ROLEPLAY

The letter given by the Fyrette, couldn’t stop haunting her. It was just a piece of paper, with no apparent receiver.

- You are an Amazon, right? had asked the Fyrette, intrigued.
Shanae approved with a head movement. That is how she had ended up with a letter between her hands.
- This is for you. Well, if one of your sisters… Whatever... just read this!

Shanae decided to start opening the letter, on her way to join her sisters.

She passed the letter to Zendae and Mindae, standing by.
- What shall we do? Take a look?
- Why not, after all. It is on our patrol path, not that much of a detour.

After this was said, the women began their patrol across the Grove, discussing about everything and nothing, no pressure to be felt.
In fact, the source of the story was a female Tryker. What credit could we grant to this type of homine? If it happened to be true, it would be quite amusing.

On their route, they were joined by Ranka and Phaozu and continued their way through the peak’s crust.

At the summet, against the altar by the graves, was led a homin, that seemed to be sleeping in the snow. Completely undressed, from what they could see.
- Is that him? whispered Mindae.
- I see no one else, answered Shanae.
- A sap Matis…
- He is tied up, noticed Zendae as she was getting closer.
Slightly left out of breath, Ranka discovered the homin within the circle of stones, and shouted, stunned:
- The…the homin who aggressed me at the Knoll of Dissent! At that time, I was with Phao-Zhu’o ma’bao. Do not untie him!
- He attacked you? And you let him? asked Mindae.
- Ne nu faught back. Pai … nu was defeated. He is very dangerous*.
- Laï does not appreciate him, added Phaozu. If Laï doesn’t, nu either.
(*Zoraï: Ne : No; Nu : I, Me; Pai :Worry, but, ...)

Zendae pushed him slightly using her lance while Mindae was questioning herself:
- Is he drunk? He is sleeping under snow. Actually no, he doesn’t smell like alcohol. Weird.
- Giving his outfit, he is about to freeze to death, replied Shanae, with a tone of satisfaction.

Awakened by the voices around him, the Matis was slowly coming back to life. He opened his eyes on Zendae’s lance, which was pointed at him, and seemed oddly calm considering the situation.
Ranka had rapidly slipped on her helmet at the sight of the homin.

- What shall we do now? asked Shanae while ignoring the homin.
- Come on, let’s go? begged Phaozu.
- We should question him first, decided Mindae as she turned around to face the Matis. Hey, you! What exactly are you doing here in this charming clothing ?

The Matis looked up to the red-headed female matis, following the curved line of her generous body with a long-lasting gaze that was far from unpleasant to him. Then, started an unsuccessful fight against the strings that were keeping him from moving.

- Pffshh…Still there… he whispered.
- Aiya* Homin! greeted Zendae as she was sniggering.
- Oh, you actually know how to talk, exclaimed Mindae.
- Yes… I do. Forgive the outfit. An unfortunate encounter.
(*Matis: Aiya: hello)

The Amazonas watched the snow, endlessly falling from the sky, and started flouting:
- Unfortunate? Really?
- A picturesque spot for affairs.
- He looks more pathetic than dangerous.

The Matis didn’t seem to care more about neither his situation nor the mocking remarks. He followed, using a tone that would have been more suitable for an encounter at Stevano’s Court:
- May I ask with whom am I speaking? Matisse… Zoraïe… Trykette?
- And a naked Matis! I am Mindae, from the Amazonas. We are the guardians of the region. How about you?
- My name is… Rico. A wandering Matis…
- And, you do not have enough dappers to provide yourself with clothing?
- Let me guess, bandits stole your clothes of you and attached you here? added Zendae.

Matisses seemed to be enjoying their time while Ranka and Phaozu tried to warn them, discretly.
- Laï thinks he is lying, whispered Phaozu.

Once again, the Matis was trying to rip his strings, in vain. Too solid. He resigned, and answered:
- Well, my way led to a charming Fyrette, who was more able to disable me, than I was.
- A Fyrette? Here we are! shouted Mindae.
- Where is this leading us? laughed her sister.
- If Fyrettes dominate male Matis nowadays, I don’t know! added Shanae.
- And you are going to make me believe that a Fyrette stole your clothes? Said Mindae.

The homin layed out a strange smile, and whispered:
- She had nicer curves than you.
A frozen silence gained the Amazonas and stormed the esplanade. Their laughs vanished and the looks they gave the Matis were even colder than the atmosphere.
Zendae and Mindae exchanged an approving look:
- I think we can sell him to the leader. He would be the perfect toy considering his outfit.
- It would diversify the show a little.
- Oh, I would do anything but my wrists are painful, a generous act of ours would be to cut off these ropes… interrupted the Matis smoothly.

