You thought I've given up on this...
Well guys...I have some news for yeh...I HAVEN'T!
I just lost the time for inspiration, until today where I've finished up another part! WAHOO! Enjoy, whoever still reads this.
Avoiding unfamiliar eyes is an easy thing to do. It tells in a person's mind that they are uncomfortable, scared...insecure.
A reflex so easy to use, you could just look away from someone in an instant you feel shy to approach. And as the glassy eyes stared at the newcomers, it was the only thing the human could do to keep the insecurity in herself.
The hardest thing Umi could do was to look in to the eyes of the staring villagers, unwelcoming, and curious. She only kept her eyes down on her feet moving with the four hooves walking beside her.
The village was more of a small wheel-shaped community, houses sprouting from the center outward as the spokes of a bicycle. In the middle was a large stone blackened hotly with small inscribes and pictures, surrounded with charcoal wood pieces black as the night sky.
The two Steef males calmy led Stranger through the narrow street, their heads up and shoulders back in pride.
Villagers, all sizes and genders, stopped from their daily activities, only to stare at them, as they passed unceasingly. But what they couldn't help to get their incontrovertible eyes off was the human.
The eyes were almost the feeling of pejorative words; discriminating, curious, even the skeptical feeling. Belittling as they were, she didn't want to give a belieing look to herself, so only now was to keep her eyes down and away.
The insecurity slightly rubbed off to Stranger, goosebumps popping up under his fur. He grunted in an unsure way, his eyes drawing attention down to Umi.
Making her feelings subtle, he could tell she was terribly uncomfortable around the newly-found Steef.
Don't look up...don't look up...or you'll break, Umi. she thought in winding thoughts.
Don't look up... her eyes closed tightly.
Don't look up...don't look up...don't look up...don't-
Warmth of a familiar hand rested gently on her shoulder, she suddenly snapping from her thoughts and up directly to him.
He smiled fondly down to her, one eye on her, but his head still held high. "Don't be scared, kid," he whispered, the tips of his fingers gently rolling in to her tender shoulder muscle.
Umi kept her frown on, but nodded to him, knowing he'd buy the bait, and continue without doubt.
"This is to be the last known village for our kind here," the youngest of males spoke up. "We've taken the greatest of liberties to step up our defenses, and make the Tribe's security task force. They enroll the strongest and fastest of all males here. Females may be included if they aren't engaged or married, and the type of skills we require,"
"Yeah. But we've been safe for generations. No one has found our land in centuries. We believe the Gods have been driving away any type of predator alike that would dare try to harm the Tribe. But I believe they allowed you in because of your destiny, correct?"
"Er...uh...I s'pose..." Stranger's lips wiggled down confusedly.
The males smiled to one another. "Nervous?" the eldest asked.
"Nah," Stranger shook his head.
"You shouldn't be. The people around here love one another. Not a single species-related death has been here. As long as we are one together, we're perfect,"
Nobody's perfect... Umi rolled her eyes.
"But..." both males eyed the human beside Stranger. "...we should give you precaution to the wind...alien..."
"Huh?" Umi blinked astoundedly.
"This is a community of Steef. Steef along with their kind. We want to warn you, before you think of wandering about, that they might not trust you, nor like you. It's a way of being scared. But with time, I'm sure they'll warm up to you,"
Umi frowned down from them, knowing exactly what they meant. The Steef's eyes were still upon the creature, vituperative and distrustful. She knew that she being in this village of one-of-a-kind would be like learning to ride a bike. It would be tough, but she would survive, like throughout the many years she has.
The lengthy road grew to an easy stop, the Steef males turning back to Stranger. His eyes were ready and still, he smiling confidentally to both. Both returned the stranger's kind smile, allowing him to pass on through in to the heart of the village.
There, he saw the firestone, a deep jet-black and scribbled languages and pictures indented on it. Right in front of the round boulder was the most intricate of all houses and huts alike.
This one was larger and actually had a chimney popping up from behind the hut, a thin stream of near-white smoke squiggling out. The smell wasn't noxious, but a sweet smell, making the villagers lively and happy, like a secret mojo.
Stranger and Umi stopped at the front of the door, he lifting an arm up to the sanded wooden door, about to knock. The door immedaitely opened to a young female Steef only to Stranger's waist, looking up at him with innocent hazel eyes. Her face was child-like, barely any fur on her face, but coated with a dark brown fun.
She turned back in to the dark room, cupping a hand over her mouth.
"Gwampa! Somewon's here to see yow," she shouted back in a shrilly but calm voice.
A chokey reply came back, "Let them in. I've been waiting for them all day,"
"Awight!" the young female smiled, and turned back, she opening the door wider for the two wanderers to enter.
Stranger nodded gratefully to the youngling, the first to move in before Umi. She stepped in, only to be stopped by the young female's curious eyes.
Umi knew the child's mind was racing with thoughts and questions, she only to stand still and stare back. The child's arms swung back and forth, as if a toddler would do.
"Hi. I'm Annita. What's your name?" the young Steef asked, a smug smile on her face grew.
Umi smiled sweetly at the Steef. "My name is Umi," she knelt down. "Nice to meet you,"
The young Steef held still, her face now normal, with her arms swinging back and forth. "What are you?" she asked.
