Tribe Master

by Noah Layton

  After wading through the masses to the other side of the post we arrived at the Junker’s stall. They were small, pale, bald figures, only standing around 3 to 4 feet in height, and all were wearing the same purple cloaks.

  I attempted to withdraw the weapons from my inventory, but the moment I introduced myself four Junkers scurried around the stall to me and began pulling at my clothes and examining me.

  They weren’t aggressive or overpowering – just unbelievably curious in their examination of me, like I was some kind of object.

  And it didn’t take long before they got the better of me.

  I had been so preoccupied in keeping track of the four of them that I failed to notice one snatch the gun from the holster around my waist.

  No safety. Ten rounds still in the magazine.

  Shit.

  ‘Hey, hey!’

  But it was too late. All four of them were fascinated by the object. They scrambled and fought for it frantically, stroking and petting it, feelings its texture and judging its weight.

  I was about to grab it back when my worst fear was realised.

  BOOM.

  I and my companions had done a bad enough job so far of keeping a low profile, but any semblance of being covert went out the freaking window as the gun went off.

  Shrieks burst out around us followed by the same awkward silence that follows a loud break-up in a crowded bar.

  The traders nearest to us all stared in our direction. Thanks to Alorion, always fast on his feet, the commotion quickly dispelled.

  ‘Nothing to see here, folks! Just a little, uhh... Reunion ritual between friends!’

  I returned to the Junkers and wondered how the hell I was going to coax them out of setting the gun down, never mind resisting firing it again, but I was in luck.

  Their expressions of silent bewilderment quickly changed into nervous laughs. Then, the nervous laughs transformed into delighted smiles and hysterical chuckles.

  One of the Junkers approached me, grinning madly, while the remaining three examined the gun and held out his hand.

  ‘Oh, no, no,’ I said quickly, waving my hands before me, ‘It’s not for sale.’

  ‘Inwarga mar corsa!’

  The big stupid grin stayed on his face as he shook his hand before me again, this time with more enthusiasm.

  What the hell, I can turn the deal down if I want.

  I shook the Junker’s cold, clammy hand and examined the trading box that appeared before me.

  A pixelated, spinning image of the gun sat in the box on my side. In the space where it’s name should have been there was nothing but a question mark.

  Of course – this was a foreign item. I had brought it into this world. It was one of a kind. This technology didn’t exist here. Whatever ethereal mechanics existed in this world, this gun wasn’t a part of it.

  I looked at what they were offering in exchange. No items, only gold.

  ‘Holy shit.’

  1000GP

  I gulped hard, somehow managing to restrain myself from immediately hitting the accept button.

  I called Alorion over to me.

  ‘What do you think?’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘What do you think? What they’re offering.’

  ‘What are they offering?’

  ‘You can’t see it?’

  ‘Only the traders can see the specific details of a trade.’

  ‘1000GP.’

  ‘By the gods…’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘It would go a long way in improving our base. I wonder why they are offering so much for such a thing.’

  ‘You saw what it did along the trail. Instant kill.’

  ‘Indeed. But how does it work, this weapon of yours?’

  ‘I pull a trigger and it fires bullets, which are like tiny arrows. The gun had 13 when I got here. Four have been fired so far.’

  ‘Which leaves nine of these… What did you call them?’

  ‘Bullets.’

  ‘Nine bullets remaining after that shot they fired. Once they are gone, the weapon becomes useless, yes?’

  ‘Technically, but what if they reverse engin-… I mean, what if they take the thing apart and figure out how it works and build more?’

  ‘The Junkers are collectors, not fighters. It will be stored on a shelf with the many other items that they hoard. And even if they do figure out how it works, there are much more powerful things in this world that can kill people.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Indeed. He looks to be growing impatient. You must decide.’

  I returned to the box and examined the details one last time. No loans, no tricks, just a straight-up deal.

  I would need to learn how to use a sword properly.

