rp: main topic Craethiel Kingdom

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ildran River

Natia blushed softly at Rowan's compliment on her name, but Rowan's explanation of how magic users are received among his people she found to be quite tragic. "Your people are afraid of magic users? I can't even imagine... my tribe's lifestyle would never be able to function if everybody was afraid to use their abilities. Granted, I suppose all of us have the gift as opposed to the supposed select few of your race. If people are so afraid of magic users, then they may even go so far as to neglect their own abilities out of pure denial. Never in a million years would I willingly cast away my powers unless it was for some noble cause that Cera herself had called on me for." She paused for a moment before gently reaching out to touch Rowan's hand. "I hope you aren't ashamed of your ability to transform. I-I didn't mean to accuse you of doing something wrong or anything. I just... can't really understand it, myself. Maybe if I knew more about this Eldyrannth, it wouldn't seem so odd to me. But I'm glad you could do it, because, if it wasn't for your transformation, I don't think we would have gotten away."

Natia nodded as Rowan explained all the supplies he had. Alcohol was another oddity to her, as she had only ever drank water, but the whiff she got from the flask certainly wasn't pleasant, she couldn't imagine such a foul-smelling drink to taste particularly pleasant. Aside from that, she would also prefer to avoid the meat if at all possible, as the thought of eating a part of a dead animal only made her feel guilty. She was relieved to know he seemed to have some fruits and vegetables, too. 

"We don't know much about other civilizations. You might not have even heard of the Aequu before me. We are incredibly low in number compared to many, some civilizations even consider us extinct or mythological altogether. But the civilizations that know better..." she frowned again and gripped her collar tighter, shaking her head. "Well, we're in high demand for their... reproductive urges..." she couldn't think of another way to put the sex trafficking of her people lightly. "They see our incredible ability to heal and our long lifespans as an ability to recover from even the most brutal of treatments and neglect, but they also see our physical weakness as a sign that we aren't capable of physical labor, so, without magic, pleasure is all we're good for in their eyes... And it's very rare for us to be rescued from such fates because we are often critically outnumbered."

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

Rowan was a little startled when she reached out and put her hand on his own, but realised that it was a sign that she was definitely more comfortable around him which he thought was a good sign. His ears twitched towards her as she spoke, expressing her sadness as to the state of affairs in the world, before expressing her hope that he wasn’t ashamed of his ability.  He shrugged one of his shoulders at that, but remained quiet as she continued talking, explaining why her people were in high demand for slaves, a fact that made him wince slightly. It must not be easy for her people to be so hunted like they were. They must live in a state of constant fear and distrust of other people. Even people that meant them no harm, at least intentionally.

When Natia had fallen quiet, he then said, “I’m not ashamed of my ability… not really. More worried as to what would happen if anyone find out. Your people are very used to magic and the kinds of effects it has. Most people in this land are completely ignorant. And what they don’t understand, they’re scared off. I mean, a lot of people believe that mice spontaneously come into existing into their hay barrels which is untrue. Magic is also a convenient excuse for them to blame for everything going wrong in their lives. Most people live and die without ever leaving their village. They don’t even find out what is on the other side of the hill they can see from their house. So while I’m not afraid, I am certainly cautious. And not just because of the physical danger. As I said; things would get awkward if word got out, especially for my father and my sister, as well as my best friend.” Again, that last part was a half-truth, as Gavrilovich was his best friend, as well as more. But since homosexual affairs were as frowned upon as magic, again he didn’t want to state it. He then sighed, once again stretching out his feet as he looked into the fire, mesmerised by the dancing flames,

“I’m sorry to hear that your people are so hunted. Slavers are only after one thing; profit. If your people are rare, and you are sought after for being sex slaves, then I’m not surprised you’re so hunted. It must be why they were willing to put out so much for that fancy collar. I admit I have never heard of the Aequu before, and I make it my job to find information, since that’s what I deal in. You must keep yourselves… generally… well hidden from people.” He said, feeling that it was quite a lonely lifestyle. He then took a deep breath, before exhaling it out before he then said, “My people… well, the ones I live with anyway, do have slaves. But they’re ones that willingly put themselves into slavery. As far as I know, my father has never forced anyone into it, and has never bought anyone that was forced into it. I know that might sound strange to you, but some people love being slaves… as long as they’re looked after. Given shelter, and food. Then they will happily do anything you want. They find it easier to work for us, and have us provide their basic needs.” 

He pulled his legs back, picking up one of the sticks he had left long and used it to poke the fire slightly causing the fire to stir and flare up slightly before he then looked at her again, “But, as for explaining to you about the Eldyrannth… that’s kind of a difficult thing to do. From what I know, they’re ancient. More ancient than any race in this land, and they’re very peaceful people. They’re friendly, kind and compassionate… until you anger them. There’s a saying our people have; Hell hath no fury like an Eldyr’s Wrath. They’re quite powerful, too… they have the abilities to control the elements, but I’m not sure how and the reports vary. Some say it’s magic, others say it’s due to the strange crystals they wear on their gauntlets. But the main thing about them, which relates to my ability, is that they have another form. Dragons, ranging from all sizes and colours. I’ve seen them, once. I can’t even explain what I felt in that moment…” Rowan’s eyes moved back to the fire, staring into its depths, “It’s scales… seemed to glitter as if all the twinkling stars were contained within them. It could fly with effortless grace… it’s both terrifying and awe inspiring. That shape change is similar to mine, but I don’t know how it works. I’m not even sure if they understand it, because I tried asking but they had no answers for me. I might be able to change myself into one of them, but… I’ve not dared to try. It smacks too close to blasphemy to me.” He shook his head slightly before looking back at her, “Your people should be able to share some sympathy with them, because they’re hunted too. They’ve been in a war that’s gone on for so long it’s hard to comprehend it. Millions of them have died, all to stop the Daedra from either wiping them out or enslaving them. It’s why they’ve generally kept to themselves, except for a bit of trading with a town that’s near their city. That’s the town I’m heading towards.” 

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ildran River

Natia listened intently as Rowan continued to explain his decision to keep his ability hidden. While she still didn't fully understand, she could tell there must have been a lot of tension surrounding the use of magic among his people. She decided not to press further on the subject at the moment since it might be a bit intrusive. As she continued to listen to his words, she heard him apologize for her people's situation, although she blushed softly as he so bluntly used the term 'sex slaves.' She didn't take offense to it or anything, she had just never been around anyone who would be capable of talking about something like sex so openly without any sort of euphemism. She couldn't fathom the idea of ever submitting willingly to another person. Living with every action you're allowed to make deictated by your master... could it really be considered living at all? It was already hard enough for her to imagine boxing herself inside a single village for the rest of her life and living by the laws of a centralized government. Sure, the Aequu had guidelines to follow, but those were more so warnings about the potential consequences of certain actions than actual rules they were required to follow with the use of disciplinary action to enforce them. Living on your knees and eating out of your owner's hand... it just sounded absolutely humiliating to her. But, if there really were people out there who enjoyed such a position, she supposed she had no reason to judge them, so long as no one ended up mistaking herself as a slave.

As the thought crossed her mind, Natia blushed again and looked down at herself. She had been offering her help to Rowan in exchange for food and protection herself. And with this collar around her neck, she could imagine any passerby to assume that was exactly her role. In all fairness, though, she could have ended up in the arms of some pervert who wanted to use her because her petite body reminded him of a child. Rowan seemed to have respect for her and her people. Something about his presence calmed her. Compared to what her fate could have been, the idea of being a slave to a man like Rowan didn't seem like too bad of an alternative. She couldn't imagine herself feeling much more humiliated than she already was, and without her magic, her employment options were quite limited... she wasn't even certain that the people at this village they were headed to would even be capable of removing her collar. She looked up at his golden eyes once again with a soft smile. Her body began to feel a little warmer as she began to think that perhaps being a servant really wouldn't be so bad... She was about to say something she would probably regret before Rowan had begun to speak again, stopping her from opening her mouth and shaming herself and likely her entire race by admitting the thoughts that had just crossed her mind. She quickly shifted her focus back to the crackling fire as Rowan began to explain the Eldyrannth to her. She found herself mesmerized by his description of their draconian forms. 

