Two things that surprise newcomers in their study of Alermuric:

Surprise number one is Alermuric is a rich language. A single word can hold a varying number of different meanings when translated to Kamish.

Surprise number two is that the Alermuric text itself is read from right to left instead of the traditional left to right we Kamish readers are accustomed to.

As such, what few books the Nuzi people possess start from the right side. -

Elementry Alermuric: by Patrick. C. Zimbermon

 

Natalie

 

She tried to calm herself down about the state of Andrew’s wellbeing but it was not working. The children who’d started talking a little among themselves since their escape had now fallen silent once again. Their mouths were sealed by Natalie’s anxious vibes that loomed over them like an unpleasant rain cloud. What made it worse for Natalie was that despite their silence she could still hear them thanks to the new powers she awoke to earlier. Although she was sure that some of it was indeed them speaking in hushed tones, the voice’s in her head felt louder, more upfront with their wants and concerns.

 

They all hoped that Andrew would pull through but were uncertain that it would happen. This sensation along with Andrew’s predicament began to overwhelm her. Where half of them spoke in whispers and others barely opened their mouths to speak at all the flood of thoughts that were running past her mind still caused her to tighten her eyes shut and grit her teeth.

 

With unconscious Andrew laying on her legs Natalie bowed her head trying all that she could to tune out the children’s thoughts and instead channel that towards Andrew’s mind again like last time. If there was any voice there however it was being drowned out by all the minds that bombarded her brain. She did not want them to be quiet, they had escaped one hell and somewhere likely going to come home to find out what loved one of theirs was not so lucky. Come what may from that outcome at least they had others who could share their pain.

 

She just worried about Andrew’s mental wellbeing, it was hard for her to explain but in some odd way seeing that barely visible sword Epimetheus stabbed into him left her more scared for him than if it had simply killed him outright. It was that thing that held Andrew under a spell now, his body showing no sign of any fatal wounds and yet he remains disconnected from the world like someone in a coma or worse.

 

Thinking about all the crap that Epimetheus said did not help in the matter.

 

Andrew’s thoughts, I'm starting to lose track of his thoughts!

 

She did not know if it was her simply being unable to channel and control this new power or the other's thoughts were entering her mind too loudly drowning out what little presence Andrew’s one was making, all Natalie knew was that she was losing a sense of him somehow. The helplessness of this fact clutched her by the throat making her breaths short.

 

“Can’t it go faster?” she turned to Chenoa who sat near the edge of the moving rock wall they now traveled on.

 

Natalie had the presence of mind to ask for her name shortly after getting Andrew up and settling him down. Chenoa who wore a face of intense poise as if wishing her home village to appear over the horizon blinked twice before taking note of her question. Natalie did not repeat herself but even so, Chenoa seemed to read the question on Natalie's Face.

 

‘No faster...’ the thought hit Natalie’s mind, that faint taste of hazel entered her mouth, it was definitely from Chenoa. Natalie was beginning to panic. What will she do if he dies? How will she tell his parents? Perhaps seeing these threads of panic in her eye Chenoa crawled her way over to kneel by Natalie. Those actions drew the other children's attention and soon most of them had carefully gathered around her and Andrew.

 

“Is he going to get up?” Tien asked, earning him a glare from Walta.

 

Natalie had only half an ear for it however making the others simply look at each other in painful silence. Just then Chenoa looked up ahead with widening eyes before jumping to her feet and running her way along the neck of the giant beast only to stop at its edge to scream and wave at the top of her lungs.

 

Natalie was about to give a word of warning until she looked up and saw what she was reacting to. Overhead just behind a mountain stood a long and wide wooden fence with sharpened tips. In the middle of it stood a gate partly open with what looked like two young men standing side by side beyond it barely visible from this distance.

 

“Is that where I think it is?” Edith asked, stepping beside Natalie to see for himself.

 

As she saw him and the other children all do the same Natalie nodded absently to his question.

 

“Nuzi village, It’s the only place that I know that exists on this side of the mountain,” Natalie said. A brief gust of wind blew at her back sending her old brown cloke into a flutter beyond her for a second.

 

According to her map, they should have been closer to the center of this wall of mountains instead of at its very edge.

 

Our map is outdated, her eyes squinting as she activated her angel sight and peered past the sharp wooden fence made out of thirty feet tree logs. What she was going on inside however gave her pause.

