Psy, Sandarian Agent

Krikri crickets chime their soothing night sounds without disturbance in melodic rhythm with the hidden bull-frog and the rustling of leaves, one would never guess at the dangers lurking in this part of the woods of late. I move with the shadows and swaying winds completely hidden within darkness and nature such that even the fallen leaves rustle at my passage instead of crunch under my feet, but it's slow going.

I flow into another shadow as they continuously shift when the ominous gaze of three moons, each reflecting Rigel's light from a different perspective, each still moving through the sky.

I pause, having reached a luminous domed bubble where it should not be and take a deep breath before activating the See All artifact and placing it on my face.

There are two creatures, large some sort of demi-human hybrids of a feline-canine and giant orc in perfect proportions that makes me sure they are actually natural creatures and not some clubbed together abominations. There are two of them sitting there seemingly talking, the language indecipherable from lip reading even if I had a skill for it something tells me my efforts would be wasted. They are wide, shoulders broad at almost a metre across but as one stands and moves to check on something the ease and flow of movement bellies it's prodigious size.

The thing likely stands at 2.5 metres, a giant with fur the design of a gorilla and the slight protruding jaws of a dog likely to assist in biting. But that's where the similarities to the big brutes ends and the catlike grace with the mane of dark fur like a luxurious scarf around its neck places it firmly in the Leo family of beastmen. Not demi-human as I had initially assumed but definitely beastman as the thing is clearly more beast than man, humanoid structure but again that's where those similarities end.

I follow its progress to a pile of something stacked high on one side of the little camp. It's muscular frame is big but light, lean fitness bellying its prodigious size with a narrow waist and model stride. It wears nothing but a brown loin-cloth with raggered dropped edges but even from beyond this barrier with nothing but sight with which to judge I can tell it carries more weapons in it's arsenal than a royal guard.

I moisten my suddenly dry mouth when I realise what the pile that is it's destination is compiled of. It bends, grabbing a flopping arm from a pile of corpses breaking it of it's socket with a careless twist ripping the arm of with a leisurely tug before walking back to it's spot opposite the other one. I eventually swallow saliva that has eventually made its way into my mouth, it's colder now than it was just a few moments ago. The comfort I previously got from not disturbing the natural flora of the forests nocturnal life is gone as I suddenly feel alone in the pervasive sound of the forests life carrying on as though these predictors aren't roaming around freely so deeply within the province.

I watch it talk and grin between large bites from the clearly human arm it devours, it's teeth ripping easily into the 'meat' hardly needing to chew before it gobbles up another mouthful greedily. I suddenly have too much saliva in my mouth, saliva and bile which is bitter and heavy in my mouth. But I'm a professional and so I swallow that shit as I take a closer look at the pile of heaped bodies that looks like a natural boulder in the darkness.

I wait and my patience is rewarded as the light from the shifting moons eventually reveals to me the mass of bodies piled in a heap from which the now almost completely cleaned of flesh arm was collected. There is a sanaan feline head lolled towards me with sightless eyes staring right at me almost accusingly with that lax expression only achieved in death. There are some clearly human body parts sticking out here and there, an arm, a leg, a head. A snake big enough to swallow a grown man in plate armour whole, some other beasts and beastmen with no apparent reverence or distinction between gender or age.

A smaller pile of what seems to be tools, clothes and a few weapons collected intact make up another much smaller pile I’m only now noticing. I take a deep breath in line with the natural flow of the wind before reassessing everything with the practiced eye of a professional Night Scout. I try to identify the type of wounds on the bodies, how the two predators move, interact with each other, relieve themselves. I watch them for hours as they do nothing in particular, seemingly happy with their ‘hunt’ as I start catching the nuances of their boy language.

I cannot judge age or power from behind the clever barrio they have set up but from observing how other small creatures treat it I’ve concluded it is only for concealing and not an actual barrier. The beastman creatures are both male that is certainly easy to ascertain without a Justus knowledge of the bestiary. Both are fit and powerful I know ‘cause a piece of armour in that pile belonged to an Awakened House Guard judging by the design and workmanship of it, and killing an Awakened snake in the forest is no easy feat by any means. But how strong they are, where they come from and why they’ve been killing people in the area I cannot say, and without answers to those questions or even speculation my report is incomplete.

