Summoned Again?

While I cooked, Gizela gave me the story about the Legend Of The Gods.

From time immemorial, the world had been visited by people sent from the gods. Their skills and purposes were as ranged as the kinds of people that were sent. Some were sent to enlighten the people on the gods themselves, some were sent to teach and to give knowledge, and some were sent to convert the people. The last one was the most damaging. It was one such person that when they arrived, they changed the people physically.

It was only one or two at first, then it was a whole patrol and then an entire village. No one knew what god had sent the first one and no one has come forward to take the blame. It was a disaster and all of the other nations came together against them and corralled the converted people where they lived. The bad part was that there was no escape. To stay was to become a beast, to leave was death. Everyone stayed.

Everyone was also taught. They were taught the sounds of what the odd language of the gods was, even though they had lost the ability to speak it. It was to keep everyone wary of any new godlings that would be sent. Would they change the world for the better or make everything worse? Only time would tell.

Since then, more godlings had come and had tried to help, some giving up their lives, others pledging to do what they could to help. Most of them didn't realize that the converted beasts didn't need or want their help. The people were who they were now and they had lived for a hundred years that way. Did they really think Tups would give up their herds and settlements? That the Great Cats would give up their clans? No, they wouldn't.

The godlings didn't ask, however. They fought and bled and worked their hardest to fix things that didn't need to be fixed. So, the people keep the knowledge alive and remain vigilant to this day, until the next godling appears.

“Okay, that was a little different from what I was told.” I said and asked her for plates or something to serve food in. She pointed to a cupboard and it was full of wooden carved dishes. I filled them all with both meat and salad. I even made some coleslaw. I asked if her son and his mate would be coming and she nodded, so I filled four large bowls with the garden salad, added some Italian salad dressing, then put some coleslaw onto small plates for them.

“I assume it was a god that told you their version.” Gizela said.

“A goddess, actually.” I said and stored everything.

“They think this world is broken and needs to be fixed.” She shook her head.

“What it needs is a way to stop the spread of the infection.” I said and waved her out of the kitchen and we went out to the front yard. “I'll do my best to try and find it.”

Gizela laughed. “The Kingdom of Men found that decades ago. It's called the Encompassing Wall.”

“Simple and effective, except for leaving everyone that didn't want to be converted inside.” I said.

“It's been a hundred years. Most people that have been infected back then are dead.”

I gave her a surprised look, even though she couldn't see it, and she laughed again as if she knew.

“Most were middle age then and their children of various ages. All new births were beasts. After a hundred years, even the original children have passed on.”

“I don't want to know how old you are, do I?” I asked.

“Despite the temptation you represent, you have claimed my daughter as your own. The most I could be is an occasional bed warmer.” Gizela said.

“MOTHER!” The Freemartin yelled and everyone laughed.

“It's all right.” I said and took out bundles of blankets. I spread them out and I had everyone sit down.

They all looked at me oddly, until I took out the first plate with only slightly cooked meat and salad on it. I gave the first plate to my favorite cat woman and she purred at the smell of it. I handed out three more to the other cats, then served the badgers. I came over to the blanket with the Freemartin and her mother and saw the ram and another woman approach.

“Perfect timing.” I said and took out a large bowl for Gizela and a plate of coleslaw, then gave the same to the Freemartin. Her brother sat down with a thump and I gave him one as well.

“What is this?” He asked and took a smell.

“Just something I prepared for your mother and sister.” I said and gave his mate a bowl as well. “I hope you like it.”

“Thank you.” She said and sat down. “It smells... what is that smell?”

“Just a bit of sauce to make the flavor of the greens a little better.” I said and they sat there and stared at it. “I'd ask you to trust me and try it; but, I'd rather the Freemartin take a bite and tell you how good it is.”

Everyone looked over at me and didn't start eating.

“Oh, right. I'm an idiot. I forgot about the face coverings.” I said and Gizela bleated a laugh. “Hold on.” I said and used my Ice ring and used my armor to power it. Instead of a small burst of ice shards, I created an eight foot tall ice wall on the edge of the property to block off the outside.

“I thought you said you weren't a magic user!” Gizela and the Freemartin exclaimed.

“It's an enchanted item, actually.” I said. “The wall should last about an hour if I don't renew it.”

Everyone looked at the wall and then at each other.

“Hey, it's all right. You don't have to take the coverings off completely. You just have to lift it up enough to eat.” I said and sat down near my four cat women. “I'll even turn around and keep my face hidden.”

“That is very nice of you.” Gizela said and looked at her children, who nodded.

I turned around and switched my helm for a face covering, then lifted it to eat as I cut into the meat. “Oh, yeah. That's good.” I said and chewed on the medium rare steak. “That's so juicy, it should be illegal.”

There were chuckles around me and then growls and tearing meat sounds. I had given the cats much larger meat portions with very small salads, figuring since they were carnivores, they would want more meat, the bloodier the better. The badgers I gave smaller pieces of meat and equal sized salads.

