Chapter 67 - EVO

Chapter 67 - EVO

***Tirnanog, Mount Aerie***

***Magnus***

Most of our time was taken up by various appointments in the following days.

I wasn't directly involved with the planning and organization of the overall mission, but this didn't mean there weren't several personal things to take care of.

First on the list was a long discussion with Mary who had been handed the job of a babysitter. It was, to say the least, awkward to leave my offspring in the hands of another. Mary and I had improved our relationship as of late, but it wasnt at the point where I would leave my children in her care on a whim.

It was hard to balance my feelings of responsibility with my other duties and goals. In the end, there just wasnt any other way forward for me than to press on. I still had to do everything in my power to save Evanne who was still with the Thich. All my sacrifices up till now wouldnt mean much otherwise.

I also told myself I was the best choice to hack another supercomputer if there was one at the Hochbergs settlement.

Aside from the elders firm suspicion of more assassins hiding among the clan, I could think up just as many reasons to stay as to leave.

Taking the eggs with me was out of the question.

Choosing a suitable caretaker was the only option I could live with at the end of the day.Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m

It wasnt like I had many choices, aside from recruiting Iv for the task. Unfortunately, most of my little sisters time was currently occupied by her new BF. I avoided raising the topic with her since I didnt want to have the discussion which would surely follow her joining us on our trip.

With all things considered it was decided to leave the eggs in Marys care. She represented something like a grandmother to the rest of the family and Astra trusted her without question.

Mary herself wasnt overly enthusiastic about playing babysitter. The only reason she agreed was because keeping watch over three eggs wasn't much to ask for.

And if all went well with the Hochberg, returning before the eggs likely hatching date was a possibility.

I really wished to be present when they 'hatched'.

Next on the list was a long appointment with our favourite smith, elder Gilbert Kline. He had finally finished the two matching armour sets which looked like a mixture between futuristic power armour and medieval plate. Somehow, he had even found the time to integrate some creature cores into specialized tools and add them to the equipment.

Among them was a laser pointer which could double as a very powerful flashlight. I had no use for it due to my Second Sight. Granted, if wielded without concern for others' health it had the potential to blind people temporarily.

Another core, the tooth of a Biter, had been grafted onto a handle and provided a handy utility knife. Biters were small pests with teeth which could penetrate almost anything thanks to their incredible sharpness. As if that wasn't enough, their teeth could vibrate at high frequencies and slice through meat like power tools. Each tooth was a core of its own. Thankfully, Biters didn't get large enough to truly threaten the native humans, which resulted in them being used as convenient garbage disposers.

Despite all the crap I had seen and experienced in this world I wasnt truly prepared for what was yet to come.

The strangest thing was our invitation to the fifteenth's flight hangar, which led to Astra and myself standing awkwardly among grinning elders. We had been led onto one of the larger observation platforms which gave a nice view over the entire cavern with its tightly packed airships and the drake colony.

The expressions on the faces of Astra's parents said it all. Whatever they had planned, there was something to come which they anticipated to be hilarious.

Juliana and Skye Rumen were the ones to greet us upon entering the cave which housed the flock of drakes.

Hello! Skye waved his hand cordially at us and grinned. I hope nobody spoiled the surprise and told you in advance?

No. Astra crossed her arms and raised a suspicious eyebrow.

The entire affair had been kept quiet until Astras parents unexpectedly changed our schedule this morning and brought us up here.

Wonderful! Juliana clapped her hands together. We thought since you are acting as our ambassadors you should have the right mounts for the job! Nobody would take an Aerie protector seriously without our recognized trademark.

Mounts? I asked.

A dreadful feeling of foreboding crept down my spine. As if Death had just taken a look over my shoulder. Scratching my neck, I turned around and tried to find out what had given me the creeps.

I had never been very good with my precognition sense, but right now I felt it make somersaults, telling me to get the heck out of here. I've never ridden anything! Doesn't there have to be some form of training to be a pilot, ahem, rider?

