A long flight from the Dragon’s Foot to the unending lands of Atokhekwoi had managed to calm the snake down considerably; however, he was still far from tranquil. He thought he had been adaptable enough for the most part - that was until that barbarian so perversely destroyed the tea his servant had spent its precious time making. The snake considered himself a creative creature, yet he could not for the life of him think of a crueler, fouler and unexpected insult. However, that was no longer a concern. The deed had been done - the alliance was shattered and the snake found himself strangely relieved. Now he could completely forget about that hairy barbarian and his odd homeland and instead focus on tasks of importance, like his divine duty to see the world populated with life. He had landed in his beautiful creation, the Kangjiang, which waters bore near-syrupy levels of nutrients from the mountains. It had grown verdant and ripe with life, its banks leaving no space for sand and dirt, but instead forming an overgrown crust of bloated life that supported innumerable trees. The wildlife here grew so closely that many branches intertwined. For a moment, Shengshi pondered whether the river simply was too nutritious, seeing as it formed a near impenetrable wall around itself with the nature it fed. He then shrugged. Prosperity was, after all, the greatest goal.
His eyes followed the stream to its tributaries, which themselves trickled down the oppressively massive mountain range that stretched from the horizon to the north all the way around the bay to the far east, walling the land and sea off from the crippling cold of the south pole. The peaks and crags that eventually met forest around their feet looked dreadfully empty, almost ghastly so. The mountains harboured no life at all. The snake thus smiled as he looked up at the mighty peaks - they were maybe the tallest in the world.
“Yes,” he mumbled to no one in particular. “These mountains are ripe for the introduction of life.” With that, he curled his tail and kicked off, soaring far up into the sky with such force that the ship quaked and took nearly thirty minutes to restabilise, even in the lava-like river.
The snake landed gracefully atop one of the snow-clad peaks. All he could see around him was white snow, contrasted by occasional shadows indicating terrain or rock spikes without snow on the underside. All in all, it was indeed quite ghastly after all. That would have to be changed posthaste.
The snake slithered around for a while, over plateaus and jagged top, under stone bridges and ice roofs. The mountains were steep, but not that steep - furthermore, there were plenty of flat surfaces and potential spots for species to thrive. The summer seasons could potentially see the snow melt away - that was when the lands here would thrive. The issue was the length of the winter.
The snake cracked an icicle off the underside of a cave opening. He gave it a quick lookover, turned it around in his hand and pursed his lips. He patted some snow around its thickest edge until it resembled a bulb-headed club. Satisfied with the work, he breathed life into it and watched as the ice became a thick, brown and black stem and the snow became a black and red, porous bulb. The snake planted it in the stone underneath the snow, and immediately the flower began to melt the snow around it.
“Huh. It worked! Right, little one. Are you content with the quality of this rock?”
The flower flashed a lava-like red momentarily. The snake nodded.
“Very good. While you chew on that mountain, I will continue my work.” The snake slithered on and watched as more and more plants like it spawned throughout the region, melting the snow around them. This plant ate the rock it grew it and turned it to lava inside, unleashing insane amounts of heat. The snake noticed, however, that at the higher altitudes, the plant simply could not dig through the packed snow and ice - meanwhile, as the snake gazed downwards, he observed the plant nearly immediately overheating and melting itself apart. He let out a grumbling hum, but at least he had several snow free plateaus to work with now. He picked up a rock still moist from the melting snow and ground it into sand in his fist. He cast the sand to the wind and observed as it became moss and lichen on the mountain. He smashed apart an icicle and threw it to the wind - it spawned as flowers and simple grasses atop the moss and lichen. A fistful of snow to the wind became small pine trees and massive shrubberies. He imbued all these plants with powerful roots that could out the rich nutrients of the mountain and, eventually, grow in the humus that they would become in time. After a while, the entire range became a mixture of red, green, brown and blue, contrasted by the white peaks and glaciers. Now, the snake could see to it that life could graze in the spring and summer without interruptions.
The snake tugged at his beard. Only one kind of animal could survive here, and it would likely be similar to the ones he had made back on Istais - thick fur coats and agility in the mountains and snow. The snake stopped himself, however, and grinned smugly. These mountains were nothing like those on Istais: They had been rough and pointy. These, however, were flat and orderly. Closed his eyes and let his imagination take control. Yes, yes… One day, these mountains would be the home of a great empire, he was certain of it! To reflect this, he thought, the animal kingdom here must itself be as grand as such an empire would be!
The snake went over to a small hilltop, one that was rather isolated from the rest. He placed his hand on it and sucked in a deep breath. As he removed his hand, the hilltop began to crack and shatter like an eggshell. In a great burst of power and might, the stone covers cracked and revealed a great flock of enormous wooly mammoths, these with powerful, flexible legs that even allowed for climbing. They hooted an earthshaking cacophony and thundered outwards across the mountain plains, eager to revel in their new life. The snake grinned at the stampeding beasts, but there would need to be lesser animals, too. So he went from stone to stone, clapping at patting them until they hatched all manner of creatures.
From one came a thick-furred goat with a powerful mane and two curled horns, bleating curiously at the new world; From another came a flock of great, long-horned yaks that began to graze on the grass; A third cracked into a myriad of mice with such a fur coat that they appeared almost like circles; A fourth became a pack of lynxes that immediately gave chase to the mice; A fifth became a flock of eagles that would lay their eggs here in the spring and hunt mice from the plateaus or fish from the seas far below; The sixth became great lions with a powerful, curly, woolen coat and razor sharp fangs. The seventh cracked into a pile of stone-eating worms, blood-sucking flies and moss-eating beetles that began to go about their business. The eighth and last stone hatched to reveal a flock of white rabbits that immediately began to sprint away from lynxes and lions.
Satisfied with the new state of the mountain, its endless green and red hills full of bleating, mooing, roaring and hooting beasts, the snake shook his head happily and hopped back down to his ship below. Many of these would likely migrate down from the mountain in time, too, he reasoned. The enriched biodiversity of this continent was much needed - after all, this world was still quite empty.
A servant came over to him as he landed gracefully on the deck of his veranda and offered him a cup of steaming hot tea. The snake took the cup with a bow and sipped it calmly.
“Ah, just what I needed. Thank you so much, dear He Bo.”
The servant nodded. “Of course, My Lord. If this servant may be so rude as to ask, where does His Lordship wish to go now?”
The snake tugged thoughtfully at his beard. “Maybe we ought to go visit some of these selka? After all, it was about time I met some actual mortals.”
“A sound plan, My Lord,” He Bo agreed.
Suddenly, however, a servant came sprinting up to the snake, shouting, “Your Lordship! Your Lordship!” She fell to her knees and hands with ragged breath before the snake who regarded her with concern and curiosity.
“What is the matter, dear servant?” the snake asked. “Please, share with me the news.”
The servant refused to look up, but even as she faced the floor, Shengshi noticed her face was glistening with anxious moisture.
“A bejeweled bird came to these servants in His Lordship’s absence, speaking of a terrible fate after death - a purgatory in flames.” The snake’s skin paled and his eyes at first went wide with shock, then sharp with rage.
“What else did it say?” he demanded, his voice like a gust of blades. The servant trembled, tears pattering against the deckboards.
“It-... It offered an alternative - a postmortum stasis until a better solution was found. However, that option would require our consent. It spoke of crystals and--and secret chambres, and--” The servant choked on her tears. “F-forgive this insolent one, Your Lordship - is it true? Is fire all that awaits these servants as we swim ahead?”
The snake shattered the teacup in his hand. A vicious bile of fury rages in his throat and through grit teeth, he cursed the culprit’s name. “Azura…” he hissed. He looked once more down at the shivering ball of kowtowing servant on the floor. Momentarily, his rage subsided and he reached out a hand to squeeze her shoulder affectionately. The servant froze, her head slowly rising to look the snake in the eyes, a feat that nearly made her faint.
“Loyal one, valuable one, worthy one,” the snake praised her. “Thank you for telling me this… Now, I want you to gather every servant aboard onto the deck for me. Can you do that?”
The servant, deep in tears, nodded frantically, awestruck to the point of near loss of motor functions. “I-in His Lordship’s name, this servant obeys!” she said and set off in a full sprint back into the palace. He Bo calmly swept up the clay sand that had once been a rather nice teacup, though his face was riddled with worry.
“Forgive this useless servant - it was not present as the bird came and attempted to corrupt its people. This servant understands if His Lordship wills its demotion--”
“That is enough, worthy He Bo. This sabotage was and is not yours to repair. It is I who have failed all of you.”
He Bo’s brow furrowed together and he prostrated himself before the snake. “H-His Lordship cannot possibly blame Himself for these servant’s susceptibility to this heresy--”
The snake held up a hand. “Your loyalty and humility are worthy, dear He Bo, but this is a matter I must clear up - you all deserve to know.”
He Bo swallowed a clump in his throat and nodded. “Yes, My Lord - thank you, My Lord.”
It did not take long for all the servants to gather on the deck. They were nowhere near the ten thousand they had been before the attack, but the children of the massacre were beginning to grow up and once more, the crew was nearing its full potential again. The snake sucked in a deep breath and slithered over to the edge of the veranda. As one unit, one mind, the servants all descended to their knees, held out their hands, and kowtowed as they shouted, “TEN THOUSAND YEARS AND MORE TO HIS LORDSHIP SHENGSHI OF THE THOUSAND STREAMS!” Then, they did it again, and again. After the third time, the snake held up a hand and the servants remained prostrating. He frowned and shot out a sigh through his nose. He lowered his hand and collected them both behind his back.
“Loyal servants, worthy servants, amiable servant - Your Lord wishes upon you fortune and well-being for eternity. This, and more, was promised you upon your creation in exchange for your services. Your part of this agreement has been upheld with stellar conviction and dedication, and I am no less than deeply honoured to have you with me - no one and nothing else could measure up to the Servants’ hard-working soul. All of you, every single one of you, have been true to the Way of the Flow, and this loyalty is deserving of eternal rewards in Fengshui Fuyou.”
Several servants were weeping below. The snake felt a clump in his throat.
“However, I have not been truthful to you about what happens to those who swim ahead,” he continued shamefully. Many servants looked up, wiping their tears in the process. The snake pinched his lips together in a frown. “The bird that came to you spoke true - what awaits you after death is the flame, the flame of the Pyres.” He pointed to the starry skies above and many servants looked up with terrified eyes. “Each light up there is a bonfire awaiting a dead soul, and each dead soul will burn away until all that remains is the mindless ash…” Many servants screamed; others began to weep; even many of the children who were too young to understand began to squeal. The snake sighed again. “And yet,” he continued, the panic below falling silent, “it is a necessary measure.”
The snake held out a hand. A beam of water from the river below skipped up and splashed into the palm. The blob twisted and turned, forming legs and arms attached to a torso and hips. Silk from inside the bedroom behind him came flying out and wrapped itself around the humanoid; mud from the banks below snaked its way up the side of the ship and coated the person’s watery form. The newborn servant blinked to life as the snake sat him down on the deck beside him and gestured to him.
“Servants! Without soul ash, life in this world would not be possible! This servant only lives because it was infused with the ash of souls.” The servant froze as it realised it was the centre of attention and immediately threw itself to the ground in front of Shengshi. The snake waved dismissively and the servant hurried downstairs. Meanwhile, the deck below hosted a lot of grumbling and mumbling. The snake continued:
“The ‘solution’ Azura offers to solve is the issue is a hoax! There is no solution! She offers a temporary alternative for the weak-willed, the fearful, the ignorant! What will happen to life once all the souls have been crystallised? It will freeze, halt! The Goddess of the Wind sabotages the continuation of life - it clips the wings of harmony betwixt life and death!”
Many grumbling servants began to roar with outrage and betrayal. The snake raised a fist.
“I, for one, see this not as aid for you, dear mortals, but as a declaration of war disguised as a blessing.” The crowds were now all on their feet, punching their fists furiously up into the air. Shengshi spread his arms out and looked to the sky. “Katharsos and his Pyres form the backbone of this universe - there is no other way! Her quest is a selfish one - one spurred on by emotion without a speck of rationality! Nay, I say, for life to prosper, we must all do our part!” He grabbed the railing with one hand and pointed to the crowd. “Know this, dear servants - even I, Your Lord, would gladly, desperately even, give my soul to Katharsos’ flames if I could see this world subsist. If my divine soul could bring about the births of a billion more plants, beasts and mortals, then slay me, I say - slay me and have me bring about a boom of prosperity the likes of which have never been seen in this universe!”
The crowds thundered with cheers and roars, slowly becoming a repeating chant of “Harmony, prosperity, eternity!” The snake folded his hands over his head. He Bo and a few more servants came out of Shengshi’s chambres with the Alma in their arms. The snake gave it a hateful glare and snatched it in a tight grip, its crystalline eyes staring daggers back at him. Shengshi held it up for all to see. The servants growled and screamed at the bird, shouting ‘betrayal’ and ‘demon’ at its helpless visage. The snake grabbed each wing with his hands and held it up over his head.
“Let this be our declaration! From now on, Azura is an enemy of nature - a villain to the guardians of life! With this, the rivers of Galbar with bring war against the wind! Death to the enemies of harmony!”
The servants echoed the snake’s call: “Death to the enemies of harmony!” they shouted in a rage-filled chorus. With a mighty, two-sided tug, the snake ripped the Alma in two for all to see, the crowds below cheering maniacally.
The snake collected his bloody hands behind his back while several servants surrounded him and began to pat the blood and gore off his visage. It was done. An alliance was broken, and another war had begun.
The way to prosperity and harmony would be paved with blood and skulls.
A slightly less livid snake arrives on eastern Atokhekwoi, ready to spread the gospel of the river. As he’s inspecting old Kangjiang, he lays his eyes on the mountains of Eastern Atokhekwoi and decides that they could use some lovin’. Thus, he hops and skips up to the peaks. There, he realises that the mountains actually have a lot of nice plateaus, but that the snow may be in the way of life. He thus first makes a plant that eats at the mountain below to produce magma inside itself, melting the snow around it. Once the plateaus are considerably less snowy, Sheng introduces moss, lichen, grasses, shrubs and trees. Then he introduces mountain-climbing mammoths, tahrs, yaks, thick-furred mice, lynxes, eagles, mountain lions with curly wool, stone-eating worms, bloodsucking flies, moss-eating beetles and rabbits. Content with his products, the snake hops back down to the ship, has some tea and decides to meet and greet some local selka. However, thanks to the big broadcast from Azura, Shengshi’s now absolutely livid again! He addresses his servants about the whole shebang, calling Azura a traitor to the harmony of life and death. To demonstrate the need for soul ash, Sheng makes a new servant out of thin air and explains that it needs ash to live. He convinces the servants that Azura is an enemy and declares war on her by murdering the Alma that delivered the broadcast to the sound of cheering servants.
Start: 0MP/4FP 4FP on large ecosystem to fill all of the Eastern Atokhekwoian mountain range. End: 0/0.
Dawn cast its yellow rays across the golden ship of Jiangzhou which drifted lethargically down lower Nanhe. Fir and camphor hung over the banks of the insanely wide, snaking stream, and birds and wildlife sang their calls until their throats grew parched. Ribbits and rumbles echoed from between the trees, and on the bank sat a chubby farmer ape with half a stick of bamboo in its hand and the other half in its chewing mouth. In the distance to the east, hints of smoke still polluted the heavenly atmosphere of the jungle, yet squalls had made considerable efforts in halting the flame’s advance. Now, the snake could relax and think of more important things than war - like finishing the Classic of Wisdom, for one. So there he sat on the veranda of his tower, a calligraphy station in front of him and a brush in hand. To the rhythm of the surrounding harmony, he drew and stroked black ink across the rice paper pages, his mind in a state of satisfied bliss.
It did not last long. A distant roar could be heard, and a massive flying five-headed lizard appeared over the horizon. It rivalled the size of Slaevatein, and its blue scales shone in the sunlight. The beast was flying straight for the ship.
The snake’s eyes widened and his teeth grit together. “Ah, I thought you had survived…” He rocketed to a standing position and clenched his fists. Two columns river water rose up on either flank of the ship, both taking the shapes of massive snakes. “... No matter - I will just have to finish what I started!”
”Stand down!” Kalmar’s voice shouted in his mind.
The snakes froze, much like the snake himself. He sucked in a deep breath and straightened out his hands, the water colossi dropping into the river again. He crossed his arms over his chest, flicked his tongue disapprovingly and waited for the dragon to approach.
The dragon came to a stop before the ship, flapping its powerful wings to remain hovering in the air. Kalmar sat atop the beast’s central head. ”Where is Asceal!?” he called down to Shengshi, as if there was nothing out of the ordinary about his arrival.
“She left. She and Azura both went skywards to steal from Katharsos.” The snake gave him a sour look. “Nice to see you, too, by the way,” he said flatly and cocked his head to the side as he ran his eyes up and down the five-headed monstrosity.
“They are going to there to steal what souls they can before Katharsos manages to reform them in the flames. I know, I think it is a silly mission, as well,” Shengshi said and shook his head.
Kalmar grit his teeth. ”Has she ever made any attempt to speak to him?” he asked, already knowing the answer. ‘There is no point in speaking to the mad’, she had said, but Kalmar at least thought she would have waited for him to speak to Katharsos first.
The snake shrugged. “Not as far as I know. You do know our sister - she has her… Convictions. Azura’s influence does not exactly help, either.” He sneered and pursed his lips.
Kalmar scowled, and shook his head. He did not know Azura, but if she was even more extreme than Asceal, then she would be a problem. ”I trust this means Ekon and Sartravius are dealt with?” he asked, changing the subject.
The snake thumbed over to the tropical rainstorm to the east, visible even this far away. “The flames are being doused as we speak - and what was that about Ekon? Has he, too, fielded a force against my home?” He grit his teeth. “These animals, I swear…”
This time it was the dragon that spoke. ”He has. He was with my cr… Sartravius, when I was first made.”
Kalmar nodded. ”They each made an army of their own. But Ekon’s was held back, for some reason. If you haven’t seen it, then I assume he is either waiting for you to let your guard down, or moving it somewhere else.”
“Oh, joy… I do not envy the mortals who will find their way here.” He gave Kalmar a suspicious look. “So, why are you here, then? Did you just come to look for our sister?”
”This is Vendral. He didn’t want to fight for Sartravius, so he fled, and found his way to Kalgrun. I saw the fighting in his memories, so I improved him and came to help.” Kalmar frowned. ”How come neither of you told me?”
The snake blinked and gave the dragon a cruel, furious glare. “I see… And the five heads would not happen to simply be a coincidence? You see, I met a dragon quite like this one and I still have a bit of a score to settle with that one.” He flicked his sharp, two-tipped tongue. “Mainly a little, itty-bitty something to account for the thousands of servants it and its followers slaughtered.”
Vendral returned Shengshi’s glare, his ten eyes boring into Shengshi’s two, but it was Kalmar who continued speaking. ”It’s no coincidence. I made Vendral this way so he could match that dragon.”
”And I killed none of your servants,” Vendral added, his gaze unyielding. ”You have no score to settle with me.”
The snake snickered. “I really must say, brother. You do have quite a knack for making creatures with absolutely no concept of respect for the gods.” He shook his head with a smirk. “No matter, I do not mind - truly. Not in the slightest. Now, to change the subject… Why did we not summon you over? Quite simple, really - three gods have made their attacks against the menace - we did not want to trouble you with a conflict that was nearing its conclusion.” He bowed a curt bow.
”And yet it hasn’t concluded,” Kalmar pointed out. ”There’s another army out there, and Asceal is off to risk another war with another god.” He sighed. ”Did she take the angels with her?”
“I said -nearing- its conclusion - exterminating dragon filth and ant-like giants takes time. As for the angels, I believe they are currently in their room doing… Whatever it is that angels do in their spare time. I gave them some books, I suppose - they might be reading those.”
The dragon snorted at the use of the phrase ‘dragon filth’, but said nothing. ”Can you bring Makab up?” Kalmar asked.
The snake nodded and snapped his fingers. A servant behind him set off into the ship, presumably to fetch the angels. Shengshi raised a brow at Kalmar and poked some food out of his teeth with a claw.
“So, how has life been of late?”
Kalmar looked down at his dragon, and the creature extended one of its heads towards Shengshi’s tower; close enough that Kalmar could rise to his feet and climb over the railing of the veranda. He sat himself on an unoccupied chair.
”Well,” he began. ”I made some creatures to defend my land. I then created a mortal and set it loose on the world, like K’nell and Orvus did before me. There’s a species of mortals on the continent to the west of here - Arryn has been teaching them how to hunt. I also heard that Vakk attacked Li’Kalla. Oh, and I’m now the God of Cold.” The Hunter shrugged, before raising an eyebrow. “What about you?”
“Wait, there are mortals now?” the snake said baffled. “My, I ought to go say hello - by west you mean the, uhm…” He snapped his fingers in thought. “... The large continent, the greatest of them all… My, what did we end up calling it again? Azhou?”
Kalmar shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to the one who created it. Anyway, the species calls themselves Selka - from what I understand, they were made by Kirron. If you were to start going directly southwest from where we are now, you would find them.”
"Selka, huh… How droll. What are they like, if I may ask?" The snake snapped his fingers and a servant came out of the paper doors behind him with a tea cup and a steaming mug.
"Are they as bent on adventure as their creator?" he added playfully as he sipped on his tea with an extended pinkie. The servant poured a cup for Kalmar as well.
Kalmar shrugged. “I haven’t spoken to any in person, and I haven’t met Kirron, so I can’t say. They have prayed to me, though. They asked a lot of questions. Some were more concerned about their survival, while others kept asking how they could ‘earn their own fun.’ Apparently Kirron told them that was important.” He shrugged again. “Maybe it is, but you can’t have fun if you’re dead.”
"A hedonistic lot, then?" the snake remarked and chuckled. "Now I -really- must visit. Did you give them anything for the survival issue, though?"
Kalmar stroked his chin. “One tribe had a food problem, so Arryn gave them some bows. He then taught them how to wield them, and also how to track. It worked so well they began to worship me. That’s how I learned about them,” he explained.
“Huh, that easy, is it?” the snake made a face and clicked his tongue. “Well, I suppose I will head over there and give it a try, then. Give them some wheat to farm, you know, teach them to make dumplings - oh, dumplings.~ He Bo, please add dumplings to tonight’s dinner menu.”
“Yes, Your Lordship,” went the servant with a soft voice.
“Back to our enemies,” Kalmar changed the subject, not knowing what to make of this topic of ‘farms’ and ‘dumplings.’ “Sartravius, Ekon, and Orvus have all proven themselves to be threats. So has Vakk, if that story I heard was true. Asceal would let us think that Melantha and Katharsos are dangerous, but I’ve spoken to them and I know that’s not true. Do you know of any others who might be hostile?”
The snake paused for a moment. He pursed his lips thoughtfully and sucked in a deep breath. “What if I told you that one of those threats has been dealt with - permanently?”
Kalmar thought for a moment, and then furrowed his brows. “Vakk or Orvus?” he asked.
“That would be Vakk. As far as I know, Orvus is still alive and well - I met his second daughter the other day. She is fun, if not a bit too open - a fun contrast to her father and sister.”
Kalmar raised a brow at the mention of Orvus having a second daughter, but at the moment that was unimportant. “What happened to Vakk?”
The snake sneered. “He was an… Unfortunate addition to our sibling flock - a purveyor of pain, a herald of hate. He grew mad and threatened to murder the mortal Hermes, whom I am certain you have encountered at least once, and likely my own shard, Xiaoli. For this, a plan was devised to end his existence - one carried out by our worthy brothers K’nell and Eurysthenes, and myself.”
He paused and clicked his tongue. “Sorry for not inviting you along, by the way. We did not want to trouble you, naturally. Murdering siblings is not an activity that should be shared. Sets the wrong example for mortals.”
“You should have invited me,” Kalmar told him. “we made an alliance. How can that alliance work if we don’t discuss things like this?” Kalmar shook his head. “But if you killed him, then well done. He sent a beast of his to hunt down Hermes, and it scratched out the eye of one of my own creations before being driven off.”
“Yes, quite sorry, indeed,” the snake said into his teacup. “As an alliance of defense, I felt inviting to an offensive would be in poor taste - a misuse of allegiance, if you will - besides, four gods would have made for quite a massacre. He already suffered quickly enough at the hands of three.” He gulps down some sips of tea and held his cup out for the servant to refill. “Would you happen to know where this beast is now, by the way? I would rather not entertain the idea where Hermes is suddenly murdered by a horror thirsting for vengeance.”
“No, I don’t. But it was heavily wounded in the fight. Even if it survived its injuries, I doubt it’s capable of even hunting a fly.” The Hunter stroked his chin once again. ”But let’s say it did survive, somehow recovered, and didn’t abandon its task - it seemed to have been following the exact path she took throughout Galbar.”
“Not good,” the snake muttered. “I will have Xiaoli erect the proper defenses against such a threat. What creature of yours did it wound, you said?”
“Fenris, a giant wolf that is more than half the length of this boat. He lost an eye, but in return Fenris tore the beast’s lower half to shreds. I went through the creature’s memories, and that is how I learned Vakk sent it - apparently Hermes stole something from him. I would have warned her, or finished the beast off, but something more important came up, and I didn’t expect it to live anyway.”
“Oh, yes, the thing she stole was some funny box, by the way,” he said with a shrug. “A fantastically silly ordeal, all of this…” He peeked up at the sky. “My, had a servant been as slow as these angels are, they would have been salted in the middle of the day for all to see, I tell you.” He shook his head disapprovingly. “How is the whole Kalgrun situation going, by the way?”
As if on cue, and before Kalmar could reply, the three angels emerged from the Jiangzhou‘s tower doors. They’d been in the middle of one conversation or another before they stepped through the paper-walled slider doors, but when they looked out at the veranda they froze where they stood. Eline’s eyes widened, Makab grinned, and a dark look overtook Akam’s face. The three winged individuals had already summoned their glowing weapons before Eline noticed Shengshi and Kalmar in the great blue dragon’s shadow.
She hesitated and pointed the gods out, and after a moments deliberation the three put away their weapons, however begrudgingly. Makab scratched his head and shrugged before walking towards the gods, leaving his siblings scrambling to catch up. Eline opened her mouth to complain, but before she could Akam called out, “May we presume that dragon is your… Guest, Shengshi?”
One of the dragon’s heads appeared to roll its eyes, while another head glowered at the three. At the summoning of weapons, Kalmar had called his knife to his own hand, and only put it away when they did the same for theirs. He may have created one of them, but that did not mean he would stand idly by if they attacked one of his other creations. “His name is Vendral,” Kalmar said, before Shengshi could speak. “I brought him here.”
“I see.” Akam intoned as his eyes swept over the God of Hunters.
Beside him Makab shrugged, “Well as long as he’s not killing people.”
The dragon snorted again. Meanwhile, Kalmar looked to the angels. “Makab…” he greeted, though he had to pause to remember the names of the other two. “Seline, Akan.” He looked back to the dragon. “We came here to investigate this war you’ve been fighting.”
“No, that is quite alright. Ignore the host and keep the conversation going.” Shengshi gave a sarcastic clap and muttered into his teacup. “It is nice that you have finally left your room. Is the standard still satisfactory?”
Akam cocked a brow and Eline pursed her lips irritably. They both glanced at Makab, who was wearing a rather smug grin. The brown haired angel nodded in Shengshi’s direction, “More than. You must have endless supply of wine.” He paused, “Well at least I hope you do, otherwise I imagine you might be running rather low by now.”
Eline’s coughed and her eyes went wide at Makabs admission. She adroitly stepped behind her brother before Shengshi’s sour, venomous stare flicked over to the mannerless Makab and the snake put his cup down with an irritated “quite”. As this was going on, Kalmar gave Makab a subtle nod, before bringing his own cup of tea up to his lips and tasting it for the first time.
