[h2]The First Parade[/h2]
[h3]Featuring: Susa, Lakshmi and Chroma[/h3]

[hider=Summary]
The three heroes and Salassar of the grand parade arrive at Fibeslay.
Salassar influences the local leader to build a lighthouse.
Also, Susa finds a clue about someone important to her.
[/hider]


A large pillar of smoke made from the Trireme signaled the end of the nautical journey. Technically there was no need to burn it, but the three who had journeyed half a world in it wanted to make their point clear.

Upon arrival, however, it took another three days before they reached Fibeslay. Not only did they have to land quite away from civilization with their odd vessel, but they had a few issues they needed to deal with, like Language and Clothing. 

Thankfully the Grand Parade training and abilities permitted Salassar to solve both masterfully. Dreaming at night and studying at day was enough for him to pick up the basics of the local hain dialect. And with nothing but raw materials, like reed, leaves, and bark, he was able to craft a makeshift outfit for Susa which looked better than what most of Galbar was able to make. (Comfort, however, was not a quality Ilunabar taught very well, and the huntress would have preferred any simple loincloth over the ungodly itchy thing she got)

The spare cloak Salassar had ended up being used to cover Chroma. Hain behavior towards the odd was well known, in most tribes, not even humans were tolerated (Though this kind of behavior was rare in the Mesothalassa region).

[color=ffa04f]"Are you sure Fiberslay is a peaceful place? I visited it when I was very young, and it was nothing but trouble, the chief was a maniac."[/color] A bit of nostalgia ran through Susa's mind as she remembered that ridiculous adventure. Fighting with Hain was a question of technique, many would underestimate what one little porcelain person was able to do.

[i]"Do not worry. The old chief is long dead, the current one is an amicable musician who has been having dreams about our arrival for quite a while now"[/i] Salassar took a deep breath because he knew the next bit was a seed of trouble. [i]"We will probably have to stay on the outer harbor. As the main village is Hain-only."[/i]

[color=ffa04f]"Ah, I see. Good thing they aren't violent anymore."[/color]

Salassar stared at the huntress for a few seconds before voicing his confusion. [i]"That is all? I could swear you would voice your distaste for their actions or be enraged at it."[/i]

[color=ffa04f]"Huh? Listen, I did not survive as a traveler by being noisy at other people's land. As long as they are not trying to pierce me with arrows and spears, we are okay."[/color]

[color=ffbfee]"Tsk.[/color] Chroma silently sighed in protest. 

[hr]

[h3]Fibeslay[/h3]
[url=http://i.imgur.com/fXtceBz.png]current status of the journey[/url]

The signs of the village could be seen from far away. The smoke, the canoes, it was a lively place for sure. Lively, however, took a new meaning when they caught a glimpse of Fibeslay. Hovels of clay and stone heavily decorated by colorful cloth and paintings and separated by colorful (even if small) gardens. 

As the group traveled across Hillisle, the harbor where most Fibeslanese
trade took place, they could see the boats being filled not only with the fish that sustained the people but also figures of wood, rugs, and pottery.

[i]"Listen, this is the lodging for travelers. I already handed a little pretty stone to the owner and considering how entrance she looks, I guess you can basically do whatever you want.[/i]

[color=ffa04f]"You can tell their emotions apart? I have to say, it takes me an effort to get the most basic crap."[/color]

[i]"It is literally my god-given function. Now, you three, behave. I need to leave for the main village and get in contact with the chief."[/i]

Finally under the cool shade of a roof, the trio had the time to rest. Lakshmi in especial needed it, she was not a traveler or an explorer. The long journey across the ocean and even the time spent in the wilderness had taken a toll on her disposition. However, she did her best to not let that kind of thing show.

[color=6A5ACD]"I-It i-is luck-ky that the-ey ha-had a b-big ho-ouse"[/color] she said

[color=ffa04f]"Yeah. Only place like that in the whole village too."[/color] Susa observed. [color=ffa04f]"I wonder if there is some story behind it. [/color]

[color=6A5ACD]"Y-You said-d you-u ca-can co-communicate-te w-with..."[/color]

[color=ffa04f]"Just the basics, not enough to hear a tale. Speaking of which..."[/color] She signaled for the still mesmerized Hain Host, surely the pretty stone granted them some sort of meal, right?

[color=ffa04f]"Do I ask one for you too, Chroma?"[/color]

[color=ffbfee]"Yeah, if you want..."[/color]

Susa finished signaling for the Hain. [color=ffa04f]"Ok, what is that? What is up with you?"[/color] She asked to Chroma.

