"What is your name and position? How much will it cost to build a big damn bridge." Brona translates, pointing to the LAV. "Big enough for metal beast 10 times that heavy to cross."
Once Brona translates, the man gives a fist to his heart, and nods. "I am Commander Trelaine. This is Sub-Commander Trelaine." He waves a hand at the woman. "Not related or married, before you ask."
The archer grins. "Just same great-great-great grandfather who couldn't keep it in his pants."
Brona turns to Jacob. "Uhm, in your rank..." She does some mental calculations. "Would Colonel be in command whole city's defenses? Or General? Whichever, this is Colonel General Tremaine. That is Lieutenant Colonel Colonel Tremaine. Not married, very distant relations, both had many great grandpa who slept around."
The man looks at Jacob after the translation. "What makes you think you can come in here and buy a bridge? You're a foreign army who's invading the Empire."
The woman tilts her head. "Not sure who to root for in that one, the Demon Worshipers or the Empire."
Brona translates. "Colonel General Tremaine want know what wrong with head, think can buy bridge when you invaders. Ltn Colonel Colonel Tremaine not sure she care who win when war between Demon Followers and Empire."
"That's... I don't know what to say..." Even with the modern equipment, lung and intestine damage coupled with major blood-loss is not something to take lightly. But they don't even consider lungs as vital organ.
"We definitely need to research this healing magic." Scott mutters to himself. "Doesn't matter if it's tech or supernatural."
He leaves the negotiations the the leader.
As Scott approaches, the healer that had been speaking with Dawn and went back to working glares up at Scott and puts a hand on her dagger. She says something that Scott doesn't understand.
"Like I told your companion, do not interfere."
I think they're okay with watching. I'd like to know what's in the buckets. Having a way to neutralize their blood would be handy.
Debbs walks up behind Baker, curious to see what is going on. "Did they really say that they would be all right? It's hard to believe as they both took three-inch steel through the torso."
After checking out the "healing", Debbs heads back to the LVs to oversee replacing the burst tire and repairing any other damage.
The healer, still working on binding up wounds, waves in the general direction of the forest to the south. "Woogara Sap, Hell Dust, Fermented Gara-Gara fruit, and boricum." She points to the powder. "Boricum and Natron, boricum from fiery mountains, natron from white sand lakes in mountains. Woogara Sap from Woogara tree, Hell Dust from boiling water pools in fiery mountains, Gara-Gara fruit from Woogara tree."
Dawn listens and translates as best she can.
We know that there were transplants from Earth to this world. It stands to reason that some of the language would have drifted as well. It sounds like they're stating that the powder might contain boric acid and sodium bicarbonate. The "Hell dust" might be sulfur. And a couple of biological agents.
Dawn asks the healer, could I have a small sample of those compounds? I am also a student of the earth.
The woman shrugs, and waves a hand at the bucket. "Take some if need it. No touch Gara Salve, strip flesh from bone." She warns, and Dawn can't help getting the feeling she's just been told that pots of boiling water are hot and not to touch the open flame.
"Don't make for them, don't make for Empire, make for you. Better bridge, more merchants, better road, more trade. Also hire troll to sit under bridge and rob merchants, make more money. Stop boats from making up river." Brona translates to the man.
The armored man laughs. "Already got ferries for merchants. Last time we built a bridge, the Empire sent drakons and warships to tear it up and kill everyone within a mile of it. Didn't like us cutting their ships off from the river. If we needed a bridge, why would we build one of stone? Wood is cheaper and easier."
Brona turns to Jacob. "They already have big boats for merchants cross river. They build bridge before, Empire burned it and them up with drakons and war ships, kill lot people. Empire no like them stopping ships. If they need bridge, why build stone, wood easier."
"Good to know," Scott doesn't move any closer and just observes. He flips his notebook open and writes notes of what Dawn says and what he sees. "Hm, that's interesting."
"Can you ask how long it would take for both of them to fully recover?" Scott asks Dawn.
The woman shrugs, after Dawn asks the question. "Maybe seven-day, maybe less. Depend on how good they are at magic."
"A week?!" Scott raises his voice in surprise, but he clear's his throat. "Unbelievable. But that must be not only due to healing, but also their constitution. They do have acidic blood after all."
The blue goop is probably a caustic base, it neutralizes acid, including hydrofluric acid if it's using boric acid as an ingredient, but a base can be just as bad if not worse when it comes to contact with human skin (think Lye, which is a caustic base, and is used to dissolve dead bodies).
Brona turns to the armored man. "How about ferries, big ferries, how much?"
The armored man shakes his head. "You have a singular mind. I'm still not sure I shouldn't arrest you, or shoot you on sight, or let you wander around. And you just keep trying to bargain with me for ferries."
