Caligula and the Inner Circle's Shellfish Roaming In from the Boot of the Earth that must be Filled In
THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS!
Houseboats were to get further away from sharing too much space with the WOLVES that would get into our heads... had to prove the loyalty of every other tribe and shield or else there would be violence where it was supposed to have none FAR away from the rest of the world.. please stop thinking that people of the sky were rapists merely because you have been living among cats or something too much?
Pride is the worst sin!
Of course things might change the further you go to another direction as the devil was found where the goat hides were not enough and people would be more motivated to take seal skins or whatever from others among other things... because of the addition of cattle.. either way I was merely PRACITING and would not consider these to be "A-rated" film ideas quite yet.. if you have already read what I was writing please understand that I was not getting enough space to be able to have a cleaner head or habit.
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Few things to change.. if we came to assist with the timing (as if we didn't) the starving corpses would have been coming from the recent graves towards the tip of Scotland while Caligula already knew the plan because it was going to be extremely "funny" just following hide drawings women within were using so they would not lose any of their men along with the timing of the compass from the fallen star fragment? Knowing that failure would potentially mean too many people dead and lost all for what?
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The reason that the Italians would eat while on their bellies may have been for us to wake up the inner beauty of being a RAT or another rodent like my Dad's lover's bunny who art in heaven forever named "Flash" and then later on "Nicole"
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Someone cried silently as he reached the beach to where beautiful artwork lay before him on blessed hides crafted on altars from families all over along with very fragile gifts made from what he knew would be children that would one day be welcomed home with fires and this brought a smile to his face as the tears felt good to have and shivers were felt realizing how the magic of the fragment that had brought him here had worked just as they had instructed him while declaring him to be sick because of the ick and where it was leading him... the oldest woman used as a healer had showed him the magic of stroking it a way clearer in one direction with love above enough below to be able to drop it in the water so that it did not always point in the direction where he would find something within him finally turn him around from that which that was off but always finally found in a damp foul smelling pile of sticks to represent what lies in the mists. He was not really sure what the Crones had meant at the time but knew that it was likely due to a recent brawl that had taken place without a nine present to crawl between himself and a neighbor over how they were going to make another wager about another cycle without the sky crying too much upon them among other concerns sparked some feelings within he never before knew that he had that brought him the thoughts that led him to the direction beyond that which drove him mad. Just out of curiosity he had used the fragment one last time... and saw as it seemed to waiver in a way in the water with hidden grime as if stuck trying to send him home or at least it had seemed this way before he became a bone and it pointed out into the Ocean in a direction he had stared into for awhile at the same time that a whale had jumped out as if greeting him adding to the realness of the magic felt from avoiding yet another stinking pile from the experience of being healed by the Crone and the luck from the guardians of the massive mind and the inner power that is always sealed where every thought of every love stored in the banks of only the most real never ignored forever more.
Sometime in the afternoon the serpent head was spotted by this man without a bed with newfound courage on his way back in the distance by a coastal lookout and he told a local fishermen at work in the waters of the highest tip of the Crescent Moon of what should never be out there in any afternoon. A horn blared a warning to the trees that feared what held those boats in the breeze soon after to let those in the distance know that potential danger was on the way clearly shown but soon stopped at the confusion of the head at their mast being dismembered by the people on board as though there would never be any score like before as many ships on the horizon approached the very large forested island indicating that the dangers coming were likely not going to happen or send them running. None of the other ships were dragons so there should be much more to drag in so they were not sure what they were supposed to do in this situation of a sign that should be clear indication. Perhaps the head was removed to indicate that the horn should not be blown and if this was the case than it was important to remain silent so that their presence was never known on the island. Understanding the people from the Heavens Above took patience and sometimes work but the end results were always worth another shove as they brought health to where it was ick and the sick were given magnets which led to the health as our ancient ways and traditions had demanded for wealth.
The Head of the Serpent began appearing on ships that would come visit without a Tongue from the lips from a tradition long ago and it was an indication of what must always go and that goods carried with the hen or possibly some of the people among them were not from the Heavens and in fact from far away, perhaps the bottom of the Below or simply from something going too far into the day of change that takes too many ways, which made their interaction somewhat dangerous but brought exotic goods with much flavors to calm those angered due to the spread of illness or those who did not follow the best traditions from the chilled fist facing more cold while other foreign threats such as mysterious bugs or treats that might be considered forbidden or deadly for the most part tugs on the people of the Heavens but after the sickness of violence had appeared every seven in the world these heads began to represent to them that there could be sick men coming from far away to be warned of who among them were going the wrong way. By removing the head of the serpent right after the horn was blown may mean that the visitors were asking for silence as there was no threat of the serpent among them shown even though it almost always was at least by a little bit during those changing times as some men would appear marked with the cursed bracelet on the arm meaning that could have committed a crime as they were related to someone who had committed violence somewhere in their family line only to be removed later usually from earning it through series of tests ran in silence by people concerned about the bloodlines being tainted from the sickness should the person have any children that would go through the Ring and everyone knows of what that could bring.
Because the sky was out for much longer in the Heavens where the boats were coming from as a group of seven, the people considered that direction toward where the True Source pointed to be closer to the sky and above everything and everyone else in the other evocations below where closer to the Sun and on their way to fry. Being closer to the Heavens gave the needle the task of watching over the people of the Earth and the night sky for fallen stars or perhaps a nice ass that had gone wandering too far away from the others to be escorted back home in order to find brothers but just before dropping the key off of secrets for a beautiful woman parted off with a sweet kiss and any changes that should occur for all of the other cultures as the definition of harm not a blur the healers of the world knew that it was change that would come too fast to farm such as new people not ready to discover the magnet or something along those lines like a lost bet as that was something that was supposed to cure people ailments and crimes, not causing any more of them or using it to show our gem or bad times. The distances traveled on foot took a long time so it was hard for the ancestors to cook so they brought with them bone marrow and horns of a drink that made a person more mellow. Perhaps able to think but now that the creatures such as horses have appeared as the mounts with the drinkers of the world's brand new forces. The journeys were not as painful and gave healers more of an opportunity to get them off of the sweet nectar with the hint of poison that tempt them to get her with a winked and a drink in the horns of those praised for ending the violence such as the ox and think for so many people they raised without a box as they were filled with many excuses for giving more thrills and continue to drink it for the medical drills such as warm feeling while being far away from traveling in the snow as well as being able to sleep perhaps please ignore her and know less stress. They had also went as far as using the best excuse to use the drink that was for prayers to be passed as they knew that the poison all inevitably lead to their deaths of misty gasses past the brew at some point so in theory and their right to test every possibility in their own Ring for the classes helped them to see if its worth anyone else to follow or whether those who do should be marked for better habits for tomorrow. Ways of making the Oracles job so much easier came with having all of the knowledge of the world even if it came from a bog as all of the Crones delivered messages skyward for another to jog.
It took awhile longer than expected as if the boats carried a lot of weight and rows could be stronger but eventually they came into range and an arrow was fired onto the beach with a parchment attached for those watching for what comes from higher. All of the men in the vicinity gathered with weapons and prepared with a nearby city for the encounter while a scout was sent to the nearest red-flagged area more ready for a bout and immediately returned to the bay with dozens of men who would wait in the foliage for the worst-case scenario should it ever occur then. The ravens were seen circling the boats and the seagulls seemed to join them not exactly singing notes and they together scout the beaches and went over the trees that hid these. An eye of good came from the inner forest as some of the birds went to visit the person who stood and find out more about what wonders the world had to offer in what is under. The Crones usually like to talk to the birds and the people of the Heavens up to as many as thirds while glowing from sending their thoughts to those below who would fetch them so to check the shores or perhaps another reason like an ailment or a horse detected by the Oracle as some had suspected from certain patterns found among those who would be the most naked among them at turns or the bends all the way in. Some of them returned to the beach cawing calls of friendlies in the distance for once and for all.
No one seemed very alarmed or afraid as if conflict were armed and possible but more curious as to why the dragon head was tossed overboard. While someone went to read the passage a few others argued whether they should blow the horns a message or not and eventually decided against it when the parchment instructed silence a lot showing the face-print they trusted but also asked for discreet preparation and trusted they had those ready for battle with various symbols and artwork drawn with hides of the cattle. In the distance among the ships some whales could be seen with them and their tails took a cold breeze with them. It seemed that more animals than usual led the visitors to no cannibals that could be found on their island so something important must have been happening behind them. The friendly beasts of the sea would occasionally nudge one of the heavy ships with glee that was difficult to guide with all of the extra weight as dolphins came greeting them laughing as they seemed to know that they were great people with a good plan and that it would work with the man who wanted to turn in his heart against those who ran the place that was most feared below with the tan.
