Sachihiro

"Sole usima apho!" The syllibals are sharp and succinct brooking no nonsense, sounds spoken with meaning coming from the twilite dawn of a new day.

We stop cold with instinctual alertness. People means medicine, I almost sigh in relief to be in the company of human beings again until I realise I can't see or feel anyone though I clearly heard someone speak, I tense up slightly, hands ready for an attacking draw. A human silhouette rises from the golden yellow stalks a few meters before me like a mud golem being raised from sludge.

"Ingathi uyakhuva yazi," another voice flowing somewhere to my left, spear in hand.

I'm alert but slightly confused even as I try not to seem too threatening yet maintain a ready stance in case I have to be threatening. I'm here seeking help so no unnecessary violence, asses, are they a threat?

"Ayiva kwanto lenkawu qha kungona isibonayo ubasikhona yothukile, k'dala siyilandela futhi, ngeyi thethe k'dala uba ibisiva."

"Ndithetha ngokuva ilwimi eli silithethayo mna hayi ukuvha ulwambo lethu."

The exchange flows rapidly, none of these are warriors they move too slowly, to carelessly. The taller of the two walks towards us, Gaia is slightly behind me with his arms and ribs bound, he's panting silently, ready to run. It's been a long night for both of us and the fighting off of the sciamachy is an almost never-ending process.

"Only the two I can see, do you feel anyone else?"

"There are two null points on the grass behind and to the left, another to the right. I think we are surrounded, there could be more so get ready."

I acknowledge that with a sign as the tall silhouette turns into a lean muscled, coco-bark hued man who walks smoothly and confidently towards us, almost like the grass stalks part for him without command. He drops a dagger and his spear on the grass as he comes forward lifting his now empty hands up, there is a little skinning knife still on him so he isn't stupid.

"Awusivha uba sithini nhe? Jonga nd'zokuphatha soqgiba sithethe kakuhle."

He says walking towards me and I let him, getting my still naked and in hand nodachi out of his path. He is almost exactly my height at something like 1.9m of height, his ebony skin seems richly luminous against the backdrop of the rising light in a field of sun coloured grass. He is lean, probably half Om's width in size but his ropey muscles seem strong.

He cuts his palm showing me, miming, I grasp the edge of my blade drawing blood across my palm. He places a bloody hand on my forearm arm slowly, indicating I do the same and we almost immediately connect; locking eyes he sends to me in Universal. I nod my understanding and communicate with Gaia.

"He wants us to follow them, we are close to one of their villages, we can see the elders there and make our requests." I say, from what I get of our exchange.

"Great," Gaia mumbles under his breath; "let's go," he says unhappily following one of the speakers lead. Those hidden in the grass stay hidden all around us.

The one touching my arm maintains contact with my skin a while longer, they've apparently been watching us for a while. He thinks I am a great warrior and could take one of his daughters as a wife. I don't even know the man's name and already he is selling me his daughter.

I try to express myself and decline but I'm not sure he's getting my half of the communication, he clearly isn't an Awakened so I'm not sure how he learnt to send at all. Is it the blood in our hands as we clasped forearms, some sort of talking greeting spell ritual? This is a sort of power as well, a soft power but effective nonetheless.

Clasping his forearm I feel his strength, his stance isn't right. In two moves I could kill him but I can't command disappear in the grass or send without formulating a mental working through mana manipulation. Soft power but power nonetheless.

The other two reveal themselves as we walk with a fifth one Gaia didn't feel. I'm not sure how his senses are so much more acute than mine but since that python, he has been very alert of our surroundings.

It's another hours light jogging before we reach the low cut grass that nothing but bugs can hide amongst, there are some golden furred lions lying about lounging by one of the thatched huts these people use as homes. Golden lions aren't the biggest or strongest but they are known to be great ambush hunters and of course a lion beast is still a lion beast regardless of how small it may initially seem.

