Private Tales Differences Big And Small

[Ispir Sione]

Spoiler: Ispir

The City of Gild; Campania


Gild was, admittedly, not the first place Ispir would choose to travel. Or the second, or the third, or fourth, and so on. He had thankfully heard of the populace's disdain for magic well ahead of actually reaching the city and so he had to get a bit creative with the music he played here. Thankfully he was a skilled enough musician to play the wind notes of one of his newest songs on a flute attached to a device that kept it to his lips while he played. His hands, meanwhile, strummed simple, beautiful notes on his lyre as he sat upon a slightly weathered stone dais.

All about him people gathered to hear him play and sing and he was overjoyed to see them forget the troubles of their lives for the moment. Faces split into happy smiles, some even tearing up, but on he played as this was quite a lengthy performance. Donations fell into a small wooden cup he used to gather coin and he felt truly at peace as the wind billowed gently by him. His cape catching in the gentle, warm breeze as he smiled to the crowd.

The Song he played drifted about like a gentle caress, a warm hug, to all present. Whether human, dwarf or ogre he was right where he felt he should be bringing them happiness. Only once the song was over, the last note fading away into memory, would he wait for the donations to end, shake hands, bow respectfully to all who approached him, before calmly beginning to collect his donations and hum the tune gently to himself as he stowed the wooden cup away. Dusting himself off Ispir would then sigh contentedly and begin walking, to where even he did not know.

Ruka Kargatal ​

 

[Ruka Kargatal]

"You cannot be musicing beasts!" Ruka protested against the dwarf's story.

The argument had drawn a small but respectably sized crowd in the Forum of Gild; curious onlookers pondering the substance of the question, citizens merely enjoying a spot of entertainment from the amusing idea, some just enthralled by the dwarf's passion and Ruka's antics. The dwarf, quite the seasoned flute player as it were, testified that music—well-enough played—could soothe the rage of even the most savage beast, and that he had done this personally.

"Ohhhhh, but I say it is so!" cried the dwarf, grinning gaily. "Now, now, you might be thinkin', what is this, some ungodly magic? Ohhhhh, no, not in the slightest! Only skill, and the recognition of skill, and beauty, and the recognition of beauty, ohhhhh, that's what it is and no mistake! A man or a dwarf or an ogre can hear a sweet performance and know it, and I grant you, it's more difficult for beasts, beasts that they are, but it's true. Not once I say, but twice—twice!—did I tame a ferocious beast, right in the heat of its attack!"

"But I am not seeing how you doing this. Beasts have mighty fury, like wild bear! How can you stopping a bear with only music? Big muscles needed!"

Back and forth they went, and, as it so happened, the dwarf's recounting of tales went from two such serenadings, to three, to four, and to five by the end of the argument. One could forgive him, perhaps, on account of his elderly age, or one might well think he invented a few, if not all, of those stories. Yet the argument ended with no true conclusion, and the crowd dispersed, and the old dwarf went on his way.

But a man came forth to Ruka at the end and offered to her: "Salt and silver, friend! Hey, I thought you might like to know, there's actually a bard, an ajam man, here in the city. Maybe—"

Ruka caught on to what he was suggesting, and bellowed, "—he could be musicing a beast!? If dwarf folk can do it, bard-man can do it! Truth there!"

And she hurried off! Or, rather, got a few big thunderous steps away before turning back to the helpful man and asking where the ajam bard had last been, and getting his answer. Then she hurried off!

Down the streets of Gild she went. Passersby looked at her and wondered what all the haste was about, for her excitement did indeed make her hurry as though something more dire was afoot. The description she had been given was a bit vague, other than that the bard was short (not so helpful, Ruka was tall, and found many people short!), but it did make mention of the lyre, certainly a distinguishing feature.

And there! A lyre! Ruka came on approach to Ispir not so long after he had dusted himself off and began to wander.

Directly in front of him did she stop, smiling widely, and she said quite loudly in her excitement, "Salt and silver, Bard-man! I can asking you something?"

Ispir Sione

 

[Ispir Sione]

As Ispir talked he would wipe at his forehead and huff a bit, sweating, and begin to take off his cap and overcoat. It was much too warm without the breeze in this Gildish climate to have so many layers and he had only just removed the outer layer of his clothing and put them into his pack being given a pair of flowers by an elderly woman running her own stall. She was more wrinkles than face at this point and airily murmured something to him in the Gildish tongue that Ispir didn't understand before simply smiling and at least murmuring back a thanks in her language. He was not fluent but he at least knew how to say 'thank you'.

Ispir had no more than turned from the elderly woman than the ground shook slightly and a... very.... very tall woman hurriedly stopped directly in front of him.

Spoiler: Looking up through the pair of flowers

Ispir would blink through the flowers as the tall woman greeted him and, smiling kindly, would bow his head in respect.

"Of course, in return for accepting this gift."

He stipulated playfully before offering up the two flowers to the ogre woman on the tips of his toes, only just able to hold them near to her chin as he chuckled.

"But aah it is impolite to not introduce myself? My name is Ispir and you?"

Assuming Ruka took the flowers, even in confusion, he would flourish a bow and smile.

"Well, Ruka-bayan, how may this humble bard help you? I don't I shall be much help but I shall do what I can."

Well, had the dwarf been right? Had the bard truly tamed the ferocious Ruke by recognizing beauty as the dwarf claimed?

