by Des Pensable
‘At one time there was being a tribe of our peoples that all had truly red skin. They were always being fearless and having disagreements with everyone. They were especially proud of a rite that was showing all the others how fearless they were. While studying the lore I found out about the rite and was wanting our tribe to be doing it. All but me were afraid. After I was completing the rite the tribe were proud and called me the Most Fearless.’
‘How many different scale colours are there?’ asked Aquitain suddenly interested.
‘Yes Spirit Lord there were once being four pure scale colours representing the four elements these were being pure reds, blues, greens and browns. They were proud and distinct and rarely mixed with each other. The pure reds and blues being very head strong were the causing of much troubles with the druids and were nearly wiped out. They are no longer being allowed. The surviving reds were only allowed by the druids to be having children with the blues resulting in the purples you see here which are more peaceful with the druids.’
‘The greens are always being peaceful and causing few problems. The browns I am being told once existed before the time of the Great Storm and were all lost in the storm.’
‘You are a red living with the purple tribe are there any blues here?’ he asked.
‘The blues are all gone now. They were the ones that were rebelling and shooting you with arrows. They are now being in the Barra tribe.’
Aquitain remembered that about twenty warriors had attacked him prior to the fight with the mask a couple of days ago. He had stunned them with a mind blast and they had been captured and banished from the tribe. Later after they had helped turn off the defensive fountains at the temple they were granted freedom to join the Barra tribe.
He also remembered that the little people killed in the cave where he and Miranda had met Jacintra the Chaos cat were predominantly red scaled. Perhaps unbeknown to Miranda it was the druid council that had ordered their deaths.
‘What do you know about the Great Storm?’ asked Aquitain excitedly. He had a strong interest in the Great Storm as it was around that time in this world that the legendary Founts of Wisdom disappeared. These were incredibly powerful people who had somehow incurred the wrath of the gods. A part of his current quest was to find them. He also had a strong feeling that some of the little people’s lore might shed light upon both the Great Storm and the fate of the Founts.
‘I am knowing very little, Spirit Lord. Only the shaman are being allowed to be knowing the lore about the Great Storm but from time to time it is being mentioned among the females in the tribe. There is some secret female’s lore that is never being told to the males. I suppose I could be discovering more if you are needing to know.’
Aquitain was intrigued with this female. She definitely had no fear of him and even more importantly she seemed prepared to talk about her people in defiance of her tribal taboo on telling outsiders about them. If he was discrete he could probably find out much more about them and perhaps even something about the Great Storm from her. However, it would have to be later as Rori had just returned with eight male warriors who seemed quite terrified in his presence.
‘Here is showing you a mighty selection of our warriors Spirit Lord. You can be seeing the differences between them so that you can be making yourself to be looking different to Rori.’ said Kami.
Aquitain looked at each one in turn noting the fine differences between them but wasn’t quite sure what was important to them and what wasn’t. He didn’t want to look like a pathetic weakling or an ugly outcast so he asked Shastritara what was important in a male from the female’s point of view. She pointed out what was considered attractive and ugly, benevolent and bad and generally selected a set of fine changes in his appearance that would make him stand out in a crowd of little people.
When he had finished everyone seemed pleased with the result. The Spirit Lord looked like a fine warrior and great leader in their eyes. He then asked Kami what colour he should be. That caused some concern. If he was purple then that might cause some problems with the Council of Elders and the Chief as he might be seen as a challenge to their leadership. However, each skin colour had its own set of problems.
In the end he changed to brown as the brown scale tribe no longer existed and it seemed to cause the least problems. It also had a strong advantage from Kami’s point of view. He stood out. Everyone would know who he was and also where he was.
While he was visible no one would be worried or suspicious about what he was doing. If any druids came he could change to the Jeti purple colour and effectively blend into the crowd.
Kami sent for the Chief and after a prolonged discussion between the two of them he was allowed back into the village provided that either Kami or Rori always accompanied him and he didn’t change to his spider form in the sight of the villagers.
‘I am being very pleased by your attractive appearance Spirit Lord. All of the females will be looking at you with big eyes at the celebrations of our great victories at saving the Barra children from the Yith lizard people. Maybe I will be dancing with you if you are being pleased with me.’ and she left.
Aquitain looked at Kami and asked what she meant.
‘There will be great celebrations tonight as she has been saying. All of the peoples will be greatly pleased that you and the druidess Miranda are being with us to celebrate the victory of the fight at the temple. There will be much feasting and dancing. All of the females will be wishing to be dancing with the heroes.’
‘What do you mean by dancing?’ asked Aquitain suspiciously.
‘Surely you are knowing of dancing Spirit Lord. All the peoples are being happy and singing and jumping around to the beating of the drums.’
‘Oh that type of dancing is all right. I wanted to make sure that you didn’t mean the other types of things that males and females can do together.’
Kami looked at him a little mystified for a few moments and then burst out in a wide grin.
‘Oh no Spirit Lord we are not calling that dancing we are calling that making eggs. There will be none of the doing of that. My peoples only are doing that for one week a year and that week is being still another month away.’
