Okwaho, Eksonis, and Shawatis froze in place. Lord Freak, the Seat of Science, stepped into the room they were hiding in, a carved out storage space with stone shelves, upon which were pieces of machinery, the remains of Fedtek devices, or steam-powered contraptions, the remains of an old sports car's engine. More boxes were piled in the center of the room, behind which was Eksonis. He was sweating as the Seat of Science walked in, looking around. Lord Freak had many pupils, a result of experimentation upon his own body, dark orbs that crowded his eyes like tadpole's eggs in a pond. Each one saw a different level of reality.
And he saw all three of them.
“Come, now,” he said to the room, “No need to be shy.”
Okwaho was off to the side, his daggers drawn. He and Eksonis exchanged looks.
On the other side of the room, hiding behind a crate of mechanical miscellanea, Shawatis tensed, ready to pounce. No other metahumans were with Lord Freak. The scientist merely kept smiling, shark teeth bared and ready. One of his mechanical hands was twitching.
Eksonis swallowed. He reached into his bag, pulling free a sword of his own. A cutlass, though he doubted it would do much against their assailant.
They would need to strike together.
Shawatis and Okwaho, at least, worked well together. They tensed as one, prepared themselves, and then sprung.
Shawatis took point, his tomahawk a blur of stone. Lord Freak sidestepped the blow, that damned grin still painted on his face. He rammed a fist into Shawatis's stomach, the Oshya:de doubled over, and then Okwaho's knives were flashing, covering his friend as Shawatis retreated from the fight. If anything, Okwaho was far faster than Shawatis. For a moment, Eksonis could only watch as Oshya:de and New Ludayan were locked in a deadly dance.
The reptilian metahuman took his chance as Lord Freak got the upper hand against the Oshya:de. He rushed forward, swinging his cutlass.
Lord Freak spun, caught the blade in one artificial hand. The other caught Okwaho's wrist, twisting it to the side with inhuman strength, and the force sent Okwaho into the wall.
The Seat of Science turned to look at Eksonis, still holding onto the shivering blade.
“Do I know you?” he asked.
“Eksonis the Quick.”
“Hmm,” Lord Freak considered this.
Then, he pulled Eksonis close, his free hand tightening into a fist. Eksonis twisted at the last moment, but the blow still caught him in the side.
Lord Freak spun, still clutching the cutlass, and he threw the reptilian metahuman at Shawatis, who ducked beneath the scaly projectile, and he renewed his assault on Lord Freak.
***
The keratin soldiers surged forward. Melitta and her father, who had, on the surface, similar abilities, had trained together, learning how to coordinate their constructs and conjurations to work as though they had one mind. Cobalt Joe leaped forward to intercept one of the soldiers as it made for Aldreia. Rohahes's tomahawk fluttered through the air, but one of the keratin constructs caught it just before it sunk into the side of Melitta's head.
Melitta herself was running back. Aldreia just watched sadly as her once-lover gestured, and two soldiers took her place.
The cleric raised up her hands. The air warmed.
Then erupted, as fire launched from her open palms. Horizontal pillars, they engulfed the keratin soldiers completely. Melitta let out a gasp of shock at the sheer power, as the temperature in the room spiked at the sudden conflagration.
“You'll set everything off in here!” she screamed.
“As if I'm that clumsy!” Aldreia roared.
Her arm was as a rod as she aimed a pillar at one of the keratin soldiers rushing towards Rohahes. The Oshya:de grimaced as the keratin soldier fell on him, but he pushed it off, and found he had no burns.
The flames burned only what Aldreia wished them to.
Cobalt Joe had finished his soldier. They moved robotically. Predictably. What they lacked in skill, they should have been making up in numbers. But they were spread all over Father Mountain, and were only now starting to converge.
Joe couldn't let that happen. If they swarmed into the room, they were finished. He moved to the doorframe, raising his fists, dancing on his toes, electric arms wiring down his shoulders, giving him four hands to work with.
He would hold them here.
***
Nomatrius Dorucanthos's eyes widened as he heard his daughter's whistle.
He was on the cliffside watching the Traveling Point with a dozen Warriors, yet the sound carried all the way up from the depths of Mt. Redress, magically carried, magically attuned so that only a Dorucanthos would be able to hear it.
And at once he turned.
