A/N: The story continues. This tale is an effective translation of an alien language told through the viewpoint of a nonhuman who belongs to his own culture, some of their practices some people might possibly find offensive.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Ben 10 Franchise, Man of Action does, I'm only borrowing a few things for fun. Please don't sue.

Merrowww….

The Life and Death of Alvin Gregory Beverly-Levin

The Journey There

"How go things, Gregory?" My dam laughed, she hurred slightly at my uneasiness on the castrated he-sheep. My slim arms hugged the beast's fluffy blue throat and my legs clamped tightly to its sides while my dam rode easily on Nighthoof. The black horse led the caravan, towing the wagon behind him that carried foods and spices, pelts and wool, and baskets and pots for trade. My dam's friend Teresa rode in the back of the wagon with the goods. Following close behind us Mel, Ed, Jack, and Ray flanked hatchling he-Sheep that would be sold at the market, also riding on sheep back; sheep hounds blended in with the young sheep and kept alert for the scent of predators. I was supposed to be with them but the he-sheep I rode wasn't inclined to listen to me.

"Things go well, dammy." I hadn't lied, I was doing well enough that I hadn't been bucked off yet. Her eyes smiled as she leaned back to assist her stead balance as the trail steeped downward. The mechanical legs of the wagon easily found purchase as it followed Nighthoof's gentle pull.

"It may help a little if you would relax, hatchling." My dam suggested. "Also, leaning back to help him balance won't hurt." Hesitantly, I relaxed my grip as the wagon passed by. My mount bleated as if in thanks as I leaned back on his fluffy back as he descended the rocks. This time we were with the group of sheep we were supposed to help guard. I wasn't relaxed enough, however, to pull off some wool that had attached itself to my spectacles. This earned many hurs from my companions.

"It's not funny."

Merrowww…

We rode on, crossing the valley and the next mountain range. We stopped only to water the herd and wait for patrols at territorial boundaries. On the way, we joined others and others joined us, causing the caravan to grow. All of the other groups consisted mostly of younglings and hatchlings as well, my dam informing us that all but the smallest of clans had the majority of their adults off-world fighting. She said it in such a way that everyone in our group kept quiet for a few hands to avoid drawing her ire.

….

Sitting on Cloudside's (as I named him) back on the rocky outcrop, I watched the breeze send waves across an expanse of light indigo and green-grey grass as far as I could see. Shining serpents of water slithered across the land in places. The only thing rising above the grass line was an odd spec on the horizon. The sound of hooves alerted me to company. I twisted around to see my dam descending on the great black horse. The wind caused their dark manes to billow. My own fringes waved in the breeze.

"Those are the plains, the grasslands," She explained. "That is where the Rippling Breeze Tribe dwells. Those people are thin and swift to hunt in open and tall enough see over the grass at its highest. This year's Leaf-Fall Festival will be hosted in those ruins on the horizon. After that, she was silent for a while. Her shoulders were tense as she stared unseeing at the setting sun.

"This… will be an excellent experience for you, little one," Her tone changed when she continued. "You are my first hatchling and the only one of your clutch make it out of the nest… if you do not survive the Trial of Life… this festival may be the most memorable event we'll share."

A stillness settled between us as the sun began to set. The sky changed from light blue-green to a range of yellows and oranges. At the corner of her eye, I saw something shiny move down her face. Nighthoof snorted and leaned back and my dam rubbed the side of his neck.

"Dammy, don't worry," I tried to reassure her. It saddened me to see her upset. "I will survive." I wasn't sure how confident I sounded, but I decided to make it a promise. Right there I vowed on the Dam of dams to survive any challenge for my dam.

"I hope you do, little one, I hope you do."

We headed back to camp as the smaller moons rose.

Merrowww….

It felt… odd to be out of the forest and down from the mountains. It was so—so flat, you could see EVERYTHING! There were no trees or rocks or anything to block the line of sight. The soft blue-green sky was unobscured by foliage or mountain peaks. The grass was grazed short enough I could barely hide in it lying flat on my belly.

It was slightly unnerving for me, I was used to the security and shadows of the forest; the open meadows always had a tree line to retreat to and one could usually find caves or large rocks on bare mountainsides for shelter. The short dry dying grasses offered none of that and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up every time the shadow of a Terrorwing or Skyhounds passed over us. I had to apologize to Cloudside for nearly choking him in terror when the absolutely massive shadow of something I was told was a Greater Deathseeker put both of us in the shade (a she-Warrior in another Clan assured me that they were pure scavengers).

As we rode in the grassland, local Clan representatives joined our caravan. Their horses were thin, fragile looking things that ran like the wind even as they pulled wagons laden with goods. The pale-furred sheep were swift clouds with short black horns herded by twig-like hounds with comically thick chests. The People of the plains themselves were skinny and birdlike with huge beak noses and thick torsos. They wore their manes like horses, the sides shaved or cut to stubble; some even had manes that stood! Constant light from the sun seemed to have darkened their skins to shades of olive and red-brown. I could certainly see which Tribe Ray took after.

It felt odd to rely on the hospitality of the Rippling Breeze Tribe for food and water. Ambush hunting was near impossible in the short grass. After a few days of observing the locals, I manage to catch a hopper with Ray and Ed's help and I was even able to find a few gnaw-beaks on my own. Most of the plains Clans didn't seem to mind and a few actively gave hunting advice. They were quite helpful around the waterways as well, knowing the safe way to cross the rivers and the proper way to get water from them. Our hosts warned us to be vigilant and ready to flee at the first sign of movement. A hatchling from one of our neighboring Standing Stone Tribe Clans provided an excellent example of what not to do when something looking like a wet rock lunged out of the water and drug her under.

