Jigano summed up Earth perfectly - complex and confusing. I nodded and smiled wryly in agreement with him. He then expanded on the definition of those who access the magical elements in this world, Abandoned, and I had been in my cat form my head would have tilted, I'm sure. I nodded in understanding that they were trying to change the term to something less caustic, and made a mental note to keep that in mind should I meet any in the future.
"Ah, Loren, yes - I have met him. A very generous fellow who helped me my first night here. I hope to have more to do with him should I follow my the path of healing." I confirmed with a smile, happy to recognise a mutual contact - it gave me a warm feeling of confidence that perhaps I would manage to find my way in this world, however blind I feel at the moment.
I nodded in confirmation to his next question. "Yeah, billions." I bark a laugh out at his guess of where everyone lived. "You could say both of your statements are true. The world was indeed very large, with most of it chartered by explorers, and all places that could support human life, were forced to. Some areas were so populated that there were levels upon levels of concrete - uh, stone - places of residence stacked on top of each other." I shook my head at the memory of it - it honestly was a part of humanity I wasn't proud of.
"I was lucky enough to live on a vast island whose population was sparse compared to other areas of the same size (though still 22 million) - I grew up on farms, and then studied in great cities - uh, citadels? - and got to see much of the world, and the other animals that humans shared it with." Chulane
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Jigano looked pleased that Loren's name was recognized, and even more so that Chulane had a good opinion of the man. "He's a good friend of mine," he agreed warmly. "And a former member - and current affiliate - of my guild. I know he'll be happy to answer any questions you have, either about Caido or his world's lack of religion." Maybe not about his family... but impersonal history, sure. "I'd like to compare notes with you as well, if we get the chance. I've a bit of Healing knowledge and skill myself, and I'm always looking to expand it." Gods most fortunate but he missed Isla's steady demeanor and dazzling smile, and her lessons in codified medicine.
Hearing the 'billions' confirmed left Jigano shaking his head ruefully, but he listened with clear fascination to the wonders - the strangeness of Chuy's overcrowded world. "We have concrete," he reassured the other man, a bit bemused at the thought of someone thinking them so backwards. "Indoor plumbing, too, thank all the gods."
Chuy's life sounded interesting in its own right, and Jigano drank in the details, pausing only to chuckle again. "We have cities, too," he assured the other man. "Halo's 'Citadel' is so far unique to the areas the Grounders have explored, but Sanctuary and Haulani are both cities in their own right." He tilted his head curiously. "Your family were farmers then? And... were there no other intelligent races on your world? Only humans?"
"Gladly!" I reassure Jigano, "I'll be sure to write my notes up in duplicate and deliver a copy once Deepfrost is over." It was a project I was keen to get into - it would give me something to do whilst cooped up inside, assuming the oncoming season was as harsh as everyone was declaring it to be. I was understandably sceptical, though I would no doubt learn soon enough, the true meaning of cold. And since computers weren't evidently a thing that existed here, pen and paper would have to suffice.
I am leant a curious insight into what my world must sound like to one who was not born and raised there, the wonder, the questions, the conclusions. It was humbling for me, it made me realise how privileged my life has been, how fortunate it was to have been born in an age where humanity was on the cusp of immense scientific advancement - the flip side to this of course was that we were also on the cusp of both global climate catastrophe. I tried not to get too bogged down in the dirty details - I think, on a subconscious level, I was glad to leave such matters behind.
"I'd be more inclined to thank the plumbers for that one," I quip playfully, noticing how easy it was to thank these mystical entities for all things that humans had designed and implemented (unless of course I was mistaken, and the gods here did indeed install the toilets everyone uses daily.) It was something that constantly happened on Earth - as a veterinarian, I might work hard to save an animal's life, only to have the owners thank god, and then proceed to bitch at me about payment. I sigh at the memory, though I am determined not to let my expression slip from the friendly one it wears.
"My father was a farmer, and his father before him, for many generations. My mother was a veterinarian, who moved to the open country to be with him, to work the land and maintain the health of our animals, and those of the local community." A shoulder lifts in a sort of shrug. "Humans classified themselves as the only sentient species on the planet. Intelligent however," I chuckle as I take a sip from my water, "that's always been debatable." Chulane
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"And I'm happy to share the medical records that we have, too," Jigano returned, pleased to have another healer on hand. Or at least, only a short portal away... though that thought sent a stab of guilt through him. Amalia was certainly right about the convenience of the damn things.
