#the kraken and the teller of tales
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Beautitudes Masterlist
please do not upload my fanfiction to any ai bots or other ai services. do not print or bind my fics without asking me first. do not write fanfiction for my fanfiction. feel free to contact me any time–i'm always happy to discuss my works, old, new and even those that do not yet exist outside my head.
🏴☠️🏴☠️
I'm Leaving to Christmas Town
(E, 8,836 words)
Not another Hallmark AU!
Stede Bonnet and Edward Teach have a perfect life. They've been together for two years and one month, they are planning a wedding and they are absolutely in love with each other. However, one big fight smashes it all. Ed accepts an offer from an old friend and books a flight to Christmas Town. Will Stede follow his fiancé and try and get him back? And who the fuck is Calico Jack?!
Thunder, thunder
(T, 2,068 words)
Ed is afraid of thunderstorms, has been for as long as he can remember. They make him hear and feel things that aren't–can't be–real. The roaring of the deep, wild sea. The salt on his lips. The all-encompassing cold...
Stede offers him a different perspective.
Breathing the Same Air
(T, 1,223 words)
Stede is enjoying some time off in the sun, immersed in his book, when everything turns to chaos.
The Kraken and the Teller of Tales
(M, 4,427 words)
“There once was the Teller of Tales…”
“Who was also a merman. Right?” Edward interrupted him and looked at his face.
“Of course. Who was also a merman. He lived at the bottom of the deep blue sea and his life was alright, really. He had a family. He had gold, jewellery and the all finest little trinkets he could find on sunken ships. But he had an unhappy heart, a troubled mind and no one to talk to about his grievances...”
---
Edward and Stede take a vacation from work in their inn on board the Revenge. Ed can't sleep and Stede tells him a story. Next night, it's Ed's turn.
And in Your Touch There's the Sea
(G, 1,180 words)
Loving the sea, Stede Bonnet thought, is the foulest misfortune.
🌻🌻
Butterflies
(M, incomplete)
To Paul, photography in its essence was the overwhelming need to grab a camera and capture a single, remarkable moment in time for its fleeting beauty. Just like one would catch a pretty butterfly, pin it under the glass and hang it up on the wall.
And love... Love had similar mechanisms.
Pygmalion and other stories
(M, 2,025 words)
A collection of tiny moments shared by Paul and Julian throughout their time together.
Dollhouses
(T, 1,638 words)
While Paul was writing a life story for Julian in his head at orientation, Julian was most likely doing the same, but my story is not just about that.
What do you think would happen if Paul and Julian met again a couple years later? Bear that thought in mind.
This piece features an airport (I was sure at first it was going to be called The Terminal, but then it didn’t sound right), flowery dresses, dolls, drama students (because of course it does), summer trips, games and birds.
Sleepless in Milwaukee
(M, 5,085 words)
Ten years ago, Julian Fromme met Paul Fleischer. When he fled Pittsburgh, he built himself a completely new life and identity. Has he found happiness though, or is happiness a notion he left far behind?
A story, featuring: Lake Michigan, the scarlet scarf, late night radio shows, one very fluffy cat and, most importantly, several letters.
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Find the Words Tag
Tagged by @captain-kraken here and @talesofsorrowandofruin here. Thank you both💜
And gently tagging: @sabinabardot @elliottsbigstrongboyarms @toribookworm22 - your words are: know, knife, keen, kind.
From Captain 🐙 - let's see how many I can find in the sci-fi* backburner project, The Fulcrum:
blue
The green, and blue, and silver patterns inlaid into the white walls will light up, the light will crawl up from under the waves when the Priests intone the Evening Graces and the workers return home.
borrow lend (the closest vibe I could find)
The tall avian ties the raptor’s reins to a smaller trunk and goes off to fetch water. The raptor sniffs the air and scratches at the ground, looking for a smooth area devoid of stones, where it may rest more comfortably. … smiles despite everything. Her own nest tonight won’t be any different, and she feels a wispy tie of comradery with the beast - oh, how low she has fallen.
