They were…
They were so…
They were so horrifyingly wiggly.
Were they broken?
We weren’t supposed to do that and the others around me knew it as well.
“Have they been damaged in some way?”
“Did the closing of the portal do this to them?”
“What are they talking about?”
Questions from the other academics buzzed around me like insects but I ignored them all as I studied the humans and tried to decipher what they might be saying. Nothing about their words was familiar, but the people of Earth used the language smoothly, as well as Klynn and Toman, which was good to see.
Occasionally they paused in ways the other people of Earth did not, but their sounds seemed nearly as smooth as I studied them. “I think it is clear that the spell to obtain the Earth language was successful.”
Something about my words or our discussion had all the people of Earth focusing on us at once, giving them even more horrifying behaviors. Their synchronized movements had me trying to decide if they looked like hunters or prey being stalked.
“Toman is not showing concern.”
“The Earth people may be showing concern, though.”
“Why do their eyes look that way?”
“What does an open mouth signify?”
“I do not know but they are all making the same expression.”
“Do you think the gate travel affected them mentally?”
Questions buzzed around me but I ignored them as I let my gaze scan the individuals from Earth. They had moved together in one large mass, making it difficult to see some individuals at the back, but I did my best to memorize their features.
Somehow theirs were softer than ours, which matched the historical reports of what the humans of Earth looked like, but we had not expected our people to blend in so completely.
They looked human.
They may have even been acting human and not damaged.
We should have expected it but somehow it was still confusing.
“They are watching us.”
The reason for that was obvious, but I showed my agreement before responding.
“They are as curious as we are. This is a foreign land to them.”
Reminders that we were supposed to be getting to know our long-separated families helped and we all moved closer to the people of Earth as they continued to speak quietly and watch our movements closely.
Even Klynn and Toman were standing close to the people of Earth, so it was possible they required less personal space. However, we were missing context to their behavior because as one male spoke the others made odd verbal responses to him that varied in volume.
Was that supposed to be a happy sound?
Historic texts had described stern humans who were very quiet when they had to interact with our people. This did not match those stories. These moved in odd ways, made many sounds, and they were loud.
Well, most were loud but several voices were quieter than the others and sounded like what I would’ve expected to hear anywhere on this side of the gate. One was closer to what I would have described as pleasant, with a soothing tone, but the louder voices quickly drowned it out.
“Does anyone else think they speak faster than we do?”
“How does their volume affect their language?”
“Does pitch change the meaning of a word?”
Several of the linguists made logical points, forcing the rest of us to ignore the visual distractions in front of us. They did speak faster than our people here, so I gave him my approval as I did my best to sort through their individual sounds. The words were meaningless to me but I could differentiate many them.
“Yes. The way they say words all sound slightly different, as well.”
Several of what I assumed were words seemed to be repeating but each individual sounded more unique than I would have expected. My response had the people of Earth focusing on us again, their tones and sounds changing again to indicate something.
But what?
Could their tones and pitches change the meaning of their words?
This was not the same style of language we had begun cataloging before the gate had closed.
We tried to be patient but the male standing beside Toman said something that had the people of Earth waving their heads back and forth and changing their facial expressions. Every movement they made was exaggerated and unexpected.
“What are they doing?”
My question to Toman had every person of Earth finally going still and responding with widening eyes that probably gave some other signal I was supposed to understand.
Toman gave me his focus and indicated confusion.
“I will need a more detailed question. They are doing a lot.”
He was frustrating but correct.
“Yes.”
They were doing much, so I paused and studied our visitors with their round features and wide eyes.
“Why are their faces so…so full of expressions?”
I wasn’t sure that was the right way to ask the question but it seemed like a reasonable starting point since it was the most shocking. Toman did not seem to agree but he quickly explained.
“They would call it being animated. The native people of Earth use facial expressions to communicate more effectively. It is unfamiliar at first, but our people there became used to it living so closely with them.”
Animated?
They had a specific word for their quickly changing facial expressions?
“It is integral to their communication, but they do understand we are not used to behaving in that way.”
Toman made it sound logical but the others around me were buzzing with questions as they started debating the new information. Discussing theoretical topics was not the best way to use my time, however, so I stayed focused on Toman and the people of Earth.
