Omira packs were hierarchical, but leadership was not based on age or lineage. Respect was the only currency that mattered, and it was earned solely through skill. The strongest or most capable hunter, known as the … — what was it again? Yu forgot. Something like Great Hunter, just, well, in their language. Anyway, that one was the leader; the male or female who demonstrated the most prowess in hunting and handling the pack. And if, at any point, another proved stronger, leadership shifted. With that, omira hierarchy was fluid and highly competitive.
This mindset shaped how they saw the world beyond their own kind. Omira had no regard for the social structures of other peoples. They recognised them, of course – titles, bloodlines, wealth, bureaucracy – but they did not respect them. To understand how to speak to them, you had to know this: When interacting with other peoples, the omira decided for themselves who among the outsiders was worthy of respect and attention, and ignored all else.
There had been a brief moment where Nion and Kal summarised all of this for Jerakill, who had never encountered an omira before. It happened just after Tellin had left the common room and the guild chef started bringing out trays of steaming hot drinks.
As they talked about omira, none of them mentioned the. eyes. It had unnerved Yu even more. But he had not known how to address his distress, either. So, he participated in the conversation as if everything was just. fine. With the commotion of the day and the exhaustion of the night settling in, no one was in the mood for deep discussion or any more disturbing realisations. But for a brief, drowsy stretch, as the warm fireplace and the hot makbar jolted him awake, Yu threw in his share of the boring and basic cultural notes.
“So they also chose who your leader is,” he eventually summarised.
“Right,” said Jerakill.
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