Found (Part One)

Posted on 19 Sep 2022 @ 4:17pm by Rogue Nazri Arisant

1,228 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Once Upon a Codex
Location: Unknown
Timeline: 12 Years Ago

Previously in Lost The new arrival smiled at the Qunari, and Nazri liked the smile. The other teen extended his hand, it was an unfamiliar gesture but appeared to be a friendly one, "Never mind those assholes, they're just idiots. My name is Kyle."

"I am Nazri," he replied quickly, a little more sure than before.

"You look a little hungry, why don't you come with me?"

Now the continuation

The grip lasted a bit longer than the qunari thought it should, but he couldn't know for sure, and besides, he liked the feel of the other's warm calloused hand, but then his hand was free and he didn't think anything more about it.

"I'm starving," Nazri said as he turned and followed the older teen. They walked for a good twenty minutes down twisted, narrow streets, and even narrow and more twisted alleys. If Kyle were trying to get him more lost and confused than he already was, then he was doing a great job, but Nazri instinctively knew he wasn't trying to confuse him, but rather to confuse any potential tails.

They passed a market square filled with tents and carts, then turned onto a street that was slightly wider than the others they had traversed. Kyle put a hand on his upper arm and steered him to a cul-de-sac. Nazari's mouth started to water as he smelled the wonderous aroma of freshly baked bread, and some other odor that he had never smelled before and couldn't identify, but smelled, clean

They were approaching a building and a heavy oak door. On one side of the door was a bakery. It took him a few minutes to identify the business on the other side, it was a laundry But Kyle wasn't going to either one of those, he went up to the door and opened it. He opened and walked up a flight of stairs to a short hallway with five doors off of it.

Each door had a letter embossed on it. Kyle walked up to a door labeled B, opened it, and stepped inside. It occurred to the qunari that he might be better off staying out in the hallway, but that would have been rude, and besides, he was pretty sure he could take care of himself if Kyle were planning an ambush.

The older boy locked the door behind him, then moved across the room to a wooden box sitting on the floor in a corner. It was about three feet high, two feet wide, and two feet deep.

"What is that?" Naari asked.

"It's an icebox," Kyle said, "You put ice in that top drawer there and it keeps what's inside nice and cool. I have some leftover duck in there and some bottled ale"

"Ale in bottles?" Nazri asked as Kyle pulled out a platter and sat it on a shelf.

Kyle nodded, "Yes, some of the breweries here bottle it. It's actually pretty good. Would you like some?"

Nazri nodded a bit reluctantly and the human teen reached in and took out two bottles.

As he was doing so, Nazri took his warbow off, unstrung it, and laid it against the wall.

"I'm going to run a quick errand and get some bread from downstairs. Do you want me to get you anything?"

"Just the bread is fine."

"Just try not to steal anything while I'm gone."

The qunari had been reaching for the plate, but he froze when the heard Kyle's words "I. AM. NOT. A THIEF! You're just like your friends out there." He shifted his position reaching for his bow when Kyle put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know that," he said in a low voice, "I wouldn't leave you here otherwise. Those are not my friends out there, but you're right. That was kind of a dick move. I was just making a joke. I'm sorry. Please stay."

The hand was comforting, platonic and right then, Nazri needed that. His anger didn't dissipate altogether but most of it ebbed away. "Fine, I'll stay, maybe I was a little sensitive. I just don't understand human humor."

"That was humorous, it was just stupid. Again I apologize. I'll be back in less than an hour."

Nazri wasn't sure where Kyle was going, and he was curious, but he wasn't going to ask him. If Kyle was going to betray him or do something bad to him, he would have already done so. Otherwise, it wasn't really any of his business. While Kyle was gone, he ate the entire duck, with his hands. He was so famished, that he didn't even pause, he had it polished off in less than five minutes Afterward, he licked his fingers and wiped them on his shirt. Then he drank down the bottle of ale and gave a contented burp. He wasn't full, by any means, but he felt a lot better, almost sated.

Having no sense of privacy or personal ownership, he explored the small apartment. There was the living area he had entered, a bedroom, and a small kitchen. In the bedroom, he found another device he had never seen before. it was mounted to the wall, shiny, and oval. He approached it cautiously, thinking it might be a portal to some other world. As he drew closer he gathered the courage to look into it and to his surprise, he saw himself. He was still staring at the image when he heard the door open.

He tore his eyes away when he heard Kyle enter the bedroom.

"Do you know what you're looking at?" he asked.

"Me, "Nazri replied.

"No, I mean yes. You are looking at you, but do you know what you're looking at yourself through?"

Nazri shook his head.

"It's called a looking glass, a mirror. They don't have those where you come from?"

Again the qunari shook his head, "No we don't. That would be...too individualistic. We don't believe in that."

"You've never seen yourself before?"

"Once, sort of, a reflection in the ocean, but it wasn't as clear as this. I guess I can see why I freak people out."

Now it was Kyle's turn to shake his head. People get freaked out because they live in fear of those who are different than they are. You look good."

"I do?"

"Yeah, you do. You want some bread it's fresh."

"Sure," Nazri said, as he was led out of the bedroom. There on the shelf was a loaf of rye bread that was still warm and two new bottles of ale that were cold

In the kitchen was a table with two chairs. where the two teens sat. Nazri mirrored Kyle's actions trying to mimic what he assumed were proper human table manners. This apparently included actually chewing one's food and doing so with one's mouth closed.

After they had eaten Kyle said, "You look tired, you can sleep in my bed if you want."

"With you?" Nazri asked his tone both innocent and inquisitive.

Kyle chuckled. "Hell no. In the first place, you're too young. In the second place, you're not my type. I'll sleep on the floor."

Nazri wondered what his age had to do with sleeping, but he let it go for the moment. Maybe it was because he was so tired.

TBC.

 

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