Episode 07 | Heatsphere

Lyn:     How much longer until we get there?

Raka:    Get where?

Lyn:     I don’t know- where ever it is you’re going.

Raka:    I’m going toward the peak, trying to find the Aetherfrays so we can fix them.

Lyn:     And… they are where?

Raka:    Lyn, if I knew, I wouldn’t have asked you to describe the way the aetherweb looks every few leagues. We have to find them, and unless we do, I can’t tell you “how much longer” we will be travelling.

Lyn:     Why did I sign up for this… I’m so stupid…

Raka:    That aside, this is only our first day of travelling. It usually takes me around 12-14 days to fix a tangleweave.

Lyn:     Wait what?! 12-15 days more of this?! Damn past-me, what have you done! Honestly, can’t we at least call it a day already?

Raka:    Are you tired?

Lyn:     Of course I am! My feet and muscles ache, and I’m starving! And I think I got some blisters…

Raka:    You sure weren’t kidding when you said you weren’t very athletic.

Lyn:     I told you so!

Raka:    You live up on this mountain, how did you even become so plump?

Lyn:     Well we always had plenty of- Wait, did you just call me fat?

Raka:    Plump, I called you plump!

Lyn:     Stop calling me fat!

Raka:    I wasn’t- I don’t mind, okay? I like plump girls!

Lyn:     Eww, thanks but I’m not interested.

Raka:    I wasn’t implying that-

Lyn:     I’m joking. I would like me too. You think Malaki will share any food he finds?

Raka:    I really wouldn’t want to rely on him if I were you. Judging by how skinny he is, I don’t think he’s very good at finding food.

Lyn:     Boooh! Well, will YOU at least share with me then?

Raka:    Hunt your own game.

Lyn:     With what? Do I look equipped well enough to hunt? Should I try “sinking my fangs” into my prey like you or Malaki?

Raka:    I don’t do that, that’s disgusting. And if you can’t hunt, you could still… try finding food.

Lyn:     And when am I supposed to do that when you wont even let us take snack breaks?

Raka:    We need to work out a routine between ourselves. Are you hungry already?

Lyn:     Dude, have you just ignored my complains for the past half hour?

Raka:    Fine. Come on, let’s keep moving. Maybe we’ll find food as we walk.

Lyn:     Maybe but I really doubt it… Wait. Didn’t the villagers give us food?

Raka:    Some flatbread and dried meat. And a Barley and Millet mixture we’re supposed to cook with a bit of water… But we’ll save those for worse days. There should still plenty game around here. For now… we’ll find a place to make camp. Then we’ll hunt.

Lyn:     Well, does that mean you will share with me at least or do I really actually need to hunt for myself?

Raka:    Fine, sure. I tend to have leftovers anyway.

Lyn:     Yay!

Raka:    Usually I fry the leftovers and save them for later… guess that just means more hunting.

Lyn:     By the way, I am hearing the echo again. Did your Windshell thingy turn on?

Raka:    Hm. You’re right, I didn’t even hear it… Why would it do that now?

Lyn:     Don’t ask me, I have no clue. Should we look out for anything unusual?

Raka:    The only unusual thing is that we haven’t reached the ætherfrays yet despite walking all day. I honestly though they’d be closer.

Lyn:     How much distance you think we’ve covered by now? Surely we’ll reach the peak soon, right? Right?

Raka:    We’ve only been hiking for 6 hours, obviously that means we’ve covered 6 leagues.

Lyn:     How is that obvious? We could’ve walked 7 or 8 leagues in that time, right?

Raka:    Because leagues is the distance you can walk in an hour.

Lyn:     Oh. So that’s like kilometers per hour.

Raka:    I… what’s…

Lyn:     How many leagues till we get to the top?

Raka:    I don’t know. And we’re not trying to reach the peak, we’re looking for the ætherfrays so we can follow them.

Lyn:     Wait, but I thought we were looking for this tumbleweed stuff, not some ætherfrays… or not?

Raka:    The ætherfrays is what the border of the tangleweave is called.

Lyn:     Oh. So we’re trying to get to the border thing.

Raka:    Yes. Hm. Unless we’re close to the frays, I can’t see a reason why the Windshell would turn on. There shouldn’t be any spirits around here.

Lyn:     Unless Malaki went and coaxed another one our way, right?

