Returning to Sarvas Part 7 - The Herd

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“If you don’t mind,” Ahsch said, walking alongside Ivrine, “in the interest of building mutual trust, I suggest that we take turns sharing. That way we can gain an understanding of each other, our backgrounds, our goals, and so on.”

The satyr nodded. “A reasonable suggestion,” she agreed. “Though I will not reveal anything that might endanger my herd.”

Ahsch gave an understanding nod. “And I will not disclose… I’ll admit, quite a lot. There are many secrets that me and my ‘inner circle’ of friends and family keep, many of which could be damaging if discovered by the wrong people.”

Ivrine's eyebrow rose, but so did her respect for him, Heart Sight revealed. “I trust this ‘Enochiel’ is not such a secret, else you would not have brought it up.”

Ahsch chuckled. “In the main, no. Let’s see, where to begin…”

For the next several hours, Ahsch and his party continued on their way to Sarvas, with Ivrine’s herd of satyrs in a loose circle around them. Xitia and Felori - who rejoined them shortly after disappearing into the forest, no doubt to inform the rest of the herd about what was happening - stayed close to Ivrine, only a few paces behind where the leader of the herd and Ahsch walked.

Ahsch told Ivrine only slightly more than the public knowledge about himself - that he was the Prophet of Enochiel, a new god, as well as his domains; about the Order and Temple, and the projects that were underway; about Byrdrek, Fauna, and the Irztonite Church - or at least, the faction that supported the former Archbishop; he told her the general scope of his capabilities, including that the reason behind the two-hour orgy prior to exiting the demi-plane was to empower himself and Aena with Sexual Amplification, just as a precaution (a precaution that Ivrine respected and complimented Ahsch on); he even infomed the satyr about Dominant’s Tithe, at least in vague terms with as little indication of who, aside from Mahat, was providing him Mana Generation.

In return, Ivrine spoke about herself and her herd; that they were formerly ‘pseudo-ferals,’ who lived apart from most of civilization and had previously traded their services as an almost mercenary outfit for food, resources, and even nights with men; how they had recently been forced out of their former territory by truly feral monsters, and lacked the rapport and goodwill of other villages, who saw them as nothing different than ferals; their mounting desperation caused them to all but become ferals, taking what they needed, including, finally, men to ensure the continuation of their herd; she also told Ahsch about the herd itself - that they were hunters and fighters, but also crafters and gatherers; that she was the herd queen by challenging all the other members of the herd and claiming a majority of victories in the contests they decided upon - be it hunting, wrestling, creation, gathering, or something else.

They also spoke about other things as topics came and went. “Even with your enhancement from the sex ritual, do you really believe that you could have bested me and my herd?”

Ahsch shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. None of you revealed your strength - and to be fair, none of us have either - but even assuming you beat us, it would have been a hollow victory.”

“Oh?”

“I can access a demi-plane, something I doubt you can stop, so all of us could have hidden within it until help arrived.”

Ivrine narrowed her eyes at him. “And you are sure that would have happened soon enough to save you? Your food would not last forever, and from what we could see, you carry your provisions with you, so it would seem you cannot procure more from within your demi-plane.”

Ahsch smirked. “I can communicate with a royal in R’sath at any moment, and I doubt she would have wasted any time gathering her troops and storming wherever I was. I’d give it a half-week at most for her to muster her forces and get here.” The hrafthi sobered. “I’m glad it didn’t come to that - you all sound like decent monsters, and what my wife would do…” A shiver ran through his body, and he shook his head. “It would not have ended well.”

The satyr regarded Ahsch again. “You wife is a formidable fighter?”

He nodded. “She’s a terror in a fight, and as a royal can call upon nearly a hundred of her own personal soldiers; and I have access to a few hundred more through various other means.” He left out the part where he himself didn’t have access to the House Celes soldiers, and getting in touch with the Temple to have them dispatch the Sentinels would be tricky at best, though Ahsch could probably have Avery deliver a message.

At the end of the day, as dusk fell, Ahsch, having a good feeling about Ivrine - and about Xitia and Felori, who had added their views on things from time to time - decided to take a risk. “Would you and your herd care to join us in my demi-plane?

The stare Ivrine gave him as she considered was fit to bore holes in steel. “We would graciously accept your hospitality,” she finally said, then nodded to Felori, who rushed off into the much sparser forest that bordered the road, a day’s journey and then some deeper into the mountains. About ten minutes later, all two-dozen of the herd were assembled, and Ahsch confirmed that the round faces, upturned button noses, tanned or ruddy-hued skin, and tomboy appeal was present in all of Ivrine’s herd.

It took a bit more concentration than usual - which was to say, any concentration at all - to pull everyone present into the demi-plane, and they emerged in the much-expanded forest section; Ahsch quickly ‘closed off’ the park from his guests, not wanting to have to figure out how to explain what the hell it was without revealing his Earth origins; and it simply didn’t feel appropriate to bring them into the section dedicated to Enochiel. However, the forest felt right - and clearly the satyrs liked it as well, because he caught sight of a number of pleased smiles and excited emotions.

A large, communal dinner was prepared, with Ahsch and his group mingling with the herd amicably. Ivrine had insisted that Ahsch eat with her, and they were only halfway through the meal when she stopped, looked at him, and declared, “I’ve decided: I will pledge my herd to you on two conditions: first, you take myself and one other fully into your confidence, withholding no secrets; second, you breed at least five of us within the next week.”