"There should be intelligent life. As to how advanced it is. I don't know." I said while examining the surroundings. We should be safe but just in case when moving we should move in small groups. I gather everyone so that we can begin searching the area for any missed sights of intelligent life.
Traveling in between the thick trees and loose black dirt we begin examine the area. The trees are on average 14 ft wide with a currently unknown height. The dirt is rather soft, bits of unmelted snow lying around, thick brown roots sprout and sink into the ground, strange multicolored mushroom with cone heads lining the edges of the roots and each trees base.
The trees are very far apart from each other, easily fitting 14 people in each gap, assuming there are no thick purple bushes in the way. Like the trees the leaves are shaped like the claws of a three fingered lizard, each one emitting a weak purple light.
Unlike the trees though, the bushes don't have any hanging fruit. In between each branch is a small golden fruit. Small patches of sunlight peek through the gaps of the branches, blending with the slight purple of the leaves.
Walking around for several minutes, making sure to stay close to the ship, we find nothing strange. The fruit on the trees seem fine. There are some on the ground but for the most part they seem to just be ripe and fresh from the tree. Some strange bugs can be seen eating the fruits.
Some of them are about a thumb thick with a string like body, some have large horned heads with relatively small bodies, some look somewhat like a fat leaf with small legs. Finally, after a little over an hour we find a trail of foot prints.
They appear to be humanoid. The foot itself should be rather big with three long and thick toes. It seems that a small group of approximately 5 creatures who seemed to have tripped several times. Looks like they were in rush to leave.
Judging by the dirt shapes it looks like that these things have the lower body of a humanoid but a round upper body without arms. There are small patches of white fur spread around. They seem to have short, thick legs.
I'd say they should be around 4 ft 2 inch. They shouldn't be major threat but I have to be sure. I can assume that since these things are able to move and escape as a group they have some semblance of intelligence.
As to whether they have managed to develop a society or not. I don't know. For now, we all decide to move back to the ship and come back with a plan. On the way back Ling'er tells me that she is representative of the mortals with the exception of Dai.
While walking back Ling'er and the rest begin talking. Dai and Mei walk up to me while Ling'er discusses with the rest of the group.
"I vote we do it leader. We should be fine if we arm ourselves and have some of the more useless members scout first." Dai said while staring at the shining purple canopy of leaves covering the sky, making sure to point at Mei.
"....You really are a traitor." Mei said calmly.
Mei frowns, giving Dai a rather annoyed look. He just shrugs it off.
"Unless you wanna go yourself leader. If you want I can go though." Dai said with a shrug.
"I hope you die traitor. Mei said calmly, a piercing cold filling her eyes.
"You too." Dai said with a bright smile, his eyes squinted.
Ignoring Mei's frown he just smiles at her. He pretends to snap off his horns then looks at me with an expectant smile. I just sigh. Normally I would say that we should look for a settlement with the ship but we couldn't find any initially.
If there is a settlement, it will likely be underground or there might be something hiding them. In the end I decide to follow the foot steps after arming the group. After an hour of walking we eventually decide to give up but before we can return we find one of those strange creatures.
It's upper body is shaped like a hens egg, everything but it's face covered in a thick white fur. It's leg are thick, appearing more like cylindrical stubs with growths on the end. It has two round blue eyes with black rectangular pupils. Under its eyes as a small round nose with a single large hole in the bottom. Finally, completing the set is a large mouth with exposed sharp teeth.
It's skin is a rough gray, like the finger sized gem on its forehead. We all immediately point our guns at it. It responds by falling face first into a small pile of the snow in front of it.
We all stare at it for several minutes, some people standing watch for surprise attacks. Eventually it gives up on playing dead and begins to examine us. I move to the front of the group ready to sacrifice the metal arm.
Still looking at us it moves to a nearby fruit. Suddenly, the gem on its forehead begins to glow. A gray light wraps the fruit floating it slowly towards us. In response I shoot the ground next to it. Scared it lets out a high pitched scream, dropping that fruit.
That gem reminds of the one I saw on the gods back, though it feels completely different. If I were to describe it the gods gem feels more complete while this things gem seems rough, as if made by a child. It's possible that this thing has evolved to have telekinesis but I don't want to risk anything.
