Letters to a Gemmyarkan lord ( Part 2)

Auttumn, 1832, Black Castle in Northern Bellanária 

My inspiration to collect tales of the south was drying. Those southern connections…Nay, I am not from the south. Throughout the ages my family was one that established their connections to the northern part of Bellanária. And the ladies always have such an awful idea about my person!

Please, do try to understand, oh sweet and delicate ladies who read my tales: I am not an Onisamatzeka. And despite this fact, even my own maidens persist in ignoring me. 

Had you, my most talented and sweet ladies, grasp what my heart longs for…Alas…! It is my second hundredth birthday and I am not yet a widowed gentleman.

Is it my human appearance that haggard so no blue-blood woman would ever want to kiss me and admire my stories? 

Anyhow, this human lady was soaking wet, her copper-like skin-tone betraying her south-eastern Bellanian origins. How moving her grieving, frail and almond-shaped green eyes looked! Was this the daring and insolent Artist Lady that the valet had announced in an embarassed tone?  She appeared to us as a princess from a fairy-tale! Probably she had no more than eighteen years. 

How dreadfully frightening we, a group of old men, must have seemed to her!  

 Her long, almost transparent veil perfumed with a soft, light-jade and floral fragrance, covered a long part of her darkish hair. Poor little lady, shivering in her fragile and silky viridian sari. 

She was short, but enough so that she could not reach my shoulders with her bare hands had she wished to do so! 

Playing the part of gentle southern Mayan lord, I invited her to join me and my friends for a game of Human cards.

Appearing quite frightened, the Artist Lady merely nodded at my suggestion. 

The main opponent in this card game, was the last descendant of Yasunori III, Kato Hibiki. He could not help to stare at the south-eastern Bellanian lady as she sat next to me on an ivory-coloured and perfumed Russian sofa.

Before she could notice, each and every one of my five card mates was observing the hourglass figure of this talented female artist.

My presence isn’t a soothing one, I know Your Divine Majesty that you would say something like that! And my physiognomy in my Human guise could well be the one of an Onisamatzeka, but I am a Gemmyarkan.  

« My lady! Please, allow me to light the fireplace... » In a split of a second I stood up.

Meanwhile, Hibiki Kato seemed to smile through the piece of cloth which hid his deformed mouth. This "man of the shadow" seemed but a pale reflection of the formidable black sorcerer he once had been! 

The shackles, engraved with turquoise-sparkling spells in Classic Mayan Bellanian, made him limp whenever he walked.  The spells had been encraved by the Mistress of the Castle herself! Black Magic Queen, forgive me... Had I made you appear cruel, I was merely describing the  punishement both you and Lady Roshini had gave to this criminal. 

It is quite fascinating when we are playing a game of poker with a man many Humans have considered a psychopath as the Ancient Greeks would say. The Human Russians describe Hibiki Kato as a "psychopath" for his "depraved, devilish manners", but he displays, often, in our seldom meetings, a deep knowledge about Human warfare and the Universal Magic tactics. 

Once again his hoarse, almost wounded voice displayed a small appreciation for civillized speech.

Hibiki Kato chuckled nervously as he literally begged for one of us, most excelled lords, to offer him a cigarette. 

« My Lord, are you shamelessly cheating to win more money in the expenses of such a fragile flower…I will not be able to concentrate in my own hand! »

« Music is always a balm to one’s spirit: and it helps with concentration, Ninjutsu Master! » My neighbour, Lord Ik’Awkwak of the province of Naltzaec’Ek argued.

Rüdiger Von Tifon, the former Duke of Shunamari did attempt to glance at his hand. However, there was not a single doubt. All Human, Gemmyarkan, Centaur and Onisamatzeka had been caught in their own lustful observations! 

Letters to a Gemmyarkan nobleman

Upon the arrival of Adrian Demetrius Von Tifon’s letter to my office in the Black Castle, a young lady, holding a small harp in her hands.

The His Jade-like Excellency, Lord Malaghetyev of All Black Magic, had solicited for my presence to narrate one of our land’s most excelled magic tales. 

