The day had reached the afternoon by the time Tenulan and Orin arrived in Zaban City, the location of the Hunter Exam. Led by the mother of the Navigators (who had transformed into a human form resembling an older woman with similar features to her children), the applicants snaked through the crowded streets and squares of the city. Tenulan found his senses assaulted by the wide variety of, well, everything. Sight, smell, sound, so on and so forth. The various street vendors hawked fruits, jewelry, psychic services, and even what was supposedly a Zaban City specialty: A grilled food item that the man behind the stand called "panda-frog skewers." Tenulan balked at both the smell and price of that one in particular.
"You know, I always heard Zaban City was a place for all kinds of sneaky people. Now that I'm here, though, it doesn't seem much different than any old city," Orin mused as they followed their Navigator.
"Interesting. Orin, you seem to have much experience living in a city like this. Are you perhaps from one?" Tenulan noted, watching as Orin kept his eyes trained on the Navigator in front of them. The boy gave Tenulan a side eye upon hearing the remark.
"Not telling." Orin stuck out his tongue. "If you won't tell me where you're from, you won't get to know where I'm from."
Tenulan sighed. "I suppose that is fair." The conversation quickly ended. I see you are still frustrated, Orin. Tenulan thought to himself as they continued working deeper into the heart of Zaban City. If only I could find the strength within to tell you.
The trio of the applicants and Navigator reached a large central square of the city, ringed by buildings. As they crossed it, the mother continued to check a piece of paper that she was holding. Once they reached the opposite side, the mother thought out loud, "Let's see… the site should be…" She pointed in front of her. "In that building, there."
Tenulan followed her finger and found himself staring down the first skyscraper he had ever seen. Though he did not know the name for such buildings, he came close. This building reaches out to the Great Sky above… What a magnificent structure. Maybe it has a strange name, like "electricity," or "lightbulbs." He and Orin approached the doors of the skyscraper. The words sometimes combine two things together, so… His eyes strained as he looked up the length of the tower. Perhaps it is called a "cloudpiercer?" Or perhaps a "skycutter?" He turned to Orin. "This building is the site of the Hunter Exam? It is quite tall."
The boy nodded. "Yeah. This looks like the only skyscraper in this city. A fitting place for something like the Hunter Exam, I'd think."
"Skyscraper." I see.
The Navigator cleared her throat. "Boys, over here." She stood a good fifteen feet to their right, pointing in front of her again. The two applicants followed the finger to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant nestled between the skyscraper and another building. Vines covered much of the building above the restaurant, whose storefront was designed differently than the other buildings. A restaurant…? This place seems to offer different food than the local cuisine, but…
"Huh?" Orin looked at the restaurant, then the Navigator. "That's just a restaurant. A dive at that. The exam site is in there?"
"Indeed. This is the place that millions of prospective Hunters seek to test their skills." She looked at the applicants with a sly grin. "No one'd think to look in a place like this, right?"
"No, I guess you're right."
"Well then, shall we?"
The three entered the restaurant. The smell of the food here was much different than what Tenulan could smell in the streets of Zaban City, though he could not recognize the type of food. A bar-like counter stretched the length of the establishment, and some small tables were spaced around the rest of the room. A cook was working behind the counter, calling out a "Welcome!" to his guests as they entered.
"Is the back room available?" The Navigator asked.
"Let me take your order first. What'll it be?"
"The steak set lunch," she answered, "The one that makes you see the light, for two, please."
"Two?" The cook narrowed his eyes. "And how would you like them to be cooked?"
"Grilled over a low flame, then roasted carefully until well done."
The cook turned his attention back to his work. "Alright, you can see yourselves to the back room." The applicants followed their Navigator through the restaurant. A steak set lunch that makes you see the light, grilled over a low flame and roasted until well done. What a strangely specific order. A password of some kind, perhaps?