The Land Treader returns from the river and sets her water gourd on the ground, then her luggage next to it. … observes her, noting the rolled up blankets strapped to the packs, and not daring to hope that the traveller will lend her one for the night.
bite
On a whim, she reaches for a puffy ball of deep fried dough, only to find it crumble under her fingers. Without a word, her guide takes one as well, making sure that she’s watching. Then they poke a hole in the ball and fill it with a mix of marinated molluscs and fresh berries, followed by a spoonful of bright yellow liquid from a vessel to which Ra’na paid no attention to earlier. The dish assembled, they consume it in a single swift bite. Ra’na does not have the confidence to mimic them.
berry
The box drifts upwards slowly, lazily. After the initial movement, it doesn’t sway as much. It’s almost trivial to forget that they are in fact moving. Almost. Not quite.
It is now far above the [mushroom] forest, so the caps appear like a nearly flat field, with only a small hillock here and there. … scans this new plane, a plaid over the cool, shadowy areas where she used to pick mushrooms, rhizomes, and berries.
break
It’s the shortest path, behind the Artisans’ shops and down the rickety bridge - an ugly but convenient connector between Duskdreamer and Shoregazer. From there, she looks over the highway again, so very different from when she stood there at the break of dawn. Morning crowds buzz, fill it to the brim.
And from Tales - let's go from the very first draft of The Truth Teller, since I'm looking at it to see what can be salvaged.
morning
It was one of those idyllic mornings which Kayan had learnt to love. They were sitting at the table in the breakfast room; the dishes were cleared, but there was still a teapot and a large bowl of late summer plums on the crocheted runner. Aunt sat sideways to the table, sipping tea from a ceramic mug painted in colourful flowers, and reading a handwritten, battered journal. Yavron lounged opposite to her, with a steaming mug of black coffee, and his newspaper folded in a sign of boredom.
muddle
"It’s perfectly safe, Dr Averron, I assure you. It will simply obfuscate your emotions from any Tellers in the vicinity. You will feel numb and detached, perhaps a little careless, but anything you say under the effect of a Muddler will sound like nonsensical rambling. Your own memories will seem a little… well, muddled to you."
mean
“You're a Knacked, kid.” Yavron raised his voice. “That means, when you die, you blow up half a block, or probably more in your case. That means forty-odd apartments turned to rubble, when the residents least expect it. So, you don’t take your chances. You don’t fight, unless you absolutely must.”
million
✖️ (literally no occurrences in any of my WIPs)
maintain
“So how does it work?” Kayan asked. “I mean, Yavron’s job. Fake identity? You clearly don’t work all the time, so there must be suspicious holes in your record.”
“Fake identity, yes. I usually maintain two at a time, working different jobs. Holes get filled with some fabricated information. Easy enough.”
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WIP Wednesday! Here’s a bit from my Blackbonnet amnesia fic in progress, link here to the first 3 chapters if you’re interested. Still looking for a beta reader for this baby…
Pawning Stede off on the crew to slake his thirst for pirate adventure stories and tricks of the trade was also a deeply fraught business. Ed never knew what the damned weirdos were going to take it into their heads to say to Stede or to let slip by accident. One evening he came upon the whole lot of them shooting the shit down in the orlop, with Stede in the centre of them looking like an excited kid at a party. Ed smiled to see the awe on Stede’s face, until he came close enough to overhear the topic of conversation.
“...so terrifying that his enemies would all just drop their weapons and jump ship rather than be boarded by him,” Roach was saying.
“No!” Stede gasped.
“It’s true,” Fang confirmed. “Used to sail under him myself. He gave no quarter, took no prisoners. Even killed defenceless little puppies—or made others kill them, anyway.”
Ed froze.
“And he had no fears,” said the Swede. “Except for the Kraken.”
“The Kraken?” said Stede. “Is that…real?”
“That is just what I said!” the Swede cried.
“Oh, it’s real all right,” Jim said grimly. “Blackbeard sure believed in it, anyway. So the Gentleman Pirate, he was so clever—”
“He tamed the Kraken and brought it to heel,” Ivan explained. “And used it to keep Blackbeard at bay.”