Umi stayed silent, standing up from the female, and striding away. She didn't want the young girl ask questions on end, or to scare her. The only thing to do was to walk away, and not answer.
She entered a separate darker room from the front hallway, and stood next to Stranger, he staight and silent, staring ahead at the haystack bed with a head appearing over a furry skinned animal blanket.
She could live with Stranger on this; even the sight of its face made her shut up, even her mind, and stand straight.
Its head moved up from near the blanket's tickling warm fur, and two pairs of icy-cold eyes opened up to them tired and restless. Two pale-white arms laid out upon the body of its blanket, one shakily moving up to a small lit match beside its bed, plucked it up, and lit two candles beside it. The candles' wick lit with a bright yellow light, the room losing its darkness to the two candles.
The side of its face brightened up quickly, making both their stomachs tie in to knots. The Steef's face was droopy and pale, the shadows of its pooled wrinkles heavily colored in with its skin. The only color of its face was its icy-pale blue eyes, staring greatly at both of them.
Umi could only stand, almost feeling the nerve to scream, but held it in, and shook instead. Stranger, however, stayed calm, knowing that this Steef was probably hundreds of years old.
Its head lifted up, they now seeing the thin strands of silver-grey hair stand out behind its neck. "Welcome, weary travelers," it finally spoke, its voice so quiet, Stranger and Umi had to step closer to hear.
"Since I've...received the message...from the Grubb Sage...I've been anticipating...your arrival for quite some time..."
Its pruned lips curled in to a smile, making its face lighten up somewhat more. "We've lived up...for the arrivals of the Steef guardians, for centuries on end...and only little have made it. Things...outside our lands...have been testing the guardians...and only you have been recorded...to actually kill...the most feared of our people,"
Stranger nodded to the elder Steef, wrapping his arms behind his back.
The Elder took in a raspy breath, then make a throaty sound, clearing its throat to speak. "We've been sacred for many years...honored by the Grubbs...but feared by others. Our kind has been counting down greatly...almost to the point of our non-existance. Now we're the only ones left...to defend ourselves...from the greed of the outside world,"
Umi frowned down from the Elder, knowing that it was highly wrong about itself. The Elder breathed in again, looking to the human. "I know you doubt my saying, young human..." she snapped up to it. "I know...the outside world is not all bad...but to most of us..." it looked to Stranger.
"...it is more toxic to us...than our extinction,"
"I understand..." Umi nodded.
It chuckled. "Umi..." it said her name so quietly, but yet in an erratic way. "I know...this world is very different from where you came from...but...my belief, to why you came here...was by the Gods. They sent you here...to help us, and save our Promised Lands,"
The honor of having the Steef say by the Gods that sent her made her stomach fly happily, she kicking her legs uneasily behind, but stand still once more.
"Yes..." it nodded. "The only way we've been surviving...for so long...was by our Prophets, and the Gods. They helped keep watch over our chosen ones by the Grubbs, sent off to the perilous jorney ahead of them to make it alive to us...only the worthiest of our kind was watched over. Surprisingly...little of the Steef warriors...have made it through,"
The Elder smiled to both. "It is an honor...to have you be part...of our Tribe, Stranger and Umi,"
"Thank you," both bowed their heads.
"Annita!" it called, its voice breathless and raspy.
Small hoofbeats ratted quickly through them, little female prancing up to her grandfather's bedside. "Yes, gwandpaw?" she asked.
The Elder smiled fondly to his only grandchild, looking back to Stranger and Umi. "I hope you met my granddaughter, Annita..." it nuzzled up to her nose. "She's...the only one to keep me company here...in this...decrepped old house,"
Stranger couldn't help but to smile kindredly at the back of the young child, feeling her child-like energy rub off to him just like Umi's.
"Annita," he whispered to her, kissing the top of her head. "Show our guests to their home,"
"Yes, gwandad," she smiled, giving a returning family kiss on his soft tender cheek, and jumping off by Stranger's hand, and grabbing a hold. "C'mon!" she esstatically jumped.
Stranger chuckled at her, "Alright, don't make me fall," He followed the child out, leaving Umi behind with the Elder.
Umi smiled back at Stranger grinning helplessly back to her, she about to leave with him. "Umi," the Elder said once more. She stopped, and turned to him.
"You are a blessing, child..." it said with an encouraging smile. "One...sent from Shakura herself, from heaven above. Do not feel...cursed to yourself...you've come a long way to feel like that,"
Umi turned fully back to the Elder, her lips greatly smiling encouraged by its words. "Thank you, sir," she nodded.
The Elder raised a hand to her, silencing her further on. "No, child..." it said. "You should'nt be the one to thank me,"
Umi felt confused to the words of the Elder, but listened on, her body twisted to the exit, but her eyes stuck on it. "It should be I...that should be thanking you,"
"Huh?" Umi frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
"Later on, young one...you shall see why," it waved a dissmissing hand, grinning fondly to her.
Umi stayed still for a moment, staring in to the deep pools of his eyes to see the answer, but was clouded by his judgement. She nodded once more to the Steef, turning away to the door, her mind still twisted.
The door slammed shut, the Elder smiling down to his blanket. "You are the future of this Tribe..." he said quietly to himself. "You are the One...that shall be saving us...from this dire century..."