Chapter 21 - "Reunion"
I'm back at the cave and I'm starring at the map of my underground area. There's lots of room to expend the small cavern into a maze. [I can almost see it ...] ... different terrains with different creatures, separated by small rooms maybe even some different themes for variety. Each time an intruder passes through a room, the next encounters will be harder. This will catch two rabbits with one arrow: It will give a barrier against attackers, and serve as a training and proving ground for the Ashrani. [Hoko sure will like it!] And if I don't overdo it, there should be plenty of DP left afterwards.
After scribbling a rough plan into the dirt, I couldn't wait to start digging. Carving out one area after another, I'm careful to not make mistakes. I may have plenty of DP right now, enough for corrections, but it's still not good to be wasteful.
Room after room, the twisted cavern spreads through the earth. A quite pleasing display I must say. Almost like a growing organism. Also, as wired as it may be, I have a feeling about the new area ... no, actually about my whole area. It's very faint and hard to grasp, but I just know that this caves are part of my dungeon. It's the first time I have this sensation. Or rather, It's the first time I realize it. I didn't pay much attention to it earlier.
A few hours later, right after finishing another room, I take a shocked look at my DP. [I've used more then 2.000 already?!] That was unexpected! I should have paid more attention. [And I haven't even start with the creatures or themes yet!] I look at the dungeon so far ... It's not as big and impressive as intended. It's actually just about half the size I wanted it to be. It's also not much of a maze, but more like a line of rooms. A foundation for a Maze at best. [That burned through my DP quite quickly ...]
Well it's too late now. There is no option to undo my work. [And I don't want to ...] But it's time to reconsider my planning. I take another look at the DP ...
{1408 DP}
While I could make some spawners and populate the caverns, it would leave me quite vulnerable. If possible, I would like some reserves for emergencies. I still remember that prize dangling in front of me: 1500 DP for reaching the next tire. The only thing I need is to have 10 creatures ... So I could create some additional spawners and spawn some more creature, thereby fulfill the requirements, and get the DP boost. [That should work!] ...
On the other hand, there's still the matter of the refugees from the Dark-Elf's. Creating a home for them would probably cost me about the same amount as for the cave, if not more. Marsif promised to bring some creatures in, to provide me with the necessary DP. But I haven't seen them since then and we didn't agree on a delivering time or sizes. I'm not even sure if they are able to provide that much in just a weeks time. [Hmm ... what to do?!]
After some back and forth, I decide to go for the refuge home. After all, I gave my word to Marsif that it will be ready in a week. I didn't give any specific time to Hoko. And it's not like I won't do anything for the Ashranie at all, they'll have at least 10 creatures to play with ... [It's decided!]
I open the spawners menu, and for a moment there's the tingling temptation to go and try something new. A new spawner with new creatures to explore would be nice ... But I shrug it off and concentrate on the task ahead. For this, I relocate the shadow-cats den deeper into the cave, in an area that was made specifically for them. The narrow paths and countless corners there will be perfect for the cats to ambush their pray. As for the rabbits: I place another den in the cavern between the cats and the first part of the maze. I first thought of making two sections to provide a steadier increase in difficulty, but decided to leave it for later. Hoko will just have to be careful.
So the final setup is: 2 horned rabbits in the first room, 5 rabbits in the second, and 3 shadow cats in the last. There's actually another big nice cave behind that, which I placed even deeper underground. I planned it to be the next increase in difficulty, but I guess it will also have to wait. To populate my maze, I use up 4 more rabbit souls, the 2 war dogs I had from the beginning, and 2 "Black-Wing-Bats", which I still wonder how they came in my possession.
After everything is set up, I stray a bit through the tunnels and try to enjoy the work done. But the feeling of satisfaction just won't settle in. [This is not how I imagined it.] It's way smaller and ... simpler then what I had in mind. Maybe I shouldn't have taken Hoko's request after all ... [Nonsense!] After all they did for me already, the deserved a treat! And I will give them the best hunting ground they can imagine. Just not yet ...