Tenulan and Orin were led into a small room with a table set at the center. Three chairs were placed around it. The room was sparsely decorated, with a few red panels set on the walls with gold trim that matched the door. "Now, you two wait in here," The Navigator instructed, motioning for the applicants to take a seat.
As Orin sat, he asked, "Was that a password that you 'ordered?' I'm guessing we aren't getting that steak set, at the very least."
Tenulan laughed as he sat across from the boy. "Yes, we will have to return to this place after the Hunter Exam to try it for ourselves."
"Do you know the odds of you two getting this far?" The Navigator suddenly asked. Tenulan and Orin shook their heads. "It's one in ten thousand. So while tens of thousands of other applicants failed to reach this place, you two first-timers made it. Remarkable."
"Wow. Those are pretty short odds…" Orin noted.
"I'm impressed by you two. I'd love to be your Navigator next year, as well."
"Thanks…" Orin watched as the Navigator closed the door, leaving him and Tenulan alone. Almost as soon as the door closed, the room began to shake.
"What is that?" Tenulan gripped the table as he felt himself dropping, but his feet stayed planted on the floor. Why do I feel myself falling? And why does this room seem to shake?
"This room must be like an elevator." The boy pointed at a small sign near the top of the wall opposite the door they entered from. It was lit up and displayed a "B" alongside a number that was climbing higher as the applicants descended lower. Tenulan sighed with relief, loosening his hold of the table. Well, whatever an "elevator" is, if Orin is not worried, then it must be safe.
Tenulan rested an elbow on the table and set his head in its hand. "Well anyways, I do not understand what the Navigator told us. How difficult is this Hunter Exam if, even now, after beating those odds, our chance of passing still seems to be so small?"
Orin thought for a moment. "Well, I think I heard once that a beginner passes the Hunter Exam about once every three years? Not to mention that the number of applicants who pass is usually in the single digits. Or, that's what I heard, at least."
"The odds do not matter," Tenulan said. "We have gotten this far. What good is it for us to fail now? To fall so close from the goal?"
Orin chuckled. "At least you're not worried. Whatever you need that Hunter License for, it must be important to you." He leaned back in his chair. "Though I wish you could just tell me what it is…"
Will you ever let that go, Orin? Or will you hold it against me forever?
"Perhaps you are right." Tenulan lifted his head, resting his arm on the table. "I have been… hesitant to tell you."
"Yeah. I could tell."
"It is because I have been afraid to tell you. Afraid that telling you will make you see the sins I carry. Afraid to lose your trust after I have only just gained it."
Afraid. Yes. If you knew why I am here at all, would you still go with me? Or would you leave me, as I have left my people?
"Tenulan, you're really dense."
"Dense?"
Orin sighed before taking a deep breath. "Can't you tell that you not telling me hurts my trust in you? After all, why should I trust you when you clearly don't trust me?"
The rising frustration in the boy's voice caught Tenulan off guard. Ah.
"Every time, you just change the subject." Orin was nearly yelling as he pointed a finger at Tenulan. "Yeah, I know we only just met a few days ago, but still! If we're going to pass the Hunter Exam together, we have to trust each other!"
"Ah. Yes, you are right. I am sorry, Orin. I did not notice that my selfish act had damaged our trust. Please, forgive me."
"I will once you tell me why you're here!" The boy pounded a fist against the table.
Tenulan turned to look up at the sign. He couldn't meet the boy's eyes. He will not trust me unless I tell him? Very well. I will tell him, then. He deserves to know at least that much. "My homeland is very far from here." Orin perked up, his anger dissipating. "It is a cold and dry land. My people move across the land because they must in order to sustain their livestock."
"I was a part of one of the clans of my homeland. My father was the leader of our group, the elder. He and my mother had the final say over where we traveled and settled disputes. Even so, our clan was threatened. We were but a part of one of five clans. When they cross paths," Tenulan searched for the right word. "My people clash with one another. Each clan sees the others as dangers, ones to be crushed. But my father saw differently."
