EMERALD DAWN

CHAPTER ONE

"There weren't always dragons in the valley."

~Henosian Proverb on change

Morning.

Or at least close to it.

The fading soft white and greenish glow of the moon was gently flowing through the open window of the small room. A cool breeze moved into the room and started to softly push through the space with its chill touch. The decorative dream catcher with wind chimes made of a collection of hollowed wood, small stones, and colored string began to coo a tune. The chill of the breeze even brushed loose papers and other materials on shelves and the desk of the room as the scribbled papers fluttered softly to the floor. It even began to stir the room’s small occupant.

Nestled in the circular piece of furniture, a little girl tried to bury herself deeper into her warm and comfortable nest. With her three fingered hands grabbing the thick blanket around her, she pulled the mass green and brown woven fibers tighter around her body. She wrapped herself even tighter with her second set of hands pulling the blanket even closer to her. The movements were still in her daze of sleep and the thought of morning was still far off for her.

A knock at the door. Soft at first.

Then another. Quicker than before.

“Binti” a voice chattered in the girl’s native language, “It is time! We need to prepare for sunrise!”

“Yes!” , Binti chirped back with a yawn that opened her hinged mandibles briefly. With one of her three digit hands, she slowly the blanket off and began to rise from her nest. Sitting up now, Binti raised her upper arms, stretching them to their farthest length while having her lower arms stretch in a similar way. Her back armor opened slightly as her translucent wings fluttered ever so slight. This sensation was still new to her though, which helped snap her more to attention. She wondered silently if she would ever get used to these wings.

While her top set of eyes are always open; the thin membrane of her larger black eyes slid away, revealing the last shines of moonlight that were slowly fading with the far slower morning sun which started to creep into her room, illuminating what was once in nightly shadows. She turned her head towards the open window and let out a small relaxed chirp from her mandibles at the sight of morning outside her room. She always liked to leave her window open during the end of the summer season because the North Winds in this region would start to pick up and it brought a refreshing but familiar chill to Binti. It made her think of her native home of Tanzive. Despite her native region’s arid environment known to all as the Altomin Domain, the capital city of her kind of Tanzive was a vast network of tunnels that was built underneath an unforgiving savannah. The city was a network of underground living space known to outsiders as the “The Altomin Undercity.” These ancient tunnels constructed by her ancestors would also bring a similar flow of air. It made her feel comforted; a little less homesick for the briefest of moments. She longed to return to her under home, but for now, she had to stay here.

Above ground.

In a small village called Chipote in a region of Henoterra known as “The Edge of the North”.

Working as a Jimjil at her guard’s “Forest under Moon” tavajil. The once lavished life underground behind her as she now faced a life of taking care of travelers who seek rest and comforts.

For the next three annuals.

Binti rose from her bed and stood aloft on her two curved segmented hind legs. The people in Chipote would sometimes call her “The Little Cricket” due to her legs, but it was a term she didn’t really like. To her and some Altomin, when other chakras called Altomin names akin to what they considered, “lower segi”, it was a great offense. Due to the language barriers though, thoses from outside the Altomin Domain never know their offense, something that some Altomin say they just need to live with. Not Binti though. She was learning the bridge language “Common”, just so she could tell off the next person who called her such a low term for her.

Her guard though, who owned the Forest Under Moon, said it would help her build character for her future. He would tell her she would need to understand what it is like for her kind outside of their home territory and get a better understanding of Henoterra and the civil kind that walk it despite what good and bad could come from it.

Honestly, she didn’t like his logic of wanting her to experience this. If anything, it made her dislike the world outside the Domain even more. The stories she had been told when she still lived in the capital were highly exaggerated about the ‘peace that thrives’ in the Henosian Empire.

“Golden Age of Unity my thorax,” Binti whispered to herself.

“Binti!” Tanbo-pa chattered louder again outside her door, “I hope you are up! You need to start brewing the cha while I finish cleaning the bathes!”

“Keep your antennae on! You’ll wake up the guests! I’ll be out in a few moments!” Binti chattered back and then heard the heavy steps of Tanbo-pa leave her door again. She took a quick look at the wall and with her upper left hand, she flicked her fingers three times before a small charge of electricity started to bounce around her fingers. With a fourth flick, a small bolt of energy dashed from her fingers and her ima charged the spark stones mounted above her desk. The once blank crystals started to flow with energy and illuminated the room with a soft yellow glow, pushing away the morning’s hazey shadows. Binti’s room was a sign of the ever changing times for the Empire. The home she now lived in was unlike those native to her where it was a carved out tunnel far below ground. She and Tanbo-pa lived in one of the new government mandated “buildings” constructed with wood and stone to create a safer living space for its citizens that didn’t need to be connected to or near a tree as traditional Henosians in the area would build. The building that was Tanbo-pa’s tavajil was one of the fanciest buildings in their small town of Chipote. Constructed during the town’s heyday, Binti moved in with Tanbo-pa after her “Daughter's of Altos” ceremony.

Since Binti’s molting revealed to her community that she was one of the few female Altomin of her generation, she was now destined to one day compete to become a new queen. But that would be a few annuals for her still. She still would have to put on her work robes, make cha, tend to guests and continue to feel impatient for the golden fields of grass and ferns that made up the savannah of her native home.

Binti look herself over in her room’s mirror, double checking that everything was in order. Her antennae were up and eyes opened. She wore her jimjil robes where was a piece of woven fabrics connected around her neck that draped a long piece down her chest to her waist. The back part of the fabric covered her carapace and she slid her wings which were still a little furled out back where they belonged. How she longed for her wings to be strong enough to fly out of this place. With a sigh, Binti turned to the door and walked out of her room to get the tavjil ready for the morning.

