Role

Chapter 3

The feline creature cautiously approached the giant, looking beyond it at
the one place devoid of magic where her mind could relax. Outside battle
raged between the wanted dwarven leader of the village and the
vindicator, but she moved past to another nearby building. She was
focused and determined to do what the other men and women had done who
came seeking the village before her.

She came upon it then. The mighty hammer could be heard pounding again
and again as she made her way into the heated forge of the Noldarian
smith. Not looking up he said, "I think the Village of Battleragers
might be able to use a mage-killer like you. Interested?"

"Tsssssss!" she replied which caused the blacksmith to look at her
strangely. She looked at him expectantly and it was obvious he did not
understand her strange sounds. Trying again she was able to come closer
saying, "Ssssssssss!" But it wasn't enough. Jumping through the window
she tore her claws and teeth into the ground for two minutes to regain
her composure.

Minutes went by, perhaps an hour, as she tried again and again to say the
correct word. She knew her desires and only this word stood in her way!
The blacksmith smiled wryly, continuing his work in a bit of disbelief at
her mixture of inaptitude and determination.

Finally, Ssii tried again, forming the word in the way that seemed
unnatural and like she was regurgitating food for a fela and amazingly
said, "Yessssssssssss!"

With a huge evil grin of mischief, Tahren continued, "Just repeat these
words...I swear by Boltthrower's axe that I will not rest until magic in
Thera is destroyed."

To view the creature Ssii, one would have seen eyes as big as a dark
bottom fish and a jaw dropped nearly to the floor. She shook it off and
spent the next several hours in a display of utter determination, slowly
working each syllable silently in her jaws through her strange teeth.

This was it. This was the moment her life had come to, where she would
conquer her lack of speech and overcome everything. She mustered every
ounce of will in her body, she focused on the little sentient knowledge
she had of the verbal mechanics, and she brought it all together in a
culmination. And what she said and what it sounded like was this...

"Tch tchka breoooowr hissss reorwa rsss chichik echa hisss estreowr!"

Ssii's claws clenched in victory, confident and sure this time she had
said the exact pronunciation word for word on her very first try!

The Noldarian blacksmith let his face betray nothing and simply said,
"Perfect!" before turning quickly to the forge to cover the smile on his
face.