[color=ffbfee]"We cannot go to the pretty city. Nobody can. Just the... little porcelain people..."[/color]

[color=ffa04f]"Hain. And yeah, that is exactly what is happening. Can you do something about it? Do you want to jump into the village and punch everything until they change their mind? No?"[/color] Susa did not care much about language since they were basically the only ones who knew what she meant. 

[color=6A5ACD]"S-Susa. D-Don't pi-pick on h-her."[/color]

[color=ffbfee]"Hmm. I guess I could. But wouldn't Salassar be mad at me"[/color]

Susa stared at the girl for a few seconds. [color=ffa04f]"There is much more to it than just Sally. You cannot do that stuff, you absolute lunatic.[/color]

[color=6A5ACD]"L-Let's j-just s-stop. C-Chromie, y-you-u can't b-be so agress-sive"[/color]

[color=ffbfee]"Fine!"[/color] She pouted and crossed her arms. As much as she wanted to be on good term with the locals, there were things that were just inherently wrong.

An Awkward silence followed. Susa was keen that this was all just a bad idea, and the only reason why she didn't voice her discontentment more was that just leaving the odd girl would be irresponsible. Lakshmi believed in what Chroma said, from the amnesia to her desire to do good, she just was a little confused, nothing that a bit of socialization couldn't fix.

In the tension of the moment, Susa didn't notice the hain that owned the house getting close to her. He just wanted to warn the foreigners that the soup was ready, but when he poked the human she was more than surprised and as a huntress, her first reaction was to jump out of the little bench. 

The hain made some noise and pointed toward the clay bowls. Susa sighed in relief and the other two giggled at the moment. 

[hr]

[i]"No, sir, listen..."[/i] It felt silly to even try to reason with a tribal hain guard, even if you know his language, they are just far too worried. 

"Get Back! Get Back! No Hairy..." The hain stared at the tall lizard-like being for a few seconds, realizing his go-to insult didn't exactly apply. "No tall... No Tallies."

Salassar sighed and brought out his bag of goods. [i]"No see, sir. I bring gifts! Great gifts!"[/i]

The four eyes of the guard didn't even stop to stare at the stranger's pretty stuff. "No passing!"

Good thing he predicted this kind of thing, getting the guard to let him pass was not necessary at all. He only needed that the local chief listened about his arrival, and for that, the little screaming of the spearman was pretty much the perfect tool. A crowd had already gathered, so it was merely a short before...

"Stop this foolishness, Brukbrikson." A seasoned, melodic voice said before taking a good look at the stranger. "You..." he looked quite happy "So, I guess my dreams were right. Come! Come! You are my special guest." 

That was quite impressive, he expected the Chief to talk to him, but not to outright invite him to his home. [i]"Are you certain? I would hate to be a bother."[/i]

"Foolishness. And go call your friends too."

[hr]

[color=6A5ACD]"I-It's h-has a lot-t of bo-bones..."[/color] Lakshmi commented as she stirred the rest of the fish soup with her clay spoon.

[color=ffa04f]"Hain habits I guess."[/color] Susa sighed, once again noticing people out in the streets talking about her. [color=ffa04f]"Lakshmi, can't I take this off?"[/color]

[color=6A5ACD]"N-No Na-nakedness S-Susa."[/color]

[color=ffa04f]"Come on, they are commenting about me again. I don't want to live off in hain history as the plant girl or something."[/color]

[color=ffbfee]"But... I thought you said you didn't know how to read Hain emotions"[/color]

[color=ffa04f]"Pointing fingers and whispering is universal."[/color] Back in her days as a wanderer there was nothing even close to this, instead, the villagers were often impressed with her. It all started with Lifprasil, now she was one of the odd folk, getting into all sorts of bizarre situations.

[color=6A5ACD]"Hey-y Chro-ma. I-Is th-the food goo-od?[/color] Lakshmi was worried since she had mentioned that on the island where she was there was nothing edible.

The heroine had to actually think about the answer for a moment. It surely tasted like something, unlike the island stuff, but it didn't taste like fish, in fact, the water and the meat had the exact same taste.

[color=ffbfee]"Yeah. It is good.[/color] this gave the Lifprasilian some relief, one less issue to think about when dealing with the child.

Even with all the issues, Susa was glad to be back to her home. Back in the days she would never have called Fibeslay her home, it felt distant, but when one sees the world, everything feels far closer. The glittering river under the intense sunlight, the humid and gentle summer breeze, the sound of kids playing in the water. Now that her home village was gone, she learned to appreciate those things. 

[i]"Hello again"[/i] said Salassar as he walked back to the lodge, his look was awfully happy. 