White flags were seen waving from the ships as they hit the waves and sounded to some like lips unlike past visits they did not slow down or send one to greet them first as tradition demanded along with a frown. Instead they all came in at the same time as one wore a grin and as much as they safely could while showing all of the opposite signs of aggression they kept rowing their boats forward to make a good impression. The white flag indicated peace at all costs and was as light as the snow where those would find the boss and the people of the island were more curious than lost and while they waited for their man adorned in blue trim and a clam painted on his shield while horned as he greet the first canoe-like boat to meet the safest area to come ashore while claps and cheers were not ignored. One of the ravens from the ships flew above the forested areas and cawed because they knew of the many curious and hiding men while calling them cowards for not trusting the birds or those with the powers as those with black feathers tended to have a bit more spice while okay with leather. Pretty soon a man wearing some orange color came running to join with the other by where a flaming arrow beacon was smothered.
Upon seeing the men heavily adorned and prepared for war the islander scout sent others to harbor wearing bright pieces of yellow worn and went back to the red-flagged area to warn and gather as many men as he could just as the parchment there had shown a request for many horses that stood with as many carts that they could spare with stacks of weapons or armor for others to wear. As the people aboard the ships were seen with their faces painted on their cheeks above lips for possible bloodshed the men on the beach became nervous and looked at one another in confusion questioning the purpose since their neighbors from the Heavens above were always at peace with them but these were different times as violence and war was known to exist in the world on top of the crimes, especially in the Below, or at times small disputes in the outer Yellow of any area may have a small scuffle but people all over were too scared to let those men ruling the Boot of the Earth know about how peaceful they were, wanting to hide every potential weakness that they might show in regards to being able to protect their women. They went pretty far in telling tall tales just like those from the Heavens would typically do even going as far as telling one of them a story about fighting an evil dragon where they come from and all about other wars that were actually making everyone laugh since all of the things spoken of during these tales would cleverly disguise everyone while the foe was basically the person hearing the tale as they have not been able to test the family line in their Ring for too long to be sure as children were not sent to the Heavens like they were in the older days of thicker warmer hairy skins and ski canoes with the option of simply walking across the Ocean as during the arranged marriages those kids were sent to occurring during the Ring would typically teach them how to take care of themselves in harsher climates while able to decorate their new spouse and start of a new family star with the skins thanked from the seals and other helpful creatures not found where their faces would find the wood, their return making the night with fires all over the coastal tips above the below for any new born Sons that may be on the way soon as without doing this the Sun may not rise another day if they failed to show their respects and appreciation for him being not as snug and trustworthy as the Moon but something better to cuddle with while cold and feeling safe under the eyes of protection always as every dot in the sky above marked yet another guardian who was there to thank the care of the Sun and make sure that the nature of their world would never end and that life would go on giving everything that ruled the universe something alive that cared for life to rule upon all of the land as the human hand was chosen for applying a sense of empathy and scent for understanding what things were without having to be there as people knew that their senses of using their mind to touch everything was extremely gifted to the guardians watching over them every day and every night sometimes going as far as winking while sending more magic to fall somewhere and provide more fragments to prove the love that they had which ruled the universe when things were cared for properly making them always point in the same direction no matter how they would be dropped in the water as their love was shown by the all-seeing-eye of dreams always felt pulling and showing them how they were rooted to love and be loved just as every plant was who depended on their care as equals just like the animals were otherwise the skies could bring too many tears than what could be handled.
The men from the first ship to hit the shore did not waste any time and acted as if they were in a big hurry, without any concern or signs of anxiety towards the islanders themselves, but appeared to be hustling as if it were a life or death situation. The Head who had imprinted the parchment with his trustworthy face still had the paint covering half of it and wore a necklace bearing his hive name, Wing. Every islander seemed to recognize the old foreigner as the raven from the sky came down to land next to him. With a few caws at the man, he seemed to understand the bird, and looked back at the islander in blue shaking his head as if he disapproved of something.
The orange islander to greet him had a jug of water, wore a garlic necklace, and started flicking water at him and then pointed to a garlic trail on the ground with a questioning look. This was the traditional way to greet them when they had come out of desperation for food. He shook his head and smiled as he hugged the islander but did not waste much time on greetings. After a few glances around the forest for someone who was present that spoke his language or anything like that, he sighed and then went to work on the sand knowing that it would be impossible to talk to them since they spoke a different language and came from land far away above them.
With a stick he drew a spiral that appeared to be a six from the perspective of those on the island watching him but was a nine from his perspective and every time these people left a beach there were 9s and 6s all over the place. The clockwise direction he drew indicated that a plan had to be worked out that was timed accordingly to avoid inevitable disaster should they fail to turn around a bunch of children about to stick up to their mean parents bringing something that may make the sky cry but would be worth it even if it drowned all of the vegetables of the world as it may cure the sickness of violence that had already spread way too far. Some people started to emerge from their hiding spots to approach the beach and join the markings, knowing the importance of seeing the sixes being much different from the usual trade spirals that looked more like circles and were drawn counter-clockwise.
He did not appear to have much time to explain, but drew a crude map of the Crescent Moon and marked the beaches on the other tip, all the way on the other side of the island below them, this land formed as the fire in the sky warmed everything for them and every eclipse marked more water to fall until the ice became the salt below from every time they would allow their water to leave the body and all that was left to walk on was what came from the ball of fire helping them welcome their young into the world whenever the Moon would cross the Sun or vice versa as the sky might cry should one of them leave for another star in the sky. As he kept going, someone from his boat joined in with many hides with intricately painted images for the discussion and behind that man several others were unloading what appeared to be more artwork than they had ever previously seen before so this occasion was very different. In the spiral he marked the times in which they had to meet the lower tip below them for what they had come to assist with. It seemed to be plenty of time for them so the islander was not sure what the rush was all about until his response which was a counter-clockwise spiral to start discussing the trades was smoothed over and then a circled was drawn. By the time he finished the other circle drawn within the first one, the islander knew what the visit was about. This had to do with those from the Inner Circle and could be the beginning of intense warfare that the islanders had never before witnessed as their Ring came with a different purpose since their heads would be covered from the love of the sky much of the time as they trained and were said to whisper in their ears delusions and voices that wanted to lead them all to a rotting pile of bodies for feed the blanket of their final bed and make them pay for not proving their love to those watching from Above or enclosing the animals in their Red in which they were supposed to care for. The circle drawn within the circle made men from all over who were silently praying with the horn of running peace start rushing the beach to assist in whatever was going on as the message of timing being crucial began to set in for many more of them as failure would mean joining this pile of sin those sick men were headed to and see how much better that they were within whether it were enough to escape rising sticks from all around, each one representing, every creature they had ever hurt casting judgement with an understanding and promise to show them what it is like to accept their gaze into the all-seeing-eye that pulled everything into the ground with them as their voices came from the dead and all those who died before them. The visitor was relieved at the realization that this was news to the islander so they had time to act before those from the Inner Circle came and this food for the blanket of worms would not be found by the men who know how to sort the thoughts out which were sent to them from their future death beds awaiting them in a way that would die at a much later day as it was all the same under the rain but when the mists came the stench of death was in the air and they must follow the orders of the Oracle or lose perhaps the future heir. Those fighting against the Boot of the Earth knew not to trust even their own thoughts as they seemed to always come from the future and there could be the evil eye among them searching for victims dumb enough to follow it and trust their own thoughts without the proper placement which came from love and the want for everything to be here and alive with them.
The Inner Circle was also known as the Boot of the Earth and was once part of their culture but long ago in more ancient times they ceased to call it this sometimes when they became more violent and cut off the ways of the True Source Above for the timing from the Heavens that would heal and reinvented their own ways in the Below as their lands burned from the heavy weight of the future weighing upon their heads and constant storms of lightning raining down upon sometimes with ash as a result from this new metal that would be forged and worn to cover their heads and perhaps blind their eyes from seeing anything clear in the skies and test the men that had to see the all-seeing-eye of what is below them bleed the fire that destroyed their homes to see if they would have faith and flee into the woods of love or hide their face with ash and wear the helmet of glee and look-at-me. The wars which raged around the Boot ended most of the songs of praise and worship to the animal sacrifices and the songs became more focused on the human sacrifices since that was more feared indicating yet again what led their hearts in the wrong direction and more commonly occurring from those who would die in battle or defending their homes that were colonized by what became the Inner Circle whenever the timing of the 9s and 6s had failed to turn the many sticks around in the above and below and all around.
