Chapter 18 The End tribe.
— Tenka's P.O.V. —
When I finally wake up, my head feels heavy, and the first thing I notice is the new village. The weather reflects my mood perfectly; it is oppressive, very cloudy, and windy.
It seems they settled on a rocky plateau. It's a strategic choice, bordered by a deep, jagged cliff on one side and a rushing river surrounding most of the rest. Already, even though it has only been two weeks, you can see the foundation of a rampart starting to be built. With these natural features combined with our construction, this place will be almost impossible to attack.
(I get why he told us to settle here... It's smart. But looking at it just makes my chest hurt. Sigh.)
I try to look around to find Salaba, but my anxiety spikes. Sensing my unsettling feeling, Garry emerges from my forehead, a small mote of light that solidifies and stands on my shoulder. He really brightens the mood with his new appearance; his plumage has shifted to a brilliant, shimmering silvery color.
"Do you know if Sam was okay when we left?" I ask, my voice trembling.
Chipper.
"Okay, I get the sense that he's fine from your tone, but I didn't understand the rest of that," I mutter, rubbing my temples.
"He said you have bigger worries than waiting for Sam," a voice echoes, seemingly from nowhere. "Like keeping our people in check."
I look around frantically. There is nobody nearby.
"Don't look around, hehehe," the voice cackles. "It's me, Barabas. I'm in Gary's birdhouse, so to speak... Look at your forehead."
I stumble over to a basin of water near the bed. Peering into the reflection, I see a beautiful, intricate mark glowing faintly on my forehead. After contemplating it for a while, trying to process this absurdity, I ask the air, "Why are you in my head?"
"Sigh..." Barabas's voice sounds weary, resonating directly in my mind. "I'm technically dead. This is just soul and memory remaining. I could not let that... thing... gain what it was looking for. It was after Sam's memories, I guess. He must have steered some strange energy and attracted this entity somehow..."
We both fall silent. The weight of the unknown presses down on us. Heck, we don't even know what that creature was.
"So, you got pretty lucky, hein?" Barabas breaks the silence.
"Lucky to be alive?" I whisper, touching the mark. "The last thing I remember is Gary entering my palm and those black tentacles swarming... You... you saved me, right?"
"Yeah, but that's not what I meant..." Barabas pauses, his tone softening. "Hey, don't cry... Sigh... We saved him! I swear to you, Sam is fine. Just before that thing retreated, I managed to escape. It only got my physical body... What I mean by lucky is, you picked up a piece of the shell, right? I saw the mark before, on your palm."
I sniffle and dry my tears with the back of my hand.
"Mm... Yeah, I picked it up when it fell during the fight. I thought he was coming out, but that black stuff erupted instead, and I ran to get you. I can't remember what happened to it after that..."
Chipper. Gary chirps in agreement.
"This is good," Barabas explains, his voice taking on a lecturing tone. "That thing—it was not a shell like Gary's. It was pure energy. If Gary did not use it to make this place inside your mind, we don't know what effect it would have had on you. But now? He gave you a huge shortcut! For now, it's useless to you, but Gary and I can live here in this space for a while. Once we are gone, you will be the master of this place and will make it your own. At your age, to have a 'Mindscape' is very good! It is exactly what Sam trained you for, by the way."
We chat for a long time, and I find myself growing closer to him instantly. Barb is actually a good guy, very relaxed despite the situation. It helps me a lot, keeping me grounded now that I am without... Him.
I turn to the bird on my shoulder. "Gary, can you find Red for me?"
Chipper.
"That means no," Barabas translates. "He can't get far from you. Gary is different from me; I lost my body, but he became pure energy for a while. Now, he is able to phase through everything, even dimensions, and pick stuff up, but the task demands energy equivalent to the action. It's pointless to send him on an errand like that. Especially since your energy is currently low, Tenka. You don't contain much of what is needed to recharge him yet. You are lucky you had a Mindscape seed in the first place..."
"So..." I sigh, looking at the silver bird. "You're like a very expensive bird, hahaha."
Chipper.
"Haaarg... critical hit..." Barabas groans dramatically in my mind. "I'm actually useless except for comic relief... Sniff..."
— Salaba's P.O.V. —
I just made it to our new home, my legs burning from the exertion. Tenka is sleeping soundly, tied securely onto my back.
(This place is good. It's safe. But I feel a bit of shame that I did not stay to help them fight.)
Suddenly, a ball of red fur blinks into existence in front of me, panting heavily. It's Red. He sniffs the air frantically for a second, his eyes darting around. When he realizes Sam isn't with us, he doesn't even seek answers from me. He just bolts off, running back toward where I came from at full speed.
(I can understand him... Sigh... I want to run back too.)
