Naoo led her team into the main hall before occupying a spot near the corner. Carpets and tables were already there, so the Thilku sat down, and Khan found himself with Apa and Xai at his sides.
The team's attire was unacceptable for the Global Army's customs. Most Thilku were only half-dressed and still dirty from the battlefield's blood, sweat, and dust, which applied to men and women alike.
Khan was no exception. The invitation arrived after he removed the upper part of his uniform and found no reason to put it back. That soldier-like atmosphere was very casual, and he fit perfectly inside it. Khan actually loved it.
The Thilku also lacked body parts that humans might find arousing. Khan had broader tastes, but seeing those exposed chests didn't trigger anything. It was actually hard to differentiate between men and women from that aspect alone since they were so similar.
Khan's team wasn't the only one in the hall. All the Thilku who had returned from the frontlines had reached the area and occupied different spots. Some even brought food and booze from their personal stashes to add to what soldiers delivered to each table.
The sudden invitation had made Khan avoid storing his backpack, so he joined that trend, putting a few cans of food on the table. Hands immediately went on them, and Khan soon found Xai and Apa busy opening those containers.
"[How do you open this thing]?" Xai complained, inspecting both sides of the cylindrical can.
Khan opened his mouth to speak, but Apa suddenly launched a battle cry. She had stabbed two fingers in the lid and ripped the can open.
"[The design is odd]," Apa commented, pulling out a chicken wing and throwing it in her mouth.
Cracking noises followed as Apa's teeth broke the meal's flesh and bones. Khan was about to say something but changed his mind and laughed. It didn't take long before Xai imitated Apa, prolonging Khan's reaction and making him raise his voice.
Khan's laugh couldn't cross his table since all his companions were busy shouting and joking, and their voices were far louder. A cheerful mood had fallen on the team, and the other soldiers in the hall shared that happiness.
That celebration reminded Khan of the Niqols. Those aliens also partied after deaths or similar sad events. The Thilku's motivations were different, but Khan still fell into a pensive mood.
That mood was short-lived since Apa and Xai moved bowls and booze to his side of the table, reminding him about his situation. Khan immediately wore a happy mask, and random conversations started.
"[You are stronger than you look]," Apa commented, "[For a human]."
"[You aren't that heavy]," Khan laughed.
"[Ah]!" Apa exclaimed, looking past Khan to glare at Xai. "[I'm heavier than him]!"
"[Not for long]," Xai snorted, lifting the food can over his open mouth to eat the entirety of its content.
'I guess Thilku don't care about their waistline,' Khan thought before continuing the conversation. "[Do you like human food]?"
"[It's not bad]," Apa replied, also devouring the food can's contents.
"[Thilku's food is better]," Xai added, munching his big bite.
Khan smiled, diving into the bowls and gulping down cups. It felt good to drink after a battle. His mind recalled the traditions he had learned to love, and his mood inevitably became joyous. However, the device at his side reminded him how far he had gotten from Nitis.
'The Global Army would pay a lot for this,' Khan thought, putting the device on the table and unlocking it. The item only had strategies for Cegnore, which didn't involve firearms and technology, but that didn't make it any less precious.
"[Flying sure is useful against those monsters]," Apa stated while Khan was about to lose himself in his studies. "[I'm surprised you landed at all]."
"[I'm surprised you could pay attention to me in that mess]," Khan responded.
"[Don't underestimate the Thilku]," Apa proudly scoffed. "[We have faced nights like this for months. Keeping track of a human is nothing]."
That urge to brag didn't take Khan by surprise anymore, but Xai managed to add something that made his eyebrows arch. "[Though, it's useful to have a shaman on the frontlines]."
Khan had brought his cup to his mouth, but that statement made him avoid drinking to look at the Thilku. Xai didn't put much weight in his words, but Khan's curious gaze confused him, leading to an annoyed snort.
"[What]?" Xai asked, seemingly taking that stare as a challenge.
"[You know I'm a shaman]?" Khan questioned. He had confirmed that the Thilku knew about him, but that level of details still sounded too much for something he had never openly admitted.
"[Naoo told us]," Apa intervened, nodding at Naoo. "[She is friend with Amox's wife]."
Many Thilku at the table heard the conversation and turned toward Naoo, including Khan. Naoo had a bowl in each hand and her mouth full of food, so she limited herself to a snort when so much attention fell on her.
"[We also know your girlfriend is on Neuria]," Xai added, changing the topic to avoid angering Naoo. "[You are investing a lot on the Empire, Captain Khan]."
Khan felt surprised once again. Monica had landed on Neuria mere days ago, but rumors had already reached Cegnore. Moreover, even ordinary soldiers seemed to know about her relationship with Khan.
