The Tuskir people went mute at the sight of this creature. Six feet tall, broad shouldered, clearly decently muscled, furless except for some curls at the top of its head and some around its face and jaw. It was unlike anything they have ever seen.

"Gods, it's bigger than I expected..." Uezzy, one of the guards added as his 5'8" self seemed to shrink, ever so slightly.

"Ay. It's not that hard tha believ' it gave Gharna trouble." Spek said, another guard, but quite a bit more of an elderly boar with greying fur added.

"Brothers. Don't let yourselves intimidated by what looks like a furless Apillian! The thing is a coward! I am certain. Why else would it need to be coerced to show itself!" Runhar said holding with an ever tighter grip onto his axe.

'It humiliates our people. It cowers away from us when it needs to face us. This thing is dishonorable!' Runhar thought to himself in outrage.

Before the boar man could act on his thoughts though, the sound of a tapping staff began ringing from behind.

"One must be wary in the den of those it doesn't know. You live long by keeping in mind such words." The somewhat elderly voice of Urla rang out as she approached.

Some of the Tuskir people stepped aside, making way for the Den Mother to pass, but Runhar held his ground.

"So. This is the furless creature, I just heard Oinna tell me of? Did it truly best you Gharna?" The older sow asked looking at her, the piercing jewlery rings hanging from her tusks clinking on the rings that were slid down on the two somewhat long sharp ivory pertrusions.

"Yes, Den Mother. It is quick of foot and resilient, it ran me ragged, stopping any of my punches from landing true. I thought it would deliver me a killing blow once my knees buckled under me, but it didn't. Not only was it merciful, but it even gave me of its water. The fight was my fault. A... misunderstanding happened. It bared its teeth at me, but i might have... misunderstood the gesture." Gharna said as she stood by Michael's side.

"One must be mindful of their safety, but also keep in mind that not everyone is the same. Should it have been aware of this land's customs, this would not have been such an aggressive encounter. Still..." Urla said turning towards Rok as she looked at him with a dead pan expression.

" The one I find harder to excuse is the one who tarnished our reputation not due to ignorance, but due to trying to humiliate a lost and disoriented visitor, on purpose. Rok." Urla said walking towards the boar man, who stiffened as soon as the Den Mother's gaze met his.

"Y-yes, Den Mother?" He replied with a stutter to this words.

"Who taught you to act with such ego as to put your boot on someone as if they were a fur rag at the door step of your home?" She asked calmly, despite her gaze staring at him in a piercing and cold manner.

"Nobody, Den Mother." He replied choking on his dry throat.

"Then was this a show of dominance? Did you feel you needed to impose yourself upon someone you heard was strong to prove your own worth? To who, I don't know, but you clearly wanted to prove it to someone. We all know roughly your strengths and weaknesses. Or do you think, nobody sees you? Is that it? You wanted attention?" The elder sow asked with a huff from her snort.

Rok stood at attention and kept silent, not a cough, snort, oink ot squeal left his lips. He simply looked at Urla like a kid caught smashing a window with a ladle for attention.

"Well. If our attention is what you desire. We shall give it to you." The Den Mother added as she looked back to Michael. She then reached into her robes and pulled out an amulet, with a stone, smooth and round, at the center of it, carved on said stone a set of rough runes, bones decorating the sides of it. She simply held it towards the furless creature before them.

++++

'What the hell am I supposed to do here? One of them is staring at me and just holding a freaky pendant. Is this a peace offering?' Michael thought to himself as he looked confused at the medallion and then at Gharna. The younger sow then kept doing a hand motion as if she herself took the pendant and motioned to put it on.

'Well... it seems like a peace offering. Sigh... god. Well I am socially inept with my own kind and if this isn't a que that says 'just fucking take it', I don't know what else it is...' And so the young man did, grasping the string of the material and slowly pulling it over his neck and shoulders, letting it loosely hang around his neck.

'Alright. Easy enough, but if they ask me to eat an offering of truffles, I think, I'll pas-' "AGH! SHIT!" Michael groaned out as an overwhelming head ache took him over, loud squealing began ringing in his ears, agressive and echoing. The young man was brought to a knee as he could feel himself struggle to breath and think. This pressure built and built, until it eased up.

"Ghaah! Haaah! Fuck. That was the worst migraine of my life." He said getting back to his feet.

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"Apologies. The medallions we use when dealing with those we don't share a language with, prove strenuous on the wearer." An elderly voice said, for the first time adressing him directly.

The man's eyes widened as they then darted to Urla who was the source of them.

"Y-you... can understand me?" He asked in disbelief.

"We all can, now." She added simply as she then looked at those around, staring a bit surprised that this furless beast could indeed understand them.

"Huh... Let me guess. Magic?" He asked as he looked down at the pendant hanging from his neck.

"No. That is what wizards dabble into. I am a druid, right now we are able to speak due to the medallion's rune, hanging from your neck. As sound travels from you to me, it uses the wearer's energy to actively translate the words you speak. Still. Only the literal meaning and only words which our people would make sense of. While worn by you, it will make sure we can communicate clearly, but since I am unaware how it will affect you, an unknown kin of beast to us, I do not wish to let you wear it in a prolonged manner."

