Free The Auric Insignia by Perry Horste

swallowing. Standing where he stood, between an overgrown otter, hysterically laughing, and a giant lizard that was chuckling, Roarke, buck naked as he was, decided to see the absurdity that had become his life and joined in the mirth.
         - I’m Marel by the way, and that big oaf behind you is Ippan, he’s not as bad as he looks.
         As their names were said, they both executed overly grand bows, swirling their fingers through the air. Whilst both being comedic in nature, Marel moved with a grace that his larger companion understandably lacked.
         - Well I’m pleased to meet you, I’m Roarke.
         - Oh we heard, through the grapevine....
         The thing about comedians, whether they be human or Kappa, was that one could never quite know when and if they were actually being serious, so Roarke ignored what he thought was a quip and extended his hand, as to greet the punsters. The two Kappas shared an amused look, making no moves to reciprocate the handshake.
         - Well you are definitely human, that’s for sure!
         Unsure of what to do, Roarke lingered until he was picked up by arms powerful enough to break stone but that proceeded to gently hold him without upsetting his sore side, until he was finally let down on shaky legs.
         - It’s nice to feel welcome....
         - Well, we do our best.
         Marel struck Roarke as the talker of the unlikely, yet somehow perfectly matched duo. Gifted with a silver tongue, he appeared to, more often than not, speak for both of them with Ippan grunting his support on occasion.
         - At least some of us do.
         Marel nodded at Roarke’s purple ribs as he nimbly kicked up one of the fruits that lay between them and threw it to Roarke, who caught it awkwardly with his left hand.
         - They’re called Idu fruit, they grow on Idu trees, original I know. The ones that grow here in the Braida are the only ones left in existence.
         Roarke inspected the shimmering fruit with a sceptical look on his face.
         - They will help with that nasty bruise, or almost anything else for that matter. Give it a try.
         Roarke bit in and was greeted by a juicy sweetness like no other he had ever tasted. The flesh almost melted in his mouth, overflowing it with sugariness.
         - Mmhm, it’s good!
         - They are indeed.
         Roarke took another bite of the golden treat, pleasantly surprised.
         - Sweet isn’t?
         - Yea....
         Roarke noticed that they were snickering. All of a sudden, unsure, he spit out the bite that he, a second ago, had so eagerly taken.
         - What!? Is it poisonous?
         - Do you think that we would poison you and then stand by snickering? We’re hurt you would even suggest such a thing! Ain’t that right, Ippan?
         Ippan nodded with his massive head.
         - Then what is it?
         - The, hehe, the Idu rejuvenates the body, but when it’s consumed for the first time, it overloads the body, mainly the senses.
         Like a lighting bolt from a clear sky, the sweet taste that had lingered in Roarke’s mouth, exploded, juicy pulp feeling like burning embers. His mouth figuratively on fire, his taste buds overwhelmed with flavor, he started drinking the warm pool water in an attempt to put out the metaphorical flames licking the roof of his mouth. To add to his predicament, his vision started changing. Like seeing through the stained glass he had played with as a child, the world changed color. Red, orange, blue, green, as well as some colors he had never seen before.
         The sniggering from the orchestrators of his plight echoed in his head, tone changing from high to low. His nose filled with a strong odor that made it even harder to concentrate. Not recognizing it at first, he eventually understood he was smelling the water he was standing in. Becoming hyper aware of his body, he could feel every individual hair on his