 

They were scurrying around like ants feeling a disturbance to their nest. Men grabbing reluctant or slow-moving children to carry them to their hut’s, women dropping their buckets and bowls of water and food on the side to help find shelter for their loved ones. One man looked to be in the middle of breaking down the fence that held their goats until someone else ran over and nudged him as if to hurry. After a reluctant hack at the fence, the man dropped the weapon and followed the one who nudged him. At this distance, Natalie could practically hear the panicked voices and protesting screams, cries, and shouts from the confused children. Could they be because of them? Just because she and the children came around to trusting this giant walking rock did not mean that others would understand. But even with that something about all this did not sit right with Natalie. It was utter chaos inside and yet the two guards that were standing by either side of the gate just stood there idle. It was as if they could not hear anything. Although they could see them, their lack of a reaction unnerved her.

 

“I don’t like this,” Walta echoed Natalie’s thoughts.

 

Natalie backed up from the edge of the giant's neck, her unease warping her other senses. Whatever trick they were playing or whatever misunderstanding they held about them she needed to clear it up and-

 

Back where Andrew loomed an eagle the size of a fully grown man. It stood over him, its sharp black talons a-top of the flat, uneven back of the guardian rock much like them. Its brown feathered body puffed out threateningly and proud as its head tilted to one side to better peer at the dark knight, it drank in the sight of Andrew as if studying an interesting specimen for a later hunt.

 

With her heart leaping to her throat at seeing it Natalie just stood there froze her in place, that was until a few of the children who were at the edge with her followed her gaze and began to scream. She acted then, summoning her wings Natalie channeled a torrent of electricity into her right fist, charged in, and threw it at the man-sized bird of prey. It however simply looked at her and spread its own wings. A great gust of wind exploded from this act, a gust so strong that it broke Natalie’s momentum, having her wings summoned did not help as it caught the gust of wind and blew her off the guardian rock.

 

She’d barely recovered when the winds suddenly shifted from blowing violently at her front to now crashed hard at her back. Natalie spun and recovered in the air like a man pulled tinder by rapid undercurrents from a great sea storm. The giant eagle used this sudden updraft of winds to ascend heavenward without once flapping its wings. Like a leaf caught in a breeze, the giant hulk of a bird flew away without making a sound. It was using the winds-controlling them itself Natalie realized. It was how it flew in so stealthily. No, indeed this was no ordinary egal-not by far.

 

A spirit animal!

 

It was in that moment that Natalie recollected the brief but firm wind at her back just when she and the other kids all came to the edge of the guardian rock to look out at the village. Was that when it made its landing? Had it landed truly been that simple to get behind her and stand over Andrew without her notice? Just how long had it been eyeing them to even know when to approach? The giant eagle practically had its keen eye touching Andrew's head by the time she saw it. That keen eye could have easily been a keen beak tearing at him instead.

 

Pushing those thoughts aside Natalie unsummoned her wings to fall back down on top of the guardian rock as she watched the eagle ascend in front of the sun. She knew that it maneuvered itself there for cover and she had no time to be played into its poil. Instead, Natalie landed back down and quickly drew her attention to what was going on below.

Spirit animals are rear-doubly so in the wild. Although all living things can use the planet's affinity like humans with their knight's armor it takes a special kind of environment to even warrant seeing a wild animal harness the event on the most basic of levels. To meet one that cannot only harness its affinity but master it to such a degree like this eagle. It meant that this eagle had a human master and now that their ruse is up they’ll…

 

There!

 

Natalie heard more so than saw the danger since looking back in the direction of the two guards who were standing there earlier now missing. Crouching and rolling out of the way of a whistling noise behind her Natalie ducked low as a strange bladed bone-like boomerang flew overhead. The eagle cried from up above as Chenoa had shouted something in panic and ple but between the din of screams of children around her and the sight of a young man branded in a scarf made up of large feathers leaping to catch, the boomerang and brandishing another in his hand to throw in return Natalie barely had time take note of what was going on.

 

Instead, she backed off the edge of the guardian rock to land on the ground. Using her angel sight to see the attacker, eagle, and children above her Natalie hoped that they would instead ignore them and focus their attention on her. She was partly relieved when she saw the boomerang arc around the guardian rock and home its way towards her. Running under its giant stompy legs the spinning projectile stabbed into the feet of the guardian rock as she barely leaped over the stomping led on the other end.