Something about the conversation or our behavior triggered more talking from them until the male beside Toman stood straighter as he spoke. Whatever he said had everyone else giving him their attention as if he were someone in charge.
As we watched their new movements, I tried to process what Toman had said.
“How completely did they integrate themselves into Earth society?”
Our past experts had decided that isolation would have been the most logical course of action for our people trapped on Earth. That did not seem to be the case and we may have misunderstood Toman’s original report from the other side of the portal.
“Completely.”
Fascinating.
“That is interesting.”
So was Toman’s glance toward the wiggly, expressive male at his side, but he did not let the individual distract him entirely and quickly turned back to me.
“I have learned the native language of the people that live closest to the gate, but their world is very fractured and there are countless additional languages on their planet.”
Countless?
“The spell works but it takes time for the words to be fully assimilated and it must be done with someone who has a complete knowledge of the local language. Our first choice for the spell did not work out as expected. Her knowledge was very limited due to living in isolation and I was not fully able to follow other locals until I bonded with my mate. At that point the spell or possibly the mate bond worked much better.”
Mate?
He had found his mate?
Toman had a mate from Earth?
“You bonded? With one of our people from Earth?”
My question was unnecessary but it came out before I could pick one that would gain me more information. Toman was polite and did not point out the redundancy. My confusion was acceptable due to the newness of the information, and I was glad he understood.
“Yes. It was unexpected but they are able to make strong bonds and did not lose that knowledge. Understand that a lot of other information, both cultural and magical, was not passed down for a variety of reasons.”
What information had they lost?
“I know our people will be glad that they did not lose the ability to bond.”
If Toman had bonded to the male of Earth, were the others similarly paired? Had we affected them in some way by going through the gate? Would they have mates here? Did they understand bonding in the same way we did? Had they come looking for mates? What aspects of it were lost to them?
Swallowing back my questions, I indicated acceptance and tried not to startle the people of Earth as I responded.
“I and the others are looking forward to getting their language so we can speak to them more easily.”
Yes, acquiring their language was the first thing that needed to be done. Toman should have agreed easily but he quickly indicated displeasure of some sort.
He even performed some of the same purposeful wiggles as his mate.
“The spell gives a full accounting of the language…including what we would see as…mate-related topics. It has been discussed and they decided that the language should not be given by a spell to someone considered too young to understand the physical aspects of bonding.”
What?
That was…
They were…
What?
They physically bonded differently?
I was not the only one who had questions, but I had to admit, the other academics were more practical.
“Should we have brought a physician?”
“Did humans have those kinds of differences in the past?”
“What do the histories say about their mating habits?”
“Do some humans have different body structures?”
Based on their questions, many of my colleagues seemed to think Toman meant their bodies were different but that was not what he meant. Everything in our history said our human-looking bodies were structured the same as the traditional, nonmagical humans. Human evolution could not change that much in what was actually a short period of time without magic being involved.
What were they doing that was so shocking it was only for people of mating age?
Had that influenced the way Toman and Klynn seemed to be relating to the people of Earth?
Was it contagious?
Klynn was standing strangely close to a human from Earth.
Studying the people that had come through the gate, I knew without their language I would not be able to understand their behaviors. Their unfamiliar movements and actions left me without context to be able to understand them…and their new mating practices.
“Please explain what they are doing that requires privacy of that level.”
I knew my question was awkwardly worded but clear, however, Toman’s face did something odd.
“They have learned additional nonmagical ways of bonding with their mates. Humans do not bond in the same way and have created…personal rituals to promote bonding. Our society does not have them.”
Clearly.
“How are personal bonding rituals only for those of bonding ages?”
Most young individuals could watch animals and deduce how our people coupled after bonding. It was not confusing. Even the small sects of our people who had created unique beliefs based on their studies of the ancestors bonded the same way as everyone else.
How were humans so different?
“They promote emotional connections in ways we are not familiar with but once explained they will make sense.”
Was he being deliberately confusing or overly polite in some kind of Earth way?
Did something about the Earth environment change our people?
How much had bonding with a male of Earth changed him?
What effects did bonding with someone from Earth have on our people?