"[The Empire is an influential ally]," Khan justified his actions, "[And the Thilku are strong]."
Xai snorted to hide his reactions, but his mana agreed. From the alien's biased perspective, Khan's actions made perfect sense.
"[A good tongue is a coward's weapon]," Apa complained, slamming a fist on the table. "[Why aren't you marrying your girlfriend]?"
"[That's]," Khan cleared his throat, taken aback by Apa's seriousness, "[That's personal]."
"[Ah]!" Apa cried, crossing her arms in annoyance. Somehow, she appeared genuinely angry about that situation.
"[Apa, humans have different customs]," Xai intervened. "[They date and waste years being engaged or something]."
"[When did you learn so much about humans]?" Apa questioned, growing angrier.
"[It's written in our basic briefing]," Xai groaned.
"[Cowards]," Apa snorted, glaring at Khan. "[If I were your woman, I would have knocked you out and done the deed myself]."
Amox had warned Khan about Thilku women, and Apa was proving him right. Khan could fight monsters three times his size, but that glare and words triggered an instinctive fear in his brain.
"[Enough with the nonsense]," Naoo suddenly announced, and the entire table went silent as the team focused on her. "[So, Khan, can you keep your promise with Lord Exr]?"
The surprises were never-ending that night. Khan found himself stunned once again. He had been worried the Thilku wouldn't believe his plan, but it seemed Lord Exr had vouched for him.
"[I]," Khan exclaimed, hesitating briefly to choose his words carefully, "[I can probably call more beasts, but I can't control their numbers]."
Joy abandoned the table, replaced by seriousness. Khan's claim was bold and worrying. It implied that he had some control over the Tainted animals. Moreover, the reactions in his surroundings told him that only Naoo had been aware of those details.
"[When]?" Naoo asked without giving anyone the time to think.
"[I need to know more about this trench]," Khan stated, switching to a serious face. "[I stand by my words. The Thilku are strong, but I bet you wish to avoid pointless casualties]."
Naoo let a silent second pass. It almost seemed that Khan's worries had gotten through, but another question quickly came in his direction.
"[When]?" Naoo repeated.
It became clear that the Thilku wouldn't leave any leverage to Khan. They had accepted him into their ranks, but his power belonged to them. They would decide when and how to use it.
"[Any night is fine]," Khan decided to admit. "[I just have to send a message they can understand]."
"[Did you do it tonight]?" Naoo pressed on.
"[No]," Khan promptly replied. "[I wouldn't have put your army at risk like that]."
"[Are you implying that we can be defeated]?" Naoo wondered, showing her angrier side.
"[My goals are mine alone]," Khan firmly declared. "[I won't pay their price with Thilku lives]."
Naoo growled. That threatening gesture would have worked on ordinary humans, but Khan saw her mana, and his stern expression wouldn't have faltered anyway.
"[You can study the trench for another week]," Naoo uttered, slamming her hands on the short table before standing up. "[After that, you have to fulfil your promise]."
Khan and Naoo exchanged a long stare, but he eventually nodded. One week wasn't long, but Khan only cared about open cooperation with the Thilku.
Naoo departed in a hurry after Khan's nod, leaving the table in an awkward atmosphere. Even Khan didn't know how to resume the previous happy conversations after that revelation. Part of him wanted to return to his room to avoid prolonging that discomfort.
"[So]," Xai exclaimed, shattering the awkward silence, "[You can talk to those beasts]."
Khan looked at Xai before running his gaze across the aliens on the table. Ideally, he would keep those secrets for himself, but that would only create distrust.
"[Not really talk]," Khan explained, grabbing his cup. He almost cursed when he noticed the lack of booze, but Apa promptly moved a jug toward him.
Khan nodded at Apa and looked at the team again before coming clean with the best words he could find. "[It's partially shaman arts, and partially this]."
The bare chest allowed everyone to see Khan pointing at his azure scar, making additional explanations pointless. No one at the table was an expert in Nak, but they were famous enough to justify that ability.
"[Will it be dangerous]?" Xai continued.
"[Yes]," Khan revealed, refilling his cup.
"[The weak will die]," Apa sighed, lifting her cup, "[And the strong will thrive]."
The Thilku at the table also lifted their cups, echoing Apa's words. They were making a toast, which Khan joined after noticing they were waiting for him.
The feast grew silent afterward, and Khan pretended to focus on Naoo's device while scouring his thoughts. He knew something was changing inside him. Francis' incident probably marked the beginning of that transformation, and his training in the Niqols' arts enhanced those effects.
'If only I could train a bit longer,' Khan thought, recalling what had happened on the battlefield. For a few seconds, he had abandoned his status as an empty weapon of the symphony to become something far heavier, but the Thilku weren't willing to wait for him to unlock that new power.
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