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I.1 The Move
A Zoraï homina calls on Eleanide:
"Hey Eleanide, where are you going with your trunks?
— To Matis desert
— Ah ! Do you leave us ? So, you don't know what you want…. You lived in the forest among the Karas those who saw you grow up, then here in Zora among the Kamis those welcomed you with open arms and now you go to Hidden Source with the vilains ? What is your want ? What sort of homina are you ?
— What sort of?…. *cogitates* Uh…. A hominist, that is sure. And besides, you know, they're not so bad, they're homins.
— So long, then. *the Zoraï homina turns heels and back home*
— Goodbye, I was fine here, trust me. Thank you for everything."
Eleanide left on the back of Kalista 2, her old mount, followed by her toubs carrying her heavy trunks. When she reached the desert, she went to her hall to load a few more trunks. There, a guard called on her:
"Hey, you seamstress! Where are you going?
— To the forest.
— Why? Don't like sun no more?
— Yes, I do. But a homin is waiting for me.
— Bah, have a good trip then!
Eleanide resumed her away, without looking behind.
I.2 The Move (continued)
When in front of the camp, Eleanide hesitated to pass the entrance. She saw Bipbip rush into the saddlebag she then pressed against her while muttering "Esperanza" and entered the camp. A guard called on her:
"Say, seamstress, what you doing?
— Um, I want to come in.
— I have trouble understanding: you lived in the forest, among the karas, you lived in the jungle, among the kamis and now you would like to live in Hidden Source among us, the marauds? What are you?
— I *lightly coughing* am a hominist.
— Ah? *the homin surprised* Explain to me.
— It's a long story that begins with my Fyros mother….
— Oh! *amazed*
— … and an unknown father. Once my 20 years have come, my mother left me on the Matis island. She made me drink a vial and said: ‘White as you are, this will make it easier for you to be accepted here’. I saw her disappear into the Roots, certainly in search of my father…. On the island, I did my apprenticeship. I discovered drilling, hunting with Ephemede, magic with Glorfindel and mutual help thanks to the beautiful Sithi, always on the lookout for youngers to rez. Seeing her behaviour, I was thinking: ‘Later, I will act as she does, I will help my neighbor.’ That's how I became a hominist thanks to a whitehorn."
I.3 Alone?
A few days followed, while I felt myself watched every time I went to the camp. When a guard questioned me:
"Hey! You claim to be hominist but I always see you alone. Explain!
— Bah, when I left the island, I wanted to follow my companions. Alas, they had already left Yrkanis. I was visiting the city alone when, at the turn of a road, I heard:
- ‘Eleanide?
- — Yes?
- — I was told about you.
- — Ah?
- — You marry me if I give you a mount?
- — Raah, you nuts…. Pfffff.’
"I turned heels thinking that the homin was mad, I knew later that his name was Kaanor and that the girls have been on it. *laughs at remembrance*
"At the foot of a tree, I saw a Matis mistreating a Tryker. I thought then that these whitehorns were weird. I reached the tree of my half-brother and showed my pass. The guard said: 'Welcome to Animi Limina.'
"From there Dante the Tryker watched over me during my hunts, Ravenak, a Fyros with tender heart, cut clothes for me. Poor guy! I only accepted purple to wear, as did the beautiful Sithi of the island. Moonblades showed me how to avoid and watch the mobs. Ah…. And the girls, these imps Tregian and Damaa, taught me hunting the blue, sometimes yellow, l'il dot.
"At that time I was drilling at Towerbridge. I there met Zoreille, who introduced me to coffee, and Ulheeya taught me right drilling. One day when I left Yrkanis, I found myself squashed under a mob. Moon picked me up and shouted: ‘Speed to the hall and stay there!’ and I heard her yelling: ‘Kitin, guards ! Kitin in sight!’ I didn't look behind. When I reached the bottom of the building, the guard reassured me: ‘You're too little to face them. Don't worry, your folks will take care of them.’
"A month passed. I could walk out again and finally leave these looks full of disdain upon me. I went to the desert with the girls. They guided me visiting Pyr and I succumb to the charm: ahhh the agora, the hammam and the bar. *sighs* Oki, yes, the Fyros were watching me with odd eye, but after some bottles, it was much better. Alas, the next day it was amnesia for them.
"I was comfortable with the girls, we had much fun. But then the temples have been built, damn temples! Many left, and I found myself alone… well, not so alone: there was Shen *wistful air* but that's another tale.
— Actually you find yourself alone because the homins leave?
— Yes, something like that."
I.4 Esperanza
The next day, I heard this voice whose I was gradually becoming familiar with:
"Say, when you showed up here, you whispered something… um…. Hope….
— You heard me? Ah…. *sigh* Everything started when I drilled in the Bog licked by Wyac, like other drillers as Thanys, Artemisfollow, Wailfirin….
