Chapter 9 - "Long ways to go"

Chapter 8 < Chapter 9 > Chapter 10

Chapter 9 - "Long ways to go"

   The first thing that is presented to me after my wake-up, is the ceiling of the Core-Room. The yellow light emitted by the Dungeon-Core draws slight, moving patterns on the room. They resemble waves, like water in a pool. It gives off the feeling of being under water, especially in my floating state. [... How would I know how it feels like to be under water?] ... It's strange; sometimes, I just "know" things. Who ever decided to send me here should have given me the knowledge of the surrounding area instead, be it political or geographical. Knowing about the wildlife could also be helpful. Or simply everything there is to know about dungeons ...

[Well, nothing good will come from complaining about it.] I move up from behind the chests, where I spend the night again. Somehow, it feels more comfortable to sleep like that.

To my surprise, I'm not alone. Orsha is sitting on her knees, in an upright and respectful-looking pose, near the door. Her Eyes are closed. She must have waited for me to talk to her for a while. [Crap, I slept for too long ...] This is embarrassing to me, because I asked her to come, and now I'm the one to let her wait. I should apologize. But first ... [I don't even know what time of day it is.] With the door closed, I can't even say if its day or night. With this, I move right through the ceiling to take a look. 

The sunlight outside is much brighter then the small orb. Considering the position of the sun, it must be quite early in the day. It's earlier then when I fall asleep, actually. Which means: [... I must have slept almost a whole day-night-cycle ... This is really concerning, it's way to much ...] But at least I feel well rested now, and full of energy. That aside, I see two other female Ashrani. they are armed and seem to be on guard, watching the area. [So, Orsha didn't come alone.] It's at least something ... Lets return to her.

I move back inside the room, take a short moment to think what I want to talk about, and open a connection to her:

Me: [Good morning, Orsha ...]

She twitches in surprise.

Me: [I'm sorry to capt you waiting, I was sleeping until now. How long are you already here?]

Orsha: [Orsha has come to Kalifos, when the Sun began to rise.]

That means, she must be here for hours ... now I feel even more ashamed.

Me: [Oh, sorry about that, really. Thanks for being so patient ... ah, wait a moment ...]

I have an idea to prevent situations like that for the future. For this, I fiddle out one of the shirts the human soldiers left behind out of a chest, and threw it over the Dungeon-Core. Most of the light is swallowed by it instantly, clouding the room in darkness. Due to my night-vision, I can still see clearly, though. Orsha reacts with a surprised look to my doing.

Me: [From now on, I will do this every time when I go to rest, so you know when I'm sleeping.]

Orsha: [... Yes! Orsha understands.]

I remove the shirt again, while thinking how to begin the conversation.

Me: [So ... How was the ceremony?]

Orsha: [The Spirits of the forest gave their blessings to the Ashrani hunters. The hunt will succeed!]

She really seems to be sure about that.

Me: [That's ... good to know ...]

This whole spirit-stuff really leaves me curious. I wonder how they know if the Spirits approve their doing or not. Are they speaking with them, like they do with me? But I shouldn't waste too much time with chatter, and get to the important stuff.

Me: [Orsha, I am really curious about that "powers", which were given out by Argos to your ancestors. How exactly was he doing that?] 

She takes a moment to think.

Orsha: [ ... Argos gave blessings to the Ashrani, who made a bond with him ... Orsha does not know, how Argos was doing it.]

This "bond" really sounds like there is more to it, then just a formal contract or a simple agreement. Maybe there is a ritual involved, or something ...

Me: [How could someone make a bound with a spirit - or with me, in particular?]

Orsha: [Bounds with spirits are made through blood!]

She obviously means her blood, because I can't imagine, how I would be able to bleed. I certainly don't want any blood from her, or anyone else. For my taste, there was already too much bloodshed in the past few days. But maybe this is an important part of the process.

Me: [I will be honest with you ... I have never done this before, so I don't know if it will work or not. But if you want to try it, I will see what I can do. No promises, though ...]