The first painting on the hide held by the visitor adorned in furs with hints of orange decoration shown the amount of intruder ships and men from the Inner Circle probably coming to their island on the other side to take what they wanted and conquer it for their own and the second hide shown the suggestion of no horns blared, of being spied on, and keeping their plan and work as discreetly as possible but at the same time getting the attention of every single person who was available, including the women and children that would be useful in creating the illusion of having a larger army. Some islanders took off running back to their home right when they saw the painting of those from the Inner Circle outnumbering all of them in the crescent tip below but most were anxious to know what was painted on the remaining hides and the crowd gathered around the messenger almost came to the point of pushing and shoving as more and more people demanded to see what the fuss was about and spoke of what must be sometimes with a stick just in case the person was led in the direction that ended up pricked before seeing where the stick ended in a pile of them arranged in a way that represented the evil eye of the final day.
At this point, the islander Heads among them began shouting orders to the Foot for every beach to be watched and checked for intruders while others were sent to the Red to get the attention of all the rest, especially those from the Violet Clan of the Hawk to have their birds scout the beaches as much as possible for them although this was probably not necessary since they were expected to come on the other side of the island from the direction of the Boot in which they had lived. They were to meet again where the visitor drawing in the ground marked the first spot on the six. Every Clan was made up of a Head while the rest were either a Hand or a Foot while every Clan had a belt which made them part of a Tribe. Every individual wore a necklace that was also their name when they would attend any major feasts or trading circles for those encounters that were with others who did not speak the same language. Normally they would be wearing such necklaces to greet those from the Heavens Above but this visit was unexpected so no one was prepared for it and because of this they started to shout out for someone who spoke their language until they sent to get someone they knew who was related to those who had recently settled here in the violet-flagged area just a couple generations ago. The removed head of the dragon mast was given to one of the islander Heads as he gave it to his Foot to show as proof of the visitors should anyone doubt while several other Heads had their Foot sent to ride below as fast as possible to warn them and then return later report back in.
By this time the biggest and last boat was dragged ashore but not very far due to the excessive amount of weight carried. Islanders came to their senses as hosts and went to the assistance with this large vessel that they were having trouble with and as they approached it, the alarming stench of decay hit them. They covered their noses and only breathed out of their mouths as much as possible as they helped until several dozen of them were able to drag the boat far enough to the shore that it would stay and not be swept back into the tide.
They did not have to ask what stank as it was obviously the dead but once the visitors started to toss the human bodies overboard and onto the beach, the islanders did not know how to react since they were at most expecting animal carcasses. They looked at one another as if expecting someone to stop them but remained silent and saw that the corpses were of those who had obviously died of starvation. Some of them hurried back to the discussion for an explanation while shouting out to the other islanders who had not yet noticed but were hushed with an ominous circle drawn in the air by those tossing the dead onto the pile. A few islanders shrugged and then climbed aboard the ship and began to help them unload. The visitors seemed to be focused on hurrying with this more than anything else.
The next drawing on the hide shown many carts and horses with blankets while he placed the next mark in his six and knew the islanders would comply but also felt that they would need an explanation and was not sure how to explain, even with artwork, what they were going to do and what they had planned without wasting too much time so he gestured at another who was a female among his kind to go to for those who were demanding an explanation while the others were discussing among themselves if they were capable of what was being asked for and how soon. Some islanders right away ran off to get busy with the plan without any question or more hesitation but most felt the need to stay until they had learned more or were commanded to leave and get started by their Head. The woman helping them translate seemed to know a few words in the language of the islanders and she was dressed for the occasion of a wedding which seemed totally out of place, but not like any wedding any of them had ever witnessed, she still had all of her rings attached as if she was still a virgin and the dress was a bit more elaborate than usual. Her attire may have been the most expensive thing found on the beach yet she did not seem to care if it became dirty as it was as white as the clouds above which scattered the sky on this cool day. The rings were twigs that were glued around her right arm like bracelets, four of them. She wore the name Douse around her neck symbolized by water being poured onto a fire.
At first the visitors who came from the boats dressed in coats more suitable for the cold were trying to prevent the islanders from telling everyone about the bodies but it was too late to stop them and they did not know how to anyways. Pretty soon everyone was shocked and startled by the massive amount of skinny corpses piling up on the shoreline at alarming numbers, enough in the end to make a pile a bit taller than a person, some of the bodies coming from other boats as well since there was so many of them.
The beautiful woman interpreter using sign-language attempted to explain as they were shown the next hide painting by gesturing at the circle within the circle and then pointed at them and bit her own arm. She kept repeating this gesture as the confused people tried to figure out what she was conveying and they knew that they did not have much time to wonder. The next picture caused a lot of ruckus and turmoil among the crowd that kept growing as they understood the request to dig up recent burial sites and carry them with the carts and horses to the tip of the Crescent Island below them all the way on the other side which would take a lot of time, as long as a week or two for some, so it was no wonder why they were in such a hurry. They had to beat those from the Inner Circle in reaching the tip of the Crescent Moon below.
Frustrated, Douse tried many different gestures while remembering some words in the islander language until finally an islander seemed to catch onto what the woman was expressing and told the other islanders that she was saying that those from the Inner Circle thought that the islanders were cannibals and wild barbarians that needed to be civilized in their version of the ring which was said to be much different than the traditional one from the Heavens. This was when the look of understanding started to appear on the faces of some who would immediately take off running to come back as soon as they could with carts, cattle, and horses.
The next piece of artwork made the plan make a lot more sense now as it showed the deceased being decorated and an elaborate art-walk of sorts for the intruders and the woman in rings was to be offered as a human sacrifice gift for them along with a feast of shellfish as if there was nothing else to be found on the island to eat. The crowd of people started to catch on to the brilliance behind their plan enough that the Head visitor and his beautiful interpreter decided that they had conveyed as much as they needed to for now and that the sooner they would head out would be the better. They focused on the pile of bodies first.
The vessels were concealed a bit with branches while most were dragged into the trees to be hidden better and this took a lot of time, even with the help of the islanders. The islander Head from the Red Clan of the Beech stayed behind and made sure that every boat was concealed well just in case any spies were to circle their island and come this far to the tip above which was unlikely but every possibility had to be covered. More boats in the distance came into view as more visitors came to join the islanders for what would possibly become a very bloody battle, should this plan of theirs fail to turn the Inner Circle back to the Boot.
Once the last body was loaded onto yet another cart led by cattle, most of the immediate area had been surveyed by their birds, reporting everything to be clear, and the visitors of the first canoe-boats were all headed for the long journey to the tip of the Crescent Moon far below them, many of them riding on carts. They kept ominously quiet and rejected every offering of food that the islanders had for them. Fasting the day before any time of possible conflict was a common practice as sometimes fights would last very long but they had already ate one of the biggest feasts the day before although they did not have time to celebrate and definitely were not satisfied with the amount of time they had to say what could have been a final goodbye to their families. Once they would receive word from the Yellow below them, it would be safe to have a meal but until then they would feel the high from fasting.
From these later boats also came some old Crones with their wolves who were escorted as the most honored guests to the Green and nearest Crone from the island, many meeting them for the first time. These women, like all Crones, were extremely old and gray-haired and knew much from many foreign languages to aid them in sharing the knowledge of everything with the Oracle, the oldest woman of the Heavens, for the purpose of medicine, discovering the unknown, and increasing the lifespan of everyone. Most Crones never met the Oracle like they used to in the older days and instead would document everything to be delivered to her through traders or others who would be visiting the Heavens.
As the other huge canoes hit the shore, they were greeted much more quickly than the first batch, and everything from their boats were unloaded to join the train of goods headed to create the wall of art to face those from the Inner Circle as fast as possible. Countless spears, shields, helmets, and various shiny metal trinkets came from these vessels, far more than what would be used should a fight actually come up and enough to ensure several decoys or give something to what would normally be unarmed women and children who would be most distant, only for show.
Many islander Heads joined near the front of the cart train where Wing traveled with many Heads who had donated corpses and weapons to aid their cause from lands further away than the Heavens toward where the Sun rose. Thanks to Douse in the rings at their side and a couple other interpreters from the island who had come to join them, they were able to communicate much better and exchanged various ideas and possibilities but their communication was very limited. Although with the addition of just a dozen familiar words it made all the difference.