Raka:    Unless… I hope he isn’t THAT stupid…

Lyn:     What if – and that’s the worst case -what if he didn’t actually go hunting but went and chased one down to get you as revenge for Edgar?

Raka:    You mean his äthwar?

Lyn:     Edgar, Edward… meh, whichever works out for you.

Raka:    Well it’s a possibility. But he only has earth-runes, and most of those are about growth and immobility, not offence. It’s not exactly easy to taunt a spirit to chase you when all you can do is throw flowers at it.

Lyn:     I would follow Malaki if I was given flowers, but… well, talking about flowers, is that a bird on that rock over there?

Raka:    Flowers…? That’s a Snow-Yag.

Lyn:     Ooh, okay.

Raka:    Incidentally, it’s also dinner.

Lyn:     Yay! So I did find food! Ooh, so that’s why you’re carrying a bow and arrow with you. You think you can hit it with that?

Raka:    Watch.

Lyn:     Did you hit it? Yay, you did it! We have food! Also, I found it!

Raka:    Not quite yet. We still need to… quilt it, bleed and gut it… then build a fire and roast it.

Lyn:     Urg…

Raka:    Have you done any of that before?

Lyn:     Are you mad? I haven’t even ever seen my meat alive!

Raka:    … Really?

Lyn:     Not even once. My burgers are dead, usually.

Raka:    Then you will need to learn that.

Lyn:     How about No?

Raka:    Yes you do, or you’re not getting any food.

Lyn:     Seriously?!

Raka:    You WANTED to come with me, yet you can’t even provide for yourself. If I’m supposed to share my prey with you, you will learn how to gut and bleed it at least.

Lyn:     Urg… Okay, fine!

Raka:    Can you cook?

Lyn:     Give me salt and pepper and I will make a delikatesse out of it.

Raka:    Even on an open fire?

Lyn:     No. No, sorry. Definitely not.

Raka:    Can you build one at least?

Lyn:     Fire?!

Raka:    Yes.

Lyn:     Nope. Never had to do that either.

Raka:    You lived in this region, do you know herbs or spices that grow in this climate?

Lyn:     I guess… not?

Raka:    Fiyar’ta… Do you humans even have any skill at all?

Lyn:     Um… well… I usually have a cellphone. I just buy it online. Well sorry, where I come from we didn’t NEED to do any of those things!

Raka:    Are you telling me you lived in a village that had no need for fires and where you didn’t need to hunt? This is the SOUTH, Lyn, and not just that, this is the SKUNDR! Barely anything edible grows in this climate. Even IF you humans somehow managed to establish a functioning agriculture and farming, you must’ve at least seen the meat you ate alive!

Lyn:     I’m not lying! Just because that’s how things work in your society doesn’t automatically mean it does so in mine.

Raka:    No matter HOW it worked in your society, you still had to eat. Or did one of the fourteen just benevolently happen to grant you unlimited food supplies for being such good pets?

Lyn:     Seriously Raka, how would I get so plump if I can’t hunt? I honestly have no idea where our food came from. I just know we always had enough. Even my cats had enough.

Raka:    How did you keep your houses warm without fires?

Lyn:     I don’t know but the weather was mostly mild and… we had heaters for the cold spells.

Raka:    Heaters… heaters without fires?

Lyn:     Yea, they ran on… gas I think?

Raka:    Gas?

Lyn:     Or might have been electricity, I’m not sure.

Raka:    What’s elec… tricity? Wait, mild weather on the Skundr?! How do you get mild weather on the Skundr!

Lyn:     It just happened. Why are you questioning everything that I’m saying?

Raka:    Sorry…

Lyn:     Well, it’s mild right now, isn’t it?

Raka:    We’re on the north facing side, of course it’s a bit warmer here.

Lyn:     Well, maybe my village also faced north then?

Raka:    Do you remember what altitude your village was at?

Lyn:     Not really. I just know it was quite some way up… I mean, I ran downhill for hours after the spirit-nation attacked, it might’ve been a whole day before I finally got to that village we met at…

Raka:    That… sounds like you were quite far up.

Lyn:     Okay… I admit I didn’t actually ran all the way… at some point I started walking.

Raka:    Sure.

Lyn:     Yea okay, I see your point. Well I don’t know why it was so mild up there.

Raka:    You didn’t ever question it?

Lyn:     No… Somehow we never did… Huh. Weird! Humans usually question everything!

Raka:    Indeed…

Lyn:     Well sorry.

Raka:    Well, there’s our dinner.