The God of the Hunt immediately recoiled, adopting a disgusted expression, which he valiantly fought and failed to conceal. Ultimately he decided there was no point in hiding it. So instead, he simply called upon his powers to distill the liquid, pulling the particles of tea mixture out and summarily dumping it over the edge. He then brought the cup to his lips - now clear water, which had been chilled by his newfound mastery over cold - and took a sip.
The snake’s head slowly turned to Kalmar with a death glare. He placed his cup down on the table and sucked in a long, deep breath through the nose. “Did you just…” He closed his eyes and held up a flat hand. “No, no, that is quite alright. I am not angry - not in the slightest, most miniscule, molecular way. Not a single fiber in my being trembles with rage, in fact. However, I must be so perfectly direct as to ask why you did not just request something else to drink?” If a voice could pierce through skin, Shengshi’s was similar to bamboo sticks underneath the nails.
Kalmar shrugged. “There was no need to trouble your servants. Cold water is fine.” he took another sip, and then turned back to the angels. “So the battle. How did it go?”
The snake hissed interruptingly and turned to the angels with a grin like a lion baring its fangs. “Simply horrible of me to interrupt, frankly, but I was not quite finished. Firstly, fetching whatever you may wish for is the servant’s job, nay, existence; secondly, that tea did not deserve that sort of treatment; and thirdly, how dare you so visibly and utterly waste that which was brotherly offered to you as a guest in another’s home?”
“Now is not the time for this, Shengshi.” Kalmar frowned. “I came here to help you. There’s no use bickering over spilled tea.”
“At some point, brother, all I ask is that you for once make an actual effort to be a proper house guest. That point has long since been passed. You come into my home on a massive beast which itself knows next to nothing of how to address a being that could end its existence with a thought; you demand information of me without even saying ‘hello’ or ‘long time no see’; you did not simply pour out the tea I gave you, no, you used your divine-given power to turn into into cold water; and now you say you are going to help me!” The snake took a few ragged breaths. “An ‘alliance’, brother, is founded on mutual need as well as mutual respect, and I feel no respect coming from you. I have tried to remain as civil as I can despite your faux pas, yet I find myself at my wit’s end now.” With another breath through the nose, he relaxed down onto his pillow, propping himself on one hand. “A little politeness is all I ask; otherwise, and I do not say this lightly, do feel free to leave at your earliest convenience.”
Makab stepped forward, and before either of his siblings could clamp a hand over his mouth he started, “You could get drunk and fight you know. That’s what me and Akam did a few nights ago. Worked out fi-”
Before Makab could finish Akam all but tackled him. He swiftly shushed his brother and ushered him back before sputtering, “What my uh, what Makab means is you could try and resolve this dispute in a friendly manner rather than letting it fester. There’s no need to fight, but a uh, a contest could work?”
“Akam, that was the name,” Kalmar recalled. “Sorry about that. I don’t see how a contest or a fight would help, though. What did you have in mind, anyway?”
The blond angel, stuck defending his brothers inane plan, rambled, “Well just that you and Shengshi have such differences, ones that neither of you may be able to overcome, so perhaps you two could find an outlet for your mutual frustration? A contest was just an idea, a way to try and best one another without coming to blows.” Akam smiled nervously and added, “ Of course it was just a suggestion. I’m certain you two can find your own means of resolving this.”
Kalmar sighed, then looked to Shengshi. “Archery?” he suggested with a shrug.
The snake gave him a sour look. “... To even suggest the game in another person’s house… No, as your host, I will choose our game - and it shall be a clash of poetry,” the snake demanded and raised a hand in the air.
Kalmar blinked. “A clash of what? Is that a weapon?”
The flat-mouthed snake pinched the bridge of his nose. “No, no, it is--” Another breath was required to maintain composure. “It is when you present an idea in the form of one or more verses. You know? Like sonnets, haikus, songs, the like?”
“I’m not familiar with any of those, either.” Kalmar said. “And isn’t presenting ideas to each other part of speaking? What makes a poem different?”
“The verse makes it different, you--” Shengshi pinched his lips shut and stared at the floor. “Fine, we will not do poetry, then. As the host, I now permit suggestions for other games.” He drummed his claws on his calligraphy station in a fit of ennui and annoyance.
“I suggest poetry, then.” Kalmar insisted. “If you explain what it is.”
The snake rolled his eyes. “I think I have made attempts to explain several concepts to you throughout time, brother - few times have I succeeded, it would seem. Already, I am, frankly, a little weary. Akam, Eline and Makab, do you three have any suggestions?”
“You could make something?” Eline suggested, “You two are gods.”
Makab opened his mouth, waved off Akam’s glare, and spoke, “Or you could get drunk and fight. Maybe even just get drunk.”
The snake gave Makab a stare that could have ignited stone. “I will not threaten you out of my love for my sister, your mother, but I will advise you not to suggest that again,” he snarled and turned back to Kalmar.
“You’d better not,” Kalmar’s face turned to snarl, as he glared at the snake. “That would be the second time today that you threatened one of my creations, and I already told you what would happen.”
“Oh, is the divine policing force going to come for me? He is a rude guest in -my- home, and as are you. If he is utterly incapable of knowing his place when the divines speak, then I would suggest that he goes somewhere else, like back to his room - or with you, off my ship.” The snake stood up. “Yes, that second option sounds absolutely marvelous right now, actually.”
Kalmar rose to his feet, his gaze unyielding. “Shengshi,” he said. “Do you know what your problem is?”
“Do tell,” he replied sourly.
“You are ruled by your own ego. You create beings who exist only to do tasks that you are capable of doing yourself. You threaten and insult those who do not know your arbitrary rules - rules which they had no way of knowing, which you only made to stoke your own pride. You speak of beings ‘knowing their place’, as if having less power than you somehow invalidates what they have to say. Even now, as two gods raise armies against you, you choose to reawaken a feud that was already settled. You are a spiteful, shortsighted fool.” The hunter finished the rest of his water, and put the cup on the table with such force that it almost broke. “But know this. I still put weight behind my words, and I intend to honour this alliance. So I will go out. I will find Ekon’s army, and I will see what can be done about it. But first I will speak to Makab. Alone.”
The snake nodded slowly. “Pardon me, but what alliance do you speak of?” he asked with a cocked head.
“So your word is worthless after all.” Kalmar said, with disgust in his voice.
“Let us take a synopsis: In addition to my complaints earlier about the nature of your visit, as well as general behaviour, you add a long, quite insightless speech that sullies my name and culture, as well as damage to my precious furniture. All in all, in my eyes, these are not qualities of a worthy ally.” He shook his head. “I can excuse the angel - truly, I can. His lifespan is short and he has not been aboard long enough to get to know my ways. I admit I may have let my anger get the best of me.” He paused for a suck of air. “But you, Kalmar… You have known me for a long time now… Known me well, too, and yet you have never, ever made a single attempt to understand me and my ways--”
”Neither have you,” Kalmar interjected.
“I have tolerated your ceaseless lack of manners in my home more times than you can count, but even a god can only take so much. I understand you perfectly, brother - you are a god of survival, and I respect your value of honour and might; however, what you have in that is severely overshadowed by your complete and utter lack of finesse and social adaptability. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, has been more upsetting to me in this existence than having an ally so potentially perfect, and yet so far from grasping the bare necessities of a truly great companion. You call me short-sighted while you see nothing past the distance your arrows can fly. If egoism is my sin, then blindness is yours.” He grit his teeth together and looked down.
“Now… Please, for the love of all that is sacred and good upon this world… Leave.”
“Not without speaking to Makab.”
“Then he will go with you. If you truly are so adamant about protecting him, it may be wise to keep him off this ship for a time.” The snake’s reptilian eyes blinked normal for a second. “Please, just leave…”
At Shengshi’s words Akam glared at his brother and buried his face in his hands before muttering, “Mother is going to kill us.”
Eline sighed and punched Makab’s shoulder, “No, she’s going to kill this idiot. If he doesn’t manage to get himself killed before she can.”
At his siblings mutual chastisement Makab held up his hands, “I still think my idea was solid, but fine. I’ll go with Kalmar see where Ekon’s army is.” The brown haired angel looked to the God of Hunting and asked, “That’s still what you’re doing right?”
Kalmar nodded.
“Alright then,” Makab turned to his siblings and spoke more seriously, “You two stay safe.”
Eline nodded and Akam, for all he looked annoyed, reciprocated the sentiment, “And you. Don’t do anything stupider than you already have.”
”I can’t believe I was brought all this way to watch this…” Vendral muttered, as he extended two heads toward the ship. Kalmar stepped onto one head, and moved into a sitting position between the dragon’s horns. He gestured for Makab to do the same, before looking to the other angels. ”You two can come, if you want.”
Eline shook her head, “We were told to keep Shengshi’s people safe. Scouting Ekons army is important, but there’s no point fighting if you’re not fighting for anyone.”
“Alright then,” Kalmar said once Makab had climbed on. The Hunter gave one last look to Shengshi. He looked as if he was about to say something, but instead gave one last scowl of disgust before looking back down to his dragon. ”Vendral? You remember how to get back to where you were created?”
”Yes.”
”Then let’s go.”
And with those words, the dragon began its fight northeast.
Shengshi had been sitting with his face in his hands for a while now. Eventually, he finally groaned and looked up. He leaned back onto his propped-out arms and sighed, his eyes rolling over to look at the angels.
“Terribly sorry you had to see that. I have a low tolerance for this kind of situation. It upsets the harmony of things. Now, a question, if I may - had your brother been drinking before he came up?”
Eline coughed and looked away. Akam rubbed his temples, “Admittedly Makab… All of us have been enjoying a fair bit more wine than would be wise.”
The snake nodded slowly. “For being the spawn of the Goddess of Light, none of you are particularly bright, are you?” He shook his head. “You are my guests, but you know next to nothing about respecting the host. Did your mother not tell you anything before you came? About my culture? About my person? Am I a joke to her?”
“No,” Akam spoke simply, even as his sister bit her lip and glared at Shengshi, “Nobody is ‘a joke’ to our mother Shengshi. As for our education, to be frank I believe you may overestimate our mothers knowledge of you and your culture. She showed us much, and told us much after that, but she cannot teach what she does not know.”
The blond angel closed his eyes for a second and went on, “She has made your acquaintance a number of times Shengshi, and she even calls you a friend, but she is not like you. She is not even like us.”
The snake snickered. “‘Frankly’, he says… By my holy name, he calls me…” He shook his head. “How long have you been here? Weeks? Maybe a month or two? Did it occur to you three even once to study the place you lived in? Make a simple, feeble attempt to integrate in the slightest? Something as base as a change in tone would have been satisfactory. Still, you take this patronising, self-righteous perspective and make a flat, arrogant attempt to explain that you have no idea what you are doing.” The snake jabbed a finger outwards towards the two angels. “Mortals that cannot understand their place in relation to the gods are doomed to suffer their wrath in time…”
Akam opened his mouth to speak, but Eline all but exploded beside him, “Our ‘place’ isn’t as your servants! We were given a job, to fight for you and all your people, not to join you. We’re well aware we don’t belong here, and we’ve kept our heads down as much as we can, but that doesn’t change our duty.”
Eline’s brother shot her a withering look and tried to get in front of her words, “What my sister means is we have tried to stay out of your and your servants way, but there is little to be done when we are summoned. I apologize for my siblings words but you-”
Before Akam could finish Eline cut in, “No Akam, you don’t get to apologize for me. I fought for Shengshi and his people, you were burned for them, and we both know we’d do it again. We’d risk our little mortal lives for a god and his people because it’s the right thing to do. If that god wants to threaten us over our manners then he can do that, but I won’t apologize for doing my job.”
Another slow, sarcastic applause. The snake flicked his tongue and snickered viciously. “Beautiful - absolutely beautiful. The one among you who even attempts to be civil is interrupted by a child on a ranting spree. Your aid in the battle was much appreciated - truly, it was. Had it not been for you three, the losses would undoubtedly have been even greater; however, warriors without discipline…” He clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “No good. Your services are no longer required.” While his voice was calm, his demeanour looked absolutely livid, his claws already extended far beyond their normal length and his pupils so thin they appeared almost like cuts over his eyes. His spinal fins had turned into long, sharp barbs and his horns had sharpened.
Nobody spoke, and no words were needed. Akam gave Shengshi a curt nod and unfolded his wings. He glanced back at Eline to make sure she was with him and in one flap he took off. The two hovered over the ship for a moment before heading north, far from the war and far from the people that no longer wanted their protection.
The servant He Bo refilled the snake’s teacup. “Will His Lordship inform Her Holiness Asceal, Divine of Light, about this change?”
The snake let out a sigh of relief at the servant’s diction. He lifted the teacup and took in a long, quiet whiff of the flowery scents. He took a sip and sighed as the sensation of heat and flavour flushed through him from mouth to tail tip. “I think I will. My dearest sister deserves to know, after all…” He sighed and took another sip. “True shame about Akam… Such potential in that young man. With only a few differently chosen words, his speech would have been so perfect.”
He Bo nodded in agreement. “His Blessed Self Akam had quite the satisfying diction - His Lordship’s opinion is worthy. Yet this servant of Yours dares so humbly propose that even Her Blessed Self Eline could learn in time.”
The snake shook his head. “No, she is too similar to her mother - powerful, dutiful, proud… Stubborn. She would never accept the Way of the Flow.”
The servant nodded. “So, if this servant may ask - what will His Lordship do now?”
The snake had another sip of tea and hummed pensively.
“Eline suggested creating something… Perhaps that continent to the southwest could use some life.”
Sheng’s writing and shit in peace when a giant, five headed dragon comes over. Seeing as he’s only really seen one many headed dragon before, the snake prepares for battle. It turns out, though, that it’s just Kalmar coming to ruin the tranquility. He asks about Asceal’s whereabouts. Kinda bummed that the peace is utterly ruined, and also kinda bummed that Kalmar doesn’t really care enough about him to say hi, so the conversation is already off to a good start. When Kalmar finds out Asceal’s off on the Heist, he instead wants to see the angels. While they wait for them, they talk shit, and Kalmar’s bummed that Shengshi never invites him along for stuff, like killing Vakk and defending the jungle. Shengshi excuses their lack of communication with the old “didn’t wanna bother ya”.
The angels appear and, like their mom, have no concept of Shengshese social ranking nor courtesy, which makes an already annoyed Shengshi even sourer. To add salt to the wound, Kalmar apparently hates the tea he was served when he came and, get this, extracts the tea flavour and temperature from it, leaving only cold water. Shengshi is pretty livid at this savage move and asks why he didn’t just ask for something else. Kalmar says, “didn’t wanna bother ya servant”, which makes snek hella mad and he goes on a rant about how he gets no respect around ‘ere and that if Kalmar’s only here to be rude, he may leave. The angels suggest a competition to put a bandaid on the issue, but that falls flat. Makab then suggests they have a barfight, which the agitated snake takes a little too personally and ‘advises’ the angel to shut up. Kalmar takes this as a threat and the snake’s like “he’s being rude in my house, and I can do what I want in my house, don’t tread on me.” Kalmar then drops the “ego”-bomb on Sheng with a rant, to which Sheng replies, “aight, you know that alliance? Don’t want it no more,” and demands he leaves. Kalmar insists he first talk to Makab, which makes the snake cast them both out.
The angels part ways for like five minutes before the pissed off snake lobs the other two out, too, on account of what he perceives to be a lack of discipline. The snake finally decides to head to Atok East for some R&R.
The Learner, The Martial Dancer, The Compassionate, The Wanderer
&
Qiang Yi and Zhengwu Crew
Arya stood before the statue of Shengshi, under the light of the Lustrous Garden. Wrapped in a bedsheet of white, she obscured her head except for two black eyes that peered out, unwavering and sorrowful as she stared into the statue’s false eyes. Uncanny as it was, she had to remind herself it was not him in the flesh, yet his gaze was ever like she remembered. Hard to please, and even easier to disappoint. She missed him a lot, she realized. Even if he never wanted to see her again, a part of her still hoped he did. As crazy as it seemed. The girl let out a small sigh.
Many nights and days had passed since she had stood before it, having faltered the first time she had been asked to join the crew in prayer and then after and after. Each time she came up with a different excuse, but she was running out of them. It was even worse because she could not bring herself to go to Ashalla’s less they think she was avoiding his Holiness. Perhaps it was better to avoid them both, or not, but she needed to stop the excuses.
It was time to confront her fear.
Arya fell to her knees before the shrine and took a deep breath. She shut her eyes, then said aloud, “Your… Your Holiness. It’s me, Arya. I… I’m so sorry. For what I did. For how I left. For the loss of the servants. For your home’s destruction. For running away. I’m so, so sorry. I realized my mistake… just after leaving you know. I feel so ashamed, even now and… my guilt. I'm guilty.” she stifled tears as her voice broke. “They say this is supposed to help, that it’s supposed to do something. But I feel much the same as I have been.” she finished, wiping her cheeks.
“Sometimes, knowing that you have a guardian who will listen to your fears and comfort you in your darkest hours, is enough,” came a deep, familiar voice in her head, followed by a ‘scwulp’ in a nearby bucket of freshwater.
She sat up, looking around to make sure she was alone. The deck was empty of people, save for a few scrubbing the deck near the bow, and she turned back to the statue. She gulped and said, “Your Holiness, is that really you? I didn’t think you would respond… The servants, they never say whether you do or not… I… I…” she let out.
“The servants are young, still, and their voyage is a phenomenal feat of mortality - they will get their reward in time. Until then, they will be content in knowing their lord watches over them, and that I have enough faith in them not to counsel them at every turn… You, however, I have actually wanted to speak to for a time…” There was a pause, one of agitating length. “... How have you been?”
She smiled warmly at the question. “Oh your holiness, it’s so good to hear your voice. I’ve missed you so much. I… I have been good. Better now. I call Split-Tooth and Penelope my friends, I travelled to Choppy’s sphere and delivered a drink called coffee, I got wounded by a foul creature and ended up on Tendlepog and I… I have two mothers now, your holiness and I love them so, so much. And the boys, they are so precious and loved. They will grow to be fine people under the tutelage of Hermes and Xiaoli, have no fear about that. Oh, there’s so much else that’s happened, good and bad. But your Holiness, how have you been?” she asked sweetly.
The voice laughed quietly. “How I have been is of little importance, dear. This is your prayer, after all. But my, that is quite an adventure. I am happy to hear that you came upon dear Hermes and Xiaoli - they are precious, indeed. I must make my way over there once more soon… Now you are on Zhengwu, I see. Your adventure will keep testing you, it seems.” There was a concerned grumble. “You know how dangerous this journey may prove to be, yes?”
She let out a small sigh, then said, “I know, all too well such dangers your holiness. They needed help, and I gladly went when asked. It was the right thing to do, for if you say such a journey is dangerous to me, think of how they might fare. I will be fine, I did not come unprepared.” she said.
There came a tickling hiss in her head. “Guilt is a poor motivator, dear… Is this truly a decision you have made from the bottom of your heart?”
She seemed to shrink at the hiss, her ploy so easily seen through. “I… Before I knew how easily it was to talk to you, I decided to go out of guilt, yes. Now though, my decision has never been more clear. Please do not tell them, your holiness. But after watching them do their jobs, laugh and socialize, I would have regretted not going if I yielded. My motivation is now only to protect them and see that this quest goes smoothly.” she said proudly.
“I see. Good, good.” There was another gentle chuckle. “You have changed so much, yet not at all. Your strong heart remains just as mighty as before. Though, it is a shame that we did not talk earlier.”
“I regret that, your holiness. I wish I had know how easy it was, I would have come back eventually, most likely after this quest was finished. I still have to find Penelope and Split too. We got seperated. But I thank you for your kind words, your holiness. Though… are you not angry with me for what I did?”
“Angry, no, no… Well, in the beginning, I was…” There was another pause. “Yet as time went by, I realised that your reaction had its reasons. The feeling of betrayal is a powerful one, and it made for an ideal moment to bless the Servants with new life. Now, all that remains is regret that we have not met in so long. However, there is another reason as to why it is unfortunate that we did not speak before. You see, your sister is looking for you.”
“Excuse me, my what?" she said dumbfounded.
“You have a sister, dear,” the voice said. “A young, flirtatious lady named Laurien. She is currently looking for you without a single clue to go on.”
Her world seemed to flip upside down, and she suddenly felt faint. Weakly she said, “I have a sister… Laurien? Laurien… But how? Why? Father never made another child on Veradax. I thought he didn’t even want me, but… I’m so confused, your holiness. Why is she looking for me? Flirtatious? Is that like a color or something?”
“She said she wanted to meet her sister, if I recall. As for flirtatious, well, someone will likely tell you when you are older.” He hummed. “Your father is an odd one, that is certain…”
She let out a groan, unsure of what to exactly feel. “Well, what does she look like?”
The voice paused. “Tall, like you. Bright, like you. Yet she is considerably more… Developed, if you will. It is difficult to describe.”
She let out a defeated sigh and flung herself onto her back, looking up at the night sky. “I should be excited, even happy. But… All I feel is jealousy. I don’t even know her, and I’m already judging her. Father gave her that name, no doubt about it and he probably gave her many other things. Things I… No… I can’t think like that, can I? It is what is. This is a lot to take in, defiantly and I can’t even imagine where to begin when we meet. Ugh, what do I do?” she asked aloud.
“Your reaction is natural, dear, yet she harbours naught but love and admiration for you - she was given all that you have earned through hard work and trials, paling in comparison to the powerful soul inhabiting that body of yours.” There was another hiss. “For now, you are to finish the mission; afterwards, you may seek me out, and I will arrange a meeting if it has not already happened.”
Heartened by his words, she used her hands to sit up and looked at the statue again. “Of course, your holiness. If she hasn’t already found me, I will seek you out and if she has, I will seek you out regardless. I know not how long this quest will take us, but I believe time will fly by regardless. Thank you, for everything you’ve done for me, your holiness. It means more to me, then you know.” she said softly.
“Oh, it was nothing, dear… Thank you for everything you taught me, as well. I am looking forward to the next time we meet… Now, I believe I sense someone approaching.” Right on cue, footsteps were making their way up the staircase behind her to the right. Panicking, she kowtowed in front of the statue, acting as if she was deep in prayer and waited to see who would show up.
“O-oh! My Lady Arya,” said Yong Mei, assistant quartermaster to Zeng En. Her bulky appearance cast a rather masculine shadow over the plank deck in the light of the Garden. She tapped her fingers together. “... Is… Is this one disturbing?”
Slowly she looked up at Yong Mei and blinked before giving a radiant smile. “No! Not at all, Yong Mei. If anything, I’m the one disturbing.” she said happily.
“O-oh, no, no! Don’t say that. This one can wait until Your Ladyship is done, no problem!” She sat down facing the deck. After a second, she turned, gave Arya a thumb-up and looked back ahead.
Arya gave a kind smile, then rose to her full height. She felt taller for some reason, as of late. Perhaps she was growing after all? She quickly shoved such a thought away and said in a warm voice, “Worry not, I was just finishing.” she finished with a yawn. “Come to pray?”
Yong Mei blinked over to her again and blushed. “Y-yeah… There’s this… No, no, never mind. One is not supposed to discuss one’s prayers.” She stood up and walked over to the statue, her head inclined all the way.
Arya cocked her head in surprise at the sight of the blush. She knew, having seen Xiaoli and Hermes, even herself, that it meant embarrassment. But what did Yong Mei have to be embarrassed about? She couldn’t help but smile at the girl, thinking her silly. “Of course, of course.” she said giving a small bow, “Have a good night, Yong Mei!”
“Y-you, too, My lady!” Yong Mei said, returning the bow. As Arya went back down to the deck, she could see Yong Mei behind her casting herself to the floor and whispering to the statue. Tired as she was, Arya felt restless, and instead of going below deck to her soft bed, she continued on to the bow of the ship. Under the moon the waves were subtle, like gently rolling hills. Her eyes played tricks in the dark however, and several times she thought she saw something flicker in the water, but it always escaped her. She crossed the deck on upon the other side she leaned against the railing, looking out into the far distance. What she thought as waves, quickly became something else as they were unmoving on the horizon.
It was land, the Dragon’s Foot perhaps? They would know more tomorrow for sure, but the sight was a welcome one. And upon the Dragon’s Foot, Laurien was looking for her. Her sister.
“My sister.” she said aloud to herself. She had never felt anything when hearing the word, but now saying it and knowing it be true, elicited a small smile. Though she had Hermes and Xiaoli, her mothers and the boys, her brothers, there was something special about having a bloodkin of her own.
“I have a sister!” she said happily, before beginning the journey to her bed.
“OH, BY SHENGSHI!” came a shout from the bow, followed by two screams. Arya spun around instantly, her heart beginning to race as she flung off her bedsheet, flying to the source of the shout. A servant came running towards the staircase down to the belowdecks.
“ALARM!” he shouted. “THE HORROR OF THE DEPTHS HAS RETURNED!”
Her heart began to race at the mentioning of a horror, but she quickly pulled herself together and continued on. Below the deck sounded the drums of a plethora of feet hammering against the wooden boards towards the stairs. The night was black as soot save for the shine of the Lustrous Garden, but cloaked in the robe of nocturnal shadows was the mirage of a distinct shape under the singular light in the sky - a bulbous form that gave Arya an eerie sensation that it was observing her. Qiang Yi ascended the staircase, followed by the rest of the crew, many of them armed with sticks and tools. Qiang Yi looked around at the surrounding seas - it seemed that the bulb had dived.
“What’s going on?” called someone from the back if the mob.
“Cap’n!” shouted the crew member that had summoned them. “I saw’r it! A big one! Like the one we fought last time! Oh, Shengshi, what will we--”
“Calm yourself, master Buqiong,” the captain said, firm in his words, yet the night evidently hid a quite visible hint of fear on his face. “Did anyone else see it?” The other two crew mates who had been scrubbing the bow deck raised shaky hands. “Lady Arya?” asked the captain and all eyes turned to her.
"There is something down there, Captain. I don't know what, but it's big." came Arya's reply. To say she was worried was an understatement and memories of the time she swam in the ocean for her life came to mind. There were dangerous things in the deep and they hungered.
Qiang Yi closed his eyes and grit his teeth together. "Curses," he spat. "Zhen-zhen, where is the nearest shore?!"
"Should be due port side, captain, but we are quite a distance away!" she called back as she assumed her place by the tiller up above. Qiang Yi sucked in a deep breath.
"All men and women, to your stations! Bring out the oars and take us port-wise! Move it, people!"
The crew scrambled to grab the oars and furl the main sail. In twenty minutes, nearly all crew members were hard at work rowing the vessel hard to port, towards the northern edge of the Dragon's Foot in the distance. There was something up ahead - a thick blanket of fog. Zeng En ran up the stairs to the helmsman post.
"Cap'n! Are we really sailin' into the Dragon's Strait?!" he bellowed. Qiang Yi shook his head defiantly and wiped some itchy sea foam off his forehead.
"No, we will only pass over it. The ship can handle it!"
Li Shan came running up behind Zeng En, waving his arms in warning. "Terrible idea, captain! The water will wrinkle and boil the bark hull!"
"She will hold!" Qiang Yi replied stubbornly.
As the crew sprang to action, Arya was left to her own devices. She wanted to help but knew not what to do. She stared down into the water once again, trying to see if anything was amiss. She thought she could see something like stars beneath the waves, and the garden-light reflected briefly off what might have been an eye. Whatever it was, it seemed to get more distant as the ship approached hotter waters.
Meanwhile, the wind against her face picked up as the boat gathered considerable speed - almost fifteen servants on each broadside, each pushing and pulling their oar like their lives depended on it. The light of the Lustrous Garden did little to aid the captain and crew in locating the shore, but the horizon seemed to grow craggier as time went on.