Golden lions only grow to about 1.5m at the shoulder, ideal for these tall grasslands of the Foothills. They behave more like wolves than cats with their pack mentality communal behaviour. Here and there they are being brushed down, scrubbed in soapy foam, having claws filed amongst other grooming practices.

We pass a lone hut being woven of grass under the watchful seemingly lazy eye of beastly intelligence yawning impressive teeth. We pass close but none get up to investigate and it's another 10 minutes of walking before we reach the village proper.

We are inside a large round hut with the floor on a lower level than the ground outside. There is a blue flaming odourless smokeless fire blazing in the middle of the hut with black ostreg egg sized stones catching the fire without getting hot themselves, storing it to be used as for heating later. These people are not as simple as the rest of this world thinks they are, soft power.

"What brings you to our little corner of Pangaea Sa-chi-hiro?" One of the elders projects after the introductions have been done and Gaia seen to as best they can in the short time we've been here. Whatever they did seems to have lessened the pain but he is still in splints, proper splints now at least.

"We are travelling with a party of 88 people maybe a day behind us, we have injured that have been infected by a festering of the wounds inflicted by night creatures known as mimics," I say in Common and another starts translating.

It seems that though some of them can project in Universal they can't gather meaning from my mind in the same way Zaraya sometimes does. All the people here are in loinskins, paint and nothing else, even the women wear nothing but paint, jewellery and loinskins. Not even sandals on their feet.

"We are aware of the group that follows you and we are sad to say they now number 86 people instead of what you report to us." One of the elders says.

They're watching us die but do nothing to help. I resist the immediate outrage at their callousness to our plight.

All of these are wizened old men with deep laugh and frown lines etched into their faces. The hut is simple at first glance, a primitive thatched structure but spacious and cool even with the 22 of us occupying a lot of the space, 10 elders each with one young man sitting quietly behind them then Gaia and I.

I nod at that statement, "we expect to have experienced loses, can your healers help purge this festering from our blood?" I ask trying to get my senses up but something in this tent has me mostly blind in a way I can't fully grasp.

I look at them, the way they move and sit, a fidgit here, playful hands there. These are a fit healthy people but none of these are warriors, there are no obvious arms about the walls are made of grass if escape becomes necessary but I could probably kill everyone here with my bare hands, still, I don't feel secure here.

"Describe these creatures you call mimics,"

Formless creatures that bleed you to take twisted caricatures of your own form, mimicking your attacks at you until it becomes like you are fighting your twisted self. Loathsome creatures without personality, attacking

"We have come across these mimic creatures before, they are a nomadic sort going around collecting different types of sapient creatures into their fold. We have learnt to heal this ailment from many of our own loses against these dark creatures, what then do we gain from helping your people?" Another of the old men before me asks.

That's a question I wasn't prepared for, to be honest, I wasn't sure what I expected. "What is it that your people desire?" I ask instead of guess, I have no idea what these people value. Like the Tribes before the coming of the fae they don't even have a currency as a form of exchange.

A silence that gives away the subliminal conversation that must be taking place permeates the hut for only a few moments but it's enough for me to realise we have more bargaining power than I initially realised. They definitely want something we have.

"We have two requests and if you agree to both of them we can assure you immunity from any further affliction from the same types of mimics." Another says, an old man seated by the door, a seating arrangement that seems to determine seniority or power or some such.

I nod, "we are listening."

They nod back, "Firstly we require your assistance in the hunting and killing of a creature that has been haunting our people and these lands for the past 600 years. It is a demonic creature that takes some of our young just after their birth, feeding off of them and leaving the carcass' for our hunters to find as warding against our strength. Many a great warrior has pitted themselves against it but few return."

"If your own great warriors are unable to overcome this creature how is it that you think we could?" Gaia asks pointedly.

"You both wield weapons that exude spirituality," an old husk of a man points, "your friend here especially wields means that could wound a demon if our Seers aren't mistaken. It isn't ability that prevents us from ridding ourselves of this scourge but it's the tools we currently have at our disposal."

