After long hours of slow conversations, struggling to translate, exaggerated sherades, and laughs, dusk had set in. They had learned a fair amount about each other. Even Samuel who had been suspicious of the information Ivo was giving them began asking questions about the place he came from and what it was like. They had learned that the Airborn weren't the only sentient species alive, that not even just the humans were. There were much smaller civilizations and different species sprinkled around the sea of sand, living in just as much obviousness to eachother as the Airborn has been to them. Ivo had come from his own kingdom, he explained that it was huge and stretched for miles on end, all full of humans. He had traveled for seven years to find this place. He talked about his people and the quaint life he let there as blacksmiths apprentice. Bremira and Samuel had answered a lot of his questions about their kingdom as well. The customs and traditions, how they got around, and what life in their city was like. Both sides seemed to have the same experience of their kingdoms suppressing the information about each other and passing it off as fairytale. By the time they had begun to wrap things up it was dark and Samuel was nodding off still in his pajamas from earlier that morning.
"Welp, I think I'm going to head to bed." Samuel groggily stated as Bremira and Ivo kept chatting away in Advich.
Bremira and Ivo didn't look tired in the slightest. Their faces filled with fascination and wonder.
"Brem?"
Bremira finally acknowledging Samuel getting up from the seat he had just sat in for hours "Oh! Sorry Samuel, have a good night, wash your plate first?"
The table was littered with books on Advich and Eshlin that they had been using to better communicate and plates from the meals Bremira had made while talking all the while. Samuel grabbed his place and brought it to the sink. The light of the gas lamps in the kitchen was the only thing between them and complete darkness.
"Ivo, you can stay with us as long as you're here, we have a loft on the top floor you can sleep in." She didn't want to stop talking but as she finally took note of the hour she figured she better see him to bed.
Despite his long journey and sore body Ivo didn't want to sleep, he was so excited to be here and learn from them but also making a note of the time he figured they must be tired themselves. He thanked Bremira and she led him by his sleeve through the dark, silent, peaceful house. The light of the moon shown through each window they passed and onto the wood floor, it lighted their way. For once in Ivo's long travel it felt like everything was still. It was the kind of stillness he had only ever felt in his kingdom, in his own bed. He hadn't realized how much he had missed it.
They climbed the latter to the loft. Bremira turned and clicked the small gas lamp on. There was a simple bed, a nightstand with a few thin books on it, and a wooden rocking chair.
"It's not much, sorry we can't be more hospitable." Bremira sighed with a hand on her hip surveying the small space.
Without warning, Ivo whipped around and embraced her in a huge warm hug.
"Thank you" his accent rang out a little more in his speech than before
Bremira, startled by this choked out an awkward "You're welcome"
It was a warm hug and she noticed he smelled faintly like sunflowers. After a few seconds, they parted ways and she headed back down a little flustered.
Ivo stood in silence for a second taking everything in. When was the last time he had been able to sleep in a bed? 6 months? Maybe a year? And Bremira. He never expected to hear his own language again, especially not here, not from her. He thought back to that moment she had said hello to him in Advich. With her accent she made it sound beautiful, it was as if he was being welcomed home after a years of being gone. He sighed and lay down on the bed, it felt incredible, maybe because he hadn't slept on one in so long. He heard the swishing of water as someone in the house bathed. He felt his body relax and sink into the bed. For once he wasn't in danger, he had almost started to believe people that he was cursed. He rolled over on his back and stared at his hands. His skin that was splotched with two different shades, most people who saw him thought his family had been cursed, that he wasn't human. It wasn't everyone though, he had friends and people who truly knew him. They vouched for him and taught him that it was nonsense. Despite it all, he never hated his skin just becuse people thought that way.
Ivo's thoughts raced, he couldn't sleep. He sat up grabbing one of the books off the nightstand. It was a small dark blue book with the title down the spine. It took a second to decipher but eventually, he was able to tell it said The Journey of Dero. He opened it to start reading but found that it was filled with many Eshlin words he had never learned. After trying to make sense of it for a while he heard a creak at the entrance of the loft. He looked over his book and saw two curious dark brown eyes staring back at him.
"Bremira?"
Bremira Squeaked, she hadn't expected to be caught.
