Born Human - Part 2 (Habel Trollblood) Read online

  “Thank you. My closet chose it?” She grimaced as she realized how it sounded. “It seemed fairly friendly for an inanimate object.”

  He grinned. “The closets all use voiceprints from visitors. It keeps our minds stimulated to deal with new attitudes and syntax.”

  “It said the outfit was designed for the next Novice by Elder—”

  “Acohar. It looks like one of his. It looks comfortable and elegant.”

  “It is a lot thicker than Niika’s gown.”

  “Acohar was a fan of durable materials and practical applications for movement. A gown to him was a sculpture that had to be useful.”

  She smiled. “I like the design.”

  “Good. I will authorize other designs of his for you. So, what do you want to learn?”

  He handed her the cup of herbal tisane. She recognized the scent as one brought in by the forest folk.

  “Um, I don’t know what you mean?”

  “We learn here. It is what we do. We consume the information from the outside worlds brought in by traders, and we give them medicinals and herbals in return. We also provide them with the necessary technology that they come to trade meat and hides for.”

  “I can learn anything?” She smiled.

  “Of course. If we can’t teach it ourselves, there are records for it. So, what would you like to learn?”

  Habel smiled slowly and gave him her list of favourite topics of study, and he looked at her in surprise. “All of that?”

  “That is just to start. Those are the skills I need to continue my education.”

  Monathian smiled. “A few qualifiers. I want you here to take notes when we are entertaining traders. Also, you need to write down as much of your life as you remember, and I will set up an orb for you to dictate your writings into. There is a non-contact rig that I have been toying with, but writing for two hours a day in elvish will be a good start.”

  She blinked. “That’s it?”

  “That’s it. I will make the arrangements, and instructors will come to collect you no matter where you are in the tower. Oh.” He dug in his pocket and took out a small bracelet. “Here. This is for you. It is a tracker and communicator.”

  She put it on her wrist and locked the clasp. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me. I can now find you anywhere in the tower, and I wasn’t joking. I need someone to assist me with trade. It is a difficult situation.”

  “Do you know who shows up? Which race comes when?”

  “Generally, yes.”

  “Is there a place where I can learn about the social behaviours of the race?”

  “We have a great archive, so yes.” He smiled. “I will give you a schedule, but you are going to need to learn an instrument.”

  She paused with the teacup to her lips. “An instrument?”

  “Part of the social interaction is usually a performance for the visitors. If I can get someone there who isn’t terrified, it will be a definite aid to me. So, add an instrument to your roster of activities.”

  They chatted for a few more minutes, and he got a lot of details about the troll hierarchy out of her. When the tea was done, he summoned Niika and explained the plan to her. Well, he explained a few of the activities that he wanted Habel to engage in and asked Niika to assist in creating a schedule.

  Niika blinked and said, “Combat instruction?”

  “Yes, I believe that Nerion was a fighter at one point. Ask him. You can scan all the files to find a match.”

  “Yes, Elder. I will begin the search immediately. Has Novice had her lunch yet?”

  Elder Monathian shook his head. “No. I do believe that I am hungry, as well. Shall we?”

  Niika’s eyes widened as he got to his feet and held his arms out to each of them. Habel set her teacup down, and she asked as they headed for the private lift.

  “So, where do the bots come from? They don’t seem to match the rest of the tech.”

  Monathian smiled. “They come in fall, or when we have need of technicians. They stay for a few weeks and leave with trade goods that they carry into the dark wastelands.”

  “How do they get out there? The transport roads are impassible. Does the monorail run there?”

  He laughed. “Thank you, you have woken my interest in the outside world again.”

  She noted that he did not answer her.

  The door opened, and their trio stepped out to the shock and surprise of those gathered. Monathian murmured, “Walk through the line, take a tray, go to the machine, and select your entrée. Keep walking and take your soup and fresh food, and when you arrive at the end of the line, your choice will come forward to the link with your bracelet.”

  She whispered, “You go first.”

  He laughed and said, “Niika should go first and show you how it’s done.”

  That was how it went. They went through in a line, and finally, Habel completed the circuit successfully. They sat together at a table, which had a selection of sauces and a pitcher of water in the centre.

  They were into their meals when Habel whispered, “Why are they staring?”

  Niika glanced at the elder and whispered back, “He doesn’t eat in public. This is new.”

  Habel looked at Monathian. “But you do normally eat, right?”

  He grinned, his white face crinkling in amusement. “I do.”

  They chuckled together and finished their food. Habel was surprised that the meat she ate came from actual animals. She could taste it. It must be one of the trade goods because she didn’t sense any livestock in the immediate vicinity.

  It was amusing to see the expressions on the faces of those who watched Elder Monathian carry his tray to the cleaning station. He turned to Niika. “Take her away, and arrange her time.”

  She nodded. “Yes, Elder.”

  Habel bowed slightly from the waist.

  Monathian smiled. “And teach her to curtsy.”