Lyn:     Yaay! Eww… Are you going to reuse that arrow?

Raka:    Sure, why not? Metal is expensive and I don’t have time to make a new one every time I hunt.

Lyn:     Eww, but that’s disgusting!

Raka:    The things I shoot die, I don’t see why it matters.

Lyn:     You plan on eating what you shoot, right?

Raka:    Yes.

Lyn:     And I do too. What if you shoot it with a moldy arrow? I don’t wana eat that, or do you?

Raka:    I’ll hold the tip over a flame later.

Lyn:     At least wash the blood off!

Raka:    Are you queezy?

Lyn:     … No? … Maybe a little.

Raka:    You won’t like the process of gutting and bleeding, then.

Lyn:     You bet, I already don’t like it.

Raka:    There’s a small brook down that way.

Lyn:     How’d you know?

Raka:    Don’t you hear it?

Lyn:     No I don’t. Hear what?

Raka:    The water.

Lyn:     … No, I don’t.

Raka:    Hm. Well, we’ll go find a suitable spot to make camp there, then I’ll show you how to prepare the Yag. Then you can wash the blood right off in the stream.

Lyn:     Urg, must I really?

Raka:    Until we find something else for you to do.

Lyn:     I’m cute, doesn’t that suffice? Plump is the new cute!

Raka:    Um… no…

Lyn:     My feelings: Hurt.

Malaki:  Kokol frith farue, Raku!

Raka:    Oh no…

Lyn:     Geez, what has HE been doing – did he roll around in the mud?

Raka:    He might have…

Lyn:     What’s that thing behind him?

Malaki:  Raku, show up!

Raka:    Urg, looks like you were right. Seems to be made out of wood and soil.

Lyn:     Is that Groot?

Raka:    Groot- what… That thing doesn’t look like a manifested spirit. Looks more like…

Malaki:  There you are!

Raka:    What are you doing?

Malaki:  My-my my äthwar, untether it, I need to fight it with-

Raka:    Do you take me for a fool?

Malaki:  You’re a good kyrjir, a-a-a knowledgable kyrjir, one that knows earth-Eshävær are countered best with wind-

Raka:    That’s not an Eshävær. I’ll deal with this.

Lyn:     Yea…

Raka:    Vus, osþïa! (water, splash!)

Malaki:  Ah! Not at me! No!

Raka:    I knew it.

Lyn:     It’s… the soil is washing out between the sticks… Is it supposed to do that?

Raka:    Of course not. That’s not a spirit, that’s a golem.

Lyn:     What, really? Wow, cool! You can make such things?

Raka:    Yea, hold this.

Lyn:     Oh, do I get to hold your beer? Or… dead… bird?

Raka:    Vus, æria! (Water, rise!)
Skadia! (Freeze!)

Malaki:  Y-you can’t- No no no-

Raka:    Watch me. RAAAAAAH!

Lyn:     You go, girl!

Malaki:  Frith farue…

Raka:    At least we don’t have to worry about firewood anymore.

Lyn:     You should really do some anger management therapy…

Malaki:  You… You destroyed my- the-

Raka:    YOUR Golem, yes! What the bælaþaris possessed you to make a GOLEM?

Malaki:  I didn’t-

Raka:    Do you think I’m a dumb peasant?

Malaki:  You’re a dumb kyrjir-

Raka:    You have 200 earth runes left, do you think I’d believe for one heartbeat you wouldn’t use them to deal with this?!

Lyn:     So it WAS a ruse?

Raka:    Of course! No earth spirit in its right mind would take such a ridiculous shape! In what world do you think a spirit would manifest with twigs for bones and soil for flesh!

Malaki:  Could’ve worked.

Raka:    I’d call you son of a Skur, if it wasn’t a compliment for you, mongrel!

Malaki:  Just give me back my-my-my ÄTHWAR back, then I don’t have to-

Raka:    I told you already, show me I can trust you! Is this how you earn trust?! Deceiving me with a crude stick doll?!

Lyn:     Okay, calm down, both of you! Raka, you hold this. Make the best out of it.

Raka:    What…

Malaki:  That’s…

Lyn:     Dinner.

Malaki:  A Snow-Yag! I didn’t see any here. Show me where to find more.

Lyn:     Don’t know. That chicken just crossed our road.

Malaki:  There… are no roads here.

Lyn:     Party pooper. It was a joke! Damn you fur-guys and your non-existent sense of humor!

