Chapter 27 - "Unforgotten Promises"

Chapter 26 < Chapter 27

Chapter 27 - "Unforgotten Promises"

   Once they left I took some rest. It was a lot of information to take in and I needed time to sort it.

[So it was the Dark Elves that brought me here ...] Having at least a small hint on my awakening is sure nice, but I still don't know how or why they did it! And another frustrating part is; not even Marsif seems to have an answer for that. I'm sure he'll investigate it, thought. After seeing his shocked face I'm certain that he's just as curious as I am. The three dark-elven souls in my list where his men after all.

What I should be more concerned about right now are the other native tribes in my neighborhood. The Lizard Men are not the only group in the area - nor are they the largest one! I should talk with the Ashranie about it. Especially the matter of the unknown attacker in the nearby forest is alarming. I certainly don't want any hunters fall victim to him - or them. Maybe they even know more about it then the guys from "Dark Hope", they live here after all.

In any case I hope that this last exchange of sensible information strengthens the trust between me and the Dark Elves and erases the necessity to play further mind games. For now I should concentrate on the matters at hand, which is the "food" they brought with them. Still not sure if I want to call it that ...

On my leisure way to the new core-room while indulged in my thoughts, I stumble upon an interesting scene in the meeting hall:

In the room's center right beneath my dungeon core are the carefully stacked cages containing the animals from the Dark Elves, as well as the shadow cats the Ashranie catched for me. With a quick look around I discover the unknown humanoid creature in the back of the room with two guards next to him. Around the cages is the majority of the Ashranie-underlings and children, gawking at the restless prisoners. I see the crowd shrinking back whenever one of the critters hisses or growls.

Hoko (like the teacher he is) sits beside the cage staple and calmly explains something to the younglings. Doing so, he appears to be not as much bothered by the creatures threatening noises, as by Orsog's constant interruptions. The lead hunter's enthusiastic and lively comments cause occasional 'hooaaa's and 'uuuhh's from the young audience, much to Hoko's obvious annoyance. Meanwhile the more experienced hunters seem to be more interested in the well crafted cages then what's inside.

Other tribesman inspect the new corridor that leads further down, which I dug out earlier. Regardless of their obvious curiosity, they don't dare to venture inside further then a few steps. I wouldn't care if they did though since I haven't installed any traps yet. But right now I don't want to bother myself with entering permissions as there are more pressing matters:

I quickly find Orsha in the crowd and open a connection...

Me: [Orsha, when Hoko is done with his lecture, I'll tell you what to do with the animals. Right now I'd like to ask you to bring one of the black cats to the cocoon.]

Orsha: [Yes Orsha understands!]

I watch her talk to two other tribesman and they get a stick to carry the round cage. I can't get around noticing the radical design-differences of the two sorts of cages. While the square cages from the Dark Elves rely on sturdy bars, neatly aligned boards and a multitude of nails made to withstand the captives strength - the round design of the Ashranie is made of vines and entangled sticks, designed to absorb the said strength with flexibility. I'm not even sure how they got the creature inside, since there's no visible opening. Comparing them, I can't say which is the better one as they both have their merits ...

While leaving the hall with Orsha and the other two, I look back at the lively crowd wondering how all of this must look like from their perspective? Recently, there's a lot happening in their live: Them finding me in this ruin, the human attack, leaving their Camp to live in a magical cave, their campaign against the Harpas ... and that's just the big events! Allying with Dark Elves, peace talks with Goblins, bringing in an Ork, having a Spirit guide them in battle, the enormous storm, and of course loosing some of their tribesmen ... And that's just one week! ... They sure must have a hard time. I feel a bit ashamed for complaining about the chaos of too many events in a short time. They are not having it better at all And not a single complain from them has reached my ear.

Since my telepathic connection to Orsha is still open I voice my concerns to her, listing all their hardships.

Me: [... Now, after all that happened, how are your people holding up?]

All of what I said is true and she's well aware of that. I takes a moment for her to respond ...

Orsha: [... The ... Ashranie are strong. They will prove worthy of Kalifos' trust!]

That's not what I asked, she's avoiding the question.

