N is for Nyx: An Eikasia Prelude

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  “Well, you can say goodbye to your ears, then.”

  Nyx stared at her friend, mortified. Her mother’s favorite form of punishment was pinching the ears. “You’re not helping Taila. Why would you say something like that?”

  “Because it’s true?” Taila gave an unconcerned shrug.

  They were sitting on a rock near Taila’s home, the hum of bees comforting in the mild weather. The three suns peered around large white fluffy clouds and the breeze was gentle. There were no erduk lessons that day, and they were all glad to be free for a variety of reasons.

  “Maybe…maybe she won’t pinch your ears?” Ampelos said, twirling a long piece of grass between his fingers.

  The girl smiled at him gratefully. “Thanks, Amp.”

  He looked at Nyx shyly before ducking his gaze with a blush. “M-Maybe she’ll just give you extra chores instead?”

  At this, Nyx’s face fell.

  Taila threw her arm over the girl’s shoulder. “Aw, c’mon Nyx! Your A-ma tried!” The older girl gestured at her friend’s hand, which still gripped the coins Fotini had forced unto her. “You can get a new book with the money she gave you!”

  Nyx scowled and slid off the rock. “You can’t replace this book. It was special…” She looked at her book in one hand—the cover was a dull sea-green, the faded title a tired wine-red that said in Ailuran, “Common Alphabet”—and the coins in her other hand. Baring her teeth, Nyx pulled the coins back, ready to throw them out into the high grass when something shiny out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.

  Blinking, she turned her head to see Marq the merchant elf coming down the trails from the northwestern hills, his large pack on his back, jingling with trinkets. As he neared, the girl saw his slim face break into his usual haggard smile.

  “Kitten! It’s good to see you again!” he said in Ailuran. “Have you been practicing your Common as usual?” this he said in Common.

  The girl swallowed and held out her book, tears pricking her eyes again. “Hullo Marq. Yes. I try, but stupid brother got food on alpha-bet book. Made ink bad. Can not read some words anymore…”

  The elf frowned. “Must’ve been cheap ink to get so easily fouled up! What did he get on your pages?”

  “A…how do you say? Anade?”

  “Ah. A banana,” the elf chuckled. “Your Atalo I take it.”

  “Yes!” Nyx snarled as her friends joined her at her sides, their eyes curious. “He is a cajeck!”

  “Nyx,” Ampelos whispered. When the girl looked at him, he mumbled, “Maybe ask the elf if he can help?”

  Her eyes widened. “Good idea, Amp!” Returning her eyes to Marq, she asked. “Can you fix?”

  The elf merchant blinked down at her. “Ah, I don’t know kitten.”

  She held out the coins. “I have money!”

  The man bit his lip at the outstretched hand. Then he gave a small shrug and said, “Okay. Give it here.”

  Nyx handed him the money and book eagerly, turning the latter to the page where the banana had fallen. Marq looked over it shrewdly, scratching at the paper. After a minute, he snapped it shut and handed the item back. “Nope. Nothing I can do.”

  Taila hissed at him, not understanding Common but understanding enough to know the merchant’s meaning. “If he can’t fix it, then he should return your coin, Nyx!”

  Nyx looked at the elf imploringly. “Marq can no do anything?”

  The man rubbed the back of his head, “Uh. No. No, I can’t, Kitten. I’m sorry.” He thumbed eagerly at his backpack. “But I have more books in my backpack if you’d like to see!”

  Taila kicked him in the leg, but Nyx was already walking away, her heart sunk.