[color=ffa04f]"Yikes, I'm even scared of asking the why of that face."[/color]

[i]"Things just went very well. We will be spending the night in the chief's hut."[/i] Salassar then moved on to whisper a few things to the lodge owner, who nodded and left for the interior of the place.

[i]"Hey, Susa, he said he wants to give something to you."[/i]

[color=ffa04f]"Eh? That is odd, hain have never gifted me anything but flying arrows and rocks to the face".[/color]

[color=ffbfee]"Heh. Maybe you just got yourself a little porcelain skinned boyfriend"[/color]

The hain returned carrying some sort of clothing, again, he talked to Salassar, who was the only foreigner who understood his language.

[i]"He said a long time he got involved in a fishing accident and a human saved his life. This was what motivated him to make his lodging big enough to support all kinds of people. He left some of his clothes behind back then, and since you looked so uncomfortable at your clothing, he thought about giving it to you as a payment."[/i] It was hard for him to suppress the need to complain about the criticism to the gorgeous outfit he had crafted.

[color=6A5ACD]"Ahh, y-you d-did meant-ti-on t-that th-there was pro-probably some s-story to t-the why-y of the-e lo-lodging being so b-big."[/color] Lakshmi recalled, but soon she noticed the huntress was distant as she looked at the clothing. From her previous behavior, the lifprasilian expected her to be jumping in joy, instead she just stared at it.

[color=ffbfee]"Are you fine?"[/color] Chroma was the first to ask the obvious

[color=ffa04f]"Oh, sorry. It was nothing."[/color] 

[color=ffbfee]"You are lying, though."[/color] Chroma pouted again.

[color=ffa04f]"Okay, you got me. It is used male clothing. I was just thinking if it was best to be called plant girl or go around using clothing that I barely fit into."[/color] the shock was gone by now, from all the places, this was the last she would have expected to find something like it. What it meant, Susa had yet to be sure, the outfit could have been stored for a long while, it didn't mean he was alive. 

[i]"Well, that settles it then. Go get changed, we do not want to leave the chief waiting."[/i] 

And the huntress did exactly that, walking back into the lodge. Chroma didn't buy a single world of what she said, though, she could taste the bitterness.

[hr]

"Ah, so these are your companions right?" Asked the leader of the Fiberslayer clan. 

[i]"Indeed..."[/i] Salassar wasn't so sure about this, he did his best to hide his anxiety. This was the most important parade point, he could not risk to mess it up.

[color=ffa04f]"I'm Susa. I'm a huntress and I come from a village near the Obscure Valleys.[/color] Susa kept a calm demeanor, but that was shattered when the chief rushed to wave her hands.

"The master huntress! The leather you taught people how to produce shows up on our habits from time to time. It's a great honor to meet you."

[color=6A5ACD]"I a-am Lakshmi-i, ser-servant of Lifprasil-il, gua-guardian of Alefpriel-el"[/color] and again, the chief rushed to greet her close and personally.

"Salassar told me about you. You look as mighty as his tales described, yet I see that he forgot to tell about your aura of kindness."

"And the last one should be..." all the other were tense at this point, except Chroma, who let the Cloak loose a bit and announced with full grandeur.

[color=ffbfee]"I'm Chroma. A hero of justice and protector of the weak."[/color]

"So I heard." once again, he was shaking hands. "You say those words with unmatched confidence. I have sung many tales of heroes but never had I seen someone proclaim such things with such joy."

[i]"Those..."[/i] there was no word to describe how relieved Salassar felt. [i]"Are the ones who are protecting me on this journey.[/i]

"The Eventide Star must really cherish you. A master huntress, a towering protector and a hero of justice." the clan leader chuckled.

"Now," he announced "I believe we have some matters to deal with. That can wait, however. Take your time to properly accommodate. I will just talk with my servants and return in a moment."

And with that, he left. Leaving the wanderers alone in the hall.

[color=ffa04f]"He speaks our tongue..."[/color] The common tongue, that most heroes and other supernatural beings shared. Before, Susa had only seen it in the mouth of sculptors, but once introduced to the divine, it was everywhere.

[i]"He is a wise man."[/i] and there was the fact Ilunabar had spent months training the chief into it. [i]"I avoided mentioning Alefpriel however, I hope you all do the same.[/i] Susa and Lakshmi nodded in response, Chroma was just confused.

[color=6A5ACD]"H-he seemed-d to be a go-o-od man. But I b-bet at least-t one of us mu-must be full of sus-suspicion."[/color] she said it while looking at Susa. In her mind, it was best to get it out of the way now.

