Bo left Torjin's home, escaping the lively space, stretching his back and rolling his neck after too long hunched beneath the low roof. Night had fallen. Rays of starlight pierced the cavern holes above, and torches burned where the canopy light couldn't reach.
On the creaking patio, the sea roared against the cliff to his left in the distance, a bonfire crackling tauntingly out of reach. Torjin's voice carried somewhere among his kind. The ones that gathered at least. To his right, small faces peeked at him—children—no, pups in white robes—who scattered giggling at his glance, their feet pattering away. The females spared glances, while the males never did stop watching from their own patios and windows.
[They are wary of you.]
LIRA observed, leaning on the railing with her back to him.
"Of course. I'm a stranger. Wait until they realize their lives are in my hands."
[We will put them to good use.]
She started humming a familiar song, swaying idly.
Bo shot her a look. "Why singing and why are you still using that avatar? You've been in it a lot lately."
Her eyes lifted to his, lashes lowered.
[I like it and I like watching myself move. I know it burns your calories to run the sim, but I think I'm allowed to be vain tonight.]
She drifted ahead of him, still humming as he walked the walkways. Bo could have tracked Heaterin with thermals but he let himself take his time. For once, it was easier to talk about anything but this planet.
Her voice hummed in his ear, a nostalgic feeling warmed his heart.
"Erika's Rabbit," he guessed. "That's what you're humming, isn't it?"
She paused, materializing again, walking backwards before him.
[Ivan's Rabbit.]
She corrected gently.
[A Terran lullaby, early era. Ivan, a terraformer, found earth rabbits thriving in his bio-dome.]
Bo smirked. "Sing it properly. I'm feeling homesick."
[Later.]
She blinked out.
[Your retainer is in trouble.]
A highlight flared across his visor. Bo quickened his pace until he reached a glowing patch of moss. At its center, Heaterin and Torjin's son clashed.
The youth hammered down strikes like clubs, one slammed into her jaw driving Heaterin back. She spat red and tackled him to the ground in retaliation, climbing on him before she seized his arm, and pinned down dragging him into a crude crucifix hold. It was not a clean technique, but it let her get one free shot to his face. He broke free and they circled, swords laid neatly out of reach.
"Stop." Bo called.
Both froze. They glanced at him, then wordlessly armed themselves again. Heaterin vaulted onto the catwalk, panting, hair wild, skin marked with bruises.
"You good?" Bo asked.
"Yes," she replied, nothing more.
Torjin's son sneered as he left. "Next time, woman, you won't be so lucky."
Heaterin's growl followed him.
Bo laid a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Enough. We're going to Torjin now, figure out where we'll stay."
Her body tensed. She turned sharply, muttering, "[Processing]."
"What does that mean?" Bo asked at once.
She hesitated. "To you. We say it to those we [Processing]."
Bo muttered into his helmet, "I'm guessing that means respect."
[…Yes.]
LIRA confirmed.
Bo grumbled, "This is going to be a drag." Then, unmuted, "I need time with you to learn your language later. Come on. We're going to Torjin."
When Bo and Heaterin met with Torjin, the meeting with his people had already concluded. He walked past Bo and when he asked where he would stay Torjin simply answered, "My home. I only ask that you don't bleed my children."
Bo watched as Torjin slowly climbed the steps that became stairs. Slowly xenos howled one by one until all together they all did, the air and ground shook, the resonance made his camera feed flicker.
Then silence, the old weathered males and females of their settlement came to Bo. Slow and uncertain—the first, an old man—took Bo's hand up and Bo followed along reluctantly. After he rubbed his small frail head into the palm of Bo he took a deep breath and walked away.
Bo was confused, more than anything he was uncomfortable. The old man pulled back, nodded and walked away wordlessly, then the next an old lady came to do the same. It continued for minutes that seemed to stretch longer.
When they were done they howled again. One female spoke to Bo announcing that after asking Heaterin about it, a recon leader of sorts, which meant he was the chieftain of the settlement.
When their ritual was done, he went into Torjin's spacious bedroom surveying the bones of animals on the walls as trophies or decoration. He didn't quite know, the floor was covered in a carpet of the skin of something that was furry and very large. It covered the entire floor.
He decided that Heaterin would stay in another room and he'd sleep here. Of course a problem came up by his bladder, he needed to relieve himself, eat, wash, clean his teeth and at least keep the secret that he was just as vulnerable as the xenos think.
Heaterin knows so Bo had to warn her to keep it a secret. He would go to the forest to his drop site and do his business there away from prying eyes keeping his suit on and LIRA checking thermals.
Then he'd govern the xenos, make more familiar. More civilized, as close as he thought he could get.
On the two weeks that was exactly what he did. With Heaterin it was much easier to communicate, he learned how to speak like them and it hurt his tongue having to press it against his bottom jaw.
He first learned from them, how they lived in what LIRA revealed to be something called a grotto. He learned a little of their culture, their language and when he knew it well enough he saw that the xenos were less cautious.
The children were much more loose-lipped but they were equally curious and asked more back. Their constant chitters of laughter and boundless movement would annoy Bo, so he stayed away from them now.
When he learned and they grew more familiar it was time to teach them how to live. Waste management, fishing, hygiene, water filtration. They went along with what he said well enough and they were less sticks and stone than he thought.