“And how did he do that, exactly?” Stede wanted to know.
“Yes, how did he?” Ed asked from the back of the room. He walked slowly into the midst of the circle as everyone fell silent. “Or rather, how did I? Or did I, in fact, tame the Kraken? Could be it’s still lurking about, lying in wait to take its revenge upon tellers of tales.”
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“I began to think hard about the world, about my place within it, and about fear. About the figure of the merchant, the trader who deals in strange and dangerous goods, how it can be found in so many myths and fables, dealing in second-hand nightmares. And how rarely the merchant themself is ever punished in those stories.“ - Mikaele Salesa, MAG 181
it's Thinking About Salesa hours
I love how savvy he is in terms of the story he finds himself in, and what a charismatic teller of tales he is himself. His natural showmanship shines through in acts like his "dramatic reveal" of himself to Jon and Martin, but in also in the little ways he invites the Eye to settle in for a good story in his statement in Taking Stock.
“So what’s it going to be? Could go over what got me started in the business; that’s a story I haven’t told you yet.”
and
“You want to know how I came by this rule? I know you do.”
I feel like he must have had a reputation, not just as the "dealer of second-hand nightmares," but also of somebody who always has a good tale and welcomes a good audience.
He tells the customs officials that he was delayed getting into port because his ship was being tailed by the kraken, because the leviathan was seeking something of its own on board. But hey - at least that took everybody's mind off the mysterious indescribable stranger people were seeing around the ship.
The sailors laugh, the port officials laugh, nobody laughs louder than Salesa, and nobody mentions that he's come back with one more sailor than he left port with- but Salesa does give the indescribable figure a nod and a wave when they leave the ship.
#tma#the magnus archives#mikaele salesa#i started a new podcast but somehow ended up rereading transcripts#whoops#tma spoilers#the magnus archives spoilers
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It’s been expressed here that Namor would be a really good dad so do you have any headcanons? How will all his mental issues play out when he becomes a parent? Is he the type to aspire to have kids or be pressured into having an heir to cement his claim to the throne or end up acquiring them by accident? Will he actively seek parenting advice or wait until the last second? How many kids does he want? How will becoming a parent affect his king stuff? I have so many questions
I do think that Namor would be a excellent dad if he was ever given the chance to actually have a kid who stayed alive in the 616. How his mental issues play out is dependent on the writer because I will be honest, how it’s portrayed in the comics is not consistent. Marvel uses it when they want Namor to be a “mad king” or “gone to the dark side” so honestly there’s lots of long in between times when its never mentioned at all. Also Namor is like very good at keeping lots of things that affect him a secret. I would think that hopefully Namor has some therapy to help him with his MHI. In Invaders Namor lived with Randall and was very good/father figure to Nay, and later he lived with Randall again and was a father figure to Roman as well (Nay’s son). So he definitely would be a good dad in my opinion.
Is he the kind to aspire to have kids? I don’t think Namor is actually seeking to have kids, if it happens it happens or if something he and his partner plan for etc. Also he probably thinks he wouldn’t be a good dad. However no one could ever pressure him into doing anything he didn’t want to do, in Agents of Atlas, the genetic council wanted Namor and Namora to have offspring that would be the most powerful Atlanteans in the world but both were like: NOPE. After Llyra pretending that Llryon was Namor’s, and Marrina’s monster kids, and Kamar, and his future son in First mutant, not counting any alternate universe kids; Namor does not have a good track record with 1.) kids being his 2.) kids staying alive. Also it used to be that Namor was infertile because of him being a half breed, so that took the bio kids out of the equation for a while until it was ignored/retconned in the 2007 series.
How many kids does he want? Honestly Atlanteans don’t seem to have very many kids so I am not sure, but I would always like for him to have a big family and if he can’t but can only have one child then I always think that no matter what universe Namor should always have a daughter, sorry I can’t ever let go of this one panel with his and Dorma’s daughter.