"That sounds... beautiful... I hate that this world has to be filled with such cruelty. These Daedra... they sound like absolute monsters." she crossed her arms and bit her lip, knowing she was speaking about people with powers far beyond her own. She knew that even with her power restored, she would likely stand no chance against such a powerful enemy, and that challenging them would likely only result in her own death or enslavement. They might not even need a collar to keep her from escaping, either. It would probably only be more humiliating to be enslaved even at her full power. It only helped to make her feel tiny and insignificant in this massive world that she had only begun to explore. She found herself wondering if her father or any other Aequu had ever had any run-ins with such forces of evil. Perhaps such an encounter was exactly why her father was such a stickler for staying out of the public eye. "That's still not to say I hate these Daedra, though... I'm sure there is some explanation for their reasoning, same with those Hounds... They may be cruel, but surely there's a reason why. Perhaps they're afraid of being overpowered and want to exert their dominance... I've always been raised to understand that good and evil both exist for purposes beyond just fighting. Like predator and prey, they need each other for the natural world to thrive. That's not to say I'm defending their actions, but life is extremely valuable. I once wished that all predators would just disappear and leave the poor defenseless creatures they killed alone, but one day I found a rabbit that was dying because there just wasn't enough nutrients in the local plantlife. Today, I would never assume the world would be better if any part of it were missing, because I can only imagine that situation with that rabbit on a much more massive scale, affecting thousands or even millions of lives..." she touched her collar again. "Even the people who did this to me, I'm sure they have their reasons... maybe they just lacked empathy, or maybe they were desperate for money for their survival... It is not my place to judge others. I must leave that judgment to Goddess Cera and if Her guidance tells me to fight, then I will..."

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

Rowan eyed Natia for several moments, his gaze penetrating before he then smiled slightly and said, “You’re amazingly tolerant, you know that?” He then chuckled softly and looked back at the fire before saying, “Who knows; perhaps you are right. There might be some kind of reason behind their actions. Maybe they aren’t as evil as they seem… I’ve never met a Daedra so I can’t say for sure… but, even if they have a valid reason, that doesn’t disregard the fact that their actions have brought pain and suffering to millions. People that did not ask for it, and who do not want to fight the Daedra. People who have absolutely no interest in overpowering others, or enslaving others. As for the slavers… well, I think their main drive was profit; money. You need money in order to survive in this world. The more money you have, the better home you can have and the better food that you can eat. So I suppose, you could argue that they were driven by the need for survival…” He then shook his head, “But there are other, better ways of making money that doesn’t involve the exploitation of others. I suppose that’s where the lack of empathy comes in… they don’t care about other people. Just themselves… greed is a powerful motivator to some.”

He fell silent, before he then let out a wide yawn, covering his mouth politely as he did so. Afterwards, he shook his head slightly to keep himself awake. He sat himself up straighter, picking up the wineskin and taking another sip before putting it aside. He glanced outside again, where the rain had let up slightly but it still continued to pour down as if it had not rained in weeks. He then looked back at Natia, wanting to continue talking because it was helping him stay awake and alert, which he needed to right now just in case something decided to come join them from out in the rain. After a moment of thinking about what to say, he then asked, “You don’t have to explain it to me… but who is this Goddess Cera you keep talking about? You’ve mentioned her several times, but she’s not a deity I’ve ever heard of.” 

While he was asking partially to help keep him awake, he was also asking out of genuine interest as he wanted to learn more about her people. Any information might prove useful, if he ran into her people in the future. Not to exploit them, but to ease their minds to the fact that he meant them no threat. A fighter and assassin he might be, he did not harm those that didn’t deserve it. If Natia’s people were peaceful, then they fell into the group that he wouldn’t want to harm. However, taking a page from his father’s book, knowing about her people would help in a diplomatic sense. He would be able to better talk on their level, instead of trying to force them to speak on his. It was far better for diplomatic relations, as it showed that he had a level of respect for their culture and he wasn’t swimming in ignorance. 

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

Natia felt slightly unnerved as Rowan stared at her in silence for a few moments. Had she said something to offend him? Perhaps she shouldn't have volunteered her opinion on such a sensitive topic... He then put a stop to her self-doubt my complimenting her on her tolerance, which caused her to smile warmly as well. She nodded as he continued to explain the evils and why he couldn't tolerate them himself. "I understand your views. The people who live within the confines of civilization have a number of fears and struggles that my people are lucky enough to avoid with out way of life. To this day, I hardly understand how your people can put so much value on these meaningless pieces of metal... What is the purpose of currency? If one needs help, is it not your duty to help them in any way you can regardless of how much money they possess? I don't particularly blame any individual among society, I suppose, but rather civilization as a whole. It seems like civilization is meant to be a way for everyone to work together and grow exponentially, but it's like people are far too distrusting of each other, so they instead have to put their efforts into ways to demand that everyone gets what they need. It's really not much different than living in the wild, except instead of desperately searching for food, water, and shelter, they're desperately searching for the money to maintain their permission to have those things. It just seems cruel to me. If I had to blame anything for all this cruelty, I would blame fear... Since, at the end of the day, the need for money only comes from the fear that one's neighbor wouldn't help them in the time of need without being forced to by some sort of governing body... But even then, fear has its important purposes, so I can't exactly wish that away, either." 

She shrunk down, thinking about the way those men treated her in the caravan, completely ignoring her crying and protests, like they had heard it all a million times. Back then, she was far too scared to really think about it rationally, but why were those men so cruel? She had always been warned of the cruelties of the outside world, but that didn't make it any less jarring having experienced it firsthand. They thought nothing of the fact that they were going to change her life permanently and she wouldn't have had a choice in the matter at all. The idea of being bought and sold as a product and then raped and abused by some complete stranger made her stomach turn. Did she really mean what she had said before about not bringing herself to hate anyone? Maybe she did hate those men... it was clear that if she ever came face to face with one of those men again, they likely wouldn't ask for forgiveness in the slightest. Because she wasn't a person to them, she didn't deserve even the most basic respect. They would just grab her and steal her away once again. Would she be capable of finding it in her heart to forgive them even under those conditions? She pulled her knees tighter against her chest as she fought back the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She had never been so hurt before. What was Cera's plan for her? What purpose in the greater scheme did this experience serve? Did Cera want her to become cold and empty? Surely not, Cera was a calming presence, why would she punish her with so much severity? Had she forgotten some important value? Could this all be retribution for her willful disobedience of her father?

As she was lost in thought, she heard Rowan speak up again. which distracted her from her self-loathing. "Goddess Cera is... well, she's the Goddess that we believe to have created all life in the world." She chose her words carefully, knowing that religion was a very touchy subject for many people, although Rowan didn't seem the type to be offended by something like this, she wanted to play it safe. "She created the fabric of reality out of the five white elements and four black elements. Some believe she is merely a symbolic figure and that she is more or less what you might call 'mother nature,' a symbol of the natural world, but my tribe strongly believes that she is a physical deity. Cera created the Aequu for the purpose of maintaining order in nature while her attention is diverted. In times like these, her attention most certainly is torn across all the wrongdoings in the world, so they are very trying times. She is a very calming presence. She maintains order in an otherwise chaotic world. She ensures all of the elements are in perfect balance as well as good and evil. She doesn't demand any sort of sacrifice or ritual for her honor, she simply demands that the people of her world take care of her beautiful work of art. I love to honor her by decorating the paths I take in beautiful flowers and fruit." She looked over the fire and out of the cave. "One day, I hope to have traveled this entire world and seen everything she had placed there for us to see. I've seen so much in my lifetime already, and it's all been so beautiful... even here, despite the danger, these trees are really pretty. Even this cave is awe-inspiring to me," she found herself smiling as she glanced around the small alcove. "Maybe it's just me, but I love even the smallest of details that even people of my tribe often overlook."

