Title-- The Demon-God of Jubagh (book two, part thirteen)
Rating and Warnings-- G; mild language.
Cast-- Rai Gerring, defected black magician (human man); Brandon Styhan, exiled paladin-warrior (human man); Lhafa Softstep, blind voodoo warrior (baghan woman); Jujinkajou, native guide (shapechanger Sivefi man).
Previously-- Book One: Jubagh. Earlier parts of Book Two: Sivef.



Rai paused in his inspection of the strange, woven curtain that sectioned off the sivefan bathroom. "Did he just say he wanted to stay with us?" he asked, keeping to the baghan tongue. He glanced over at Lhafa, arching a brow.

She nodded, a little smile playing on her lips. "He is not afraid." The smile faded. "Though, perhaps he should be."

Brandon turned away from the window, frowning at them both. "Look, let's be realistic, alright? We already ruined Softstep's life. Do we really need to screw this kid over? Light only knows where we're gonna be shipped after we leave here. Assuming none of us gets killed tangling with Jazzy's crew."

"He comes from the south," Lhafa pointed out, "and we are going yet farther north. It is unlikely that we would harm his relationship with his family or tribe when we are so distant from them."

Brandon sighed melodramatically at her. "Quit using logic against me, blast it," he muttered, unable to fully hide a sharp grin. "I guess, so long as we don't teach him magic, we won't permanently damage him. Can the boy even fight?"

Rai cocked his head at the ex-paladin curiously. "Why do you keep referring to him as though he's young? We don't know his age, and surely even an adolescent wouldn't be allowed to wander so far from home."

Brandon snickered. "He's walking around naked, Rai. Even if the Sivefi aren't built quite as ... openly ... as human men, he's still not full-grown. Unless Sivefi are really small by nature."

The magician recoiled, jaw dropping. "You aren't supposed to look!" he exclaimed, aghast. He scowled as Brandon burst into uproarious laughter, shaking his head. "I would expect some measure of decency--"

"--from me?" Brandon chortled. "C'mon, Rai, you oughta know me better than that by now!" He grinned broadly, then lifted a hand to wave away Rai's sputtered protests. "Relax, man. He's not actually a kid. Probably fifteen or sixteen, if he were a human. Old enough to be competent. But I don't know if he can fight. Lhafa did kinda step in before he could show off his skills... if he has any."

The baghan woman spoke in sivefan, still lightly patting the shapechanger wrapped around her. "They wish to know if you can defend yourself in a fight, if necessary."

Ju'jou looked surprised, eyes widening. "We are theguards!" he rasped quickly. "I canfight. I don'tlike fighting, but I can."

Brandon took another stab at the new language. "If she not help, you win against other man?" His vocabulary was as large as Rai's, but his pronunciation far worse.

After taking a moment to puzzle out what Brandon had said, the changer nodded vehemently, ears flapping. "I wouldhavewon! I have clawsandteeth. OtherSivefi onlyhave strength. They standupto punchesandkicks well, butnot bloodandgashes."

The ex-paladin raised a brow, tattooed forehead wrinkling with the expression. "You stand punches?" he asked skeptically in mangled sivefan.

Ju'jou flinched, ducking his head and averting his gaze. "Notsowell," he admitted guiltily. He glanced back up. "But I wouldhavedodged! I am faster." He nodded firmly.

"...he's not a puppy," Brandon grumbled in baghan, "he's a kitten. Great. At least he'll keep outta our way, since he already knows he can't take hits well." He shrugged, leaning back against the narrow windowsill. "Good enough. You can keep your kitten, Softstep." He grinned.

The baghan woman didn't comment on the ex-paladin's callousness, hands methodically stroking the huddled Sivefi's back. "I do not want to see him harmed," she murmured.

Rai winced. "As soon as we get firm directions on where we can find Jazerin and his men, Lhafa, we'll send him home. But, to be honest, we could use a native's help here. I didn't see a single edible thing in the forest, and I don't even know if roads will lead from here to wherever we're headed. If he knows where towns are, then we need his help."

She nodded, face angled down at the motionless Sivefi. "Ju'jou?" she said quietly in sivefan. "Promise me that you will flee if we go into a dangerous situation."

"No!" he immediately responded, jerking his head up and fixing her with a determined look, even though she couldn't see it. "Youthree are myoffworlders now. I willnotleave until youthree are where youwanttobe!"

"...something tells me that being a guide is a matter of pride for this type of Sivefi," Rai commented to Brandon in baghan, trying to follow the sivefan conversation. "Speaking of 'types', we should make a point to find out what the different races are called. Soon, before it gets confusing, referring to Sivefi and Sivefi."

Brandon shrugged heedlessly, staring out the window. Their room was at the front of the inn, directly above the common area, so he had a good view of the shops and buildings facing the inn, as well as the people wandering around. All signs of the fight earlier had already been cleaned up, the unconscious dragged off by their comrades who hadn't felt like jumping in, the smashed pieces of benches and carriage gathered and tossed in the trash. Looked normal again.

Lhafa sighed quietly, eliciting a whine from the Sivefi. "As you wish," she murmured, "but I do not want you hurt."

"I havebeen hurt before," Ju'jou countered defiantly. "I am stillalive! Mykind are hardertokill than we appear." He grinned then, a predator's display of sharp fangs and healthy pink gums - not the soft smile of a human or baghan. Even with his comical ears, the toothy smile made him look dangerous for a split second.

"How old are you?" she asked abruptly, blind to his expression. Still, her face was turned towards him as though she was studying him.

Ju'jou blinked rapidly, tilting his head. "I am manyseasons!" he replied. "Why?"

"Are you an adult?" she rejoined.

His eyes shifted side to side. "I am eightseasons from beingadult," he admitted guiltily, gaze falling to the floor. "MostSivefi are guides with manytrips intheirpast bynow."

"What?" Brandon turned, eyeing the native. He spoke in baghan out of habit. "Is he saying he's an amateur?" Lhafa translated the question, phrasing it far more kindly than Brandon had.

The Sivefi shook his head rapidly, long ears swinging. "I havebeen on manytrips before! But," he glanced down again, "this is myfirsttime beingaguide alone. Thetimesbefore were with mymates or myelders. Still! I havebeen manyplaces. I know manypeople."

"Tribal cultures like his often train young," Rai mused. "He may not be an adult yet, but he's probably been wandering about as a helper for years. I wonder why he got a late start in going on his own, though."

Lhafa glanced up at Rai, expressionless, then spoke again in sivefan. "Why have you not had your own trips before now?" she asked gently.

Ju'jou recoiled with unexpected vehemence, unwinding his arm from the woman's waist and huddling into himself. "Itisnothing," he said hastily, unable to stifle a low whine. "Nothingthatmatterstooffworlders."