Gemwright Ch 13

*Author's Note* There are no intimacy scenes in this chapter.

While we walk, I ask them. ¬what are the kurs£)¬

I think it's Bor'han who answers ¬they are large lightly-furred orange-and-white four legged beasts# their claws are vicious# their fangs sharp, and their jaws crushing# they are the cause of many deaths)¬

It sounds sort of like tigers? Maybe panthers?

¬we will have to be careful then)¬

It's only about 500 feet from the clearing to the town.

Rin, "Grey. You said the portal that came here is connected to part of the ocean, right?"

Me, "Yeah, about 200 feet down, or so."

Rin, "Do you suppose any water elementals might have come through? At the very least, I should be able to pull up a lesser by channeling mana through Sentral."

Me, "A good point. If there's nothing going on tonight, shall we try to fish one up?"

Rin, "I'd like that. But there's no rush, the lake isn't going anywhere."

We walk into the village. A few people shout, and someone comes over to meet us. Since she's looking right at me, I connect to her as well. It's a struggle not to stare at her chest.

¬welcome visitors# would you wear these please£)¬ she hands us each a leather bracelet with a small, crudely cut topaz. We put them on our wrists. ¬as you know today is the raining day# as such we will primarily be doing work around the village# tomorrow the chief asks you to attend the hunt or aid in the house construction# today you are welcome to aid in cooking or spear repairs# by chance are one of you skilled with metalworking£)¬

The couple, their job done, nods at me, disconnects, and walk off.

¬however# A'yado has instructed us to offer you two days without work# if you wish to become accustomed to our culture first#)¬

I answer first. ¬I'm willing to work# I am able to manipulate metal with my abilities# however I have difficulties creating sharp edges and I cannot create a sharp point# at some time I would appreciate a tutor in the ways of your language)¬

¬I'm willing to cooook= but perhaps you cook differently than us# so I might get in your way at first)¬

¬I'd also like to contribute to cooking# I'm in the same position as Hanamaya)¬

¬the cooking group would be happy to teach you while you do the basic work then# Grey would you join the spear maintenance then£)¬

She gives us instructions on where to go, and turns to go elsewhere herself.

Me, "Alright, this village is pretty small, so we should always be in range of telepathy. Have fun, meet you later?"

Hana nods and shouts "Byee!" and jogs off towards the cooking area. Rin smiles, before turning and following Hana.

I walk over to the 'hut' with the spears. I hadn't noticed until now that it actually has a stone foundation. It's walled on three sides and has a roof. Two men are working there. I'll be the third soon. No wait, they look like teenagers. Oddly tall teenagers, but when the average height is six nothing, everyone looks tall.

They notice me and wave. One of them gestures at his head, so I connect with him. He jabs the guy beside him with his elbow. The second boy also makes the gesture, so I knock on his brain too.

¬we meet at last= the man that can cut down a hundred trees in the time it takes us to fell one)¬

¬I'd be surprised if he isn't studding for at least 5 women a week from now)¬

That's... Wait, that might happen?

¬that's an interesting idea# I'd love to hear more# but for now, I gather I'm here to help with the spears right£)¬

¬sure# I'm Few'ja and this is Few'ree¬

Hmm. ¬hmm based on what I know of your culture# you are either mates or brothers# I'm guessing brothers)¬ I smile.

They take my joke well. They look at each other, pretend to consider, then laugh. ¬brothers# yes# what a strange sense of humor=)¬

The other brother picks up, ¬anyway# for the weapons# we've got bone spears and iron spears# the wood needs polished# the spearheads need a reapplication of oil# this jar holds the polish# this one holds the oil# I hear you have some skill with metal though£)¬

I've noticed that they both talk at the same time that they respond to me mentally. It doesn't bother me, so I try to listen to both.

I respond, ¬indeed# I can manipulate the stuff to an extent)¬

One of them hands me a particularly damaged spear. It's rusted to shit and badly chipped. ¬I'll see what I can do# do you have scrap iron I can consume to repair this£ even if it's rusted junk that's fine)¬

Few'ree nods, puts down the spear he'd been polishing, and runs off. Curious, I see him enter several houses, before returning with some scrap metal so damaged I don't know what it was originally.

