Trynt, a high-level shaman of the Komandi tribe, was on the second day of his trek into The Outlands when his traveling companion warned him that a huge beast was stalking them.  His traveling companion was a sturdy little pack animal called a zuzu.

His choice of a zuzu to accompany him into The Outlands was already paying off.  The zuzu, which he named "Biskit," was too small to ride.  But it was a good pack animal, had a keen sixth-sense of danger, and was intelligent enough for Trynt to mind-talk with it.  He could also mind-control it if necessary. 

He sent a thought, "Is near?"

"Near," replied Biskit, "and hurries."

"Biskit go hide," Trynt ordered.  "I stay."

Biskit ran for cover as Trynt made his crossbow ready. His right hand went to his sword hilt, unconsciously reassuring himself that the weapon was there.

He reached out with his mind, trying to touch the mind of the stalking creature.  His attempt to communicate with it met a jumble of thoughts.  "Kill…food…hungry."  The beast was not intelligent enough to communicate or to be mind-controlled; it saw Trynt as prey, nothing more.

Rather than face the creature, he decided it would be wiser to cast a spell of invisibility.  The spell did not actually make him invisible; he simply could not be seen by those who were under his spell.  To an onlooker who was not under his spell, he would be visible. 

But before he could cast the spell, the brush parted and he was face-to-face with the beast, about six arm lengths away. It was a squat, bloated thing, similar to the little lizards that were common around rocky places.  But this lizard was huge, topping Trynt's full height.

Without warning something snaked out of its wide mouth shooting toward him. He felt an impact as the tongue hit him, and then coiled around his leg.  He released the arrow from his crossbow, but the tugging on his leg caused the shot to go wild.

He reached out with both hands and grabbed the branch of a small tree as he felt himself being pulled toward the beast.  But the pull was too powerful, and he felt the pain when the skin peeled from his palms as his hands were pulled from the branch. 

Ignoring the pain, his right hand went for his sword.  With all his might he brought the sword down on the lizard's tongue.  Less than an arm's length from the creature's jaws, the tongue severed cleanly.

He fell to the ground, but in an instant he was on his feet facing the beast.  The creature did not resume its attack.  Red, bubbly froth oozed from its mouth.  It raised its head, bellowing in pain. 

Trynt plunged the sword into the lizard's exposed throat, and jumped back just in time to avoid a stream of blood gushing from the wound.  The huge creature shuddered, fell, and was still.

As the excitement of battle subsided, Trynt felt the burning pain in his skinned palms. Though extremely painful, the wound was not too serious, and he cast a healing spell.  Within moments the pain ceased and his hands were completely healed.

Exhausted, he sat on a fallen log and rested.  He was still thrilled that Rynah, Chief Shaman Priestess of the Komandi, had chosen him for such an important mission. It was her who convinced The Great Chief of the Komandi to send him. 

Only three days ago he had been promoted to high level shaman and attended his first council meeting.

***


Gordah, The Great Chief, always wore a solemn expression, giving Trynt the impression that the old man was perpetually angry.  The council grew silent as Gordah called the meeting to order.

"We will devote this council meeting to dealing with the dangerous beasts that inhabit the Western Outlands," he began.  "For too long now the Komandi people have been denied the use of their own land.  Some of you are too young to remember when this land was controlled by the Komandi.

"The mountains of The Outlands are rich in gold, silver, and other metals, all denied to us.  There are also areas with good farmland and grazing land.

"These strange beasts suddenly appeared in The Outlands several generations ago, forcing the Komandi to abandon the territory.  It is time for us to reclaim our land.  I propose that we send another, but much larger expedition into The Outlands."

One of the younger chieftains of the north region spoke up.  "The sudden appearance of the beasts means that they were placed there by means of magic.  If so, even a large force may not be able to deal with the beasts.  It is recorded that the last expedition of fifty warriors never returned."

Another chieftan added, "The wizard controlling the beasts has so far kept them in The outlands.  Perhaps it is best that we do not disturb him, lest he sets the beasts upon us."

 Rynah, High Priestess of the tribal shamans, and almost as powerful as Gordah himself, Answered.  "Yes, it is a mystery that the beasts do not wander away from The Outlands, but I have not detected one vibe of magic.  Such a feat, if caused by wizadry, would have set off an ocean of vibes.  It is possible--but not likely--that a kind of magic unknown to me was used, a kind that would cause no vibes. 

"I therefore propose that we send not an expedition into The Outlands, but a single shaman."

