Firelight Chat

Marasheni looked up from tying her horse to the small tree she’d chosen to camp near, to watch her new traveling companion, Iro. The tall, dark haired man with a sharp nose and dark, green shaded skin was meandering about picking up small sticks. There wasn’t much in the way of firewood in Tretyed. Iro walked back to the tiny camp Marasheni had made and dumped the sticks into the ring of rocks he’d arranged earlier. Iro then plopped himself onto a larger rock and shrugged out of his brown leather jacket. He then held the crumpled garment in his hands and fished around in it before bringing out flint and a nail. He then looked up at Marasheni, she quickly turned back to what she’d been doing.

“Never made a fire before? Or is it just the outdoors in general?” Iro asked, “No need to feel foolish, many who suffer from your condition don’t go out much.” He continued, striking the flint stone to the nail. Marasheni finished tying her horse to the tree before turning around and asking,

“My condition?”

“It goes by many names, the nicer kind going along the line of “Proper”, “Well raised”. “Civilized”, but it can all be classified under one category.”

“And what’s that?”

“Pale little imbeciles.” Iro said, smiling up at her.

“How civilized of you.” Marasheni responded, turning away from him and kneeling beside her saddlebags, looking for her food supplies.

“I had no idea you had a sense of humor Mar! One learns new things everyday it would seem, though it isn’t hard when your head is empty to begin with. Sorta like the saying, ‘Once you hit the bottom the only way to go is up.’ “

“How nice.” Marasheni said, finding her rations.

“Very nice, almost as nice as the thought of running off into the sunset, away from you.” Iro clicked together the flint and steel once more, sending sparks that caught on the already smoldering wood.

“You know what would also be nice?” Marasheni asked.

“A rattle snake slipping into your bedding under completely natural causes?”

“Having a sketch artist having to fit that nose onto a wanted poster.”

“Oh yes, such a sight that would be, though it doesn't even glimmer in comparison to the sight of that pig’s snout in person.” Iro responded, gesturing to her turned up nose with a smile. Marasheni pursed her lips and sat on her own rock with a thud, her meal of an apple, small oblong roll, and dried meat sat in a cloth on her lap.

“And all I can hope is that no one starts chasing you down having been confused at the sight of a man with a beak during a hunt.”

“Now dear, that was a bit too wordy, just saying I have a beak of a nose works fine.” Marasheni huffed, taking a bite of her apple.

“Sorry what was that?” Iro said suddenly.

“What?” Marasheni asked, annoyed.

“Wa-was it a snort?” He asked her, feigning worry.

“You’re a child.” Marasheni retorted.

“I’ve always prided myself on my youthful complexion.” Iro didn’t stop smiling.

“Well you need something to be happy about don’t you?”

“Do you speak from experience? I’d love to know what it’s like being inadequate.” Marasheni took another bite of her apple.

“How am I inadequate when, out of the two of us, I’m the only one with a meal?” Marasheni asked him.

“So you excel in material gain, but lack in humanity. Good to know.” Iro said smugly, though everything that came out of the man’s green smudged lips seemed smug and overly condescending. Marasheni frowned at his comment.

“If you’re confused, then notice that you’re not leaping at the chance to offer me anything, are you?” Iro continued.

“That’s very true.” Marasheni said, taking yet another bite of her apple.

“Such a warm person, aren’t you?”

“I pride myself on it.” Marasheni said while chewing. “You do know that the more you act like this, the harder this journey will be for you.”

“If I’m such a burden, I should leave, I can find my own meals and such.” Iro moved to stand.

“Now that I think for a moment, I think it is possible.” Marasheni said.

“What’s possible?”

“That beak will fit on a wanted poster!”

“And why are you so sure there’s a reason I should be on a wanted poster?”

“Because you tried to rob me.”

“Sorry? What?”

“The way you attacked my horse, I can only assume . . .”

“First I’m just suspicious, now I’m a bandit. I’m so glad I met you.”

“I make you sound interesting, why not go along with it?” Marasheni asked, reaching back to her saddle bags and pulling out another cloth packaged meal. She then tossed it to Iro.

“It’s hard for me to figure out if you like me or not.” Iro said.

“Oh, I think you’re an abomination, but even abominations need to eat. Especially if they have to carry all of my bags in the morning, seeing as how my horse cannot.”

“Well this is going to be a long night. You’re not going to tie me to that tree as well are you?”

“Now there’s an idea!” Marasheni exclaimed.

“You know what also an idea?”

“What?”

“Ending this conversation.” Iro said, digging into the dried meat of his meal, not even acknowledging the pear he had.

“Alright. I’m more than fine with not talking. Though I know you won’t last two minutes without spouting and opinion.”

“Oh I can hold in my spouts.” Iro responded. Why was it that when he said something silly it didn’t sound stupid, but it she had said the same line, she would be the idiot?

“I look forward to watching you suffer.”

“Well lucky you, because you’ve been witnessing that since this afternoon.”

“Alright not talking starts NOW!” Marasheni said, quickly snapping her mouth shut. Iro bit into his jerky again, taking a not-so-burnt stick from their small fire and poking around with it, getting it to burn better. Marasheni herself was already half done with her meal, so she rooted through one of her close by saddle bags and found her latest journal. Since running into Iro this afternoon, she hadn’t gotten a chance to update it. She flipped through the book before settling down to write.

Entry twenty.

Earlier today my horse was run into be a Speed Shade, as improbable and insane that may seen, it did happen. No doubt due to the Speed Shades own inadequacy. The Speed Shade gave his name to be Iro, though there is no telling if that is true. I was able to convince him to travel along with me on my search, I thought it a good idea to have a guide. This Iro obviously knows more of the Tretyed terrain than I do. I find his assistance an even trade to pay for the damages he did to my horse and my cargo. I find that---

Suddenly Marasheni’s journal was ripped from her hands.

