Heading To The Village: Part 1 (Into The Woods.)

We travel along the trail for a while, and I get filled in on the local situation. "So can you, er, thee; tell me where I am? I'm fairly confident I'm in Vinland the Good, but WHERE?" I asked.

"Thou art in Amadahy County of Aniyunwiya province, about a hundred miles from the border with Canada. This area was depopulated by the plagues brought from Europe, Africa, and Asia by the Republic explorers two hundred years ago, and is only now being re-settled. However, the plague killing everyone created an immense build-up of Black Mana, which was purged from the ley-lines and nodes by them creating a large number of Black Aspect monsters, such as the Dragoness. When resettlement began the colonists didn't map the ley-lines and nodes carefully enough, nor cap the nodes with Heartstones, Pylons, and Temples swiftly enough, so as they cut trees and brush for houses and fields, built dams on the rivers for Mills and sheep ponds, and dug mines for ores and gems, they disrupted the ley-lines again, causing a fresh burst of monster creation." Mayfair explains, looking at Cindra fearfully.

"Actually, 'The Dragoness' has a name," I begin, "I just rebuked her for calling you something inappropriate, so you should call her by her name as well, which is 'Cindra'," I finish.

"Also, if either of thee ist to refer to me by my type: I am a **** Aspect Spellwave Dragoness," Cindra informs us both.

"Fine, I will call Thee 'Cindra' then," Mayfair responds, looking at Cindra with an appraising note of fear. "Anyway, since the realignment there have been a lot of injuries and some deaths. All the big league Monster Tamers and mages are up on the border protecting the province from the threat of invasion by the Canadians, so we're surviving, however, we can. Cindra here came to the village and demanded tribute. It is against the law for any Norical subject or citizen to pay anyone a tribute, only lawfully enacted, conducted and regulated taxation is permitted, but we were told that we had to resist with mundane arms for at least a month. We knew we would die horribly if we tried, so our shaman did a compound divination and told us that 'A Monster Tamer dressed in strange clothing will appear somewhere near here underground in the next week; if we can find Kae before the monsters do Ka can save us': and it seems thou have," Mayfair explains.

"Ka hath indeed saved thy people. I now have a far better understanding of the situation and know that threatening thy piffling little village will not gain that which I desire. To build my hoard and secure a future with a mate and children I must negotiate with the Norical Imperial Republic for 'contracted services', which I can only do once my service to 'Robin' here is finished..." Cindra sighs.

"Thou could simply have asked..." Mayfair responds then flinches as though expecting a blow.

Cindra almost does rake Mayfair with her claws, but a sharp mental rebuke prevents bloodshed...
[[DIE THOU INSOL-!]] Cindra mentally shrieks...
[[NO!]] I interject and she just barely holds back her arm from making its deadly swing.

"Thee and thine art inferior life-forms, strong of body but weak of mind. Why shouldst I ask any of you for information?" Cindra snarls instead of cutting Mayfair to ribbons.

Mayfair, sensing somehow that a rejoinder would be unwise, stays silent for a minute or two. Meanwhile, I think [[Calm the fuck down Cindra! If you're going to behave like this I'm going to buy you a straight-jacket and muzzle!]] The mental images accompanying this tell her what I'm talking about and she jerks back in horror.

[[Thou wouldst not; thou COULDST NOT!]] Cindra thinks, horrified.

[[Mother; fucking; watch me!]] I mentaly snarl.

[[I'll be good, I'll be careful!]] Cindra apologizes.

[[You'd BETTER!]] I respond, and then do some deep breathing to calm down while wordlessly showing Cindra how to do the same.

After a minute or two, I start the conversation back up again.

"So, tell me about your, thy village Mayfair. What's it called? What're the people like?" I ask.

"There is not much to tell," Mayfair begins. "The Village is called 'Ayeligadu`hvi'. There are about fifteen families living there and farming the land around it. Most of us are immigrants from Britannica province or native Aniyunwiya, only three families are from elsewhere and each of them hails from a different place. We have a stout palisade to protect us from most monsters, lots of muskets, and a few hedge mages, but a lot of the monsters around here are too strong for us to handle. Now that we have thee and thou hast tamed Cindra I expect that has just changed," she explains.

It is at this point that we come to a covered bridge over a smallish river...