Nyla felt bad as she watched Hista take the pepper oil and take a deep sip from the metal straw. She felt less bad as she watched Hista's face go through multiple shades of red, and the woman threw the jar of pepper oil away, letting the remains of what she had sipped up fall from her mouth. "What have you done to me, you worthless wench!?"

Nyla smiled at the cruel comment. "Simply made you a drink befitting your personality."

"You have poisoned me!" Hista said awkwardly as she tried to scrape the strange oil from her mouth.

"No, I have not. If I had wanted to poison you, I am fairly certain there are things far more suited to killing a Narvish woman than pepper oil." Nyla took a breath. "I am not a servant. I am Cal's Friend, and I care for him just as he cares for me. I know I am unskilled compared to others, but I help where possible. Don't forget it. Otherwise, it won't just be pepper oil in your drink next time."

The sight of Hista nodding frantically as her eyes watered and grew wide at the threat while her lips swelled from the heat made Nyla smile as she walked back to her room. She passed Pinetil in the hallway and noticed an appreciative smile as they walked past each other.

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Nyla's lesson was not easily forgotten, but it did not stop Hista from making snide remarks. Over the next few weeks, Nyla got called many names by Hista, but not once did the woman attempt to command Nyla to do anything. She also tried very hard to ensure that she and Nyla were not alone in the same room for too long.

This only served to strengthen the chasm between herself and the others. While she continued trying to seduce Cal, Gorn and Hudnarin quickly proved to be fantastic craftsmen, working to learn all they could from Cal. Cal also spent a fair amount of time working with both of the young men on their speer work and helping them learn how to fight together to defend the clan.

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Gorn looked to Hudnarin. "How does he keep it all straight in his head?"

"I don't know," Hudnarin said, looking down at the mathematical formula that would let him calculate the surface area for the sphere he wanted to craft. "I just... I don't understand it."

"Maybe," Nyla surprised them both as she spoke up from where she was working on a project of her own, "it has to do with schooling. I know Cal has talked about how he was taught things and how different human children are taught, and it always comes back to a school."

"What is a school?" Gorn asked, his mouth fumbling with the strange English word.

"A place of learning," Nyla said without interrupting her work. "It is a place where everyone goes to learn things and be given the basic skills and knowledge that Cal's people deem essential."

"Nyla, have you been to school?" Hudnarin said, also fumbling the word.

"No, though I have been fortunate in other ways to be taught many things by Cal and Artie. You should ask Cal to teach you or at least arrange to teach you."

Both Hudnarin and Gorn seemed excited by this and left to find Cal. Upon hearing the idea, Cal agrees and says it will be a fantastic thing for all of the three newcomers to participate in. After a few days, an AI that Cal explained was used for teaching only was installed into a newly dug chamber underground.

For three hours a day, Hista, Gorn, and Hudnarin all attended classes where they were taught math, and basic sciences, even some military history. Gorn and Hudnarin seemed to excel, each challenging themselves to push father than the other, but Hista fell further and further behind.

Hista seemed to grow angrier and angrier until one day, she walked out of the classroom and past Nyla, who heard her muttering darkly to herself.

Nyla went to sleep, not knowing where Hista had disappeared to. She did not like the woman, but she still worried about her. Cal had bid Nyla, Gorn, and Hudnarin to rest as he knew she was safe. Nyla suspected that the sudden disappearance of Artie had more to do with it than anything else. So she went to sleep.

Nyla was awoken by an alarm blaring. Throughout the clan hall and in multiple languages, all variations of Narvish, a voice similar to Arties, gave instructions on a loop. "Danger! Danger! The clan hall is under attack. Do not attempt to engage the intruders. Do not leave your room. Stand by until the problem has been resolved. Shelter in place!"

Nyla was panicking. She had never been in this situation before, so she did as the voice told her and reached out to Artie. "Artie? Are you there? What is going on?"

"I am here," Artie said, "and we are under attack."

Anger flared in Nyla, "Oh really? The Gods Damned loud alarm didn't tell me that."

"Nyla, I was unaware that you were this feisty!"

Nyla could practically hear the smirk in Artie's voice. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Sorry, you are right, but seriously, what is happening?"

