[Veltzeh]: 39.The Heritage of Humankind.Tales from Kyerrion.22

Availon and Tegafel spent two and a half weeks getting to the Great Lake-like Forest Ocean. They were not in a hurry and Availon wanted to teach Tegafel how to survive in the wilderness. Ey noticed that Tegafel did know how to survive, but the problem was that ey did not trust emself, gave up too easily and usually did not want to try anything new that might be unconventional but save eir life. Availon then tried to help Tegafel overcome eir psychic barriers. The vague feeling of discomfort that Availon had been suffering lately lingered, but seemed to lessen.

When they reached the ocean, Tegafel was speechless. Ey had never seen such a large body of water and had a hard time wrapping eir mind around the fact that it over two thousand kilometers long. They arrived at a large port city whose name was Lookialeini. It was a femehan city, but a lot of toppenrans and toppendas lived there. There were a lot of tiffs between the races in the city, but somehow they still managed to get along profitably enough without completely splitting the city into three parts.

Availon and Tegafel spent a few days in the city just sightseeing and grew a bit closer again as they had some fun with each other.

One day, they were sitting outside an inn, drinking some juice and Availon was explaining something about how galanfetzcans' drinks were always cold and enjoyable—even though people usually wanted their drinks warm in the winter. The weather was again depressively warm for Availon who was sweating so much that ey seemed shiny all over.

A femehan nicod was listening in on them and staring at both Availon and Tegafel, mostly out of curiosity. Tegafel did not notice em, but Availon said eventually: "Well, hello there, persistent bywatcher."

Tegafel looked confused and turned eir eyes to where Availon was looking. "What?" Seeing the nicod, eir good mood dropped and ey started looking inconvenienced.

The nicod was taken by surprise a bit. "Oh... Uh, sorry, didn't mean t' stare. But... y'know... a galanfetzcan an' a wacod!" Ey smiled sillily in eir astonishment. "Uh... I'm Gertkeret Halliener. Nice to meet ya."

"I'm called Availon."

"Tegafel Darrelter."

The nicod seemed excited and moved eir chair to their table. Availon was curious, but Tegafel did not seem very approving. "Really sorry about the staring. Uh, what're you doing in here? Or never mind, that was a stupid question. Umm, so, you're not from around here, right? Where from?"

"Well, I'm obviously from the south. So far in south that the longest winter night lasts a frindo there. It was also so far in the east that when it was noon there, here would only be morning."

"Wow! Amazing!" The nicod did not really believe Availon, but pretty much anything galanfetzcans said should be awed anyway. "You speak Femen great."

"I've been in your lands for some time now. And Tegafel has helped me too." Tegafel glared at Availon a bit for lying, but did not say anything.

"Um, how about you, Tegafel? Where ya from?"

"Ailanihi."

"Where's that?"

"East of here. In the middle of Kervanela."

"So you're not from Malaana? Cool." Gertkeret eyed Tegafel's wounds a little, wondering whether ey should ask where ey had gotten them.

Availon did not let em ask. "I take it that you're from Malaana, then?"

"Yeah. I was born in a village bit to the west but I came here when I hit teenage. Didn't wanna spend my whole life in that backwater place, heh. Umm, so, are you jus' passing through or are ya planning to stay?"

"We're just passing through."

"Really? Where ya heading?"

"I was thinking of sailing the Great Ocean to the north and get ashore in ...Trarikkola."

"Trarikkola, really? That's cool. Can I ask why you're heading there?"

"Just for the sake of it. I like traveling. Technically speaking I'm a diplomat but I have not felt like working lately."

"Well, you're a far-walker, there's always a job for you." Gertkeret glanced at Tegafel and smiled. "And you too..." Tegafel gave Gertkeret a look, but missed the nicod's point.

Availon knew well what Gertkeret had meant. "Indeed. Here in your lands I can always get money by doing something that is worth no money in my home, and yet priceless. Has anyone ever talked to you in your mind?"

"Uh, no." Gertkeret looked alertedly curious.

"Would you like me to speak to you in your mind?"

"Yeah, I would!"

"Alright then. Do you understand me?"

"Yeah! Wow!"

"Try to reply to me with your mind."

"How I do that can't don't know how just like this how can possible ey hears it anyway so what is it how... Um, how?"

"I almost made sense of your thinking just now." Availon grinned a bit. "Try to concentrate on a single sentence."

Gertkeret grinned back. "Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this? Like this?"

"Um, yes, like that... But not so much."

"Heh, concentrate and don't concentrate! Interesting! Interesting! Interesting! Interesting! Interesting!"

"You have a one-track-mind!"

