Pax glared at the group of Dakijen men holding up their bayonets.
The sun glared angrily on her back as the men growled at her. She lay crouched where she had cursed two-third of their men to eternal doom.
Dakijen were hideous creatures that had bulbous noses, prominent eyebrows, and protruding lower jaws. They had wrinkled skin caused by stretched facial muscles. Wide Eyes and Shrunken Irises, flared nostrils, and gums exposed over and under their teeth. They were hunched over and had hooves for feet but if they stood straight, they could be said to be over seven feet tall.
Pax attempted to stand but all the men growled loudly, stomping their hooves on the ground angrily.
"tʼáadoo nahl áńtʼį́į́hii" the biggest one of them all sneered, cocking his bayonet and aiming straight at her forehead. "diildooh shi danihi!" he yelled, strands of saliva escaping from his mouth when Pax still tried to get up.
A less big Dakijen pushed through, the others paved way for him as soon as they realized who was pushing through. Lowering their weapons so the dakijen could come through, they stepped aside.
As he approached Pax, who still lay crouched out te ground, the bigger Dakijen moved to obstruct him began to growl. "Ge!" the smaller one yelled and he listened but did not move from his position.
"Tʼáá shǫǫdí nika baa hane'ígíí bich" he spoke softer this time and the bigger Dakijen's features soften but still stood his ground.
One stern look from the smaller one and that was all it took for the bigger to step aside.
He nodded in appreciation and approached Pax carefully.
"You not kill me?" he spoke roughly in the general language and Pax was surprised people inside the veil still knew of it.
"No. I will not. If you also promise not to do the same." Pax grunted. The spell she had casted had taken a huge toll on her.
The dakijen turned to face his men and with one look they understood what he wanted, to drop their weapons.
Reluctantly, the men obeyed. "We drop weapons. You stand up." Pax did as she was told and quickly but gently walked over to the dakijen.
"I am called Pax. What shall I call you?" she held out her hand, expecting a reply.
"kʼe" was all she got. K'e was wary of shaking the hand of a woman who had been able to wipe out most of his men by simply touching the ground. She may have seemed to run out of energy but K'e could not trust appearances.
"Come, I take you back. You will show me where I find old man." The dakijen winced slightly and paused often as he talked, as if he was trying to remember the right words which puzzled Pax greatly.
'Where did a creature that had never seen the veil before learn the general language from?' although he did not speak it clearly and could only form broken words, it was still the language nonetheless.
He nudged Pax gently and led her to his front. Pax gulped, she had no idea where Frenvir had gone to, whether he had crossed the veil or had fallen prey to the terrible creatures that lived in the forbidden forest. A place Wara often frequented.
Pax frowned and K'e mistook it as defiance since she had not moved from where he had nudged her to.
"I kind now, I not good when angry" the other dakijen shuddered in response to his statement which only made Pax's frown deepen.
"They understand?" she asked, entirely puzzled by the situation. K'e grunted, a bit frustrated that the woman was asking questions instead of taking him to see the old man.
"Yes. Yes! Everyone hear. Only I and Chief speak. Now old man!" K'e was getting impatiently as the king ahd told jim his patience would be tested but he had not expected it to be stretched.
Pax turned around and K'e's hope was raised. Maybe she had finally remembered where the old man was but her next words slapped the smile right off his face. "No. Take me to see your chief first."
K'e stomped his hoof on the ground. "No!! old man!" he growled.
Pax did not waver; she had experience from arguing with a particular headstrong girl. She calmly walked up to K'e, stared him in the eyes and with a firm tone, made her point clear.
"Chief first, then old man." K'e stared back and could see there was no changing her mind. He growled out in frustration and screamed, spit flying from his mouth as he punched the ground angrily.
The Dakijen cowered behind each other as K'e continued his assault on the ground, making it tremble with dust and debris flying up and about. Pax did not move from where she stood and when K'e had calmed down, he looked back to find Pax still in the same position.
He glared angrily at the woman and with a clearer pronunciation this time, he growled in her face. "You better have something worth more than your life because there is a high price on it." He turned to his men, still seething, he spoke through his teeth, "we are going back to the chief!"
Pax smiled. K'e could speak the language clearly but was playing it safe. The thought of the possibility of there being other things he could do excited Pax greatly.
"Wara I do not know whether to curse you or thank you for this."
Translations.
1.] tʼáadoo nahl áńtʼį́į́hii - Do not move witch!
2.] diildooh shi danihi! - i will shoot you!
3.] Ge! - silence!
4.] Tʼáá shǫǫdí nika baa hane'ígíí bich - please, let me talk to her.