Fable - Ask The Island Eater

[Vhagor]

Tolzhin, Joork Thaczil
​

The Joork Thaczil was the native name for the large stretch of harsh desert lands that stretched across the Northern half of Malaketh. Despite the harsh environment life flourished amongst the dunes though it took on unusual and odd forms. Creatures with scales and three eyelids to tolerate the sun, civilisations built out of the white bones of monsters, and those who rode dragons. Each peoples fought for their scrap of land and protected it fiercely. The exception to the rule was the people known as the Jin'tae. A wandering nomadic people who built their cities atop the backs of giant beasts who constantly roamed from one end of the Joork Thaczil to the next. By the standards of the other harsh residents of the desert wastes, theirs was a peaceful people, and had earned a begrudging respect for being able to traverse even the harshest parts of the landscape. The only land they laid claim to was a small oasis where once every year its roaming cities returned to swap stories, knowledge, and give their giant beasts a rest. To be invited was a privilege not afforded to many outsiders.

Vhagor was under no assumptions that it was a privilege the Thunder of Thanasis had earned. No, they had been invited out of a desperate need.

The High Ascended spent a moment to just enjoy the unique view of the oasis before him, giant beasts not too dissimilar to dinosaurs lounging in the sands or half submerged in the cooling pools. The cities remained atop their backs but they did not seem to even feel them and Vhagor wondered if they were built into the beasts very skin. With a thoughtful grunt he turned to point at those dismounting their dragons behind him.

"No fucking fighting," Vhagor warned the group of riders he had selected for this operation. Were they the best? Not yet by any means, but they all had the potential to be the best. Not that the High Ascended would ever voice such a thing out loud; it was too dangerously close to a compliment and these egos needed no stroking. "We're here to get information about what we're facing here, not to go starting a war with the Jin'tae," that was the last thing they needed. Trade was rare in the Joork Thaczil, and it was best not to make an enemy of the ones who offered the most in the way of food and resources.

"And that goes for you most of all," Vhagor turned his steely gaze to his own dragon. Nyxandra's head lifted and she gave a series of clicks and chirps that could be roughly interpreted by anyone who had been around a misbehaving animal before as to mean who, me? If he hadn't of been with his dragon these last few weeks on the other side of Malaketh he might have thought it was her who had been dubbed the monster who ate whole islands. For that was what they were hear to find and kill; the creatures hunting the Jin'Tai's treasured mounts and swallowing their cities whole.

 

[Kaveh]

Kaveh stood apart from the rest of the riders, leaning against Rayvath's side as he watched Vhagor address the others. His arms were crossed over his chest, one finger idly tapping on the hilt of his khopesh as he waited for the High Ascendant to finish.

A slow tide of breaths pushed him back and forth, his Dragon's massive form spread out and lounging within the rays of the sun.

Here in the desert Rayvath felt almost at home. Red Dragons had never enjoyed life within the city, whether it be Thanasis or one of the smaller Holds, and his bondmate was no exception. Her size didn't make it any easier, so it was ventures like this that allowed her a moment of reprieve. Time where she was not cooped up within the tiny expanses of their home.

It was partly at her behest that Kaveh had agreed to join this expedition.

When Vhagor had asked him he'd nearly rejected it out of hand. There was too much at stake back home, too many moving cogs. His brothers were planning something, he knew, though just what he could not be sure.

The old man had made a good point though. A success out here, the support of the Jin'Tae and perhaps even a new agreement of trade would be a political win. That paired with Rayvath's urging had finally seen to his ascent in joining the expedition.

He'd stashed Briseis within the mountains, and his wives had assured him everything else would be taken care of. Yet he could not help the tingle of paranoia that clawed at the back of his mind. A lifetime of schemes and plots would do that.

Rayvath let out a scoff, as if reading his thoughts. "I know."

The Prince offered. "Focus."

He was here now. No distractions.

 

[Melisandre]

“Ugh. My poor skin.” Melisandre was using one hand to shield her eyes from the bright sun’s rays. Eyrx seemed rather pleased to be under such dry heat, for once in a rather amiable mood. Melisandre on the other hand didn’t much like the idea of looking more like the common folk than nobility. She had to remind herself of the honor it was that Vhagor had even extended such a invitation to her in the first place.