 

Looking over her back she saw the copper-skinned man drop from over the other side of the guardian. He cushioned his landing with a sudden burst of air confirming Natalie's suspicions of his affinity. He looked at her with bemused eyes however that bravado faded as he looked at the trodding guardian rock walk away with one of his weapons stuck in its leg. He seemed unnerved by its presence. No sooner had she got to her feet from her earlier stunt however had she noticed the hardly audible footfalls sounding beside her.

 

Barely dodging a stone-tipped spear Natalie pivoted off the rocky ground and skidded back. The tip barely missed her cheek as the guard continued his assault, the man maneuvering the spear with precise but deadly force. After serving a number of wild slashes and pokes Natalie caught the wooden end of the speak with one hand but before she could try a disarming maneuver aqua jets came bursting out from under her grip prying it free. Staggered off balance from the sudden burst of water Natalie could only jump back from his leaping overhead slash. Even though she barely avoided the spear’s tip Natalie’s arms were cut by a faint presence that she could only explain as being the claws of a great wolf.

 

The strike was hard enough to send her toppling onto her back and force her to roll back onto her feet. Right then the guardian rock had lifted up its back foot to land it right where Natalie just recovered to force her to kick off instantly to one side before rotating herself upright again to see her attacker. It was another copper-skinned man. Though unlike the other one who was decorated with feathers this one had the pelt of a white wolf cloaked on his back. He carried a spear and his posture reminded Natalie of something akin to that of a keen predator sizing up its prey.

 

Natalie was already panting, having not eaten much since her last battle and being unable to rest because of Andrews's current state she’d not been feeling that much better than she had back then. As the garden rock with the kids walked on by Natalie took in a steady breath to brush her fatigue aside, she watched the spear-wielding man carefully. Not daring to waste any more strength unless she had to. With him and the giant eagle drawing their attention to her then hopefully the sight of Chenoa and the kids will help the other villagers make better sense of what was going on and stop them from being so hostel.

 

At the very least with things like this, the kids won’t be in the crossfire.

 

Better yet, I don’t have to be in the crossfire. She thought as she summoned her wings.

 

This started the spearman a little as he readjusted both his footing and handling of his spear. Ignoring him Natalie opened her wings to take flight until she heard the great eagle from up on high cry out to the sky before a current of wind smacked down her form up high pinning her to the ground. Winded from the ordeal she drags herself back to her feet. The excursion from before coming back with vengeance. She was hoping to fly out of the way from a fight-at least long enough for these people to understand what was going on and act rationally.

 

She knew that the eagle was up there but this was the first time that she’d faced anyone who could tango with her in the sky like this and she did not like it. As if knowing that its actions wounded a part of her ego the eagle let out another cry that echoed off the mountains and rocky ground as if saying ’the-skies-are-mine’. Having enough with all of this Natalie let her emotions on the matter run free causing the bright cloudless sky to almost all at once become a dark tempest to the imminent singles of a great storm.

 

She wiped the side of her cheek as she felt some sensation earlier. Seeing that it was bloody from barely avoiding the spear Natalie sighed to herself. With the rain now falling the rest of the bleeding on her arms and face was washed away as her healing cleared away any signs of ever being slashed in the first place. With her wounds healed Natalie's eyes flashed open, the purple glow of her pupils glittered alight with a steely determination.

 

Fine, keep the skies.

 

A great rumble erupted from the clouds themselves leaving the landscape screaming back their eclipse with endless echoes and drew on forever. The eagle cried out once more but it was hard to hear over the rolling thunder. As the rain began to fall Natalie felt the power of the storms within her grasp once again. They could take the sky but so long as the rain comes-

 

Something throbbed within her skull making her wince in pain and clasping her temple. She instantly looked up in fear that the two men would take advantage of this opening only to find them standing uncertain right where she left them. Still weary from was the recent actions she did with her wings and the sudden storm clouds although it was not intended Natalie was thankful for the respite that the initial shock gave her.

 

“Madha takuna? Jalib aleasifati?” he grumbled.

 

Not understanding what he said beyond it being a question and unable to read his thoughts Natalie pinched her nose to try and to settle down the throbbing that she’d recently been getting since the infiltration.

