Whispers of the Furtive

On the seventh day from the moment they had landed on Trinixo they finally made it back to their village, Ankur. The group were anxious to continue moving. What they had seen in Grial was still too fresh in their memories. They knew they were on borrowed time, and they knew they had to keep as low a profile as possible. Corin and Livia tried to enter Ankur with as little fanfare as possible, coming in as dawn broke through so that others might not notice their arrival.

Nanaua was eager to learn about Ankur, but Corin thought that a dragon looking lady walking around the village might throw the population into a frenzy. On the other hand Zhi was more than happy to walk into their home, find the first bed available and fall asleep the instant her body touched the mattress.

It did not take long for the town to notice the couple's return. They were understandably eager to hear about their trip but this was hastily stifled by Livia’s spur of the moment announcement of Corin's condition.

“You see he found some meat on the floor of the temple and against my better judgment ate it.” Livia started telling Pallo, one of their neighbors.

“Yes when he saw the abandoned meat and the wine, Corin felt an urge to gorge himself, even though I told him it was not a good idea to eat it.” Livia told Valden.

“So now after eating the dead birds at the temple he's very sick and doesn't smell very good.” Livia sounded very sad as she told Dern.

“Oh he is getting better, but the smell is just too much! But he is eager to see all of you once he feels better.” Livia told Floreen who was concerned to hear that.

Next Livia went to visit Simeon.

“You want me to do what? Go see Corin? The whole village is saying about how he ate some rotting meat with some old wine, and how he was at death's door and now he smells bad. And you want me to go see him?” Simeon looked in disbelief at Livia's request.

The old apeman was perched on a branch in a tree next to his home. He had been resting when Livia had approached him and the hairs on his fur raised up when Livia came to see him. His face, the one part of his body not covered in the white fur, looked very much like a person’s aside from the squished nose and the thin lips, showed dismay at Livia’s suggestion.

“Simeon, you don't understand. It's not that Corin is sick, it's that we found something in there, something that we need your help with. You won't believe what we brought back!” Livia’s enthusiasm was barely contained as she shared news of their discovery with Simeon.

Simeon heard Livia and thought for a second. As he did his tail coiled up beside him.

“Ah-ah-ah” Simeon replied when he understood Livia, his tail swinging about happily.

“I can't believe I've fallen for such an obvious ploy!” Simeon started to get worked up.

Livia had to try to calm him down, she did not want to attract any unwanted attention to them.

“If you can, come to our home at sunset. We shall explain everything then.”

***

Later on that day Corin found himself in his home. This had been his second home. His first one he had shared with Cyril in Bothia, but that was then.

His home was small. Initially just for him, but then along came Livia.

Corin had fashioned this home exactly like his small childhood home, the one in Bothia.

It had a kitchen, a dining table next to a large fireplace and two rooms. One of them was Corin's. Just like his old home, his room was the one on the left. The one on the right was just like Cyril’s room. Corin had left that room undisturbed since the house had been built. Livia never even brought up the existence of the room. It was just a space in their home that was never mentioned.

It had been his brother's wish to see their small house in Bothia become a home. To see a flourishing family grow in their house, much like when he, Corin and their parents had shared it. But that had been a long time ago, and Corin barely remembered any of that. But that had not come to happen. Instead it became a quiet home, with Cyril and Corin occupying it, but not much else occurring. Cyril figured that once Corin was old enough and could make his own way, Cyril would find a wife and make a family here.

But it was Corin who would eventually find a wife to make a home there. Corin hoped that if Cyril ever saw this, that it would make him happy.

But as Corin sat in front of the fire he could now hear the snoring coming from that room. From that single space on this world that had been left undisturbed for so long.

Livia had not mentioned anything to the group upon arriving at the house. It was Zhi who asked upon entering which room Corin and Livia used. Once she was told which one it was, she made herself comfortable in the other room.

Livia felt the need to say something, to interject on behalf of Corin about the fact that the room was to be left empty. But Corin spoke up before she could. He let them know that they were welcome to use the room. Livia seemed surprised but did not want to belabor the issue.

Because soon that would not even be an issue. Pretty soon this entire house would be empty. Just like the ruins of their old home in Bothia, this home would soon be abandoned. And no one knew for how long. It had not been spoken aloud, but Corin knew. The moment he agreed to accompany Nanaua and Zhi he would be leaving behind his entire life up until that point. He grasped his pendant in his hand.

It's for you Cyril.

There was a knock at the door. Corin went up and opened it. Simeon was there.

“Come in quick!” Corin went and grabbed Simeon by the arm and dragged him in the house.

Simeon felt whiplash as he was quickly brought into the house and the door behind him closed.

“Well, good to see you too, Corin!” Simeon said with a large smile.

Corin hugged Simeon. Simeon, Corin and Cyril had all been close friends from the day that Cyril had rescued Simeon. Cyril’s loss was a crushing blow to both Corin and Simeon and their bond only intensified after his passing.

“Livia and her rumors worried me to no end! I had heard that you ate all sorts of rotten meat, some bad wine and that you smelled so bad you might be considered a weapon against the titans!” Simeon said laughing.

“Is that what she said about me?” Corin asked.

At that moment Livia walked into the room, greeting Simeon.

“Well I had to say something to keep people away from here. But Corin, you know it's rude to keep our guest waiting. Go get them.” Livia told Corin.

Corin was hoping that Nanaua and Zhi would have been awake by now, but that was not the case. Corin knocked on the door several times until he got a response.

