The Journey, Chapt 26 = previous chapter
Chapter 27: Shadows
Neko stepped back and extended his arm with the sword, he crouched down getting into a pose, slowly bringing the sword above his head. Taking a deep breath he broke into a flourishing set of movements, Tondro swirling around like a purple blur. It whistles through the air, purple sparks shimmering all along it. Jortrundr glanced over at Vivi who watched his proteges display, and nodded approvingly. Neko stops with a swift over arched flourish, and ends his display in the same pose he started with. His audience cheered wildly.
“Dankon Jortundr, bonvolu esprimi mian dankon kaj dankon al ŝia moŝto Reĝino Gabija nome de mi.” Neko thanked Jortrundr with the traditional Elvish greeting of respect.
“Prince Althor, I thank ye also, as well I feel honoured to meet you and humbled that you helped to create this fine blade.” Nekonata bowed low showing respect to the princely dwarf.
From the corner of his eye Neko noticed a hunched black shadow, but when he looked towards it, it was gone.
Vivi stood up, raised his goblet and said “Let it be known on this day, on Nekonata’s becoming of a man, friendships and bonds were blessed, between humans, elves and dwarves.” There was a loud exaggerated yawn coming from a roof awning just behind Vivi, he glanced behind him and saw a ginger tabby werecat, “And of course werecats!”
“Werecats?” Neko asked Althor and Jortundr looking confused.
Everyone raised their goblets and cups with a loud cheer. Neko strapped his blade to his waist through his belt, and walked back towards Vivi.
“Werecats?” He asked, Vivi looked behind him, but the ginger tabby was gone, so he just shrugged his shoulders at the boy and smiled.
Neko sat down, as the food was brought out and placed on the tables, once again Neko noticed the hunched shadow in the corner of his eye, but when he looked in that direction it had disappeared. Then he suddenly remembered Meera’s present.
“Oh Master Vivi, I will be right back, I promise!” He quickly got up and walked through the courtyard, and went to his room inside the annex. There on his desk was a little wooden box with a sparrow carved on the lid, and a letter resting beside it.
‘Nekonata, Happy Birthday, and congratulations on becoming a man. May this gift I crafted myself offer you some protection against enquiring minds, as well some other protections that I think would be necessary. Take care, Meera the Swallow.’
Neko opened up the box and found a silver chain with a small swallow pendulum adorned to it. With a big smile on his face, he took it out and placed it around his neck, tucking it inside his shirt. “Thank you Meera, I love it!” he muttered softly, and quickly ran back to join Vivi and Timtur at the table.
As Nekonata moved through the crowd he kept seeing the hunched shadow in the corner of his eye, but no matter how many times he looked it had disappeared.
Vivi noticed him looking around as he sat down at the table.
“Is everything ok Neko?” Neko nodded and smiled at Vivi, Neko looked at the table and saw his favourite, grilled duck. “Yes, yes you can eat, go ahead.” Vivi said with a laugh.
Neko happily tucked into the grilled duck and boiled potatoes, he looked around and saw everyone smiling and laughing and having a great time. A small old hunched lady walked forward, with a crooked smile, and pale coloured eyes, her hood drawn over her face, offered to refill Neko’s goblet, “Thank you ma’am, but please leave the jug here, have some food and celebrate with us.” He offered the lady a plate, she was hesitant to take it at first, but at Neko’s polite insistence did so. “The grilled duck is sooo good!” He said, rolling his eyes dramatically. “Would you like some?” The old hooded woman nodded her head softly and put some grilled duck on her plate. He offered more food, but she refused.
“Such a nice, polite gentleman you are.” She said to him with a creepy croaking voice and she quickly wandered away.
Vivi was having a very animated conversation with Elvina and Jortundr, Timtur was seen trying to talk to the dancer Mia, while Prince Althor was flagons deep into drinking mead.
Neko poured himself a drink, and drank from his goblet, the second the liquid touched his lips his whole body went rigid, his eyes glazed over and he collapsed falling to the floor shaking, foam seeping from the corners of his mouth, the necklace started to vibrate, glowing a soft magenta colour, Vivi dropped to his panicking. Vivi, Jortundr and Elvina knelt beside the boy whispering the ancient language trying to help Neko, his shaking subsided, and he fell into a coma.
Vivi noticed the soft glow of magenta coming from the necklace with the swallow… “Meera has undoubtedly saved his life..”