... [How long am I down here actually?] I mentally call for the clock to appear:
[01:23 pm]
[Wow, it's over 4 hours already ...] Time to get some fresh air (not literally) and check if everything is alright. With so many children, elders, and injured protected by only a few healthy guards... If something decides to attack now, it would be a disaster. [But first ...] I open the achievement menu. and ... the one I'm waiting for not fulfilled. [I guess, the creatures need to be spawned first, to be counted.] But there is a different one that got completed:
--------------------------------------
Achievement: "Hole in the ground"
Condition: Have at least 1000 m² of "Cave" tiles. (1000/1000)
Reward: 100 DP, New Theme: "Solid Rock"
--------------------------------------
[Unexpected, but not unwelcome!] I accept it, wondering what I could do with the new theme.
There's actually another thing I found out about spawners. Now, that I placed several cores in one spawner, I realized that they are not spawned simultaneously. The counter always runs only on one of them. So If I want to make 5 horned rabbits, which each need 30 minutes to appear, they'll still need 2,5 hours in total. Have to keep that in mind.
When I leave the caves, I immediately notice some ruckus coming from the towers direction. My first reaction is shock! We can't have another attack, not now! I practically jump up in the air, to take a look at the scene ... To my relive, there's no fighting or any other hostility going on. Instead, there's a large crowd cheering. It takes me a moment to process what's going on, when I finally identify Hassak (Alias "Bonehead") in the middle of the commotion. Apparently, the Harpy-extermination-expedition was over - and judging by the cheers, it was successful. I wold leave out a deep breath right now, if I would have a mouth ... or lungs.
As I curiously approach the cheerfuller commotion of lizard-man an -women happily hugging each other, I notice two people standing out, simply buy being one head higher then everyone else. One of them is that guy, who led the attack on the soldiers on my first day. I think I remember Orsha mentioning him to be the lead-hunter, or something ... [I should ask about their hierarchical structure at some point].
The other big guy is staying a bit off-site, and is ... not even a lizard ... [Wait a minute ... WHO'S THAT?] His stature is MASSIVE compared to the mostly skinny lizard-man! His Face looks more humanoid then reptilian, but still wild and beastly. He's also standing there upright like a proud tree! It feels like the name of its race is crawling somewhere at the back of my head, but I's just out of reach...
I would like to ask Orsha, but sh's entangled wit her beloved one, hugging each other, like there's no tomorrow. So ...
Me: [Hey Sari!]
Sari: "*Eiick*"
She jumps in surprise, and catches some attention, to which she shrinks in embarrassment. Damn, I forgot how easily she is to scare. Actually it's somehow cute. But no time to care about that ...
Sari: "... Agrosh choróg mor-gar ag Kalifos ..."
Everyone around: "Hoooaa! ..."
Before the commotion is over and I get a chance to ask something, Hassak approaches her.
Hassak: "Kor go-mar dos Kalifos!"
Sari seems to be a bit confused at the sudden attention, but gets herself together. I can almost feel, how she's shaking inside.
Sari: [... Hassag says, he has returned with success.]
Me: [Yea, I can see that, but who ...]
Hassak: "Sormár heshék ko-gor dorósh. Sol godár mog-eg Ashranie genok?"
Sari: [Hassak asks if he and his man are allowed to make a tent within Kalifos's caves.]
Like I would say no to that. If I did, the whole tribe would leave. But Hassak likes to be a bit theatrical ...
Me: [Tell them: "The Ashranie and I forged a bound of friendship. And therefore, they are free to stay as long as they like, and make my home their own, if they desire!"]
After Saris translation, another wave of cheers occurs. I chuckle through my connection to Sari.
Me: [What? Did they actually expected me to decline?]
For a moment, I feel like I've seen a faint smile on her face. But I could be wrong, their facial expressions are still hard to read for me. She makes a pause, like she's carefully considering what to say.
Sari: [... The Ashranie are happy to be welcomed somewhere.]