"Oh, I do? Do I? Do I? Do I? Do I? Do I? Do I?"

"Yeees." Availon was very amused and covered eir mouth with eir hand. Eir cheeks hurt from grinning. "You'll probably be better at it if the conversation goes faster."

"I see! I see!"

"So let's quicken it. I would like to tell you that I knew what you were thinking about when you said that there would always be a job for Tegafel as well."

"Ah. ...But then what? Don't you know that wacods are usually common whores?"

"I do. Tegafel is not like that, however. Ey did not understand your suggestiveness, and be glad that ey didn't, because otherwise ey would be very mad at you."

"What? What? What?"

"Tegafel doesn't like to have sex with anyone and everyone. I ask that you do not suggest that to em."

"That's strange. Weird. Weird. Weird."

"Will you respect my wish and eir choice?"

"Sure. I did wish that I would get to have sex with em though. Sex sex sex..."

"You might, if you act very gently and respectfully toward em."

"Oh? But weren't you leaving..."

"You thought about your ship as soon as I said 'sail'." Availon grinned somewhat triumphantly.

"Ah-ha! Tricky thing ya! You're right, I do have a ship, or I'm a sailor on one. I'm the navigator." Gertkeret was proud of emself.

Tegafel had been watching the docks while Availon and Gertkeret had practiced mind-speaking and now turned eir head to look at the nicod. "And you just happen to be going to north and to Trarikkola in a few days?" ey said unenthusiastically, in an unfriendly manner even.

"Well... we're fishers, not running a passenger boat. But since ya asked so nicely..."

Availon was not very happy at Tegafel's remark. "Do passenger boats travel there often?"

"Not really. Maybe once in a frindo. I think one left less than a week ago."

"And are you going there?"

"Well, we go pretty much wherever we want to! That's the great part of being a fisher, we can go wherever we want to, we're jus' running after the fishes! Heh, running, get it?"

Availon let out a laugh, insincere though it was. "If it's possible, we would like it if you took us to Trarikkola."

"Well, I can ask my ship captain about it but I can't promise it..."

"We would like that."

"Alright! So, shall I meet ya here tomorrow at the same time, then? I'm sure we've made a some sort of decision by then."

"Yes."

"Goody! Bye then!" Gertkeret waved and walked away.

"Have a nice day."

Tegafel sat quietly for another moment. "Do we have to go with em? I don't like em. Ey was suspicious."

"Ey seemed honest to me."

"An' we have to trust your judgment over mine because you're a far-walker?"

"Well, it does give me an edge in 'judging' people."

"Yeah... but... I don't like em. An' besides, ey an' eir crew'll probably be all over me an' ask me to have sex with them."

"If they think about doing that, I'll make them quiet then."

"It doesn't change the fact that I know they want to do it anyway." Availon thought then that Tegafel should move to live with galanfetzcans or garandals and was not too far from suggesting it. Ey restrained emself and instead just looked sympathetic. "I hate that it bothers me so much."



The next day, Gertkeret was waiting for the two in front of the inn.

"Hi!" There was another nicod in eir company. "This is my ship captain, Dasdenu Guilttin." Gertkeret eyed Tegafel's walking stick a bit; ey had not noticed it or eir limping yesterday.

"Nice ta meet ya," greeted the ship captain.

Availon performed a greeting gesture. "Greetings. I am Availon Gandeleihei."

Tegafel was still not feeling very friendly toward the sailors. Ey made a military greeting gesture without standing to attention. "Tegafel."

The two nicods could not help but stare at Tegafel for a moment. Tegafel ignored them and stared at the docks.

Availon drew their attention away from the social awkwardness. "I asked Gertkeret yesterday if you could take us to Trarikkola."

"Yah. I just wanted to see ya myself." Dasdenu eyed the two for a moment. "We have no problem going to Trarikkola, so I don't really have a reason to say no. What can you pay for tha trip?"

"I have some money and you can ask me to use my far-walker abilities at any time you wish."

Dasdenu looked at Tegafel inquiringly. Tegafel was busy ignoring them and did not notice.

Gertkeret tapped eir ship captain's shoulder and waved eir head fairly frantically. "That's plenty enough, isn't it? I mean, a personal far-walker, that's just awesome! Right?"

"Hm, well, yah. I suppose it sounds alright."

"I can also assist in improving your ship a little."

"Hmh, were ya once a sailor or what?"

"I have common galanfetzcan knowledge about engineering and can contact a friend who knows more. I'm unsure of whether the knowledge is very useful, though, so I would rather not use it as payment for the trip."

"Well well, it doesn't sound bad." Dasdenu looked at Tegafel again. "Hey kid, Tegafel, is somethin' wrong?"

