But for a Slime

Chapter Nineteen

That evening saw them returning to the village once again, Joe’s heart much settled. As they came in from the fields, he was surprised to see Kargallen waiting for them. The smith stood solemnly, then spoke with formality before beckoning him towards the square once again; the square where the thief had bled out at his feet. Joe grimaced a bit but hid it from Kargallen, waiting for his concern to only show after his back was turned. The kid beside him simply followed after, a look of solemn concern on his face.

Joe worried a bit, wondering at the gravity being shown by the two, but followed behind. He came to the village square and stopped in shock. Piled in the middle of the square was a pile of just random stuff; an absolutely haphazard mountain of pure… stuff… just stuff… Why is it all here? Joe looked around at the various things and stopped in shock, confusion writ on his face as he looked around at the various… things. The people who were standing behind the pile seemed to be the entire village, although he didn’t understand why they were there. Their eyes seemed to be dead, awash with despair as they looked towards them. They’re ALL looking at me. Joe’s nervousness returned full force as he quickly swept his eyes across the crowd. As he looked longer, he began to notice an almost organization to the pile of stuff and the people. It seemed people were organized by families and … it’s THEIR stuff in front of them! Joe blinked with some confusion. Why is all their stuff out here?

As he stood there, Kargallen turned towards him, waving a sweeping hand across the crowd… or the stuff? Joe was uncertain what he was referring to, but he began to speak to him, his voice sonorous and officious; the sound of a man speaking from his position and not his person. OK… seems like there something important going on? The smith droned on for another few moments then halted, gesturing towards the people and their pile of stuff. Joe stood stiff and uncertain in what he should do. As he waited, Garnedell finally turned towards him and whispered in his ear, explaining what was happening, but Joe was only able to get some of it. It seemed that the village wanted to gift him all of these things.

Joe considered for some time, but then looked at Garnedell and asked him, “Why are they… crap… uh…,” Joe stopped for a bit and thought then started again, “Stuff… me… why.” Joe complemented the why with as confused a look and shrug as possible. Garnedell returned his confusion for a moment before understanding.

“You stuff.”

“No.”

“You stuff!”

“No… I will no take stuff. Why stuff?”

Garnedell considered for a while, then replied carefully. He took out a monster gem and held it up, then pointed towards the blood spot on the ground where the thief had died. Then he held up the gem and made it disappear with a slight of hand. Then he pointed at all the people and the stuff, then pointed at him.

“Wait… wait… wait… Are you saying?” Joe stopped, considering carefully.

“They pay you.”

Joe’s head snapped up. They’re paying me back for my lost gems! The realization came to Joe, understanding of what was happening. And Joe laughed. A great hysterical belly laugh. The laughter rang out across the square, shocking and surprising to all the other members. Dead silence was all that responded to Joe, but he was too surprised in the moment that he had little awareness of the others. When his laughter died out, some tears had lined the edges of his eyes, the moment a cathartic release that he never knew he needed. This people are good people after all! Just trying to take care of me, but this is too much!

Joe calmed his laughter and finally had enough composure to calm down. When he finally really looked at all the people, his laughter came to an abrupt halt. The blacksmith stood with grim look while the majority of the rest of the people look terrified. Concern immediately painted his face, he had no other way to communicate.

“Hey… Hey, hey, hey! It’s alright. You guys don’t need to pay me back!” Maybe they aren’t caring for me? Did I misunderstand? Joe looked towards Garnedell then pointed at all the stuff and then too himself.

Garnedell nodded in agreement to Joe’s actions, “Yes. You stuff.”

Joe shook his head then, then stood and firmed. He needed to be absolutely clear and try to explain. He pointed at the stuff and then said no, a firm action of shaking heads and using body language to push ‘it’ away. He even mimed returning the items to the people. None responded in anyway, simply standing in the perpetual stiff non-movement of the abused standing in the presence of a much stronger and more powerful abuser; their fear of arousing additional anger paralyzing them from taking any action.

Joe considered for a moment and then walked to where the blood still stained the square. He then pointed at himself, showing anger and upset in an elaborate and extreme body language, then pointed at the blood spot. He then pointed at everyone else, then showed a beaming and happy smile with a thumbs up. He pointed at each one of them, then at himself and showed a smiling face. After he was done, he encompassed the whole village and then offered a very simple and relaxed smile, a true smile, trying to express his honest feelings as much as possible. No one moved.

Joe despaired a bit, then turned to Garnedell. The boy should understand, he had shown that action before multiple times when the boy feared mistakes and how Joe would react to them. Garnedell seemed to understand, now, that he would not be punished for such.

Joe repeated the typical sign that he gave to Garnedell but pointed to the villagers instead, smiling and trying to express as much positivity as he could. Garnedell looked at him for a moment, then gaped, shock painting his face before he smiled with bubbling happiness. Was it really shocking that I don’t take out what the guy did on the whole village? Maybe this place is a bit screwed up?

Joe watched as Garnedell stepped forward quickly, babbling quickly and excitedly. The people still stood in stiff fear, but several soon began to relax, and even smiles began to emerge tentatively on some of the younger faces. Silent smiles gave way to rousing cheers, and Joe smiled with relief that the issue seemed to have been resolved. He stood alone as dozens of villagers soon came running up to Garnedell, speaking to him individually. I’m so glad I got the kid to watch my back! Man!

As he stood, he felt a presence slide up to his side, and he turned to see Kargallen the smith stop next to him. As Joe looked down at him, he saw relief and a bit of joy on his face. Kargallen nodded to him and Joe responded quickly before the man tried to speak. He reached over, releasing a huge smile and clapped the smith on his shoulder.

“Hey, man! We’re good. Alright? No problems!”

