The following day was the beginning of a long and arduous slog through the world of construction. Nyla realized how little she knew of the topic as she watched Artie and Cal calculating load-bearing members and ensuring the structure would hold up to the sometimes tumultuous weather of her homeworld. Where they were worried it would fail, Arite and Cal would go through immense pains to hide the more modern materials used to brace the wood.
Throughout it all Pinetil maintained the attitude of calling everything Artie and Cal did crude or lesser. At the end of a month though, she and Nyla both stood with mouths agape at the beauty of the Clan Hall Cal had built. Every door, every window, every minute detail was a work of art.
Double doors twice Cal’s height and three times his width opened onto a long hall set with massive tables and pillars of Venwood. The ceiling was supported by elegant flowing arches seeming to never end, flowing into each other and the columns as smoothly as if they had grown there. Above the door, the head of a massive creature Cal called a dragon, was carved from a massive chunk of Crystal Cal had dug up while excavating into the mountain for the back of the building.
The effect was stunning. If Nyla had not been to Earth and seen what the Humans were capable of, she might have thought Cal a God even more than when she had first met him. Cal walked up beside the two women. “Pretty cool isn’t it?”
Pinetil nodded still examining everything she could see from outside. Nyla spoke, “It is unlike anything I have ever seen before on this world. It will bring you immense power and status.”
“Come on in and explore the hall.” Cal said as he smiled at Nyla and continued talking. “I started with the basics of an old Viking long hall and moved from there. The long halls of old didn’t have the tunnel systems this hall does but it is needed.”
Nyla let Cal lead her from place to place, talking about the symbolism and processes of each part of the structure used or contained. Then he led them to the small door on either side of the deus holding what Cal called the High Table.
“Both of these doors lead to the communal chambers, and deeper in the mountain to a massive storage room for food and other goods. Each of us gets a room and there are plenty of rooms for other people as well. He led them to a hallway off the main tunnel and allowed them to pick one of several rooms. They all spent the rest of the day moving into their rooms and settling in.
When the sun was low in the sky, a horn blew outside the hall. Cal was waiting for her when Nyla got to the grand entry doors. “Let's see what the new neighbors think shall we?”
Cal threw the doors open just as Pinetil walked up behind them. What awaited them was a group of roughly 60 Narvish men and women. Many of the women bore the marks of holy women. When Cal stepped outside lights hidden throughout the exterior of the structure burst into life, bathing the area in a calming light.
“Greetings,” Cal said switching from his normal common to the local language, “what can I help you with so late in the day?”
A male stepped forward drawing himself up to his full height. Nyla thought he was huge, but even so, he was smaller than Jurrog, and certainly smaller than Cal. The male looked up at Cal with distaste in his eyes. “I am Kreshnal, leader and head of the second clan, and appointed speaker of this party.”
Nyla looked and saw the leaders of the third, fifth, sixth, and eighth clans in the group as well. She spoke in Common, with Artie's aid, quickly telling this to Cal. He nodded almost imperceptibly. “Very well, Kreshnal, welcome to the Clan Hall of the clan of the storm dragon. I would also welcome the other clan leaders in the group. Now once again, what can I help you with.”
Kreshnal, feeling as if he had lost the element of surprise when Cal acknowledged the other leaders, reassured himself and spoke again. “The cowards of the First Clan, who rule only through trickery, have warned you are not to be trifled with, but I am Kreshnal! I am a warrior without equal, my honor and the honor of my clan demands I take your women and claim your clan hall as my own. I am…”
The next sound anyone heard was a crunching sound as Cal’s fist impacted Kreshnal’s face. Kreshnal crumpled to the ground as if someone had just cut the strings holding him up. The rest of the group froze, waiting for the next move.
Cal took a deep breath. “I do not intend to bring death to you all, but I can if I have to. The first clan thought to do the same as you, but I can assure you none on this planet has a chance. So I will offer you friendship instead. The choice is yours, send a message with your decision tomorrow. For now, take this fool and leave my sight before I show you the meaning of the phrase ‘A Dragon’s Wrath.’”
The crowd scrambled to leave, two of the men scooped Kreshnal from the ground where he still napped, and trotted off into the dark.
“You are either brave or stupid, and it remains to be seen which one.” A female said, before heading in the same direction as the rest of the group. Cal simply smiled.
After they had all departed and Artie had verified they were gone, Nyla spoke. “Cal, they are not above sending an assassin in the night..”
Cal smiled, not the usual warm and cheerful smile, but something darker, colder, more calculating. “I am counting on it. Artie, you know what to do.”
“Understood Cal. Nyla, Pinetil, please retire to your rooms until morning, I will stand guard.” Artie said and Nyla nodded before heading off to sleep.
The next morning, Cal, Nyla, and Pinetil came out to find no less than twelve Narvish gagged and bound on the floor just inside the hall’s main door.
“Good morning, Cal, good morning Nyla. I hope you slept well.” Artie said from where he stood.
“Good morning Artie. I take it we had some visitors?” Cal asked gesturing to the hogtied people on the ground.
“Yes, three from the seventh clan, one each from the 8th, 9th, 6th, 5th, 4th, and 3rd, and three more from the second clan.” Artie said gesturing to the individuals from each clan as he named them.
