Post by Doozerpindan on Feb 6, 2017 5:41:46 GMT -5
Anis raced through the market, stopping only for a moment to grab a piece of fruit from a stall as he tossed a coin to the merchant before running off again, laughing as the other customers grumbled about youth these days always being in a rush. The sandstorm that had buffeted Hajar Hadia's high walls had finally abated early that morning, and the young would-be explorer was eager to get to the docks before the merchant-ships arrived with their goods, and the crews with their tales of adventure.
By the time he arrived at the docks, people were already unloading crates of goods onto the pier and taking them away to the various warehouses along the port district. He raced up to the Queens Glaive, the flagship of Hajar Hadia's merchant fleet. It was an enormous ship, covered in arcane wards and bristling with large cannons and ballista’s.
Aqil stood on the bow of the ship, looking over the proceedings with an appraising eye. He had been doing this for decades, and his people were well-trained. When he saw Anis, he smiled and shouted down to him.
“You’re late!” He said with a laugh.
“I overslept, the sandstorm kept me up most of the night.” The boy shouted back as the captain made his way from the deck onto the pier.
“Sounds like an excuse to me.” Aqil said when he was finally within speaking distance, ruffling the boy’s hair as he spoke.
“Hah, you’re just jealous you didn’t get to see the barrier go up.” Anis shot back with a smirk.
“Aye, ‘tis a sight, is it not?” The older man agreed, and then he fished something out of a pocket. “I got you this, by the way.”
Anis took the proffered item gingerly from the man’s hand, his face awash with excitement. He had heard tales of faraway lands so far away that simply travelling there was dangerous, and then there were the pirate battles as people with too much swagger and too little brains tried to rob from the Queens Glaive and her fleet. The item in question was a carving of a strange animal he had never seen before. It looked like a small orange dog, but it had nine tails that spread out like a fan, with white tips. The creature’s eyes were green gems that seemed to glow in the sunlight.
“What is it?” The boy finally asked, having studied the regal-looking fox for several long moments.
“It’s a Kitsune, a nine-tailed fox guardian said to protect and watch over humans. Not all Kitsune have nine tails, and not all Kitsune are good. This one was a gift from a local lord as a thank you for our trade.”
“It’s amazing, thank you!” Anis said with genuine sincerity. He offered the captain a wide grin before slipping the statuette into a concealed pocket.
The captain was about to say more when he was interrupted by a nasal and familiar voice. It was the royal accountant and his entourage. They always came down to watch over proceedings and make sure nobody tried to make off with the merchandise.
Anis groaned and offered the captain a plaintive look, hoping that just once he’d tell the stuffy nobles to get lost.
“Sorry, kid, duty calls. We’ll talk later, I promise.” He ruffled the kid’s hair once more and, with a sigh, stepped away from the boy to attend to important matters.
Anis spent several minutes watching as good were taken from the ships to the warehouses before boredom got the better of him and he left. He didn’t blame Aqil, of course, he knew the captain took his job very seriously, and he also knew he would keep his promise to talk later. For now, Anis was going to go home and add the Kitsune statuette to his collection of trinkets. His mother half playfully lamented the space he took up with all his trinkets and collectables, but she never once told him to throw them away or to stop collecting them.
As he made his way back into the city proper, his mood brightened once more, and he pulled out the fruit that he had grabbed. It was an apple, he didn’t much like apples, but it would do. He took a bite as he made his way deeper into the city, wondering what other adventures awaited him today.
By the time he arrived at the docks, people were already unloading crates of goods onto the pier and taking them away to the various warehouses along the port district. He raced up to the Queens Glaive, the flagship of Hajar Hadia's merchant fleet. It was an enormous ship, covered in arcane wards and bristling with large cannons and ballista’s.
Aqil stood on the bow of the ship, looking over the proceedings with an appraising eye. He had been doing this for decades, and his people were well-trained. When he saw Anis, he smiled and shouted down to him.
“You’re late!” He said with a laugh.
“I overslept, the sandstorm kept me up most of the night.” The boy shouted back as the captain made his way from the deck onto the pier.
“Sounds like an excuse to me.” Aqil said when he was finally within speaking distance, ruffling the boy’s hair as he spoke.
“Hah, you’re just jealous you didn’t get to see the barrier go up.” Anis shot back with a smirk.
“Aye, ‘tis a sight, is it not?” The older man agreed, and then he fished something out of a pocket. “I got you this, by the way.”
Anis took the proffered item gingerly from the man’s hand, his face awash with excitement. He had heard tales of faraway lands so far away that simply travelling there was dangerous, and then there were the pirate battles as people with too much swagger and too little brains tried to rob from the Queens Glaive and her fleet. The item in question was a carving of a strange animal he had never seen before. It looked like a small orange dog, but it had nine tails that spread out like a fan, with white tips. The creature’s eyes were green gems that seemed to glow in the sunlight.
“What is it?” The boy finally asked, having studied the regal-looking fox for several long moments.
“It’s a Kitsune, a nine-tailed fox guardian said to protect and watch over humans. Not all Kitsune have nine tails, and not all Kitsune are good. This one was a gift from a local lord as a thank you for our trade.”
“It’s amazing, thank you!” Anis said with genuine sincerity. He offered the captain a wide grin before slipping the statuette into a concealed pocket.
The captain was about to say more when he was interrupted by a nasal and familiar voice. It was the royal accountant and his entourage. They always came down to watch over proceedings and make sure nobody tried to make off with the merchandise.
Anis groaned and offered the captain a plaintive look, hoping that just once he’d tell the stuffy nobles to get lost.
“Sorry, kid, duty calls. We’ll talk later, I promise.” He ruffled the kid’s hair once more and, with a sigh, stepped away from the boy to attend to important matters.
Anis spent several minutes watching as good were taken from the ships to the warehouses before boredom got the better of him and he left. He didn’t blame Aqil, of course, he knew the captain took his job very seriously, and he also knew he would keep his promise to talk later. For now, Anis was going to go home and add the Kitsune statuette to his collection of trinkets. His mother half playfully lamented the space he took up with all his trinkets and collectables, but she never once told him to throw them away or to stop collecting them.
As he made his way back into the city proper, his mood brightened once more, and he pulled out the fruit that he had grabbed. It was an apple, he didn’t much like apples, but it would do. He took a bite as he made his way deeper into the city, wondering what other adventures awaited him today.