Michael sat down with Vodra and Nushii as the two Hay-yen continued fishing while he sat cross legged, on the grass inbetween them, pieces of rags in his hands. After the situation with Retzen, and the group of Hay-yen she led, the group got scared enough to surrender. Still, the charade the human had to maintain was not over.
For now he'd let the dozen or so pacified attackers rest, take care of their wounded and also make sure Retzen didn't break her skull on the ground when she fainted. Their fear of the human along with Vodra and Nushii providing them with more fish, was enough of a distraction for Michael to check the damage he'd done to himself this time.
"Just some skin burned off at the back of my calves... that could have been worse." He groaned while flinching as he took some river water to clean off the ashes caused by mana burn. Despite the attempt at a gentle touch, the cleaning exposed raw reddish skin and also a few spots that went deeper and bled lightly. "Huff... guess it can't be helped. Still... doesn't hurt as bad as having my legs half desintegrated, broken and then having to get them broken even more to realign them. God... I swear that is what I imagined doctors would do to me as a kid." He turned and laid upon his belly onto the grass, letting his small bleeding wounds settle and hopefully coagulate a bit before bandaging them.
"Are doctors in your world that bad?" Nushii asked, clearly half distracted by her fishing, as her ears twitched curious.
Vodra, who's been distracted from her fishing by thoughts of the display of magic that Michael showed in his brief fight with Retzen and the others, seemed to snap to reality as Michael spoke if his previous injuries. "Was it because of the magic you used against the undead thing that you hurt your legs before? I actually wanted to ask for more details on... how did that fight go? Besides the two other prisoners... you said everyone else got turned into that... monster. And do not lie... we couldn't see it, but we smelled our people... and a lot of... putrid death."
Michael laid there, stoicly silent, almost too silent. He sighed long as he laid his forehead on the grass, listening to the dozen or so Hay-yen slightly in the distance cry-eating. "It wasn't what we expected either... We had hidden pit traps, our walls enforced, a clear perimeter around. We tried thinking of what they'd do, but things panned out in a way we didn't even think of." He said in a serious tone, nearly solemn, as flashes of his fight with the undead golem began to plague his memory, phantom jolts of pain starting to creep upon his legs making them twitch slightly. The human went on to tell his point of view on the attack, what he saw and what he did and to add the ending of the fight he had to recount Zurra's tellings of the fight and how she finished it.
By the time he was done telling as much as he knew of the event, both Vodra and Nushii looked gloomy. Nushii seemed to try and shake it off, her gaze looking intent on the water, while Vodra, laid the rod aside and turned half way to look at Michael.
"And you all think it was some sort of magic that made that... thing, if I remember." She said almost whispered, more to think outloud rather than actually asking him. "In our old Cackle there was only one who possessed magic. Our shaman. She was also our eldest and preacher of The Devourer." Vodra added as if trying to insinuate something.
Michael turned on one elbow himself and he looked her in the eye. "You mentioned her when we talked about the Devourer longer ago. Think she might have been the one to do this? Hm... it would make sense when it comes to the means of making that gooey undead golem, but... why? Wait... if Nushii's cousin is leading these other eleven and they are all that remains of your Cackle... presumably at least... it means something happened to your old shaman."
"We must find out. Press for information while they are still obedient." Vodra added as she took the rags Michael left aside. With a large hand, claws still growing in, she grasped his left leg and began wrapping the wound.
"W-whoa! Easy with that, please. I might not look it, but I do in fact break easily." the human said whispering slightly panicked from the sudden light yank to his leg.
Nushii let out an exhale and a small giggle as Michael's reaction got her attention too. "You break easy? I'll believe it when I see it." She then sat her rod aside as well and she took the other remaining piece of rag and began aiding bandaging his right leg.
"Thank you for the help and yeah... no, I am not trying to jest. I don't do well with pain at all. Hell, when I was younger and I didn't quite get fighting I used to cry from the tiniest thing and later on when I did learn how to fight at first I would cry WHILE fighting. I was something as a kid... embarrasing that is." Michael added with a slight scoff at remembering his younger self and how much he still kind of is like that.
