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Kallon was leaning over the rail, staring out at the miles of ocean that stretched before them. It was almost like the plains of Tromar, but blue. He felt someone approach and looked down to his left. The kid blinked up at Kallon with large, dark eyes. He was one of the half-dozen children onboard. The boy had a moderate complexion, round face, and a short, wide nose. His dark brown hair threatened to curl at the ends. His mouth moved but didn't quite open to say anything.
Kallon watched the kid fidget and reconsider before looking out over the rail again. "How many times have you sailed this route?" Kallon asked.
The kid finally stepped up to the rail and set his hands on it, following Kallon's gaze. "It's my fourth," his voice was uncertain and carried the same accent the rest of the Lunaisan hybrids had when they spoke Kamenan. "I just started at [Name of School in Golan] last year."
Kallon nodded. "What's your name?"
"O," the kid was caught off guard at the question, eyes widening further. "I, eh, my name's Dunnahhith Ilgohthar, but most people just call me Dunnuh."
"Do you like the nickname?" Kallon asked.
"I don't mind it."
"You should like what people call you. Do you prefer Dunnahhith or Dunnuh?"
"It's easier to say."
"But do you like it."
"Yeah, I guess I do."
"Dunnuh Ilgohthar," Kallon looked down at the kid, "my name is Kallon Hillenbohn Sollit."
"I know who you are," Dunnuh said.
"I figured you did." Kallon stared at his own hands, running a thumb over the black markings on the base of his fingers. "Did you want to ask me something Dunnuh?"
"Yeah," Dunnuh fidgeted again.
"Well? Ask it."
Dunnuh still struggled to figure out what he wanted to say. His brows furrowing and lips rubbing briefly against each other.
"More than one is fine," Kallon offered. "It's a long trip."
"You lived with Klamon first, right?"
"Yeah, I was born in Geteilpohth."
"How was that?"
"Good," he snorted softly, "while it lasted." He twined his fingers together. "I miss it. I wish I could go back."
"Why not go back?"
"It's complicated," Kallon said. "It's safer for the Getier if I'm not there. The Meim caused trouble for them before, I'm sure they'd do it again."
Dunnuh went silent again and looked out at the ocean. It was a few minutes before he ventured to speak again. "How did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"You know," Dunnuh tilted his head and lifted his shoulders, "survive?"
Kallon looked down at Dunnuh. He coudln't be much older than Janef. "How old are you?"
"I'll be fourteen soon."
"I have a sister about your age."
"That's Janef, right?"
Kallon frowned down at Dunnuh. "Yeah, you all have been making our business your business."
Dunnuh tucked his head and folded his arms. "I don't know. It's just what my parents said."
"Hm," he expected them to know about Sray. She was openly among the Meim. It seemed her name was everywhere. Janef should be off limits. She had no part in this. The kid wasn't to blame, though.
Dunnuh peeked up at Kallon again. "I don't think you answered my question."
Kallon took in a deep breath and pushed himself up to stand fully, hands gripping the rail a little harder than they needed to. "I don't know how I did it, Dunnuh. If your parents told you anything, you'd know I don't remember much of the end." How much would you tell a kid about that? About starvation, about being so out of his mind with rage and despair that nothing could break thorugh it. About pain that was beyond consciously comprehending and exhaustion that went deep into the depths of his very being. Of being cold, weak, and at the mercy of people who didn't know the meaning of the word. "Don't think of me as any type of hero. I wasn't brave. I wasn't noble. There was no grand thing about anything I did at Domman. I just survived. That's it. I survived because they didn't want me dead."
Dunnuh's eyes were wide open, the whites clear and stark around the dark irises. He finally blinked and looked down at the water that lapped against the hull of the boat.
"Any other questions?"
Dunnuh looked up again. "Are you going to stay?"
"I don't know." Kallon let go of the rail. "I haven't even arrived."
Ishsobet Tokabae is understanding of Yuri's predicament. She knows he's not attracted to her romantically and she's fine with that, but they have to do their Family duty.
"I know you don't love me like that, Yuri. I don't think you ever will."
She's been done with her schooling a couple years. She wants to keep her skills sharp so she may take trips back to Alast for continuing education in the medical field. She wants to be sure Lunais has the best trained physicians it can.