The air also grew unbearably hot.
Li Shan once more came up to Qiang Yi, his eyes wide with horror. “Captain! We must turn out to sea again! Already the hull is quivering!”
“Is the horror still on our tail?!” Qiang Yi demanded back. “Lady Arya, do you see anything?!”
"I saw it, but it seems to be gone!" she shouted to him.
The captain swallowed and grit his teeth together. “Very well, then,” he said quietly to Arya and turned to the deck. “HARD TO STARBOARD! Out to sea!” The tiller was pushed to the left and the oars turned hard. The momentum nearly tossed several crew members off the side. The steam in the air had begun to cloud the deck - many could not see their neighbour, even. Panic infected the crew as neither the sea nor the shore could be seen.
“Row forward, you squirts!” bellowed Zhen-zhen as she kicked the deck planks. The rowing began again, but the rhythm was out of sync. The hull began to whine and creak.
“CAPTAIN!” came a panicked call from below deck.
“Maintain focus, people! One-two, one-two, one-two!” the captain shouted at the top of his simulated lungs. Bit by bit, the rhythm reformed and the ship picked up the pace again. As the speed grew higher, so did the cloud cover grow fainter. Soon, the open sea was visible again, flanked on the left by the shore of northern Dragon’s Foot and the faint, faint silhouette of Xishan in the distance. Qiang Yi wiped his brow and looked around.
“Did everyone survive?!” he called.
“Captain!” came a voice from the belowdecks once more. Qiang Yi’s eyes widened and he sprinted down along with Zeng En. Arya anxiously followed along. Below the deck, the situation seemed very much under control, save for an incredibly close atmosphere and a tormenting heat. However, as they explored more of the hull, they found Li Shan and several other carpenters standing in a crescent around something. Upon closer inspection, they found that one of the crates had tipped over and spilled its contents. Tong Lao knelt down and poked at the bloody mess.
“What… Is this?” he managed through the disgust.
“That is none of our business!” Qiang Yi bellowed. “Clean it up this instant!” Even as the crew scrambled to scoop the meat bits into the crate again, Li Shan and Zeng En stood staring at it in disbelief. Qiang Yi could not help but stare ceaselessly at it, too.
“Cap’n, are we… Are we delivering--”
“What we are delivering is not for us to discuss and conspire about! Is the hull intact?”
Li Shan spoke an absent-minded “yes, captain,” but continued to look unblinkingly. Qiang Yi gave up with a sigh and nodded.
“Good… Make certain every bit is accounted for, and… And deliver your reports after it is done…” On the way back out, Qiang Yi gave Arya a concerned expression. “Lady Arya, are you alright?”
Her eyes had narrowed into slits at the sight of the flesh, silent alarms were going off in her head at what they were delivering. She had not expected flesh, and as she looked around at all the crates, she was incredibly unsettled. How had K’nell made no mention of this to her? Did Hermes and Xiaoli know what she was actually getting into?
She felt disgusted at the mere thought of hauling flesh of a creature she was glad she never got to see in life. It took her a moment to respond to the Captain, words briefly escaping her. But when she turned to look at Qiang Yi, there was no smile on her face, but a look of suspicion. ”I am fine, captain.” she said, running her hands through her hair. ”But we need to have a little chat.” she said boldly.
Qiang Yi sighed and nodded. “Naturally. Come, let us return to the helm and talk.” The captain gathered his hands behind his back and walked up the staircase to the deck. Behind him, servants were scooping up the icky masses with planks and improvised shovels, all the while gagging and sneering.
Momentarily surprised at the fact she was listened to, Arya waited a moment before following after Qiang Yi. The walk was quiet, far too quiet for her own liking but she understood the weight and pressure the captain had to be feeling. But that didn't really matter, because she needed answers. When they arrived on the helmsman post, Arya blurted out, "What's in the boxes?"
"I don't know," said Qiang Yi with a sigh. "It was not my place to ask. The Sovereign of Sleep made His request, and it is only natural that these lowly servants carry out His Holiness' will without objection or question. The contents of the boxes were not, are not and will not be of importance to us, with the exception that they be delivered unspoiled."
"But that was flesh, flesh!" she said, pacing back and forth in front of him. "Don't you see how that might be important to know? I am sorry if you feel differently, Captain, but those boxes are important whether you want to believe it or not." she said with concern in her voice. Her thoughts turned to what or who the flesh had belonged too and she simply did not know.
"No, it is not!" the captain retorted. "Regardless of what it is, speculation will only sow the seeds of discontent and mutiny. With all due respect, Lady Arya, please drop it. It will be cleaned up and forgotten and the quest will carry on."
"Let's hope you're right then." she said glaring at him. After a moment of silence between the two, Arya gave a small bow and then said, "Captain." in a soft voice before turning to leave.
Qiang Yi felt a clump in his throat and groaned quietly. In the distant horizon, dawn was slowly peeking over the edge, spilling red light over the dark sea and cloudy must. Behind him, Zhen-zhen pinched her lips together and muttered, "What was that about?"
"An unfortunate accident, first mate, that is all," the captain replied. "We will have to ensure that it does not reoccur once more. From now on, guards will keep watch in the storage room. Have Lady Arya's bed moved to the far back. It will be uncomfortable, but something tells me she may be a little too curious for her own good." He placed his hand on his chin in thought.
"You think she will object?" asked Zhen-zhen.
"Naturally," answered the captain, "But most of all, I hope she will understand."
"Let's hope together, then," she replied and shook her head. Qiang Yi descended the staircase to the deck and headed for the bow. Around him, the crew were slowly packing up the oars and going about their duties. The captain arrived by the figurehead and folded his hands in prayer.
"Oh, most blessed Ashalla, Queen of Oceans and sovereign of the seas - a most terrible thing occurred today. Once more, a beast from the depths gave chase to our vessel. However, by the grace of Your divine blessing, these servants thankfully escaped. Oh, thank You, great Ashalla - thank You for Your mercy and Your generosity to these most insignificant specks. These servants offer Your divine self our undying loyalty and love - for You are our Queen."
He kowtowed five times before the figurehead. "Thank you," he whispered. He then stood up again and gazed outwards across the sea. They had left the tumultuous seas of the Dragon's Strait, and once more they were sailing docile coastal waters. The itch of sea spray had he long since grown used to, and now all he could do was appreciate the beauty of the vast ocean. Behind him, the bow sail formed a wall between him and the rest of the crew. Here, at least, he was completely alone with his thoughts.
As Qiang Yi watched the ocean under the light of dawn, it eventually became apparent that one of the bulges in the water was not a wave, but something more solid, and moving closer. The captain blinked, at first not believing his own eyes, but could not force himself to move once he did. Even his voice worked against him, hiding for its life in his throat. All he could do was stare at the bullet in the water coming for him. Had he perhaps upset Ashalla at some point and incurred her wrath? Was this a visit from her, perhaps? Was this some rogue monster hungry for a snack? All were possibilities, all were terrifying.
The bulge slowed its approach as Qiang Yi watched, then water parted around it as the bulge rose. An oval-shaped body which was easily as large as the ship was plainly in view, and on the end closest to the ship, just below the water’s surface, were two large eyes which seemed to look straight at the captain. Then, suddenly, a burst of turquoise rippled over the creature’s body, replacing the navy blue which had camouflaged it before. A spiral of magenta twisted into the turquoise, and spots of primrose blossomed across its mantle.
Qiang Yi stood marvelling at the sight, entranced by the colours and patterns. He felt gruesome fear hammer at him from the inside, yet perhaps…
He stretched out a hand towards the beast. "You… You aren't hostile, are you?"
As Qiang Yi reached out, the beast slowly swam forwards until it was close enough to reach the ship. One eye sitting just beneath the waves angled itself to look at Qiang Yi, and a tentacle lifted out of the water. Sea water poured past toothed suckers as big as the servant as the tentacle rose towards him. As it came within reach of his hand, the tip of the tentacle shifted colour to match Qiang Yi’s sandy skin and even adopted a coarse texture.
The captain's eyes widened and he touched what essentially felt much like the hand of a brother, if not a little wetter than usual. He squeezed gently as he would shake a hand, and spoke, "No… You aren't hostile at all." A smile formed on his lips. "You are a blessing from our Queen."
Behind the sail, screams and calls for oars blasted through the air. Qiang Yi snapped out of his trance and turned. He gave the beast a confident nod and ducked under the sail.
The deck was in chaos. The panic of an ambush had caused several servants to trip over one another in search of oars or a place to hide. Zeng En tried to wrestle apart two sailors fighting over an oar when Qiang Yi bellowed, "EVERYBODY! CALM DOWN!" It did little to soothe the tumult.
Having been tired already, Arya was about to head below deck when the shouting started again and the crew began to panic. She turned to look as the sad sight, growing embarrassed for them. That was until she saw what the commotion was about and her eyes went wide.
The great sea beast had moved around to the port side of the ship and had moved back. Its mantle stuck out of the water, a backdrop of lime fading to turquoise with stripes of cream and lavender rolling across it, while two eyes watched from just below the water.
Whereas half the crew prepared oars, the other reached for sharpened sticks and tools. Qiang Yi gaped and waved his hands wildly. "NO! STAND DOWN! IT'S FRIENDLY!" Still no response, and Zeng En hurries over to the side of the ship with his group of harpooneers. The mighty quartermaster stretched his arm back, aimed for one of the eyes and--
There was a tearing sound, a crunch of gravel and a quiet 'plop'. Zeng En stared in horror as his javelin stuck deep into Qiang Yi's chest and out through his back. The thundering steps on the deck all went silent as the captain pushed himself up and pulled the spear out with a pained groan. He tossed it to the side and clutched the open hole in his robe, out which water slowly trickled. As soon as she had seen Qiang Yi get stabbed, Arya had turned her attention to him and with haste began to fly to his location.
"This… This creature… Is a blessing from Ashalla!" he bellowed through the agony and pointed over the side to the colourful beast. "We will not, ugh, -NOT- insult our Queen's generosity by harming it!"
The deck was silent as Arya landed next to the Captain. There was great concern in her eyes but she did not hesitate to put his arm around her shoulder and support him. Though she was taller then he, Arya bent slightly to make him comfortable. She then turned to look at the crew shaking her head, and said, "Panic does nothing but cause more problems. I am disappointed that most of you lack such discipline. It is most concerning but it can also be fixed!" she said cheerfully.
The crewmembers hung their heads in unison. Qiang Yi looked up at Arya and smiled faintly. "What do you propose, then?" Meanwhile, two servants of the Noble, one carrying a bucket of sand and the other a bucket of water, came over and began patting together the wound on the captain's chest.
"I know all of you are part of your own castes, but this does not mean you cannot learn from the others. Especially the warriors, for this quest needs all to be capable. Self defense is the only way you can protect yourself and I know a style of fighting that any can benefit from, if you accept my offer." she said sheepishly. Arya realized it sounded silly coming from her own mouth and she had no idea what she was doing either, but something had to change to prevent such panicking.
Zeng En and the Strong all put on collective smiles; Li Shan and the Skilled were slightly less enthusiastic; Wang Huangxia and the Noble seemed outright appalled by the idea. "What sort of style?" Yong Mei asked happily.
"Dancing!" Arya giggled.
Now the reactions had completely flipped: The Noble clapped enthusiastically at the idea; the Skilled still shrugged and meh'd; the Strong looked utterly disappointed.
"How droll!" Wang exclaimed excitedly. "What type of dance is it? And what music goes with it?"
Yong Mei frowned and crossed her broad arms over her broader chest. "Didn't you say it was a martial art?" Zeng En nodded disappointedly.
Arya looked at Wang and smiled, before she cocked her head at Yong Mei and Zeng En. "You'll see. I am tired now and need some rest, but most assured I will show any who want to learn the form of Martial Dancing. Later perhaps?" she said sleepily, turning to Qiang Yi.
The onlookers now all looked disappointed, but since there was nothing to be done, they bowed in unison towards Arya and went about cleaning up after the chaos. Qiang Yi smiled weakly up at Arya. "Well done. You kept your demeanour. You'll earn their respect in no time at this pace." He grimaced a bit as the healers dabbed some more sand onto the wound. "Not that they don't respect you, but.. You know." He straightened up and looked over the side. The kraken, which a minute earlier has lit up the sea with a rainbow of colours and a plethora of patterns, had disappeared.
"I understand, Captain. Probably more than most." she said softly.
Qiang Yi nodded. “We’ll get there. Now…” He waved the nurses off and rolled his shoulders. “... I must return to my duties. We will speak more later.” He bowed to Arya.
Reluctantly, she let go of the Captain and nodded as he left, returning the bow. Arya then went off, blinking as she did. What had she gotten herself into now?
Arya hasn’t joined in on Sunday prayer day ever (, and Okran is absolutely livid). She prays to Sheng and is surprised to hear him reply. They chat for a bit, mostly about how Arya’s sorry and that Sheng’s forgiven her. He drops that she has a sister and she’s like ‘shiet’. Then she is interrupted by Yong Mei who came to pray. Arya thinks happy thoughts about having a sister, but is interrupted by a cry about a new sea monster. Qiang Yi arrives and is like ‘calm yo ass son whaddup’. The kraken’s existence is made known and the ship sails through the outer edge of the Saluran Mendidih to avoid it. This luckily does not destroy the ship, but it does scare off the kraken temporarily. However, a box of Vakk is tipped downstairs, and everyone knows they’re delivering mystery meat. Qiang Yi asks people to forget it, but Arya admits she can’t and wonders what they are actually transporting. Qiang Yi says he doesn’t know, but that speculation will bring mutiny and doubt to the mission. Then, after Arya leaves, Qiang Yi and Zhen-zhen talk a bit about the mission and Qiang Yi decides to move Arya’s bed away from the boxes and post guards in the cargo hold to keep her curiosity away. Qiang Yi then goes to pray to Ashalla, but realises he’s being watched by a squid after he’s done. This squid is the kraken, and Qiang Yi is first frozen in fear, but then realises the Kraken is nice after an ET finger touch. The rest of the crew panic, though, and start prepping for war. Qiang Yi tries to stop them, but can’t, and ends up taking a harpoon to the chest to stop them from harming the kraken. Luckily, servants have no organs and all he feels is agony. The crew gets scolded by Arya for panicking so easily and she offers to train them in dancing. While not everyone likes this idea, Arya blueballs them either way by saying she’ll do it later. Qiang Yi is not harmed at all and finds the kraken has camouflaged itself and disappeared when he looks back in the water again.
Arya: The Learner, The Martial Dancer, The Compassionate, The Wanderer +26 Prestige Starting +1 For Minor Role +1 For Major Role +1 For Following a Quest +1 For Jolly Collaboration = +30 Prestige Ending
+6 Prestige on Fighting +6 Prestige on Dancing +6 Prestige on Martial Dancing. +1FP for flight. +2FP for ‘evil eyes’ ability. Causes nightmares to those that distress Arya.
“No, that’s stupid,” Chagatai scrunched his particularly dirty face at Poppler. The young boy sat in a leafy push, his woolen pants pulled up to his knees and torn silly from the poking branches. He had foregone his loose shirt hours ago, leaving his naked torso scratched up and muddy. In his hand he held a slightly curved stick, or what he had called ‘the perfect stick’ when he had found it.
Poppler whizzed close and crackled quietly, and Chagatai nodded, “Good idea, he won--”
A twig snapped outside the bush and Chagatai’s face turned into a wicked smile, just as wide and cheshire like as his mother’s. With a screeching battlecry he jumped from his hiding spot, stick swinging wildly.
THWACK
The stick cracked across the back of a younger sibling, Li. The white haired child instantly broke into a loud wail and Chagatai cringed, “LI! Where’s Wenbo?”
“H-He... “ There was a sniffle, “We-went back in-insiiiide!” Li broke out into tears again, a blush of swollen red appearing around his collar. Chagatai scrunched his shoulders with guilt, “Oh come on Li, it’s not even that bad. I was just playing.”
Li just looked up at Chagatai with angry eyes, reddened with tears. He had eyes the color of heliopolis and freckles of gold glittered across his shallow set nose. He looked a lot like Momma Xiaoli. Chagatai sighed.
“You know Altansarnai plays this game just fine, she’s only three years older than you,” Chagatai defended.
Li frowned deeply, “Momma says I’m too little! Don’t hit the too little ones, Chaggie!”
“Fine, be that way,” Chagatai threw his stick on the ground, “I was just playing is all.” The two stared at each other for a while.
“Want to come help me ambush Wenbo?”
Li nodded. Poppler crackled.
“Temüjin! I told you not to play with it!”
Wenbo sat with an angry frown on his face next to the toddler Temüjin, who was still whacking his balled fists at what was once a small mud wall, and a pile of planks and building blocks.
“Now my city is in ruins!”
“Waaah!” roared the little Temüjin as it flattened a mud barracks.
“I’m telling mom!” Wenbo shouted. The toddler, arguably more frightened at the shout than the threat itself, gave him a quivering look and began to whimper. Wenbo groaned curtly and picked up his little brother. “... Yeah, you wouldn’t understand that, huh… Ai, could you come over here?”
Three small girls looked over at Wenbo, one of them standing up. She looked to be only a little younger than Wenbo himself, dressed in a blue woolen robe. She brushed her alabaster hair behind her ear and gave Wenbo a groan.
“Do I have to?” she muttered.
“Please?” Wenbo held the squirming toddler out towards his sister. “He’s ruining my city.”
“You and your dumb cities…” she said with a roll of the eyes and came over, took the toddler and went into the largely expanded family house. Wenbo put his hands on his hips and frowned down at the wastes of mud, stone and wood that had once been his magnificent work. He looked over to his other two sisters who seemingly were making small pots and bowls out of clay. The youngest, Bayarmaa, seemed to struggle with the proper placement of the straws in the pot’s skeleton. His week’s masterpiece having been levelled regardless, he went over and reached out to the girl.
“Hey, let me help you,” he said with a smile. Bayarmaa gave him a wide-eyed stare before carefully offering him the pot-to-be. With a few deft pulls and tugs, Wenbo had properly aligned the skeleton and left it for her to complete. He offered it back to her again.
“Here. Follow that seem as you braid the straws, and it won’t happen again.”
“Th-thank you, Wenbo,” Bayarmaa said with a smile. Wenbo nodded first at her, then at the elder sister, Laia, before walking off.
“LOOOOOOOK!” Altansarnai came storming through the gates of the estate. Her trousers were coated with red and dried blood covered her hands and arms as she held up a freshly killed quoll. Hermes walked behind her, a proud smile on her face and a basket of fresh kills.
The blue-haired girl presented the defeated quoll over her brother and sisters, “I am the master of the wilderness.”
“AH HA!” Chagatai suddenly pounced from behind a pile of drying straw. Altansarnai flinched and dropped her quoll, her fist coming up as she closed her eyes.
WHAM
Chagatai coughed as her balled fist rammed into his gut and he croaked, “Good... one.” Li peeked out from behind the straw, a wondered look on his tiny face as Chagatai fell to one knee.
Hermes rolled her eyes, “You two, always at it.” She scooped up the quoll and plopped it into her basket. She rested the burden on her hip as she surveyed her children. Chagatai looked up at her with a wince of pain but a small smile, Altansarnai standing proud. Hermes’ eyes fell on the mess of mud and wooden debris, “Oh Wenbo, what happened?”
Poppler whizzed by Hermes and circled Wenbo with a crackle. Hermes rolled her eyes, “I can only imagine what he is saying.”
“Nothing bad, momma,” Chagatai folded his hands after dusting himself off.
“Temüjin ruined it,” Wenbo said sourly and crossed his arms over his chest. “Mom, why are babies always so…” He clenched his fists. “Why--”
“Temüjin?” Hermes looked around, “Where is he?”
“He is in the house, momma,” Bayarmaa hummed as she plotted clumps of clay onto her pot.
Hermes looked back at Wenbo, “I’m sorry, my little honeypot. Maybe Temüjin can play with Li for a little… but baby, don’t forget that you were the little one who used to whack me on the head with a spoon. Give him time to grow up.”
Hermes cocked a brow and let her basket of quolls fall onto her butchering table, “Anyone want to help?” Chagatai ran over eagerly, scooping up a ceramic knife. Altansarnai jostled for her own on the other side of the table. As the two got to work, Hermes pressed her back against the table to look over at Wenbo, she folded her arms inside her cloak.
“How is my little baby anyways?”
“Mooom! I’m--...” He stopped himself and sneered. “... I’m fine. It’s just that, ugh, now I gotta start from the bottom again and--” He pocketed his hands in his robe and wriggled his nose at some bypassing dust on the wind. He looked over at the butchering table and raised a brow at Altansarnai’s attempt to bite the skin off her quoll. “You’re doing it wrong, by the way…” he said with a sigh and went over.
“I know!” Altansarnai frowned and stopped. She stared daggers and Chagatai gave Wenbo a knowing look from behind Altansarnai’s back. As his sister stared on, Chagatai started to make funny faces at Wenbo.
Wenbo’s serious demeanor began to gradually crack apart, snorts of laughter escaping as his mouth contorted into strained, flat smile - one that his eyes could do little to hide.
“W-what?” Altansarnai growled and looked behind her. Chagatai sucked in his lips and made a straight face. Altansarnai groaned and punched Chagatai’s side. The little warrior smiled wide, “For the twins!” He cried as he shoved into Altansarnai. The two fell to the ground, kicking up a small bit of dirt.
“Hey!” Hermes shouted over the wrestling match and the two froze. Chagatai rolled away from the scuffle and sat up.
“But mom,” He defended.
“Chaggie.” Hermes tilted her head.
“For the twins…” Chagatai sighed and stood up defeated.
Then, in a flash of movement, Wenbo snatched the quoll that Hermes had been careless enough to look away from and set off into a sprint towards the dining hall. “The twins will never surrender!” he shouted as he waved the bloody quoll about, spilling all over his sleeve, Poppler crackling madly beside him. He managed to ascend the tiny stone up to the main door to the house, when it was pushed open in a gust of wind by a frowning Xiaoli. Behind her sat Zhongcheng and Ansong, a brother and a sister both frozen in the middle of making dumplings, staring at the bleeding quoll carcass in Wenbo’s hand.
“Wenbo!” she shouted. Wenbo gulped with a quiet ‘uh-oh’.
“Oh, you’re in for it now,” Altansarnai mocked from over by the table. Hermes hushed her, a scared Li clinging to her hand.
Wenbo rose a defensive finger, but Xiaoli held out a stern hand, her brow furrowed to the point where it almost covered her eyes. “Give it here,” she said sharply. Wenbo obeyed mechanically and Xiaoli held the carcass a distance from her body. She grimaced at it and looked back down at her son.
“Wenbo, look what you did to your clothes…” she muttered and shook her head.
“It’s my fault,” Chagatai blurted in Wenbo’s defense. The shirtless warrior shuffled over, “Wenbo was just building his cities.” Hermes crossed her arms and looked up at Xiaoli.
Wenbo looked over his shoulder at Chagatai with a concerned frown, wagging his flat hand over his throat. Xiaoli’s eyes blinked over at Chagatai, then at the part of the garden where the ruins of Wenbo’s civilisation laid. She sighed and walked over to the butchering bench. Wenbo followed along with a hanging head. Meanwhile, Zhongcheng and Ansong shrugged at one another and went back to wrapping dumplings.
“I killed that one, momma,” Altansarnai said as Xiaoli got closer, “Real quick too.”
Xiaoli cocked her head to the side and smiled. “Our little Alta’s getting so fast, isn’t she?” she giggled and knelt down to nuzzle the cheerful girl. “At this rate, you’ll be as fast as your mother soon.” She rose back up and deposited the quoll on the table again. She gave Hermes a weary look.
“Well, killing them isn’t everything,” Chagatai muttered and crossed his arms jealously.
Hermes gave Xiaoli a tiny frown and put a hand on her son’s shoulder, “Don’t worry Chaggie, you have your own skills.”
“I could do it,” Chagatai shrunk, “But Altansarnai doesn’t have to listen to them before they--” He frowned. and Hermes patted his back. Altansarnai rolled her eyes.
“I know,” Hermes straightened out, “Anyways-- Xiaoli?” She looked over at Xiaoli.
“Yeah?” Xiaoli said.
“I’m thinking we should send Wenbo and Chagatai out to the gardens and then to do some shearing. Make up for what they ruined, maybe a little work will ease their abundant energy today,” She eyed the two.
“Mom! We were just playing!” Chagatai defended.
Wenbo stuck a protesting finger into the air. “We haven’t ruined anything! Others have ruined our--”
“Mhm!” Hermes looked at the half wrangled quoll, “I suppose Temüjin wrestled my quoll from the butcher table. You boys know that there is no rough play around the knives.”
“Altansarnai hit me first!” Chagatai whined, “You were there!”
Hermes looked over at Altansarnai then back at Xiaoli. At this point, Li was hiding behind Hermes leg.
“Hap-hap!” Xiaoli snapped at Chagatai. “You know what, I think that’s a stellar idea, sweetgrass,” Xiaoli let out and smiled warmly at Hermes.
“But mom--!” Wenbo began, trying to wriggle out of Xiaoli’s grip. Xiaoli sucked a sharp breath in through her nose, knelt switfly down before Wenbo and glared into his eyes. “Garden. Now.” “Yes, mom,” Wenbo eventually groaned and shuffled towards the gate, nodding Chagatai along.
“Ahhh, snapfruit,” Chagatai groaned and sulked off with Wenbo, Poppler following along. Li peeked out from behind Hermes’ legs.
“Do I have to go too?”
Xiaoli looked down at Li and cocked her head to the side. “Do you want to?”
Li nodded his speckled face.
Xiaoli sighed. “Alright, but take Ai along with you. Someone has to keep you three in check.”
Li ran as fast as his little legs would go, quickly snatching Ai’s hands in both of his and tugging her along, her groaning all the way.
Whereas the garden had started as a humble patch in front of the gates to the mansion, it had since been moved to the nearby grasslands. A few tree-eaters that Chagatai and Wenbo had convinced to stay were lethargically chewing on chopped-up pieces of lumber stacked into small piles. The vegetables were arranged in neat, satisfying rows ontop of tilled earth. Wenbo pouted his lips and kicked a rock.
“You didn’t have to back me up like that, Chaggie,” Wenbo mutter, albeit in a voice that seemed much more grateful than his words.
“You know I always have your back, right or wrong. We are The twins.” Chagatai smiled wide, “I have you, brother.”
“Me!” There was a huff, “too!” Li panted as he ran up to the others, Ai strolling behind.
“Oh yeah? From behind Mom’s back?” Chagatai teased, the joke going over Li’s tiny head.
“Yep!”
Wenbo snickered. “Li, you gotta be more brave than that! Challenge a bit, you know!”
“Like you did with Mother?” Ai said and rolled her eyes.
“Yeah…” Chagatai picked up a hoe and rubbed the back of his neck, “Wen, I don’t think grabbing that quoll was the best idea. You know how quick mom is-- I’m surprised we are just gardening.”
“W-well--!” Wenbo gave Chagatai a look of betrayal. “I thought we were gonna do something big, you know! I didn’t know Mother was in the dining hall. I thought she was up taking care of Temüjin!” Chagatai shrugged and struck the earth.
“No, I was!” Ai snapped and put her hands on her hips. “Now are we going to shear or what?”
“Just don’t shear Old Tenchu,” Chagatai broke up a root, “He doesn’t like it. He says he is too old for it now.” Poppler crackled.
“Yeah, yeah, we know,” Ai muttered and took a stone sickle from the neatly arranged tools placed inside a tiny shed next to them. Wenbo winced and shrugged at Chagatai, mouthing something about the morning, peeing and fruit juice.
“Ai!” Li clung to his sister, “I can’t shear, I’m too little!”
“You always say that,” Chagatai stood up straight, “Go get a basket or something and try and find berries, you remember the ones?”
