“Nameless!” I shouted both out loud and along the telepathic link between us. Then I sent my most authoritative energy through our bond, and a moment later, the iridescent dragon reappeared below the cloud level.
The tiny dragon shimmered in the sunlight as he squawked at me in an apologetic manner, and then he hovered over me without any more struggles.
I let out a breath of relief and glanced around to make sure no one had sensed my small lapse in control, but everyone was focused on the desert terrain, and I was far ahead of them. We were traveling in a straight southward direction, and some of the coastal breeze returned to cool the air.
We were heading into the uncharted area of the Kotar Desert that I hadn’t visited yet, and excitement bloomed in my gut. Zenda and I would finally have our chance to chart the previously unwritten map of the desert realm. I could sell copies of it to merchants seeking the thrill of adventure, but first I needed to bring peace to the tribes so they would be willing to trade with the northerners in the first place.
I made Nameless land and stay close by my side every evening, but he was like a cat after a mouse each morning, and he eagerly jumped into the sky to continue the chase.
“Are you sure he’s heading in the right direction?” Akina asked as she rode up alongside me after we’d been following the dragon for several days.
I made a new save point so I could hack the dialogue tree and have her utterly convinced in my godliness, but then I flashed her a wide smile.
“We share a telepathic link,” I explained. “He sends me thoughts and images into my mind. It’s impossible to lie that way.”
“I just mean… What if the Vex weren’t sent by the sorcerer?”
Akina flashed me an apologetic smile. “I don’t mean to question you, but is there some godly ability that lets you know the truth?”
“I’m following the evidence and logic,” I said in a patient voice.
“And wisdom gained over the course of many adventures. The warlord was working with a sorcerer, but I faced no other magic users during the fight with the Sand Devil. So, where did the sorcerer go?”
“Perhaps he was always a myth?” Akina argued.
“How do you explain the monsters out of legend suddenly appearing in the desert?” I smirked. “Summoning magic isn’t unheard of, but I’ve never seen it used to such an extent, so I’m really curious to find out how he’s doing it.”
“You don’t know?” Akina sounded like her worst fears had been confirmed.
Time to reset.
Chime.
“Are you sure he’s heading in the right direction?” Akina asked again as she rode up alongside me once more.
“I know what you’re going to say,” I said. “You don’t think the sorcerer is responsible for the monster attacks.”
“No!” Akina frowned. “Well, not exactly. I just have some questions.”
I proceeded to predict every question she had, and I met each one with a reasonable counterargument until she was staring at me in total awe. Her metallic eyes shone with hope for the first time since we’d first made eye contact, and my heart swelled with affection for the stormy desert beauty.
Once I had amazed Akina, I made a new save point to lock in the correct dialogue tree.
The next day, a line of trees became visible on the southern horizon, and we halted our caravan to send a scout into the oasis.
Jorgen’s man returned to report a village laid on the other side of the tree line, but that the people seemed harmless from a distance. No direct contact had been made yet, but with the likelihood of a language barrier, that was for the best.
“Do you know who it could be?” I asked the Kanuaki warriors among my companions. “Or a possible dialect they’d speak?”
“I have never been this far south,” Mikino admitted with a solemn shake of his head. “I will stand by your side as we approach their people.”
“Thank you,” I said, but I arched a questioning eyebrow at Akina and Rystuni, and they both shook their heads in response.
“Alright, so we know nothing going in. No worries. The God of Time is on the case.”
I reset to my save point with a wave of my willpower.
Chime.
“There’s a village in an oasis nearby,” I said to Jorgen and Corvis the morning before we spotted the first mirage-like shimmer of trees. “I want to ride ahead and communicate with them alone.”
“The scouts can make sure it’s safe first, sir,” Jorgen countered in a hesitant tone. “It could be a trap.”
“Nameless did lead us straight here, sir,” Corvis pointed out.
“This could be the sorcerer’s lair.”
“No, it’s a regular village, but I need some time to check it out before I can predict everything like I usually do. You two won’t remember this conversation anyway, so you’ll just have to wait and see what I do next.”
“Yes, sir,” the two men said in unison, and I smiled before I dismissed them to guard the caravan while I rode on ahead.