For Evreux she’d need to make some sacrifices. It seemed that for this mission the sacrifice would be her skin which she had just gotten under control after coming back home from her five years in the military. It had taken her two years to stop breaking out daily!

Now she would need to worry about wrinkles on top of acne!

A low growl came from Eyrx, finally having enough of Melisandre’s shallow worries.

“You don’t need to worry about me!” Melisandre called out to Vhagor, walking around Eyrx’s form to place a hand on her dragon’s large lambent horn that seemed to be challenging the sun on which could be more dazzling. “I’m always on my best behavior!” She usually wasn’t, but whatever she did would surely be eclipsed by Prince Kaveh’s rage.

That being said, Melisandre Evreux would put some effort this time in not upsetting anyone. As long as no one bothered her she wouldn’t bother them. See? Fair and square. Eyrx seemed to chortle, as if already waiting to see how Melisandre would end up misbehaving.

 

[Bani]

Bani shifted her weight and yawned in exactly the way her mother told her not to: mouth uncovered, head leaned back, a piece of grit stuck to her teeth. Her glass lenses hid that her eyes were half closed until she lifted them to wipe the tears of boredom from her face. She hated waiting, and right now Vhagor was making them stand around to plan and discuss. The fact that he could make giant, walking cities this uninteresting was astounding. Vexillian mirrored her impatience with a gentle paw at the ground and a small rouse of his feathers.

She replaced the goggles and gave the old man a salute. Mirroring Melisandre's message, though in a much harsher tone, she added "Ladies don't start fights!" Surely no one would be stupid enough to start anything with multiple dragons.

 

[Evirea Nymbos]

Taivas’ element once again proved to be a boon. Gentle breezes swirled around the white dragon and his rider, a small respite against the sunlight and heat beating down upon them. Evirea’s long, black hair was tied up, but sweat still beaded on her neck and brow. White cloth covered her from head to toe, a hood shielding her face from the sun as the gentle winds caressed her face. The light played off Taivas’ iridescent scales beautifully, at least.

Her small dragon ruffled his four wings, then spread one over his rider to block more of the sunlight. Evirea sighed in relief, but now there were other matters at hand. She crossed her arms and glanced at Kaveh, surprised the prince accompanied them on this venture. Weren’t they dealing with a monster capable of swallowing these mighty beasts? Seemed too dangerous to bring a royal along. He wasn’t quite so expendable as the rest of them, she thought ruefully. Not only that, but how did they all even function? They had to be told not to fight. Maybe dragon eggs ought to have been more carefully distributed.

“Okay, so let’s start gathering intel.” She inclined her head toward one of the great beasts lazing in the oasis.

 

[Raimond Thesius]

"Man... look at all of that."

Usually it was a chore for Raimond's folks to convince him to go out of jobs with Vhagor without an argument, but the chance to see the Joork Thaczil with his own eyes was too good for the young Thesius heir to pass up. He'd only heard the stories, and if they were even half true, it was something he had to experience.

Those stories weren't lying even a little, the vast expanses of sand were daunting enough, but the dense patches of green and pools of blue that littered the sands as far as the eye could see were like nothing he'd ever witnessed before. Raimond leaned forward from his place on Ha'Than's head, the White Dragon happily lounging on his belly, enjoying the feel of the warm sand against his underside.

He really looked like an idiot all splayed out like that, but Rai wasn't about to tell him that.

"I'm actually a little jealous. I could spend weeks exploring this place."

So captivating was it that he hadn't argued with Bani or tried to flirt with Melisandre once since they'd gotten here. Still, Mel's comment did make him chuckle, looking over at her as he tied his long hair behind his head to keep from overheating. "Come on now, a little tan won't hurt you."

He kept it light. Kaveh was here, ever the tightass, and if there was one person who could make his life hell with one letter to his parents, it was that guy.

 

[Vhagor]

Vhagor stifled a sigh at Mel's whining, resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Bani, and thought he did very well not to rub his temples at the eagerness of Evi. These children still had a lot to learn and whilst he knew missions like these were the only way for them to do exactly that, it still made them all the more difficult than if he had just come alone.

"The Kh'ahid's are expecting us, so first we will go and see them. Pay our respects," Vhagor explained with great patience. Nyx blew a plume of smoke across him in amusement and he threw her a look only she could begin to understand the complexities of before turning on his heel and beginning to walk towards the oasis. As he walked he continued their important education.