The Shadow of the Giant stopped him.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“There are people below,” Nomatrius said, “My daughter is in danger.”
“We need you,” the Shadow of the Giant said, “Your alphadogs are currently our only link to Impellia III. If anything changes, we need to know.”
Through his mind's eye, Nomatrius could see as Delta and Gamma prowled through the baublefruit forest. Delta's triangular head was stained with greenish blood, the result of a quick raid against a pair of Pagan Chorus caught out of position. Gamma was hunkered down in the bushes as a patrol passed it by.
A hand fell on his shoulder. Snapdragon and Jaskaios.
“We'll find her,” Snapdragon said.
“Go,” Nomatrius said, “Here.”
Another pair of alphadogs erupted from his chest. Epsilon and Zeta went into the caverns. His two eldest children followed after them, down into the depths.
A few other Warriors followed.
***
“No word from the others yet,” Nasir whispered. He heard the sounds of combat a floor below them. Conflagrations of fire, dulled by the stone, as well as yells and gasps of pain that echoed from the stairs and down the hall. A few Warriors were rushing to the scene. A blue-skinned man drifted through as a cloud.
Nasir wheeled a corner to avoid this, pulling out a communicator.
“I don't know who set them off,” he whispered into it, “But a group of Warriors are headed your way.”
“Acknowledged,” Cobalt Joe (Of course it would be Joe) said, “We found the weapon depot. Just – Oof – just having a bit of trouble holding it.”
“Lord Freak is here,” Eksonis gasped from another line. His breath was quick, “He's- He's-”
“Go help them,” Joe said, “Nasir, you and Iandi. We need that bag. Go-”
He let out a series of grunts, and the line went dead. Nasir pocketed the communicator, signaled to the still-invisible Iandi, and they went off to help the Oshya:de and Eksonis.
***
The keratin soldiers were as nothing. Joe occasionally sparred with his guildmate Whiskey, himself a constructed puppet that had been given sapience (and he was decently sure of that last part.) Whiskey was one of the stronger members of the guild, but like Melitta Dorucanthos's soldiers, his movements could be awkward and predictable, if one had the mind to study their movements. And Joe was a master of this, and his four arms cut the soldiers arriving to the weapons storage room to pieces.
It was when other Warriors arrived that he saw a problem.
“Shit,” he said, and he summoned up his full soul, the eagle rupturing from his body like a butterfly from the cocoon as one of the metahumans rushed forward, one of their arms turning into the sinewy neck of a Dragon, their hand turning into its head. A gout of flame enveloped the tunnel, and Joe's soul blistered and burned as it took the brunt of the assault.
Snapdragon Dorucanthos. Joe remembered seeing them accompanying their father, Nomatrius, during the initial tours. They were here for their younger sister.
But the flame had not just been to attack Joe. In enveloping him so, in forcing him to use his eagle to protect his organic body, he had blinded himself to the next assault. Clouds gathered in the room, Jaskaios Dorucanthos drifting through in cloud form, his face contorted in concentrated rage. He unleashed his assault on Joe right as his soul uncurled, revealing him. Multiple tendrils of cloud, hardened as stone, rushed at Joe, who took the first one directly in the chest, another clipping his shoulder, though by now he was aware, and was in a frenzy, punching them away with his soul's fists and dodging those the eagle missed.
But he was forced back into the room. Snapdragon flew overhead, safe from the eagle's snarls due to their brother's assault. The eldest Dorucanthos first saw their sister frantically moving towards the back of the room. Her keratin soldiers were assaulting one of the natives, as well as...
“Aldreia Firedawn,” they said, “I fear you've broken my sister's heart.”
“She's the one who dumped me,” Aldreia snarked back. The cleric was turning, fire burning in both hands.
“I'm still going to kill you, just for making her sad,” Snapdragon said.
Both hands turned into Dragon heads. Twin maws opened. Aldreia retorted with her two open hands, pillars of flame erupting from both.
Fire met fire in midair. Snapdragon's was wild and uncontrolled, a true Dragon's breath. Aldreia's was almost scientifically beam-shaped.
They both exploded. Fire showered the cargo room-
And weapons started going off. Grenades and mines exploded, to Aldreia's right and left. Rohahes grunted, leaping over a few crates as a grenade nearby exploded, shrapnel just barely grazing his shoulders and the back of his head. But he was alive, and still kicking, and that was what mattered.
