After some careful negotiations with body language, the mustelids pulled back farther from the party, and we also regrouped, though Aleph was still holding one mustelid in his grip.
“Let him go,” I advised. “Let’s not make the situation worse.”
“Rae,” Aleph frowned. “These are demonic beasts. It’s impossible to reason with them.”
“Aleph, she just did!” Nora snapped, pointing at me. “Besides, if they can’t be reasoned with, then holding one hostage is pointless!”
Aleph opened his mouth to speak, but then looked back at the group, his eyes troubled. “This is a trap, to be sure…”
“I told you, I know these guys!” Vernie argued with wildly gesticulating arms. “Do as the Holy Captain says!” Oh, the full title came back now…
Aleph's ears twitched with irritation, but he lowered the mustelid to the ground, somewhat warily. It quickly darted off to the Matriarch. After a quick sniffing session with the previous prisoner of war, she stormed forward.
“Sssakrak!” she admonished Vernie.
I turned to her. “What’s that mean?”
“How should I know?”
“You’re the one who just said you knew them!”
“I can’t speak with them! I just know how they act,” Vernie shrugged.
“Just apologize for whatever you did!” I demanded.
“I didn’t do anything! I just–”
“Skraaak!” The Matriarch interrupted angrily.
Vernie blinked and gave it a shot. “Er… I’m… sorry?”
“Charakas?” She questioned before sighing. “Krestakkok….”
Maybe I still had some brownie points to spend. “Uh.. ma'am? We really need to go to another place called Kopria…” I tried pointing to the path we had been traveling. “Through these hills up–”
The Matriarch started chittering angrily at her subordinates, and some returned her… words? One large mustelid, whose fur was noticeably singed, appeared to be arguing with her. She let it continue on for a few moments before rising off her haunches and slapping it across the face forcefully with an openly clawed paw. It yowled, then lowered itself to the ground submissively. Ouch.
She snorted derisively at the one on the ground, then pointed to a path off to the side that looked like a small game trail.
“Oh, I don’t think that’s going to work for us…” I started, once again unsure if words were working or not.
“Critakak.” She gestured again imperiously.
I set my jaw. “Up that way!” I pointed again.
“Chatah!” With that command, all of her uninjured minions lined up to block our path, aiming their rears at us threateningly.
“Wait! Wait!” I held up my hands. No way was I going to be a target of that!
“She’s going to lead us through their burrows!” Vernie inhaled suddenly. “Why would she do that?”
“Burrows?” Oh goddess, how smelly would it be in such cramped quarters?!
A gust of wind blew down the mountainside, and Tetora’s ears flicked back as he seemed to snarl without sound. “Against my better judgment, we should take her up on the offer. There’s a number of men up in the hills and they’re covered in blood.”
“Wait. We need to help them!” I balked instinctively before realizing we wouldn’t be much help, not having a healer and all.
“Not their own blood. Mustelid blood. We’ll be next if not for any good reason except simple association.”
“Wait, are these guys at war with someone? Who?” I blinked. As if to answer, a loud brass horn pierced the air, reverberating through the entire area. “What was that?!” I gasped, half-deafened by the frightening sound. The mustelids headed towards the game trail quickly with flattened ears and tucked tails.
Vernie hauled me towards the side route even as the Matriarch took point. “Now’s not the time, Captain! Ask inane questions later!”
The small trail wound around the shadowed side of a hill, and under a few outcroppings of stone before ending at a short, hidden crack on another small cliff face. It was guarded by a group of mustelid sentries, each one almost as big as the Matriarch herself. The unarmed sentries eyed us nervously, but we were allowed to pass without any sort of scuffle. They darted inside after us, pushing rocks and camouflaging vegetation across the opening.
I believed it was going to be a tight squeeze once deeper inside, but I was truly mistaken. As we made our way into the passage, it was clear their living space was of a network of expansive, interconnected caverns. Nora summoned a bouncing ball of light that followed her movements perfectly, keeping us well informed of our immediate surroundings. I noticed several glittering stalactites dripping water from the ceiling, making the uneven stone floor a bit of a fall hazard. Every now and again, we heard the call of the brass horn, which would cause us all to freeze. I found myself more and more anxious every time I heard it, though.
“Rae?” Nora asked for the fifth time.
“Sorry, sorry. It just sounds…”
“Like they’re moving away from us,” she nodded confidently. I was going to say ‘terrifyingly familiar’, but I decided to keep it to myself.
We eventually stopped for a short break in a large, wet, underground gallery, where everyone seemed to relax slightly. “So, now can I repeat my question? Who were they?”
“That was the call of the Holy Order of Blue,” Aleph answered with an absent stroke of his short brown bead. “They must be at odds with these demonic beasts.”
Vernie crossed her arms. “They’re not demonic beasts! They’re just misunderstood!”
