Beyond the Stars

A Simple Suggestion

The mid-morning sun was blazing on the Palace of Winds. Most of its inhabitants were inside, getting ready to go to sleep. Some were still up, working or pursuing hobbies. In a deserted parlor, the Wind Mage and the King laze on separate couches. They gave a rousing speech to their legions earlier, so they decided to cap off their morning by downing a bottle of wine and spying on the strange folk of the metal bird. Not that they were expecting much to happen. The only thing that roused their interest was that a man was carried back into the settlement by his comrades and died after being wounded by a spiked beetle of all things. Three days later, seven of the humans died from eating poisonous berries.

The Dark Mirror stood across the gaping fireplace, images of the strange tribe practically leaping off the surface. The furniture was intricately carved with plant motifs. The settees all had overstuffed cushions the color of the night sky and had ivory accent pillows. The walls were painted cherry red. Which made the verdant landscapes and their golden dresses pop from the walls. Vaati lounged back on the sofa, crossing his left leg over his right as he swirled his goblet of crimson wine. The King kicked back and propped his feet on a claw-footed ottoman. The fire's light danced from one end of the room to the other, casting dramatic shadows. Vaati held up his chalice to the pyre's glow. "How long have we been watching these humans?"

The King rested his head on his left hand and crossed his ankles. He reached over to pick his wine glass from off the end table. He peered into it. It was still mostly full. "We have been watching them for," The King paused to take a sip of his beverage. "Two weeks and three days now."

Vaati snapped at him, "And do you still believe it's worth taking valuable time out of our daily regimen to pay any sort of attention to this tribe?" He took a swig of his fermented grape juice. He sat up straight, swirling his drink as he faced his superior. "These people clearly have no ability to survive the wilderness. They haven't figured out how to determine which plants are poisonous. Or how to avoid dangerous predators." The mage attempted to smooth his feathers by taking another sip. He wanted to keep his temper under control when discussing anything with his King. "They are totally useless to us! Furthermore, we have more pressing matters on hand. The Links are restoring the Four Sword faster than ever before. Our forces may not be able to eliminate them quickly enough." Vaati glared at the image on the mirror. The humans were more terrified than ever, nevertheless they attempted to go about their daily business despite their circumstances.. "We still haven't made a crack at their language either. So I must ask. Why are we still watching them?"

The King shifted his eyes towards the wind mage. His eyes were slim and his lips were stretched into a thin line. His whole expression was stone tight. The King responds calmly "They seem to possess powerful technology. And they are the only ones who know how to work it. Perhaps even create it. It may be possible to acquire the knowledge simply by observing them."

Vaati rolled his eyes. It was a pathetic idea to him. Simply creating complex technology by mere surveillance was impossible. Subtle details could be missed. Intricacies misunderstood. They did not even know the smithing techniques for the metal. He raised his index finger and pointed to his King. He opened his mouth, about to voice his thoughts - until an idea started to creep into his mind. He withdrew his finger, and turned his gaze. What if we...

The King raised his eyebrow in anticipation. The embers made his eyes shimmer more golden than before. Vaati's scarlet eyes met the Dark King's.

"Your majesty, what if we send a small squad to keep watch over them for us? Have them report any noteworthy information to us. This way, we can focus on more important affairs."

"Not a bad idea." The king raised his glass towards Vaati. "The question is, who do you propose we send? I think it would be unwise to send our best to do a mission like this. And whoever we send, they will need a small handful of doctors."