"The Kh'ahid are the rulers of each city and they form one overall ruling council. They were the ones who requested our services about this... Island Eater. When you're more experienced and you get your own missions, it's always important to check in first with the people paying the bill. Understood?"

 

[Kaveh]

Kaveh pushed off from Reyvath's scales. Offering the massive dragon a pat before he slowly began to join up with the others. He made no effort at small talk with any of the others, though listened carefully as Vhagor spoke.

Though he has a reputation for anger and outbursts, Kaveh was no petulant child. His old tutor was to be respected, and although he was the Prince of Thanasis it was not he who lead this mission. So he simply tagged along quietly, watching their surroundings and taking in the odd wonder of these people.

The lessons that Vhagor imparted were ones Kaveh had learned long ago.

It was unlikely that Kaveh would ever inherit the throne. Third son and hated by most of the aristocracy, the chance he had to take power was about the same as a toad eating a dragon. Yet he'd still been taught the same lessons has his brothers, been told how it was Thanasis had survived and thrived in a land of death and impossible odds.

Respect, honor, and blood.

Respect one's employer. No matter their customs or traditions. Take them with respect and dignity, but never allow insult.

Honor the contract made. Once the Dragons of Thanasis made a bargain, it would be kept. Even if offered double by an opposing party.

Last came blood. The final and perhaps most important rite. Thanasis spilled only the blood that needed to be spilled to fulfill their oath. Whether that meant burning a city, or killing a single man.

Those tenants are what had kept Thanasis alive. How the city had managed to grow and not succumb to the monsters which roamed Malakath. A point of pride for many of them, including those like Kaveh who had only fought in small skirmishes.

 

[Melisandre]

“That’s right, Bani,” Melisandre agreed with the spunky red-head. “Ladies do not start fights. They finish them. Usually with the silent treatment.” The noble woman had a feeling the joke would fly right over her head, so out of habit, she looked back towards Raimond. With a tilt of her head and a twinkle in her brown eyes, she wondered if maybe he could appreciate her humor.

Before she could get her answer, and before she could explain the Raimond the horrors of the sun on a lady’s skin, Vhagor told them what they would have to do. Ugh, so another debriefing then, wasn’t that what it really was? Paying respects, sure, but Melisandre knew how it really was:

First it was polite greetings, maybe a bit of talk about how magnificent the dragons were, but before one could leave, there needed to be a whole conversation about what was going on. Sometimes, you’d even have to collect info yourself, just as Evirea suggested!

G. R. O. Double S.

“Someone take notes for me, please.” She mumbled to herself as she sulked after Vhagor.

Raimond Thesius Evirea Nymbos Bani Kaveh Vhagor

 

[Bani]

“Ladies do not start fights. They finish them. Usually with the silent treatment.”

Bani wanted to tack an addendum to Melisandre's statement, something about punching, but Vhagor started talking again and ruined the moment. She did listen, though. She wasn't always good at that part, but despite what Vhagor's tone might suggest Bani was not an idiot. Immature and arrogant, yes, but not entirely without reason. That small piece of level-headed thinking stored away the lesson the old man was imparting.

She put one foot in front of the other, taking at least two strides for every one of Vhagor's. She didn't particularly mind sunlight, nor the beads of sweat running down her neck. It wasn't much different from working in her cramped, dark, sweltering workshop, especially when metalworking with Vexillion.

She wiped her brow, glad that if she was going to meet some noble snobs she had been allowed to do so as herself. Her parents had given up enforcing any sort of dress code in their home, but seeing her grandparents had always involved stupid dresses and flowers and baths. Here, with the reassuring clink of metal in her pockets and Vexillion at her back, she felt quite comfy.

 

[Raimond Thesius]

Diplomacy first then, eh? Fine, it wasn't exactly thrilling like he was hoping for but then he wasn't being asked to carry mutton from place to place again so he'd pick his battles here. Patting Ha'Than's back, he smirks down at his friend. "You heard him buddy. Business first, fun later." The white dragon snorted indignantly, none too pleased with having to wait.

Rai slid from his back and shot another smirk towards the moping Melisandre. She was like him in that the delicate intricacies of politics were about as appealing to her as counting every blade of grass and every grain of sand from here back to Thanasis. "If they quiz us, you can cheat off of mine." He snickered. "But I won't promise you'll get any answers right."

