The Smaller Things (Sky: Children of the Light)

Chapter 5: Lonely Departing After Us

The Elder of the Isle of Dawn, more commonly known by the name of Daleth, was renowned for his wisdom and attitude. He knew the answer to any question, even if he had to improvise an intuitive and objectively correct answer for the lack of a previous one. Daleth was often compared to Lamed, the elder of the Vault of Knowledge. She too was recognizably smart, however her knowledge stemmed into more technical matters. Lamed focused more on sciences, technology, electricity, and mathematics, while Daleth traversed a more mental route, often studying the soul and the emotions that came with the burden of existing.

It was for Daleth's studies that Vionn had decided to visit him. The new Memory that had seen and the obscure oddity of it had to be explained to someone with a more abstract point of view, and not someone who relied on logic alone.

"Sir Daleth?" Vionn called as they entered the main room of the temple. Their call was answered by the sound of shuffling accompanied by a labored grunt, and the aged elder emerged from behind the stone which lay in the middle of the room.

"Don't be so formal," Daleth croaked with a croaky but friendly voice, "my friends call me Dally. You know that already."

Vionn squinted, considering the logic behind that statement. "I do not think we could be considered friends," Vionn suggested, "we don't really know each other very well, and we have a considerable gap in the social hierarchy-"

"If ya wanted all that technical balderdash, Lamed's the oldie ya should've went to," Daleth interrupted with a positively critical tone, like a dad cracking a bad joke. He did have a point, Vionn thought. Hypocrite that they were to go to one of the most oddly-minded adults they knew for an answer of the same standard, only to behave in the opposite manner.

"Now, what brings ye here, kiddie?" Daleth inquired, bending down to Vionn's level of height, using his staff as support.

"Something odd happened today," Vionn answered, "no, multiple odd things happened today. Did you happen to estimate where the shard fallout landed at about noon?"

Daleth very obviously had an expression that read "really?" under his mask. Vionn had used too much of that science-y language, as Daleth called it. Vionn inhaled and tried again.

"There was a shard event today, and I need to know where you think it fell," Vionn rephrased, speaking a little slower and more clearly.

"Mmm," Daleth pondered, "Prairie. The fallout looked pretty close to the temple, or the caves, methinks."

"Not exactly," Vionn corrected, "it fell at Prairie Peaks. This is the first recorded time fallout had ever  landed there!"

Daleth laughed a hearty old-man wheeze, seemingly unfazed. "Oh, kiddie, if there's a problem in Prairie like that, you go see the elder of that realm." He calmed himself down and wiped a humor-induced tear from his left eye.

"But, Sir Ayin doesn't understand most threats, and-!" Vionn started, but was interrupted yet again.

"I'm sure you can at least tell it to him," Daleth assured, patting Vionn's head, "it'll do at least a little good to let him know."

Vionn sighed, slightly disappointed. "Okay, I'll talk to Sir Ayin... But what should I do if he doesn't understand?"

Daleth chuckled quietly. "I ain't ye mammy. Do what you think ye should do." He hoisted himself up to a palled posture with his staff. Though Vionn did appreciate the existence of grownups that had kept their inner-child, their dialogue and motivations still remained the relative annoyance that came with a younger mind. Daleth had certainly grown up, but it wasn't so clear if his maturity developed with his intuition.