Me: [They already did! I'm just concerned about how much they can take. So many changes happening so fast. For many of them it must be at least irritating, no?]

Orsha looks up to the ceiling with a hard to read look. Is it admiration? Expectation? Hope? Is she just happy for me to care?

Orsha: [... Yes! Ashranie will need some time to get accustomed. But they will not get weak! They will escape their hunters and hunt them back in return!]

Me: [I'm sure they will. Now that you say it; after dealing with the animals I want you to call all the important people of your tribe together. The Hunters you talk about are coming our way and we need to discuss how to deal with them. Now I regret not having Hassak around, he sure needs to know this ...]

That just now gave her a sharp and serious expression. By that time we also reached the door of the cocoon room.

Me: [... But one thing after another. Let's see how our 'egg' likes the little present ...]

I have the two guys place the cage on the floor and tell them to stand back. I don't want them to get anywhere near that tentacle thing, It creeps me out for some reason. I once more confirm that I can't lift living beings. Corpses are fine, but if it's alive I can't touch it, it's like there's nothing there at all. So I pic up the cage instead and get the familiar 'hooaah' response from the group. There are also a few children that peak around the corner. Seeing the cocoon for the first time draws a mix of curiosity, astonishment and a healthy dose of fear on their faces. Ignoring the threatening hisses, I carry the creature inside the small room.

Before I get a chance to place it down, the cocoon comes alive!

Some of it's tentacles leap at the cage and rip it out of my grip. Orsha and the others jump away by instinct and the children quickly run away. Biting and scratching didn't help the critter to escape the tentacles' grip, which wriggled their way inside the cage, ripping it apart in the process. Once grabbed, the cat begins to dissolve under painful cries. But this time it's not like the usual blue glimmer. Instead, it looks like the creature is melting, and being absorbed by the cocoon. Once it disappears, the remaining soul-core don't even get a chance to fall to the ground, before being caught by the tentacles and melted as well. Well, It makes sense, it's just as magical as the creature itself, maybe even more.

I watch the disturbing, brutal scene to the end. Once the process is over, the tentacles slowly spread back around the floor and return to their relaxing state. In contrast to that, the cocoon itself seems to slowly come alive. The veins on its surface start to pulsate lightly, mild enough to miss if you don't look closely. There's clearly something happening with it!

At this point some commotion occurs from the inner parts of the cave. The scared children must have alarmed the rest of the tribe. Soon a bunch of people arrive with weapons in hand, led by Orsog and Hoko.

Me: [Don't let anyone near that thing!]

Orsha: "Ermák goz-dar - Turgósh nok rádesh!"

The crowd stops in their approach and I throw my attention back at the source of the sudden turmoil. It doesn't take long for the egg to return to its calm hibernating state.

Me: [Well, that was more violent then I hoped it would be. I guess the thing is hungrier then expected...]

Orsha: [... Yes ...]

I open the Info-screen on it to see if there are any changes:

){}---------------------------------{}(

Homunculus Egg

Growth: 5/100

Absorbed mana: 23

Traits gained:

-Sharp Claws-

Close

){}---------------------------------{}(

[Whoa, there's definitely some change compared to the last time!] First off; it's growing. Not sure if this is because of the cat, or if it grows by itself over time. Second; it has mana now, whatever it's necessary for. And finally a less cryptic point: What ever is growing inside this cocoon got the "Sharp Claws" trait. Either this is a good or bad thing depends on the friendliness or hostility of whatever is inside. Since the egg was a reward (from a secret Achievement even) I guess it should be fine, but you never know ...

Anyway, the wild behavior of the cocoon makes everyone uneasy, including me. The sooner this is dealed with, the better.

Me: [Orsha, would you mind sending someone for the other two cats? Also, make sure that no one steps too close.]

I'm aware that I'm repeating myself, but I can't stretch that point enough. The last thing I wont is a deadly accident, especially if the source was created by me.

Orsha: [Yes! ... Will the ... egg ... try to hunt the Ashranie?]

While listening to my answer, she carries my orders to the crowd.

