707 - Suffering in Silence
“This is senseless, Yotimo!”
That Ujurak was the first to voice his opposition to dealing with the ponies was no surprise, being that he was well-known for his impatience and short temper. Both were qualities that had gotten him into trouble many times over the years, and it was only because he was tall and thickly muscled – swinging his greatclub around with the force of a giant – that he hadn’t gotten himself killed a long time ago.
But rather than take that lesson to heart, the towering adlet seemed to believe that his strength would carry him through any hardship he faced. While that had made him into a fine warrior, Yotimo found him tiresome to deal with. Being skilled in battle was a noble trait to have, but it didn’t mean that his every complaint was worth airing.
“We should simply kill the ponies!” continued Ujurak, slamming his club on the ground, apparently undeterred by the fact that Yotimo was ignoring him in favor of removing the armor and riding gear from Nangiannatuk, who gave a huff of relief at having it removed; while the polar bear was willing to allow himself to be used as a battle-mount, he was never happy to wear such uncomfortable accoutrements for long. “I’ll bet that after they’re all dead, Toklo will be fine!”
Yotimo paused then, not because he put much stock in Ujurak’s words, but because he’d spotted Silla approaching. But an unhappy growl from Nangiannatuk got him moving again; it wasn’t fear that prompted him to continue his task, however, but rather that his old friend had worked tirelessly navigating the forest with them for the last several days, and had earned some consideration now.
“Silla, tell him that we should just end the ponies now,” snapped Ujurak, giving the smaller adlet a glare. “Panuk must be avenged!”
Silla made no reply, instead standing silently as Yotimo finished removing the last of Nangiannatuk’s gear. It was only after he’d finished, the bear giving a full-body shake and wandering off to sniff at the dead remorhaz’s corpse hungrily, that he turned to look at Silla expectantly.
Hooking his thumbs in his belt next to his sickles, the shorter adlet didn’t keep him waiting. “I checked Toklo myself, and had Kumaglak and Nootaitok do the same just to be sure,” he reported, nodding back toward where Yotimo’s son was alternating between speaking with rest of the war party and shooting worried looks his father’s way. “That winter wolf was telling the truth. His flesh has become completely inedible. The good news is that Panuk’s body can still be consumed safely.”
“That’s good news?!” howled Ujurak, slamming his club on the ground again. “My best friend is dead, and not only have we not taken vengeance on his killers, we’re helping them get what they want! How is that good?!”
Silla’s eyes narrowed as he gave Ujurak a disapproving frown. “Lower your voice. Everyone can hear you, including the ponies you’re talking about killing.”
Not being the brightest member of their war party, Ujurak swung his head around to confirm what Silla was saying. Sure enough, the ponies – or rather, the five ponies and the winter wolf in the strange black armor – were looking right at him; only the black cloud whom Toklo had said was actually a powerful unicorn continued to ignore him. Both seemed to irritate Ujurak, and he snarled at them all before turning back to sneer at Silla. “So what? We’re speaking our native tongue. It’s not like they can understand what we’re saying.”
“One of their number commands powerful magic,” answered Yotimo at last, finished with putting away the last of Nangiannatuk’s riding gear. Standing up, he turned to give Ujurak a disapproving look. “He slew Panuk in a single blow. He takes the form of a dark cloud. He’s made a mere winter wolf into a creature that, from the look of her, is more fearsome than Nangiannatuk. And he can bring forth that sharp black stone in great amounts. It’s not difficult to imagine that he might have magic that allows him to understand what we’re saying.”
He took a step toward Ujurak then, and despite the fact that he needed to look up to make eye contact with him, it was the taller adlet who flinched. “And even if he doesn’t, it’s foolish to announce your intent to kill someone when they’re within earshot. And it’s an insult to do it right in front of me after I’ve promised that no harm will come to them from my warband.”
Ujurak’s ears flickered, lowering for a moment before snapping back upright as the moment of wisdom that had made him falter in the face of Yotimo’s rebuke drowned beneath his pride and outrage. “You shouldn’t have promised them that to begin with! If we’d rushed them all at once-”
“Then more than a few of us would likely have ended up like that remorhaz,” cut in Silla, deftly interposing himself between the two, keeping his eyes on Ujurak. “We’re quite far from the southern edge of the forest, which is where these ponies had to have entered from. For them to last this long is impressive, don’t you think?”
“We’ve lasted just as long!” scoffed the taller adlet.
“With nearly twice their number,” pointed out Silla. “And besides, while I’m sure you’d have won a glorious victory, would it really be worth it if the rest of us had our flesh cursed like Toklo? Who would eat us then?”