The Boot was feared everywhere and most all of those above them would band together to ward off the invaders when that would occur but what most every person really wanted was the violence to be prevented through political and trade influence from within the Inner Circle. What many people feared was the possibility of a certain house coming to utmost power in the Inner Circle’s political infrastructure that would be most capable of hurting surrounding cultures that they considered less civilized or have the best tactics to use against those that they had fought and were allied with those from Above. Many believed that all it really took was the right family on top of the Inner Circle for several years of peace and good trade with other cultures but within their democracy was a lot of corruption and scandals going on behind the scenes so that was not an easy task. Although it was almost impossible to catch some of the spies it was said that if one was caught it may be better for the spy to commit suicide before the possibility of an interrogation where the entire network could potentially be discovered but of course much of what was said was exaggerated. Because it was so difficult to land a spy in such a powerful place in the Inner Circle, once one was in there, it was much easier to allow more in and to make sure that no one would be caught and this took several generations. One of the main flaws of the more recent culture of the Boot was that they kept conquering other cultures and the merging of slaves into their society created corruption and paranoia where it would otherwise not exist but this also made them richer than most other cultures so they had a tendency to make up excuses for further expansion whatever they may be but still had the need to feel that they were a righteous cause. No Inner Circle house was pure enough to be invulnerable to the dagger in the back and in reality may have been more at risk for it during these violent times.
Almost every man from every red-flagged area had joined the line of those headed to the Crescent Moon tip below them. They were not armored as the Inner Circle soldiers would be and were considered poor and dirty in comparison to the Boot. Training for the possibility of combat was part of daily life for many citizens of the island as they held annual competitions and great feasts for those who performed these exercises the best. If it came down to it, unlike those from the Inner Circle, they would be fighting to ensure that their families remained safe and free from the rings of Below which were said to be made of something much more than simple twigs glued together to make the rings used in the Above. The rings may have been considered slavery everywhere since everyone would rather be festive all day every day but unlike the Boot, those in the above wore them due to the pressure of tradition and having to survive more than being threatened and forced into them. Wearing the rings was part of schooling that most every child would partake in at some point in their life and many families would have their children find a mate through the ring while they would have arranged marriages in place of a prom.
Those of the front leading the train were joined by someone from the Green Clan of the Walnut, her shield decorated with an intricate painting of the nut with beautiful green spiral designs, and unlike other islanders, she wore her name around her neck which basically meant Nutcracker. Her strawberry blonde hair made her appear more like the visitors than the islanders and she was fluent in both the languages. She was able to translate for the islander Heads what their human sacrifice adorned in rings had to say about the Inner Circle culture since she had living among them before and was the one who knew for certain that they would be coming to conquer their island soon. She had explained that many of the bodies donated for their plan had come from as far as the tribes midland closer to where the Sun rises in the Above as she thanked those who had come to her aid in her plan thus far. The biggest man among them who appeared to be the most distant helper wore the name Trunk around his neck and he made a gesture for her to silence with a smile. She had not slept much lately under the pressure to make sure that they were as prepared as possible for the Inner Circle armies when they would come.
Eventually they insisted that she go to sleep in a cart riding along side of them when they had noticed her inability to speak due to exhaustion as she had come all the way from the Boot as fast as humanly possible starting at the Den of the Wolves where the sixes and nines first began and quickly spread everywhere above the Boot. Word spread and with it came the aid of gathering all of the starved corpses very far into the lands closer to the Sun above the Den. She was the mind and genius behind the plan as she worked with others to make several painted hides while traveling and after every brief period of rest she would awaken feeling like she had the plan to definitely turn the Inner Circle around back to the Boot and avoid conflict, saving countless lives. Because of her knowledge of the languages from the Boot, she was the most important person among them. It was difficult to fall asleep at first as she has been led with the aid of the birds during the whole journey who have a tendency to speed up a person’s mind. As usual, she felt all of the answers come in her sleep and awoke with many more possibilities resolved in her mind.
Douse, although a bit tanner than her kin, originally came from the Crescent Moon tip in the Above and her family sent her through the Ring in the Heavens at a very young age where she had an arranged marriage but was banished to the Den from the inability to have children. She then decided to take up life in the Orange Line for the Den to keep travelers warm and eventually was trained by Germanic tribes to infiltrate the Inner Circe. At this point she was an expert at acting, lying, and communicating with codes without the use of language and with the skills taught during the Ring, she was one of the most proficient spies to be found. Originally from the Tribe of the Bull, she tended to have larger breasts than most women and did push-ups to keep them as firm as a young-adult. With these she used them to get closer into one of the Inner Circle houses and fell in love with one of the commanders who would eventually tell her about the conquest for the Crescent Moon. She left her love with a final message that she had to leave to save his life and from an area above the Boot, she went to the Den and set forth the genius plan that came from a vivid dream. Because she had been one of the few people in the world to meet the Oracle, she knew through her teachings that every person she met in the dream world was a person who existed in the real world but many people already knew this. Because she had appeared to her husband as an old woman in the dream world, she was sent on more dangerous tasks since they believed that no matter how great a risk she would take, she was guaranteed to live as old as the woman in the dream.
As morning came the many spears brought from the boats had been distributed among the Hands while their Heads were told by their translator enough of their plan for him to give the orders of what to do with them when they would arrive. Almost every person on the trail at this point had three to four spears and carried at least one shiny trinket of something metallic while there still was more to hand out for those who would later join them. Several more horses and carts were donated for the cause and the first visitors to arrive who were the most important Heads made sure that their Foot who were most skilled at everything creative would be the first to arrive on the other side of the crescent island so they would trade shifts and sleep on the carts with the corpses, wrapping a blanket around their eyes and nose so not to breath in the stench while traveling nonstop, so that they would arrive at their destination within a few days rather then the week or more it would probably take the rest of the line.
The Head from the Yellow Clan of the Raven who had come from the Heavens lost sight of his ravens and had to back track some to make sure that they knew where to go but like usual, the ravens would not be lost and he would feel stupid for doubting or having concerns as they seemed to plan ahead better than mankind sometimes in an impossible way. As a collective, the ravens were known to have more intelligence than an individual person and they were much of the reason that peace was always found in the Heavens Above along with the wolves and because of how impossible it was for any foreigner to enter their lands without leaving a trail of footsteps left in the snow or fires that gave away their location with smoke. The only time that those living in the Heavens Above or their neighbors who were almost always peaceful with them were concerned was when the mists would come and make things harder for the wolves and ravens to detect intruders. This man was known for being a direct descendant of an important God and had already summoned lightning several times during ceremonial communion. He was also one of the only people who frequently visited the Oracle and some of the birds with him today were hers. He wore the name Talon around his neck and was almost as large as Trunk.
Some Heads of the islanders kept to their side for informing all of the new-comers who would join their line, their faces imprinted on the thighs of their horses, leaving them half-painted for war. The few Hands among them with horses had a hand-print on the horses thigh, always using the color of their clan that they represented. Very few horses were to be seen as they were the most expensive asset possibly found on the entire island, usually purchased when those from the heavens came for trade annually, or bred as much as possible within their own tribes. The visitors from the heavens were known for paying a handsome price for lighter-colored horses and animals of all sorts since they would blend into their snowy environment easier. Typically, the islanders were not as rich as those from the Heavens since they had more access to furs and other animals that were not found on the island as well as more trade options and traditionally held more responsibility for spreading knowledge from the Oracle and held secret meetings for plans to avoid conflict, feed everyone, and survive as long as possible. It was believed that the Heavens were once connected to the Crescent Moon and the Eye and the land directly below them but after so much time, the snow had melted, and the sea appeared for protecting the islanders from those with the Tickle below them.
