I’m caught by his implication, staring at him incredulously. “You’re giving our village some of your Unevolved? Your people? And what do they think about this?” I ask, glancing at the samurans in question. They are stone-faced, clearly doing their best to mute the emotions flicking through their spikes. But what I do manage to see isn’t positive.

  “Our request is of the direst importance, Pathwalker Tamer,” the Warrior answers seriously. “Our gift is great because such is our need.”

  I feel like that’s rather missing the point I was making – that trading their own people to another village seems to be reaching a new low, even for the ruthless samurans. Then again, given that the previous leader of my village, the shaman, actually sacrificed all the hatchlings from that year in a ritual and was about to do the same to the Unevolved, I have to guess that trading away some of her villagers wouldn't have been past her either.

  My own Evolved have slowly been changing their opinions – the more they work with my non-samuran Bound, the less they can justify the idea that samurans are the only beings capable of thought or feelings – and that even the Tier ones of their own species aren’t much better. Some refuse to adjust their ideas, of course, but by and large, things have changed significantly in that area.

  Apart from generally feeling disgusted about the whole principle of the thing – and tempted to just send them away immediately – the actual ‘gift’ could be useful if the Unevolved with the beasts develops into a beast tamer. That would actually quite nicely fill the hole I will leave in less than three months time. And a good hunter is always welcome – probably why he was chosen. But only if they are willing to be a full part of the village. Though if their village is willing to essentially throw them away just for the chance to have an audience with me, I have a feeling they will have a better life with us.

  “I will hear you out,” I announce abruptly. “Rocky, please go and retrieve a carcass for me to share with our guest here.” I purposefully make it that everyone around can understand my words.

  The visitor’s spikes flash in satisfaction. Although I didn’t offer him a carcass directly, the implication that we will eat together is sufficient to engage guest protocols. He is guaranteed that I will at least hear him out without attacking him.

  “On behalf of my village, I thank you for your attention, Pathwalker Tamer,” the Warrior says, raising his chin briefly.

  “Hmm,” I respond non-committedly, discreetly releasing the disc of air I’ve been maintaining throughout the conversation so far. I doubt they’re here to kill me now. “Please step inside the gates and wait for me there. When my Warrior returns, we will speak on the matter you came here to tell me about.”

  “As you wish,” the Warrior answers, walking past me to stand on the opposite side of the gate from Stony.

  “Not you,” I tell the two Unevolved as they turn to follow as well. I see fear intermingled with resignation flash through their spikes. The clawed hand of one of them tightens into a fist; the other just remains still as if he’s carven in stone, but the way the beast he’s controlling shifts, it’s able to pick up on the tension radiating from him as well as I can.

  Before I can speak, I see a patrol come around the edge of the village. It’s a mixed party with three Warriors, Storm, Lathani, and Fenrir all travelling together. Fenrir’s nose along with Storm’s eyes and Lathani’s Earth-sense are a powerful combination for detecting intruders.

  “One moment, please,” I say to the Unevolved politely. They exchange flickers of a glance, but I only see the movement in my peripheral vision as I look towards the patrol.

  Lathani shifts as she sees me, probably eager to bound over for a scratch behind the ears. But she controls herself, sticking with the party until they come over to join us. Then Lathani comes to press herself against me, demanding scratches. Now almost as tall as I am, her weight threatens to push me over. At least, she would if I hadn’t increased my Strength to the point that it is now.

  I reach up to give her the desired caresses, reaching down to greet both Fenrir and Storm who are less effusive but no less eager for their own petting.

  The leader of the party – Iandee – glances at the two Unevolved standing before me with a hint of uncertainty. Then, evidently deciding that without knowing the situation, it’s better to keep things quiet, he gives his report through the Bond.

  We have inspected almost an entire circle around the village. There is just this small section to check. We have found no traces of other People.

  Good, I say, not entirely surprised now that the hidden samurans have been revealed to be ‘gifts’. I need to speak with these two. Keep a watch over me and an eye on the other Warrior?

  Of course, Iandee answers. He probably would have guarded me anyway, but it’s always best to be clear, in my experience. Which is exactly what I want to do with the strange Unevolved too. I hesitate before turning to speak with them.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Is it…normal to send Unevolved as…gifts to another village? I ask Iandee, opening the question to Bug and Leaf who make up the other two Warriors in the party.

  It’s not normal, Leaf ventures, but it’s not entirely unheard of either. Unevolved are considered as resources of the village, but important ones as they are the potential Evolved of the future. If these two are being given to our village, I would guess the other village’s need to be great and that they fear you would not agree without a big enough gift.

  I see, I respond thoughtfully. Thanks. I will speak to them now.

  Lathani complains as I stop petting her, nudging at my shoulder, I send her a quelling glance and she grumbles but subsides. I turn back to the two Unevolved. One seems a little wide-eyed, glancing between the various beasts and the samurans incredulously. The other seems even more grimly resigned than before.