Jaskaios followed after his sibling, shaking his head at the chaos. His cloudy form began to envelop the room, covering the weapons, and his face twisted into a grimace as he absorbed the explosions.
“Stupid,” he grunted, “Fucking stupid.”
When the fires died away, Aldreia Firedawn was still standing. She smirked as the flames danced on her fingertips.
“You can't beat me with that,” she said to Snapdragon, “I'm a Firedawn. I've soaked in Pelliad's solar glory, and it was a nice tan.”
Snapdragon frowned.
And their Dragon heads became Dragon's claws, and they rushed at the cleric.
Cobalt Joe's head was spinning as he heard them clash. Jaskaios was busy dealing with the weapons that had gone off in the room, and as Joe stumbled out into the hallway, the Dorucanthos did not follow.
But two wolfhounds, one with the letter 'E' and the other with the letter 'Z' instead of heads, were rushing at him. Joe's fists swung, cracking one into the wall. The other stopped mid-run, wheeling and turning back around. Two Warriors rushed into the hall. One had eyebrows like twin thunderclouds, and lightning laced around their form as they unleashed a bolt at Joe.
They obviously hadn't gotten good intel on Joe's abilities. The bolt struck Joe, who staggered a bit from the force of the blow, but by and large it did the opposite of what ol' Thunderbrows intended. Cobalt Joe rose, steaming curling from his body, and when he opened his eyes, they were glowing brighter than usual, twin neon orbs that pulse and sparked.
“Thanks,” he said, and he rushed forward.
Thunderbrows's comrade took point, stomping a foot on the floor, twisting their foot, and the entire room warped, twisting it so it flipped on its side like a derailed train. Joe leaped forward, but stumbled as he found his footing. The other metahuman ran uninhibited, drawing out a curved blade and swinging it.
Joe raised a claw, parrying the blade, but his stance was twisted 'round again as the metahuman shifted the room so that the ceiling was the floor. They fell with Joe, who fell on his back. Joe grunted as he brought up his jacket, the blade sliding off of it as though it had struck armor at an awkward angle.
His soul manifested, bursting from his chest, grabbing hold of the metahuman and, surging upwards, slammed him into the floor, or ceiling, above. The metahuman let out a gasp as the wind was knocked out of him, as the back of his head cracked against rock.
The soul did it again.
A third time, and the metahuman went limp, the sword fell out of their hands. The room reverted back, and the soul let go of the metahuman, great arms reaching to cushion Joe's fall.
Thunderbrows rushed Joe, fists raised. Joe smiled at this. At least they were willing to go toe-to-toe.
He raised his fists in answer.
He was still smiling.
***
Lord Freak slammed Eksonis into the wall. Dodged past Okwaho's dancing knives. Shawatis was on him, his tomahawk crashing down against him in a downward swoop. It caught against Lord Freak's robotic arm, held it fast as Shawatis forced it into the ground, nearly pinned Lord Freak to the floor.
The Oshya:de then slammed his knee into Lord Freak's face. Lord Freak stumbled back as Okwaho took point, driving his knives into Lord Freak's back and side.
Lord Freak was not one to be deterred, however. Nor was he one to be slowed down by something as simple as mortal wounds. His flesh already was closing up as he stood back up. Shawatis and Okwaho watched as his smile returned.
“Surprised?” he said, “I have delved deep into all things mundane and supernatural. Death rejected me long ago.”
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His left arm was transforming, the arms opening and uncoiling into a series of razor-sharp wire. Like tentacles, they moved of their own accord, twisting and snarling.
He twisted and, with a snap, sent them at the Oshya:de. Okwaho was quick, dodging and weaving, but he was pushed back. Shawatis avoided the strikes for a few moments, moving to get closer to Lord Freak.
But then Lord Freak shot out his other arm. The entire forearm twisted around, his hand grabbing hold of his elbow, the stump glowing-
“Watch out!” Eksonis roared, “It's-”
But too late. The energy cannon tore through Shawatis's chest. The Oshya:de fell to the ground, and his dead face was stricken with shock and fear.
Eksonis and Okwaho took a step away from Lord Freak. The Seat of Science was still grinning, though there was a new edge to it, wild and unhinged.