“They’re hostile to–”
“Of course, ‘demonic beasts’ are going to be hostile!” Vernie spat. “It’s right there in the name! Such a terrible thing to be named so poorly. But it’s just a designation. There’s no truth behind it!”
“Their names and labels did not come first,” Aleph shook his head stubbornly. “Their origins and behaviors did!”
“They were hostile towards us an hour ago, or did you conveniently forget that?” Tetora snapped.
“They probably just confused us for those holy knights!” Vernie argued. “Besides, they started it! You act hostile towards an intelligent creature, and you’re going to get it back in spades!”
“Explanation please,” Nora interrupted. “What do you mean, they started it?”
“Demonic beasts and, uh, other creatures, like malodorous mustelids, used to roam the wastes,” Vernie said unsteadily. “But the holy knights routinely cull them for ‘training purposes’. There aren’t too many left these days. This might be the last bastion for them.”
Aleph raised his head. “Demonic beasts were engineered by demons to attack human and hybrid settlements! They did not stick just to the wastelands, either. Historical records clearly show they attacked settlements all over Speranza! It’s only natural that the holy knights would—”
“When’s the last time a demonic beast attacked a settlement?” Nora interrupted.
“You saw the redbacks when you arrived! Proof right there!” Tetora grunted.
“Who was there first?” Nora pressed the argument forward, but neither Tetora nor Aleph answered. As I recalled, they weren’t in the village limits, either. They were in that weird stone forest, next to the old demon king’s ruined castle in the middle of nowhere.
The party stopped talking abruptly, with each of us mulling over the others’ arguments. Aleph and Tetora’s faces contorted with subtle frowns as they exchanged frequent glances with each other, though most of the time they watched the mustelids carefully, as if half expecting them to turn on us in an instant. I felt Vernie was silently reflecting on something else, mostly because she kept catching my gaze for just a moment before turning her head to look down at the slick stones before her feet. After a few minutes of awkward tension all over, the Matriarch chittered at all of us again and began to advance deeper into the underground passageways.
"Well, I'm going to do what she says." I stood up with a sigh. "She seems like she knows what she's talking about."
Euphridia
Omake
Nora’s Journal
Unreliable Malodorous Mustelid to English Dictionary
“Sssakrak!” What the hell, I thought we were partners!
“Skraaak!” You led those @#$%#s here!
“Charakas?” You have no idea what I'm saying, do you?
“Krestakkok….” Ignorant hairless monkeys...
“Critakak.” This way if you don't want to die.
“Chatah.” Now listen here, you little…!
After some careful negotiations with body language, the mustelids pulled back farther from the party, and we also regrouped, though Aleph was still holding one mustelid in his grip.
“Let him go,” I advised. “Let’s not make the situation worse.”
“Rae,” Aleph frowned. “These are demonic beasts. It’s impossible to reason with them.”
“Aleph, she just did!” Nora snapped, pointing at me. “Besides, if they can’t be reasoned with, then holding one hostage is pointless!”
Aleph opened his mouth to speak, but then looked back at the group, his eyes troubled. “This is a trap, to be sure…”
“I told you, I know these guys!” Vernie argued with wildly gesticulating arms. “Do as the Holy Captain says!” Oh, the full title came back now…
Aleph's ears twitched with irritation, but he lowered the mustelid to the ground, somewhat warily. It quickly darted off to the Matriarch. After a quick sniffing session with the previous prisoner of war, she stormed forward.
“Sssakrak!” she admonished Vernie.
I turned to her. “What’s that mean?”
“How should I know?”
“You’re the one who just said you knew them!”
“I can’t speak with them! I just know how they act,” Vernie shrugged.
“Just apologize for whatever you did!” I demanded.
“I didn’t do anything! I just–”
“Skraaak!” The Matriarch interrupted angrily.
Vernie blinked and gave it a shot. “Er… I’m… sorry?”
“Charakas?” She questioned before sighing. “Krestakkok….”
Maybe I still had some brownie points to spend. “Uh.. ma'am? We really need to go to another place called Kopria…” I tried pointing to the path we had been traveling. “Through these hills up–”
The Matriarch started chittering angrily at her subordinates, and some returned her… words? One large mustelid, whose fur was noticeably singed, appeared to be arguing with her. She let it continue on for a few moments before rising off her haunches and slapping it across the face forcefully with an openly clawed paw. It yowled, then lowered itself to the ground submissively. Ouch.
She snorted derisively at the one on the ground, then pointed to a path off to the side that looked like a small game trail.
“Oh, I don’t think that’s going to work for us…” I started, once again unsure if words were working or not.
“Critakak.” She gestured again imperiously.
I set my jaw. “Up that way!” I pointed again.
“Chatah!” With that command, all of her uninjured minions lined up to block our path, aiming their rears at us threateningly.
“Wait! Wait!” I held up my hands. No way was I going to be a target of that!
“She’s going to lead us through their burrows!” Vernie inhaled suddenly. “Why would she do that?”