Chulane's world was a strange place to consider, all crowded stone and sprawling urban monstrosities to house the sheer amount of life upon it. Sentient life, at least, and Jigano accepted the correction with a chuckle and a dip of his head in acknowledgment. "The plumbers might well have a touch of the divine to them, for the good work they do," he joked back. "Saints, at the very least!" A light teasing, comfortable with Chulane's lack of divine intervention and in no hurry to convert the young man when life without the attention of the gods was often quieter and far less fraught.
"It sounds like a wonderful lineage," Jigano said more softly when Chuy's tale was done, dipping his head in respect for the far-distant parents. "Though worlds with only humans still seem strange to me. I can't tell you how relieved I was to finally meet a Fae, even when they were trying to throw us in their Pit." His warm chuckle drew an answering chortle from Isuma. "Your farms must have been vast, then, to feed so many people. Did your farmers have powerful magics to turn the land more fertile?"
I smirk at the banter as Jigano calls plumbers saints, and I am almost ready to agree with him - anyone who willingly put themselves in a position to be exposed to excrement were either saintly in their disposition, or insane - or both. It's a playful banter though, and I nod along, shrugging a you've got me there kind of way.
"Fae? As in, fair folk? Faeries?" I question as he mentions the word, knowing it would likely lead to another tangent of conversation, and not minding that at all. I came from a world where childhood fantasy stories were called fairytales, of course I was going to be interested to learn that they actually existed.
One day I'd get used to realising that many a fantasy tale taught to me previously was no longer just a tale in this realm.
I had to wonder what form the fae he was referencing took - were they petite and small, like Tinkerbell? Or were they elven-like, with tongues that could only tell the truth, and wily enough to construct a language that danced around it? Were they goblins, or imps, or one or a mix of all of the faeries I had read about in my many novels and stories?
I restrained myself from voicing all of these questions, at least for now - Jigano had been good at filling in the blanks for me with little prompting so far.
"What you might call magic, we called science," I begin to explain the methods of our farming enterprise without going into too much bland and unnecessary detail. "Scientists learned what made the soil fertile, and so they were able to manufacture it for farmers to use. Vast stretches of land were covered in crops, and when ready for harvesting great machines would aid in clearing the fields in a fraction of the time it might take individuals by hand.
"My homeland was often ravaged by decades-long droughts and then scorching fires that consumed everything before it though - science knew the cause and yet the greediness of the world prevented them from enacting a cure, or even a prevention for the future, for it would mean those greediest among us would have to go with slightly less wealth, which they simply would not permit." I sighed, saddened and a bit frustrated at the memory. Climate change was something the whole world needed to get on board with, but the few who held the power simply wouldn't.
"Many a citizen hoped for a magical solution that would heal the world, myself included." I offer with a wry, sad smile. "Still, we persevered where we could, and made a living from working the land, and doctoring the animals that were farmed or enjoyed by the community there." Chulane
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"I don't know about 'fair'," Jigano chuckled at the description. "They can be a bit harsh, but they're a fairly attractive race, as a whole, olive skinned and almond eyed. Mostly dark-haired, that I've seen. Much larger and more aggressive than fairies - I haven't found an equivalent race to those here yet - they're more like... hmm. Flying halflings?" He hesitated, then shrugged. "Actually they aren't 'like' anything. They're themselves. They have dragonfly wings and long lives and are on the short side, but they've got powerful magic and a strong tie to their home, the Greatwood. And they hate the Voice and the Ascended for the Blight and what they did to the Mathair," he added with a faint grimace. "It made for some rocky political times when they banned all Hollowed Grounds humans from their woods for awhile after that."
Jigano tilted his head, drinking in more details from Chuy's world and savoring each one. "You might want to watch that," he murmured when the other man stopped for a breath. "I know you don't mean it or realize it, but sometimes you can come across as a touch patronizing." He shook his head to show he took no offense, and his smile quickly returned. "There is technology here, too. It's largely associated with the Ascended, though, and the Voice. My guess is that things were once far more advanced on this world in the past, but that war between the gods resulted in the loss of much of it." A damn shame, and a frustrating one, but there was the possibility that not all regions had lost so much. They just hadn't reached them yet.