Now, that just sounded like there's more to it. Like a sad thing covered by a friendly tone. If I think about it, their ancestors lost their home when Argos was defeated. The soldiers mentioned that they where forced out of the swamps, and migrated here. I guess it's been a long time since they felt welcomed somewhere. That just makes me want to embrace them all with a tight hug.
You: [I'm really happy to have you here, you know ...]
Now THAT just seemed like a smile!
At this point, the big lizard-guy draws the attention of the crowd by raising his hand and gesture for everyone to calm down. He then points his arm introductory at the unusual guest. Who, now that you look closely at him, is much less calm the he wants to appear. He's standing there - proud, with his head raised high, and his face serious. But his eyes, twitching back and forth through the commotion, trying to understand what's going on, are giving him away. He's nervous!
The lead-hunter then holds a longer speech, which Sari obediently translates to me. Basically, this guy was a victim of the Harpas as well. And when Hassak started his attack and freed him in the process, he joined in without a second thought. He has no home or tribe or family to return to, so he stuck with the Ashranie for strength in numbers. New they are asking me if he can stay as a guest, until he decides what to do next...
Everyone's looking at Sari, making her uncomfortable while I consider If this is alright. But honestly I don't see a reason why not. I can't give him food yet, but I can give him a place to stay.
Me: [Tell them ...]
I take a moment to choose my word carefully. I don't want to give any wrong Impressions after all. and I certainly don't want to fall in a cycle where I just take in everyone who happens to drop by. This is not a charity house after all.
Me: [Tell them, If the Ashranie trust him, he can stay as their guest. But the Ashranie tribe will be responsible for him.]
Sari eagerly translates while I talk. To that the lead-hunter makes a few determined steps forward, even if I feel that there's no need for that - everyone could see him clearly already. He places his hand on his chest wit the claws slightly pressing into it.
Lead Hunter: "Gos do-shar ek Orsog! Sek-ragòsh onok Kalifos, dashrag ges Soguru as Magar!
Sari: [Orsog says: He swears by his name, which is "Orsog", that he will give his life as tribute if "Soguru as Magar" causes harm to Kalifos!]
Everyone: "Ooohhh ..."
No reason to go all extreme on me.
Me: [Who could possibility say no to that ... Just make it clear to him that in case of an attack, he's expected to fight with the rest. This is my condition!]
It's actually obvious, because he would fight for his own life as well. But it still feels important to say it out loud.
Me: ["Soguru as Magar" ... is that the name of our guest?]
Sari: [Yes.]
Me: [Quite a long name ...]
Sari: [... Yes.]
Maybe it's his first and last name? The Ashranie don't seem to have that, but other cultures could.
Orsha carries over my agreement and another cheer erupts. But a calmer one. Like, It's a mare distraction from the main reason to be happy today. A little bonus at best.
Me: [Had someone already told them what happened in their absence?]
Sari: [... No.]
Me: [They won't be so cheerful when they hear about that.]
Sari: [ ... No ...]
Nothing more to say about that. I wonder If Hassak will blame me for the losses? After all, they could still be alive, if they hadn't decided to come here ...
...
Eventually, everyone got inside. I teamed up with Orsha and followed them down. I coughed her throwing hard-to-read looks towards Sari earlier, and I certainly don't want to make her jealous of her sister, so I let her translate everything important to me and explain the "why's" and "how's". She did so eagerly, but not without being glued to the side of her loved one. "Ormag" was his name. I still clearly remember his stunt on the harpa, and him handing the feather to Orsha ... Which she's still wearing on her belt.
Me: [Ormag, Orsog, Soguru, Hoko ... I learned so many new names today. Hopefully, I can remember them all ...]
Orsha: [Orsha will remember ...]
That sounded like, she'll remember it for me. A friendly gesture!
Me: [Say Orsha, when will you tell Hassak? You know, about the human attack and ... the other thing.]
She doesn't make it necessary for me to explain. Her answer is short and simple:
Orsha: [Hassak knows.]
Me: [Someone told him?]
Orsha: [No, but he knows.]
