"Do you have a name?"
The man stopped for a moment and looked back at David who was lagging behind.
"Wha'ssat s'pposed ta' mean? 'Course I got a name. Think we ain't got names o'er here?"
"I, uh, sorry. What is your name?"
"My friends call me Tunk. My mamma also calls me Tunk, prolly 'cause she gave me the name! HUHEHAHAHAHAHAHA."
Tunk's laugh was hearty and seemed to work its way up through his whole body before it left his mouth.
"Uh, I thought these creatures we're holding are called tunks?"
"That they are."
"And…your name is also Tunk?"
"That it is." Tunk gave him a sly wink, then continued walking. Actually, his walk was closer to a jog. He easily slipped over rotting trees and around fallen branches as if he had traversed this path a thousand times. They'd only begun a few minutes ago and David was already breathless trying to keep up.
Tunk suddenly spoke in a serious tone. "Let's keep quiet 'till we're out the forest. There's others huntin' now and accidents happen real often here. Sometimes they ain't accidents too. Best ta' keep quiet."
The myriad sounds of the forest were not as calming as they used to be. David watched his surroundings closely.
After about two hours, they broke through the forest and into a vast expanse of sloping green hills. The sun was close to setting, with soft shadows creeping over the orange-tinted landscape.
David's breath sounded like an old wheezing dog. The teeth were still in his back and he was numb to the pain. He hadn't wanted to ask for a break in the forest after Tunk's ominous comment, but he took his chances now.
"Could…we… rest..for a…moment?"
"No, no, best ta' keep goin till' we git ta' mah stone. I can take out those teeth from ya and we can have a rest there 'fore settin out again."
"Right…How long till' we're at your stone?" David guessed by 'stone' he meant house.
Tunk used his long yellow nails to scratch at the black stubble patched around his chin.
"We got thirteen more hills 'fore we're at mah stone."
The grassy hill they were walking down was fairly large. David estimated they'd be at the bottom in a minute. About 26 minutes till they arrived then? A minute to go up a hill and a minute to go down. He could hold out for that long. Probably. Time always goes by faster when you're talking, so he decided to begin probing Tunk a bit.
"Tunk, could you tell me about this town we're going to?"
Tunk scratched his chin again. Perhaps it helped him think.
"Well, I don't go ta' town too much. Only ta' see my mamma or sell some extra tunks. It's much better out here in the hills. Town makes me scratchy. Too many people. People don't like me. I don't like them. The Count though, he's a nice fella."
"ASK HIM ABOUT THE COUNT."
As if I wasn't already going to do that.
"Who's this 'Count'?"
"The Count? He, uh, well, he's the Count. Real nice fella. Wheneva I come ta' town my Mamma tells me how he was helpin' out past the coiner wall. Or makin' sure them buyers at the hunt house give us enough coin for what we hunt. Town'd be lot worse without 'em."
"Does he control the town?"
"Ha. He's s'pposed to, but no, that'd be the coiners. They got enough coin to git any meat they want, and when they got all the coin and all the best meat's…well, ain't much they can't do."
David laughed to himself. Things never really change, do they. Money and greed are just as powerful here as they are on Earth. Actually, inequality makes much more sense here than it does on Earth. Some are born with the ability to create fire and others have nothing. And this law about eating others to gain their abilities? Peace and equality never had a chance. If there is a god, he's clearly an asshole.
"Tunk, when we get to town, I'll need a place to stay. Do you know any good spots?"
"Lot's a taverns in town. All of em' will cost ya, though."
Tunk looked back, eyeing David's appearance again.
"Never seen them clothes ya got, maybe that's what the coiners from your land wear. Well, even so, looks like ya haven't had it easy. I'd guess ya ain't got enough coin on ya for a tavern."
David hadn't looked at himself in a while. He came to this world wearing a basic gray hoodie, blue jeans, and tennis shoes. The hoodie was now torn with claw marks, stained all over from dirt and Rasker saliva, and of course he still had the teeth in his back. Tunk's guess was understandable.
"You'd be right…uh, about me not having any coin."
"Got anything in that pack of yours to trade?"
"DAVID, DO NOT SHOW HIM ANYTHING YOU HAVE BROUGHT FROM YOUR WORLD."
"In here? No, just some food."
"Hmm. Well, you can always do some huntin' to git coin. Needa work on your aim though if you wanna hunt Tunks! HUHEHAHAHAHA."
He saw me throw those flame arrows. Not good.
"HE CANNOT LIVE DAVID. GIVE ME CONTROL. I WILL DO IT."
David wished he could talk out loud and tell Kleymon TO SHUT THE HELL UP.
"Tunk, are there others in town that can do what you saw me do?"
"Past the coiner wall? No, I ne'er seen anyone. Did see one of those Niven do somethin' similar though. Abilities like those? They ain't easy ta' forget. Best ya don't show em' in town. Prolly just cause ya trouble."
"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Tunk."
Tunk grunted an acknowledgement.
The rest of their walk was in silence. David had more questions, but a tired fog had settled over him, so he let them simmer at the back of his mind.
After exactly thirteen grassy hills, they arrived at Tunk's 'stone.' His 'stone' was in fact, just a stone, not a house like David had anticipated. But, it wasn't a small stone that you skip over a pond; it was a massive jagged rock that jutted out from the ground, the size of an Easter Island statue. Enough light remained for David to see that the stone was a dark blue color, with a certain amount of translucence that made it appear more crystalline, than stoney.
Tunk said he could take out the teeth from his back here, but he was failing to see how.
Perhaps the stone is just a marker, and he has a cellar or something over here?
As David pondered this, Tunk placed his hand on the stone. A few seconds passed. Then, a blue glow emanated from under his palm and spread in size, until a glowing rectangle as tall and wide as Tunk appeared on the stone.
"I once saved an old ormer from some tunks in that forest back there. Said he'd make anythin' I wanted ta' pay me back. I told em I had a mighty fine stone that I'd like to make a home. HUEHAHA-"
Tunk's laugh was cut short as he casually stepped through the glowing door, leaving David in awe by himself.
"NOT MANY ORMERS CAN MAKE SUCH A DOOR. PERHAPS THIS HUMAN MAY BE OF SOME USE."
"20 minutes ago, you wanted me to kill him."
"AND YOU WILL, DAVID. HUMANS CANNOT BE TRUSTED."
David snorted and didn't respond. He hoped that would irk Kleymon.
Readying his mind to form a flame spear, he walked through the crystal door.