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It has been almost a week since that meeting, and I've been integrated into their society—though not completely free. Two people still follow me wherever I go.
Their village is built on a hilltop, accessible only from two sides. The first is through the front, where a cave connects the village to a path near the valley. This entrance can be easily guarded from above, and if the hole at the top is sealed like a lid, the only way through would be with a siege machine. But even that would be difficult since the cliffs are steep, rising higher and higher the farther they extend from the cave.
The second path leads through the mountain range that connects to the hill. However, this route is mostly avoided because the highest part of the range is home to their deity, giving it the name "Ancestral Range."
I learned all of this from Meliss. She was the shaman's apprentice—until her predecessor died on the way here. That meeting last week officially appointed her as the new shaman.
The village itself is built on a massive stone atop the hill, shaped like a fortress—similar to Masada, though smaller. They call it Lung Pui. This place is reserved for ceremonies and as a lookout, and all major meetings are held there.
The chief's hut is larger than the average home. Its roof is made from a type of large, durable leaf, shaped somewhat like a maple leaf, which suggests the tree it comes from must be enormous. The walls are a mix of stone and mud, while the floor is constructed from tree stumps and rocks, covered with animal pelts—probably from a mountain lion or something similar.
Most of the houses in the village are of the same size, shape, and materials, including the one I was given. Mine, however, is slightly larger since the guards also sleep there, keeping watch over me.
Although I'm allowed to roam the village, I always have a guard by my side. Through Meliss, the chief explained that, since I'm smaller than the average person in their tribe, the guards are there for my protection.
But there's something odd about this village. I haven't seen any men or children under the age of twenty.
Meliss isn't one of my guards, yet she visits me often. Every time she does, I ask her to teach me the tribe's language, and she happily agrees. My two guards, however, are around my age, though they tower over me. At 175 cm, I barely reach their shoulders—they must be around 190 cm or taller. Both carry spears made of heartwood (as Meliss told me), tipped with obsidian.
Shaki, the older one, is slightly smaller than his younger brother, Alni. They both have blue hair—Shaki's is a deep shade, while Alni's is lighter. They belong to the chief's personal warriors, which makes sense. Their battle-worn appearances, with visible scars where their armor doesn't cover, suggest they've seen their fair share of fights.
One thing I forgot to mention: Despite their massive physiques, their faces are strikingly beautiful—comparable to the most attractive people back on Earth. However, they lack a certain feminine charm. Not that I have time to dwell on that—I'm still trying to adjust to this strange new life.
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Today marks a week since I was abducted.
I miss home. The quiet, remote village where I worked as a teacher. The children.
Did they escape safely? Do they remember me? Will they search for me?
Back home, there's a tradition. When someone vanishes without a trace, the village and neighboring communities search for one week. If they fail to find the missing person—dead or alive—they are officially declared dead.
Which means, by the end of today, I'll be considered dead.
Even though I'm breathing perfectly fine.
The thought weighs heavily on me, and I spend the entire morning inside my hut, too drained to do anything. That is, until Meliss and the chief, Lani, visit me—accompanied by three women wearing blue-tipped hoods and carrying baskets filled with strange gemstones.
At the sight of the chief, my guards immediately straighten up and move to stand by the door. I rise to greet them.
"No need to stand," Meliss says. "Just stay where you are. This won't take long."
"Oh? Is that so, Miss Meliss? What's the purpose of this visit?"
"Miss?"
"It's a term used to address an unmarried woman."
"Unmarr—" Before she can finish repeating the word, one of the hooded women speaks up. Meliss listens for a moment before nodding and turning back to me.
"We need to check your condition. As I told you before, we need your help for the upcoming ceremonies, so you must stay healthy until then."
"Oh… okay."
I suspected as much. Human sacrifices were common in many ancient tribes, so it wouldn't surprise me if they planned to do the same here. I just need to lay low and wait for the perfect opportunity to escape.
After Meliss translates my response, the three hooded women remove their hoods.
I freeze.
Their long silver hair is tied partly in ponytails, their pearlescent skin is flawless, and their beauty is almost surreal.
Without a word, they position themselves around me—one at my left, one at my right, and one behind me. Each takes out a different gemstone, roughly the size of a golf ball, and starts measuring my height from bottom to top, as if scanning me.
Afterward, they place the stones into a basket and repeat the process two more times. By the end, nine gemstones are spread across three baskets.
Then, the stones begin to glow—brightly.
As if absorbing some kind of power from me.
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TBC
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