Trying to not to laugh at the silliness of this meeting was tough. So tough that I needed a good kick from Panara to even consider that I should be presentable. Another kick was enough though, she hits like a truck.

Coughing out loud to clear my thoughts I reply. "Greetings Boiran's, what brings you to these parts?"

The head Boiran chuckles. "No neeeeed for formalities maaaaaaaan, my name is Korren." As he finished his introduction he jumps around and presents his tail. "Slap it maaaaan."

Confused but not wanting to disappoint I slap his beaver tail. He uses the momentum of my slap to twist back around again and sits properly on the dull looking horse.

"Gherman, nice to meet you Korren. So, what brings you over here?"

"Oooooh, that? We just looking where to settle down maaaaaaaaaan, we goooot tired of moving around maaaaaaaaan."

"Say Korren, there is a big river just to the right of here, it is massive by the way." I try to bait him closer to us.

"Saaaay maaaaaan, that's interesting, lead the waaaaaaay maaaaaaaan."

He didn't even consider the fact that I casually just helped him. "We would go by water near the coast and you can follow us near it, that way we would get there faster."

"Whatever you saaaaaaay maaaaaaaan."

Panara and I jump into the river and stay above the surface to lead the Boiran's over to the big river.

"Gherman, why did you help them? They probably won't listen to you if you're thinking about making them work for you."

"Elementary my dear Panara, we make them an offer they can't refuse!" Remember the Steery wood? If we supply them Steery wood they would be ecstatic. We can ask them to mold it for us and they get a cut of the trees we harvest."

We bring them over to the big river. It's truly massive. About 100 m across and you can't even see where it came from. Now I need to carefully convince them to work together.

"Wooooooow maaaaaan, this place is perfect maaaaaan. Saaaay, what do you want, we caaaan offer you some things for your help maaaaaan!" He says excitingly.

"Korren, I want us to work together. I have heard that you Boiran's love to work, almost to a passionate level. What if I told you we have some Steery Wood near our home Halamar and we are willing to trade some of it for your assistance?"

His eyes squint and he glares at me. I glare back, showing weakness now will make me lose some ground in negotiations. It doesn't last long, he breaks away by saying. "How much maaaan?"

I smirk. "For now, we have 13 logs back at our home and can bring back much more the next few days. What we want from you is your labor. We need help in constructing our new home. If you settle here we can create a union between our people and have healthy trade pass through from us to the mainland."

He closes his eyes for a moment, smirks then declares. "ALRIGHT MY DUDES, WE ARE SETTLING HERE! START BUILDING THE FOUNDATIONS, I WILL HANDLE THE MATERIALS!" His entourage of people starts settling down. He turns to me. "Bring us a few for the time being and we caaaan work together maaaan."

Trying to make me pay in advance, fat chance. "Only if you can give us something as well. We need to make a contract as well."

"Hmm, maaaan, do you want some Emmeraude?"

Emmeraude? Emeralds? Interesting.

"I have no idea what that is, enlighten me Korren."

He jumps down off his horse. Looking at him in full height he is about half my size. About 1.5m high, and 1m wide. They are like what dwarves are to humans. Unlike dwarves, though they are beavers, sharp front teeth and wide claws on their arms with a beefy black tail good as a blunt weapon.

"Oooi, guys, bring me a pouch of Emmeraude!"

A smaller looking Boiran trotts over with a small pouch and hands it over to Korren. He opens the pouch and lifts it up to me. "Take a look maaaaaan, we found some of this in the mountains not too far away maaaan. Our teeth couldn't crush it maaaaan so we brought some with us."

It's a shining green metal. What is with these uninspired names, it's obviously named after emeralds from our earth. Although the resemblance is uncanny it sure is weird. I might need to ask Moruna this. I pick up a few and feel them out. Cold, like iron or silver. I try to squish it with my fingers. Doesn't even bend slightly. Amazing. We will need this later on.

"Korren, what do you say we trade Steery Wood for this Emmeraude? We can figure out the price later."

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"Sure, my maaaaan, we know where we can mine some of it, just bring over some logs ya hear me maaaaaan?"

"Alright, Panara, swim back and bring some people over with the logs, I'll stay here for a while."

Panara pouts that she has to leave me but swims away to bring the goods.

We didn't have to wait long as Panara brought Zarhan and a group of 6 Mrentoni with us with all of the Steery Wood logs. Korren's eyes start shinning as the logs are brought out of the water one by one. He throws the pouch to me and orders some of his people to start picking up the logs.

"HAHAHAHA, my maaaaaaaan, I accept your proposal, if you ever need us we will all be here maaaan!"

He starts rubbing the Steery Wood tree with enthusiasm. Truly simple beavers. I wonder if we can replant the Steery Wood closer to our village?

"Well then, I'll swim over if we ever need anything, goodbye Korren!" I was about to jump into the water when. "Wait my maaaan, take my soooon with you! I just want him to see where Halamar is so we caaaaan continue this deal, we might need more Steery Wood later on maaaan!"

