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Akibel Mowar is on his way home from the blacksmith's when he spots it. People are shrieking and fleeing from it, which seems reasonable, as it's a fuckoff huge snake with a mirror for a face. A big mirror.
Kib can't so much flee. He can shriek - he can lurch in the direction of the nearest house and try the door - it's locked. He can amble briskly...
He can break into a run when the snake gains on him and fall flat on his face.
And he can get eaten up.
And it's too bright too bright too bright and he flings his arm over his eyes.
secondchance
secondchance
I don't know how to actually ride a horse. I guess I could figure it out if it I had it as a pet but that seems like a rude thing to do with a borrowed horse.
I am sure there are people who'd be delighted to teach you to ride horses. You could also walk, it's a very pretty walk, but it's a rather long one.
secondchance
What would I be supposed to do in the meantime while I was learning to ride the horse? I don't have any - anything, to bring to eat or change into on the way -
secondchance
Is there by any chance someone accessible who might be better equipped to deal with strange people from far away.
They look at each other.
The Prince Nelyafinwë is probably awake? one person says.
Yes, let's ask him to fix this.
They start walking.
The Prince Nelyafinwë is probably awake? one person says.
Yes, let's ask him to fix this.
They start walking.
They walk into a plaza that is even more dazzling, to the point of actually being impossible to look at, and through there to an enormous stone building that'd be stunningly pretty if he were looking at it which he's not because everything is too bright. The interior of the building is less bright and lavishly decorated.
They walk down some wood-paneled hallways with some striking sculptures and tapestries and paintings and eventually reach a room with no apparent door. Sitting at a desk is someone with very long red hair that's done into eight elaborate crisscrossing braids; he turns around when they walk in.
Kib's guides both bow deeply. Prince Nelyafinwë, one says, this is a lost human and he requested aid and we thought you'd be awake.
Kib's guides both bow deeply. Prince Nelyafinwë, one says, this is a lost human and he requested aid and we thought you'd be awake.
Hello. Please come in and sit down, I am indeed awake and happy to help. Capuraldë, could you go check if there is a guest room here available for a lost human while his aid is being acquired, and Úharyon, right? Congratulations on the baby! I would feel terribly guilty about stealing you away to run errands.
Dismissed, they both scurry away, and he turns the smile back to Kib. Your name I don't have.
Dismissed, they both scurry away, and he turns the smile back to Kib. Your name I don't have.
secondchance
Kib sits. It's - uh, how good is this telepathy thing at, like, sounds, should I just say it out loud -
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Kib," he says sincerely, projecting a translation as he goes. What kind of aid do you require?
secondchance
I have no idea where I am except in terms of names for places and surrounding places that I have never heard of. Telepathy is scary and I landed here with nothing but what I'm wearing and I don't know how to ride a horse and if I try to walk for six months to talk to the whatever they were called about sending me home somehow I will probably find a way to walk off a cliff and die in that interval because I have the gross motor skills of a drunk toddler and I do not even know how I got here, the last thing I remember before everything was way way way too bright was that some kind of bizarre snake monster was chasing people through town and because aforementioned gross motor skills I was not well equipped to run away so that's a complete mystery and I'm not sure whether to be optimistic about ever seeing anybody I know again. Help.