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

“Mmm…” Rowan hummed softly in thought when Natia had finished speaking. He found the explanation interesting, and if he did encounter her people at least he would know what they meant when referring to this Goddess. He personally doubted she existed, but he respected her right to believe what she wanted. He looked around at the alcove that they were staying in as she mentioned that she found it awe-inspiring. He wasn’t entirely sure what she found so awe-inspiring. It was like any other little alcove he had sheltered in, with bare rock and foliage clinging to the rock around the entrance. He shrugged, before he looked back at her,

“Interesting. Thanks for telling me. I like learning about other religions… I’m not… particularly religious myself… I’m…” He paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. After a moment he then shrugged, “I’ve just never found a religion that suits me. Christianity is a common religion in Selil due to the humans but… my lifestyle clashes with it. I’m twenty-six, and I’ve never married but I’ve had sex before. That’s something that they definitely frown upon, and some people can get very… intense, with their ferver. It just isn’t for me. So… I just don’t bother with it.” He fell silent for a few moments, thinking. The first thing she said bothered him a little, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it until he started thinking about her answer to his question. He looked back over to her, before he said,

“I think you answered your own problem, by the way, about people being too distrusting. If your religion states that Cera keeps a balance between good and evil, then there is surely evil there to balance out the good? Evil people will do evil things like lie, cheat, steal, hurt and exploit. Good people need to defend themselves against that. That is why people are distrusting. I wouldn’t be able to have the front door of my home unlocked, because there will be someone that will come along and steal my things, or even damage my home. Look… I think I will have to disagree with you on the issue about helping others. I can see where you’re coming from, but I have a feeling that because your population is so low, it’s easy to share the resources everyone gathers. That simply can’t be done in a place like Selil. There are just too many people to share food and water out to. Everyone would end up starving to death. Besides, I’ve got quite a bit of money. Money I worked very hard to obtain, with my own sweat and hard work. If I decide to go ahead and buy people food and water, that reduces my resources that I worked hard to accumulate, and they get something, for doing absolutely nothing. They don’t have to work hard, and yet they will get the same basics as I would. How is it fair to me? That I’m the one that works hard, but have to give the fruits of my labour to other people?” He shook his head, “A society based on a system like that would function very poorly. Not only does it adversely affect me, in the long run it does them as well. Because they become dependant on me for their food. What will happen when I run out of money? Then they’re back at square one again but this time it will be worse because they’ve become used to being dependant. They won’t know how to get these things themselves.” He gave her a smile before adding,

“I don’t say this to make you feel bad, because I understand where you’re coming from. I just think that there are much better ways to deal with the problem. For example… If I start up a business… selling, say, wooden furniture. If I end up doing really well, getting lots of customers as well as a lot of money… that will allow me to hire another person to help fill in orders. This puts money in the pocket of that person and allows him to buy food and water for his family. And he isn’t getting that money for free. He’s earning it, by working hard. The more my business grows, the more people I can hire. I would be more than happy to give them money, because at least they’re working for it. They’re not expecting me to give it to them, without providing anything in return. That’s how I choose to help poor people. You see, in a large society we need people to work hard, otherwise they will stagnate and everyone will suffer as a result. Do you understand what I’m trying to say here?”

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

Natia could notice Rowan's confusion as he looked around at the small shelter. She just giggled slightly. "You don't agree? But you intentionally seeked out a place just like this to take shelter from the rain. Haven't you ever stopped to consider just how reliable places like this are? It's like they were designed intentionally for people and animals in situations like ours. It's easy to take for granted the beauty of the natural world when you're on top of the world and can do whatever you want, but then in just one night, all of that can be taken from you and you find yourself crawling back to nature to keep you safe." 

She listened considerately to Rowan's assertion as to why he isn't particularly religious and just smiled. "Knowing that a deity is watching over you is a massive boost in confidence, even if the people of this world frown upon you..." she paused a bit and gripped her arm. "Although... maybe I have become a bit too reliant on Cera's gift... perhaps that's part of why she allowed this to happen to me. Maybe she wants me to adapt to living without magic so that I can have more appreciation for it, I'm... I'm not really sure." She shakes her head. "All I know is that Goddess Cera has a plan for me. Perhaps I'm supposed to help you with something, or maybe I'm supposed to learn something important on our travels. Maybe I'm supposed to help put a stop to the Daedra. I honestly don't know what my calling is, but there has to be some purpose for all of this...

Natia frowned as Rowan expressed his views on economy. Perhaps it was a necessity with the way their culture worked, but in her eyes, that was exactly the problem. "Ideally, everybody would do their part to help the community. If the community as a whole needs more food, more people would farm for it. I feel as though, with money involved, people are less likely to want to do any sort of charitable work simply because there is no monetary benefit to them. The way my tribe works is that the youth are trained by the tribe's elder in the ways of our magic while the more mature of us work together as a team to do whatever tasks need to be done in the area, such as monitoring the weather, searching for potential dangers, fixing any unnatural damage, etc. I'm sure there are other tribes that handle things differently, but the way we function, we have absolutely no need for things like money. Everyone does their part because if they don't, it will just make things harder for everyone else. In worst case scenarios, people may be exiled from the tribe for their dishonor, but I've only ever seen one case of that in my entire life. It's true that it's easier for us due to our smaller numbers and our ability to use magic, but what humans lack in magic ability, they gain in numbers and manpower. If everyone did their part, I'm sure they could divide the necessary tasks among the entire population and ensure that they have everything they need for survival, also without the need of money. If anybody was unwilling to do any work, they would not be able to reap the benefits the others receive. That way, their value to society is determined by the amount of work they do rather than the amount of meaningless coins they receive through unknown, and potentially illegal means. I would imagine things like slave trafficking would also be significantly less common."

She looked up at Rowan again and then back to the fire. "But I suppose I don't really know much about these other cultures... Maybe there are complications I wouldn't know about." She sighed. "I just wish everyone could get along, but I suppose it's that fear of evil that keeps it from being possible... but to live in such fear just doesn't seem right to me... I would like to think that people's own moral code should be enough to stop them from wrongdoing, but I guess that's just wishful thinking. I can't say I fully understand how exactly the balance of good and evil really works..."

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

Rowan sat and listened intently to Natia’s responses to his arguments. He was finding the conversation extremely stimulating, and it was helping keep his exhaustion at bay. Natia was very articulate with her own arguments. Such articulation was hard to come by, and Rowan had not had a conversation this interesting in a very long time. He didn’t care about winning, or losing the debate. He was simply enjoying having it. If Natia was a young member of their race, or even considered one of the slowest, then it meant that the Aequu were generally very intelligent. He decided to answer her in order of her response, “I suppose places like this are pretty reliable, especially when the weather has decided that it’s time to downpour. But I’ve never really thought about it. I’ve usually got things on my mind, so such thoughts haven’t really had the room to intrude. I travel through Craethiel quite a lot and I’ve stayed in places like this numerous times. As I… travel almost exclusively as a wolf, I find myself resting in a number of places. Sometimes in a cave like this one, or sometimes just curled up inside of a bush, where I would be out of sight and mind of people.” He smiled slightly, as he rather enjoyed the way that he travelled. There was a sense of unrivalled freedom about travelling the way he did. 