“Surrender,” he said, “I'll be gentle with you. Luminary doesn't even have to know you were here. You can be my little secret.”
He took a step forward.
“And you will be alive,” he said, “For a while, at least. Better than your compatriots, I should-”
He wheeled around, whipping his tendrils at the open door. Something caught hold of him, held them fast. The stealth module fell away, revealing the bulwark form of Iandi. Nasir was just behind, bow in hand, an arrow nocked in place. The Mark Eta looked at the wires in his hand. They were lashing against his skin, though the marks they scored were already healing, red and skin and red again.
“Don't like him,” he said to Nasir, “Mean.”
“Break him, then,” Nasir replied.
And Iandi tugged, pulling Lord Freak towards him. He slugged the Seat of Science in the jaw, twisting his fist, and slammed him down into the ground.
***
Were it not for her training with Orion in these situations, Aldreia would have been torn to pieces. Snapdragon's claws snarled at her, and the cleric leaped back, talons missing her by mere centimeters. She raised up her hands, unleashing a gout of flame that, like the thrusters of a jetpack, sent her flying backwards towards the back wall. They washed over Snapdragon at the same moment, and the eldest Dorucanthos let out a grunt as fireproof Dragon scales grew over their skin to protect them from the worst of it.
And then Melitta was there. Melitta, a blur of rainbow hair, a flash of steel. Her dagger whipped past Aldreia, just barely. Melitta leaped back, and one of her keratin soldiers took her place, and its fist connected with Aldreia's nose. There was a horrid crack as it broke, and red pain bloomed and overtook the cleric's vision. Aldreia stumbled back-
Rohahes was suddenly beside her, pushing her back, his tomahawk spinning. He slammed it against the keratin soldier's knee, cutting it down, and with a roar he connected the axe with the soldier's head, cleaving it in two.
The Oshya:de glared at Melitta, who was already moving back, unsteady. By now many of her keratin soldiers in the room had been shattered and broken.
Rohahes rushed forward, and with a flick of the hand, disarmed the youngest Dorucanthos. The stump of his arm slammed into her stomach, and he forced her to ground, before he wrapped his arm around her and lifted her onto her feet, dragging her back, tomahawk to her neck.
Snapdragon walked through the flames. Their clothes were singed, and their wooden mask had fallen away, revealing the upper half of their face, which was marked by the slightly-blue shine of plasma scarring. Their eyes glowed a ferocious red through it.
Past Aldreia, who through her haze of pain watched the scene with fear, at Rohahes. Who held Melitta fast.
“Easy now,” the Oshya:de said, “Any false moves, and she dies.”
Snapdragon grimaced. Aldreia blanched, but did not speak out against him.
Jaskaios, meanwhile, was floating around Cobalt Joe, having wheeled on him after Joe had taken out the Warriors in the hall. They were stalking around the other when they heard Rohahes's voice.
Both of the elder siblings froze in place. Glared at the Oshya:de.
***
Eksonis and Okwaho rushed out the room as Iandi pummeled Lord Freak into jam.
“Shawatis,” Okwaho said.
“Leave him,” Nasir said, leading them, “No choice but to.”
Shawatis looked, for a moment, as though he were about to break down, but he pushed ahead with them.
Nasir was the one who guided them, the tracker listening for the sounds of flames and strikes, of lightning and explosions. They saw Cobalt Joe in the hall, facing down with another one of the New Ludayans, a metahuman with a clouded form. They were glaring at each other, but neither made a move as the rest of Joe's comrades approached.
“Careful,” Joe said, “It's a tense situation.”
They could hear the sound of other metahumans moving above them to intercept. It was time to go.
“Eksonis, the bag,” Joe said, “Grab as many crates as you can.”
Eksonis nodded, moving inside. The floor was littered with keratin bodies. Many of the crates had exploded. Aldreia Firedawn and Rohahes stood at the very back of the room, and the large Oshya:de had his tomahawk against the neck of a rainbow-haired woman. Melitta Dorucanthos, Eksonis remembered. The youngest daughter of Nomatrius.
If she was hurt...
Indeed, the eldest of the Dorucanthos siblings, Snapdragon, looked about ready to pounce on Rohahes. Melitta looked stricken, but she was stock still as Eksonis and Okwaho started lifting up crates and dumping them into the enchanted bag.