Once I finally walk into the settlement and get to see my people, the atmosphere shifts. They seem to admire me a little. They look at the fresh scar on my arm and at the sleeping Tenka on my back. They were impressed, apparently, by the reports from the fighters, and mostly by the stories of Sam and Tenka's bravery. The generals also seem to have gained some respect for us.
Matema approaches me immediately, welcoming me to a warm meal and a nice cabin. It looks just like the one Sam made for us before, constructed with sturdy logs. However, as I look around, I notice there are only two cabins designated for us, not three. One is for Tenka, and one is for me alone... This realization saddens me a bit.
Matema sees my expression and explains quietly, "Sam's status has been suppressed for now. It's because of the fiasco regarding his identity. Telling everybody he is a man at the wrong time caused chaos, and it was mostly caused by Temate's panic. She could not go and lose her reputation now, especially when the tribe needs her strong leadership. She had to shift the story. She used Tenka as the hero of the battle. This helps Sam indirectly, though..."
I nod, understanding the politics even if I don't like them. I walk into the cabin and gently lay Tenka down on her bed. She looks peaceful, despite the chaos we just left.
"This is good," I say, stretching my sore shoulders. "How are things here?"
"Before that," Matema crosses her arms, "mind telling me what actually happened?"
I spend an hour telling her stuff that I barely understand myself—shadow monsters, energy blasts, and glowing birds. Matema listens intently, then looks down at Tenka's sleeping form, specifically at her forehead.
"She became pretty," Matema notes.
"To me, even if she stank before, she was pretty," I say fiercely. "To Sam, too!"
"Hahaha," Matema laughs, waving a hand. "Don't be so defensive. It looks like you want him too, right?"
"Of course I want him!" I blurt out, feeling my face heat up. "He's just waiting a bit, he said. Too young. He doesn't want to become a sex monster..."
Matema smiles warmly at that. "Come to my daughter; she has been running things."
I follow her out to the center of the village. Just like the last settlement, our homes face the center. This time, however, everything is made of wood rather than temporary materials. In the center, there is an open stand with a circular roof, acting as a town hall.
Temate sees me approaching and runs to hug me. She squeezes tight, and after filling her 'hug meter,' she pulls back. She wants to know everything, but there are too many people around, listening in. I drag her behind one of the cabins for privacy.
I tell the tale again, leaving some of the scarier parts out to save time. Now, I want my update.
"Things here are good," Temate says, counting on her fingers. "Nobody was hurt during the move, and only you got wounded in the retreat. So, we left and found this nice place, set up the cabins, and started the rampart Sam asked for. I also have two people assigned to work metal. But... for now, Sam never got to teach them anything. He just showed them the equipment quickly before he left. No luck yet on making weapons."
"Okay, good," I nod. "What do you need me for, then?"
"Food..." Temate sighs, looking exhausted. "We have a hard time adapting to this rocky terrain. The hunters are struggling."
"Leave it to me!" I shout, slamming my fist into my palm.
(I get pumped up! I can show off with good food and gain Sam some points while he is away!)
— 3rd P.O.V. —
Of course, doing nothing but waiting was not in Salaba's nature. For a while, she treated the village to a lot of good food, utilizing every scrap of cooking knowledge Sam had given her. She had consumed every detail and drop of wisdom he offered. Cooking was the one thing that was less complicated than fighting or politics, and she could easily share that connection with him mentally, spending time laughing and cooking together in her memories.
Tenka, still asleep, even gave her the space for it. Salaba has a big heart, among other things, and she poured that love into the stew pots.
...
After she finished her duties and left the central area, Temate went to find her mother. After a little chat about logistics and morale, they separated. Temate walked alone for a moment, her face darkening. She doesn't want to admit it to anyone, but Sam's lateness worries her more than she wants to show.
She decides to check on Tenka. Entering the quiet cabin, she sees the girl sleeping. Her eyes are drawn to the mark on Tenka's forehead. Curiously, Temate reaches out and lightly touches it.
Immediately, she gasps. She can feel her internal power draining, siphoned away into the mark like water down a drain. She frowns, pulling her hand back slightly but not breaking the connection.
(Salaba carried her all the way from the battlefield... was she draining Salaba's power like this all along!? No wonder Salaba looked so exhausted.)
Temate makes a decision. She grit her teeth and gives her power to Tenka freely, pushing her energy into the mark to stabilize it. Half of her reserves are gone in a second, leaving her lightheaded.
"You better thank me later!" Temate whispers aggressively at the sleeping girl.
She leaves the cabin a bit shaky, leaning against the doorframe to catch her breath.
Barely an hour later, energized by the influx of power, Tenka's eyes snap open.