?The Scalqa leader wasn't actually dumb. He didn't reach that position through mere battle prowess, and his brain understood the weight of his responsibilities.
However, Khan and the humans were an odd race that didn't match what the leader was used to seeing. Their size was no indicator of their strength. They had access to strange flying tools, and Khan wielded mysterious powers that stretched beyond what eyes could see.
Actually, Khan was the strangest being the Scalqa leader had ever seen. The alien had been convinced of that since the attempted ambush in the forest. He had felt Khan's stare on him even from behind the trees, which surpassed what his mind could comprehend.
It was also odd how Khan had understood who the leader was before seeing the different attire. That small creature clearly had strange abilities, and the short battle further confirmed that point.
The alien leader had been the only one able to follow the short exchange, but even he had missed details. The surprise factor was partially to blame, but another truth existed. Khan had been too fast.
Moreover, the exchange's conclusion added scary details. The alien team knew their companion's battle prowess, so seeing him instantly lose shocked them, and their attention inevitably fell on Khan's stretched fingers.
All the aliens inspected the stretched fingers to understand the reason for their companion's terror, and enlightenment instantly dawned upon them. A chill ran down their spines just by looking at those body parts. They knew what sharpness was, but the scene shattered that belief.
Khan kept his eyes on the alien leader, but the symphony continued to update him on his surroundings. The partial execution of the Divine Reaper was enough to terrify his opponent, and the audience's reaction confirmed their sensitivity to mana once again.
The stalemate continued. The aliens didn't say anything, and Khan also was at a loss for what to do. Usually, he would consider the battle over and retract his fingers, but the alien customs might see that as an insult. The fight could have very well been to the death, and retreating without taking a life would ruin future relationships.
Of course, the opposite was also true. Moreover, Khan wanted to avoid taking lives if possible. After all, he didn't enjoy spilling blood, especially innocent ones.
That conflict forced Khan to remain still. He would love a more proactive role, but that wasn't the best course of action. It was better to let the Scalqa feel safe and in charge of the situation to arrive at eventual benefits.
More seconds passed while Khan and the alien leader stared at each other. An understanding that transcended species and language barriers had fallen between them, although with different depths. They both knew Khan was holding back in order to pursue peaceful relationships, but the Scalqa couldn't understand why or to what extent.
However, one thing was clear. Khan was more than remarkable, and the leader didn't know how wise it was to reject him. The alien shared part of Khan's internal conflict, making him hesitant to opt for violent approaches.
Eventually, the leader grunted, and his companions shot questioning glances at him. It seemed he had made a decision, and his second cry killed the general confusion, forcing the other Scalqa to follow his orders.
The teammates lowered their spears to hold them with both hands while breaking the encirclement. They formed two lines beside Khan and Amy, pointing their weapons at their torsos.
More grunts and cries resounded among the teammates. The aliens also waved their spears, seemingly indicating a random direction into the forest. Still, the leader continued to stare at Khan, and the latter understood what to do.
Khan glanced at his challenger before retracting his fingers and stepping back. The Scalqa hurriedly stood up now that he had room to move, but terror never left his face. He stared at Khan with the same scared eyes even as he retreated toward his leader.
Instead, Khan completely disregarded the challenger and studied the leader. The latter didn't show any reaction and turned to walk toward the forest. The message was clear now, so Khan retrieved his belongings and followed the alien.
Khan had planned to stay put and docile, but the aliens near Amy couldn't refrain from approaching the shuttle with their spears pointed at the open canopy. Those rudimentary weapons couldn't do much damage, but there were limits to how passive the political envoy could be.
A chilling pressure suddenly fell on the area, making everyone freeze and search for its source. The leader also turned, and noticing Khan staring at the Scalqa near the shuttle prompted another cry out of his mouth.
The Scalqa near the shuttle suddenly retreated, suppressing their curiosity and ignoring the vehicle. They rejoined their teammates, pointing their spears at Amy to escort her into the forest. It seemed the aliens would leave the envoy's equipment for now.
Khan threw a smile at the leader, but the alien ignored him and resumed diving into the forest. His teammates also focused on keeping tight lines around the two humans. Khan and Amy were basically prisoners, but that was good enough for now.
Amy and Khan never searched for each other's eyes during the march. They were leaving their equipment behind without completing various required procedures. They didn't even activate the communications with the ship, but neither worried about that.
Theoretically, the mission's schedule had already fallen apart, and alien forces had taken away the only two people who could move on their own. Yet, the envoy had expected complications, and the current issue didn't go unnoticed.