Chapter 27: Shadows
Neko stepped back and extended his arm with the sword, he crouched down getting into a pose, slowly bringing the sword above his head. Taking a deep breath he broke into a flourishing set of movements, Tondro swirling around like a purple blur. It whistles through the air, purple sparks shimmering all along it. Jortrundr glanced over at Vivi who watched his proteges display, and nodded approvingly. Neko stops with a swift over arched flourish, and ends his display in the same pose he started with. His audience cheered wildly.
“Dankon Jortundr, bonvolu esprimi mian dankon kaj dankon al ŝia moŝto Reĝino Gabija nome de mi.” Neko thanked Jortrundr with the traditional Elvish greeting of respect.
“Prince Althor, I thank ye also, as well I feel honoured to meet you and humbled that you helped to create this fine blade.” Nekonata bowed low showing respect to the princely dwarf.
From the corner of his eye Neko noticed a hunched black shadow, but when he looked towards it, it was gone.
Vivi stood up, raised his goblet and said “Let it be known on this day, on Nekonata’s becoming of a man, friendships and bonds were blessed, between humans, elves and dwarves.” There was a loud exaggerated yawn coming from a roof awning just behind Vivi, he glanced behind him and saw a ginger tabby werecat, “And of course werecats!”
“Werecats?” Neko asked Althor and Jortundr looking confused.
Everyone raised their goblets and cups with a loud cheer. Neko strapped his blade to his waist through his belt, and walked back towards Vivi.
“Werecats?” He asked, Vivi looked behind him, but the ginger tabby was gone, so he just shrugged his shoulders at the boy and smiled.
Neko sat down, as the food was brought out and placed on the tables, once again Neko noticed the hunched shadow in the corner of his eye, but when he looked in that direction it had disappeared. Then he suddenly remembered Meera’s present.
“Oh Master Vivi, I will be right back, I promise!” He quickly got up and walked through the courtyard, and went to his room inside the annex. There on his desk was a little wooden box with a sparrow carved on the lid, and a letter resting beside it.
‘Nekonata, Happy Birthday, and congratulations on becoming a man. May this gift I crafted myself offer you some protection against enquiring minds, as well some other protections that I think would be necessary. Take care, Meera the Swallow.’
Neko opened up the box and found a silver chain with a small swallow pendulum adorned to it. With a big smile on his face, he took it out and placed it around his neck, tucking it inside his shirt. “Thank you Meera, I love it!” he muttered softly, and quickly ran back to join Vivi and Timtur at the table.
As Nekonata moved through the crowd he kept seeing the hunched shadow in the corner of his eye, but no matter how many times he looked it had disappeared.
Vivi noticed him looking around as he sat down at the table.
“Is everything ok Neko?” Neko nodded and smiled at Vivi, Neko looked at the table and saw his favourite, grilled duck. “Yes, yes you can eat, go ahead.” Vivi said with a laugh.
Neko happily tucked into the grilled duck and boiled potatoes, he looked around and saw everyone smiling and laughing and having a great time. A small old hunched lady walked forward, with a crooked smile, and pale coloured eyes, her hood drawn over her face, offered to refill Neko’s goblet, “Thank you ma’am, but please leave the jug here, have some food and celebrate with us.” He offered the lady a plate, she was hesitant to take it at first, but at Neko’s polite insistence did so. “The grilled duck is sooo good!” He said, rolling his eyes dramatically. “Would you like some?” The old hooded woman nodded her head softly and put some grilled duck on her plate. He offered more food, but she refused.
“Such a nice, polite gentleman you are.” She said to him with a creepy croaking voice and she quickly wandered away.
Vivi was having a very animated conversation with Elvina and Jortundr, Timtur was seen trying to talk to the dancer Mia, while Prince Althor was flagons deep into drinking mead.
Neko poured himself a drink, and drank from his goblet, the second the liquid touched his lips his whole body went rigid, his eyes glazed over and he collapsed falling to the floor shaking, foam seeping from the corners of his mouth, the necklace started to vibrate, glowing a soft magenta colour, Vivi dropped to his panicking. Vivi, Jortundr and Elvina knelt beside the boy whispering the ancient language trying to help Neko, his shaking subsided, and he fell into a coma.
Vivi noticed the soft glow of magenta coming from the necklace with the swallow… “Meera has undoubtedly saved his life..”