How would he be with kids? If we are talking Kamar, Namor sent away his only son to keep him safe from Court. (Look, I hate how the writers created Kamar just to kill him), and for his future son in First Mutant, Namor would rather let Atlantis burn than lose Abira and a chance for a future family even if the son he has grows up to hate him. So Namor would put his family first. It’s why the Kamar story arc is frustrating because Namor can forgive the enemies who usurped him or killed his loved ones but not his own son? yeah I’m not buying it.
Would he ask for advice? Honestly Namor would be a patient and loving dad, maybe in the beginning he might not know just what to do with this small person who is totally dependent on him but I’m sure he would figure it out. lol. He might not ask for parenting advice but I’m sure everyone would love to give it to him all the same, watch Namora send him things he needs for his little one and the Fantastic Four send “how to be a dad” pamphlets while the Invaders swing by to check out the kid and tell Namor how to raise them.
How would being a parent affect his king stuff? I honestly headcanon that Namor would be the kind of dad who lets his kids hang out with him in the war room and if they are like little tiny babies he would have them in one of those baby carriers on his chest/back. So I don’t think he would like his king stuff get in the way of family.
I have lots of headcanons like:
- Namor’s kids have ankle wings and he teaches them to fly by throwing them up in the air, basically pushing them out of the nest/throwing a kid into the deep end of the pool kinda learning. He would be there if they need him of course.
- Namor tells them all kinds of fish tales and stories, he is a really good story teller.
- Namor teaches them how to fish, how to be a hunter and rely on themselves.
- He takes them up to the surface world for their first pizza.
- Gets them their own seahorse/whale/dolphin/shark to ride. Gives them deadly and dangerous animals as pets, like a kraken.
- He gives his child the dagger that his mother gave him and it becomes a tradition that dagger is passed down through the years to each generation.
- They go sea shell gathering and bring things back for the child’s mother.
- They love to prank people. Or their kid pranks people and Namor turns a blind eye or has a small smile on his face as he tries to be serious about disciplining them.
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Chronicles of Exandria: The Legend of Vox Machina II
I did this for the first volume, so I bought this artbook right away just to do it again. <3 My Winter’s Crest gift to all the critters.
The art. Once again I cannot overstate the stunning artwork of the critter community. I know some fans balk at the price, but all the artists are paid to have their art in the book - and I think the big price tag is well worth artist getting some compensation for their work (do correct me if I’m wrong). I won’t be sharing any photos of of the art, but most of it is available online already.
However, I will share this photo of the print on the box the book came in:
Excerpt of the Foreward:
“The memories in this book are real. They were created with love and laughter around a table with friends, and let loose on the wind to find what ears would listen. The joys and pains of every winding turn still occupy our minds daily and if you are reading this, I suspect they live on in yours as well. We were there. We witnessed it unfold.”
Vox Machina was only able to scry on Scanlan once, as seen in the episode Jugs and Rods, but some time after Scanlan warded himself against arcane sight.
The Mantle of the Tempest is described as “eternal autumn leaves.”
Keyleth goes on to rule with wisdom and grace.
Usually the Cobalt Soul has problems researching historical figures for whom there is little written word about...... With Taryon they had the opposite problem: there was too much! lmao. And 90% of it is believed to be embellished or flat out lies.
Nicknames that Taryon gave himself and were never used by anyone ever: “The Winsome Winner of Wildemount,” “Talented Tary,” “Golden-Maned Guardian of Good,” and “The Vindicator.”
Uvenda, the gnome in Vesrah, is still alive!! She’s stepped down as leader now and is the tale-teller of Vesrah.
The Ashari call the kraken that VM fought for Keyleth’s Aremente “Ulugrah the Requisite.”
Uvenda claims that Ulugrah, upon learning that the creatures it had trounced were legendary heroes (I’m assuming they mean Vox Machina), it boasts about it’s victory against them to anyone who will listen any who come to its lair in the Plane of Water.
Tova went by different epithets including: “The Bear,” “Little Half-Ear,” “The Bloody-Handed,” and “The Skin Changer.” After surviving the Hells thanks to Vax’s ring of invisibility, she gained the name “The Unseen Death.” Little else can be verified about Tova, but none of her friends she went to with Dis survived.