[color=ffa04f]"Nah. Look, that is the clan's hatchery"[/color] Susa pointed towards the room in which a few hain eggs were deposited. [color=ffa04f]"It takes a lot of trusts for a little porcelain fella to let someone near their eggs without supervision. He has full confidence that we are not here to mess up his life and land.[/color]

[color=ffbfee]"Whaaat? Are they born from eggs? Freakish"[/color] The Clashing World kept becoming odder and odder the further she explored it. The many different sorts of alien people were also very curious, even if there seemed to be some tension going on.

[color=ffbfee]"Salassar. If you have the chance, could you just tell a thing to mister Fiberslayer? I think... it doesn't matter if you are feathered, lizard-faced, opaque and leathery, some sort of bird-turtle skeleton thing or normal. I think everyone should be able to visit the village."[/color] she crossed her arms. Yes, the people looked nice and she had given up on punching them, that didn't mean she would let injustice stand.

[i]"I...I will see what I can do."[/i] Salassar really wished his dreaming time hadn't turned so odd recently. He really needed to communicate with Ilunabar directly and ask about Chroma, but for some reason, his concentration had been weak ever since the girl first showed up.

[hr]

For the rest of the night, the wanderers enjoyed all of Fibeslay's hospitality. Unlike their bony lunch, they were served with a sumptuous dinner, with the best game and vegetables of the region. Rooms were also prepared for them, the clan leader making sure that the four would have resting places fit for their heights (Which was a bit hard, especially for Lakshmi).

Finally, at the late night, Salassar and Bard Fiberslayer found the time to properly discuss the issues of the Parade. The place of choice was in the back of the chieftain's house, where one could see the many stars in the sky.

[i]"Sir, I know this question might sound odd. But was your reaction to the Jv... I mean, the Mutilator-kin being, sincere? I know it is terrible to doubt your intentions, but maybe my other guards could have intimidated you?"[/i]

"No, Salassar. Listen, I never saw any spawn of the mutilator saying that they were heroes. The legends don't talk about the fiberbeast being particularly into good deeds either. Is she a bit disgusting? Surely. But she talks, and her speech sounds sincere."

[i]"Perhaps a bit too sincere. I do not know, I tried talking to her but barely anything she says makes sense."[/i] Salassar shook his head. [i]"But there is no use in rambling about this. About my proposal...[/i]

"From what I got, you want me to build some sort of beacon..."

[i]"A lighthouse, yes. At the top of the Hillisle"[/i]

"That appears to be a difficult task. We will need to lift the rocks to the top of the hill. And to keep the fire lit... That will take a lot of oil."

[i]"It will start as a burden, but with time, it will bring benefits to your people. Not only those that Ilu... The Eventide Star will bring.[/i]

"I don't even know if I want my people to be benefited. Did you see the way they treated you?" the chieftain sighed.

[i]"Huh? Sorry, I do not think I follow your thought.[/i]

"I can be the lord of these lands, but I have no power over people's mind. My songs and tales can perhaps sway the course of the river, but it will never go uphill."

The chieftain brought up a couple of wooden figures he had, they depicted many Hain, all, however, looked far more marvelous than the average mortal one.

"Your arrival brought me joy but also worry. These are our gods. All built to look exactly like us. This pretty one is the Eventide Star. The deformed two headed one is the Mutilator. The one standing on a cloud is Sky Father. The one with the leash is the Porcelain Devil. But then one godsent being appears, and neither he, nor his guards, look anything like us."

[i]"I see. But you are not wrong about your impressions..."[/i]

"Sweet words, but I doubt they hold any meaning. But I guess this is all I am going to get. There are things I can't control..."

Salassar stared at the chieftain for a few seconds, analyzing his every move and feelings. [i]"Children problems?"[/i]

"Ah! Well... Yes. I have been thinking a lot recently. I barely can teach my kids properly. Then they will grow, have their own children, and barely teach then properly too. Given enough time, no matter how benign of a ruler I am, this clan might end up falling in the hands of someone as bitter as my predecessor."

[i]"And you expected that building up a rich culture would help to teach them properly. But now you see that even your culture has flaws. And you know that with enough time even it will be twisted, just like the tales you sing."[/i]

"... Chippers say that one day even the stars will be forgotten. A very scary thought, that is. I can't help but believe that one day, no matter how huge the influence of my village is... It will just be forgotten."

[i]"All things must pass. Even if the village stays exactly where it is, do you believe that the people from ten or twenty generations in the future will be anything like the ones of today?"[/i]

"So that is it then..."

[i]"Be a good ruler while you can. There are things beyond your control, but there are a lot of decisions that you can make now."[/i]

"I guess it would be irresponsible... I will build the beacon. Just tell me one last thing... What is the Grand Parade?"

Salassar smiled. [i]"You will know when it happens."[/i]