Fall had come, and Biyu was enjoying a rare chance to just sit and take in the beauty of the trees in their autumn finery. Shades of red and bronze danced before an overcast sky as she watched with a clear mind. She wanted to go see the leaves of the forests bordering the swamp, but that would have to wait until next year when she was ready to join the hunting parties. Her skills with her weapons was progressing well, and while no Elf would allow her to hunt with a bow, Hak had been teaching her the javelin. With her improved strength, it was a relatively easy weapon for her to use.
Archery continued as it had, with steady improvement as she learned additional drills for firing the bow when she could not use the proper form or for the rare time she had to shoot on the move. Most of her practice now was simple range practice with other Elves. Instead of individual instruction, her instructor gave her only a few moments of personal attention to correct mistakes creeping into her form.
Winter was approaching, and the village prepared. Biyu knew that autumn was the season to harvest crops and prepare feed for live stock for the winter. In the village of the Elves, hunting parties were sent out more frequently, and risked ranging more deeply into the lands Humans might tread beyond Shishi's borders.
Smokehouses were erected and stuffed with thick cuts of meat. Fish and vegetables were either dried for storage, or were packed tight into pots to ferment. Elders sought out Shishi for her dictates on where and how much they could safely take from the swamp. Village youths took older children out to forage for edible plants and mushrooms within sight of the raft.
Biyu went foraging with the children. The children, not youths, were the ones who checked what she had harvested. Once she had been scolded when one of the mushrooms she had collected was so dangerous that it tainted everything she had to collected. Shishi's blessing upon the Elves granted them some immunity to poisons as well as improved health, a blessing Biyu shared until she learned the techniques for herself, but there were some poisons more toxic than the blessing could protect against.
Biyu kept the mushroom, and was made to nibble on the rare fungus over the course of a few days so she could make it a part of her [Poison] technique. Just like the other times she was bitten by a venomous animal or made to eat something dangerously poisonous she did it in the company of the healers while the Elves watched the show. Shishi was harsh on anyone cheering her misery, but Biyu had no issue with letting them see her suffer for her power. Those who had shown fear or anger were mollified by the sight of her curled into the ball on the ground, or heaving as she fought the urge to vomit. She hoped that it would ease the tension between and the villagers and her.
Indu sidled up next to Biyu, the serpent woman shivering in the breeze. The weather was cooling but not yet what Biyu would call chilled during daylight hours, but Indu's dark gray blue scales did little to help her keep warm. The shape of her body made clothing impractical. Hak had it worse, as his body was naturally cool, so clothing would do nothing to help him stay warm. That was why he increasingly refused to leave their hut as autumn deepened. Indu still went out, but she was reluctant except during the warmest parts of the day or for a quick errand.
Today she was looking into the waters of the swamp, a pole in hand. This was not their fishing day, but Indu had her own duties. Biyu had always assumed Indu's role in the village was fishing, but it occurred to her that she did not actually know.
"Will you join the Feast of Ancestors?" Indu asked, not yet casting her line. Biyu thought Indu should give up on fishing and return to their hut.
"What is that?" Biyu asked as she stood up. Taking Indu's arm in hand, she led Indu back to their hut. She had fulfilled her desire to take in the autumn scenery for today.
"A feast where the ancestors come to visit the village. Mother will thin the boundary to her Hell and allow the ancestors passage into the world of the living. There will be a feast, music, dancing, games, and competitions." She squirmed in place while smiling at Biyu. "It is fun, and this year I have been excused from my duties to accompany you."
"What are your duties?"
"I am a Shaman, Biyu. I think I mentioned it? I speak with spirits and great spirits, soothe vengeful spirits, create fetishes of protection or good fortune, and help with festivals, feasts, and the worship of Mother or the other gods. The mask I gave you is a fetish."
"I should not participate."
Indu slowed in following Biyu. "Why?"
"Would your ancestors welcome me more than the villagers do? Some of them were chased here by Humans."