“Hmm, the first clan is keeping its word, and anything below the ninth is waiting to see how things pan out I would guess.” Cal said deep in thought. “Nyla, how is this usually dealt with among your people?”
“I honestly don’t know,” Nyla said, “it is not something I have ever had to worry about.”
“Fair,” Cal said and then raised an eyebrow in Pinetil’s direction, “any thoughts ambassador?”
“Kill them and preserve their heads on spikes along the roof of the hall to dissuade this in the future.” Pinetil said without missing a beat.
“Don’t know what else I expected,” Cal said and then moved to one of the assassins, removing their gag. “Tell me, what should I do with you?”
Cal looked down at one of the three assassins from the seventh clan. The clan member smiled up at him. “You should hold still while I slip my blade in your eye.“
“Ah,” Cal said, “See you all seem to think I have no choice but to let you go, so why don’t I call all the clan chiefs here, and ask them to watch as I torture you to death, I mean at least one of you has to be the child of a chief tasked to bring back my head.”
Cal and Nyla watched the blood drain from over half of their faces. Cal nodded. “Very well let's do that. Artie, please go fetch the clan leaders of the clans these men and women belong to, and bring the first clan as well. I want to send a message.”
Artie nodded and Cal re-gagged the bound assassin. Cal smiled at Nyla. “Let's eat, it will be a couple of hours I am sure.”
Several hours later, Artie returned with the clan leaders in tow, several sporting some kind of injury, behind them came a cluster of bodyguards. Artie spoke. “As requested, the leaders of the clans.”
Cal smiled. “Good, go get our other guests Artie.”
Artie nodded and moved to go inside when one of the clan chiefs stepped forward and spoke. “Hold, I have a grievance with you, Artie, and with you, strange creature.”
Cal and Artie both turned and waited in silence. The chief who had sounded self-assured a second ago now looked uncomfortable. “Firstly I would demand to know by what right you summon us all here, and by extension, by what right you send your demon to threaten us into coming here.”
“Fair questions I guess,” Cal said and Artie turned to go and drag the three assassins from the seventh clan outside. “Before I answer these belong to you don’t they?”
Cal gestured at the three younger Narvish who Artie had piled like so much refuse. The indignant clan leader of the seventh clan looked at the three and shook his head. “No, I do not know these people.”
“No?” Cal said, his tone amused. “Last night they came here and attempted to attack me and mine. If they are not yours what about these?
Cal quickly helped Artie bring the rest out and lay them so the clan leaders could see the faces of their assassins. “No one wants to claim these as part of their clan?”
Silence reigned. Though Nyla swore she could feel the air growing colder by the second, as fear filled the area. Cal smiled again. “Very well, death it is.”
From just inside the door, he pulled the chainsaw he had used to fell the trees for the hall. And with the flip of a switch, the saw spun to life. Cal Casually walked to one of the leftover stumps of Venwood and cut a notch in the log.
The clan leaders were in shock at how casually Cal did this. Then Cal grabbed one of the assassins and placed them on their knees with their head resting in the notch and held the saw above the assassin’s neck and then made as if to swing it downwards.
“Wait!” A desperate voice cried out from the cluster of clan leaders. It was the leader of the 9th clan. “Please, he is my son, I would ask you to spare him.”
Cal locked eyes with the leader and nodded, pulling a knife out to free the assassin. He then looked at the rest of the assassins. “I know every clan here except for the first clan sent someone to try and kill me this last night. I am not generally a forgiving man, but I understand the choice you made. You wanted to test me, and maybe you could kill me and claim some of my wealth for your own. It is a choice I understand completely.”
Artie was quickly freeing the assassins he had captured and they were slinking back to their clan leaders. Cal continued speaking. “I will forgive this one time. But I demand an answer here and now, will you be my enemy or not? Each of you will answer here if you are my enemy and starting tomorrow if you declare yourself to be against me, we will be at war. Before you leave today, I will have your answer or I will assume we are at war. Until then, I ask you to dine in the hall of the Storm Dragon and partake of my clan’s wealth. Food will be served in a moment.”
Cal turned and headed inside followed by Artie, Nyla, and Pinetil. Cal spoke as a quiet wave of conversation washed over the crowd outside. “Artie put on a roaring fire in the hearth and set the tables for everyone including the bodyguards and then bring out a pig and spit it in the hall. In the meantime, I will be at the high table, and I will have some wine if you would.”
“Of course Cal,” Artie said and then turned to Nyla, “You want anything, Nyla?”
“I guess whatever Cal is having and maybe a snack if you are going to be cooking anyways. Thanks, Artie.” Nyla smiled at Artie.
Pinetil opened her mouth to speak and Artie promptly turned and left.
“Now what Cal?” Nyla asked, looking around as the clan leaders and their entourage began to filter in one or two at a time.
“Now, dear Nyla, now we see how the day goes and hope we are many friends wealthier by the end of the day.”
“And if it doesn’t work?” Pinetil asked a poisonous tone in her voice.
“Then on the marrow, I show the Clans what War really is.” Cal said taking a swig from a crystal gobblet Artie had placed next to him.