He shook himself from his thoughts to answer the second thing she had said, about her Goddess, “I’m not sure if knowing that a God was watching over me would give me a confidence boost… but then I’ve long learnt to look after myself. I create my own luck, honestly. Maybe this is a test for you, but I’m not going to say that for sure because I don’t know the mind of this Cera and nor do I want to presume I do.” He looked back at her, his golden eyes pensive, “I’m not sure what you could do to help stop the Daedra. If the Eldyrannth and all of their power couldn’t stop them, then how could you? They don’t listen to reason; that’s been tried over millenia and it’s not worked. Maybe this has happened to you, because Cera wants you to see the wider world. To get you out there. I’m not sure how sticky your people were about sticking together…” Rowan trailed off, giving her a shrug.

He then moved on to what he felt was the most interesting part of the conversation, “I think you are quite unaware of how complicated society is, especially in a place like Selil. It’s noble to wish that everyone would get along, but unfortunately, it just isn’t so. It doesn’t help that there are many different species that live together, and that can cause friction due to fear, and distrust. The nature of people is a very complex thing, and different people have different moral codes. Different opinions and different ways of doing things.” He looked down at his hands as he pressed his fingertips together as he mulled over what he wanted to say in his mind, to state it in an easy to understand manner instead of rambling on. He took a breath through his nose before he said, “There is one big problem about the solution that you offer, Natia. If there is no compensation to those farmers for their labour, what is their motivation to farm at all? Why should they grow all of that food, just so that other people can benefit from the fruit of their labours while they get nothing in return? People don’t work like that, at least none that I’ve ever encountered. The only way that you could get most people to get into the farms to farm enough food for everyone, is at the edge of a sword. That’s not motivation; that’s fear and intimidation. It’s slave labour. Making people work, for nothing, is slave labour and I don’t want to live in a society based on that. The thing is, money is a replacement system for bartering. It’s just easier to carry around than, say, a wagon of cabbages. Money gives people quite a bit of freedom, that your idea of society would never have. Let’s make this simple. A farmer grows his crops. Harvests them at the end of the year and stores enough food for him and his family, but he has a lot left over. He then takes that to the market, and sells it to people who need food who, in turn, give him money. He then takes that money, and buys supplies for the next years farming such as new tools, fertiliser, perhaps a new horse or wagon… it spreads his wealth around and puts it in the pockets of others. Then those people will use that money to buy things. Let’s take the blacksmith for example. He does not farm food himself, so he uses his money to buy food which trickles money back to the farmers. He also spends money on things like metal, which gives money to miners which in turn allows them to buy things. Sure, our society isn’t perfect, but it is what works for us. Your idea of an ideal society just wouldn’t work for us. People become bitter if they’re forced to work, only to have the fruits of their labour taken from them for redistribution and get nothing in return for it. As for your suggestion to those that don’t bother doing the work… they’re only going to resort to thievery to get what they want. And the more people that don’t bother working, the more thieves that will appear. They will form gangs that will terrorise the innocent people, and steal what little they have.”

Rowan paused for a moment, thinning his lips before he tilted his head slightly, “And then of course there is one crucial thing that you’ve forgotten about. People’s greed. The thing about power within any society, is that it tends to attract the greedy…” Rowan trailed off for a moment, thinking about his own brothers that fought with one another because they wanted to be the one to inherit his father’s throne when he passed away. They cared nothing about their father, only that he had power to bestow upon them. Something that turned his stomach. Getting back on track, he continued, “These greedy people would work their way to the positions of powers within your little society. Because there needs to be people to keep law and order. What if they start giving themselves more than their fair share? How would you punish them? If almost everyone is a farmer, they won’t have the skills to be able to deal with that situation. Everyone will starve to death in a large society. Perhaps not yours, though. The thing about a society that has a money based economy, it actually allows people to specialise such as a blacksmith, who produce tools that better peoples lives. It also allows for competition, such as a blacksmith that can do a better job of it, with better quality but may or may not be necessarily cheaper but gives people in the market the choice to decide. Hense; freedom. So the farmer, for example, might decide to spend a little bit more money in the short term, to buy better quality tools which saves him money in the long term. Such as a better tool in which to harvest his crops, allowing him to do a much faster job on a lot more. Over time, everyone’s quality of life will gradually improve, because with an incentive such as money it encourages people to come up with new ideas like a brand new tool that does twice the work of the previous generation of tools. The inventor is motivated, because he’ll get money in return and the farmer gets a much better tool that allows him to harvest more, which gives him more to sell. Does that make any sense to you, Natia? My kind of economy drives inventions, which I think would have a much better impact overall than some kind of share-with-no-compensation society. It’s exactly why my people, the Keza’maraki people, at least my clan are ahead of the humans. Because we drive this competition, and drive these inventions. We have tools that humans just don’t have, because of the way we use our economy to better ourselves.”

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

Natia frowned while rowan explained the reasoning for all of these factors. It did make sense, but it was quite disheartening to think that such a flawed system was their best bet. Surely there had to be something that could help more. "Well, they wouldn't have no compensation... their compensation would be their ability to work as a team and share their harvest in exchange for the fruit of others' labor, such as the tools you suggested..." she then curled up tighter. "But... I guess I just don't understand because we Aequu have never had any need for material goods. Perhaps we travel in smaller tribes specifically to avoid such corruption that comes with larger numbers and conflicting opinion... Maybe it's true that this competition would lead to improvement in the society, but how quickly do you think it would take for everyone involved to completely lose sight of what's important? Is it not jealousy that drives these people to compete? They may be improving, but it seems as though they are only doing so out of necessity. What happens when tragedy strikes? What if one of these blacksmiths grow ill? Would the other assist him, or selfishly reap the benefits of his inactivity and become stagnant? What if this jealousy grows so strong that it leads to theft or even murder? And there are so many more factors as well... I've seen multiple civilizations going to war over who owns what land and it is absolutely asinine to me. How could one be so selfish as to claim to own land? Would these people bottle up all the air in the world and take claim to that, too?"

She sighed. "I suppose I understand... People are just too selfish for peace to exist. That just makes me fear for the direction society is going, though. How long does it take for the people of the world to forget about the world itself and be blinded only by their need for money? If each tree they cut down earns them more money, how long until every last tree is cut down? If every beast they slay on the hunt earns them more money, how long until every last beast is slain? The world can only produce resources so fast... if the people just take and take from it, and make inventions to take more and more from it, when will every resource in the world be depleted? Would we begin to dig up the dirt until the entire world is dug upside-down, desperate to find just one last shiny jewel? Just because the logic and reasoning makes sense... it doesn't mean that it's okay... I just wish I knew how I could help."

Natia yawned slightly and pulled the blanket tighter against her. Rowan had opened her eyes to a much greater understanding of why society behaves the way it did. Even if she couldn't think of a proper way to help, she was at least thankful to know why. It was still saddening, though. The best she could do was trust in Cera's judgment about good and evil. Surely there had to be some upside to all this corruption. Perhaps after reaching the town they were currently headed to, she would be able to appreciate civilization more? Unfortunately, the more she thought about it, the idea of visiting a town only made her more nervous. She was going to be completely surrounded by outsiders, the exact type of people her father raised her to avoid at all costs. She had no idea what to expect, but somehow, part of her knew that she would be okay as long as she remained close to Rowan. He did make an interesting point, after all. It's possible that Cera had specifically separated her from her tribe so that she could be set on such a path to meet with outsiders? Perhaps her role was to bridge the gap and finally unite her people with the general public one day? But such an idea could never work, right? Their communities just seemed far too different. Her people would be taken advantage of, tricked, played, abused, raped... that was a burden she wasn't sure if she was ready to bear. 

"Greed... Greed truly seems to be the largest evil in the world..."