By the time Binti could sense with her antennae the first guests moving around in their rooms for sunrise, Binti and Tanbo-pa had already gotten the meal hall prepared and the cha set. It was surprising to Binti that they still had enough rations to serve breakfast like this. A breakfast of fern wheat breads, nut milks, and seared tofu fruit seasoned with spices to make the local dish known as Mapo. Binti was concerned of Tanbo-pa’s hospilitiy to ‘keep up appearances’ despite there being less and less food from the village’s fields and it had been it had been over a moon since the last shipment of supplies from the Empire. She had hope that it would have come when the arrival of two Viros and their Grem companion came a few days ago, but they were just some sort of group of Empire lackeys, coming to check the value of the town and how much supplies they really needed for the next shipment. She didn’t mind the female Viros much, but the male was very boastful about his rank and he would sometimes pressure Tanbo-pa into more food at our him. The Grem was also odd but this didn’t really surprise Binti since she felt that most Grem were kind of odd in general.

“Binti!” Tanbo-pa chattered again, “Eyes front, not up! Are all the breakfast materials prepared?!”

Binti looked over to the larger member of her kind, Tanbo-pa. While she was smaller and a bit thinner, Tanbo-pa was a full grown male of her species. His antennae almost touched the ceiling of the room as he was at least twenty hands tall. Unlike her exoskeleton’s green and reddish coloration, Tanbo-pa was a mix of darker greens and browns. He also wore similar robes as her, but his face had two huge scars raked on his right side. His right upper eye was lost due to that scar and his right main eye still worked, but not super well. He also had a missing lower arm and an upper hand missing a finger. All of these injuries were due to his “Parite Passage” when he was younger which was a dangerous ceremony for Altomin to prove their worth as a Guard. Despite his handicaps, he was still attentive and quick witted to his business as an owner of the Forest Under Moon and being the closest thing Binti knew as a father figure.

“Binti!” he chirped again as he used his four hands at once to make sure that all the plates of food and drink were properly placed around the table.

“What are you doing? The plates are fine. The table is all set. Don’t be so perfecting at this,” Binti chirped back.

Tanbo-pa stopped for a moment and looked at the table a little nervously. Binti knew that Tanbo-pa had standards to how things were displayed at his table. Sometimes though Binti felt it was a little too much though.

“You know how I like to have my plates set Binti,” Tanbo-pa chirped and then relaxed a bit, his antennae drooping slightly, “But you are right, good work on setting up breakfast.”

“Thank you Tanbo-pa,” Binti replied.

“Why don’t you take a break and go into the kitchen. I made you some chocogurt.”

Binti gave a small hop in delight, “Really!? Yes! Yes Tanbo-pa! Thank you!”

Binti quickly moved towards the kitchen door when suddenly Tanbo-pa’s long upper arm blocked her path. He knelt down towards her and looked right at her eyes.

“And Binti,” Tanbo-pa’s chirp gave a bit of a smug tone. It then came to Binti that there was a catch to her treat.

“Yes?”

“Please try and practice your Common with the guests. I talked to that lovely female Viros from Solicon last night. Her name is Glorian and she said she would help you with your speaking if you want to today. If you do, you can have a break before dinner and another chocogurt.”

“I’ll think about it,” Binti chattered back and left the meal hall towards the baths. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to go through that much effort for a second chocogurt. She loved the Merlen fermented milk treat with bits of choco seed, especially in the morning. But two might be too much for the day and she really didn’t like the way Common came out of her mandibles. It felt a little unnatural, despite it being for some reason or another the one language all the other chakras and even the Viros could speak.

Binti moved into the kitchen and found her bowl of Chocogurt. She ate the delicious meal quickly, enjoying every moment of it. It had such a sweet taste and Binti did enjoy the milky taste of it. Milk was rare on the mainland since there were few theriums who could produce it. On Henoisla though it was commonplace due to most Henosian theriums lived there. As she started to finish her bowl, she heard a noise in the meal hall. Guests must have started to come down for their morning meals, since Tanbo-pa would now be in the front hall of the Tavajil waiting for new visitors to seek a nest.

Which during these times of war, it was rare to have any new visitors traveling this far north anyways.

She got up from her seat and grabbed her bowl and spoon, putting both in the washing tub Binti would clean them with the rests of the pots and dishes once breakfast was all done. She was now curious to see who was having their meal first. She was guessing it would be the Murlen traders. They were always first to greet the sun. Out of all their guests, the Murle couple that had taken board here while they plan their next course of action were her favorite. They were so kind to her and Tanbo-pa. They even never really complained about anything. She always loved listening to their stories of their home of Henoisla down south since it was so different from what life was like on Henoterra. Granted to Binti that most places outside of the Altomin Domain were different, but Henoisla sounded like such an odd world. The Murle lived tribes that made homes in jungle trees, mangrove swamps, vast grasslands and mountain homes respectively. They lived peaceful lives of balance with their wilds. It sounded so alien to her that mere thought, but she did remember once learning that before the Wild Civil War, the Altomin and many other Henosians once had similar relationships with nature. She mostly connected though to their homesickness. For they, like here, were in a seemingly exile from their native homes by forces higher than her.

It was though, not the Merle. It was instead the old Zaurian Allos. The Zaurian stood tall, not as tall as Tanbo-pa, but definitely taller than a Viros. Despite their saurian appearance, they despised their connection to them much like Altomins and their Segi relatives. The Zaurians were one of the two founding chakras of the Henosian Empire and they were very proud of it. Allos stood on two muscular legs that gave him bursts of speed if he needed it. A long feathered tail that stood balanced over the ground but would sway in his movement to display of short brownish red feathers with greenish tips, similar to the other range of feathers that covered most of his body. Allos was the town’s leader who was also a Henosian Patroller, but due to his age and the top ranking Patroller in Chipote, he didn’t need to wear the traditional armor for it. Instead, he wore traditional high ranking clothes of a Zaurian. A small vest-like robe that covered the back and shoulders that let a plume of feathers rise from his back. He also wore the signature Zaurian scarf, a symbol of identity of his kind. His scarf was a mixture of blue and purple fabrics that were woven to show a zigzag pattern and ended with small metal balls tied to strings. The balls had carvings on them that Binti knew where symbols of his past. His sleek snout had the Zaurian crest growing out out of it and bore the warrior piercings dangling at the back tip of it. His yellow eyes and dark pupils were visible, but barely by the Zaurian’s aging and drooping eyelids. What she always had trouble with looking at Allos was he scarred neck, where what looked like bite marks healed over, given the Zaurian’s usually feathered neck this undulating bald spots of scarred skin. Allos had been there when the war started and fought in many battles before he suddenly wound up here in Chipote and never left, leaving his active military service for Gaurdship of Chipote. When Allos yawned, the Zaurian’s long tongue reached out from his jagged white teeth, which a few were missing or broken. Binti could never guess if it was due to his age or if it was more war stories. Allos sniffed the air and turned his head towards Binti, giving a crocodile-like smile.