Suddenly Dai walks to the fruit, taking off his helmet and taking a bite. He smiles as if he's eating the best thing ever. "Hey leader it taste kind of like an apple. Ah, I mean like a Lian Du fruit from home." Dai says with a slight panic.
Mei stares at him with a wide smile. We all sit still, waiting to see if anything happens. Thankfully, Dai seems perfectly fine after several minutes, much to Mei's disappointment. Seeing he's fine I order everyone to point their guns to the ground.
The creature see's everyone respond to my words. It just silently stares at me. Seeing this I grab a small fruit and wave in front of me, signaling it to come here by waving my hand. It just gives me a confused look.
Dai suddenly tears off a small piece of fruit and waves it in front of him before tossing it towards the creature. It catches it with that gray light and sniffs it before eating it. He smiles at me and signals to do the same thing.
Everyone does the same reducing the tension. While it appears to still be on edge it appears to be friendly with Dai, offering him several fruits. Whenever Mei or anyone else gives him a dirty look the creature will look directly at them and frown, seemingly hesitating.
Seeing this I begin to think about shooting it, even if it jumps into snow. As if respond to my thoughts it creates a small dirt wall with the gray light. Dai immediately tries to calm it down. I respond by smiling, thinking about a small village full of these creates.
The gray light suddenly spreads across the dirt, raising several large pointed tentacles ready to attack. "Everyone, I want you to think about offering this thing and it's people gifts. Doesn't matter what just be nice." I said while smiling.
Seeing me talk it gets visibly angrier. We have a stand off for several minutes. Thankfully, after several minutes it seems to calm down. Immediately I begin thinking about the small light I brought and how to use it. I then roll the light to the creature.
It lifts it up and begins toying with it. I try to think about how to use it but it doesn't seem to respond. I try asking it to give me the light back in my mind. It doesn't respond. I then walk up to it slowly. Step by step I move closer.
Even when standing in front of it, it remains calm. I grab the small light and turn it off and on, giving it back to the creature. It appears shocked and begins toying with it, turning it off and on several times with a wide smile. A wide hideous smile.
After playing for a few minutes it stops and stares at ling'er and 3 others before giving the light back with a depressed look. I immediately give it back. It still looks at Ling'er and the 3 as if he needs permission from them.
It seems for the most part we can communicate. It seems to respond to the intent in thoughts. We experiment several times, getting angry at it for no reason or being exceptionally happy. When it notices were angry it makes an assumption and either stares or returns the light, one time it offered several fruits.
Eventually, after we show we are friendly it begins guiding us down the forest. At one point we run into a child sized reptile. The creature kills it immediately by raising the dirt it walks on and stabbing into its eyes, filling its skull.
It twist off one of the reptile's legs and offers it to us. We all reject. It still gives it to Dai after it fails to offer it to me again. Shortly after Dai's stomach grumbles. Mei's stomach grumbles too but the creature just gives her a dirty look.
We continue walking, the creature still full of energy. The reptile should be heavy, even so it has enough strength to grab a few fruits with its gray light and carry them. After half an hour we stand in front of a small cave.
On the roof of the cave are various shining purple crystals acting as lights. They all seem to have been embedded into the roof. We all hesitate. In response it offers us a fruits and smacks the reptiles corpse, giving us a reassuring look. After talking with each other we all decide to follow, making sure stay guard, ready to shoot at any time.
Down and down we go, passing several of these white furred creatures. Some of the then stop us but the creature that guide us seems to talk with them. Every time another creature stops us or prepares to attack the creature guiding us will look into its eyes fir a few seconds. Shortly after the other creature will walk way with a suspicious face.
Finally, after a long walk we find ourselves in their base. It's a large underground settlement capable of holding thousands. The roof is covered in large purple crystals, Thick smooth stone pillars surrounding each one.
The houses are made of wood with leaf and mud roofs. They all look like large L's. Small lanterns with shining rocks hangs in front of every house. In between each house is a patch of soft red dirt. A large pole with spiraling shining white rocks light up the area. These creatures fill the gap. Suddenly, they all stop whatever they are doing and stare at us.
The creature we first found gives us a reassuring look and begins talking. It seems that these things are capable of vocal speech as well. They all stare at us, occasionally glaring. Finally, after it talks for an hour an older looking creature with wrinkled skin and less fur walks out of the crowd.
"Where are you from strange creature? What do you wish to do?." Something said.