“I would!” Snorting contemptuously, Ujurak pounded a fist against his chest. “No matter how foul you tasted, I would consume every last bite of you!”
“Well then, go nibble on Toklo and prove it,” concluded Silla, the corners of his lips turning upward ever so slightly.
“Ha! Watch me!”
Without so much as another glance at their leader, Ujurak strode away, already calling for Toklo. The other two watched him go before Yotimo sighed. “I assume he’s not the only one who’s questioning my judgment?”
Silla shrugged. “The only one doing so that loudly. But Panuk was very popular, and there’s a lot of anger that justice isn’t being served.”
He fell silent then, but the words he’d left unspoken hung in the air. “And a lot of anger that I’m not serving it in order to save my son?” grunted Yotimo as he sat down next to Nangiannatuk’s equipment, glancing at where Toklo was now trying to keep away from Ujurak, running around a tree in fright as the larger adlet snapped at him. The sight was a comical one, but only a portion of their party was laughing; the rest were scowling.
Silla winced a little then, an uncomfortable look crossing his face. “No one faulted you for putting a war party together to rescue Toklo, and no one can blame you for being worried about his spirit now. The curse that pony put on your son is sickening; any father would have done what you did.”
A loud yelp from Toklo announced that Ujurak had finally caught him, the brawny adlet biting down on the smaller one’s ear for just a moment before doubling over, retching and hacking. But his nausea passed quickly, and when he straightened up a moment later his features were fixed in a look of determination, striding toward Toklo again, who immediately took off, one hand still over his aching ear.
It was enough to make Yotimo shake his head. “Toklo was never meant to be a warrior.”
“I doubt it was any of the ponies who melted those spears against that remorhaz. Besides, Ujurak’s breath would make anyone run.”
“He’s no coward,” admitted Yotimo, ignoring the joke. “But bravery without skill to match courts an early death. I’ve already eaten my son’s mother; I will not eat him too.”
His previous attempt at humor having failed, Silla refrained from making a comment about how no one would eat Toklo until that curse that pony-turned-shadow had put on him was removed. Instead, he fished some jerky out of a pouch, biting into the dried meat as the two sat in silence. It was only when he’d finished his meager meal that Silla spoke up again. “Do you think that winter wolf was telling the truth about the yetis?”
“I’m not sure it matters,” answered Yotimo after a moment’s consideration. “We already knew they were back, even though they shouldn’t have been able to replenish their numbers so quickly. That they’re apparently working for a hag is new, as is them attacking ponies for food, but it’s not much to go on.”
“We should at least send someone back to report the news,” insisted Silla. “A messenger could be home before morning if they took to the air now. Perhaps one of the elders knows something about a hag in this area. Spirits know they love to talk about every dangerous creature that ever lived in the region. I’ve heard the stories about that dragon, Hvitdod, so often I can recite them in my sleep.”
Yotimo grunted, but didn’t otherwise respond, still watching his son’s frantic attempts to avoid Ujurak.
When it became clear that the elder adlet wasn’t going to say anything else, Silla let out a slow breath. “Yotimo, we need to talk about that deal you made.”
“...”
Leaning in closer, Silla lowered his voice. “You know that none of us have ever heard of that ‘starless sky’ place those ponies are looking for, right? So if that unicorn won’t remove Toklo’s curse until after he’s gone there-”
“Akna will be able to find it,” interrupted Yotimo. “The spirits told her where we should search in order to find Toklo, so they’ll be able to tell her where this shrine is.”
“And if they can’t?” pressed Silla.
“She’s a powerful shaman, more gifted than her grandmother ever was,” retorted Yotimo. “She’ll figure it out.”
“She hasn’t been able to figure out why the weather’s been so good lately, except that it’s not natural.” Sitting up, Silla glanced at the ponies again. They were huddled together across from the adlets, talking in low tones. But the winter wolf – still in her armor – was regarding them warily, while her master was still staring into the forest, apparently oblivious to everything.
Hoping that the latter two individuals weren’t using magic to eavesdrop on them the way Yotimo had said they might be, Silla lowered his voice further as he turned his gaze back to his leader. “I think that we should send a messenger back tonight. They can tell the others about the yetis, and ask Akna about the ponies’ shrine. And if she can’t find it...”
Yotimo tore his eyes away from his son then, giving Silla a piercing look. “No.”
He pressed ahead anyway. “If she can’t find it, we should ask her to go on another vision quest.”