"That's true," Indu said. "But, the ancestors won't know you're Human without being told. Maybe the Shamans have mentioned you when they consulted them, but I doubt the ancestors will know what you look like."
"Consult?"
"We are within Mother's domain. Her Hell is a near thing here. With her assistance, we can call upon the ancestors to ask them questions. When we have lost our way, and need wisdom, we can go to them for answers. It's one of the rites of passage in this village. The Trail of Ancestors, where we seek their wisdom to guide us into adulthood."
Biyu gave a nod to show she understood.
They entered their hut, ensuring it was closed securely behind them and that the heavy cloth drapes were arranged to fend off the breeze and cold. Hak huddled near the fire, but he was listless. He did not return their greeting.
"The Elves will not want me there."
"It has already been agreed that denying you a place at the feast would violate guest rights, and be an insult to Mother." Indu put her pole away, tucking it behind a barrel that held part of their larder. "Please come. There's someone I'd like to introduce you to."
"A Kin?"
She shook her head. "Someone I respect. My old Master. My current Master's father."
Biyu pursed her lips. "I will come since you ask me to, but I will not overstay my welcome."
Indu gave Biyu a hug, and Biyu returned it. Even though she did not mind hugs from Indu, being suddenly held still gave her pause.
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It was late afternoon on the day of the feast, and preparations were being completed. Biyu had been tasked to help hang warding charms over the doorways of huts. They were wards against souls, and were hung to keep troublesome ancestors from entering.
Ancestors included mischievous children, adults who indulged in pranks, and vindictive enemies, all of who were beyond punishment. They had little reason to restrain themselves. Some Elves wore masks to hide from ancestors they had not gotten along with, and others had their own charms to ward off specific ancestors they were feuding with. There was a limit to what the ancestors were permitted. They were only beyond the punishment of the village, but if Shishi had to intervene the punishment could be frightening. Something as innocent as pilfering a favored object and hiding it somewhere absurd or mocking a son for past foolishness would be overlooked. If the subject of the teasing complained too loudly, it could be them who were chastised.
The sun had nearly set as Biyu hung the last of her portion of the charms. Indu approached her, her own tasks completed. They linked arms, and Indu led Biyu to the edge of the village square.
Hefty logs were arranged into a tower in the village square for a bonfire. A Shaman stood beside the woodpile, a torch held high as she began to speak words of praise to Shishi. She dedicated the feast laid out around the square and the village to the Great Serpent, and praised her benevolence for bringing the ancestors to the village to visit. Once the sky faded from twilight to night and the Shaman had finished her words, she tossed the torch into the woodpile begin the bonfire. As the flames rose and the wood began to smoke, a fog rose up around the village. The smoke from the bonfire mingled with the fog, darkening it. The air warmed unnaturally, not to the warmth of summer, but to a warm fall day.
Eager eyes sought familiar shapes in the fog, and Indu tightened her grip on Biyu's arm as she joined them. Silhouettes appeared in the fog, starting as vague shapes and resolving into the figures of Elves as they exited the fog. There were all kinds among them, from children to elderly figures walking with canes. Members of the crowd cried out as they saw a figure they recognized. Lost parents, siblings, or, rarely, children were greeted with tears and joy by their living relatives. Biyu watched as the dead joined the living. Indu tugged on her arm, pulling her into the crowd. Biyu looked for whom Indu was heading.
A graceful man, with the blue gray scales of the Elves along his lower arms, was looking over the village wistfully at the edge of the fog. He looked younger than Biyu expected, with sharp eyes and a calm demeanor that she rarely saw among the Elves. Disappointment spread across his features, and he gave his head a slow shake as if to throw off the thought. His attention turned from the village to the people, and alighting on Indu his smile lit up once more.
"Apprentice! You came this year!" His voice was a scratchy tenor, and his body moved with an easy grace as he met them.
Indu smiled joyfully, and released Biyu when his eyes turned down to their linked arms. Her smile turned timid and embarrassed, her hands slipping behind her like a child who had been naughty. Biyu gave them space, so they could trade greetings until she was properly introduced. "It's good to see you again, Master."
