The Ageless One: Beginnings

The Ageless One: His Enemies

        The bonfire burned bright and hot, and it seemed every gisler in Halhor was there, sitting around it.  Doelan sat crossed legged in the grass with the rest of the orphans.  Despite the heat from the fire, he was still pretty cold, so he huddled up in his cloak as best he could, watching the older gislers tend to the blaze.  They looked exactly like fifteen year old humans, but some were far older.  Normally, this bothered Doelan, who was only eleven.  He couldn’t tell who was twenty and who was fifty, but he wasn’t thinking about that tonight.  Tonight, he was interested in Halhor’s visitor, a magician from Linicai, capital city of the Ciniceros Empire.  The center of the empire was ruled by humans, and this one was supposed to be fifty years old.  Doelan had seen older humans, but never one this old.  He was curious to see what someone who aged normally looked like after living so long.

        A few of the other orphans were giggling.  Doelan looked but promptly looked away when he saw Neron.  Neron would probably tease Doelan later; something stupid like, “you want to look like that weird old guy that came here!”  So I think adults here all look the same?  So what?  Doelan thought, trying to brush it off.   Howeve such talk would get to Doelan more than he wanted to admit.  He was just thinking of an excuse to move away when he heard a “Psst!” off to the side.

        He turned and grinned when he saw Liri at the edge of the group.  Doelan made his way through the rest of the orphans and sat down.  Liri was twelve, only a year older than Doelan, and always had an impatiently exited expression, as if he had something to tell you and just had to say it.  As it turns out, when Doelan sat next to him, he did.

        “The magician’s going to show us the storm wars, when the goblins used dark clouds to wage war on surface dwellers like us!  I’m so excited!”

        “Me too,” said Doelan. “I’ve never seen goblins before.”

        “Well, you’re about too.  This magician’s going to use magic to tell the story.”

        “How?”

        “I don’t know, my mother said I’d find out when we watched, but means we’ll see what goblins look like, definitely.”

        That was certainly a good thing in Doelan’s mind.  He had never seen any dark creature with his own eyes.  He had only heard them described, and now he was going to see them.  He was expecting creatures with slanted eyebrows and sick grins.

        “What do you know about goblins?” he asked.

        “Well,” said Liri, “Not much.  All I know is that they’re kind of like bugs.  Dragonflies really, they…are you alright?”

        As it was, Doelan was not alright.  He looked at Liri, the color draining from his face.

        “What did you just say?  About the goblins?”

        “They’re like bugs.  They…Oh.  Right.  You don’t like bugs do you.”

        “Bugs, spiders…if it has more than four legs it gives me shivers.”

        He turned towards the fire and almost shivered right there.  The idea of large bugs…

        “I’m sure the goblins won’t be too scary,” said Liri.

        “I’m not scared,” said Doelan.

        “Fine.  Oh look!  Is that the magician?”

        Doelan looked but saw nothing.  He was about to ask when he felt Liri flick something off his shoulder.  He looked at Liri, a little shocked.