  I hit the accept button and watched the gold tick rapidly into my inventory.

  The Junkers turned from me almost instantaneously now that they had what they wanted. They returned to their business and paid us no further attention.

  But that didn’t matter. We had no debts, a heap of gold and a shopping list as long as my arm.

  Over the next hour we browsed from stall to stall. Initially we purchased the necessities, acquiring a second bed so that both Ariadne and I had somewhere to sleep, a simple rug to make the treehouse seem a little less bare, as well as water canteens and a supply of spices, salt and butter to liven up the corn a little. We even bagged quality portions of-

  ‘Taurem,’ Alorion said. ‘Delicious, tender meat.’

  ‘If you say so.’

  Clothes were another matter entirely. In his green monkey-esque form Alorion was content to stagger about shamelessly naked, but Ariadne and I couldn’t exactly do the same.

  My boots were still in decent shape, but on top of those I acquired a well-fitting pair of pants made from a light, durable material and a white tunic shirt. To top it off, I found a scabbard for my sword and fitted it to my waist the moment the gold pieces had changed hands. This way I would be able to draw it faster instead of going into my inventory every time a fight broke out.

  Ariadne bought a light-fitting shirt that she tied over her slender stomach, as well as a pair of shorts that could hardly even be called those because of how small they were.

  ‘I’m always hot,’ she shrugged, walking out of a small dressing room that had been surrounded by velvet curtains in a tailor’s tent. ‘I prefer to travel light. What do you think?’

  ‘Yeah, you look pretty damn good.’

  We had burned through what yesterday would have seemed like a large amount of gold, but compared to our new stack it was nothing.

  It may have seemed like a lot, but the clothes we had purchased were of a durable, long-lasting quality, and we still had around 950GP left.

  I had been stabbed once and worked my ass off in the cornfield. I could afford to treat myself to a set of fresh clothes and a decent meal.

  ‘May I borrow just a few coins, master?’ Ariadne asked me. ‘I have spotted something that we may both enjoy.’

  ‘You don’t have to borrow it. You can have it. What is this thing you’re talking about?’

  ‘I would prefer it to be a surprise, if that is all right with you?’

  ‘… Sure, why not?’

  I traded the funds with her, after which she thanked my profusely and took off.

  Alorion and I continued to wander through the market

  ‘If we get attacked again, I’m gonna need to rely on being able to use a sword without getting sliced up.’

  ‘Defensive traps, Jack’ he suggested. ‘They can eliminate intruders and their screams of pain will warn us to the presence of any others in the event that they catch us off-guard.’

  ‘You said that screams of pain part with a little too much enthusiasm.’

  ‘One can never indulge in the cries of their enemies too much.’

  ‘And hear the lamentations of their women, right?’

  ‘If that’s the kind of tribe you wish to run, master. I
am only hear simply to advise.’

  ‘No, no, it’s a quote from a… Never mind.’

  While the Junkers were collectors of weapons, they weren’t keen on giving anything away. Instead amongst the rabble we finally found ourselves at a meticulously organised stall led by a pair of identical humanoids, save for their wolfen heads, one grey and one brown.

  They stood side by side, their arms folded before themselves defensively. Just as we stepped up to them, Ariadne returned to my side. The moment they saw her they both formed wide grins and began to snarl.

  ‘Back the fuck off,’ I said, holding out a hand before me. ‘I’m here to do business, not have my woman growled at by you pricks.’

  My woman. I don’t know what had possessed me to say that. Even if I had technically bought Ariadne I didn’t think of her as an object.

  But I was still protective over her. She was part of my tribe.

  ‘Mm,’ the wolf on the left grunted, then with a growling husk of a voice that sounded like it had been at the mercy of a million cigarettes, ‘no harm meant, friend-o. What do you like the look of?’

  I shot them both another glare before examining the vast array of items before me. I finally settled on a series of explosives that could be activated by tripwires.

