The Unreached Duchy

Chapter 25

“You’re on like lava on dirt.” laughed Senara as she set the Senet board for a game. Patera, Huli, and Titian didn’t even look up from where they were crunching on their treats a few yards away on the stone floor part of the house.

“What are the humans transforming into that you have to escort this time? Anything out of the recent favorites?” Rusalka asked as she scratched Huli on the back of her head.

“There’s two that I’m escorting, they’re brother and sister. The sister is transforming to a fir Bolg and the brother is transforming to a Basajaun. I’m meeting them at the Temple in Boedromion at dusk for us to start our journey to Thargelion.” Senara replied as Patera settled down with Titian next to where Senara had perched herself on a ledge seat.

Senara couldn’t help but Huli seemed to be especially enjoying Rusalka scratching her. “Is she shedding again?” Senara asked out of concern for her friend’s Ningyo as she made her first move on the Senet board.

Ningyo are not the prettiest creatures to behold in Makara but they are among the sweetest to own, they are very similar to Merfolk in appearance. Ningyo had fur on roughly half of their bodies and scales all over the rest of their bodies. The creatures have the upper half body of a monkey, some even have tails; the lower half of the creatures’ body varies as much as koi fish do.

“I think she might be. I caught her in the water a couple of days before we went to Pyanepsion rubbing herself on her back all over in the kelp. I’ve been trying to brush her as much as I can when I’m not at the volcano to make sure there is no repeat of last time she shed.” Rusalka said with concern in her voice.

Huli seemed to be able to tell that she was the topic of conversation because she rolled over onto her back, stretched her arms out on either side of her body, and on her belly with her tail curled straight up in the air. “You are one silly monkey-fish, you know that Huli?” Rusalka giggled as she stopped scratching Huli and turned her attention to the Senet game with her best friend, “Is it my turn yet?”

The best friends continued to play Senet for the rest of the afternoon while making endless idle chit chat since they had not gotten a chance to visit and relax since the hurricane.

Shortly before dusk, Senara said her good byes to Rusalka and took her leave with Patera for Boedromion for the second time that day. Senara had decided that she would take Patera with her on this trip and fly home on her instead of on a Mima as well. Senara could not wait to get the humans to Thargelion because that was going to be their home city after the Alaiceaus Festival ended.

Upon arriving in Boedromion, Patera landed in the MerWay so Senara could easily get off the saddle and go see if her two charges were at the Temple as instructed. Patera waited at the stable closest to the MerWay that was a short distance from the Temple. Senara was not surprised that she was unable to find them at the Temple.

“Maybe the sister talked her brother into getting on a boat headed to the mainland because she wanted to go home that much.” Senara thought to herself angrily while she started to head back to the stables where she left Patera. Now she would have to fly on Patera while she looked for them.

Before she could reach the stables, Senara caught sight of the sibling pair making their way cautiously through the streets of Boedromion towards the Temple. Senara continued on her way to get Patera so it would be one less stop to make on their way to Thargelion. Riding Patera would also allow her to go onto land without touching the land; being a duchy escort did not allow for Senara to transform like some other positions did, like Namtao was able to for Trirmeme business.

“I was wondering if I would have to come looking for the two of you.” Senara said as she approached the pair at the edge of the MerWay outside the temple. Ravana was seated on Maneli’s shoulder. Ravana was now a Fir Bolg and stood roughly six inches taller than she did when she arrived in Makara. Maneli was now a Basajaun, an ancestral race known for their megaliths, and stood roughly the same height as he did as a human.

“We were enjoying the rest of the Alaiceaus Festival. I had no idea there was so many tools available to just Basajauns,” Maneli said sounding very surprised and excited.

“We were even able to acquire a few things for the journey to Thargelion as well,” piped up Ravana, “including a Senet set. Ours was lost during the hurricane.”

Senara was actually slightly impressed with the siblings that were before her. “I usually bring a Senet set with me when I travel to other towns and cities. This time I decided to leave my sets at home.”

“Sets? You have more than one Senet set?” Ravana asked wide eyed in disbelief. “We’ve only had one that was made from wood. Not sure why owning a Senet set back in Dacia was seen as something horrible.”

“I have several Senet sets actually. They are made from rock stone, wood, and lava stone. I find it relaxing to play. In Makara, we have much different laws than the kingdoms on the mainland. We also have a much different view of life than the other kingdoms do as well.” Senara said in an effort to educate her charges, “We certainly have different creatures that live within our borders.”

Maneli had apparently stopped listening to what was being said between the two girls but Senara had just realized that he was looking curiously at Patera, almost like he was deciding if she was safe to pet or not.