Well, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised about it. There's probably no one who knows his tribe better then himself. There are also some clues scattered around, like the barricades, or the blood on the cavern floor, or the all new gate ... Now that I think about it, It would actually be silly if he didn't notice. Now I wonder how he can stay so calm about it? Or maybe he isn't ... Maybe he only appears calm on the outside. I just can't imagine him having a heart of stone.
Unintentionally, I begin to pay more attention to him. and I notice how in between conversations, his thoughts seem to drift off to somewhere, and his expression becomes more serious. And then he snaps out of it like from a daydream when someone talks to him again.
He does care!
First, the whole bunch of them took a short tour through all the rooms, inspected everything, talked about all kinds of logistic stuff, like what hunting grounds are nearby or where to get fresh water from. Then, everyone gathers in the meeting room where my dungeon-core is present and Hassak gives a few introductory words about their reunion. Then he gives a small ceremonial-looking stick with feathers and shells attached to it to Orsog, the lead-hunter, who than begins their tail of how they rescued their kidnapped friends. Apparently, not only their fight against the harpas was hard. Actually, due to careful planing and preparation, that seemed to be the easier part. The difficult thing was the journey itself. They almost bumped into a large man-eating plant monster, and hat to fight off "Gray-Pelts" (which Orsha explained to be some kind of wolf-like creature) and other beasts. I'm glad, they haven't lost anyone on the way. In my mind, I take silent notes on the dangers in the surrounding, while he's talking.
From what Orsog told about the actual battle; our newcomer Soguru played a not so small role in it. They fought back to back against swarm after swarm of the feathered creatures. He seems to be really impressed by this guys fighting spirit. Judging by the smirks of the others, it seems like he's exaggerating a bit. But no one tries to correct him, so, I guess it's fine. He may have experienced the situation different then what it looked like to observers.
Soguru himself took seat at the far end of the circle, and seems absent from the tale-telling. Instead he keeps a curious eye on my core almost all the time. Orsog offered him a seat next to him, closer to the center, but he declined. I guess, he doesn't know what to think of the shining orb at the ceiling yet. Orsha explains his race as the "Orc", which rings a bell. It's like blurry memories that I forgot a long time ago, are rising to the surface again, mixed with an uneasy feeling. But if this are really memories from long ago, does that mean, I had a life before that? And if I did, how old may I actually be? A small interesting hint.
During the short walk-and-talk through the small cave earlier, I've seen Soguru communicate with hand-signs to Hassak and Orsog. They didn't actually speak with each other. So I guess Soguru is either deaf, or they don't speak the same language.
While Orsog goes on about how hard it was to "hunt" some of the dangers on their road and showing some of his trophies around, I let my view slide over the relaxed and happy faces of the listeners. I may not be able to sense changes in the temperature, but being here, in this circle, and listening to their story in the shine of the dungeon-core gives me a warm and comfy feeling. It's like sitting with friends around a campfire and telling tales to each other, and bragging about accomplishments and stuff. It would be nice to have more such moments.
After Orsog completes his summery of their heroic journey, Hassak gives his tribe some time to let it sink in and chatter about. Then he demonstratively hands the ceremonial stuff from Orsog to Orsha, and she explains to me that it's now her turn to speak. Right, the other half of the tribe also has a story to tell ... To not distract her, I switch to Sari, and listen to the tale that I was present in ... to "our" tale.
Orsha told about how we planned this place together, how they migrated here, how I placed my Orb for them to shine, how I was interested in their culture, which seems tho have left a really nice memory in her ... every little thing. And then she told of the storm, and what it brought with it. How they tried to rescue the fleeing, injured people, How the soldiers attacked with arrows and how they fought them off at the tower and later in the cavern. How they turned the battle to their favor and killed the commander at the stairs. Never leaving out my involvement in it, like the ambush I ordered outside, the right commands I gave at the right time, the traps that killed a bunch of them ...