  ‘Before we go any further,’ Ariadne whispered in my ear from behind me. ‘Would it be rude of me to ask for something else?’

  ‘Go ahead.’

  ‘Those.’

  Ariadne pointed at a pair of slightly curved daggers with leatherbound handles on the stall counter.

  ‘All of my kind use these weapons and are trained to at least a basic level. I would be of more use to you if I am permitted to fight with those on hand They can be used as throwing knives, and in melee range if necessary.’

  ‘You sure?’

  ‘I may be a little out of practice, but I can help.’

  Along with the knives and the bombs, I acquired some wooden training swords for practicing and shook hands with the wolf on the right.

  ‘300GP?’ I exclaimed. ‘You’re serious?’

  ‘Bombs guarantee safety and are incredibly difficult to make without blowing yourself up. If you wish to make them yourself with that knowledge in mind, be our guest.’

  The price was steep, but they were a necessity for keeping us safe.

  I agreed, and the three of us departed with our stash of new items.

  ***

  I set up the explosives in the field beyond the totems almost immediately upon returning, forming a small perimeter. I had been wary about handling them or accidentally causing friendly fire if one of us forgot, but after selecting it from my inventory, choosing the place for it to be activated and accessing the configurations through a new window that appeared, I felt a little more at ease.

  Configure: Citizens able to activate trap? Yes/No

  I selected No – from that point on, anybody who was a member of the tribe would be unable to set off the explosives via the tripwires. I had trouble understanding how the mechanics of it would work, and couldn’t resist testing it.

  I moved to press a fingertip against one of the wires, getting ready to run if the pin pulled, but my finger passed straight through it like it wasn’t even there.

  ‘That’s convenient.’

  I intended to get started on dinner when I arrived back at the tree, but Ariadne was holding the pair of wooden training swords in each hand.

  ‘Would you like a short lesson, master?’ She asked.

  ‘Why not?’ I smiled as she threw me one of the swords, which I caught.

  ‘Have you trained with a weapon before?’

  ‘A little. Mostly hand-to-hand combat.’

  ‘Then you should be able to pick this up quickly.’

  Ariadne ran me through the basic moves that she knew – the backhanded swing, overhead swing, the jab and how to parry and block properly. We repeated them until I was beaded with sweat and could perform them with relative ease.

  ‘Do you think one lesson is really enough to help me fend off against enemies out here?’

  ‘Definitely.’

  ‘Seriously?’

  ‘Of course. There are a few things you need to know about melee fighting; the first is that while many carry weapons in these lands, most have no idea how to use them. The second is that most try to be pretty when fighting. There is no sense in doing this; putting your strength behind the weapon and striking in a frenzy is the most important thing you can do.

  ‘It’s fine to know plenty of moves, but when it comes to a real fight the only thing that matters is that your weapon slices through your enemy first, instead of theirs through you.’

  A short time later we had prepared dinner. Well, I say we; Ariadne had insisted on cooking it.

  ‘This is spectacular, Ariadne.’

  ‘It is a simple recipe,’ she purred. ‘This flavourful mix of spices was a favourite among my people.’

  That night, under the shade of the tree back at our base, we feasted on the taurem meat with sides of salted corn dipped in melted butter and spices. The meat was akin to a top cut of New York Strip, and I couldn’t get enough.

  ‘So these taurem things,’ I said, chewing through the medium-rare cut and soaking up its delicious flavors, ‘are they difficult to find?’

  ‘In the wild, yes. But it would not be difficult to acquire some from a trader for the right price.’

  ‘We’d also need to think about the waste,’ Alorion said. ‘Quality meat comes at a cost. We would need to set aside a part of the grassland in the southern parts in order to accommodate and feed them.’

  ‘That reminds me,’ I paused. ‘Somebody’s going to need to clean the stable soon. Either that or I hire somebody to do it… But shovelling shit is honest work. I guess I can do it.’