“Blue!” Li ran off to find a basket. Chagatai shook his head and jutted his chin at Wenbo.
“Do you want to go exploring tomorrow?”
Wenbo smiled wryly. “You bet. Need some new rocks for my new city anyway. Preferably red ones - the palace shall be made out of the finest clay and jewels!”
“Oh!” Chagatai pinched his chin, “You know… I know exactly where to get the best red rocks.”
Wenbo snapped his fingers. “Then that is where we’re going! Wait, where is it?”
Chagatai rubbed his arm over his mouth as he spoke, “errr… moving mountains.”
“No! You can’t go there,” shouted Ai and pointed a stern finger at the two of them, the tree-eater next to her nearly jumping with fright.
Wenbo groaned. “Ai, it’ll be fine! We’ve been there before.”
“And you almost got killed!” Ai snapped back.
“Not ‘spose to go there,” Li waddled up with a half full basket, “Momma said.”
“We didn’t almost get killed,” Chagatai whined, “At best we got a scraped knee or two from a tumble. You make it sound like the Warden in all his might descended upon us.” He nudged Wenbo, “Right?”
“Yeah!” Wenbo agreed. “A twisted ankle and bruised elbows. No biggie!” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Besides, it’s just for some rocks. It’ll be just like a stroll in the woods, if anything.”
“I’m going to tell mom and mother if you go,” Ai said strictly.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Wenbo said and squinted his eyes menacingly.
“She can’t,” Chagatai smiled smugly and nudged Wenbo, “Remember when she was butterfly watching… aaaaannnd someone saw her go too deep into the woods? The sparkles were in the air and everything.”
“Sparkles and everything,” Li repeated for little reason as he mushed a berry between his fingers.
Ai’s face turned near-completely red, her lips pressed together as her black eyes flamed with embarrassment. Wenbo snickered.
“Oh yeeeaaah, I think I remember something like that… So, we got a deal, Ai? We won’t snitch if you don’t.”
Ai cast her gaze down. After a moment, she let out a sharp “fine” and turned back to the tree-eater she was shearing. Wenbo grinned widely at Chagatai and winked.
“So tomorrow after morning chores,” Chagatai nodded.
“Can I come?” Li sparkled.
“No,” Chagatai shook his head, “You’re too little.”
Li frowned and went back to his berries. Chagatai looked back at Wenbo, “If we do it quick, we can come back before dinner and everything.”
“Then it’s settled. Let’s finish this up and pretend like nothing happened - maybe they’ll ease up tomorrow’s chores if we’re good now?”
“Maybe,” Chagatai thought about it, “Mother made sweetgrass pudding for tonight, you know.”
“O-ho-ho-ho,” Wenbo voiced with a blissful smile. “You bet I could smell that all the way into the courtyard. We’re eating dumplings, too!” A quiet rumble revealed just how hungry he actually was.
“Alright, let’s do this fast and properly - I am starving.”
“No dessert for the twins,” Li pouted, “You got in trouble.”
“Bah,” Chagatai waved a hand, “Mom will forget about that, and mother seemed to be in a good mood. Let’s do this.”
”POP!”
Starting at 47.
-6 to teach Shengshese reading and writing to the dreamers -6 to teach clay and clay working to the dreamers -6 to teach the basics of fire and cooking to the dreamers -6 to teach clothing and wool making to the dreamers -6 to teach gardening to the dreamers +1 for minor role +1 for collaboration
ending 19.
Chagatai - 12 Wenbo - 12 Li - 5 Altansarnai - 8 Temüjin - 2 Ai - 11 Bayarmaa - 6 Zhongcheng - 9 Ansong - 7 Laia - 10
Chagatai is out hunting his brother Wenbo with the aid of Poppler when he accidentally hits his younger brother Li instead. The two make up and decide to go find Wenbo.
Wenbo is pissed because Temujin, their youngest brother, is wrecking his mud city. He whines and gets his sister Ai to take him. He then shows his other sis how to make pottery better. Hermes arrives with Altansurnai, who had just killed her first Quoll. Chagatai ambushes Altansurnai but gets a gut punch in respose. The two then go butcher.
Wenbo sees that Altan is doing it wrong and corrects her. She is mad about it and Chagatai mocks her behind her back with Wenbo. She catches on and punches Chaggie. Chaggie tackles her FOR TWIN HONOR. They get in trouble with Hermes, then Wenbo takes it too far and steals Hermes quoll but ggets caught by Xiaoli.
Punishment is dished out and the twins are sent to the garden to work. Ai and Li tag along. Chagatai reveals a plan to get red rocks from the forbidden mountains. Ai argues against it but Wenbo is ready. Chagatai reminds Ai that he has dirt on her for going to a forbidden zone and she drops it. Chaggie and Wen wen discuss the plan
It was a frigid morning. The naked branches of the woods were drizzling with snow like salt from a shaker, and the inhabitants had long since tucked away in their homes and holes. The only sound vibrating through the forest soundscape were two adjacent pairs of steps, denting the snow with low crunches. With a broad smile under his whiskers, an emboldened Jokuanhe led his slightly less bold betrothed Julempe, daughter of old Yupe, between the whitened trees. While they held hands, Julempe struggled to keep the pace of her partner, often falling behind a little. Jokuanhe eventually turned and gave her a sympathetic, wry smile.
“Juley, are you getting tired? Did you forget to eat breakfast again?”
The young girl stopped and twiddled her thumbs sheepishly. “It’s just… We’re really far away from the cave. We haven’t really explored the island yet and, well, we don’t really know what’s out here. The mainland had bears and things - the kind that took grampa.” She hung her head. “Maybe we should turn back.”
Jokuanhe sighed and went over to hug her. “Look, it’s not that far left. I told you, it’s the prettiest place I’ve ever seen. It’s got all these icicles and things that the Skylight shines through - it sparkles like the stars!” He pulled away to see Julempe smiling faintly.
“Like the stars?” she asked softly.
“Just like the stars,” Jokuanhe affirmed and tugged her along. “Come on. It’s just over this hill. With newfound vigour, the selka girl followed along. Eventually after climbing the rocky hillside for what to a selka was a frightening amount of time, the two reached a small clearing at the top, surrounded by grey-barked trees. There trees, however, were far from naked, and in the absence of leaves icicles had taken their place, hanging off the branches like a whiskers off selka lips. Julempe stood gaping, letting out quiet gasps. Jokuanhe grinned at her.
“Told ya, didn’t I?”
“Oh, Jokua…” she started and leaned her head on the taller selka’s shoulder. “This is like nothing I could’ve imagined…”
Jokuanhe wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Happy you like it. Look, if you really squint and look, you can almost see--...” He froze and Julempe frowned at him.
“Jokua, is something wro-Woah!” Jokuanhe pulled her along behind a nearby boulder and put his hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened as she looked up at her partner, who put one finger of his mouth and peeked over the side. There, in the distance, came a great, flying beast.
Serenis shivered, holding her arms close to herself. Even with the protection Kree provided, she could feel the frigid air on her skin. Kree growled curiously as he glanced upward, noticing his companion’s discomfort. Serenis rubbed him gently in response. “I’m alright, Kree. It’s just a little chilly, that’s all.” Things were looking rather depressing for them, though. The tree branches Kree usually ate to stave off hunger were now covered with icicles, making them harder to eat properly. There were few animals they could find to hunt down as well. Serenis wanted to make their journey more comfortable for Kree, but she wasn’t sure what she could do in a situation like this.
Suddenly, Kree began to dive, taking Serenis out of her own thoughts. “Kree? Where are you going?” As they flew closer and closer to the ground, Serenis could see a pair of humanoid seals. Kree landed next to them and began to sniff them, trying to determine if they were edible. The larger of the two stepped in front of the shivering smaller, snarling fiercely at the dragon, yet its eyes betrayed a hint of fear.
“D-don’t touch her!” yelled the larger one.
“Kree, stop it!” Serenis yelled. At once, Kree backed away from the two frightened Selka. Serenis slid off of Kree’s back and walked up to them, bowing. “Please forgive us, he hasn’t properly eaten in a few days,” Serenis apologized.
The smaller selka broke out of her cower and the larger one lowered his guard a little. “Wh-what are you? Are you from the western tribes? You don’t look like Selka!”
“My name is Serenis, and this is Kree,” Serenis introduced themselves. “We’re… visitors from a foreign land, traveling the world and seeing all that the gods have created.” Kree began to grumble, turning his head left and right in search of food. “Umm… we would appreciate it if we could have some food and shelter. We’ve been traveling for a while now, and could do with some proper rest,” Serenis begged, smiling weakly as she put her hands together.
The larger selka lifted his guard again with a scowl, but the smaller grabbed one of his arms and shook her head. She turned to Serenis and smiled. “I am Julempe, daughter of Yupe, and this is my man Jokuanhe, son of Tokuanhe.” Jokuanhe frowned at her for giving away their identities so quickly, but eventually just sighed. “We are of the Wuhdige tribe,” she continued. “We have fish if you want - lots of it, and a cave nea--”
“No! We don’t know you yet! You could just be like one of-... One of the other tribes that lie to steal our things! How do we know to trust you?”
“I’d never do that!” Serenis exclaimed as she took a step back, horrified at the thought. Kree poked his head in and glared at Jokuanhe, instinctively protecting Serenis, but a quick rub on the head calmed him down and he pulled back, returning his attention to the surroundings. “[Please, all I ask for is a place for a day’s worth of rest. I won’t be any bother to you,” Serenis asked again, bowing deeply to them.
Julempe put her right hand in her mouth and looked at Jokuanhe with wide, wet, pleading eyes. The male selka frowned at her at first, though he eventually capitulated with a huff. “Okay, fine,” he groaned and waddled down the hillside. Julempe grinned widely and hopped gleefully in place. She then beckoned along Serenis and Kree.
“Come, friend! The cave is this way!” she said, walked over and eagerly reached for Serenis’ hand to pull her along.
Serenis smiled as she was led along by Julempe. She felt that they were going to get along swimmingly. Kree snorted, then began to follow them. All he could think about was what they were going to eat when they reached their next destination, and hoped it would be something tasty.
The four walked almost two hours, though that was mainly due to the fact that the selka were extremely slow pedestrians. As they broke through the foliage into a clearing not far from the sea, however, Serenis could see between the remaining trees a cave in the cliffside, like a crack down the stone that spread into a triangular doorway into the mountain. A few more selka, mainly females and pups, were playing out in the snow, lobbing snowballs at one another and chasing each other in clumsy gaits. A few of the children came running over to Jokuanhe, who had jogged ahead to greet them. The mothers in the distance smiled at first, but then saw Serenis and froze - they then saw Kree and panicked, hurrying into the cave along with as many pups as they could shepherd. Jokuanhe’s and Julempe’s faces both drained of colour as Tokuanhe, Tokuhe, Yupe, Odende and all of the Elu brothers rushed out with stocks and stones in hand. The eight selka stood snarling and glaring at the newcomers, brandishing their improvised weapons and their sharp teeth.
“Jokuanhe, Julempe! Get behind us! There are two monsters chasing you!” Tokuanhe cried.
“Chieftain, no! They aren’t monsters! They’re actually really nice! Her name is Selenee and the funny dog is named Kolee!” Julempe defended as she picked up one of the pups who were curiously biting at Serenis’ dress, thinking it was a jellyfish. Jokuanhe sighed and shrugged at his father, who still waved his stick as the others lowered theirs with perplexed looks on their faces.
Once again, Kree tried to come to Serenis’ aid, but Serenis was quick to calm him down again. “It’s an honor to be here,” Serenis said, bowing at Tokuanhe and the other Selka who came to confront them. She turned her attention to Kree, realizing that perhaps his large size and threatening appearance would make anyone not used to him uneasy, and came to the conclusion that something should be done about it.
“Come on, Kree,” Serenis clapped her hands twice, and Kree began to shrink down. Kree soon found himself half buried in the snow and scrambled over to Serenis, climbing up and wrapping himself around Serenis’ neck more tightly than usual. Serenis could feel how cold he was, and placed a hand on a portion of his body to help spread a bit of warmth to him. “My name is Serenis, and this is my faithful companion Kree,” Serenis introduced themselves to the Selka. “We are visitors from a foreign land, and we hope to appreciate your hospitality.”
“Appreciate our hospitality?” Tokuanhe said with his fists on his hips, one of them still clutching his trusty stick. Females and pups were beginning to peak out of the cave at the distinct lack of outside commotion. “Just what have you been telling her, son?” He gave Jokuanhe a stern frown.
“Juley said we should bring them,” Jokuanhe said and threw his arms into the air. Julempe stood next to her man and looked pleadingly at Tokuanhe. Meanwhile, the other males slowly began to approach Serenis and stare in awe at this alien creature.
“Please, chieftain! They said they’re really hungry and really cold! We have lotsa fish still, right? We could--” Her words began to quiet as her demeanour shrank before the large, scowling selka that was Tokuanhe. Even Jokuanhe instinctively began to shuffle up in between his partner and his father. The chieftain’s glare soon left the girl, however, and he pointed a fat, grey-furred finger at Serenis.
“Listen here, you! I’m the chieftain around here, and I made a promise a long time ago to not only protect my own family, but to protect all families that are part of my tribe! As a pa, I will not hesitate to wack you if you try to attack my family, got it?!”
“I know about family all too well,” Serenis replied. Placing a hand over her heart, a solemn expression on her face, she added, “I swear neither Kree nor I will harm your tribe, on the honor of Arae, the Goddess of Family.”
The selka all looked at one another. Tokuanhe tilted his head to the side. “The goddess of family? Ain’t heard nothing about her, but…” He sighed and eyed the pups still fruitlessly nibbling at the hems of Serenis’ dress. “... If you say you know family, then we oughta make sure you can return to them. After all, what wouldn’t I do to return to mine…” He squeezed Jokuanhe’s shoulder tightly and smiled. “Come on inside. There’s plenty of fish for you to eat and walls to keep the wind out.”
“Thank you,” Serenis said, nodding to him. It was then that she finally noticed the little pups around her. “Hey now, that’s not for eating, little ones,” Serenis said gently, grabbing the sides of her dress and pulling the hem away from them. The pups kept hopping around her legs for a quick minute before they realised the dress wasn’t coming back down. They then decided to pounce one another, their game slowly turning into a round of catch as they waddled down to the beach. The selka did everything from grinning to cackling, and some even chased after the pups to play. Tokuanhe shrugged laughing.
“Pups,” he mused. “Come now. You must be freezing.” He and the other selka went to the cave entrance.
Serenis followed them inside. The cave ceiling was perhaps a little too low for a lady as tall as her, and forced her to bend down when standing anywhere but the centre. A beam of light shone in through a long crack in the ceiling that stretched from the opening to back of the cave. The cave was full of selka of all ages, most of whom at first cowered up against the wall at the sight of Serenis, but slowly grew more curious than scared at the funny humanoid. Tokuanhe sat down at the far end of the cave next to a female holding a pup, a small girl playing with a stick and a young boy suckling his fist. Tokuhe and Jokuanhe each offered Serenis a raw, juicy cod.
“Please, have a seat wherever you’d like.”
Serenis sat down in front of them, accepting the fish with a smile. It felt rather slimy on her hands, but she tried not to let the disgust show on her face. Instead, she brought it close so Kree could examine it first. Kree gave it a good sniff, then proceeded to snatch it away from Serenis’ hands and jump down to the floor, ripping apart large pieces of the fish as he ate it. Soon there was only a fraction of its skeleton left, which Kree continued to nibble on to get any remaining scraps out of it. The onlooking selka clapping excitedly. Serenis simply watched Kree with contentment, glad that he was getting what he needed.
Agoi was combing her reluctant son Agu’e’s fur with a jagged shell and gave Serenis a suspicious scowl. “Is the fish not to your liking?” she asked and Agu’e tried to use the distraction to escape.
“To be honest, I don’t really need to eat,” Serenis confessed. “Most edible things we’ve been able to find have been given to Kree.” Kree raised his head, but soon realized no one was talking to him and returned to his fish skeleton, scooping out the last eyeball with his tongue and swallowing it whole. Done with his meal, he returned to Serenis and coiled up onto her lap. Agoi sneered and dragged her son back into a tight grip and kept combing him.
“Agoi, stop torturing the poor boy,” Tokuanhe muttered. Agoi stuck her tongue out and rolled her eyes, but Agu’e managed to pull himself out of the hold. “It’s fine, mom, I’m pretty now!” he snapped at her. Agoi put her hands on her hips with an angry frown, but said nothing more.
“So, Selenee,” began the old, quivery voice of Yupe, followed by a pause and the tug of some grey whiskers. “How come you don’t need to eat? Did you eat earlier, perhaps?”
“That is a secret I’d like to keep to myself, at least for now,” Serenis said mischievously. “Also, my name is pronounced ‘Serenis’, not, um, ‘Selenee’.”
“Se-le-neesi…” Tokuhe attempted quietly before Jokuanhe shook his head and elbowed him gently. “No, silly, it’s ‘se-le-neesh!’” Tokuanhe grumbled. “Boys, you’re being silly. She just said it’s ‘se-ren-yees’. Learn to pay attention.”
“O-on second thought, you can just call me ‘Selenee’,” Serenis said hastily, a pained smile on her face. Eager to change the subject, Serenis moved on to say, “So, why don’t you tell me about the families living here? This tribe is quite the sight to behold.” The selka stopped bickering over pronunciation and collected themselves. Tokuanhe stuck a finger in the air and grinned. “Why, naturally! As I am chieftain, I will first present my own family - the Tokuan family! This is my wife, Okako’e, daughter of the Dondweh…” The chubby Okako’e nodded her head. “Pleased to meet you, Selenee,” she said in a silky smooth voice. Tokuanhe pointed at Jokuanhe and Tokuhe. “Those two are my eldest sons, Jokuanhe and Tokuhe. That’s Odante, my eldest daughter, Yukuanhe, my youngest son, and that little furball,” he pointed at the small clump of white fur resembling a rough approximation of a selka, “is my youngest daughter Oka’e. We Tokuans hail from all the way back to the First Beach--!”
“We all do, chief,” came Elop’s snickering voice.
“I know we do, but it sounds really nice to say!” Tokuanhe huffed. “Well, as good a time as any. That one over there is Elop, eldest son of old Elupo who sadly passed on last winter.”
Elop and his siblings hung their heads and beat the chests twice in salute. “Yeah, we miss that old blubber ball sometimes,” he started. “Anyway, I’m Elop. This is my wife, Agoihe.” A timid female, who had been hiding behind Elop while he talked, peeked around him, waved shyly and hid again. Elop sighed and continued, “These here are my brothers Eliap, Jo’eliap and Eliul…” The selka in question all waved excitedly, little Eliul skipping up and down. Elop pointed to six females of various ages. “... And these are my sisters Ego, Egwoi, Yegwa, Agoweh, Aguhe and Ellahe.” The six girls giggled - the oldest two who Elop had identified as Ego and Egwoi were each holding two pups in their arms.
Tokuanhe nodded. “Good kids, the Elus,” he chuckled. “Yupe, share a bit about your kin.”
The old selka shrugged. “Wouldn’t want to overwhelm her either, chieftain, but…” Yupu crossed his arms over his chest and snickered. “Forgive our old man - he’s so careful nowadays, with that hip and all.”
“You be quiet, boy!” Yupe grumbled and wafted his fist at the smirking selka’s face.
“Sure, pa,” he mused. “Anyway, that’s Yupe, my pa. That’s ma, Tuko’e--”
“My sister!” Tokuanhe said and thumbed his chest proudly. Tuko’e shook her greying head and rolled her eyes.
Yupu chuckled. “I’m Yupu, his eldest son. That there is my wife Dondu’e.” A young selka female quickened from her sleep. “Wuh?!” she exclaimed and the surrounding tribesmen cackled. “These are my brothers Yuge, his wife Togo’e, and Yupi, and, uh, our sisters…” He took a deep breath. “Yui, Julempe, Yugege, Joo, Eguyu, Ugu, Yulee and Uyu…”
“You fo’ggot meh!” came a high-pitched squeak from a small, white-furred pup in the back who walked clumsily up to Yupu.
“Oduye, we’re talking about sisters now, not daughters - you’re my daughter.”
“Oh,” Oduye cooed and stuffed her fist in her mouth. “Woopshie…”
“Let’s see, who’s next…” Tokuanhe mumbled. “Odende, you go on. Tell us a bit about the Dondweh!” The muscular selka clicked his tongue between his sharp teeth. He snorted loudly and slapped two beefy males looking to be of equal age on their backs.
“These are my twins boys,” he rumbled. “Dondo’e and Donwah, the strongest boys in the tribe, I say!” The two selka boys hammered their unusually firm chests proudly.
“Now hold it, Odende, I said ‘tell us a bit’, not ‘tell lies’,” Tokuanhe challenged. “You know darn well that Jokuanhe wrestles both of your boys into the sand with his right flipper behind his back!”
“Pa, do you really have to--”
“I ain’t never seen him do no such thing, Tokky - who’s the liar here, HUH?!” Odende boomed and stood up. Tokuanhe also rocketed to his feet.
“We settle this now, you blubber clump,” the chieftain growled.
“You. Me. Outside,” the champion snarled back and stabbed a finger at Tokuanhe’s chest.
“First to fall loses,” the chieftain threatened.
“Prepare to lose, then, ‘chief’,” the champion spat back. The two large selka waddled out of the cave, radiating an oppressively strong aura.
“Oh, joy, here they go again…” Okako’e said and slapped a palm over her forehead.
Serenis greeted each Selka family with a smile and wave, occasionally adding a nod as well. The tribe was very lively, and Serenis could feel the community’s warmth for each other. However, the warm feeling soon disappeared when tensions rose between Tokuanne and Odende. Serenis was left in a panicked bewilderment when they began to leave the cave. “Wait, what?” Serenis said, swiveling her head between the two large Selka and the rest of the tribe. “Wh-what’s going on? What are they doing?”
“H-wahn! Tw-hoo! Threee!” came two voiced from the outside. Okako’e lifted her palm from her face and sighed.
“They are seeing who can lift the heaviest rock the most times… They always do this when they disagree over something.” Jokuanhe, Tokuhe, Dondo’e and Dondwah all hurried out after their fathers to watch - as did many of the girls. Okako’e shook her head. “I’m sorry, this must be odd to an outsider.”
“Well, I certainly haven’t seen such a custom before,” Serenis admitted. “It is odd, but every community has their ways. My role is simply to observe.” It seemed simple enough, really, but Serenis really wondered how such a custom came to be in the first place. There was just so much to learn.
“Our people didn’t have it easy to start off with…” Okako’e continued as she caressed the small, white face of the pup in her arms. “... After we got off the First Beach, there were a lot of fun things - and a lot of bad things… Tokuanhe’s pa, Tokuan, didn’t like life much with all the raiding and fighting, so he gathered his best friends and their families and went south along the tall mountains.” She pointed at the females of different ages sitting in the general area where Odende and his sons had been sitting. “The Dondwehs are Tokuanhe’s most trusted friends, but they lost a lot on the walk here. Odende was only a pup when old Dondweh and his wife were taken by raiders. It was thanks to Yupe that he survived at all,” she whispered. She then pointed to Agoi who still sat nuzzling her unwilling sons, surrounded by eight females, five of whom looking too young to be considered adults. “Poor Agoi may be a little coo-coo in the head, but she actually had four sons about a year ago, as well as a husband. Her husband and her eldest son got taken by fever. She used to be so sweet and kind… Now she only cares about protecting her boys.” She gave Serenis a sad smile. “Oh, but listen to me ramble. Hearing so many new names and stories must be overwhelming.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Serenis reassured her. “And my condolences for your losses,” Serenis put her hands together and bowed slightly.
Okako’e nodded in appreciation. “Thank you, it means a lot to hear that from an outsider, and it’s nice to finally be at peace after so many years of walking and swimming.” The pup on her arm let out a high pitched yawn and smacked its lips. It rolled his head around and stared at Serenis with large, round, black eyes. Okako’e smiled. “She usually doesn’t stare long at people she doesn’t like - I think she thinks you’re pretty.”
Serenis looked at the little pup and gave her a warm smile, reaching over to pat her head, the pup’s fur second in softness only to the expression on its face. “That means a lot to me,” Serenis said. This lasted for a second, then she returned her attention to Tokuanhe and Odende. “How are they doing? Who’s, um, who’s winning?” Serenis asked, gesturing towards the two Selka.
Okako’e peeked out into the daylight just in time to see Tokuanhe smash the large rock into the sand and point at it, shouting some incoherent, yet obviously utterly exhausted, banter at an equally sweaty Odende. The champion squatted down, straightened his back and lifted the rock high above his head, pushing it up and down with strained numbers. Around the two, their sons and many more were cheering them on. Okako’e giggled.
“Odende’s winning. I’ve seen Tokuanhe tired before and I know when he can’t go any longer.” Yukuanhe waddled over to Serenis, plopped himself down next to her and squinted at her pensively. Okako’e smiled wryly. “So, Selenee, what’s your home like?”
“Home…” Serenis said as she began to stare off into space. It wasn’t that long ago since she left Spekatha, but already it began to feel like an eternity to her. “There’s… a lot of grass. Grass as far as the eye can see, maybe even farther than that. There were trees, and lakes too, of all different shapes and sizes. They dotted the landscape. There were… a lot of them. It was a lot of work taking care of them, and I imagine there’s a lot more now. And… it was warm. It wasn’t just the temperature; there was love, too. Lady Arae was very kind. I wonder what she’s doing now…”
Okako’e smiled warmly, as did many of the other selka females who apparently had gathered around Serenis as she had spoken. Quiet coos from pups and the grunting and cheering from the outside were the only sounds breaking the silence that followed. “Your home sounds like a really nice place,” said Yui, eldest daughter of Yupe. There were hums of agreement.
“Is this Lady Alae your ma?” asked Ego, eldest sister of Elop, with a cock of the head.
“Hmm… I guess you could call her that,” Serenis answered. “It’s a little difficult to explain. Lady Arae created my home, and everything in it. Me included. She created the land to track families’ well-beings and maintain them, and I was the land’s sole caretaker.”
The surrounding selka all gaped. “Wah,” Julempe went. “Is… Is she like the big Killon? Can she make things out of thin air?” The others’ eyes widened as they looked between Julempe and Serenis.
“You are talking about… Kirron, correct?” Serenis said. “In which case, yes, very much so. Lady Arae is the Goddess of Family, much like Kirron is the God of… hmm, I can’t recall... but both of them hold very significant powers as gods.”
They sat with their eyes round as discs. In came a triumphantly cackling Odende followed by a shamed Tokuanhe.
“I’m sorry, boys, I lost the f--”
“Your ma is a goddess!” shouted Agoi in a frightened voice and pointed at Serenis. The selka all instinctively firmed up and Tokuanhe and Odende stood gaping.
Serenis looked around, confused. “Is- is that a bad thing?” she asked.
“... N-no! It’s just…” Okako’e started. Tokuanhe pushed himself forward and stood right next to Serenis, his blubbery belly hinting at considerable musculature underneath.
“It’s just that we haven’t ever met someone with a goddess for a ma,” Tokuanhe said. “C-can we have a blessing, please?!”
“Tokky!” Okako’e exclaimed. The large selka shrugged. “W-well, this is my first time asking!”
“A blessing? I’m, uh, well, I-I don’t think I have that kind of power,” Serenis stuttered. “That’s really more of Lady Arae’s abilities than mine. And it doesn’t seem like you need any blessings, either. Just love your tribe and care for them, and I’m sure Lady Arae won’t abandon you in times of need.”
“Oh,” the chieftain said flatly. “W-well, any tips on how we can pray to Alae? Anything she likes? Does she like fish?”
“She gotta like fish. Who doesn’t like fish?” Yupe grumbled through his mustache-like whiskers.