Sleeping under the open sky at night was as beautiful as it was frightening. There were no trees to shelter under or branches to make dens with, so we had to nest exposed to the elements. Wild padfeet yodeled unseen but felt under a star-studded sky with brightly glowing moons. The sentries and light from the fire pit were probably the only things keeping predators from dragging people out of their nests.

Merrowww…..

As we came closer to the ruins, the landscape changed. Bits of rubble littered the area and small shrubs grew around them. Nearer still, trees grew around and in fallen almost den-like structures. Beyond them…

"Wow."

Merrowww….

A/N: another chapter complete. Yes, it's a bit short so the next one will be longer.

P.S. Some informational stuff.

Creatures:

-Sheep hounds—domestic padfeet bred specifically to herd and protect sheep. They exhibit similar color patterns to the type of sheep their Clan herds.

Plains hounds—domestic padfeet used for hunting and herding. They are more slender than other breeds with better endurance than their wild relatives.

-Terrorwing—large predatory birdlike animals with strong talons and claw tipped wings. They are solitary hunters that mate for life. The male is half the size of the female allowing a pair to share territory by being able to specialize in different sized prey. Their diet includes everything from hoppers and drop-horns to Osmosians and padfeet.

-Skyhounds—group living and pack hunting smaller relatives of terrorwings. Their groups are female led with the males tiring the prey and the females making the kill.

-Deathseeker—larger scavenging relatives of terrorwings and skyhounds. They find rotting carcasses through an excellent sense of smell and sight.

-Snapdragon—smooth skinned amphibious predators that dwell in rivers and murky ponds. They have large maws filled with cone-shaped teeth that ambush prey. Their jaws close with enough force to break bones and once they have a grip the prey is dragged underwater and drowned.

…..

Moons, Seasons, and time:

-Far moon—the farthest and smallest moon. It turns fastest and is used to measure weeks. The time from full moon to full moon is approximately ten days. This moon rises first and sets first.

-Middle moon—the second closest and second largest moon. It turns slower than the far moon and measures months. The time from full phase to full phase is approximately five weeks.

-Near moon—the largest and closest moon. It turns the slowest and the time between full phase to full phase is about half a year. It rises last and sets last.

-Seasons- depending on the climate, two to four seasons are recognized: dry season vs. wet season or thaw/bloom season, leaf-fall/hot season, leaf-fall/storm season, and cold/new season. In the two-season system, each season takes up about half the year. In the four-season system, each season takes up about a quarter of the year. Each season is named after its most noticeable characteristic.

-Year—Osmos V orbits Osmos more slowly that Earth revolves around its own sun. One year on Osmos V is approximately equivalent to ten years on Earth.

…..

Society:

-Clans—a Clan is a group consisting of at least two clans and it holds territory. A Clan is lead by a chief.

-clan—a clan is a group consisting of a large family containing either a minimum of three generations or has clutches with three sets of parents. A clan is lead by the clan head.

-Chief- the leader of a Clan. The chief is usually the most powerful, skilled, or influential member of the clan. The title is normally earned through combat or contest. If a Clan has no chief then whoever wants the job takes it. The title is only kept if the majority of the Clan allows them to lead. If a chief chooses to retire, he or she will usually pass the title to a relative.

The chief has first choice in food, supplies, and location. Every clan in a Clan is required to offer a high-ranking individual as a concubine for the chief. The chief is required to mate with said concubines and claim any offspring as his or her own. The chief may also mate with any who ask but is not obliged to claim any resulting offspring. Chiefs with mates must introduce their mate to their concubines to allow them to sort out their own hierarchy. The chief should inform their mate about other matings outside of their bond, but is not required to do so.

-Clan head—a similar position to the chief but ranks lower. Clan heads as well as some elders advise the chief.

-Healers—shamans, doctors, vets, and therapists for the Clan. They are required to be knowledgeable of herbs, chemistry, psychology, anatomy, and biology. Healers never retire but may pass the title of head healer to the most worthy apprentice. Healers have their own den and wagon and they work closely with the cooks. Healers may travel to other Clans and Tribes to share medical knowledge and techniques. Healers tend to gather edible plants and fungi for the Clan while they're looking for medicinal herbs.

-Cooks—primary food preparers and peacemakers of a Clan. Similar to healers, cooks never retire and often travel. They have their own wagon and den, but they do not nest in their den. Cooks nest with Healers.

-Warriors—fighters of a Clan. They act as soldiers, police, and guards. Two or three warriors always accompany Cooks or Healers on their travels. All Osmosians learn to fight from a young age but warriors are the best and most extensively trained fighters.

-Hunters—primary food gatherers and assassins for the Clan. They hunt most of the meat eaten by their Clan and may gather other foods as well. All members of a Clan must know how to hunt to survive but hunters are the best and most extensively trained for it.

-Smiths—engineers, mechanics, blacksmiths, architects, and inventors. Their heads are often shaved or their manes are clipped short. They have their own den and wagon.

-Storytellers—entertainers, musicians, writers, poets, historians, actors, dancers, bookkeepers, scribes, and bookmakers. An important but often underappreciated profession. They assist in keeping a Clan happy and assist the cooks in keeping the peace. Storytellers travel and share stories and techniques with storytellers in other Clans and Tribes.

Hatchlings and younglings are encouraged to spend time and try all professions before settling on one or two.