I waited for someone else to shift the conversation but everyone looked to me and waited.
“Then please explain.”
I was highly intelligent and was thought to be the best individual to learn about the people of Earth. Was Toman not as smart as I had been told? One could not teach unless one understood completely. Could he not explain what the people of Earth were doing with their alternative bonding rituals?
“We do not have the same concepts in our language and culture.”
Toman physically indicated there was no other information he could give me then turned to his mate. Their silence made it clear their bond was strong. The human’s face even changed as their conversation progressed, using their nonverbal movements as he used his mind to speak with his mate.
“Then use the closest example to our culture as a reference point. I have studied the archives extensively.”
Of all of our people, I had the most knowledge about the ancients and the people of Earth.
Their new movements and expressions were unfamiliar, but I could learn to decipher them. I would learn their Earth language and customs. We would welcome our lost family home, but to do that we must understand them.
“They have role-playing relationships that we have not been exposed to. Please trust me on this.”
No.
He was confused and was simply not able to explain what seemed to be an unfamiliar ritual. Toman’s mate made more excitable sounds before they seemed to shift into mind speech. I waited to see how his mate’s thoughts would affect the situation and Toman’s behavior until he turned his attention to me again.
“Let us take our visitors somewhere out of the sun and provide them with refreshments and then I will give you and you alone a full understanding of the language situation.”
Interesting.
Was his stronger tone a change from having a mate or from being around the humans?
“There is a tent with food available for them behind the gate.”
His plan was logical and walking around to the tent gave me time to study the changes in his behavior but it did not give me any additional information on the human bonding rituals. Toman was remarkably stubborn about the topic. It must have something to do with his mate because I was beginning to think the odd expressions he was making at me had something to do with the new information Toman was reluctant to share.
What had the humans taught our people?
We had always been more advanced than them because of our magic. How had they developed something Toman could not explain?
Waiting to get everyone settled with food and drinks was the polite way to handle the situation but that did not make it enjoyable. I was patient, however, even when Toman seemed to be deliberately delaying discussing the topic.
“Please follow me.”
Toman’s strange behavior extended to leading me away from the tent, but I followed as we left the rest of our people behind. Everyone was watching us, even those trying to be subtle, but he led us far enough away we wouldn’t be overheard.
“We do not have the same vocabulary, so this is not something that can be translated simply.”
Toman was ready to give me the information but reluctance was showing in his tone.
“Without magic their bonding rituals must be simple. I am sure we can find a way to explain it.”
Earth could not have changed as much as he seemed to be indicating.
Toman let out a long breath that was very Earth-like if I was reading their actions correctly.
“Next time I have to explain this, I’m bringing one of the diner men.”
Most of his words did not translate well and his other Earth mannerisms did not help me to understand the problem. Thankfully, he continued without making me guess his meaning.
“Many of our people on Earth have chosen to participate in relationships where one party is considered dominant and the other submits to them. There are rules and roles that define the relationships, much like those that focus on the ancestors.”
He paused but I simply waited because it was not enough information to understand what he meant.
Dominant?
One mate was aggressive and one was passive?
Dragons were rarely passive, were the mages always the ones to submit? The humans? What of someone with mixed ancestry?
“Submissive mates require rules and attention to feel fulfilled and content in a relationship. Dominant mates provide structure and attention that goes beyond what is considered typical of a mate bond.”
In what manner?
Our people had what I thought would be considered equal mates even when they were dissimilar.
“This is not enough information on the specifics of the rituals. Mates generally have different personalities to complement each other. Please give a typical example.”
Toman’s level of agitation was startling as his shoulders tightened.
“Mates generally do not require spankings or mate rules related to sexual behavior.”
What?
Was it possible we used that word differently?
Could the meaning of the word spank have changed?
“They also typically do not involve extensive role-play where they take on alternate characteristics in order to promote submission and emotional connection.”
What?
“They also do not typically involve toys, both child-like and sexual in nature, costumes, or restraints.”
It seemed like we had gaps in our information on Earth…and humans…and mates.
Yes, I was going to need their language as soon as possible.
For research purposes, of course.
As the highest-ranking cultural historian, it was my duty to understand as much of their behaviors as possible.