“Lady Arae will take anything as long as you have love in your intentions,” Serenis replied.
“Huh… Well, if love between family is enough, Alae will get plenty of it from us!” Tokuanhe said cheerfully, followed by giggles and whoops from the surrounding selka.
Serenis simply smiled. This tribe of Selka was a lively bunch. She began to silent pray, Lady Arae, should these Selka be in a time of need, please help them. They’ve been through enough.
Jokuanhe and his gee-eff Julempe are exploring the island together. They get to the top of a hill and spot Serenis on Kree. They get hella scared, but Serenis convinces them that she aight and asks they got any food to offer Kree. After some back and forth, Julempe convinces Jokuanhe to bring them to the cave. There, Serenis is again challenged by Tokuanhe and his lads - however, Serenis manages to convince them that she’s good by telling them about how she knows what family is like once Tokuanhe says he’ll do anything to defend his. They head inside the cave and get Kree a fish. While inside, Serenis asks to be introduced to all the families of the tribe. During the introduction, Odende and Tokuanhe disagree over who’s got the strongest sons, so they go outside to see who can lift the most. Meanwhile, Okako’e tells Serenis about the hardships the tribe experienced on the way to Wuhdige island. During the chat, Serenis drops the ‘I’m an avatar’-bomb and the entire tribe suddenly gape widely in awe. Tokuanhe fruitlessly asks for a blessing and Serenis tells them that they can pray to Arae for that. They laugh it off and Serenis drops a prayer to Arae herself, asking for her protection over these selka.
Wenbo gave a battle cry as he ripped his hat off his head and tossed it. Chagatai clapped in support of the movement, having tossed his first. The babies cheered like victorious soldiers and Hermes planted her hands on her hips.
“It's treason, then,” Hermes frowned, “And after all that time Momma Xiaoli put into making them.” Her eyes grew wide with hurt, but the babies seemed immune to the guilt trip, gurgling with laughter.
“Huh,” Hermes poked Chagatai's belly, “That usually works on me.” The little warrior grabbed her finger tightly and she smiled. Wenbo seemed to immediately get jealous and he let out a yell. Hermes poked his belly with her other finger and he giggled. She stood there in front of the bed, both babies on their backs, dressed in their best clothes, a finger on each belly and herself wrapped in a very fine dress. It was a gentle creme, just a shade sweeter than her alabaster skin.
The sliding door exploded and in came Xiaoli, dressed in the finest robes she owned - blue and pink like early twilight, with her characteristic long sleeves nearly reaching her feet. “Uh oh, Momma Xiaoli is coming!” Hermes whispered to the two boys and gave them each a tickle. Xiaoli giggled and walked over to squeeze Hermes’ shoulder.
“Are we ready to begin?” she asked softly and leaned her head against hers.
“Uh huh,” Hermes turned and put an arm around Xiaoli, “Just no hats, apparently.”
“No hats? But Wenbo loves his woolen cap!” Xiaoli picked up the sad, black leather hat and treaded it over the reluctant baby’s head. Wenbo wriggled and wrung about on the bed, whimpering angrily as it reached for the sat to struggled against his mother. Xiaoli huffed and Chagatai giggled.
“Come on, it looks so good on yo--Hey!” Wenbo lobbed the hat off the bed again and gave Xiaoli a scowl. Xiaoli returned the scowl and pursed her lips. “You will not get any mash after the ceremony, is that clear? Nada!” Wenbo frowned and turned his head to the side. Xiaoli sighed.
“I wish they understood me sometimes…” she mumbled.
“You can't let them gang up on you,” Hermes gave a pointed look at Chagatai, “He is the silent leader, goading.” She poked his belly, “Mischievous.”
Hermes scooped Chagatai up, “I bet if Chaggie wore his hat, Wenbo would, too.”
Xiaoli’s frown fell on Chagatai. She snapped a finger and the baby’s hat hopped up from the floor and strolled over to Chagatai’s head. It patted him gently on the forehead, inciting a curious and somewhat horrified coo, and placed itself on his head. Chagatai seemed at first very reluctantly to being trapped underneath a hat again, but as the hat near magically started stroking at his head like a caressing hat, his complaints turned to happy gurgles. Wenbo looked on with jealousy and Xiaoli smirked at him.
“D’aaaw, wookie who wants his hat now, huh…” She booped him playfully on the nose and stroked his tiny face.
Hermes held Chagatai against her shoulder and watched the hat. “I guess being a Divine mother has its perks,” She gave Xiaoli a sly smile, “I'd give Baby Wen-Wen his hat now though, don't need him crying; we have a wedding to go to.”
Xiaoli pulled the leather hat onto Wenbo’s head, inciting a happy coo, and pick him up in her arms, rocking him from side to side as they exited the building together.
The courtyard had been decorated with bouquets of flatland flowers, woven wool carpets and symbols and characters cut from coloured leaves. Centered in the middle were two pillows facing the dining hall, flanked on the left by a small twin cradle and flanked on the right by a steaming teapot and four cups. The dining hall doors were covered with large fronds cut into the characters for “pair” and “joy”. Xiaoli went over to the cradle and deposited Wenbo. She then put her hands on her hips and sighed. Hermes walked by and placed Chagatai down, turning as Xiaoli began to explain.
“Right, so… Normally, the ceremony would have, uhm, a lot more people - including our parents, who would officially unite us together. However, as His Lordship sadly couldn’t make it due to… An unfortunate incident with the Despot of Flames, and His Holiness K’nell being unreachable, we will have to improvise a little…”
“Nonetheless, have no doubt in my mind that it will be as splendid as any other marriage, if not tenfold in truth and love,” K'nell suddenly announced, the Gentleman under the gateway at the start of the courtyard.
“WAH! Your Holi--” Xiaoli exclaimed before she tossed herself to the ground like a soldier avoid artillery. “Your Holiness, forgive this servant for assuming Your sacred self did not receive the invitation.”
“Think nothing of it,” K'nell waved a hand, “But please, stand. I cannot bear to think of the bride wearing dust on her otherwise beautiful robes.”
Hermes seemed to finally thaw from her surprise and a massive cheshire grin overtook her face, “K'nell!”
The god easily matched her cheshire grin, “In the flesh --or well-- you understand, surely.”
Xiaoli rocketed to her feet and dusted off the robes. “W-well, this is.. Perfect! Your Holiness could legitimise the bond!”
“I can, and will, my dear,” The god strolled into the courtyard, “You will have to do one thing that I fear is unorthodox in both Shengshi and my own's thinking, however.”
“What is it?” Hermes asked.
“I cannot bear to bring myself to inflict an inconsistency on this cultural occasion,” K'nell explained, “And thus Xiaoli will have to grant me instruction on how such a wedding is legitimized in the Shengshese manner.”
Xiaoli froze. She raised a shivering hand and pointed to herself and looked between K’nell and Hermes. “W-wait… Your Holiness surely cannot be suggesting--...” Xiaoli looked down. “Th-this servant has never addressed any superior in the manner a teacher would a student - well, save for His Lordship on occasion… With all due respect, Lord Sovereign of Sleep… This…” She looked one more time at Hermes who gave her a supportive nod. “This servant is not certain it can act in such a manner.”
“Very well,” K'nell took a step forward, “Then with your permission, I shall accustom myself to the tradition vis a vis a shallow look into…” He tapped his head, “With your permission, of course.”
“O-oh.” Xiaoli cooed uncertainly, but then she nodded. “Of course, Your Holiness. That goes without saying.” She knelt down into a seiza position and inclined her head. K’nell extended to hand and put a finger on her forehead. A moment passed and the finger retracted.
“Thank you, dear,” K'nell motioned with a hand, “Let us see this marriage through.” Hermes smiled wide and clasped a hand onto Xiaoli's. Xiaoli nodded and hurried off to the gateway. She turned the corner and a quick moment passed, ended by the slow entrance of Xiaoli. While they had initially planned for there to be an absence of music due to a lack of personnel, K’nell’s mere presence brought with it the familiar orchestral aura of the Palace, filling the air with the pipes and flutes needed to complete the atmosphere. A mist of cloudlings lead by Poppler himself danced and bobbed around the ceremony.
Xiaoli’s cheeks flushed and she gave her betrothed a playful, grinning stare. As Xiaoli approached, Hermes took her place behind the pillow on the left - Xiaoli stood by the pillow on the right. Together, they knelt down and inclined their heads to K’nell who, with excellent enthusiasm, spoke his lines:
“Hermes, my daughter, what would you ask of your father on this occasion?”
While she was trying her best, Hermes kowtowed rather clumsily onto the pillow due to her dress. She paused for a moment as she adjusted her knees properly, but resumed the ceremony with vigour. “Father, I bring the woman I want to take as my wife. She has been my rock, my support throughout, well, most of my existence by now. I ask for your permission to marry her.”
K’nell nodded and eyed Xiaoli up and down with a playful smile. “And what would the lady offer my family?”
Xiaoli kowtowed near mechanically onto her pillow. “Father. This-...” She looked to the side and took a deep breath. “... I am of Shengshese blood and bond. Our two families would have much to gain from the union and, well, Hermes is my everything. I live for her now - her and our children.” She felt her eyes moisten a little and cleared her throat. She turned right and poured some tea into one of the cups. She cupped it in both her hands and offered it to K’nell with a bowed head.
“Father, I offer you tea to honour you and to wish you good health and a long life.”
K’nell took the cup and sipped it elegantly. “Yes… This is quite good. You honour me with your filial piety, daughter. It is true that our two families united as one would bring us much, but I would rather you two marry for the love you share between you. You have my permission.” He put down the cup.
“I believe that concludes the ceremony?” he said and folded his hands together. Xiaoli nodded.
“That would be it! Now we are married, Hermes!” Xiaoli exclaimed and tossed her hands around her neck. Hermes seemed to burst with joy, rocketing into Xiaoli's embrace and planting a massive kiss on her cheek before trapping her into a tight squeeze. The dancing cloudlings erupted into pops of praise and Poppler buzzed around the newly weds. K'nell flashed a big smile and gave a soft clap of his own.
“I'm so happy,” was all Hermes managed, her face hidden from Xiaoli, but the tone cracked with tearful joy.
“I am, too!” Xiaoli squeezed through happy sulks. She rubbed her face so hard against Hermes’ that she nearly could have scraped up her cheek.
“I’ll always be yours,” Hermes all but whispered, “Always.”
“And I, yours. Always.” The embrace lasted long enough to be interrupted by impatient gurgles from the cradle. A hat that no longer seemed willing to massage, but was instead quite ordinary again, flew out of the cradle and onto the stone tiles of the courtyard. Soon enough, another hat flew out on the other side. Xiaoli huffed a little.
“Well, I suppose someone had to demand the wedding banquet be served. I’ll go and set the dishes, dear. Fath-- I mean, Your Holiness, will You be joining us for dinner?” Xiaoli asked as she slowly pulled out of Hermes’ wrestling-like grip.
“I don't see why I shouldn't,” K'nell answered, “This feels like the perfect occasion to utilize Shengshi's own gift of fine spirits.”
Hermes let her arms fall away from Xiaoli, “Then it's settled.” Her smile was nigh permanent. She quickly tugged Xiaoli back close for a moment, “Oh Xiaoli.”
The Dreamer snuck a hand down the collar of her own dress for a moment and procured a small trinket. In her now open palm was a small coil of dark woolen yarn, fit to be worn around the neck, with a rough fingertip sized pebble of dark swirling colors tied off to one end. She pushed the gift towards Xiaoli, “I wanted to make a small symbol, so even when we are off doing our own chores you can look down and know I'm thinking about you.”
Xiaoli clasped her hands over his mouth as her eyes widened into teary saucers. “Hermes! It’s so beautiful!” She took it slowly and bound it around her neck. She looked down and lifted it up from her neck to see. “How does it look on me?”
“Everything is beautiful on you,” Hermes soaked in her newly wedded wife and smiled almost drunkenly. Xiaoli bit at her lower lip and gave her a wet peck on the lips.
“As it so happens, I have a gift for you, too. It’s in the dining hall.” She leaned her forehead against hers. “I was supposed to keep that a secret, but you’ve made me all giddy now…” She looked to the side to see K’nell again, her brow sweating a little. She pulled slightly away and cleared her throat. “S-so, want to see your gift?”
K'nell seemed to avert his gaze with a certain amusement as Hermes nodded vigorously, “Show me?”
Xiaoli stood up with a smile. She went over to the cradle to pick up the children, though Chagatai seemed a little more reluctantly to being carried on a single arm. Xiaoli huffed. “Hermes, would you take Chagatai, please?” She held the cooing Wenbo against her shoulder and went to the paper doors of the dining hall.
As she pulled them apart, a thousand sweet, savoury and flowery scents filled their noses. The fragrance of the food and drink filled every nostril with almost intoxicating effects. The centre table nearly overflowed with plates and pots of food and jugs of drink, and behind the table stood a wooden mannequin. It was dressed in a fine, brown leather vest, adorned with embroideries in a multitude of colour. The inside was laced with a thin layer of linen stuffed with wool. Along with the vest was a pair of linen pants with leather kneecaps and a belt to hold it up. Xiaoli put one of her hands on her hip and hoisted Wenbo up, inciting a gurgle as he turned his curious head around to inspect the foods lying around.
“It was hard to make that without you seeing it. What do you think?”
Hermes juggled Chagatai over to her other shoulder so she could lean forward and soak it in, “Xiaoli, it’s wonderful!” Her eyes drifted to the food and her smile grew, “Mmm, perks of a divine wife, huh?” She winked.
“I suppose, though concealing the fermented cabbage was especially tricky. I’m happy you fell for my bluff earlier - you know, when I told you Chagatai farted like never before.” She gave her a sly smirk.
“Mhm,” Hermes made a concerned face, “Maybe leave fart talk out of the dining room, though? I want to enjoy your food with the cleanest palate possible.”
“Well, uh, of course! A silly joke, was all.”
“I know,” Hermes rubbed her back with her free hand, “Let's eat?”
“Sure! Take your seats, please! Everything is ready and waiting!” Xiaoli waited for the others to enter before she entered herself and put Wenbo in a tiny baby chair fashioned from sticks. He gurgled curiously and wafted his hands towards the food, not quite able to reach due to the chair. Xiaoli then poured drinks for everyone from a pitcher.
Hermes plopped Chagatai down as K'nell took a seat. Poppler zipped into an extra cup filled with sweetgrass juice and crackled happily. The sleep God lifted his own drink, “I suspect you four are--” He raised a brow at the cloudling for a moment, “Five are finding Tendlepog to be quite hospitable?”
“Oh, most hospitable, Your Holi--... This is going to take some getting used to… Most hospitable, Father,” Xiaoli said with a sheepish, uncomfortable grin and stroked Wenbo’s down-like hair. Hermes seemed a little uncomfortable at the mention too, sipping at her drink. It took a second of thought but K'nell eventually broke the awkwardness.
“I suppose I have taken to quite a fatherly role lately,” K'nell supported Xiaoli, “The title is appropriate, think nothing of it.” Hermes seemed to relax at this, putting a hand over Xiaoli's.
“It’s just… It’s customary for the married couple to address their partner’s parents as if they were their own. It’s a… Nice tradition, I think.” Her cheeks blushed and she squeezed Hermes’ hand back. “O-oh, by the way, please eat, You--Father!”
“Oh I understand, and I agree,” a bowl slid in front of K'nell and he procured a silver spoon out of thin air, scooping the broth. He swallowed, “I expected nothing less than perfect, and I got what I expected. Very well done, Xiaoli.”
“So I have a question,” Hermes suddenly piped up after falling silent for a while. All eyes turned to her and she cleared her throat, “Does this mean that you are my parent?”
“This is tricky,” K'nell held up a finger, “My respect for you two goes far, much too far for me to simply say yes and leave it at that. Hermes, as you know our original arrangement stands as it ever did, I suspect it has never left your mind?”
“You are my God and I am your creation,” Hermes nodded almost mechanically.
“Quite so,” K'nell continued, “Now as your God and creator it would be absolutely malicious of me not to resemble some sort of guiding figure, in this case that of a loving God towards my creation -- to which I do and to which I am. You may call me father in the same breath as you may call me your God and you may claim me as a parent in the same breath you can claim my unconditional love for you. There is little difference in this case, but know that this form of parentage is beyond a simple parental arrangement. Does this make sense?”
“It's… Greater?” Hermes strained in thought.
“Precisely,” He turned to Xiaoli, “Hermes has had the liberty of pondering this arrangement of God and creation since the very first of ages. I suspect this could be slightly less obvious to you, forgive me if I'm incorrect, but do not hesitate to ask a question should it be so.”
“Believe me, Y--Father, I am already incredibly confused about the possible ways this whole arrangement breaks with the five relationships. You are simultaneously a God, to which a lowly being like this servant owes unconditional respect and worship; yet, in the ceremony, You filled the role of Hermes’ father, making You mine as well. A parent is, naturally, also owed unconditional respect and even love, but the ways of addressing and acting are so--...” She sighed and picked some pieces of food onto her plate. “... It’s just a bit perplexing.”
“Then forgive me as I add to the confusion when I say: I represent what best makes sense to those onlooking. I am exactly who I am, and nothing more and nothing less -- but what that is…” He trailed off as he noticed Hermes’ eyes glaze over, “I am as far as you may see, my dears.”
Xiaoli blinked. “I… I see,” she said curtly and mashed up some soft carrots, noodles and cabbage into a yellowish mash which she scooped up into a spoon and fed to Wenbo. “As far as we may see,” she mumbled to herself quizzically.
“Well,” Hermes shook her head as if jumbling her thoughts, “That's quite a lot to-- well think about.” K'nell smiled politely and Hermes touched Xiaoli's arm, “You'll have to tell me what it means later.”
“I apologize for such a breach on this day,” The God spooned some soup, “Just know that I am proud of you both.”
“Oh! Nothing to apologise for, F-Father! Your presence truly finalised the ceremony! We are truly thankful that You came.” She grinned from ear to ear and accidentally poked the spoon into Wenbo’s cheek, inciting a confused gurgle. Chagatai grasped at the air in Wenbo’s direction, whining in jealousy at the food. “Chagatai, I’ll be right there,” Xiaoli sighed.
“Oh, I got him, Xiaoli,” Hermes leaned over and grabbed a tiny bowl and mashed up some food. Xiaoli nodded with a smile and wiped the mess off of Wenbo’s face, who waved his hands around frantically while he chewed the resistance-less mass of vegetables.
Chagatai let out a demanding yell, silenced by a sudden spoon to his mouth. He clamped down and Hermes smiled, “Very goooood.” She cooed.
K'nell rubbed his chin, “Very good, indeed.”
Wenbo blurted out a ‘wah’ to answer Chagatai, causing half the mouthful of food to spill onto his shirt. Xiaoli huffed and cleaned the mess up with a rag. “Such a messy little boy…” she mumbled with a wry smile. “I wish His Lordship was here. He hasn’t met the children yet,” Xiaoli said with a sad sigh.
“Oh yeah!” Hermes dabbed the end of a spoon at Chagatai’s closed lips, “He’d love them, I’m sure. Oh, I can’t wait to take them out on the plains when they are older.”
“Hopefully, they will be better at chasing tree-eaters than I am,” Xiaoli said with a chuckle and had a sip of her drink. She caressed Wenbo’s round cheeks tenderly and the child looked curiously at her, releasing a ‘prrt’ through his lips.
“If I may,” K’nell seemed to be stifling a small chuckle behind a smile, “Well, firstly I’m delighted to know that my beasts of the plains have been given such a direct yet charming name. But more importantly, I should mention that your children will be doing much better than simply being better at chasing those beasts.”
Xiaoli raised a brow. “Pardon my asking, but what do you mean?” She pinched a piece of cabbage with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.
“I suppose in concert with my previous musings, that may better be left to secret ponderings,” K’nell said, “Just know that I did not come to your wedding without a gift of my own, one that your sons will benefit from as they grow and thrive on my lands.” The god looked over at each of the boys, and they fell silent as they stared back for all but a moment, a gentle twinkle in each eye. Eventually Chagatai broke the stare with a mirthful laugh, inciting Wenbo into a concert of giggles.
Xiaoli’s eyes went wide. “A-a gift, Father? For our boys?” She shuffled a little away from the table and bowed forward into a kowtow. “Your generosity is legend.”
“Thank you,” Hermes recited, “Thank you so much.”
“But of course,” K’nell finished his soup and let the silver spoon lay in the empty bowl. He slowly went to stand up, “And a final word if I may: I plan on taking the Shengshese drinks back to Limbo as no good gift is wasted, yes? But please,” K’nell insisted, “Help yourself to a few pots of the liquor you have been storing for me, especially on such a night as this.”
“Oh, we couldn’t possibly! You are much too generous, Father!” She shot a quick scowl over at Hermes and folded her arms together. “Besides, Hermes is prohibited from taking in inebriating substances.”
“Even on our wedding night?” Hermes gave her a guilty look, slowly standing so K’nell wasn’t the only one up. Xiaoli kept the frown, though it slowly began to break into a wry smile. She sighed.
“Well, I suppose this -is- a special occasion… But I set the limit on the number of cups you can drink, is that clear?” Xiaoli got to her feet, as well.
“Very clear,” Hermes smiled wide, a glisten in her eye. K’nell folded his hands and cleared his throat.
“Very good, then,” He nodded, “It was a pleasure to see you two legitimized in marriage, and a pleasure to both meet your sons and eat your supper, but I must be going now.”
“So soon?” Hermes looked over and K’nell nodded.
“I’m afraid so.”
Xiaoli nodded somberly. “Well, please know that You are always welcome here at the manor whenever You may wish to come. Our table will always have a seat for You, Father.” Xiaoli bowed deeply.
“Of course, thank you dear,” K’nell tipped his forehead and turned, “Until next time.” The babies cooed as he left, the door sliding behind him. Hermes looked over at Xiaoli and a smile began to creep across her face.
“I get to try Shengshese drinks,” She nearly sang.
”Pop!” Poppler erupted from his cup and danced beside her head, clearly just as excited.
“One glass to start off. If that doesn’t knock you out after thirty minutes, you may have another,” Xiaoli said sternly.
“Should-- should we wait for the babies to go to sleep first?” Hermes asked. A disagreeing crackle sounded from the cloudling, and Wenbo let out a curious ‘wah’, soliciting a echoe from Chagatai.
“We can put them in their cradles first, yeah,” Xiaoli agreed. She picked up little Wenbo who looked around quizzically and held him against her shoulder. She then slid the door back up and walked towards the family house.
Poppler zipped into Hermes’ hair as she quickly followed behind holding the other baby. A giddy laugh was in her throat, causing baby Chagatai to giggle along with her.
The small group entered entered the family home, the bedroom all tidy and neat. Hermes looked down at Chagatai, “You sleepy, Chaggie?”
The baby looked up with a scowl and Hermes rolled her eyes, “C'mon you must be full and drowsy after alllll that food.” Chagatai’s scowl slowly faded as his eyelids grew heavy, and disappeared completely as the result of a wide-mouthed yawn.
Hermes blinked and look up at Xiaoli, “Well that's never been that easy before.” She put Chagatai in his crib and outstretched her arms to take Wenbo. Xiaoli gently placed him in Hermes’ arms and she deposited him in his crib.
Hermes put her hands on her hips as she looked down at the blinking baby, “Sleep time, Baby Wen-Wen.”
The baby seemed reluctant at first but after a few minutes into the staring match he conceded with a yawn and rolled onto his stomach. Hermes rubbed his back until he fell into a slow breathing rhythm. Xiaoli then promptly rolled him back onto his back, though she was careful to not wake him.
“He breathes better this way,” she whispered and squeezed Hermes’ hand. “Now… Would you like to celebrate our marriage?” She smiled and bit her lip slightly.
“You owe me a drink first,” Hermes poked Xiaoli's side.
Starting FP: 06 MP: 02
K’nell: Blessed Wenbo and Chagatai with the ability to speak with the creatures of Tendlepog and beyond, -2FP
remaining
MP:2 FP:4
I bet you all thought we forgot about this one, well fuck off. Hermes is seen dressin the babies for a big event, but they are being little shits. Xiaoli busts in all beautiful like oh shit time to get MARRIED. The group exits stage left and enters the courtyard which is all ready for the wedding. K’nell shows up with Poppler and cloudlings and legitimizes the marriage Shengshese style. They all sit down for some supper and K’nell explains the nature of who he is and then blesses the twins. Hermes then talks Xiaoli into letting her drink and now I’m really concerned about her addictive personality. The end.
The sea breeze tickled at the late autumn leaves of the tall trees by the beach. Birds tweeted their sweet songs to the rhythm of the wind and either looked diligently for places to rest for the winter, or had begun their trek northwards to warmer climates, their feather coat simply too thin for the winters this far south. In the woods, the bears were fattening up for the incoming seasonal change and looking around for caves to hibernate it. Deer, boars and other prey of the forest were biting and digging at the last grass and roots of the year, trying their best to scrape together enough fat to survive the cold. The weather around the island grew sourer and sourer in this time, with cold rains and bitter winds cutting at hide and fur like icy knives. The tall trees walled off some of the storms, yet only the hills in the island centre provided any shelter from the northern gusts. A curious, small hound, one of the few that existed on this island, scraped its weak legs against the grey sand on the southern beaches. It had not eaten for days - its competitors snatching far larger chunks of that rabbit they had found the other day. The starving hound had hoped to find a bird’s nest or perhaps a rotting fish on the beach, but it seemed like no such luck would grace the dog today. The weight of its body grew unbearable, and it collapsed onto the grainy shore, letting its black eyes stare out across the sea, fragmented between ice sheets. It heightened its gaze to see the familiar shadow of tall mountains keeping the true winter winds locked at the pole. The dog panted for air, knowing its minutes were numbered now. A fragile existence - finally broken by the force of nature. It closed its eyes and breathed out.
Waves crashed against the shore. The ear-shattering sound of ice sheets colliding filled the soundscape momentarily, then disappeared completely. The wind ran past the hound’s ear, then grew stiller than set snow. An anomaly broke the pattern of the waves.
“Look!” came a high-pitched voice. The hound’s crusted eyes would not open at first - it was as if even those muscles were spent. The muffled sound of steps in sand approached it - they were many. Perhaps it was his pack, or a rival pack. The hound found itself beginning to whimper, yet no sound exited its mouth. Fruitlessly, it attempt to kick off and run, but it barely managed to move its paws, even.
“You think it’s dead?” another voice said.
“‘Course it ain’t! It just moved!” said another slightly louder. Were they challenging one another for the chance to bite into it, the dog pondered. An odd way to go - barely a scrap of meat on its bones, yet it would be fought over like it was a fat boar. Oh, how the hound longed for the taste of boar…
“Oi, chief. Could we spare a fish for it? I think Odante wants to keep it.”
“W-well, it’s cute!” came a particularly high-pitched voice.
The hound finally managed the strength to open its eyes, but the image remained unfocused. All it saw were surrounding shadows, perched over it like vultures over carrion. It decided to close its eyes again - no use staring such a pathetic death in the eyes, anyway.
There came a rumbling grumble. “Let us hope that it will remember the faces of its helpers, then.” There came a high-pitched giggle before something crashed into the sand before the dog’s snout with a wet slap. A stink filled his nose - a strong one, for certain, but an intoxicating one. The hound began to salivate and its mouth parted to unleash its tongue upon the object. It was slimey and sandy, with a rough, scaley texture. The dog concluded that it had to be some form of food, so with its remaining strength, it parted its jaws again, leaned it head forward a little more in the sand, and bit into the object. Oily blood squirted forth into the hound’s mouth, recharging its energy in a flash. The next bite was eager; the next after that, even more so. Before long, the clouded vision became clear and the hound’s belly was, for the first time in days, full. Not even the fish bones remained as the dog happily licked its lips and looked at its saviours. They were tall and furry, most notably bipedal with a strange legs stick out of their shoulders that did not end in feet or paws at all. One of the creatures reached forth one of those funny limbs and began to scratch it behind the ear. It was an odd sensation, but not an unwelcome one - not that that very ear had been filling with sand for longer than it could recall.