At this point I was ready to answer to Hassak about the lost ones, but Orsha depicted them as heroes, who laid down their lives for the tribe. And that they would have lost many more, If it wasn't for my protection. There was no pity for them in her words, no sadness, no regret. Only pride in their sacrifice! And no one seems to have a wish to correct her ...
Now she even manged to convince me, that thanks to my aid, this was the best possible outcome.
Then she told about the dark-elf appearance, and their role in saving Sari and the others. About our agreement to take in refugees and the worry about the goblins.
As she finishes, a long pause occurs. That's a lot to swallow for everyone, especially for Hassak. I pity him a little over it. After such a hard undertaking, he doesn't get any rest. The moment he finishes one task, he's confronted with new worries, new problems, new decisions to make ... At times like this, being a leader seems to be more of a burden then a blessing.
It seems appropriate to take a moment of silence and I follow their example, using the time to sort things out a bit. There was so much going on the last days, that I feel overwhelmed by it. It's hard to follow. Every event changes the rules and priorities. I feel thorn apart, jumping from one spot to another, and not finishing anything. Working on the maze today was somehow relaxing, because I could put my mind at just one thing for a change, instead of worrying about a dozen problems at once ... Right now, I honestly wish I had some help getting a clean perspective at everything, someone to plan the road ahead with ...
Maybe I should just ask? The Ashranie are here, and now the tribe is complete again. After they settle In, I could have a long chat with Hassak and the sisters about future plans. We could decide on priorities. Hassag has the wisdom and experience of a leader, why not use it? But on the other hand, asking for their advice too much could make me look weak in their eyes. They may loose their trust in me ...
Wold they really? After what Orsha told them about me right now? Hard to say ... But who else could I ask? The dark-elf's? I don't know enough about them to ask for their advice. I feel like I've already given away too much information to them about myself.
... No ... this is not the right way to think about it. This would be just dropping the load from my shoulders on someone else. I should be embarrassed by wanting to escape all responsibility like that. After all, I was the one who heroically announced that I would protect the tribe. What I may need to clarify now is; how the Ashranie understand the term of being protected, what meaning it has to them?
What I really need to do is to make a list of clear goals, sort them by impotence and organize them regularity. Then I wouldn't need an adviser or anyone else to tell me what to do. It would be helpful to have someone to keep track of the process ... an assistant. But that can wait!
Now, about this list ... I sink deeper in my thoughts, and try to collect all the big and little things that needs to be handled yet.
There's actually another thing I found out about spawners. Now, that I placed several cores in one spawner, I realized that they are not spawned simultaneously. The counter always runs only on one of them. So If I want to make 5 horned rabbits, which each need 30 minutes to appear, they'll still need 2,5 hours in total. Have to keep that in mind.
When I leave the caves, I immediately notice some ruckus coming from the towers direction. My first reaction is shock! We can't have another attack, not now! I practically jump up in the air, to take a look at the scene ... To my relive, there's no fighting or any other hostility going on. Instead, there's a large crowd cheering. It takes me a moment to process what's going on, when I finally identify Hassak (Alias "Bonehead") in the middle of the commotion. Apparently, the Harpy-extermination-expedition was over - and judging by the cheers, it was successful. I wold leave out a deep breath right now, if I would have a mouth ... or lungs.
As I curiously approach the cheerfuller commotion of lizard-man an -women happily hugging each other, I notice two people standing out, simply buy being one head higher then everyone else. One of them is that guy, who led the attack on the soldiers on my first day. I think I remember Orsha mentioning him to be the lead-hunter, or something ... [I should ask about their hierarchical structure at some point].
The other big guy is staying a bit off-site, and is ... not even a lizard ... [Wait a minute ... WHO'S THAT?] His stature is MASSIVE compared to the mostly skinny lizard-man! His Face looks more humanoid then reptilian, but still wild and beastly. He's also standing there upright like a proud tree! It feels like the name of its race is crawling somewhere at the back of my head, but I's just out of reach...I would like to ask Orsha, but sh's entangled wit her beloved one, hugging each other, like there's no tomorrow. So ...
