Wanderer (Sec. 2)
#2 of Wanderer
A story I'm writing for my school's newspaper
Art by Achikah (Used with permission)
Dialogue written with help by Zandr Storm and Dakota Outlander
ANY ADVENTURERS BRAVE ENOUGH, ASSEMBLE AT REFUGE IN FROZEN SKULL.
This is the note that Ankh dictated to a scribe, who then translated and transcribed it into three different languages: Draconic, Elven, and common. The note was then copied and given to five different couriers, who then scattered in five different directions.
That was four days ago, and all the couriers had returned to the refuge. All that was left to do was wait for a response. A few hours after her last sleep cycle, Ankh saw a small, male anthropomorphic mouse that obviously shared her heritage. As he neared the larger mouse, Ankh began to recognize him. He seemed younger, but this was the same man who had taken her sister as a mate.
"Kitarian?" asked the newcomer in the high language of their people.
"Yes," replied Ankh.
"Experiment of Adolpho?"
"Yes."
"My condolences. How did you come to this land?"
"I was born here."
"Where is 'here'? This is not Tian Kria."
"This is the planet Terra, in the universe of Alder."
"Well, it's not Tian Kria."
"I have never been there."
At this, a look of confusion came over Issadore's face. "Were any of your primogenitors Ho?"
"No."
With a shrug, Issadore continued his questioning. "Mind if I join you?" Ankh motions for him to take a seat nearby. After sitting, Issadore pulls out an envelope which contains three pieces of paper, being the note Ankh had sent out. "Can you read this?"
Ankh glanced briefly at the papers in the other mouse's paw. "That is my note," at which point Issadore hands Ankh the note.
"What does it say? All I can read is 'Frozen Enough'." While the two were talking, a humanoid snake man walked into the refuge, also holding the note written by the female mouse. Seeing Ankh holding the same sheets of paper, he walked over to the two conversing mice, his predatory instincts taking over as he watched them.
"I need help to defeat a white," and here she had to switch to Elven in order to get the correct word, "dragon," and she switched back, "so I can acquire an artifact for a man to whom I am indebted for saving my life some years back."
"Okay," came the simple reply from Issadore.
"Dragon?" came the query from the snake man in Elven.
Ankh looked to him and responded in Elven. "Yes, a dragon."