Despite his disinterest in the political world, he couldn't deny a slight bit of intrigue towards the Kh'ahid. Sounded like one hell of an important group of people to him, and for them to give anything the name 'Island Eater'... Even a miniscule island was like 300 Bani's wide. Anything bigger than that and... well, they didn't seem the types to exaggerate.

Why them though? There were far more seasoned riders back home for something so dangerous.

"I get it, Vhagor, but..." He couldn't hold the question in. "If this thing is big enough to eat islands and the Kh'ahid are so worries about it, why send a bunch of students in to talk to them? You'd think this would be a bigger deal, is all I'm saying."

 

[Evirea Nymbos]

Evirea briefly raised a brow as Vhagor voiced their plan as she pulled her white cloth hood over her face. This wasn’t how missions were handled when she worked for others. They got the mission, they killed their target as soon as possible. Almost all communication was handled by a higher-up; they didn’t send an entire squadron to go on a meet-and-greet with the client. She only spoke with the client when it was directly pertinent to the mission objective.

“Understood, sir,” she acknowledged the high ascendant.

She turned her head toward Raimond, resisting the urge to nod lest it be taken as obvious agreement, though the question came to mind for her as well, along with others. Evirea wasn’t about to openly question the mission leader right now, though. She wasn’t nearly that bold; it’d been beaten into her to obey the hierarchy without before she so much as flew into even the smallest skirmish. Well, there were always exceptions to the rule, but the rider tried her best to work with what she was given.

Still, she figured the respectful thing to do would’ve been to work as quickly as possible to find and kill this monster. Evi would’ve figured the “check-in” had essentially been done already through hashing out mission details.

 

[Vhagor]

I get it, Vhagor, but... He couldnt hold the question in. If this thing is big enough to eat islands and the Khahid are so worries about it, why send a bunch of students in to talk to them? Youd think this would be a bigger deal, is all Im saying.

"To put it bluntly, Master Thesius," Vhagor half turned to look over his shoulder at the younger man and his face was hard as stone as he continued. "They didn't pay enough for the 'bigger deal'."

The High Ascendant didn't say anymore on the matter as he took his little group of fledglings towards the sparkling oasis waters. During this group gatherings the Khahid liked to have most of their meetings by the great waters rather than in one of the cities. As the group crested the dune below they would see a city of tents had sprung up where others from the roving cities had also decided to make the most of not living on the giant beasts. Children ran about splashing in the shallows, women gossiped and a group of men had set up some sort of game involving a net and a large ball made of pigs bladder. Yet despite the atmosphere of joviality there was an edge to it.

Vhagor skirted about the main city to the small cluster of tents that sat apart from the rest overlooking the activity.

As they drew closer the group would see that outside several Jin'tae lounged on soft rugs smoking from long pipes and eating fresh fruit. When they saw the riders approaching one stood, coming to no more than Vhagor's chest height. The Jin'tae were a curious breed with dark blue skin and spikes puncturing their skin in a way that made Vhagor think of the porcupines he had read about in the bestiaries. The man bowed deeply in respect.

"High Ascendant Vhagor, we have been looking forward to your visit. Come, come, please sit and join us," he motioned to several empty cushions. "Let us share water and bread before we speak of business."

 

[Kaveh]

Kaveh, notably, did not bow.

The Jin'tae glanced at him for just a brief moment, and then tipped their own heads in a low bow of their own. It was an oddity, his place here. The bounds and different customs of nobility played out over one another. Thanasis was a power in it's own right that could not be ignored, yet here they were technically the servants.

Paid servants, but that was their role nonetheless.

He offered a polite nod in response to their deference. Parsing through the various rules of nobility. They all knew Vhagor was in charge, but a bow was customary at least. After that credence was given, things would be as normal.

As far as anyone was now concerned, Kaveh was little more than any other soldier.

The role suited the Prince just fine. His steps taking him quickly to his mentor's side as he himself down on one of the arrayed cushions.

 

[Melisandre]

Ugh. Was she to bow? Or curtsey? Shake hands? Maybe just dip her head? Press her fingers together and bow her head low? Maybe bow at the waist? Oh, perhaps a salute and then a bow and then finish it all off with a twirl and a curtsey?