"Has my daughter treated you well?" He gave it some thought. "You must be a practitioner in your own right by now."
"She treats me kindly, but I'm still an apprentice. There are still things for me to learn before I'm raised."
The man shook his head. "Are you sure it's not a bit of bullying? I remember she wasn't always kind to you back then."
"It's both her judgment and my own. There are rituals we do too rarely for me to have the required practice."
"Was We—"
Indu made a gesture as he was on the cusp of speaking a name, and he frowned. Turning to Biyu, she gestured for her to come closer. "This is Biyu." She looked around to ensure no one was listening in, and still she whispered, "A Human. We aren't supposed to use names around her."
There was surprise on his face, then scrutiny. "So, you chose a Human? Not a single one of the villagers sought your affection?"
Indu was stunned, her jaw hanging open in her disbelief at his question. Biyu had never seen the serpent woman so motionless while awake. Even asleep she tended to be a bit restless.
"That's not—! She's a friend!"
The man looked at her in disappointment. "Oh, is that so? It's hard for the Great Serpent's Kin. I'd always hoped to see you in love. There's no one?"
"No, Master. I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. I am merely a dead man hoping for your happiness." He turned to Biyu. "I am Brandon. Former Shaman of this village. What brings you here?" He frowned suspiciously. "Did you conquer us after winning Lady Serpent's favor?" Before Biyu could reply, he broke out into a smile to show he was teasing her.
"I was shown mercy by Master—Lady Serpent—after being offered as a sacrifice by my village."
"Oh? She's not one to turn those down, even though I petitioned her to reject them."
"You did?" Biyu asked.
The man nodded. "Eating people is wrong," he said. "Even if they are Human, and the Great Serpent is… well, the name does say it all. Still, I suppose it is proper worship."
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Biyu favored the man with a polite smile. "It is selfish to say, but it was to my benefit." She thought for a moment. "I would not go so far as to seek vengeance against the ones who sent me here, but they rejoiced when I was sent to Master. That is not a petition I would join in."
"Ah, hatred. I can understand it. Of course, I do! Look around us, and where my people are forced to live. No disrespect to Lady Serpent, of course." Biyu and Indu repeated the sentiment. "The People's hatred for Humans has been well-earned. So has the reverse." He shrugged his shoulders. "It's just not the world I want to live in."
"It is the world I live in now," Biyu said, her hand waving at the surrounding village.
Brandon looked around, taking in the village. "I suppose you do. Well, I assume you are only here for a short time… oh?" He stopped as something occurred to him. "May I have a moment with my former student? I think she requires some instruction."
Biyu was curious, wondering what lesson suddenly occurred to the master as she left them. Looking around, she tried to pick out the living from the dead. She found no easy way to tell them apart. Both appeared just as alive as the other. Only the ones whose faces she recognized did she know to be the living. Even after the better part of a year, there were many villagers whose faces she had never learned. Biyu supposed the only way to tell was to know the person, and she wondered if any of the dead ever played a trick by pretending to be one of the living.
Drawn by music, she found a woman singing beautifully in accompaniment of drums and flutes. She wore a gorgeous robe, as fine as anything in Biyu's old wardrobe. Biyu had never seen anything so lovely in the village before, leading her to believe the woman was a visiting ancestor. The singer's skill was obvious, and Biyu closed her eyes and let it wash over her until Brandon brought a sulking Indu to her.
"It was good to meet you, Biyu. Please, be kind to my… well, she is no longer my disciple, so I will flatter myself by calling her my daughter."
"You—?"
The man stopped her with a smile and raised hand. "No, not like that. Someone I accept as a daughter, rather than one by blood."
Had Indu the ability she would surely have turn red, Biyu was sure, but she fidgeted and danced in place at his words. Giving the smiling man a deep bow, she was pleased when his smile brightened as he recognized the respect she was giving him. He patted Indu on the arm affectionately before taking his leave.