  ‘Just wait till the taurems get here,’ Alorion said. ‘Oh lord, the sheer extent of the shit we cannot fathom…’

  ‘We can actually do it, though,’ I smiled, sitting back against the tree. ‘Just like that. You know, back in my world you would need permits and permission and planning… Here we can decide on it one day and do it the next.’

  ‘Your world?’ Ariadne said. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘The old master of this tribe summoned me from my world to take over, at least according to Alorion. In my world there are millions of animals just like taurems.’

  ‘Do the tribes in your world fight like ours?’

  ‘Sometimes. Although the tribes in my world are much bigger, and there hasn’t been a big fight for a while. The last time there was a big fight it almost destroyed the whole world.’

  ‘The whole world?’

  ‘Oh, yeah. The weapons we have aren’t like the ones you have here. They can destroy entire, uhh… tribes in the blink of an eye. People have caused a lot of damage trying to take over all of the tribes throughout history, but nobody’s ever managed it… Not yet, anyway. One guy got close in the last big fight, but people managed to beat him.’

  ‘It is the same with our world,’ Ariadne replied. ‘Many tribes have formed partnerships and allegiances in order to prevent war from breaking out, but these are unsteady. There is safety in numbers, after all.’

  ‘Ain’t that the truth. Speaking of which, how do we build the numbers of our tribe? I was given an advisor, and your freedom was bought, Ariadne. How do we go about bringing in other people?’

  ‘There are many ways,’ Alorion said. ‘We could buy them if they have been displaced from their homes. If somebody is not part of a tribe already we could invite them to join. Once our tribe grows, we can join forces with another tribe, or we can attack one that is undefended and threaten them with death should they refuse.’

  Ariadne and I exchanged a look with raised eyebrows as Alorion stared into the distance with a contented look on his face while chewing his steak.

  ‘I’ll put that on the maybe list of solutions,’ I nodded.

  ‘Sorry, I drifted off,’ Alorion replied,
shaking his head and looking back over at us. ‘What were we talking about?’

  ‘I think Master Marlo’s ways may have worn off on you a little.’

  ‘Perhaps,’ Alorion nodded. ‘Perhaps… I do apologise, Jack. He was particularly vicious towards the end. I shall try to keep a lid on such thoughts.’

  ‘You never know,’ I said. ‘We might need those thoughts one day.’

  As the sun set over the treetops on my second night in Agraria, silence fell among the three of us as we finished our meals. Only the birds among the trees chirped and the leaves on the trees rustled with the occasional breeze that swept through the humid air.

  ‘This place really is beautiful,’ I said. ‘Agraria may be filled with just as much fighting and conflict as my world, but at least you haven’t destroyed it like we have.’

  I was almost ready to doze off when Alorion himself declared that he was turning in for the night.

  ‘You’re leaving me with the horseshit in the stable?’

  ‘Oh,’ Alorion said, spinning around and looking at me at the base of the tree. ‘Did you want me to…?’

  ‘I’m joking, again,’ I smiled. ‘Night, buddy.’

  ‘Goodnight, Jack.’

  Alorion scampered off, leaving Ariadne and I in the fading light.

  ‘Something for dessert?’ Ariadne said.

  ‘I don’t think that we have anything around.’

  ‘What did you think the surprise was?’

  Ariadne checked her inventory and produced a wine bottle, smiling and shaking it in her hand.

  ‘Do you drink?’

  ‘Definitely.’

  ‘A liquor from the Rorn Isles, both bitter and sweet.’

  ‘If it takes the edge off, I’m game.’

  Ariadne shot me a look that said I have no idea what you just said, but smiled and poured it anyway.

  I would need to get used to saying things that would be misunderstood in this world – clarity worked, but a lot of expressions didn’t.

  At least Alorion had shown me that cussing worked the same.

  We filled our new canteens with the wine. I watched Ariadne take a swig first before drinking it myself. Despite the loyalty that she had displayed so far, I didn’t fully know if I could trust her.