Grey Hunt Lore
Lord Wolf de Rolo and Lady Melanie van Musel de Rolo were the leaders of the 4th reign of Whitestone. It was a political marriage and Melanie was particularly unhappy. She had a garden filled with flora and fauna from her home in Wildemont. The garden is now known as the Widow’s Garden and many of the plants were poisons that she used to slowly assassinate Lord Wolf with.
After being injured in the Great Whitestone Fire, he couldn’t recover because of the poison and he died leaving Melanie the ruler. She decided to redraw the lines of the city walls, pushing into the Parchwood Timberlands which didn’t go well. Construction was plagued by accidents, animal attacks, and phantoms were reported (such as of Lord Wolf) - though the construction of a Temple of the Dawnfather went unhindered.
Lady Melanie’s cousin was Ivan van Musel, a cleric, and he declared that Melanie had pissed off the Dawnfather by expanding without showing reverence. Ivan went into the forest after much mediation and was later found battered but alive atop a felled Direwolf. Ivan had a vision in which the Lawbearer agreed to the expansion no further than where Ivan had felled the Direwolf and that from here on, a citizen of Whitestone must venture into the Parchwood when called to do so and be tested.
Melanie created the title Grand Master of the Grey Hunt, the third ruling house of Whitestone, for Ivan. The third house has since forth been in change of the Grey Hunt and managing the city’s relationship with the world beyond the city walls.
Hundreds of gold in property damage during Vox Machina’s stay at Dalen’s Closet while VM “relentlessly pranked” each other.
Whitestone became a thriving metropolis during VM’s year off - in part because of Allura keeping it safe during Thordak’s reign while everywhere else was ravaged.
K’yrrn - the dark elf that kidnapped Taryon - is from Xhorhas!
Though Tary could be called a fool, a braggart, a coward... in the moment he stood against his father’s selfishness and bigotry and forgave and reconciled with him is described as being more valiant than slaying.
Lionel Gayheart had “an unusual case of amnesia.”
JB Trickfoot continued to work in Whitestone’s library and it’s thanks to many of her notes that the Cobalt Soul has as much as they do on Vox Machina.
“Uh, yes, the very first thing I remember about meeting Vox Machina was when the red-haired lady jumped off a mountain. It was grisly. But what I’ll remember forever is what happened afterward. The coin that Lady Vex’ahlia used, the glow of light, the power. It brought her back to life. They really were like gods.”
Taryon’s autobiography’s dedication: “This book is dedicated to Lawrence. But it is for my family.”
Taryon thinks his father was actually proud of Tary’s Darrington Brigade.
Tary never liked his father, but after returning home Tary began to love him.
Mariya, Tary’s mom, was part of the Brigade and took care of the injured warriors.
Maryanne, Tary’s sister, became the driving force behind the Darrington Fund charity and even gave up her home for those less fortunate than herself. When she called Tary “brother” it was no longer an insult.
Tary is most proud that his mother finally has a united family, one to be proud of.
Kaylie Shorthalt talks a bit about Lionel - says he was a goofy son of a bitch. He kept talking to her about ducks though. He once tried to show her his house, but he just took her to an oasis in the middle of desert that was full of ducks.
The Cobalt Soul doesn’t like to spread rumors but they do have theories of Lionel’s Marquesian mallard heritage.
Aes Adan, aka the Meat Man, rise to power coincided with the disappearance of several low to mid level criminals.
A scholar once went to visit Scanlan to interview him to see if the rumors were true that Scanlan had been the Meat Man. The Scribe returned, unable to remember anything from his visit. In his notebook were only crude drawings of ducks. Scanlan still using that Modify Memory...
The fucking Cobalt Soul knows that Scanlan sacrificed the 9th level spell he was saving for Vax to stop Vecna from leaving. It’s history folks.
For the folks out there who love the Briarwoods’ love for each other, some of an excerpt of Delilah’s journal: “No matter the cost, my love, I will do it. I care not how many must die, or how grave the sins must be that I commit. I broke the world once for you, Sylas. I shall do it again, and again, and again, for you. For us. Forever.”
