
“That would be because open worship of elven deities is outlawed, Kyrae,” Our unusual teacher answered.
“It is an ancient law, does not prohibit private reverence alongside Jaezotl, and it is not enforced.” Ussyri Noksi cut in through gritted teeth.
“Then why, perchance, is it a law, Nok-Nok?”
Ussyri Noksi fell silent.
Unfortunately for her, Phaeliisthia waited patiently, and my sisters and I were too afraid to speak up.
“Perhaps the law is outdated,” Ussyri Noksi conceded eventually.
Phaeliisthia’s lips curled into a smile, showing sharp teeth. “Perhaps it is. Anyway!” She clapped, startling everyone. “We’re here to discuss history, not to debate religion and politics.” The intimidating woman walked back over to where Ssiina was standing and shooed my jittery sister back to her coil.
Her lower body gripped the stone tightly enough that I could see strain in her scale pattern. I reached out and took one of her hands, and she took a long breath, in and out.
“I will take a moment to discuss what Ssiina said, and a bit of time to cover elven history. She signed a complex sigil in the air and a glowing bunch of squiggles appeared, with glyphs in certain places. “This is a map of Jii’Kalaga, simplified for the purpose of our topic.”
Oh. I knew that!
Now that I looked more closely, I saw the map for what it was: a large landmass jutting northeast, with an immense mountain range that cut across its base from ocean to ocean.
“The river to the north, the larger and longer of the two, is the Hssyri river you all are more than familiar with. The Hssyri starts at Hesuzhaa Jii’ssiisseniir, in the southwest of Jii’Kalaga in the Sekalnn mountains that separate us from the rest of the known world. Here in the far northeast—” She pointed a talon at a square on the map with two glyphs next to it. “—is the city of Uzh, where we are, and the mouth of the Hssyri.”
Hesuzhaa Jii’ssiisseniir? I found myself hung up on those words, trying to pick apart what they meant.
Phaeliisthia paused with her hand over the Hssyri delta. “Hmm, this may be a bit off-topic for the moment, but: Issa?”
I jolted. “I was paying attention! Uh, I mean, what exactly is Hesu…zhaa Jii... whatever?”
“Hesuzhaa Jii’ssiisseniir,” Phaeliisthia repeated flawlessly, “is… Hmm, an easier, less formal term would be ‘the Spring of All Life,’ which is close to what I already said. Directly, Hesuzhaa Jii’ssiisseniir means ‘highest pinnacle of water from below rising above and encompassing all the heart of the people and the land.’” She sounded out the entire word, slowly.
I nodded along. the Spring of All Life; I remember that… vaguely. The place where it was on the magically projected map had two stacked blocks of four glyphs labeling it.
“And, Issa?” Phaeliisthia tilted her head, horns gleaming.
I perked up again. “Yes, Tutor Phaeliisthia?”
“What are these two glyphs?” Phaeliisthia pointed to a pair of glyphs above a triangular mark near the ocean.
“They say ‘Uzh.’”
Phaeliisthia sighed. “Not what they say; that is more than obvious from context. What are the individual glyphs?”
“Oh,” I studied them. “Uh, ‘U’ and ‘Zh,’ right?”
“Correct!” Phaeliisthia beamed. “They are very broad, basic, conceptual glyphs and among the first any child who is walking or slithering the path to literacy must learn. What do they mean individually?”
Uh-oh. I stammered. “Uh, well, ‘U’ is below, but not like ‘below’ below? And ‘Zh’ means… also below? But, like actually ‘below’ below, like ‘under’ below?”
Phaeliisthia heaved a sigh and Ssiina’s hand shot up. “Yes, Ssiina?”
My sister lifted herself tall and straight. “’U’ means foundation, often conceptual. ‘Zh’ is more complex, and can mean both literally under or below, but can also mean an ending or terminus.”
“…Correct!” Phaeliisthia announced after a dramatic pause.
I still don’t quite get it.
“What then, does ‘Uzh’ as a term mean? Anyone may answer.”
Kyrae’s hand shot up and she was called on. “Uzh means the base of the foundation, right? A terminus for the Hssyri river?”
Our tutor’s smile stretched across enough of her face to almost rival a lamia, and she clapped several times. “Well done, Kyrae. That is correct—both are correct interpretations, actually. Uzh is both the name for this city, and the concept of a foundation’s furthest extent: where the Hssyri river, most holy of waters and life-giver of our home, meets the ocean. Now, I will resume the history lesson soon, but I wish to give a simpler question for only Issa this time.”
One of Phaeliisthia’s gold-taloned fingers stretched across the map and pointed to another pair of glyphs squarely in the Hssyri River, just downstream and northeast of Ess’Sylantziis. “What are these two glyphs and what are their definitions?”
I gulped. “Hsss—is the position important?”
“How so?”
“Would it matter if it was upstream or downstream?”
“Only if it were to be at the very beginning or very end.”
I nodded. Okay, two glyphs: just two glyphs and I know the name. My mind whirled, skating through words and trying to pick them apart. The feeling was like trying to pull a single seed apart to find two seeds. Hssyri. Hssen. Ussyri. U.
“I got it!” I announced, then clapped a hand over my mouth when I realized I said that part out loud.
“Tell the class then, dear?” Phaeliisthia asked sweetly.
I hissed in another breath. “The glyphs are ‘H’ and “Ssyri.’ ‘H’ means above, or the top and ‘Ssyri’ means holy, right?”
“Marvelously done, Issa!” Phaeliisthia crooned. “You have the literacy of a young ussen child. More specifically, ‘H’ means pinnacle, but I’ll accept your answer considering that it would be unfair to expect such accuracy or vocabulary from you at this point.”
I winced.
Phaeliisthia chuckled. “I mean that as a compliment, dear. Going from your initial reading level to answering this question in a single day shows that you are actually focused on learning the material. I do so love when my time isn’t wasted.”
“Now,” she continued, “A little more geography and then back to the history lesson. To the south of the Emerald Mountains, which separate the watersheds of the Hssyri and Ean rivers, lie the Ean river, the southern jungle, and eventually drier forest and the Sekalnn mountains again.
“Elves originated from the Isle of Nythyr, which is not shown. They were present to the south during Jaezotl’s ascension, but had not penetrated deep into the northern jungle. Most of their population was in the drier forests and savannahs of the south and east.
“As time moved on, this population shifted northward and encountered the lamia. Relations were not entirely peaceful, although both elves and lamia were made of multitudinous factions. To greatly simplify: over time, the lamia proved more successful in the region, and after the individual unification of both lamia and elves, the last king of the elves granted his kingdom to the lamia rather than see it fracture upon his death.
“I will not go into the details of elven religion today, as I believe that to be outside the scope of today’s topic. But, understand that the elves had and have—” Phaeliisthia threw a glance at Ussyri Noksi who was still coiled quietly in place. “—five major deities: three for the land around them and two for the cycle of life and death. I think a good exercise for next time would be to compare the two faiths.”
“I agree,” Ussyri Noksi rumbled.
“Excellent!” Phaeliisthia gave a single, sharp nod. “And with that out of the way, why don’t we spend some time covering the details of both the founding ceremony, the history of Ess’Sylantziis, and the major events of the early empire.”
Already, my head hurt. This is going to be a long day.