"He saw his people kill one another and wept for them. He saw the clans go to war and mourned. He saw how we harmed ourselves by doing this. And he tried to lead our clan to the path of peace." Tenulan closed his eyes. "But he could not see the daggers from within until they were plunged into his back. My parents were killed. Their power, usurped. The one who took their place had mercy for me. He exiled me from the clan. With it, I lost my clan's name, and nearly everything I had owned."
He turned back to look at Orin. Does this satisfy you? Was this what you expected? The boy sat in silence for a moment before asking, "But why? Why is that a sin? You haven't done anything wrong."
"My sin is that I live, while my parents do not. My sin is that I could not save them. The usurper's mercy was in truth a punishment." Tenulan spoke with a sense of finality. I was not strong enough then. I fear that I still am not. "This Hunter Exam is something I must pass. I must prove my strength. I must. For them."
If I must live on, I must be more than what was lost. If not, then I should have thrown myself into the knife's edge so that my parents would live instead.
"Oh," was all that Orin could say. He was lost in his own thoughts, trying to figure out the finer details that led them to meet. Before he could ask any more questions, though, a bell sounded as the sign read "B 100." Two panels on the wall opposite the door slid to the side, revealing a new doorway.
Now, Orin, do you trust me? I have at least revealed enough for you to understand, I hope. Now you also must carry this memory. I am sorry if you cannot carry it as I have. Your emotion moved me to make that decision without considering how you may be affected.
The dampened mood of the elevator was matched by the mood outside of it. As Tenulan and Orin exited the room, they found themselves in a large tunnel. Along the walls were multiple pipes running along, with red lights spaced evenly above the pipes, running to a flat wall opposite the elevator. It was a massive space, dwarfing the applicants. In front of them was a crowd of other applicants that had arrived at this point before them.
Each looked much more powerful than any other applicant Tenulan saw before now. Each had an air of confidence as they waited, and the pressure given off by each caused the air to feel heavy. A few turned to look at the new arrivals. Tenulan's eyes jumped from one applicant to the next. Every conceivable shape, size, and color of person seemed to be present among the crowd.
Orin whispered to Tenulan, "Man, this place is creepy. The people are, too."
Tenulan heard the sound of someone approaching them. Looking to his left, he saw a strange humanoid… thing. What is that? It was bipedal, and in fact from the neck down looked like a normal person, albeit a portly one just slightly taller than Orin. It was wearing a black suit with a white dress shirt underneath and had white gloves covering its hands. The most notable feature, though, was probably the green skin. If not that, then the large bean-shaped head would be the next one up. Its eyes were large white ovals with small black pupils, and had a small mouth, but Tenulan couldn't see any other features on its head. Such a strange creature…
"Ah. You two must be the applicants Mr. Batenga mentioned."
"Who?" Orin had also noticed the green creature and was as confused as Tenulan.
"Mr. Batenga is the captain of the ship you two took to reach the Exam," The creature happily replied. "He informed us of your names and appearance, as we obviously have yet to receive your formal applications. Regardless, here is your number."
The creature held out a white disc in a hand, offering it to Orin. The disc had the number 392 written in plain black numbering on one side. "And here is your number." Tenulan received a similar disc with the number 393 on it. "Please place your tags on your chest and be careful not to lose them." The two applicants did as they were told, fixing the tags to their shirts. They watched the creature walk away before hearing a different voice call out to them, "Hey, you two!"
Tenulan looked to the source, finding a shorter, stocky man leaning against the wall to his right. The man was wearing gray pants and a matching gray undershirt, covered by a short sleeved blue V-neck shirt of sorts. He also had a satchel slung across his chest. His hair was brown and slicked back, showing off his bushy eyebrows. His wide face sported a large nose at the center of it all, and he had a stubble growing along his equally wide neck. Tenulan noted the number of the man's tag: 16. I wonder if the numbers of our tags mean anything. The man continued as he approached them, "Are you two first-timers?"
