Chapter 42 - God-marked

I explained what I wanted in terms of saddles and stirrups to my new crafters. They caught on quickly but seemed to doubt my sanity.

“But why? The horses won’t like it! You’ll never be able to control them,” said Gant, the male leatherworker. His wife Cimal nodded firmly in agreement.

“They’ll get used to it. Do you have what you need?” I asked. They shared a look then shrugged at each other and nodded to me.

“It’s your leather, lord,” said Gant.

“And we’re your slaves,” Cimal added bitterly.

“You won’t be mistreated. If you can make this work then you’ll go home with a new product that will make you rich. Klip, I trust a stirrup is easy enough for you to put together?”

He grumbled but nodded reluctantly.

“I’ll need wood for the forge. What metal should I use?” he asked.

“Bronze is fine for now but eventually I’ll want a lot of them made from iron or steel. And I do mean a lot. Thousands. Have you considered taking on an apprentice?” I asked. I’d need more than one smith to produce the quantities I was going to need in the near future.

“I won’t train no savages. Velkit would curse me with the fumes! You animals all worship Aresk. Velkit doesn’t like your war God. Always destroying and killing, never making!” His voice was firm.

“What about someone from among the townsfolk?” I offered. Klip was going to be a thorn in my side and all my efforts to get him on team Ray seemed to have failed thus far. To be fair I had never really developed any social or diplomatic skills back on Earth beyond those needed to trick my way into a place I shouldn’t be allowed.

“Aye. Some of the young ones might be fit to serve the God of the Forge.”

“Choose three and start training them, please,” I said firmly. “I’ll let you get on with it then. How long until you’ll have a prototype?”

“A what? What’s that word mean?” Klip glared at me.

“An example that we can test.”

“Oh I can knock up these stirrups fast enough. Slower if I’m training boys who’ve never swung a hammer."

“How long?” I repeated, fighting back a sigh of frustration.

“Half a dozen by tomorrow night?” he guessed, glancing at the sun which was falling in the sky to the west.

“Perfect. I’ll leave you in peace.” Klip immediately began barking instructions at Tanil’s townsfolk who jumped at his words like he was their lord. Soon enough he’d lined up the young men and boys and was walking the line looking them up and down and snarling questions at them. Gant and Cimal wandered over to a wagon and began pulling rolls of hides down.

A short while later I spotted a dust cloud to the south so I jumped in my chariot and we rode south to greet the rest of our merry band. As I drew closer I began to worry. There were a lot of wagons. Almost fifty by my count and over a hundred riders pulling lines of ponies. This must be most of the Hatrik and Herm population judging by the swarm of people on foot moving in the wake of the wagons.

We pulled around in arc and my driver placed us running along next to Jandak’s chariot. He waved cheerfully at me.

“How many is this? Why are so many of them joining us rather than staying in town?” I demanded.

“Well met to you as well!” Jandak laughed at me. “The king visited Khan and Atas before I could get their permission to take some wagons. They were more than a little pissed off! Khan will be shitting horns for weeks! I swear Atas could have lit a fire just by staring at the wood!”

“So why so many?” I insisted. If we’d broken the herd already I needed to know. We couldn’t camp so close to Areskit if the patriarchs had split with Hakubin.

“Oh the old boys were annoyed enough to order most of us out of town. Hakubin knows he’s broken with them. It was the chit, in the end. Forcing us to trade through another family like peasants or lesser nobles. Never fuck with a man’s pride, Vileslayer!” he called back.

“Kril and Fayala?” I asked, wondering how the hell we were going to feed and house so many.

“With the wagons. We’ve got enough yurts for everyone, even the slaves.”

“Prisoners.” I corrected him absently as my mind focused on other matters. “Food?”

“Enough to see us through the cull. Khan wants you back in Areskit tomorrow morning. The mighty king is going to screw us on the tithes from the cull as well so Khan wants it done fast and then he’ll split the herds and we’ll head north for real. Hope your knife is sharp!”

“It’ll do the job,” I muttered. The longed for windfall of Souls was just around the corner and I’d finally be able to jump some more levels. I wanted to get to level fifty while still keeping some in reserve for the Shop. Level forty had revealed the soul transfer ability and I was eager to find out what new goodies awaited me at the next tier. I was also owed a boon from Aresk when I hit fifty and whatever it was: I would need every advantage I could get over the next few months.

As we arrived at our new camp I quickly realised the nomads needed no orders to set up efficiently. Wagons were pulled into a ring with the half built palisade facing south completing the circle. People rushed back and forth unloading the lattices that made up the supports for the yurts and arguing good naturedly with each other about who got to place their tent next to each other or complaining that one person's snoring was too loud and demanding they move their tent further away.