Raka:    It’s getting dark. We still need to find a place to make camp. I still have some journaling to do before it gets too dark. I hate writing in firelight…

Lyn:     Malaki, you’re covered in mud! What have you been doing?!

Malaki:  Found fresh mud. It’s fun.

Raka:    You’re filthy.

Lyn:     Raka, are we still going to look for that river you mentioned? Can we wash him?

Raka:    He can wash himself.

Malaki:  There are no rivers around here.

Raka:    There’s a small brook, down that way. Go grab what’s still reusable from your golem, we’ll use it for firewood.

Malaki:  You want to camp here.

Raka:    By the brook, yes.

Malaki:  A brook is too small for fishing…

Raka:    Weren’t you hunting just now? Or were you too busy putting that thing together.

Malaki:  I WAS hunting! No game. Just berries. The prey left- prey is sensible, they sensed the hole’s border.

Raka:    The ætherfrays?

Malaki:  Ey… thar… frays… Yes. I think I know where they are.

Raka:    Which direction?

Malaki:  That direction. Not too far. Up on a cliff. High up. We will need to go around it to get up there.

Raka:    How long to get to that cliff?

Malaki:  A day of walking… Two at the human’s pace.

Lyn:     Hey!

Malaki:  She’s short. Has to make two steps for every one you make.

Raka:    (grump) You’re too slow, Lyn!

Lyn:     Well I HAVE asked you to carry me! You’re sturdy enough to pull that off without breaking a sweat.

Raka:    What am I, a pack-Aivi?

Lyn:     I don’t even know what that is! But yes, yes you are.

Raka:    Well anyway, how do we get to the ætherfrays from here?

Malaki:  We can’t… get directly up from here. Have to go around.

Raka:    You know a way?

Malaki:  Of course I do. But it would be much quicker with my-

Raka:    Nevermind, we’ll figure it out some other way.

Malaki:  We won’t get there today, even if you carry her.

Raka:    Tomorrow then. I wouldn’t want to spend a night near the ætherfrays if I can avoid it.

Malaki:  Neither do I.

Lyn:     And we STILL have to BBQ this bird, right?

Raka:    Right. Malaki, why aren’t you picking up sticks yet?

Malaki:  Share your Snow-Yag with me. I help cook that.

Raka:    Why don’t you ask NICELY, runt.

Malaki:  It’s a trade.

Lyn:     Come on, it’s plenty enough to feed all three of us, right?

Raka:    I prefer to preserve some for the next day. But I don’t think that’ll happen if I have two mouths to feed.

Lyn:     Stingy.

Malaki:  When we pass the hole’s border… the… eythar… frays… I can find prey.

Raka:    Sure.

Malaki:  We take turns.

Raka:    Fine, deal. Now start picking up that firewood already, for Lyura’s sake!

Malaki:  Hmp, fine.

Raka:    Come, Lyn. We’ll go ahead.

Lyn:     Kay. How far do you think that river is? It doesn’t really look like there would be one anywhere around here.

Raka:    Again, it’s not a river, it’s a brook. We just can’t see it because the grass is taller than you.

Lyn:     Did you just call me small?

Raka:    This again? … You are pretty small, yes.

Lyn:     Hmp, fine. Would it be down there, between the hills?

Raka:    That’s where it is, yes.

Lyn:     Then I- WOA-

Raka:    I’ve got you!

Lyn:     Oh shit, I think I just lost a life!

Raka:    You should really take that stuff around your feet off. You don’t seem to have any footing whatsoever with that!

Lyn:     Yea… These aren’t the best shoes I ever had.

Raka:    Those are leather scraps

Lyn:     You people don’t seem to be making them, so I had to improvise.

Raka:    Why would you even wear that?

Lyn:     Eeeh, you fur-guys wouldn’t understand the pains of walking barefoot on rocky ground… In this climate…

Raka:    Can you stand?

Lyn:     Yea, sure.

Raka:    Use the stones for more grip.

Lyn:     Oh, now I can hear the water, too!

Raka:    You needed to be this close to hear it?

Lyn:     Well look at the size of my ears compared to yours. If I had your big ears I could probably hear a cricket fart in the village we came from.

Raka:    What is a cricket?

Lyn:     Urg, nevermind. Oh. Ooooh, that’s a brook, huh? It’s barely ankle deep!

Raka:    Have you never seen one before?