“Oh, look at hiiiiiim! He sho cuuuute!” came the very high-pitched voice again, the source being the creature patting him affectionately. “What should we call him?”
“It’s your pet,” came the gruffy voice from before. “You will name it yourself.”
“Oh, really! Hmm…” The creature lifted its other arm. The hound grew uncomfortable at the attention - the crowd around it grew ever thicker.
“I think I will call it Hodinki!” said the voice. The volume was loud, louder than the dog had anticipated it being. It pulled itself from the creatures grasp and sprinted for the woods. It ran and ran, even as more calls and shouts hounded at ever quieting volumes. Finally, as it had come deep enough into the whitening woods, it dared turn and look back. They had not pursued. The hound looked forward again. Its pack was not far. Perhaps it could join them for a hunt tomorrow, now that it had eaten again. The hound looked back again. Then again, perhaps there would be more fish for it if it ever went back to those strange creatures.
The hound looked forward again and began to trot back to its pack. Silly to think strange creatures would just give away food for free like that.
“WAAAAAAAA-HA-HAAAAA!” Odante cried as she knelt into the sand. Behind her stood her brothers Jokuanhe and Tokuhe laughing their blubber off. The gruffy grumbles of their father managed to silence their chortles, however, and the large selka knelt down to pat his daughter on the shoulder.
“Such things happen, daughter,” the selka said. “It was starving, but we helped it out. Now, it has probably gone home to its own family.”
“Buh-but…” The selka child rubbed the tears out of her large eyes and sniffed. “I wanted it…” “You can’t own living things, daughter. They have lives and families of their own. Another one will surely come to greet us in time.”
Odante wiped some snot out of her whiskers and let out a single, “hmph”. The larger selka squeezed her shoulder and stood up. He turned to his sons.
“Take Yupu and Aga and find us a cave or something. The wind is mean today.” The brothers nodded, slapped the other selka in question on the back and set off in a wobbly trot along the coast. “Okako’e, come here.”
A chubby selka female dragging one white and grey selka toddler by her one arm and carrying a white-furred pup on her other, came over to the chieftain. “What is it, husband?” she asked softly. The large selka’s lips curved into an affectionate smile and he caressed the small pup nuzzled up against her bosom.
“Did everyone make it ashore?” His gruff voice carried in it a gentle warmth. Okako’e returned the smile and looked down at the pup. The toddler holding her hand stuck his other hand in his mouth and sucked on it absentmindedly.
“Yeah, as far as I can see. The Yupas, the Dondwehs, the Agohs, the Elus, all have made it.”
The large selka furrowed his brow. “What about the Wogwehs?”
Okako’e shook her head. “They never left the shore, my love.”
He grumbled and shook his head. “I see they weren’t too sure about the long swim. I hope the winter will be easy on them regardless. The shores should still be brimming with fish - they can still gather some before the white sheets form again.”
Okako’e nodded and looked outwards to the sea. “On that note, we should probably fill our stores, too. When our sons come back, we'll take the tribe to our new home. Send some of the men and scout the waters. We need to make certain there will be fish there for the winter.”
The large selka nodded with a gruff ‘mhm’. “Odende, Yupe, Yuge, Yupi, Dondo’e, Donwah, Agu’e, Agu’yo, Elop, Eliap, Jo’eliap and Eliul - to me.” The twelve males of varying ages, the youngest, Eliul, being barely a teenager, and the eldest, Yupe, whose fur had begun to whiten again, all came up to the large selka. He nodded at them. “I know you are tired from the journey, but we only brought with us enough fish to live on for maybe…” He counted his fingers. “... A few days! Therefore, we gotta get more. Yupe, take your sons west and see what you can find where the sheets end.”
“Yes, chieftain,” Yupe said and beckoned along Yuge and Yupi, who both ended up supporting the old selka as he waddled away slowly.
“Odende, take your sons and the Agoh boys and fish in the waters from where we came. There, at least, we know there is some food.” “Right away, chief,” said Odende with a grin and pulled along Dondo’e and Donwah. Agu’e and Agu’yo looked to their mother, Agoi, who gave them each a quick hug.
“You two be careful, alright? Remember what the waters can ho--”
“Let the boys go fish, for Kirron’s sake,” the large selka said with a wry grin. Agoi stared daggers at him before kissing her sons goodbye, both of whom reluctantly accompanied the Dondwehs with sheepish frowns on their faces.
“They ain’t gonna grow up to be proper boys when you treat them like pups all day, Agoi,” the large selka grumbled.
“How I treat my boys is none of your business, Tokuanhe,” the woman said in a surly manner, stomped over to a rock and sat herself down. Tokuanhe rubbed his nose and put his hands on his hips.
“Maybe it ain’t, but all I know is that we all have to work together to survive - and boys reluctant to fish make for poor partners.”
Agoi pouted and looked away. Tokuanhe let out a gruff sigh and pointed to the final four males. “Elu brothers, you will take the western waters. Don’t walk too far - we still don’t know this island very well.”
“Got’cha, chief,” the four brothers said in varying voice pitches. The eldest, a young male named Elop, picked up Eliul and placed him on his shoulders, much to the younger brother’s displeasure. “Let me down, Elop!” he shouted angrily, kicking and waving his arms about to the sound of the surrounding laughter. The brothers all set off westwards in a slow stroll.
The wind began to blow again and the toddler holding Okako’e’s arm began to whimper. She looked down at him and then at the toddlers and pups in the arms of the other surrounding females.
“Yukuanhe and the others are getting cold,” she said. “How long does it take to find a cave?”
Tokuanhe shrugged. “There are usually quite a few of them by the sea - granted, this is not a particularly rocky island. The caves are bound to be further in.” The women turned to him with varying degrees of frowns.
“How far away from the sea?” Agoi asked bitterly. Tokuanhe shrugged again.
“Dunno. I suppose we will have to wait until the boys return. Aga’s probably slowing them down.” The large male smirked smugly at Agoi, whose face turned a dark shade of purple.
“Why, I have neve-- You take that back right now, Tokuanhe!” The surrounding females all began to chuckle and chortle, waking a few of the groggy, sleeping pups. The chieftain crossed his arms over his chest and let out a loud guffaw. Agoi stomped over to him and began to slap at his large arms fruitlessly, further fueling the laughter.
“What’re we all laughing at?” came a voice behind them. The group turned in a hurry to face a grinning Jokuanhe. Tokuanhe grinned back and walked over to squeeze the shoulder of his son tightly and give his chest a light bump with his fist.
“We’re laughing at how you outran Aga like the beached seal he is!” the chieftain said and looked over the shorter selka’s head. “You did outrun him, right?” he whispered.
“Pa, of course, I did! He didn’t even come with! The rest are in the cave making preparations.”
“Oh,” Tokuanhe mumbled, seemingly a little disappointed. “Well, you -did- outrun him on the way there, right?”
Jokuanhe’s smile turned wry and he sighed. “Yes, pa, I sure did.”
“Haha! That’s my boy,” the chief exclaimed and bumped him again. “Now, where’s the cave?”
“Right, the cave. Come on, I’ll show ya.” Jokuanhe headed back into the woods. Tokuanhe gathered up the females and children and began to shepherd them after Jokuanhe.
“Oh, Agoi - you’ll stay here and wait for the others.”
“Why me?!” Agoi exclaimed in outrage.
“Because someone needs to guide your boys to their new home, that’s why,” he said with a smirk and walked off. Agoi stood dumbstruck for a moment before she angrily kicked a pebble and seated herself on the rock again.
Okako’e shook her head with a wry smile. “That was a little too far, my love. I would gladly have stayed behind.” Tokuanhe shook his head and dove under a snow-covered branch.
“She’s the only one without any pups - unless you count her grown sons. The children come first, simple as that.”
“I suppose so,” Okako’e conceded with a sigh. “Jokuanhe, how far away is it?”
“Just over here,” Jokuanhe answered as he skipped over a fallen trunk and into a dip in the terrain, which at one end led to a wide cleft between two small, stoney hills, floored with a small stream. “In there,” he said and pointed. “The ceiling curves inwards on the inside - makes for good cover against both snow and wind.”
Tokuanhe nodded. Tokuhe came running out of the cave with a wide grin on his whiskered face. “Ma, pa, you came! Come on in! Yupu’s gathered some dry leaves and made the ground all soft!” The young selka then went inside again. Tokuanhe grinned at Okako’e. “We have such great boys, don’t we?”
“What about me?” Odante pouted.
“Oh, and daughter, of course,” the chieftain added and rubbed the young selka’s furry little head. Then, they entered.
The cave was vast on the inside despite the small opening, with a ceiling tall enough that the selka would not have to squat most of the time - at least in the centre. Tokuanhe wagered it could fit the whole tribe plus a few more. The floor was flat and relatively even, with only a few bumps and shelves interrupting the mostly smooth texture. The top of the ceiling had a long crack in it that split the room in two with a long, thin wall of light that extended to the entrance. The stream in the middle of the cave was small, but could probably provide drinking water for the whole tribe. Tokuanhe carved out a spot for his family and sat himself down against the wall, his long back forcing him to slouch. Okako’e handed him the pup and wrapped her arms around the curious toddler who was seemingly testing its fangs’ effect on a pebble. Odante let out a loud ‘ah!’ and tried to pull the pebble out of her little brother’s mouth before he swallowed it. Jokuanhe and Tokuhe both grinned at the spectacle alongside their father. Meanwhile, the other families begun to settle in, dividing the cave up among the five families. The Yupas and Dondwehs settled closest to the chieftain’s family, whereas the Agohs, spearheaded by surly Agoi, placed themselves the furtherst away. The Elus, being the largest family, took up space on both sides of the lightwall.
The fishermen that had returned with Agoi brought varying amounts of food, the Yupas who travelled to the west coast having brought the most. The sons of Dondweh and Agoh had brought some fish, but it was clear that the ice sheets in the southern strait made it difficult to fish there. The Elus who travelled down the east coast told similar stories of unbreakable ice sheets that no doubt hid bounties of fish underneath.
“Well, then I suppose we must spend the winter figuring out how to break the ice,” Tokuanhe mumbled with a mouth full of fish. Yupu pulled at his long whiskers and pursed his lips.
“We could use big stones to smash the ice,” he proposed. “It should be weak in some parts, and then once the hole is big enough, we hop in and fish as normal.”
“Won’t that be a little dangerous?” Elop asked with a raised hand. “What if the ice freezes again?”
“The boy has a point,” said Odende. “The southern ice sheets almost stretch to the shore now - but late winter, they will be lying on the beach, too. If someone goes fishing under the ice, someone else must remain on the surface, ready to smash apart the ice if it should freeze again.”
“Hear, hear,” said Yupu. Tokuanhe rubbed his blubbery chin. “Aga, anything to add?” he asked at he looked to the opposite side of the cave.
Aga, who was currently reluctantly being inspected for parasites by his mother, grumbled and shook his head. “Ma--Ma! It’s fine, tru-- No, sounds very good as is! Ma, I’m good now!” He pushed her away gently and shuffled a little closer to the other males. “Ahem… Nothing to add.”
Tokuanhe nodded. “That settles it, then. The western sea will be our main fishing grounds for the time being. If the sheets take them, we’ll knock them open with rocks.” He took a deep breath and looked at the surrounding selka with a smile. “Look around you, friends - we, the Tokuan, the Yupa, the Dondweh, the Agoh and the Elu, have finally found a home after all these days and nights, weeks and months of travel. Now, we can rest and build a good place to grow up for our children, eh?”
There were smiled and nods among the tribesmen. Even Agoi’s lips curled a little. “By Kirron,” Tokuanhe continued, “the Wuhdige tribe will grow big, and our kids will have fish to eat every day! This, as your chieftain, I swear to you by Kirron!”
The tribesmen chuckled and clapped her hands in applause. This was it - the start of a whole new chapter in their lives. Life on Wuhdige Island had begun.
The setting is on the small island on eastmost Atokhekwoi. It’s late autumn, early winter and the animals begin to prepare. A stray wild dog lies starving on the beach when it’s approached by selka who offer it a fish because a child selka wants it as a pet. It quickly runs away though and the child, Odante, starts to cry. Her brothers, Jokuanhe and Tokuhe, laugh their asses off, but their dad Tokuanhe is like ‘dw we get you a puppy later’. In total, there are five families that have gathered on the island: The Tokuan, the Yupa, the Dondweh, the Agoh and the Elu, making up a total of 50 individuals of all ages - 17 males, 20 females and 13 children. Tokuanhe sends his sons and two others to find them a cave to sleep in, then sends the rest of the males off to fish. After some banter with Agoi, matriarch of the Agoh, Jokuanhe comes back to tell them that they have found a cave. They settle in that cave and learn from the fishermen that the western waters are still not covered by ice sheets, but that the southern and eastern waters require stones to break into. They settle on fishing the western seas for as long as possible to avoid ice fishing due to the risks of the sheets freezing while underwater. Finally, Tokuanhe declares their tribe, the Wuhdige tribe, to be founded and swears that they will turn the island into a paradise for their kids.
Xiaoli sat by the small river with a basket full of variously-sized baby clothes. Her eyes shifted lazily between the basket and the dazzling water, but she seemingly could not bring herself to start. She sat there, occasionally dropping small sighs as she leaned her cheek on her propped-up fist, looking up at the foliage at the edge of the clearing. She blinked at a small bird nest in one of the taller trees. A blue, fluffy-faced sparrow nestled and cleaned some squeaking chicks. Xiaoli’s sigh turned into a saddened groan and she grabbed one of the sweaty shirts from the basket, giving it a good old rub in the river.
”What’s the matter, Lady Xiaoli?” Came Arya’s voice as she floated down from the sky, landing next to the river girl, and then sitting down on her knees. She looked at Xiaoli with a soft expression in her eyes, as she cocked her head slightly.
Xiaoli looked up and smiled somberly. “Speak of the flood and flood, it will… Hey, Arya. No, nothing’s the matter, really. I was just thinking to myself. Would you mind helping me with the laundry, dear?” Xiaoli lifted the shirt out of the water and waved it once through the air, the moisture in it evaporating near-instantly. She deftly folded it together and put it neatly by her side.
”Of course.” Arya hummed, and without saying anything else, the girl took a small shirt and dipped it into the water- giving it a ferocious scrub. After a moment of silence Arya then asked, ”What’s on your mind, Lady Xiaoli?”
Xiaoli remained quiet until she had neatly folded the towel she had been washing. “So you’ve made up your mind about leaving?” she said without looking at her, instead grabbing another article of clothing and scrubbing it in the water.
”Yes.” she said softly, still washing the clothes. ”I…” her voice fell silent and she began to scrub harder.
“No, no need to feel bad about it. It’s your right to go out and… Be an adventurer and save the world… It-... It’s an honour to do the Exalted Creators’ bidding, after all. We are happy that you’ve been given this opportunity, dear.” Xiaoli folded a woolen shirt.
Arya folded the shirt she was so rigorously working on, and placed it gently on the pile. She then moved her hand to grab another piece of dirty clothing, but stopped midway, her fist balling up and then falling to the side as she looked at Xiaoli, tears falling down her cheeks. ”Then why does it feel so wrong to leave?” she said beginning to cry.
Xiaoli looked away a little more, a somber sniff betraying her collected demeanour. “All daughters fear the moment they leave their families - yet--” Another sniff escaped her. “-- Yet we shouldn’t think of this as leaving, alright? You’re just going on a quick trip, and then you’ll be back home again. Nothing more.” She scrubbed a cloth diaper with valiant strokes.
Suddenly feeling embarrassed, Arya looked away from Xiaoli. And as quickly as the girl had began to cry, she wiped away her tears with sniffles, saying, ”O-Okay.” she took a deep breath trying to compose herself, ”Y-Yeah… Just a quick trip. They… They need my help.” she said unsure of herself. ”I…” but once again her voice faltered, and without saying anything else, she got on her feet and began to hurry away else she break down again.
“Arya! Arya!” Xiaoli called after her. As the girl turned the corner, Xiaoli huffed in defeat and dabbed at her moist eyes with the piece of cloth in her hand, wincing a little upon realising what it was. She shook her head and gave it another wash.
“Oh big man with the spoon, doesn't have to listen to his mother,” Hermes taunted, a defiant Wenbo looking up at her with a curious scowl. He waved a tiny wooden spoon aggressively, whacking Hermes’ arm. She kneeled on the floor overlooking her personal bed, both babies laying in their backs.
“Oh that's it,” Hermes teased and poked her fingers into his belly, “I'mma getcha!” The baby gurgled a laugh as she did it again, “I'mma getcha!”
There was a loud “Gah!” from Chagatai and Hermes poked him too.
“Jealous baby,” Hermes goaded and then whispered with a smile, “Wonder who you got that from, yes I do-”
It was the crying that altered Hermes, to another’s presence, and for once it wasn’t her babies. In the doorway there stood Arya, arms folded as she tried to calm herself down to no avail. As soon as Hermes turned around Arya spoke, ”I...I tried to… Xiaoli. She said- She said it was going to be okay… but she… said it so…” Arya took another ragged breath, ”Like she…”
Hermes turned from Chagatai and leaned back against the bed, a soft thwack coming from Wenbo's spoon. The mother rubbed the back of her head, “You tried to -- what? Xiaoli? Arya, housework can be confusing but there is no need to cry about it.” She teased and patted the floor next to her.
She took a gulp, and shook her head before sitting down next to Hermes. She composed herself as she looked to the babies, then said, ”No...I just… Ever since I arrived here, Lady Xiaoli and I have… Not had the closest… connection, I guess. I thought I’d try to remedy that before I left...She’s just so kind and all the Servants are and they just… They’re just them and I should be used to it, but I’m not. They try so hard to hide their emotions… and I… Just wanted to see if Lady Xiaoli would… Tell me how she really felt… But instead she just said It would be a quick trip and that you both were happy for this opportunity to do the ‘Exalted Creators’ bidding.” Arya said defeated.
“Awh Arya,” Hermes nudged the girl's shoulder, “Lady Xiaoli is very private with her feelings, despite her very big Shengshese heart that you see erupt now and again.” She paused and thought for a moment, “Don't take it the wrong way, we both see you as our daughter and a part of this family, even if words don't say it.”
Arya gave out a small, happy sigh, and then said, ”You always know what to say, Hermes. It means a lot to me… You know, to be apart of something. To have… A family. I’m very thankful. Ever since I was cast out of Veradax, I didn’t have a place to go. I was just… A wanderer I guess, going from one place to another. Then I found this place… Or I guess it found me and ever since, I’ve just been really happy.” she said with a smile.
“I'm happy to share it with you,” Hermes smiled, “I was a wanderer too, but I always knew where to land in the end. Building this home was just a way to mark where I wanted to be, and I can’t think of a better use of it than to share it with the people I care about. It'll always be here for you, and I will too.” She tapped her forehead and then the back of Arya's hand, “And even then, you will always have the Palace and K'nell.”
Arya’s eyes seemed to sparkle at her words, ones she already knew, but ones she needed to hear again. ”Thank you, Her-” she paused and then her eyes grinned wide, before she said, ”Mom.”
Hermes smiled wide and then shivered, “Oh I'm going to have to get used to that.” She gave Arya a gentle embrace, “And when you get back, we can start working on your own house so you won't have to sleep in the guest rooms.”
Aya returned the embrace with a tight squeeze, then pulled away to look at the babies, ”Just wait until they start saying it.” she giggled before turning back to Hermes, ”A house? My own house? That’d be wonderful.” she mused.
“Well yeah,” Hermes stood up to check on the babies, taking note of the now missing spoon. “You can't live in the guest house when you're not a guest anymore. I'll talk to Xiaoli about it--” She looked over at Arya quizzically, “Shengshi taught you the flow, right?”
”Yeah...You’d be surprised what you can forget when it’s…” her voice turned into a hushed whisper, ”Not really applicable.” she finished with a laugh.
“Oh I've likely sustained more lectures than you,” Hermes winked, “But do you remember if daughters still need to use ‘lady’ or not because this is going to get clumsy fast if you and the babies are using it or only you are or only they are. I need to talk to Xiaoli.” Hermes sighed, “She's my star, and I support her philosophies readily and with all that I can, but damned if it can be confusing sometimes.”
”Agreed.” Arya said standing up and stretching, ”Now, how about we feed these boys.” she said playfully.
Hermes gave her a shocked look and then began to laugh, “I'll take care of that, don't worry. I'll meet you in the dining house after, maybe a little lunch before you head out.”
Arya cocked her head, slightly confused, ”Don’t they eat food?” she asked.
“Uh huh,” Hermes smirked and snatched Abanoc's book off her nightstand. Gently guiding Arya out of the room by the shoulders she handed her the book, “If you really want to know, take a peek in here.”
”Well… If you say so.” Arya said, gripping the book tightly. She then turned around, looked at Hermes and then walked away. Hermes waved as she closed the slider door.
Hermes let out a puff of air as she entered the dining room. The smell of stewed bilby and vegetables thickened the air. Arya and Xiaoli looked over to her, Arya already seated in front of an empty bowl and Abanoc's book. Xiaoli waited by the stirring pot. Hermes jabbed a thumb behind her, “Sorry, it took me a little to get them asleep.”
“Nothing to worry about, dear,” Xiaoli mumbled absent-mindedly as she lobbed a fistfull of chopped leeks into the stew. She then added an improvised mix of local spices and herbs and stirred a few turns. “What would you two like to drink?”
Arya shuffled awkwardly before piping up, ”I'll just have water, Lady Xiaoli.” her voice was quiet. She then turned to Hermes and shoved the book closer towards her. She then looked Hermes in the eye with embarrassment in her eyes, ”Never again.” she groaned.
Hermes laughed and took the book, putting it on the lap of her pants, “Well now you know.” She looked over at Xiaoli and thought for a moment, “Do you have any of your special tea all done up?”
Xiaoli chuckled quietly and turned to smile at the two. “Yeah, I do. A spot of Yong'ai would be wonderful right about now.” She left the pot bubbling lazily on the stove and went over to a shelf on the opposite side of the room. From there, she grabbed a circular wooden pot which neck was wrapped in cloth. She undid the wrapping, sat the pot down by the table and went back to the shelf to fetch a tea set. “Arya, dear, would you join us for some tea?”
Arya shuffled where she sat and then said, ”Okay.”
Xiaoli hummed and nodded. She filled the teapot with water from a jug and snapped her fingers. In an instant, the water reached near boiling temperatures and Xiaoli waited a moment before discarding the water. Then she added a carefully measured amount of tea into the hot pot. “Oh, the stew!” she quickly said, rushing over to the hearth again. She grabbed three bowls, filled them all and carried them to the table. “Here you go. Eat while it’s hot. No need to wait for me.” She then went back to preparing tea, adding new hot water to the pot and quickly discarding it.
“You do so much,” Hermes picked up a spoon, “Maybe I can cook for you tomorrow?”
“Oh, Hermes, there’s no need! I have everything under control. Thank you for your concern, though, really.” She flashed a warm smile as she poured the freshly brewed tea into the serving cup.
“But what if I wanted to?” Hermes smiled back, “It can be my treat -- oh Arya, you'd miss it.” Hermes frowned, “I make a really good everything soup.”
Arya picked at her stew, taking a few small bites here and there. She looked up at the mention of her name and said, ”Aw, that's really too bad, but I think I'll manage.” she said with a sly wink at Xiaoli.
Xiaoli winked back and offered the other girls their cups and sat down. “Here, drink it while it’s hot.”
Hermes slumped and ate a spoonful of her stew before taking a careful sip of the hot liquid, “I was thinking about going hunting tomorrow,” She changed the topic, “Finally stretch my limbs.”
“Oh? Hunt where?” Xiaoli said as she elegantly spooned up some soup and brought it to her lips.
“I don't know yet, not too far,” Hermes thought as she held her teacup below her lips, “Will you be okay alone with the twins?”
Xiaoli gave her a smug grin. “Oh, please, I took care of His Lordship when He was drunk - Wenbo and Chagatai are in good hands.”
“Alright but you said it not me,” Hermes winked, “But thank you, I know I'm ageless and all but not doing anything makes me feel flubby.”
Xiaoli looked her up and down a little and made a flat hum. “So, Arya, how’s the tea?” Hermes frowned and looked down at her lap.
”Oh, um.” Arya let out, reaching for her cup and taking a sip. She began to nod her head as she drank the hot liquid, ”Oh delicious, as always Lady Xiaoli.” she said sheepishly before putting down the cup and looking back down at the stew.
“Arya, is everything okay?” Hermes asked without looking up, patting at her own stomach. Xiaoli put her teacup down and gave Arya a somber smile.
Arya looked back up at the both of them and said, ”Yeah of course, I'm fine. Just enjoying the meal is all.”
“Oh,” Hermes looked up and smiled. She hummed for a second and then poked Xiaoli’s knee, “Arya called me ‘Mom,’” She smiled wide, “Isn’t that wonderful?”
“O-oh. Sh-she did?” Xiaoli’s stare grew empty for a moment. She quickly recovered, however, and put on the best grin she could. “Y-yes! Much overdue, actually, considering how much you’ve doted on her.” She chuckled perhaps a little too enthusiastically.
“Okay,” Hermes let her spoon fall into her stew, “What’s going on.” She stared at Arya and then Xiaoli, “You’ve been giving Arya the run around.” She nudged her chin at Arya, “And you are doing more than just enjoying your meal.” She looked at Xiaoli again, “And you think I’m fat, but let’s save that for later.” Her smile was a flat line by now, “You two need to discuss what this is.”
“Not fat, dear, just--”
“Up bup bup!” Hermes’ eyes narrowed, “Arya and you first, I don’t even want to get started on the fat one right now, and definitely not here.”
Xiaoli’s mouth became a line. She sucked in a breath through her nose and gave Arya a small smile. “Alright. Please, dear Arya, speak your mind.”
Arya blushed a pink and avoided their gazes by looking down at the bowl. She silently stirred her stew, no longer hungry as a sigh escaped her. ”There is nothing wrong between us. You explained it earlier Hermes and I understand. It's… Okay.” she said softly.
Hermes nodded “I know,” she looked at Xiaoli, “But I think it is important that Xiaoli also knows what’s been bothering you. Whenever Xiaoli and I had different thoughts on something, we always talked about it and it always worked out in the end. I’m glad you came to me, but I think we need to mend this between all of us.” Hermes sighed, “Xiaoli?”
Xiaoli folded her arms, looking rather bewildered. He adjusted her seating a little bit and looked down. “Arya, if you would enlighten me as to what you feel I have done wrong to you, I will naturally apologise and do my best to make amends - yet as of now, I fear I do not understand what’s weighing on your heart. Even as you ran earlier, I was uncertain as to whether my words or tone had offended or hurt you. Is that the reason?”
”Okay.” Arya whispered softly before sitting up to look at Xiaoli with a sad expression, ”Yes… and no,” she began, ”Ever since I came here I always wanted to become closer to you. It was easy with Hermes, but I tried with you, never knowing if I was doing the right thing. You are so kind, but I never know when you truly mean to be kind, or if you meant something else entirely. You just do so much for the household, there always seems to be something that needs fixed or made or cleaned; I never had enough time to try harder. I left you at the river because… Because I didn’t know what else to say.” she paused, taking a deep breath before saying, ”I want to call you mom too, you know, I just don’t know if you’d like that.” she finished, glancing away.
