The Beginnings of Education in Maasla Keeista
“Hey, hey come on!” a girl not more than twelve cried in an excited hurry.
The target of the request, arose sleepily, rubbing the crust off his eyes. He gazed up at the girl who stood above his, her urgent expression puzzling him, “Uhhh… what?”
She threw up her hands exasperatedly, “Today’s the first day of school!! Get up!”
School? What was that again? “School…” the boy said to himself, searching through the pages of his memory, the words smeared with morning dew. “School?” he finally questions, unable to retrieve a definition from his groggy brain.
“A strange man is going to teach us and our friends things! But we need to go!” She waited only seconds after these words before judging that Habnix Aniu IV was moving much too slow. Reaching down, she grabbed the collar of his shirt, “Get in your public clothes, now!”
“Hey! Who’s in their with the young master?” called a voice from outside the room.
“It’s my nanny! Hide!” Habnix aided his friend by ‘guiding’ her under his bed.
The older women bustled into the room, a concerned expression on her face, “I heard a voice that did not sound like yours, young master! Is someone else in here?”
“No, I suppose I was having a nightmare. Leave.”
The woman bowed and backed out of the room.
***
Ihani and her friend Habnix darted through the streets, dressed in their exquisite clothing, in a rushed excitement to be in their first class.
The marketplace was half-flooded with Kaldurian products, like usual, although Habnix noticed some more rare pots and sculptures from a people that Maasla Kieesta had yet made formal contact with. They only traded through Kaldur.
As the two children dashed up the massive mud-brick steps, the familiar sight of Maasl’s Great Temple invited them inwars.
A greeter inside pointed them in the right direction.
***
When they stepped into the room, a dozen young heads and one elderly head turned to spot them.
“Ah, children, welcome, you’re a little late, but that’s alright.”
Habnix and Ihani lowered themselves silently into the two remaining seats, and the instructor began to speak.
“Alright then, for those of you who were unaware, this gathering was organized by our most wise and intelligent Emperor, B’Deiru, commonly referred to as ‘The Scholar’. He wishes to increase general knowledge amongst our nobles, thus, he has instructed me, and a few others to guide you through a planned half-year of literary instruction. If there are enough of you at the end of this course who wish to continue pursuing the art of written language, we may plan an advanced course. Also, if you qualify, you may offered a job as instructor yourself,” his muscled drooped in an apparent frown, “but that brings me to my least favorite thing about the emperor’s plans.”
“No pay!” the man threw up his hands, exasperatedly.
The room was without laughter.
“Apparently this man is unaware of the proper behavior in front of nobles such as ourselves…” Habnix whispered to Ihani.
“Ahem… I suppose the emperor is correct in his thinking, of course. We do at least get free food...” he brushes his fingers across his chin for a moment, “Ah yes, a news announcement before we begin! Emperor B’Deiru has found the tomb of Maasl!”
The group murmured softly, turning heads to each other momentarily and a trade of surprised expressions.
“I expect that you all of heard of Maasl’s writing of his own death. He was able to foresee his grave, in an area somewhat close to Chomli’Onostu. Despite his enlightenment, Maasl was quite vague in his descriptions, only writing that he would not lie outside of the Kee’s lands, and that the tallest tree in the land. No one has found it for centuries, but now, B’Deiru, while on a stroll, came across the largest tree he had ever seen.”
The old man took a moment to pass around a paper with a drawing of the tree.
“This is just a normal oak tree…” one of the students said with a skeptical tone, before he passed it back to the instructor.
“Ah, but the tree was larger than any the emperor had ever seen. And he felt a presence there. The presence of Maasl.”
Ooh’s and aah’s sounded throughout the room.
“And, to show his respect, B’Deiru is constructing a vast garden around the tree… with lots of flowers and a ring of smaller tress, quite nice. Let’s start your first lesson, though.”
“Sir, what is your name?”
“Oh! My name is-“
...And so the first class of Maasla Keeista was underway.
***
OOC: Guys, I
tried, ok, I
tried...
Also, my rotten, bratty, lying, untrustworthy sister said she might draw a pic... but I doubt it.