Me: [Hey Sari!]
Sari: "*Eiick*"
She jumps in surprise, and catches some attention, to which she shrinks in embarrassment. Damn, I forgot how easily she is to scare. Actually it's somehow cute. But no time to care about that ...
Sari: "... Agrosh choróg mor-gar ag Kalifos ..."
Everyone around: "Hoooaa! ..."
Before the commotion is over and I get a chance to ask something, Hassak approaches her.
Hassak: "Kor go-mar dos Kalifos!"
Sari seems to be a bit confused at the sudden attention, but gets herself together. I can almost feel, how she's shaking inside.
Sari: [... Hassag says, he has returned with success.]
Me: [Yea, I can see that, but who ...]
Hassak: "Sormár heshék ko-gor dorósh. Sol godár mog-eg Ashranie genok?"
Sari: [Hassak asks if he and his man are allowed to make a tent within Kalifos's caves.]
Like I would say no to that. If I did, the whole tribe would leave. But Hassak likes to be a bit theatrical ...
Me: [Tell them: "The Ashranie and I forged a bound of friendship. And therefore, they are free to stay as long as they like, and make my home their own, if they desire!"]
After Saris translation, another wave of cheers occurs. I chuckle through my connection to Sari.
Me: [What? Did they actually expected me to decline?]
For a moment, I feel like I've seen a faint smile on her face. But I could be wrong, their facial expressions are still hard to read for me. She makes a pause, like she's carefully considering what to say.
Sari: [... The Ashranie are happy to be welcomed somewhere.]
Now, that just sounded like there's more to it. Like a sad thing covered by a friendly tone. If I think about it, their ancestors lost their home when Argos was defeated. The soldiers mentioned that they where forced out of the swamps, and migrated here. I guess it's been a long time since they felt welcomed somewhere. That just makes me want to embrace them all with a tight hug.
You: [I'm really happy to have you here, you know ...]
Now THAT just seemed like a smile!
At this point, the big lizard-guy draws the attention of the crowd by raising his hand and gesture for everyone to calm down. He then points his arm introductory at the unusual guest. Who, now that you look closely at him, is much less calm the he wants to appear. He's standing there - proud, with his head raised high, and his face serious. But his eyes, twitching back and forth through the commotion, trying to understand what's going on, are giving him away. He's nervous!
The lead-hunter then holds a longer speech, which Sari obediently translates to me. Basically, this guy was a victim of the Harpas as well. And when Hassak started his attack and freed him in the process, he joined in without a second thought. He has no home or tribe or family to return to, so he stuck with the Ashranie for strength in numbers. New they are asking me if he can stay as a guest, until he decides what to do next...
Everyone's looking at Sari, making her uncomfortable while I consider If this is alright. But honestly I don't see a reason why not. I can't give him food yet, but I can give him a place to stay.
Me: [Tell them ...]
I take a moment to choose my word carefully. I don't want to give any wrong Impressions after all. and I certainly don't want to fall in a cycle where I just take in everyone who happens to drop by. This is not a charity house after all.
Me: [Tell them, If the Ashranie trust him, he can stay as their guest. But the Ashranie tribe will be responsible for him.]
Sari eagerly translates while I talk. To that the lead-hunter makes a few determined steps forward, even if I feel that there's no need for that - everyone could see him clearly already. He places his hand on his chest wit the claws slightly pressing into it.
Lead Hunter: "Gos do-shar ek Orsog! Sek-ragòsh onok Kalifos, dashrag ges Soguru as Magar!
Sari: [Orsog says: He swears by his name, which is "Orsog", that he will give his life as tribute if "Soguru as Magar" causes harm to Kalifos!]
Everyone: "Ooohhh ..."
No reason to go all extreme on me.
Me: [Who could possibility say no to that ... Just make it clear to him that in case of an attack, he's expected to fight with the rest. This is my condition!]
It's actually obvious, because he would fight for his own life as well. But it still feels important to say it out loud.
Me: ["Soguru as Magar" ... is that the name of our guest?]