Bremira climbed up
"I-I swear I wasn't trying to spy on you or anything, I swear to God! I was just wondering if you were able to sleep, I saw the light on!"
Jeez, how many more times can I get embarrassed tonight? She thought to herself.
Ivo smiled. "I wouldn't swear to him."
"Huh?"
"Ah, nothing. I believe you."
Bremira felt herself relax knowing that he didn't think she was some kind of creep.
Ivo noticed she was a lot cleaner than before
She must have been the one taking a bath. He thought.
She wore a white nightgown with long sleeves, her hair was wet and he noticed the red that had been showing previously at her roots were gone, her hair was now completely black. It matched her long black wings that drooped behind her
"Did you want to talk?" Ivo felt a little excited, he had felt restless.
"Um, well yes. Truth is I'm not very tired, I still have some questions that I wanted to ask you if that's okay."
"As do I. Ask away" Ivo moved to sit at the edge of the bed, leaning back on his hands. Bremira beamed and brought the chair to sit across from him. He noticed the back of her nightgown was a lower cut to allow her wings to move free of a clothy restraint. He chuckled at it. Bremira caught it.
"What's so funny?" She asked while getting comfortable in the chair.
"Just your uh..." not remembering the word he tugged his shirt and pointed at it.
She tilted her head in confusion.
"Kutha" He tried saying it in Advich.
"Clothes?"
"Clothes! Yes" He laughed. "Has an opening in the back, for your wings right?"
"Yes, not all of them are like this but it's the nicest thing to sleep in" She said while brushing her hair to the side and touching her back.
She noticed his Eshlin was much better after they had all gone over some books to figure out words they didn't know how to say in each others language. It sounded as if he may have once spoken it fluently.
"How long have you been Learning Eshlin? You've gotten better since this morning."
"About up until the day that I left my kingdom when I was 16. I didn't have anyone to practice with again until now though that's why I'm a bit rusty, and you all have many new words or changed words. I prefer speaking this way with you, it helps me practice."
Bremira was amazed, 16 years, no wonder he was so good. She glanced his skin, it looked amazing up close. She bit her lip wondering if she should ask.
"I was wondering ...About your skin." She felt nervous wondering if she had offended him.
Shoot, maybe I could have phrased that better. She thought to herself.
"It's not contagious if that's what you're wondering" he joked teasingly
"No, no! I think it's really beautiful, I was just curious"
"Beautiful?" He smirked
Bremira sighed hiding her face in her hand.
He laughed at her reaction "I'm just teasing, thank you. I was just born this way, that's all. Even within humans, I haven't met anyone else with skin like mine, people thought I was cursed."
Bremira felt a tinge of pain hearing that, how could anyone think that? Then again wasn't she in a similar situation?
"My turn. What's up with your hair?"
Instinctively she was striken with a sense of sheer panic but only for a second.
"Um, I guess you saw earlier so I'll explain. I have red hair but if anyone else in the kingdom finds out I could be killed. Samuel knows, he's the only one. There is a dumb prophecy that said a red haired person was going to destroy our entire race in a war. And, well everyone in the kingdom is fairly superstitious." She felt weird about explaining it, she hadn't since she told Samuel years ago and saying everything out loud again felt ridiculous.
Ivo's face was serious and stern as he listened. He mumbled something in Advich under his breath that she couldn't quite catch before his face softened again.
"That's a shame, I think red hair is beautiful" He gave a look full of mryth and charm.
She smiled rolling her eyes at him.
"I guess that kind of judgment is everywhere. Even in a place like this. I find it so incredible here, I never would have thought the Airborn would be like that." He said.
"Sorry to ruin your image of this place but it's probably not much different from your kingdom, aside from the flying."
They spoke for a while longer. Bremira yawned and stretched finally feeling her tiredness catch up with her.
"You should probably get some rest." Ivo said. He was still very awake himself.
"Okay, I probably should. One last question though?"
"Go for it"
"Why were you searching for the Airborn?"
Ivo felt himself tense up. He knew the question would be asked eventually but he hadn't made up his mind about how much he would tell them yet. Not trying to wait too long to answer at the risk of seeming suspicious opened his mouth and spoke.
"I want to bring someone here back with me to reunite the Airborn and the humans."
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