I can't fix you, but maybe I can still help

[powerispain]

He's trying to kill us--could ruin him--worry about that later--grab your sister and go.

Comments

[alicornucopia]

Frowns. No recognition. Incomprehensible muttering.

[sheerstubbornness]

Great. Great. What now? If she had landed somewhere habitable she could just sit tight until someone found her--they'd look, she knows she would. But--well. She's a mage. She's not going to die in the desert. But it's not likely to be pleasant. "Illia," she says tentatively, pointing to herself.

[alicornucopia]

"Ylal," the same woman who said "haan" attempts. And she points at herself and says, "Kaaderid."

[sheerstubbornness]

"...Haan, Kaaderid," she attempts. She's assuming that haan means hello.

[alicornucopia]

"Haan, Ylal. Ochar Makas?"

[sheerstubbornness]

She spreads her hands apologetically; she really doesn't speak the language.

[alicornucopia]

Frowning. Muttering. An older man addresses Kaaderid. Kaaderid waves Illia to follow her and the man. (Everyone else is still muttering.)

[sheerstubbornness]

She follows. Might as well.

[alicornucopia]

"Tozef," Kaaderid says, pointing at the man. "Tozef Raabek." At herself, "Kaaderid us Tozef."

[sheerstubbornness]

"Illia Zavier," she says, pointing to herself.

[alicornucopia]

"Us Zaavyr? Tis Zaavyr? - en, daamrek," says Kaaderid, shaking her head after realizing these questions will make no sense.

[sheerstubbornness]

They really don't! "I, Illia Zavier," she tries. "You, Kaaderid us Tozef," she points to Kaaderid, "him, Tozef Raabek."

[alicornucopia]

"Mm! Rak, Kaaderid us Tozef, das, Ylal Zaavyr, mik, Tozef Raabek." Nod nod. "Mm... Tozef gan Ylal gan Kaaderid, akridik. Akrid, akrid, akrid," she adds, pointing at random people they pass. A little boy laughs.

[sheerstubbornness]

"Person, people," she guesses. "Woman," she points to herself and Kaaderid, "Man." She points to Tozef.

[alicornucopia]

"Mirat, daat."

[sheerstubbornness]

"Child, child, child," she points, "children."

[alicornucopia]

"Arnar, arnarik."

[sheerstubbornness]

"Sky, ground," she says, pointing up and down. "Sand." She scoops up a handful and lets it trail through her fingers. "Desert." She sweeps her arm around.

[alicornucopia]

And she gets words for these things, too, and also "house", which she is invited into. Kaaderid continues to provide vocabulary.

[sheerstubbornness]

Okay, sure. Illia is not actually a linguistic genius and frequently has to be reminded of words for things.

[alicornucopia]

Kaaderid continues patiently teaching her the language (it is called "Leraal") until she has enough vocabulary to suggest that Illia could come help farm beans while they continue this conversation.

[sheerstubbornness]

Um. Okay, sure. "I can--help, better--with--" Kaaderid hasn't mentioned magic yet, she doesn't know that word in Leraal. She snaps her fingers and makes a spark.

[alicornucopia]

Kaaderid screams.

Tozef comes running and - presumably, they talk a lot faster to each other - asks Kaaderid what happened and gets an answer in words Illia hasn't learned yet.

There's a sword on the wall; apparently it isn't decorative?

[sheerstubbornness]

What the hell. Well, obviously she's not going to let the sword hit her. She puts enough Effort into her muscles to dodge easily--

And then she bolts, because whatever just happened probably means she's not welcome anymore. She dashes to the oasis, drinks as much water as she can hold, fashions a makeshift waterskin out of her skirt and magic, fills it, and runs off in a random direction as fast as she can sustain herself.

[alicornucopia]

There are more people with swords chasing her by the time she's haring off into the desert, and they're all yelling.