In less than an hour it looked like Areskit in miniature, complete with a fenced in paddock for the horses and chariots. The bustle and noise of a nomad town quickly filled the air. Our prisoners now found their little circle of wagons surrounded on all sides as the Areskyn had set up around them like the guards they were. The tribesmen and women left the shit-sitters largely alone. They were cold and distant to our guests but not unkind that I saw as I passed through the new camp in awe at how quickly it had been put together.

“You think we don’t know how to make a camp?” asked Trikilo from behind me. I spun and extended a hand, receiving a firm warrior's clasp from him and he grinned at me.

“The boy constantly underestimates his betters,” cackled Kril. “Come on lad. I’ve got a fire going and some ched will be ready soon.”

They led me to the heart of the camp and I found my tent next to Kril's and two much larger ones. We had been put on the edge of the large central clearing that included our prisoners. Even with so many new arrivals I could hear Klip cursing and shouting as the sound of hammers striking metal rang out. Any nomad who heard the noise would stop for a moment and mutter something to themselves while smiling broadly.

We ducked into Kril’s yurt and Fayala rose from the fire. She turned to pass an icy look over us all. I smiled tentatively as the other two passed by me, leaving me standing in the door flap like a fool. As soon as Trikilo wasn’t able to see her face she winked at me then settled down to finish the ched.

“Come in you aurox bollock! You’re letting the warmth out!” complained Kril as he settled by the fire cross legged and accepted a bowl of the tea-like drink from Fayala with a gap toothed grin of gratitude. Trikilo was served next and when I sat down to receive my own bowl I felt her hand linger as it brushed against my fingers.

“I've got work to do. You can tend your own fire now old man!” she told Kril. as she swept towards the flap she shot me another wink and stuck her tongue out at me. She was going to be trouble, I could feel it in my bones, but I was quietly looking forward to it.

“You’ve got work to do tomorrow, boy,” said Kril after the flap fell down behind my betrothed. “Oi! Pay attention!” He snapped his fingers at me and my head swung back to him. “I’ve made arrangements so our herds get processed first. You should sharpen your knife tonight.”

“How have you jumped the queue?” I asked. I’d been told how it would work. Killing the animals was easy enough but processing all the meat and sinew and bones took weeks. The Haku herds would usually go first then the other families would kill their own excess animals. The whole tribe worked together day in and day out to salt the meat and prepare the hides.

“Dream-spice is valuable. There’ll also be some new red tunics on some of the lesser families tomorrow. As the Dreamer I’m in charge but I can’t go against Hakubin without support from the patriarchs. Good job I’ve got them all in my pouch now!” This enthusiastic bout of cackling caused me to worry his heart might give out at any moment.

“You’ll also reveal the god-mark. Everyone will want you to slaughter their herds but once you’ve done ours you can decide for yourself,” Trikilo said while Kril fought to catch his breath.

“We can stay a few days for you to get some extra Souls. It will take a couple of days for our part of the cull to be processed but while we’re working on that a few more will be killed each day,” Kril said, having calmed himself down.

“How many are we talking about? Aurox I mean?” I asked.

“There’ll probably be over two thousand killed, all told. Plus the goats I suppose,” said Trikilo. “The Hatrik and Mune herds will be losing about three hundred heads.” I whistled. Each Aurox was worth six Souls. If I did the whole lot I’d be twelve thousand Souls richer. Just my allies’ animals would net me nearly two thousand. I’d be able to advance again at last! I could boost my friends and have a suitable wedding present for Fayala. Even the ever damned Shop might become worthwhile!

We talked some more before I excused myself. I walked around the camp for a while as the sun slowly set. People I didn’t know nodded respectfully to me. Warriors would offer me arm clasps as I passed and slap me on the shoulder. Usually the left shoulder. I suspected the knowledge of the god-mark had spread within the friendly nomads.

I checked in on Klip and found him berating a young man who was sweating profusely and holding a lump of glowing red something into a fire while another pumped the bellows. Klip glared at me and told me to piss off, the stirrups would be ready tomorrow night.

“I won’t be here tomorrow night but Hatrikilo knows what we need. Take them to him when they’re ready,” I ordered. He cursed and spat into the fire causing a sizzling sound but nodded before resuming harassing the poor kid who’d found a moment of respite while Klip turned his fiery temper in my direction.

The leather workers were clipping and trimming what looked like a passable effort at a simple saddle. I left them in peace after watching from nearby for a minute. They worked well together. Finishing each other's sentences as their work seamlessly flowed together as though they were one mind in two bodies.