Tenulan, being closer to the man, answered. "Yes. How can you tell such a thing?"
"Well," the man began as he reached the two newest arrivals, "I've taken part in the Hunter Exam quite a few times now. I can tell when it's someone's first time since I've already met everyone else!" He laughed.
Orin sounded impressed. "How many times do you have to be here until you can do that?"
"No more than 35 times, I'd say. That's how many times I've been here, by the way. My name's Tonpa. It's good to meet you two."
"Tenulan," the larger of the two applicants replied. 35 times? That is impressive, but surely one would pass the Hunter Exam after trying for so long.
"I'm Orin," the boy said.
Tonpa nodded to both of them. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. You could say I'm a veteran around here."
"Hm, I can't think of any right now," Orin said, putting fist to head in the classic "thinker" pose.
"Oh!" Tonpa opened his satchel and rummaged through it for a second. "Let's celebrate our friendship with a toast!" He pulled two orange cans from his bag, handing one to Tenulan and the other to Orin before pulling out a third can for himself.
"Oh, thanks!" Orin said as Tenulan inspected the can. Such a strange item. How does one open this?
"Cheers!" Tonpa raised his can, and Orin followed suit, tapping the two together. Tenulan hesitantly copied them. To meet such a generous man in this place is fortunate… After watching Orin open his can, Tenulan finally managed to figure out how to pull the tab of the can to open it. He narrowed his eyes as he looked inside. This drink is also orange. Strange.
Orin stopped just before the can reached his lips. "Wait a second." He lowered it away from his face. Tenulan watched as Tonpa's eyes widened a little. "Why are you giving us this? I'm sorry, Tonpa, but you're being a little too… forward?"
"O-oh, don't worry!" Tonpa tried to keep his voice steady. "I just want to make sure newbies feel welcomed to the Hunter Exam!"
"Welcomed, huh?" Orin tipped his can to the side, letting the juice from inside flow to the ground. "Funny. I just remembered something. I know a guy who took the Hunter Exam once. He didn't pass, of course."
The boy dropped the now empty can to the ground. "In fact, he failed right away. You know what he told me? He told me he was lured into lowering his guard by a certain someone. Someone known as the Rookie Crusher, or so I was told."
He pointed at Tonpa and narrowed his eyes. "And you said you've taken the Hunter Exam 35 times? How come you haven't passed? With that many attempts, anybody could do it."
"Ah, I've just been a little unlucky here and there, is all," Tonpa backpedaled.
"Sure, Rookie Crusher Tonpa. Whatever you say." Orin turned and started walking away. I see. This man is supposedly the "Rookie Crusher," whatever that is. If we are the "rookies," though, then it would seem that this man attempted to sabotage us. Tenulan shrugged and emptied his can onto the ground before following the boy.
As the two walked away, Tonpa called after them, "I will not stand by against these accusations! You have no proof! Innocent until proven guilty!"
/\/\/\
Orin sat against the wall of the tunnel with a huff. Tenulan stood next to him. The boy watched the other applicants mill about, though he didn't pay much attention to them. Ugh, that Tonpa guy's definitely the Rookie Crusher. I mean, sure, giving people drinks isn't wrong. But at the Hunter Exam? When we just met? And I almost fell for it, too…
Orin pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his head on them. It's 'cause I was still caught up in what Tenulan told me. Sure, I'm happy he finally got around to telling me. But he was dealing with something like that the whole time? His parents were killed. No wonder he spaced out during that quiz. No wonder he didn't want to bring it up. Ugh. I was being way too selfish.
Then again, Orin closed his eyes. He kinda avoided a lot of details. Like, who killed his parents? It sounded like the guy that exiled him. Why did that guy let Tenulan live? Did they know each other? And that's ignoring the entire "clans at war" thing. And he didn't even tell me the name of the place. So nyeh. Hope he forgot that I said I'd tell him where I'm from if he told me where he was from. I know it'd only be fair, but thinking about it for too long reminds me of people that piss me off. And so, before he could get any angrier, he stopped thinking about it.