"Did you still fight when you had to?" Vodra added while finishing her bandaging.
"Y-yes. But-" Michael would say, only for a sharp pain to cut his words short as Vodra put a hand on his left shoulder and gave it a massage like press. "Agh- atattata! GOD NOT THERE- Haaaah... I'm sore all over..." He whispered desperate as he lightly slammed his forehead on the grass.
Vodra covered her snout as she muffled a slight chuckle leaving her maws. "You really were not jesting."
Nushii with a tilted head would curiously press with her digits roughly on Michael's upper back which managed to rip out of him another whispered groan. "Hehe~... I believe it now, too. Hehehe~" She chuckled under her breath.
The young man then exhaled with relief as the two stopped assaulting his sore muscles, a dull pain radiating from the two spots they rubbed. "Alright... I deserved that after that whole show... lets gather some information out of your old friends, but we aren't doing it through fear. People are gonna say whatever they can to avoid fear and pain, but there's better ways to get the truth out of them." Michael said getting up slowly, dusting his pants and shirt.
Vodra and Nushii both this time quirked their heads curious. "How?" They asked in unison, the only difference being the tone of their voice.
Michael looked at the two with a smirk as he then turned and headed towards the group of a dozen Hay-yen. Retzen and the other one were still unconcious, albeit due to different reasons, while the remaining ten were restlessly talking, whimpering and eating together.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
"Hello my precious enemies! I have come to check on you. Are your guts full and stuffed? Are you satisfied?" He asked in a cheery tone, seating himself on the grass crosslegged, masking his expression from any discomfort his wounds are giving him.
The Hay-yen, akin to new born pups, yelped and let out cackled whimpers. The group looks at one of their own in particular, who seems more nervous, clearly a designated, yet unwilling spokesperson.
"W-we... we... are not ready to fight yet! Y-yes. We aren't ready..." He'd say with a nervous hyena laugh leaving his throat.
"Because...?" Michael asked raising his eyebrows while an at ease expression was still showing on his face.
"B-bb-because... because..." The Hay-yen stuttered as he looked at the others nervously as if searching for an answer.
'Come on guy... bullshit me. Give me something to work with here. I really need you to come up with something even remotely realistic, I will just go off of that, but you really better give me something usable.' Michael thought as he watched the Hay-yen man search for his words.
"B-because... we're still hungry?" the goon stuttered out, nearly stumbling his words entirely.
'OUT OF ALL THE THINGS... Still hungry? Still hungry... Oh! Still hungry! Well, the saying goes teach a man how to fish...' Although he was initially annoyed with the choice of the Hay-yen for an excuse to not fight, Michael came to realize that this did bring an opportunity to keep them busy. "Well, well... we can't have that now, can we? How about we make a deal then?"
"A-a deal? What kind of deal, daeman?" asked the Hay-yen man with a weary look in his eyes.
"A deal for you to live and feed yourselves and to provide me with a strong opponent to fight once a month! I shall teach you how to farm fish, then you provide me with a fighter who better be good sport if they deign to remain alive, dissapoint and that will be the end of that warrior you send to me." Michael said with a wide mischevious smile, showing his teeth only slightly as to intimidate any thought of refusal out of them.
The Hay-yen man looked back upon the others who seemed unsure and after a moment taken to let a dry gulp go down his throat he put up a clawed hand. "T-then a deal you have, daeman." He said with a shakey tone, masked by a poor facade attempting to look brave.
Michael shook on it with the Hay-yen man, the name of whom he learned to be Nu'uk. He then spent a decent amount of time explaining to them what are Earthen Ponds for growing fish and how to set some up. He then went on how to watch for the spot they choose to set them, to keep away from places too low or high, to make sure they get light and to keep them close to the place they intend to live. Somewhere near the river would be good as it can be both a source for the water and a source of fish. If they put a decent amount of thought into it they could even make trenches for the water to run through to and out the ponds so they could renew the water. It would be a decent bit of experimenting and learning until they figured out what local fish would be best to raise and breed, but eventually it could prove to be quite the sustainable source of food.