Aw, no. Skye shook his head with a sad expression which was obviously fake. The drakes are self-flying. They either take you on a flight or they don't, there is no 'riding' involved. You tell them where to go and they do or they dont and kill you. Its their choice.

He reached into his pocket and took out two colour-coded whistles. After taking a look, he handed one to Astra and threw the other to me. Here, this is for Elegance. And this is Loopsfast.

I caught the keys to my new mount and grimaced at the name. Can I rename mine to Flysveryslowly?

Skye didnt bestow an answer on me. Instead, the elder decided to ignore me while he listened to Astra's bubbling enthusiasm.

I heard rumours, but nobody wanted to confirm them first-hand! Astra seemed eager to try while she fingered her whistle. So, is it true that the drakes are intelligent? They can talk?

I studied my whistle in confusion before my head shot up at Astra's words.

Juliana blew out a breath. You cant hold a real conversation with them per se. Though they are very smart. A drake is somewhere between a parrot and a toddler. You would be well advised not to humanize them too much. We managed to make a deal with the older ones who lead the colony. We keep their cave safe from other critters and cultivate their favourite food, the floating glowsponge. In turn, we can ride the younger ones who aren't breeding yet. During summer, we also take our fleet out to assist them with the protection of their territory.

I had wondered about the logistics of maintaining such a big fleet of airships when there was no war. Using them for air and border control to keep unwanted critters away from Mount Aerie made sense.

And there was something about them eating glowsponges, which wasnt much different from inhaling pure H2. I would like to Actually, I didnt want to know what crazy biology would require the regular intake of a fuel cell component.

Two people with large glowsponge balls approached. They had them on strings of rope, like floating gas balloons for kids. The two couriers had to hold onto the comically huge treats because they were large enough to require effort.

Each of us was handed a rope and I gingerly took it. Thanks to our strength mutation Astra and I hadnt any issues.

Ah, this is going a little too fast for me, I complained weakly. The drakes were smart enough to be negotiated with? That was huge news. Why hadn't anyone told me before? Why was this kept a secret? Was this why everyone had avoided my questions about intelligent aliens so far?

Astra turned to her drake. Thank you, Elegance. Go back to your roost now.

The large drake listened like a puppy and jumped off the observation platform to fly back to the colony.

Loopsfast wriggled its entire body, obviously torn between looking after its mate and waiting for me to dismiss it.

It was a long shot, but I had to try it. Go and find the tastiest glowsponge and bring it to your mate. Impress her with good treats!

The drake eyed me with a calculating expression before it seemed like a light went off above its head.

~Impress with presents!~

Then it performed a vertical take-off and went for the hangars ceiling to search through the glowsponges floating there.

Heeey, Astra complained. Are you trying to get Elegance fat?

I am trying to save my hide! I shot back. Loopsfast has a serious case of puberty hormones. The dude needs to get laid!

After the little episode with our mounts, Astra and I got a crash course on how to present our political cause to the other clans, followed by a very detailed introduction of Caravaner and Hochberg customs.

The former was of more immediate concern to our mission, as we would be in the Caravaners care for three to four weeks until we arrived at Hochberg.

Among all the clans, the Caravaners were the ones who went practically native on this world. They were also the smallest in number and were barely considered one of the big five. Nonetheless, they had the respect of everyone who relied on their trading caravans.

Unlike the large clans which had established permanent settlements, the Caravaners had split into smaller groups and adopted a nomadic lifestyle. They lived most of their lives in Tirnanogs wilderness while the various groups travelled from clan to clan. What they couldnt make on their own, they traded for by buying and selling goods. Presumably, it was one of the most lucrative business models in a world where the various resources were limited to specific regions.

A direct consequence of their lifestyle was their valuing of power and skill above all else. A Caravaner either had exceptional combat abilities or some unique mutation which made him or her valuable for wilderness survival and worth the groups protection.

