Rising Power - Chapter 8, Of Heroes and Slaves
#7 of Ebony Chronicles
Looks like things are getting heated up! You know, as if they weren't already. I'm sure there's a million and a half plot holes in the story, so if you feel like pointing 'em out, I'll give you a legitimate answer! Or, if you have anything else to say, go ahead!
The mines were cold and dark, and the only lights were the torches and arcane implements. Now and then, the miners would call out, telling people to stop using fire based lighting and torches, because some of the rocks were incredibly explosive.
I was lying down on the Taur from earlier, and was enjoying a nice conversation with him. Apparently his name was Nagt'Kuv, meaning Champion of the Sinful.
Champion of the sinful? [Me]
Yes. At home I was reverred as a master of the tricky and illuding. I had used my cunning to slay many a Rirn, and was a hero to all.
Rirn?
Yes... They... They're bad people. They're like you and your kind, with only two legs. Long ago they tried enslaving our people, and we retaliated violently. Since then, there's never been peace in the Valley of the Plains, and we loathe them and pray for their death.
What do they look like? My mind was suddenly filled with sights of horse people, throwing spears and trying to kill hundreds of Taurs. I also saw images of them being ripped in half, slaughtered, mutilated and maimed. There was no sanity in war, only violence and destruction.
Time and time again we've tried to make peace, but they don't listen. They don't understand, that our war is only going to kill us both. About a century and a half ago, we started breeding more. Trying to up our numbers, to make them fear us, but it's lead to our destruction. More and more of us are born deformed, more mentally than physically.
That's so sad... But, wait, Zander said you're people were oversexual, so, is that just you guys trying to up your numbers, or what?
Which one's Zander? I glanced over at the Frost Leapard, who was listening to his strange helmet, and Nagt'Kuv understood. Yes, we only do that to increase our numbers.
Oh, so Zander was wrong.
But judging by what we've seen of your people, we are comparably oversexual.
Wait, what?
Your people disgrace against it, as if there's something wrong with it. It's natural, and we're supposed to enjoy it. I don't understand why your people don't do it as often, but I guess I also don't understand why you wear these heavy plates of metal, either.
Oh, well, we wear armor for protection, our fur isn't as thick and warm as yours, and some of us like Duskle, don't have fur. But sex is private. It's not something you do with just anyone, it's something to be shared between a single, significant other. Someone that you love, and want nothing but good to happen to and for them.
Oh, like Nrasky!
Wha-what? How-
We're mentally connected. You must not've intended for me to notice you looking at him. I understand. It's just differences in culture. Your people are private and held together, but ours are open and native. We're more like animals.
You're not an animal.
We're all animals. We're all creatures, Cairn. The fish, the people, the trees, and the wild life! We're all living, breathing creatures.
Well, I guess so, but-
I'm an animal, and I'm proud of that. Rocks don't live or think. They can't do anything.
What about the Crysterlorn?
True.
Wait, I didn't even have to think about them, and you knew who I was talking about?
The more we think together like this, the better we'll get at reading each other's thoughts, and understanding each other's knowledge and meaning. Eventually, we'll know everything about each other, and simply thinking about meaning is all it will take to communicate.
Huh. Not sure how to feel about that.
Well, it's no big deal, and it'll take a long time before we hit that point.
Oh.
There was a long pause in the conversation. We didn't really have anything to talk about, and then Duskle spoke up.
"So, Cairn's... Taur."
"Yes?" [Nagt'Kuv]
I rolled over in a bit of excitement, "Wait, you can talk?"
"Of course I can. It just wouldn't have been worth while when I didn't know your language. I've been learning your language since you landed on me, Cairn."
"Oh, I guess that kills my question." [Duskle]
I laid my head back down on Nagt'Kuv's back, rubbing the side of my muzzle in his thick, soft fur. I expected it to smell bad, like raw meat, but I found it smelled more like ash but also like sweet blueberries. I think Nagt'Kuv noticed I was enjoying the smell of his fur.
Blueberries? Why does my fur smell like blueberries?
Oh, shit, you noticed.
Even so, you started breathing more heavily through your nose. Seriously, why is it so nice that my fur smells like blueberries? They're incredibly common.
Not here. They're very rare and grow only in some parts of the valley, mostly around the place we just destroyed.
Oh. Where we come from blueberries are a weed, and we don't value them very much beyond the nice flavor of their fruit.
Huh. I only ever liked the smell. The texture was always weird to me.
But why do you like the smell of ash?
I don't know! It's just a nice smell!
Pyromaniac.
Whore.
Shorty.
Fat ass.
Faggot.
That crosses the line!
I don't even know what it means, just that you register it as an insult so...
Oh... It... It's something people use to pick on guys who... love other guys...
Oh. Why is that a bad thing? I've had sex with both men and women.
But that's where the whole "comparably oversexual" thing kicks in.
Yeah, I know. Still, your people seem rude and violent. Are all Anthrans that way?
No, only Rirn and Canines, to my knowledge.
Then why are you trying to change a people who can't ever change?
What do you mean?
Wouldn't it be easier to just find the people who agree with you, and go off and start a new life? Build new cities, idealized on prosperity and respect for each other?
... You're a fucking genius.
Hey!
Genius means smart.
Oh.
"Nrasky, we aren't going to kill Crogar."
"What? I thought that's why we were trying to get people to agree with us, so we have a lot less resistance when trying to storm his castle!" [Sebastian]
"It was, but then Nagt'Kuv thought of something. Why can't we just start another life?"
"What would that do?" [Zander]
"All the people who agree with us would follow us, they'd go with us to a new land, and start a new life, a new city, in another valley!"
"Okay. Where's it gonna be?" [Nrasky]
"I don't know, but we can decide that later."
"Not really, once we get out of here, we need to get to where we're gonna go as quickly as possible." [Duskle]
"We could stay in Lifthraien until you decide." [Riley]
"You sure?"
"Yeah, everyone's gonna be happy when they find out we can ride and befriend the Taurs."
"Excuse me? I'd prefer to say we befriend you." [Nagt'Kuv]
"Pretty bad at picking your friends, then. Crogar's guards-"
"We were stolen and isolated into that. We had no control over our own bodies."
"What exactly happened? I mean, how did you get... enslaved?" [Zander]
"I'm not entirely sure. I remember seeing Canines in a dark room, but that's about it. All I know is, we were captured, and some how I lost control of my body and was controlled by one of the Gaurds."
"Those weren't guards though. They were skeletons." [Me]
"But... That means, Crogar's a necromancer." [Sebastion]