“Three crates,” Eksonis said, “That's all we can fit.”
“Right,” Joe said, “Alright, Rohahes, Nasir, you know how to get out of here?”
“Iandi's still upstairs,” Nasir said, “He should be here soon.”
Eksonis presented the bag to Aldreia, who climbed in. Joe did, as well. Nasir took hold of the bag as the reptilian metahuman pulled himself inside. Okwaho followed suit.
Leaving only Rohahes and Nasir. They heard shouts from above. Evidently Iandi was fighting more than just Lord Freak now.
Nasir and Rohahes moved to the exit. Both Snapdragon and Jaskaios watched them, watched for any sign of them releasing Melitta.
And then, when they reached the door, they released the youngest Dorucanthos, and sprinted off.
***
Lord Freak was seeing stars in his many pupils.
His vision, we should say, was like that of a fly's. Multiple pupils all connected to a single eyestalk, though this did not mean that each saw of its own accord. Rather, his vision was singular and perhaps a tad blurred, for the metahuman brain could only take so much information, and it smoothed over some of the more intense sights that he had modified himself to see.
Like Becenti, he could see souls. He could also see magic. Had nightvision. Infrared. Could see sounds and smells. Could see creatures below New Ludaya snarling and grasping, trying to pull themselves into this level of reality.
And he could see through the walls. The Mark Eta had shattered all four of his robotic limbs, had torn out the Dian Engine that powered the majority of his non-essential systems, and tossed him unceremoniously into the storage room. Now the supersoldier was rampaging through the halls, moving ever downwards.
Warriors threw themselves at him. One of them rushed forward, their entire body melting and reforming like hot wax until they were a gorilla with a crocodile's head. Jaws snapped shut on the Mark Eta's arm, and he let out a cry like a bitten child, his great hand seizing over the Warrior's head, before he slammed the metahuman into the wall with enough force to crack the stone.
“No time for this,” Lord Freak said. To bring down a Mark Eta required specific planning. There were tactics to bring them down, and very few of them involved actually meeting the Mark Eta head on.
The crocodile metahuman collapsed. The other Warriors were watching the Mark Eta as he ran down the hall. Lord Freak's eyes followed after him.
No, the Mark Eta needed to toyed with. Played with. When they were in combat, they were nigh-unstoppable, more of a force of nature than anything else. Outside of combat, however, their minds were like the minds of children. They needed to be treated as such.
Now he could see the Mark Eta meeting up with a few of his guildmates. No... the tracker, and one of the natives. Two of the Dorucanthos family were moving after them.
And then...
They disappeared.
One moment they were there, the next they flickered out of sight. Not even his many eyes could suss them out.
“Ah,” the Seat of Science said, “Interesting, very interesting.”
***
Aima Dorucanthos stood in the center of the small hallway that led towards the natural caverns Nasir had used before. Nomatrius's granddaughter looked at Rohahes and Nasir, the former covered in small burn marks and breathing heavily, the latter with bow and arrow in hand, occasionally looking over his shoulder for any signs of danger. Iandi was looking behind them, the bite marks on his arm sealing shut.
“They won't find us,” Aima Dorucanthos said, “I've used my power. If they pass by here, they'll see nothing, nothing at all.”
“I don't recognize you,” Nasir said, “You are...?”
“Aima. Aima Dorucanthos.”
At the name, both of them tensed, but the young girl shook her head.
“I'm not going to rat you out, or anything,” she said, “Nothing like that. No one knows that I'm even here. My father thinks that I'm safe and sound back at our family manor.”
They heard more people running down the hall. A serpentine Warrior fully morphed into a great serpent, his scales shimmering rainbow as he went by, completely unaware that their quarry had given them the dupe.
“Why are you helping us?” Rohahes demanded.
“...I'm here protecting Memoire,” she said, “Here...”
She waved a hand, and both of them noted that it was slick with red blood. She had been bleeding, they realized, pinches on her index fingers that she had spread over her entire hand. The air shimmered.
And the Seat of Rituals and Secrets appeared. Memoire looked disheveled, her question-mark tipped hair slicked with sweat and grime, her eyes dull and exhausted. The symbols that floated on her skin lazed quietly.
“Lord Freak's been hunting her for days,” Aima Dorucanthos said, “We were hiding in the caverns when you crossed by.”