Goliath and I followed the little dragon closer to the oasis, but I told Nameless to stay out of sight of the villagers for now. No reason to strike fear into their hearts unless it was absolutely necessary, and then I had more than one method of causing godly fear in people.
I dismounted just inside the tree line, and I left Goliath hitched to a tree as I ventured further into the oasis. The jungle closed in around me almost immediately, and the sound of running water
echoed through the air. The air itself was moist and warm, and I quickly began to sweat under my heavy layers.
I found a road through the trees, and I stayed off it in the comfort of the trees’ shadows, but I kept getting the feeling that I was being watched. The road led straight into the heart of the village, but I paused to watch from a distance when the first structures came into view.
The houses themselves were built among the trees like old friends sharing a park bench, and the intricacy of the wooden designs were immediately apparent. It was like the wood had been shaped by wind and water into structures, but then the people wandering around the houses caught my eye.
They all wore simple clothes made of colorful fabrics, and they reminded me of parrots and peacocks. Everyone carried a wooden staff, and some balanced baskets full of food on top of their turbans.
It was like something straight out of a Bible verse, and I settled into a comfortable position so I could learn as much as possible about these people before I officially met them as the God of Time.
Knowledge was power, and the God of Time needed to be all-knowing.
Then I spotted a man walking down the main street through the village, and the other tribespeople gave him a wide berth. The nods and bows marked the man as the chief, and I watched closely as he disappeared into a structure in the center of the little town.
They were an interesting people, but I didn’t see any warriors or guards watching for enemies among the trees, so I inched a little closer until I could hear the voices of the villagers.
The dialect was similar to the Trahana tribe with a little of the traveling Gupuanas thrown in for spice. It was the perfect candidate to be added to my common tongue of the desert, and I was able to glean a lot of new vocabulary from context alone.
“Two daka not much,” one person argued over a basket of fruit.
“I said five daka.”
“I do not have five daka,” the second person said with an overly exaggerated shake of the head.
Further away, a mother and child played with a straw doll outside a small house. The little girl bounced the toy baby up and down on her knee as she sang a song, but it only took me a moment to understand the words.
“Up and down, the tree he goes, up and down, through the town,” the little girl sang to her dolly.
“Praise Aka,” people said as they greeted each other in the streets, and I wondered who this strange god was.
The rest of the desert had been strangely godless prior to my arrival, and the only signs of spirituality were their deeply held beliefs and traditions. The oral legends told to young children seemed to be a commonality among the various peoples of Kotar, but that was where the similarities ended. I was curious to get to know this new tribe some more, but I needed direct contact to learn more about them.
Chime.
I gave instructions to Corvis and Jorgen, explained what was going on to my women, and avoided the Kanuakians because I knew they would want to go with me. I wasn’t ready to show off my complete godliness just yet, but once I knew everything about this strange new tribe, I would bring my entire caravan along to witness my greatness.
I rode Goliath straight to the road that cut through the jungle and led into the heart of town, but I paused once the first tree-like
structures came into view. I dismounted the stallion, and I led him by the bridle the rest of the way.
A scream pierced the air the second I was spotted, and I held up the palm of my hand in what I thought was a peaceful gesture, but everyone still bolted behind closed doors.
Then I realized how scary I must look in my dragon scale armor and spiked helmet, so I reached up to remove my protective headgear. Once they saw I looked like a human, a couple of people poked their heads out of their doorways.
“Hello,” I said to the best of my ability in their language. “My name is Bash.”
The people blinked at me in shock for a moment, but then a man emerged from his dwelling and crossed the distance to me. He wasn’t the chief I saw earlier, but he stood straight and tall even though he was slightly shorter than I was. His eyes were green like moss, and his brown hair hung to his shoulders. His eyes held a deep peacefulness and a calm that immediately set me at ease, but I still kept my senses peeled for any shift in his demeanor.
“Bash?” He said my name with a heavy accent. “My name is Jinto.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, and I stuck out my hand for a shake.
Jinto glanced down at my hand, but he didn’t take it.
“I come in peace, Jinto,” I said as I let my hand fall back to my side. “I just want to learn about your people.”