Orshas eyes open wide, when she hears that, but I can't tell if she is happy, surprised, or scared by that.

Me: [... You helped me a lot, and if I can give something back, it would make me feel better.] 

Again, she stays silent for a short bit.

Orsha: [... Orsha can not decide this on her own. Hassag will decide when he returns ...]

Me: [... I see.]

Well, it makes sense, he seems to be the leader after all.

Me: [Then we will wait with this matter, until he is back. Now that we are speaking about it - when are you awaiting his return?]

Orsha: [Hassag said, that they will return after the sun rises three times.]

Two more days, huh? I'll have to hold my curiosity back until then. Then let's change the subject ...

Me: [Say, Orsha ... You asked me to provide protection for the Ashrany ... do you mean "all" of the Ashrani?]

Orsha: [Yes!]

That was clear ...

Me: [How many people are we talking about?]

I've seen a whole bunch of them on my first day, but I didn't count them. Also, that may not be the whole tribe.

Orsha: [... As many, as there are sunrises in the winter.]

... ... ... How the hell am I suppose to know, how many "sunrises" there are in a winter!? It doesn't seem like they are familiar with the concept of "counting". Therefore, I can forget to get an exact number from her. Also, how long are the winters in this area? It could be anything, from a month to half a year. My rough guess is that we are talking about 50-100 people.

Me: [... I see ... So! For your protection, I am planning to make a place beneath this ruins, where your people can retreat to, if necessary. I can also turn it into a permanent place to stay, if you like. Will this be acceptable?]

Orsha: [Yes! The Ashrani will be happy with that.]

Me: [Then, I need to know what your tribe needs. For example, what about water- and food storage? Or, do you need room for important stuff, like crafting or performing rituals? It would be best if you keep me company during the digging process. I'll then follow your directions, because you know better then me what your tribe needs. Will you agree?]

Orsha: [Yes! Orsha will be honored to help!]

Her response is quite enthusiastic. Seems like my interpretation of their expectations was right.

Me: [Great! There is just one problem ... I already started, and its petty damn dark down there. It's not a problem for me, but you may want to bring a torch, or lamp, or something like that.]

Orsha: [Yes! Orsha will bring a "Fire-to-carry"!]

What ever that may be ...

Me: [Good, I'll wait for you then.]

Orsha: [Orsha will hurry! ...]

She lively stands up and intends to leave the room. But there is one more thing, bothering me:

Me: [Orsha, don't you feel tired?]

I stop her with my question. Normally this is about the point where they almost collapse.

Orsha: [No, Orsha is not tired.]

Me: [Until now, you and Sari where exhausted after our conversations. What is different now?]

I already have a good guess about the reason, but I want to know what she thinks about it.

Orsha: [Orsha did not need to open the gate of spirits this time. Therefore,  Orshas spirit power is not floating out.]

Me: [Ah, that's how it is ...]

Orsha: [Yes!]

Me: [I see. Well, let's meet inside the tower, once you are ready.]

Orsha: [Yes! Orsha will hurry ...]

With this, she opens the door and leaves. Her enthusiasm looks a bit childish, and I even find it slightly cute.

I was right with my conclusion about, why she is not being tired. It's because I was the one who opened the connection to her. [But doesn't that mean, that I should be the exhausted one instead?] Yet, I don't feel any tiredness at all. I also wonder what she meant by "spirit power" ... If I ask her, I'll probably just get some mystical explanation again, that won't help at all.

Without her, the room suddenly feels very empty. There should be someone else here, thought. [Or rather "something" else ...] I look around the room ... After checking all corners, it is pretty clear: [It's not here ...] I'm looking for the spider of course, but it doesn't seem to be around anymore. [How did it get out?] It must have left before the door was installed. Or maybe someone opened the door, when I was busy elsewhere. I guess, it was rather stupid of me to shut this room with a door, without thinking about the little dweller. After all, it needs to eat, and there is nothing tasty inside here. Well, it doesn't matter. One thing less to care about ...

