I followed Lerk-min through the caverns, the sounds of the crafters slowly dimming until they had all but vanished. He led me a different route than the one the Elder used to bring me, so I had the opportunity to see more of Haruma.

We meandered through empty streets and dim corridors for what seemed like ages in silence. I took in the various carvings, seeing some interesting depictions of The Great Mother, and a couple of other gods I was unfamiliar with.

“Lerk-min?” He stopped and looked at me patiently. “What are these carvings here? I can recognize The Great Mother, but who is she with?” I asked.

“You’ll need to speak with The Elder about that, Ivor. I can say nothing about those carvings,” he said with a shrug. “Are you okay? You’ve been silent since we left the range,” he ventured.

I sighed. “Not really. I have a difficult time dealing with someone who utterly despises me, as Liss-ran seems to. I’ll be fine. Low spirits, is all,” I said with a forced smile.

“She doesn’t despise you, Ivor. She despises Humans. They took her entire family when she was young. Slaughtered her mother and younger brother in front of her when they tried to stop the slavers from taking her father and eldest sister. Left her as she was wounded before they came. She is the last of her family. You just show up, kill the greatest warrior and hunter the Haarthuu have had in decades with a single punch, and are vouchsafed by The Great Mother Herself. Worse, you have adopted Talah-ahte’s children, and they adore you. As does his widow. The entire city likes you, and is indebted to you for the lamp you gave us. You have done nothing but good since you came here, and that is turning her opinion of Humans on its head. It isn’t easy to like even one member of a group you hate, no matter how good they are to you and yours,” he explained with a sigh.

“I understand, sir. It still kinda hurts, though,” I said softly.

He clapped me on the shoulder with a smile. “That is what helps make you likable, my friend. Come. We are nearly there,” he said.

We continued down the mostly empty corridors until we came out near my workshop. Lerk-min guided me to the Feasting hall, and I thanked him.

“I appreciate this, Lerk-min. I will be sure to bring back as much food for the Haarthuu as I can once my aim is good enough for the hunt,” I said quietly.

“Take your time, friend. You’re still healing. You need to put on a bit more weight, too. You look odd without it,” he said, gently slapping my belly with the back of his hand.

I chuckled softly. “Take care, Lerk-min,” I said.

He strode off into the darkness, and I wandered over to take a seat at a table as I was a little tired. I examined the bow closely, as I had neither the time or the light to do so in the craft hall.

It was a beautifully patterned wood. I’d never seen its like before. Gorgeous swirls of green and gold with streaks of what looked like iron stains throughout its length decorated the back of the bow while the belly was deep, rich, velvety blue. The grip was wrapped in a patterned leather cordage that was both supple and grippy. I was certain it would serve me well. I wanted to make sure it would never break on me, so I set my mind to working out suitable spells I could cast on it and the string. Of note also would be my arrows. I certainly didn’t want to have to Duplicate one every time I needed to shoot. What if I were in a fight and needed to fire faster? I figured I’d let the idea marinate in my brain for a while. I certainly wasn’t going to need that until after winter, anyway. My new Bag of Holding would take precedence. I’d no idea how much energy I’d need for it, so I figured I’d wait until after the hunt to finalize that.

I sat there, resting for what felt like an hour before Elizabet came by on her way to get something to eat.

“Ivor! I didn’t expect to see you here. What have you got there?” Elizabet said as she hugged me from behind.

“The Elder had Lerk-min craft a bow for me. He wants me to join the hunt next week,” I said with a smile, leaning back into her embrace.

“That’s a pretty high honor. Outsiders never go on hunts, or so Talah-ma’at tells me. So what all have you been doing today?” she asked.

“The Elder dropped me off in the Crafting Hall early this morning, where I met up with Lerk-min. He and I put the finishing touches on the bow, and then took me to the archery range down there.” I took a deep breath, and sighed heavily. “And then I pissed off one of the hunters by launching an arrow over one hundred fifty yards and nearly hit a bullseye on a target that was left to rot in the back part of the range,” I said.