“You mean the same vision quest,” corrected Yotimo. “The one she took before we fought the yetis.”
“And look how that turned out!” insisted Silla. “The spirits led her to a weapon of immense power! She was the reason we won with so few losses-”
“Few for whom?”
Silla fell silent then, chastened. Looking down, he took a deep breath before he spoke up again. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to diminish what you went through. Losing your beloved and your parents was a tragedy that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
He waited, but Yotimo offered neither forgiveness nor further rebuke. Instead, he glanced at where Panuk’s body had been placed, two of their number standing guard over it to ensure that it wouldn’t be snatched or defiled by any of the forest creatures – or the ponies – before it could be brought home and prepared to be ritually consumed. Then he glanced from the body to his son again, who had finally resigned himself to being repeatedly nipped by a gagging Ujurak.
“I know that Akna said she was only borrowing the weapon, and that she returned it after the battle was over,” continued Silla when the silence stretched out too long. “But she never said she wouldn’t be able to use it again. And if she can’t fulfill the promise you made to that pony...”
He couldn’t finish, hoping that Yotimo wouldn’t make him say it.
If it turned out that they couldn’t find a way to take the ponies to their “Shrine of the Starless Sky,” there was a strong possibility that the ponies would lash out at them in anger. If that happened, there would be more dead adlets, likely under curses that would keep them from being eaten, preventing their eventual rebirth. The only way to prevent that would be if Akna retrieved the most powerful weapon any of them had ever seen and used it to end the ponies before they became a threat.
But that would mean Yotimo would lose – permanently – his last living relative.
“Silla.”
His ears twitching in surprise, the younger adlet sat up straighter. “Yes?”
“Go.”
“...understood.” His shoulders slumping at the abrupt dismissal, Silla stood up and walked back toward the others, feeling wretched that he hadn’t been able to offer any real solace, nor useful advice, to the one he admired so much.
But he had barely taken two steps when Yotimo’s voice stopped him. “No.”
Half-turning, Silla cocked his head. “Hm?”
“Go home,” clarified Yotimo, still not looking at his subordinate. “Go deliver the message about the yetis. Tell Akna what the ponies want. And if...if she can’t find that shrine...” There was a catch in his voice then, and he needed a moment to finish. “...tell her to get ready.”
“Of course. I’ll leave right now.”
The words were barely out of Silla’s mouth when he began to transform, letting his body dissolve into mist. Nor did he tally once the change had finished, flying up above the forest and toward their village as fast as he could. But although he knew how important it was to bring back word of what had transpired, it wasn’t the urgency of what he was relaying that made him move so quickly.
It was that he couldn’t bear to see the tears in his leader’s eyes.
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Interesting to see things from the adlets' perspective and yet worrying at what they plan to do if they are unable to carry out their end of the bargain with Lex. Though to be fair, given what little they know about Lex, their response is logical and heart wrenching for Yotimo who has lost so much already.
Still, I'm now curious on what this secret weapon their shaman discovered and how it was 'discovered' since I wonder if the weapon's origin is either demonic like Bolverk's own weapon was or possibly divine which worries me just as much if not more since we still don't have the full picture of what conflict a certain winter hag's mother is involved in.
Will be intresting to see what item is being used as a weapon, if it looks like a common design or was discovered to have the effect of one, but also which seems to involve the death of the user as well as the target? Given its reuseable, could be something magical, but it could be reuseable as a second grenade?
11214855 One thing I kept in mind when bringing the adlets in is that their monster entry has their alignment being Chaotic Neutral. While individuals will obviously vary, that means that the majority of adlets aren't evil, and as such will have friends, loved ones, and families. They're not like the sahuagin, for whom savagery is a central facet of their civilization (if it can even be called that); when they lose someone, they mourn. Hence, it seemed appropriate to showcase what was going on with Toklo's father and some of the other adlets here.
To them, Lex is very much a villain who's wandered into their land and started killing people and taking hostages, in other words.
Of course, Lex would doubtlessly disagree with that assessment, and even if the rest of Fail Forward doesn't seem to like him all that much, I think they'd object to being portrayed as marauders or invaders. Even Mystaria would likely say that there's blame to go around.
As for the unknown weapon that Akna, the adlet shaman, apparently used...well, we might get to see it up close if things go poorly once Silla tells her what's happened.
11214937 At this point it's hard to say, though the fact that Akna apparently gave it up after using it seems notable. Maybe there's a frozen lake with a lady who wanted it back?
The most powerful weapon of them all
Behold!
Alakablam!
11215862 One that's summoned via the magic incantation, "I choose you!"