“Ah, sun salu Binti,” Allos said in his gruff sounding Common, “Is breakfast ready?”

“Yas,” Binti muttered in her broken Common and pointed to the spread, “pleees halp ursef.”

“Good good,” Allos nodded, “Would you like to join me Binti?”

“I alradi eght, but kamsami Allos” Binti said as politely as she could in Common. It frustrated her she was still pronouncing things wrongs.

“No mata Little Cricket,” Allos yawned again, “Your Common is getting better. Keep it up.”

If Binti could blush, she would. But instead she quickly bowed her long neck and continued down towards the baths. Even though most Zaurians were tougher on other chakras, Allos was a lot more laxed; spiritual even. Tanbo-pa said it was because he was a retired Zaurian and still remembers the old ways. Whatever that really meant.

She herself yawned very briefly and quickly lowered her head again so her smaller arms could quickly wipe her eyes clean. She had been up now since before the sunrise and now it was getting slowly passed. Another day had finally come, and Binti felt that as always, it was going to be very mundane. Binti stopped at a window and for a moment, the chores ahead of her could wait. Just for a moment. Just so Binti could watch that sunrise finish over the Northern Montanas, over the Northern Green and those red spiked rays of lights etching themselves on the rooftops of this small northern town of Chipote. It was all something for her to think about. Why did she have to be here. Why in this war torn land of hers, that her story was here.

“Only Hen knows I guess,” Benti thought depressingly, “Only Hen knows.”

She then turned her back on the sun and preceded to go to work on her chores.

When breakfast finished, it was soon time to collect the plates and dishes from the meal hall. She hated doing the dishes but that was the agreement she and Tanbo-pa made. She would clean and he would cook. Binti had to admit though, she was happy that her kind had four arms, for it made clearing the table a lot easier than for those with only two. In the meal hall, it was a lot of empty plates and very few scraps of food. No one could afford to leave anything on their plate. Not like there was enough food to do that. Binti’s antenna flicked a bit and she soon stopped to realize she wasn’t the only one in the meal hall. She looked at the end of the table and there she was. The Viros female had short brown hair with their tips seemingly dyed in a soft purple, which seemed to be something that Viros liked to do to fit in with other Henosians. The length of her hair also was revealing her pointed ears that had a few decorative piercings. The woman was taller than Binti at the average height of a female of their kind at around sixteen hands. She was dressed in her purple robes with white and green trimmings that seemed a little loose around her body but showed hints of her female physique. And she sat there like always; reading her book. Again.

“Oh Binti!” the Viros woman smiled, “Sonsar twoo ya”

“Sunsal to you as well,” Binti replied in her more proper Altos than the Viros. She never understood why Viros try so hard to mimic Chakra languages when sometimes it was so out of their vocal range. Altos’s language of clicks, whistles and rumbles of air was one of the hardest languages to learn in Henoterra especially with the antennae movement was also involved with some of their language. Altos was one of the hardest of languages for non-Altomin to learn, save for the Nakji language which was not spoken word but color patterns.

“Binti,” she said again in Common, “Would you like to practice your Common today? Tanpo said to me at breakfast that you were curious for a lesson today.”

“Maebay leightur. Very buze.” Binti replied trying to hide the annoyance that her guard once again was trying to get her to practice a language she hated speaking.

“I can help you with the dishes too,” the woman said, “Less work for you.”

Binti stopped for a moment and looked at the dishes and then at the Viros woman. She sat down next to her and nodded.

“Okay” Binit chattered.

“Great! Do you remember how to say my name?”

“Name es Grorrean” Binti said proudly.

“Glorian,” she said with a comforting smile, “Glorian.”

Binti nodded and paused for a moment, thinking on how to move her mandibles to aid in mimicking the sound.

“Gllorrian?”

“Close. One more time Binti.”

“Glorian.”

“Oh very good Binti!”

Binti hated to admit it, but she loved when this Viros smiled at her. Viros had some really beautiful smiles. They were unlike other smiles from chakras. It was like the moon when it waned. Full of teeth but it seemed to make their eyes shine. When it was genuine at least. Viros were such strange creatures to Binti. They were not a chakra, but they lived in the Henosian Empire as honorary ones. Tanbo-pa said that no one really knows where they came from, but the Empire had found their settlement to the south and welcomed them in as “guests”. It wasn’t till the war and the Viros losing their homes to the Wilds did they become much more common place all around the Empire.

“Now Binti, can you tell me what you see in this room using a full sentence?”

Binti nodded, “I see platus-”

“Plates”

“-plates, bowrs”

“Bowls”

“Right, bowls, and chores I need to do,” Binti said with what was the best her kind to do at a sarcastic grin.

Glorian laughed, “Oh Binti! I love your quick wit. Can you introduce yourself to me please?”

Binti nodded again, “I am Binti. I am an Altomin.”

“Very good Common. Now what I am I?”

“You are Glorian. You are from Solicon. You are a basic.”

Suddenly Glorian’s positive attitude faded.

“Binti? Who told you that word.”

“Es that not wat Viros ur?”

“No Binti, Viros are not that. That term is not good Common for us.”

“Why?”

“It is a name that makes me and other Viros feel bad.”