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

“It’s one of the greatest evils of this world, yes. I can’t disagree with you there. Unfortunately, that’s the way the world is. You were lucky to be born into a society that was clearly very trusting. Not everyone is like that. As you said, people are selfish… but that’s how they’ve been able to survive. Selil is a city with thousands of people. That’s just too many opinions and too many mouths to feed with a share-alike system. The problem is, is that the ability to work as a team, and sharing their harvest is not compensation for hours, days and weeks toiling hard in the fields. It’s just something they would not accept. They would eventually become bitter and stop farming because they wouldn’t see the point. As I said; they would have no motivation. There is nothing to drive them because at the end of the day, the only people they care about is them and their family. I personally think you might be worrying about nothing. Sure, there are selfish people, but there are also plenty of unselfish people who do indeed do charitable work. Who do help the sick and injured. Not everyone is as bad as you think. I have my selfish tendencies, especially when it comes to business and making money, but in that selfishness, I’m helping people. Bringing them food, water and items that they normally wouldn’t have access to, especially in your idea of a perfect society. I also can’t charge outrageous prices for the items I provide, because there is too much competition. That actually drives costs down, making things more affordable to the poor. I also provide a lot of people with jobs, which not only gives them money but it gives them purpose and meaning in life. I don’t think the people of Craethiel are ready for the kind of society you prefer. There’s just too much greed.” Rowan replied, picking up another small piece of wood and throwing it on the fire,

“Wars are never pretty. I’ve seen them myself. Honestly, I’ve seen more wars over religion than I have over land although that’s not to say there hasn’t been any. Craethiel was formed by such a war, where two King’s fought with each other for possession of this land, only for one of them to win out in the end. But that was a long time ago and there hasn’t been a territorial war since and one would have thought there would be, especially since the power centre for both my people, and the humans reside within Selil. But instead of fighting one another, we’ve learned to get along and work together instead of fighting. The war that involves the Eldyrannth is something else entirely. A case of ‘we don’t want to get enslaved so we’re going to fight back’. Which, I can’t blame them. Then of course, there’s the Black Ones…” Here, Rowan paused as he winced a little, “They are rather territorial. They’re on an island, off the coast of Craethiel but I know for a fact that they have camps around the Kingdom. You want to talk about greed and selfishness, they’re certainly that in spades. They’re here for one thing, and one thing only; conquest. My people, at least my clan, have long grown out of conquests like that. That’s partly why I think you’re worried over nothing. Despite the flaws, my people are doing better than they did a few hundred years ago. I don’t know about the humans, but I image they do, too. I suppose we could ask the Eldyrannth. They’ve been here long enough to know this land before any of us were ever here. But I think this is something you won’t truly understand until you’ve seen the wider world. You’ll see that things aren’t really as bad as you think they might be. For example, it’s against the law for woodcutters to come to this forest and cut the trees down. Granted, it’s partly because it’s dangerous but this forest has stood for a long time and they don’t want to see it disappear. So, despite its selfish-seeming nature, it does something good.”

He once again picked up the wineskin, taking another sip of it before putting it back down and letting out a sigh, “At the end of the day, Natia… what works for you, won’t work for everyone else. Likewise, what works for us, might not work for you. That’s not to say we can’t get on with one another, much like how my people and humans get on. There are a lot of differences in our culture, and beliefs but we put them aside so that we can work together because at the end of the day, such a friendly relationship benefits the both of us. For both selfish, and unselfish reasons.” He then gave a shrug, “It’s a very complicated issue, and people are very complicated. Far too complicated for me to try and explain it… even I’m generalising a bit more than I would prefer.” He chuckled softly before shaking his head and letting out a wide yawn, covering his mouth so not to be rude. He blinked his eyes a couple of times before turning to look out at the rain again, glad that the cool air coming in from the rain outside was giving some relief to his burning eyes.

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

Smiling while Rowan seemed to reassure her that there was much more good to their system than she initially thought, Natia found herself relaxing once again. With the blanket tight against her body she gently leaned her small head onto Rowan's shoulder and closed her eyes. Her exhaustion had begun to catch back up to her. "Thank you... It means a lot to know that, even where I thought there was nothing but darkness, there is still light." She still held his hand softly. Even among her people, this was a bit more intimate than they tended to get, but with Rowan, she didn't mind. Perhaps this discussion was exactly what Cera had in mind for her. Maybe this was a part of the world's beauty she hadn't been able to see before and Rowan personally helped her to see that. Listening to the rain bouncing off the forest leaves and serenading over the crackling fire, Natia yawned again and her breathing began to slow. Her grip on his hand loosened slightly and she slowly began to fall into a peaceful sleep. The constant tapping of the rainwater echoed through her mind, helping her to remain relaxed while the warmth of the campfire and the blanket helped her to stay relatively comfortable. It still was slightly less comfortable than she was used too, but having Rowan there as support seemed to help make it better. Something about this man had really grown on her. Perhaps it was his unexpected generosity. He had sacrificed so many of his limited goods just for her own well-being. It honestly made her feel a little guilty. She was going to have to think of a way to repay him sooner or later...

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

Rowan turned his head back, blinking a little when he felt a small weight on his shoulder before he smiled slightly, as he felt oddly protective over this young woman. She looked so tired. But when he thought she had fallen asleep, she said softly something causing his smile to widen. He replied in a soft voice, “There is always good, even when everything seems evil.” He squeezed the fingers that were clasped within his, as he watched her for several long moments as she yawned again before she settled down and her breathing settled down to a rhythm that sleeping people had. When he was sure that she was asleep, he reached out with his free hand and pushed back a rebellious lock of hair that had fallen down onto her forehead. He tucked it behind her ear before he looked back out into the rain. As much as he was craving sleep himself right now, he didn’t want to fall asleep. Not when Natia was so defenseless. He didn’t want to be caught sleeping on the job.

He gritted his teeth, fighting the exhaustion that seemed to cause every bone in his body to ache. He could feel his body protesting, filling him with the urge to lie down in a comfortable bed to rest. His head felt thick and heavy, while his eyes felt like burnt holes in his head. The rain didn’t help either. It was trying to seduce him, much like it seemed to have seduced Natia. Moving carefully to avoid nudging Natia, as he didn’t want to wake her back up, he reached out with his free hand and dipped it into his bag to pull out a piece of dry meat. He wasn’t particularly hungry, but the chewing of the tough meat will help him stay awake. He wondered how they were going to get to the next town. They could travel the way they had escaped those Hounds, but it might prove tiresome to Natia, especially if she hadn’t recovered her strength. Perhaps they should stay there until she was well enough for travel. 

Rowan found that he was subconsciously stroking his thumb against her fingertips in a caressing manner, as if this action would help her sleep easier. He paused for a moment, wondering why he was doing it, before he continued doing it. It was helping keep him relaxed as well. The only problem was, was that he could feel his eyes getting heavier. The burning was getting worse. Everytime he blinked, his eyelids would fight against him to open up again. Soon, he found himself nodding his head, and knew that he was fighting a battle he would eventually lose. He took a deep breath, leaning his head back against the wall of the cave. He decided to get a small amount of sleep, and hoped to wake before Natia. He was a light sleeper, and even something as small as the snapping of a twig was lightly to wake him up. Granted, it meant that he would awaken at even a small creature moving past the cave, but it was better than waking up to find his stomach being torn out by a Hound. He closed his eyes, his ears twitching slightly, as he allowed himself to surrender finally to sleep.

Later, Rowan found himself snapping awake, his gaze immediately looking out of the cave. His ears twitched forwards, listening intently but everything was silent. The rain had stopped, with no sign of its passing other than faint drips of water running off of leaves onto the ground, or other foliage. It was pitch black outside, meaning that it had been several hours since he had fallen asleep, perhaps close to dawn. The fire had burnt down to mere coals that still warmed the cave but gave off a soft, ruddy glow. He wasn’t sure what had woken him up, as it was completely silent outside. The other sounds he was aware of, other then the dripping water, was Natia’s soft breathing and the occasional quiet pop of the coals. He relaxed a little, thinking that perhaps there was nothing to worry about. He had woken merely because his body had, had enough rest to keep him going. He certainly felt better than he did several hours ago. He would sit and wait, until either Natia woke, or morning. Then he felt that it might be best for them to move on. But he remained quiet, so that he didn’t wake Natia up so that she could get as much rest as she could.