Kallon was leaning over the rail, staring out at the miles of ocean that stretched before them. It was almost like the plains of Tromar, but blue. He felt someone approach and looked down to his left. The kid blinked up at Kallon with large, dark eyes. He was one of the half-dozen children onboard. The boy had a moderate complexion, round face, and a short, wide nose. His dark brown hair threatened to curl at the ends. His mouth moved but didn't quite open to say anything.
Kallon watched the kid fidget and reconsider before looking out over the rail again. "How many times have you sailed this route?" Kallon asked.
The kid finally stepped up to the rail and set his hands on it, following Kallon's gaze. "It's my fourth," his voice was uncertain and carried the same accent the rest of the Lunaisan hybrids had when they spoke Kamenan. "I just started at [Name of School in Golan] last year."
Kallon nodded. "What's your name?"
"O," the kid was caught off guard at the question, eyes widening further. "I, eh, my name's Dunnahhith Ilgohthar, but most people just call me Dunnuh."
"Do you like the nickname?" Kallon asked.
"I don't mind it."
"You should like what people call you. Do you prefer Dunnahhith or Dunnuh?"
"It's easier to say."
"But do you like it."
"Yeah, I guess I do."
"Dunnuh Ilgohthar," Kallon looked down at the kid, "my name is Kallon Hillenbohn Sollit."
"I know who you are," Dunnuh said.
"I figured you did." Kallon stared at his own hands, running a thumb over the black markings on the base of his fingers. "Did you want to ask me something Dunnuh?"
"Yeah," Dunnuh fidgeted again.
"Well? Ask it."
Dunnuh still struggled to figure out what he wanted to say. His brows furrowing and lips rubbing briefly against each other.
"More than one is fine," Kallon offered. "It's a long trip."
"You lived with Klamon first, right?"
"Yeah, I was born in Geteilpohth."
"How was that?"
"Good," he snorted softly, "while it lasted." He twined his fingers together. "I miss it. I wish I could go back."
"Why not go back?"
"It's complicated," Kallon said. "It's safer for the Getier if I'm not there. The Meim caused trouble for them before, I'm sure they'd do it again."
Dunnuh went silent again and looked out at the ocean. It was a few minutes before he ventured to speak again. "How did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"You know," Dunnuh tilted his head and lifted his shoulders, "survive?"
Kallon looked down at Dunnuh. He coudln't be much older than Janef. "How old are you?"
"I'll be fourteen soon."
"I have a sister about your age."
"That's Janef, right?"
Kallon frowned down at Dunnuh. "Yeah, you all have been making our business your business."
Dunnuh tucked his head and folded his arms. "I don't know. It's just what my parents said."
"Hm," he expected them to know about Sray. She was openly among the Meim. It seemed her name was everywhere. Janef should be off limits. She had no part in this. The kid wasn't to blame, though.
Dunnuh peeked up at Kallon again. "I don't think you answered my question."
Kallon took in a deep breath and pushed himself up to stand fully, hands gripping the rail a little harder than they needed to. "I don't know how I did it, Dunnuh. If your parents told you anything, you'd know I don't remember much of the end." How much would you tell a kid about that? About starvation, about being so out of his mind with rage and despair that nothing could break thorugh it. About pain that was beyond consciously comprehending and exhaustion that went deep into the depths of his very being. Of being cold, weak, and at the mercy of people who didn't know the meaning of the word. "Don't think of me as any type of hero. I wasn't brave. I wasn't noble. There was no grand thing about anything I did at Domman. I just survived. That's it. I survived because they didn't want me dead."
Dunnuh's eyes were wide open, the whites clear and stark around the dark irises. He finally blinked and looked down at the water that lapped against the hull of the boat.
"Any other questions?"
Dunnuh looked up again. "Are you going to stay?"
"I don't know." Kallon let go of the rail. "I haven't even arrived."
Ishsobet Tokabae is understanding of Yuri's predicament. She knows he's not attracted to her romantically and she's fine with that, but they have to do their Family duty.
"I know you don't love me like that, Yuri. I don't think you ever will."
She's been done with her schooling a couple years. She wants to keep her skills sharp so she may take trips back to Alast for continuing education in the medical field. She wants to be sure Lunais has the best trained physicians it can.