The ship's powerful scanners gave Randall and the others a clear view of the unexpected development. The envoy saw Amy and Khan departing with the alien team, so they gave up communicating for now. Establishing a camp became the priority. Everything else would have to wait.
Of course, Randall and the others wouldn't limit themselves to establishing a base of operations. Randall himself would retrieve the shuttle if the situation allowed it. However, for now, he would trust Amy and Khan to complete their job.
The preparations allowed Khan and Amy to relax and focus on their surroundings. The forest was thick and dry, but the area never became too hot. The environment radiated a pleasant warmth, but the situation prevented the two from enjoying it.
The Scalqa's huge frames made the march quite noisy. Their steps resounded throughout the forest, and their combined weight almost shook the ground. Still, no grunts or cries escaped their mouths since their entire attention was on the two humans.
Khan half-expected the march to be short since the alien team had intercepted the shuttle so quickly. Yet, almost an hour had to pass before his senses picked up something different. Many strands of mana blended in the symphony ahead, marking the presence of a settlement or base of some sort.
'Their patrol area is larger than our predictions,' Khan thought as calculations happened in his mind. 'This data is off even compared to the explorers' conclusions.'
The Scalqa's quick reaction to the landing and their larger patrol area seemed to indicate that something was up. The matter probably was nothing serious, especially since the envoy's initial data was unreliable. Yet, Khan considered every option, and his hunches were rarely wrong.
More minutes had to pass before the environment changed. The many strands of mana grew closer and the trees scarcer before completely disappearing. A vast plain expanded in everyone's vision, and compelling details popped out.
A series of triangular tents of pelts and bones grew from the plain. Big footprints had replaced the grass, revealing the dark-brown ground underneath, and the sound of flowing water resonated in the distance.
Moreover, the encampment had a rudimentary form of protection. A series of tall, pointy stones encircled the settlement, creating a barrier against frontal attacks. The structure had two gaps as large as three adult Scalqa but no gates or doors to close them.
Khan could understand a lot from the scenery. First, the ground's state told him that settlement had existed for a while. As heavy as the Scalqa were, a few weeks wouldn't have been enough to eradicate all the grass in the area.
Second, the Scalqa followed basic survival rules. Building a settlement near water was a common and wise habit. Accessibility to vital resources was a must, especially for primitive species.
Instead, the lack of gates could indicate two things. The Scalqa either lacked the technology to build something functional or were used to moving every few months. The second option felt unlikely since rebuilding the rocky barricade would be a hassle, but the alien could probably manage due to their physical strength.
The barricade itself was a sign of conflict. Its sole presence said that the relationships with the nearby tribes weren't good. The defensive building might simply be a precautionary measure, but its size and weight made that unlikely. The fauna might also be to blame for its existence, but the scanners didn't pick up anything dangerous, so Khan disregarded it.
As for the buildings, it was clear the Scalqa didn't excel in engineering, but Khan spotted far more interesting details. The settlement was in the middle of a forest, but nothing was made of wood. That treatment seemed limited to weapons.
'Do they worship nature?' Khan wondered. 'They would have more respect for the grass in that case.'
The details felt conflicting, but Khan avoided jumping to conclusions. It was too soon for that, and developing biases could blind him to the truth. Keeping an open mind was for the best, especially since he had barely started interacting with the aliens.
The Scalqa team led Khan and Amy inside the barrier, and the settlement's reaction didn't disappoint. At first, the aliens in the area began to shout, warning everyone about their companions' return. Yet, noticing the two humans gave birth to grunt and angry cry.
The alien leader occasionally grunted to reply to what seemed complaints, but the march deeper into the settlement never stopped. A few Scalqa approached the group to study the humans, but no one ever got too close.
As for Khan and Amy, they focused on memorizing as many words as possible to try to understand the Scalqa language. The rest of their attention was on the settlement to spot more details, and Khan found one.
The settlement had around sixty tents, making it vast by human standards due to the Scalqa's size. All of them were triangular, too, but one exception existed near its center.
Khan didn't initially notice the different shape, but his senses warned him, so he turned his eyes in that direction. A bigger, rectangular tent grew from the settlement's center, and its pelts leaked a strange influence. In Khan's vision, the air bent around the structure, infecting everything in its surroundings.
The sight awakened one of Khan's memories, but something else arrived, distracting him from his inspection. A stern and dangerous glare had fallen on him, forcing him to turn toward its source. The Scalqa leader was staring at him with a mixture of surprise and resolve. It seemed Khan had found something good.
