Sachihiro

I wake feeling great, which is in itself the greatest of surprises as I recall the last time I woke up. I get up to stand with a groan already at the edge of my throat, expecting pain. To my confusion I really do feel as good as new.

I look around and my eyes fall on Dee watching me silently.

"Are you alright?" He asks, looking me up and down.

"Surprisingly, I think I am," I say testing my hand. Both my hands seem to be as good as new. No gripping difficulty with my right and my left hasn't rotten away needing to be amputated. In fact I feel, new.

I test myself by swinging my arms and bouncing at the balls of my feet. I definitely feel lighter.

"I feel great but tired. Does that make any sense? What happened anyways?" I ask looking around.

I'm in a tent. A big tent and its well made, almost luxurious. I can hear the sounds of heavy digging and hammering, there is construction going on outside. I'm clean and freshly clothed.

"How long was I out?" I ask as Daewon tosses me a water skin.

I catch it and take a drink, it's the second pleasant surprise of the day. This is the best water I've ever had. It flows down my throat smoothly in a way that makes me think of liquid crystals melting down my throat. It's cool and rejuvenating and it tastes good.

I sigh in deep pleasure as I finish it realising I'm no longer tired.

"Firstly, you nearly got us all killed. We should definitely acknowledge that," he giggles madly. "Sachihiro van Damage, losing his cool like that,'' Daewon snorts shaking his head. ''I never thought I'd see the day," he says with a bitter smile.

"Yea, sorry about that. Don't know what came over me there," I wave the episode away. So Freydis is dead, I don't know why that affected me so strongly.

I clear my clear throat somewhat embarrassed. Shit, I nearly started up the fighting in my anger.

Daewon grins. "That my dear brother, was a step beyond the Rage, that was the cold rage and to be honest I'm relieved I'm not the only one in the family that has it anymore." He says seriously, "but I pity you as well being consciously so apathetic in your anger. It's a burden. Though I must admit yours seemed different than mine."

I haven't seen him rage in years now that I think about it. "Talk to me," I say, feeling how serious he is.

"I've been suppressing my berserker for years," Dee says with a bitter grin. ''I'm hesitant to us the word but I think its evil in a way," he looks up into my eyes as he says this. ''The indifference that comes with the power, and oh what power!''

Dee is a strong kid and he is capable. But if he admires you and trusts you, he will seek your approval. I hate that about him because my approval for most things is usually internal, only for myself. But ma has forced me to praise him a few times throughout the years.

"I'm listening," I say, sitting down beside him. Avoiding prolonged eye contact in case he shocks me more than I'm ready for and he sees the judgment in my eyes. Emotionally fragile kid, I'm an emotionally fragile kid myself!

"My rage is like another person has taken over my body. A stronger person, with more insights and the more I use it, the more access he gets. It's... tempting not to feel.''

''You're afraid of your rage and your worried you enjoy it too much,'' I shrug. ''We all do to an extent, enjoy the rage. I do. It's scary because I'm capable of any atrocety when I rage but I'm capable of anything when I'm sober as well, so long as I'm motivated enough. Tell me about this rage self of yours?''

" I... he isn't cruel or angry, just indifferent to the world. Sheer and utter indifference and until you understand what it's like not to care whether or not your own family dies you won't understand how terrifying indifference is.''

I nod, trying to understand it. "Have you spoken to da?" I ask, looking at him.

He shakes his head 'no'.

"You should speak to da. I think grand-da had the same issues and the family weathered it somehow. It's going to be okay with you as well."

"Really?" He asks surprised, and maybe hopeful. "What happened to grand-da? I thought he was dead."

"Nea, he apparently went north, one day just walked off into the Titans never to be heard of again. Both our grand-ma's apparently followed after. He had a terrible Rage, but he probably wasn't a bad guy. Otherwise how could he have such devoted mates? Cheer up, we survived whatever shit show the fae brought upon us."

"Maybe they went looking to kill him," Dee mumbles.

"Maybe. But that's not how da made it seem when he told me."

Dee nods.

"Thanks Sachi, I'll speak to da; and you won't believe what's been going on!" He says with some excitement in his tone. Eyes sparkling with mischief and wonder.

That's the Daewon I know, ''what happened, what's been going on?''

One of the trainee Seers walks in and I realise I'm in their tent. It makes sense. This tent is too spacious to be just any old tent and has too many furs and comforts that wouldn't be wasted on the likes of me. The Seers hut in the village is usually gloomy and creepy but definitely comfortable. This tent is their style.

"This is Vicar. He is to be a Seer, he is a Scavenger."

Vicar snorts as we clasp forearms.

"I'm not so sure that's actually what I want anymore," Vicar says lying down on a cot.

"So you were saying?" I prompt Dee.

"Well you've been out for three days."

"What? How?" Three days is a long time. A very long time, a lot can happen in three days.

"OK this will take a while. Wait here, I'll get you something to eat," Dee says and leaves the tent.

I look at Vicar a moment. Look around for my equipment. Seeing none I leave the tent and am teleported to a different world. Not literary, but it feels like I am.

There are fae everywhere. Along with tall lean bearded men and women who definitely aren't tribesmen. I know this because some of them have spots on their faces, or red hair, or too narrow faces. Some of the men have no beards and their clothing is strange.

Probably another type of fae, A more human fae.

There are trenches dug and being dug everywhere I notice as I walk around. The entire tent settlement has been rearranged and I have no idea where I might be in relation to mine and Freydìs' old tent. If it even still exists.

I see a few familiar faces and wave, but everyone seems to be rushing somewhere. Carrying tools or logs or making bricks. Yes, there is a group of men making bricks and a dwarf writing strange lines on all sides of each one finished.