“To what end?” Jinto frowned, and I sensed a defensiveness about him as he glanced over my shoulder. “Do you come alone?”
Was this one man the village’s only line of defense against invaders?
How had these people not been killed off already?
They were in desperate need of the God of Time, that was for sure.
“It’s just me, but why don’t you let me worry about my intentions,” I suggested, and then I flashed him a broad smile. “What do you call your tribe?”
“We are the Brumuex tribe,” Jinto said. “Led by Chief Hanino.”
“Take me to him,” I requested, and I didn’t let my smile falter for an instant. “I’d like to properly introduce myself to your leader.”
Jinto considered me in silence for a long moment before he tilted his head in acquiescence.
“Very well,” he said, and he gestured to the house I’d guessed belonged to the chief.
I followed behind the Brumuex tribesman, and I gave the onlookers friendly smiles as I passed through the small village. Then Jinto motioned for me to stop, and his eyes flicked around the jungle behind me before they landed on my face.
“Wait here. I’ll alert him to your presence.”
“Sure.” I gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Take your time.”
Jinto disappeared inside the wooden dwelling, and I analyzed the structure as I waited. It looked like it had grown out of the ground, and the branching rooms reminded me of hobbit holes as they merged with the terrain surrounding it.
What kind of magic did these people possess that allowed them to bend wood?
The wood was covered in intricate carvings, and I couldn’t imagine the people I’d observed so far putting metal to trees. The house looked like it was a living thing, and I pictured it growing from a small sprout into a full-sized hollow dwelling.
Jinto returned a few moments later, and he gestured for me to enter the dimly-lit building. I followed him inside, but I paused just
past the threshold to blink and let my eyes adjust to the dark. Inside was a small gathering space with benches lined up in front of a throne-like chair, and it reminded me of a small church. The chief considered me silently from his tall-backed chair, but Jinto quickly stepped forward to act as ambassador between the two of us.
“Chief Hanino, this man named Bash seeks an audience with you,” Jinto said in a calm voice.
“Welcome to the Brumuex Oasis,” Chief Hanino said with a tilt of his head that threatened the security of his tall turban. “What brings you to my village?”
“Right now I just want to learn all about you,” I said easily.
“There’s a lot about me you don’t know yet, but all will be made clear soon enough. But if you don’t mind, I have some questions for you about your people.”
“We do not take kindly to northerners wandering into our oasis,” the chief said with a shake of his head. “We allowed you entry for the trade potential, but if you’re not here to barter goods, then you have no business in my village.”
I ignored the hostility in his voice, and I carried on with my plan to learn as much as I could about the strange tribe before I reset to
my save point.
“I don’t think you’d be capable of stopping me,” I said. “I have no ill intentions with your people. Just curiosity. What exactly do you do here? How do you make these houses?”
“The houses are created with earth magic,” the chief said. “The Brumuex people are lumberjacks and carpenters. Many have the ability to bend or manipulate the living trees. Others can commune with the jungle. You are vastly outnumbered by mages, sir, so tread carefully.”
His warning did little to abate my curiosity, and I continued to pepper him with questions, but he was surprisingly forthcoming despite his trepidations about me.
I learned a lot about the Brumuex tribe in a short amount of time, but it would be a simple task to put it to good use on my next run through. I learned that they were pacifists who relied on an allied tribe to protect them, but the Casamoni tribe had been busy lately guarding the oasis from monsters. The Brumuex were merchants and craftsmen, but the majority of the tribespeople knew some level of earth magic. It was a village entirely full of magic users, and I wanted to learn every bit of magic they knew.
The Brumuex had occupied their oasis for several generations, and thanks to the aid of the Casamoni tribe, there had been very little threats against them. The southern half of the Kotar Desert was less populated than the northern part, so enemies were as few and as far between as friends.
It was a lonely life, but the people of the Brumuex tribe were close, and they worked together to carve a peaceful existence out of the jungle that surrounded them.
The Brumuex’s oasis was also special for one particular reason: it was the only known location where cocono trees grew. The massive trees were legendary to the Brumuex people, and said to be sentient creatures capable of understanding human words. The tribe prayed to a tree goddess named Aka, and they regularly gave offerings to the forest to appease her.
