"Dervan is a long way away," Seymuhr said, after trying unsuccessfully to amplify an unremarkable belch.
I waved away the stench of his breath and gazed around, wondering who the display was meant to attract. I saw no one of any particular interest. "Must you share all of your odors? Is there not one, perhaps two, you would keep to yourself?"
"Wouldn't be fair." He sat back and crossed his arms.
"I think you are alone in that assessment," I grumbled. "What say you, Tane? It would be a long journey, true, but we have nothing pressing to do at the moment. And spending some time away from the walls and crowded streets of Veral Ski would do you -- would do all of us -- some good. I, for one, yearn for the road. Is there a temple there, brothers you would like to check on?"
He shook his head. "I believe they shut...down the Order of Op...timists there and chased all the acolytes a...way," he said in his hesitant, lilting voice. "I would not be welcome there."
He had a point. As I have often said in the past, those who attempt to spread good cheer and hopeful thoughts in Korin faced an uphill challenge and needed to learn to defend themselves.
"Still. Perhaps this would help return your order to good favor. Nothing says prosperity like an open trade route."
He grunted. Seymuhr nodded, then ran his finger around the rim of his empty soup bowl and stuck it in his mouth. "Do they have spiderfat soup there? A journey like that will no doubt build up an appetite."
"No doubt they will. It's settled then. We'll leave tomorrow." It felt good having a goal, even one as nebulous as this one.
The serving girl approached and set a glass of spiderberry wine in front of me. I swirled it around in the goblet, frowning as my stomach spasmed. It looked to be a bit chunky for my tastes. I let out a heavy sigh and reluctantly asked for a spoon.
Author's note:
Thanks for reading! In his creative writing Masterclass, Neil Gaiman stressed the importance of writing frequently, every day if possible. "You have to get the bad stories out," he said. That's what this blog is, in part. Admittedly, I don't always put a lot of thought into these entries; they are merely a way for me to: (a) test out a few jokes and make fun of the genre; (b) work on dialogue and scene; (c) develop the world of Korin, where my real fantasy stories take place and (d) appear busy while I eat lunch, so I can avoid human interaction. Feel free to let me leave a comment or critique. I always like to know what works and what doesn't.
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