‘Well that’s a relief.’ he thought. ‘I don’t think Miranda would approve of me running wild among the females, especially now since I have an attractive little people body.’ then he asked about Miranda.
‘She was delivering you to our protections last night and hurrying away on some urgent business. She was telling me that she would be returning for the celebrations tonight. That is all I am knowing.’
‘Good.’ said Aquitain. ‘I would like to talk to your people tonight and thank them for allowing me to stay here under your protection last night. I am in their debt.’
‘These are being strange times Spirit Lord. Most of my peoples are being happy to have you being here as our friend but there are some that are being worried that you are bringing problems to our gate.’
‘I understand that Kami. Miranda and I will leave as soon as possible. There are many things we need to do. However, we will be happy to celebrate saving the Barra children with you tonight.’
‘That is being happy news Spirit Lord.’ replied Kami. ‘The chief and the elders will be most pleased. Tonight we shall all be celebrating the great victory at the temple and my peoples will be welcoming and honouring all the heroes and they are thinking that you are being the greatest of all the heroes.’
‘Good.’ said Aquitain. ‘I haven’t had a party for some time and after being reborn again I’m certainly in the mood for celebrating and very hungry.’
Rori gingerly stepped forward and produced a ball of clay. It was Aquitain’s ball of chaos matter.
‘The druidess Miranda was saying before she left that you would be needing this Spirit Lord.’
‘Why thank you Rori.’ replied Aquitain suddenly remembering the wonderful present given to him by his father.
He took the ball of chaos c
lay and immediately transformed it to a snake, which wound around his arm and slithered up around his neck then miraculously reformed into a black rock amulet like Kami’s but with the face of bear rather than a jungle cat.
Rori spoke for them all. ‘I am always amazed when you are doing that Spirit Lord. It is said that the Lords before the Great Storm could ...’ but suddenly Kami butted in.
‘The Spirit Lord is not interested in our lore Rori. Do not bore him with it.’
‘Oh but I am!’ said Aquitain. ‘I would love to hear any old stories that you would like to tell me.’
‘They are purely for the ears of our people.’ replied Kami pointedly. ‘Mind you if you were becoming one of the tribe you might be hearing some of the tales.’
‘And how would I become one of the tribe?’ asked Aquitain knowing that they had probably already guessed that they had something of value that he desired.
‘I shall be asking the Chief and the council of elders. Perhaps they might be considering to be making you an honorary member of the Jeti.’
Aquitain returned to the village which was little more than a scattering of small brushwood huts poorly thatched with the local course grass.
He was excited with the prospect of learning some of their lore and found that he was the centre of attraction. All the females had a strange excited look in their eyes and the males seemed somewhat remote.
He chatted with many for a while but eventually went to Kami’s hut to get a little peace and quiet. Kami told him that the Chief had allocated him a hut specifically for his use and he went there and collapsed with exhaustion. Reincarnation was very tiring.
Several hours later he awoke when Rori, shook him.
‘You should be waking up Spirit Lord. The celebrations are beginning. The Chief is requesting that you be coming to the feast.’
‘Has Miranda arrived?’
‘No Spirit Lord, we are being eagerly awaiting her coming but she has not been arriving yet.’
He reluctantly arose and accompanied Rori to the centre of the village. As he appeared the Jeti people cheered and began singing a hero’s song.
The song embedded powerful magic that worked on his mind and he couldn’t help feeling the great hero. He gloried in the welcome and sat with Rori between Kami and the Chief feeling more important and more heroic than he had in his whole life. Rori was also considered a great hero now owing to his courageous part in the temple siege.
The food consisted of fruits, baked tubers and roasted small animals and birds. It wasn’t particularly well cooked but it tasted delicious. It was the first meal in his new body and he couldn’t remember a better one.
After the food the chief gave a long and laborious speech about the great victory at the temple. He talked of the great bravery and leadership of the spirit bear. He told them about how the spirit bear had taught Rori a new kind of shield song. How Rori had courageously led other members of the tribe and used the new song to switch off the devastating magical defences in the temple.
He told them about the terrifying attacks of the flying Yith wizards and how the spirit bear had destroyed the flying stone gargoyles; of how Rori had cunningly killed one of the attacking wizards who was casting balls of fire at them; of how the spirit bear replaced his own head after having it cut off by a huge metal monster which had gone mad and of how he had fought and destroyed a giant magical thunder lizard.
Untold glory was heaped upon Aquitain, Rori and the other brave members of the tribe for their exceptional courage. They sang the hero’s song again and again. Aquitain had never been lauded so much.
He felt elated but also a little sad as he remembered that he had lost quite a number of his troops during the assault on the temple. The Crin, the giant ant-like creatures had suffered the most casualties. They had lost half their number. He wondered if they were celebrating.
After the chief’s speech the drums began beating and all the females formed a circle facing outwards toward the males sitting on the ground. Wooden gourds of fermented fruit punch were circulated amongst the males and soon everyone was happily intoxicated.
