Considering the words of the oracle as his eyes dart back and fourth. “ Well good thing you didn’t lead them to the village. We’ll send a search team in the morrow when it is brighter. As for you Yote, why didn’t you say something sooner?” Yote smiles, “ cos oi wanted yew ta ear it firs and my chief. As to not change of de story, jus incase oi missed somefing.” Natutu looks at Yote, then back at his father. Yetzan shakes his head, pleased with what he has heard he smiles, “ alright that is enough excitement for one night. We better rest so we can find a couple of dhanda’s in the morrow.” As he stands to his feet to usher the other out. Yote standing to his feet is also excited by the news. He follows behind as Giblet and Dwege make their way for the door. Both men reach for the handle at the same time. Giblet stops, “ I’ll let you do it this time, last time you got hurt.” He says. Dwege smiles, “ thanks, probably better that way...” as he pulls the door open swiftly and smacks Giblet in the face with the door. Yote and Yetzan both cringe as the door makes a whacking noise. “ ohh are you alright?” Dwege asks as Giblet covers his face. “ I’m fine just go!” He says in a nasally tone. Dwege leads the way as Giblet and Yote follow behind. Yetzan Stands at the door waving as the men leave. He suddenly remembers, “ oh Yote! I wanted to ask!” As Yote pauses for a moment, turning back to face Yetzan, “ yes my chief?” He asks. Yetzan inquires, “ did you happen to see that light in the skae? Where about would you say that came from?” Yote nods, “ yes oi fink it came from the wadja, peraps even as far as de edge?” Yetzan has a realization. Thanking Yote He closes the door behind him. Natutu standing back in the hall way still asks, “ what did you want farjer?” Yetzan looks back at him, “ huh?... Ohh nothing. I thought perhaps you had asked Yote to help coax me into letting you have your way with Allmeya’s daughter.” Natutu halfheartedly smiles, “ oh yeah, no... nothing like that.” He says nervously. “ Well I’m going to go to bed now. Did you need anything more?” He asks. Yetzan places his hand on his beard, twisting the hair at the tip between his thumb and index finger. “ No... nothing I can think of at the moment.” Shaking his head. Natutu nods before turning to go to his room. Yetzan makes his way back to his chair where he slumps himself back down. Considering the story Giblet and Dwege had just explained, he takes into consideration what the oracle had told him. Whispering the words, “ skae lit up at the edge of the wadja...” Closing his eyes whilst his mind begins to wander he slowly slips into a state of relaxation, and temporary paralysis. Natutu drops onto his bedroll on the floor. “ hmmph... it’s not fair!” He huffs crossing his arms. “ Stupid farjer and his stupid rules. What does he know! I’ll show him.” He says laying on his bedding dissatisfied. “ I’ll show them all!” He mutters as he picks dirt out from under his finger nails with his teeth.
Outside as the three pass through the upper gate and begin descending the hillside Yote whistles to get both of their attention, “ oi need yew tew tell me troofully, was dere actual dhanda’s wif pale skin or not?” Dwege smiles before looking at Giblet who is biting his lips in.Yote asks again, “ please tell me dere’s dhanda’s wif pale skin.” Giblet says, “ well... it’s a long story.” Yote replies, “ well we got de ole nyght den. Spit it out.” Dwege claims spastically, “ they came at us like a couple of raging aneemols, we almost died three times!” He says holding up two fingers before looking and realizing it was the wrong amount, he slowly raises the third. Giblet smacks Dwege’s hand down. “ Well Yote, not exactly.” Instantly Yote grasps Giblet’s beaded necklace and pulls his face down parallel to his own. “ Wot do yew mean not esactly?” Giblet says, “ we did what you told us to, we went after Allmeya and tried to take the dawtea. But the two were well... ready for us!” Dwege standing behind shaking his head adds, “ yeah!” Yote lets go of the necklace, “ wot do yew mean readi den?” He questions. Giblet reaches into his satchel and pulls out the map, handing it to Yote. “ They beat us down and ran off through the field. That old dhanda Narfeesh dropped this, I don’t know what it is. He never looked back, or came back for it.” Yote unravels the rolled up map. “ Do yew tew dum bum idiots realize wot dis means?” He asks. Giblet and Dwege look at each other for a moment, then back at Yote. Shaking their heads, Dwege replies, “ that we are going to look for some shemli dhanda’s in the morrow?” Yote begins to laugh manically holding the map in his right hand. He looks down at the imagery on the hide. Tossing the map down the side of the hill he answers, “ it means yew tew are gonna be dead dhanda’s wen Yetzan finds out dat dere ain’t no shemli dhandas!” Pushing his way between both of them, Yote makes his way down the side of the hill. The animal hide falls to the ground below landing on Lutzi’s head, covering his vision. He jolts as a reflex, quickly grabbing the object that landed upon him. Pulling it off he inspects the dry hide. “ What is this?” He asks himself holding the map out in front of his face.