This created a stir among the council.  There was some murmuring.

"Your proposal is interesting," said Gordah. "What is your reasoning?"

"There are several reasons.  A single shaman would be more mobile than a large party, and much less likely to attract attention."  She looked at the three shamans with her.

"All of my shamans have been trained to survive in the wild.  All have received warrior training.  All shamans are born with different talents, but all share the ability to see in the dark, to heal minor wounds, and cast invisibility spells--three valuable talents in a place such as The Outlands.

  "We have learned much about the beasts since the last expedition.  I have been viewing them through my crystal gazer for years.  I have learned much of their habits, strengths, and weaknesses. 

"My shaman could add much to what I have already learned, enabling us to find a way to deal with the beasts.

"And finally, if the mission fails, we have lost but a single person."

Rynah now had the full attention of the council, and Trynt sensed that they were in agreement with the high priestess.

"Good points," said Gordah.  "Do you have a particular shaman in mind?"

"Yes, I do.  I would send Trynt if he is willing to go."

Again, there was a stir among the council members.  Even Trynt and his two fellow shamans were taken aback.  As all eyes turned toward him, he self-consciously adjusted the headband holding his mid-length blonde hair in place.

"Trynt?  But he is barely twenty-three years," said Gordah, "and your least experienced shaman.  Why not Jinni?  She's a good warrior and an experienced shaman.  Or Qualin, who is equally capable and experienced."

"True," said Rynah.  "Both are capable and experienced, and both excel in their special talents.  But I would choose Trynt because of the nature of his special talents.  He is a beast handler, having an affinity with the higher animals.  He can mind-talk with them to a limited degree.  He can apply mind-control over some of them.  These talents could be invaluable in dealing with the beasts."

Gordah nodded.  "You have convinced me, Rynah."  He turned to the young shaman.  "What do you say, Trynt?  Will you accept this perilous mission?"

Trynt was ecstatic.  He could not believe that he was chosen for such an important mission.  "I am greatly honored that The High Priestess has chosen me, Great Chief.  I accept."

Gordah faced the council.  "If there are no objections, the proposal will be adopted."




***


 The sun came out and and steam curled up from the wet ground.  Trynt retrieved his crossbow, then mind-searched and located Biskit.  He found his journal in the little animal's pack and recorded the details of his encounter with the lizard creature.

The lizard was a new creature; it had not yet been discovered during Rynah's crystal gazing.  She had warned him that there may be creatures that she had not yet observed. 

The Outlands covered a vast area and her crystal was limited by distance and the hilly terrain.  In addition, the crystal could reveal only a small section at a time.

It was part of Trynt's mission to search out the beasts that Rynah may have missed.  Many of the beasts, like the lizard, were dangerous predators.  But one of the creatures, dubbed a "yellowfur" by Rynah, seemed to be exceptionally dangerous. 

The yellowfur was a small four-legged animal, about knee-high to a man, and its appearance was innocuous. But all the other beasts feared it--and for good reason.  It   sent out some sort of telepathic signals that hypnotized and induced fear in its prey.

When its victim was frozen with fear, the yellowfur attacked.  With its powerful jaws, it ripped the throat of its helpless prey.  Some of its victims appeared to die from fright even before the yellowfur attacked.

Rynah once observed a yellowfur paralyze a whole herd of wild grazers.  It casually picked one of them for its victim and released the rest.

Trynt repacked the journal and continued on his way.  It was almost sunset when he reached a small stream.  He decided to make camp near the stream, where he might spear a fish for supper.

He had just started to set up camp when the zuzu touched his mind.  "Many come.  Front direction."

Moments later Trynt heard them.  There was a large group, and they were making no attempt to be silent.  Once again, he sent Biskit into hiding. 

This time he did not hesitate to immediately set up an invisibility spell.

The creatures were not coming directly toward him, so he moved to a point closer to their path where he could observe them.  Perhaps these were new creatures.

But they were not.  They were the hairy man-like, sharp  clawed creatures that Rynah had described.  There were eight of them, some carrying carcasses across their shoulders.  He guessed that few creatures could stand up to a concerted attack by these beasts.

He reached out with his mind, not to attempt to communicate, but to spy on their thoughts.  He found their thoughts easy to follow; they were far more intelligent than the lizard creature.

He sensed that they were cruel and pitiless to any who were not of their kind.  It would be pointless to attempt communication with them.  There were too many of them to mind-control, so he would avoid them.