Binti looked at Glorian and realized what she had truly done.

“Like Little Cricket?”

“What?”

“Others call Binti, ‘Little Cricket’ and Binti no like that name.”

“Does that name make you feel bad?”

Binti nodded, “Yes. Name make Binti feel like a bug. Binti not a bug.”

“Same as how Glorian is not basic right?”

“Right,” Binti looked at Glorian straight in her two brown eyes, “Glorian not that word.”

Glorian smiled, “Very good Binti? Do you want to continue.”

“After dishes?”

Glorian nodded, “Yes. Right after the dishes.”

Binti and Glorian gave a smile to each other and got up. While Binti grabbed the dishes, Glorian helped with grabbing the cha cups. This was great that Binti was getting help. This mean that she could go walk around town a little bit longer now that her morning chores will be be finished faster.

“Glorian,” a voice said, “What in Hen do you think you are doing?”

The two turned to see in the entrance way of the meal hall to see the second Viros that was staying at the tavajil. He was a bit taller than Glorian and wore similar robes, but over his heart was the seal of the Henosian Empire. It showed a stylized drawing of a Zaurian and the other founding Chakra, an Arudian which was standing on his mighty wings, holding up in the center the image of all Chakaras of Henoterra’s chief deity: The Brother of Life, Hen. All chakras knew and worshiped Hen in one way of form and the Empire bore the “Crest of Hen” in the center of its image. It was three dashes to make an “H” like symbol that had three triangles in spaces around it to symbolize’ Hen’s three elemental powers of the water, the earth and the sky. The Viros male had longer hair than Glorian and tied together to make one long length of hair. It looked in a way like a tail being held by a metal ring. What was most striking about this Viros was that unlike other robes Binti had seen Viros wear, his were very different due to the obviousness of the sense of loyalty they portrayed. While his left arm of the robe was full and you could see his pale arm and five fingered hand, his right arm’s robe length was much longer. Longer than his other arm and kept it hidden. Binti couldn’t really recall that even though he seemed to struggle with his left, he would never use his right arm. Binti once asked Tanbo-pa about it, but he simply told her that a being’s wounds are theirs to show.

“I’m just helping Binti do her chores so we can do our Common lessons.”

“Glorian, may I remind you again,” the man replied, “We did not travel all this way to this Hen forsaken part of the Empire to give Common lessons to the help.”

“Croakga found something again then?,” Glorian asked submissively.

“He’s been hopping around his devices all morning. The trek to the site will just take a few hours. I’m about to go get one of the Chipote Patrollers but I need you're ready when it's time to go.”

“Nerwa,” Glorian responded, “It will take moments. I can use my ima to help --”

“No Glorian,” Nerwa said coming closer to them, “We were not sent by the Solicon Court to do dishes. We were sent here for a reason and you know it. It's vastly important to the war effort and we can’t waste anymore time.”

Nerwa looked over at Binti and gave a smug smile, “We all have jobs to do Little Cricket. Run along and do yours.”

Binti gave a polite nod and looked at Glorian. Glorian looked furious at Nerwa, but she was like Binti in knowing that speaking out just leads to more trouble. When there is a war on, Binti learned that people who were part of the Solicon Court where a bit more high strung than most.

“I’m sorry Binti,” Glorian quickly said, “I’ll have to help with your lessons later.”

“I undoorstand,” Binti said softly.

Binti moved and took the dishes she had in her hands into the kitchen by the washing tub. She turned the tap and gave it a quick zap of her ima to make sure the water was warm. She learned that warmer water helped make dishes cleaner. While the water ran, she quickly went back into the meal hall to see on the cups that Glorian had left and nothing or no one else. Binti’s antenna dropped a bit to her sides and somberly grabbed and stacked the other cups, taking them into the kitchen and getting to work on the dishes. Hopefully she would get to see Glorian again before dinner; without that other Viros looming around. She still didn’t understand what their conversation was about. She could never understand what two Viros and Grem would want to do for a day out beyond the walls of Chipote. There was nothing really around here in the Northe Valley save for the mountains, the lake this town was built near to and the Northern Green. What could be of any interest to the Court in this podunk of an area in Henoterra. Binti shrugged her shoulders and thought of the old Altomin proverb.

“If you stop digging forward to think where to dig next, you only end up in a hole. Not a tunnel.”

The day came and was still going when Benti went to walk the streets of Chipote. The outpost turned village was once a major trading post to those who lived in the north. The village in its heyday would bring citizens of the Empire from all over to tastes the succulent Chipote peppers, which is where the town got its name. These highly prized but ugly red peppers were a very sought out spice that many chakras and viros wished to have on their dishes. Binti would sometimes like to imagine those thriving streets of merchants and traders interacting with local farmers and craftsmen. It even helped the village more that it was an easy flight to the Arudian capital of Soaraltos and back then had the river trading of the North Lake. The village must have had been so bright and vibrant with all the chakras and viros interacting with each other without the shadows of the now erected walls to keep the Wilds out. Benti’s imaginations of this village’s past were only found in the past and helped her ignore the bleak present.

The village now had a very small population of citizens that were primarily Zaurians and Viros with a few Arudians as well. Chipote’s locals went from successful traders and craftfolks to hermits, optimists lost in their memories and boarded up or just those who just straight up abandoned for a better life somewhere south. There were few other chakras and Viros on the streets, and there weren’t any children her age either. There were some younger kids she might babysit now and again, but it was either really young folk or the really old. If anything, it just made her life a little lonelier.

Binti was out to see if there were any rations she could get from the farmer’s market. In the past, it was the Henosian way farmers would always grow enough crop to feed comfortable its neighbors who would in return give the farmers their trades. The “Henosian Favor” was the best way of trade, but with the war going on, the Empire seemed to be changing that belief. Food would be sent away from the village before feeding those who are closer to it. Farms are now highly prized by the Empire since the Wilds prevent hunting or scavenging of meats from battlefields or forests. Even foraging for edible plants and fruits could now be viewed as an act of war by Henoterra’s wildlife. All Binti needed was just a few peppers, zunicumber, and and at least two bags of rice and hopefully her friendships with the farmers here in Chipote could help with restocking with favors from the tavajil in return.