Brona turns back to Jacob. "He say, you have single brain. He not sure if he should chain you up, kill you, or let you walk about. Yet you keep making like merchant over ferry."
Dawn injects her own thoughts, tell him that it was the empire that swatted a bee on the porch of the hive. And now the hive seeks vengeance. Does this village stand with the Empire?
Brona turns to the man. "She says Empire killed... one of them first, now family seeks vengeance. She asks if Village stands with Empire."
The man spits on the ground. "I don't care about the Empire. I care about Demon Bound running around my city and my country. Brain damaged Demon Spawn at that. I got enough Sorcerers running around in the Wild Kingdoms, I don't need a whole damn army of them."
Brona turns back to Dawn. "He say he don't care about Empire. He no like Demon Folk running around. There too many Sore.. Sorcereers... Sorcerers running around in Wild Kingdoms, he no want army of Demon Folk running around."
"What would it take to get ot a point where we can discuss our allowance to stay in your country and perhaps later down the line talk about ferries to cross the river?" Laine asks in his basic local language, more out of curiosity.
"I understand we just come barging in on your town, and we want to show we can work together. We are no friends of the empire, we were dragged here by them after they attacked our world and we are looking for allies and others to teach us the way of the lands."
When Calia described the local 'magic types', Sorcerers were people who accepted a pact with a Demon. The demon's soul powered their spells, but ate their soul and then when they died a new demon was born. Sorcerers are not, in any way shape or form, a liked or respected (or even marginally tolerated) group locally. They tend to melt down and end up killing a lot of people. Additionally, Calia was on her way to slaughter the 'Army of Green' because they were reported as being an army of all sorcerers.
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Jacob looks at the man and says seriously as he absentmindedly cracks his knuckles: there are no atheists in combat, but I am no demon dealer, worshipper, or deal maker. I believe in my home, my soldiers, and my almighty God. I know I haven't been calling you a useless demon dealing scum, so I would appreciate if you stop calling me one.
Dawn cracks up laughing. They think we're all possessed by demons!
Dawn speaks in her broken common, We are not demon possessed. The empire sent an army into our homes. And we destroyed that army. We came to protect ourselves from an unprovoked attack. And the Empire lost a second army. For every one of ours the Empire killed, the Empire lost a hundred.
Dawn continues, We came to you to negotiate. Dawn takes a look at the palisade and those with weapons. We could come and just take. It would not even break a sweat. But that's the way of the Empire. We believe differently.
Debbs moves over to Brona and politely asks: "Do you mind asking them if they know if there is an easier place to cross the river, either up- or downstream? Especially a place where the river is shallow where we could potentially ford it?"
Debbs listens to her squadmates' comments. "Wait, they think we're demon-possessed? Is that a real thing, demons, or just a folk legend? Have they seen actual demons?"
"Calia told us about different types of magic users, at the briefing. Sorcerers are supposed to make some sort of pacts with demons, if I recall. Not sure if that's true."
Daniel watched the fight with worry and concern. Should we help Calia? Why do they have to fight? When the tire is destroyed he backs up the vehicle slowly and then enlists help to change the tire.
Later he asks Are they going to fight again as soon as they are conscious? Will one kill the other if she wakes before the other?
Brona pauses in her translation, and nods at Gennie. "Demons are real, I see one myself." She makes motions like things are growing out of her arms. "Blades of bone in arms, sharp fangs, burning eyes. Split skin of Sorcerer when Sorcerer killed by arrow, skin hang like rags on demon body. Bisharan Guardian kill demon, but not before it kill 10 villagers, including my little sister. Was only 9 summers, but remember still. We leave village, go to new village. New village killed by monsters who were human."
She answers Daniel as well. "Who knows, Bisharan Guardians are strange. Many codes of honor, all same group. Not unusual for them to fight each other near to death. Unusual actually die. Is... fight to near death?" She shrugs, not quite knowing the words to use in English.
She then turns to the man in armor, and translates for Jacob. She has to ask what an athiest is, which takes a couple of tries to get the idea across. "Jacob says there are no Godless in war, he is no trafficker with demons. He is insulted, and tells you to stop calling him so."
She points to Gennie. "This one was curious if demons real. I assure her they are. And if there is a place to ford the Sardath, no more than this high." She holds a hand up to her stomach.
She then motions to Dawn. "This one say they are no demons, and were attacked by the empire, and therefore they invaded in retaliation. They will kill hundreds for every soldier they lose from the Empire. She says they could kill you easily, but don't, because they are not the Empire. They come to trade instead."
