Alex entered the Longcreek tribe’s foothold, surprised by its size and the people within it. He had only been to the Baylords until now, so they were all he could compare the tribe to.
The other tribe folks he had met were mostly on the route and had never actually been to the actual tribe itself.
So, now that he was finally going to a place, it was surprising just how different everything was.
The very first thing Alex noticed was that the tribe was much larger than the Baylords. There were easily over a thousand people here, and that was just an initial estimate.
It was early in the morning, so many had yet to wake up most likely, which made Alex believe that there were way more people in the tribe. He wouldn’t be surprised if there were over 3,000.
The next thing he noticed was color. The place was surprisingly colorful for being in the middle of a forest. These people clearly had more resources than the Baylords did. The metals were obviously a good example, but things such as colored sheets, curtains, and painted houses were also not something the Baylords had.
They also had a working well for water, so they didn’t have to fetch it from elsewhere like the Baylords had to do. He didn’t want to compare the two tribes because of how different they were, but he couldn’t help but do it unconsciously.
He shouldn’t, though. These people had their advantages, after all. Even their huts were larger.
Alex saw canals on either side of the road he walked on, passing out to the gate, through where it would likely lead to the creek. He saw men and women working in their gardens in the morning, picking flowers and fruits.
Many stopped to look at him as he passed. The older men and women showed surprise, while the children pointed at him: a foreigner. He wondered how different he appeared to these people who had likely never seen someone with skin like his.
As they walked, they arrived at one of the largest huts in the place. In fact, this hut was two stories, something Alex had yet to see in Hell.
“I will be right back,” Tulana said as he rushed into the house, while his companion Reval stayed outside with Alex.
Reval said nothing, simply standing beside him at full alertness, seemingly worried Alex would do something the moment he took his eyes off him.
Alex handled more eyes that were on him during that period. After waiting for a bit, Tulana came running out. “The chief is ready for you.”
Alex nodded and entered the large hut.
The hut was mostly wooden, with mud walls on the outside, but on the inside, it looked fancier with large colored sheets covering the walls. As Alex stepped in, he sensed the place was a little cooler than outside.
Considering it was still morning, that was quite surprising.
Inside the hut were three women, each wearing colorful green clothes that hid just the things that needed to be hidden.
Alex looked around and saw no other men at all. A slight look of surprise came upon him as he looked back at the three women. Now that he looked at them closely, he could notice a power dynamic that he had ignored before.
The woman in the center was clearly of a higher authority than the two beside her.
“Greetings to the chief,” Alex said to the woman at the center.
The woman had short hair, braided into many locks, all of which were again tied with a ribbon at the back. She raised her eyebrows a little and sat down on a wooden chair.
“I have not yet seen a man who recognizes my authority without being told,” the woman said, sitting down. “You are the first.”
“I will take that as a compliment.”
“You should,” the woman said. “I hear you are from the desert. What is your name?”
“I am Alex, and no, I’m not from the desert. I told the man outside that already.”
“Do not worry, Alex. Your secret will remain safe with us,” the woman said. “I must ask, have you come to the east in search of a cure?”
“A cure? For what?” Alex asked.
“Your sickness, of course,” the woman said. “You are white as Death, boy. You should seek a healer as soon as you can.”
Alex was stunned by the woman’s remarks. He didn’t know whether to laugh or not. “This is my natural skin color. I have no sickness.”
The chief’s eyes widened at that moment, along with the other two women who gasped upon hearing Alex. “You mean to say that you were born like this? Black hair and white skin; you are Death’s own spitting image, boy. You are a walking omen.”
Alex scrunched up his eyebrows. “Is that all you wish to say to me?” he asked. “If so, I would like to leave.”
The woman shook her head in resignation. “I hear you wish for us to lead you to the desert. A small group of our people will be heading to Life’s Edge tomorrow. We would like it if you came with us.”
“Life’s Edge?” Alex asked.
“Yes,” the woman said. “You do know of that city, do you not?”
“I’m afraid I haven’t heard of it yet, but now I have. Thank you,” Alex said.
The woman seemed somewhat confused, but she chose to let it go. She looked to the woman on her left, one that was much younger than her, and whispered something to her that Alex unfortunately couldn’t hear.
“My daughter will have some food and drinks prepared for you, as well as a place to bathe. Please follow her out.”
Alex paused for a bit. He would love to take a bath now that he really thought about it. It had been a while since he left, and going through the forest, he hadn’t had the time to clean or change.
He wanted this.
“Thank you for your hospitality, chief.”