The silence that had once again fallen over the square shattered as every Cauthan began talking at once. Some cheered, other yelled. Guards called for order. Antoth rejoined his men in an attempt to control the situation. Vash, spitting what Winters assumed to be curses, had retreated up the steps of his temple, but Winters paid the Cauthan no mind. He’d made his point. There would be time to deal with Vash later. The commotion allowed Winters a degree of anonymity, which he used to rush to Veera’s side.

Grabbing the knife from its sheath at his waist, he quickly severed the rope holding her to the pole, giving thanks that he’d not needed to draw it until now. Veera rocked forward on her knees, sucking in a deep breath and rubbing her wrists with her hands. “Veera, can you hear me?” Winters asked, hearing a bit of fear creep into his voice. “Are you alright? Did they hurt you?” If Veera’s eyes had been wide with shock before, it was nothing compared to the expression she now trained on him. Her eyes were bloodshot, wet with tears, and full of surprise.

“You…you just…how did you…Russell, what?” She stammered.

“Not now. I’ll explain everything later.” Winters replied with a firm but friendly tone, trying to speak so that only Veera could hear him. He knelt in front of her. “I’m getting you out of this carnival. These people have had enough spectacle. Can you show me to your home?” Veera nodded to him, still clearly in a state of shock. “Can you stand? Come here, up we go. That’s it.” He wrapped his right arm across her back and under her far arm, lifting her into a standing position. Without the need to focus on an armed opponent Winters was able to give all of his attention to Veera. He noticed that Veera was not only taller than most of the villagers, men included; but she was also far thinner. Lifting her had placed barely any strain on him at all. Winters’ brow furrowed under his helmet. Resting his arm across Veera’s shoulders in a protective gesture, Winters walked them both towards the guard captain. Antoth had managed to get the crowd to begin dispersing, and his guards had mostly returned to their posts, escorting groups of villagers away from the square. He bid them to halt. A few curious observers remained. Whether that was for himself, Veera, or some other reason, Winters couldn’t say.

“I assume you can understand me.” Antoth spoke in a deep, gruff voice. It wasn’t a question. “Why are you here, stranger?” Up close he looked like a panther, sleek and black in color with a few angry scars visible on his face and scaled forearms.

Winters hesitated, glancing to the side at Veera. She was hanging her head, as if shielding her face from the remaining onlookers. Someone yelled ‘mutt!’ at her again, causing Winters to snap his head in that direction. Antoth spoke first though.

“Alright that’s enough!” He yelled. “You saw what happened to the last two. Now go home, all of you, before you get me, my men, and maybe this entire village killed. Now!” At his words, the final group turned and left. One Cauthan punched the offender in the arm. Winters heard them lament they wouldn’t be present to overhear what the ‘avatar of Kel’ wanted. Antoth turned his attention back to Winters.

“I’ll only ask you once more. What is it that you want here? What is she to you?” He demanded, resting a hand on the pommel of his sword.

“That last question is none of your business.” Winters informed him in a level tone. “I mean you and your people no harm.”

Antoth looked over Winters’ shoulder at the two sun guards, who were now groaning and stirring on the ground. “You’ll forgive me for not seeing it that way. I don’t envy the idea of fighting such a heavily armored foe, but if you leave me no choice I will uphold my duty. I am Uthos’ representative here on Mara, and I take that very seriously stranger.”

“Uthos is your god?” Winters asked, eager to know more about the society he’d thrust himself into.

“One of many, the sentinel and protector.” Antoth answered quickly, creeping impatience in his voice.

“Then you should understand most of all why I’m here.” Winters challenged, gesturing at the defeated foes behind him. He had approved of Antoth so far given the Cauthan’s actions, but right now he wanted to get Veera home to safety. Antoth was in his way. “I had no intention of entering your village today at all, until your sun priest took Veera into custody on my account. I have no intention of harming anyone else.”

“You figured you would deny the sun god his justice?” Antoth challenged him unexpectedly.