Ruka Kargatal​

 

[Ruka Kargatal]

Ruka quite nearly forgot what it was that she wanted to ask him, and why she was here, such was the distraction now presented to her.

"Ohhh, I like flowers!" she said, and very carefully accepted them. Flowers were very delicate things! And small! They needed great taking care of, and such was the way of Big Man Threshkuul and Big Man Regel, that the strong should take care of the weak. She smelled them and smiled gaily and then told Ispir her name when asked.

And when he came to ask her about what she wanted, she looked a little confused. "I, uh...oh...what thinking before flowers...what thinking before flowers...?"

She thought for a moment, smelled the flowers again as though their scent could help her remember, and, apparently, they did help, as she did remember right after.

"Ah! Ispir! You are good at musicing, yes?"

Ispir Sione

 

[Ispir Sione]

Ispir simply beamed up at the tall woman, overjoyed to have made her day better with the flowers, and even gave a giggle as they made her forget why she approached him. He said nothing though, noticing how deep in thought Ruka Kargatal was and did not want to make her remembering before flowers any more difficult. He even gave a supportive nod as realization dawned on her features and he would smile.

"I am! At least, I like to think I am."

Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly he would blush just a little, grinning widely, and then clear his throat.

"Ermm... w-why do you ask? Did you want to request a song perhaps? I did just play one but I'm always happy to share the gift of music with anyone who wants to hear it."

Wiping his forehead Ispir would then swallow and look around, pout a bit, before looking up at Ruka and asking.

"Though before that do you perhaps know somewhere we could get a drink? It's quite hot and I am very thirsty."​

 

[Ruka Kargatal]

"I know many places where we can be drinking," said Ruka proudly, patting herself on the chest for extra emphasis. "A good place is near. It is being called, The Thunder and the Lightning! Mighty name for a mighty tavern! It is run by a Gildan ogre, and I am having friends with him, and I lose many arm wrestling matches against him. For you, double pints!"

She whipped her finger around and pointed in the general direction.

"This way, Bard-man Ispir!"

And she walked and talked, saying, "You are coming to Gild at perfect time! Gift of music is good. But I will ask something special. Something very special!"

Ispir Sione

 

[Ispir Sione]

As Ruka proudly declared she knew where to get a drink Ispir would nod and giggle at the idea of double pints. Not NECESSARILY against the idea but, well, double sized ogre sized pints sounded vaguely like a death sentence. Nevertheless he would stifle a headier laugh as she triumphantly whipped her finger around and declared the tavern was 'this way'!

Maybe trying to follow a very tall ogre woman was not the best idea.....

Every step Ruka took was a great 'THUMP' while every step Ispir took was more of a passive 'tap' and so it came as no surprise as the rhythm of their travel went something along the lines of:

THUMP.

Tap tap tap.

THUMP.

Tap tap tap.

What was a leisurely walk-and-talk for Ruka was turning into some light jogging for the already over-heated bard and after some time he would double over and pant softly, coughing as he held up a finger.

"R-Ruka hold.... ho-hold on.... I umm... I'm having a little trouble k-keeping up here!"

Ruka Kargatal​

 

[Ruka Kargatal]

Ruka had little awareness of Ispir's gradual falling behind. She kept on with her giant steps, sweeping her arm (not the one with the flowers!) toward this place or that, giving off loud descriptions of who lived here or what was sold here. Every now and again she'd have the opportunity to meet an out-of-towner, and a lot of said times she'd take it upon herself to acquaint them with Gild. Many days, though, she thought of venturing out herself—maybe even seeing one of the Noct Yaegir keeps!

But now Ispir came to a halt, and Ruka got a few more steps ahead before she noticed. She turned around and grinned, and now gently tucking the stems of the flowers into the waist of her skirt she returned to him and bent over, her hands on her knees.

"No time for waiting, friend! You are thirsty, and you cannot be drinking if you are not there. Come! I can carrying you, and we will arriving fast!"

Simple-minded as Ruka was, she thought little of asking, and instead made to scoop Ispir up in her arms—if he'd have it—to do exactly as she said, and carry him to The Thunder and the Lightning.

Ispir Sione

 

[Ispir Sione]

Panting as sweat dripped from his brow to the cobbled streets, twin-tails dangling beside his head, Ispir would slowly straighten up and was about to respond to Ruka telling him there was no time to wait when he blinked, rapidly, at being scooped up into the ogre woman's arms. What was meant to be an objection that he wasn't waiting instead coming out as a very flustered.

"U-Uhhh I-I w-well.... ermmm w-wait ahh...."

Feeling quite embarrassed and as consequential as a kitten being picked up like this Ispir would cough and try to ignore the fact that many people were now watching the scene with amusement. Including some male ogres who guffawed at Ruka for holding a 'tiny flower man' never mind a foreigner. On some level he had to admit it wasn't UNCOMFORTABLE being carried like this but on the other hand he wasn't sure his pride could take it. Adjusting, or something close to it anyways, to face Ruka Ispir looked up at the tall ogre woman from her arms and cleared his throat politely, if a bit unsteadily.

"R-Ruka uhh...."

Blinking as they began to approach the tavern his stomach would drop at the thought of being carried in there like... like this! Suddenly blushing brightly he would be unable to get out a single word as they approached the doors and, burying his face in his cap, would simply bury his face against Ruka out of sheer embarrassment.

Ruka Kargatal​