Athyyah

Chapter Twenty-five On the March

Ellenah and Alex faced the approaching crowd. The two of them stood at the ready to defend themselves or flee.

"Do the vorlixx know how to make fire?" asked Alex.

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Then, I think it's safe to assume that that approaching mass is not vorlixx. Which probably means they're friends," Alex replied. "I'm not aware of a third possibility, unless there is another village anywhere around here."

Ellenah relaxed and tried to focus on the approaching crowd. Now that they were closer and she was straining her eyes, she could see that it was indeed not vorlixx, but woman, hundreds of them. It was the people of her home. Though Alex would have naturally assumed such after eliminating the vorlixx as a possibility. There was nothing else they could be.

"What's going on? They're from town and I think they're armed," Ellenah asked in confusion.

"Maybe they're going after the vorlixx?" suggested Alex. "Events would suggest the possibility."

"No, Melan would never order such a thing."

"Maybe Kris and Anthieyah convinced her otherwise."

"Maybe. Perhaps we should ask them and find out." Ellenah replied and went walking off towards the approaching woman, Alex following behind. As they drew closer Alex spotted Kris near the front of the crowd. He stuck out like a sports car in the countryside as he was still wearing the suit. Unlike himself, Kris now held a sword that had been given to him. During their time at their host's homes they had asked about the sword Ellenah had. They didn't have technology or any indications that they had a mine to gather metals. So they had wondered how they made such weapons. Ellenah had answered that there's a tree with a hard core. They would burn away the outer layers till it was all that was left, as it won't burn easily. Then they'd use stones to carve it into he tools they desired.

As the two groups moved closer, Ellenah spotted Melan. She picked up the pace and ran over to her leader.

"Melan, what's going on?" she asked as she lifted her faceplate.

"Ellenah, what a surprise it is to run into you," she Melan, completely taken back by the sight of Ellenah in such a contraption. "We're on our way to give the vorlixx something to think about. After all this time, you may have been right."

"How is it you've only now seen that?"

"Kris here has put it into perspective for me," answered Melan. "He made a most compelling argument."

"Really, well, we shall continue on with you. Seeing as we have the same goal," said Ellenah and stepped up beside Kris. "You are going to have to tell me what you said to her. She does not change her mind easily."

Kris was unsure what he was detecting in her tone.

"I simply told her the truth, that many people never want to hear."

"There has got to be more to it than that?"

"Well, choosing how I pleaded my case helped. I'll fill you in," Kris told her and began explaining to her what had happened and what he said as they moved on to the vorlixx camp.

"Well I'll be, that not only makes sense, but I never thought of putting it that way before," Ellenah said once he had finished.

"Yeah, I got that impression. I just hope we don't have a high casualty count. I for one have no experience in using a weapon, let alone use a sword like this. I will admit though that this is a nice weapon, long blade and light."