Authors: Sebastien Blue
“
How big is this place?” asked Natalia, continuing to break the silence.
“
You see the other side of the village over there?” asked Pepper as she pointed off into the distance.
“
Yes of course I see it,” replied Natalia.
“
Well it's ten times that far to the other side. You see Natalia, even from this high up you can't see it but this place runs down a slope. Trust me, it's huge,” replied Pepper.
“
Hey, here's an idea –
if the two of you want to stay for a day or two, I would be happy to show it to you. That means you as well, Catalyst. After last time you were here, I decided you were never to be left alone again. See, Natalia, he's been here before. Besides after the day the two of you had yesterday I'm sure you could use a few days’ rest,” offered Pepper.
“
I don't think a day or two will matter much, so if you want to stay and rest we can – after all you’re only Human,” said Catalyst smiling. He knew full well the blood bath, the Blemmye spawn, searching for the cure would all have taken its toll on her.
Looking out over the overlook with wonder at all the things she could see, Natalia quickly accepted.
“
Well let's go freshen up and again, Catalyst, that means you too, then we'll head to the markets and get something to eat. Since I have to open my shop for a few hours it'll give us time to talk and really get to know one another. After that we can go sight seeing. How's that?” asked Pepper.
“
That would be wonderful,” replied Natalia, summoning up her best manners.
With everyone fresh and clean, Pepper led them downstairs, stopping halfway. With the lightest push of a knot in the wall Natalia watched happily as the hidden door opened up. Walking along the walkway, Natalia took notice of almost every single Mugwad she passed and how like Humans they were. There were the fat ones, the skinny ones, the tall ones, the short ones, some so very beautiful and others so ugly. As primitive as it all was, it was still very metropolitan and reminded Natalia of Yekaterinburg.
“
We may live a more simple way of life on the surface, but we're really quite with-it,” said Pepper, noticing the wonder in Natalia’s eyes.
After a quick bite to eat from a lunch counter, they opened Pepper’s shop. From one end to the other the walls were covered with peppers in red, yellow, green and blue.
“
Now you know why they call me Pepper! I grow the best peppers in all of Kyopelivuori, and you know what's weird –
they've been calling me Pepper for so long that try as I might I can't remember my real name,” said Pepper with a grin.
“
Oh the irony,” thought Natalia as she stood there looking at Pepper.
With the customers coming and going and Pepper’s peppers all but gone, the crowd started to thin out. Natalia helped Pepper feed the empty plants while Catalyst sat quietly unnoticed as they talked.
“
Now Natalia, I know this morning when you saw me, there was something on your mind and it wasn't the village, so how about just telling me?” asked Pepper.
“
Well, where I'm from we have these places called museums and they’re full of history, things like bones, skeletons, old tools, things like that.”
“
Things like that?” asked Pepper, pointing to the museum down the street.
“
Yes,” replied Natalia smiling and feeling a little foolish.
“
Anyway, Pepper, they have some displays depicting early man. And to tell you the truth, they look like you; only we call them Neanderthals not Mugwads. The people that study these things say that the Neanderthal wasn't much smarter than an ape. I don't mean to be rude,” said Natalia feeling about as awkward as anyone could for saying what she said.
Pepper burst into laughter.
“
Ah, dear child, first of all they’re called historians, the people who study that stuff. Secondly you’re not rude. Telling the truth is the most polite thing anyone can do because it stops others from feeling foolish when they find out the truth. No you’re not rude, you’re ignorant that's all. So allow me to educate you. Here have a seat, but first of all don't repeat to anyone else what you just told me, okay? We have a saying: sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me. So best keep that stuff to yourself. Some of us still believe in that sort of barbarism, but not me,” said Pepper as she and Natalia made themselves comfortable.
“
We Neanderthals, as you call us, once lived on Earth. As a matter of fact we were very advanced – so much so that life became too easy. At one point, everything that made life worth living was taken away from us – the accomplishment of gaining anything for ourselves and the feeling of success that went along with it was no more. All we wanted was taken care of by machines. If we wanted something to eat, something to wear or if you needed to go somewhere, even the simplest chore done, we got the automaton to do it, make it, get it,” said Pepper as she stopped for a breath.
“
Carry you,” chipped in Natalia jokingly.
“
Oh yes that too. The automatons were the size and shape of us Mugwads, so if that's what those on Earth wanted that's what they got. This way we need not do anything for ourselves if we didn't want to, and no one worried, worked or farmed. Life became drab,” said Pepper.
“
So then...why here? Why all of this?” asked Natalia, pointing to everything around them.
“
A few ancestors decided to go back to a very, very old way of life, one not seen for so long it was all but forgotten. They wanted to do things for themselves that made living feel right, like farming, cooking, cleaning, raising cattle, even making their own clothes. Now there weren’t many of them that chose this way of life, but those that did eventually broke off all contact with those they left behind,” replied Pepper.
“
Well that explains a lot. All the depictions that I've seen show your people standing around fires dressed in animal skins, cooking chunks of meat or standing around something they had just killed with clubs in their hands,” said Natalia, fighting the urge to laugh.
Pepper burst out laughing at the thought of what that must look like.