"Several smaller clans, many of whom have a limited ability to fight alone, have banded together and are now making their way through the clan hall with some assistance."

"What assistance?"

"Let me show you," Artie said before forcibly activating the view panel in Nyla's room and then feeding an amalgamation of security visuals into it.

Nyla watched the image coalesce on the panel and felt her heart drop. Coming down the hallway towards her room was a mob of Narvish men and women, almost all of whom held weapons. Leading them down the hall was none other than Hista.

As she watched on the screen, the mob approached her door, and Hista reached out to try and open the door but could not budge it. From inside the room, Nyla watches Hista begin to throw a fit, ranting and raving loud enough that she could be heard.

After her initial outburst, she steps back and gestures to two burly Narvish, and they step forward with axes. The two Narvish men begin to take powerful swings, the sounds of their axes impacting the door echoing through the room and driving Nyla into a panic.

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"Nyla, take a breath," Artie said, letting her have a moment, "and remember that this is your home, as much as Cal's. Do you really think Cal would leave your door as nothing more than Venwood?"

Nyla was trying to calm down, but the thump, thump, thump of axes into the venwood prevented her until a strange clanking sound happened. Nyla looked at the screen and saw the axes had a fractured chunks missing.

"Artie, what is that? What did Cal do to my door?" Nyl asked.

"That is what happens when you slam a weaker metal in titan-alloy. Cal put a thin veneer of Venwood over a solid titan aloy security door. They could stand there for the next thousand years, hitting it with axes, and they would never get through. So don't worry." Artie said all this, and Nyla did relax, but when the sound of the axes started again, it was rather unnerving.

The next hour was nerve-racking for Nyla. On a logical level, she knew that there was no way the mob was getting into her room, but everything altogether was making her nervous and apprehensive about every little sound.

And had she not heard what she was hearing, she might have melted into the bed beneath where she was sitting, trying to relax.

"Well, what do we have here, Hista? Did you bring friends?" Cal's voice called out, easily penetrating the walls and noise created by the axes clanging into the door.

"Oh, you're here," Hista said, clearly bored. "You should leave. You are outnumbered. I don't know what trick you used on the clans of the twelve, but these men and women will not be taken in like the two simpletons who came with me those weeks ago."

"Nyla, can you hear me?" Cal asked, clearly ignoring the men hitting the door with axes.

"Yes, Cal, I can," Nyla responded.

"You can open the door; they will be unable to harm you."

"Okay," Nyla said, her heart racing, she had no doubts about Cal's words, but it did not change the fact that she was panicking. Nyla opened the doors to find every Narvish in the hall frozen and that familiar, comforting wash of power emanating from Cal. She walked quickly to Cal and stood back and to his right.

"I am going to let you all move again, as what I am doing has stopped every muscle in your body from moving, even those that allow you to breathe. If you move to attack or do anything other than lay down your weapon, I will kill you." Cal said, and then after a moment, Nyla felt the warm presence of Cal's power fade, and the Narvish in the hall collectively took a deep breath, some dropping to their knees.

"What are you all doing?!" Hista demanded as she watched the mob she had assembled drop their weapons. "He used his trick, now is your chance. You all wanted this, so here we are!"

Hista looked around and locked eyes with one of the brawny axe wielders. Quickly sliding up to him, she whispered in his ear, but Nyla still heard what she said. "Strike him down, and I will be yours. You can slake your lust in me until the gods are satisfied you have been rewarded."

The brawny man smiled and turned to face Cal. Cal did not even uncross his arms."Young man, I know you are excited at the prospect she has offered you, but I can assure you, you can not kill me. If you attack, you will die a most horrid death."

The brawny man smiled, hefting his axe. "You have no weapon and got the drop on us earlier. I like my odds and, as an extension, the odds that I will have Hista as my own."

Cal sighed in exasperation as the young man lunged at him. Nyla felt a power that was cold and evil. In a split second, the young man who had been mid-lunge was suddenly flattened into the floor. His entire being compressed to the thickness of paper. Blood sprayed everywhere, covering those nearby, and Hista screamed.

Cal wiped a speck of blood from his face. "Now then, shall we talk?"

"But you... You can not kill!" one of the Narvish said.