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

It would be another few hours before Natia awoke. The sun had just begun peeking over the horizon once again when her purple eyes began to blink open. After she awoke, she remained still for a few minutes. She could hear morning birds chirping from the trees as the sun's faint light blanketed the grass outside, leaking into the cave ever so slightly. The rain had stopped, but the ground still looked fairly damp. In the moment, she had forgotten what a dangerous forest they were in. Everything just felt so peaceful. She then noticed that Rowan hadn't moved much at all. Her head was still leaned against his shoulder and their hands were still holding. It took her a few more moments to notice he was gently rubbing his thumb over her fingers which showed an unexpectedly gentle side of his touch. He mentioned having a sister, so maybe taking care of that sister was how he learned to be so gentle? Of course, she didn't know if it was an older or younger sister, it was just a guess. Either way, she was sure he must have had experience with children. 

As she went along with that train of thought, she glanced down at their hands and realized how much smaller hers was than him. It was reasonable, as the Aequu were a species of relatively smaller builds and even among them, she was probably the smallest of her age. But considering how little Rowan seemed to know about the Aequu, she had to wonder if he thought she was just a child rather than a grown woman. If he did think of her as a child, he would have at least acknowledged her maturity given the discussion they had the previous night, but it was still a little embarrassing that she was probably significantly older than he was despite her size. 

After those few minutes of silence, she slowly sat up with a yawn and glanced back up at Rowan with a soft smile. "Good morn-" she started before she noticed the bags under Rowan's eyes signaling that he hadn't slept well at all. "-ning..." she slowed down as her concern grew for the man. "Are you... feeling okay?" 

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

When Rowan felt the first stirrings from Natia, he pulled his eyes away from outside, where he had been watching the light of the sun slowly creeping across the grassy floor towards their cave. He watched as she sat up straighter before letting out a yawn before turning her sweet smile to him, which made him smile back at her. At her question, his smile turned into a grin as he nodded,

“Yes, I’m fine. I got a few hours sleep last night, but it was enough to give me a refresh. I’ve been keeping an eye out since. I just look very tired because I didn’t get any sleep the night before. But I’m more than fine; I promise.” Rowan replied, squeezing her hand in a reassuring manner. He then pulled his hand away from hers as he said, “I should make us something to eat. I don’t particularly want to linger in this forest. It’s the most dangerous part of Craethiel.” He picked up several of the sticks that he had collected the night before, and used them to stir the warm coals of the fire which he had been keeping alive throughout the night so that Natia wouldn’t wake up cold. 

“I was thinking some porridge. It’s filling and will be warm.” Rowan then added, as he fished out a small metal cooking pot from his bag, along with a bag of porridge oats which he poured into the bowl. He then used water from his waterskin to fill up the metal bowl, before stirring it with a wooden spoon that he had as he placed it beside the fire. He then offered the waterskin to Natia, “I didn’t see you drink yesterday. Here; you must be thirsty. Breakfast shouldn’t be too long until it’s ready.” He said.

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

Natia wasn't entirely convinced by his reassurance, but she nodded regardless. It wasn't healthy to stay awake for too long, especially when travelling. Even with her magic, exhaustion wasn't something that could be cured easily. However, she didn't want to press the issue too hard. She was sure Rowan was an experienced traveller and is well aware of the consequences of sleepless nights. Perhaps in such a dangerous place, he had adapted to surviving off of little sleep. Natia nodded in agreement when he explained that he didn't want to linger too long within this forest. Beyond the danger the hounds and whatever other beasts provided, she simply didn't want to be in the place she had escaped from her slavers. For all she knew, they could have survived and been on the hunt for their escaped slave...

Natia watched as Rowan mixed the water and oats into a thick-looking gruel before handing the waterskin to her for a drink. She nodded, appreciative of his concern, before taking a drink from the small pouch. She could still taste a little dirt in the water, but just like before, she had no right to complain. She was just thankful to have such a convenient source of it in such a difficult time. When she was drinking, she looked down at the pot. It most certainly didn't look appetizing to her, but she was admittedly curious the same way she had been about the bread before. "I've never really eaten foods like these. They are... strange to me." She found herself speaking up. "Your bread and this porridge seem quite heavily processed... I suppose these are products of your farming? My people simply eat natural fruits and herbs that we grow ourselves with our abilities, so we have no need for such complex methods of food preparation." She looked up, realizing that she may be coming off as a bit rude. "Th-that's not to say that I don't enjoy these wonderful gifts of food! I just find the processes behind them very interesting. It's curious and quite impressive how you've managed to thrive without immediate access to all your basic needs. I can't imagine living in such a way...

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

Rowan gave a soft chuckle to let Natia know that he wasn’t offended in the slightest by her curiosity and questions. He stirred the contents of the pot as it thickened before he said, “Oats are a cereal grain that, yes, we farm. If you think this porridge requires a lot of preparation, then you should see my best friend. He’s a Chef, and he takes cooking into an art form. He cooks a whole range of food that just tastes amazing. I have never tasted food as good as his.” Rowan grinned, remembering the taste of Gavrilovich’s apple pies in particular with the crisp, flaky pastry and the sweet delectable insides that never failed to get a moan of appreciation from him. Rowan went on to say, “Not only is he good at it; he loves doing it. It’s something he does as a hobby, actually, but he’s by far the best. But, these oats… when you add water, they thicken up into a porridge that is quite filling. It will very nicely tide you over for a few hours. It’s even better with fresh milk, but that’s not possible to take on a journey. It goes bad quite quickly.” 

Rowan pulled the pot away from the heat of the fire, tilting it to Natia as he stirred it to show that it was now a nice thick porridge, “It won’t have much flavour to it, honestly. Sugar is an expensive commodity.” He then added as he put the pot on the ground and fished around in his bag and pulling out a bowl, along with a couple of spoons. Using the larger wooden spoon, he poured half into the bowl, which he then handed to Natia with a spoon while he ate some straight from the pot itself, as he only had the one bowl. Not that he was bothered about eating out of the pot. In fact he often ate from it, because it was less effort. After he had swallowed his first mouthful, he asked, “So your people just grow your food? What about meat? How do you get your hands on that?”

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

"Wow! You mean even a non-magic user can create art out of food? And even go so far as to improve its taste!?" Natia sat up with a surprised smile on her face. Looking at the bread and the porridge, she had assumed that all of this food made my non-magic folk would be similar bland, amorphous shapes. The idea that somebody could take food like this and make art of out it was quite intriguing to her. "With magic, I can create really pretty fruits and use them for decoration, but altering their taste isn't really a possibility. At least, not to my level of knowledge, anyway. My mother loved to make really large, bright, and delicious strawberries!" She found herself curious, she wanted to taste this chef's food now, but she felt it may be a little presumptuous to ask Rowan to take her to see his best friend, so she decided to leave that curiosity to herself, at least for now. 

Natia nodded as Rowan asked about her people's food. "That's right! We make it ourselves by combining the elements. Just like humans, plants need a very specific balance of the elements to survive. It's one of the first skills we're taught as children, actually, as it's very important for our survival. Usually, plants are mostly made of water with a little earth, air, and aether to keep its energy up. Fire has to be maintained at a delicate level, too. Too much or too little of any one element can have devastating results for the creation. That goes for everything in the world, even living beings like us. When we create fruit for eating, we can basically make whatever we want since we're going to eat it right away, but when making fruit or other plants for decoration, we usually have to match them with the environment so that they can be cared for by Cera." She paused for a moment after recognizing the rest of Rowan's question. She blinked. "Meat? You mean, like, animals?" she shook her head. "No, no, my tribe is adamantly against needless slaughter of animals, and creating meat with magic would require delving into the forbidden elements, which is a deity's work alone. We do not eat meat unless we are in an extreme desperate situation..." she winced slightly as those last words left her mouth, imagining that she could very well find herself in a situation where she'll have no choice but to consume meat. "We... we get all the nutrients we need from our fruit and vegetables we consume. We are more like spirits than people, I suppose. We are meant to watch after the world and bless it with beauty, we are not meant to take from it as other creatures are, although Cera is a generous goddess and is more than willing to help with her own gifts in times of need."