Me: [The Egg is probably not able to distinguish between friend and foe. It shouldn't hatch for a while but I expect it to be on our side once it does. But since we don't know in what mood it will be when it hatches, I would feel at ease If I knew the Ashrani in a safe distance until I know what we got here. If it's dangerous, I will bury it alive.]

I hope I won't have too, though.

Orsha: [Orsha understands, the Ashranie will stay away!]

The two other cats are brought in no-time. I wait for Orsha to shoo away the crowd and grab the next cage. The violent scene repeats itself and I take another look at the egg's specs:

){}---------------------------------{}(

Homunculus Egg

Growth: 5/100

Absorbed mana: 45

Traits gained:

-Sharp Claws-
-Curiosity-

Close

){}---------------------------------{}(

[I knew it!] The growth didn't change at all, so I guess it simply grows over time. Instead the mana has risen to about twice the amount. And it also got another trait: "Curiosity".

The traits seems to be associated to the creatures it gulped down, which is understandable, but the second one is marked red compared to the first green one. Like a "good" and a "bad" one. So curiosity is therefore considered as something bad? [Curiosity kills the cat, I guess ...] Wait, where do I know that saying from? Did I hear it somewhere? It still confuses me when random knowledge pops up in my mind out of nowhere. Maybe one day I'll remember who I was, just like that...

But I'll tend to that once I get there. What matters right now is getting this done with.

Once the third Shadow-Cat is absorbed I confirm the changes once more:

){}---------------------------------{}(

Homunculus Egg

Growth: 5/100

Absorbed mana: 68

Traits gained:

-Sharp Claws-
-Curiosity-
-Shadow manipulation-

Close

){}---------------------------------{}(

["Shadow manipulation", huh?] It's another green one, so I guess the good and bad traits will continue to cycle as I feed it more creatures. [That means, the next one will be bad again ...] Would it be worth it just to add more mana? I wish I knew what it's needed for. Maybe it determines the creatures power? Or its own magical ability? Or maybe it's just its size ...

Having the conflicting thought circle around my mind for a while, I decide to add two more cats. That way, the "Mana" and the max "Growth" values will be around the same number. But for this I would need to re-spawn the sneaky beasts, which again requires more soul-cores.

This egg is starting to cost me!

I really hope it's worth it ...

After transferring the souls of a rat, the fire-monkey and the newly arrived chicken into cores and placing them where they belong, I return to the core room.

The tension among the tribe is clearly seen. Even if they go about their daily business, most of them appear disturbed and unusually quiet. [Well done, Kalifos! You added another layer of stress on their already overburdened mind.] I shouldn't have placed the egg so close to their camp after all ... now, even I feel uneasy about it.

Maybe I can smooth that out. After considering it for a moment, I find Orsha and open the familiar link:

Me: [Orsha, I would like to speak to the tribe. Could you translate?]

That clearly surprised her...

Orsha: [... Yes!]

...

It took about 15 minutes to assemble everyone. Orsha took it more serious then I expected, by calling in even the guards from outside. When the crowd was finally quiet, she picked up the ceremonial stick to show that she's about to speak.

Orsha: "Kol-mar gogák. Des romár gor "Kalifos" nos gára! Tor nos zomàr."

Orsha: [Kalifos can speak now ...]

To be honest, I'm a bit nervous. It's my first time to speak to the whole tribe directly (more or less). I take a mental breath and carefully consider my words, knowing how they like a theatrical approach ...

Me (through Orsha): "Proud hunters of the Ashranie ... I, Kalifos, assembled you today to share the latest information. The dark-skinned man brought us news about the human hunters who will soon come in great numbers to search for their fallen tribesmen! ..."

I let the words sink in for a moment. Slight unrest and murmuring make it's way through the rows. With a shake of the speakers staff (which makes the shells and bones jangle) Orsha returns the attention back to her.

Me: (through Orsha): "... Too many Ashranie have lost their lives in the past days. So if you decide to look for a safer place, I won't stop you ... But if you decide to stay, I will do my best to hide and protect you until the danger passes ..."

Another wave of whispers emerges, but this time I don't wait for Orsha to calm them. Instead I raise my voice, and Orsha instinctively does the same.