He learned that they were returning from a hunt, but were forced to take the long way back to their lair to avoid the "yellow one."  Trynt guessed that the "yellow one" must be the "yellowfur" that Rynah had observed.

The creatures passed, and he headed back to his campsite.  He allowed Biskit to graze while he sat by the stream to see if there were any water creatures worth spearing.  It was already dark, so he used his night vision to gaze into the rippling shallow water.

Suddenly he became aware of a movement in front of him.  He looked up to see a creature standing on the opposite bank; apparently it was not yet aware of his presence.

It stood erect like a human, but its features were similar to that of amphibious creatures he'd seen around ponds.  It was small, less than waist high, and looked harmless.  The stream here was narrow.  He could almost reach across and touch the being.

Taking no chances, he drew his sword and held it at ready.  As he did so, the being became aware of him.

He reached out with his mind, intending to communicate, but it was already reaching out to him with its own mind.  Too late, Trynt realized that the creature was not trying to communicate, but was attempting to take over his mind, seeking to control him.

Suddenly, a feeling of self revulsion came over him.  He began to see himself as a foul, loathsome creature that did not deserve to live.  He must destroy himself.

He turned the sharp point of his sword toward the pit of his stomach, with the hilt resting on the ground.  He would fall on his sword, thus ending the life of the foul and evil creature that he had become.  He felt the sharp tip of the sword pressing against his navel.

He hesitated.  Some part of his mind was struggling against the urge to destroy himself.  He was becoming more and more aware that that the thing on the opposite bank was gripping his mind, trying to force him to do its will.

He stepped up his efforts to resist and to reach the creature's mind.  Abruptly, he found himself not only touching the creature's mind, but he had won the mind struggle and was now in complete control.

He now understood the workings of the thing's mind. It used mind-control as a defense to protect itself.  He could control the creature now, force it to do his will.  Instead, he released it.

The creature stepped back, gasping.  It stared at him.  "You choose not to slay me, for which I am grateful."

Trynt was surprised.  The thought patterns of the amphibian-like creature were not animal-like.  Here was a creature that seemingly possessed human-like intelligence. Also, he could now see that the being was wearing a kind of skin-tight clothing.

  He tried to communicate by vocalizing in the Komandi tongue.  It answered in unintelligible bird-like sounds.  Trynt reverted to mind speech.  "I have no wish to slay you.  I drew my sword only for self defense.  I only wished to communicate with you."

"Nor do I wish to harm you," it replied.  "But all creatures here are hostile, and I assumed that you were just another hostile beast.  Except for the yellowfur, you are the only creature to successfully resist my mind grip.  What manner of being are you?"

"I am human.  And may I ask what sort of being you are?"

"I am a Trill, from a planet called Myr.  From where do you originate?"

"I am from the Komandi lands to the east of here."

The Trill appeared surprised.  "To the east?  Then you  crossed the barrier?"

Trynt was puzzled by the question. The Trill explained that there was an invisible barrier between the east and west.

"Yes," he replied, "If there is such a barrier, both me and my pack animal crossed it.  But tell me, where is this Myr that you speak of?  I have never heard of it."

"Myr is a world that belongs to a different star, far beyond your own sun and moon."

Trynt found it difficult to believe such a fantastic claim.  But why would the Trill lie to him?  And then there were some elders among the Komandi who speculated that there were worlds out there among the stars.  It must be so, he decided.

"If you did come from a distant star, how did you get here, and why did you come?"

"I, and all the creatures here were brought here by the Myrians, rulers of Myr.  They have built ships capable of  traveling between the stars.  We were all brought here for some kind of an experiment. All the beasts here were collected from other planets and were brought to this world."

"But what about you?" Asked Trynt.  "You most certainly are not a beast, as are the other creatures."

"My kind, the Trill, are a slave class to the Myrians.  I was left here by the Myrians with instructions to observe the beasts and to collect data.
   
"I was left here on the western half of this large island, which you call The Komandi Territory.  They created an invisible barrier that runs through the center of the island.  The barrier is attuned to the brainwaves of all the creatures on this half of the island.  None of the creatures here can cross the barrier, myself included.  Apparently the creatures in the eastern half were not affected."

The Trill's story accounted for how all the beasts suddenly appeared, and why they never ventured away from The Outlands. 

"Will the Myrians return?"  Trynt asked. 

"I fear they will never come back.  They should have returned long ago, but already a century has passed since they left me here.  I believe that one of their many powerful enemies may have destroyed them.  I will never see my people again."