  “Yes, Elder.”

  Niika touched Habel’s arm, and they walked away from the station where they had slid their trays a moment before.

  They walked together to the lift, and once inside, Niika exhaled. “That was new.”

  Habel smiled. “You said that.”

  “You don’t understand. There have been no truly new events here in decades.”

  She blinked, and understanding dawned. “Oh. Got it.”

  Niika looked at her. “You seem more relaxed, Novice.”

  “I am. I won’t have to hide what I was with at least one person. That is a very good thing.”

  “That was what the languages were?”

  “Yes. They remain in me.”

  “Interesting. I haven’t heard of that before.”

  “I suppose that most folks who came here only came with their own language, and it was moved aside by elvish. I came with multiple languages already, so I just added elvish to the roster.”

  Niika seemed to accept that.

  “Where are we going now?”

  “To the archive to get you familiar with the layout and to obtain writing materials for your recording of your history.”

  “Ah. Right.” She imagined writing in elvish letters, and the image of them came to her. She sighed internally. That was close. She could clearly remember how to write in troll.

  The lift stopped, the doors opened, and they walked through the halls to an area that was filled with the scent of paper, ink, and age. There was also the tang of vellum and hides, but it was mainly masked by the paper.

  Niika smiled. “This is one of seven storage areas that we have for historical books and documents. We also keep our scribe materials here.”

  They walked toward a counter where an auburn-haired woman was leaning forward, perusing a huge tome.

  “Ibera, this is the novice. She requires writing materials for a project that Elder Monathian has assigned her.”

  The librarian straightened and stared at Habel for a moment. “Right. The novice. I hadn’t imagined that she would
be here. Supplies. Right.”

  Ibera groped around under the desk and came out with a three-inch stack of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a metal box containing pens, nibs, and a blotter.

  Habel asked, “So, why is this place so sporadically low tech?”

  Ibera smiled. “Because some things, when done by hand, mean more. Painting, gardening, writing, crafting, even exercise are all things that create mindfulness of the moment. It keeps you centred.”

  Habel looked at the earnest expression in her eyes, and she inclined her head. “Thank you. I will try and keep that as my focus.”

  Niika nodded. “Thank you, Ibera.”

  Ibera inclined her head, and then, Niika whisked Habel off and back to her quarters.

  It took two hours to get her schedule set, and Nerion was delighted to be chosen as a tutor. She was going to have her first lesson tomorrow morning. The music centre was waiting for her, and she was going to have the rest of the afternoon to pick her instrument.

  Niika was busy trying to fit in all of the events with tutors that Monathian had insisted on. “Why does he want you to do all of this?”

  “I believe the phrase is jumping into the deep end. He feels I will acclimate faster if I am wrapped in activities.”

  She nodded as if that made sense. “We can leave for the music hall in a moment.”

  “I can go on my own if you like.”

  Niika smiled. “Tomorrow. I am your guide today.”

  “Right.” Habel looked at the pages that she had written about her early life.

  Niika finished moving her hands through the air for the schedule, and she said clearly, “Save schedule and set alarms. Sync to her tracker.”

  A chime rang out, and Niika smiled. “There you go. You will get an audio reminder when your next appointment is to start, and if you inquire, your tracker will guide you through the tower.”

  “Good. Thank you.” She looked at her wristband.

  “Right. We are going to the music hall now.” Niika nodded, and they walked back to the lift.

  Habel sighed. “This is the least appealing of my assignments.”

  Niika chuckled. “I am not particularly musically inclined either. Don’t worry. They will find something that suits you.”

  Habel snorted. “That is what I am afraid of.”

  Tahvan and Telhor were not twins, but they looked related. They took her through pianos, harps, stringed instruments that were handheld, and when their ears had recovered from the sound she created, they moved on to wind instruments.

  She didn’t want to grin as they braced themselves when she held the simple pipe, but the notes she blew were sweet and clear. They looked relieved. She couldn’t tell them that she had been playing the pipes since she was four.

  She looked longingly over at the drums.

  Tahvan saw her. “Would you like to try them?”

  Habel grinned and was out of her chair in a second. She walked up to the largest of the drums, picked up the two wooden rods used on the drum, and she clicked them together twice before she began to rhythmically strike the stretched surfaces in front of her. The heavy beat came naturally, and when she stopped, three astonished elves began clapping. She blushed and nodded her head. She set the sticks down and admitted to herself, I think that I am going to like it here.

  Author’s Note

  So, this is the second part of Born Human. I hope you are enjoying it, if not... it will be over in three more instalments.

  Next, Habel will settle into her life and training as an assistant to the elder.

  Thanks for reading,

  Viola Grace

  About the Author

  Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

  An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around, and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.

  In real life, she is now engaged in beekeeping, and her adventures can be found on the YouTube channel, Mystery Bees Apiary. Just look for the cartoon kittens.

  Table of Contents

  Part Two: Elfin Society

  Author’s Note

  About the Author