Lyn:     Nope. But… actually… I saw it from up there already. Not the actual brook, but… like, the glyphirunes, y’know?

Raka:    You saw the runes in the water?

Lyn:     Yea, in water and sometimes I see them in trees and rocks and raindrops, too. Why, is that unusual?

Raka:    I heard being able to see runes in nature is the first sign you are a Runeseer.

Malaki:  That’s true.

Lyn:     Oooh. Are you a Runeseer?

Malaki:  Yes.

Lyn:     What did you see your first rune in?

Malaki:  In the embers of a small fire. Here is your wood.

Raka:    Drop it there. I’ll take care of it.

Lyn:     Where’d you get that bag from?

Malaki:  This is my cloak.

Raka:    Resourceful…

Lyn:     Watch out for splinters, though!

Malaki:  My hide is thick.

Lyn:     And you’re full of mud! Go wash yourself before you put that back on!

Malaki:  I can dust off, once it’s dry.

Raka:    Get your grimy tail into that river right now or I’ll use a water-rune to shower you!

Malaki:  Fine!

Lyn:     Wait, is that a thing? You can do that?

Raka:    Sure I can. But I don’t want to waste the energy for water-runes when we have a brook right here.

Lyn:     Too bad. Oh well. Speaking of which, I’ll be right back, too.

Raka:    Wait, where do you think you’re going?

Lyn:     I need to pee!

Raka:    I still need to show you how to gut the bird!

Lyn:     How big do you think my bladder is? I don’t plan on peeing for hours!

Raka:    Fine. Get to it then!
Ehhh… these sticks are too wet… maybe I shouldn’t have used the waterrune. But, well, better than having used a fire rune, I suppose. They will just have to dry when the fire is started. Well, luckily there is enough grass around here. Grass is a little bit wet too… Fiyar’ta. I hope I still have some tinder left… Fiyar’ta, not much anymore. I really should’ve stocked up before leaving Kærûn. Well, I can still use Fire-runes if I have to. Well at least it burns… Alright… I guess I can already start quilting the Yag…

Lyn:     Pew, that was close. All that watersports with Groot up there really made me- OH SHIT, FIRE!

Malaki:  You don’t look good.

Raka:    Are you alright?
Malaki, catch her I think she’ll-

Malaki:  I have her.

Lyn:     Fire…

Raka:    Lyn? Lyn! Answer me!

Malaki:  I don’t know what to-

Raka:    Let’s get her out of the water before she soaks her clothes.

Malaki:  She’s… She won’t move!

Raka:    Lyn! Hey Lyn! Help me carry her out- grab her under her arms and lift her.

Malaki:  But that’s her smelly bits!

Raka:    For Lyura’s sake, just do it! On three- Sæ… Hor…

Malaki:  I’ll just assume you’re counting-

Raka:    Toh! We’ll sit her down on that stone.

Lyn:     I-i… I’m fine, I just-

Malaki:  No, you’re terrified!

Raka:    Put her down. Lyn, what’s wrong?

Lyn:     T-there was this light…

Raka:    Light? What Light?

Lyn:     A-a-and a explosion, a-and… th-the windows broke, all the glass was-

Malaki:  You’re not making sense.

Raka:    Hey! Hey, look at me Lyn! What happened? What exploded?

Lyn:     I-I don’t know, one of the oxygen tanks maybe? E-everything was burning- O god, is Snoopy alright?

Malaki:  Burning…

Raka:    Who?

Malaki:  Keep talking to her.

Raka:    Lyn, what are you talking about?

Lyn:     He was still in the apartment! Please, you have to go back and save him!

Raka:    Where is he? I will get him for you.

Lyn:     Upstairs, 25th floor, third room on the… No… It’s gone. The floor is gone.

Raka:    What are you doing, runt?!

Malaki:  Smothering the fire.

Raka:    The- I just managed to make that fire, why would you-

Malaki:  She is terrified! By fire, maybe. Or by your face. If she keeps babbling on like that now, it’s definitely your face.

Raka:    Bite your fangs, crookhorn. Lyn, is that better?

Lyn:     I… what… What happened- where…

Raka:    Do you recognize me?

Lyn:     Oh. Raka. We’re… in this other place, right?

Malaki:  It worked.

Raka:    What happened?

Lyn:     I… I…

Raka:    Take your time.

Lyn:     I’m… so sorry… I thought I could handle it…

Raka:    The fire?

