Book One – Chapter 15

The dynamics within the group shifted profoundly after the fight. Fallem, the Worldbender shapeshifter who had fought like an unleashed beast, literally, earned a level of respect that bordered on reverence. It was only then that Yu learned the truth about Fallem’s journey. The wizard had not merely hired the escort to accompany him to the Albweiss Mountain Guild. His path stretched far beyond. Fallem sought to retrieve his brother, taken by the Shaira, and had contracted the party for the long haul.

The battle against the orks had forged a bond among the group that transcended the brittle camaraderie of such contracted purpose. Somehow, the bloodshed had erased layers of conventional formalities, binding them in a way that Yu could neither understand nor share. That evening, as they feasted on wapa flesh roasted over crackling flames, Yu felt more like an intruder than ever. As the party helped each other with their injuries, they exchanged glances and murmurs laden with unspoken understanding, gestures Yu could only observe from the periphery. He was an outsider, a random stray tributary of wasted water in a deeply woven river network — an observer, swept along in a story that was not his own.

As the night deepened, Yu withdrew further into himself. He watched them and studied the ebb and flow of their new dynamic with a dispassionate curiosity. Eventually, he saw it. Their behaviour after the ork attack reminded him, strangely, of the humans in Tria’s habitat.

At one point, Tria’s humans had fractured into three factions, carving the settlement into hostile territories. If Tria intervened in their affairs, she generally did so without ever revealing herself. She had explained to Yu once that every director handled their humans differently, each imposing their own rules and methods. There were restrictions, of course. You could not punish the humans to the point of collapse, not repeatedly, or permit them to escape. Beyond that, you were free to use them to your liking and handle them as you pleased.