Vhagor should’ve known he’d need to tell her exactly what to do. Melisandre looked at Vhagor, at the Jin’tae and at Kaveh. She was about to look at Bani but realized that would have been a major mistake. Whatever Bani was doing, Melisandre was certain she shouldn’t follow. Melisandre decided, the best thing to do, would be to stiffly bow her head low, so even her shoulders were hunching over and it seemed she would go deeper and hope no one was looking at her.

If she did something wrong, it was Vhagor’s fault. Too bad Leovold wasn’t here or else she’d blame it on him.

There was little time to wonder if she had made a mistake as it seemed that now they all had to sit down on one of the cushions. Melisandre felt her lip and eyebrow twitch. This was starting to remind her of her days back in the military. She stifled a sigh, and could feel Eyrx thinking of rain. A specific memory, underneath a tree, watching the fat droplets hit the ground.

Now, how should she behave? Vhagor had given her this opportunity, would complaining constantly and looking miserable be wise? She should be more appreciative, shouldn’t she? For her house, for her father, for her dead brothers. Do it for them, at the very least.

Melisandre went to a cushion, sat down, and smiled. It seemed natural, as if something had switched within her and now she was ready to help save the day with everyone else. It was the same smile she wore at gatherings, the same she plastered on her face when someone corrected her and she thanked them for correcting her. It was a smile that was well-polished.

After all, fake it until you make it.

 

[Bani]

"We're the discount service?" Bani didn't like the sound of that at all and she muttered angrily some choice words. Her temper evened as quickly as it rose, however, and she was distracted at once by the sea of tents that faced them.

There was just the right amount of flash and motion here. By the time she was bored with looking at one thing, something new and fantastic revealed itself. The little blue people were quite intriguing all by themselves.

Bani didn't bow very low. This was partially because by the time she realized that was what she was supposed to do the group had started to sit. It was also because she stood quite on-par with the Jin'tae in terms of eye-level.

She plopped down on a cushion, getting a bit of sand on the rug as she moved, and looked around expectantly for the water that was promised.

 

[Raimond Thesius]

Ah, now it made a bit more sense. Sending people who hadn't been proven effective at their jobs in response to a low payment was pretty direct in terms of politicking, but it wasn't so harsh a tactic it would get the city in trouble. After all, some help was better than none right?

Of course, Rai couldn't help but wonder if the Jin'Tae themselves had been clued in on the fact they'd been sent less than the best on offer. He wouldn't put it past Kaveh's family to try and pull the wool over their eyes to save a little face. Bleh, it was all politics that he really had no interest in being a part of, and he wasn't going to be the one who pissed the little blue people off. He had never been here to meet them himself, but he heard they could hold a hell of a grudge.

One of them rose and addressed the lot of them, and Raimond gave a small bow, not as deep as his status probably called for, but then he didn't almost fold himself in half like Mel did. Gods, Rai had to bite his lips not to chuckle at her record-setting low bow. He'd tease her about it later, but only because he liked her.

Moving to sit between Bani and Melisandre, Rai wiped the hair from his face, as well as some of the sand that had begun to accumulate on his skin from the trip here. Still, he couldn't be nearly as sandy as Ha'Than was, no doubt the dragon was happily rolling and bathing in the sun while he was cooped up here. A massive child in a god's shape, he swore.

To keep himself from being too wound up over all the weird tension in the room, he tried to imagine one of the Jin'Tae kicking Kaveh in his royal jewels. Actually no, the height they were... punching Kaveh in his jewels. Even better.

Hopefully nobody saw the smile on his face.

 

[Vhagor]

Water was reverently passed around the group gathered with the same kind of care their own people would have handled a dragon egg. Once everyone's cup was filled they raised them in salute and drank deeply. Vhagor followed the subtle cues from the Jin'Tae who had greeted them and watched to see if the others had picked up on the fact he was showing them how to proceed a few seconds ahead of everyone else doing it. The older dragon rider hid his smile in his cup and drank deep.

"Now we have shared water, let me introduce myself," the same man who had greeted them spoke up and servants in thin gauzy fabric began to materialise from the nearby pavilion with strange looking pipes they set between each pair. "My name is Ti Lo Ghei, and I am the Shepherd of the Roaming Islands," the others murmured something beneath their breath and made a sign over their hearts before pressing their finger tips to their lips.

