Chapter 2

After reaching the stream and following it down for a while I was starting to feel hungry. Accessing my sandman matrix I retrieved a basic ration and water. While not haught cuisine it will keep me alive. Continuing my exciting journey until night fall.

The next day, after a restful sleep, I broke fast and continued my journey. More days passed, walking, eating, sleeping. What the fecking hull was T'ger thinking sending me here?

After a week or so of travel I came across a signs of habitation and life, albeit destroyed and a long time ago from the look at it. Looking around I found a building, mostly destroyed with some form of books in it. The language meant nothing to me, but the pictures certainly left me with a chill running down my spine.

The front page showed a picture of a Gatherer from the Coalition of Species. Hundreds of kilometres across, a starship capable of strip-mining a world in a matter of days. If these people had been visited by one of them, it would be surprising if any had survived. But why did T'ger take me?

A noise outside attracted my attention. As stealthily as I could, and I must admit to being pretty stealthy for a 16 year old, I crept out of the library and onto the street. Following the sounds I found a group of male humanoids, possibly humans, attacking a group of three females. All carried weapons, swords and spears mostly, but the females seemed to be having the harder time of the encounter.

As stealthy as I was, I was spotted. Quickly drawing my Katana with one hand and a war dart with the other, I assumed a defensive position, waiting. The obvious leader of the males, and a giant he was, towering 60cm above me, gestured to two of his group and then to me. Well that was obvious. As they approached, I launched my dart with my left hand at one of my would be assailants and quickly stepped in to engage the other. Dad had always said "do unto others before they do unto you".

One down and the other closing fast, I noticed that his sword, while big and heavy, was poorly made. I quickly decided to end this farce of a fight and blocked his sword with the edge of mine. Clean cut at the hilt, I ran past him and back handed his head off his shoulders. Showy but it got the point across. Now the natives looked restless. I had just killed two of them in under 5 seconds without really breaking a sweat. Stopping before I reached the group, I gestured with my sword to the male leader in an obvious invitation to join me. He made a quick decision, grabbing the females and throwing them at me, he and the rest of his party quickly disappeared.

The females, girls really on closer inspection, were human, about 15 or so from the looks of things and, well, I wouldn't throw them out of bed for eating toast. Nervously looking at me they all started talking to each other and me at once. This was a language I wasn't familiar with so all I could do was shrug and smile.

Hearing a stomach growling from one of the girls I got a serving of ration from the sandman and offered it to them. The matrix quickly base-lined their metabolism, flashed human, and provided them with a thick, gooey ... well goo. I gestured to them to eat, trying some myself first to show it was food and ok. I said "food", gestured again and held it out. When they reached for it, I drew it back again, said "food" and gestured to them. They looked puzzled for a bit until one of them said a word in their language and gestured to the ration. I repeated their word and held out the food for them to eat. I was lucky to keep my fingers, they ate so fast.

I gestured to my self, "George". Pointing to one of them I paused, pointed again to myself, "George", and pointed back at the same girl. She replied, hesitantly, "Lokhoni". The others quickly piped in with Dahrael and Dohrael. They did look a lot alike.

The next several days were spent in language lessons. Pointing, pantomime, acting quickly gave me over a 1000 words, more than enough to get by.

"Where are you girls from and who were those others attacking you," I asked when most of the language barrier was removed.

"We are gathers of herbs and food for the village about 3 nights travel from here. We came to this old place seeking shelter when we were attacked by the males," replied Lokhoni, who had shown herself to be the leader of the party. "They should not have come near us, it is forbidden for them to approach maidens like that," she continued gesturing to the braids in her hair.

"I suppose it's time I got you three back to you homes then, much as I have enjoyed your company. I think it's time we moved on before they come back in numbers".

With a gesture for them to lead off, I followed, keeping a close eye out for pursuit.