¬thank you)¬ I start fixing the spear as best I can. ¬this will take time# in the meanwhile I have a question about what you just did)¬

¬what is it£)¬

¬you looked through various people's houses# I assume this scrap did not come from your own house# people saw you do this and did not seem surprised# what are your views of 'property and ownership'£ I guess that's what I want to know)¬

They both pause. ¬huh# well# everything belongs to everyone in the tribe except when it doesn't£)¬

¬yeah# I wouldn't take the chief's prized kurs pelt without a conversation# but if we needed some leather we might take some from him)¬

¬but this scrap I gave you nobody would have a problem giving that up for spear maintenance# especially if you can fix it# the metalworking tribe is on the other side of the island# the trip is pretty long# we'd probably run into at least one kurs# so we only go when we really have to)¬

They finish with a few spears while I'm still trying to repair the metal one.

I think about what they said earlier about studding, and decide it was probably a joke.

I'm having some trouble. ¬I'm going to call my bird over as it's eyes are better than mine# don't be alarmed)¬

¬sure)¬ ¬we don't mind)¬

I call it over to me from Sentral, and it arrives in no time. I'll need to recall those birds still over the ocean before they run out of power... they'll last a while yet, just don't want to forget.

With the bird on my shoulder, I can see details a little better. It's easier to tell when my power smushes the iron the wrong way. Let's focus on this section here... Flex this part to remove the rust, merge in this scrap, smooth it over.. Well, might as well try for a point. It's been a while since I've tried. I try mushing, in as small a way as I can, but the tip isn't particularly sharp at all. Maybe as sharp as a typical fork in my past. I try.. gripping my power in a different way, instead of pressing it, I form a straight plane and apply it that way. It's even slower, but I can see it slowly taking an edge. I apply another plane, and press it against the tip at an angle through the first one. I create two more, intersecting them to come together to a point similar to the spear's tip, and press them against the spear's tip, deforming the top. I have to make a few adjustments when they go out of alignment, then feed more scrap into the bottom.

I pull back. Looks good to me? I hand it to one of the nearby brothers. ¬how's this£)¬

He takes it. ¬hey this is pretty good= Ree take a look at this)¬

His brother takes it and also inspects it from all angles. ¬yeah this will hold up# good work# point is serviceable too# alright# the reward for good work is more work# we'll take care of the maintenance today# you're on repair work# check all of the spears for damage and repair any you find)¬

¬sure thing)¬

It's a nice way to spend part of the morning. A little before noon though, it abruptly starts raining. The sky is misty like always, so I can't tell if there's clouds or what's going on. The boys don't even spare it a glance, so I guess it really is like clockwork here. So strange. It's immediately clear that the rain is accounted for though. A lot of jars have been put outside to catch the water, and the 'roads' have channels beside them that lead out of the village. The excess water flows down the channels, and away from the village.

I finish repairing another iron spear (significantly less damaged than the previous) and pick up a third. Looks good. The fourth has a crack up the side, so I take some time to fix it.

Around this time some kid comes and says something to us. ¬lunchtime= we will finish up after# come# I wish to taste the food made by your beautiful mates)¬

I laugh. ¬yes# let's)¬

He hands me something like an umbrella, and the two brothers huddle under a second. Staying mostly dry, I follow them to another roofed area, without walls.

There's a strange structure in the middle, with an off the ground fire burning in a bowl at the top, about chest height. People, including my girls it seems, can be seen taking.. something out from an area under the fire, and replacing them with other similar 'somethings'. They're taken away to a table, where tribes folk would take one to a table.

Getting closer, I see they are particular leaves, wrapping hunks of something. And indeed, someone on the side is currently wrapping uncooked meat with such a leaf, and passing it to an area to be cooked under the fire. What a curious way to prepare a meal.

Some vegetables are available on the side as well, which people help themselves to with nearby bowls.

There is a lot of chatter going on as well. It seems this is a social part of the day. But nowhere near the entire tribe... I'd guess only a third. I ask the brothers, ¬does the tribe eat at different times£)¬

¬yes# if everyone is here at the same time then we spend a lot of time waiting for food to finish# or we eat food that has begun to cool# on rain days the children are tasked with bringing in a different mixture of people than the tri-day before# it's how we keep everyone close# the other two days we keep the central pot going and people eat as they become hungry)¬

¬curious# is it just stew available all day£)¬

They nod, but don't elaborate. They pick up their leaf meat. I pick up mine as- WHEW that's hot! I juggle it before putting it back on the table and putting it in a bowl for now. The girls are too busy to notice me. Rin seems to be 'talking' to one of them, and Hana is holding.. something that looks like bone tongs, and using it to move the leaf packages from a table to below the fire. I'll ask her about it later.

