Silence settled down on the other three and Joe’s random and abrupt interjection before the two siblings glanced at each other then replied cautiously.
“You saw mine this morning, but…” Kilniara began
Joe shook his head quickly, “Yeah, but I don’t remember your feet exactly.”
Kilniara stopped at Joe’s interruption before nodding carefully, “I can show you again when we get into the dungeon, but …”
Joe once again interrupted, but more politely this time with a shake of his head and waving hands. Kilniara trailed off at Joe’s interruption and listened, “You would have to take clothes off… and shoes, right?” Joe paused for Kilniara’s blushing nod before continuing, “So yeah, I don’t want you to do that out here in public. We can look at the inn where you guys can have some privacy. Here would be really… uncomfortable for you both, I think.”
Kilniara nodded quickly, actually sighing in relief, whereas Zilnek looked on with appreciation before smiling and nodding his head. Joe smiled at their looks and returned to walking down the stairs once again before continuing the discussion.
“So, just describe to me, maybe using your hand or arm as a size comparison so I can get some information. I want to make sure it is accurate.”
Kilniara nodded a look at Zilnek, and there was a lengthy pause as she waited for her brother to hear and respond. Zilnek saw his sister’s pointed look before shaking his head and passing the conversation off to her with a quick comment.
“You can take over. I know the man should, usually, but in this time we are the only one’s here and my responses are very slow.”
Kilniara nodded slowly to her brother’s comments before blushing brilliantly at his next quick interjection, obviously timed to tease his sister.
“Besides, wives are allowed to speak to their mates of their capabilities, yes?”
Kilniara’s face flushed a brilliant vermillion before she turned and slapped her brother across the shoulder with quite the force, but he simply pulled away while laughing at his sister’s plight. Joe smiled at their rivalry while Garnedell also laughed at Kilniara, increasing her embarrassment by quite a bit. Joe shook his head and turned away from the three, but interjected a quick comment as he left.
“Hmm… I wonder why you two boys don’t have any girlfriends… oh… right, making fun of them really helps with attracting them! I’m certain Kilniara will say only good things about you two the next time we meet a beautiful girl!”
The two boys both shut up quickly, the dawning horror of their actions coming to them quickly before they stumbled over themselves to apologize to Kilniara. Her response proved about as immature as their initial one as she turned away and turned a nose up, enjoying their discomfort.
Joe began chuckling at their interactions and Kilniara’s faux anger broke under his laughter and the two of them were soon laughing at the two boys, who sheepishly joined in with the laughter a few moments later before Joe put them out of their misery.
“Relax, boys. It was a very good joke. But so was mine!” Joe ended with a pointed evil grin directed at them both.
Garnedell took a moment to catch on before groaning and shaking his head, Zilnek joining soon after while Kilniara’s laughter only burst out ever more. Joe smiled at them and their conversation fell into a lull as they stepped out of the hallway into the great room of the first floor and into the safe area.
All four didn’t wait and stepped out through the crowd in the safe area and pushed on towards their favorite corner with only a brief pause before Joe led them straight into the spawning area of the floor. They reached the corner without incident, although Joe did interrupt Kilniara one time while they moved through the crowd of goblins when she tried to answer Joe’s question on Acokzau claws.
When they reached the corner, Joe turned back to the three, offering a quick apology to Kilniara for cutting her off, “I’m sorry Kilniara, for cutting you off, but when we’re in a dangerous place like that, serious conversations can really distract from focusing on the danger.”
Kilniara quickly nodded before offering an apology. Garnedell also did so, mumbling one about their general conversations and Joe quickly cut them both off.
“No! No… just normal relaxed light hearted conversation isn’t that bad in minor situations like this, but serious ones can really distract as we focus on the wrong thing, the conversation. If we’re just joking and laughing about meaningless and unimportant things, like we usually do, then it’s fine because what we are talking about is not very important and will not distract us. Does that make sense?”
Both Garnedell and Kilniara were mollified, and Zilnek nodded a few moments later when he understood, all three then smiling by that point. Joe offered his own return smile before turning away and dropping the pack on the floor in the corner of the room. He called them over and slid down the wall, the other three looking on for a bit before joining him.
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“Right, lets answer the question before we go into our fights.”
Zilnek once again waved Kilniara on, and she took the conversation with a bit more aplomb, “Well, men’s feet and claws are stronger and longer, but slower, so it’s usually the women who are deadlier fighters. Our claws are narrower and cut much easier, and only slightly shorter than men’s claws. So, unlike most Kin and the base, Acokzau women are deadlier in their original form but Acokzau men are generally stronger and deadlier against other Kin and base humans than Acokzau women as despite being faster and more agile, Kin and the base form usually are able to defend against them more easily.”
“Really? Seriously?” Joe asked, with some surprise.
Both Garnedell and Kilniara nodded quickly in reply with Zilnek coming in a bit late, but also nodding rather quickly as well. Joe took a moment to take in the information before carefully responding.
“This is… well known?”
Garnedell remained quiet, glancing at the other two with some apprehension but made no comment. The two siblings looked at each other before sighing and nodding, seeming to accept a situation that didn’t appear to be appreciated.
“Yes. Those who know the Acokzau know of this.”