I stay another two hours watching the fascinatingly horrific creatures finish an entire corps of a person in the ensuing time. From the face down to the toes they eat, leaving only hairy parts and white bone as the only testament of the man that used to exist probably not even a day ago. The way they ate at his flesh, sucking skin and muscles into their mounts as though feasting on tender lamb that has been over cooked. The flesh slugging off and seeming to almost evaporate in their mouths as they chew, nodding at each other making gestures universally understandable as those of pleasure at a meal.

It’s horrifyingly fascinating watching a human hand enter the thing’s mouth to come out as bones loosely attached to ligaments. My stomach turns, I’m not sure whether in revulsion or hunger. Intellectually I know we are food to many beastmen races as beasts and some beastmen races are food to us. But I’ve never actually witness such a spectacle before nor do I think I could stomach eating a creature I know could have held an intelligent conversation with me.

They eventually get up and I don’t have to wonder long how they plan to lug everything or where they are going. Somehow the entire pile of carcasses is lifted off the ground as one uses some sort of ability, the strain on its face means its struggling so at least I can guess at its strength but still it manages to trudge forward to what appears to be a mirror the other had previously somehow concealed. The one with the load walks into the mirror as though walking into an upright pool of water with a ripple of the surface. The remaining one looks around, sniffs the air and follows through with silent plop of the rippling surface.

I stay in my vantage point another hour just to ensure I am truly alone and still one with the night. They hardly left any tracks even with their prodigious size and clear disregard for where they set foot, some sort of innate ability maybe? I consider walking into the barrier to explore their camp more thoroughly but quickly disregard the idea as folly and unnecessary. It’s not my job to do that, I’ve done my part and recorded everything I’ve seen. That coupled with my written report will eventually make its way to Lord Aizen then Minister Izan, the head of Info.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

I slick away like the breeze, flowing from shadow to shifting shadow slowly as the contrast between light and dark allows me to move as it dictates. When far enough from the camp I move with greater purpose, actively using the shadows as my passage through the night to reach my meet team faster. I’ve learnt long ago that being a Watcher doesn’t always mean I know the significance of the things I observe, I move quickly to reach our cold camp so greater minds than mine can assess what I’ve observed. If those things ever come back with more friends I believe the Barbarian Horde will be the last thing on everyone’s mind.

**

Sachihiro

‘’What’s been eating at you?’’ I ask Rigdis falling in stride with him as we walk into the open dirt road leading to the interconnected towns of these southern lands. He gives me a look but says nothing as he again focuses on the path ahead of him, back straight, head held high as any alert Barbarian warrior should be in enemy lands.

We walk next to each other for about an hour, none talking as I enjoy the vista of the open wheat fields, grooves of fruit trees and tall vegetable stalks tended by slaves that watch our passing with curiosity though never slacking from their tasks. Amongst them are a few free Sandersonians that either gape or try to hide as they watch us, none likely ever having seen a Barbarian in person before as rarely if ever have our people travelled this close to the central province of the Sandie lands. Woodland Province is amply named by the unimaginative Sandies as this area is the most open space we’ve come across since getting to this region before the Red Forest.

We pass by a particularly expansive estate not far from the road, there are guards at posts around the place seemingly waiting for any form of aggressive action. ‘’Don’t mind them, just rural land owners and wealthy merchants that fancy themselves Lords,’’ Zhen sends to everyone perturbed by the reception he is receiving from his people but putting on an uncaring facade.

It’s easy to forget that the man is for all intents and purposes a Sandie with how he has adopted and been adopted by our culture to the extent of immortalising some of our folklore in writing. We keep walking, it’s clear to me that even these pastured areas used for food production used to be natural forest with how rich and dark the soil is and how little stone the actually is in this area. We pass by another estate and word seems to have gone ahead as this time even the slaves I have gotten accustomed to seeing on the fields of wheats, rices and barley have been tucked away somewhere so all we see as we pass is a wall of impressively attired martial guards and an actual mage standing sentry at an intersection leading to the large estate and the little village of houses surrounding it.

We ignore them completely keeping to the road in little clumps of twos and fours having conversation as we stride past leisurely in the sunny day. I smile watching Esuas entwine his fingers at the back of his head letting his short armed waist coat open at the front to display his impressively hairy muscular abdomen. They don’t challenge us but those gaping expressions are amongst the crowd and with so many armed men this close to my children I find it all less comical than I did even an hour ago when the first Sandies to see us decided to duck and hide.