[What should I do, until Orcha returns?] ... I leave the room and stroll around a bit, once again trying to get an overall picture of my situation:

[So, I came, or was brought, to this place to become the local Dungeon-Lord ... I made peace with the local Lizard-Man tribe, and decided to cooperate with them. And it seems like I'm at bad terms with the local Humans already ...] Leaving aside the "why" and "how" I got here, this is generally my currant state. Now I need to make this ruin into a home and fortress for the Ashrani tribe, while still having it look like the ruin it was, to not attract any unnecessary curiosity. Going underground is the most reasonable decision, but what can I do above ground to improve security, or comfort? I move as high as the restrictions allow me, to have a better look at my small realm.

When it comes to defense, the walls around the tower would be totally useless in it's current state. There are more holes then a beggar has in his teeth. As an experiment, I select a wall from my construction-menu, but looking at the blueprint is enough to tell, that it won't work. The outer wall is much thicker and is build differently, the ones I can place are clearly made for buildings. [I could place traps in the gaps ...] But there are a lot of gaps ... this would be a costly investment. I could also close them with barricades, but then again, it would make it obvious that someone is here. Repairing them is also not an option right now, I simply wouldn't know how.

The tower is a different story ... It looks quit sturdy, despite the fact, that the upper floors are in ruins. Once the defenders shut themselves in, the main danger is, that the gate would be forced open ... [No ... this is not the worst case scenario ...] While I might feel save inside this sturdy walls, my Dungeon-Core is almost completely open. Even if I menage to secure it, what happens if the enemy lays out a siege. without any reproducible food sources, the Ashrani would simply starve to death. I would have created a death-trap for them ... [I'm totally not ready for a bigger encounter!] ... Let's do what I can, and hope for the best ...

As a food-source, we probably can bring animals underground, but I don't know if the Lizard-Man are familiar with domesticating them. Water on the other side would be a real problem. [Maybe I can make an underground well ...] But since we are on top of a hill, I would probably have to dig very deep.

Now that I'm up here, looking at the surrounding, I notice a big, black ... something lying in the tall grass, west of the tower. As I move closer I can make out feathers. [It's one of the Harpas!] It's around 15 meters away from my claimed area. [It was not absorbed by the core ...] There could be several different reasons for that, but the most reasonable is: [It must be on my ground, to be absorbed.] I really need to figure out what this absorption-phenomenon is about. It sure is creepy ... Well, I will keep my eyes open for it, when another opportunity occurs.

As I think if it's a good idea to plant fruit trees and berries, or even Vegetables inside my borders, I see the three Ashrani Women return. They where away for about half a hour. That means their current location is about 15 minutes away. Orsha is carrying a simple shoulder bag, with something inside. She also brought her spear. When they are still several dozens of meter away, I try to call out for her:

Me: [Orsha?]

She doesn't react. [So I can't speak with her outside of my borders.] 

As they pass near the dead Harpa, an Idea occurs to me. As soon as they cross the border to my dungeon, I try to speak with her again ...

Me: [Orsha, may I ask a favor of you and your friends?]

She immediately stops, like she became rooted to the ground, and her companions also came to a hold to look at her in surprise.

Orsha: [Yes! Orsha listens.]

Me: [I noticed that the Harpa over there ...] 

I pic up a small stone and throw it in the direction.

Me: [ ... was not consumed by the core of my dungeon, like the others. Maybe it's just too far away. Would you mind bringing it near the walls of my tower?]

Orsha: [...Yes!]

She has a short talk with the other two and they do as I ask, without any protest. They actually brought it inside the walls and dropped it in front of the tower. 

Me: [Thank you, now let's see what happens ... ]

I doubt, that it will work, because the skeletons in the tower were not absorbed either. But still, they where there for a long time, and this one is ... "fresh" ... As I wait for it to disappear, I decide to discuss my new ideas.

Me: [Say, Orscha ... do the Ashrani domesticate animals?]

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

I guess not ...

Me: [I mean, do you keep animals as live stock? Like cows or chickens? You know, for milk and eggs, and stuff. Or simply for meat.]