 

I just need to buy time for them to realize we are not a threat…

 

“If this is about me attacking that bird of yours then it had it coming,” she mumbled as she forced herself to remove her fingers from the bridge of her nose.

 

“Fi kilta alhalatayn, sadae hdana lika.” as he said this the raindrops that fell around him began to slow down and gather around his back as if forming into something tangible.

 

Natalie felt at the barely visible claws scratches she’d taken on the arm moments before. Recollection how he removed her hand from his spear with streaming jets of water Natalie already suspected that he was an aqua knight. But this… this thing that he was conjuring up was like nothing she’d ever seen any knight with elemental affinity do before and that unnerved her. Most time’s she was the one with the elements of surprise thanks to her unorthodox powers and fighting style. There were certain expectations to be had when it came to dealing with the seven affinities. One being their elemental strength and weaknesses. This should always apply no matter what. But with the way this spearman was using it she felt that it could have some quirks that could fly in her face if she took him on as simply an Aqua knight.

 

Just as the body of water behind him began to truly shape into something that could be seen as a form, shouts and protests came from the direction of the village. Chenoa who’d come off the guardian rock was running towards Natalie, her arms reaching out desperately in protest to their fighting. Behind her, Natalie noticed that the guardian rock had completely stopped merely twenty feet away from the village walls, beside it stood the other feathered man with the boomerangs. He was looking up at the guardian rock now, his mouth agape in awe. Behind him came a trio of people, two women walked past the boomerang man, they were led by an elder man who wore a great headdress tasseled with feathers. They strode with their heads held high and eyes forward despite the giant rock creature standing beside them.

 

All three emanated a sense of authority as a small gathering of men and women dressed in thickly woven checkered patterns of red, green, brown, and gray lagged behind. That, along with them there clear apprehension of being near the guardian rock made them look far less stately to the fine woven clothing off, white, black, red, and gold is worn by the three approaching Natalie. Although Natalie was more familiar with clothes woven that finley in her homeland and beyond it still seemed to stand out here as much as citizens' clothes differed from the kings and queens.

 

The man with the feathered headdress shouted something in a tone of command and at the words, the spearman who’d been glaring at her until then instantly stopped what he was doing turned around to him, and fell to one knee in respect. Chenoa meanwhile was trying to make it up to her but the boomerang man held her back all the while falling to one knee in the presence of this man and his small entourage. Breathing a sigh of relief at seeing people of authority stop the fighting Natalie’s gut grumbled in protest making her feel both lightheaded and embarrassed. Luckily nobody heard.

 

She must have moved too quickly because the spear man’s weapon was back up and in her face before she knew it. Before anything else could have happened the leader said something in a tone of disapproval. Reluctantly, the spearman lowered his weapon allowing Natalie to move on.

 

Glaring daggers at him Natalie continued. Although it already healed her hand she still unconsciously itched the claw marks that had been left there earlier. As Natalie approached the side of the guardian rock one of the two women (the youngest one) came towards her as if to converse. She wore a loose finely woven shirt with a long brown skirt that reached her ankles. Her raven black hair was placed into a tight bun at the back of her head crowned made with a thin twig. Upon this crown stood a single black feather, the tip of which was white. With her arms clasped in front of her, the young woman almost seemed to float towards Natalie as she strode but she hardly got three words out before Natalie turned to face the guardian rock and jump above it using her wings to land atop its back.

 

As much as she liked to stand around and explain things there was a more pressing matter to deal with first.

 

As Natalie landed atop the guardian rock she found both Walta and Edith trying to drag Andrew's unconscious body down the guardian rock's back. There was a gathering of fearful but good-intentioned villages braving the climb up the guardian's rocks face to reach the children and help bring them down. Most of them were already gathered safely on the ground below save for the two kids and Andrew.

 

“We couldn't leave him.” Walta protested before pointing at Edith. “He said that-”

 

“-I said leave him here and let her deal with it!” Edith cut in.

 

“We couldn't leave him here in case it walked off with him!”

 

“Follow the others,” Natalie cut in as she took Andrew off their hands

 

With some back and forth between the villagers the early apprehension and panic had transformed purely into an effort to help. Although there was still a clear look of apprehension in their eyes at the sight of the creature, they simply kept repeatedly mumbling something under their breaths every time they made contact with it as if to ward off some curse as they made an honest effort to help the children.

