Written Words

  Chu sent the little goblin to inform the Elders, who gathered, chatting by the fountain. Night arrived on the outside, so torches lit the floors out of respect for the visitors. Zubyia returned as the three then waited while conversing near the door.

  Since they departed from the fateful meeting, Chu ate a silent meal with Lucy. Ming and Dyna had ventured into the forest with Pug as if on vacation with the wolves. After some quiet thinking, he had instructed Lucy while grousing out loud with the baffled goblin.

  "The Shaman arrives!"

  Zubyia translated the croaking announcement by an approaching Elder and then dropped to the floor. Chu had by now become accustomed to goblin culture. He and Lucy stood silently to the side as a group of Elders escorted the Shaman through the door.

  Minutes later, an Elder beckoned them to the room as the wrinkled, hunched figures departed. Chu entered with his own entourage as the old goblin closed the door behind them. Under the flickering torch, the previous five participants reconvened. The sing-song voice initiated the meeting.

  "Mighty Goblin Shaman says divination from Bones remains the same. Not knowing when, but the emergence of Hakkim portends danger. As for the language, learned Goblin Shaman repeats that ancient language lost through many setting suns. Take great Shaman time to remember."

  Zubyia reiterated from his position on the ground. Chu had to give the little dude credit since even from licking the floor, the goblin's words floated across clearly. Chu also admired the brown-nosing skills of the translator in blatantly praising the Shaman.

  What a kiss-ass!

  Unfortunately, the little tyke was still young in the game since Zubyia missed the fact that the Shaman couldn't understand human language.

  "Then we have no choice but to use the basics when conversing with the Hakkim. I will make it clear again, whether a day or a week, when I do find out about the message or situation, I cannot promise any aid. Just like the Shaman, I also have a family to consider."

  Chu said while placing a stool close to the bed for Lucy to sit and take notes. He remained standing beside her as the Hakkim on the bed shifted to a comfortable position while displaying an expression of pain.

  "Her injuries seem to be healing slowly. I can spare a healing potion, but it's expensive."

  Zubyia was spared the view of seeing a miser parting with a gold coin. From behind the veil of the doll-like figure, a soft chuckle sounded.

  "The Bones not wrong on this one."

  With a puzzled expression, Chu faced the entity on the bed. Pointing at himself, he began from the basics. It was always better to start at a familiar place and work from there.

  "Me Chu..."

  ***

  "Ahh, this is going to take months, Lucy. After who knows how long, all we got tonight was a name. I'm called MeChu, and she's called Ishara. Other than the fact that we confirmed she came from over the mountains in the north, we don't have much. Where am I going to find something like Zubyia to disintegrate the language barrier?"

  Chu tugged a crop of short black hair to highlight his emotions. The Goblin Shaman had requested they call it a night. Tomorrow at sunrise, they would continue. Judging from the twisting lips and wringing hands, he surmised the Hakkim called Ishara shared the same frustration.

  He continued sharing his worry with Lucy as he followed her to a table under a hanging torchlight. She sat down on the bench and began browsing through her notes. Chu continued pacing beside her while talking.

  "From her tone and hand movement, it seems something followed her across the mountains. At least that's what I guessed, unless she wanted to show us her shadow. Maybe I should build a blackboard for us to draw pictures. Then again, how would I know if I interpret it correctly? Could she tell me if I'm wrong when we don't even speak the same language?"

  Removing his robe, he hung it on a nearby chair. Somehow, even though the hall in the library circulated a slight winter chill, he felt warm. Wearing his leather armor over his woolen clothes, Chu continued his mumbling. Lucy finally interrupted his ramblings.

  "Hey Chu, don't you think some of these words sound familiar? When Ishara was speaking, I scribbled down on the page what I thought was the spelling of her words. Her slow and firm way of speaking made it easy for me. I didn't think it too important, but somehow one or two looks and sounds familiar..."

  "Really? Let me take a look."

  Chu replied as he hovered over her shoulder. A pleasant fragrance wafted into his nose, different from the smell of an adventurer far from home. Lucy had a finger on her chin while another guided him on the page. Over the minutes of the meeting, she scribbled her own notes during the discussion.

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  Squinting his eyes, he scanned some of the words Lucy tried to spell. Some of these words would certainly win her last place in a spelling contest. Her use of letters repeated itself two and even three times, possibly on how long Ishara pronounced the words.

  Naturally, he muttered and tried to regurgitate the sounds.

  "Hhmmm, this one sort of sounds familiar. Wait, if I do this, and this... you're right. I recognize this word. I've been searching for its meaning in the Academy library along with others for months. I still don't know what it translates to, but I do know where to find similar words."

  Scribbling on the paper, he changed the letters to create a word. Not original, but very familiar. Chu squeezed her shoulders while praising her. More than once, Lucy and his companions displayed their sharp intellect. Being with them felt like his burdens lessened.

  "Good catch, Lucy. Communication occurs with either the spoken or written word. Lucy is truly the best!"