“Seil is not my god. And that wasn’t justice…guardian.” Winters almost spat the last word. Veera sniffed weakly beside him, her feathers shivering. “Listen. I’ll leave your village right now, no questions asked, on one condition.” Winters offered, trying to de-escalate the battle of testosterone. Antoth scratched his chin for a moment.

“You possess a very strong will. And much as I am ashamed at allowing an armed invader into this city…you are right. That was not justice. You delivered a woman who would have suffered on your behalf. And you have indeed brought no harm to those who have not attacked you directly. Very well, name your terms stranger and I shall consider them.”

“You allow me to escort Veera to her home. I want your word, a vow to Seil or Uthos or whomever it is you Cauthan make vows to, that she will not be targeted for this. I do not serve Kel. I am not a god or the servant of a god. I’m just a human.”

“You say that as though it means something to me. Perhaps you…humans are servants of Uthos and do not know it? You protect this one with great zeal. I’m not sure you understand just how curious that is.” Antoth seemed to smirk at his last statement.

“Right now I don’t care Antoth. She’s been through a lot and I’m getting her out of here. Are you going to get in my way or let me go? I’ve seen the way you treat your men and your city. I don’t think what I’m asking is unreasonable.”

“It is not. Though I would specify a condition of my own.” Antoth was back to all business.

Winters groaned impatiently. “And that is?”

“You exit the way you came, before dark. I will await you at the gate.”

“Agreed.”

“Then go, human. Do not betray my trust.” Antoth stepped aside, allowing access to one of the three main roads that entered the square, perpendicular to the one Winters had used on his arrival. He looked down at Veera, thinking how small and frail she looked now. His gut burned with anger but he tamped it down. He’d won his fight and made his point. Now was not the time for a warrior’s touch.

“Veera.” He spoke softly to her, eliciting a surprised grunt from the guard captain. “Is this the right way?” She nodded meekly. “Ok. We’re going to walk now. Just let me know when to turn, alright?” Another nod. With that, he escorted her away from the square, casting one final glance over his shoulder at the sun temple. You will not harm her again Vash. You son of a bitch.

“Stranger!” Antoth called after him. “What shall I call you?”

“Winters.”

“Not Russell?” The guard asked in a smug tone.

Winters stopped walking in momentary shock. The guard’s hearing must have been extraordinary to hear what Veera had called him, that or he had been the only one paying attention. Not sparing a glance backward, Winters replied. “Only my friends have that right.”

“So I see. Remember our deal Winters.”

“Same to you, guardian.” Winters fired a parting volley as Veera led him on down the road. Before long they had almost reached the gate at the end of the thoroughfare. They’d not had too much issue since leaving Antoth. A stern look of Winters helmet had scared off even the most curious of Cauthan. At the last street, Veera guided him to the left. By Winters’ estimation they then proceeded about halfway along the slowly curving road. If he continued, he’d reach the gate he entered from. Unlike the main roads, this one was narrow, had little drainage or other infrastructure, and sported a long continuous blockhouse. It was the poorest looking building he’d seen since arriving. Veera had stopped walking. She wasn’t crying anymore that he could tell, but she seemed more reticent than ever. The door on Winters right could barely be called such a thing. A tattered flap of leather hung from the top of the frame. Even compared to what he’d seen along this street, it was in poor shape. With a defeated sigh Veera lead him under the flap.

Winters felt that righteous anger boiling up within him again. He knew he couldn’t expect any society to be equal in terms of wealth, but what he saw enraged him. He was sure very few in this village lived as Veera did, if any. The apartment was a single room of decent size, square with a rounded back wall to match the curve of the village. The space was accentuated by how empty it was. The walls were made of the same wood he’d seen elsewhere in the village but the adhesive between the timbers had worn down and flaked away in many places along the years. He could see the palisade beyond through a few cracks and holes. The floor was packed dirt, but neat and without blemish. It was a testament to Veera’s will and pride, keeping such a place clean, he thought. In the center of the room was a simple fire pit, surrounded by blackened stones. The roof above seemed to be made of thatched straw or grasses with a small hole for smoke to escape. The back right corner of the room held a crude wooden box filled with more of the straw, easily the size of two Cauthan. He realized sadly that what he was looking at had to be Veera’s bed. Atop it was a single animal fur. It looked as old as its companion that hung in the doorway, fur matted or missing. In the near corner to his left he noted a pile of dato. It was alarmingly small. Next to it was an equally small pile of wood. None of it seemed to have been split by an axe or other implement. All of it was branches or similar deadwood. Further along he saw a simple bench that sported a stand and cooking pot. They were the only metal objects in the entire place. The sole other feature was a small wooden shrine to his right, atop which were nine crudely carved idols. Veera had said nothing since their arrival; instead kneeling before the shrine as Winters scanned the room. A sob escaped her lips again. Winters felt his chest tighten.