And if they had to use the Voice's portals to do so, there was the question of whether or not they should. Something about Chuy's words of 'greediness' struck a bell, a sense of familiarity in Jigano's heart, that somehow they - mostly Outlanders - were entitled to more and more of what this world held, no matter the price to others. The Provost not least among those who wanted to see more... But the price of that curiosity might be paid by others, and he wasn't sure if he was willing to risk that or not yet.
"You sound like you worship 'science' the way other people worship gods," he noted curiously. "And that your world is on a path to destruction. Not too far down the line, from how you describe it. Are there enough preservers like yourself to make a difference, do you think?"
Well, it would appear that these Fae were yet another thing I was going to have to my list of things to learn more about, to meet, to investigate. They sounded just as Jigano eloquently put it - their own style of person, defined as Fae, a blend of those who I might have read about on Earth, with unique aspects as well. I wondered at their questionable friendliness, and determined that I would just have to wait and see how I went with future pursuits after their kind.
Jigano gently schools me on my tone, and I am quite apologetic. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I definitely didn't mean to!" I say quickly, wanting to provide an explanation, to explain, but fearing that would make my apology less sincere. My dad always said that an apology is worth nothing if one sullies it with so much explanation that they don't sound sorry at all - it was best to say sorry, to mean it, and then to leave it be, unless pressed for further details.
All my life I had been schooled on seeming patronising, and I hated it. As a young student excelling in classes, so much so that I held a doctorate in veterinary science by age 18, it was difficult for me to speak facts without adults and my peers feeling like I was showing off, or assuming that they were idiots. I truly didn't believe that, I simply spoke without knowing what their knowledge level was, and so tried to explain everything at it most basic level, working up the detail and complexity when I knew they were on the same page as me. I hated that others would see me as condescending, as demeaning them, as dismissing their knowledge and hard-earned skills and abilities, because I remembered what that felt like, and it was awful.
Jigano accurately assesses my love for the sciences, and I was happy to admit that while I didn't necessarily worship science (it didn't demand 10% of my wage every Sunday in the name of worship, at least), I certainly looked to it to answer most questions that I have encountered in my life. A soft, thoughtful smile touches my lips.
"An old saying on Earth is 'The supernatural is only the natural of which the laws are not yet understood.' It's hard for me to deny that science, or at least, the scientific method, appeals greatly to the logical way my brain prefers to work." My expression dims to something much more serious, much sadder. "I held very real fears that ultimate climatic disaster was going to happen sometime during my lifetime, no matter what the good science advised the world - it would take a world effort to get back on track." I shrug a single shoulder, though I lift a hand up to ensure Isuma's place atop me is still secure.
"There is little I can do about it from here." I say simply, reluctant to think on that subject for too long. I missed home, so much, and I worried for it too, but I had to keep myself in the present if I was going to be a functioning being in this world.
"I really appreciate your patience with me, Jigano," I comment quietly, a small smile on my lips again, as I let my vision drift to refocus on Isuma, and attempt to find all of her favourite places to pat. Chulane
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"It's alright," the bard assured his new friend with a relaxed smile. "Gods - ah, sorry. Most people here know that I can be a condescending old busybody at times, too. It's not easy to change old habits, I know." Or even new ones, if they were ingrained enough. Take his own habit of swearing by the gods, for example.
Jigano tilted his head, curious at Chuy's phrasing. "But magic is natural, and does follow laws that are understood," he pointed out, before pausing to look sheepish. "At least, on my world they were. Here, they're a bit looser, but still fairly clear as to the limits, even if they have more...hmm. 'Potential' for artistic variances between casters." And then there was the wild magic, of course, but that was perhaps a discussion for another time.
Isuma peeped happily, enjoying the ride as Chuy shrugged and curving her head to nibble his fingers playfully with a gentle beak. Jigano's expression was more sober as he considered the dire circumstances that the other man's world faced - now with one less defender. The vet had a pragmatic and healthy point of view, though; he couldn't change or help his world now, and only needless heartache would come of dwelling on that fact.
The gratitude brought his smile back, and a slight shake of his head. "I appreciate yours, for answering all my questions in return. I may not have all the answers, and not even all the right ones, but I enjoy sharing what I've learned and meeting other scholars, no matter what world they're from. You approach things differently than I do, but it gives me a different point of view to consider and that's well worth the price of a meal," he added with a chuckle. "Have you considered whether you'll put down roots here in Halo? Or perhaps become a traveling doctor for companions?" Isuma peeped her support of that idea - or at least, the general thought of Chuy coming to visit her as he found some good places to scratch and rub, earning purring chortles from the gryphlet.