Joe sat in silence, uncertainty coloring his actions for a moment before he spoke cautiously, his words slow and halting, “Something… is bothering you both. I don’t know what it is and I don’t understand. Can you please teach me so I can make sure that I do not bother you or offend you by accident?”
The two siblings stayed silent for several moments before Kilniara sighed and began, “This is similar to what you spoke about this morning.”
Joe cocked his head in consideration, “Which part?”
“Being insulted.”
Joe smiled softly, “Maybe. There are certain times were insults are deep and cutting, very difficult to fight against. And then there are times when a simple word should not have such power. Ideas, I believe, tend to be more meaningfully cutting, at least for me.”
Kilniara remained silent for a moment before sighing and continuing, ignoring Garnedell’s and Zilnek’s confused questioning directed her referencing a personal dialogue, “Well, amongst the Acokzau, women are usually those who lead.”
The statement seemed to worry her a bit as she looked up to Joe and Joe smiled with bright surprise, “Oh! A matriarchy!”
All three seemed confused for a moment before the pulse of magic enveloped the room in a wave. Understanding came with the passing of the wave and then Kilniara frowned while Garnedell shook his head and snorted. Joe raised an eye in surprise at the two’s reaction and Garnedell quickly interjected.
“You have a word for everything. It is a bit annoying.”
Joe chuckled at that and shook his head in bemusement, “True. My people sometimes are overly concerned with labeling everything exactly. But, there is power to it.”
The two didn’t say anything, but did nod a bit more seriously. The four remained silent before Joe continued, “Then, why are you shy in speaking of this?”
Kilniara rose and eyebrow in surprise, “You know of … matriarchy?” she tasted last word thoughtfully, but said it easily enough.
Joe nodded quickly, “Yes. Some of my plane practice matriarchy, although not as much as patriarchy.”
The spell shockwave echoed outwards again, and this time both Kilniara and Garnedell giggled immediately at the new word with Zilnek breaking out in his own laughter a few moments later. Joe smiled, realizing he’d tossed out another new word, and the other three simply shook their heads in humor. Kilniara, however, seemed a bit surprised with a hint of hope before looking at him.
“So, are your people a matriarchy?”
“Hmm.. no. My people are patriarchical, although the power difference between men and women has flattened a lot in the last few years. But I would likely still be a bit patriarchical. It is my culture.”
The hope in her eyes was replaced with a bit of concern and Joe interjected before continuing, “You are worried about our relationship?”
She nodded a bit, eyes looking up.
Joe thought for a bit before replying carefully, deciding to pass over her unasked question for now, “But… then why do you … it seems like Zilnek is … has more power and tells you what to do?” Joe ended with a slight question.
She nodded quickly without concern, “He’s older.”
“Ah. Matriarchal with respect for age.”
Kilniara nodded quickly with that but said nothing as Joe continued the conversation.
“But then why were you so cautious speaking about this?”
This caused all the other three to pause, with Garnedell displaying a hint of discomfort while he looked at the other two with a side glance. Joe waited patiently and Kilniara finally sighed and explained rather bluntly.
“The Acokzau are a bit rare in being matriarchies. There are some few other Kin and sapients who are matriarchies, but almost everyone is patriarchal.”
Joe nodded in understanding, “Oh. That is the same with my people. Is this… not easily accepted by most others?”
Kilniara nodded with an even greater sigh, “The Acokzau are considered difficult to work with.”
Garnedell said nothing, looking away before hiding a smile on his face but Zilnek, a few moments later did nothing to hide his smirk and loud cry, “Ha! The Acokzau are not difficult to work with. The women are!”
Joe laughed at that before shaking his head and smiling, “Ah. Strong women.”
Garnedell snorted at that, hiding his laugh behind a cough which still drew Kilniara’s ire but Zilnek broke the moment once again with his own loud guffaw. Kilniara looked at her brother in chagrin before turning away and attempting to remain aloof. Joe smiled and looked to the two men.
“So. How does one deal with strong Acokzau women, Zilnek?”
Zilnek took a moment to reply, but did so with confident aplomb, “Wrestle them into submission.”
“Physically?”
“That is usually the best way.”
Joe looked at Kilniara, and found her face flush with heat even as a shiver ran through her body. Joe quirked an eyebrow at that, but did nothing more to embarrass her, but found a rather interesting and titillating new idea blossoming in his thoughts. He looked back at Zilnek.
“That doesn’t seem to be a matriarchy.”
Zilnek nodded before continuing, “People mistake such things for a patriarchy, but Acokzau women prefer strong men; physically strong men. But in decision making, women have the final word in marriage.”
“Huh. But then how does that work with age? What if the husband is older?”
Kilniara had recouped by now and interjected, “Women usually pick husbands who are younger.”
Joe looked at Kilniara with consideration, “Then how would our situation play out?”
Kilniara shuffled in thought for a few moments before squeaking out her thoughts in some embarrassment, “I feel… under you.”
“Because…?”
“Of your power and position.”
“Huh. You would be comfortable submitting to me?”
Kilniara nodded quickly at that, “Your status, place, and position in society, as well as great power and strength… you are… why?” Kilniara started off strong before her voice dropped into a quiet and whispery whine at the end, uncertainty playing across her face.