Reaching the market, she saw there was no one else in line, since the midday meals were usually finished by this time of day. The sun was already moving towards the horizon, but she still had hours before sunset. She smiled her mandibles when she saw Kako-zo and Harve at their farmer stall. Kako-zo was the only other Altomin aside from her and Tanbo-pa that lived in Chipote. He didn’t have scars like Tanbo-pa since he chose a farmer’s life. He took residence in Chipote long before the war and his age shown as his exoskeleton was dull in colors with his antennae drooped low behind his head. He wore the farmers’ robes of browns and blues and was sitting at the stall reading a book. Harve the Viros sat right next to him. He like Kako-zo was an elder as well. He had a warm smile (the kind of smile that Binti liked) that was almost hidden in the white cloud of hair that the Viros called a “beard”. He wore a farmer's hat made of reeds that covered his balding head. Harve wore loose fitting robes with similar hues to Kako-za’s, but they were for the proportions for a Viros. Binti tried not to think about it, because it was obvious that Harve wasn’t eating all of his shares. When she first met him, he was kind of a plump old Viros; now he was much thinner and seemed a bit weaker.

Kako-zo’s antenna flickered up quickly before slowing drooping back down and the old Altomin looked up from his book, “Ah Binti-falme! You are a delight to grace us here.”

“And to you Kako-zo,” Binti chattered back.

Kako-zo smiled and then nudged the old Harve, who Binti realized was actually asleep, “Wake up you old bag of bones! Look who has come to visit us on this fine day.”

Harve opened up his wrinkled eyes and licked his dry lips as he started to focus his gaze on Binti, “Oh my! Binti! So nice to see you. Sula afta”

Binti giggled at Harve’s surprisingly good Altos, “Sula afta to you too Harve-zo.”

“Binti! I keep telling you that you don’t have to do those honorifics to me. I’m just a Viros with a bag of rice. Not like this hot shot long legs who is the real farmer of this stall.”

“No mata Binti,” Kako-zo said, “Harve just doesn’t understand our customs.”

“Oh I plenty understand your customs Kako. Remember, I learned to farm in your homeland before coming along for your mad cap idea to farm this wildland.”

“Hey we had some profitable days back then. We had a lot of warm smiles back then.”

“Warm smiles indeed and all the trinkets and books we could read. A trader's true wonder of life.”

Binti interrupted the two with a chirp-like laugh. These two fought like an old married couple and Binti loved seeing them think of their earlier lives.

“Oh look what you’ve done Long Legs. You’ve forgotten to listen to her request already!”

“Oh Binti-falme, I’m sorry,” Kako-zo said with a small bow.

“It’s no worries Kako-zo! I like seeing you two happy,” Binti chirped.

“I’m sorry, my Altos is not as good as it used to,” Harve said cupping his ear, “What did she say?”

“She said that we look happy.” Kako-zo chimed.

“Happy? Happy?! What a word! Remember happiness Kako? If us talking like this makes this young one laugh, maybe we should give up farming and be jovial story telling wanderers!”

“Wanderers we are not Harve, now get ready for our order,” Kak-zo said to the old Viros before turning his gaze back to Binti, “Now what would you like us to get for you?”

“I need zunicumber, two hands of peppers, and two bags of rice.”

Kako-zo looked at Binti and she could sense that his cheerful demeanor was slowly leaving him, “I’m sorry Binti-falme. I can give you some zunicumber no problem, but with the peppers and rice, I can only give you half a hand and half a bag respectively.”

Binti paused and looked at the old farmer. She knew times were tough, but it must be getting worse. The group from the Capital must have put in one heck of an order or that the yield for the crop is finally going down since now the farms are so restricted behind the walls.

“That should still work for me Kako-zo. I understand.”

“Thank you Binti-falme,” Kako-zo said with a head bow, “Did you get that old timer?”

“I got it! Zunicumber, pepper and rice for the little Altomin lass.”

Harve let his seat and moved towards the back of their stall to where they keep the farmed goods. Binti and Kako-zo stood in brief silence before both their antennae and their upper eyes sensed something from above. In their homeland, this would mean to run from an aerial predator, but here in Chipote it meant only one thing.

“Quazin!” Kako-zo cheered, “How good your wings my friend!”

Landing behind Binti, Quazin the Aruda stood. Binti oddly admired the Aruda more than any other Chakra for they, like her, were the chakras that were naturally gifted the ability to fly. Similar in appearance to the pteros, this Chakra had a long beak that would merge with their rudder like head crest. Their skin was a dull orange and wrapped tightly around their muscular bodies. Walking on their mighty wings that were currently furled up, but when in flight, an Arudian’s wingspan was even more hands than Tanbo-pa. The Arudian was dressed in Henosian Patrol attire that was fitting for an Arudian; light armor made of basa wood covered his chest and shoulders which had engravings of clouds and Arudian writings written in Quazin’s native language of Kaw. With his hind legs being used as hands, Quazin bore leather bindings. What alway struck Binti the most was that Quazin was not ashamed about what he wore on the side of his head. It was a small piercing that was studded behind his eye’s small crest. Attached to the stud was a small chain that dangled a single brown feather with an orange tip. This small piece of jewelry held a lot of significance in Henoterra, but not to the Arudians, but to the Zaurians.

“Salu afta brothers and sister,” Quazin squawked, “How goes the day?”

“The day goes well so far,” Kako-zo chirped back, “About to go on another patrol?”

Quazin nodded, “Yeah. I’m going to check on those representatives from the Capital. They seem to be interested in prospecting near the old spark stone quarry these days.”

“You sure you are just checking on those Capital-Folk or,” Harve said with a sly and wrinkled smirk as he came back to the stall with Binti’s goods, “just the patroller that goes with them?”