Because the sky was out for much longer in the Heavens where the boats were coming from as a group of seven, the people considered that direction toward where the True Source pointed to be closer to the sky and above everything and everyone else in the other evocations below where closer to the Sun and on their way to fry. Being closer to the Heavens gave the needle the task of watching over the people of the Earth and the night sky for fallen stars or perhaps a nice ass that had gone wandering too far away from the others to be escorted back home in order to find brothers but just before dropping the key off of secrets for a beautiful woman parted off with a sweet kiss and any changes that should occur for all of the other cultures as the definition of harm not a blur the healers of the world knew that it was change that would come too fast to farm such as new people not ready to discover the magnet or something along those lines like a lost bet as that was something that was supposed to cure people ailments and crimes, not causing any more of them or using it to show our gem or bad times. The distances traveled on foot took a long time so it was hard for the ancestors to cook so they brought with them bone marrow and horns of a drink that made a person more mellow. Perhaps able to think but now that the creatures such as horses have appeared as the mounts with the drinkers of the world's brand new forces. The journeys were not as painful and gave healers more of an opportunity to get them off of the sweet nectar with the hint of poison that tempt them to get her with a winked and a drink in the horns of those praised for ending the violence such as the ox and think for so many people they raised without a box as they were filled with many excuses for giving more thrills and continue to drink it for the medical drills such as warm feeling while being far away from traveling in the snow as well as being able to sleep perhaps please ignore her and know less stress. They had also went as far as using the best excuse to use the drink that was for prayers to be passed as they knew that the poison all inevitably lead to their deaths of misty gasses past the brew at some point so in theory and their right to test every possibility in their own Ring for the classes helped them to see if its worth anyone else to follow or whether those who do should be marked for better habits for tomorrow. Ways of making the Oracles job so much easier came with having all of the knowledge of the world even if it came from a bog as all of the Crones delivered messages skyward for another to jog.
It took awhile longer than expected as if the boats carried a lot of weight and rows could be stronger but eventually they came into range and an arrow was fired onto the beach with a parchment attached for those watching for what comes from higher. All of the men in the vicinity gathered with weapons and prepared with a nearby city for the encounter while a scout was sent to the nearest red-flagged area more ready for a bout and immediately returned to the bay with dozens of men who would wait in the foliage for the worst-case scenario should it ever occur then. The ravens were seen circling the boats and the seagulls seemed to join them not exactly singing notes and they together scout the beaches and went over the trees that hid these. An eye of good came from the inner forest as some of the birds went to visit the person who stood and find out more about what wonders the world had to offer in what is under. The Crones usually like to talk to the birds and the people of the Heavens up to as many as thirds while glowing from sending their thoughts to those below who would fetch them so to check the shores or perhaps another reason like an ailment or a horse detected by the Oracle as some had suspected from certain patterns found among those who would be the most naked among them at turns or the bends all the way in. Some of them returned to the beach cawing calls of friendlies in the distance for once and for all.
No one seemed very alarmed or afraid as if conflict were armed and possible but more curious as to why the dragon head was tossed overboard. While someone went to read the passage a few others argued whether they should blow the horns a message or not and eventually decided against it when the parchment instructed silence a lot showing the face-print they trusted but also asked for discreet preparation and trusted they had those ready for battle with various symbols and artwork drawn with hides of the cattle. In the distance among the ships some whales could be seen with them and their tails took a cold breeze with them. It seemed that more animals than usual led the visitors to no cannibals that could be found on their island so something important must have been happening behind them. The friendly beasts of the sea would occasionally nudge one of the heavy ships with glee that was difficult to guide with all of the extra weight as dolphins came greeting them laughing as they seemed to know that they were great people with a good plan and that it would work with the man who wanted to turn in his heart against those who ran the place that was most feared below with the tan.
White flags were seen waving from the ships as they hit the waves and sounded to some like lips unlike past visits they did not slow down or send one to greet them first as tradition demanded along with a frown. Instead they all came in at the same time as one wore a grin and as much as they safely could while showing all of the opposite signs of aggression they kept rowing their boats forward to make a good impression. The white flag indicated peace at all costs and was as light as the snow where those would find the boss and the people of the island were more curious than lost and while they waited for their man adorned in blue trim and a clam painted on his shield while horned as he greet the first canoe-like boat to meet the safest area to come ashore while claps and cheers were not ignored. One of the ravens from the ships flew above the forested areas and cawed because they knew of the many curious and hiding men while calling them cowards for not trusting the birds or those with the powers as those with black feathers tended to have a bit more spice while okay with leather. Pretty soon a man wearing some orange color came running to join with the other by where a flaming arrow beacon was smothered.
Upon seeing the men heavily adorned and prepared for war the islander scout sent others to harbor wearing bright pieces of yellow worn and went back to the red-flagged area to warn and gather as many men as he could just as the parchment there had shown a request for many horses that stood with as many carts that they could spare with stacks of weapons or armor for others to wear. As the people aboard the ships were seen with their faces painted on their cheeks above lips for possible bloodshed the men on the beach became nervous and looked at one another in confusion questioning the purpose since their neighbors from the Heavens above were always at peace with them but these were different times as violence and war was known to exist in the world on top of the crimes, especially in the Below, or at times small disputes in the outer Yellow of any area may have a small scuffle but people all over were too scared to let those men ruling the Boot of the Earth know about how peaceful they were, wanting to hide every potential weakness that they might show in regards to being able to protect their women. They went pretty far in telling tall tales just like those from the Heavens would typically do even going as far as telling one of them a story about fighting an evil dragon where they come from and all about other wars that were actually making everyone laugh since all of the things spoken of during these tales would cleverly disguise everyone while the foe was basically the person hearing the tale as they have not been able to test the family line in their Ring for too long to be sure as children were not sent to the Heavens like they were in the older days of thicker warmer hairy skins and ski canoes with the option of simply walking across the Ocean as during the arranged marriages those kids were sent to occurring during the Ring would typically teach them how to take care of themselves in harsher climates while able to decorate their new spouse and start of a new family star with the skins thanked from the seals and other helpful creatures not found where their faces would find the wood, their return making the night with fires all over the coastal tips above the below for any new born Sons that may be on the way soon as without doing this the Sun may not rise another day if they failed to show their respects and appreciation for him being not as snug and trustworthy as the Moon but something better to cuddle with while cold and feeling safe under the eyes of protection always as every dot in the sky above marked yet another guardian who was there to thank the care of the Sun and make sure that the nature of their world would never end and that life would go on giving everything that ruled the universe something alive that cared for life to rule upon all of the land as the human hand was chosen for applying a sense of empathy and scent for understanding what things were without having to be there as people knew that their senses of using their mind to touch everything was extremely gifted to the guardians watching over them every day and every night sometimes going as far as winking while sending more magic to fall somewhere and provide more fragments to prove the love that they had which ruled the universe when things were cared for properly making them always point in the same direction no matter how they would be dropped in the water as their love was shown by the all-seeing-eye of dreams always felt pulling and showing them how they were rooted to love and be loved just as every plant was who depended on their care as equals just like the animals were otherwise the skies could bring too many tears than what could be handled.
The men from the first ship to hit the shore did not waste any time and acted as if they were in a big hurry, without any concern or signs of anxiety towards the islanders themselves, but appeared to be hustling as if it were a life or death situation. The Head who had imprinted the parchment with his trustworthy face still had the paint covering half of it and wore a necklace bearing his hive name, Wing. Every islander seemed to recognize the old foreigner as the raven from the sky came down to land next to him. With a few caws at the man, he seemed to understand the bird, and looked back at the islander in blue shaking his head as if he disapproved of something.
The orange islander to greet him had a jug of water, wore a garlic necklace, and started flicking water at him and then pointed to a garlic trail on the ground with a questioning look. This was the traditional way to greet them when they had come out of desperation for food. He shook his head and smiled as he hugged the islander but did not waste much time on greetings. After a few glances around the forest for someone who was present that spoke his language or anything like that, he sighed and then went to work on the sand knowing that it would be impossible to talk to them since they spoke a different language and came from land far away above them.
With a stick he drew a spiral that appeared to be a six from the perspective of those on the island watching him but was a nine from his perspective and every time these people left a beach there were 9s and 6s all over the place. The clockwise direction he drew indicated that a plan had to be worked out that was timed accordingly to avoid inevitable disaster should they fail to turn around a bunch of children about to stick up to their mean parents bringing something that may make the sky cry but would be worth it even if it drowned all of the vegetables of the world as it may cure the sickness of violence that had already spread way too far. Some people started to emerge from their hiding spots to approach the beach and join the markings, knowing the importance of seeing the sixes being much different from the usual trade spirals that looked more like circles and were drawn counter-clockwise.