He stood at the fighting pit, the back to hissing at the shores below the step. The crowd roared as juveniles settled their dispute over some girl, he was not sure. All he knew is that he had to be there to mediate it, arms crossed and looking down into the pit in his armour thumbing his bicep through his gauntlets.
It felt like his second skin now, familiar in the way it used to be.
"Get any idea why they fight like this?" Bo asked in his helmet.
[I have my theory. Since they are similar to felines in some ways, I believe they are swiping at each other. Clenched hands prevents lacerations and bleeding, making this a safe alternative to resolve conflict without death.]
LIRA chimed.
Bo remembered the scratch Torjin left on Bo's armour. "So that bastard chief really was going easy on me." Bo scoffed.
The fight ended when one landed a lucky backhand to his opponent's jaw and fell back unconscious.
[Safer than bare nails.]
LIRA added.
A girl leapt into the pit from the cheering crowds and ran to the unconscious boy, cradling his head in her arms.
Bo coughed into his helmet before unmuting. He stepped forward to the edge of the pit, LIRA displayed their names above their heads.
"Jshew dirr ko vashtor jikkir!" Bo announced naturally.
(You who brings down their prey!)
"Hak hap nuhjaska jikkir toh!" The crowd answered.
(May the prey submit to the predator!)
Bo nodded to Torjin's son, Akari, and walked away. Behind him he could hear him call through the barking crowd, "Do you take this man as your mate!"
The crowd went silent then a sudden, "ooooh!" erupted from them.
The voice got quieter as he neared the edge of the last step that dropped into the beach. A figure silhouetted at the ledge.
He remembered one of the elders perched on the ledge watching the children play in the low tide's sand. Keeping an eye on the horizon he asked Kacha, "If you would describe your... people in small words. What would it be?"
The xeno thought for a moment and finally stated, "That we are children of clay. The sea tempers and the land hardens."
"Love your wisdom old man." Bo muttered before dropping into the sand with a wet thud.
The man called after him, "I hope you are wise to know when high tide comes for you!" He chuckled.
Bo shook his head as he looked ahead, at sea few distant wide boats cast nets he taught them to knot. When he looked out near the shoreline he saw her, Heaterin.
Slow as she treads about in the boat. Purposeful as she glared down at the murky blue, calm tides and patient, her hand raised high with a sturdy barbed spear.
She paused for a moment. Then she surged, her spear pierced the waters and with practiced ease she hauled out a wriggling fish. Scaley, fat and worm-like in shape—barely a forearm long—as it writhed and bled watery red ichor.
Her boat rocked.
She stabbed again, then fished another out making a kebab out of them.
"Nice catch. Are they nice?" Bo called, striding towards her now.
Her head shot up, eyes wide like she's been caught, "Thank you." She leapt out and kicked through the water meeting Bo halfway, "They nice taste."
Bo winced, cringing at her broken Gian, "It is better we talk in your Language." Bo suggested.
Heaterin lowered her gaze blushing and nodded.
"Why are you here stabbing fish? You could be joining the women in pottery or silk weaving." Bo asked.
"I'm not good at that. I'm a warrior, I fight." She replied clutching her spear close.
"Is that why you chose to follow me?" Bo pressed.
She shook her head, "No, there's something else. I want to be strong. If I follow you I know I will be strong."
Bo considered her words. Her logic on following him was based on his strength? She knew his strength and if she really tried especially in her beast form he would die outside this suit fighting her.
"Why not stay here in this place then. Train fighting in the pit, join the scouts?"
"You are my leader now. I follow you not Skorhal, the fighting pits are no use. By hand I lose, by blade fighting is good. That's why." She stated, looking up at Bo.
Bo smiled at her behind his faceless helmet, he looked to the boats ahead.
"Okay... Call the men in and don't let them sail for a week. The high tides should be coming in soon." Bo said.
He walked back to the stone step and climbed the ladder up. When he reached the top he was met with a squad of scouts waiting for him, draped in their capes. A hand on their fish-hook shaped swords.
Bo straightened his back, "Boys." He said expectantly.
One stepped forward, Skorhal bowed his head. "Scout leader sir, we scouted your area and struck blades with enemy party of Emberthorn." He declared.
"Any reason to this?" Bo asked quickly.
"They were scouts to a larger party, I smelled maybe 15. A head hunter wants to challenge you."
"They want to take over this place." Bo concluded grimly.
Skorhal nodded.
Bo continued, "Tell the elders to gather at the hall. Let them come. Go back out, when they get 20 throws close. Tell me." Bo commanded.
They dipped their heads and marched off, Bo walked back to the ledge looking down at Heaterin's head. He was about to call her but remembered he doesn't know her name yet.
It did not matter right now, Bo stomped away to the meeting hall to strategize with the elder xenos.
"LIRA run battle sims." He said.
[Are you sure you want to be involved in this?]
LIRA chimed.
"Yes. I don't want to lose this settlement." Bo replied.
[Naturally, we have spent too much resources and time on it.]
Akari was walking with the victor of the fight when he saw Bo. Perhaps it was the way Bo walked but the grin on his face washed away and he vaulted over then to join Bo's paces.
"What happened." He asked with his chest out.
"Emberthorn. They are coming." Bo glanced down at Akari, "Tell me, can you kill?"