Tranquil
Tranquil was the first word that entered my mind as I caught my initial glimpse of Hysogym.
     Though perhaps the intensely wrinkled, pockmarked face may have caught most people’s attention, not to mention the scraggly hair like fried wire, these things didn’t strike me with such an intensity as that word – tranquil, a word which seemed to transcribe itself on my mind as soon as I saw her.
     For Hysogym was, above all else, an extremely serene woman, old beyond knowledge, for virtually all knowledge was hers. Yet her creased face – more wrinkles than skin, the lines as if an angry person had scraped the lines in a rage, ripping the skin, folding it into a million sections, didn’t bother me so much. I could see wisdom in the narrow eyes, and as I looked more closely into her eyes I noticed they continually changed colour; not in a noticeable way but rather in the way the minute hand of a clock moves – slowly, discreetly, until suddenly after staring for minutes you realise it has changed. When I first saw the eyes they were a deep grey, the colour of granite, then some seconds later they had fused into a shining chrome, before shifting softly into a deep aquamarine, fading to a pale saffron.
     For some minutes all I could do was stare, transfixed at these oases of amazing colour. I knew it was a rare gift, even among Hiscopotes, to have colour-shifting eyes and nails, a gift which only came into being in those Hiscopotes who had, in their lifetime, passed a great judgement somewhere, or experienced great wisdom. And Hysogym was the greatest Hiscopotes of them all, this was common knowledge. Why else would I have travelled away from my homeland of Sedfrghan to meet her?
     Hysogym didn’t deign to meet many humans in her calm life; humans doubtless begging for answers to life’s problems – answers they needed to work out themselves in order for them to work. Yet she knew I was different. Following my slaying of the mystical beast Emereasic and my acquiring of its powers, my reputation had spread and I had been made Vice High Ruler of Sedfrghan, a position which held no small amount of responsibility. I took the post very seriously and became known for my wise judgements and intelligent thinking, so much so that many questioned whether I was fully human. For it was said among some that my grandmother’s origins were vague, and that it was almost certain she was at least part Hiscopote. I didn’t comment on the rumours, and fulfilled my job as best a human can – for I was fully human, I realised that. I held no illusions of grandeur by affiliating myself with the higher species.
     Hysogym and I held deep mutual respect though we rarely corresponded and I never asked her for help – powerful though she was, her power was not to be divided amongst humans. I admired her to the point of reverence, and I could tell she respected my wisdom and intelligent thinking. As she now descended her winged borasth, its black nostrils snorting in the cold, midnight air; its heavy bronze hooves clattering on the stone floor, she greeted me with a smile like a brief whisper across the ragged landscape of her features. I smiled back, patting her borasth and slipping an iced fenderin cube into its mouth. The beast neighed happily, licking my palm and fluttering its black, bony wings momentarily before falling onto the floor in an exhausted slumber. Hysogym had travelled too to meet me, and I felt honoured for few Hipsocotes condescend to travel to any humans and as for Hysogym – I doubted she had ever travelled to meet a human before. Her body was like that of all Hipsocotes; upper torso like that of a human, in her case an old woman, lower body that of a splendid tigress, with sharp black lines snaking across the tan fur. Added to her four paws, she also had two human arms and hands. She moved her four legs with a certain elegance evident in all of the cats, and with the added grace of an old human woman. The nails on each of her feet as well as her eyes shone as they changed colours, reflecting radiant lights of the most beautiful colours.
     To properly show my respect I bowed low and, bringing out my sword, slowly drew it across my hand, laying the bloodstained sword at her feet. Most humans cannot go to such a length to show their respect to a higher species; most simply prick themselves and present the needle to the other – many don’t even go to this length, and just bow. With the power I had gathered over recent years however, this display of respect – the deep wound healing to a scar in a matter of minutes, the scar fading within days – was just a tiny part of what I could do. In return, Hysogym inclined her cragged head, and spoke in a soft, deep voice that resonated with hidden meaning. Every word was spoken slowly and deliberately, in her beautiful rich variation of the standard Hiscopote accent – a lilting, almost soulful sounding voice.
     "It is wonderful to see you, Mursalf."
     "The honour, my dear Hysogym, is all mine. I will remain indebted in your favour for this visit. Please accept these gifts, as a small token of my gratitude." Here, I pulled out a glass vial containing deep blue Amersyth jewels, and lowering myself to the ground I pushed it into her hands. Then, I extracted another vial, intricately carved crystal, containing a swirling emerald liquid. I say liquid, but the substance looked almost smoky; like a magical mist of passionate colours; emerald and ruby mixing to form an intense blue, separating into a hundred colours. A very faint hissing could be heard from the liquid, as if it was seething, boiling – as if it was a living creature. "It is Emereasic blood," I said. "I would be honoured for you to have this."
     "It is too much. I cannot accept this."
     "Please. It would be a great honour if you accept it."
     She smiled her quick smile, then took the gifts and held them to her flank. They were visible for a few seconds on the sleek fur, before they seemed to melt into it, sinking into her body like a wrecked ship suddenly sinks in the ocean. It is a trick that Hipsocotes have, that they can hide many things discreetly on their person. It is one of their many gifts.
     "Let us move inside," I said. "It is getting very dark."
     I led the way inside, walking down solid granite steps and entering the giant door leading to the inside castle, for we had met on the roof by mutual agreement. It is said that high places stimulate intelligence, and awaken the mind. Ezeron made his decision to enter Sedfrghan while on his great tower, altering history forever. And I crafted the sword that destroyed the beast Emeriasic on the roof of my castle, back in Sedfrghan. Great emphasis is placed on decisions and decision-making in our culture, and this is perhaps why the Hipsocotes are so much valued, above most others.