“You. What?” she said, stunned.

“Yeah…” I said.

“Just how heavy is that bow?” she asked in disbelief.

“The draw weight is about half my weight.”

“About ha…. Ivor, I know you’re strong, but that’s ridiculous. Nobody can pull a bow like that repeatedly,” she said, sitting down next to me.

“It appears I can, Love. I have to practice outside, as I don’t want to upset Liss-ran again. I have to make a target, and Duplicate my arrows. This will build my strength back, as well as give me something I can use in a fight, should it come down to that,” I explained.

“I suppose so. Are you okay? You seem… I don’t know… Down?” she asked softly.

“It’s nothing. Just that Liss-ran hates me, and my presence threatens her,” I murmured.

“Oh, honey.” She wrapped her arms around me and held me for a moment. “You need not worry about that. Not everyone will like you. I’m certain that bastard in the sewers hates you, if he still lives,” she said with a smile.

“Yeah. Probably,” I mumbled.

“Come on. Let’s go home. I’m sure your mind is going in circles with the Liss-ran business, your new bag, and any new spells I’m sure you’re trying to figure out, and you’re probably tired, too. You’ve done more today than you have in a long while,” she said and stood, offering her hand.

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I took her hand and stood, picking up the bow. Together, we slowly walked back home. Once inside, Elizabet removed her habit and lay down on the bed.

“Come here, Ivor. I think you need this,” she said, her voice silken.

I put my bow and quiver away, stripped and lay down with her, burying my face in her heavy breasts. She held me close and I relaxed in the arms of love.

***********

The next morning, I awoke refreshed and ready to see if I was still a decent shot, or if yesterday had been a fluke. I told Elizabet where I’d be, dressed and picked up my quiver, bow and Bag. I knew I had enough energy to Duplicate anything I’d need, so I wasn’t terribly worried.

Quietly, I headed to the Feasting Hall, intending to eat a decent breakfast beforehand. I arrived and sat at one of the tables, opening my Bag.

Just as I reached in, Liss-ran showed up and sat across from me.

“Hello, Ivor.” she said coldly.

“Good morning, Liss-ran. I trust you are well thus far?” I asked, removing my usual breakfast.

“As long as you don’t come down to the range again,” she said bluntly.

“Don’t worry, Liss-ran. I’ve no intention of coming down to the range. I will practice outside. I don’t want to upset you or anyone else,” I said calmly, removing the lid to my breakfast.

“Good. See that you don’t. The rest of the Haarthuu may think you’re a good person, but I know better. You’re a Human. None of you are good. When you leave us, I will petition the Elder to never allow you back in Haruma. This city is for the Lizardfolk. None other. You don’t belong here, and you never will,” she spat.

I sighed, setting my fork down. I pushed my meal to the side, and interlaced my fingers, resting my chin on them. “Liss-ran? May I tell you a rather short story?” I asked.

“Whatever you say will be of no use. Try your best, Human,” she mocked.

“Thank you, Liss-ran. You see, I’m not from here” - she rolled her eyes- “on Chaia.” She stopped and stared at me.

“Impossible. You had to have been born on Chaia. There is no way you’d be here, otherwise,” she scoffed.

“No, I’m serious. Apparently, The Great Mother picked me out of eight billion other humans on my planet, and brought me here with one purpose in mind,” I said.

“And what would that be?” she asked, crossing her arms.

I looked her dead in the eyes and said, “To liberate you. All of you. Lizardfolk, Orc, Dwarf, Elf, and any others the Humans here have enslaved. I also happened to bring my gods with me, and they want nothing more than a home here. And so here I am. A single, lonely Human trying to free the enslaved children of The Great Mother. She chose me, Liss-ran. I never asked to be brought here. Never asked to have to kill nearly a dozen people in less than a month just to keep the people I’d chosen as family alive. Never asked to have to kill Talah-ahte. Never asked to fall in love. Never asked to adopt three wonderful little boys. Never asked to do what I could for the Haarthuu. Never asked to be treated harshly by someone I was trying to help.