“
Well they had to wear something I'm sure, but I'm also sure your historians have the wrong idea. See, Natalia, although all this happened before I was born, I've read all the books on this subject that my people wrote and so far I can promise you the only thing your people have right is the fact that we were there. Anyway, there was a meteor shower that hit the Earth and instead of impacting, the meteors exploded high in the atmosphere. After that a plague started moving through the lands, slowly killing off every living creature, Mugwads included. Although they may have had the simple pleasures they sought, they had the dangers as well. Now here's the really interesting part –
no one knows what became of those Mugwads that our ancestors left behind, so I like to think that with all their advancements they somehow came up with a vaccine for the plague. It had two side effects –
it mutated them into Humans and wiped their minds, forcing them to start off as a child race,” said Pepper, destroying all Natalia’s preconceptions.
“
Can I ask a personal question, Pepper?” asked Natalia.
“
Of course, ask away. That's why we’re here talking, remember, to really get to know one another,” replied Pepper.
“
Before I ask, where's Catalyst?” asked Natalia having forgotten all about him.
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I'm right here,” said Catalyst, pushing a pepper plant out of his way.
“
Catalyst, there's nothing for you to do here, so why not go to the Platt’s candy shop and get a treat for yourself,” said Pepper, handing him some coins and giving him a look that said be good.
“
You got it,” replied Catalyst, happy to be getting away from what was clearly becoming girl talk.
“
Okay, go Natalia –
what was your question?” asked Pepper enjoying her talk with Natalia.
“
How old are you, Pepper?” asked Natalia, smiling as though she was asking for the keys to a vault.
Popping her head up to take a quick look around for anyone that might be listening, Pepper eased back into her chair.
“
Although I've not kept a proper calendar all my life, I've counted two thousand Transitional Moon Phases since I started keeping track, so I really can't be sure, but somewhere around two thousand two hundred,” replied Pepper very conservatively.
As Natalia sat there listening to the answer, the echo of her mother answering in almost the same way whenever she was asked her age (I'm twenty nine) rang through her mind.
“
Wow, you look so young. Not a day over forty,” replied Natalia to Pepper in the same smart-mouth manner she would answer her own mother, making Pepper smile at not being able to get that one over another girl, whereas men would just shut up and accept it.
“
Well, anyway my best guess is the Mugwads age about one year your time for every fifty that pass here, and Catalyst is like his mother. Once he's fully grown he won't age at all,” said Pepper, impressed with Natalia’s honesty.
“
She's calling herself Anastasia now,” said Natalia.
“
Who is –
Catalyst’s mother?” asked Pepper.
“
Yes,” replied Natalia.
“
Finally, now I can stop calling her Krusnik. It seemed so rude,” said Pepper.
“
You know, it's like the people of this world will live forever,” said Natalia, amazed by their longevity.
“
Well my people do live about one hundred and twenty years, your time that is, so I think I will live to see another four thousand Moon Phases,” said Pepper.
“
Time works so differently here,” said Natalia.
“
No, it doesn't. Time works the same here as it does on Earth and that I know for a fact. I studied it when people came here from Earth all those years ago. It's aging that works differently here,” replied Pepper, setting the record straight.
“
So your people came through the same portal as I did then, which means in a sense we’re almost related. We’re from the same place, Russia,” said Natalia trying to build a closer bond with Pepper.
“
You mean the portal here in Kyopelivuori? No, we came through a portal in Svartalfheim, the Elfs’ realm,” replied Pepper.
“
So where on Earth are you from then?” asked Natalia.
I couldn't possibly tell you what you call the place today, but from what I've read, it had huge mountains, lots and lots of trees, rivers and lakes. If it helps, there was one lake I read about particularly it was a bright green and said to have healing properties, but where this place is, I don't know,” replied Pepper.
“
Oh well, I thought you might have had Russian blood in you,” said Natalia, clearly disappointed.
“
Natalia, even if the Mugwads that came here were from your Russia, it would be you that held Mugwad blood in you. See, we were the before the Human race came into being. Remember the vaccine that I told you about? In all I've read, not once was your race mentioned and then all of a sudden you’re alive,” replied Pepper with a gentle smile.
“
Right, right, right, you’re right. Sorry, I forgot the Neanderthals were before Humankind,” said Natalia in agreement.
“
You know, Natalia, it was so long ago and so much has changed who's to say one way or the other where we're from exactly? So let's just say we are from Russia. How's that?” asked Pepper, seeing the sadness in Natalia’s eyes.
Natalia smiled and looked pleased.
“
How long have the Mugwads been here?” asked Natalia.
“
By my best estimation, along with the books my ancestors wrote, our arrival dates back fifty thousand years, but even that I can't be sure of,” replied Pepper.
Sitting there Natalia began to smile.
“
Now what are you smiling at?” asked Pepper.
“
Well from the sound of it and from what I've seen, there are portals all over this world, even in the waters. The creatures and beings that people report seeing where I come from but can never prove they've seen, all come from here. Anyone that hears this kind of stuff in my world thinks these people are crazy. I'm starting to believe every one of these sightings to be true and I just think it's funny,” replied Natalia.
“
That's funny all right,” said Pepper smiling right along with her once again.
“
Well, Natalia, I don't think anyone else is coming today. Let's close up and get out of here, find Catalyst, that little trouble maker, and I’ll show you around this place,” said Pepper as Natalia put on a little more perfume, making Pepper wish she hadn't been standing so close to her when she did.
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Having recovered from his wound left by the Blemmye spawn and its germ-infested bite, the old Elf slapped his new pet in a rage for being the same breed as the creature that bit him.