Lyn:     Yea…

Raka:    You should’ve told me about that.

Lyn:     I really thought I could deal with it!

Raka:    Is this why you didn’t bring a light when you followed me looking for that spirit?

Lyn:     Yea… cuz there’s no flashlights here…

Malaki:  And the reason you refused to light candles in your room.

Lyn:     Yea…

Raka:    I see…

Lyn:     I thought I’d gotten used to fire now… with all the people in the villages using stoves and closed fireplaces… but you know… the fire was always contained… I’m sorry, maybe I should just stay away from the camp until the food is cooked?

Raka:    Nevermind the food, there’s other ways to cook meat that don’t require open fires.

Lyn:     There are? L-like what? I don’t-

Malaki:  Her clothes are soaked.

Raka:    Do you have any spares to change into?

Lyn:     N-no, I… This is all I have…

Raka:    Didn’t you ask the villagers for spares?

Lyn:     They didn’t have any. I thought this would be enough.

Malaki:  You didn’t pack spare clothes for your human!

Raka:    MY human?!

Malaki:  Humans are fragile!

Raka:    I thought she HAD spares!

Malaki:  She doesn’t even have a bag! No blankets, either! Here, take this!

Lyn:     B-but now you’ll be cold! You’re not even wearing much yourself!

Malaki:  I’m a SKURKI. I have a thick hide!

Lyn:     Bet your nipples are hard enough to cut through glass under that fur.

Malaki:  Nipples? I don’t have-

Lyn:     Ouch! O shit I found a splinter…

Raka:    It’s too late to go back and get you spare clothes now. We’ll have to make due with what we got. I have spares, but they’ll be much too big for you.

Lyn:     Yea…

Raka:    Malaki’s more your size. Do YOU have spares?

Malaki:  I don’t have more than I can carry.

Raka:    I’m guessing that means no. You can wear mine for now, we’ll get you something more suitable when we reach the next settlement.

Lyn:     But but but… what about food? Do we have to eat cold food all the way up just because of me?

Raka:    Well that will be the more tricky part… But it can be done.

Lyn:     But how?

Malaki:  I will gut that bird.

Raka:    Hope you know what you’re doing…

Malaki:  I know how to gut a thrausar Snow-Yag.

Raka:    Ergh, just… get it right. Here, you can wear this. It’s just a spare overcoat, half-sleeved, and a petticoat that will probably not fit you but it’s all I have. It should suffice until your clothes dry up…

Lyn:     Thank you…

Raka:    From what you said earlier about closed fireplaces, can I assume that it’s seeing fire that frightens you?

Lyn:     Yea…

Raka:    Good… Then we will try to use this instead of a fire from now on.

Lyn:     What’s this, a red crystal ball? Did you want to predict the future?

Raka:    This is a Heatsphere. It works like the Windshell, except instead of wind it uses the fire layer. It heats up. Here, touch it.

Lyn:     It’s… nice and warm. Oh, talking about the Windshell, you know that thing is still on?

Raka:    Let it be. Auril forced me to take it, I don’t care if he has to go through several hours of material that’s useless to him.
What’s important now is: do you think you will be okay with this?

Lyn:     Yea, I mean it’s just like a pocket warmer, right? How do we use this to cook, though?

Raka:    I can adjust its temperature. When we drop it in a kettle filled with water it can boil soups from inside.

Lyn:     Smart.

Malaki:  Raku. This is your prey. The liver and heart are yours.

Lyn:     Eww…

Raka:    What does he want with- Just throw the guts organs away.

Malaki:  Those are the best parts!

Raka:    Then for Lyura’s sake, stuff your face with them!

Malaki:  I will.

Lyn:     You’re disgusting, Malaki. Bääh. Eat it yourself, bäh.

Raka:    Hope he chokes on them… I figured he’d be one of those… Anyway, I think it’s most important to warm you up right now. You should go and take a bath.

Lyn:     You want me to take a bath in cold water to warm up?! Dunno about that…

Raka:    We’ll use the Heatsphere to warm up the water.

Lyn:     But the water is too shallow!

Raka:    There’s a small pool behind the tall grass, probably about knee-deep. Get up, you can see it when you stand. Over there, see? We’ll drop this in there, then you can go in and get yourself cleaned. It won’t get steaming hot but at least it won’t be freezing cold.

