Author's Notes:

Not perfectly edited but went over it twice. Yes the Zebricans speak oddly, I write their speech that way very much on purpose.

"Zuri tell you no fighting."

Jelani flinched a little at Sefu's accusation, he had pulled her aside not long after their return and guided her to a quiet spot out of earshot. He stared at her, looked her up and down then spoke those five words that she did not want to hear.

Yet he did not lambast her for it but instead just stated the obvious while waiting patiently for some kind of explanation.

"Street thugs try rob us, have to fight."

"Escape?"

"Too many in street, waiting in small alley when they see us and charge, had to stay or face too many at one time."

"Verik?"

"Draw much trouble, they see him first and come, he not make first attack though. Trouble follow that one."

Sefu stared before glancing over at Verik as he continued to watch the caravans creep past on the road for a moment before looking back at Jelani.

"Guards?"

"No, no one care, fight them off and we leave in hurry."

Waving her off he sat down once more then waited for Zuberi to return from getting the wagon repaired. Zuri had not noticed the small signs that their two wayward traveling companions had been in a fight: stained hide, spear and minor bruising.

It was better that way though, they had escaped a considerable amount of trouble by the skin of their teeth the past few weeks and had once more dodged another possibly life threatening situation had the local guards taken any interest.

After the caravan's had gone their own repair team returned with wagon in tow along with several containers loaded onto the wagon. Everyone stood and waited till they hauled it into place before Zuberi pulled the newly added cargo to the edge: he had purchased their dinner while he was away.

Watching everyone line up he waited while considering the ramifications of telling Zuberi what had happened as it was his right to know but if he told him it would not help matters either.

His eyes scanned their little dinner line till his gaze fell on Verik.

No words had been spoken after realizing why Asha had smiled at him happily while near endless misery flowed past them. Verik continued to watch the caravans pass without saying a word and about the time the last wagon rolled past Zuberi had returned with their own wagon now fully repaired.

Zuri was the first over and after looking some things over waved to the motley crew that waited patiently while eying the cart. Standing up quickly they hustled over before returning to the piles of equipment fetching their bowls and spoons then lined up as she shoveled out the containers contents.

Asha was in front of him and he had not really seen what the others had received as they scurried off to eat but when her ears perked up he guessed it must be different and good. He had to admit the aroma in the air with its spicy twinge made him curious as to what dinner would consist of.

After getting her portion she turned to him then smiled widely before hurrying off with her bowl packed to brimming which was a big change considering they had been on strict rationing for almost the entire trip.

"Okay... Whats the occasion?"

Zuri quirked an eyebrow at him before looking at Zuberi before she took Verik's bowl and began scooped various foodstuff into his bowl, Zuberi simply stared blankly at Verik a minute before speaking.

"We are not allowed to cook here so I paid a local to cook for us, I believe we have earned it after surviving the past two weeks."

Verik did not argue with him as he stared down at his bowl of spicy green stuff, what looked like roasted yam and the most pleasant surprise of all was when Zuri handed him a small loaf of bread before waving him away. Somehow she had managed to pile all of this into one tiny bowl by stacking it higher and higher.

Sitting on his mat next to Asha he watched his neighbor tearing into the bowl as if it were a rare treat. She almost had her muzzle in the bowl to slurp up the contents but could not as it would mean not being able to tear into her loaf of bread now and then. With cheeks puffed out from being packed with food till she looked like an over stuffed chipmunk Verik smiled a little before turning to his own bowl.

One of the more pleasant surprises he had received after returning to the caravan had been a rather simple gift: the almighty spoon. When you eat with a stick for weeks having a spoon is a godsend and it was a most welcome gift that Asha had gotten him via Sefu.

Spooning up some of the green stuff into his mouth he chewed on the spicy and slightly bitter stuff before deciding it was something akin to a spinach. Indeed the other proved to be a yam of some sort, Asha had watched him poke at it before mumbling what it was between her mouthful of food.

It was the little loaf of bread though that made him happy.

Some hate bread, say it will be the end of you while others swear by it, Verik swore by the value of bread. Eating corn mush for two weeks straight is pushing it but having that wonderful little loaf of wheaty deliciousness in all its baked brown glory was the pinnacle of his travels so far.

It was dense, crusty and heavy, a true loaf of wheat bread made entirely from whole wheat that had most certainly not been sifted or bleached in any way and it was also the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.

As to where the wheat crop came from he could care less, probably near the water source somewhere beyond and across the gentle slopes beyond the city walls.

"You want seconds?"

Asha was staring at him and pointed at the wagon where others had lined up once more for a second helping. Through word of mouth and just listening over the past three days he had learned that food was generally very cheap at Mjesani and that remained just about the only thing that was cheap around here.

His striped companion was off quickly and back in line as he quickly finished off the contents of his own bowl before lining up again while still chewing on his bread. Once more food was heaped on though this time by Zuberi since his sister Zuri was busy downing her own bowl before holding it out.