Orsha: [The Ashrani hunt for meat and collect fruit from trees and bushes, and collect eggs from nests.]

Me: [I see ... how about planting vegetables or other plants for your needs?]

Orsha: [ ... The Ashrani do take what the forest offers.]

Me: [Hmm ...]

While it makes sense, that the need to cultivate food is unnecessary if you live in the woods and know your way around, it doesn't help me in my planning. I share my concerns with Orsha, explaining several scenarios to her, where their whole tribe my simply starve to death if we can not find a solution (Attacks, extreme weather conditions, climatic change, other catastrophes ...). She takes a while to think it over before answering:

Orsha: [ ... "Grey-Caps"!]

Me: [Grey-Caps?]

Orsha: [Yes! When Ashrani lived in caves, they collected Grey-Caps for food.]

Me: [Is that a plant?]

Orsha: [Yes!]

Probably some kind of Mushrooms ...

Me: [Interesting! You think, you could plant them here?]

Orsha: [ ... Orsha does not know ... ]

Me: [Well, it's worth a try.]

Orsha: [Yes!]

After talking for a while like that, the Harpa is still there. So it's not enough for a dead creature to be on my ground. It actually has to "die" on it. Now, I'm not sure what to do with it ... I'll figure something out later. For now, lets get busy!

Me: [It's not disappearing after all. Let's continue on what we were planning.]

Orsha: [Yes!]

Her answer is short, but I can still sense the excitement, she holds. Orsha is certainly looking forward to it. Without delay, she opens her bag and takes out a few things. Ther's a bottle, which is basically a big nutshell with a hole in it, some stones, fresh leafs, and a bowl of the size of her hand, that seems to be made from the shell of a big, black insect. She places a few small stones, together with some leaves in the bowl and pours some thick, brown liquid from the bottle over it. Then, she takes two stones, that look different from the others and start to hit them against each other. The sparks, that emerge from that, fire up the strange mixture in the bowl. The flame does not burn very brightly, but constantly. That's her "Fire-to-carry".

Orsha: [Orsha is ready!]

...

Orsha steps carefully down the stairs, as if it's holy ground of a divine sanctuary. The flame of her self-made lamp is - as expected - not overly bright, but it's enough to light up the short, empty hallway and even the big room on its end. She is disappointed about the size of the room at first, but after I explain that this is just the entrance area, and what I plan to do with it, she seems delighted. First we start sketching the fundamental layout of her new home on the ground. 

Orshas first suggestion is to make a big room for everything, but I made her understand the eventual problem of cave-ins, and we decided upon several medium-sized rooms. As far as I understood from her, the Ashrani do not value privacy all that much, so small rooms for individual members or families are not necessary.

In the end we planned out: 
- several bigger rooms, that will serve as the living area; 
- two storage-rooms to hold the food stocks, tools and weapons; 
- a central room as a meeting and ritual place; 
- and a room, separated from the rest, where I want to try and grow some of this eatable mushrooms, she mentioned before.

This will be the basic outlay and additions will be added to it, if they become necessary. I also made it intentionally offset to the right side (or "north", to be precise), so I will have room for future expansions, should it become necessary. For example if another Lizard tribe wants to migrate to us, or something.

But then, Orsha said something that baffled me out completely;

Orsha: [Where will Kalifos's place be?]

My place? But isn't it all my place? 

Me: [Do you mean, where the Dungeon-Core will be?] 

Orsha: [Yes!]

I want to answer, that I can't move it, but I actually never tried. I haven't even tried to analyze it. This is certainly something I need to do. Holy Harpa, why didn't I think about it!?

Me: [I ... I "will" think about it ...]

I don't want to look too incompetent, by saying something like: "I didn't know, I can do that". It would be a shame if they loose their trust in me. I think,  I'm actually lucky that they are so simple-minded, someone who's more intelligent might have tried to take advantage of my lack of knowledge already. 

Anyway, now that I have a general understanding of how the Ashrani imagine their home, I should get to work ...

Chapter 8 < Chapter 9 > Chapter 10

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