FANTASY

Diamond

Today was indeed an inspirational day for Daive. Inhaling the sweet aroma of the berries shipped from Telimun, he promised himself he would buy the whole stand. The lump under his sleeveless shirt was a good one today, none from fighting or running away from his always successful thievery’s, but from a necklace that would put his family out of this poor city and into, hopefully, Calizette. A land with large houses and fancy schools, where the weather seemed to always be sunny, and the air smelled of famous Telimun berries and Sazrael juices all the time; that was Calizette.

He grasped his good luck charm and sped up, almost tripping over the dirt road that decorated Slorvitz. Small kids, two fair-skinned Dijiiti’s and one small Zimyr just beginning to grow his furry outer shell, ran past Daive, laughing the way naïve children do. The youngest one, who looked to be about eight, ran into an old man and kept going, knocking him down. Daive didn’t want to stop his small expedition to the trade store but it would eat at his soul if he let the helpless old man struggle to get up from the dirt. Stealing he accomplished without any guilt, but he was not a cruel person, and he did respect his elders, for if not he knew the goddess would put him in a situation similar to that of the old man’s and no one would help him.

The symbol of old age was embellished on the man’s face. Above his eye was a crimson colored zigzag and below it was another that looked like a thunder strike. Although he had been ran over by unruly kids he had no grave expression upon his face, but an appreciative smile that escalated the old man’s wrinkles. This confused Daive; he could never understand elderly Dijiiti’s.

“Thanks lad,” spoke the old man, brushing small bits of dirt off his white turtleneck. He looked at Dave, composing another strong smile, “I guess kids get more inappreciative every decade, eh”

“If you want,” started Daive with a smirk, “I can go and scavenge hunt those three rascals for you and report them to their parents.”

“No need lad. Might it be too much to ask for your name?”

“Not at all, it’s Daive belgum. I can tell you’re not from around Slorvitz, or Shanimurre for that matter, so where might it be you come from?”

“I come from lots of places. I guess you can say I’m a wanderer. When I had first walked into this town, I noticed you holding on to something large under your shirt.”

“Oh you mean this?” Daive fished the necklace out from under his blouse and what a beauty it was; a large diamond that gleamed vividly under the morning sun, one that could only be worn by the richest of the richest. The old man had not been amazed by the diamond, but amazed that this young boy wore it.

“Wow lad, what a possession you have. Do you believe in the great gods Lady Vernia and Virile Vernia?”

The question took Daive off guard; so many larcroftians had no religion, but it felt good to know another might share his beliefs.

“Yes, yes indeed I do.”

“Have you no idea of the goddesses little sister, the one that wears the name Princess Wyaels?”

Daive looked puzzled at this, he thought he knew everything about the gods but this had made no sense, a younger sister? The old man laughed upon looking at his face.

“My names Lexiclonist, but you can call me Lex or Lexic. On that very day that the two demons, Jericous and Delisma, and their army did war upon our two gods, Lady and Virile, it was said Lady had spoken to a troubled, dark-haired young girl who abided in the royal castle. Many could not translate who she was but on my journey it was once said that the dark-haired young girl followed the reincarnation process as well. Only a god as such can do this, eh? Another from this astute civilization told me that her element was the missing diamond of the Lachrymose tree in the holy forest.”

Lexiclonist handed Daive a small drawn image from his carefully hidden pockets before continuing his explanation.

“This here is the best drawn picture of her. I think it is best you keep this. She is just as important as the other gods and goddesses for if she awakens first or last than so will the demons Jericous and Delisma. I’m sure that this will come in handy to you, Daive, in the near future.”

Daive studied the picture; it was drawn clearly by an artist of great skill. Her hair went neck length and her face looked young and beautiful, her figure was petite but it only made her look more innocent. He had wished she wasn’t drawn in black and white, she looked dead and unreal like that. The folly idea of him being the one to color her snuck into his brain but he shook the thought away and looked back up for his new friend Lexiclonist. He was nowhere to be found. He searched back and forth, shrugged, and kept walking, but the words recited by the old man had now forced him to think, and he hated thinking.

Was It a message from the gods, he wondered.

He attacked himself with so many thoughts that when he finally reached his destination he hadn’t even known it.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

This had to be comical but that was indeed what the words read on the locked doors of the trade house. It was just fine yesterday night. He walked around the white building that reflected a large box. Compared to the houses in Calizette or Fermorous even, this white building was child’s play, but here, in the grimiest cities of Shanimurre, this building had quite some height to it. He knocked on the glass, peaked in, darkness was the only thing seen, like an abandoned home. He pounded once more on the glass; a scream of anger escaped his lips. He walked a long trip all the way from his house on the far east to this building on the far west, he was tired and had the biggest gem on his neck, and knowing his time was wasted filled him with enough anger to fight an innocent but he knew better, the goddess ensued karma.

He instantly stopped what he was doing, freezing like a statue.

First the old man who had an explanation to do with this diamond and than the trade doors being locked when it was time for him to sell this gem for wealth. Had the goddess been trying to tell him something important? She was trying to tell him something and he was getting angered? He stood up gradually and walked in distant thoughts back to his home.

The gods were trying to tell him something about this diamond he found, but what exactly were they saying?