Zaanta

  —---------------

  After the fiasco of Virria spilling the beans, Zaanta took some time to explain the bureaucratic nonsense required to get him accepted into society. Ar Agami listened patiently, occasionally asking pointed questions and asking for clarification. Zaanta was actually surprised at how much of the legal jargon he seemed to understand.

  “So… Let me… get this… Straight?” Ar said, after hearing the entire plan.

  “You want me… to fight… in a… tournament? To… measure… my… skills?

  “To see your combat effectiveness, yes.” Zaanta nodded grimly. “We know you might be against the idea and are prepared to find a different way…”

  “I’m in.” Ar cut Zaanta off mid-sentence. She looked at him quizzically and he continued. “I also want… to know… how…strong?... I am… exactly.”

  Zaanta was… actually surprised. She didn’t expect him to agree so easily. “Alright,” she started, carefully judging his reaction, “we’ll take care of the administration, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

  Ar nodded to her, bidding her to continue.

  “In order to find you a good match, I need to know what kind of fighter you are. Do your people fight with your body, with weapons, or do you use magic?” Zaanta held her breath. If it turned out that Ar’s species had some sort of magic on top of his physical abilities…

  Ar scratched his head for a second before answering. “We fought with… weapons… and armor. In… recent… history, we… mostly switched to… ranged weapons… though.”

  “Ranged weapons, huh?” Zaanta muttered. “I am afraid you won’t be able to use those in the tournament. We can lend you some melee weapons, but the tournament bans any and all armor. Would that work?

  “I’d like to… take a… look… at those. Preferably… before you… send me off… to the fight.”

  “That is reasonable. Zaanta nodded, cold sweat running down her back. ‘A species that used melee weapons and armor, but switched to ranged weapons? Did they develop a bow that could pierce good plate armor? And even if they did, why not keep them in reserve? Why would they switch to using primarily bows?’

  “Do you have any other requests or questions before I leave?” Zaanta asked.

  “Actually… I do.” Ar nodded and showed her three of his fingers. “Three… for now.”

  “Very well then.” Zaanta gestured toward him. “Feel free to ask.”

  “First… I want… to train.”

  Zaanta was not surprised by the request. It made sense to get acquainted with your new weapons. “Can do.” She nodded. “The second one?”

  “Secondly… I… want them…” He gestured to the Fallen Leaves “To be… allowed… to watch me… fight.”

  This one didn’t surprise Zaanta either. “I agree. They might have to fight by your side in the future, so knowing how you fight would prove beneficial to them.” She saw Virria pump her fist in the corner of her eye and smiled a little at her enthusiasm.

  “Third one… is a question…” Zaanta focused back on Ar, just to find him staring at her dead in the eyes. She shifted slightly, feeling uncomfortable. “Why… do you… help me? What… do YOU… get… out of it?”

  “That question is simple, yet complicated.” Zaanta smiled, trying to keep up her calm facade. “Basically, I get a strong being that is now somewhat affiliated and indebted to our organisation.”

  “That… makes sense.” Ar nodded. “Those are… all… my questions… for now.”

  “Good.” Zaanta nodded in response and stood up. “I will leave you all to get to know one another and I will prepare the tournament participation paperwork.” She sighed and stood up. “I will send a runner to fetch you when the time for training comes.”

  “Understood.” Ar nodded in response.

  As Zaanta left through the door, she wondered how he would fare in the tournament. These thoughts were quickly overtaken by thoughts of Ghanna and her gambling addiction. Shaking her head, Zaanta muttered to herself. “I’ll definitely have to forbid her from betting this time around… But how?”

  —--------------------

  Barteool

  —--------------------

  As soon as the Guild Master left the room, the overall mood seemed to improve. No one wanted to interrupt the Zhaarin while she was talking business. They were surprised when Ar asked for them to observe his match, but they were glad he did. This way, they wouldn’t have to pay for their own tickets.

  “Thank you. For everything.” Virria spoke first, breaking the silence. “I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if I didn’t find you back in that forest.”

