“Mind-mover,” said one of her sisters, green wonder rippling through her spikes. “Have you seen what they have with them?”

Mind-mover looks over at her sister, Wood-former, and then beyond her to where she’s staring. Unsurprisingly, it’s at the other party of People that they encountered by chance on the route to the Festival.

Encountering another party is not an unusual occurrence, but it’s been a while since they last encountered members from the green tribe of the seventh upper mountain. As far as Mind-mover understands it, they are usually later arriving than they have proven to be this time. They must have had an easier time during the journey than usual. Or perhaps it is the contraption which has gained Wood-former’s attention that is to thank for their rapid progress.

Mind-mover has to admit to a little bit of envy. Walking surrounded by her Warriors rather pales in comparison to being carried along in a wooden contraption, pulled by two massive ilaropes. How did they even manage to convince the ilaropes to be so docile? she asks herself. Perhaps they have raised a beast-whisperer among them. This new ‘Tamer’?

Either way, it’s a clear demonstration of the new progress they had made and no doubt enabled them to travel faster, not needing to account for the Pathwalkers’ usual lack of stamina. Since the two groups are travelling together, however, the other group has probably reduced their pace to match the blue tribe’s. Mind-mover doesn’t like the feeling of being an unintentional delaying factor.

“I have seen it,” Mind-mover finally responds to her sister. “If we were able to catch and tame two ilaropes in the same way, do you think you could create something similar?” she asks curiously.

Wood-former is silent for a long moment, consideration flickering in multi-colours through her spikes.

“Perhaps,” she answers finally, non-committal. “I would have to take a closer look at how they make the round discs to the side able to turn. But then…quite likely, especially if Plant-whisperer or Plant-grower helps me grow trees in the correct shapes. But we’re avoiding the carcass in the bush here. The contraption isn’t the only unusual thing they have with them,” she says pointedly. Mind-mover abruptly wonders whether perhaps the moving wooden object wasn’t actually what she was referring to.

“You speak of their new ‘leader’?” she asks, unable to help a hint of vivid orange scorn from entering her spikes.

“It is odd,” agrees Fabric-maker, sidling up to join the conversation. Mind-mover looks at her in barely covered irritation. She should have known that this particular sister would appear as soon as she sensed the hint of gossip. “Do you think they have fallen so far that they would accept a prey-beast as leader?”

“I don’t think she’s a prey-beast,” warns Earth-whisperer, also joining the conversation.

“What could she be?” demands Fabric-maker. “She looks weak even though she’s slightly bigger than us – her skin looks soft, she has no claws and her teeth are blunt. She didn’t even eat meat straight from the carcass!”

“But she did eat meat,” Wood-former reminds her sister. “Which means she’s not as much of a prey-beast as her lack of claws and teeth might indicate. And she was wearing hides over her skin, hides with scales large enough to be from some dangerous beast further into the valley. And, like it or not, she has been recognised as the leader of the other village, which either means their Pathwalkers have become pitifully weak, or that this outsider is stronger than we think.”

“I would bet my bones on the latter,” Earth-whisperer confides. “I sense that she has a connection to the earth, as I do.”

Mind-mover looks at her sharply.

“A connection to the earth? As well as a connection to what looked like the life-devourer? And what is that thing which hovers over her all the time? It sheds light, yet it doesn’t appear to be a plant.”

“It is not a plant,” Plant-whisperer confirms quietly from the side.

Earth-whisperer sways her tail in a shrug.

“I cannot tell anything about the life-devourer; only about how I feel the earth whisperering to her as she takes each step. The whispers are faint; she’s not as practised as I am, but that will only take a little time.”

“It certainly smelled like the life-devourer,” murmurs Wood-former quietly, her colours subdued and troubled. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget that smell – when we emerged from the shelter, only to see the carcasses of our villagers lying steaming in the blackened and barren grounds around. The scent of burnt flesh…it was the same as what came from the piece of flesh this Tamer held between her claws. ”

“Not claws,” Fabric-maker corrects.

“And if she wields the life-devourer as well as being able to whisper to the earth, she has no need of claws,” points out Earth-whisperer. “Perhaps she is one of the People, but her Evolution gave her so much magic that she lost all of our defences.”

That suggestion is met by scoffs all around.

“Her head is the wrong shape entirely, she has no tail, her legs are stocky and short, she has fur on her head, and no spikes to speak of,” Stone-speaker lists, clearly having been listening into the conversation. “Even an Evolution that gave her access to two disparate magics would not result in that. Not to mention that she is taller than any of us. No, she is some other kind entirely.”