Orin kept his eyes closed but heard Tenulan slide down the wall next to him as the other applicant sat down. Orin pretended to be asleep as he heard Tenulan pull something out of his bag. When the boy started to hear a scraping noise, though, he couldn't fake it. He opened his eyes to see Tenulan pushing a knife across the flat surface of a dark gray, almost black, rock. Curiosity got the better of the boy. "Hey, what're you doing?"
Tenulan kept scraping the blade across the rock as he answered. "I am making sure my blades are sharp. This may be the only opportunity I have for a while to do so."
"Are your knives important to you?" Orin cringed a little at the question after he said it.
Tenulan paused for a brief moment before continuing. "Yes. My knives, their sheathes, and the clothes I had worn when I was exiled are the only items I have to remember my home by. Everything else was burned to ash. With these, I can still carry a piece of my homeland, no matter how far I am."
"Oh," Orin continued to watch Tenulan sharpen his knives. He carefully and methodically pushed each blade, the three-inch wide faces of the blade catching the dim red lights from above, across the rock, inspecting the edge before returning the knife to its sheath. "I'm sorry I made you bring all that up, Tenulan. I didn't know."
"Of course you did not know. You were not there. It is alright." Tenulan had a small smile on his face, which surprised Orin. "The past cannot hurt us, and so we are still alive. That is a saying of my people. It has served me well."
So that's what he was muttering after the quiz.
The moment between the two applicants was interrupted by a boy. Not Orin, but a second boy. He was incredibly pale, with spiky hair somehow whiter than his skin and piercing blue eyes. This boy was wearing a dark blue turtleneck underneath a lighter short sleeved shirt, which had his tag, number 99, fixed to it. His shorts were a blue-gray, and he had purple sneakers on. The yellow of his skateboard stood in contrast to the whites and blues of the boy's clothes and appearance. He was looking straight at Orin. Huh? He looks like he's my age!
"Hey, how old are you?" The paler of the two boys asked.
"Uh, I'm twelve," Orin replied as he stood up. He was just a bit shorter than the other boy.
"Really?" The white-haired applicant's eyes widened. "Me too! I didn't think there'd be anyone else my age here. What's your name?"
Orin's mouth hung open for a second. He's twelve too? It looks like he got here by himself, though. How'd he do that? "I'm Orin."
"Killua. Hey, do you want to be friends?"
Orin's mind flicked back to his meeting with Tonpa. Well, Killua doesn't seem to be the same type of person as Tonpa. And he's my age. And it's been, uh, a while since I've even known anyone else close to it. "Yeah!" He replied enthusiastically.
"Cool," Killua replied, shifting his weight. "Man, I'm bored. When does this thing start?"
"I don't know." The silence between them grew. Orin's eyes landed on the other boy's skateboard. "Hey, Killua, can I try out your skateboard?"
Killua raised an eyebrow. "Have you ever used one before?"
"No," Orin leaned against the wall. "But I've seen people ride them before a few times."
"You've seen it before? Where?"
"Just where I grew up. And it was just a couple of times."
"Where'd you grow up, then?"
Orin clenched his jaw. "I'd rather not talk about it."
"Okay," Killua turned away, only to spin right back with a glint in his eyes. "If you tell me, I'll let you try my skateboard."
"What kind of deal is that?" Orin had a look of surprise on his face.
"Man, you're no fun, Orin," Killua sighed dramatically. "Fine, you can try it. But only for a little bit!"
Orin smiled as he got off of the wall, just barely hearing the other boy mutter, "It'll at least be funny if he falls over…"
I see how it is. You're on, Killua.
The white-haired boy set his skateboard on the dirt floor, gesturing for Orin to get on. I mean, how hard can it be?