Once all the translation is done, the man responds. "Tell your Jacob I don't believe him, and I'll call a sorcerer a sorcerer until he's proved he's not one. If he really wants to prove he's not a sorcerer, he can touch the Shrine of Melseira. If he doesn't turn into a bloody fountain of gore, I'll believe he's not a demon." He says mockingly. He nods toward Dawn. "And tell the woman killing us is a lot harder than she thinks. And we'll take down a lot with us. And no, there's no place to ford the Sardath around here, it's at least two man's height all up and down."
Brona turns back. "He says if you no demons, then touch Church of Melseira, if you not explode, maybe he believe you no demon. He also say tell Dawn that they hard kill, and will kill her even if they die.
And Gennie, no place to ford river, deeper than I can jump high, all over."
She tilts her head and looks at Jacob. "Melseira is Goddess of Retribution. She is very powerful, and hates Demons. Demons who touch her Churches or Priests make big bloody mess, human die, demon no born from corpse." She brings her hands apart as she says 'big bloody mess', mimicking a big explosion. She looks at Jacob, and the posture obviously indicates she's about half believing that Jacob and his soldiers are demon-spawn...
If we all agree to touch this shrine will the captain there agree to let us in the town and talk with the town leaders about a bridge? Daniel asks. I really do not want to have to leave until Calai is able to travel. Hmm. Would it be possible to build a stone ford to cross the river. This would allow boat traffic over it and not be visible from above. It would be like an underwater bridge where our trucks could cross with care in wanter only wheel deep.
Dawn nods, and grins widely. In common, By all means, let's go see this shrine of yours.
She turns to Brona, is this Melseira a jealous god? Some of us have our own beliefs. And while I'm somewhat skeptical of direct divine intervention, I'm not an athiest.
"In the world with "magic" that sounds interesting." Scott then asks Brona. "Are there other gods people believe in?"
Brona talks with the captain for a minute, and then turns back to the group. "The captain say, you leave weapons in wagon, and if you touch shrine and no blow up, then he allow you enter town. Wagon must stay out, it look dangerous."
"There be other gods, some big some small. Not know them all, we follow The Three in Village, The Three no let any other gods be worship. Not know much about other gods, Calia know more."
Brona drops her pistol and sword in the LAV with everyone elses, and then follows the man into the town.
The town is like something out of a movie set, except it smells like horse dung and old socks. The streets are stone, with foot deep 'ditches' covered over with metal grills to allow water to drain off.
Dozens of guards escort the group to a large round building with a metal and glass roof that covers a central courtyard. The courtyard is empty, apparently cleared out in case anyone exploded. In the center of the courtyard, there is a floating round stone with runes on it. The stone spins as it hovers in mid air, the runes gently glowing a light blue.
Brona walks right up to the stone, and reaches out to touch it. The stone stops spinning as her fingers touch it, and the runes glow slightly brighter. She then steps back and the stone begins to spin again. "No demon in me." She says in english, and then repeats in the local language.
The armored man and woman nod, and wave her to the side, clearly no longer concerned about her.
Daniel leaves his weapons behind without hesitation. He follows suit after Brona, only pausing to touch the medicine bag under his shirt before touching the stone.
Daniel touches the stone. It's surface is as smooth as glass, and feels as if it's coated with water, even though it's dry. The runes on the stone turn a lurid green color, and the medicine bag under his shirt pulses a matching green. However, he doesn't explode, and when he pulls away, the runes return to a stately dull blue and the stone begins to spin again.
Debbs carefully approaches the stone, grabbing something hanging from her neck and under her shirt as she does so. "God help us," she mutters, quickly crossing herself before she touches the stone.
Well, I did not die, but I am unsure what the significance of the green color was. Any thoughts? He asks?
Debbs touches the stone, and has a similar experience to Daniel, in how the stone feels. However, unlike Daniel, the runes change to a lurid red and the stone actually vibrates under her hand and pushes her away. She doesn't explode, but the stone seems obviously agitated after she touches it.
The guards don't seem too upset about the stone's antics, although they do seem surprised that she didn't explode (several had raised their shields as if to ward off blood and gore they expected).
Brona shrugs. "No sure why it glow green. Not glow green for me. Maybe it like you?" Then it glows red for Debbs and she nods. "If so, it no like Genie. Odd, I like Genie."
Debbs chuckles, "Thanks for that, Brona. I like you as well."
She then turns back to the stone, "Well, it didn't like me, but at least I didn't explode. That's something, right?"
Genie then rejoins the group and indicates for the others to take their turn.
Dawn isn't dumb enough to leave their weapons and vehicle unguarded. She stays with half the group to guard, while the others are led into the town.
Once they return and re-arm, she will reluctantly leave her weapons, so? how'd it go?
She then enters the village to take her turn touching the shrine.
Scott touches the stone next, interested in what colour it will show.
When Dawn and Scott come to the shrine, and touch the stone, they both get a response the same as Brona's touch, just blue runes that brighten slightly.