Lyra's Voyages 1: Small Beginnings.

by Prince_Staghorn

On the Culture of the Natives...

Day 8…

I had expected spears to be thrown at me or something. Instead, the Meeni (as I later learned they called themselves) constructed a sort of large, wheeled platform for me to sit on. From there, I was taken to their city. I don’t mean a city as in a large gathering of huts, I mean an actual city! The buildings were made of mud bricks, and I saw evidence of primitive plumbing. The air above the city buzzed with the steady monotonous drone made by the wings of the Natask (the giant hummingbirds used for transport by the Meeni.)

Their leader, the Drakik, ordered me to be put in the town square, at least that’s what I gathered. I noticed the various warriors surrounding me, aiming miniature ballistae at my body, should I try anything suspicious. It was enough for me (those spearheads looked SHARP!). Shift was also smart enough to take the hint.

The mini-pegasi began to once again rifle through my belongings, taking them out and examining them. Afterwards, they put everything back, save for the bits, which they seemed particularly interested in for some reason. I was to find out later that gold is considered a sacred metal to them. Something about it being the color of the sun, I don’t know. I’m a zoologist, not an expert in the religion of foreign cultures.

It was several hours before I was released from the ropes. Why they released me, I don’t know, but I was happy about it. Then I noticed I had been chained by my back leg to the cobblestones. Wonderful. Shift wasn’t off much better, being confined to a cage.

A small platform was brought before me, upon which sat a pony I assumed to be a diplomat of some sort, based mostly on the fact she had a fancy hat, sort of like those college graduation hats, you know, the ones with the flat square and the tassel? Her hat was like that, but it had a bunch of feathers around the edge. Actually, her entire demeanor reminded me of my old teacher from Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns (I was a descendant of Starswirl, and I managed to perfect my hoof-to-hand spell there).

She began speaking to me slowly, and it dawned on me I was getting a language lesson. Needless to say, I paid immediate attention.

Day 20… (I think…)

I had learned the majority of the Meeni language in what I assumed was two weeks. I had honestly lost track of time, but as I was now allowed to roam free, I didn’t mind that much. I had learned that the Meeni name for the island more or less literally translated into “the Island,” so I just took to calling it Lillipon, after the island full of tiny ponies in that book Gull Wing’s Travels by… somepony whose last name was “Swift,” I think.

The Meeni had many unique cultural quirks, the least of which was how a mare decided who her suitor would be. Apparently, the prospective stallions would attach long, colorful streamers to their tails, and would participate in what I can only describe as a jumping contest, where they would jump over a large log several times their height. Somehow, this allowed the mare to decide who her future husband would be, though I wasn’t sure why.

Their differentiation of the sexes was also odd. Colts and fillies received separate schooling, colts starting at the age of ten, and fillies starting at five. The colts learned to be blacksmiths, masons, builders, and soldiers, while the fillies learned the trades of scholars, archivists, diplomats, and farmers. Though the mares were capable of holding titles of prestige, it was only the stallions that could own property and hold the position of Drakik. The Drakik also was the only stallion allowed more than one wife, and could pick and choose mares as he pleased.

They buried their dead with their heads pointing downwards, believing if they should ever rise again (something I completely believed possible. I heard Applebloom’s story about what she saw in the Everfree!), they would wake up and begin digging the wrong way. I guess that sort of made sense, in a way… I would have just burned the body, but to each their own.

But what I found strangest was their writing style and language. They wrote in a counter-clockwise spiral, circling out from the center. Their books opened from the top, making the covers more like lids in a way. I never learned to successfully write the Meeni language, though I learned to read it quickly. The letters of their written language were similar to a mix of Neighponese kanji, Saddle Arabian calligraphy, and ancient Helotian hieroglyphics, and their alphabet consisted of 34 letters. Thankfully, the spoken language was actually made up of the same sounds that made up the Equestrian spoken language, but certain words were capable of conveying quite a few meanings depending on the tone and method of pronunciation. For example, “Drakik,” when pronounced with emphasis on the “Dra” and the last “k” almost sounding like a click (DRAH-ki-CK), meant “Ruler of the Island,” whereas “Drakik” pronounced with a drawn-out “aaaaaa” and emphasis on the first “k” (draaah-Kik) referred to a type of flowering plant, and “Drakik” with a rolled “r” and long “eeee” sound (drrrra-KEEEEEK) meant “Highest of mountains.”

Their farming was superficially similar to that of a normal Equestrian earth pony, tilling the soil with a plow, and using regular watering schedules. However, they irrigated their crops by means of a complex system of above-ground pipes.

They supplemented their diet by searching for eggs and fishing. As little known as it is, ponies can digest meat, they merely don’t eat it that often usually. Pegasi, having a higher metabolism, require a bit more protein than a unicorn or earth pony, eat fish more regularly than any type except sea ponies, octoponies, and merrow, or sea-changelings. Though they no longer were capable of flight, the Meeni seemingly retained the metabolism of their flying ancestors.

My instructor, Swift Speaker (for so I translate “Bal-mak-esh”) has told me I will be having an audience with the Drakik tomorrow. Hopefully this will turn out well for me…

Author's Note:

FINALLY!!! sorry for the wait!

Comments

[Flash_Magnus]

Sure the wait was long

But it's cool great chapter!

[Prince_Staghorn]

3026920 thank you! sorry, lot of stuff's been going on. but still, fleshed out the Meeni's culture, moved the story along... it's all good.

[Flash_Magnus]

3026935

You're welcome,and it's fine

[Prince_Staghorn]

3026973 enjoying anything in particular?

[Flash_Magnus]

3026984

All the stuff,Lyra is going through

[Prince_Staghorn]

3027012 I feel like i'm doing a good job at her personality.

Chapter 3:

Lyra: Several days later I would realize that this phrase could be translated loosely into “Mare-Mountain,” perhaps not the most flattering title (I didn’t sneak Bonbon’s candies away that much… okay, I did, but it wasn’t noticeable!),
***
The last thing I wanted was to be worshipped (okay, I did actually want to be worshipped, but by a nice stallion, not a race of pygmies!)...

[Flash_Magnus]

3027030

I remember that part

[Prince_Staghorn]

3352056 trying to keep it closer to the original book

[Midnight LS]

Not really my cup of tea but it is still a good story.

[Prince_Staghorn]

3352118 well, thanks!

[Weird Dragon]

sea-changelings

I want more info

[Prince_Staghorn]

5110191 Well...

MERROW
lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xHyxiPBpq6E/UdiE9ptpfDI/AAAAAAAAov8/Cml6V3VD9Kk/s650/QueenofEmeraldWaters.png

the Merrow, or sea changelings, are less adept shape-shifters than their land-dwelling cousins, and cannot truly fly, though their wings give them a gliding distance of up to a mile.

Merrow are found in the Emerald Waters, near the country of Concordia, and are currently ruled by Queen Pistol (shown)