#…this turned out haplening for Much longer than i thiught it would | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

closetgremlin · 6 years

Text

"Do the thing, do the thing!" the little elf whispered to their twin.

The twin grinned, both childrens' eyes dappled with sunlight from their hiding place and sparkling with mischief as the one cast Mimicry - the sound of a great rumbling beast echoed through the clearing. The travelers jumped to attention, looking around the clearing for any sign of the supposed beast, calling to each other in Common as they drew their weapons.

From their hiding place, the twins snickered before the first one playfully pushed the second one and insisted they continue. The second one nodded, then looked back at the clearing and focused. Opening their mouth, they threw their voice and -

"Who dares enter my lands?" a deep voice rumbled in Common from all around the clearing, causing the travelers to spin in all derections to try and pin the source.

"We are… travelers," one called out - voice was deep and strong, full of authority; of merchant class at least, based on the good quality of their armor. Their hair was black, long and tied back with beads strung through, and they looked to be of at least partial drow descent - "adventurers, passing through to find the Misted Woods and hoping to help aid in the rumored turmoil there. We mean you no harm nor disrespect by traveling through your lands, and ask for safe passage."

One of their party members hissed something at them, and they responded in kind until the voice returned.

"Safe passage…" it echoed —

"…What do we do?" the second twin asked the first.

The first one thought for a second, then quickly suggested: "Questions!"

— then gave a laugh, low like the scraping of stone against itself. "Very well. Answer these questions, and you may pass."

There was more hissing among the party, but eventually the drow said quickly-

"We'll do it."

One member seemed upset at their acceptance of the deal, and the party bickered once more until the rumbling resumed. The second twin had casted Mimicry once again, and this time, from the southeast end of the clearing, the far left from the hiding position of the twins, a Sphinx emerged from the rubble.

"Your first question," the Sphinx rumbled as it pawed forward: "who are you?" the Sphinx asked the drow as it settled, cocking its head to the side.

"I am Alex Rosworth, pronouns he-him-his," the drow said.

The Sphinx hummed in acknowledgement.

"Your second question: what is your function?"

There was a slight pause as Alex muttered to himself, confused, but then shook his head, seeming to find his answer.

"I am a fighter," he responded.

"Your third question: where are you from?"

"I hail from Juülpo, in the north."

"Your fourth-"

"Um, excuse me?" one of Alex's party members piped up. They were perhaps gmomish, noticeable only by their pure white clothes with gold edges and pink hair. "How many questions does he-?"

"Silence," the Sphinx bellowed, baring its teeth as it spins into a defensive position. "I ask the questions here," it snarled. "Interrupt again and I will eat your bones." After a stretch of silence, the Sphinx huffed and settled once again.

"Your fourth question: when the Tyrant King of Quimberfell was slain-"

"We're supposed to know history for this?!" the same party member cried.

"Aliese!" several party members groaned.

From their hiding place, the first twin burst into giggles, trying to keep themself quiet so not to disturb their sister or the adventurers before them.

The Sphinx popped back into its defensive position and pulled back its teeth into a fearsome snarl, its fangs sharp and probably as large as Aliese themself, its face twisted in deadly anger.

"I will eat your bones, small one!" It boomed, and then kept forward and bounded across the open space in a mater of seconds.

In that span of time, Alex had pulled out his sword and now swiped at the Sphinx as it approached - …swinging at air as the illusion dissipated upon first contact.

"Oh no," the first twin muttered. "Quick," they told their twin, "cast it again before-!"

"I can't!" the second twin exclaimed in a whisper. "I can only do it twice a day, remember? I did it for the rumbling, I did it for the big thing-!"

"…Hello?" one of the party members called out. "Is anyone out there?"

"As I said before," Alex chimes in, "we mean you no harm."

"Bit," the first twin whisper-asks, "what do we do?"

"I don't know," Bit whisper-shouts, "this was your idea, Emmy!"

"Well I-!"

"Hello?" another voice calls, now more towards the direction of their hiding hole. The two freeze as the voice seems to address them, or at least their direction.

"I think I heard voices," that same voice says to their party, pausing as if to gesture, "in that direction."

Footsteps.

The twins could feel the blood beating in their chests. The first twin took a deep breath, then looked out their hiding hole.

Two amber eyes poke out from a hole in the ground, large ears standing straight up. A moment later, a second pair of eyes and ears joins them. They watch the party, who paused when the first eyes appeared and who pause now.

"We mean you no harm," says the third voice gently, belonging to a young-looking elf with oak-brown eyes and blue markings.

They see the elf is right. None of the party members have their weapons drawn - they all have their hands visible and extended open-palmed, with only three closer than the rest, the elf among them and the closest, crouched low to the ground.

Slowly, the first set of eyes and ears emerge, the second following, and soon two twin elves with long caramel-colored hair and lots of freckles stand before them. One grabs the others' hand and holds it tight.

"Hello," the elf says softly, giving them a small smile. "I'm Kelzuli, pronouns ze-zir-zirs. Who are you?"

"Ze reminds me of Yama," the second one whispers, cupping their hand to the first ones' ear.

"Should we bring all them over, then?" the first one whispers back.

"Well we haven't been attacked yet, so maybe they're all decent people?"

"That's not the same and you know it."

"They still haven't though. Maybe just take them through the front?"

Before the twin could respond, the first one extended their hand.

"Emmy, pronouns she-her-hers."

The second twin made a sound of protest, the sighed and stuck out their hand as well.

"Elizabeth, pronouns she-her-hers."

Kelzuli smiled at them as ze cris-crossed zir arms and properly shook both their hands at the same time.

"It's nice to meet you both," ze said.

1 note · View note