“A member of the Council,” Rohahes said.
There was a warning in his words. Aima looked at him.
“D-Don't hurt her,” she said.
“It is not up to me,” Rohahes said, “But you should come with us.”
“Agreed,” Nasir said, “Come on.”
He made to grab at the girl, who stepped back, her eyes blazing.
“Don't you touch me,” she said, “One move, and I will let the others know you're here. You'll be set upon in moments.”
“We'll be out of the mountain by then,” Nasir countered, “Let us out. Join or, or don’t, or-”
“I will go.”
Memoire spoke up. She was looking at Rohahes with sad eyes.
“I will go,” she said, “Don't worry, Aima. I'll go with them.”
“I...” Aima faltered. And it was now that Nasir noted how tired she looked. She had been using her powers to dodge Lord Freak's patrols, had she not? She bled freely, but of her own accord. She had injured herself. Perhaps her power had something to do with her own blood. Blood loss of that sort would weaken anybody.
“I'll go with you,” Aima said, “Make sure they don't hurt you.”
Rohahes nodded at this.
“That is agreeable,” he said, “Your power, can it conceal us?”
“Yeah,” Aima said, and she swayed, “I'm going to need to rest soon, though.”
“Just to the forest, then,” Nasir said, “Come on. Follow my lead.”
…
…
They lost one of their number. Shawatis's body was found, and swiftly discarded. They did not give him any sort of gravestone. Nor did they burn his body. They simply moved it into an unmarked grave somewhere outside the mountain.
In Okwaho's dreams, much later, he could see his friend looking down at him. Sad, but not ashamed. If there was anything to regret, it was that Okwaho, nor Shawatis's family, his mothers and two remaining brothers, would never find his remains. An anonymous part of Ganá:yeht.
But of Ganá:yeht nonetheless.
But they also gained two. Nasir took the lead, weaving through the caverns out of Father Mountain. It was still light out, and were it not for Aima Dorucanthos's metapower, they would have been found out, for Warriors now scoured the mountain, hunting for the Oshya:de and guildfolk interlopers. Rohahes was glad to be out, for despite his casual bravado, his heart pounded with the panic of claustrophobia, a result of his time trapped in the caverns.
Aima nearly passed out when they got to the forest's edge. Her power dispersed, forcing Rohahes to carry the Dorucanthos as they disappeared into the trees. Memoire followed behind him anxiously, not for her own sake but for the girl's. She said little on their journey back into the cavern.
It was only once they got there that Nasir pulled out the bag, and opened it up. Allowed Iandi and the others to climb out. Closed it, for but a second, before Cobalt Joe exited, a smirk on his face. Then he opened it up and offered a hand to the metahuman, who shook his head in a good-natured way.
“Mostly plasma rifles,” Joe said, “A good haul.”
His eyes fell on Memoire. And narrowed.
“You,” he said, “You're Memoire.”
“I am.”
“She decided to come here,” Nasir said, “Along with the youngest Dorucanthos.”
He gestured to Aima. By now, she was passed out, lying down by the fire. Glow was removing patches of moss from their shoulders, patting down her bleeding fingers, wiping the red from her palms.
“What for?” Joe asked.
Rohahes shrugged.
“I thought to bring her by force,” he said, “For the Clan Mothers and the Warleader. They would discuss her fate, perhaps make her part of the Oshya:de.”
Joe raised an eyebrow at this. Rohahes shrugged.
“In times of war, sometimes we take members of those who have wronged us,” he said, “To integrate into our own clans.”
“I...” Memoire faltered, “I came because... I remember it all. I wish to speak with the Clan Mothers.”
“Like we'd let you get close to them,” Aldreia said, “You've got power over memory, right? You could wipe all of us, here and now, couldn't you? Make us all dithering, brainless idiots in a cave.”
“I wouldn't do that,” Memoire said, “I... I...”
She was breaking down into tears. Looked to Rohahes, who shook his head.
“This place makes me uncomfortable,” he said, “I'm going above.”
Joe nodded.
“Let us know if you see anything,” he said.
The Oshya:de nodded. He left, leaving the others to tend to the sobbing Memoire. Aldreia kept her distance. Joe helped her to the fire, gave her a bit of food, but left her alone. Nasir and Iandi went back up top to join Rohahes. Eksonis, who was breathing heavily, still rubbing his once cut-off arm, rested a head against the wall and went to sleep.