Everyone tore into the food as if it was the best thing they had ever tasted. Even the ram let out happy bleats as he ate, which amused his mate and she bleated happily as she ate. I didn't turn to look, though. If they wanted to stay private, that was their business. I could easily hear everything, though.

“More.” The ram said.

“There's a big bowl in the kitchen.” Gizela said and he ran inside the house. “Bring it out for us!”

There was a loud snort and a bleat and she laughed.

“Daughter.”

The Freemartin sighed and went in after her brother.

“Nooo! I claim that as man of the house!” The brother pleaded and both his mate and his mother laughed.

“Men.” The Freemartin said as she came out and gave her mother, her sister-in-law, and herself some more, then she held the large bowl out to the side. A second later, it was out of her hands and the ram had his head buried in it, in clear view of everyone.

“I think he likes it.” Gizela said with a laugh.

“Food... of the... gods.” The ram said and munched and crunched everything that was in the bowl.

I turned away from him and finished eating, so that when he finished, he wouldn't have embarrassed himself by revealing his face in public. I just thought it was funny that he was fine with stuffing his face in front of me.

We all finished and covered our faces again, even the ram, and I gathered the dishes up. I paid silver to clean them and took them out to show Gizela, so she wouldn't wash them again.

“Thank you, metal man.” Gizela said I put the dishes back in her kitchen cupboards.

“We need to head over to the caravan.” I said and held a hand out to the Freemartin.

“I can stand on my own.” The Freemartin said.

“I know.” I said and wagged my armored hand at her. She sighed and took it, then I pulled her up quickly to make her bleat in surprise and caught her in my arms. “Stealing a hug works better if I'm not wearing armor, though.”

“You...” The Freemartin shook her head and let me go. “Remove the wall.”

“In a minute.” I said and held a hand out to her mother.

Gizela bleated a laugh and took my hand with both of hers.

I pulled and she hopped up into my arms. “Now I regret needing to wear my armor.”

Gizela laughed and let me go. “You'll be coming back with the ore soon, won't you?”

“That depends on how fast it can be dug out of the mine.” I said and held a hand out to my favorite cat.

“You're not worried about...” The Freemartin stopped and looked at her brother and mother. “...other things like creatures and monsters?”

“Savior has no such worries.” My favorite cat said as she hopped up without me pulling and hugged me tightly. “He can defeat any foe.”

“Any number of foes.” The other three said as they stood.

I let the cat woman go and walked over to the wall. I used the Fire ring and touched the ice wall, which quickly melted it from the inside as I directed the Fire that way. I stood there and each badger thanked me for the food as they passed. The cat women went next, purred as they thanked me, then I turned to store the blankets.

“Fast travels.” Gizela said and pat the chest of my armor.

“You just want to show off that pretty face when I get back.” I teased and she bleated a laugh. “Are you sure you don't want to come along?”

“If I leave, I might lose claim of the land immediately.” Gizela said.

“I'll talk to the Tup about that and about challenges.” I said and turned to the brother.

“I have work.” The ram said.

I nodded and held a hand out to the Freemartin.

“You're not holding my hand the entire trip.” She said and took it.

“No, just long enough to show that you're mine.” I said and bowed to her mother. “Until we return.”

“Stop that.” She said and waved me away.

I chuckled and led the Freemartin after the others. We had a caravan to join and protect, after a quick stop in the main building to talk to the Tup.

“I can't stop the challenges.” The Tup said from his throne.

“I didn't ask you to.” I said. “Just delay them until I return.”

“Are you claiming the mother as well?” The Tup asked, a little surprised. “That's acceptable under herd law; but, it's unusual for a mate to take the whole family from their herd.”

“No, I'm fighting for Gizela to keep her place in the herd.” I said.

“Hmm. Well, I suppose it's not unheard of.” The Tup said.

“I just need to know if it's to the death or not.” I said.

The Tup gave me a stern glare. “Are you unwilling to kill?”

I barked a laugh. “No, I was just wondering if you wanted them to stay alive.”

The Tup smiled. “If you can kill them with your bare hands, it's fine.”

“Ah, no weapons.” I said and he nodded. “Armor's fine, right?”

“Yes, since it's defensive in nature.”

“Great. I'll see you when we get back.” I said and we left his throne room. We joined up with the caravan and I wasn't surprised to see the badgers had piled into one of the empty carts that would be filled with ore. Several rams were there as guards with six rams as miners and three as loaders. There were four carts and the cat women had claimed the front one as my position of leadership.

I almost laughed at that description, then helped the Freemartin up onto the cart and climbed in myself. The caravan started when the barrier and the door opened and the drivers took us at a walking pace out through the opening. Once free of the enclosure, they slapped the reins and the horses ran.

We were on our way to the mountains.