Carrot Cake 26 + Pear 26 + More Aria for you~
Author: C
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 458
Story / World: Mages (immediately pre-Slíated), sai'da
Challenges: Carrot Cake 26. dive + Pear 26. forgive & forget
Toppings / Extras: Butterscotch + Rainbow Sprinkles
Notes: I am ridiculously fond of Tandel's name. And he basically either got appointed spokesman for everyone because Aria asked him stuff more, or because he's spokesman she asks. The latter sounds far too logical for Aria Jocaste though~
Aria asked, insistently, “How long do you want this city to last?”
“What?” Tandel turned towards her but didn’t seem to see for a moment. He’d been considering the strangely oasis-like stretch of valley and river below the pitted red cliff they were standing on; it looked to be the best place they’d found.
It looked like it could be home fairly well.
He looked to Enn in case the Magus’ brother could help explain, but the stare from him was just as blank and amazed that he didn’t get it as Aria’s was. In a put-upon voice, she said, “I need to know how long this city’s supposed to hold together for.”
Tandel blinked. “Forever, shouldn’t it? As long as you can manage?”
She sat down, swinging her legs back and forth over the cliff’s edge. “It’s not so simple. I’m edging in... you wouldn’t get that, a D’Tielrát might but I’m not too sure. The city will hold together as long as the reason it exists is remembered, and the reason it exists will be remembered and held as a vendetta as long as the city stands. How many generations do you want carrying your grudge?”
He considered this solemnly, eyes closed. Aria’s questions like this were always daunting, and as speaker for the speaker-mages they were usually directed at him. “It’s a good enough cause,” he replied, finally, quiet, “that as long as you can should be about right.”
Enn looked almost like Tandel had disappointed him. Aria smiled, a slight sort of thing. “You don’t want my forever,” she told him firmly, absolute command in her voice despite the way their respective ages would usually lean an authority dynamic. “A... a thousand five hundred, maybe, two thousand at the very outside. There’s a lot of blur on there, three dozen generations’ worth, I can’t tell too clearly. At some point it will be over. Is that satisfactory?”
Tandel swallowed, throat dry as is fairly common when having come out of a desert. “It’s fine,” he said, knowing that whatever he’d told her she would have turned it her way in the end.
Aria got up and raised her arms; a breeze struck up and grew into a great, almost tornado-like wind that swirled around them as winds are not meant to do. Looking down, Tandel saw the valley bubbling and churning like thick soup. Enn took him by the elbow and started to pull him away, saying something about his sister being dangerous whilst she was casting.
The last glimpse Tandel got of her, she was smiling beatifically, arms still raised, as the sand and wind raged around her, and then Enn dove to the ground, still pulling Tandel along.
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 458
Story / World: Mages (immediately pre-Slíated), sai'da
Challenges: Carrot Cake 26. dive + Pear 26. forgive & forget
Toppings / Extras: Butterscotch + Rainbow Sprinkles
Notes: I am ridiculously fond of Tandel's name. And he basically either got appointed spokesman for everyone because Aria asked him stuff more, or because he's spokesman she asks. The latter sounds far too logical for Aria Jocaste though~
Aria asked, insistently, “How long do you want this city to last?”
“What?” Tandel turned towards her but didn’t seem to see for a moment. He’d been considering the strangely oasis-like stretch of valley and river below the pitted red cliff they were standing on; it looked to be the best place they’d found.
It looked like it could be home fairly well.
He looked to Enn in case the Magus’ brother could help explain, but the stare from him was just as blank and amazed that he didn’t get it as Aria’s was. In a put-upon voice, she said, “I need to know how long this city’s supposed to hold together for.”
Tandel blinked. “Forever, shouldn’t it? As long as you can manage?”
She sat down, swinging her legs back and forth over the cliff’s edge. “It’s not so simple. I’m edging in... you wouldn’t get that, a D’Tielrát might but I’m not too sure. The city will hold together as long as the reason it exists is remembered, and the reason it exists will be remembered and held as a vendetta as long as the city stands. How many generations do you want carrying your grudge?”
He considered this solemnly, eyes closed. Aria’s questions like this were always daunting, and as speaker for the speaker-mages they were usually directed at him. “It’s a good enough cause,” he replied, finally, quiet, “that as long as you can should be about right.”
Enn looked almost like Tandel had disappointed him. Aria smiled, a slight sort of thing. “You don’t want my forever,” she told him firmly, absolute command in her voice despite the way their respective ages would usually lean an authority dynamic. “A... a thousand five hundred, maybe, two thousand at the very outside. There’s a lot of blur on there, three dozen generations’ worth, I can’t tell too clearly. At some point it will be over. Is that satisfactory?”
Tandel swallowed, throat dry as is fairly common when having come out of a desert. “It’s fine,” he said, knowing that whatever he’d told her she would have turned it her way in the end.
Aria got up and raised her arms; a breeze struck up and grew into a great, almost tornado-like wind that swirled around them as winds are not meant to do. Looking down, Tandel saw the valley bubbling and churning like thick soup. Enn took him by the elbow and started to pull him away, saying something about his sister being dangerous whilst she was casting.
The last glimpse Tandel got of her, she was smiling beatifically, arms still raised, as the sand and wind raged around her, and then Enn dove to the ground, still pulling Tandel along.