Island Confederation

Chapter 2

Red Eyes, Blue Eyes

Ok, I have an elvish mercenary company supporting me and a translator. I have a sword, my family cloak, and 500 gold coins. I need a base of operations, not too far, but not too close. Finally, I need a source of income. Where would that be? An arrow whizzed past my head and plopped into the sea. I turned around to see another one within arm's reach. I flung myself to the ground. My left eye began to turn red. Well that's going to be annoying. 

"Fucking bastard! I know you're there." One of the assassins walked out onto the deck. His eyes a dark, cold blue, like the incomprehensible depths of the sea. He reached towards his quiver. I threw myself towards him as he aimed his other arrow. We both fell to ground in a frenzy of fists. My eye became redder. The elf grabbed my the waist and threw me off the side of the boat. I'vd heard rumors of elvish strenghth, but I didn't believe them until now. The last time I was thrown like this was when I was five or so. I grabbed onto a crack in the hull of the boat and began to climb my way back up. We need a new boat. I heard a disgruntled mumble as I scrambled back up. I saw the elf walking back below deck and the leader now above deck, looking over the other side of the boat. I charged blue eyes from behind and grabbed him by the ears, flinging him to the ground. His hood was knocked off revealing long yellow hair. I heard golden elf hair sells for a lot. What a waste. I kicked him in the face twice. The leader then threw me away from blue eyes. Again? Really?  He then cut blue eyes' hair, took his bow, his arrows, and sat down. I moved closer to the edge of the deck. My left eye became redder. Blue eyes charged towards me. I prepared myself to jump out the way, but he stopped if only momentarily. His eyes turned red. I threw him overboard. The red in my eye began to fade. I looked at the leader to see him nod and walk below deck, leaving behind the spoils of war.

Shaoleim Lessons

I walked down below deck and into my room. I placed my new goods on a desk in the corner of the room. I looked through the various compartments. In the top left, I found a map of the world. There's where I should go. I can sell this hair there too. In another compartment I found 3 silver coins and a scroll. Too bad I can't read this language. This could be important. In the bottom most compartment, I saw a stack of papers bound together with leather. I can't read this either. Why couldn't they put in pictures for a curious foreigner? There's lots of info though, unless it's just a novel, but I guess a novel is useful too. I walked over to my bed where the egg lay. I held it up above the candles. The outline if the embryo, surrounded in a golden halo shone through the eggshell. I give it around another week at most. I grabbed my sword and walked out of my room on a search for Guangmei. I knocked on the doors down the hallway, accidentally waking up another assassin, but luckily he left me be, shooing me away with only a grunt. I walked to the kitchen to see her drinking mead. "Guangmei, time for you to teach me."

"Alright," she said, "do you want to know my native tongue or Joshiere's?"

"Josheire? Leader elf?"

Guangmei chuckled, "leader elf? Really?"

"Well I didn't know the guy's name. Josheire, huh? Interesting name. Anyways, follow me, we can decide when I show this map I found." We walked back to my room, and I showed her the map. "Ok, I can't read any of this, but out of the eastern countries closest to me, what language do they speak?" I asked pointing towards the large country bordering the ocean.

"It speaks my native tongue, Shaoleim. Most of those countries on that side of the land do."

"Ok," I replied. "Does Josheire also speak Shaoleim?"

"Yes," she said, "his native tongue is Keoran, but many elves know both."

"Oh, alright."

" Now Barrékél, this language is much more complicated than your native tongue. Many more vowels, lots of compound vowels. Can you handle it?"