  Ar smiled back at her, warmth spreading through his voice. “I’m glad… I could… help. Those… cats… had it… arriving.”

  “You mean ‘had it coming?’” Daente picked at him. “Other than working out our tactics, we’ll have to practice speaking with you as well? Good heavens!”

  “If you… do not like it… I can always… act on my own.” Ar snickered.

  “Nononono. That won’t be necessary.” Daente bristled his feathers in response. “If nothing else, Virria would eat me alive for driving you away.”

  “You are god damn right I would!” Virria laughed and punched him in the shoulder.

  “Speaking of working together.” Barteool called for attention. “We should probably introduce ourselves. I doubt you know our names or how we work together?”

  “Well… I know… Virria’s name, but… no-one else’s.” Ar scratched his head. “And… honestly? I am… not sure I will… remember them.”

  “Finally!” Moti yelled out. “Someone who understands!”

  “Moti!” Barteool yelled at the Quarter. Moti made a calming gesture and sat back down, holding his furry tail to stop it from twitching nervously. “Sorry about that.” Barteool turned back to Ar, just to see him grinning from ear to ear.

  “No worry.” Ar answered, covering his teeth with one hand. “Those… real reactions… brought… some memories… of past.”

  “Alright. We won’t pry.” Barteool said, gesturing for Maeli to shut up. “Feel free to share whatever you want.”

  “Oh. So… I am… first?” Ar raised an eyebrow. “Alright then. Sorry… if I take long to… formulate… New language… and stuff.”

  “Sure thing.” Barteool smiled and gestured for Maeli to take notes.

  “My name... as you know, was… changed to Ar. I… served… in my country’s army… A military force… as an extremely long range… soldier. But… I was… trained… to fight… in close quarters… as well.”

  “As to how… I lived… My father, me, and my… brother lived on a… big farm. Bred some… animals. Mostly for food. Had some… vegetable fields… as well.”

  “Did you live close to a town?” Maeli asked.

  “Close?” Ar thought. “We could get to… a close town in… about an hour? I do not know… how do you measure… length. Or time. Or… anything, really.”

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “Well. We know what an hour is. In the past, summoned beings established a consistent concept of time in most of the cultures.” Maeli rubbed his scales. “Length, on the other hand, is kind of difficult. Meter and its units are most commonly used. The Skiel is also common. Some people use something called Miles, but I don’t know how far it is.”

  “You know Metric?” Ar widened his eyes in surprise. “Well, that makes… things easier, actually. The town was… about two hundred kilometers from our farm.”

  “Eeeh… I think our definition of kilometer is different.” Barteool interjected. “There is no way you could travel two hundred of them in an hour.”

  “Are you… about a meter tall?” Ar asked, and Barteool simply nodded. “Then… our definition is… the same.” Ar smiled. “We had machines… you probably can’t… even imagine.”

  “I can attest to that!” Virria chimed and everyone turned to her. “As part of the bargain I took with the Law, I got to look at some of Ar’s memories.” She looked at him, feeling a bit embarrassed. “We… took a ride in one of their ‘machines’.”

  “Which… one?” Ar asked, shifting his hands under his chin.

  “You called it… a Sheehveey? I think.” Barteool watched as Ar nodded his head. Virria continued after that. “It was this… metal construct on four wheels. It made some wild noises, but it traveled very fast and very smoothly. I believe it was not the fastest of their ‘machines’, since I saw two bicycle-like constructs, and they were fast as well.”

  “Motorcycles.” Ar nodded again. “Did you see the… ships?” He asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

  “Yes… I did.” Virria nodded, her eyes looking a bit sad. “I also saw one of them fall…”

  ‘Fall? What does she mean by fall?’ Barteool thought as the two in front of him exchanged knowing looks. He shook his head and waved the thought aside. There would be time to discuss that later.