'She says it's not magic, but she doesn't explain how it works... maybe some form of technology that even they don't understand how it functions? A rune on plain stone... it uses me as an energy source while changing my voice's wave lenghts to be properly translated to their language? Or... gives me knowledge of their language so I am speaking it as if actively reading from a dictionary?' Michael pondered silently a moment. "Understood. Well uhm... thank you, for... thine generosity?" He said awkwardly, if he is supposed to speak a certain way, his Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying habits kicking in, tempting him to speak like he would while playing with his friends in character.

"Your graceful thanks are appreciated. Now. We can leave lessons on druidic runes aside. You are a visitor of who's kin we are unaware of. A strange creature in our lands, found in the heart of our sacred offering place. I have some simple questions for you. I am already aware of your physical prowess, but I am more interested in a truthful answer on other things. Who are you and from where do you hail? Why did you come into our offering cavern?" Urla stated simply.

"I-... I am Michael Dobrov from... well... its not here... from Romania. I was traveling with my family on our free time to visit a cave that was said in the myth of our people's history to have wierd properties and to have, long before my time, housed gold and treasure of my people's ancient predecessors. We were visiting to wander and observe, with others and a guide. I hanged back in the cavern to take in the sight, while everyone went outside to set up a... picnic? Small camp to eat? And as I was leaving to catch up, i stopped in a spot with light in the cave to wipe my glasses. Uhm... the things on my face, made of glass and metal, they help me see. I uhm... wiped them clean and then I left the cave, but when I did... I found myself... well... here."

The Tuskir listened intent, Urla most, out of all of them. Whispers and mutterings were being exchanged inbetween them.

"That is what you meant that you came from the light?" Gharna said, making Michael flinch as she could understand her for the first time.

"Y-yes. I tried to explain as best I could without words, but I... didn't know how to do it, any better. Ah! Also! While I still can, I am so sorry for hitting you, but I thought you were trying to kill me. I didn't realize showing my teeth to you might be taken as a sign of agression. Where I'm from we call this smiling. It's a gesture to show we are happy o-or friendly."

"Oh....! You kept doing that when I fought you as well. Were you still trying to tell me that then as well?" Gharna said with a very happy tone as if she finally understood its wierd expressions from before.

"Uh- no. I was grimacing a-and gritting my teeth focusing. Your punches hurt. The difference stands in how the corners of my mouth move. If they are upwards, it usually indicates we are happy." Michael said now realizing how different expressions for the boar people must be due to their lower faces having a snout and maw. It made sense that his behaviour would be foreign to them.

As Gharna heard about the punches she couldn't help to feel slightly proud that despite her fight going sub par compared to how she usually did, she was content with knowing she got at least some good licks in before crumpling exhausted.

"I am sorry about that as well. If I knew you didn't mean harm, I wouldn't have charged at you, either. I was just afraid for the safety of my brother, who was running back to town and for my own. I... didn't wish to wait and let myself be the one assaulted." The young sow tuskir replied as her short pointy ears flicked downwards and to the sides.

"Well. I am glad this miscommunication was cleared, but we have a few things to discuss." Urla said, grabbing the attention of the two. "Michael. I am sorry about your precarious arrival here and for the unintended distress we might have caused you. I will need to consult some of my predecessors left tomes and parchments regarding our ancient cavern and see if we can find out, how you got here."

"Alright. Uhm... is it okay for me to... be here? I, don't want to invite myself somewhere I am not welcome or where people would be uneasy around me." The man said as he now noticed the handful of gazes in the crowd that weren't exactly pleased with his appearance here.

"Yes. It is. And if I accept you, the others will listen and do as well. But. I do have a favour to ask of you before that. Just so any unbelievers of Gharna and Azhul's words, can clearly see. Would you be willing to spar with Rok? Of course, nothing lethal. Think of this as... an opportunity to avoid further disbelief and complaints." Urla said as she stepped aside, letting Rok within direct view of Michael.

At this point a lot of voices picked up in volume as talk rose up and Rok looked wide eyed at Urla and then at Michael.

"D-den Mother. I am certain it is not necessary. My behaviour before was foolish and it is clear that regardless of who's kin Michael, might be, she is a strong one." Rok intervened quickly, his hands already out of reflex keeping his hands close to his groin.

"I am not... a woman." Michael awkwardly responded.

"You're not?" Gharna, Yenna and Azhul, responded almost in a choir of questioning surprise.

"But you are nearly as big as me and Azhul." Gharna said most surprised of all.

Yenna to the side seemed to look like his heart broke and his ears flicking back and forth denoted an embarrassment enough to make him wish to dig a hole and bury himself in it, still the human couldn't perceive that.

"Where I am from, men are usually stronger than women, but not all! Its not... its like... in general, but not all of us are. There are some women stronger than some men, its just... how we were made?"

There was just still overwhelming silence for a few moments before the sound of a hatchet hitting the ground broke it.

"Well. If Rok won't take the challenge I would prefer a try." Runhar said stepping forward as he cracked his knuckles.

'Oh no... ' Is all Michael could think in the moment as this challenge was announced to him.