He did not appear to have much time to explain, but drew a crude map of the Crescent Moon and marked the beaches on the other tip, all the way on the other side of the island below them, this land formed as the fire in the sky warmed everything for them and every eclipse marked more water to fall until the ice became the salt below from every time they would allow their water to leave the body and all that was left to walk on was what came from the ball of fire helping them welcome their young into the world whenever the Moon would cross the Sun or vice versa as the sky might cry should one of them leave for another star in the sky. As he kept going, someone from his boat joined in with many hides with intricately painted images for the discussion and behind that man several others were unloading what appeared to be more artwork than they had ever previously seen before so this occasion was very different. In the spiral he marked the times in which they had to meet the lower tip below them for what they had come to assist with. It seemed to be plenty of time for them so the islander was not sure what the rush was all about until his response which was a counter-clockwise spiral to start discussing the trades was smoothed over and then a circled was drawn. By the time he finished the other circle drawn within the first one, the islander knew what the visit was about. This had to do with those from the Inner Circle and could be the beginning of intense warfare that the islanders had never before witnessed as their Ring came with a different purpose since their heads would be covered from the love of the sky much of the time as they trained and were said to whisper in their ears delusions and voices that wanted to lead them all to a rotting pile of bodies for feed the blanket of their final bed and make them pay for not proving their love to those watching from Above or enclosing the animals in their Red in which they were supposed to care for. The circle drawn within the circle made men from all over who were silently praying with the horn of running peace start rushing the beach to assist in whatever was going on as the message of timing being crucial began to set in for many more of them as failure would mean joining this pile of sin those sick men were headed to and see how much better that they were within whether it were enough to escape rising sticks from all around, each one representing, every creature they had ever hurt casting judgement with an understanding and promise to show them what it is like to accept their gaze into the all-seeing-eye that pulled everything into the ground with them as their voices came from the dead and all those who died before them. The visitor was relieved at the realization that this was news to the islander so they had time to act before those from the Inner Circle came and this food for the blanket of worms would not be found by the men who know how to sort the thoughts out which were sent to them from their future death beds awaiting them in a way that would die at a much later day as it was all the same under the rain but when the mists came the stench of death was in the air and they must follow the orders of the Oracle or lose perhaps the future heir. Those fighting against the Boot of the Earth knew not to trust even their own thoughts as they seemed to always come from the future and there could be the evil eye among them searching for victims dumb enough to follow it and trust their own thoughts without the proper placement which came from love and the want for everything to be here and alive with them.
The Inner Circle was also known as the Boot of the Earth and was once part of their culture but long ago in more ancient times they ceased to call it this sometimes when they became more violent and cut off the ways of the True Source Above for the timing from the Heavens that would heal and reinvented their own ways in the Below as their lands burned from the heavy weight of the future weighing upon their heads and constant storms of lightning raining down upon sometimes with ash as a result from this new metal that would be forged and worn to cover their heads and perhaps blind their eyes from seeing anything clear in the skies and test the men that had to see the all-seeing-eye of what is below them bleed the fire that destroyed their homes to see if they would have faith and flee into the woods of love or hide their face with ash and wear the helmet of glee and look-at-me. The wars which raged around the Boot ended most of the songs of praise and worship to the animal sacrifices and the songs became more focused on the human sacrifices since that was more feared indicating yet again what led their hearts in the wrong direction and more commonly occurring from those who would die in battle or defending their homes that were colonized by what became the Inner Circle whenever the timing of the 9s and 6s had failed to turn the many sticks around in the above and below and all around.
The first painting on the hide held by the visitor adorned in furs with hints of orange decoration shown the amount of intruder ships and men from the Inner Circle probably coming to their island on the other side to take what they wanted and conquer it for their own and the second hide shown the suggestion of no horns blared, of being spied on, and keeping their plan and work as discreetly as possible but at the same time getting the attention of every single person who was available, including the women and children that would be useful in creating the illusion of having a larger army. Some islanders took off running back to their home right when they saw the painting of those from the Inner Circle outnumbering all of them in the crescent tip below but most were anxious to know what was painted on the remaining hides and the crowd gathered around the messenger almost came to the point of pushing and shoving as more and more people demanded to see what the fuss was about and spoke of what must be sometimes with a stick just in case the person was led in the direction that ended up pricked before seeing where the stick ended in a pile of them arranged in a way that represented the evil eye of the final day.
At this point, the islander Heads among them began shouting orders to the Foot for every beach to be watched and checked for intruders while others were sent to the Red to get the attention of all the rest, especially those from the Violet Clan of the Hawk to have their birds scout the beaches as much as possible for them although this was probably not necessary since they were expected to come on the other side of the island from the direction of the Boot in which they had lived. They were to meet again where the visitor drawing in the ground marked the first spot on the six. Every Clan was made up of a Head while the rest were either a Hand or a Foot while every Clan had a belt which made them part of a Tribe. Every individual wore a necklace that was also their name when they would attend any major feasts or trading circles for those encounters that were with others who did not speak the same language. Normally they would be wearing such necklaces to greet those from the Heavens Above but this visit was unexpected so no one was prepared for it and because of this they started to shout out for someone who spoke their language until they sent to get someone they knew who was related to those who had recently settled here in the violet-flagged area just a couple generations ago. The removed head of the dragon mast was given to one of the islander Heads as he gave it to his Foot to show as proof of the visitors should anyone doubt while several other Heads had their Foot sent to ride below as fast as possible to warn them and then return later report back in.
By this time the biggest and last boat was dragged ashore but not very far due to the excessive amount of weight carried. Islanders came to their senses as hosts and went to the assistance with this large vessel that they were having trouble with and as they approached it, the alarming stench of decay hit them. They covered their noses and only breathed out of their mouths as much as possible as they helped until several dozen of them were able to drag the boat far enough to the shore that it would stay and not be swept back into the tide.
They did not have to ask what stank as it was obviously the dead but once the visitors started to toss the human bodies overboard and onto the beach, the islanders did not know how to react since they were at most expecting animal carcasses. They looked at one another as if expecting someone to stop them but remained silent and saw that the corpses were of those who had obviously died of starvation. Some of them hurried back to the discussion for an explanation while shouting out to the other islanders who had not yet noticed but were hushed with an ominous circle drawn in the air by those tossing the dead onto the pile. A few islanders shrugged and then climbed aboard the ship and began to help them unload. The visitors seemed to be focused on hurrying with this more than anything else.
The next drawing on the hide shown many carts and horses with blankets while he placed the next mark in his six and knew the islanders would comply but also felt that they would need an explanation and was not sure how to explain, even with artwork, what they were going to do and what they had planned without wasting too much time so he gestured at another who was a female among his kind to go to for those who were demanding an explanation while the others were discussing among themselves if they were capable of what was being asked for and how soon. Some islanders right away ran off to get busy with the plan without any question or more hesitation but most felt the need to stay until they had learned more or were commanded to leave and get started by their Head. The woman helping them translate seemed to know a few words in the language of the islanders and she was dressed for the occasion of a wedding which seemed totally out of place, but not like any wedding any of them had ever witnessed, she still had all of her rings attached as if she was still a virgin and the dress was a bit more elaborate than usual. Her attire may have been the most expensive thing found on the beach yet she did not seem to care if it became dirty as it was as white as the clouds above which scattered the sky on this cool day. The rings were twigs that were glued around her right arm like bracelets, four of them. She wore the name Douse around her neck symbolized by water being poured onto a fire.
At first the visitors who came from the boats dressed in coats more suitable for the cold were trying to prevent the islanders from telling everyone about the bodies but it was too late to stop them and they did not know how to anyways. Pretty soon everyone was shocked and startled by the massive amount of skinny corpses piling up on the shoreline at alarming numbers, enough in the end to make a pile a bit taller than a person, some of the bodies coming from other boats as well since there was so many of them.
The beautiful woman interpreter using sign-language attempted to explain as they were shown the next hide painting by gesturing at the circle within the circle and then pointed at them and bit her own arm. She kept repeating this gesture as the confused people tried to figure out what she was conveying and they knew that they did not have much time to wonder. The next picture caused a lot of ruckus and turmoil among the crowd that kept growing as they understood the request to dig up recent burial sites and carry them with the carts and horses to the tip of the Crescent Island below them all the way on the other side which would take a lot of time, as long as a week or two for some, so it was no wonder why they were in such a hurry. They had to beat those from the Inner Circle in reaching the tip of the Crescent Moon below.
Frustrated, Douse tried many different gestures while remembering some words in the islander language until finally an islander seemed to catch onto what the woman was expressing and told the other islanders that she was saying that those from the Inner Circle thought that the islanders were cannibals and wild barbarians that needed to be civilized in their version of the ring which was said to be much different than the traditional one from the Heavens. This was when the look of understanding started to appear on the faces of some who would immediately take off running to come back as soon as they could with carts, cattle, and horses.