 Trynt's original thought was that since the Trill was a slave, it would now enjoy its freedom.  But he could now hear the sadness in its voice and realized that it longed to be among its own kind, even if they were slaves.

"Perhaps someday they will return," he said.

The Trill held up its hand.  "You don't understand," it said.  "You have found me very near the end of my life span.  My remaining days will not last the season.  I grow weaker with the passing days. 

"I was already weakening when I mind-struggled with you, and the struggle completely exhausted me.  Until I recuperate, I will not be able to defend myself."

"I will help you," offered Trynt.  "If you give me the information I seek about the creatures that inhabit this land, it will help me greatly, and I will be better able to help you."

"I do not seek your help, though I am grateful for your offer.  It is our way to die when our strength and endurance begins to fail us.  But you spared me when I was at your mercy, so I will tell you of the beasts that were brought here.  But we are both tired now, so let us rest.  Tomorrow morning I will tell you all that I know."

After breakfast, Trynt pulled a notebook from the pack on Biskit's back and the Trill began to relate its knowledge of the beasts.

"There were originally twenty species left here by the Myrians," he began.  "Of those, fifteen species remain. The other five could not develop resistance to the diseases of this world and died out quickly." 

He listed all of the remaining beasts  and gave a detailed description of each. 

"You and your people have no need to fear any of the creatures except the yellowfur.  A group of your armed warriors can defeat any of the beasts here.  But the yellow fur is formidable.  It is capable of paralyzing large groups with its hypnotic powers.  If angered, it will slay the entire group."

Trynt guessed that the previous Komandi expeditionary party had run into a yellowfur and attempted to do battle with it.  "It sounds as though this beast is invincible," he said.  "Is there no way to deal with it?"

"It is very nearly invincible to all except me and my kind.  They cannot paralyze me with terror, but neither can I compel them to self-destruct.  Our conflicts always end in a deadlock, ending with each of us making a mutual retreat until each is free of the other's mind control."

"But how did the Myrians manage to bring the yellowfur here?  They had to subdue the beasts in some way to capture them."

"The Myrians depended on my ability to fight the creature.  You see, when we engage in a mind-struggle, both me and the yellowfur become vulnerable to outside attack.  Each time I engaged a yellowfur in a mind-struggle, the Myrians would tranquilize it.  They transported two of them here in a tranquilized state, a male and female."

A thought came to Trynt.  "Why don't your people use your mind power to free yourselves from the Myrians?"

"The Myrians are impervious to our mind attacks, but not to those of the yellowfur." 

The Trill went on.  "Only two of the yellowfur were brought here, and fortunately they breed very slowly.  There are not more than a half-dozen in The Outlands.  I would offer my help to your people, but I can no longer challenge the beast."

"When you and I engaged in the mind struggle last night," said Trynt, "you surely must have gaged my strength, as I did yours.  How would you rate my chances against a yellowfur?"

"At full strength, I was a match for the yellow fur.  I was no match for you during our struggle, but my strength has been waning for days.  Last night, I was far below full strength.  It is difficult to make a comparison, but I would advise that you avoid a confrontation with a yellowfur if at all possible.

"Their brainwaves are at a higher frequency than yours, and you may have difficulty in adjusting to them.  They have the ability to adjust quickly, and might have you under control before you can adjust."

Trynt did not understand this thing about brainwaves and frequencies, but accepted that the Trill must understand such things.    

Suddenly, the shaman became aware that Biskit was trying to touch his mind.  "Something come for Biskit.  Move fast.  Help.  Biskit try hide, but thing smell Biskit."

Trynt probed with his mind and found the location of the zuzu.  While grazing, it had wandered a good distance away.

"I must hurry to help my animal companion," he said.  "It is about to be attacked."

He hurried toward the zuzu with the Trill following.  He spotted Biskit galloping toward him with a creature in pursuit.  It was about Biskit's size, a shiny, black, insect-like creature.

Trynt reached out with his mind, but the response was a buzzing sound, the same as he would expect from an insect, only much louder. 

In the next instant it caught the zuzu, hopped on the little animal's back, and knocked it to the ground.  Its needle-like nose was poised to pierce Biskit's neck.  The zuzu was screeching in terror.

In his hurry, Trynt had left his crossbow, but drew his sword and ran toward the creature.

"A bloodsucker," the Trill warned.  "It will drain your animal before you reach it.  I will help you."

