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Trion had been careful, as he headed towards the ‘east curve’ of the river. Pulling into the bank he stepped out and dragged the canoe up to rest, secure on the top of it. A pouch containing a number of items slid to his feet.
Minutes passed before he saw the figure stepping out from beneath the trees..
A short walk to now stand, face him. Brie had not expected him to travel the distance he had. With all that was happening it was too dangerous. The river was patrolled by Dirks a kind of drone. Capable of spying on the land below and where it was equipped with the right weapon more than capable of targeting and causing a lot of damage if not destroying?
She hit out at him. He shifted closer to him. The heat between them not just from the heat of the sun on them but the raw naked heat between them. “What would I have done if you had been spotted and KILLED?! “ She let her hand slide over his chest, to rest on his shoulder.
“You know that I told you, I would return before the leaves start to turn.” Lips silenced anything else he had to say.
Locked in the moment before they stopped interrupted by a familiar sound. Leaving the canoe they shifted at a pace towards the undergrowth.
A wise decision. The Dirk was moving at some pace along the river.. pausing near where the canoe was?
The flash from it, rippled across it and torched the canoe the flames leaving it a scorched husk.
Moving in from the river to scan the edge of the forest. They knew all too well how to hide from them, it turned and went back to continue its river foray.
“Well you won’t be using that canoe again.” Trion grinned.. “I feel you would have no complaints about that.”
“None, none at all.” Moving away from where they had been hiding was now taking them along a pathway, a well worn trail taking them up to a settlement.
The sight of Trion. by those now seeing Brie returnm followed by her lover was met, with a lot of happiness on the faces of those now surrounding them. NEWS, Trion had NEWS.. but, before they, could swamp him, with all of their questions he was dragged away by Brie, into one of the cosettes.
Anyone in there, was now thrown out and the grins on those watching as some of them shook their heads..
Soon the noise was leaving them in no illusions as to what was taking place. Mara and Miriam moved to prepare some food for them.
Mara was Brie’s sister. Miriam an elder was NOT from their clan but had been welcomed as part of their closest friends.
Escaping from an Human(a) transporter, a slave from another world, she was welcomed and the information she had to share was invaluable.
A prim (primitive) like her, mean’t nothing to the Human(a). Simple, serviceable by the males. Sexually abused and whored by some of the worst of them, her escape had been on impulse and not without a lot of fear knowing if caught?
She would be branded. A hot searing brand into her back marking her as a slave and a runaway.
The use of heavy chains. YES, iron chains. Iron was one of the metals available in abundance. Sometimes colonial rule meant locals put to work mining TIN, COPPER and IRON. Other metals including precious metals were also given to local slaves to mine sometimes in the worst of conditions.
Prims could be strapped to ROTORs (wheels) and whipped. Males castrated, females branded. Yokes could also be used to ensure their Prims did not run off. Heavy timber with steel braces. The heavier the yoke the worst punishment OR because the prim was heavy set. Some were huge ugly and outright dangerous. A hefty yoke stopped them from using that strength against their oppressors.
A while later, the reappearance of Trion and Brie, was to sit and enjoy some refreshments. Welcomed food and drink by Trion who had been on the river for some time. True he had dried food and water, enough to keep him hydrated and nourished for his journey.
The main dome, now filled with the clan, listening as Trion updated them, on the latest re the invaders, the all new, secure fortress in the mountains, that he would, be taking those who wanted to,. to. The response was quick. NO ONE was leaving. where they were was where they were going to remain.
“In which case,. training will be given to those who want to learn to use the new skills of those who will shortly be arriving.
Simplistic but as you hunters know, very effective.” Bows and arrows. Some were shaking their heads in disbelief.
Araj was one of their hunters. He took a bow, Trion handed him an arrow.. he drew back the arrow and fired it.
The noise of the shattering urn was deafening. “The tip is of a new quantum level substance. The moment it hits anything, it is solid, but becomes fluid.. allowing a spread of the substance. as a reaction takes place breaking down the composition of its target.
We, can lie submerged, in the undergrowth and, ambush those, who attempt to attack us or..” he grinned.
“Aim to attack us. and oh yes. it can destroy those Dirks with ease..” Setting up a ring around the encampment will take priority. The enemy are not just the Human(a).”
Some time passed, as some were sent out of the main gathering. Too young, too old to leave only a select few remaining. Pulling out a shelde he illuminated it. On a large screen that now opened up before them.
“These are what are known as ZEALOTS, some of you have already known about them from the ones that came before.
False Gods and their killers. Some are like the Human(a) others are creatures of true evil.
Butchering and eating, tearing limb from limb those they capture. WE will not be sparing any of them.”
He leaned down to remove some orbs lifting them so they could see them.
“These we can throw at them and they will explode showering them with the same substance used on those arrow tips.
Instantly dissolves them to nothing.
Any, attempting to remove the substance, will also get infected by it. SO, never touch, shift or move any of those beings who have it on them! IF you need to move them, make sure you DO NOT touch the infected area!
There is NO cure or means to stop that after its release which means ONLY THOSE who have been trained can carry them!
For those, who think, we do not have many.. a shipment, is being dropped in an area some of us will be heading to tomorrow. We will taking some Appacaa (Donkey like) with us. The weight is not of any real significance.
We will have to make our own arrows but the tips will be in plentiful supply.
FOR now.. we all have to rest, we have an early start tomorrow.. “
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