The answer, it turns out, is quite. As Orin set his right foot at the front of the skateboard, things weren't so bad besides the skateboard rolling back and forth a bit under his weight. But as soon as the boy lifted his other foot, he began to wobble as his balance faltered. The whole board tilted, causing Orin to slip off and fall onto his rear, the skateboard skidding forward a bit.
Killua laughed. "Man, you suck at this! You can't just lean the board like that."
Orin gritted his teeth as he stood. Okay. Let's try this again. The boy planted his foot on the board. But again, once he raised his other foot, the board started to tilt to the side, causing the boy to flail about for a second before hitting the ground once more.
He got up right away this time. Ow. Killua chided, "You're too slow. You've gotta get your second foot on quicker."
"But I feel like I'll fall over as soon as I even try to do that!" Orin countered.
"So? You know what happens already when you're too slow."
The brown-haired boy sighed. Fine. Right foot on the board. The boy quickly picked his left foot up, gritting his teeth as his other leg wobbled. This time, Orin jammed his left foot onto the back of the skateboard. Ha! Okay! He stood, still wobbling, as the skateboard rocked back and forth. "Uh, now what?"
Killua laughed again. "Well, first you've got to have a better sense of balance."
"Ha-ha. Very funny."
"After that, you push the ground with your left foot." Killua watched Orin's form. "Oh, and you'll want your right foot to be pointing down the board, not across." Orin grimaced. Okay. Okay. I can do this.
The boy shuffled himself across the board to try and center his weight better. Once he felt more stable, he took a deep breath. He cautiously dangled his left foot off the ground, testing his balance. Miraculously, he wobbled much less than before. He lightly kicked against the ground, and the skateboard began to roll slowly forward.
Orin smiled. I'm doing it! The board began to slow down due to friction, so the boy pushed again. He continued to roll towards the wall that the elevator opened from. Killua called out from behind him, "Okay, now bend your knees and lean to turn before you hit the wall!"
Orin did as he was told, laughing like a madman as the skateboard lazily curved back towards Killua, who stood with his hands in his pockets. Tenulan, who sat against the wall not far from the white-haired boy, was watching Orin as he rolled closer.
The skateboard rolled to a stop a few feet from Killua. He walked over, putting a foot at the nose of the board. Orin raised an eyebrow. Killua smirked. "Well, now I even taught you how not to fall on your butt. I think I deserve something in return."
"What?"
"You know what." Killua's smirk grew. "Where're you from?"
Orin pursed his lips as he stepped off the skateboard. Man, now I know how Tenulan must've felt. "Fine. Since you wanna know so bad." The boy slid down the wall to sit back down next to Tenulan. "I'm from the United States of Saherta."
"That doesn't tell me anything," Killua pouted.
"I wasn't done yet." Orin pointed a finger at the other boy. "Specifically, I grew up in Mikaunee, the largest city in the state of Wauscondin."
"Okay, now you're just making up names."
"They're real names, I swear!" Orin crossed his arms.
"Oh, right! I remember now!" Killua's eyes lit up.
"Remember what?" Orin hesitantly asked.
"My dad traveled to Wauscondin once for work. He told me the state was full of drunkards and that the winters were miserable there. He said, 'Killua, never go there. No job is worth dealing with that.'" Killua said with a smile like he remembered a fond childhood memory.
Orin frowned. "Hey! That's not fair! I mean, he's not wrong, but still. I lived there for years! It's not that bad…"
Killua laughed. "If you say so." He kicked his skateboard into the air, grabbing it and tucking it back under an arm. "Well, I'm gonna look around some more. See you later, Orin." The white-haired boy was already walking away before Orin could say anything else. He slumped against the wall. Why'd I even defend that place, anyway? Not like I live there now.
Suddenly, Tenulan chuckled. "It seems that Killua knows how to avhatka*, ah, what is the word in this language... I believe there is a saying, 'push your buttons?'"