“Pathwalkers, danger,” their lead Warrior snaps, immediately gaining their attention and pulling them out of their discussion. The Warriors around them have stiffened and start moving into a defensive formation. Looking up sharply, Mind-mover sees something approaching the other party. Something big.

“Do you think they haven’t seen it?” Fabric-maker murmurs quietly from where they are now tense, encircled by defensive Warriors. If the creature steps towards them, they are now ready to meet it with magic and weapons.

“Do you think we should warn them?” asks Earth-former warily.

Certainly, the other tribe of People seem completely unaware of the danger. They are still travelling with the same slightly-wary relaxation which they have been the whole time Mind-mover’s group has been with them.

“No,” Mind-mover decides. “Let’s see what they do. If they need our help and it is not suicide to offer it, we will step in. Perhaps a favour owed will come in useful later. But for now, let’s see what this ‘leader’ offers her village – and whether they truly are the stronger group.”

She felt some of her sisters shift beside her, not entirely happy with her pronouncement, but not disagreeing enough to outright argue with her.

The other party seems to have realised that something is amiss – perhaps it is the way Mind-mover’s own party have tensed and moved into a highly defensive formation which has warned them. They start shifting into their own defensive formation, the Warriors clustering around the wooden contraption bearing the majority of their Pathwalkers.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The leader jumps onto the contraption from where she had been walking among the Warriors – an odd choice considering almost all the other Pathwalkers are in the wooden contraption. Why walk when she could ride?

Yet, despite their attempts to move into a more defensible position, they are too late. The creature is already too close. Mind-mover hears several sharp intakes of breath and hisses of fear.

“A powerful Earth-Shaper,” Earth-former says, her spikes flashing with anxious colour. “Far beyond my strength.”

“Maybe we should go to reinforce them,” suggests Stone-shaper nervously. “If they fall, the beast may turn to attack us next. I don’t think that even our combined efforts will be able to keep this creature at bay – it looks to be one of the Great beasts, though I do not remember one claiming this area as its territory last great cycle.” There are several more fearful intakes of breath at that.

Mind-mover’s thoughts race, weighing up what would be most beneficial for their party.

“We will reinforce them,” she decides, casting her lot in with the other party. Even if their leader turns out to be nothing special, they have more Warriors with them than Mind-mover’s own group. Together, they should be numerous enough to fend off even a Great beast. And with the other party’s Pathwalkers adding their strength, they should manage to make it out without too many casualties. Running might work too, but its success would most likely depend on whether the beast wished to pursue or not: from its shape, it seems like one who could pursue them easily if it chose.

No, better to fight together.

But by the time they’ve covered halfway across the distance between their two groups, Mind-mover can’t help but ask a question:

“What are they doing?”

The other party has dropped all defensive manoeuvres. They’re…relaxing. As if there isn’t a Great beast with strong powers over the earth approaching them. Do they even realise it’s there?

They must! she says to herself. Some of them are looking at the beast. Then a nasty thought comes to her mind. Does it have power to beguile or befuddle as well as over the earth?

It would be unusual for a beast to have two such vastly different abilities, but not completely unknown, though usually beasts who are able to create illusions or affect the minds of others develop or already have a command over air, not earth.

It almost makes her draw her party back: if the beast can befuddle the other party, they would just be walking into its mouth by moving closer. But there’s one incongruity that draws her attention and stops her from giving the order: the beast itself shows no sign of aggression or intention to attack.

Perhaps that’s part of the act, she wonders. It pretends to be friendly up until the moment it opens its mouth to snatch prey?

But if that’s the case, it’s very picky about its prey: it has reached the outer edges of the Warriors who part before it – another oddity – without taking a mouthful yet. And why would beguiled Warriors move away with what looks like wary respect if their spikes are anything to judge by? Beguiled prey should either not move at all, or move towards their beguiler.

Perhaps it seeks more magic-heavy prey? she asks herself as the beast heads straight towards the wooden contraption – and the Pathwalkers within. But if so, that’s the first beast Mind-mover has ever heard of who is so particular about its food. Then again, Great beasts can do some very odd things sometimes. Apparently, anyway – Mind-mover is happy not to have had close and personal contact with many of them since that usually requires several of the party to die to escape.

Given all the surprises so far, it is a tired sort of astonishment that occurs when she sees the other leader jump down off the wooden contraption and walk casually over to the Great beast. It’s impossible to tell how she is feeling – she has no spikes to announce it – but her very gait is relaxed and…welcoming.

