Pig shook her head and Stag looked to the upper levels of their hollowed out home as if looking for answers.
Maria recognized this for what it was. This was their last ditch effort. This small village would never survive the encroachment of these outsiders without a drastic move like this. In her opinion it still wasn’t likely, but the sacrifice they had made had certainly hit the Imperials where it hurt.
If the season of the crone was winter then an inability to keep warm and be fed regularly in a mountainous environment would likely push them back or wipe them out. If good old fashioned human imperialism had taught her anything though, they would come back eventually. So called ‘unclaimed’ land was wealth, and humans by their very nature seemed inclined to acquire it. It helped if they didn’t think of the people who owned that wealth as being… well, people.
An idea struck her and she cautiously glanced at Oser as she said, “What if both your people and I could get what we want?”
The three women turned to look at her through their elaborate masks and took a deep breath as she said, “May I speak to you in private,” with a pointed glance at Oser.
Bird nodded and gestured toward the tent. She gave Oser a look, his eyes full of malice and curiosity, and shrugged. Imperialism loses this time buddy, at least for a little while.
She followed the three of them into the tent, Medi following close behind. She supposed that the grath woman was her official guard now.
Inside the tent she found it filled with the heavy smell of flowery incense coming from a burner that hung from the center beam. There were three mats that faced each other underneath it and between them a wooden bowl filled with dark leaves. There were three hammocks hanging on each of the walls. Besides that there was very little.
The three women moved and took their seats. Stag was the one who spoke, “Tell us how you think we could drive out the outsiders.”
Maria breathed in deep and said, “This is a longshot but this is what I’m thinking…”
When she had fully explained the plan the three priestesses looked between them and there was a lasting silence. Finally, Pig spoke up, “How can we trust that you will agree to this?”
Bird added, “What you suggest requires a great deal of trust, especially given what you were summoned here to do.”
Stag chimed in as well, “We would be putting our entire village at your mercy.” The last of the three looked to Medi and asked, “Do you trust this outsider Hunter Mediana?”
Medi glanced at Maria and shook her head as if shocked and said, “Unless she is a devious liar I think it is fairly obvious she isn’t being deceitful.”
Maria was confused by the comment but when she turned to the three elders they seemed to be staring at her. Finally, Pig said, “I suppose it is obvious.”
What the hell? What are they looking at? She looked over her shoulder at the entrance to the tent and saw nothing.
Trying to shrug off the strangeness Maria glanced at Medi and said, “Give me a task, and I will complete it. Anything to prove myself. I promise you that by helping you I am helping myself. My summoner made it pretty clear that if I fail this task then my future isn’t super pleasant.”
The gathered and masked women exchanged a look that conveyed an unspoken message. Maria looked between them and glanced at Medi. The warrior did not spare her a response.
Finally, Pig said, “We ask that you aid our village however you might while we discuss this situation. We will have an answer for you within four passages of the sun.”
Maria raised a finger to forestall them stuttering, “I.. if I don’t get this whole thing wrapped up in a week and a half…”
Stag cut her off with a wave of her staff, “We are aware of your schedule. We have to confer with the spirits before we set you to a task suitable to prove your dedication to your mad plan.”
Maria raised her hands to try and slow them down stammering, “Ok… wait… I have to…,” she was interrupted as Medi put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a pointed look.
Her shoulders slumped. Medi handed her things back to her. Maria slung her backpack onto her shoulders and she replaced her weapons. She was led out of the tent and back to the central bush and the slow moving insects around it. She glanced at Medi and said, “What do you call these bugs anyway?”
Medi had an uncharacteristically somber look as she said, “Torchbugs.”
“They are beautiful,” Maria watched the slowly drifting bugs and then added, “I don’t suppose you know how I can help out until they figure out what I need to do?”
The grath woman let out a sigh and said, “As I have been tasked with keeping an eye on you I would not be surprised if you are tasked with joining me on patrols.”
Medi studied her and added, “I don’t suppose your body was tempered by the Maiden of Flame? It would be a great boon should we come upon any errant Noctis.”
“Maiden of Flame?”
The grath warrior gestured at her hands and added, “You also haven’t taken your marks. Are you not able to channel artes from the goddesses at all? I know most outsiders can not.”
It dawned on her with shocking clarity in that moment and she put a hand to her forehead, “Maiden of Fire! I should have chosen fire. Way to fucking shoot yourself in the foot Mare!”
Medi was looking at her with equal parts confusion and disgust. Maria waved a dismissive hand at her and said, “No, Goddess of the Earth I guess. What do you mean marks?” Wait, did that mean that she was somehow somehow tied to Alora? Was that why she had been able to visit the Bough?
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The warrior raised her hand and displayed her fingernails painted black with white symbols and said, “These are marks. To fully channel artes you must apply them or you can only summon power within yourself.”
Maria’s evident lack of understanding prompted her to continue, “Each rune allows you to channel power a different way. Without any runes your artes manifest as protection.”
Medi raised her closed hand and focused. A whipping violent wind rose around her tearing at her armor and the leaves at her elbows and knees. She raised her index finger on her right hand and the air drew upward to the point coalescing into a ball of near solid air, “Using the strike rune allows you to send your arte out to hit as a type of projectile. Other runes allow you to widen it at the expense of range.” She let the sphere dissipate and continued, “There are even specialized runes for different temperings.”
She gestured toward one of the nearby tents and said, “You need to ask for your runes. The painting is typically done for children but certainly an exception could be made.”
Maria was staring at her with wide eyes. All she could think was that the tutorial for this ‘game’ was absolute garbage. That sprite needed to lose its job. She shook off the thoughts and nodded, “Thank you for helping me understand. I’m surprised. I thought you,” she paused to think of a better way to put it and admitted, “I was sure you hated me.”