The smith said nothing, his smile gaining strength as his relief fled from him and he simply bowed his head in apparent gratitude. Joe grabbed him quickly and left him back up. Joe shook his head, rejecting the man’s gratitude and simply offered a smile and a thumbs up, nodding yes and trying his best to spew out positive rays of effervescent happiness. Kargallen smiled again, then nodded before looking out towards the crowd. Joe turned to look on as well.

Soon, several of the people came up with a precious or unique item of some kind and offered it to Joe with a strange bobbing bow. Huh… doesn’t look like they bow at all? Or is it only for nobility? Or something? Joe shook his head, rejecting the gift, but they grew more insistent. As he tried to reject it again, Kargallen stepped in and tried to help the villagers, pushing the gift onto Joe. As Joe’s resistance continued, he began to despair because he saw that a line seemed to have formed as the first refused to take no for an answer. Joe started panicking, uncertain how to resolve the situation and called out for help.

“Garnedell! Garnedell! Hey… kid! I need you.”

The boy was in the midst of his own crisis speaking with many villagers but quickly returned to his side. He seemed a bit confused, but the villager and smith explained pretty quickly and Joe turned towards him and seemed to agree with the other three. Joe left the three talking and felt his dismay grow as he saw all the villager families now lining up behind the couple that had originally come to thank him, each carrying some form of precious item, obviously to be gifted to him. Joe dismay only grew when Garnedell seemed to agree with what was happening, pushing him to accept the gifts. Not feeling comfortable with accepting gifts but not wanting to offend badly, he decided to try to understand the situation.

“Why? Pay me why?”

It seemed the boy now understood why because he responded quite succinctly and quickly, “Thank you.”

Joe felt frustrated, anger rising a bit. Of course they’re thanking me, but why…

“Why thank me?”

“They no die.”

Joe goggled at the response. They thought I was going to kill them!? Joe almost decided to stomp off and reject the whole mess, but controlled himself. He’d only just gotten them calmed down from fearing for their lives. Stomping off in a huff would only return that fear. He held up his hands and called a halt.

“Wait. Wait! Give me a second. I need to think!”

Joe stepped back and closed his eyes, hand coming up to rub a forehead to block out the sight of the crowds and give him the false sensation of privacy. He was soon pacing a bit, mind whirling in thought. It doesn’t look I can really say no. Probably would offend them, but I don’t have anywhere to put all this stuff. And if I toss it out… will that piss them off more? Offend someone? What if I like one thing and start using that, but toss something else out, will they take that as some kind of sign that I favor one over the other? This kind of thing happens in a lot of Asian cultures all the time! What can I do to accept a gift from them without showing favorites or actually taking any gifts? How do…

The thought actually hit him like a thunderbolt. Let’s have a feast! Joe’s head whipped up and smiled at the crowd before beginning his first mime before a crowd. He used Garnedell and the smith to help him translate since several of the signs he was using were used with both of them. Miming sleep by putting his head on his mimed ‘pillow’ hands, he raised three fingers then looked at the smith. The smith blinked a few times, a bit of confusion registering and Joe repeated the sign and the smith quickly understood and shouted out to the people.

Joe then encompassed the whole crowd, using wide sweeping gestures with his arms, then mimed eating. The smith and Garnedell continued translating in spurts, one or the other explaining or sometimes arguing before coming to a consensus. After including the whole village, he then mimed eating food. That one’s easy. Everyone seemed to get that. The crowd responded quite favorably to eating.

Joe then pointed to all the men, calling out a few, then pulling out his bow and arrow and miming going into the forest and shooting an animal. Going through the motions of butchering and preparing the meat, he then ‘picked up’ the prepared meat and gave it to the women and then mimed cooking as best as possible. He then pulled all the crowd in then mimed bringing out great platters of food which he sat down in front of several of the people then mimed eating and mimed inviting everyone to join in the meal. The people, by this time, were quite animated, talking amongst themselves and discussing the proposal with intense debate. Garnedell and Kargallen continued their translation until Joe was finished, then Joe looked to Garnedell to see if he understood. The boy seemed to really understand because he was smiling with agitated hyperactivity.

Joe then pointed at all the gifts and pushed them away, then tried to replace them with a feast and festival. The crowd seemed to be ecstatic for the idea, a sense of relief flushing through them even as the joy of still being alive overwhelmed them. A great cheer erupted from the crowd and Joe smiled happily. The smith got everyone quieted down, then turned to Joe and thanked him sincerely. He then turned to the elders and the group spoke rapidly amongst themselves until Kargallen turned and with a small bit of trepidation suggested the feast to be in four days. Joe smiled really big and gave a thumbs up which Garnedell quickly translated for him. The elders all smiled with gratitude and they accepted the idea.

Joe then looked to the smith and caught his attention before pointing to his bow and arrow and mimed hunting followed by miming sleep then holding up his fingers, showing three fingers, then two then showing confusion and shrugging his shoulders. Kargallen quickly nodded in understanding and called for several strong, broad shouldered men to come forward. The conversation went rapidly and the smith turned to Joe and mimed sleep then held up two fingers followed by three fingers as well.

“Ah. OK. So we will hunt for two days, the second and third day from now, and have the feast on day four,” Joe mimed each action, holding up two fingers and then showed hunting, duplicated that hunting mime while holding up three fingers, then held up four while ravenously shoveling food into his mouth. Kargallen nodded eagerly, affirming Joe’s guess.

“Well. Do you mind if I join the hunt,” Joe asked while miming the question as best he could?

The hunters and the smith seemed confused, but Garnedell understood easily and translated for him quickly. When the hunters understood, the three all nodded eagerly and Joe smiled, happy to be able to play his part.

“Good! Let’s have the feast in four days,” Joe smiled, clapping the smith on a shoulder before turning to Garnedell and leading him away, “And I gotta figure out a decent gift!”

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