Vecna envied the Raven Queen, as her followers did so not just because they feared her, but because they loved and respected her too.
Vecna threatened the assembled protectors of Vasselheim, saying that it would be the perfect place for ambush, but that’s no fun when there are many less-protected loved ones. People he threatened include Earthbreaker Groon’s daughter (Desir), Vord’s family, J’mon’s concubines, all of Whitestone and particularly Cassandra. And Young Velora Vessar, “playing alone in her room.”
The Everlight: Redeemer of All
“Comprehension is the only true measure of dominion.”
Pelor, The Dawnfather: The Primordial Light
“Faith is defined by the darkness we have not conquered.”
Ethrid Brokenbranch AKA Sprigg the Obnoxious gets his own book of history by the Cobalt Soul. Autobiographical writings were found in the wreckage of his house
The Goddess Ioun: Our Knowing Mistress
“Comprehension is the only true measure of dominion.” (This is the same quote as for the Everlight - idk which one is the error.)
The Raven Queen: The Matron of Ravens
“By my grace, all are rendered equal.”
It is forbidden to study Arkhan the Cruel.
Vox Machina lived out the rest of their days in relative happiness and peace.
Percy’s magnum opus is the Clock Tower of Whitestone - a national treasure of Tal’Dorei.
Vex continued to rule as Baroness for a time after Percy’s passing. Vex saw her bother’s spirit after the birth of her first child. She reconciled somewhat with her father and showered Velora with love and blessings.
Kaylie went to school at the Alabaster Lyceum in Emon on Scanlan’s dime.
Pike and Scanlan had a lengthy courtship.
Tary’s book The Daring Trials and Tribulations of Ser Taryon Darrington contained an accurate account of his time with Vox Machina, even if nothing else is accurate.
Grog helped Earthbreaker Groon restore the Temple to the Stormlord while staying Vasselheim, defending his title in the Crucible.
The final, actual words of the book that aren’t a dedication or part of an image: “And as the story is told: ‘Everyday that raven comes to visit.’” ;’(
There is a stunning four page fold-out page of Percy’s clock tower. I cannot emphasize enough how lovely it is. The end of it dedicates it to Vex and is quoted with, “I couldn’t have asked for a better dream.”
On the other side of the fold-out are some... sketches of Percy’s notes? It seems that Diplomacy is now powered up by Cabal’s Ruin.
As part of “Cobalt Souls” thank you page: “Within a book, a story can only sleep. It requires a reader to give it life.”
#critical role#cr art book#vox machina#the legend of vox machina#the legend of vox machina ii#the chronicles of exandria#cr#critical role: vox machina campaign#cr spoilers#critical role spoilers#i scream#my crit role feels
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✨ LITERARY TROPES AND THINGS
repost with your muse’s results for the following quizzes.
Homeric Epithet : THE GREAT TELLER OF TALES
You are Sceada, great teller of tales. The Greek hero Odysseus had many epithets ascribed to him (others included “much-enduring,” “cunning,” and “man of twists and turns”), and this was one of them, so you’re in good company.
Fatal Flaw: YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH THE IDEA OF A PERSON.
You’ve got a crush, but the other person is simply incapable of living up to your expectations. You love the version of them that you’ve created in your mind, and not the person they really are. Yikes. You’re going to Gatsby this up so hard. You’re going to wind up dead in a pool. Two other people will also die. Everyone will be disillusioned with the American Dream. It’s a messy situation all around
Greek Mythology Death: GOING TO BE EATEN BY A SEA MONSTER
If you were a figure in Greek mythology, you would get eaten by a sea monster. Whether it would be Scylla (a beast with many necks and tentacle legs) or Charybdis (big old whirlpool) makes no difference—you would be dead because you are not the protagonist, you are a background character at best, and your job is to show everyone else in Greek mythology how dangerous sea monsters are. There’s also the hydra, the sirens, and the Kraken, so take your pick and get to dying!