Natia then recalled something Rowan said earlier about the porridge and why it would lack flavor. It didn't really register with her in the moment, but she found it quite odd, so she decided to speak up about it. "Sugar is expensive, you said?" she asked with a quizzical look on her face. "But, it's right there in almost all fruits, isn't it? That's how they get their natural, sweet taste to begin with." She paused for a moment before looking back out at the trees of the forest and getting an idea. "Oh! I bet we could find some sort of fruit in the forest to mix with the porridge and help give it more flavor!" Of course, without being made by her own hand, the fruit would likely not be nearly as fresh and pure as she'd be used to, but she had been longing for the taste of a juicy fruit since her kidnapping. However, it could just be wishful thinking. She was well aware by now that this forest was quite dangerous, and Rowan would probably be against needlessly searching it for something so unnecessary.

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

Rowan listened attentively as she explained how she and her people got their food. It sounded a little complicated, but then it would to someone completely unfamiliar with their magic form. Just as he was sure that the process of cooking an apple pie would be complicated to Natia if she were to sit and watch his good friend Gavrilovich cooking. He wished she didn’t have that collar on, because he very much wanted to see her magic in action, if only to satisfy his curiosity. He was a little surprised when she stated clearly that her people were completely against the consumption of animals, but then he recalled that she said that they got all of their nutrients from fruit. He supposed there was no point to eating meat if that was the case. He remembered that Gavrilovich said that Keza’s needed to eat meat as part of a balanced diet. One that didn’t, ended up being weak and feeble. So Rowan could only assume they couldn’t survive on a diet on what Gavrilovich called ‘rabbit food’. His lips curved a little at that, the thought of his friend amusing him. He then refocused on Natia when she spoke again. He looked down at the porridge in the pot, before he looked out of the cave, his ear twitching,

“The sugar I speak of, is processed sugar that has been extracted from a certain plant and condensed into a powder. But as for fruit… I suppose, but I’m not sure it’s even worth the effort…” Rowan said, putting his pot of porridge down before he stood up and went to the mouth of the alcove, before looking around before he spotted a familiar looking bush nearby, with little black fruits clustered around it, “I think you’re in luck, Natia. I can see Blackberries nearby.” He said, calling back to her in a soft voice. After all, he didn’t want to announce their presence to the entire forest. He looked carefully at the bush, seeing that the fruits were properly ripe enough for picking, and he had to admit they did look tasty. The sugar could do them both good at the moment, as it would give them a boost of energy to help get them through the day. He went over to the bush, reaching out and lightly tugging on one which came away from the bush easily. Pleased, he began to pluck more from the bush until he had a small handful before he returned to the cave and presented it to Natia,

“Are these suitable? There’s more where they came from.” He asked her as he tilted his hand towards her to show the small black berries. He was actually surprised there had been anything out there at all, especially not already eaten by animals. He gathered that they had been lucky that morning, before he idly wondered what was going to be the unlucky thing that balanced it out. Rowan knew that he was often lucky, but when that happened he always kept on his toes just in case the Universe decided it was going to play a nasty little trick on him, by pulling the carpet out from under his feet. 

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

Natia sat up excitedly when she saw the berries Rowan plucked. His assertion earlier had convinced her not to get her hopes up. "Those look wonderful! And I recognize them, so I know they're not poisonous or anything. I was worried this forest would be full of strange fruits and berries that could be potentially fatal..." She looked down at the berries with a bright smile. "Yeah! They have a bit of a sour taste to them, but they are also pretty sweet! I do typically prefer sweeter fruits, but these are more than welcome!"

She sat up closer to the pot. "So, I guess we just throw them in and mix it up, right? I suppose we'll need some more." Natia sat back and lifted the bowl Rowan had handed to her. She hadn't even tasted the food yet. She figured she should probably at least try it before mixing in the berries, so she took the spoon and lifted it to her soft lips. It was still quite hot, but had mostly been cooled down since it had been sitting in her hands. As expected, there really wasn't any taste at all. It felt more like something that you would only eat out of necessity, which she supposed made sense considering Rowan's survival instincts. Whatever the case, it was certainly better than tasting horrible, although it still seemed to have that same dirty taste to it which at this point just seemed inevitable.

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

“That’s what I assumed we would do.” Rowan replied to Natia’s question about throwing them on. He watched curiously as she tasted a sample from her bowl, wondering if she was going to do a comparative taste test. She certainly looked as if she was intently studying the taste intently. The corner of his lip twitched slightly in amusement, finding it endearing of her. He handed her the berries, before he said, “Those are for you. I’ll be back in a moment.” He then left the cave, returning to the blackberry bush and picking up a handful for himself. He came back to the cave, lightly jiggling them in his hand as he told her, “I think there are some strange fruits in this forest. This entire forest is filled with strange things, like the Hounds, dragons, wyverns, the Sex Tree…” Rowan shook his head slightly as he sat himself down, crossing his legs as he dropped the berries into his pot of porridge,

“But Blackberries are quite common throughout the country. So it’s not surprising that I was able to find one. I’m just surprised the fruit wasn’t already eaten.” He said, giving her a little grin as he picked up the pot and stirred it to mix the berries into the thick mixture. He accidentally crushed a few, but that only caused the sweet juices to escape to better flavour the cereal. He then scooped some up on his spoon and ate it, rolling it around in his mouth. The sweetly bitter taste of the berry certainly added a new depth to the porridge, and he rather liked it. When he swallowed his mouthful, he said,

“This was a good idea, Natia.” He then gave her a smile before spooning another mouthful into his mouth. He was quite hungry, due to his nighttime vigil, and was glad for something filling as well as satisfying. The berries would give them a nice short-term energy kick while the porridge would sustain them until dinner time in the afternoon. Rowan hoped to be out of the Rosayia Forest by that point, so that they were no longer in almost constant danger. He had his fingers crossed that they wouldn’t encounter anything, but he knew that perhaps that hope was in vain. He just hoped he was able to keep Natia safe.

[Aura]

As Rowan dropped the berries into her small hands, Natia smiled before dropping them into her bowl and carefully mixing the berries into the porridge. While Rowan was busy collecting more berries, Natia lifted the spoon to her lips to try another bite. While the porridge was still quite bland, the blackberries certainly gave it a bit of flavor which was more than enough to satisfy her under the circumstances. She continued eating from the bowl while Rowan returned and began discussing the types of creatures in the forest. She almost choked, however, when he unexpectedly listed something as bizarre as a 'sex tree.' She could only imagine a creature disguised as a normal tree but with long, penis-like branches to wrap around unwary travelers, and... Her face was already bright red as she bit her lip. Surely she just misheard him. If that were the case, it would certainly be embarrassing to ask him about a nonexistent sex tree. She decided to remain quiet and shake that image out of her mind, although she could feel a slight tingling between her legs... 

She was pleased that Rowan seemed to be enjoying the blackberries as much as she had been, although her mind was still set on the monsters he had been talking about. "Y-yeah, there are a lot of strange creatures here... I'm much more used to more typical animals like wolves and bears. I've never had to deal with anything as terrifying as a dragon or those hounds! And without my magic, it's all so... overwhelming. It's like I'm trapped in a completely different world and absolutely nothing I know about survival is applicable anymore."  She found herself leaning against Rowan again, this time it wasn't out of exhaustion but more just for comfort. "I really can't express how grateful I am for your generosity... You could have just left me to die. Instead, you took the time to carefully check up on me even when I was too scared to trust you and we were right in the middle of those hounds' territory... You could have avoided that danger if you just kept going and left me when I told you not to approach, right? But you stayed there... just for me...?"