"Our problem started many moons ago now, but we are so scattered it takes a while for word to reach one another. By the time we realised what was happening we had lost five cities to the Island Eater. We rallied a team of our finest riders to go and look for this beast but they could not find any sign of it. No prints, no scents, nothing to suggest there was a monster causing these disappearances. For a while there were no attacks and we thought perhaps the cities had succumb to the desert heats. I have not heard of five being lost so close in many years, but it is not completely unheard of."

He took a long draw on his pipe as if to steal himself.

"Then it came for my city. It's fangs are as tall as one of these trees and sharp enough to cleave the stones we use to build our homes. Its size made Rhaumaid look tiny," he gestured to the giant lizard creature which lazed on the shore of the lake. Even from this distance several scars could be seen on the animals flank. "We barely escaped, and lost half the city."

 

[Evirea Nymbos]

Evirea’s lip twitched at the revelation. She had years of combat experience, and she was stuck with this. No getting out of this now, though. The small white dragon’s head crest rose taut. He rumbled before suddenly dipping his head down and scooping up his rider. Evi yelped in surprise, but instinctively clung tightly to his neck to prevent herself from falling. After a moment, she slid down onto the dragon’s saddle. A gentle, cool breeze whirled around her.

While Taivas was far from the tallest dragon, Evirea could still see more easily from her vantage point than she could’ve on foot. She craned her neck and surveyed the tent city that sprawled out before them. She didn’t have long to look, though, before they were greeted by the Jin’Tae. The rider hopped out of the saddle and followed Vhagor’s example, bowing deeply to the short Jin’Tae.

So they were going to actually talk business after all. Face still covered, she silently took a look around at everyone gathered right before taking a seat herself. Noting the Jin’Tae and Vhagor’s own actions, she raised her cup in respectful salute as well, sitting up straight as she listened intently. Evirea furrowed her brow as she glanced at the scarred creature that carried the city on its back. Her white dragon lay in the sand just behind her. Taivas’ sinuous neck curled around so that his head was above her. His four wings ruffled and his tail and claws twitched.

 

[Bani]

Bani had to exert all of her restraint to not drink from the cup immediately, but despite her best efforts some of her parents' lessons had sunk into her skull, so she refrained until their host drank from his own vessel. She managed to only slurp a little bit as she greedily took the drink herself. She had never been so enraptured by plain water before, but under the desert sun it was like honey.

She listened to Ti Lo Ghei's story, feeling her impatience prickling up her spine. Big monster. Eating slightly smaller monsters that they live on. Got it. Stop talking about its teeth and tell us something useful. Her impulse was to speak, but everything in Vhagor's demeanor had told her Not to Do That. So she bit her tongue, and finished her water.

Was she allowed to pick up this pipe? The leader guy had, and they could drink when he drank... that meant they could pick up the pipes, right?

She picked up the pipe.

 

[Melisandre]

Dark eyes were fixed on Vhagor, mimicking his movements as if Melisandre were more mirror than person. She did, however, wipe the rim of her cup between her thumb and forefinger before taking a sip. She couldn’t deny that the water was refreshing, especially in this overbearing heat. She just wasn’t too sure on how clean the cup actually was with all this sand around them.

While listening to the story, she couldn’t help but to think how strange it was. Something that big had to leave a trail, didn’t it? Or at least some sort of proof that it actually existed other than a path of destruction.

“Maybe it’s like some big worm.” Melisandre whispered over to Raimond, nudging his arm with her elbow. She nearly missed Bani picking up the pipe and her brown eyes widened in dismay.

“Bani!” She hissed, almost reaching for the pipe before thinking better of it. “Put it down.”

 

[Raimond Thesius]

"Worms burrow." Rai whispered back, leaning towards Mel with a look of thought on his face. "I feel like one that big digging through the ground would be a little easier to feel coming." At least, it should give them enough warning to get clear, he thought. What did he know, though? Wasn't like he was an expert on giant city-eating behemoths.

The brief image of their dragons waiting outside flashed through his head.

Shit... maybe they were experts.

Raimond knew better than to speak up too loudly. This was business best left to Vhagor, and if he wanted their opinion, he'd ask them for it. Personally, Rai seriously doubted that was about to happen anytime soon, especially when these Jin'Tae seemed to adhere so strictly to custom and tradition. Seemed awfully easy to offend one of them if you stepped out of line.

Besides, if they got to go up against whatever this big thing was? It'd be worth sitting through all this, assuming Bani didn't get them all kicked out, the little runt.