I honestly had no idea bricks were something that could be made. I thought all stone was mined like iron from the mountain and the used to make stone buildings.

The trench furrows are on average 10 feet deep and seem to be arranged in symmetrical patterns. All interconnected to each other, and deeper in some places. Everyone seems to be doing something in the new camp that's poped up in the three days I've been out.

Most of the camp tents have mostly been moved further away revealing a lot of open space here. The remaining tents are for Seers, some for workers to sleep in, a few for supplies I think and some for a few families I guess.

What's going on?

Most of the flat valley where we fought the southerns if dug full of these 10 feet deep furrows. Making long straight lines but interconnecting with the other trenches between tents.

What is everyone doing?

 

Dee eventually finds me and brings me back to his tent he shares with Vicar and a girl named Agatha who I'm introduced to.

I quickly wolf down the food as Dee talks, the others interrupting here and there.

"So basically there is this phenomenon that the Seers kept to themselves where the land acknowledges the claim of its occupants. If people settle on a land long enough, and bury their dead in that land and maintain the balance. Say for a thousand years for instance. The land will communicate with the inhabitants through spirit energy and direct them how to 'claim' the territory as their ancestral lands." Vicar says explaining these Seer secrets that are no longer secret.

"Of course, this claim is something that needs to be renewed every once in a while, say every hundred years or so. But there are benefits. The ancient beasts don't try to run you off if the land acknowledges you. Other creatures sensitive to spiritual energy also feel it when travelling into claimed territory.If someone with hostile intents enters your territory you immediately feel it. Things like that.''

"The good thing is that the Seers of the different tribes didn't each claim territory for themselves when they got the opportunity. But they got together and decided to claim the entire Tundra up to the Titans and parts of the Dawn for the entire Barbarian people. It's an ancient Seer agreement of some sort. Every 100 years each tribe’s seers get together and renew the claim for each individual tribe.

"The fae find it fascinating because the entire land is acknowledged by Gaia to belonging to our entire people. Yet each tribe also has acknowledged territory within the territory, you get? It's all very involved."

This is all fascinating but not really pertinent to the immediate situation. Or is it? I look at Dee and he isn't stopping the eager Vicar from over explaining. If this was all useless information he would have said something by now.

I listen more closely. Still flexing my hand half in wonder half in disbelief that it works without me having to go through all that pain again. That dwarven bone-bender must have had a bone to pick with me. I wonder who healled me, and how.

"The fae basically have this ceremony where the spirit of their lands on Gaia manifests into flesh and the leader of that land bed's it. Claiming the land for the next 100 years or so. But that claim is an individual’s claim and not for all the whole fae people. Which is why they find it fascinating that we're all claimanents of the Tundra, they've been wondering how it's done."

"All well and good. But how was my hand attached, how did I sleep for three days, and why am I so much skinnier? Why is everyone skinnier?" Why do I feel so fresh, ''why you telling me about this stuff?''

"That was just to give you some background, and everyone is skinner because the healing cannibalises the body," Dee says leaning forward to take my now empty plate.

"The Tribes have come to an agreement with the fae. They are to pay reparations by healing all of our wounded and sick. Not just from the last few battles but all the tribes are bringing in old and crippled warriors who have been wallowing in misery as invalids.

"They have special healers that can heal anything. Even blindness," Dee says giving me a look, making a point I got his meaning. And I do.

There is a blind old hermit we used to visit that has a hut far from the village. He apparently used to be a warrior but was blinded from a hammer blow to the head. He is old though, feeble.

The old warriors use him as a warning to youngsters to avoid head blows.

"All the chiefs have sent for the weak, sickly, injured, crippled and whatnot to be brought here for healing. To think that was exciting enough, ma also got them to pay by helping us build a new settlement here, or at least they tell us what to do and we do it. There is excitement in the air though. The dwarves not wanting to be outdone decided to put their hat in.

"Asking to be included in the settlement building and having a district dedicated to themselves. It’s all very proper and what was to be a camp is turning into a town. All before the first brick is laid. The dwarves are making and enchanting bricks. Being the acknowledged land owners means we can build permanent structures on the land.

"And by permanent I mean that if they are build right and in line with the land, our structures won't be destroyed by Gaia as time goes by. The buildings won't need to be maintained from nature like rains and winds every few years. Our roads won't be cracked by roots or other growing plants. When you think of the number of settlements that have been lost to nature throughout the years... It’s a invaluable strategy the fae have shared with us.

"The dwarves are excited about that as well. Even Brother Asriel didn't know how fae structures lasted as long as they did until now."

"Who’s is Brother Asriel?" I ask, noticing the admiration in Daewon's tone.

"Asriel is the good looking bald foreigner that fought like a daemon during the three day battle with the fae," Agatha says dreamily.

I nod, knowing who she means. The man was a beast. Utterly in a league of his own. Still, we lost so many, Freydìs...

"How many dead?" I ask.

"It's actually not as bad as it first seemed thanks to the healing. About a thousand dead from our people," Dee says.

I nod, the seemed to be at least twice that scattered all over the ground, missing limbs, spewing blood. But they may not have been dead; the berserker is very good for preserving life. Even after bad wounds. But that usually just results in prolonged suffering. With magic healing, it could mean our warriors live to fight another day.

'We only killed like 80 of theirs,'' Vicar says bitterly.

"Weren't you guys to travel south to Brother Asriel's mythical land of super powerful humans and secret tribes of enlightened killers?" I ask gesturing towards them.

Dee sighs. "You've missed so much Sachi. I haven't even gotten to the best part yet."

"Ok, I'm listening."