I hoped that others feeling like I was being condescending wasn't a habit that would stay for long - I just wanted to fit in, to be a part of something, now that I was here for the foreseeable future. I didn't want others to feel demeaned by me, to feel like I was lecturing, or showing off - I was the one without he local knowledge, with only limited survival skills (compared to them, anyway). Jigano's feedback was given and received with kindness, and I appreciated the man for it, but I would also definitely take his comment on board and guard my words going forth.
I laughed good naturedly at Jigano's comment, nodding as he so simply called magic a natural phenomenon - and it probably was 'natural', from his experience and perspective. "I may have chosen the wrong phrasing," I assured him, "but from my perspective, it is still supernatural, unknown, something for me to figure out, and the best way I know how to do that is to follow the logical processes that science lends me - whether or not it works in the way I hope or expect is something I won't know until I try."
Perspective is reality after all, and most of my life was made up of Earth, of science, animals and magic just a thing of fantasy stories in books and movies, not something I ever had the potential to see or feel for myself. Even my Attuned shift was still very new, very unusual, very much something I needed to practise more, so that further understanding could be obtained.
"I am going to stay here through the DeepFrost at the least, and aim to return the many favours the locals have done to me since my arrival - it certainly sounds like they need as many able bodies as possible to help prepare, and then survive, the oncoming season." I summarise my thoughts for the imminent future, at least. "Beyond that, I definitely intend to explore this world further, and see where my skills can be used to fill a need," I smile as Isuma croons and purrs, her noises a notably perfect blend of something I would expect from a creature with avian and feline origins. Chulane
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"It takes getting used to," the bard agreed with a chuckle. "On my world, a human or elf or anyone else turning into an animal was the result of magic. Speaking telepathically required a certain spell to do. But here, with the Attuned, the Naturals think it's... well, natural," he admitted with a wry grin. "Still, give it a year or two and I'll bet you'll be in my boots, sharing this world's wonders with a newly-arrived Outlander and looking at them again with fresh eyes." When the miracles became mundane, it was easy to forget the wonder with which he'd first seen them.
Perhaps Chulane wasn't the only one being condescending, Jigano admitted ruefully to himself.
He nodded at Chuy's decision to remain in Halo, glad that the other man wouldn't be in the Grounds for LongNight. Halo's winter sounded harsh and far from safe but what could possibly go wrong? at least the only threats were mundane bears and cannibals, something Morgan's guards could surely handle. "It's the balance between able bodies to help prepare, and hungry mouths to have to feed," Jigano agreed soberly. "This is the first winter we've been able to use the portals between Halo and the Grounds, so I don't know the truth of it firsthand, but I've heard the cold is intense. Will you let me know if there's anything I can do to give you a hand at surviving it before the pass closes for the season? Survive to come visit me again in Flowerbirth and we'll call it even," he added with a warm smile as Isuma laid claim to another admirer and friend.
It would take time to adjust to this new reality, I knew, but the relief in knowing that there were some familiar comforts available to me gave my optimism that I would get there, that I would cope, overcome and possibly even thrive here. Books existed in this world, and books had always been a faithful companion of mine, providing a source of knowledge, entertainment and saviour from boredom. I relished in the idea that I would get to read things that was new to me, that I might even be able to contribute to the stores of knowledge in this world, however useful or useless it might prove.
"I suppose time will tell." I could only smile at Jigano's show of faith in me and my ability to remain here, to thrive and grow and become what he has become, unsure of how to react, to accept the compliment, instead shrugging with a slight nod to my head. Time's ahead were not going to be easy, if the history I had learnt of this realm were anything to go by. This place was unlike anything I had ever experienced before, and while I married up similarities to stories and fantastical tales from my homeworld, that didn't necessarily make it easier for me to accept that this was it, this was reality - fantasy was reality now.
"I'll be sure to stay in touch as much as I can," I reassured the other man, wondering how well the raven postal service would function if the weather does close in as harshly as predictions promise.