“HEY!” She yelled at Iro who was now standing beside her. The man only looked down at her, raised a finger to his lips and went,

“Shhhhhhh.”

“Give that back!” Marasheni commanded as Iro opened the book and started flipping through. “Stop that! Give it back!” She continued. Iro ignored her and bent down to grab the pencil that she’d been using. while he was leaning Marasheni tried to reach for her journal, Iro simply stretched his much longer arms in the air. Iro then snatched up the pencil and walked off with journal, he flipped through the book before stopping to scribble something. Marasheni stood up and demanded.

“What did you write?” Iro smiled at her and showed her a page from her journal that was blank except for Can I talk now? Written in big letters.

“Fine.” Marasheni said grumpily. Suddenly Iro gasped as if he’d been holding his breath. Then he held a hand to his chest while saying.

“D-does my voice still work? It’s still an angelic harp yes?” He asked her. “What am I saying? Of course it is! Lets get to business. Is there anything naughty in your little book.” Iro continued as Marasheni rushed over to him, trying to snatch at the book.

“Let’s start with this one.” Iro said while pointing to a random page.

“ ‘Today I spend the night in the town of Galafel, it is an adequate place, but there is still much to be desired. Such as better lighting in my room, more pillows and understanding why the innkeeper doesn’t like me.’ ” Iro started to read in an overly pompous voice. “The innkeeper didn’t like you? How could that be?” Iro teased as he continued. “ ‘I have carefully started to question, starting with the innkeeper himself as well as some other business owners in the town. Questions such as “Has there been any strange activity lately?” Has been rebuked with statements like “A colorblood wandering about.” and “A little girl asking questions.” I tried not to take offence but this bias shown by the townspeople has greatly effected my expedition, for all I know it’s here, but no one will tell me.’ ” Iro’s tone started to change, his brow started to wrinkle as he read on. “ ‘Though that probably isn’t the case, these towns closer to the border are sparsely populated because of the absence of Prismatics, some left most underpopulated with what Motley population there was. Towns like these do not have the right proportions to support my aunt’s theory.’ ” Suddenly he stopped, his eyes widening with what was written.

“ ‘But that is no matter . . .’ “ He said, smiling broadly as Marasheni tried to snatch the journal. “ ‘I’ll be leaving soon and maybe tomorrow I can question the inn’s stable boy. He seemed very forthcoming, and has lovely green eyes. I should revise this before returning home, Revshinav may react poorly, then again, maybe keeping it would be alright, I would have revise this decision making though.’ ” Iro lowered his arm and allowed her to take away the book.

“So tell me,” Iro started to ask, “what are you searching for? Other than a midnight visit to the stables? And did you actually have a horse before meeting that boy? Or did he convince you that that bag of flies over there was adequate?”

“How dare---You! I-a. Err. Don’t look through my notes!” Marasheni snapped, shaking the book at him.

“Notes? What sort of study is this? ‘How-to’s in the world of social awkwardness’?” He asked her.

“No! I’m looking for something.” Marasheni mumbled.

“What?” Iro asked.

“The Argenteus.” Marasheni responded as she watched Iro fall back onto his rock, a look of pure shock covering his green shaded face.

“The--Thhhhhaa.” Iro had a look on his face as if his tongue had stopped working, he continued to work his mouth making odd, incomprehensible sounds. “Tha . . . Argennn . . . teus?” He finally got out before quite literally scratching his head. Marasheni couldn’t help it as she covered her mouth with a tight fist to keep from laughing. The discombobulated look on Iro’s face was enough to make her forget her hatred of the idiot Speed Shade.

“The Argenteus.” Marasheni said, just managing not to laugh.

“What?” Iro’s tone changed, becoming sharper as his face tightened around the thought of her plans. “Are you insane?” Iro asked, slowly crawling out of the hole of idiocy he’d dropped himself into with his previous reaction.

“I am a scholar, looking for answers.”

“And a god.” Iro added, his face growing distantly befuddled in thought. His mouth hung half open as he squinted off at nothing in the dusk dimming landscape.

“Also know as a person with a recessive gene.” Marasheni corrected him.

“A what?”

“A gene, in this case for Prismatic powers, that does not appear unless both parents contain it.”

“A what?”

“Most people have dominant genes, Prismatic is one of those---”

“Just stop you’re making this harder.”

“But I haven’t even explained---!”

“You’re looking for a silver super-god-thing who’s supposed to bring tyranny, and gods, and Shade knows what else! I don’t care about parenting!” Iro exclaimed, banging a fist into his knee.

“You should! My theory shows that the Argenteus is not infact a holy miracle, but a natural phenomenon, a rare phenomenon at that. It’s truly fascinating, if you’ll just listen---”

“No. It’s not. What is fascinating is how a little Tint like you ended up hunting it down! That there is fascinating! Red’s fire to your scholarly!”

“Well that was rude.” Marasheni retorted, folding her arms.

“Ya know what’s rude? Having a horse run into you, be forced into servitude, then find out the person who's already blackmailing you is also nutters. THAT is rude.” Iro responded, throwing his arms about at the end.

“I am not nutters!”

“Then aren’t you a sick little actor.”

“Will you just listen to me for a moment?”

“No! I’m here to carry bags, not to make conversation.”

“Not making conversation? Do you even hear yourself? We already tried not talking and you ruined it!” Marasheni stared Iro down as if her glare could truly melt through his forehead like she wished it would.

“It takes at least two people to have a little chat, unless you're insane, the three or maybe even five people can join in. A great example is right now!”

“You want an example of insanity? I actually shared my plan with you!”

“This has been my point all along, thank you for following.” Iro added, making Marasheni stare harder.