Cino

“Beloved forefather,” one of my men said, coming to the little hut I'd taken as my own.

“Speak.”

“The hunters you sent out did not return with their quarry,” he explained.

“Did they return at all?” I asked, unclear information lost us lives, lives we couldn't afford.

“No beloved forefather.”

“Then they are dead.” It was the simple conclusion.

Those men were among my better units, so if they'd not come back either they had died, or they would die. Things didn't really change though, they didn't alter just because one man hadn't been caught. It was a shame though, having someone capable of coming up with many new things among my people would have been useful.

“Is something wrong?” asked the girl, Cala, as she tried to cuddle up to me.

“Be silent,” I responded, and though she frowned she obeyed.

This one was... useful. Young Cala had been the one to tell me of the pool, of the ones who'd discovered it and what it did, she also gave us valuable information about how to cross the mountains, all for her revenge. Perhaps without her we would have failed in this invasion, been unable to take Atal or its people. Even if we were winning we were still taking horrible losses, losses we'd not been able to survive without all of our young soldiers.

That said she was also swiftly outliving her usefulness. She was demanding, annoying, cloying, and trying to use me for her own revenge, revenge over someone she actually cared for. The only reason I'd not disposed of her already was that I'd had her so many times she might well be with child, and the idea of killing one of my own disgusted me.

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After the birth, for there would certainly be one at some point, I'd need to take care of that. Perhaps she could be kept as a pet? Or would it be better to just kill her? Drowning her in that little pool seemed ironic enough to me, or force-feeding her the liquid and leaving her somewhere remote to let it run its course. There were a number of options, which would I choose?

“Find out what happened if you can. If this Justin has returned to Atal's side we should know,” I instructed the warrior, who made a gesture of respect before turning to leave.

“Do you think this child will be of use?” asked one of the leaders of my men.

“Perhaps, perhaps not. His inventions have already cost us several of our people, as has his ability. Perhaps it is better to think of him as an elder than a child. Not yet a threat to me, but certainly something to recruit. At any rate we can keep him and make him work for us, just getting what he's already displayed could be helpful.”

Atal's people were doing things we'd never seen. Particularly with these new 'metals' and things. If I could use those, bring those to my own people, we could expand quickly. These changes would allow me to travel to the far West, to the high mountains and their rulers and bring them to heel, or to the North and the forests that made this thicket look like grass. This Cala may be a toy, but the ruler of the ice villages, that was a woman I would love to have at my side.

“I don't see the point in all these buildings. Won't they have to leave when the herds do?” he asked, indicating the little village.

“The rains are not so damaging here. These people need not move as much either, as the animals here to mot migrate so much. You've never left the plains have you?” I asked, trying to reach through my memories as I did, at a certain point it took some time.

“No beloved forefather. I can't say I much like this place though, the bugs, the strong monsters and odd foods.”

That made me smile. He was right, the monsters upon the plains were nothing compared to some of the things we were seeing here, save for the herd-leaders, and they were unlikely to hunt you. They were a place of easy meat and open running, not for building.

In my youth we'd hardly even used stone tools, instead preferring bones worked and shaped. Large rock faces of the right types were not so common, and with little wood to speak of on the plains handles were as well hard to come by. Over time though we'd managed to trade, traveling away from the hunting grounds to the sheer rock faces and getting new ideas. Why I also wanted that inventor, for I'd seen how good the changes could be.

“There is no need to fret my child,” I answered. “Soon enough the drought should end, the herds return, and then we can return. Some will have to stay to keep our new lands under control, but if you truly object then you need not be among them.”

With my part said I rose and went out of the tent. It was time to check on the fighters. To my left far off through the jungles were the mountains, and upon the other side of them my beloved home. To my right, not so far that I couldn't smell it was the sea, a vast, if salty, mass of water. All around me were the walls, walls built by our enemies to keep us away that now served to keep them contained, restrained.

I made my way to the top of one of those walls now, joining with some of my soldiers that were there.

“Have we had any problems?” I inquired.

“No beloved forefather, this weapon.” One of them indicated a large wooden and metal contraption. “It's sufficient to keep the curios beasts at bay. Is there a way to acquire more of them?”

A smile found my lips as I thought about that question. “Perhaps, should they be difficult to move with us when we make the final push?”

“No sir,” one of the operators answered. He wasn't one of mine, but a local, though as he was still loyal he would do well with us.”

“Good, good,” I nodded. “It won't be long now.”