The next piece of artwork made the plan make a lot more sense now as it showed the deceased being decorated and an elaborate art-walk of sorts for the intruders and the woman in rings was to be offered as a human sacrifice gift for them along with a feast of shellfish as if there was nothing else to be found on the island to eat. The crowd of people started to catch on to the brilliance behind their plan enough that the Head visitor and his beautiful interpreter decided that they had conveyed as much as they needed to for now and that the sooner they would head out would be the better. They focused on the pile of bodies first.
The vessels were concealed a bit with branches while most were dragged into the trees to be hidden better and this took a lot of time, even with the help of the islanders. The islander Head from the Red Clan of the Beech stayed behind and made sure that every boat was concealed well just in case any spies were to circle their island and come this far to the tip above which was unlikely but every possibility had to be covered. More boats in the distance came into view as more visitors came to join the islanders for what would possibly become a very bloody battle, should this plan of theirs fail to turn the Inner Circle back to the Boot.
Once the last body was loaded onto yet another cart led by cattle, most of the immediate area had been surveyed by their birds, reporting everything to be clear, and the visitors of the first canoe-boats were all headed for the long journey to the tip of the Crescent Moon far below them, many of them riding on carts. They kept ominously quiet and rejected every offering of food that the islanders had for them. Fasting the day before any time of possible conflict was a common practice as sometimes fights would last very long but they had already ate one of the biggest feasts the day before although they did not have time to celebrate and definitely were not satisfied with the amount of time they had to say what could have been a final goodbye to their families. Once they would receive word from the Yellow below them, it would be safe to have a meal but until then they would feel the high from fasting.
From these later boats also came some old Crones with their wolves who were escorted as the most honored guests to the Green and nearest Crone from the island, many meeting them for the first time. These women, like all Crones, were extremely old and gray-haired and knew much from many foreign languages to aid them in sharing the knowledge of everything with the Oracle, the oldest woman of the Heavens, for the purpose of medicine, discovering the unknown, and increasing the lifespan of everyone. Most Crones never met the Oracle like they used to in the older days and instead would document everything to be delivered to her through traders or others who would be visiting the Heavens.
As the other huge canoes hit the shore, they were greeted much more quickly than the first batch, and everything from their boats were unloaded to join the train of goods headed to create the wall of art to face those from the Inner Circle as fast as possible. Countless spears, shields, helmets, and various shiny metal trinkets came from these vessels, far more than what would be used should a fight actually come up and enough to ensure several decoys or give something to what would normally be unarmed women and children who would be most distant, only for show.
Many islander Heads joined near the front of the cart train where Wing traveled with many Heads who had donated corpses and weapons to aid their cause from lands further away than the Heavens toward where the Sun rose. Thanks to Douse in the rings at their side and a couple other interpreters from the island who had come to join them, they were able to communicate much better and exchanged various ideas and possibilities but their communication was very limited. Although with the addition of just a dozen familiar words it made all the difference.
The Boot was feared everywhere and most all of those above them would band together to ward off the invaders when that would occur but what most every person really wanted was the violence to be prevented through political and trade influence from within the Inner Circle. What many people feared was the possibility of a certain house coming to utmost power in the Inner Circle’s political infrastructure that would be most capable of hurting surrounding cultures that they considered less civilized or have the best tactics to use against those that they had fought and were allied with those from Above. Many believed that all it really took was the right family on top of the Inner Circle for several years of peace and good trade with other cultures but within their democracy was a lot of corruption and scandals going on behind the scenes so that was not an easy task. Although it was almost impossible to catch some of the spies it was said that if one was caught it may be better for the spy to commit suicide before the possibility of an interrogation where the entire network could potentially be discovered but of course much of what was said was exaggerated. Because it was so difficult to land a spy in such a powerful place in the Inner Circle, once one was in there, it was much easier to allow more in and to make sure that no one would be caught and this took several generations. One of the main flaws of the more recent culture of the Boot was that they kept conquering other cultures and the merging of slaves into their society created corruption and paranoia where it would otherwise not exist but this also made them richer than most other cultures so they had a tendency to make up excuses for further expansion whatever they may be but still had the need to feel that they were a righteous cause. No Inner Circle house was pure enough to be invulnerable to the dagger in the back and in reality may have been more at risk for it during these violent times.
Almost every man from every red-flagged area had joined the line of those headed to the Crescent Moon tip below them. They were not armored as the Inner Circle soldiers would be and were considered poor and dirty in comparison to the Boot. Training for the possibility of combat was part of daily life for many citizens of the island as they held annual competitions and great feasts for those who performed these exercises the best. If it came down to it, unlike those from the Inner Circle, they would be fighting to ensure that their families remained safe and free from the rings of Below which were said to be made of something much more than simple twigs glued together to make the rings used in the Above. The rings may have been considered slavery everywhere since everyone would rather be festive all day every day but unlike the Boot, those in the above wore them due to the pressure of tradition and having to survive more than being threatened and forced into them. Wearing the rings was part of schooling that most every child would partake in at some point in their life and many families would have their children find a mate through the ring while they would have arranged marriages in place of a prom.
Those of the front leading the train were joined by someone from the Green Clan of the Walnut, her shield decorated with an intricate painting of the nut with beautiful green spiral designs, and unlike other islanders, she wore her name around her neck which basically meant Nutcracker. Her strawberry blonde hair made her appear more like the visitors than the islanders and she was fluent in both the languages. She was able to translate for the islander Heads what their human sacrifice adorned in rings had to say about the Inner Circle culture since she had living among them before and was the one who knew for certain that they would be coming to conquer their island soon. She had explained that many of the bodies donated for their plan had come from as far as the tribes midland closer to where the Sun rises in the Above as she thanked those who had come to her aid in her plan thus far. The biggest man among them who appeared to be the most distant helper wore the name Trunk around his neck and he made a gesture for her to silence with a smile. She had not slept much lately under the pressure to make sure that they were as prepared as possible for the Inner Circle armies when they would come.
Eventually they insisted that she go to sleep in a cart riding along side of them when they had noticed her inability to speak due to exhaustion as she had come all the way from the Boot as fast as humanly possible starting at the Den of the Wolves where the sixes and nines first began and quickly spread everywhere above the Boot. Word spread and with it came the aid of gathering all of the starved corpses very far into the lands closer to the Sun above the Den. She was the mind and genius behind the plan as she worked with others to make several painted hides while traveling and after every brief period of rest she would awaken feeling like she had the plan to definitely turn the Inner Circle around back to the Boot and avoid conflict, saving countless lives. Because of her knowledge of the languages from the Boot, she was the most important person among them. It was difficult to fall asleep at first as she has been led with the aid of the birds during the whole journey who have a tendency to speed up a person’s mind. As usual, she felt all of the answers come in her sleep and awoke with many more possibilities resolved in her mind.
Douse, although a bit tanner than her kin, originally came from the Crescent Moon tip in the Above and her family sent her through the Ring in the Heavens at a very young age where she had an arranged marriage but was banished to the Den from the inability to have children. She then decided to take up life in the Orange Line for the Den to keep travelers warm and eventually was trained by Germanic tribes to infiltrate the Inner Circe. At this point she was an expert at acting, lying, and communicating with codes without the use of language and with the skills taught during the Ring, she was one of the most proficient spies to be found. Originally from the Tribe of the Bull, she tended to have larger breasts than most women and did push-ups to keep them as firm as a young-adult. With these she used them to get closer into one of the Inner Circle houses and fell in love with one of the commanders who would eventually tell her about the conquest for the Crescent Moon. She left her love with a final message that she had to leave to save his life and from an area above the Boot, she went to the Den and set forth the genius plan that came from a vivid dream. Because she had been one of the few people in the world to meet the Oracle, she knew through her teachings that every person she met in the dream world was a person who existed in the real world but many people already knew this. Because she had appeared to her husband as an old woman in the dream world, she was sent on more dangerous tasks since they believed that no matter how great a risk she would take, she was guaranteed to live as old as the woman in the dream.
As morning came the many spears brought from the boats had been distributed among the Hands while their Heads were told by their translator enough of their plan for him to give the orders of what to do with them when they would arrive. Almost every person on the trail at this point had three to four spears and carried at least one shiny trinket of something metallic while there still was more to hand out for those who would later join them. Several more horses and carts were donated for the cause and the first visitors to arrive who were the most important Heads made sure that their Foot who were most skilled at everything creative would be the first to arrive on the other side of the crescent island so they would trade shifts and sleep on the carts with the corpses, wrapping a blanket around their eyes and nose so not to breath in the stench while traveling nonstop, so that they would arrive at their destination within a few days rather then the week or more it would probably take the rest of the line.