— What? Thanys, the Matis who created the brothel?
— A courtesan's service *I answered with a smile*
— … while others hunted nearby like the Amazons, Jody, Lahora, Elizoma often in the company of Millenium, Djiper. I chatted a lot of hominity with them. A meeting of neutrals was then organized. From that we gained a spirit of self-confidence and we created the motto "Esperanza", cause we had hope in hominity.
There followed noises coming from the Lakes, where I attend one evening, by chance, a meeting where the name of Elias appeared. I did not feel comfortable. Nevertheless, I went to the next meeting which took place in the famous cave which I strived a cycle to find, swimming in circles, skin wrinkled thoroughly.
— What about Elias? What was he saying?
— Ah yes! The meeting…. Well, my discomfort was confirmed when I heard that he was against the KK and that you have to camouflage yourself among them in order to balance the forces. Me? Hiding myself? Tackling my friends? No way…. Yet I stayed inside Animi which became Kara. And after a few weeks had passed I did likewise to stay beside the Animi's and my lover Shen, a homin torn between his heart and his dark Matis side, member of the Cercle des Profondeurs led by Shaarm. He protected me during the hunt for trytonists and spies, and his house treated me as one of their own."
I.5 Listen to Your Heart
For a few days I heard murmurs at my passage. I turned towards the guard and said:
"What's up? I have a stain on my conk, do I?
— Hey ! Is that true you have been married?"
— Hu-ho yes! Twice, even.
— Oh?
— There has been the beautiful tenebrous Shen, torn between his heart and his Matis side, torn between his laboratory and the hunt at my side, a worthy member of Le Cercle des Profondeurs. His house welcomed me with open arms. It has always been there to defend me. In return, I watched over each its member.
"This is, by the way, how I met Dorcile, Belldandy, Mutenroshi, Phyli, and Bouigyssimo, who became later my second husband.
— What? That Fyros?
— Yep indeed, that browned, that imp, that hominaizer. After a few months of him chasing me, I said to him "It's either them, all, or me, alone" and he replied "It's you, but you marry me." That's how I became the godmother of the Cosa, Karavan mercenaries, pigheaded ones. Actually those of La sève Noire remind them to me: their solidarity, their mutual aid, their protection towards each other. See li'l Typhanix, she was of them already.
— But have you had other sweeties like that?
— Hu-ho yes…. There has been Dwilaseth, the obsidian star, a dreamer, Polo the old imp who was coveting my bottom. *laughs* Ah! And Saeveas too, the wanderer, a loner like me, a tender friend…. Ah, and a Cosa again, Jessayaneo, who gave me his friendship…. Yes there have been sweeties *wistful air* many of them." *laughs*
Elea turned heels back home, head full of memories. She already thought, aloud, about what she was going prepare for her homin:
"Let's see…. A stew of bodoc in wine or a yubo with mustard?"
"But they're all gone?
— Yes, they have all taken the path to the Roots, taking their life in hand and giving me back my freedom.
— And yet you still have an homin?
— Yes! Heart has its reasons that Reason doesn't know… listen to your heart and you'll see."
I.6 The Seamstress
"Tell me, you seamstress…. I got a hole in my waistcoat, could you mend it?
— Err…. *looks at the old rag he is wearing, takes out her tape and takes the measurements* Wiser to stitch you a new one."
— True, you gonna do that?
— Well yes, why not? I have what's needed on toubs."
I began to sew, I felt that he was watching me.
"Don't worry, I won't leave needles. *laughs* I save that for whitehorns.
— Ah? By the way, how did you become a seamstress?
— Well, then, after the temples, there came big changings. Many took the road to the Roots. Many crafters left. At that time, I was helping the younger ones. As I could not find their equipment, I had to start making it. So I started crafting. I worked a bit on everything but, very soon, I have been seized by the passion for sewing. Find the fiber that will give elasticity or resistance, find out how to make pretty color outfits…. I spent days and nights at my searches, my great friend Taraforest supporting me at best, a real coach. *laughs*
— Taraforest the Matis wearing a Tryker's hat?
— Yes, she is the one I speak about. Then I was supported by the li'l Abyssandra and her guynouille.
— The li'l of the Légions Fyros unable to count?
— Yep. She too became a member of the Cercle, a tailoress of heavy armors. Then I was supported by Kiwalie.*smiles* That's how I had to drill everywhere to equip everyone, whatever the homin. I opened my shop and lended my needles to everyone, as I still do nowadays. And now your waistcoat is finished!
— Thank you! *dons his new vest and notices how less itchy it is* Err…. May I ask you for new pants too?
— Yes, *she said, smiling* you may."
I.7 Drilling
"Hey the seamstress! You really drill everywhere?