Sari: [Yes.]
Me: [Quite a long name ...]
Sari: [... Yes.]
Maybe it's his first and last name? The Ashranie don't seem to have that, but other cultures could.
Orsha carries over my agreement and another cheer erupts. But a calmer one. Like, It's a mare distraction from the main reason to be happy today. A little bonus at best.
Me: [Had someone already told them what happened in their absence?]
Sari: [... No.]
Me: [They won't be so cheerful when they hear about that.]
Sari: [ ... No ...]
Nothing more to say about that. I wonder If Hassak will blame me for the losses? After all, they could still be alive, if they hadn't decided to come here ...
...
Eventually, everyone got inside. I teamed up with Orsha and followed them down. I coughed her throwing hard-to-read looks towards Sari earlier, and I certainly don't want to make her jealous of her sister, so I let her translate everything important to me and explain the "why's" and "how's". She did so eagerly, but not without being glued to the side of her loved one. "Ormag" was his name. I still clearly remember his stunt on the harpa, and him handing the feather to Orsha ... Which she's still wearing on her belt.
Me: [Ormag, Orsog, Soguru, Hoko ... I learned so many new names today. Hopefully, I can remember them all ...]
Orsha: [Orsha will remember ...]
That sounded like, she'll remember it for me. A friendly gesture!
Me: [Say Orsha, when will you tell Hassak? You know, about the human attack and ... the other thing.]
She doesn't make it necessary for me to explain. Her answer is short and simple:
Orsha: [Hassak knows.]
Me: [Someone told him?]
Orsha: [No, but he knows.]
Well, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised about it. There's probably no one who knows his tribe better then himself. There are also some clues scattered around, like the barricades, or the blood on the cavern floor, or the all new gate ... Now that I think about it, It would actually be silly if he didn't notice. Now I wonder how he can stay so calm about it? Or maybe he isn't ... Maybe he only appears calm on the outside. I just can't imagine him having a heart of stone.
Unintentionally, I begin to pay more attention to him. and I notice how in between conversations, his thoughts seem to drift off to somewhere, and his expression becomes more serious. And then he snaps out of it like from a daydream when someone talks to him again.
He does care!
First, the whole bunch of them took a short tour through all the rooms, inspected everything, talked about all kinds of logistic stuff, like what hunting grounds are nearby or where to get fresh water from. Then, everyone gathers in the meeting room where my dungeon-core is present and Hassak gives a few introductory words about their reunion. Then he gives a small ceremonial-looking stick with feathers and shells attached to it to Orsog, the lead-hunter, who than begins their tail of how they rescued their kidnapped friends. Apparently, not only their fight against the harpas was hard. Actually, due to careful planing and preparation, that seemed to be the easier part. The difficult thing was the journey itself. They almost bumped into a large man-eating plant monster, and hat to fight off "Gray-Pelts" (which Orsha explained to be some kind of wolf-like creature) and other beasts. I'm glad, they haven't lost anyone on the way. In my mind, I take silent notes on the dangers in the surrounding, while he's talking.
From what Orsog told about the actual battle; our newcomer Soguru played a not so small role in it. They fought back to back against swarm after swarm of the feathered creatures. He seems to be really impressed by this guys fighting spirit. Judging by the smirks of the others, it seems like he's exaggerating a bit. But no one tries to correct him, so, I guess it's fine. He may have experienced the situation different then what it looked like to observers.
Soguru himself took seat at the far end of the circle, and seems absent from the tale-telling. Instead he keeps a curious eye on my core almost all the time. Orsog offered him a seat next to him, closer to the center, but he declined. I guess, he doesn't know what to think of the shining orb at the ceiling yet. Orsha explains his race as the "Orc", which rings a bell. It's like blurry memories that I forgot a long time ago, are rising to the surface again, mixed with an uneasy feeling. But if this are really memories from long ago, does that mean, I had a life before that? And if I did, how old may I actually be? A small interesting hint.