Looking all around at the image he realizes what he is holding is a hand drawn reference of the land as it is. Only someone who has travelled around can recognize many of the landmarks that are depicted on the image. In the bottom corner there is a small recognizable signature he’s seen before but can’t remember where. Spotting Lutzi inspecting the item he’s holding Errow decides to make his way over. Lutzi notices Errow walking towards him and decides to roll the map up and place it inside of his satchel around his waist. Errow approaches questioning, “ what have you got there Lutzi?” Walking in front, and then around him. Lutzi plays it off as if he has not clue what Errow is talking about. Errow already upset at what had happened earlier decides to act upon his feeling. Lunging at Lutzi he steps on his foot and pushes him back before grasping his satchel. Lutzi struggles to keep his balance, flailing his arms around in circles as he leans his head towards Errow. Pushing Errow off he smacks Errow’s hands and then from the inside of his upper forearms Lutzi throws outward launching Errow’s hands off of his satchel. Errow reaches out grabbing Lutzi by his long thick hair pulling Lutzi forward onto the ground. Capturing the attention of the group all the men encircle the two to witness. Errow takes a step back as Lutzi pushes himself from the ground standing back to his feet. Adjusting his satchel which rests upon his hip, Lutzi slides the bag to his back. Errow smiles before saying, “ that’s not going to help you! I’m gonna take whatever that was you had.” Using one of his woven bracelets, Lutzi ties his hair back behind his back as well as he mentions, “ hopefully you don’t have to pull my hair again to get it.” The majority of men in the crowd all laugh causing Errow’s smile to fade. He decides to rush Lutzi head on, screaming as he charges at him with both fists forward. Lutzi takes a deep breath, slowing his breathing down as he begins to relax. Just as Errow reaches him he grabs Errow by both of his arms, leaning back using his right leg placed in Errow’s chest and his own momentum against him he flips Errow backwards. Landing on the ground on his back with a thud as the breath escapes his lungs Errow gasps rolling onto his side. Lutzi stands to his feet, brushing himself off he lowers his stance preparing for the next attack. Errow slowly stands to his feet, as Chargus steps up from behind him helping him up. Discretely handing Errow a stone blade to assist him. He pats Errow on the should telling him, “ C’mon you got this!” Errow nods, turning his head to the side and spitting. He cracks his neck from one side to the other before raising his shoulders. Then putting his hands back out in front of him he reveals the blade in his grasp. Lutzi sees this and using his left hand lifts the strap holding the satchel over his head removing it. Errow smiles, “ that’s better, now hand it over.” He says opening the palm of his free hand as he holds the blade out in his other. Lutzi reaches out to hand the satchel over, “ that’s right it’s not worth dying over is it?” He asks. Lutzi shakes his head from side to side as Errow approaches. Just as Errow goes to grab the strap Lutzi swings the satchel in a circle, wrapping it around Errow’s right arm. He pulls Errow forward and then trips him as he gets close. The two tumble to the ground. The crowd watches excited with anticipation to see what will happen. Errow rolls aside as Lutzi ends up beneath him. The strap still wrapped around his arm Errow pushes the blade down just above Lutzi’s throat. Everyone begins screaming and shouting. Using his free hand, Errow presses the razor sharp stone down, lowering it as Lutzi pushes him up in an attempt to repel him. Just then as Yote, Giblet and Dwege reach the bottom of the hill, Yote spots the crowd gathered and shouting. “ scuse me!” He says to the two as he leaves their side to see what is going on ahead. Pushing his way through the crowd just as Errow finally presses the stone blade against Lutzi’s throat. “ Looks like I win.” He says. Lutzi struggles with everything he’s got. Just then Yote steps before both men. “ Wot in Kratok’s name as gotten in ta yew Errow?” He asks before plunging his index and middle finger into Errow’s nose pulling his head up. Errow backs off, falling backwards before standing to his feet with the satchel still wrapped around his arm. Lutzi places his hands on his throat as he exhales. Yote helps him to his feet before he steps over to Errow and grabs the satchel from around his arm. Ripping it away he hands it to Lutzi. “ Firs yew dun listen to wot it is oim saying, den yew make me aff to smack yew around to make an ecks-sample. Now yew decide instead of leading by ecks-sample yew are gonna attack de only one of all dem dhanda’s wot stood up fer yew whilst I slap yew aroun. Ow does dat make any sense wot so ever?” He asks using hand gestures to really get the point across.