With no warning the door swung open and Nanaua walked into the middle of the room.

“Did we miss something?” She asked as she was half awake.

Upon walking out Simeon instantly gasped.

“By the firmament! A dragoor!” Simeon almost fell back from the shock.

Nanaua herself looked surprise to see Simeon.

“An apeman?” She replied.

Zhi came out as well, looking half asleep.

“Is this the newest member of our group?” She asked aloud as she smiled at him.

Simeon was left at a loss for words.

“It's a long story, so why don't you sit down.” Livia said.

And so Livia began to tell Simeon of their recent encounters. Throughout the telling of the story Simeon had less questions than Corin or Livia expected. In fact the entire time he would just look from Zhi to Nanaua and back to whoever was speaking as if he had just seen them for the first time.

Upon finishing the story, the only thing that could be heard was the crackling of the fire. It was Zhi who broke the silence.

“So, what do you think old man? Does it sound like something you want to do? Want to help us kill some titans?” Zhi asked.

Simeon finally spoke.

“Your tale is amazing, that is simply obvious. Your goal is clear, the eradication of the titans. The means to do so, not as clear, you claim to have part of an artifact that will give you a weapon that can kill titans. But herein lies the problem.” Simeon paused.

“You only have part of this weapon.” Simeon added as he pointed to the hollow pyramid that was placed in front of him.

“And the reason you were able to obtain it was due to the chance occurrence that your lord Tonatiuh had been entrusted it. But according to your story there are two more parts to this weapon. Two parts that are where exactly?” Simeon asked as he looked around the room.

Corin and Livia looked at each other. They did not know the answer to this.

“What we know is that one titan lord for each domain was trusted each with a portion of the weapon. In the case of the Sky lord that was given one piece, it was of course Tonatiuh.” Zhi said those last words with spite. Although Corin did not know the entirety of the story he knew that Zhi had no love for her former master.

“For the other two lords, we have two pieces of information. Their name, and the general area they claim as their own.” Zhi continued.

“The giant who guards their portion of the weapon is Belaran. His kingdom is somewhere in the great continent. The leviathan who guards the other portion of the weapon we believe is near here, which is why we decided to bring down the dragon temple in this area.” Nanaua said.

Corin’s heart started to race. He knew of the seas near him. There was only one titan that called those seas home. A terror that Corin never wanted to see again.

“Arandu.” Corin interjected.

Zhi and Nanaua nodded.

“So you know of him?” Zhi asked in a curious tone.

Livia, Corin and Simeon all looked at each other.

It was Simeon who answered. “Arandu was the titan who came to our last home and laid waste to the village when it went to war with Telletioh. Both caused significant damage to each other, but nothing compared to the damage they inflicted upon us.”

“We,” Simeon paused as he looked at Corin “we lost many good people that day.”

“So you know what is at risk! You know why we need your help!” Zhi asked as she spoke to Simeon.

“With this we can make sure that no more villages are destroyed, that no more people are lost. We can end the titan’s cruel ways against the furtives. But we need your help.” Zhi followed.

“And this information. How did you come about it? Surely you did not learn dragon script?” Simeon asked Zhi.

Zhi and Nanaua looked at each other.

“I did.” Zhi replied.

Simeon scoffed at her response.

“After what I've heard I don't even know why I'm surprised. Last I heard, any furtive who learned the dragon script was to be executed immediately.” Simeon replied with a questioning look.

“Well those rules are still in place. But as you know my execution date was forthcoming, and I made sure to keep my studies secret.” Zhi replied.

“Hmm. So the plan would be to find Arandu’s and Belaran’s portion of this weapon and then?” Simeon asked.

At this point Zhi was quiet.

“We have an idea of how to use the weapon.” Zhi replied.

“I see, so you think you know how to use it.” Simeon said.

“From dragon script we are able to gather that titans are terrified of this weapon. The last time it was wielded against them, the three titan species united to seal it away.” Nanaua interjected.

“Ah of course you learned dragon script as well. If you were going to be killed for absconding with their sacrifice, why not learn a prohibited alphabet as well.” Simeon half laughed as he replied to Nanaua.

Corin did not understand these concepts of dragon script or alphabets, but he was too enthralled by the conversation to question what exactly was being discussed.

“So you are looking for this weapon, while also being hunted by your lord’s Zifors?” Simeon mentioned.

“I was lucky to never come across the Zifors, but I know their reputation too well. They are monsters.” Simeon added with disdain.

Simeon was quiet. He knew that there was a lot that was not being said. He knew that there were a lot of unknowns in this journey. There was no guarantee that they would succeed in their goals. He understood that their chances of survival were slim.

He looked at Corin and slapped him on the knee.

“Ouch!” Corin replied.

Corin started rubbing his knee.

“What was that for?” Corin replied.

“Corin? Don't you know that I came to this island, explicitly to get away from crazy adventure nonsense like this? And then you go look for it, bring it into your home, and then ask me to hear it!” Simeon said as he shook his head.

“Alright so here's what you'll need. Supplies for the next ten days, a very gracious gift to share with the sirens, and Livia your leviathan sensing device will be required. Weapons will be necessary, Livia you need to spend the next three days preparing as much ammunition as possible. That's all the time that will be available before departure.” Simeon added as he stood up and prepared to leave.

Everyone stared at him confused, not moving.

“Are you joining us?” Zhi asked.

“Well of course I am! Who else is going to lead your group? Simeon replied with a smile.