After I questioned the chief for a while about the culture and history of his people, I convinced him to teach me some of their tree bending magic, and I impressed the leader of the Brumuex tribe with my ability to pick it up quickly.
“There is still much you could learn from us,” Chief Hanino informed me in a solemn tone after I smirked over repeated successes.
They would be tough nuts to crack, but I aimed for one hundred percent completion, and that meant bringing every tribe in the desert onto my side. I’d have them believing in Bash before the end of the day, but for the moment, I’d learned a lot, and I was ready to put it into action.
Chime.
I called for a halt to converse with Jorgen and Corvis about the Brumuex tribe, and everyone put on their finest outfits to make a good first impression on the new tribe. The Kanuakian warriors had never heard of the Brumuex, and they were eager to meet their fellow desert dwellers, but the two tribes couldn’t be more different.
The Kanuakians were warriors through and through, and hunting Naga was their version of a peaceful lifestyle.
Would the Brumuex accept the more militant tribe as allies?
“What is the chief’s name again?” Eva asked from inside our tent as she got dressed.
“Chief Hanino,” I repeated in a patient tone, and I quickly finished shining my dragon scale armor until it shone in the sunlight.
“He’s a nice man, and it’s a very peaceful tribe, so this is going to be easy.”
The girls put on silk dresses in vibrant colors, and I knew they’d look like flowers among the jungle trees. Caelia’s purple dress reminded me of irises in spring, but the brilliant turquoise-blue of Zenda’s robe-like outfit was like the tidal pools along the coast.
Evangeline wore a yellow slip that hung off her shoulders, and her short blonde hair shimmered when she emerged from the tent.
“Are we ready?” I asked.
“As we’ll ever be,” Caelia said as she twirled her skirts around her dark toned legs. “Let’s go make a good impression on the Brumuex people.”
“They will be blown away,” Eva said.
“A new village of followers for the God of Time,” Zenda added.
Jorgen and Corvis stood at attention in front of their troops in formation, but everyone looked in tip-top shape, and the Kanuakian warriors wore their usual black robes and white turbans. Then I took the head of the procession, and I rode Goliath forward into the tree line with my chin held high.
The God of Time had arrived in the Brumuex oasis.
The villagers all fled when we approached the small town, but I led my caravan to the clearing in front of the chief’s dwelling before I
dismounted. My people trailed down the street to the edge of the jungle, and they all stood at attention as I approached the chief’s house.
Jinto and Chief Hanino both rushed out of the structure with wide eyes full of fear, and I paused to build dramatic tension before I slowly removed my spiked dragon bone helmet.
“Chief Hanino, Jinto,” I said with an incline of my head to each man. “My name is Sir Sebastian, the Archduke of Sorreyal, Red Hands the Pirate Bane, Dragon Slayer and Tamer, and the God of Time. But you can call me Bash. It is an honor to officially meet you at last.”
The two men stared at me in shocked silence for a long moment, but then Jinto stepped protectively forward to block my access to the chief.
“What brings you here, Sir Sebastian?” Jinto’s eyes flicked to the line of people standing in perfect formation behind me, but I watched as his gaze lingered on the beauties at my back.
“I come in peace,” I said, and I spread my hands out with the palms up. “I know about your people, and I wish to help you.”
“What sort of help are you offering, exactly?” Chief Hanino frowned as he stepped forward, and the leader of the Brumuex tribe lifted his chin proudly. “We have everything we need already.”
“Maybe when the Casamoni tribe are nearby to protect you,” I pointed out. “What will you do if you cannot turn to them for aid?”
“The Casamoni have never failed us,” Chief Hanino argued.
“But this is a debate meant to be had over shared drinks and smoke.”
“I won’t argue with that,” I laughed.
“Please, enter my home and be welcomed,” Chief Hanino said in a formal voice as he stepped to the side to give me access to his dwelling.
I gestured for the ladies to enter ahead of me, and then I ducked my head to fit my height beneath the threshold. The chief and Jinto both followed us inside, and the leader of the Brumuex tribe took his seat on his throne-like chair.
