A Whole New World (Theo)

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It was so refreshing to finally step of onto dry land after months at sea. So long surrounded by nothing but water, it was actually quite terrifying for Aruk. Yequl were absolutely terrible with water and all it took was one misstep and he would have faced a watery grave. Luckily Aruk was given his very own private quarters in the ship where he often stayed. It was much quieter than out side and inside his quarters Aruk could easily continue his work, cataloging every known species and material into an easy to understand compendium. He had already finished the first two books while at sea and had just begun the third. He would have gotten much further into the third book if he didn't need to direct the crew when problems arose but sadly many things happened while at sea like diseases, beasts, and other horrible events.

He had also needed to write a letter to a Duke Theodore, as he realized during his research of Nova that the only way to get trade established was through him. He spent days painstakingly trying to create small lumps onto a rough piece of parchment as the written language of the Yequl was very precise and one small mess up could ruin the entire letter. Translated, the letter would read: "Greetings Duke Theodore. You may not know me but I know of you. My name is Aruk Zulgan. I come from a small island kingdom south of Nova. You see my kingdom is slowly decaying due to a slow decline of resources in our home and my illustrious queen has sent me here to discuss a trade proposition. I do hope you will respond to this letter and help save my kingdom." 

Aruk sealed the letter with the mark of Yequl royalty and handed it to one of the workers, sending them off to go and send the letter while Aruk worked on the ship, waiting for response.


@theobankes

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Theo was sitting at his desk within the quarters of the castle, when one day he received a letter in the mail written in some language which he didn't recognize. That same day, Theo would send word to one of the best translators in the kingdom, to meet with them the following day. When the next day broke dawn, Theo met with the translator early so that he could decipher the meaning behind the mysterious letter he received. Theo assumed that this came from royalty, since the seal on the parchment seemed to be of a royal stature.

Theo sat alongside the translator as they finally deciphered what the letter said. "Ah yes, yekul... the Yekul have a difficult language, but a very detailed one. This shall be no problem at all." The translator began. Soon after they read the letter aloud to him in his native tongue, and Theo finally understood.

Theo decided to make an arrangement to meet with the individual within a week's time, to speak about trading affairs. Theo's letter was scribed and translated in the Yekul language, and read as such. "Dear Aruk Zulgan, it is my greatest pleasure to hear from you. If your interest lies in trades, than you have found the right person. We may meet within a week's time at the Novian Castle. I only ask that you come prepared with any information you may have on your kingdom's trading affairs and paperwork. The rest we can sort out when you arrive. I look forward to meeting you. Best wishes, Duke Theodore Edmund Bankes."
Theo sealed the letter with his family crest, and with the symbol of trades alongside it in wax.

When the day arrived, Theo would ensure that he had sample contracts in order, as well as had two translators available for the meeting. Theo read up on the customs of the Yequl people, to ensure that he did not offend anyone, and that the business deal would go smoothly. Theo would have some snacks and drinks prepared in advance, and would have guards standing both inside and outside of his office, preparing for the safety and well-being of himself, and for his possible business partner. Theo awaited nervously.

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Aruk was extremely happy when the Duke responded to his letter, this only grew as he read it. He was so glad the Duke accepted his offer to meet with him. Aruk would wait for a week locked away inside of his cabin on the ship, only coming out to eat. While he was locked away he studied more on Novian trade and the customs of the people of Nova.

A week passed and Aruk was up early. He quickly summoned four of his personal guard and a worker to record the information discussed at the meeting for the Queen to read. As Aruk and his entourage made their way to the castle, Aruk could only imagine the strange looks he must have been getting from people they passed. Yequl didn't leave their island home for the most part so most people likely would have never even heard of his kind.

As they finally reached the castle Aruk was glad they were easily allowed in and shown their way to Duke Theo's office. As he entered he ordered the four guards to stay outside, only for the worker to come with him. Aruk took a deep breath and spoke in a language Duke Theo would understand, but his accent would be extremely harsh and scratchy. "Duke Theodore. A great pleasure to meet with you this wonderful day. I'm so happy you agreed to this. The worker moved in front of Aruk and pulled the chair out for him. Aruk gave a few clicking noises which was a thanks to the worker and sat down. "I hope my guards didn't intimidate you when I entered. Just a precautionary measure. I needed to guarantee my safety on the way here."