"So, you wanted me to meet your father," Biyu said once Brandon was gone.
"Master. He is going to visit his real family now."
"Do you get along with your master? His daughter?"
"We aren't like sisters, but yes, I do. She was mean to me when we were little, but after Master died she respected his wishes to treat me well." Indu bit her lip. "Biyu… let's watch a few of the old masters. This is a chance for the village to boast, and it would be a waste not to try to impress our Human guest. Maybe they didn't think of it that way, but they really should've."
With that, they made the rounds to watch many performances. Not all performers were ancestors, for the living wanted a chance to be acknowledged by old masters of their craft. Indu would point them out, commenting on the challenge being attempted or the skill they put on display. Not everything was a performance or a test of skill. They eventually made their way to a display of relief sculptures. Biyu looked at the pieces while Indu followed along. Sometimes Indu would comment on the subject of the relief, when it was something Biyu was not familiar with.
Snakes were a common motif, which Biyu found too obvious. There were a few of a hunter with a spear raised to strike, and one that attempted to depict Shishi in her humanoid form. One piece confused her, a rendering of what she was sure was a giant oak tree. Indu commented that it was a depiction of something called 'Dryad Tree', but she said no more than it was a special tree hidden deep in the swamp. There were some pieces that were more abstract. Attempts to depict flowers, mushrooms, and other vegetation with simplified depictions were mixed in with stylized deer engraved with lines whose purpose neither Indu nor Biyu could decipher. There was one starling example where the stone had been smoothed, and the relief was carved deep into the stone, creating an interesting shadow effect.
After the sculptures, they went to the feast tables. The food was the best the village had produced that Biyu could remember. They joined a queue waiting in line for a slice of roasted meat. It had been simmering since morning, and with each slice of meat from the haunch, a new coating of sauce would be swathed and cooked. The line moved slowly, and a master was stealing pieces of the meat, admitting that the cook had come up with a wonderful sauce. More meat was called for, and another joint was strung up to cook before the original haunches could run out. The meat was tangy and sour, and Biyu did not care for it. Indu begged to return later for another piece, and Biyu gave her the rest of hers.
There were beans, harvested from the foothills to the west, that were only served as part of the feast. There were a favorite, cherished as much for only being available at the feast as for the quality of the dish.
A broth with a skin of rendered fat boiled where people could baste meat and vegetables. Last winters remaining store of fermented mushrooms were served as part of a soup with other leftovers.
Fresh fish were grilled, provided by fishers and enthusiasts casting their lines from the raft's edge. They drank and poured drinks for the old masters, each of them trading fanciful stories of past catches or things dredged from the swamps muck.
Eating their fill, they took glasses of juice and went to watch more performances. There were the expected ones: music, dance, song, story telling, riddles, and martial competitions. There were also demonstrations Biyu had not expected. Pottery, rope weaving, net making, embroidery, and more were demonstrated by ancestors or villagers. The masters often proved their skills, leaving chagrined villagers, but there were a few who received high praise.
Cups ran overflowing, and people caroused with an abandon not seen in the evening revelry. Indu and Biyu were met with smiles and demands to share toasts, with only a few villagers skirting away when they caught sight of the pair. It was the most welcome Biyu had felt among the Elves, and she found herself dancing during a song or two with Indu until a stumbling drunk tripped over the woman's tail. They helped the man up and went on their way, Indu too embarrassed to continue after that.
They once more met with Brandon, this time with his daughter. The daughter looked older than her father, with crows feet around her eyes and gray in her hair. She wore a hooded robe, but the hood was down. In her hand was a cane, a sign of age in the village, but no Elder's shawl. The woman looked at Biyu sourly, her sharp eyes looking her up and down.
"We've not met," Indu's current master said. "Thank you for treating Indu well. Not many do, and she… deserves better."
Biyu offered a shallow bow. "Thank you for being her master and teaching her." Not really something for Biyu to say, but she had little more to offer in greeting.
