Confrontation and Mistakes

Nick and Hasso stood in a small valley between three small hills. Surrounded by some green bushes and browning grass. They were staring at something on one hill.

Nick sighed at the sight of the woman just watching them. "Light brown hair, slim figure, pointed ears and dark colored eyes. That looks like an elf to me."

"Didn't you notice them in the cage?"

"I was trying to ignore them."

"She is looking back periodically."

"She is probably waiting for the others."

"Yes, a small elf, a woman, probably human and a man with beast ears and a tail."

"You know there is one big flaw in your plan to benefit from them right?"

"What's that?"

"We don't know how to communicate with them."

"I was thinking about using the true universal language."

"I thought you didn't speak English?"

Hasso couldn't stop a face palm. "Math is the true universal language."

"You thought I was serious? That was just a joke."

"Sure it was."

"What if they don't understand math? They are slaves after all."

"The math I am going to use is easy enough to learn quickly."

"How long is it going to take to ask about an animal trail?"

"I don't know. But even if they don't know where a trail is, six people looking is better than just two."

That thought lingered in the air for a few moments as Nick looked at the woman. "The other energy signature. Could it be magic?"

"What makes you think that?"

"The only stories I know of where elves exist is magical fantasy stories."

"Didn't Spock look like that?"

Nick was amazed at the pop culture reference. "You know about the original Star Trek, but nothing on Night of the Living Dead?"

"I like sci-fi more than horror."

"I'm always finding more new things about you."

"Is that something you hate about me?"

"No, not at all."

- - -

Brando observed Tullia's condition. "We should go now."

Albus glared at him. "Let her decide that."

Tullia stood up. "I decide to go."

Albus' face started to flush. "I... I meant no.."

Tullia bent over to look Albus face to face. "We understand you are scared. But we need to go. I'll hold your hand, and if you get overwhelmed, hide behind me."

Albus sighed. "They'll think I'm a child."

Victoria's voice rang in their ears and Auri looked back to the group. "Take every advantage your enemy gives you."

Pasht chimed in. "This will be the first attempt at communication with the metal blight, sense the war started over a hundred years ago. So don't fuck it up."

Dolos sighed "We don't expect you to be perfect. Even gods make mistakes. Just don't go against an order."

Brando, Tullia and Albus stood up and started to walk over towards Auri with steps that reflected the weight they now felt. Auri stood up and walked with the group around the hill towards the metal men.

Brando observed the metal men just standing with the wolf and turned to Auri. "Did you see if they picked up any weapons?"

"Everything they have on them is from before the camp."

Albus grasped Tullia's hand and looked at Auri. "Did you hear any communication between them?"

"No, but they move like they are communicating from time to time."

Victoria's voice chimed in. "They don't speak like that, their words are unheard by all but the All Speaker. Now walk up to them with your arms out wide, and prostraight yourselves before them."

Brando took the lead with his arms and hands fully outstretched fallowed by Auri doing the same to his side. Tullia fallowed but kept Albus' had held and Albus put out his other arm and lowered his head and looked away from the metal men.

- - -

Nick and Hasso watched as the group emerge from the side of a hill. Jaeger was lying down between the metal men looking at the group walking in with disinterest. The four waked before them and laid face down with their hands in front of them.

Hasso glanced at Nick after watching the spectacle. "Well, I don't think they are hostile."

"Why did they stay as a group? Shouldn't they be for themselves?"

"You are trying to guess another worlds morality."

"So who should we try talking to? I don't think it should be the frightened kid."

"Let's try the one that led them."

"So the beast man? Fine."

Nick bent over the beast man and taped him on the shoulder. The beast man turned his attention to Nick and said something that Nick and Hasso didn't understand. Nick shrugged and pointed to Hasso.

Hasso sat down on the ground next to some coarse dirt he planed to use as a writing surface and started to dust it falt. Hasso then pointed to a spot across from him indicating he wanted the beast man to sit there.

Brando got up and walked towards Hasso. "Nick, can you try to calmly indicate that the others can get up? I don't know how long this is going to take."

"Is there anything else you want from me?"

Hasso took off his monocular module and held it out for Nick. "Yes, make sure the others didn't fallow."

Nick taped on the women's shoulder and tried to mimic sitting and pointed towards Hasso as a demonstration. Then walked over to Hasso, picked up the module and handed Hasso a straitish stick. "I'll keep an eye out."

Nick installed the module and walked up the tallest hill. Looking all around then back at the group.

- - -

Brando sat down across from the metal man in front of a flattened dirt surface. He repeated a few phrases Victoria was telling him to say. He knew they were different languages but he did not know them himself. Tullia, Albus and Auri sat down beside him.

Albus still couldn't look up at the metal man. Albus knew the languages that were being tested and knew non would work. Because words never gave them pause before. But was curios at what the metal man was writing down on the ground.

Starting from left to right there was a dot then a strange symbol, another dot then another symbol, then two dots fallowed by a circle. The metal man did this while shaking his head at every phrase that came to him.

Albus watched the others being baffled by Victoria's words and the drawing of the metal man. Then he realized something. None of the gods domains over lapped into language written or otherwise. Then Dolos' words came back to him. 'Even gods make mistakes.'

Albus then decided he should try and figure out what was being said by the metal man. He flattened the area in front of himself and copied what the metal man was writing down.

If the metal men were trying to communicate. They would try and do something easy and simple. By this time there was another row of images. The next line was the same but the last two with three dots instead of two and an x instead of a circle. And now the metal man pointed to the second line after Brando said a phrase.

Albus thought he understood. He erased the markings he made and wrote and said what he thought.

"One plus one equals two, correct. One plus one equals three, incorrect. They are using correct and incorrect as yes and no."

Brando, Tullia, Auri and Hasso looked over at Albus. But Dolos responded first. "They are using math to communicate? That's why the symbols weren't fakes."

Hasso pointed to the top equation and gave a thumbs up. Victoria responded. "Thank you Albus. Victor bring us a mathematician."

Albus smiled and lowered his head. "I think someone with written language skills or knowledge of symbols would be better. Those aren't math symbols I have ever seen."

Albus could almost hear the smile on Victoria's face as she responded. "You are right. You figured it out after all."

Pasht scoffed. "Victoria, who's in charge here?"

"It is always a good tactic to listen to someone that brings in results."