Starting notes from your friendly writer
(so you don't freak out)
I.This is a story set in my own fantasy world, The Land of the Human Alliance.
In a nutshell is medieval fantasy that could be played on DD or some other role-playing game of your choice, but there are "anthros" too. Humans live mostly confined to their own continent, where human cities banded together in an Alliance while formally keeping their independence. Everywhere else it's believed to be all orcs and chaos. You are welcome to create on this setting as all my works on that are licensed as Creative Commons.
II. This story takes the basic concept of an old story of mine, but changes a few little things such as the protagonist. So it is a kind of a re-write, but also kind of a draft.
III. It will be written mainly in the present tense and from a first person point of view, which is kinda weird. But, do you know what? I'm not making a living as a writer, especially not in English.
IV. It is all written in International English. Beware 220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGsg8LEJY8T
V. I began this story on DeviantArt, but I'm not sure that's the best place to share a story, being so much focus on graphical art, so I'm trying Penana.220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDkiDy6SpI
All done, let's begin.
The University of the Elves
42nd of Spring, 879
Almans, finally. I'm standing on the deck of the BrownCookie, my home for the last two weeks. I wonder how I will do at college. Everything has been sweet since I left Evor. Whenever I said "I'm going to Almans", they all thought I was some kind of a genius. It's because I'm 14 and I don't look like my father's wealthy. Well, I am not sure I'm that smart but my father, if he's still alive, is behind an ox. I hope he's alive.
Mom must be baking for master's kids right now. I loved those at breakfast. She made one extra for me when "Mrs Watchoo" wasn't bossing her around. Let's go back when I was eight, sitting cross-legged on a rough kitchen chair, dressed in a hand-me-downs tunic and nothing else: the kitchen is an elvish world where it's always warm. Smoking oats before me, on a wooden bowl, a cup of watered down milk and beyond the pile of onions I had to peel. Well, I just helped mom the best I could. I felt like the President of the Alliance because I had one of mom's cupcakes hidden under my legs. And mine has twice as many raisins as the young masters had.
The Sun is rising on the Serpent Sea and Almans looks lovely. I wonder if mom is watching the flames of the stove, as she always did, thinking of dad, she might be thinking of me too. I'm thinking of her. Almans is lovely at this hour, it's all trees and shining roofs beyond the docks. Would Almans be kind to me? Everybody says so. But I will miss mom. Still, I'm a big boy now.
I am on the docks now. I have my bedroll and my haversack, got my coat, my sandals for the ground is cold here and my trousers, the ones young master Arkws handed me down. We played together so often when we didn't know who we were. But he is very kind, some people say he's very kind of a rebel, but that's because he shouted once at the Major. And he dreams about changing the world and utopias and all that.
The captain and the crew wants to wish me goodbye now.
"Good winds, Serens," She has a sweet smile and a voice that sounds that music when she's happy.
"Good winds, Captain Shainey. The BrownCookie is a good ship, and the crew too. Thank you for being so good to me."
"No, thanks to you." That is the bosun, interrupting as always. "You helped us a lot, even though you didn't have to."
"It was a great adventure, Mr Laldy."
"Madam," the bosun says while the rest of crew fix their eyes on me. Is this what you feel when goblins ambush you? "Give it to the lad."
Captain Shainey then gives me a little chestnut box. I open it. Oh... it's... I want to cry... it's her folding knife, and it has a inscription. By the looks it has been Mr Laldy himself who has made it: "For Serenity".
"Thank you, but..."
She literally puts a finger on my lips. "Shh, there's that from the children of the seas. If you can ever join us, we'll be waiting."
We keep talking a bit longer but they have things to do, as much as I have and there's no use on putting anything off. Except death, that's always good to put it off.
"Are you the new boy?"220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrGz4vTHm5
I'm in the gate room of the Oak College. I'm an hour early so I hope everything will be alright. Please! "Yes, I hope, I am, sir."
"Ha, ha, have it easy. I'm just old Krazer, the doorman, a slave from birth. And you are...?"
"Serenity, sir, er, mister Krazer, but they all call me Serens."
"Serenity? Is that a name for a boy?"
"It is, for master Kanthauer chose it for me."
"Then it must be alright, Serens, if master Kanthauer chooses it so."
"Well, what do I have to do?"
"What, they haven't told you?"
"Er, no, master Kanthauer just said he sold me here."
"Oh, I see, one of those..."
"No, he's a progressive master..."
"The worst kind. Nah, not really the worst, but not the best either. Ah, never mind, no worries, you are smart, aren't you?"
"I wish to become such, mister Krazer."
"Oh, I see you are, well, they want you to become, one day, when you are all grown up and such... they want to... what was I saying?"
"You were talking about my role in the Oak College, Mr. Krazer."
"Oh, yes, I'm getting older... well they want you to become a professor. How's that sweet, eh?"
"Me?"
"Yes. No worries, it's all sitting down doing book things, no sweating. Bringing stuff to old professors, doing errands for old Krazer and learning lots of things. It's not the goblin mines."