"She's a good student. Gonna have her participate in having the youths finish their knives this coming year. You make a knife yet?"
Biyu shook her head. "No. Would it be appropriate for me to do so?"
"Gives you something to do over the winter at least. Not much else you can do. Little fishing, but you can't hunt yet. Darning clothes and wasting time is what most of us do. You? Make a couple of knives. Probably break the first one. Might the second one too. Get a knife, and we'll let you finish too." She glanced at the smiling Brandon. "Dad badgered me until I gave in. But, you aren't gonna be taught what the words mean, or the why of things except what you need to know. Not fair I know, expecting you to do things you don't understand, but that's the compromise I can live with. You will too, got it?"
There was a sigh from Brandon. "They aren't that much of a secret."
"Enough, and she's still Human. We gotta be nice to her, and all that, as the Great Serpent's disciple. Secrets, even little ones, aren't for her, though."
"You're right," the man agreed. "Still, if we're training her, there is more we can teach her about us. Having a friendly Human is useful, don't you think?"
The daughter sighed. "You're right, dad. Of course, you are. I even agree, though I'm still not sold on a demon Human as a friend to have. You know that's not how the Elders will see it, and their opinion is what matters. We can introduce her to great spirits, but the magic might get the Sinner involved."
"That's enough. I have never been afraid to compromise." He addressed Biyu. "Do you know about spirits and great spirits?"
"Are you not a spirit?"
The man pursed his lips. "That is the word some people use, and in a sense it does mean the incorporeal. Souls, Lost Souls, and vengeful spirits. The last one in particular. The spirits I am speaking of are something else."
"Dad, is this the time for a lecture?" his daughter asked.
"Feasts are to be enjoyed, and I have always enjoyed lectures." He looked around, and pointed. "Nor am I the only one giving one."
"That's not a lecture, that's a story."
"One with a moral, and thus it teaches."
"Pedantry. Is this a way to get around the Elders?" the Shaman asked. "I'll be in trouble because of you."
"No. Not at all. If anything, I'm saving you from telling her these things. You can just introduce her to the spirits."
"I'm having Indu do that."
"Yes, well, the point stands. As I was saying, when we talk about spirits, we mean mana that can think on its own."
Biyu blinked. "I do not understand?"
The man smiled brightly. "I'm not sure if this is something the Empire is aware of. Even if it is, it's probably something only scholars know. There are places in the world where mana pools and collects. They tend to be in natural places like deep old woods, dark caves, old trees, hidden places, or places that are hard to reach like the tops of mountains. Also, the more well known places of power. The places where power accumulates for no known reason. What we call the corpses of Dragons.
"When mana pools thickly, sometimes it gains a mind. The power to think and manifest their own little techniques. Rarely anything impressive. A little bump in the earth, or a wind to tousle the hair. They can grow, become stronger, and they can be dangerous. Sudden slides of the mountain for no reasons, or a sudden localized squall. Sometimes, they make bodies for themselves. The forms they use can be in the shapes of plants, animals, or people. The forms aren't fixed, and like clay they can mold themselves from shape to shape."
Brandon paused, blinking a bit before he colored a little. "I have gone off on a little tangent there. The part to focus on is that they think, but not well. Their thoughts are like those of insects, or the lowest of beasts. They see a thing, they react to it. Something looms, and they run. It is light, and they seek the dark. Things like that. There is no motive soul, no desire, to drive them to seek any goal greater than doing as their limited thoughts demand of them. They do not have purpose, not even to survive though it may seem as though they do. One thing a Shaman does—"
"Father," his daughter hissed.
"I'm almost done. Besides, it will be obvious when she finishes her knife." Returning to Biyu, he said, "We can give the spirits new thoughts to act on." The woman threw up her hands, irritated he had said what she warned him not to.
He gave her an amused look before continuing. "Great spirits are spirits who, like Sacred Beasts, have acquired a soul. We do not know how, but they do. It is the same mystery the Sacred Beasts present. Some consider great spirits to be Sacred Beasts, and I must admit that I'm tempted to agree, except that they are too different.