  “Alright, we’ll put the matter of traveling aside for now. Thank you for sharing with us, Ar.” Barteool smiled. “I am Barteool, but my friends call me Bart. I am our group’s ranger. Eh… that means I’m a shooter and a tracker. Some even call me a thief, but that is a very inept description of my line of work.” He motioned to Virria to continue.

  “As you know, I am Virria. I am a tamer. I enter contracts with beasts, and call for their aid both in and out of combat.” Barteool took note of her twitching tail, suggesting nervousness or embarrassment about what she was about to say next. “As of right now, I am contracted only to one beast, Ognyana.”

  “The… weird bird I’ve… seen?” Ar asked.

  “I… I suppose she is not quite common, but she is perfectly normal among other Idowu birds.” She took a look out of the window, extended her arm, and whistled softly. Barteool saw the camouflaged head poke out of the window, before she slowly fluttered down onto Virria’s arm. He doubted anyone else noticed her, but was proven wrong when he looked at Ar and saw his eyes pointed straight onto the still camouflaged Ognyana.

  “Come on, girl. Show yourself to our new friend.” Ognyana looked Virria in the eye, before seemingly shrugging and canceling her camouflage skill.

  “Yes… This is the one…” Ar nodded and extended one finger toward Ognyana to pet her.

  “Some people actually say that her kind brings bad luck, but there is no concrete evidence.” Virria rambled on, as Ar gently ruffled Ognyana’s feathers. “She usually hangs around me, catching flies and other small insects. She sometimes brings me trinkets she finds.”

  “Mhmm.” Ar nodded. “A mix of …black cat and… a crow… The worst of… both.” Ar commented with a smirk.

  “I could say what you remind me of, but you wouldn’t like it either!” Virria exclaimed in mock offence. She glared at Ar for a second, before she couldn’t hold her laugh any more and burst out giggling.

  Barteool let her calm down, before gesturing to Nhaerria.

  “I am Nhaerria. I am the group’s supporting member. I provide them with supportive spells and healing, and blame them for everything that happens to my things.” She said, as she tugged at several talismans stuck in between her scales.

  Ar looked at her, recognition spreading across his face. “Thank you… for healing… my wounds… back then.” He grinned.

  “You more than paid for it right afterward.” Nhaerria grinned back. “Don’t let it get to your head, though. I’ll charge you next time around.”

  Barteool slightly shoved Maeli, drawing Ar’s attention to him.

  Maeli glared at Barteool, before switching to his noble expression and introducing himself properly.

  “Maeli Von Kyset, at your service. I am the group’s Mage, specialising in Mana research and practical testing.”

  “A… noble?” Ar questioned, one eyebrow raised slightly. “I will have to… warn you… I have… bad experience… with nobles.”

  “He is not THAT bad.” Barteool laughed and slapped Maeli on the back. “He joined us back when we were cleansing the slums from diseases and he hasn’t filed a single complaint to the city, yet!”

  “I still have them prepared for when you all piss me off!” Maeli barked back, before sitting back down. Everyone laughed at that, some more worried than others, until Daente straightened up and started to speak.

  “I’m Daente. Nice to finally meet you! I am our group’s frontliner and I specialize in offence. Mostly, I use my hammers, but I can handle a sword or an axe.”

  “Nice to… meet you, too… Dante.” Ar nodded to him.

  “It’s Daente. DA. EN. TE.” Daente explained begrudgingly. He’d had this conversation many times, and from his experience, it was easier to correct the other party the first time they misspoke his name.

  “I am sorry Da…En…Te.” Ar prolonged the pauses between syllables, making Daente swallow his words right then and there. It was the first time Barteool had seen anyone piss off Daente with such casual speech.

  Moti was the last one to introduce himself. “I’m Moti. I am also a frontline fighter. I am usually the one getting swarmed, since I am the only one with a shield.” He patted the wooden shield on his back. “Unfortunately, I am not very skilled outside of wielding a sword and a shield at the same time, but I am open to try and learn something new, either from you, or together with you, Ar.”

  “He’s lying! He is also very good at gathering herbs!” Nhaerria called out, followed by another round of laughter.