Errow ashamed of himself lowers his head, unable to look Yote in the eyes. He replies, “ it doesn’t. But that’s only...” before he is able to finish Yote shakes his head, “ I’ve erd wot I was looking for. Dats enough. Now oi want all of yew muck eads to get back to wot it was yew were doing before I ad ta come over and break up the partee...” He stands there for a moment closing his eyes as he runs his fingers through his hair. Everyone slowly begins to move away. Upon opening his eyes he finally Loses his patience, angered he shouts, “ now!!!...” Quickly most everyone speeds up their actions. Yote asks Lutzi, “ are yew alroyt myson?” Breathing heavily, Lutzi looks down to the little man and nods, “ yes, if not for you Yote...” with a smirk and a wink Yote replies, “ now yew go off an get some rest. Oyl andle Errow, an opfully by de morrow yew can elp foynd wot it is we’re aftah.” Thanking Yote again Lutzi turns to head towards his own home which wasn’t located around the main residential area. As he walks away he could hear Yote scolding Errow, “ wot is de problem Errow? Are yew aving a ard time doing de job you’ve been given?” He hears in the distance, deciding not to look back Lutzi heads for his own hut hoping to finally get some rest after such a long day. In the morning the sunji begins to rise on the horizon, just over the edge of the water that seems to go on forever. Awakening inside of a looker’s roost positioned high up in a tree out in the grasslands, Jex yawns as the light begins to brighten the world for another day. The roost is high enough that whoever looks out from inside can see a fair distance all the way around. Jex asks, “ where are we going to go now?” Narfeesh stretches, “ I’m not sure now that I’ve lost my mappa.” He turns to the side, grabbing his belongings. Leaning onto the satchel he uses it to support himself as he stands. “ We better be going, we don’t know if they’ll be looking for us.” He tells her. Jex yawns as she nods, before stretching. “ Okay, I am ready, just let me grab my things.” She answers. “ We’ll follow the wadja, eventually it will lead us towards Machunga. We’ll be safe there for a bit.” He tells her before stepping into the escape hole there to allow entrance and exiting of the tree. Climbing down, Narfeesh looks at the ground as Jex places the straps above her head and onto her shoulder to keep her satchel on. She notices the leaves are dry on the canopy of the tree. “ Do you notice anything?” She asks her father before she too descends from the roost. At the base of the trunk Narfeesh asks, “ notice what? There’s too many things to notice one single one.” Jex carefully steps from one foot place to the next lower as she elaborates, “ the leaves, they are dry.” Scratching his head Narfeesh shrugs, “ what do you mean? What are you getting at?” As Jex reaches the final step she leaps from the tree and onto the ground. Standing straight up she explains, “ my point is that what ever that flash was yestermorrow narctos in the skae wasn’t an thunder storm. I don’t remember it even riajnis at all.” Narfeesh nods, then bends forward touching the tall grasses. “ You’re right, no wadja. hmm...” He begins to walk, “ how do you know that’s the right way?” Jex asks. Narfeesh answers, “ because Yenga is back that way.”
Walking in the same direction. Jex looks back, having never really ventured out past her families farm in her life this was all new to her. She begins to run to catch up with her father as the two walk along. “ So what exactly is that sunji stone that has been past down, and why is it so important?” Narfeesh then reaches into his satchel shuffling his things around as he grasps the golden relic. Pulling it out he holds it out in front before handing it to Jex. “ This stone was past down in our family from my eldest garand-farjer, to his kooje, and from him to his kooje, and again until my farjer received it. Being the only kooje my farjer had, he gave it to me just before he died.” Jex marvels in awe as the relic radiates with great luster. “ Why is it so special?” She asks as the two continue to walk. “ There was a time of great hardship upon the land. There was much Fighting between tribes, the skae was blanketed with gloom. Even brojahs fought their own brojah. One day there was a thunder storm far away, much like the one from yestermorrow narcto. It was said that shortly after the flash the skae itself opened up. The gloom was blown aside as the sunji shone through. With that came many falling stones from the skae. Several different shapes all made from the sunji itself. They landed in the dirt with such power they had to be dug from the ground. My garand farjer was one of the few to find one. From that day forward he was blessed with luck and prosperity. We have handed it down from farjer to kooje ever since.” Jex looks at the stone with all it’s unnaturally hard edges which dazzle in the light, the glistening sparkle dances along the crisp edges as it is moved. “ We cannot let others know we have it as they will only wish to take it!” He exclaims grabbing it from her. Jex nods, “ have you even seen any of the other sunji stones?” She inquires as he takes the stone from her. Placing the relic back into his satchel and closing the flap, Narfeesh shakes his head from side to side. “ No I have not. I assume in the same way we hide ours from everyone, they would hide theirs from us. We should get going now, it’s only a matter of time before they come looking for us.” Jex agrees, she then asks, “ why do you think they were after us in the first place?” Narfeesh shrugs thinking to himself for a moment, “ I’m not sure why it is they do anything that they do. Their actions usually seem unwarranted and impulsive.” He begins to walk forward as Jex follows right behind. The two head away from the village, across the grasslands.
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