The Head from the Yellow Clan of the Raven who had come from the Heavens lost sight of his ravens and had to back track some to make sure that they knew where to go but like usual, the ravens would not be lost and he would feel stupid for doubting or having concerns as they seemed to plan ahead better than mankind sometimes in an impossible way. As a collective, the ravens were known to have more intelligence than an individual person and they were much of the reason that peace was always found in the Heavens Above along with the wolves and because of how impossible it was for any foreigner to enter their lands without leaving a trail of footsteps left in the snow or fires that gave away their location with smoke. The only time that those living in the Heavens Above or their neighbors who were almost always peaceful with them were concerned was when the mists would come and make things harder for the wolves and ravens to detect intruders. This man was known for being a direct descendant of an important God and had already summoned lightning several times during ceremonial communion. He was also one of the only people who frequently visited the Oracle and some of the birds with him today were hers. He wore the name Talon around his neck and was almost as large as Trunk.
Some Heads of the islanders kept to their side for informing all of the new-comers who would join their line, their faces imprinted on the thighs of their horses, leaving them half-painted for war. The few Hands among them with horses had a hand-print on the horses thigh, always using the color of their clan that they represented. Very few horses were to be seen as they were the most expensive asset possibly found on the entire island, usually purchased when those from the heavens came for trade annually, or bred as much as possible within their own tribes. The visitors from the heavens were known for paying a handsome price for lighter-colored horses and animals of all sorts since they would blend into their snowy environment easier. Typically, the islanders were not as rich as those from the Heavens since they had more access to furs and other animals that were not found on the island as well as more trade options and traditionally held more responsibility for spreading knowledge from the Oracle and held secret meetings for plans to avoid conflict, feed everyone, and survive as long as possible. It was believed that the Heavens were once connected to the Crescent Moon and the Eye and the land directly below them but after so much time, the snow had melted, and the sea appeared for protecting the islanders from those with the Tickle below them.
The line of Violet adorned men were replaced by many Blue decorated men as the main group of Heads along with their escorts neared a river and spent several hours to take a ferry across the river with their stuff while most of the line remained on the main road through a Green area that became another Red one as the ferry would likely take too long... and the wait would just be too long for their numbers. The main members needed to get their first though and the preparation would take several days to ensure that everything was ready and perfect for the illusion that they were about to cast upon this Inner Circle Emperor... without knowing how much time it would take to set everything up for the plan Douse had come up with, they were really pressed for time, and desperate to get there as soon as possible even if that meant cutting introductions short at times or being rude while looking for every way to cut a corner.
As they continued through another day and another night nonstop, some of their horses and cattle became weary and they were forced to trade them with new ones provided by those who lived below the tip of the crescent moon. Some green-flagged areas and purple-flagged areas were seen which were almost as large as the original red-flagged area they had come across as the island became more populated and then more private again. Red meant that the area was most heavily populated, Violet were a populated area typically along rivers found between the Blue and the Red, while the Green were found most inland in the forested more private areas. Hardly any clans representing Blue, Orange, or Yellow were among their now gigantic line as they tended to live on the outskirts, beaches, or even diplomatically among foreigners and those below them outside of the Crescent Moon although that changed from time to time due to complicated politics and changes of land ownership. Blue typically were the cleanest and lived among the beaches while Yellow were the lookout and most distant who were protected by the Orange who often were those who would welcome visitors as well and dealt with most foreign politics. Tribes were made up of many Clans, sometimes large enough to contain every color, and they were dedicated to the worship and respect for a certain animal found, during recent generations, usually the most common Tribes represented the animals that were domesticated. Every person wore their tribal belt proudly around their waist and their shield or color they adorned indicated which clan that they were a part of. People were encouraged by their Crones to mingle with others outside of their Tribe as much as possible, especially regarding marriages, but they had a tendency to be the opposite way and kept closer to their own.
Finally, by the time they neared the bottom half of the Crescent Moon, scouts had reported to them that the coastal beaches of the Below were clear. The carts of rotting stench had gone as far as a day ahead of what might be considered the front of the line for most people who would later meet them at the mark in the nine and the line became crowded once again with Heads riding along beside them to verify all of the info which they had.
As they continued through another day and another night nonstop, some of their horses and cattle became weary and they were forced to trade them with new ones provided by those who lived below the tip of the crescent moon. Some green-flagged areas and purple-flagged areas were seen which were almost as large as the original red-flagged area they had come across as the island became more populated and then more private again. Red meant that the area was most heavily populated, Violet were a populated area typically along rivers found between the Blue and the Red, while the Green were found most inland in the forested more private areas. Hardly any clans representing Blue, Orange, or Yellow were among their now gigantic line as they tended to live on the outskirts, beaches, or even diplomatically among foreigners and those below them outside of the Crescent Moon although that changed from time to time due to complicated politics and changes of land ownership. Blue typically were the cleanest and lived among the beaches while Yellow were the lookout and most distant who were protected by the Orange who often were those who would welcome visitors as well and dealt with most foreign politics. Tribes were made up of many Clans, sometimes large enough to contain every color, and they were dedicated to the worship and respect for a certain animal found, during recent generations, usually the most common Tribes represented the animals that were domesticated. Every person wore their tribal belt proudly around their waist and their shield or color they adorned indicated which clan that they were a part of. People were encouraged by their Crones to mingle with others outside of their Tribe as much as possible, especially regarding marriages, but they had a tendency to be the opposite way and kept closer to their own.
As the Sun was rising, Talon grew concerned about returning the livestock back to the owner who had lent it to them and went over everything in his head, trying to assure himself that the people who did the trade so that they would not have to stop for some animals that were not as expensive... there always was that possibility of being ripped off or whatever as the tribes above the tribes below typically did not get along at times and even spoke or carried themselves in a completely different manner. The tip of the crescent above typically treated the tip of the crescent below like they were not from the same island. Borderline violence, the real kind involving blood and death, had been recently rumored to exist during the last dozen generations or so between some of the tribes but during every trade circle no such behavior seemed possible among them as they typically had an understanding and respect for one another so it seemed limited to few individuals who were off. Still, to be the cause of some additional problems between the tribes would really not be a good thing during these pressing times where the sickness of violence had once again spread because of the sick men somewhere out there wearing the Boot of the Earth.
Violence had been spreading across the land, especially in the Below, all over the place, in ways that had never existed before like a plague spreading across the Moon, changing the faces of men. Genocide and warfare had occurred for the first time in the world which alarmed every culture and even the most distant places were spooked into training or taking some kind of special measures to be extra cautious regarding other cultures, even with neighbors previously trusted and friendly with. This brought great shame upon the lands of the Below since they had just completed magnificent structures by forcing those who had violence somewhere in their family line to work off their debt which took many generations just like the others did below them all through the hard work and teachings of the Ring and paranoia which came from the rest of the world. Upon completion of the structures violence had broken out once again in the immediate area of them and the once great rivers had dried up on the most populated delta of the world. Every generation, violence spreads even further than the previous one, and now that the most civilized areas have become places like the Boot, violence has become commonplace for many people who may never get used to the idea of peace again.
The conflicts and warfare raging among civilizations around the Boot became competitive out of paranoia for the assurance to be able to out-match their enemies should it ever come to that. Inevitably, men in these areas were expected to train in violent competition and exercises never before conceived of as it became everyday life to look up to the strongest and most dangerous person around rather than the wittiest with the most productive work ethics like the days of old according to the elders of the tribes but our spies insisted that the culture from the Boot followed a great respect for the arts, philosophy, and cultural pleasantries much more than the games or more concerning to our people's their military outlook. The Oracles of their ancient ways were still a respected part of their culture and that was the constant door for those from the Heavens Above but the warnings which came from certain Oracles about the act of using this new found precious metal were very ominous indeed as she cursed them with knowledge that their extra weight would bring them thoughts that were not good or allowing them to have the halo powers of connecting with other stronger and older men. This allowed the plan to gather information among the men who were sick as women all over the Boot had helped assist them with the plans of doing some very clever things such as have these people hear about the tales of cannibalism once our spies were sure that they had decided to push the fight while asking the people of the Boot to ensure that these people were as civilized as them while giving them praise that they were better people and justified in their actions against tyranny.
Finally, by the time they neared the bottom half of the Crescent Moon, scouts had reported to them that the coastal beaches of the Below were clear. The carts of rotting stench had gone as far as a day ahead of what might be considered the front of the line for most people who would later meet them at the mark in the nine and the line became crowded once again with Heads riding along beside them to verify all of the info which they had.
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