“Veera…”

“How could you…” she whispered.

“What?” He replied in confusion.

“How could you?!” She spun to face him, eyes puffy and red again. “I can’t believe I…I thought you were like me. I thought you couldn’t understand me. I thought…oh gods. All those things I said the other day!” Her feathers shook in embarrassment. “Why? Why do the gods see fit to mock me so? To make me think…”

“Veera, slow down. What are you talking about?” If Winters could have scratched his head, he would have.

“Don’t mock me! You know…you must know…how else could you…how long? How long have you been able to understand us? From the beginning? You just had your fun with me, making me think you were some kind of…visitor to this world? What the hell even is a human anyway?!” She’d begun sobbing hysterically, plumage shaking violently every time she exhaled. “Go on then…laugh.” She spat bitterly. “Laugh at the poor orphan mutt…”

For a moment Winters simply stood, unable to move. For the briefest flash he wanted to shout back. He wanted to be angry at Veera, the woman he’d just saved from torture or worse. But that impulse faded quickly as it had come. He looked around the dark, Spartan room. He looked at the malnourished Cauthan in front of him. He wasn’t sure how long things had been like this, but Veera had reached the edge. Whatever force had driven her this far, whatever had compelled her to continue living despite the odds, seemed to be fraying before him. It took Winters only a moment to make up his mind. He knelt before her.

“Veera, listen to me.” He implored, removing his helmet. “You can’t understand me now, can you? I could talk like this all day, and you’d not understand one word. I can tell because of that look you’re giving me.” He smiled softly at her, wanting to see hers again. He replaced his helmet. “I can’t understand you without my helmet Veera. I only just figured out your language.”

Veera regarded him with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. “How? You told Antoth you’re not a divine, but you have a magic helmet?”

“If it were magic, I wouldn’t have needed to visit your village.” Winters replied, wondering how to overcome Clarke’s third law and explain to Veera. “My armor has…many powers. They’re all based in reality though, I assure you. Humans are bound by the laws of nature, just like the Cauthan. But my people are very advanced compared to yours. Those advancements allowed me to come here from my home world. They also allowed for the creation my armor and the computers inside it.”

“What’s a computer? Is it a weapon?” Veera asked, curiosity overpowering the sudden distrust she’d displayed earlier.

“No it’s a device that calculates things. It can, in very limited ways, behave like a brain, like what you and I have inside our skulls, what allows us to think. We’ve made them to be very powerful, capable of working far faster than a human if you give it a task. When I entered your village I asked my computer to attempt to understand your language and to grant me the ability to speak it. When we were in the center of town, with all the people around, there was a lot of your language being spoken. It was information I could never acquire just by speaking to you, at least not over a short time period.” Winters paused, allowing the explanation to sink in.

“Can I try it?” Veera asked, expressing a desire for independent confirmation. Winters admired that.

“Yes. But be careful, it wasn’t designed for beings with ears on top of their head.” Winters joked. Before removing his helmet he spoke to Io only. “Don’t you dare fuck with her Io. I swear.”

‘Yes sir, there’s no need to worry. Much as the present misunderstanding amuses me, I do not believe there is much value in creating a subroutine to mimic cruelty. These Cauthan seem to possess that in spades. I almost feel bad for your scrawny girl.’

