Book 2 Ch 34: Manacht

As a people they are naturally servile and meek. And no, they do not have four of them. Please maintain at least some semblance of decorum in future letters.

• Vaughn Morrow in a letter to Jude Morrow

Solomon stood on the deck of the Arabella as Manacht came into view. It was a city of brown stone and orange rooftops. Most of the buildings were tall, single-story structures, but the occasional example of Drakthiss architecture could be seen peeking through. As he got closer he could see that a number of the buildings had patterns painted on their walls. Simple repetitions of diamond patterns, long parallel strips, and concentric circles covered them, all painted in browns, oranges, and yellows. Their simplicity and consistency gave them a quality that was pleasing to the eyes and those few Drakthiss buildings seemed to stick out sorely for their lack of uniformity.

The docks themselves were primarily of Drakthiss design and largely matched what he’d seen in Ventariss, but smaller. A number of elfwood galleons were docked, obscuring the city behind them, but several smaller vessels could be seen as well. He could see several small Untoss fishing vessels just far enough from the Galleon to avoid its wake and he caught glimpses of four armed men pulling up nets filled with fish.

Satisfied now that he’d seen Manacht Solomon returned to his cabin to avoid being underfoot of the sailors as they reached the dock. Once there he opened Advanced runes and Sigils and continued his study of it. When he’d initially received the tome from the world he’d been surprised as the cover showed the title, Musings of the Lady Arbessa Volume 1. However, when one opened the tome it was a formal Union text on runes and sigils. He wondered idly if the embarrassment he would feel being seen reading Lady Arbessa’s writings was worse than the consequences of openly studying magic with a stolen Union text.

He considered continuing the translation of his uncle’s journals, but as he was just past the halfway point he felt it would be best to save what remained for the return trip. He also simply wanted a break from other people’s visions, dreams and stories. He was due for some of his own.

After a couple of hours the ship came to rest in the dock and he found himself on deck, watching his belongings get loaded onto a military carriage by several Untoss. He’d seen them from a distance, but this was his first time up close. They were odd to look at, their torsoes seemed stretched and awkward to accommodate their extra limbs and their skin was varying shades of purple. Some were as light as lavender and others so dark they were nearly black. They wore their hair in elaborate layered braids and their clothes all featured ropes of varying types of cloth that had been similarly woven into impressive shapes or tied into delicate knots.

“Ugly things, aren’t they?” asked third officer Alanse.

To fill the silence Solomon gave in return the man continued.

“Four arms means they can get four times the work done at least though.”

Solomon shook the man’s hand. “Thank you for your hospitality,” he remarked neutrally.

The third officer nodded. “Your room at the Welcome Guest is not quite ready, but they said it will be by this evening and they will hold your things and provide you with a meal while they prepare it.”

That wasn’t a surprise. They were weeks ahead of schedule, having made it in an unheard of amount of time.

The Captain approached and gave him a nod, holding out his hand.

Solomon took it and they shared a firm shake.

“It is unlikely that we will be the ones to return you to Drakthiss, but if we can I will volunteer for it.”

Solomon raised an eyebrow.

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Trask gave him a small smile. “I’ve rarely had such a quiet guest and the men have begun to think of seasick nobles as a good omen for voyages. Not to mention your help with the mers.”

“Hopefully the next time I sail will involve less excitement and a more settled stomach.”

“We can only hope.”

Solomon said a few more short goodbyes, then walked off the deck and onto the Manacht dock. The second his feet left the Arabella he felt his mana begin to calm. It wasn’t the absolute steadiness he’d grown used to in Moonfallow, but it was far better than it had been. He felt his mild headache fade along with the twists in his stomach as he walked to the carriage that had been prepared for him. Edmure opened it and they both stepped inside.

Solomon was silent until the carriage began to move and he turned to Edmure.

“So, how was your final cardgame aboard the Arabella?”

Edmure grinned, patting his inner coat pocket causing a slight jingle from the press of coins.

“It went quite well, Lord Morrow. I believe I’ll be taking Clara shopping when we return.”

Solomon smiled and turned to watch Manacht pass by through the window. The streets were busy, filled with Untoss and humans. Most of the humans he saw were members of the drak military, wearing their crisp dark green uniforms. Others were merchants or explorer’s guildsman, transporting goods or protecting some cargo or another. On rare occasions he would see fellow nobles, or carriages. Perhaps they were on family errands like himself or they had simply come to see a new land.

He saw very few horses, but there were many of the thick hided beasts the Untoss called Ichthyn. They had thick scaled bodies with stubby tails and thick limbs. Their faces were broad and they had thick snouts that let out irritated huffs whenever something moved into their path, which was frequently. They were slow, but seemed very strong, able to drag far heavier cargo than a horse could.

The Untoss he saw were even more varied than the humans. He saw some wearing tan uniforms in Drakthiss style, taking orders from soldiers. Others were helping to load carts for merchants, and many were working at market stalls. He saw in one square that a half dozen had formed a circle and were all working on one another’s braids, using all four of their hands in the process. One he saw was sitting, being attended by three others. She had white hair and her clothing was made entirely of woven orange and white silk. He couldn’t hear what she was saying from his seat, but those around her seemed to hang on her every word.

He sat and absorbed all he could until they arrived in an open square. It had the highest concentration of Drakthic buildings he’d seen so far and the concentration of humans was much higher than elsewhere in the city as well. The carriage came to a stop at a gated garden behind which sat an impressively tall building that dwarfed most of what he’d seen so far.

Edmure opened the door to the carriage and Solomon stepped out, inhaling deeply. There was a scent to Manacht that he was unfamiliar with. He hadn’t been able to detect it on the docks with all the salt in the air, but deeper into the city it was more obvious. It was a sweet smell, but a little cloying. He adjusted his collar, feeling sweat start to collect within it. He’d been gradually adjusting to the heat while he was at sea, but Manacht itself seemed a fair bit warmer.

The gate was opened for him by an Untoss attendant that bowed to him as he passed and walked into the Welcome Guest.

A human wearing a cream colored suit in a thin fabric and no vest approached.

“Lord Morrow,” he said, bowing with a flourish. “I am Saltaire. I welcome you to the finest inn in Manacht.”

“Thank you,” replied Solomon, removing a black handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his forehead.

“I am sorry to say that your room is not yet ready. We will have your things taken from your carriage to be moved when they are ready. In the meantime we have prepared a local meal in the sitting room.”

Solomon nodded to the man and was taken to an opulently appointed sitting room where he was sat at a table right by the window that looked out onto the front garden. A few moments later a platter of some kind of meat was brought to him as well as a drink he didn’t recognize.

“It is a fine cut of Ichtyn veal.” Started the server. “They are killed before their hide can thicken, when their meat is at its softest.” He gestured to the drink. “This is coffee mixed with thickened and sweetened milk that is then chilled. The Untoss favor it strongly, especially those that work within the manarite mines… though ours is made with a finer coffee of course.”

Solomon thanked the man for the meal and took a bite of the meat. It was indeed very soft, and also quite fatty. He dipped it in the sauce and found it tangy to the point of discomfort. He washed it down with the coffee, which would’ve been delightful, but the combination with the meat and sauce made it difficult to endure.

Edmure approached him as he forced down another bite, wanting to give the meal a fair chance and not disrespect the local chef.

Edmure bowed.

“Lord, General Clyturn has agreed to a late lunch meeting tomorrow.”

Solomon idly placed a hand on the sword hilt at his side.

“Excellent.”

He looked forward to a meeting with his sister’s betrothed.