Quazin let out a small delightful squawk, “You know me so well.”

“You have such a romantic heart for a Henosian Patroller,” Kako-zo added, “But you gotta be careful about your feather. You know how interior Henosians feel about what you are doing with Cryis.”

“Well I guess I gotta take a cue from you two. They seem to have no inkling about your partnership.”

Harve and Kako-zo held each other's hand for the brief moment before letting go. The two old Henosians looked at each other with a smirk, “Well to that one particular male Viros, this idea is so far flung that it's not even on his spectrum of thought,” Harve said, “The Viros of the Capital show just how closed minded the Empire is starting to become.”

“Agreed. They don’t know how to have fun like us Northerners do they?” Kako-zo said with a cheerful chirp.

The three adults laughed as Binti grabbed her things, “Kako-zo?”

Kako-zo turned to Binti, “Oh yes, is there anything else we can do for you Binti-falme?”

“No. That is all,” Binti said with a small head bow, “Please come by the tavajil anytime for either food or bath in return for your goods.”

“No mata Binti-falme,” Kako-zo said and leaned closer to the little Altomin, “And remember, the conversations you hear here are our little secrets till those Viros go back to the capital okay?”

Binti nodded and put one of her long fingers to her mandibles, “Shhhh.”

The three adults laughed again and each one of them mimicked Binti.

“You are a good little youngster Little Cricket,” Quazin said, “Tell Tanbo I say hello and that I should be there for dinner tonight. Need to talk to that old Zaurian Allos about my report for today anyways after my evening patrols.”

Binti nodded and gave a bow, “Afta sala.”

“Afta sala Binti,” the three said before going back to their own conversations. Binti liked Quazin, even though he called her Little Cricket too. Out of the two founding chakras, the Aruda were much kinder and more understanding than the prideful Zaurians, but they were far from perfect. The Arudians, even Quazin from time to time, had a boastfulness about them due to their mastery of flight. Some Arudians don’t even recognize Altomin as flyers either, despite female Altomin like Binti had wings capable of travelling just as far of a distance than an Arudian. But it was no worries, she had to go back to the tavajil and start preparing for the evening. A low rumble could be heard in the far distance, making Binti’s antennae twitch. She turned to face the looming walls behind her.

“A storm?” She thought to herself and then shook thoughts away while walking back home, “It feels far enough away. Maybe the mountains will deter it.”

Binti took the road through the older part of Chipote. Less civils lived there and it had still some traces of nature; the old way Henosian way of living. She loved how the trees that still grew there looked as they kept growing despite the crumbling homes they once held up were now vacant or abandoned. Binti had vague memories of this place when many civils still lived here, before the town’s walls were put up. Even some Viros families lived here before the majority of them moved to the larger Henosian cities for safety. Many Henosians were afraid of what would happen to their villages if a Wild Raid occurred and the settlement fell. Not only were there few survivors to the raids (for the Wilds tended to eat their hostages), they would become highly territorial of the area till nature itself could take root and reclaim the settlement for the Wilds. These “Ruins” as they were called were difficult to tame and many claimed that there was powerful ima growing in Ruins and many blamed the Wilds; despite Wilds being incapable of using ima. Those who stayed in Chipote felt that this town wouldn’t fall from the war though. This was mainly due to its placement near the Northern Green and the mysteries within this forgotten wood that dominated Northern Henoterra. Wild or Civil, it seemed that whatever kind of life went into that wood would rarely come back out. Legends say it’s because there are other kinds of Henosian life forms there. Ancient monsters that grow and feed on the living for their ima to stay alive. Binti had only walked near the Woods once with Tanbo-pa to collect fungi for a meal one day but even its border sent shivers down her carapace. The air near that wood felt heavy and not even a hour would go by and Binti would already feel fatigue; drained and unable to cast any of her soaras ima to help them collect fungi. Tanbo-pa said it's because the Northern Green is such an ancient place, that it's probably where all origins lie and the ima that Civils posses are channeled to feed the “Old Ones”.

Whatever that meant. Tanbo-pa was always very hesitant to talk about “The Old Ones”, despite him having a supposed picture of one as the crest of their tavajil.

Binti kept walking through the “Old Quarter” when suddenly she started to sense something. Her antennae moved around, making her realize that she wasn’t the only one around. The scent of lavender and cha leaves suddenly hit Binti. They were soothing and relaxing to feel. In her curiosity, Binti followed the scent till she came across an old shrine to Hen that stood where the old park of Chipote used to be. The shrine was small and crafted to mirror the three chief elements of their primary deity Hen. The shrine was a small structure with carved wood that was erected to make a triangular structure. Embedded into the wood was a variety of polished stones, making it clear this mixture of wood and stone symbolized the “Body of Hen” and the Terras Ima which allowed those Civil kind born to it the ability to manipulate the stones and or the plants of this world. Surrounding this “Pyramid of Terras” was a circular moat of water. Usually the water was to be kept as clean as possibly, but because of the lack of upkeep to the shrine, it was green and muggy. The “Blood of Hen” represented the Aquas Ima of Hen, allowing the chakras akin to it to manipulate the waters of their world. True masters of it could even control the weather if they hone into it enough. Lastly, laced around the pyramid were thin strings colored white that had small stones and shells dangling from them. These “Voices of Hen”, represented Henosian Soaras Ima, allowing one to control the flow of air around them. This was the Ima that Binti herself had been born with and was pretty good at it. Due to her being an Altomin, she is even able to control a unique ability of soaras ima that allows the control of electricity, which was considered one of the holiest of Soaras Ima abilities. Many of her kind viewed it as a true sign for her to be she destined as the next Hive Queen. She knew that it would definitely give her an edge when she would compete in the rituals that could help her one day take the mantle of Queen of the Altomin.

