Ch. 5

            Thelonius’s chambers were warm, and Nami felt a sense of regality upon entering them.  A large cardboard box originally used to hold wooden torches was filled with cotton, serving as a mattress, and actually looked very comfortable.   A wooden support ran across the wall to the left of his bed, on which similar, smaller wooden planks had been perpendicularly attached, serving as a place for Thelonius to put his valuables.  Another, smaller torch box was positioned in the corner, and held his garments.  Above his bed hung a thin strip of metal attached to a wooden handle, which appeared to be hand crafted.  The metal was of the same variety that the giantess used to cut hair from her legs when cleaning herself. 

            “How do you feel, my dear?”  Thelonius spoke softly.

            “I feel good sir, thank you.  Are you doing well?”

            “I cannot complain, my young Calculus, but I fear that my old age is beginning to get the best of me.”  He chuckled, “as if these old bones were returning to the earth itself.”  Nami smiled at him as he continued.  “I understand that you took it upon yourself to go sightseeing alone this afternoon.  Is this correct?”

            There was a faint trace of authority in his voice, but Thelonius easily smiled as he asked, comforting Nami in her response.  “Yes sir, I apologize.”

            Thelonius slowly shuffled across the room, dragging his feet more than actually picking them up.  He glanced at an amulet on his shelf before returning his thoughtful eyes back on Nami.

            “Oh my darling how innocent you truly are.  Do not mistake me for a hobbling old man, for my eyes are keener than they may appear.  I see the wonder in your eyes as you gaze at the magnificence of the world around you.  I can sense your lust for adventure; it cannot be quelled.  Your curiosity is inspiring, young one,” he said, quietly giggling to himself.

            “Thank you, sir.”

            “Oh yes, yes Nami I do see a great deal of potential in you, but you mustn’t forget your foundation.  That which makes you strongest should not be so easily overlooked.  I say, have I ever told you the legend of how Sanctuary came to be, and how our race was born out of such an ambitious man?  He was quite like yourself, I do believe.”

            “Um, I do belie..”  Nami began to speak, but was abruptly cut off.

            “Oh yes it is a wonderful story.  Tell me, have you heard of Vilitrus Vesaro, founder of Sanctuary?  It is said that his discovery of this place was fueled by his love of exploration, and the same curiosity which ignites your soul, young one.  After many a night of wandering the outside, and I do mean outside of this HOUSE, not our concave within, he managed to enter this place and take refuge, escaping the bitter cold of the air outside.  The house was abandoned, and Vilitrus could not see in front of his own face.  This scared him, because he was alone and did not know where to go next.  It is said that, in his loneliness, Vilitrus was visited by the spirits of Mariah and Isabella, the mothers of the Calculi race, who together represent the soul and the light.  They took compassion on poor Vilitrus and joined hands, becoming a singular unified beacon of energy.  They swiftly entered his chest and formed his crease, providing him with the light he needed to guide him on his way.  It is said that Vilitrus, on his way to where Sanctuary now resides, met another Calculus, a female also lost in her journey.  Vilitrus took her head in his hands and raised her off of the ground.  In their connection, the light of Vilitrus’s soul began wrapping around her, as he himself wrapped his arms around her, providing her with the same guiding light as he.  Together the two of them founded our home.”

            Nami listened intently the entire time, absorbing every word with great reverence for Thelonius’s wisdom and character.

            “Oh my, but I believe that I’ve told you all this sometime before. Ha ha!  Forgive an old man his poor memory.”

            “It is alright, sir, you tell the story very well, and will always have my ear.”

            “Above my bed, Nami, is Vilitrus’s sword, admittedly a crude instrument, but forged through the labor of a unified people.  Do you understand?  Your loveliness must not give way to carelessness, Nami, for it is this unity which built our civilization from the ground, out of nothing.”

            “Yes sir, I do, and I apologize.  I, of course, value the connection between myself and all of our people.”

            “I do believe that in your words there is honesty, Nami, but you do not yet fully understand just how important the bonds which hold us all together are.  Without them, we are nothing.”  Thelonius looked toward his shelves, smiling contentedly to himself.  “I have kept you long enough, dear, for you must still be famished.  Please, return to your friends.”

            Nami bowed to Thelonius before leaving his room to rejoin Xi at the dinner table.  As she left Thelonius watched her with curious look on his face.  When she was gone he glanced at the sword hanging above his bed, and then, satisfied, rejoined the Concilium.