The drums beat a lively tune, the females danced and the males drank. Aquitain joined in whole-heartedly. The atmosphere became hypnotic. The drink, the beat of the drums, the dancing females entranced him. His normally strong mental guard was absent.
Tonight he was just an ordinary little people. Soon the females began stepping forward and proclaiming the names of their favourite males. The males jumped to their feet and joined the females gyrating and leaping and moving together in the centre of the circle of females.
The females danced and pranced, the drums beat and suddenly Shastritara stepped forward out of the circle and declared Aquitain as her favourite. Alarm bells rang in Aquitain’s befuddled mind and he turned to Kami.
‘What does she mean? I’m her favourite?’
‘It means she is wishing to be dancing with you Spirit Lord.’ said Kami.
‘Oh. That’s okay. Miranda won’t mind that!’ he said and jumped up and staggered over to hold her hand. She pulled him through to the centre of the circle and began rhythmically moving her body with the beat, grinning at him all the while with a look like a hungry crocodile.
He grinned back and imitated her movements. There was something exciting and enticing about the way she moved. Her body language was sensuous and erotic. His new body was aroused by her actions.
They danced for an hour until he was exhausted then they sat together and watched the others. She fetched him more food and drinks. They danced again and again until midnight when Kami suddenly called a stop to the dancing and announced the elders had decided in honour of the occasion, tonight they would dance the fire dance. They all cheered and yelled.
‘What’s happening Shastritara?’ asked Aquitain.
‘This is a very great honour for you.’ She replied, ‘We are forbidden to be showing this dance to any outside the tribe. Watch and you will be seeing some of our secret lore.’
The crowd all moved back ten Newman paces from the shaman and formed a loose circle around him. He began chanting and the crowd became quiet. He chanted on for several minutes then suddenly the whole of the village began singing and Kami burst into purple flame.
‘Amazing.’ thought Aquitain as he waited breathlessly to see what was going to happen next.
The females in the tribe all formed a circle around Kami and began singing and dancing then after a couple of minutes one by one they danced towards Kami and thrust an arm into the flame. The purple fire spread up their arms enveloping them. They then continued dancing around covered in flames. Shastritara was the star she stood out from all the rest as she was covered in red flame.
When all the females were covered in fire the males danced in and became enveloped in purple flame. The sight was awesome. The males and females danced around in a circle weaving in and out, spinning, and jumping.
After several minutes a flaming red Shastritara danced out of the throng towards him. The ground smouldered and he could feel the heat radiating off her.
‘I am wishing to be dancing with you, Spirit Lord. Will you dance with me?’ asked Shastritara.
‘My body only looks like yours Shastritara. If I were covered in those flames my body would be burnt.’
‘I was once asking a shaman why we were not being burned during the fire dance and he was saying that the song tells the spirit to protect the body from the flame.’
Aquitain sat up suddenly and cleared his head a little.
‘Of course I haven’t been listening!’ he thought.
‘Sing the song to me a couple times Shastritara.’ he said
Shastritara sang it, he memorised it and began to analyse the words. They were ancient high Draconic and even though their pronunciations were not quite correct they still held the draconic intent and that was protection from cold. The song was a fire shield but modified in a way that changed colour with their scale colour. It was a way of showing their
tribal identity. He had to try it.
‘Yes I will dance with you.’
‘I will inform the shaman.’ she said with a big toothy smile and danced back into the throng. A minute later the shaman started chanting and dancing stopped and a gap formed allowing him to pass through.
Aquitain began singing the song and then thrust his arm into Kami’s purple fire. It ran up his arm enveloped his body and turned yellow. He stood there covered in yellow fire. It felt slightly warm but looked awesome. Everyone stood staring at him, no one had ever seen someone covered in yellow flame.
‘My, you are always being full of surprises, Spirit Lord. That is being the colour of the lost yellow tribe.’ Then he changed his chant and they all started to dance again.
Aquitain danced around with Shastritara for another half an hour weaving in and out among the fiery purple flaming bodies until Kami caused a halt in the proceedings by dousing his purple flame and shortly after all the flames on the little people went out.
The celebration began to wane at this stage as everyone looked and felt totally exhausted.
He told Shastritara that he had had enough and wished to retire so she accompanied him back to his hut.
‘Thank you for such a nice night.’ he said as she produced a flask.
‘Thank you for accepting me as your favourite.’ she replied. ‘This is a special potion that makes for wonderful dreams. Many males in this village would be killing for this. I am offering it to you great hero. Drink it and be enjoying your dreams.’
‘Why thank you.’ said Aquitain. ‘I have really enjoyed your company tonight Shastritara, sleep well’ and he took the potion and entered the hut and fell onto the bedding on the floor.
He lay there for several minutes thinking about the great evening and remembered Shastritara’s potion. Why not top off the night with some pleasant dreams he thought and drank it. It tasted fruity not unlike like the fermented fruit punch they had been drinking but shortly his mind began to float. He felt aroused. If only Miranda were here it would be a real celebration he thought.