Me: (through Orsha): "... everything I do is aimed to provide protection and safety for you and myself! Including the new deeper caves, the hunting grounds, the doors and traps and the giant egg you have seen. The Ashranie risked their health and lives to keep their word to protect me and I won't do less. I can't promise that everything will go as I plan, but if you decide to stay, I'll either keep your safe or go down with you! ..."

I haven't prepared the whole speech beforehand and simply improvise most of it. Those, I was really surprised of how honest I was in that last part. Quite scary, if I look at it now. No way to take my words back, thought ...

Me: (through Orsha) "... The choice is yours ..."

A cloud of tension lingers in the room and a long moment of silence passes before Orsha lays down the talk-stick and nervously looks around the faces of her tribesman. I know how serious she took her bounding ceremony. For her, leaving would mean braking a promise. But if the tribe decides to leave she, as the acting leader, won't have a choice.

Seeing her expression, her loved one is the first to stand up and take the jingling stick.

Ormag: "Der-mog gornár daz-zalím. Ormag sher goz-dar!"

Orsha's face immediately brightens up.

Orsha: [Ormag will stay!]

Then, without wasting another moment, Orsog jumps to his feet and grabs the stick out of Ormag's hands, like he's feeling insulted in his bravery for not being the first one.

Orsog: "Der-mog gornár daz-zalím. ORSOG SHER GOZ-DAR!"

Orsha: [Orsog will stay!]

Me: [Yea, I figured ...]

I chuckle through the connection.

After another two hunters declared their stay, no one cares about the the talk-stick anymore. More and more brave declarations fill the meeting-hall resulting in a chaotic tumult. At first, the voices are rough and loud, but become more tender and soft as more younger hunters join the chorus of bravery. Hoko picks up the stick and waits for a good moment to make his deceleration official, but eventually gives up on it and raises his voice with the other. Even Sari musters a short cheer. In the end all the children join their parents, probably not having the slightest idea on what they are signing up for. The only silent one is the Orc Soguru who's leaning on a wall at the entrance, nervously trying to figure out what the ruckus is about.

Orsha: [The Ashranie ... will stay!]

She's clearly touched by the scene. Well, she's not the only one.

Me: [I have to say, this is quite moving, even when I expected the outcome.]

Orsha: [Kalifos knew how the Ashranie would answer?]

Me: [Sure! You made a promise to protect me, and I never doubted it.]

Orsha: [... Then ... why did Kalifos questioned the Ashranie today?]

Me: [I didn't! I knew, they would want to stay. I did this to strengthen their determination.]

Orsha: [Orsha ... does not understand ...]

Me: [Hmm ... look: I told you how I was concerned about all the unfortunate things that happened to your people recently. I was worried about the mental scars this could leave on their mind. With all that and now more to come they could feel like constant victims of fate. Or if I try to say it more clearly: I don't want them to feel like they are always the hunted ones! This is why I gave them a chance to decide upon their fate themselves. Even if they wouldn't leave me anyway, now they will tackle the future events with more resolve, determination and bravery, because this is what they have chosen to do and no one forced them.]

Orsha doesn't respond and I'm not sure if she can follow my logic.

Me: [Long story short: I wanted to boost their moral while letting them know what's coming.]

Meanwhile the commotion in the hall slowly quiets down.

Orsha: [Today, Orsha has learned from Kalifos' wisdom.]

Her response catches me off-guard. It sounds more careful and calm then usual, admiring even ...

Me: [Well, thank you ... Anyway, having resolve and bravery is all good, but it won't be enough. We need a plan!]

Orsha: [Does Kalifos have one?]

Me: [I have a few Ideas actually, but I would need your help for it!]

Orsha: [Yes! Orsha listens!]

She immediately brightens up and looks fully determined ... Then her expression changes and she shows a puzzled look.

Orsha: [Is Kalifos ... boosting Orsha's morale?]

Wow, she understood it better then I thought ...

Me: [Yes. Does it work?]

It takes her a moment of consideration to decide if it does. But then she replies with a gentle smile:

Orsha: [Yes!]

Chapter 26 < Chapter 27

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