"Staying in one place for a whole season is going to prove a challenge in itself," I comment with a half-smile, "I definitely intend on seeing as much of this world as I can as soon as the weather permits." Chulane
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Transitions to Caido were never easy for anyone, but Chulane had a bright, adaptive mind from what Jigano had seen, and a useful skill set. He was already ahead of the curve, and the bard was optimistic that he would survive to see the spring. The younger man's knowledge would be a valuable addition, the bard knew, and hoped to have the chance to pick that scientific brain at more leisure when the days were warmer.
"I'll be sending letters to Loren, so an extra sheaf of paper for you shouldn't cause the ravens any more issues than one," he agreed with a smile. "I'll be glad to keep in touch, and if you have any questions or issues that you need me to research for you, I can send the answers back on our feathered friends." Although if the ravens could fly to Halo even in the winter, would he be able to as well...? Ah, but there wouldn't be time, not with all the preparations the Grounds needed.
"Were you a wanderer on your world, then?" Jigano asked curiously. He'd thought the man linked to the farm of his family, but such an assumption had no real basis. "You mentioned fires in your land... I suppose Halo is a stark difference from what you were used to?"
I smiled, genuinely thrilled at the idea of receiving packages, parcels, delivered and meant just for me to use and enjoy. It reminded me of online orders, though I suppose these would be considered 'onwing' orders. I kept the joke to myself, amusing myself with my own puns that would be lost on the locals here who had not heard of things such as the Internet, and I had no such desire to start trying to explain it.
"That'd be great, and very generous, thank you. I'll be sure to deliver whatever notes I manage to write up in person to the Athenium come Flowerbirth. I hope they'll prove useful to you and your guild." I wasn't much of a writer of creative stories (I mostly enjoyed reading them at my leisure), but I could very easily write many shelves full of notes on my scientific knowledge, of my pursuit of medical knowledge, of my fascination with the animal kingdom. I hope it would prove useful, to someone, at least.
"Ahh yes, my region was known as 'The Sunburnt Country' for good reason. Drought often ravaged the land and it did not take much for it to spark - so much so that many of the native plants actually relied on fire to enable their seeds to sprout." I try to explain the harsh nature of my homeland, the land that just seemed normal to me compared to the wonders I had been exposed to here so far.
"I was fortunate enough to have earned my way upon an expedition trip to study animals on an extremely remote region of Earth, a frozen desert many months journey from my home. I was there when the portal seemingly snatched me up, and delivered me to the Fangs." I summarised as best I could the venture that took me to the snowy southern pole of Earth, and the incident that brought me here.
"What was your homeworld like?" I ask, belatedly realising that we had talked about Earth and Caido, and not wherever Jigano had originated. Chulane
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"All information has a use," Jigano assured his friend with a grin. "It's just a matter of figuring out what that use is!" Even if it wasn't immediately obvious, or might not come in handy until years or decades down the line. Chulane's medical knowledge, though, would certainly have a place and a ready audience, both with livestock owners and those who had companions to care for. "Yours just happens to be more needed than most." Especially in the Grounds, where magical Healing wasn't always welcomed.
The bard listened once more with rapt attention to a wondrous land. A dangerous one, to be sure, but it sounded so different from his own northern plains and the Hollowed Grounds' temperate climate. "We have bad droughts in Longheat in the Grounds," he agreed soberly. "But thankfully only that one season. The thought of plants using fire to grow though... it sounds like a very harsh land, with very tenacious life." Though there could be beauty in such harsh places, as Halo often demonstrated.
At least Chuy had been on a journey already when he'd been taken, so it wasn't as jarring as it might have been? Then again, it wasn't as though there was a smooth transition from one world to another. "I hope you were able to bring your cold weather gear," he murmured, grateful indeed that the man hadn't come from a tropical land to Halo. He wouldn't have survived to reach the Citadel without proper protection.
The question was a little unexpected as the conversation turned back to him, but Jigano smiled in pleasure at Chuy's curiosity. "It was a little like Caido, in some ways, but mostly not. Magic was common and both it and the inhabitants were far more diverse. I lived in Numeria. It's a northerly country, mostly rolling plains, but there are ancient forests as well, and mountains to the west..." He trailed off with a wistful smile. "It was called 'The Land of Fallen Stars' because of an event that scattered strange metals and technology across the land, from a great ship that had sailed between the stars and crashed to ground there in bygone times." He chuckled, though there was a flicker of pain in his eyes that had Isuma peeping soft reassurance from her perch on Chuy's shoulders. "Well. We had our own gods, and would-be gods there, too."
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