 

With her wings unsummoned and Andrew firmly thrown over her shoulder, Natalie dropped down among the gathering of people earning her gasps of surprise.

 

“I need help!” Natalie said as she scanned the small crowd around her.

 

The boomerang guy ushered the crowd aside allowing the two women and man with the feathered headdress to pass by unimpeded. Once again the younger woman of the two broke from the other two to reach her, this time a hint of uncertainty emanated through her stoic features.

 

“He needs help, Something happened and I'm not sure what’s wrong with him!” Natalie said.

 

The young woman tilted her head, her eyes frowned in deep concentration.

 

“‘Help’?” she asked. There was a bit of a musical tone to her accent as she mouthed the word.

 

“Yes, help!” Natalie nodded emphatically. “Do you have a medicine man-or someone who can use the earth to-”

 

“-I...help you,” she said, pointing to herself then at Natalie.

 

Relived Natalie stepped on over and hurriedly laid Andrew by the woman’s feet. This puzzled her. Seeing this Natalie wondered if anything was understood between them at all. A moment later that look of confusion was replaced by a steely determination. She turned around to the gawking villagers who were either watching over the kids pulled down from the guardian rock or shying back to the village gates with shouted orders.

 

As the ones closest to her sprang into action she kneeled down above Andrew’s head and studied his features before gently prying open one of his eyelids with her finger. Her face darkened soon after.

 

“Where hurt?” the woman asked.

 

Natalie pointed to Andrew’s chest where the shadow blade entered and faded from. Nodding in understanding she placed a hand on his chest and felt around as if to look for any broken ribs. Satisfied she pulled a small knife from her waist and drew it to his neck. Natalie took an unconscious step forward making the young woman stop in place to look up at her. Her eyes must have betrayed her miss trust because from there on in, the young woman steadily placed the blade between the neck of Andrew’s vest and without breaking eye contact began to carefully cut it down the middle exposing her chest.

 

Understanding the gesture for what it was, Natalie began to breathe once again. With deft fingers, she examined Andrew’s chest but again came up short. She mumbled something in confusion to herself as she shook her head until she stopped in place, her eyes widening. She was no longer touching Andrew’s chest but rather had her hand hovered just above it. With a curious turn of the head, she hovered the hand from his left side of the chest to the center where she held it in place, her eyes darkening.

 

“That’s it! That’s where he’d been stabbed.” Natalie swallowed.

 

Looking up at her the young woman blinked as if broken out from some kind of spell. Then tentatively she placed her other hand on the green stoned necklace around her neck. Only then did she close her eyes. Mumbling something to herself the young woman's skirt began to flow as a wisp of winds tassel her dress.

 

In that serene state, her eyes suddenly opened, worried. Just then the man with the great feathered headdress stepped on behind her and said words Natalie could not understand. The young woman looked up blinking and distracted. Natalie’s mouth went dry.

 

Is Andrew going to die? Is that what this is about?

 

The old man then took a sweeping look at the people gathered and mumbled something only the ones closest to him could hear. The young woman shook her head to this before replying something in assurance and looking Natalie back in the eye.

 

“Is something wrong?” Natalie spoke before she realized it.

 

The young woman nodded.

 

“Something… iilaa alwara.” She struggled to find the words to explain things which only made Natalie worry worse.

 

Meanwhile, the elder woman beside after a silent conversation with the man slipped off to reach Chenoa, the other children, and the villagers who accompanied them. Two people came running out of the village gate holding what looked to be a stretcher made up of wooden poles tethered together with a thick sheet of dark green. At the moment Natalie was distracted by the approaching stretcher, an ear-piercing scream left the young woman's mouth. When she looked back she'd fallen on her back, eyes widened and hands shaking as she looked upon Andrew’s unconscious body like one would look at a spawn of demons. In that moment she looked like what she was. Just a young girl, barely a few years older than Natalie herself, frightened awake from a horrible nightmare.

 

Alarmed the people stopped what they were doing to look at them. The spear and boomerang man stood on guard as the wave of worry ripped through them. In that tense moment, the elder woman who’s coming with the young woman and the king-like man gasped and pointed at Andrew. On his chest was the barely visible sword seeping with black smoke much like when he was impaled with it. This drew in more alarm as all each person's reaction confirmed that they were not just seeing things. As the air grew thick with alarm and confusion Natalie drew closer to Andrew.