I go to sit with the brothers, but a kid bounces up to me and makes the gesture. I connect. ¬visitor= you don't have to if you don't want to# but your assigned seat is this one over here=)¬

¬I have an assigned seat£)¬ I'm curious, but I follow him.

¬yeah= everyone does# even the chief# it's our job to mix everyone up on rain day lunch= though it's our secret job to match up unmarried people more often# don't tell anyone okay£)¬

I laugh, and allow myself to be led to a table. There is currently only one other person for now, a teenaged girl. She, like everyone else, gives me a look of curiosity. Then makes a hesitant motion towards her head.

I connect, and start the conversation. ¬good day# I am Grey)¬

¬'good day'# I suppose it is# I'm Ko'kan)¬

I nod, and try to unwrap my leaf meal. ¬would you mind speaking in addition to telepathy£ I believe it will help me learn)¬ she nods. ¬thank you# now# how does this work£ do I eat the leaf# it seems like nobody else is)¬

She speaks aloud in addition to telepathy, as requested. ¬will you also speak£ I don't know if I will learn anything# but it is odd for a person to be so silent)¬

I consider. She has a point. I haven't really spoken to the tribe much with my voice at all. And, this way, they might speak at me, without my having to ask.

Alright, sure. ¬you are right# I will speak as well)¬

¬thank you# so no you do not eat the leaf# you can rinse it off in the rain and bring it back to the kitchen# or if you're doing something important then leave it on the table and the kids will clean it for you)¬

I nod. I note from other tables that this is apparently finger food. Well, when in Rome. I dig in. ¬what a curious flavor# tangy a little spicy and very enjoyable)¬

¬our cooks will be glad you approve# this is deer with our usual mix of spices# I hope you are ready to eat it nearly every day while you are here)¬

I wait a second to reply so that I am between bites ¬I'm sure it will take me at least a month before I come to dislike it)¬ I laugh.

She smiles, but returns to a curious look. Between her own bites, she asks me, ¬what are your lands like£ from below the Coral Lake)¬

¬I hail from the Jensin Kingdom# though I am currently traveling the entire world# Jensin is a land of wide fields and gentle hills# the popular food there is bread# though they still eat food like deer and corn#

¬they're ruled by King Jensin# I gather the new king takes the name of Jensin when his predecessor dies# he rules from the capital and issues decrees# the people living under him are mostly farmers or craftsmen with merchants and nobility here and there)¬

She furrows her brows. ¬I did not understand a lot of that)¬

I smile. ¬the world outside of your island is very different than what I've seen here# better in some ways# worse in others# I travel because I want to see

all

of it# the good# the bad# and everything in between)¬

¬what an incredible life you lead)¬

¬perhaps# now tell me of life here)¬

¬I'm not sure how# it is the only life I've ever known# how do I explain it£)¬

¬hmmm# what do you do on a day to day basis£ what goals drive you£ what do you think of other tribes£)¬

¬um# I'm an

unmarried

adult so I help out around the village similarly to other women but I don't have my own house yet# until yesterday my goal was to become mated to a neighboring tribe's male and join them# I don't have much of an opinion about other tribes aside from the Orangescale Fish tribe who treat well with us)¬

Shit. Alright, that's a few too many allusions. With a sigh, I ask ¬Ko'kan# how old are you£)¬

She answers.

¬I apologize if I am misunderstanding your intent# that is too young for me# I cannot return your interest)¬

She looks a bit downcast, and confused. I'm relieved when she doesn't press the matter. Instead she asks about the bird, so I close one eye and fly it back over from the spear workplace.

¬why is it so colorful£ do you just like it that way¬

¬I'm not willing to share all my secrets right away# but the black part of its eyes can see# the other colors fulfill a purpose as well)¬ It flies to the empty half of the table, and I have it land. ¬you can touch it if you like# it is not alive)¬

She lifts it and turns it upside down, then turns it around to look at it from every angle. Now's probably not the time to share eyesight, I want to do that in bulk so as not to be pestered, so I continue eating while she examines it.

Hana sits down beside me. Perhaps she's on break? She has her own leaf parcel, which she opens up. "So this is number three huh?"

I laugh. "She's too young." I don't send it through the link.

She raises an eyebrow, then shrugs. "Well, okay. If that's what you want. Now, lemme in." I include her in the telepathy with Ko'kan.

¬you're Ko'kan£ hello= I'm Hanamaya# I'm working the stove today but I'm on break since my man is eating)¬ I guess Hana picked up on the verbalizing during Telepathy, she's doing it too.

