A Lifes Journey

The blue humanoids proceeded to lift their noses up and with just their lips making a noise akin to the flapping of a bird’s wings. Zuka and the rest of the kids suddenly ran to the side and started tapping each other’s ears with their fingernails.

To my surprise, one of the kids just opened his mouth and the sounds all as if converging to a single note started flowing from the youngster’s mouth, it was shocking how harmonic everything sounded.

After the weird ritual the chief said that we wait 1 hour for it to be ready and then finish the ‘thankz offering’.

In the meantime I had the pleasure of dancing a very un-fun dance with my new teacher, his wife and the rest of the tribe in a funny-looking prayer-like dance.

Is it just me or is it getting cloudy?

After about an hour of hearing stories, learning manufacturing secrets for bone arrows and some weird cloth made out of bug shells and spider webs and dancing a funny dance, it was finally time to reveal what I assumed to be the colossal water wolf inside the stone coffin. Please tell me they cooked it with tomatoes.

Chief Zina’ho and 3 other goblins – including my teacher, Zoing’e – stood in the middle of the big circle of blue tribesmen by the fire and started what seems to be the second stage for the ritual.

As my teacher together with another strong-looking goblin were lifting up the coffin with the help of 2 large pieces of wood, another female goblin kneeled in front of the chief while holding a small stone bowl above her head.

My newfound father dipped his fingers into the bowl and in one quick motion lifted up his hands above his head and sprayed what looked like blood all over the scorching hot stone coffin as it was being lifted out of the fire.

The blood quickly hissed away into the sky together with the rest of the smoke from the big fire.

After a few sprays of blood and smearing his own face with some of it while chanting inaudible prayers, the ritual was finally ready for the next stage. Or at least I think it is because they just called me to stand next to the chief.

“Friend human Lifez now open small stone pot!” Small? pot…? Sure buddy.

“Just push the lid?”

“No push, lift, throw on ground and make break!”

“Li-lift it? I don’t think I’m strong enough honorable chief Zina’ho” I scratched my cheek while averting my gaze.

“Human Lifez strong! Can lift!” I’m not one to be encouraged by praise to try and break my own limits but, I can at least try I guess.

Squatting down over the ‘pot’, I placed both hands on both sides of the rectangle, crudely cut lid.

Coating my hands to protect myself from being burned was apparently unnecessary as the scorching hot stone pot’s lid was actually just damp somehow, is it sweating?

While using my secret Sy technique to strain my muscles just a tiny bit more, I felt veins popping out of my neck while trying my hardest to lift the lid up. Finally getting it above my head in order to drop it on the floor almost got me to lose balance and fall backwards, I’m completely out of breath.

With a loud battle-cry that fit perfectly with the lively atmosphere, I threw – or rather dropped – the stone tablet the size of my body on the floor in front of me and broke it into big chunks of stone.

My view suddenly changed as Zoing’e lifted me up on his shoulders and started jumping from his left foot to his right making me feel some strangely good feeling, a feeling I haven’t felt since Ostel’s death. Happiness, was it?

“HA-HA-HA-HA!” The chief’s loud laugh grabbed everyone's attention as he started explaining the end-stage for the ritual.

“Now human Lifez will take ztone from broken pot and…” he paused while picking up a small chunk from the tablet I just broke. Meanwhile teacher Zoing’e put me down so I could follow the instructions.

“Break break break. Make very zmall piecez. Take piece of wolf meat from pot and eat with zmall piecez.” Bah, I need to smear stone powder on the meat before eating it? That sounds disgusting…

“But, it will make the meat taste nasty, right?” trying not to hurt them, I used the most innocent tone I could muster.

“HA-HA-HA! No no, human Lifez no underztand, this ztone, tazte good, taste head wants!” Ohhhh, maybe it tastes like tomatoes?!

Still somewhat reluctant, I tore off a small piece of meat that basically fell apart from the lightest touch. Only 1 hour and it’s like this, the smell is also just heavenly, I wonder what they put in it.

“Like this?” Smearing the stone powder over the tasty-looking meat made me feel bad.

“Hmm! Hmm!” Zuka and his father nodded excitedly with drooling mouths.

Opening my mouth and closing my eyes as if it will make the taste better somehow, I placed the small piece of tender wolf meat in my mouth.

“…” my eyes shot open and I realized everyone was awaiting my response, how could I even begin to describe this taste… It was just… Unbelievable.

Words failed me but my face was probably looking like the face of a person that just experienced true bliss for the first time.

Cheering erupted all around me as I fell to my knees while I pressed my cheeks in as if it would make the heavenly taste last longer.

After I ate my piece, everyone did the same. Apparently this stone is a special type of stone, my archery teacher did, in-fact tell me and Zuka about this special stone, as it was in the cave on our way back to the village, but I forgot about it until now…

He explained it is capable of recreating the favorite flavor of whoever consumes it when grounded into powder and smeared over a piece of edible object, Aromni-Stone, he called it I think.

Who would’ve thought that such an unassuming, ordinary-looking piece of rock will make for such incredible seasoning…

I never thought I’ll experience the taste of a slow cooked Bilzar meat, those wild pigs naturally taste like tomatoes and are incredibly rare!

After a little bit more celebrating, my little brother brought me back to his and the chief’s home to stay there for the night. The small squared entrance doesn’t do this place justice, it’s so spacious, how interesting, in the cave I also met Zuka’s mother for the first time, Zorina, she looked almost exactly like the chief except she had breasts on her back like the rest of the female goblins… Not really my type I’ll be honest.

Apparently female goblins only give birth to twins, their breasts are on the back so the children could drink from it while helping their mother gather food in the forest. Very efficient.

Zuka's brother died to a Red Mane Wolf while playing in the forest about a month ago, Zina'ho said the wolves have recently started showing up in the area and they don't know why, but the village will probably have to start sending patrol groups into the forest.

My bed was on the floor next to Zuka, the 2 parents were staying in a seperate section behind a curtain made out of some kinda plant that - apparently - grows inside those caves and only dries a month after being harvested.

As my consciousness slowly drifted away while laying on the big fur of a brown bear, I started thinking about something seemingly random.

Why did the prince keep calling me ‘friend’? Why do I dread our interactions so much… Before I knew it I was dreaming about Ostel again.

“Ya know, we’re gon’ be late if ya be doin’ all your poison shit again brotha’, pack it up and let’s get movin’!” Ostel said while closing my small suitcase filled with poison flasks and antidotes.

“Yeah yeah, just let me ‘Up’ one more anti down, I don’t want you dying on me due to accidental poisoning.” To think we used to tease each other like that, I really miss those days.

“Haha, Inoshi’s lookin’ out for his brotha’, or was it a threat? If I didn’ know any betta’ I woulda thought you feel somethin’ for me.”

I threw a small needle at him which he easily caught between his thumb and forefinger and used as a toothpick.

“Let's go buddy.” I put the last antidote flask I ‘Upped’ down in the suitcase and closed it while opening the door.

“My dear Shiawasu, this mission will be our biggest, ‘Small-Kill’ yet are you ready?” His expression remained as care-free as ever. He nodded faintly while walking out of the door with his small sword on his back and the crossbow installed over the back of his arm guard.

His long, crude, unwashed hair that smelled oh so bad was flapping in front of me for the last time. Why do I keep seeing those nasty reminders of my past mistakes?

I don’t want any friends, I don’t need any, Ostel is the greatest proof for that.