Water was ladled from the jars after dinner was over and Zuberi took a few with him to return the cooking vessels to their owners less he incur their wrath and not regain the handful of coins he left with them in case they never were returned. Who would go to all this trouble though to steal some clay cooking pots?

Sefu joined him after the others had left and as he always did just stared at him for a while before speaking.

"Zuberi right, everywhere you go trouble follow."

"Changing your mind about having me around?"

"No, trouble find you but always loose, you always been trouble?"

"If I told you my life story you would either fall asleep from boredom or beg me to stop talking less your ears bleed from pure torment at how much an utter bore I am. Since coming here I have been on one hell of a ride that makes my past thirty years look like the dull dream of an unimaginative writer."

"Why trouble find you now then?"

"If I knew that one I would tell you and if I ever find out I will."

"We leave come morning, Zuri buy supplies while you gone, we go to Iuny now."

"Then to Wete?"

"Yes."

"Sefu..." Verik stared at him a moment figuring out what words to use. "When I was in Alzamard I asked someone why they did not just... Remove, Fareed considering how bad things were. They told me because if they did one of his mercenary generals would take over and that would be even worse."

Sefu nodded.

"Then why has there been no rebellion? Gods almighty just look around, your little world here is a hell-hole! Surely someone would have tried to off his high holiness by now while waging all out war against the mercenaries considering how bad things are."

"Ah, few try long ago, not many, quickly defeated in battle. Any who rebel are crushed quickly, tribe says "no" Fareed send mercenaries to wipe out tribe. Others too scared now to challenge him."

"I imagine declaring independence would result in swift retribution but certainly some rebelled and fought him in a guerilla war or something, strike his softer bits and weaken him. Wear him down through quick hit and run tactics till he looses control."

"What is guerilla war?"

Sefu was a warrior, well trained and anyone who spent any time at all around him would guess he had done more than his share of fighting and killing. Yet, he had absolutely no idea what so ever as to what Verik was talking about judging from the confused look on his face.

"Hit and run warfare. Small groups, attack softer targets, wear the enemy down before darting away so they never have a target. No general rebellion or declarations of independence but a slow, creeping war till the other side looses control of the countryside and is trapped in their cities. Any attempt to escape is met with endless ambushes to wear them down."

"Hmm... Sound interesting, we no fight like that."

"You the Wete or everyone in general?"

"Everyone, tribe's fight they send warriors and fight at battlefield then decide winner. Fareed fight or other nation they send army, armies meet and fight till one side loose. Raiders, bandits and slavers cross border to burn villages and steal crop or people to weaken but no stand against army."

Verik was quickly gathering that the idea of warfare here was truly primitive in its truest sense: roaming bands did exist but only to loot and pillage the land before running back to master. Armies would then target the weakened government and both sides would clash much like ancient armies have always done but overall there was no real set plan: they simply aimed for one target and sought to take or die trying.

The tribes though... Sefu gave a wonderful example of what Verik had learned about in passing a very long time ago: tribes set aside one place to fight, do their battle voodoo or slug it out for a bit then that is just the end of it. Ritualized warfare at its finest.

"So if you, the Wete, went to war with some other tribe you would what? March off to their village and attack it, try to kill off the warriors and take over? Kill their chief?"

"No... Fareed do that but we fight their warriors outside village, if village loose they surrender to victor and make offerings."

Well that explained why Fareed and his mercenaries were so far ahead of the game: the tribes still fought by one ancient standard that got them utterly crushed on a real battlefield. Not that they could fight because of lower numbers and thus they just kept their heads down.

Fareed on the other hand had the numbers to take and hold the field at any time of his choosing.

"So if a tribe rebelled... Would others join them?"

"No."

"Why not? Because Fareed is so strong?"

"Yes, Fareed also have many mercenaries, rebel and he send them to their villages. Some tribes support Fareed, provide recruits for his army. If tribe say no others might be punished so others no support rebels."

"What if the rebels roamed around and never allowed Fareed a village to target? Anyone ever do that?"

"No, why? You go to war with Fareed?"

Sefu was chuckling at him now but the thought had crossed his mind.

"If I had the means I would burn the bastard out but I do not so no. Unfortunately."

"So if you had army you kill him hmm?"

"Yes but not with any method you know of."

"Hmm..." Sefu looked around slowly before looking back at Verik. "You keep that to self, others hear you it make them nervous, in Wete many already loose village."

His eyes nearly moved to Asha before shifting back to Verik.

"Many want revenge, many want to hide, you burn bee nest maybe you bring it down but not before stung many times. Hmm?"

Verik nodded and watched Sefu rise.

"Sefu, I dont suppose the trip "home" will be as interesting as it has been?"

"No, road Iuny boring, bandits no go usually, nothing to take, crops already in, wait till next harvest. Few village along way though."

"Is Iuny a city?"

"Hah! No, town on river. Grow many crops."