Tegafel turned to look at the ship captain. "Um... well... I've never been at sea before an' I'm... I'm just suspicious."

"Hah, it'll be fine. You'll just have to learn to sleep in a hammock."

Tegafel's expression lightened up a little and ey grinned. "Oh, I have experience of that."

"Well, goody then! We thought of leaving today at evenin'. Much less traffic at that time. Is that fine with ya?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Tha ship's docked in front of Leirrel's clothes shop. Be there by afternoon. Bye." Dasdenu left with Gertkeret behind em. Gertkeret waved.

"I really don't like this..." mumbled Tegafel.

"I'm sorry. Would you rather travel on a packed passenger ship?"

"I don't know."



Tegafel and Availon went to the docks in the afternoon. People were busy as some ships were coming in. People unloaded stuff, loaded stuff, moved stuff and just ran around in general. Tegafel did not like that either; ey wanted it done like in the army: in an efficient and orderly manner.

"All that scuttling around makes me sick." Availon did not even bother answering anymore. They walked to the ship parked in front of the clothes shop. Availon waved at the people aboard.

Gertkeret noticed them. "Hey!" ey yelled. "Come aboard!" Availon was fairly excited and quickly moved to the ship along the plank, Tegafel following em. The rest of the crew turned to them. On the ship there were seven people besides Gertkeret. They all pretty much stared at the two.

"Greetings to all of you." Availon greeted the crew. Tegafel mumbled something resembling "hi" and gazed off into the sky. Ey thought that there was something wrong with them if they stared at a member of their own race more intently than a beautiful galanfetzcan. However, the crew did not stare at Tegafel in particular. "I'm Availon, and this is Tegafel."

"Sure you know my name!" stated Gertkeret with a big smile and then pointed to the crew one at a time: one geniwacod, one nigecod and five nicods. "Here are Nackadeni, Serrel, Fentrun, Sawinun, Ederpel, Bennaet and Trentro. Dasdenu is still taking care of business with Daffinil and Tylhenon. Daffinil is eir amige, and Serrel here is Tylhenon's aminige."

Availon smiled. "Good to meet you all."

Tegafel just mumbled: "Yeah."

"So, come on under th' deck, I'll show you where you can sleep." The ship captain's cabin was reserved for Dasdenu and Daffinil while another personal room was for Serrel and Tylhenon. The rest of the crew slept together in a common sleeping space, and Availon and Tegafel would sleep there as well. They set up their hammock beds and went to the deck to idle.

"Have ya ever sailed on a ship before?" asked Gertkeret.

"I've been on an icebreaker twice."

"Oh, icebreakers. They're nothing... well, actually they are something compared to this ship, but this ship goes much faster with good winds. Icebreakers move slowly an' carefully an' crash all th' time. How about you, Tegafel?"

"I rowed a little rowboat at a small lake once."

Gertkeret laughed. "Heh! That can't really compare to this."

Dasdenu, Daffinil and Tylhenon arrived eventually, and toward the evening, they detached from the port and sailed north. Tegafel and Availon were not expected to do anything, so they spent their time sitting at the bow of the ship, watching the water. Tegafel found that ey enjoyed the motion of the ship and watching the bow split the water was surprisingly exciting. Availon, then again, was quiet and sat still, looking at the sky. They had something to eat at sunset.

When it was almost too dark to continue sailing, Gertkeret came to Tegafel and Availon again. "How ya feeling? Not too nauseous I hope?"

"I'm good!" replied Tegafel. "You know, I really liked watching the water go, an' I like how the ship sways an' goes up an' down..." Hearing that, Availon started shuffling around, poked eir head between the safety fence and vomited fairly violently. Gertkeret snickered and Tegafel stared at the galanfetzcan with eir mouth open in surprise. Though being sick enough to throw up was not exactly a positive thing, Tegafel was happy—Availon was not a perfect creature after all.

"Was it the food? Or have ya been feeling fishy for a longer time now already?" asked Gertkeret light-heartedly.

"Fishy? Ah-karthorsna!" Availon convulsed again and tried to calm eir sickened body. "Sii miag tohga! My stomach! Aaah! Tohga!"

Tegafel started looking less happy and more worried. "Um, Availon? Are you going to be okay?"

"Uh-urrh... mhm..."

"Don't worry, seasickness doesn't last forever!" said Gertkeret. "At th' most until we reach Trarikkola, heh. An' if it was the food, well, ey's rid of it now." Availon looked miserable; eir small body twitched a bit and ey looked like ey might throw up again. The sickness showed on eir face. "Availon? Here, have some water." Then ey vomited again. "Uh, sorry. Here." Availon sat up onerously and used most of the water to rinse eir mouth.