Xiaoli listened patiently, her face straight-mouthed and emotionless. Occasionally, she pursed her lips and nodded politely. When Arya finished, Xiaoli waited momentarily before sucking in a breath through her nose. “I see,” she said curtly. She refilled the teacups in the ensuing silence, causing Hermes to squirm uncomfortably for a moment. She went to open her mouth, but decided against it.
“So,” Xiaoli began, “you ran away from the person you would like to be your mother instead of confiding in her, because you ran out of things to say?” Xiaoli shook her head slowly and looked away. “I’m starting to think I may not be mother material after all, Hermes,” she said with a frown. “I frighten our daughter, even.”
”That’s not- That’s not what I meant.” Arya said bewildered. ”I just--”
“No, no, no need to clarify. I know I can be stern. I was just… Surprised that I was -this- difficult to approach. You called me ‘lady Xiaoli’ and everything… I thought you wanted to remain at a non-familial relationship.” She huffed and gave Arya a sad frown while Hermes hid behind a slurp of her stew.
Arya’s eyes went wide with disbelief, and she said, ”I didn’t know when to stop.”
“Our relationship is closer than that of strangers, Arya, so it’s fine to ask. Did you forget about the five relationships during your time away from His Lordship?” She gave her a sly smile.
Once again Arya’s face lit up in pink and she looked back down at her cold stew. ”I… Did.” she finally said before looking up at Xiaoli and wiping away a tear.
Xiaoli sighed and put her hands on her hips, leaning forward with a playful smile. “My, you’re going to have so much fun aboard that boat.” She gave her a sly wink. “But yes, to be perfectly clear, our relationship matches that of the parent and the child - tradition expects us both to be mutually respectful, but not like a servant and a master or a mortal and a god. You, Arya, are our daughter, and may address us as ‘mother’, preferably. The rest of the customs can be discussed later, if you would like me to refresh your memory on those.”
She began to nod, ”O-Okay. I’d like that, mother.” she said with a smile.
Xiaoli smiled back. “Very good, Arya.”
“And there,” Hermes clap her hands once, “All done, all better.” She wiggled her fingers, and smiled, “Almost like magic.”
“I see His Lordship may not be the teacher he claims to be. I should send him a critical letter.” She scowled at the outside world for a moment.
“Maybe after we finish our meals and part ways for a time. I'd like to end on a happy note,” Hermes nodded, “Dreamer tradition.”
“And a good one at that,” Xiaoli giggled and had some more tea.
Arya gave a content sigh as she relaxed back into her pillow chair, looking at both of her mothers, and for the first time in a long time, she knew everything was going to be okay. This is what home felt like, and what a family was supposed to be, after all. An hour of bliss later (cut only by a few moments of Hermes running out to check on the babies), and a few tight hugs Arya departed. As Arya walked out the gate to join the Servants waiting for her on the outside, the mansion’s population was once more reduced to Hermes and Xiaoli - with the children, of course.
The dining room fell to silence, save for the clatter of the plates being tucked away for washing. A brief hum came from the river-girl and she finally said, “So that’s that, huh.”
“You think I'm fat,” Hermes suddenly jumped in, a deep frown on her face.
Xiaoli shot her a sideways glance. “I never said that,” she said quietly and drummed her fingers together.
“You didn't have to,” Hermes put a pile of plates in the wash basin and folded her arms, staring intently.
Xiaoli sighed in defeat and ran her eyes up and down Hermes again, her frown growing. “I don’t think you’re fat, sweetgrass! Just…” She paused and rubbed her hand over her mouth. “... Your appetite -was- elevated during the pregnancy.”
Hermes gasped, “Xiaoli!” She lifted her shirt over her stomach, revealing a long stretch mark on her left abdomen, and what remained of the pregnancy fat. Underneath, her muscle had remained unchanged, “You had to check!?”
Xiaoli shrugged carefully. “It may have just been your baggy shirt! L-looks normal to me! And again, I never said anything. You accuse me of thinking you’re fat, when I never did - ever.” She folded her arms and huffed.
“You look at me like you think I'm disgusting,” Hermes pouted and pulled her shirt down, “I saw the look you gave me during dinner.”
“What look? Come on, Hermes, you know I could never see you as disgusting.” She approached quietly, arms held out in an embracing manner.
“You know the look,” Hermes took a step back, “You know I've been sensitive about the changes since the twins and when I said I felt fat doing nothing you examined me like I was one of your projects and then changed the subject.”
Xiaoli’s brow furrowed. “You’re overthinking this, Hermes. There was nothing to that look. The subject was sensitive, so I chose to avoid it - like you do when you are eating dinner.” Her voice grew stern and sharp.
Hermes narrowed her eyes, “Well fine, but you don't have to get mad at me.”
“Oh, -I’m- the one getting mad. Alright.” She sucked in a deep breath. “Let’s just drop this for now, okay? There are chores to be done.”
Hermes crossed her arms, “Fine.” The room fell silent. Xiaoli passed by Hermes and sat down by the washing basin. She filled it with water and began to scrub the dishes.
“It's my thighs, isn't it,” Hermes suddenly piped up, looking up from the table and the washcloth in her hand.
Xiaoli groaned. “Hermes, we agreed to drop it, didn’t we?”
“Yup!” Hermes scrubbed vigorously, a scowl on her face. She stood up and tossed the cloth onto the table, “I need to get a breath of air real quick.”
Xiaoli sighed. “Hermes?”
“Yes?” Hermes looked over, halfway to the door.
“It’s the thighs,” she conceded with a defeated look and put down the plate she was scrubbing.
Hermes looked down at her legs and frowned, “R-Really?”
The river-girl nodded slowly. “I don’t think it’s disgusting - just…” She bit her lower lip. “It’s new,” she mumbled.
“Well you can't expect me to be perfect right after giving birth,’” Hermes huffed with a hurt look in her eyes.
“I know, I know! It’s just my perfectionism acting up again and it ended up hurting you and--” She closed her eyes and calmed herself. “I love you, Hermes. Nothing has changed. I’m just being… A bit too much like myself.”
Hermes stared at Xiaoli, her brow a slant and her eyes clearly upset. Finally she said, “I love you too.” Almost doubling over her words she quickly added, “It's going to go away. Do I need to be worried every time I have a child? It's not even that much!”
“You don’t need to worry! I won’t comment on it again. Really, there is no reason to think this will affect anything.” Xiaoli picked up a plate again and began to scrub.
Glancing at Hermes’ face now and again Xiaoli recognised the flicker in Hermes’ eyes, one that would eventually come after her temper and her more emotional moments. Finally Hermes sighed, her voice a shade calmer, “Well, at least you told me.”
“You know how I hate being direct, meanie,” Xiaoli pouted and stacked the final plate onto the tower of pottery before standing up and moving to wipe the table.
“I know and it really nags at me sometimes,” Hermes rolled her eyes, “Tables already wiped.”
Xiaoli gave it a quick lookover. “So it is. I’ll clean the floor, then,” she said and grabbed the broom by the wall. She then began to sweep together the dust and refuse that they had pulled inside.
Hermes sighed, “Xiaoli?”
“Hmm?” Xiaoli hummed.
The dreamer cleared her throat, as if swallowing her temper, “I do appreciate it when you do tell me things, or like when you talked with Arya. I know it’s not your favorite thing to do.”
“Yeah…” Xiaoli mumbled and wrinkled her nose. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but it won’t exactly be the norm.”
“I know,” Hermes admitted, “And I’m not asking you to change, just know that I do notice it when you do, and it makes things a little easier. Now that I know what’s been on your mind about the Arya thing, and my own weight issues, it doesn’t seem as pressing as before.”
“They aren’t--” She cut herself off. “... Don’t call them issues - it implies they must be fixed.” She swept the gathered dust and litter out the doorway past Hermes. “Like you said. It’s natural and nothing to be ashamed about. I’m happy I’ve made it easier on you, but… Could-... Could we drop it now?” Her face was pink with embarrassment, or possibly shame.
“Okay,” Hermes nodded and slumped onto one of the cushions. There was a pause and Hermes eyes flickered down in thought.
Xiaoli began putting the plates and cups back on their shelves, quiet all the while. She also put the tea container back on the shelf. Hermes brought a hand up to her chin and pinched it, her brow lowering as her thoughts deepened.
Xiaoli added a few more logs to the hearth and sighed. “What are you thinking about, dear?”
“Well,” Hermes started and let her hand fall to her side, “I was just thinking -- with my massive thighs, how are you going to fit on the bed?” The side of her lips curled slightly as she attempted to remain serious.
Xiaoli’s lips flattened and her brow sank low over her eyes.
“I’m joking!” Hermes stood up, a small laugh in her throat, “Oh Xiaoli,” She walked over to the river-girl.
Xiaoli crossed her arms over her chest, her teeth gritting against one another, causing Hermes to stop and flinch. She took a deep breath through the nose. “Are you really just going to keep rubbing it in my face until I grovel or something?”
“No!” Hermes chest sank, “I’m sorry, Xiaoli.”
“I’ve asked you to drop it, I don’t know how how many-- No, no. I’m not mad. I am -not- mad. I started this, so I should naturally be shamed for it. Yes, naturally.”
“Nonono” Hermes shook her head, “Don’t worry about it, really. I won’t bring it up again.”
“Right, won’t you, now? Sure.”
“I don’t even know what it is anymore,” Hermes gave a single nod, “All done.”
Xiaoli walked over to her, leaned forward and prodded her chest with her index finger. “That’s right. All done. I will go see to the boys. Would you gather us some more firewood in the meanwhile, please?”
Hermes rubbed her chest and nodded, “Of course, sure. If Wenbo is awake, don’t let him have his spoon.”
“Yes, and keep anything smaller than a fist away from Chagatai’s mouth.” She dusted herself off a little and went to walk out the door.
“Xiaoli?”
“Yes?”
“Maybe tomorrow instead of hunting... you, me and the boys go for a walk?”
Xiaoli blinked, then smiled warmly with a single chuckle. “I’d like that,” she said affectionately.
Xiaoli washes some clothes. Arya comes over to help. Xiaoli says some shit and Arya runs away like a bitch. Hermes does wholesome shit with the babies. Arya comes in and asks why Xiaoli says shit. Hermes explains by saying ‘is cuz the flow’. Arya nods and the three eat awkward dinner together. They talk about some ‘nice weather today’-esque things, during which Xiaoli implies she thinks Hermes gettin’ some chub, until Hermes is like, ‘okay, what did y’all do?’ Arya explains that she wants Xiaoli to be her mommy and Xiaoli’s like ‘why didn’t you just ask, fam?’ She’s like ‘shiet, didn’t think of that’. Arya is adopted into the Hermli clan and promptly sent off.
After Arya leaves, Hermes drops the ‘you think I’m fat’-question and they have a long and arduous quarrel about whether Hermes got thicc after pregnancy or no. In the end, Xiaoli admits she might’a gotten a lil’ thicc, so Hermes is hella insulted. However, she still happy Xiaoli told her, but the mood still hella cold. Xiaoli says she hates being direct and Hermes says she hates Xiaoli hating being direct. Hermes says that she’s happy she was direct, though, but Xiaoli’s like ‘yeah, don’t get used to it’. Hermes tries to say that she’s happy Xiaoli was honest, but Xiaoli’s getting really tired of talking about it over and over again. They shut up for a sec, but Hermes tries to crack a joke to lighten the mood, one which only serves to infuriate Xiaoli due to wounded pride and honour. She gets mad at Hermes, Hermes is like ‘shiet, fam, i didn’t mean it like that. we coo?” Xiaoli replies, “we coo, just shut up about it.” Hermes agrees and they share a moment ended with Hermes offering that they go for a walk with the bois the next day. Xiaoli agrees and we get a dreamer ending.
“It's because of the flow”
- An age old saying from confused men
Hermes: The Martial Artist, The Scholar, The Dancer, The Mother, The Quick 3+38=41
Arya: The Learner, The Martial Dancer +23 Prestige Starting +1 For Minor Role +1 For Major Role +1 For Jolly Collaboration = +26 Prestige Ending
+6 Prestige on Fighting +6 Prestige on Dancing +6 Prestige on Martial Dancing. +1FP for flight. +2FP for ‘evil eyes’ ability. Causes nightmares to those that distress Arya.
The snake sat in his restored chambres with his face in his hands. While his furniture and possessions all had come back at the snap of his fingers, a scar stretched out across his pride like a crack in barren soil. While he had routed the dragons eventually, the battle of the Giant’s Bath had been anything but a victory. To think that a god such as himself, one who had fought against the maddened Vakk and triumphed alongside his allies, struggled against that many-headed newt. His hand fell on the three-striped scar on his belly - the first wound on his person to ever draw forth his divine blood. It excreted a disgusting aura about it, not visible to the eye or smellable by the nose, but observed through the much more sophisticated mind.
He, Shengshi, could be wounded.
While Vakk’s death proved that gods were not entirely immortal, it still irked him that even mortal creatures could strike at sacred skin and inflict a form of damage. Naturally, he thought, he would never have died from the wound, regardless of the fact that it looked rather more dire than it actually was. Still, a cut was a cut, and any such scar could potentially be seen as a weakness. Besides, it looked ugly.
Shengshi shook his head and rubbed his eyes with two fingers. He needed to get all this dragon madness off his mind, lest he would go insane. He rose up and slithered out on his veranda, taking in the sights of the jungles to the south, interrupted by the faint shadow of Xishan in the far edges of the horizon. Below his palace tower, down on the deck of the ship, the cries and coos of servant children formed an unfamiliar cacophony. He let his eyes fall upon the odd sight: a small battalion of miniature servants, none of whom could walk, but were regardless brought onto deck by their parents for collective lessons on just that. The snake smirked as nearly five hundred children dressed in tiny, unicoloured silk robes were picked up by the arms and placed on their feet, only to fall down flat on their bellies and let out a high-pitched cry, much to the dismay of the parents. Shengshi found his mood heightened a little bit and let out a quiet snicker. He looked to the west, along the length of Beihe towards bubbling sea, constantly enshrouded in mists. Shengshi shook his head in disapproval and gazed back at his precious river. Despite Beihe being his first creation, the waters were still quite barren - the only life there a result of the natural growth of forests over time. He cleared his throat and rubbed his chin pensively. He had found his distraction.
The snake snapped his fingers. A moment passed before a servant approached him through the slider doors and kowtowed.
“Ten thousand years and more to His Lordship. What may this servant assist His Lordship with?”
The snake bowed back. “If my sister Asceal or any of her children ask for me, tell them that I am out for a walk. Otherwise, continue your fantastic service.”
“Of course, Your Lordship. Have a safe walk.” The servant rose to her feet, bowed and walked backwards back into the chambres and through the doorway. The snake turned back to the railing, took a deep breath and jumped high up into the air, diving for the waters below. He pierced the surface with a near-silent plop and swam towards the Beihe waterfall.
As he drifted lazily down the river, he noticed that it inundated over the usual banks - flood season was in effect. He noted the contrast between the Beihese and Nanhese floods: Whereas Nanhe would drag with it anything and everything foolish enough to not flee the rumbling waves, or simply too inanimate to do so, Beihe had a calmer aura about it, its floods merely brushing up against the surrounding vegetation and caressing them affectionately. The river near doubled in width, yes, but it did not leave the wake of destruction of its southern brother. Instead, it filled the surrounding valley with nutritious silt and clay that make the trees grow exceptionally green. Still, though, the river and the surrounding lands were largely empty. He heard the faint ooks and howls of frog monkeys on the edges of the southern jungle, even seeing one squatting casually in a nearby tree, nibbling on a banana. The occasional boar trundled over to the riverbank to slurp its waters. One of them gave the snake a confused oink.
The snake swam on for a little longer, rolling onto his back and letting the current carry him on. What kind of life would he create here? Naturally, the rivers should be bountiful with all the usual creatures: fish, amphibians, insects and birds. Yet he wanted to do something new… Something symbiotic. He looked back to the farmer apes. He had been quite satisfied with that creation - a creature codependent on another, like an eternal brotherhood in which one would always thrive if the other did.
“Harmony,” he mumbled happily to himself.
He would repeat this formula: a creature living in symbiosis with another and the two working together to prosper. Although… What if the creature was dependent on something else? Not a mortal creature that could one day fail it, but an immortal natural phenomenon that was relatively stable? The snake swam over to the river bank, scaring away a few squealing boars in the process. He scooped his hand into the muddy bank bed and extracted a handful of silt. He dipped two fingers from his other hand into the silt and rubbed it between his fingers. Yes, yes… The life of Beihe would not only benefit from the floods - they would prosper!
The snake picked a few surrounding reeds, seeds, flowers and rocks. He rubbed the silt all over a handful of reeds. The reeds sprouted rows of white seeds in one end, big, nutritious and crunchy seeds encapsulated in green leaves for protection; the length of the reed grew until it could stand in the flood without endangering the seeds. The snake grinned and stabbed the reed into the soil. Soon, thousands like it sprouted up from under the water surface on both banks, following the length of the river downwards and upwards.
“Rice… While I have eaten much of you aboard my ship, you are the first of your kind on Galbar. You will begin to grow in spring and spread your seeds in the flood season, so that you may prosper all across the river and feed the fish which corpses also feed you. Speaking of…”
The snake rubbed the rock with some river silt and smashed it with his fish. He cast the muddy dust into the surrounding waters. After a moment, fish heads, frog heads, bird heads and more popped up from under the surface with confused quacks and croaks. The snake harvested some rice seeds and threw them into the river before them, inciting a mess of splashes and sploshes as the creatures scrambled for the food. After they all had eaten their fills, the snake smirked and gestured to the river.
“All this and more will be yours in exchange for your servitude to Beihe,” he said to the creatures, who looked at him quizzically. “This whole river will be full of food and richest for you to eat and covet, yet a price is to be paid: Your waste, and ultimately your bodies, will go to nourishing the surrounding life. Do this, and your lives are yours to govern.” The animals looked at one another, then made what sounds they could to show their agreement. The snake nodded and took the seeds in his hand. He rubbed them in with clay as with the others and tossed them into the yellow, silt-rich waters. The seeds grew small fins and began to swim towards the edges of the water, were they became all manner of green, yellow and brown reeds and grasses that flourished along the banks.
“You will serve as the homes and houses for the life in the river,” he spoke to the reeds. “You will be the forests for those under the water, hiding them from predators. Do this, and the floods will bring silt aplenty for you to thrive in.” The reeds and grasses danced in the wind as if voicing their will. The snake grinned and looked at the final item in his hand: a flower. He rubbed it in with silt, snapped it in half and tossed one half to the left and the other to the right. They fell down on opposites sides of the river, immediately sprouting into a visual symphony of colours on the riverbanks. Merely seconds after peeking up from the soil, the flowers sprouted, filling the local atmosphere with sweet, fruity scents. The snake walked over to one of them and dipped his fingernail into the gooey centre of one of the blooms - it popped quietly and shot forth a small squirt of sweet nectar. The snake raised his finger to his face and inspected thoroughly the green, sweet slime. He dabbed the nail on his tongue and rolled the flavour around.
“Ah… A longtsao relative, I see,” he mused with a smile. “So be it. Like the rice, you flowers shall bloom at certain times in the seasonal cycle - you shall open your petals for pollinators in the spring and truly reveal your scents and colours when the floods come. Your nectar will support those that drink it, just as they will support you by spreading your pollen, and your deaths will support the river. Do this, and the silt shall run thick for you.”
The air grew even sweeter as the flowers oozed their will. Though the snake was a little unsatisfied. Who would drink from these flowers? The fish could not reach up; the frogs were too heavy to sit on the petals; the birds were too large to stick their beaks inside most of them…
He thought back to the insects in Nanhe and Lihe. He was certain he had seen some of them zoom about in the air before - and some that had sat themselves on top of a blooming longtsao and drunk deep in its ginger-like juices. The snake took a ball of silt in his hand and slapped it onto the river bank. Then he took another ball and added it. He poked a hole in the bottom front and snapped his fingers.
A moment passed. Then another. Then, however, a small, furry, six-legged insect with orange and black stripes along its back and a large, white spot on its bottom came clumsily crawling out of the hole, followed by several others who were slightly smaller. They whizzed their wings free of moisture and looked at the snake quizzically. The snake smiled at the little bumblebees.
“Hello there, little ones. Your existence shall revolve around drinking the nectar of these flowers and carrying their pollen on to their neighbours. You will live in moist silt hive in the flood seasons, and for this, I make you both capable diggers and swimmers.” He pointed to the largest of the bumblebees. “When the flood nears its end, you will use what little nectar remains to feed your queen so that she may fly on to a new home next season. Remain true to your tasks, though, and the queen will always find a home.”
The bumblebees buzzed eagerly in agreement before the queen trundled back into the silt hive and the drones flew off to gather nectar. The snake grinned from horn to horn as he gazed out across the blossoming Beihe. The north would perhaps be a little too moist and hot for many of these creatures, but at least the middle of the river would be safe and temperate.
The snake sighed as he gazed to the Saluran Mendidih once more. Such a gruesome sabotage, but not a deterring one. Life would blossom on this continent regardless of the cruelty of other gods. He would see to that.
The snake turned to the Giant’s Bath. He had been gone long enough. It was about time he returned home to his guests.
Snake is angry that he underestimated the dragons, so he goes to Beihe to get his mind off things. There, he makes an ecosystem that revolves around the Beihese floods. Among other things, he makes rice that grows in rivers, fish, frogs, ducks and so on. He also creates flowers and bumblebees resistant to water and floods. He then returns home.
Starting MP/FP: 2/6
Spent 2MP on creating a seasonal ecosystem that blossoms in the flood season. 4/5MP (8/10FP) towards Harvest.
The arrival of Kree and Serenis had initially sown some doubts and discontent among the sailors, especially from the Noble on account of the number of instruments that had been ruined at the dragon’s descent. However, that did not stop the heartwarming environment from returning as what could be repaired, was repaired, and stories previously only shared among sailors were told to their new guests. Before Zhengwu set off from the Serpentine Isles, Qiang Yi summoned Serenis to the helmspost, where all the other officers onboard also had gathered.
Qiang Yi nodded at the present personnel. “Thank you all for coming - and our greatest gratitude to Your Holiness, too, for allowing these servants to bask in Your presence.” The gathered personnel all bowed to Serenis.
“No, I should be the one thanking you for allowing me to travel with you,” Serenis replied, shaking her head. “I know I can’t contribute much to your crew, so I’m grateful you’re willing to have me here.” Kree, who was with Serenis at all times, yawned as he rested his head on her shoulder.
Qiang Yi straightened himself back up and smiled widely. “Your sacred self is too polite - in fact, these servants were hoping that Your Holiness would be willing to aid us on the last stretch.” Qiang Yi turned around and received a paper roll from Zhen-zhen. Zeng En, who had mostly recovered by now, save for a missing left hand and foot, made great efforts to place down a table in front of the captain. Despite of his struggles, no one seemed willing to help him. When the table eventually found its place, Qiang Yi unfurled the scroll and laid it down for all to see - it revealed a map of the eastern hemisphere - the most accurate description of it that they had, anyway.
Qiang Yi pointed at a black blot surrounded by a few curved lines. “These are the Serpentine Isles,” he said, his finger moving to upwards along the surface of the map until it reached the starlike shapes of Swahitteh-Tendlepog. The finger eventually fell on the southern point of one of Tendlepog’s arms.
“This is our destination. We will make landfall here and proceed on foot with the gifts. The carpenters have already prepared palanquins and rickshaws to the best of their abilities and opportunity.” He nodded to Li Shan who returned the nod. “Reaching Tendlepog will be relatively simple - as long as we keep a northward course, we cannot miss it. However, according to His Lordship’s details, the shores of Tendlepog are not easily reached.” Qiang Yi looked to Serenis. “This is where these servants hope Your Holiness could come in.”
“I see,” Serenis said, looking over the map. In truth, she didn’t actually see anything, and the map’s vagueness didn’t help matters either. Still, if there was something she could do to help, there wouldn’t be a reason to refuse. “But what, exactly, do you need my help for? What makes this Tendlepog so difficult to land on?” Serenis asked.
Qiang Yi pursed his lips and walked over to the railing, gazing out across the sea. “According to His Lordship’s instructions, His Holiness K’nell once informed him that Swahitteh-Tendlepog possess a rather unconventional trait: They are constantly spinning.” He turned back, a frown darkening his face. “His Lordship suggested that we should come up with a plan as we arrived, and we have!” He grinned at Serenis. “Your Holiness, if it is not too much to ask, these servants humbly request that, as we approach Tendlepog, Your sacred self flies ahead and finds us the safest place to make landfall.”
Serenis nodded. It made sense in her mind. “Of course. I won’t let you down,” Serenis answered, smiling confidently. Tapping Kree lightly on his head, Serenis whispered to him, “Come on, Kree, wake up. We’ll have some work to do soon.” Kree blinked and looked up at Serenis, then yawned as he began to stretch.
The officers all smiled at one another and Qiang Yi bowed deeply to Serenis. “Our deepest thanks to you, O holy spirit Serenis. We estimate that we will be approaching Tendlepog in a few days, depending on the wind. You may leave tomorrow, unless Your Holiness would like to time alone to explore the continent first?”
“No need to wait any longer. I will scout it out now,” Serenis said, nodding before leaving the helmspost. As she walked, she clapped twice, signaling Kree to transform. Kree then jumped off of Serenis and into the air, flying off a short distance before expanding in size. Serenis had tried to stress to Kree the importance of not transforming while on the ship, and it seemed to have paid off. As he approached the ship, Serenis took a short running start before jumping onto Kree. Together, they flew off towards to continent of Tendlepog.
Qiang Yi and the others bowed to her as she disappeared, then seemingly went back to their planning.
A week had passed since Serenis had left on her heavenly mount. The rickshaws and palanquins had been prepared and loaded with wares and supplies. They rested safely below deck for now, the carpenters regularly inspecting them for flaws and areas to improve. As they worked their craft, the ceaseless beats of soles against the deck above them nearly drowned out the flush of the ever loudening waves. The shore was approaching fast, its uncanny drift across the horizon frightening some of the sailors. A new council of officers had been called to the helmspost.
“Zeng En,” Qiang Yi called and gestured to the shore. The quartermaster crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “Yes, captain?” he said. Qiang Yi’s brow furrowed and he drummed the map on the tabletop. “Have you made any progress on the plan to transport the goods to land yet?”
The quartermaster sighed and moved his hands to his hips. “The plank is finished, captain - to use it, however, we must be conservative with the number of people we send over per round. We estimate that it holds five men at the time - two if we add a rickshaw or a palanquin, and even using it at all entirely depends on us finding a piece of land safe enough to dock against.” He gestured to the cliffs along the shifting shore. “As you no doubt have seen, that may prove to be a challenge.”
Qiang Yi let out a disapproving groan and turned to the railing. He slouched over and tightened his fists around the wooden bar. “Where are you, sacred Serenis?” he whispered.
Kree descended until he was parallel with the ship’s deck, allowing Serenis to jump off and land safely, causing a few of the present crew members to jump in surprise. She then clapped twice, and Kree began to shrink while landing on the ship himself, skittering over to Serenis and returning to his favorite position on her neck. “Good work, Kree. Get some rest now,” Serenis said, stroking Kree’s head as he closed his eyes.
Making her way to Qiang Yi, Serenis began to greet him, “I have returned, Qiang Yi, and here to report the location of our landing site.”
“O-oh, Your Holiness Serenis!” Qiang Yi said and bowed deeply, followed by the other present officers. “H-how very convenient, this servant was just thinking about y--it means, how nice to see that You have returned!” He cleared his throat into his fist. “Please, share with us Your discovery.”
“We’ve found a piece of the shoreline where the Zhengwu can land safely. It’s several hours away, and the shore itself is quite sandy. There should be plenty of space for the ship to rest on the ground,” Serenis reported.