The girls settled into one of the benches lined up like pews before the throne, but I remained on my feet even though my head came close to the ceiling. My natural height advantage over the chief
would add to my powerful aura, but I had more than one ace up my sleeves.
“Praise Aka for such a lovely day to meet,” I said with a respectful dip of my head. “I will make an offering to the jungle before the day is over.”
“I have heard of a man such as you,” Chief Hanino said, and he scratched his beard in a thoughtful manner as he gazed at me.
“God of Time, hmm?”
“That’s right.” I smirked, but then an idea struck me, so I twisted my hand through the movements to summon my vine companion. “Your people aren’t the only earth mages around, you know. This is only an example of my power.”
I had the vines grow until they stretched toward the ceiling as I spoke, and they writhed in the air like ballet dancers silhouetted on a stage.
Jinto’s eyes widened as they traced my vines’ movements around the room, but both Brumuex tribesmen remained silent.
Suddenly, trumpets blared through the jungle outside, and we all turned in the direction of the sound, but then Jorgen ducked his head inside the chief’s dwelling and flashed me a cautious look.
“What’s going on?” I asked as I gestured for my platoon leader to step forward.
“The scouts say another tribe is approaching the village,” the hunter reported. “They’ve reached the edge of the tree line, and they’ll be here any minute now. I ordered the men to stand to the side to make room for the new arrivals.”
“Very good,” I said, but then I turned to Chief Hanino.
“Expecting company?”
“The Casamoni tribe has returned to the oasis,” the chief explained, and he motioned for Jinto to go greet the newcomers.
“They were due back days ago.”
This was new information, and I didn’t want to give anyone the impression that I didn’t already know everything, so I reset to my save point with a wave of my will.
Chime.
The ringing subsided as I glanced around at the midafternoon sun, and I enjoyed the moment for a bit before I called my caravan to a halt. Jorgen and Corvis quickly passed on the instructions to shine up, and everyone put on their best attire once more. Nameless
swooped in and out of the sky, and the little dragon did backflips and other aerial tricks as he waited for us.
I was ready to meet both of the chiefs, so I led the way to the oasis.
We stopped in front of the chief’s dwelling once more, but this time I gave instructions to the men to make way for the Casamoni tribe when they arrived. None of my soldiers would be surprised by the newcomers’ appearance in the village, and neither would I. We were ushered into the chief’s dwelling yet again, but this time I gave him warning of his allies return to the oasis.
“The Casamoni tribe will arrive at any moment,” I informed Chief Hanino and Jinto after introductions were made. “I’d like to speak to their chief as well.”
The trumpets blared a moment later, and I arched my eyebrow and crossed my arms as the sound confirmed my words.
“How do you know such things?” Chief Hanino stared at me in awe. “Not even Aka warns us so accurately.”
“Your tree goddess isn’t all-knowing,” I said. “She’s also not out in the world, getting to know the people, and learning about the different cultures that make up the tapestry of the world.”
The chief of the Casamoni tribe entered Chief Hanino’s dwelling before the owner of the structure had a chance to respond, and I turned to the newcomer with a friendly smile, but I made a new save point before I learned anything about him.
“We’ve been expecting you, Chief…?” I arched an eyebrow as I stuck out my hand for a shake.
“Sir Sebastian, er, Great One, this is Chief Atta of the Casamoni tribe.” Chief Hanino quickly stepped forward to ease the introductions.
“Who is this man?” Chief Atta asked.
The newcomer was taller than Chief Hanino, but he still wasn’t as tall as me. His shoulders were narrow and his frame slender, but he held himself with a regal air so his power among his people was obvious. His black hair was braided down his back, and it disappeared beneath a colorful rainbow-hued turban.
I spammed respawns as I questioned and got to know the new tribe, but it didn’t take me very many run throughs before I felt confident predicting every dialogue tree the two chiefs could go down.
The Casamoni tribe were more nomadic than their allies the Brumuex tribe, but the two peoples had struck an agreement between them. The Casamoni could use the oasis for shelter and sustenance when not traveling across the desert, and the Brumuex would have warriors to protect them from invaders.
The nomadic tribe still carried a bond with the magic jungle of the oasis, and the chief of the Casamoni people believed that it was his sacred duty to guard the cocono trees. It made me even more curious about the mysterious trees, and I made a mental note to explore the jungle for myself.