During the short walk-and-talk through the small cave earlier, I've seen Soguru communicate with hand-signs to Hassak and Orsog. They didn't actually speak with each other. So I guess Soguru is either deaf, or they don't speak the same language.
While Orsog goes on about how hard it was to "hunt" some of the dangers on their road and showing some of his trophies around, I let my view slide over the relaxed and happy faces of the listeners. I may not be able to sense changes in the temperature, but being here, in this circle, and listening to their story in the shine of the dungeon-core gives me a warm and comfy feeling. It's like sitting with friends around a campfire and telling tales to each other, and bragging about accomplishments and stuff. It would be nice to have more such moments.
After Orsog completes his summery of their heroic journey, Hassak gives his tribe some time to let it sink in and chatter about. Then he demonstratively hands the ceremonial stuff from Orsog to Orsha, and she explains to me that it's now her turn to speak. Right, the other half of the tribe also has a story to tell ... To not distract her, I switch to Sari, and listen to the tale that I was present in ... to "our" tale.
Orsha told about how we planned this place together, how they migrated here, how I placed my Orb for them to shine, how I was interested in their culture, which seems tho have left a really nice memory in her ... every little thing. And then she told of the storm, and what it brought with it. How they tried to rescue the fleeing, injured people, How the soldiers attacked with arrows and how they fought them off at the tower and later in the cavern. How they turned the battle to their favor and killed the commander at the stairs. Never leaving out my involvement in it, like the ambush I ordered outside, the right commands I gave at the right time, the traps that killed a bunch of them ...
At this point I was ready to answer to Hassak about the lost ones, but Orsha depicted them as heroes, who laid down their lives for the tribe. And that they would have lost many more, If it wasn't for my protection. There was no pity for them in her words, no sadness, no regret. Only pride in their sacrifice! And no one seems to have a wish to correct her ...
Now she even manged to convince me, that thanks to my aid, this was the best possible outcome.
Then she told about the dark-elf appearance, and their role in saving Sari and the others. About our agreement to take in refugees and the worry about the goblins.
As she finishes, a long pause occurs. That's a lot to swallow for everyone, especially for Hassak. I pity him a little over it. After such a hard undertaking, he doesn't get any rest. The moment he finishes one task, he's confronted with new worries, new problems, new decisions to make ... At times like this, being a leader seems to be more of a burden then a blessing.
It seems appropriate to take a moment of silence and I follow their example, using the time to sort things out a bit. There was so much going on the last days, that I feel overwhelmed by it. It's hard to follow. Every event changes the rules and priorities. I feel thorn apart, jumping from one spot to another, and not finishing anything. Working on the maze today was somehow relaxing, because I could put my mind at just one thing for a change, instead of worrying about a dozen problems at once ... Right now, I honestly wish I had some help getting a clean perspective at everything, someone to plan the road ahead with ...
Maybe I should just ask? The Ashranie are here, and now the tribe is complete again. After they settle In, I could have a long chat with Hassak and the sisters about future plans. We could decide on priorities. Hassag has the wisdom and experience of a leader, why not use it? But on the other hand, asking for their advice too much could make me look weak in their eyes. They may loose their trust in me ...
Wold they really? After what Orsha told them about me right now? Hard to say ... But who else could I ask? The dark-elf's? I don't know enough about them to ask for their advice. I feel like I've already given away too much information to them about myself.
... No ... this is not the right way to think about it. This would be just dropping the load from my shoulders on someone else. I should be embarrassed by wanting to escape all responsibility like that. After all, I was the one who heroically announced that I would protect the tribe. What I may need to clarify now is; how the Ashranie understand the term of being protected, what meaning it has to them?
What I really need to do is to make a list of clear goals, sort them by impotence and organize them regularity. Then I wouldn't need an adviser or anyone else to tell me what to do. It would be helpful to have someone to keep track of the process ... an assistant. But that can wait!
Now, about this list ... I sink deeper in my thoughts, and try to collect all the big and little things that needs to be handled yet.
Wow! I'm really interested to see where this goes! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I'm curious too. :)
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