Except for children, there was no in-between. It wasnt unheard of for young teens with less than optimal mutations to find themselves kicked out of their caravan and forced to join whatever clan the Caravaners were stopping at. Either that or those considered unfit for travel established and managed trading outposts at the various settlements.

Armed with the knowledge of Caravaner customs, we approached Family Northroutes winter quarters a generously-sized underground installation at the foot of Mount Aerie which required a one-hour trip per lorry to reach.

Etan, Teresa, Astra, and I showed up in full armour, ready to prove our worthiness to be taken on a trip south.

We were received by a young woman close to Ivs age. Unlike the clanners preferred woven fabrics which ranged from linen-like outer clothes to wool and silken garments, our greeter was clad in fur and leather.

Seeing Etan and Teresa, she immediately bowed. We greet the honoured elders. If you would follow me, please? Our pathseekers are ready to receive you.

I exchanged a quick glance with Astra. According to Etans introduction, the seekers were akin to clan Aeries elders. They were generally the oldest Caravaners who had travelled the various routes often enough to know the lay of the land without needing maps.

Meanwhile, most of the one hundred and forty-four Caravaners currently enjoying clan Aeries hospitality could be regarded as close to a juggernaut in power.

Admonishing myself, I quickly abolished my last thought. That way lay hubris.

I tried to avoid thinking in terms of power levels like unpartnered, partnered, juggernauts, and elders. It oversimplified the real world with what felt like a game mechanic.

After my training sessions with Etan, there was no question in my mind that ten elder classified warriors would very likely win against ten juggernauts in a head-on confrontation.

But due to our training, I no longer saw Etan as an insurmountable opponent. Without holding back any of my abilities and by relying on trickery and a cheap shot, there was a real chance of beating him. No matter a persons power, they could always die, given the right circumstances.

The recent assassination attempt was a grim reminder and I had to count myself lucky to be alive.

The woman led us down a corridor which ended in a large, round room which was comparable in size to the Hall of Law.

Four people, three women and one man were sitting cross-legged on an elevated divan of furs which allowed them to look down at the others who had made themselves comfortable on the floor. Except for furs, the Caravaners didnt think much of furniture. There were about twenty people in the room.

At our entrance, a straight path to the divan was cleared without questions asked or orders given.

Our guide bowed to the four people who stood up from their positions. Honoured Seekers, Clan Aerie has sent us two elders, as promised.

If I wasnt wrong, then the titan to the left was Holly, who was the closest to what I would call a chieftain. The Caravaners didnt have real leadership, since they were all more or less one large family. Though, they had a hierarchic structure based on power and seniority.

The leader, a grim-looking woman standing a whole three heads above anyone in the room, addressed us, Teresa! It is good that our friends from clan Aerie finally deign to speak with us. Given the surprise with the U.I.s message boxes and your continued silence on the matter, some raised questions about whether we are still welcome at the mountain.

Teresa bowed. Holly, we are here to address those questions and the demands we made.

The male seeker next to Holly narrowed his eyes. I hope you have good answers. It isnt our way to transport children through the wilderness. And it is still too early to depart without a good reason. Transporting someone not of our people certainly isnt one, no matter the payment.

Teresa straightened and firmed her voice. You are not going to transport children, but a delegation to clan Hochberg. War is coming.

She then continued to tell them of Thichs attack on Aeries recruitment mission. Of what we had concluded from interrogating the surviving Thich. Following, the subsequent revelation of the colonys old supercomputer. And lastly, the Forgottens attack and their death, which served as proof in Teresas narrative.

The Caravaners didnt ask questions and instead listened with an intense concentration, as if it would be the height of insults to interrupt a story.

Once Teresa was done, Holly spoke, This is a troubling tale you bring us. But you know our rites. We do not transport the weak not even if its a diplomatic mission of great import.

Astra stepped forward. We are not weak. We can match any of your warriors in single combat and protect those of us who arent fighters. No Caravaner will have to raise a hand to protect us against nature.

The seeker next to Holly, a stout lady who looked like a dwarf next to the giant, grinned nastily.

Then lets put your claim to the test!