  It is he who I meet eyes with first. I no longer need to intone ‘Dominate’ audibly to activate the Skill – it is a mere flex of my will. Heck, I probably don’t even need to meet his gaze, though I sense that it makes things easier.

  The world around me fades into its usual grey. With my Willpower now significantly over a hundred and able to keep an Enlightened samuran under control, the pressure from an Unevolved one is barely noticeable. I stroll casually towards the samuran, stopping a little over an arm’s length away from him. Close enough that he can’t deny the fact that I could Bind him at any moment, but far enough away that it’s clear I don’t intend to – yet.

  The same grim resignation is in his eyes and pressing in around me, even if his spikes are unable to change.

  “What’s your name?” I ask.

  Bares-claws, Honoured Pathwalker.

  “And why are you here?”

  I could have done this without using Dominate, but this way I can feel his emotions and can easily identify if he’s lying or telling the truth. He answers my question readily enough.

  I am here because my leader ordered me to accompany Warrior Stabs-a-stone, Honoured Pathwalker.

  My eyes narrow. He was honest, but there’s more to it.

  “I’d recommend you be as honest and informative as you can,” I comment almost idly. The flash of fear that I feel coming from around me indicates that he’s taken it as a threat.

  I…thought I was here to hopefully Evolve and become your beast tamer – I or my companion.

  “You thought,” I repeat. “Meaning that you do not think so now?”

  That same grim resignation strengthens around me.

  Your village appears to already be amply populated with tamed beasts, he says simply. I get it. He was expecting to be received as someone…valuable. Someone who might become a useful member of the community if he was able to Evolve. That someone would probably be taken in as an assistant to a Pathwalker, the way that he obviously had been before.

  With evidence before him of already-tamed beasts, he’s obviously drawn the conclusion that we already have everything we need on that side of things. As a result, he probably suspects that he will just be relegated to becoming another of the Unevolved, nothing special. If his village is anything like this one used to be, that would return him to having to scramble for resources or carcasses in the dangerous forest just to be allowed to eat. I don’t blame him for viewing that prospect with a grim sense of finality.

  “We can always use more,” I tell him simply. I don’t want to tell him too much before I know whether we’ll be letting either of them stay, but equally I don’t want to leave him more fearful about his future with us than he needs to be. “Now, tell me – why is your village so desperate that they’re willing to lose a promising potential beast tamer and a good hunter?”

  Uncertainty creeps into the aura around him.

  There is a threat to our village, he answers slowly, but none of the Unevolved have been told what it is, to my knowledge. I asked my master but she refused to answer. All we have been told is that we must not go into an area in the forest.

  He seems to be honest and I don’t think he’s hiding anything. Not intentionally, anyway. Clearly the other village is playing things close to their chests.

  “Thank you for being honest,” I tell him. From the startlement I feel from him, he wasn’t expecting politeness. “Now, about what to do with you.” I feel him tense, his emotions becoming almost sharp-edged.

  Fear roils in the background – I get the sense that he’s suddenly realised that things could actually be worse than what he was fearing before. I practically feel him wonder whether I might just choose to reject him completely, leaving him to wander the wilds, unwanted by anyone.

  Honoured Pathwalker, I promise, I will serve your village in whatever capacity you desire. I – I have other skills too! I can–

  I cut him off by holding up a hand. He might not understand my body language, but he can surely feel my intentions.

  “As long as you are willing to give the same level of commitment to this village as you did to your birth one, you will receive the same benefits and privileges as any who were born here,” I tell him. Faintly disbelieving relief comes from the samuran in front of me. “However,” I continue, cutting through that relief, “I’m sure you feel that Bond hovering around you.”

  I do, he answers warily. I sense that he’s more than passingly familiar with the concept – he’s probably been exposed to something similar from the beast tamer in his village.

  “I would like you to accept it willingly. You are a newcomer and the Bond will give me more guarantee that you won’t act against me or my village.” I sense him hesitating for a long moment. “You don’t have to, it is a choice,” I tell him, “but if you don’t, you will have to remain under guard until I can trust you fully. If you Evolve, you will be Bound in any case – all of the Evolved are in this village.”

  I see, he says slowly and, more than most, I sense that he does indeed understand. Then I will accept the Bond and thank you for giving me the choice. There’s a hint of bitterness to the last words – it’s not much of a choice and I realise that. But I won’t let someone I don’t trust just wander freely around our village.

  Stepping forwards a final time, I touch him on the forehead, on the section of bone between his eyes. The Bond snaps into place and the world fades back around us.

  “Alright,” I say, looking at my newest Bound. “Hold on a moment while I speak to your friend as well. Is there anything I need to know about him before I start?”

  Bares-claws considers it for a moment, but then sends a feeling of negation down the Bond. He seems to take to it better than any other I’ve Bound. And I think I might know why – in my Bond with him, I haven’t only got a sense of him; I can feel the beasts he has on either side of him like faint echoes at the edge of my consciousness. Somehow, he has a Bond with each of them too.

  here!

  here!

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