Lyn:     That’s something anyway…

Raka:    Since you’re using the heatsphere to bathe I’ll make a fire to roast the bird. So keep your back turned. Call me when you want to get out. I’ll smother the fire before you step out.

Lyn:     But wait- you want me to take a bath right where you can see me?

Raka:    Is there a problem?

Lyn:     What about Malaki?

Raka:    What about him?

Malaki:  What… about… me.

Raka:    Oh for Eväi’s sake… You’re a savage! Didn’t you just clean yourself?!

Malaki:  Says the ferocious brute.

Raka:    Can’t you eat liver without spilling half the other intestines all over the place?!

Malaki:  They’re best that way!

Lyn:     Wait, is he eating it RAW? Bah! Eww!

Raka:    Erg… Well, what about him?

Lyn:     He’ll be able to SEE me!

Malaki:  I could see you the whole time.

Raka:    Wipe your face, runt. You’re covered in blood.

Malaki:  It’s MALAKI!

Lyn:     Naked! I mean naked!

Raka:    So what? I’m sure he’s seen other females in the nude before.

Malaki:  Humans are prude, Raku. She’s prude.

Lyn:     Yea.

Raka:    What does that even mean?

Lyn:     Gnarr, Raka…

Malaki:  You’ve not been around humans before.

Raka:    No, I haven’t.

Malaki:  They get embarrassed seeing each other clothless…

Raka:    Really…

Malaki:  Your human needs a bath. I can catch her whiff from here. It ruins my appetite.

Raka:    And the guts all over your face ruin mine…

Lyn:     Urg, fine! Give me the crystal ball!

Raka:    Wait, let me, I’ll need to adjust the temperature. Just give it a bit before you step in, and try not to touch it. It’s gona be rather hot.

Lyn:     Aren’t you afraid it’ll be washed away?

Raka:    I have a firm grip on the ætherstrings. I can haul it back if it drifts away.

Lyn:     Like on most things, huh?

Raka:    Take off your clothes.

Lyn:     What?

Raka:    I’ll put them near the fire so they can dry.

Lyn:     Uuh… Thanks. Can you make sure Malaki sits with his back to me?

Raka:    I’ll punch him another eye-color if he tries to peek. How do you think black or blue would suit him?

Malaki:  You could just tell me not to look- I have no interest in seeing your weird, skinny, wrinkly body uncovered!

Lyn:     Wow. At first I thought you called me slim, but then you added the wrinkles. Did you just call me an old hag?

Malaki:  No, I said you’re skinny and wrinkled.

Lyn:     I’m not even 30 yet!

Malaki:  Just get your armpits into that pond!

Raka:    Turn around, white-eye.

Lyn:     Turn around~ Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you’re never coming round~ Turn around~

Malaki:  Make up your mind human!

Lyn:     I was just singing, goddamnit! Don’t take everything I say or sing to literal.

Raka:    Just stuff your face with more liver.

Malaki:  Oh, this is a heart.

Raka:    Whatever it is, just eat it.

Malaki:  I will.

Raka:    Alright. I think this useless recording has gone on long enough, Auril.

Lyn:     You’re disgusting, Malaki!

Raka:    Turning off.

Auril:   What a useless recording. Well, except for the first bit with the… “Golem”. I… wasn’t aware such things could be assembled, that seemed quite… useful knowledge to have. I’ll have to look into this – adding it to my personal to-do list.
Anyway, I still found it entertaining enough to keep it in the collection.
Hm, maybe I should implement a limit of how long the windshell should continue to record after it has been activated, if there are no other disturbances to justify it staying active? But how much time would be appropriate? Well, I’ll take a note of it anyway. At any rate, I’ve been trying to write transcripts for the first few recordings, but… keeping up with spoken word is really hard. I’ll need to find someone to assist me with this. If you’re a quick writer, maybe a stenographer or court clerk in training and want to have something to practice on, you can get in touch with me via the established methods – auril at-rune trilunis dot com, or at-rune trilunis if you want to send me bird chirps, message in the book with the face on it or the instant picture album.
And… what else? Ah yes. Date of recording was Avæanuka on the 98th day of Bäkkos, 5th year of the Vær in the 101st generation.
Vocal enchantments were woven by Kessi Riliniki, Carollyn Monterola, Eyþór Viðarsson and Travis Vengroff.
Music-Shells provided by Fuimadane.
Audio-Enhancements by Sarah Buchynski.
Written and Produced by Kessi Riliniki.