When ey seemed to be done, Tegafel put eir hand on eir shoulder. "Are you ready? Maybe we should go sleep."

"Uh. Yes." Tegafel helped Availon down on the main deck. "I hope I don't faint or start retching. Uhghm..." They walked under the deck to find two crewmembers lying there. Tegafel prepared Availon's bed and then lifted em into it.

"You're really lightweight."

"Mhm."

Gertkeret came down with a vat. "Here. Come on, lean a bit over th' hammock so I can place this properly... Okay, right. Let's hope you won't need that." Availon lay on eir back, looking quite nauseated. Gertkeret went back up.

"Good night," said Tegafel. Availon did not reply.

After sixteen minutes, Tegafel was fast asleep while Availon grew more and more squeamish. "Tegafel? Tegafel? Please... Tegafel, wake up! Tegafel, wake up! Wake up! Please!" Availon turned in eir hammock, convulsed again and fell with a thud.

The three femehans woke up to Availon's shouting and dropping.

"Availon? Are you all right?" asked Tegafel. Ey heard the galanfetzcan gagging.

"Could you please take me back outside? I think it was better there..."

"Sure..." Tegafel knelt down and gathered Availon from the floor.

One of the crewmembers asked: "Is ey okay?"

"I think so. I'm gonna take em back outside, it was better there."

"Right."

Tegafel carried Availon back to the main deck. Gertkeret turned to look at them. "Hey! Huh, is ey sicker?" ey sounded more worried now as well.

"It is this gasted motion of the ship! It makes my stomach turn around! Even the wind strikes at my stomach with intentions of churning it!" yelled Availon.

Gertkeret came next to Tegafel and smiled. "That doesn't sound too bad! If ey was really sick, ey wouldn't be yelling around." Ey grinned at Availon and shuffled eir hair. "How ya feeling?"

"I'm going to die!"

Even Tegafel sensed that Availon was being less than honest, though ey obviously felt terrible. Ey held Availon like ey would a child, and for once it did not disgust em. "Do you want to go back to the bow? Or somewhere else?"

"Well, if ey's at the bow, ey won't be in the way. We'll be quitting for the day soon though, ey can't stay here too long."

"Ey can't sleep there?"

"It gets cold at night —"

"Cold!" shouted Availon and convulsed again but managed to not retch on Tegafel. "You have not felt cold."

"Um, I think ey'll be fine. Galanfetzcan, you know. They eat ice an' stuff." Tegafel snickered and Gertkeret did too.

"Well, I guess ey can sleep there then, if ey can. Th' safety fence's not that wide-holed, but ey might still drop. We're gonna need to tie em to somethin'."

"Right. Well um, you can get the stuff for that, right? I don't even know where stuff is kept..."

"Heh, yeah. Ya take em to the bow." Gertkeret went off and Tegafel took Availon to the bow.

"I don't remember when I last would have felt this bad..." Availon sat now, dangling eir legs and leaning on the banister.

Tegafel pulled eir hand across Availon's back. "Sorry... You seemed so excited about it..."

"I really am not now."

"I started liking it, though."

"Well, great."

"I think you said something in Galan when you first threw up, what was that?"

"Mh."

Tegafel waited for a moment. "Oh..."

A short moment went and Availon convulsed. "Tohga!" This time Tegafel did not ask what it meant, though ey wanted to know. Gertkeret arrived with some stuff.

"Okay, rope is hard an uncomfortable, so I'm gonna tie you with these rags and then tie th' rags with th' rope to th' pole, okay? Where ya want it? Around yer belly?"

"Agh! NO! Tohga!"

Gertkeret laughed. "I'll tie it around yer chest, okay. Tegafel, could ya move a bit?" Gertkeret climbed behind Availon, tightened the rags around Availon's ribcage and then tied the rope to them. "I also brought you a blanket, jus' in case it does get cold for ya. Gonna tie that up too..." Ey spent a few moments attaching the blanket and Availon to the mastpole. "The rope isn't long enough for you to come down th' deck, but you're a far-walker anyway, you can just wake us up an' call us to untie you. Here's some water." Gertkeret smiled. "Is that fine?" Availon nodded.

They were quiet for a moment while Availon settled into a lying position. Tegafel stuffed some of the blanket under and over Availon's bare legs. "Will you be fine?"

"If I really think I'm going to die, I will tell you."

"Alright... I'll go back inside." Tegafel returned to eir hammock and though it was not a good thing that Availon was suffering, ey could not help but be relieved. The other crewmembers came in before Tegafel fell asleep, and Tegafel was reminded of the barracks. They slept.