He awoke to dim light, eyelids flashing open as some dream came abruptly to an end, its details fading just as quick. A knife. It was the only thing he could remember. Blood, perhaps? Or maybe a jam? Something red, at least.

The tiny dwelling he called home was still covered in the recesses of darkness, like a black fog or mist. Dawn would come soon enough, so he stood from his bed and clothed himself, robes fluttering as he draped them over himself. Sitting in silence, candle lit, he chewed a breakfast of bread, a small string of jerky, and an apple. Cold, as the air was, but it worked well enough. Cooking was not one of his skills, to begin with.

Sunlight had begun to brighten the sky as he left his home, though the sun had not yet risen. Most Khor slept, though some had begun their day. Restless? Or something else? He’d have to ask. Later.

Manure greeted his nostrils as he entered the barn, every cow stock still even as he moved about, moving hay and grain about. Mundane work. The work of a farmer or a rancher. His work, now, though he hoped not for long. A war had started, after all, and as safe as he was here, curiosity had begun to eat at his sanity.

Dawn came, its warmth heating the dew on the grass and the trees, evaporating it into a thick mist that oozed across the land, like milk dripping across the surface of a table. It was a short time after that the envoy arrived.

Bearing shirts and shields of a black tree upon a green background, soldiers and knights alike entered the village upon horseback, several carts held at the center of their formation. They stopped at a distance, none daring to approach the village itself, either from their own fear or the fear of their horses, several of them rearing up on their hind legs and almost dismounting their riders.

One man dismounted and approached by foot. A knight without a helmet, bald at first glance, though as he grew closer Nalmet could see the tiny pricks of hairs that had begun to grow back over his shaven head. “The Beastmaster, I assume?”

“I am indeed, sir. It is a pleasure to be meeting with you.”

“And you, I.” He looked past Nalmet for a moment. “Large creatures, aren’t they?”

“Very large. The adult males are much larger, though, and their leader in particular is… well, to put it simply, he is a giant. I believe twice my own height, though I have not been able to measure him.” The knight stepped back at his words, glancing above Nalmet’s own head in an attempt to picture the beast.

“I hope to never meet the beast,” he said. “Regardless, we have come with your shipment.”

“I thank thee.”

“Tis not the only thing I have come for, I’m afraid. You’ve experience with the beasts, and I’ve been asked to procure notes from you. On their language, behaviors, anything you can give.”

“And if I refuse?”

“I won’t take it by force. Not that I feel I could. But I’ve been given authority to barter, if you’re open to it.” A tempting thought, to make coin from papers. If only he valued coin more than knowledge.

“I do not have any duplicates of my notes at the moment, I’m sorry to say.”

“But you are open to an offer?” The man asked.

“Yes, but you would have to come again at another time. I am not keen on relinquishing all of my notes just yet, you see.”

The man paused a moment, thinking. “What about a portion of them? Just what you’re willing to part with, and I can have duplicates made and sent back.”

An intriguing idea. True, he did not need them all. Some were too redundant, mere details of their physical bodies, and while large and intelligent, the occupating organs of the chest cavity were nothing exceptional. It was a good deal.

He nodded. “I can give about a third of my notes, in that case. Mostly about their physical body, although some of it is language and culture details. Just the basics, mind you, things I have etched into my mind already.”

“Well enough, Beastmaster. As to price…”

“It need not be coin alone, sir. In all truth I would like an opportunity to venture to the front and observe the soldiers. With guards, of course.”

“I’ll see what I can do. For now, however, I can promise only coin. 500 silver for a what you’ve offered of your notes.”

“500?” It was a sizeable amount, a fortune by most standards. Enough to last a village a decade, longer if used wisely. “That is quite the amount. Who is funding this transaction, if I may ask?”

“Maybe I shouldn’t say, but they didn’t forbid it. Beastmaster Yedil has asked for them. I’m sure you know of him?”

“Know of him? Certainly. I wouldn’t be where I am if not for him. He taught me quite a bit about the mascael.”

“A mascael?”

“Tall, thin monsters. They appear as trees from a distance, but are ferocious carnivores.”

“Sounds like a tale a mum tells her children to me,” the knight said, a look of healthy skepticism grown on his face. Always good, in moderation.

“Aye, it may very well be. It wouldn’t be the first creature to inspire such tales.” The man’s brow furrowed, either concerned or confused. Both, more than likely.

“Well, anyways, we can discuss the procurement of your other notes at another time. For now, I’ll get your payment. It has been a pleasure doing business with you, Beastmaster.”

“As with you, sir.”

The man turned and left, and only now did Nalmet notice the soldiers unloading the carts. Too consumed in the conversation. His senses had dulled, it seemed. Forgetful. Khor did not make for liars, so he grew lax. He’d have to correct himself.

Entering his home, he took his notes from their spot - hidden in a compartment he carved himself under the table - and rummaged through them, glancing at page after page, separating out those he needn’t any longer, jotting down what few details that hadn’t been written to memory.

Once done, he complied his notes, giving one last cautious glance around his home and its openings before hiding the notes away again under the table. He left, walking to the edge and presenting them to the knight, exchanging them for the small box in his hands. The box was heavy enough, but he opened it regardless, moving the small towers of coins, making certain the box contained what was promised.

“That paranoid, are ya?” The knight asked.

“Cautious, in my mind.”

“Hm. Well, it has been a pleasure.” The knight turned for a moment, then back. “I almost forgot. In the east, near the Flooded gates, there’s more of them. The Khor, I mean.”