He watched Sefu walk off before looking at Asha who kept staring at him.

"What?"

"You no start war."

"Hah! I have neither the tools nor "training." Why, did you really think I would start gathering an army as soon as we got there?"

"Yes..."

"Well I wont."

Maybe I will, its not like I could do any worse than the jackasses that rule the place.

"Good. Many not support you anyway."

"Why is that, are you speaking for yourself too?"

"I... Hmm... Many not because they no loose anything yet."

"So long as it is not me do as you wish but please, for the love of god dont hurt me, do it to her instead."

"What?!"

"Oh that... What you said reminded me of a story I read once long ago about a man who rebelled and was captured, tortured and they were going to allow rats to eat his face off. He saved himself by begging his captors to do it to the woman he loved instead. They let him live because they knew they had finally broken him, when he was okay with anyone else being tortured to death so long as he was left alone they knew they had won."

"That horrible! No zebra act like that!"

"Good, it means you still have some ethics and morals left but yes it was horrible, the story however was a warning and no one back where I come from listened. To make matters worse they also think the same way as those in the book: So long as they get to coast on by it is all okay, everything is fine. That is how evil conquered the world so handidly: everyone just sat down and let it happen because it was not them being tortured. Well... Not today at at any rate. Maybe tomorrow but if they could turn their neighbor in they would and buy themselves one more day."

He stared at Asha as her ears laid down.

"Sounds like history is repeating itself again only on another world hmm Asha?"

"Thought it was just a book?"

"Well yes, but also another man wrote a series of books, big, heavy tomes really. He lived through a hell similar to Fareed; breathed it and met others who survived worse than him and then he wrote three massive books on the subject giving every last detail but people did not listen to him either."

"What was his name?"

"The first story was written by a fellow called George Orwell, the other man who wrote about the truth of how people really act was called Alexander Solzhenitsyn, he wrote about how people were okay with anything happening to anyone so long as it was not them and how they would just stand there and watch like we just did as the slaves wandered past. How people just allowed ones like Fareed to just drag them away in the night so long as they did not come for them that night. He survived it somehow, most did not."

"You no like Zebrica then?"

"No, I actually love the terrain or at least what little I have seen of it and the wide open spaces. You zebras are also mighty interesting to say the least but not without your problems and frankly someone needs to kick you in the collective ass to do something about these problems."

"Who, You?"

"I have no idea."

Verik chewed on the bread slowly and stared off across the bazaar soaking in everything that was happening. Behind him a crew had been assembled to load the wagon once more to save time come tomorrow and were finished long before Zuberi returned for the evening.

He admitted quietly to himself that ever since he was a child the idea of conquering and ruling had been a fantasy of his. Ruling a nation of his own and doing as he willed while no one else dared challenge him because he held ultimate authority, he never got along with anyone who had a badge or had any kind of "power" anyway.

Never once did he bend a knee to anyone nor was he going to start now, Tendaji would receive his bribery but be damned if he got on his knees and begged or swore loyalty no matter how bad the situation got, everything else was lost but nothing would take his pride.

It was all he had left, others were quick to kiss ass to get ahead or do as they were told in order to get by but he never did and for it was very much an outcast and seen as trouble for it.

Eyes scanning towards the distant slums hidden behind the ancient adobe wall he just stared. Everyone had been reduced to the point they would not resist so long as it was not them... A familiar tune that left a horribly sour note in his mouth.

On another world he had to admit that he too fell very much into that category as much as it tore him up inside, he knew it then as much as he did now. Perhaps now though things might work more in his favor but how he had no idea how as he had nothing to work with save a few spears and a nearly destroyed scimitar.

Start at the bottom, work your way up.

Maybe that actually worked on this world unless they too would crab as heavily as others did back on the other world. Always tearing others down whenever they had just started to break free of their binds, always ripping them back down because how dare anyone not play by the rules.

Well rules be damned, he was not going to be a hypocrite anymore and if that meant living hidden on the savannah for the rest of his days so be it.

He had a chance for a second life and be damned if it went to waste.

Asha never took her eyes off Verik as he sat there glaring at the bazaar or somewhere beyond. Those were the eyes of someone who had just stumbled upon a very stupid idea, someone who was planning something that could end very badly.

She had seen more than enough of those looks in her own village before and knew what had happened.

A part of her admitted his little story was true about how Zebricans acted, ancient stories passed down through the elders spoke of how that had not always been true but now it was which made her heart heavy.

Looking back to his eyes she wondered what he was planning if anything, she hoped it would not get them into trouble nor cause any harm. There was already more than enough pain and misery to go around without adding to it.

But, another part of her hoped that if he was planning something it would go well and things would improve even if his grand scheme was not so grandiose.

Glancing off to the side she noticed Sefu and Jelani watching him closely with their own judging stares. They were not fools either and knew something in Verik's head was ticking away slowly but as to what would happen when the ticking stopped... They had no idea.

Then again perhaps that was for the best.