Binti though was delighted and gave a small chirp at the sight of who was in mediation in front of the poorly maintained shrine; the two Murle merchants who made residences at the tavajil. They were about the size of Binti at about ten or so hands through their thick furred tails were almost as tall as a Viros. They were the only therium chakra in the Empire and were not native to the mainland of Henoterra. Instead, this Henosian Chakra found their home on Henoisla on the other side of the Jawed Sea. Their island home followed a different path of life than the mainland where therium life dominated its shores. While they did have their share of saurians and other non-therium fauna, Binti couldn’t imagine them they way the Merle tell stories of them. The two Merle were bent in their meditative stances as they crossed their furred legs over each other in a criss-cross fashion. They, due to them being covered in fur, wore little clothing but had loincloths made of tied ferns and cloth around their waists. On their tops, they wore “bod-leaves” which were simply two giant leaves connected by laced stringed. Their bodleaves were a little worse for wear, and had many patches from various fabrics sewn into them. They wore their traditional prayer beads on their lanky arms near their wrists. Binti admired theses beads for they were carved wood and each bead was different. It was said if you look closely enough, the events of a Murle’s life could be etched into each bead. As Binti stepped closer to them, their tuffed ears twitched and they lowered their tails to the ground, allowing their turned heads to face Binti. A Murle’s face was mostly flat on its saved for a narrow snout. Their face’s skin was a smooth black and faded under the fur the surround it. The Merle’s moon yellow eyes with dark pupils just stared at Binti before small smiles creased at the back of their snouts.

“Ah, Binti-koi,” the male Merle Letro said, “Afte sala.”

Binti smiled, “Afte sala to you Letro and Madas.”

The two Merle gave a coo of a noise as they turned to now face Binti, lifting their arms against the ground and moving their meditative state with ease. Binti always forgot how physically strong the Murle-kind can be despite them being pacifists. Something Binti thought was so interesting about the Murle was that even though these two were of the same kind, they were of different tribes. Letro was a forest Murle from a tribe known as the Grecan. Grecan Murle had mostly grey fur with a white undercoat. Their fluffy tails were ringed with black and white fur as well. They were the dominate tribe of Henoislan Murle. Madas, Letro’s mate was not a Grecan but a Coabro. Coabro Murle lived on the shorelines of the Henoislan mangrove swamps. Her fur was a tannish brown and had a deep black tip on the end of her tail. They made an interesting couple for Binti and if anything the differences in the Murle tribes seemed to fascinate Binti.

“Oh and in Common too,” Madas, Letro’s mate, chimed, “You are improving very well Binti-koi.”

“Kansami,” Binti said, “I have ben working hardu.”

“You are making great strides,” Letro said, “I remember when we first came to the continent how difficult it was for us to learn since Merelese is much more akin to your native language than others.”

Binti nodded, “Is your meditation going well?”

“It was dear,” Madas said, “We were just finishing up when you came in.”

“Oh,” Binti said, taking a step back, “I”m sorree to disturb you.”

“No mata,” Letro replied, getting up onto his legs and dusting himself off, “We were honestly finishing up. And looking at where the sun sits, we probably should head back to the tavajil. Are you heading that way Binti-koi?”

Binti nodded, “Yes. I have goods for Tanbo-pa.”

“Ah,” Madas said as she eyed the bag, “The dinner specials. We simply cannot wait.”

Madas stopped as her ears twitched and she started sniffing the air, “And if I’m not mistaken, its a good time to leave. There is a storm nearby Letro. Don’t want to get caught in that rain.”

“Would you mind if we walked with you Binti-koi,” Letro added.

Binti chattered happily, “No mata.”

The three began walking back to the the tavajil, talking about the simple life they now lived in Chipote. Binti knew not to bring up home to them, for they like her, felt more of an exile than a willing move in coming to Chipote. In the hierarchy of the chakras, Murle and Altomin were not equal in the ranks of the Empire. This is mostly due to the Murle’s reaction to the war with the Wilds. Henoisla did not have the conflicts the mainland did with the civil chakras and the wild faunas and so the Murle decided to not support the Empire’s will to participate in the war. This caused a huge rift between the two cultures, leading many Murle who had settled onto the mainland after joining the Empire to face a very difficult choice. To stay in the Empire and support the will of the Imperator and the Solicon Council, or return to Henoisla in banishment. A large majority of Murle made the exodus back to their homeland, but those who stayed had faith that Hen would resolve the conflict easily. Both choices, lead to terrible events for the Murle. Events that Binti knew would be brought up would cause triggering distress for the two of them.

After a while of walking and idle banter, the three finally made it back to the Forest Under Moon as the sun was starting to turn orange as it began to set behind distant mountains.

“You know Binti-koi,” Letro said before they walked in pointing with his long black fingers at the sign nailed above the door, “I’ve been meaning to ask. Why is that also on the tavjil’s sign?”

Binti looked up at the sign she had seen almost all her life. It was Tanbo-pa’s handwork as a carved tree with dangling branches stood under a crescent moon. At the top of the tree, in the middle of the leaves was a small but dull shard of emerald that seemed to be now glowing in the setting sunlight.

“The tree?” Binti responded, “It's just a tree or something. Tanbo-pa sometimes calls it an ‘Old One’”

“Oh,” Madas said, “You know we’ve been here for so many moons and you are right Letro. It does look like one doesn’t it.”

“Look like wut?” Binti asked with curiosity. She had seen that sign so many times and not once did it seem out of place. Just a weird drawing a tree that Tanbo-pa seems hesitant to talk about.

“In Henoisla,” Letro said, “We have a myth called the ‘fururimori’. They are said to be the ones that brought our chakra into being and were the mightiest of trees.”

“They were born from true seeds of Hen,” Madas added, “They are one of our holiest of icons.”

Binti nodded, “They sound lik the ‘tall grass’ in our Altomin legens. But that is no ‘tall grass’. Just the tree kalled “Old One”.”

The two Merle nodded and they smiled at Binti. Letro spoke in a soft coo, “Sounds like something for dinner stories.”

Binti laughed, “Well if it is Tanbo-pa, it will be a long story.”