 

“What happened-what did you do to him!?” she asked.

 

The few villagers who had collected themselves from the install shock were shouting over another in tones of question and untrust. Although Natalie tries asking again there din of noise drowned her words out making her panic. As the giant eagle cried a loud crow from a jester by the boomerang gurde by orders of the king the crowd fell silent just enough to the young woman’s next words whisper on shaken lips.

 

“Iinah almumha,”

 

All who heard this went hysterical. The spearman hissing under his breath pushed the young woman out of the way. In a fluid pivot, he turned his spear towards Andrew. Natalie was already in front of him before she knew it, kicking the tip of the spear deep into the ground preventing him from taking it back so easily. The locals all looked to be either fleeing or getting ready to charge the unconscious dark knight. Some men stationed on top of the roof began drawing back arrows in wait. The two men who brought the stretcher tripped over themselves to get away from the chaos along with most of the gathered villagers. Some men and women gasped and shouted repeated words as if to ward off some kind of evil. Others took the spear stuck as an example and instead took a defensive stance around Andrew whilst holding whatever tool they had on hand.

 

As she stood there with her wings summoned Natalie tried to keep her eyes on all of them at once, that was until their leader stepped between Natalie and his people with his hands clasped behind his back looked about at them all standing still like a held breath.

 

He said something in his native tongue for all to hear and just like that the dynamics changed. The spare and boomerang man who was facing Andrew just a moment ago took a defensive stance behind Andrew along with her and their leader. The bowman from up above unloosened their bows and stood to attention. As for the people, they seemed disheartened by their earlier reactions. But a deep well of conflict echoed off their posture and eyes. The spare and boomerang men although fared better in their posture with their show of certainty in their actions Natalie could see from there that their eyes betrayed them. Despite this, the air seemed calmer now. Everyone came at ease as stance straightened and weapons lowered. The spearman slowly yanked his weapon out from under her feet as he glanced back at Natalie. As the people leader spoke to his people to pause a moment to look down at the young woman still sitting dazed on the floor, his eyes holding a deep pit of fire within them. The young woman shrank under that gaze and before getting to her feet she said something to the two men who dropped the stretcher who then proceeded to pick it up and move over to Andrew.

 

Natalie however, taken aback by their sudden hostility and baffled as to what was going on, did not move from her spot in front of Andrew. The two men looked at each other at a loss before nodding to Andrew as if asking permission to approach him. The spare and boomerang man who was now apparently Andrew's bodyguard did not bat an eyelid at this.

 

“Back off,” Natalie said under clenched teeth.

 

Confused they tried going around her with Natalie and simply stepped in their way.

 

“I’m not moving until I get an explanation on what the hell happened there.” she hissed.

 

There was just something about these people’s reaction that screamed more than initial shock at what happened to Andrew. It gave her a horrible feeling. Stuck between their orders and her refusal to follow them the two men seem to quiver under her gaze until the young woman stepped forth.

 

“Explaining… you will have. Please… I want, help you.” she whispered, there was something in her tone that spoke of apology. Despite everything, there was an earnestness to her.

 

But that feeling of dread still would not go away. She’d been burnt by trusting people before. She’d never forget. In a perfect world, she would camp outside with the children and take her chances with random demon encounters. At Least then it was simple. Demons meant death. Demons meant to kill it or be killed. Navigating the interpreted web of human emotions wants and motives and their culture was a dance she’d long given up trying to learn. That often meant that Andrew was the voice of reason. He was the one that would often iron out and smooth the bitter feelings her blunt actions created with his stupid smile and silly humor.

 

But with Andrew out of the picture as surrounded by such foreign people she’d never felt so out of sorts than she did right now. To her, this village with its walls and people was not that different from the sinister rock face base they just navigated. Full of people and things she had yet to understand. Surrounded by people who had their own take on what was right and would do what they could to incorporate it even if it meant betraying her rights. Dear, does she risk it? Dear she trust people again? Some of them glanced back, a clear look of concern at the sight of her not following suit. Chenoa who was being dragged onwards by her mother was calling for her, tears glistening in her eyes. Looking over to the children being guided into the village and then at Andrew to her back Natalie clenched her fists.

 

“Fine,” Natalie mumbled, as the village leader continued to soothe the villagers' worries with his sermon. “But he and the kids stay with me.”