Now Dreiki understood what she was doing. She was trying to get information from them. But strangely enough, it did not feel malicious in the way L’maya asked. There was a hidden undertone in her voice that told them she could be trusted with whatever they told her. It felt as though L’maya was asking more out of curiosity than distrust. Perhaps she believed they had stolen their goods, and did not intend to blame them for it?

“Real reason?” Rixam said, “If you’re thinking we stole those potions, don’t worry, we didn’t.”

“Well the items you asked us for were pretty cheap exchange compared to what we usually get from traveling merchants.”

“You saying I should renegotiate the trades? You’re already giving us free food and a place to stay, so why would I ask for anything more than what we need to protect ourselves when we need to travel again?”

L’maya chuckled, “I’m just surprised you didn’t ask for more, or just stayed in the safety of the cities and sold it to the local merchants instead.”

“Oh L’maya, I’m sure we could’ve, but we both know those merchants would’ve given Noxa like us pennies and then sold it off to your camp at a higher price than what we sold to you in the end. Best to cut out the middleman. We both gain more out of it don’t you think?”

“Well it was smart of you to do so. We’re happy to give you whatever help we can, but I guess it’ll be in exchange for your kindness, not your greed.”

“Glad we’re on the same page with that. My daddy always said kindness is given and earned, not taken.”

“Your daddy’s a good one then. To tell the truth, we’ve been struggling out here for a bit, and any merchants that come out here are driven by their greed. They try to squeeze so much out of every trade with us it feels like they’re trying to choke us to death. It’s all about making a profit and taking home the fattest sack of gold and ivory they can,” She fanned her hand dismissively, “You can smell the greed on them sometimes. That’s why I leave that sort of stuff to Tiksu. Merchants piss me off.”

Dreiki looked over to the girl who was sitting next to L’maya. She stared at her food, poking and stirring at it with her spoon. From the look in her eye he could tell something was on her mind. He had seen the same look on Luna before. Because of that, Dreiki knew it was best not to pry.

“...And from what I heard, the stuff you all brought over was high quality too. Where did Noxa like you learn to brew potions like that?” L’maya asked.

“Grandpa taught me how,” Dreiki said, sensing that Rixam couldn’t answer that question without lying.

“Oh? Your grandpa? Why isn’t he with you?”

“Well he’s rather old, ma’am.”

“Ah, I see, he must be a human, right? Can’t move like they used to after a certain age even if they live as long as we do. I guess when your body doesn’t work, you spend time doin’ what you can. It makes sense those potions are so high quality, humans are rather crafty.”

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Dreiki perked up, “Have you met humans, ma’am?”

“Oh from time to time you’ll run into a human or elf or some other Lithirian far from home seeking refuge in our camp. They usually have some sort of trinket or party trick they like to impress us with. They’re cute in a way,” L’maya chuckled.

“Trinket?”

“Yeah, some sort of magic item. Supposedly it’s a big deal where they come from. Making magic items is a way of life for humans since not all of them are born with the ability to cast spells like we are.”

“I think we could learn a thing or two from humans, if you ask me,” Rixam said, “For xiozians and devils it’s usually just a rule that only the strong survive. Humans always go out of their way to share what they have with those that don’t have it.”

L’maya laughed dryly, “Well, not all humans. They can be greedy as dragons, and just as aggressive too. You don’t always know what you’ll get when you meet one, but that’s true for any race that can walk and talk on two legs.”

“What about you ma’am? What do you do in this camp?” Dreiki asked.

“Me? Well at this time of the year I’m usually tasked with guarding and greeting. I’ll go out hunting sometimes, but they usually don’t need my help with that. Other parts of the year, I’m a hunt captain along with my husband.”

“A hunt captain?”

“It’s what it sounds like. I get a crew of hunters and we patrol the lands nearby for signs of Malaki or Magakos. If it’s Malaki we direct the camp to move towards the trail. If it’s Magakos, we usually try to put warnings about their territory for travelers. Standing stones, wooden signs, things like that. We won’t kill Magakos unless we need materials, food, or if they’re too aggressive to leave alive.”

“How many people do you usually hunt with?”

“About three to five other hunters. Any bigger and the group is too loud and slow. Any smaller and it’s risky with what we can encounter in the Altix.”

“What sort of monsters do you find in the Altix?”

“All kinds. They’ll be Magakos if we’re lucky. Wyverns, Chimera, Manticore, Fomorians, Hydras, all that. A well-trained and experienced hunting party won’t need to worry about dying to those. But you can never say never with Magakos, one mistake around them can mean death for anyone.”

“I’m guessing an unlucky day is when you encounter Malaki huh?” Rixam said.

L’maya gave a grim nod, “Caniyuuk are the most common. Big dog-like creatures formed from the corpses of fallen warriors. If bodies are left unremembered and unburied it makes them easier for Caniyuuk to gobble up their souls. Since war is so frequent, and lords love saving money where they can, they pop up like cockroaches.”

Dreiki noticed the girl next to L’maya perk up and listen to the conversation.

“What would you say are the worst kinds to meet?” he asked.

L’maya smirked, “There’s not really a ‘worst’, they’re all equally deadly in their own ways, and equally tricky to kill if you don’t know how.”

“Are there any that can’t be killed?” Dreiki asked, afraid of the answer.

“That’s a good question. My personal answer is ‘no’, but I know there’s a few that spring to mind which can’t be killed directly.”

“Like what?”

“There’s a Malaki called an Osazi. Nasty things. You can’t harm them no matter how strong you are. Even divinities and dragons can’t subvert their protection. They’re pretty much impossible to kill with a weapon or any sort of force. If they choose you as a victim, you can’t tell anyone about them either. They’ll torment you knowing you can’t hurt them and smile the entire time while they do it.”

Dreiki felt a cold hand gripping his heart. That toothy grin invading his mind. So it was called an Osazi?

“That sounds awful. How do you kill them then?” Rixam asked.

L’maya leaned forward, her face grim, “You don’t kill Osazi, you can only survive them and all the misfortune they bring with them.”