The three laughed and walked through doors of the tavajil and into the entrance hall. Binti waved goodbye at the Murle as they walked up the stairs to their nests and she began to move towards the kitchen. She stopped though when she noticed at the end of the hall was Tanbo-pa behind the front desk, talking to a cloaked figure. Her antennae moved around as she sensed an odd presence in the cloak. She moved cautiously forward for this was a rare sight indeed.

A guest.

Tanbo-pa’s antennae moved at Binti’s presence and he leaned over from his seat to see her behind the counter, “Ah! Binti! So glad you are back. Are those my groceries.”

“Yes Tanbo-pa,” Binti chattered, “I got what you needed for dinner.”

“Binti,” Tanbo-pa said in a low tone, “Remember to speak Common in front of guests.”

“It's no mata Tanbo,” the cloaked figure said raising a hand. A viros hand. “I maybe not be able to speak it, but I understand it just find and it's no insult to me.”

“Ah of course of course,” Tanbo replied, “I'm just trying to get the little one to practice.”

The green cloaked figure turned and lowered their hood. To Binti, they looked like a Viros male who seemed to be around the same age as Glorian. Despite their young face, they seemed a bit older in the eyes. Their cloak was thickly coated in dirt on its edges and under the cloak seemed an average build for a Viros male, though the chested seemed a bit tit on them. They bore the clothings of a wanderer based on their loose fitting garb of greens and blues. The articles of clothing this Viros wore were very tattered and poorly stitched. They were in truth, rather unimpressive for a Viros, not like Glorian or even Nerwa. It was probably because they were a wanderer. They were an odd sort and seemed more at home on the road than in a village. Wanderers were also almost always ima users and seemed to have no real purpose than to just observe, eat and move around unwanted.

“What is your name falme,” he spoke in a kind tone.

Binti was surprised with his sudden use of Altos, especially in using it correctly.

“How did you know I was a falme?” Binti asked.

“You are a lone female Altomin youngling in the care of your pa,” the Viros said with a kind smile, “It is a true honor to be in the presence of a possible queen.”

Binti nodded in confusion, “Who is this Tanbo-pa?”

“My name is Rin,” the Viros replied, “and I’m just a simple wanderer in desperate need of a bath and nest.”

“And we have the finest this side of the Montanas,” Tanbo-pa said, “Let me take you to that nest Rin.”

“Of course,” Rin replied, “Thank you for the lodging,”

“It is my humblest kindness to offer it to you wanderer,” Tanbo-pa replied as he got up from behind his desk and towered over Rin, “And Binti?”

Binti looked at Tanbo-pa, “Yes?”

“Make sure to prepare the kitchen. We need to make a slightly bigger meal.”

Binti nodded and walked to the kitchen, somewhat confused by the interaction with that particular Viros. She had never met a Viros with such a demeanor. Even worse, someone that seemed to vibe so well with Tanbo-pa’s optimism of things.

It made her shudder in dread what kind of stories or jokes would be said at dinner.

Binti entered the kitchen and placed her bags of groceries onto the counter and moved towards the sink to get the water running. While the water runned and filled the sink, Binti looked longingly out of the window. The setting sun was nearing its end as it painted the walls of the buildings around them in shadows and fiery light. It seemed to shine dreamily over the town, making the cemented walls painted into a vibrant display like a warm fire that flickers around the smoke that were the casted shades of the building’s tiled roofs.

Then something moved.

Binti stopped as she looked closely out the window at the shaded part of the roof across from the tavajil. It seemed that one of the shadows had moved. Quickly. Too quick for the normal passing of shadows in the twilight. She peered with her large eyes and her sky eyes. If she was outside she could have sensed it with her antennae but the glass window prevented her too. She could open the window but, was it really something? Maybe her eyes were playing tricks on her.

The sound of the water getting deeper brought her back to the now as she realized the sink was near its overflow. Binti quickly flicked the tap shut and the water stopped. She looked back at the shadows across the street, but they still seemed fine.

There was nothing weird. The shadows were fine.

“Need to get dinner ready,” Binti chattered to herself. And that is exactly what she set out to do.

Almost seen.

Almost seen.

Almost seen by the small civil. Almost seen by a child.

The camowing let out a small squawk of frustration. It knew better to move but it thought one small wing flap could ease its stiffness. It could have been caught. Could have been seen. Then the hunt fails. The hunt fails and if it managed to escape. There were worse fates to meet outside of this stinking civil settlement.

Worse teeth to meet.

The small creature with long wings that bore small clawed fingers slowly crawled from beneath the ledge of the roof to its shingled top. In the sunlight, the camowing’s body was almost as big as a Viros’ hand but had long thin wings folded against it. Its small clear hair-like fibers and scales quickly changed to match the current lighting it now faced. Something that made it perfect to hide from predators now served its kind as spies for the Wilds. Checking the skies for the Arudian guard who was known to fly around this place of late, the creature unfurled its wings and gave two quick flaps before taking off. It hoped to not find itself across the Ardua that lived in this settlement. The camowing hissed at the thought of its civil relative. Pteras were not the biggest fans of their Arudian cousins. They felt it off putting that their civil descendent paid no homage to their origins.

But it did not matter. The creature flew past the wall and headed towards the woods south of the Chipote that lay at the base of the mountains. There, it those woods, it's raid leader of the waited for its report.

For tonight there will be a raid.

And when successful, the Wilds will claim the North once again.

The camowing flew fast as it darted below the setting sun. As the air flowed around it, the camowing started to fly a tad slower. It had registered something in the wind. Looking to the east, the small pteros saw something that instinct made it fear but the drive for combat made it squawk with delight.

The drier parts of the seasons was soon about to break as in the distance the ominous clouds of a storm were being gently carried by the native winds. It could sense the rumbling of storm currents that seem to hide amongst the distant clouds.

A storm appearing so soon to the raid would definitely play in their favor to victory.

It flew faster.

There was a cunning and bloodlust under its wings now. The Wilds had to reclaim the land. Balance must be restored by the might of tooth and claw.