"But I'm a slave."
"Well, the Oak College is your master so they can make you do what they want to. Thank the goddess is not dealing with the students' toilet leftovers... Ask Kiri, she'll tell you."220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡksm6x7GJrh
My very own room220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVaIj5WBvE
42nd of Spring, 879 (Later)
Mr Krazer, the doorman is taking me up the stairs of the Residence. This is, he has just told me, where workers live, those who have not their own homes, cannot choose just as him and myself, those striving to get their Ph.D. and some visiting professor. I will sleep in the attic. Will the kids there be good mates?
As I walk up I give a quick glance to everyone I meet. Nobody seems over forty. There's that woman, a were-fox, taking the masters' stairs down, but everybody else I've met is a full human. Oh, then but for that ursid kid, watering the wall vines. He quickly waves at me and I smile back, but we do nothing else. We don't want the free persons to notice us. That's the best rule ever, be quiet, be smart, be a pixie.
"Hurry up, Serens, don't mind Toor."
"Yes, Mr Krazer." I smile, because I know that trick, now we know our names. It's like greeting each other but without greeting each other, so nobody can tell us off. (Read it in an angry tone) "You are wasting time, lazy brats".
"(Play later, right)" He signs that up to me. It's quick and most free persons cannot notice. Mr Krazer does, of course, but he doesn't mind us.
Two levels, three five, six, seven... Oh, my... but how tall is this building? I know I should not but I cannot keep myself from asking. Hey! I'm only 14. I am going to whisper it.
"Mr Krazer, are we there yet?"
"(Four more levels)" He signs me back.
I can only gasp and he signs back "(Elves)"
When they say elves built this place you always think, "who do you think you are fooling?" But everything, I mean everything is so beautiful there. I grew up in a big house, so I know the upstairs and downstairs of good life. But this is like everywhere is masters'. They loved round things those elves, the wall are all bendy and vines grow on them. I mean they grow indoors, which is cheerful. It must be a ton of work for the janitors, though. Oh, and, maybe they would ask me to do that as well.
My room, my very own room, yes, yes, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfUW0pRhso
That's what I thought when I saw it. But I'm getting over myself. At Master Kanthauer, in, Evor we all slept in the attic too, but it was four little rooms for all of us. So mom shared her bed with me. In summer, when it was too hot, sometimes I slept on the old rug, and Kippy, this small kid, would roll over me or ask me to go with him for a pee. He believed Akwowhohoo, the monster who kidnaps little children to sell them to the elves was after him. 220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8p3QnfSz23
Well, let's go back to the big moment. Mr Krazer is opening the attic door and I'm expecting to see a large room filled with small beds, baskets for the clothes and the odd tables and chairs. The usual thing for a slave room. I mean, that's how it is.220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7hFfTGZbm
But there was a bendy corridor leading to many little wooden doors. OK, the doors weren't quite as nice as in the other levels, but still. The only normal thing is that there was nobody here, at this time, if you are not really sick you must be working. Some things are always the same everywhere, it seems. 220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZAIKWy1aS
My mouth was still awe-opened when Mr Krazer tells me. "Serens, let's go to your room, shall we?"220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6atKoXoy3t
And I say, "Yes, Mr Krazer". And I don't get too excited because I'm thinking like "ThatistheroomI'llsharewiththeotherkids".
Then he says nothing and leads me to the next to last right-side door of the corridor and he opens the door.
"Serens, that's your room. Do you like it?" He says that cheerfully, so I'm not sure if he's kidding.
"Isn't it a bit small?" I'm only saying that because I still think I will have to share it with someone else.
"No. It's just like all the others, for singles, I mean."
Then is when I go "Prince on the flying dragon".220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Cz04R8NRO
It's very peculiar, shaped like a bendy triangle. In one of the "corners"... how can I call that? ... bendy corners? Well, I'll say that. In one the bendy corners there are three little windows, so there's lots of light, and next to it a small table and then my bed.220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1h6PNg5u2J
A bed of my own. I hoped that masters would let me use one when I become 16 or something. But I'm still 14. It's a regular bed, I mean it has a frame and everything. I also have vines growing on the walls of my room, and they have flowers and berries.220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaell1I1CN
I return to reality. "Mr Krazer, what do I do with the berries?"220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5XcofYlxT
"Eat them, or the bugs will eat them first. But, you have work to do now. It's waiting for you, at the table."
It's a lovely roundish table tuck into the wall, under a bookshelf filled with books. And there is a pile of paper waiting.220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmz8zhfB8l
"Professor Copperland", Mr Krazer continues, "wants you to start doing that. Sorry, I cannot read, so I cannot help. But other people have told me that's very difficult for a boy of your age, so you'd better start now. I'll send you somebody with some breakfast."220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokKdGl5E5F
"Thank you, Mr Krazer".
"Welcome to Oak College, Serens".220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8pMoHjYyq
220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeTew9fJKy
220Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv99jQ7Io50
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