“Burrows?” Oh goddess, how smelly would it be in such cramped quarters?!
A gust of wind blew down the mountainside, and Tetora’s ears flicked back as he seemed to snarl without sound. “Against my better judgment, we should take her up on the offer. There’s a number of men up in the hills and they’re covered in blood.”
“Wait. We need to help them!” I balked instinctively before realizing we wouldn’t be much help, not having a healer and all.
“Not their own blood. Mustelid blood. We’ll be next if not for any good reason except simple association.”
“Wait, are these guys at war with someone? Who?” I blinked. As if to answer, a loud brass horn pierced the air, reverberating through the entire area. “What was that?!” I gasped, half-deafened by the frightening sound. The mustelids headed towards the game trail quickly with flattened ears and tucked tails.
Vernie hauled me towards the side route even as the Matriarch took point. “Now’s not the time, Captain! Ask inane questions later!”
The small trail wound around the shadowed side of a hill, and under a few outcroppings of stone before ending at a short, hidden crack on another small cliff face. It was guarded by a group of mustelid sentries, each one almost as big as the Matriarch herself. The unarmed sentries eyed us nervously, but we were allowed to pass without any sort of scuffle. They darted inside after us, pushing rocks and camouflaging vegetation across the opening.
I believed it was going to be a tight squeeze once deeper inside, but I was truly mistaken. As we made our way into the passage, it was clear their living space was of a network of expansive, interconnected caverns. Nora summoned a bouncing ball of light that followed her movements perfectly, keeping us well informed of our immediate surroundings. I noticed several glittering stalactites dripping water from the ceiling, making the uneven stone floor a bit of a fall hazard. Every now and again, we heard the call of the brass horn, which would cause us all to freeze. I found myself more and more anxious every time I heard it, though.
“Rae?” Nora asked for the fifth time.
“Sorry, sorry. It just sounds…”
“Like they’re moving away from us,” she nodded confidently. I was going to say ‘terrifyingly familiar’, but I decided to keep it to myself.
We eventually stopped for a short break in a large, wet, underground gallery, where everyone seemed to relax slightly. “So, now can I repeat my question? Who were they?”
“That was the call of the Holy Order of Blue,” Aleph answered with an absent stroke of his short brown bead. “They must be at odds with these demonic beasts.”
Vernie crossed her arms. “They’re not demonic beasts! They’re just misunderstood!”
“They’re hostile to–”
“Of course, ‘demonic beasts’ are going to be hostile!” Vernie spat. “It’s right there in the name! Such a terrible thing to be named so poorly. But it’s just a designation. There’s no truth behind it!”
“Their names and labels did not come first,” Aleph shook his head stubbornly. “Their origins and behaviors did!”
“They were hostile towards us an hour ago, or did you conveniently forget that?” Tetora snapped.
“They probably just confused us for those holy knights!” Vernie argued. “Besides, they started it! You act hostile towards an intelligent creature, and you’re going to get it back in spades!”
“Explanation please,” Nora interrupted. “What do you mean, they started it?”
“Demonic beasts and, uh, other creatures, like malodorous mustelids, used to roam the wastes,” Vernie said unsteadily. “But the holy knights routinely cull them for ‘training purposes’. There aren’t too many left these days. This might be the last bastion for them.”
Aleph raised his head. “Demonic beasts were engineered by demons to attack human and hybrid settlements! They did not stick just to the wastelands, either. Historical records clearly show they attacked settlements all over Speranza! It’s only natural that the holy knights would—”
“When’s the last time a demonic beast attacked a settlement?” Nora interrupted.
“You saw the redbacks when you arrived! Proof right there!” Tetora grunted.
“Who was there first?” Nora pressed the argument forward, but neither Tetora nor Aleph answered. As I recalled, they weren’t in the village limits, either. They were in that weird stone forest, next to the old demon king’s ruined castle in the middle of nowhere.
The party stopped talking abruptly, with each of us mulling over the others’ arguments. Aleph and Tetora’s faces contorted with subtle frowns as they exchanged frequent glances with each other, though most of the time they watched the mustelids carefully, as if half expecting them to turn on us in an instant. I felt Vernie was silently reflecting on something else, mostly because she kept catching my gaze for just a moment before turning her head to look down at the slick stones before her feet. After a few minutes of awkward tension all over, the Matriarch chittered at all of us again and began to advance deeper into the underground passageways.
"Well, I'm going to do what she says." I stood up with a sigh. "She seems like she knows what she's talking about."
Euphridia
Omake
Nora’s Journal
Unreliable Malodorous Mustelid to English Dictionary
“Sssakrak!” What the hell, I thought we were partners!
“Skraaak!” You led those @#$%#s here!
“Charakas?” You have no idea what I'm saying, do you?
“Krestakkok….” Ignorant hairless monkeys...
“Critakak.” This way if you don't want to die.
“Chatah.” Now listen here, you little…!
