After months of sailing, the risuners have finally made it to their target site. Almost every Risuner was thrilled as soon as they saw the hooman port over the horizon. Sherah looked on, relieved that she had survived the entire trip. As she was approaching the hooman city, Sherah thought about the months at sea. How much she had learned and the friends she has made along the way. Most of all, she thought about Antoine and how nice he had been to her as well as how he was pretty damn good in bed.
When the Risuners were able to make landfall there was nothing but sheer excitement among them all. They all rushed to get off the ships and onto the port, to the slight annoyance of the hoomans stationed there. Luckily for the risuners they had their papers this time so there wouldn't be any trouble. Hoomans were probably expecting the risuners to behave the same as last time. When they say dozens of risuners pour out of the ship they quickly formed a line of guards to try to contain them. Luckily for the poor hoomans, Hamdani was able to calm them down and go ahead with the papers along Sherah. It took a while due to all the parties involved but eventually everything was sorted out and the hoomans were informed about the risuner interest in the saplings. Hooman facilities would be the main area where risuners could stay whenever they had to. There were lots of beds for us and the building was very big and spacious. They even had libraries around just incase we ever felt like using them.
Once we all got settled in, Hamdani took it upon herself to speak with Sherah in private about the matter of magic and the hoomans.
"Why the hell do we have to use the hooman routes instead of being on our own? They don't own the saplings. For fucks sake we should just set up a camp along the sapling border"
"Hamdani please relax. The hoomans are nothing to worry about. If they posed any real threat then they wouldn't have the need to check up on us. And let us not forget that these facilities will come in great use to cure ourselves of the conversion magic."
This only managed to piss off Hamdani who believed that hoomans only wanted to spy on the squirrels. At that moment she thought of a brilliant idea.
"Here is what we do. We just have to be ourselves. When we come back here we should encourage the others to have sex. Constantly, and as loudly as possible. If the hoomans are really letting us have these facilities to ourselves then it wont bother anyone. And if they really are spying on us then they are gonna fucking suffer for it. We all know how much the hoomans found our constant sex annoying last time. Its a win no matter what."
Sherah couldn't help but be baffled. In her mind, the hoomans were just normal people with reasonable intentions. But Hamdani had been here before even if it was years ago. And her priority was not maintaining relations with hoomans after all. She was there for the saplings. So it was a foolproof idea that she would eventually agree to.
A couple of hours later all the risuners met at the border. The forest was well within sight and Hamdani and Sherah took the front to address everyone. Sherah was the one to speak
"RISUNERS! We have finally made it and now we can begin our grand objective. We must obtain the powers of sapling magic. You all know the rules of engaging with saplings. DO NOT LEWD THEM UNLESS THEY WANT IT, WHICH WILL BE RARE! And most importantly just try to befriend them. We want them to like us after all and we are under no means trying to put pressure on them all. Now ONWARDS!"
With that the 100 squirrel people began their journey to the forest, spreading out in different directions to try and find the closest villages they could and even explore farther. The magic exchange was about to begin.
The forest of the UUUing Woods thrum with anticipation. The Shamans foretell guests most welcome to the forest and new knowledge to soon be discovered. With the Shamans speaking of exciting prophecies, the Saplings await for what things may soon come. On a day seemingly like any other, a patrolling party’s attention was drawn to the horizon by a gentle whisper of the winds, and out amongst the grass plain was a sight the saplings of that region have never seen before, beings that embodied both squirrel and humanoid features.
Word has spread of natural and understanding beings such as them from their brothers from the Mire and the captain of this party, Visus, recalls the words of their Shamans, “guests most welcome”. Visus assuringly nods his head to his friends and suggests, “Guests most welcome? I have a good feeling so”.
Visus takes the initiative and hollers out to this particular group of Risuners, waving his arms to get their attention, and is happy to see that they reciprocate his welcome with smiles. As the two groups approach one another, the patrol gets a deeply familiar feeling as if a shaman is nearby. “Impossible”, Visus thought to himself, “shamans never venture out into the plains” but as they approach it becomes more and more clear that this magical aura is coming from one of the Risuners amongst the group.
How interesting, they have never heard of Risuners with magical abilities before. By the time the groups are face to face with one another, Visus realizes that he and his friends instinctively bow their heads out of respect in the presence of such a deeply mystic being. Visus proceeds to introduce himself, “Welcome to the domain of /uuu/, the forest has expected you and bids thee welcome”. Visus then steps to the side and makes an open-palm gesture to the forest behind him,” I will be your guide henceforth to our people”.