¬hello Hanamaya# no matter how often I see you it's hard to believe how beautiful you are# your white skin and small body are the jealousy of some of my friends# I'm sure the men are saddened they will never outperform Grey)¬

¬aw# you're so nice 'Kan# call me Hana or Maya= where I'm from friends shorten each other's names)¬

Ko'kan's eyes widen. I laugh, and focus on my meal. I'm glad Hana is making friends already. This deer really is good though. I wouldn't be unhappy to eat this for a while.

Oh, right, birds. ¬excuse me one moment# I need to check in with Wed)¬ and I disconnect. Then I connect with the bird, then the crab, then the long chain of birds, and finally to...... There you are, Wed. ¬Wed how are you)¬

¬no problems here# I assume everything is okay on that island£)¬

¬it is# they seem to be genuinely nice people)¬

¬I'm glad to hear it# when 20 minutes passed then as discussed I took the scroll and smuggled it into town# it is currently unfurled horizontally facing the ground in a room. Please be cautious as I was advised that this could make gravity strange# stand far back from the Gate when you open it)¬

¬thanks for the warning# if that's all then I will withdraw my birds to the island and we will speak tomorrow via Gate£)¬

¬great# talk to you then Grey)¬

I close the connection, and open a new one to Sentral. ¬while maintaining the telepathic relay have all birds enter the whirlpool and come through the portal then fly to your box)¬

¬yes)¬ comes the reply. I disconnect. 'Maya' and 'Kan' are chatting happily about something.

Before long, the brothers come by. Their eyes linger a bit on Hanamaya, but eventually come back to me. I open a connection. ¬meal is over# our work isn't too important so you're expected to wash your leaf in the rain before returning it# or don't and just make the kids do it and pretend you didn't know hahaha)¬

I laugh ¬I'll play nice# the kids are trying to help me so it would feel wrong to slight them)¬

The rain still hasn't let up, but it's also supposed to be a whopping 6 hour rainfall, so I guess I'll have to get used to it. I hold out my leaf and clean it off. It's surprisingly durable, and my rinse leaves it with no damage I can see aside from a scorch mark it already had. I put it back on the table we ate at, wave goodbye to Hana and Ko'kan, grab my bird, and depart with the brothers.

Back at the workshop, the iron spears only last me a bit longer before they're in good repair.

¬want me to start on the bone spears£)¬

¬no way# chief would thrash us if he knew we'd wasted you on that)¬

¬we will handle the bone# as for you# follow me# we'd like you to repair the spare pot)¬

I leave the bird behind and follow him. He brings me to behind somebody's house, where there's a huge rusted pot. It's similar to the one in the middle of the village, actually..

¬help me out here)¬ he grabs a handle on one side, and I grab the other.

¬it's a bit heavy# I can see why this is a two man job)¬

¬it's just too wide or I'd carry it myself)¬ We start walking back. ¬you're stronger than you look# I wasn't sure you'd be able to carry your end# De'dan might not have an easy victory tomorrow when he challenges you)¬

Hah! ¬you got money riding on the outcome of our spar£ but yeah I got the impression he didn't like me)¬

¬money# I don't understand the concept there sorry# but he is incredibly skilled with a spear and staff# he can even defeat the chief two times out of three# he is just angry but it is not my place to say more than that)¬

¬in some cultures they say the fastest way for men to become friends is to beat each other black and blue)¬

He laughs, then laughs harder. ¬they are wise= it must be why Few'ja and I get along so well=)¬ I slow down to let him catch his breath, then we continue. Shortly, we arrive back at the workstation. There isn't enough room inside, so we put it at the edge. My hand will get wet, but I'm already soaked, so that doesn't matter.

The thing's beat to hell, but I should be able to make it usable again. The main issue is a big crack. I can see the water falling inside the pot flowing out.

Are there any other problems? I connect to the nearby bird and fly around it. There's some nicks and scratches here and there, especially in the inside. Those can just be smoothed out. The damn rust is everywhere, it takes me a while to "flex" it off the metal. I ask for a few birds from Sentral, since several have come back by now. I toss a few birds inside to look for problems. The pot is completely full of water despite its leak, so the birds are able to float around no problem. I can't actually reach the bottom of the pot from here... Oh well. I grab all the spare scrap that's left and jump into the pot. Submerging my head, I move some birds around and fix stuff. Hmm, I'm drowning. I stand up. That's okay, I can fix the cracks and scratches with my feet. I'm running low on metal. I tear off some ornamentation and harvest some more from the lip of the pot.