The Hay-yen listened with wonder and proved to be quite inquisitive as they asked question about how they should be fed, when, what to do until the harvest of fish is good enough for collection. Although Michael was no expert and he knew this would take some experimentation he discussed about it akin to taking care of any living being, planned meals, using chopped up vurms as food until they could look into what else the fish would eat. As far as what to do until they would be in season to harvest, hunting and foraging would have to suffice. He'd also share with them how to use the fishing rods he had, gifting them said tools after explaining how they worked and showing some of them what they had to do to use them properly.
The human made sure they had as much help as possible, to ensure their success a bit better he let the Hay-yen know that he will ask of the Tuskir who employed him to assist them with earthen magic to better secure their area, but they had to pick their spot around the river by themselves.
Once all was said and done, Michael, Nushii and Vodra found themselves ready to leave as the sun was closer to the horizon, the golden brim of it barely touching the invisible line of the sky beyond. They had some fish to bring back, much less than the time they spent here, but what got secured instead was far more important. If the Hay-yen ended up capable to manage this little fish farm, they could than trade with them what they fish and hopefully at a good rate, making sure they had food and the Hay-yen had tools and other goods the Tuskir could make.
"We will need to ask for a healer for the wounded, too." Vodra said as the trio began heading back.
"Yeah. I know. Can't let any of them die, that'll ruin their morale and it'll put unnecesary tensions between us. There's already enough tension with the fact I told them that once every month i'll fight one of them, but based on your old religion with the Devourer this will at least be familiar to them. They are used to something like this, but worse. Hopefully this is easier for them to lean into. Initially I was thinking of trying to be nicer, but no, that'll make them suspicious. Gotta ease the nice behavior in or we're gonna have trouble. If they think the reason I want to help them is for my own gain and that they are under my reign, then it should make them comply easier." Michael said as he seemed to stare emptily into air as he dragged the cart along. Despite his light injuries he insisted to give a hand with the cart.
Nushii walked along as she seemed to be pondering something, too, he curious tilting head, turning to Michael as she seemed to finally form a question to ask him. "Why did you go out of your way to help them this much? You could have just made them leave and it would have been easier."
Vodra's ears perked up as the question was quite valid. "That is true. You could have just told them to be gone or even get them as hostages since they can prove to be a future enemy."
"They weren't involved in the attack itself and having more people to hold locked up would put more strain on us, strain that we can't deal with right now. I wanted to help them. They're just people caught in the middle of a shitty situation and that had to deal with the choices of the whole community. Plus, helping them like this and having them live somewhere where we know they are situated is better than not knowing. I am still uncertain of what they feel like or wether we can really live together in the same area, but at least this way we can keep an eye on them. Also since they are your kin, I didn't want to just make them suffer unnecessarily. I respect you two and I recognise how much you changed, so I am hoping they can too. What happened with Letra was a last resort... I do not wish to make it into an easy habit. I'd be no better than those of the Cackle that did sacrifices or those that attacked us. The day I start feeling like the necessary bad things I gotta do are my first option, that is the day I am dreading the most." Michael said as he huffed with slight strain, dragging the cart had proven to be quite hard with his tired legs.
Vodra and Nushii looked at Michael and then at one another as they heard out his reasoning and in unison they went to his sides and began dragging the cart along with him.
"If you do we'll remind you of this so you may wake up." Vodra said with a slight huff.
"Yeah! I bet the tuskies would do that too. You don't have to do it all alone. You've got us helping now, so... don't change, yes? Its more fun with you being the way you are." Nushii added while panting slightly with her tongue out, her tone chipper as she let out a few gleeful chuckles from the bottom of her throat.
The young man looked at the two of them in awe and he sighed as he felt the burned he dragged lessen. "Thanks." Is all he said with ease in his tone as the trio continued their way back to the Tuskir village.