“I never asked for any of this, Liss-ran. And you know what?” I asked, leaning forward on the table.

“What?” she said, her voice hoarse and small.

“I’d do it all again. Even if I only ever saved those three boys. Even if I only kept one single, solitary person out of the hands of slavers. Even if I never did anything more than I’ve done so far, it’d be worth the pain.

“Liss-ran, before I came here, the only things I’ve ever killed were a few deer and that rabbit I hit with my car one dark night. Now? Now these hands know blood, and my Anger is swelling within me once again. The Anger that I’ve tried so damn hard to keep calm is threatening to let loose once more. I have to live with the reality that I’ve done some utterly unspeakable things here. That is a pain I truly hope you never experience. And I’m probably going to do much, much worse before my task is finished.

“Hate me all you wish, Liss-ran. In fact, use me to let out all your rage against Humans. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned in the past forty years of life, it’s that I can take it. I can and will take the abuse. Let me be the only innocent Human that you ever attempt to harm.

“I’m only here to help, Liss-ran. We have a hunt coming up in a week. I’m going to rely on you to track our quarry. You are the best hunter among the Haarthuu, yes?” I asked and she nodded, mute.

“Then I will count on you and your expertise. I don’t know the animals here on Chaia. You do,” I said.

“How can I- how can we trust you?” she asked, leaning forward, a pained look on her face.

“Ask The Great Mother. She chose me. She vouched for me when I arrived. She called me the father of my boys. Ask Her if I can be trusted. I’m going to continue to do what I was tasked with, Liss-ran. If you would help, please do so. If not, stay out of my way. If you would hinder me, I will crush you utterly. If you don’t believe me, you may ask my companions, or my boys what lengths I will go to in order to complete my tasks. I’m not trying to frighten you. I’m merely telling you the consequences of possible actions. Do you understand, Liss-ran?” I asked quietly.

Liss-ran nodded, silent tears falling from her face. “I think I understand. I still don’t like you, but if you wish to help us, I’ll not hinder you.” She leaned forward, fixing me with a glare and pointed at me. “But if I even think you’re going to betray us, I will kill you myself. Am I clear?” she asked angrily.

“Crystal.” I slid my breakfast over to me and picked up my fork. “Would you like to try it? I made it the day I fell from the ceiling. It’s not perfect, but I think it’s pretty good,” I said, offering her my fork.

She eyed the breakfast hash warily. “That has that….milk…. Stuff in it, doesn’t it?” she asked.

“Yes. I didn’t know how else to make the gravy, so I got some milk from the local Uror. Gon-rash tells me that so far, everyone that has tried it has enjoyed it, and nobody has had any stomach complaints,” I explained.

She took the fork, and gathered up a sampling of the hash, eyeing it suspiciously. Shaking her head, she stuck it in her mouth and chewed. And then froze. She looked from the bowl to me, then to her fork, and back to me.

“This… this is amazing. You said you made this? How?” she asked, taking another forkful.

I smiled and slid the bowl over to her. “Take it. I have more. This is a common breakfast food in the southern part of the United States, where I’m from. My mother taught me, and I taught Gon-rash. I’m as honest as I can be, Liss-ran. I’m here to help. I’d have even helped Talah-ahte, had he been able to ask,” I said, Duplicating and removing another serving.

She nodded thoughtfully, and continued eating. I joined her, and we ate in silence until she finished.

“Look, I don’t like you, but I’ll stay out of your way. For now. Go. Practice. We will need all the help we can get on the hunt,” she said, standing.

“I’m not asking you to like me. Hate me if you wish. I will go and practice daily for the hunt. The Elder knows how to reach me, should you leave early. Be safe, Liss-ran,” I said, finishing my breakfast with a soft burp.

She nodded and left, leaving the bowl for me to deal with. I simply melded it and mine with the stone floor, and left the cavern, bow, bag and quiver in hand.