Respite

     It was a welcome respite, at least at first. Oolah and Van took turns keeping Rollobal company. Oolah was able to play word games from their shared culture, and of course because his attraction for her, Rollobal seemed to enjoy it. He understood the attraction wasn't mutual but didn't seem to mind. The others figured he had his choice of women back in his village, which was true enough. Vans company was welcome, too. Rollobal was only able to do so many exercises without getting out of bed, and was bored much of the day. Van had made a crude game board. With a piece of Charcoal and a collection of stones, the two males showed cultural games to one another, and even devised a few. When Rollobal slept the other two got to spend time together. They took walks along the leg, just enjoying each others company, and played some of the games together that they'd been playing with Rollobal. When Van spent time keeping company with Rollobal, Oolah tended to spend time nearby. She'd cook, or practice skills. She wasn't a particularly curious Brin Mal. Van, alternatively, liked to explore the caverns, using the charcoal piece to mark his trail. There were sections he wasn't allowed to explore, including the corridors they came in by. In fact, he was beginning to suspect they weren't going to allow them to leave when Rollobals leg healed enough to travel. Still, he found many interesting places, and he ranged far and wide. Some areas showed signs of occupation, and some even different architectural styles. It was as though many races had migrated through these caverns for who knew how long. 

     Exploring had an added benefit. It made him difficult to find. Shavasha, the first woman he'd met had made repeated attempts at seduction, some even in front of Oolah, who seemed more perplexed than angry. Van was relieved at that, despite her teasing him as he had done to her over Rollobal at first. 

     Van had an added responsibility. The Brin Mal refused to eat the food from the Sharsham. So Van had to keep his eyes open for cave animals and mushrooms. Oolah knew which ones were safe, and for her part foraged the small outside valley. She was surprised at how under harvested the wild plants were here, and assumed they had another similar valley where the majority of them must have lived, and grew crops.

     In order to get to the area which had access to the unexplored regions, he had to pass by some of the quarters where Inhabitants frequented. He was generally more concerned with stealth then the scraps of conversations he heard while sneaking by, as Shavasha had managed to 'bump' in to him a few times. When caught alone like that she was far more expressive then usual, making no pretenses as to what she wanted from him. "I..... don't understand," he told her once, "Isn't our... anatomy incompatible?"

     "Perhaps where you're from, but we have ancient magics, magics not anywhere else, magics only we haves..." She said quietly.... seductively.... drawing closer to him. "We are compatible with whatever, whomever, we want to be..." This freaked him out so much, he couldn't even manage to stutter an excuse, and just babble nonsense  as he slid past her and walked quickly away.

     One particular day as he sneaked along, just such a scrap of conversation caused him to freeze in place. It was the matriarch, and she was arguing with Shavasha, of all people. Finding the darkest shadow he extended a thin layer of negative energy around him, greying his image and helping him blend in further with the shadows. The argument continued.

     "Please," pleaded Shavasha, "we don't need to kill all of them. Males are dull minded and ruled easily by our arts. They can't resist them forever. We eat the girl, and we can make eggs with the males!"

     "Too dangerous!" insisted the matriarch. "You underestimate them. We eat them all, and we shan't wait til they can mount a stronger defense! That wounded one, he looks dangerous, not like the tiny one you seem to favor!"

     "You just don't understand, you're too old to know! we could not do these things when you were young! You don't know the feeling of making eggs!"

     "I can see clearly it has addled your mind. Perhaps, daughter, I should relieve you of your responsibilities until you come to your senses. You look down on males, but lately you have shown far worse judgement then they!"

     "Can we only just leave one alive...."

     Sensing the impending end of the argument, Van moved quickly and silently as he could, until he was passed the inhabited area. He wanted desperately to head back, to go back to the lake and warn his companions. But his hosts... his captors had grown familiar with their habits. He feared if he were to break pattern they would know something was amiss, and attack immediately. Rollobal would be almost defenseless. What could he do? He could scout an escape route. He'd grown familiar with the local caverns and passages and would be able to make his way to one they'd use to come in, with the least possibility of getting caught. At least that is what he'd hoped. He tried using the corridors with the most alcoves and off shoots despite it being nearly  4 times as long. Several times he had to duck into a side passage or alcove and huddle in the shadows beneath a sheet of liquid darkness. On one such an occasion, he thought he'd heard talking and other unusual sounds coming from further down the passage he'd hid in. When the person he'd hid from had passes by, none the wiser to his presence, he turned down the tunnel and silently made his way toward the sound of talking, and what he'd now determined to be animal sounds. He was met with a horror he never spoke of again, one that would forever scar him. 

The tunnel had come out at an elevated position, like a vantage point a guard might take. Below were corals tightly packed with a variety of beasts, but what drew his attention first was what was on the other side of the room. There were several of the Shar sham, all women, tending fires in raised braziers. On a dais between them were a stack of leathery eggs, of a wide range of color and size. There were others in a connected alcove butchering a large animal. 

     "Isn't this a hatchery?" he wondered, "But why is there livestock here?"  looking down at them for another look. His blood ran cold. They weren't 'just' livestock. Many had sentient, human-like faces. They were abominations. One with wildly deformed bat wings and an amorphous furred body and stubs for arms and legs was looking at him, tears in its eyes. He pierced it with a black bolt through its eyes. He turned to leave, but promised himself he'd return and finish what he started.