— Um, yes. I've already told you, it allows me to craft all kind of armour. Besides, you did not tell me what you wanted….
— The same I'm wearing. As a guard, I am not allowed to wear what I want.
— Pfff…. Pity!.
— But that's slow, drilling. Don't you get bored?
— Well, I was a driller. When I arrived from the Matis island, as I told you before, I often found myself alone. So, I went and drilled. I was chatting with the other drillers. Once my apprenticeship was over, I focused on finding excellent materials in the forest. I spent a year observing without sometimes understanding. *lowers her head* Peeved, I went down to Prime to see if I would understand better. Thanks to drilling there, I helped Shen to learn how to make heavies.
— Why? You didn't use your materials?
— Bah, nope. At that time I sold or gave all my harvests. I was a driller, not a crafter. There were many gifted crafters at that time.
— He's been lucky.
— Roohh yes, and he hasn't been the only one. I helped Alchimi for his weapons, Req a little for a crafting I don't remember. In exchange for small materials, they supplied me in medium armors of high finish. The times were of haggling, bartering, my 3rd specialty.
— What the others?
— So let's see…. The 1st, for sure, is chatting, that's how drilling goes. *laughs* The 2nd, let's say sewing, because I'm still asked a lot for li'l violet or sexy outfits; the 3rd is bartering, to find what misses my friends or I; the 4th, drilling, though I don't drill anymore I remain a driller: Pickax a day, pickax always! And the 5th, curative magic.
— Uh, only that?
— Hu-ho no! I'm a jack of all trades.
— A what?
— I practice a bit of everything then see if I like it or not. Come on, I pop to tailor your outfit."
I.8 Auntie
Elea knew this voice, which called out to her:
"Hey! The seamstress! why are you called auntie?
— Oh that…. *smiles* Well, you remember I told you about Sithi, the beautiful Matis homina dressed in purple who was stuck on the Matis island. I said I wanted to help my neighbor like her. Well, I did.
— What? You returned on the island?
— But no, nigaud! *smiles* We could not. When encountering li'l ones just starting on the continent, I gave them pennies, some equipment and I helped them a bit, either by teaching him foraging or by bringing them where they had not yet been. Alas, after the temples many artisans gone. It was then that I began my apprenticeship in crafts to equip myself the li'l ones. I took the opportunity to initiate them into fashion.
— The fashion victims?
— *laughs* You know, some have been famous for their taste: Carishina presented herself at a parade of Miss Atys with a beautiful outfit of her creation, a mixture of green and red. From what I remember, it was a red ‘Li'Shaï-Don’ vest on a green ‘Modi Vestini’ gown with red ‘Li'Nin-ka’ sleeves. She had even given him a name: Burning Spring. Ah, I'm sorry my lucios have been burnt. *laughs all of a sudden* Ah, and there has been Nilstilar too, whose famous pajamas appeared in the Gazette du Désert #6. He was proud of his creation.
Some were gifted, others less. But I remember each of them. Some of them are still on the Bark, as this li'l one who came out some day with "Say, I didn't have no mom, but you, you're just like. Can I call you auntie?"
What to answer apart from Yes to that little one I had taken under my wing because I had known his big brother.
— That's how you became Atys auntie.
— Uh, not the whole Atys, *smiles* but my protégés'. Some have become karas, other kamis and even other marauders. But they are all, in my eyes, my protégés, homins."
I.9 The Diary
When Elea was passing by the guard, she had got into the habit of stopping and chatting with him. But for a few days she had not seen him. Until the day when *knock knock*….
"Yes?
— I am your building caretaker, you have some visit: a young guard.
— Ah? Wait, I am coming down.
— Hey the seamstress!
— Oh it's you. *smiles*
— So, I spoke to the Sage of Camp.
— Ah, there's one?
— Um…. Yes, and he told me to bring you to him.
— Ah? Such a mystery…."
They went to a shack not far away. Well, it must be said that the camp is not very large. Elea entered and saluted an old homin who seems not so unknown to her.
"Hello, the pickax. As you are hanging on your legs around here, you may as well be useful at something. Rather than break the guards' concentration with your stories, you're going to enliven vigils for young recruits.
— Bah, the point is I'm not a storyteller nor a trainer. Won't be objective. I see Atys through my eyes.
— Yes, yes, that's what we want: a look neither kara nor kami but ancient. Um…. But do not convert them to hominism, yeah! They are here to learn how to fight, including with words.
— Um… but what will I, me, tell your little ones?
— You have a diary like all hominas, haven't you?
— Yes, but, um…. I relate there my strolls, my discoveries, my thoughts, my romances.*blushes*
— Yes, yes. Well, you'll sort it out: just tell them not…. you know what.
— I'll think about it.
— But it's a no-brainer! You won't enjoy the place without investing yourself! Come on, go to work. You begin next week."
