Page 53 of Nixx
What a pleasure to see my friend, Zakk, again. I missed him very much when he left our Bastion to join his Life Partner's family. On the other hand, this environment suits him well. There is more going on here than on the coast.
His companion, Eleny, is as charming as ever and now that I'm a Uni myself, I understand better his attachment that I found excessive at another time.
I'm relieved to have them as our hosts for the night. Sarah's peculiarities may pose a problem for some, who like Kryll, will not look kindly on this wingless creature. Moreover, if her lack of wings could at best go unnoticed by those who are not nearby, it is not the case for the bright color of her hair that attracts all eyes.
In the meantime, we have a last warm meal, between friends. I feel my companion is a bit tense under the fire of questions. But since Zakk will also be attending the meeting with Amill, the questions he asks Sarah tonight give him a better understanding of the big picture. And I know I can count on his support. Because tomorrow, I don't plan to talk to Amill about his possible dealings with the North.
I rather intend to introduce him to my companion and to speak to him about humans. I intend to ask him for a possible collaboration to help recover at sea, the 'care-sarcophagus' of their Proud. No doubt that recovering all these boxes would be an asset for our people.
I see my companion yawning. She looks exhausted. I know that the few days of travel so far have been hard on her. I know that she slept badly, waking up intermittently, panicking about falling off our perches. There was no way I was going to let her down though. I never would.
The poor thing looked sad, between tiredness and hygiene reduced to its simplest expression. This stop by the lake was a truly enchanting interlude. I had not originally planned to use her tired body. But how could I resist? I couldn't.
Besides, I get up and put an end to the session of questions, to lead my companion into the small room that Eleny prepared for us. It is with a sigh of contentment that she lies down on the soft bed. I join her there and embrace her tenderly. A breath later, she is sleeping.
***
The next morning, we wake up early enough for me to refresh my partner's union marks. I already know that I will never get tired of it. And that I will have to discuss with her the definitive side of the thing.
In the meantime, after a first hearty meal, we split into two groups. The men go to the meeting that has been planned.
Sarah and Eleny have to join Mery, Lokk's sister, who has reported some pains and contractions. I am still a little anxious to leave them both alone, but I know I can count on Eleny to immediately warn Zakk if there is any problem.
With a last kiss to my companion, I join the big tent that was prepared for our discussions.
When I arrive, Amill is already there, accompanied by his son Liamm. If Amill's finery is a soft gray, accentuated by his respectable age, Liamm's is a sparkling gray. Some men who came from the Eastern Bastion with them are also present.
I have asked Zakk and Hugg to attend the meeting as inhabitants of the Middle Lands, even though officially these lands are not attached to a particular Bastion. I am accompanied by Lokk and Rymm.
After an exchange of pleasantries and a cup of kafae, I start the talks.
“As you know, a few weeks ago a ship crashed into our world, bringing humans with it. You have seen, or heard of, my human companion. They are creatures similar to the Erians, but without wings and telepathic abilities. But they have other assets. In their world, they have created ingenious tools, such as the ability to repair a damaged body. The ship that crashed into the sea off the coast of the Western Lands was carrying twelve repair-sarcophagi. During their rescue, the humans managed to get only one of them out of the ship's carcass.
I'm here to discuss with you how we can try to get more back.
According to them, the ship crashed less than five kilometers from the shore.
It would be interesting to locate the remains of this vessel and evaluate its depth.
I wanted this meeting because as sea people, the people of the Eastern Bastion have a better knowledge of the currents and seabeds of the territories. And because recovering some of these human tools would benefit everyone.”
“I thought you wanted to see me to talk about the alliance that Nurr is pushing me to make with the North!’’ answers Amill.
“I'm not going to lie to you and say that I'm not worried about this alliance with Nurr. Several reports from different people lead me to believe that he seeks discord rather than peace. But as I just said, this is not the subject of the meeting at the moment. The subject would be rather to know your position concerning humans. And for those who do not understand this clearly, Sarah is not only my companion. She is also my Life Companion. She and her people are under my protection.”
I meet Liamm's thoughtful gaze. I have always gotten along well with Liamm. He is a seasoned warrior and of the same generation as me. I know he will take over from his father when his father asks him to. Even though he is not yet the leader of the Eastern Bastion, I know that his opinion carries weight. And I know that he is more than willing to put up with Nurr's maneuvers.
“Do you trust them? The humans, I mean . . .” he asks me. “How can you be sure they're not using us to find weapons on their ship?”
“Of course, I have absolute confidence in my Companion. Sarah has already won the loyalty of the southern territories.”
“Yes, I heard about that rescue story. I wasn't sure if it was true.”
“If you've heard that Sarah dived into the void to save Zull's daughter and dragged her over a sharp wall for several feet to safety, that's the truth.”