Ranka coughed in a hacking way behind Zendae:
- Do not untie him !

The Matisse crouched in front of the homin, gazing at him with a grave look:
- Everyone seems to say you are dangerous.
He gauged her before taking a look at the other homines.

- I wonder if you are worth it, said Mindae with an acid tone. Killing him here would be simpler.
The matis stayed, mystified:
- Me? Dangerous? I do not even have my weapons…
- No, laughed Mindae, we are wondering if transporting your carcass to the slave merchant is worth it.

Phaozu interrupted them:
- Nu wants to show you a kuk*.
(*Zoraï : Nu: I, me; Kuk : something)

The Amazonas grouped, further away, around the Zoraïe who took out her medallion, sparkling with a blinding lightness and started a consultation around the object. Intrigued, the warriors approved Phao’s words; the medallion had enclosed a Kami whom was significantly showing the presence of a danger.

Finally, Shanae shouted out:
- If he is a threat, we eliminate him, one-way or the other! Even if we make dappers out of him…
- I can hear you, grumbled the Matis.
- Umbra dealers, added Mindae, even if we do not have good relations with them, business is business.
- We should leave. By this cold and the sickness, his seed will not make it, persisted Phaozu approved by Ranka.
- Better to finish him off in a clean manner, at least, said Shanae.
- Nec Phao, Shanae, not here, declared Zendae while showing the graves a little further. We need to at least respect the site.
- Listen, I will pay you, declared the Matis starting to feel that the conversation was not really progressing in his favour.

Shanae did not drop a word of the homin’s statement as she rapidly turned around and pointed her spike right at him:
- You have dappers ? I thought you had been stripped?
- I have money in Pyr…
- A Matis, in Pyr ? asked Zendae in a surprised way.
- Well, he is not that much of a wanderer after all, noticed Mindae. He might finally possess something that could interest us. What else do you have?

The Matis smiled at them:
- More charming outfits. I have a few experimented weavers.

Mindae stared at him, outraged:
- He is insulting me? We shall kill him now!
- Oh, well, I don’t know, here he is at the top of a craftsmen company, laughed Zendae.
- We should cover him with bawaab grease and throw him on Spinah’s path, smiled Mindae at the idea of watching him run between various predators.
- I don’t see any harm in that! said the matis, annoyed with the game.
- With or without the strings, sister ? asked Zindae in response to Mindae’s imagination.
- I let you decide Zendae.
- You could untie me, I could also offer you a pleasant night… purred the matis.
- Y liu* believe that the merchant is not afraid of Spinah ? moaned Phaozu.
- Lier. Yes, Spinah seems like a good idea. With the strings, declared Shanae.
- Lie? Everything I say is true, said the matis.
(Zoraï: Y: and, Liu: you plural)

Mindae finally decided while she was contemplating the matis’ nudity with disregard.
- Your presence is pleasant now, naked and changing your lies at each exchange. Anyways, you do not deserve your sap, it is a humiliation for a matis to get caught by a fyrette, and there is nothing worse.

The Amazon walked off:
- Zendae, remove the ropes. Goodbye matis, it was a pleasure. The encounter was enjoyable.
The matis threw a strange look towards the amazonas:
- In the same way… I will not forget you Serai.
- No bawaab fat? asked Shanae, disappointed, while Ranka was taking out her weapons, preparing herself to the worst.
- I would have watched him do so, said Zendae.
- Leave him, he has glibness, he would be capable of charming Spinah.

The matis whispered something to Zendae while she was slicing the ropes that made him prisoner, then stood up as he rubbed his wrists.
- Many thanks, he said while bowing down slightly, without waiting to cover himself.

The amazonas granted him with a last gaze, and continued their route, keeping an eye behind them.
As they left, the matis, once more, smiled in a strange way:
- We will meet again…for sure…

It was just after gaining some distance with the cemetery that Ranka asked:
- What did he whisper to you, Zendae?
- He spoke about marauders. That is how you know him?
- He attacked me at the Dissent and hurt Riditch who was trying to protect me. He gave us his name. It wasn’t Rico… added the tryker thoughtful.
- Sil*, he told me his name before we left, revealed Zendae.
- Ha, yui ?
(Zoraï: Yui: yes, Matis: Sil: yes)

The amazon then revealed the identity of this mysterious homin:
- Alric.