part between >> and << is what is written by WF

>>
The thundering paused every few minutes; the air rose heavy in anticipation 
of the next assault upon the soil. The rhythm was familiar to the groups of 
Unarra tending to the various tasks of the day. Some even used the noise to 
jolt them back awake after falling asleep from a night spent playing too 
many games of hyra. Atlak hated how the dust was stirred into the air, how 
his feet vibrated afterward and caused him to pause in his work to recover. 
Tynel Mellor and Tynel Atlak were lashing groups of vines together for the 
trainers' use. Mellor marveled at his spawn's ability to work 
single-mindedly, and had praised Atlak on many occasions at the amount he 
could accomplish in one day, even in comparison to such experienced workers 
as Mellor himself.

Mellor had hoped the long day would slow the relentless questions from his 
curious spawn, but such was not the case. Atlak paused only long enough to 
voice his frustration with the rippling ground swells experienced while 
taming the Pikatan. Atlak turned his attention back to Mellor and continued 
probing, "...but if Tallic had such obvious talent and empathy with the 
beasts why did the Tresed relinquish him to apprentice status for so long? 
Is that why he left? Some say you were friends. What was..." "We are still 
friends." Mellor was thankful for the growing tremors of the Pikatan. "That 
is enough about Tallic for today my progeny; the taming exercises have 
begun."

Upset that his questioning had ceased, Atlak tried not to cough as the dust 
kicked up around him. "Of all the creatures, what is so sacred about the 
Pikatan anyway?" Atlak's scowl grew deeper and darker with every leap and 
hard landing of the Pikatan. Mellor was amused. "Keep that up, Atlak, and 
your face will become etched like that."

"Just once, I would like to stomp through their valley and disrupt them 
while they are trying to get work done."
"I suppose you would also want to be revered as the Sacred Atlak too then?" 
Mellor smiled. "Perhaps you would teach the Unarra about the patience of 
taming as well?"

The reprimand was enough to keep young Atlak from continuing to outwardly 
show his distaste for the Sacred Pikatan. Atlak just grumbled to himself as 
clouds of dust mushroomed into the air not far from where they worked. 
However, the thunderous quakes caused by the Pikatan didn't stop this time. 
A telepathic warning was sent to all nearby, but Atlak was distracted by the 
sudden and chaotic rearing of the Pikatan. Something was wrong.

Most of the Pikatan were rounded up before any large amounts of damage were 
done. Yet, one crazed animal, its eyes rolling in its skull, careened 
forward with itsstrange loping leaps, dodging all attempts at capture. 
Atlak's insides churned, a mix of ice and painful heat as he looked up to 
see a silhouette of a figure on a near-distant hill. Atlak began to scream 
even before Mellor was trampled...
<<

The stranger on the hill started running towards the position of Atlak and 
Mellor.
In the time it took the stranger to get to them Mellor was gored to death by 
the maddened Pikatan. Atlak managed to get a grip on his fear and played 
dead before the Pikatan discovered that he was still there, alive and 
screaming. Atlak felt more then he heard the stranger trying to get control 
over the animal that was still rampaging around. A while later Atlak felt a 
tap on his back and heard someone say "Ok you can get up now the critter is 
calmed down". Peeking through his hands he saw the stranger sitting on the 
neck of the Pikatan covering the eyes, ears and nose of the Pikatan with 
some sort of cloth. Looking around while standing up Atlak discovered that 
the other members of the group sent out to capture the Pikatans had left.

The stranger went on, "I haven't introduced myself properly, the name is 
Tallic. I wanted to ask something of your progenitor.", pointing at the body 
of Mellor, Tallic continued with a sigh, " it is too late for that now 
though. And I am probably the reason that your group left". "But if you are 
Tallic what are you doing here?" Atlak stammered, "You are an outcast by not 
obeying the commandments of the Tresed lifestyle". "I might be an outcast 
but I am only doing what I think needs to be done" was the response, "That 
was also the reason I wanted to talk to Mellor. Mellor was not as biased as 
the others about what I have done and I think your progenitor even 
sympathized with what I did while not having the courage to do the same 
things". Atlaks curiosity took over at this point and the questions started 
to roll. "What did you do? What are you doing? What do you mean biased? Why 
do you think you could trust Mellor? Are there more sympathizers?".

At this point Tallic raised his and saying "Stop, I'll start with those 
questions first", and then inhaling deeply started "What did I do and am I 
still doing? Easy I violated the one almost sacred edict. I used, trained 
and still are doing that animals for combat". Atlak slumped on the ground as 
if hit by fist to the head. After a small pause, "See what I mean with 
biased?" said Tallic, "Even you with your open mind and curiosity react as 
if I'm no more then a deviant but at least you are willing to listen 
otherwise you would have run of".

Tallic crouched down to get eye to eye with Atlak. "Let me explain why I did 
and do it. It has nothing to do with how the Tresed treated me or anything 
else done to me. It was a conscious decision to help them", Tallic raised a 
hand to head of a question, "later. Like I said it was my decision and 
although they won't appreciate what I am doing I think it is needed. You 
know of the relation between the Kompa and the Pikatan?". Atlak nodded. 
Tallic continued "And of the parallel drawn between the Unarra and the rest 
of Atriana?". Atlak nodded again. "Good", said Tallic, " that makes the 
explanation shorter. The Tresed behave like the Kompa without the addition 
of an enemy like the Pikatan. They stopped in one place and are trying to 
preserve their old ways. It is a bit like the Kompa trying to graze in a 
place they have grazed empty. Their ways are stagnant and stagnation means 
death in this world. I'm trying to stir them into action. Either by trying 
to force them to think about what can happen or why I am doing this or by 
direct attack so that they are forced to defend themselves. So I see myself 
as a Pikatan", said Tallic while petting the animal he was sitting on". 
Tallic sighed while continuing "The first hope I had, that they would think 
about why I was doing it seems to be in vain. I am banned and nobody is 
supposed to talk about me. Basically the order is ignore this problem and 
hope it will go away".
Lowering his voice to a whisper Tallic continued "So my only recourse left 
is to force people to talk about what I am doing and that means attacking my 
fellow Unarra. I hope that the threat of violence will start a discussion". 
Tallic sighed and stopped talking.

A few minutes of silence passed while Atlak was digesting what Tallic just 
told. When it looked like Atlak might start questioning again Tallic 
continued "this is the reason that I wanted to talk to Mellor about this, I 
hoped that I could convince him to help me with the planning of raids. Now I 
extend this offer to you. You being his spawn should have the same potential 
with strategy".

Atlak just sat there stunned by the request. After several minutes of being 
visibly in turmoil about what to say Atlak stood up and said "No I can't do 
it. I couldn't live with myself if I would hurt a fellow Unarra. I will tell 
the council what you told me and about the fact that unless they will talk 
about it that you will attack".

Tallic got a mournful expression and said in a sad tone "Too bad. I just 
hoped that you would be more malleable then your progenitor. I asked Mellor 
the same question and he wouldn't take me seriously and just like him I 
cannot let you tell others what I plan to do it needs to be a surprise so 
that there will be talked about. Atlak's face paled while asking in a meek 
voice "What are you planning on doing". The response was "You don't think I 
could tame a Pikatan in the moments you where cowering for your life, did 
you?". While removing the cloth from the head of the Pikatan Tallic said in 
a loud voice "Anyway the point is moot, Jadhera kill".