More hisses ring out among their group as every one of Mind-mover’s sisters – and brothers, when it comes down to it – watches the action.

“She wants to be eaten?!” exclaims one of Mind-mover’s sisters. Not wanting to look away from what’s happening, Mind-mover isn’t entirely sure who it was.

But being eaten doesn’t appear to be the consequence. Instead, they all watch in astonishment as the other leader reaches up and…strokes the massive beast under the chin. The Great beast – can it be a Great beast considering what they are seeing? – half closes its eyes, clearly enjoying the caresses.

Another beast, with the same spotted, furry coat as the massive one, though significantly smaller in size, nudges the other leader’s spare hand. Those clawless digits rub behind the ears of the smaller one even as they dig into the fur beneath the chin of the large one.

None of Mind-mover’s group can believe their eyes.

“Pathwalker Mind-mover,” the leader of her village’s Warriors starts, his voice uncertain. “What should we do?”

The Pathwalker doesn’t blame him for being at a loss – frankly, so is she. They have paused a little over halfway towards the other party, but whether they should close the distance or not is another question. On the one claw, moving closer would be towards the beast who might have beguiled the whole other group…just to be scratched under the chin. But moving away might show unacceptable weakness.

“We’ll go closer,” she said, “but be aware of your thoughts. If any of you start desiring to…stroke the beast, or do anything which you wouldn’t normally do, tell us immediately and we will back off,” she warns. Perhaps if they are aware of the possibility, they will be more able to identify it happening.

If it happens.

Mind-mover has reminded herself of the other leader’s Pathwalker name again: Tamer. It’s curious that her obvious use of what looked like the life-devourer, and what Earth-whisperer says is her ability to communicate with the earth are not reflected in her Pathwalker name. Which means that either she has intentionally chosen – or was offered – a name which does not accurately reflect her actual abilities…or ‘Tamer’ is actually her biggest role. Which seems implausible since that would imply that she has three special skills, but seems more likely than one of the Great beasts just deciding all of a sudden to come for strokes under the chin.

Moving forwards warily with her group, Mind-mover prepares to act at a moment’s notice even as they come within range of the other group. The eyes of the other People are clear, no signs of befuddlement.

The Warriors bar their way – normal for the approach of another neutral tribe, but it feels very odd considering the situation. Mind-mover finds it rather surreal that they seem more wary about the approach of another tribe than what appears to be a Great beast!

“We have come to assist you with….” she finds it hard to complete the sentence, not even knowing now what they are offering to assist with.

In the Warrior’s spikes, she sees a mixture of understanding and amusement. She appreciates the first; the latter not so much.

“Just give me a moment,” the Warrior says politely, clearing his spikes of all traces of mirth. “I will check with Pathwalker Tamer as to what he wishes to happen.”

And then the Warrior stands still. Mind-mover exchanges a confused glance with her sisters.

“Are you not going to check with your leader?” she prompts, feeling more uncertainty than she wishes to admit.

“I just did,” the Warrior replies incomprehensibly. “Pathwalker Tamer says that the Pathwalkers can approach, as long as you swear not to attack anyone. And he means anyone.”

“The Great beast included?” Water-controller asks out of turn, but Mind-mover doesn’t blame her. The whole situation is just completely outside their expectations. And is it the Great beast giving orders? The Warrior said ‘he’.

“The Great Predator included, yes,” the Warrior replying, answering two questions and raising a myriad more.

Almost feeling like she’s walking in a daze, Mind-mover advances forwards with her sisters towards the other leader…and the Great beast. The Great Predator, apparently.

As they get within attack range, the Great beast’s eyes snap fully open, a bright golden gaze boring into the Pathwalkers. Abruptly, Mind-mover knows exactly why this beast is called the Great Predator: a sensation of being nothing more than prey cowering under the freezing gaze of a far more powerful predator sweeps over her and stops her in her tracks. She senses all her sisters stopping in the same moment, the same sensation no doubt sweeping over them too.

And then it’s gone, though the beast seems far more dangerous afterwards than it had before. Mind-mover steps forwards only because there are too many People around her to allow her to run – both on a reputation front and because there are bodies literally blocking her way.

“Pathwalker Mind-mover, greetings to you,” Pathwalker Tamer says, her tone casual. “Please meet Kalanthia, my friend.”

Mind-mover had no idea what to say, her mind going completely blank.