And of course, the family Von Tifon was one of my main inspirations. While playing poker with none other than the then acting Duke Rüdiger Von Tifon himself, I received his own letter, adding to my collection of letters from the family Von Tifon. The latest was from Lady Yui Von Tifon, the acting Duchess since poor Lady Añulli had departed.  

Letter from
Her Highness, the Duchess Yui Von Tifon
to Lord Grakxiushandriam

23rd day of Octoberl of 1832

Most esteemed lord,

I write this letter to you informing about my future absence in the ritual fourteen day crematory celebration of my father.

It was with great surprise that I received the letter from my son Adrian Demetrius Von Tifon inquiring if I should or not attend the celebration. It is rather ironic is it not, that a such a docile and honest little boy as my Adrian would had fell prey to the poisonous advices of the Duke Rüdiger Von Tifon or my father, Master Murakami.

You, Grakxiushandrian-sama, have been friend with my in-law for almost a century and I am mostly certain you had already received the invitation to the celebrations of the cremation of my father, Lord Murakami.

All that ceremony would nearly drown me with such tedious, dreary speeches, either from my in-law brother, Kato, or from my father-in-law. You do understand do you not, my lord, the reasons for my absence?

It is quite a miracle that you, Lord Grakxiushandrian, of all people, decide to send me your condolences.

Adrian's little sister is becoming quite a beautiful creature. I shall post you together with this letter, oh lord of such distant lands, a portrait Adrian Demetrius has done of his sister when she was contemplating the cherry blossoms.  She has been constantly my joy and her little interest for painting has made me hopeful. Perhaps by next year she will be able to read correctly in Standard Bellanian. My sole hopes go to my little five year old daughter...Perhaps she will become Duchess one day! 

It is quite ambitious, is it not? However, I am certain that you, as an experienced in these - how do Europeans say it? - political matters, will be able to help me, unlike Sakura, who is constantly sending me letters with the sole purpose of contacting her sweet husband. 

I shall have to finish this letter right away, or Christoph will start asking questions and he is far worse in telling his father our couple'conversations! Such a naïve man Christoph can sometimes be! 

My sincere thanks and hopes I hear from Your Lordship...

Duchess Yui Von Tifon 

The next letter I had in my possession was less informal and more brief, written in a fluent and male-like German: 

"Dear friend Grakxiushandriam

I hereby invite you to the celebration of the ritual cremation of my grandfather, Master Murakami Kensaku. I do hope to see you in a week, in the gates of Lord Nékok Yaotl's temple, in the land of Lord You-Know-what's-his-name. 

P.S.: Have you contacted my Uncle yet? I do so wish to meet him in Master Murakami's funeral. 

Yours truly Von Tifon." 

And, obviously, the third letter came from the acting Duke Rüdiger Von Tifon. While Her Highness, his daughter-in-law, is quite a wise woman, Rüdiger Von Tifon is a brother-of-arms of mine. It was written in fluent, Northern Bellanian and it had a certain fling to it since the acting Duke enjoyed to play the part of the elegant man: 

" My dear friend Akdhsavnam...

I expect to see you in the farewell ceremony of our dear departed Master Murakami Von Tifon. Have you considered how expensive this is to me? Even in death, dear friend, this Onisamatzeka vermin allows himself to the luxury of put a smut grin in his face and mock my person!

His last wishes were to see his grandson burn him in one of the highest and most awe-inspiring mountains of this Empire. I merely yearn to see his dead leftovers being incinerated, reduced to ashes!

But to most light-hearting matters: my granddaughter is such a sweet little thing! I had just received early this morning a letter from her excusing her mother for both not being able to assist the ritual burning ceremonies? Is it not precious, dear friend? She has a somewhat clumsy handwriting in German, but certainly that will come with pratice. Of course, the little lady's grammar and ortographic errors are clear, but what can you expect from a girl who has been taught by a lady like my daughter-in-law?

How is your writing projects developing, old friend? A little birdie told me that you were about to finish another one of those delightful Bellanian myths. Europeans do cling themselves for a good-written prose, especially an "exotic" one.

I had enjoyed reading your adaptation to the beautiful story me and Añulli had shared for so many decades.

Hope to meet you in the Black Castle and play a little western poker game,

Rüdiger Von Tifon"