We pass without incident and leave them over the horizon in no time though we take note that two messengers gallop ahead of us at the far flank and another ‘scout’ tails us from a distance. I understand their actions, quite frankly no foreigner walks about unchallenged in the Tundra except as a guest of Paradisum but I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all, and neither does Tóma and da as they both question Zhen and Mira about what their ‘countrymen’ might be up to. I hang back with Rigdis watching everyone interact from the tail end of the trail we make feeling happy and almost care free for what feels like the first time in years.

The sun is warm and refreshing on my face, the day is alive with sights sounds scents, colour; I’m seeing things I’ve never seen before and likely will never see again on this little journey we have taken. We stopped at a grove of papaya trees before linking with the gravelled dirt road to enjoy a quick lunch and just spend time talking to each other. Even after the attack and the three extra people we have with us to serve as witness we hardly seem be refugees worried about their lives or the impending doom of the world. Besides the fact that we are all healthy, clean and well fed the trip has turned into an excursion that has everyone getting close and enjoying themselves as we discover new things about ourselves and each other in these new settings outside our usual routines and comfort zones.

‘’What are you smiling about,’’ Rigs grunts and I actually do smile having waited him out as I knew I was likely to.

‘’He finally speaks, your pouting was so adorable though,’’ he grunts disgruntledly increasing his stride for a few steps so he is slightly ahead with me just behind his shoulder. I grin knowing he is pouting and not wanting to let it show, a habit Didi spotted when she would have fights with him that has been a family joke for as long as I have known the man. I’ve seen him perk his lips in that manner in fights, when doing a puzzle or when Mira is being obstinate so I’m not sure it’s actually a pout or just a tell he has that he can’t break.

I ignore him listening to the buzzing of insects, the sounds made by the passage of the wind through the area and the little snippets of conversation happening ahead of me.

The thing that I was scared would happen has started and my family is safe and together, it wasn’t so bad itself either. I mean deep down I know that there is more yet to come but for now I’ve felt nothing of this prophesied ‘calamity’ but an influx of ether when I was Travelling with Toura that has me even closer to my next Awakening by a fair margin. I almost feel like I’m cheating sometimes, I smile thinking of what Asriel will likely say if I become an Awakened Lord with only 50 years to my name, not even that yet but 49 is close enough.

Time flies by so quickly, I sight just for the sheer pleasure of enjoying the breath, mana leaking out involuntarily with my breath as vapour.

Yea, Asriel will definitely call me ‘an overpowered little shit’’, I grin. I am at the cusp of another ability and this one I didn’t even train, its just manifesting itself slowly as so many other abilities have made themselves known to me through the years. This one feels like there is something in my chest slowly melting as I grow into my water abilities and go deeper into that part of my Awakening. I actually love the way I’ve been taught to Awaken, it’s very unorthodox not to direct the path you are taking yet it’s also an adventure. Maybe very foolish too but what do I really know?

I think I know what I am and what I’m capable of only to wake up one day with my groin as smooth as a babies bottom, my cock completely gone. I remember the panic I felt when that happened with amusement now shoving my left hand into the waistband of my kilt feeling the now familiar smooth skin over soft tissue and muscle. At an astonishing rate the now familiar phenomena of my genitals reforming like dough being reshaped occurs, my hand filling with quickly I take a moment to piss on the side of the road. The ability is weird but not unheard of for shape shifters, andromorphous beings or studs that have Awakened to sex and procreation. Not that I’m any of those except maybe a bit of a stud...

That ability first manifested some years back though, in recent years its been my mental capacity both in terms of multi tasking with my divided mind, casting while fighting and speed of analysis that has grown. Spells that previously left me with a throbbing headache of mental fatigue largely incapable of doing anything else as I cast now come as easily as a back-flip from rest.

I’m definitely faster and stronger but that’s been growing in trickles through the years as opposed to the immediate and prodigious increase in strength a lot of the other tribal warriors have Awakened into. And of course now my breath is fusing with my mana, coalescing energy in my chest I exhale a Water Charged Breath steaming about me.

Somehow I can produce water mana with my exhales now and again without me even trying as whatever ability slowly grows organically within me.

I’m excited about the prospects of my growth, I’m happy to be here with my family, I pray to the gods above that the little ones are safe with Isis and Toura.

I'm getting stronger, we're going to be okay.