"I guess you're right, now that you mention it. But he didn't seem to do it on purpose? Kinda like he just doesn't know any better, I guess."
"I understand." Tenulan paused. "But there is something else. You happened to mention to him where you are from. I have not heard of this Wauscondin before. What is it like?"
Orin closed his eyes with a sigh. "I was hoping you'd forget about that. I don't like to spend much time thinking about it, kinda like you with your homeland."
Tenulan nodded sagely. "I see. While I do not know your past, if you speak the truth, I will believe you. Just know that you may tell me whenever you are ready. I can be patient."
"Thanks," Orin said as he turned to lean his side against the wall. He pulled his compass from his pocket, absentmindedly opening it. The red end of the needle pointed through him, towards the rest of the tunnel. A compass always points north. Orin remembered. The red end of the needle is for north, and the white end is for south. He slowly twisted the rim of the compass, orienting the directions accordingly.
What makes a compass point north, anyway? How can it know the right direction? Orin watched the needle slowly sway back and forth with half-lidded eyes. I remember something about poles… but that doesn't help much. They still must be real far away. Maybe it's just fate that tells a compass where to point? It might as well be.
Orin frowned as he leaned into the wall. It wasn't comfortable, but nothing in this tunnel was. Not even the air was comfortable. It was cooler than the air outside in Zaban City, but it tasted stale, in a way. Like it had been trapped underground for years. Returning his compass to a pocket, the boy closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.
Eventually, it arrived.
Lessons in [REDACTED] Culture 102
To begin, avhatka is a conjugation of the verb avhat, which means "to annoy." The conjugation of verbs in Tenulan's language tends to be simple. In this example, the verb is conjugated for a singular object in the present tense (meaning, the verb is directed at one thing, such as "I throw the rock."), indicated by the suffix -ka. Other common suffixes include -ki for plural objects (think "are" as opposed to "is") and -kat, which is for singular past tense (think "worked" versus "work"). As with any rule, there are exceptions, but this pattern is true for most common verbs in Tenulan's language.
Now, switching topics, Tenulan's homeland is largely made up of small groups of up to 30 or 40 people, called bands, which follow a semi nomadic lifestyle. These bands join with others under a single banner, giving rise to the clans. In total, there are five clans in his homeland. Each considers itself to be similar to a sovereign nation and views the other four clans as enemies. Thus, when two bands of opposing clans cross paths, conflict is all but guaranteed.
Of course, such events typically occur due to one band accidentally treading too far within the territory of a different clan rather than any malicious intent. However, there have been cases in which bands invade territories to expand their own clan's claim. This results in the clans being largely isolated from one another, though individual bands within a single clan are aware of the movement patterns of each other, so the bands are able to reliably locate one another in cases of emergency.
An important time for Tenulan's people is at the beginning of spring, or at least when the snow melts. Bands converge at a point in their territory to celebrate with each other in a multi-day festival (though interclan mingling does not occur). Interestingly, there have been instances of bands remaining at the site of this spring festival, which is held in the same location each year, for extended periods of time. This may be due to clans preferring to have at least one band stay to tend the area, rotating with other bands over the course of the year. This creates something akin to a permanent settlement, which otherwise would not be present in Tenulan's homeland.
Hi, it's Glaive, the author! Thanks for reading!
It turns out that my big mouth almost got me. Remember the guy that failed the two-choice quiz? Well, he does have a name, but he was only given one in the 1999 anime adaptation, which I believe is known for taking some creative liberties with the source material. Anyway, that was a fun time for me as I perused the wiki to figure out what tag numbers to give Orin and Tenulan.
Also, this chapter and the next are kind of like a two-parter in that the next chapter picks up just about right away from where this one leaves off. Originally, the two were to be one chapter, but in finally introducing the main cast to my original characters, the word count quickly ballooned to be, in short, too darn long. And so, we have two chapters of a length more in line with the previous three chapters.
"See you next time!" – Dolce Kamiya, Yakuza 0
