A dream:

You run back to the group of children, in total more than 100 human children are all running around in this large open area on the edge of the giant floating structure. You continue running around and playing until the light starts to fade go dull on the horizon. The group of children start to separate and head back toward the huts. You hear what is almost a howl in the distance, it startles you. It didn’t sound like any creature you have heard before. Sounding like something between the imitation of a howl and the actual thing. You know that just beyond the cluster of huts is a large fence made of some kind of tall hard reed. You are curious and a cold chill runs down your spine as you hear the sound again. A long lingering howl that echoes through now cooling night air. You start moving toward the source of the sound, slowly and unsure at first then with more determination. You move up to the fence and you look through the tiny gaps between the slats, you can see other figures moving around on the other side. Even in this fading light you can see the tints of green skin and large white tusks. The figures on the other side are taller and bigger than you or any of the other human children you have seen here. You press your face up against the fence in an effort to get a better look, you can see the flickering of flames from what looks like it might be a brazier or some other construction for containing the flames. Suddenly you can sense movement directly on the other side of the fence, there is the sound of footsteps and the deep huffs of breath, something breathing heavy or sniffing the air. After a few seconds of silence and you holding your breath you can hear a bunch of low grunts and barks in some articulated manner. You can hear more footsteps on the other side of the fence. Then a voice passes through the small gaps between the slats.

“greetings Manling”

You don’t make a sound and try your best to even still your breath.

“I smell you Manling, I know you are there.” in functional but broken Stadian.

You aren’t sure but to do but you start to back away slowly from the fence, there is more and more movement on the other side. You can hear more voices if you can call them that in grunts and other noises. Then you hear it from the other side once again,

“We hear you breath Manling.” Then a rough kind of guttural laugh.

“Careful now, wouldn’t want you climbing the fence and ending up in our pot. You run home now Manling.”

There is more laughing, from several sources now and quite a commotion on the other side. Someone starts banging on the fence.

“We are coming through now, best you run.”

You take off running away from the fence and towards the huts. The banging stops but the sounds of laughing continues.

You wake