Literary Setting: PEMBERLEY
You got Pemberley, Mr. Darcy’s stunning country estate! This elegant mansion is replete with classy chaise lounges, tasteful decoration, natural beauty, and large marble statues of wealthy, gorgeous Brits. Totally ideal for a charming, Lizzy Bennet-type like yourself! The secluded woody hills are perfect for taking dates on long, romantic (un-chaperoned) strolls, and the house itself is so Instagram-worthy that even Taylor Swift (house-party hostess extraordinaire) will be jealous of you and your squad’s bash-throwing capabilities!
Tagged by: @lonescion here: [x]
Tagging: @thislovelylady @burmecias-protector @riotxblade @rcsetorn @avaliantqueen @biff-adventurer
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The secrets of Bahra (continued)
The next morning we walked together. The town was quiet, still mourning the loss of those who had fallen. Tawfik had gathered with others, standing at the edge of the town, staring out at the desert. When I said that I was walking back to Bahra he just nodded absent-mindedly. They talked about the last attacks, and how far apart they had been.
Muntasira walked slowly, with a slight stop, but she was determined. The beach was dry and hot to our left, the waves lapping at the sand.
“How long has the kraken been there, in the water? Where I come from they think the kraken a creature of myth. I thought they were gone from the world.”
She laughed. “Not from ours. It’s been there since I were a child.” We walked on, and as the spires of Bahra drew closer she sighed.
“Tawfik’s father, Aziz, was a storyman, and a good leader. He told us of the city that was, of Bahra, the city that was once part of a glorious kingdom. He told tales of the mighty fleets that had set sail from Bahra, crossing the oceans, travelling to majestic, far-off lands.”
"He passed his stories on to you?”
“Aye, he did. He told me why it was that Muntasira was a good name, a great name, for one of our great cities. He told me many of the tales. When a rider came, many years ago, across the desert like you, seeking word of the old ways, I sat with them, and learnt the tales of what once was.”
We drew closer to the ruins now. There was still something eerie about the bone white stone, about the silence that hung over them, completely uninhabited.
“But Tawfik’s father was killed when he was a young boy, and the men who were leaders after him would not tolerate a woman to be the story teller. So they banned the tales; I am not to tell them, not even amongst the women, as we sit separately.”
“They are fools.”
She sighed. “Aye, they were fools, but they were fools with clubs and the will to rule our little town, and so they won. And when Tawfik grew older, he could not see me as any more than the foolish old woman who’d sat in the corner when he was a boy, and ... and I will not go casting my treasures before cattle who will trample on pearls.”
“I thank you for sharing with me.”
“Ay. But I’ll have something to ask of ye in return, stranger.”
I followed her as she walked carefully through the empty streets, at times stepping over a stone here, under a crumbling arch there. Eventually she came to a slender doorway in a wall, set back so that it was barely visible unless you stood in front of it. She stepped through, and I followed her, as she began climbing the stairs.
There were dozens of them, and so we ascended the narrow, windowless winding steps of the tower. When she stopped it was some time later, and I could not tell how much higher we were.
“In Bahra, in the city that was, the spires were a great glory. From their peaks they could look out over the oceans, and see the ships that were approaching. The merchants valued it for their trading, to know which ship was fastest, and closest in to shore. The sailors would ask for the reports of the weather, the way the clouds rolled over the ocean to plan the launches.”
She turned a corner, and we came to a small platform. There was a doorway, and she stepped through. “Here, then, is what was left of the once great city of Bahra. These volumes, carried up by my husband from a dingy room beneath the city. There was no danger now, he said, of the riders walking up some long forgotten stairwell. All they want are slaves, and the few fish and crops we manage to scratch out by the sea.”
All along the walls, the shelves were lined with scrolls. The staircase extended upwards, and with it, the shelves. At every level, there were books, and shelves, past where I could see around the bend of the stairwell.
Muntasira stood in the doorway, watching me for a moment. “Make sure that you carry what you can with you, stranger. What you stay here will crumble into dust, so take with you all that you can.”
Then she began her slow, silent walk down the stairs.
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