"They tend to be strange and difficult to understand, being born from the thoughts of magic that does not need to eat, sleep, or anything animals do. Their motivations and decisions can often be alien and nonsensical to us. However, they can acquire a Human form, and become gods just like Sacred Beasts. Indeed, they are just as often the objects of worship for Elves as Sacred Beasts are."
The daughter sighed. "Is that all you were going to tell her?"
"Of course. I could tell her that—" He stopped at her scowl. "But she will figure that out when she makes her knife."
"If she does, then she does. There is no need to tell her."
"Yes. Shall we change topics, then?"
His daughter gave a nod. "Please."
So they turned to small talk. Biyu was encouraged to share her own life prior to coming to the village. So she told them the story she told Shishi nearly six months prior. The man was scowling darkly, and even his daughter gave Biyu a pitying look. "So, I am enjoying my time in the village. It has a routine, which is comfortable, but I see and experience so many new things." She lifted her arms. "Including rare things, like this feast. If I could, I would arrange a gift for allowing me to participate, but I can think of nothing I can offer that does not pale in comparison."
Indu was introspective beside her. She knew Biyu's history, a story she heard while fishing months ago. She was holding Biyu's arm, but was otherwise distracted with her own thoughts. Neither Shaman spoke to her, chatting with Biyu in a friendly manner. It was a little surreal to Biyu, and she even took a sip of her drink to check if it had alcohol. Even the daughter seemed to be well-disposed towards her. Maybe not friendly, but courteous? Polite interest was new to her, and she realized no one in the village had asked her many questions not meant to deride her. Soon the conversation petered, and Biyu excused them.
They refreshed their drinks one last time, taking them back to their hut.
"Is something wrong?" Biyu asked.
Indu gave Biyu a wan smile as she returned from wherever her thoughts had taken her. "No. Master gave me something to think about." She considered for a moment. "You don't have to finish the knife, if you don't want to. I can't imagine you'll want to keep it when you leave."
"They are important, are they not?"
Indu nodded. "A knife is one of the most important tools for us. We use them to prepare food, butcher carcasses, cut ropes and cloth, and a number of other things. It's the tool we use every day."
"It would be a fitting memento of my time in the village."
"You have your mask," Indu said.
"This is a memento of you."
"Surely it can be both?"
Biyu shook her head. "No. When I think of you, it will be with kindness and friendship. The village? Well, that will be a mixture of the new things I have seen, and the trials of living among the Elves. A knife for tribulation seems right."
"There is already a meaning in a knife, beyond the utility."
"And that is?"
"It is difficult to say. For us, making the knife is like making ourselves. They are an effigy. An important symbol of self."
"Why was your father…" Biyu paused, seeing the tinge of sadness enter Indu's expression. "Why was your old master insistent I have one?"
"He wanted you to have a connection to this village, and the Elves. To feel like you are a part of this village, even if just on the edge. He meant it when he said he would have you as an ally of the village."
"Master said much the same before. What can I do for the Elves?"
Indu hummed. "Speak on our behalf should the Empire take an interest in us? I think it is a more minor concern, though. You can visit, and bring word of the world beyond the swamp. Maybe bring gifts or items of value, like steel tools or fresh bronze."
Biyu looked at her fish scale armor, gleaming in the corner of the hut. "Perhaps there is something I can bring back from the Empire. A piece of knowledge, or… I suppose it would be best if I could give you a secret you lost."
Indu leaned up against Biyu, taking liberties despite not having drunk alcohol this evening, and yawned wide. The night was late, though dawn was still hours away. "Secret?"
Biyu indulged Indu, feeling happy with how the night had gone. She put an arm around Indu, supporting her as she drowsed. "I would rather not say. Raising the Elves hopes only to dash them would be foul, and it may not be something you want. Should I find it, I will speak with Master."
Indu did not reply, her breathing slow and steady as she slept.