*** Chapter 28 Day 137 The Family ***

“These are the gates we have found,” Moses said, pointing to markers on the map that was laid out on the floor of the second story of the house. The playroom area had been largely sealed off to anyone after a while, except for when important meetings were being held or for storage. The floor space was enough that a large portion of the map could be laid down and studied with enough space to walk around it.

Moses and David had disappeared for a while, appearing only once in a while ghosting their way into the family grounds to deliver mapping data to Samuel. Santos’ younger brother had continued to draw up the map on his own.

“This is a considerable amount of information you two have managed to gather,” Santos said, overlooking the floor map. The importance of the floor map was quickly understood by the adults of the family as they continuously had to refer to it to answer questions dealing with geography, resources, and travel planning.

Samuel’s importance was also recognized and was consequently given more freedoms and privileges in vast contrast to others his age. His genius could not be denied as he constructed a very accurate three dimensional map of their world. With just journals full of math and notes he constructed a satellite view of their world, a truly wondrous and nearly impossible task.

At the moment Santos’ younger brother was currently placing several new markers, these markers had a small flag with a number on it. This numerical code referenced a specific journal and specific page. That page contained all relevant knowledge of the marker point, from specific location, description, resources, and notable information.

“We went as far west as we could,” Moses said, “but, once wegot to the desert we went south and i got to tell you the amount of people there make the forest here look almost empty. We had to cross over a wide waterway to an island, the people there are very similar to those that are here.”

Moses and David had rarely returned home since the discovery of the salamander gate; they had spent that time exploring the world and collecting information for Samuel as well. They had returned a day prior and had delivered a variety of samples from their travels. They had returned with far more than which they had left including a small troop of people.

“Let’s begin with the ore samples you brought with you,” Santos said, placing several metallic blobs and stone pieces on the table.

The duo began explaining where and how they discovered the samples. Among the most important samples they had brought back was a lump of ore of nickel copper with silver mixed in. Both the silver and copper would be extremely important for the future development of the economy. There were other ores, but if a mine had to be constructed it would be for that trifecta first and foremost.

They had even brought back a sampling of tin so that he could eventually make bronze alloys, though for the moment that particular resource was not as important as the other.

Among the stones there was granite, marble, and even obsidian, but neither of these warranted the development of a quarry, at least not yet. There was clay as well and even a village that worked it. Setting up trade with that village would be something to develop, but for the moment that could also be put on the back burner.

One particular thing that caught Santos’ eye was a chunk of quartz, acquiring this resource would be extremely beneficial, but it would also put an increase strain on Santos. He would have to expand the furnaces and would require an increase in required fuel. If only there were others who could do as he did, or if even he could split himself into more…

“I figured that one would really catch your interest,” Moses said. “It’s easy to access the caverns where we got that piece and there is a lot of it.”

“Yes,” Santos said, “well, it does add to my increasing workload, not to mention I would need to find a way to harvest and transport these resources.”

“What about talking to uncle Miguel?” Samuel asked, standing up and away from the floor map. He’d apparently finished placing the last marker. Uncle Miguel had owned a carpentry business before being brought here, now he leads the wood workshop. “Ask him for more wagons.”

“You would still be short on people,” David pointed out. “Even if you make more wagons it doesnt matter if there are no miners or drivers.”

“So you want us to make more wagons?” Cousin Michael said, suddenly appearing from the stair case. “I was wondering what you guys would be talking about up here. We can’t be making wagons left and righty, they take time. Unless it is really important we shouldn’t put our time into it.”

“You know that the family understands how important it is for the forest people to be able to fight?” Moses pointed out.

“Yes,” he nodded, “As long as they fight and die we wont have to, but making more wagons to collect rocks, how is that going to help?”

“Trust me,” Santos said, “as long as we keep them busy and developing, the safer we will be. We are going to need the resources they discovered to keep this going.”

“If that’s what you think,” Michael said, “Then why don’t you hire the people of the forest to do the work for you? You practically control all of the money.”

“Well,” Santos said, brightening up, “you know what? That’s not a totally bad idea.”

*** More Time Passes ***

A big banquet was held in honor of the return of David and Moses, It was held in great jubilation as they were rarely seen when they did return previously, usually they were phantoms. Few ever realized that they visited, but since their return they made their presence known and their parents wanted to celebrate their visit whole heartedly.

During the banquet Santos decided to present his idea to the family as the festivity guaranteed that all of the family would be present to hear him out. What was agreed upon that night would forever change their world. As if to conform with the changes the family were making, the world itself began to change as well.

With the construction of more wagons the need for proper roads became a concern, one that the family decided to rectify. This prompted the creation of necessary taxation. A gathering of all the village elders took place in which they were informed that roads needed to be constructed for faster and safer passage of the wagons.

The taxes could be paid in three ways, a monthly tax to pay the laborers, a tax on goods sold and a decrease in goods bought, or providing the labor willingly. This obviously upset everyone, but there was no other current solution on the table. The influence of the “Train” of wagons had become such that they could not be ignored. While the elders did not wish to be taxed, the people made their voices heard and they caved in to the taxes.

The idea was presented and developed by Aunt Andrea, mother to David, who back on earth worked as an accountant. She fully wrote out a proper draft of the agreement taking several weeks before the official finished copy was signed by all.

At the same time people of the island from the south started migrating towards the north, this was something Moses and David unintentionally propagated. They had spread word without meaning to of how safer the north was, how the horrors of the south were not as such above.

The people of the south were unfortunately closer to the spawning point of the Istlakah, the pale monsters. Their south eastern shore, closest to the other landmass, one the cousins did not dare explore, was a constant warzone as it was the point where the pale monsters crossed over.

Many of the poor families who lived outside of the fortified towns and cities made up the general population of those who migrated. Many of them moved after living in fear of the night attacks that would result in the vanishing of neighboring families. Now told of a land safer and devoid of the nightly massacres, they fled with vigor.

The surge of population was welcomed as many chiefs saw this as a way to acquire the necessary labor to offset the taxes. Many of the villages were starting to look like towns as some of the nomads of the east also began to bolster the population in the forest surging further west of the salamander gate.

With the influx of silver and the production of more coin Santos began to have more of it than what he knew what to do with. What started off as a simple bounty grew into something even bigger. With the need to circulate the silver Santos placed a bounty on the pale creatures. One head equalled one silver cent, while Santos considered the bounty as very low, after the Train dispersed the bounty to all the villages in its route the wagons began to return full of heads.

Many hunters formed bands and began buying gear, supplies, and weapons. To sustain themselves many started going further and farther to acquire enough heads. This prompted the need to establish markets for the hunters in fringe towns. The train began to not only trade out and in, but now also between villages as transport on the Train was faster, safer, and easier.

The hunters began to need personal transport of their own to move their gear and bounties. As horses were too expensive and could only be bought by the more successful groups, TlakaXolotl,a type of bison from the eastern plains, started to become the common animal of burden.

Though not ideal for riding, the bison like creature could carry a much heftier load and due to its hide and body size, not even the big plae monsters could kill them easily. This durability also kept their population from being drastically effected by the infestation.

As it became increasingly difficult to process and burn heads, just bringing in the left hand specifically became more than enough. This drastically reduced the bounty load and time required to destroy them.