"Unless of course you are don't mind lending us your arms to use ourselves," One mocks us.

"What warrior give away their weapon like a mere tool? " Gaia is barks, the pain has the teeth of his Rage coming forward.

"Your people will reach our escorts within the day and by that time you may already have slain this creature if you are willing."

"Say we agree, will we get assistance from your hunters and warriors in this hunt?" I ask seriously, ma made sure her children could negotiate well enough not to be easily taken advantage off.

"Of course, but this creature is spiritual in origin, only our Seers are adapt at using spirit but non are warriors able to face it down and cause direct harm. The best they can do is enclose it in an area and place wards and blessing against it's influence."

"And what is the second condition for this healing you can provide?" I ask, having kept that at the back of my mind.

The elder before me spreads his arms wide as he smiles mischievously. "We require a pact between our peoples of no aggression, we require access to this great academy travellers speak of as they pass our lands, and we require this agreement to be sealed by marriages so our people may become one family."

Sneaky bastards these and they know they have us over a barrel because even if we let these few die it definitely isn't the last time we will have to deal with mimics. I'm trying yo think on my feet here and gain the advantage for my people.

"I cannot speak for the people that built and run the Academy as you say, I am only a student of its ways not one of the elders there. The people I can speak of are the Tribesmen of the Tundra on the continent of Sandaria, but even them I can only speak on behalf of the Norse Tribesmen in my company.

"We are a people that have never had any animosity with your people as far as I am aware and I could gladly promise a non aggression pact between our people, but even that will need to be confirmed by my Chiefs and Elders when I get home."

Okay that doesn't leave me with much to bargain with but you always ask for less from a poor man than you do from a rich man. I may have to trade some of my jewels as well, I can see these people wear ornaments.

"I can make introductions," I cut one off seeing where the mood is going. I can make favourable introductions with the people of the Academy since you will have helped us. You have some interesting tools here, maybe a trade of good would be beneficial as you establish relationships."

They confer silently.

"It is unfortunate that you cannot promise access to this learning or these new ways we've heard of but what you propose is agreeable to us. As long as you speak to the elders of this Academy on our behalf that will be enough.

"But because your people are so far and not likely to have been aggressive towards us in the past, we require that some of our women marry into this Tribe so you return home already joined to us so your elders don't refuse us. Some of our men will also take wives amongst your tribe." Another well wrinkled man projects.

"I cannot compel our people into such a bond, and amongst my people any man or woman has to agree to such a bond. They may have as many partners as they want so long as all parties agree. And any woman may leave a man if she is unhappy with him in their marriage, are these acceptable practices too you?" I ask.

I know the Aldermen don't have any form of divorce and I know their polygamy is only veered towards their men having multiple partners never the women. They remain quiet, their eyes shifting and their body language tense, they are definitely having a mental conversation.

I look at Gaia, he looks back and shrugs, not his forte so he keeps his mouth shut. Not that he talks much to begin with.

"This is acceptable to us." One of them projects, "we will wait for the rest of your group, heal them and let you deal with the ngcukuta with only a guide from our people.

"The ceremonies will take place after the hunt and the survivors of your Norse Tribe will marry into the Elder families. Should there not be 5 or more ceremonies then we will place a curse on all your travelling companions that you will agree to accept as Gaia is your witness."

I think about it. I nod, I hate binding oaths but I don't see how else to play this.

"If we marry into the Aldermen, will we have be able to enjoy the ways and the lands that have only ever been occupied by the Alderman?" I ask, my greed for land rearing its ugly head.

These grasslands are vast and beautiful with a multitude of rare and dangerous beasts. The people are trained in concealment methods only known by these people and passed down generation to generation, the impala are found nowhere else and anyone not and Aldermen they catch hunting them is pursued for years.

The room hesitates.

"Yes, those that marry our sons and daughters join our people in blood."

That's all I needed to hear, I hope my new mate is at least agreeable.