It was only Glow who rested a hand on Memoire's shoulder. Their touch alone was enough to calm Memoire down, and the guilty woman soon drifted to an uneasy sleep. Filled with nightmares and screams, but sleep nonetheless.
She would need it, in the coming days.
***
The days passed on. The team that had plunged into Father Mountain moved away from the forests, convening with other small cells of resistance, passing out weapons, trekking eastwards to where Tekahentakwa was hiding out. Warriors loyal to Luminary patrolled the areas around the mountain, while they prepared to strike at the High Federation.
It was not just Father Mountain alone that was raided. Oshya:de and Worker teams did action on the various granaries that dotted the plane. Skirmishes were had. Strikes were called. The fields lay empty and bare, for the metahumans who would work them were protesting the Council.
The situation was heating up.
…
…
Hadawa'ko and his band of warriors, along with Stepping Stone, had been making their way through the northern half of Ganá:yeht. The forests had long ago melted away, in favor of rolling tundra plains. Their company was composed of solitary wolves, though they heard packs howling at night, along with small rabbits and deer, an occasional moose. The rivers here were as ice, and the northernmost mountain was capped with snow.
“My father took me here, one year,” Hadawa'ko said, “We got permission from Four Banner, so long as we shared whatever we hunted with them, and lived among them for a while.”
“It sounds nice,” Stepping Stone said, “I remember my old man taking me out on a hunting trip, back when I was a little rock.”
Hadawa'ko chuckled at that. Since coming up here, he had become a hair more cheerful. He laughed easily, as though the cold winds had awakened happier times within him. He gestured to his band, and they settled down for the night. They had brought firewood with them, and a fire burned merrily as the sun dipped below the mountains. They ate the rest of the deer they had hunted yesterday for dinner, taking drinks from the river nearby.
“The land gifted my father and I with the sight of one of the last mammoths,” Hadawa'ko said as they ate, picking up the conversation once more, “We did not hunt it. It is forbidden now, for before the Settled Peace we had hunted them nearly to extinction. If our people went hungry, the other clans could help us.”
“That's good,” Stepping Stone said, “Mammoths are rare, out in the multiverse. Most of them have gone extinct now. I think a few of the smarter ones work in guilds, though.”
Hadawa'ko laughed.
“Tell me,” he said, “Do they talk?”
“They do,” Stepping Stone said, then added, “So I've heard.”
The Warleader's laugh pealed in the night.
“A talking mammoth!” he said, “Now I have heard everything. Your multiverse is strange, indeed.”
He shook his head.
They continued eating for a while yet. They were, to a man, relaxed and easy. There were no High Federation patrols, and any New Ludayan influence had been left behind. Metahumans had claimed the plane as their own, but they had truly only colonized the southern half of it. The north was still Oshya:de.
Perhaps this was why Hadawa'ko talked so easily. Laughed easier now. There were no caves nor tunnels here, no Clan Mother politics, the only metahuman among their number an amiable sort.
But, a metahuman nonetheless. And for this, Hadawa'ko did not tell Stepping Stone of his real reason for coming so far north. Stepping Stone had wondered, of course, but any question was deflected with a somber frown, or with the arrival of the tundra, an easy joke.
They pitched tents. Hadawa'ko took first watch, tending to the fire, for to have no fire this far north was dangerous and suicidal. He was quiet, and the grin on his face died as Stepping Stone went to bed.
Replaced by somber planning. Of what words he would say. Of treaties and stipulations, a second Settled Peace, not between the clans of the Oshya:de, but between his people and the multiverse.
He had chosen this band of comrades, five in all, including himself, because of their great stealth. Four Banner was gone, all of them wiped out save for the young Guyasuta, who went with Sky Clan. They moved quietly, leaving much of their tents behind, prepared to live off the land for the final day in the journey.
Light and quick.
To better leave Stepping Stone behind.
The metahuman woke up to a fire that had nearly burned itself out. And to empty tents. He looked around for a few minutes, wondering where they had gone. Then as the hours crept on he realized that he had been left behind. Abandoned.
And he had one conclusion.
For only one of the three factions on Ganá:yeht was this far north.
Hadawa'ko was going to meet with the High Federation.