A smaller in stature Boiran trots over.

"Greetings mighty Mrentoni! I am Morren, son of Korren, I will be accompanying you today."

"I am Gherman, follow us then." I dive down with everyone into the water, Morren follows along quite quickly.

"So why are Mrentoni visiting the land, don't you hate it when you are not in water?" He asks.

"I am the Chieftain of Halamar and I was exploring our territory. I just wanted to take a look at the land beside the smaller river we met at, we claim it as part of our land." I reply, not revealing too much.

"Hmm, quite a conundrum, we were considering settling there as soon as we saw it, good thing you found the bigger river not too far away. Do you claim that too?" He probes. Morren Is not like his father which sounds like he is 24/7 stoned, analytical and daring to question. No need to make enemies.

"Would I lead you to there if we were going to claim it?" I answer with a question of my own.

He ponders again. "Hmm, no you wouldn't, I can now see that you truly want a good relationship with us. Fine then let me see Halamar!"

"You will be thoroughly disappointed, Morren," I reply.

"Hmm, why?"

"We only just found the area, our tribe was chased away by a Zekriken, we just relocated and named our new village, only has a storehouse."

"Hmm, I guess you are not so far ahead as we thought. Then I guess I will only know where you will be staying." He seems disappointed that we don't really have anything.

"I do have some things that may interest you, Morren. I don't have anything against your father but he seems, how can I say, aloof?" I carefully explain to him.

"Hmm, he pretty much is Gherman, however, he is just a warrior, his leadership is only based on strength which is as good as we could get really." He answers while sighing. "What do you have that may interest me?"

"When we get there, I will show you." We continue traveling across the surface of the water. Boiran's don't have gills so while my people dove back home, I stayed with him as an escort.

I feel a tug at my feet, looking down Panara is signaling that we have arrived.

"Alright, hold your breath, we are here." I dive down.

Morren dives as well, I point towards our clearing and his eyes widen. I say. "Quite a big clearing isn't it? We choose this area, eventually, it will be a great city!" He nods.

Swimming down I showed him our Inferno Stalks in the small pit that we have made. That really got his attention simply because it was just as alien to him as it was to us.

Lastly, I brought a bowl of Shimmering Suzzy Shells to him and presented them. I swear as Morren saw the shells his eyes turned into dollar signs and he started rubbing his hands.

Since he was unable to speak underwater without killing himself in the process he motions me back towards the surface. I swim up with him.

"Say, Gherman, are you selling some of that burning thing and the shells?"

"They are called Inferno Stalks and Shimmering Suzzy Shells and yes, we can form a trade route with these items if you have some things to offer back to us."

"Hmm, let me return and tell my people about these, we can probably only sell you labor but I'll try to think of something."

"To commemorate this wondrous occasion of our people working together, let's shake our hands to form a friendship," I say and offer my hand.

He looks confused at this gesture but shakes anyway. He turns around and shows his tail. I slap his tail like I did with his father. We both chuckles.

"Well then Gherman, I shall be going, it was nice meeting you and some of your people, last time it happened was way too long ago. Goodbye and may we meet again!"

"See ya, Morren!"

We part, he begins a quick swim back to shore and I swim back down to Halamar.

I meet Zarhan and Panara near the storehouse. Zarhan asks me. "Kin Gherman, what did the Boiran's want?"

"Just to form a lasting connection with us Zarhan, we both decided to form a friendship deal. We need to improve our production of all Inferno Stalks, Shimmering Suzzy Shells, and Steery Wood so we can keep that relationship harmonious."

Zarhan interjects. "But why bother making a deal with them kin Gherman, they won't be able to do anything to us when we control the sea!"

"Zarhan, remember what I said about the river, they now control it, we won't have any enemies from the mainland if we have allies on the mainland, also we can trade along with them and our products get to other people, enriching us and them. It's a relationship we have to build if we want to continue to build up our village Zarhan!" I lecture him, why didn't he realize my goal there? He has been spot on before.

He kneels. "Apologies kin Gherman, I was not wise!"

I sigh. "Don't worry, you'll learn, and stop kneeling."

Since it is morning we need to get to work and finish up some key buildings. "Listen up everyone, I need the same groups to go to your previous work areas! Before you go I need your group leader to come here, I need to have a few words with them!"

Meena, Stalra, and Panara step up. "Stalra, I need you to secure an area around the Steery wood in order to claim it as ours, as you are collecting Steery Wood trees and the occasional fish I need you to build a small outpost before you start bringing the logs. Meena, I need you to investigate the Suzzys in the small river, try not to overhunt them and learn about their breeding habits, we need them to reproduce to keep our production of their shells consistent. Finally, Panara, try to learn of a new way to harvest the Inferno Stalks and similarly try to figure out if we can grow them."

"Yes, Chieftan!" They say in unison and swim away.

I turn to my own group with Zarhan. "Alright, you beasts, who's ready to get some work done?"

"We are!" They cheer.

"Then let's get started!"