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

Rowan smiled down at her, giving her a very light, playful nudge before he said, “I couldn’t have left you there to fend for yourself against the Hounds. I may be a dick at times, but I’m not that much of a dick.” He gave a self depreciating chuckle before he then said, “No, it wouldn’t have felt right leaving you there. Especially as you look no older than a child. You don’t sound like one, but you look like one. It’s been drilled into me, by my father, that children are precious and that we should look at protecting them. They’re the future after all. So it feels only natural to help you. It would have left a very bitter taste in my mouth if I had left you where you were.” He felt that he certainly couldn’t have ignored her crying. It had sounded so piteous and heartbreaking. He felt as if he would have to be as monstrous as the inhabitants of this forest to have ignored her. He scooped up another mouthful and ate it before he said,

“Don’t worry, I think we’ll be out of the forest by evening. I’m thinking we can travel as we did yesterday when running from the Hounds. It’s not the most comfortable way to move, but it’s faster than walking. So that make sure that we’re well out of this forest by nighttime. Then we get to go back to your normal wildlife with bears and wolves. Well. There might be the occasional monster, but the chances of coming across one are far lower than in this forest. This forest is the home of monsters, and few people can travel through it. If I hadn’t known that you were escaping slavers to land in this forest, I would have told you off for being in here because of how dangerous it is. But…” He gave a slight shrug to indicate that it was pretty much a moot point because it wasn’t actually her fault that she was here. He on the other hand, had come here by choice, but he knew how to navigate the forest safely. It wasn’t the first time he had been in this forest and it was unlikely to be the last. This was the first time that he had someone with him, and that was adding a whole new level to the danger that they were facing, especially as she was completely vulnerable and was relying on him to get her out safely. Something he was very determined to do. He scooped up another large mouthful, glancing outside at where the sun was shining down before he looked back at Natia, “Hows the porridge? Better with the berries?” He then asked.

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

Once again, the words Rowan spoke reminded Natia greatly of her family. The way he spoke about the youth was exactly the way her father would speak on the matter. It was especially surprising that another individual would share such values with the Aequu despite the fact that their lives seem to end so much faster. She always imagined that other people didn't put much value into their own lives since they didn't seem to have as much responsibility to protect the world around them. However, after her discussions with Rowan, it seemed quite reasonable. They valued their lives partially because they were so short. They had no time to lose. They would pull all the strings they could to ensure they and the ones they loved had the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest. 

Natia nodded as Rowan suggested his plan for getting out of the forest. It sounded good to her. She had managed to hold onto him while she was exhausted and he was in a hurry to get away. She was sure she wouldn't have any problems now that she'd had a chance to rest. 

"Yes, I suppose it makes sense that my captors would have taken me through such a dangerous path. Perhaps with... er... someone like me..." It made her stomach turn just thinking of being treated like nothing more than cargo for trade.  "...they felt the need to choose a path that few people travel in order to avoid thievery." It was just a guess, she obviously had no idea what purpose the men had in bringing her through the forest. For all she knew, they might have just had a death wish. "Or, perhaps it was a path they usually take slaves in order to discourage them from running away? Maybe they usually capture slaves from more local areas who are more likely to know about this forest. Under the circumstances, I could already piece together that this was an extremely dangerous place filled with monsters. But I really didn't have anywhere to go but away. I hoped that, by walking along the river, I would stumble across some sort of city where I could potentially get help, but then I reached the point where I just couldn't walk anymore..."

Natia nodded again when Rowan asked about the porridge. She put on a soft smile. "It's nice. These blackberries are surprisingly good!"  She lifted another spoonful to her mouth. "By the way, you said I looked like a child, right? I suppose it's not too far from the truth. Even among my people, I'm really small for my age. My people don't really age very much from year to year. I'm actually 83 years old, which is still really young for the Aequu. We generally live for around 4-5 centuries. So, if I were a human, it would have taken my body around 16 years to develop to the point it's at now, I believe I've been told. So, I am certainly young, although I am probably significantly older than you would have expected."

[Neptune]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along with Ageon River, heading Northbound

Rowan nodded slowly when she came out with theories as to why her captors had brought her through the forest. Really, both options could be true. Slavers were very careful, especially with someone as valuable as Natia. There were a number of slaving groups, who were all in competition. The ones that had Natia had clearly wanted to be try and be very careful, although they had not been careful enough to avoid getting into trouble and losing their ‘merchandise’. Bad for them, good for Natia. Rowan wasn’t at all upset at the loss of those slavers. As he mentioned to Natia before, he only dealt with willing slaves, and thus didn’t approve of the kind of slavers would even take someone like him and try and sell him as a slave. While he was fine with serving people, he served them in his own capacity. He wouldn’t make a very good slave. At the last thing she said about that incident, Rowan wanted to wrap his arm around her to give her comfort but wasn’t sure how the gesture would be accepted nor could he with both of his hands occupied with his pot of porridge, “At least you’re safe now. Both of your theories are likely correct. They usually do bring valuable slaves through here, at their own peril. It stops attacks on their caravan and discourages their victim from being able to flee.” He said.

When she said that the blackberries were surprisingly good in the porridge, he smiled at her, “It was a good idea, clearly.” He said, in complementation of her. He went to scoop up another mouthful, but paused in the act of bringing it up to his mouth when she explained to him that while she was young, she was older than he was in years. He gave her a startled look, his eyebrows raising before he snorted softly, “Much older than I thought you were. You’re over twice as old as I am. Keza’s are usually mature at about twelve or so. So compared to you…” He gave a light shrug as really he didn’t need to finish what he was saying, “You’re similar to the Eldyrannth in that regard. About the only species that is. They are children for a hundred years, but they live longer than a few centuries. A few thousand for them. But damn I wasn’t expecting that… no wonder you were so eloquent in that little argument we had last night. I thought you were just a child…” He shook his head slightly before letting out a soft chuckle, “Don’t judge a book by its cover, eh?” He then rhetorically asked before bringing the spoon up and eating the mouthful he had paused in eating. He looked down at his pot of porridge, to see that he had eaten about half of the cereal. Normally he just blanked out the bland taste but the blackberries added a good flavour to it. He wondered if, before they left, he should gather some more of the blackberries and put them into his pack for breakfast the next day. The thought pleased him, and he ate another mouthful.

[Aura]

Location: Rosayia Forest, along the Ageon River, heading Northbound

Natia was pleased to watch Rowan eagerly eat the porridge. It was a significant boost to her confidence knowing that she could be of use to him, even in such a small way, under these circumstances. She looked up at his handsome, smiling face. She couldn't help but question what it would be like to remain by his side. He had already been taking such good care of her, and something about this discussion of maturity only made her body feel lighter. It reminded her of the way she felt any time she would fantasize about meeting an Aequu from another tribe. That natural urge to reproduce... but such thoughts were indecent! Especially about an outsider... Besides, she wasn't even certain if the aequu could breed with other species. It might offset their balance, or at the very least, the balance of their offspring. That would be quite a significant risk to take for just a few minutes of pleasure. 

After a moment of silence during eating, Natia thought to ask another question. Looking up at her new friend, she opened her mouth with a slight blush.  "Um... I don't believe you've mentioned a significant other yet... Do you not have a lover?" She asked, with a slight, unintentional hint of hope in her voice. "Or does your culture not rely on ideals like that?" She turned to look outside of the cave.  "The Aequu very rarely get to experience love. Cera's gift will not bless children from incestual breeding, and I can't imagine she would bless children of interspecies breeding as well. So the only way for us to reproduce is if we happen to stumble across another tribe. Then, the tribes join together, sort of like marriage between families. It is only then that we have the ability to find love. That's part of why our species are so few in number."