“Mond, join us?” called Jandak from a fire where he was drinking from a clay bottle with Mune and Kos.

“I can't, I'm afraid. I’ve got to be up early to head back to town. You guys go easy on that stuff! It sneaks up on you!” I called back as I moved past them.

“Hah! Sneaks up on you! This stuff is for kids! We’re saving the strong stuff for something special!” Kos sniggered and I got the feeling it might have been at my expense but I just waved at them and moved back to my yurt.

I had hoped that I’d find Fayala waiting for me again but it was empty. I set a small fire to clear out the chill and lit it with a cast of Fire. I laid back on my pile of furs, burrowing in so that the increasingly cold nights wouldn’t stop me from sleeping properly. I listened to the bustle of the camp and the crashing sound of hammers striking metal as I drifted off to sleep.

“Up you lazy bastard!” Kril yelled from a foot away from my face. I lurched upright in shock as he began to cackle at my surprise. “I’m your driver today. Get dressed and we’ll head off now. Need to be there before the sun’s fully up.”

“Isn’t riding in the dark dangerous?" I asked as I scrambled to pull on my tunic over my shorts.

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” he said cheerfully.

He harried me down to the paddock where a chariot was waiting and hustled me aboard. We set off south just as the sky in the east began to turn pink. Dozens of aurox were being led towards our camp as we cantered south and I quizzed Kril about them.

“We’re saving a few more than we ought to this year. We probably won’t have the option of trading should we lose any to disease next year. With Rapid Growth we don’t need to worry about feeding them,” he replied over his shoulder as he cracked the reins to drive the ponies faster. As we approached Areskit the change was striking. Even at this time of day the people were out enmasse, gathering around an- I did a double take. It was an actual building! Wooden walls and everything!

“That’s where we’ll do it. The herds have been gathering during the night. We drive the beasts in, kill them out of sight of the rest and then drag the carcass out for processing,” Kril told me when I asked him about it. Sure enough a sea of cattle and goats spread across the plains.

We rattled to a stop at the palisade and I unhitched the ponies, putting them in the paddock before dragging the chariot to where four more were waiting. Kril led me through the crowds until we reached the strange shed, then he leapt up onto a small platform built at the side where the aurox would be marched into the structure.

“Warriors and Ladies!” he called out, snatching everyone's attention and causing a hush to settle over the crowd. I stared down at them after he pulled me up next to him. There must have been almost every person in the town looking back at me.

“We are truly blessed this year! Aresk has been sending me more and more true-dreams! He has demanded the Hatrik and Herm clans be the first to make the offerings!”

“What?” barked Hakubin angrily. “My herds are to be first, as is tradition! What bloody game are you playing old man?” He was positioned towards the back of the crowd but his voice carried easily in the quiet dawn air.

“We have a God-marked among us! Aresk has demanded that the friends of the god-touched be the first to offer him his due!” Kril nudged me and mimed taking off the bandage I still wore on my left shoulder. I did as he asked and pulled my sleeve up to show the golden tattoo which gleamed in the first rays of light as they pierced through the high clouds. For a moment every head craned forward to catch a look, then the pressure of Aresk’s aura settled on me, locking me into the shield wall. Everyone else felt it too as they gasped and looked around, muttering to each other.

Various cries began to rise, probably from the men Kril had bribed with dream-spice, dyes and this world's equivalent of pot. A few of them did appear to have very red eyes as they looked up at my arm in wonder. Demands that not only should the Hatrik and Herm animals be processed first but that I should carry out the slaughter singlehandedly! I briefly wished to be a grey man once more but the swell of excitement through the crowd was infectious and the sight of Hakubin glaring at me impotently as the mob overrode him was kind of delicious.

“Then I declare it shall be as mighty Aresk has commanded! Let us begin the slaughter in his name!” yelled Kril. He turned to me and spoke quietly. “Good job with the pressure thing. Can you do that at will?”

“No. That’s one of those things Aresk keeps control of. I guess he’s happy with us though,” I muttered back and I followed Kril into the slaughterhouse.

A large section of floor inside had been covered by large flat stones. They sloped down to wooden troughs that must be to collect the blood and carry it out through the back wall.

“What’s out there?” I asked pointing at where the guttering went out through the wall.

“There’s a trench lined with urns. We collect the blood and ferment it. Strong stuff!” said Kril happily. “I expect some more Souls after this you know?” he cackled. “I’ll tell them to get your first victim!” he called as he scurried back out the door pointed at the plains.