Qiang Yi nodded slowly and looked to Li Shan expectedly, but the master carpenter shook his head. “Afraid that will be difficult still, Your Holiness,” the carpenter began. “It is true that the ship’s bottom is smooth enough that it could potentially be dragged ashore, but…” He paused and looked to the others. “... The hull is still largely made of bound bark, straw and wood - most of that will likely be scraped off if we try to pull the ship ashore.” The carpenter shrugged defeatedly. Qiang Yi bit his finger in thought.
“What direction did we need to sail in to get to this place, You said?” the captain asked Serenis.
“After reaching Tendlepog, Kree and I turned right,” Serenis answered thoughtfully. “That sandy shoreline was the first location I found.”
“Right… So due east, northeast, then, is that correct?” the captain asked.
“Yes, that sounds about right,” Serenis nodded.
Qiang Yi furrowed his brow - as did many of the officers. “We will have to pick up speed, then. The continent rotates due east.” With that, the captain stormed down to the deck and barked orders for the main sail to be furled and for oars to be brought out. Zhen-zhen moved over to Serenis and smiled wryly. “How long has it been since you saw that place?” she asked in a friendly voice.
“Perhaps three… no, maybe four days ago,” Serenis said.
Zhen-zhen put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. “Alright, so, that’s, uh…” She blinked at the floor. “... A slight deviance in placement from what you may remember. Big number, hard math.” She shook her head. “This is why I didn’t pass the Wise caste exam,” she said with a smirk. “Either way, any other details you recall about the landing spot - nearby cliffs, reefs, distance to nearest river or body of freshwater? Uh, depth of shore waters?”
“Hmm…. I didn’t see any reefs… there were rather high cliffs on both sides of the shore, though…” Serenis began to recall. “Past the sandy shore was a large plain of dust. There might have been a river of water, but beyond that and a few bits of vegetation, there didn’t seem to be anything else for a long stretch of land. And... depth of… shore water… I-I don’t know either.”
Zhen-zhen shrugged. “Qiang Yi’s a bit uptight about his plans - don’t mind him. He appreciates all the help you’ve given.” She gave her a grin. “We’ll improvise, alright?”
Serenis looked slightly disappointed, but nodded, smiling weakly. “Sure,” she said.
The collective grunts and groans of the paddling crew did little to drown the crushing waves slamming against stone and cliff. They were closing in now - the white beach taunted them from the horizon, but they rowed faster than the continent spun now, even if it only was by a fraction. Qiang Yi had taken a spot at the helmspost and shouted ‘row, row, row’ in a predictable rhythm to avoid the mindless chaos they had experienced the last time during their encounter with that monster. Zeng En and a few others stood readily by with the plank, a long structure of several bound stocks and ropes that formed a flexible, yet stiff and firm rope bridge that would be bound to the shore upon successful landfall.
“Keep the course steady, first mate Zhen-zhen,” Qiang Yi called out. He pointed to Serenis. “Serenis! If you would please, could you give us a bird’s eye view of the situation and keep us away from any cliffs and reefs?!”
Serenis nodded and ran towards the edge of the ship, signaling Kree to transform. In seconds, she was back in the air, keeping an eye out as instructed. Now that she had a second look, she could see things that she had missed before. “Rocks! Port side!” Serenis warned.
The faint call barely reached the shipdeck, but Zhen-zhen’s keen ears picked them up still. With a diligent pull, she dragged the tiller to the left, sending the ship on a hard starboard turn. Zeng En stood by the railing, keeping a fixed eye on the cliffs.
“They’re gone!” he eventually called. Zhen-zhen resumed the ship’s course and gave Zeng En a grin and Serenis a wave.
Serenis returned the wave and resumed her surveillance on the waters below. Other than the rocky outcrop they had just avoided, all seemed good for the time being. Still, she kept her eyes open. There was little time to relax right now; her job was not yet done.
The ship was nearing the beach now. Behind them slowly disappeared the cliffs they had spent the better part of a day outrunning. It took another half of an hour to finally reach the shores. With ten servants lined up along the starboard side, ready with the stone anchor, Qiang Yi gave the order. The anchor was dropped and nearly immediately crashed to the shore below.
“Lay down the plank!” Qiang Yi commanded. Zeng En and his assistants toppled the contraption of the side of the ship, hooking it tightly to the railing on one end. The bridge was extended forward, crashing into the sea at first. The sailors grabbed what parts of it that they could reach and lifted with all their might. The bridge did not budge.
“What happened?!” called Qiang Yi.
“The bridge, captain!” Zeng En yelled back. “It’s stuck in the sand!” Qiang Yi grit his teeth and waved his hands at Serenis.
“Serenis! Have Kree pull the bridge out of the sand and place it on the beach!”
“Ok!” Serenis said, gesturing Kree towards the wooden plank in the sand. Kree watched quizzically, unsure of what was going on at first, but soon got the memo when he saw what the crew was doing. Putting his head underneath the bridge, he arched it back, lifting the plank into the air while also creating a small shower of sand. “It’s done!” Serenis called out.
With diligent roars, the Strong steered the bridge towards the shore with Kree’s help. It would have been impossible without the dragon, but now they could properly control the bridge. However, as they attempted to fasten the bridge to the sand on the beach, the bridge would not reach - it was as if there was a wall between the sea and the shore. Qiang Yi came over to the plank crew and looked in bewilderment at the phenomenon.
“B-but it’s right there! Has the continent sped up or something?!” Qiang Yi exclaimed and looked back at the faraway cliffs behind them. Zeng En, now thoroughly exhausted, shook his head in disbelief.
“I have no idea, captain…” he mumbled as he let Yong Mei take over his post. “It’s as if… As if the beach is an illusion or something.”
Qiang Yi blinked and scratched his chin. He once more eyes the cliff to the west and the highlands that stretched out from it for miles. He let his eyes follow the cliffside along the horizon, comparing it to the flat beach in front of them. Zhen-zhen came over to him and nudged his with a raised eyebrow.
“Figured it out yet, captain?” she said with her hands on her hips. Qiang Yi pursed his lips. He looked to Serenis by the bridge and called out: “Serenis! Are you certain this was the only beach around?”
“It’s the only one I could find on such short notice!” Serenis called back. “But I can still go find another place to dock if we need to.”
Qiang Yi scratched his head to the point where he nearly ripped out hair strands. He once again looked at the cliffs to the side. He planted one foot on top of the railing. “By Nanhe, I hope I am right about this…” Zeng En looked over. “Right about what, captain?”
Then, in a sudden burst of energy, Qiang Yi threw himself overboard towards the beach. As the crew let out screams and howls of horror and panic, the captain reached out in front of him and closed his eyes.
With a hard, yet wet slap, his body smacked against a flat, transparent wall in the air. Stunned for a second, he quickened to as what approximated to adrenaline coursed through his form. He clawed desperately along the invisible wall, the textures scraping the sand off his fingers, but no matter how much he grasped for safety, he only managed to slow his accelerating descent. Suddenly, what he had felt was a rock turned to wet clay in his ruined hands and he tumbled towards the foam below.
Is this how I die, then? the captain thought as he fell. He closed his eyes and parted his lips for one final prayer before the wind was knocked out of him. Qiang Yi blinked his eyes lazily as his mind tried to grasp what had happened. He felt around for what he had landed on and felt a fibrous texture around him. He rolled his head as far back as he could and saw the celebrating crew on the opposite end of the bridge, and upon turning his head a little to the side, saw Serenis atop Kree.
“Th-thank you,” he said to Serenis.
“You’re welcome,” Serenis replied, before turning to face the beach. It was clearly not what it seemed to be. Qiang Yi didn’t just collide on nothing; there had to be something there, something they weren’t seeing. However, Serenis noticed one little spot in the air - a hole where Qiang Yi had pulled out the mud clump. It hung there in an uncanny fashion, like a brown ball midway through its journey across a field. There evidently was a wall there - the question was how tall.
“Hmm…” Serenis pondered as she stared at the spot, then looked up. An idea began to form in her mind. Looking back at the crew, Serenis walked over to them, saying, “I should’ve seen it earlier. This isn’t a beach. This is a cliff. If Tendlepog truly spins, then it’s collision with the other continent should make it so that beaches wouldn’t form like this. There’d be a cliff wall all around the shoreline.”
Qiang Yi nodded slowly. “Yes… Yes, then this truly was a cliff!” He got to his feet and walked uneasily back to the celebrating crew. “Zeng En!” he called.
“Never -EVER- do that again,” the quartermaster growled loudly at him. Qiang Yi grimaced sheepishly.
“Yes, I’d rather not. Listen - we have to bring the bridge up to the top of the cliff and use it as a ladder! The beach is an illusion, just as you said.”
Zeng En blinked and looked up. “A-alright, but… Where is the edge?”
Qiang Yi frowned his brow in the same direction. “I don’t know - we will have to trust Serenis and Kree to lift the bridge up. You and your Strong will make certain the bridge remains bound to the ship, is that clear?”
Zeng En hammered his broad chest proudly with one fist. “Yes, captain!” Qiang Yi grinned and turned to Serenis. “Serenis! Could you and Kree carry the bridge to the top of the cliff? We will secure it down here!”
“Ok!” Serenis agreed. She relayed a few instructions to Kree, who proceeded to fly up to the top of the cliff, then stick his head out and lower himself down to where he needed to be, holding the bridge up with his head and securing it onto the top of the cliff. “It’s ready!” Serenis said when the job was done.
The crew looked up at the bridge-now-made-ladder that seemed to hang onto nothing. Many of them recoiled a little, whispering fearful explanations between one another. Qiang Yi muttered a little, grabbed onto the rope and looked to the rest. “We will ascend to the top and bring with us as much as we can. The ladder may not be wide enough for two of us at once, but it can handle as many as we get put along its length. Bring rope and wood so that we can hoist up the wine and rickshaws.” He took a deep breath. “The palanquins can remain aboard the ship.” Then the captain began to climb.
One by one, more and more crew members flowed to the ladder and began to climb. Kree had secured the lines well - even as the entirety of the remaining thirty crewmates had climbed and brought with them wine and equipment, the bridge had not budged. Qiang Yi counted the heads present atop the cliff and nodded.
“Alright, everyone made it up. That’s good.” Qiang Yi turned to Serenis and fell to his knees. “Your Holiness Serenis and Kree, the sacred, these servants cannot even begin to thank You for Your aid in this. This, uh… This servant also personally apologises for its commanding tone during landfall. It was unnecessarily rude and coarse.”
“There is no need to apologize, Qiang Yi,” Serenis said, holding a hand up. “It was necessary in the situation we were in. And honestly, I wouldn’t know what to do without your commands. We just did the jobs we needed to do.” The crew encircled Serenis and all fell to their knees. Qiang Yi chuckled. “Your Holiness is much too humble. These servants all owe their lives to You for what You’ve done for us. Without You, we would never have made it ashore. Please, if there is anything we can do for You, tell us.”
“Just being with with you and your crew was more than enough,” Serenis answered. “The stories I’ve heard, the laughs we’ve shared… this felt more than a mere journey to me. It felt like spending time with friends, no, with family. I’m very thankful for this time. I’m sure Lady Arae would approve of you all as well.” Kree then decided to stick his head into the conversation and softly growl. “Kree and I could use a few provisions, though. We’ll need them when we depart,” Serenis added.
Qiang Yi and the crew looked up with sheepish expressions, then at one another. Their heads returned to the ground. “Th-that is… Something we sadly cannot grant. Our people do not eat, you see - at least, not for the purpose of sustenance. However, if Your Holiness would like any water, we will gladly offer You as much as You could want.” There were several shameful headshakes among the crew. “We’re terribly sorry,” one of them whispered.
“That’s alright, then,” Serenis said. “Kree and I can search Tendlepog for food when he needs it.” Kree bumped his head into Serenis’ side and snorted. Serenis patted his head, then continued, “If there’s nothing else that requires my help, then Kree and I should be off. I did say I’d only travel until we reached our next destination, after all.”
“I-if it’s not too much to ask, these servants beseech Your Holiness to give them another task to accomplish for You as a thanks - tradition demands it.” There were hums of agreement throughout the crew, occasionally echoes of ‘tradition demands it’.
Serenis tilted her head sideways as she gave the matter some thought. She thought of the crew of Zhengwu as nice folk and didn’t really want to trouble them any more than they had to be. Then an idea flashed into her mind. Nodding, she decided to go with it. “Then offer prayers and thanks to Lady Arae as well as Shengshi. Unlike myself, she is a true goddess, and she is the Goddess of Family. This crew is very much like a family, if not one already, so do incorporate her into your traditions. She will not ask for much, and will not offer much in return, but as long as you retain your love for each other, she will not let your family fall.”
The crew members looked at one another, nodding and smiling. A chuckle coloured with Zhen-zhen’s voice bounced across the soundscape. Qiang Yi hummed approvingly. “Then we shall do so. On our honours as Servants, we shall erect a shrine to Her Holiness Arae aboard our ship and praise her as well in daily prayer. We thank You once more for Your aid. Please don’t be afraid to seek us out again if You see us on your travels, Your Holiness.”
Serenis bowed, then proceeded to walk over and jump onto Kree. As Kree got up and spread his wings, Serenis bid farewell to Qiang Yi, “Safe traveling!” With a mighty leap and a flap of his wings, Kree was in the air, the two soon a speck in the distance.
The servants collectively rose and looked at Qiang Yi. The captain nodded to the left and right and then looked down at the ship far below.
“Someone will gave to remain here to maintain the ship. I want one third of our crew to remain - who volunteers?”
Sure enough, some hands, mostly belonging to the Skilled and the Noble, soon sprouted into the air. Wang Huangxia, having only recently recovered, was among them. Qiang Yi put his fists on his hips and furrowed his brow as he counted. “A bit fewer than hoped, but I cannot fault you for not wanting to remain here all the time. Li Shan, have two of your carpenters come with us. The rest can remain. Wang Huangxia, you and the Noble that remain here will scout for a source of water and see to it that the tank aboard the ship is full.”
The servants all bowed. “As you wish, captain,” Huangxia said in a slightly sour tone. Li Shan pulled his apprentice Tong Lao aside and gave him some specific instructions. Zeng En and Zhen-zhen gathered the expedition crew and prepared them for the journey, filling what flasks and gourds needed to be filled, and checking footwear and the like.
Qiang Yi winced a little and looked down at his bandaged hands. They had fixed him up quickly after he came back to the ship, but his hands would likely not be functional until their quest was complete. His eyes grew misty as he imagined all the sights that he would never get to record in his poetry. He felt an elbow in his side and recoiled.
“Oi, captain, what’s with the slouch?” Zhen-zhen said with a sly smirk. Qiang Yi started briefly, then shot her a sideway glance.
“That stunt of mine was silly… I lost my hands and I could have lost my life - all to prove if the illusion was what it was.”
Zhen-zhen made an exaggerated chin grab and squinted at Qiang Yi with pursed lips. “Yeah, it was silly, alright - downright dumb, if you ask me.” Qiang Yi deflated. “... But! It looked heroic and the poems will remember you for it--” She looked down at his broken hands and frowned. “... Well, when they’re written down, anyway.”
Qiang Yi rolled his eyes. “Thank you, first mate, for cheering me up,” he said airily. Zhen-zhen elbowed his side again.
“Hey, you did it for us. That says something about the character of a leader.” She gave him a warm grin. “His Lordship would be proud of you.”
The captain’s eyes became saucers and he cleared his throat. “Y-you think?” he said and prodded his stumps together sheepishly, wincing with every prod.
“Absolutely! He’ll put you on a monument for sure! You know what your title would be?” Her cheeks flushed and she let out quiet snickers. Qiang Yi furrowed his brow and smiled uncertainly. “The… Brave?” he proposed.
“The Skipper,” Zhen-zhen burst out with a chuckle. Qiang Yi smiled wryly and rolled his eyes. Zeng En called out and the two turned to him. “We are ready to leave at your order, captain,” the quartermaster said. Qiang Yi nodded firmly.
“Very good. Those that remain with the ship will maintain its position, integrity and access - if the ship or the bridge falls, we can no longer return home. You will made certain that does not happen. Furthermore, in honouring our promise to Her Holiness Serenis, you will construct a shrine to Arae aboard Zhengwu and praise it daily along with Ashalla and our Lord. Any question or queries?”
“No, captain!” the remainers boomed in unison. Qiang Yi nodded.
“Very well. May His Lordship keep you safe, and may the Queen of Oceans be with you, and may the Loving One bless you with familial bonds and warmth for one another.”
“And to you, captain,” Wang Huangxia said on the remainers’ behalf. The expeditionary crew looked at one another, took deep breaths and set off towards the centre of Tendlepog.
After the crew had pushed past the original vegetation of the cliffside, and a brief stint through an uneventful forest, the soon found themselves in a land very bizarre. All around them was a sea of white dust, and the iron smell of broken rock. Vegetation had thinned to a plant here or there, specks of yellow-green on a canvas of alabaster. The heat bounced off the sheet of dust, and there was no water in sight. Worst still, it soon became apparent that they were lost, their footprints never quite forming, and their eyes flickering over mirages of broken promises.
After several hours of this madness, a number of crewmates grew paranoid and aggressive. It did not take long until an argument broke out at the end of the caravan, one which soon spread to the front like wildfire. Qiang Yi, Zhen-zhen and Zeng En moved to the back, arriving at a scene of spiteful insults and vicious threats, primarily spat by two robe-clad membres of the Noble. Qiang Yi racked his brain to remember their names, but Zhen-zhen stormed over, put her hands on her hips and shouted, “Tu Er, Po Lan, what in Nanhe are you two doing?!”
“Back off, squirt, it’s your fault we’re in this mess!” the one likely known as Tu Er shouted in the smaller girl’s face. Po Lan stomped over to Qiang Yi and stuck his finger in his face, causing the captain to back away with wide eyes. “Captain, look where you’ve taken us! Nowhere! We haven’t seen water for ten hours and our skins are emptying - what have you got to say for yourself?!”
Qiang Yi blinked and opened and closed his mouth, unable to form a sentence. Zeng En crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the man. “You dare cast such accusations at the captain’s face, Po Lan?!”
The man backed off, but returned the glare. Meanwhile, behind him Zhen-zhen and Tu Er were nearly butting heads. The girl grit her teeth at the menacing man, her fists clenching and unclenching. However, she eventually took a deep breath and stepped backwards. “I don’t feel like fighting, Tu Er. Just calm down and fall in line, and we’ll forget your attempts at harming morale.”
Tu Er spat a ball of water on Zhen-zhen’s robe and sneered at her. “Make me.” Zhen-zhen’s eyes momentarily flashed red and the little girl pounced the other servant, her fists hammering mercilessly at his face. Qiang Yi and Zeng En both gasped and sprinted over to pull her away, but as they left Po Lan to his devices, the servant ran away. “You will all die in here! Escape while you can!” he screamed as he ran.
There was a sudden whinny and the thunder of hooves. A figure appeared on the horizon, a lot closer than one would hope. It was dressed in dark glinting thorns and swung a large sword back and forth over the head of a midnight colored mare, hooves aflame. As it passed Po Lan the sword swung down, the blade slipping through him while leaving no a sight of harm. The servant collapsed, and the charge continued in a straight line towards the others.
The caravan froze as one. The squirming Zhen-zhen and Tu Er both immediately halted mid-punch as the Warden barreled down on the quarrel. The mare suddenly turned, stamping to a halt before the group. The Warden pointed a finger at the group, “What is the meaning of this!?” His voice boomed, leaking the smell of wet soil.
For a moment, no one neither answered nor moved. Even Li Shan at the front of the caravan remained petrified. Qiang Yi blinked a few times, then took a step forward. “O-oh sacred spirit, for-forgive these servants for breaking out into such needless squabbles on Your holy territory - they are but humble travellers bearing gifts for His Holiness K’nell. Th-they recently made landfall and have been trekking through these lands for a week, but they have not seen water for hours - and water is quite necessary to our subsistence, You see. Its absence incites a desperation in us that--”
“Fools!” The voice rumbled angrily, “You walked with the dust, not across it, that is why you are lost.” He shifted on his mare in an angry silence. A gentle tickle could be felt in the servants’ minds and the Warden suddenly spoke again, “However, you are faithful, and even in your folly you shall be granted reprieve.” A shadowy crow flew over head and the Warden pointed, “Even now the Lord K’nell watches.”
“H-He does?” Qiang Yi whimpered. Around him, all the servants fell to their knees in prayer. The captain permitted himself to look at the Warden’s black-armoured face, though his eyes flicked away swiftly. “Forgive this servant for asking, but… Who does it have the pleasure of addressing?”
The dust began to shift as the Warden stared in silence at Qiang Yi. Po Lan, who was a distance away began to stir, the dust around him shifting. The Warden looked down as the flames of his horses’ hooves began to douse, the dust rising slowly.
“Our Lord has arrived,” The Warden rumbled, and then all at once a gentle flush of cool water rolling in from the horizon, shallow and wide. The dust coated it like a sleeve as it washed over the praying servants knee’s, the landscape turning into one of swirling white and crystal. The servants’ eyes became saucers as they spread their fingers out into the shallow, foamy flow. “It’s a miracle - a gift from the Lord of Dreams!” came a shout from the front of the caravan, eliciting echoing sentiments and calls from the rest. Tu Er blinked at the water and tossed himself around in it like a hog in mud, cackling maniacally as it soaked his robes. Po Lan blinked to life, sat up and spotted Tu Er. He let out an equally crazy chortle and went sprinting over to his earlier enemy to drink his fill. Qiang Yi, Zhen-zhen and Zeng En all remained kowtowing, though they could not help but giggle at one another as water seeped through their skin and reinvigorated their thirsty souls.
The blue sky seemed to be mirrored in the white speckled flood below, all sounds drowned but the gentle laughing and praising. It was only when the soft string of an unseen violin played did the servants suddenly feel a pressure in the air. There before them, though they didn't look, a gentleman stood aloft the gently shifting flood. His voice swirled, “Welcome, servants of Shengshi.”
The celebrating servants all froze for a moment, before rolling over on their tummies and prostrating themselves. Qiang Yi glanced left and right to make certain the whole caravan remembered their manners. “His Lordship sends His warmest greetings, O Holiness K’nell, Lord of Dreams, Sovereign of Sleep, Exalted Creator of Hermes, the Love of the River, and beloved brother of Shengshi, Lord of the Thousand Streams.” He and the rest all dipped their heads a little lower, if possible.
“His greetings are well received, as are you,” K'nell replied, “You diligence in your duty does not go unnoticed, I assure you.” There was a pause, “Might you rise so I may see your faces?”
The servants rose in unison, bowed and then looked forward, though none of them dared make direct eye contact. K'nell tapped his chin and walked by Qiang Yi, “Would I be wrong to say that you are their brave captain?”
As if programmed, Qiang Yi once more fell to his knees as K’nell walked by. “Th-th-this servant is the captain, yes - Your Holiness intuition is impeccable. This servant is most grateful for Your Holiness comment about bravery!”
“Very good,” K’nell smiled, “Present your gift and finish your quest so I may congratulate you and your compatriots on your journey.”
Qiang Yi bowed proudly and turned around. “Bring forth His Lordship’s gift.” Five rickshaws were quickly rolled up to Qiang Yi, each loaded with a large, fifty litre pot of wine, a different flavour for each pot. Qiang Yi stepped aside and gestured to the rickshaws; the sailors who had pulled them took a few steps back and fell back on their knees. “His Lordship Shengshi of the Thousand Streams wishes to give His dearest friend, Lord K’nell of Dreams, Sovereign of Sleep and Exalted Creator of Hermes, Love of the River, a gift of two hundred and fifty mugfulls of wine, fifty mugfulls respectively of apple wine, mango liqueur, longtsao wine, palm wine and, of course, blueberry spirits. His Lordship prays they will satisfy Your Holiness’ pallet.”
“How kind!” K'nell praised, “Be sure to give my deepest thanks to your Lord the next time you see him.” He tapped his chin, “But you shouldn't leave empty handed, no.” There was a pause as K'nell thought, “Should it be within your pleasure, I invite you to rest and recuperate on the bountiful plains of Tendlepog until such a time I come to an idea for a gift in kind. You may bring your entire crew while my faithful Warden,” He Tilted his head to the grumpy horseman, “Shall ensure the safety of your vessel in the meantime.”
The crew members raised their heads to look at one another. Qiang Yi shot a glance at Zhen-zhen and Zeng En, who both beamed like Heliopolis itself. “If His Holiness allows it, then these servants would be more than honoured to accept. Thank You, blessed Sovereign of Sleep. Thank You from the bottom of these servant’s hearts.”
“Then you are now my welcomed guests,” K'nell grinned wide, “You may take from my rivers, collect from my fields and forage from my mountains. But,” He raised a finger, “Do not go beyond the inner mountain ranges and into the central forests, not without further invitation.” He looked them over, “While you sleep here, you will find paradise awake and in your dreams, and when you are finally rested and I have a gift in mind, there will be a final task from me should you accept.”
“A-a task, Your Holiness?” asked Qiang Yi carefully. The others gathered around closer to listen in.
“There is delicate cargo that I wish disposed of,” K'nell folded his hands behind his back, “Who better to do such a task than the brave sailors of Shengshi. I will not let you leave without the proper provisions and equipment of course, and should you refuse then I will even still see you safely home.”
Zhen-zhen, Zeng En and Li Shan all exchanged glances. Meanwhile, Qiang Yi’s eyes were glistening with joy. Zhen-zhen gave his pack a prod and whispered, “M… Maybe we should think a--”
“These servants offer their services, Your Holiness!” Qiang Yi exclaimed and bowed. Zhen-zhen and the rest froze momentarily, but quickly bowed, too.
“It will be dangerous,” K'nell warned, “I will accept your response in the coming days, after rest has taken you all.” He paused, “But your enthusiasm is most refreshing.”
“O-oh,” the captain began. “Naturally, O sacred Sovereign! We shall rest and have ready for You an answer.” Yet again, he bowed, inciting everyone behind him to also bow.
“Very good,” K'nell nodded, “I advise you send one sailor back with the Warden to inform your crew of the new arrangement in the plains. As for the rest.” He snapped his fingers and a set of footprints appeared in the drying dust, “Follow these to your new place of leisure. I will be watching you, ensuring your safe arrival.”
Qiang Yi pointed at a gi-clad servant, who set off in a jog back the way they came. “These servants are eternally grateful for Your hospitality, Your Holiness.”
“I'm glad to hear it,” K'nell smiled, “I am equally grateful for your lords gift and your services.” He clapped a hand and shadowy figures jumped out of the air itself. They scurried and picked up the containers of wine, running off as quickly as they came. “I should think of a gift,” K'nell mused, “One for the servants as well as the master.” He turned on his heel, “Yes, indeed.”
The crew set off from the Serpentines and tell Serenis to scout the Tendlepoggan shore for them. She agrees and flies off. A week passes and the ship is at the shore. This is when Serenis returns and tells them about a beach they can land on. They bust out the oars to outspeed the spin of the continent. They avoid some reefs and soon lay down the plank. However, they find that the plank gets stuck and that it for some reason cannot reach the beach. Zeng En drops the possibility of the beach being an illusion. To test this hypothesis, Qiang Yi throws himself overboard towards the beach, crashing into an invisible wall. He grabs onto stones and stuff, but loses grip and falls. Luckily, Kree and Serenis catch him on top of the bridge. They compare the beach to the surrounding cliffs and propose that this must also be a cliff, so they turn the bridge into a ladder and climb on top of the cliff. Once there, they thank Serenis and part ways. The servants leave one third to guard the ship while the remaining 20 travel towards Limbo. However, they soon become lost and two servants suffer a breakdown. As they start to fight, the Warden shows up and stops them. Then K’nell shows up. The wine is delivered, the quest is complete and the sailors are rewarded with some R&R.
K'nell: None used. Floods caused by the mountains moving a river into the dust lands
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