The Casamoni were also merchants, and they carried some renown for their rugs and tapestries. They traded with the Brumuex and took the settled tribe’s goods to other trading posts, and it seemed like everything was working out fine for the two peoples.
Except for the recent monster attacks.
Several people had recently been carried away by the Vex, although the Casamoni chief called them Kanu or cursed ones.
They’d attempted to track the beasts, but had ended up following them to where we’d fought them off, and then the trail returned to the south.
With what the chief was saying, I didn’t have a lot of hope that the kidnapped people had survived the attack from the Vex, but I admired the courage of the Casamoni warriors in chasing after their friends.
“I am chasing the sorcerer responsible for the Vex, or the Kanu,” I said, and I gave the two chiefs a grim look. “He will answer for his crimes.”
“What do you seek in return for such a deed?” Chief Hanino asked with furrowed eyebrows.
“I want you to come to a peace talk with all the tribes of the Kotar Desert joined together,” I said without hesitation. “I will fight the enemies of the south, and I will liberate your people from tyranny and terror, but you have to take a step toward peace.”
“We have already stepped toward peace,” Chief Hanino pointed out. “My people do not seek war.”
“The Casamoni tribe meets war head-on, but we do not search for it,” Chief Atta said with a stubborn lift of his chin.
“Will you follow me into a peace agreement with the rest of the tribes?” I pressed. “I’ll get everyone together, you just have to listen to what I have to say.”
“Once my people have been rescued from the Kanu,” Chief Atta said, “I will be open to listening to you.”
“Then I will kill the sorcerer and save anyone he has imprisoned.” I met each man’s gaze firmly. “Now, what other legends or folklore do your peoples share? The sorcerer is pulling beasts out of myth, so the more knowledge we have, the better.”
The two men spent the rest of the evening explaining various folklore stories to me and my companions. There were the lizjaga, a mix between leopards and lizards who crawled on six lizard-like legs and snapped with the maw of a big cat. I also learned about the Aunubi, sand-dogs who could travel beneath the surface of the ground, and discovered some mythical creatures similar to stories from Earth.
The chiefs told me of the Hydra, a mythical beast with multiple heads, and the Cyclops, a creature with one eye in the center of its torso and four muscular arms that stretched to each side as far as a man was tall.
I couldn’t help but imagine the epic battle ahead of me if the sorcerer did indeed pull out the legendary beasts the chiefs mentioned. It was going to be a lot of fun, in any case, and excitement bloomed in my gut.
Once I’d reset to my save point a couple dozen times, I was ready to wow the chiefs and secure their faith in me, so I reset one more time.
Chime.
I made my introduction to the chiefs, and I predicted everything they asked me with one hundred percent accuracy. They were both floored by my knowledge of their tribes, and I even warned them about the possibility of their legends coming to life before their very eyes.
When the conversation finally came to an end, I felt energized and more ready to face the sorcerer than ever before. It didn’t matter how many tribes occupied the Kotar Desert, I would bring peace to the south.
I knew it in my gut.
My wife’s homeland would soon enter an era of peace unlike anything it had ever experienced before, but first I had to handle the business of the monster scourge.
After we’d set up our camp in the outskirts of the village, I left watch shift instructions with my companions, and then I headed out into the jungle. I wanted to find one of these famous cocono trees,
and possibly discover the secrets to the earth magic used to craft the village.
The air was moist and warm, and it reminded me of Florida to a small degree. The vibrancy of the colors on every flower caught my eye every few steps, and rainbow-hued birds swooped out of the branches over my head. It was peaceful and serene, and I could understand why the two tribes were so set on protecting it.
“Who goes there?” a voice that sounded ancient and creaky echoed from behind me, and I swiveled on my heels to stare into the blinking eyes of a tree-man thing.
“Whoa.” I inhaled slowly as I scanned over the tree-creature, and I absorbed the moss clinging to his arms and trunk like hair.
Knots in the wood expressed a face on the bark, but there was no mistaking the humanness of the eyes as they met mine.
It was a fucking talking tree.
Could this world get any cooler?