  Walking over to the cleared space of the library hall, he used a torch to rummage through their pile of belongings. The goblins had cleaned this section and prepared it for their use. Currently, only he and Lucy utilize this place since the others are too busy with explorations.

  Chu removed the stopper from a hollow tube that contained copies of his translated scroll. He totally forgot about this since he brought it to aid in reading the mural on the wall. A sharper intellect would have snapped his fingers at the first meeting and immediately employed this method.

  "Better late than never. How was I supposed to know the author used a language not common to ancient human culture, but also related to an alien race? What are the odds?"

  On Earth, lost languages belonged to ancient human civilizations like Sumeria, Mayan, and a host of others. Speculation had even involved alien interactions. Sure, he might have been shocked at the appearance of another non-human race, but the goblins desensitized him.

  At least the Hakkin bore features similar to a human, thus making it easier for his mind to accept. Chu joined Lucy at the table.

  "Let's grab some rations to eat, Lucy. We'll draft a few questions and try them out tomorrow. If it works, then not only will our conversations become easier, but I'll be able to translate some of these unknown words. Might as well learn what we can before we run."

  Lucy tilted her head to the side.

  "Run?"

  "Did you see the effect of her medicine compared to ours?"

  Chu answered with a question. As promised, before leaving the room, he parted with a wooden flask containing the healing potion. The Hakkim removed the cork stopper, sniffed the liquid, and then handed it over. She produced a wooden vial from a small pouch while struggling to communicate with her hands and foreign words.

  Chu continued while recalling the sight.

  "One dab of her medicine immediately closed the cut on the volunteer goblin warrior's arm. I have never ranked among the top hundred in exams, but I do have a brain. Think about it, Lucy. Her potion can't heal the wounds, so what can you tell from that?"

  Lucy straightened her back while tapping her bottom lip with a fingertip.

  "Are you saying that it has something to do with her body? She does tend to release an intimidating aura when she becomes excited or frustrated."

  Chu raised his thumb as Lucy hit home.

  "It has everything to do with her body. I am certain she crossed the mountains with that wound. With all this time and counting the days she rested under the goblin's care, how come it hasn't healed? The medicine she has is highly effective, so it's either the wound was critical or she possesses a body composition tougher than ours. I suspect it is the latter that makes our potion useless to her. If so, I would not want to face a foe capable of injuring her."

  Chu surmised. The faster he erected a stone fortress, the better.

  A thick stone fortress.

  Lucy nodded in agreement after assessing his conjectures. One question remained in her mind.

  "Chu, what's the top hundred in exams?"

  The next morning, Chu followed an Elder Goblin to the room at the summons of the Shaman. With the mood of a salesman at the negotiating table, he placed the stool in the middle. In her hands, Lucy carried the paraphernalia for the day's experiment. Chu wasted no time after the greeting to begin via his grounded translator.

  "Today, we will try another way of communicating. Lucy, if you may."

  Chu received the stacks of paper from Lucy and browsed through until satisfied. Handing over on sheet to Lucy, he waited as she delivered it to the Hakkim. The action drew a raised eyebrow from the injured on the bed and a tilted head from the Shaman.

  The confused eyes of Ishara switched from Chu to Lucy, and then to the sheet of paper. On it was written one word in an ancient script.

  Hakkim.

  The raven-haired lady narrowed her eyes while twisting her lips into a frown. Looking up, she saw the human pointing at her, and then at the paper.

  For a moment, Chu felt his experiment had concluded in failure.

  Then he saw the bobbing chin as Ishara shifted a golden fingernail to the paper, then to her seductive chest.

  "Hakkim."

  She repeated the word from the paper while pointing. An expression of surprise flitted over her face as if she saw him in a new light.

  Chu turned to Lucy.

  "Yesterday, she acted all cold as if I owed her something. Now, she looks surprised as if wondering how this hillbilly human knows this language. That attitude of looking down on me somehow irks me. Since she can read the language under the mural outside, I am going to milk her until she runs dry."

  If he needed to spend quality time in acting out charades, Chu prepared himself. The library still held books that he did not have the manpower to remove on his previous visit. Having Ishara the Hakkim presenting him with a full translated text would go a long way.

  His mind drifted in anticipation of unlocking the room of books and scrolls in the barn. Ah, he also needed to present a question that inquired covertly if she was a female. Who knows if this Ishara was a male with a killer female look? What a bummer that would be.

  "Am Chu, maybe you should pay more attention..."

  Chu wrinkled his brow at her reply, only to understand what she meant on hearing the recording and monotone relay from down below.

  "Ah, Zubyia, you stupid idiot! Why did you continue translating?"

  He held back the urge to launch a kick while giving a sheepish smile to the Goblin Shaman. During the breaking of the communications barrier, she remained silent. Ever so often, the Shaman tilted her little head while listening to them bring sound to the written words.

  Although she possessed a fragile figure, in a corner of his mind, Chu felt that someone who earned the top spot among an entire race could never be normal.

  The petite goblin hid her expression beneath the veil. Zubyia, however, translated the sonorous reply.

  "Nothing less from the one known as the greedy devil."