As Trynt watched, the bloodsucker suddenly released the zuzu, jumping away from its prey.  It began running in circles until it found a tree and began butting its head against the trunk.

At first the shaman was puzzled, but then realized that the Trill had the beast under mind control.  It was trying to destroy itself.  The black beast continued butting its head until it dropped and lay still, its head a bloody stump.

Trynt turned toward the Trill and discovered it had fallen to the ground, gasping for air. 

"I am dying," the Trill said.  "I have gone beyond my limit in fighting the bloodsucker.  It is my time."
 
"Keep quiet and try to rest," said Trynt.  "I will cast a healing spell."

But the Trill never heard him.  Trynt tried using his healing powers to revive the little being, but there was no response.  The Trill was beyond revival.

Trynt pulled a small entrenching shovel from Biskit's pack and dug a grave.  He did not know the customs of the Trill, so he buried the small being with Komandi rites.  He marked the grave:  TRILL OF MYR--FRIEND OF THE KOMANDI.

After recording the incident in his journal, he set out on the return trip home.  Thanks to the Trill, he had information that it would have taken months to collect on his own.  He had information on all the beasts, and how they came to be in The Outlands.

None of the beasts were a problem except the yellowfur, but it was a big problem.  The Komandi would still be denied use of The Outlands until a way could be found to deal with the creature.  

He could report to The Great Chief that Rynah was right: there was no wizard or magic of any kind involved. 

Trynt and his companion traveled for the rest of the day with only one incident.  Late that afternoon, he had used his invisibility spell against a trio of poison rodents.  He and Biskit camped for the night and set out the next morning.

The barrier wasn't far now.  Maybe he could make it without meeting a yellofur.  And he almost did.

Less than an hour's journey from the barrier, Biskit touched his mind.  "Be follow.  Small thing.  Danger."

The little zuzu immediately went into hiding.  Trynt cast his invisibility spell and waited.  Moments later the creature appeared.  It was a yellowfur.

It approached him.  It sensed his presence, but his spell prevented it from seeing or smelling him. It snarled, apparently enraged that it was unable to pinpoint its prey.
Remembering the Trill's warning to avoid a confrontation with the creature, He decided to stay hidden.

It prowled the area, sniffing the air as it searched.  Once it came dangerously close to him, but he quietly moved away.  Abruptly, it stopped prowling and remained in one spot.  What was it up to, he wondered?

In the next few moments the question was answered. He began to feel icy probes creeping into his mind.  The thing was apparently sending its hypnotic signals out randomly, hoping to flush him out. He felt confused and disoriented.

The icy probes increased, and he began to be gripped by fear.  His ability to think clearly was fading.  He could feel the control of his invisibility spell slipping. 

The yellowfur turned its head toward him and their eyes met. His invisibility spell was broken.  He had to act fast now, or the creature would completely flood his mind with paralyzing fear. 

He desperately tried to think.  In the fog enveloping his mind, he recalled that the Trill had fought the yellowfur to a stalemate, and that he had defeated the Trill in a battle of minds.  He reasoned that he should be at least as effective against the yellowfur as the Trill.  In desperation, he reached out with his mind. 

He found that the mind of this creature was not on the same level as the Trill's mind.  The mind level must be the brainwave frequency referred to by the Trill.  But he met little difficulty in adjusting.  After reaching its level, his next priority was to stop the icy probes.  The probes were intensifying, and feelings of terror were beginning to grip his mind. 

He broke out in a sweat as he concentrated with all his might and being against the powerful probes.  He felt a gradual lessening of the probes, and finally he was breaking their hold on him. 

He managed to stop the probes, and was now at the point where he could  think clearly.  Now he must attempt to take over the creature's mind, as he had done with the Trill.

But in the next few moments, he learned that he was now in the same position the Trill had been in its battle with the yellowfur.  He was in a deadlock with the creature.

He looked to see that the yellowfur was slowly retreating.  As the Trill had done, he, too, began backing off. He continued moving away until he no longer felt contact with the creature's mind.

After resting a few moments to recover, he called Biskit from hiding and they resumed their homeward trek.

His spirits were high now, for he had good news for The Great Chief.  There was a way to defeat the yellowfur.  The Komandi could use the same tactics the Myr had used. 

The Komandi could send out a party to hunt down the yellowfurs.  When encountering the creature, Trynt would engage it in battle.  While both he and the creature were  deadlocked and vulnerable, Komandi warriors could rush in and slay the beast.

The Komandi could now reclaim their land.