“Just keep quiet and keep the translation protocol running.” He ordered, removing the helmet, turning it in his hands and placing it tentatively over Veera’s head. Between her ears, feathers and muzzle it only got about halfway on, but he figured Io could up the volume a bit. He saw Veera’s mouth open in wonder. She must have seen the HUD for the first time.

“Can you understand me Veera?”

“Yes!” She exclaimed excitedly. “I can hear you…and then the helmet speaks and I understand you! What do all of these lights mean?”

“Believe me now?” Winters asked with a chuckle, removing and replacing his helmet. He immediately frowned again to see that Veera’s face had fallen.

“I’m sorry Russell.”

“For what?”

“I shouted at you. I thought you were tricking me and using me for your own entertainment. I just…”

“You thought I was like them?” Winters asked, voice hardening as he’d considered what he’d seen over the last couple hours. He wanted desperately to understand more, but knew enough to realize now was not the time. He’d see her again.

“That’s unfair to most of the townspeople, but yes. I assumed you were like them.” Veera said, her ears drooping slightly.

“Veera, there’s nothing to forgive. We can speak with and understand one another now. We can just forget everything that happened before. It’s a fresh start.”

“If it’s all the same to you Russell, I’d rather not forget. You risked your life for me and I…” Her tone became sorrowful again. “I have nothing to repay you with.”

“Veera, being friends isn’t like that. I fought for you because I wanted to. I have no regrets about what I did either.” Winters reassured her.

Veera contemplated the human before her. He was still so imposing in his armor, but she knew the face underneath. She’d laughed with him, walked the long trail with him, confessed her fears and hopes to him, even if he hadn’t understood her. She’d listened to his tale in return. Today he’d saved her from a terrible situation. He’d defeated Vash’s sun guards, with his bare hands no less! And then, when he was talking to Antoth… “Oh gods, Russell.” She began to cry again.

“Veera…” Winters pleaded, not having any idea how to handle her volatile moods.

“You said…you said we were friends.” She looked at him with a mixture of awe and desperation. She’d been alone for a long time.

“Yes, and I mean that.” He replied seriously. Veera sniffed and nodded intently, her plumage expanding slightly with her mood. “I would prefer not to survive alone.” He added, causing Veera’s head to tilt.

“Survive?” She asked, confused as to how such a powerful being could have such rudimentary concerns.

“Yes, survive. Not a god, remember? Maybe someday soon I can explain it all to you but I wouldn’t want to make Antoth nervous. You’re safe, unharmed, and don’t hate me. So all in all I’d call this a successful visit. Though definitely not how I’d expected things to go, nor something I’d like to repeat.” He grinned behind his helmet.

“Yes. I’m so sorry. I’m not sure what I thought would happen. You had been kind to me and I just hoped that…” Veera trailed off.

“It’s ok Veera. You took a huge risk for me. I won’t forget that.” He stood, pulling her up with him. He wanted to say more, but wasn’t sure how or what. He’d never been good at this sort of thing. He removed his helmet instead, taking the time to look at Veera in silence. Her tears had been wiped away and she looked much more like the Cauthan who’s company he’d come to enjoy. He smiled at her, raising his right hand, unsure of what to do with it. How did Cauthan show affection and comradeship? Did they behave as humans did? Would his actions be misinterpreted? Sighing, he let his hand drop, only to feel Veera’s close around it. He couldn’t feel her fur or pads through his armor, but he didn’t mind. With a smile of her own playing across her muzzle, Veera brought a hand up to his chest and rested it there, like she had when they’d first met. He would ask her about the gesture and its significance later. For now, this was enough.

“Selah, Veera.” Winters spoke as he ducked under the leather flap covering the entrance to Veera’s home.

“Selah, Russell.” Veera replied, bidding her guest goodbye. Kneeling again before her idols, she gave thanks. I was so nervous. I have nothing to offer him. I even snapped at him, but he…he still treated me well. He still wishes to be my friend; to ‘survive together’. She paused, considering how little she knew of the human named Russell Winters. Her hunger, constant companion for many seasons, gnawed at her. Please, let me live long enough to discover who he really is.