  “Well… I’ll have to… learn to do that… as well.” Ar forced out in between bouts of laughter.

  They talked for another half hour, their conversation mostly shifting to the nature of their work and the woes of contracts provided by The Guild.

  As The Fallen Leaves left Ar’s chamber and started their walk home, they discussed what they learned about their new ally.

  “What do you guys think he meant by the extremely-long range combat?” Moti asked. “Do you think he uses a bow and arrow like Bart?”

  “That’s highly unlikely.” Barteool shot him down. “His back muscles are developed, yes, but not in a way that would suggest bowmanship.”

  “So… Magic?” Moti pushed on.

  “Not probable, either.” Maeli didn’t even look up from his notes, annoying Moti. “It doesn’t seem like he knows how to gather and hold Mana inside his body. I didn’t sense anything from him.”

  “So how do you think his people fight?!” Moti was getting rather worked up now, but no-one seemed to have an answer.

  That is, until Virria spoke up.

  “I might be completely off, but…” She paused, drawing the entire group’s attention. “But, I think it has something to do with their constructs.”

  “So Mana tech, huh…” Nhaerria pondered. “Those things are known to be unreliable, and their explosions are pretty nasty…”

  “I don’t think it’s Mana tech.” Virria interrupted. “I didn’t sense any Mana from either of their constructs. And the… I assume it was an engine? It was nothing like what I’ve seen before.”

  “How about Golemancy?” Daente chimed in. “They are hard to detect even using tools, and they can be very versatile.”

  “Hmmm… I’ve heard that Dwariin golemancers use ropes and steam to move their golems, but that seems like a far stretch.” Virria scratched her chin. “I mean… There was a part of the way where they didn’t move to adjust their construct, but it traveled by itself and changed directions multiple times…”

  “I’ve heard about that as well. But, honestly? I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes.” Barteool nodded. “It seems far too outlandish to be true.”

  “You can try asking around for that Dwariin craftsman that moved into town.” Maeli offered, stopping at an intersection. “You might have to put on your best clothes though. His shop is in the high-end district.”

  The rest of the group grumbled at the thought.

  Daente shot Maeli a poisonous glare as he replied. “It might be easy for you, since your father is an official. But some of us spend most of our time in the slums, actually helping others.”

  “Magic research is also important for making people’s lives better!” Maeli retorted, preparing for yet another argument.

  “Enough!” Nhaerria yelled at them, smacking them both. “We will NOT be opening this can of worms again! Last time the two of you started ‘arguing’, we had to pay for repairs for half of The Clam!”

  “Not to mention, back then we only had to deal with one angry barkeep, not several angry homeowners.” Moti huffed and dragged Daente away. “Let’s just calm down for the night, alright?”

  “See you later, Maeli. Let us know if you find any interesting starter jobs we could take once Ar joins us.” Barteool waved Maeli goodbye and went with the rest of the group to his house at the edge of the town.

  “Sure thing, boss!” Maeli grinned and went on his way.

  “Hey, Bart?” Virria called for his attention. “We’ll have to find a place for Ar to sleep, won’t we?”

  “We can clean up the spare room at my house, can’t we?” Barteool jogged up to the rest, throwing in ideas. “I don’t really want to add another room. It would be too much work to make it blend in with the rest of the house…”

  “But what about my herbs?” Nhaerria exclaimed in mock horror. “You won’t force me to store them in the training room, will you? Do you have any idea how bad it smells?”

  “Hey! We air it out regularly!” Daente puffed out his feathers and Moti nodded in agreement.

  “I know, I know.” Nhaerria calmed them down. “I’m just messing with you. We still have to make room for him to move in, though. Unless you can afford to rent him a room somewhere else.”

  “Don’t you or Bart have some connections near the walls? With the innkeeper, or whatever?” Moti piped up.

  “I want to save that for later. You never know when a good informer comes in handy.” Barteool protested. “Let’s just tidy up one room for now, and figure out a more permanent solution based on the situation.”