Nyla was surprised to hear Pinetil's voice laughing from the other end of the hall where she and Artie stood. "What could have possibly given you that impression?"

The Narvish who had spoken turned to face Pinetil. "It is what we were told. We were told that he only had the priestly power demonstrated earlier and could only stun large groups as he did."

"You simple fools," Pinetil said with disgust, "that man you so casually dismiss, who has been treating you all with a sense of decency that frankly bewilders me, is the most powerful man on this planet. If he so wished, he could kill your gods, and he would smile the whole time while doing it. He threatened my entire race simply for attacking a race allied with his own. He threatened my people, who are so much stronger than your own, as to be incalculable, and we were scared. That is how strong he is."

"Pinetil," Cal said calmly, "I think they understand what you are saying. Please, will one of you tell me what is happening here?"

An older male, Narvish, stepped forward. "I guess you could say that I am the leader of this party, other than Hista, and we came to secure allegiance. Initially, we sent Hista, hoping she could seduce you and grant us favor as a mate of yours. We did this as the clans of the twelve have been using your name and the name of your clan as a weapon against us. Forcing us to give them things and people, or else they would call on you to wage war against us."

Cal closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then opened them once more. "I understand. May I make a request, please? Let us all get some rest, and tomorrow, you should all return here. You may camp outside if you wish, but come tomorrow for a meeting to discuss this?"

The leader nodded, gesturing the narvish to leave. Cal spoke once more, "And leave me Hista. She is by all accords a member of my clan and must face the consequences of her actions."

The leader nodded again, and Hista, looking defeated, stood to the side and let the mob pass. After they all had left, Cal looked up. "Everyone to the main hall, Artie if you would, food and drink for everyone except Hista, and summon Gorn and Hudnarin. Then please see to this poor pool of blood and then secure the compound."

"Of course, Cal," Artie said and continued his task. By the time they had all settled into their chairs, except for Hista, standing across from the grand table, Artie was nearly finished securing the compound.

They ate in silence, all of them ignoring Hista. Then, when they finished eating, Cal picked up his massive chair with one hand and carried it around the table to sit in front of Hista. "Tell me why."

"I... They... You... I just could not stand to see you with such an ungrateful woman as Nyla, so I..." Hista was trying desperately to lie her way out, but Cal was having none of it, and Hista was aware of that.

So, she did what she would always do. She used her arms to push her ample breasts together, giving everyone in the room a look at what she had to offer. "I am yours clan leader. Lord of the Storm Dragon. Your wish is my command. Should you command me to strip here and now so you could take me, I would not hesitate. I..." She stopped when she saw the storm cloud building in Cal's face.

"You simply are incapable of doing anything for anyone else. Well, we can fix that. Artie, begin if you please." Cal said and stood, taking Hista by the shoulders, setting her in his seat, and holding her there as Artie began to tattoo symbols on her head; she struggled and squirmed to no avail, Cal and Artie holding her motionless with little effort.

Cal spoke as he did so. "Hear me, Clan of the Storm Dragon, before me is a traitor, one undeserving of mercy and unworthy of the Storm Dragon. So I condemn her to the only ones who could be so merciful. Hista of the Storm Dragon, from this moment forward, you are Hista of the Gods. Unto the protection of the Gods, and only the Gods I cast you. Forever more will you have to rely on the goodwill of the Gods. May the Gods grant you mercy where I could not."

Nyla, Gorn, and Hudnarin spoke in unison, through reflex at the deeply ingrained ceremony. "May the Gods welcome you and bless you with a quick death, Hista of the Gods."

Artie finished his tattoo work just then, stepping back to reveal a pattern of symbols, mostly triangles, and squares, with a single circle at the center of the forehead. Nyla, Gorn, and Hudnarin all glanced at each other; they agreed with the actions being taken, but they all knew Hista would not survive.

Cal stood lifting Hista, crying and screaming, begging Cal to reconsider. Cal ignored her and opened the door to the grand hall, setting Hista on her feet outside. "Goodbye, Hista of the Gods. May the gods grant you mercy."

Cal closed the door and returned to the group after locking the door. "I think we should all get back to bed."

Without a word, the entire group filtered back to their rooms, mostly to lay awake thinking about what they saw.