“Your plan, it,” she was lost in thought for a moment and said, “it caught me off guard. You could be speaking falsely but it would be a significant sacrifice. If you even entertain such a plan for our benefit then I can only support you.”
Maria put a hand on her shoulder and beamed, “Awww,” only to have Medi shrug off her touch and hiss at her. She swore there was blush on what little skin was visible on her fur covered face.
The warrior chuffed and gestured up onto the ramp that ran around the hollow tree’s interior, “You may sleep up there. Tomorrow we will see Totomac and you will receive your marks.”
Maria gave her a sidelong look with a raised eyebrow, “Would you spar with me again before we rest?”
Medi rolled her shoulders and gave her a narrow eyed glare, “I suppose it will alleviate my poor mood to give you more of a thrashing. In addition if we are going on patrol together it can only increase my likelihood of survival if you aren’t flailing like a yearling.”
Maria returned her expression with slightly upturned lips, “You aren’t training me wrong on purpose are you?”
The warrior pulled out her spear and scoffed, “If I taught you how to fight wrong on purpose you would still be more skilled than the fool I met last night.”
Maria pulled out the stick she had been given and said, “Sick…,” and was knocked off her feet and into the dirt again moaning out the second word, “burn…”
Medi stood over her looking down and said, “Up! We are losing time.”
The two of them spent more than an hour attacking each other and learning. Maria often still found herself thrown to the ground or whacked solidly in the side, shoulders, or legs with Medi often noting in a bored voice, “Dead,” or, “Very dead.”
Afterward with both of them tired and aching from their efforts Medi guided Maria up the ramp overlooking the central area. Many of the other grath had gone to sleep, except the few guards that remained awake. There was no sign of Oser. They made their way to a small overhang with two thatch and leaf bedrolls with a number of personal items scattered around. Most of them appeared to be for maintaining weapons, making arrows or stitching and repairing armor. There was a single simple bowl and cup in one corner.
Medi pointed at one of the thatch beds, “Sleep here,” before moving to sit on the other and pull off her weapons and traveling pack.
Maria glanced at the meager items scattered around and then at the two beds before asking, “Is this your home?”
Medi half turned as she was removing her scaled hide armor and said, “I am required to observe and assure that you are not bringing harm to the village. You will remain where I may do so.”
Maria chuckled as she sat down and said, “So you can kill me if I step out of line?”
Medi replied without pause, “Yes.”
Her levity banished Maria started to remove her own gear. She hazarded a glance into the pouch on her back pack and quickly closed it when the bright glow of the herb shone in her eyes. She glanced at Medi to assure that she had not noticed. The grath was turned away removing the leggings of her armor and clearly did not notice.
Setting her bag aside along with her armor and weapons she asked, “So, as far as these bound goddesses go, have you ever heard of someone called Alora?”
Medi had stripped down to no clothing at all and Maria was struck with the thought of whether she should blush or turn away. Western Grath were so covered with fur that nudity didn’t really seem as shocking to her human mind. The warrior certainly didn’t seem to be ashamed or conscious of the fact that she was nude.
She answered after a moment, “We know little of the goddesses anymore. They were enslaved by your Dominus long in the past. They still lend us power but in its raw form. They provide no direct guidance. The Three say that they catch glimpses of guidance from the elements and more in recent years. Before my time one of the three who is no longer with us claimed to speak with the goddess of earth again. There was celebration that the time of this Dominus had come to an end and then she went mad.”
Her expression was dark as she said, “She set fire to herself and her tent. The last thing she said from the flames was that we should never seek out the goddesses again.”
Maria gave her a long look and then settled in still in her armor underclothes and threw a blanket from her pack over herself. Medi laid down beside her, turned away and silent. She thought of saying something but when she closed her eyes, the day's exhaustion rushed up to meet her, sweeping her into a deep sleep.
A hand shook her shoulder and she awoke almost as if no time had passed at all. Medi knelt over her in her armor scowling, “Wake up, it is morning. You snore by the way.”
Maria returned her scowl and stuck her tongue between her pronounced canines, “I absolutely fucking do not.”
“You do! Get up!”
Maria rolled out of her blanket and started grabbing her things and pulling them on. Medi hurried her on with the tenacity of a disapproving, but decidedly more dangerous, mother. Before long the two of them were descending to the active bottom floor of the hollowed tree camp.
Medi led her to Totomac’s tent which he seemed to share with five other grath. Two of them seemed to be around his age and three ranged in age from around her age to very young. The old grath gave them a curious look as they approached. Medi stepped aside and it seemed as if it was Maria’s job to handle this interaction.
“Yeah, Medi was explaining how things work here and she said that when it comes to the Earth Goddess you are the person to talk to about getting my,” she raised her bare black nails to the grath, “my runes?”
Totomac looked to Medi and Maria before turning to one of the older grath with him, a female, who gave him a pointed stare. A whole conversation passed between them without words. Totomac turned back into his tent and started gathering up several small wooden jars and brushes, all on a tray that looked worn from decades of use. He gestured for her to sit and Maria hurried to join him.
Totomac took one of her six fingered hands and studied the nails as he started to open jars and said, “There is usually more ceremony involved with this. Our young spend their fifth year learning runes and practicing their protective artes before they undergo this rite.”
He studied her for several long moments and then said, “These runes are your lifeline to expressing your artes. If they are removed you will only be able to use internal protective expressions. The first thing we do with prisoners, like your colleague Oser, is use this,” he held up a small black jar, “to remove all of their runes.” He held up her hand and said, “If you can not use your hand, you can not cast an arte. If you can not extend your finger, you can not utilize a rune. Remember this!”
