diff --git a/wiktopher.md b/wiktopher.md index e53097f..ce790a1 100644 --- a/wiktopher.md +++ b/wiktopher.md @@ -148,16 +148,16 @@ After many days, burdened by disquietude, Lupen decided to try and speak to the Lupen dreamt of a city erected on the back of a giant hyroo, in which the inhabitants had braided the fur into elaborate houses. The leaflings would play hide-and-seek in the fur forest. A hatter twisted fur into elaborate fur hats. Lupen was fluent in "hyroo speak" and would climb up to the hyroo's ears and send loud whoops traveling far across the world. In the dream, something happened that threw the city, along with all its inhabitants, off the hyroo's back. Lupen fell. There were no stars, and the hyroo vanished into space. Even the suns had gone. Lupen felt nothing, and began to weep. -A loud whooping sound woke Lupen up, a dark figure zipped through the clouds above and landed nearby without disturbing the droplets that held onto the grasses. The beast had large round ears, like Kit, in fact, it looked very much like Kit, although its fur bore a different pattern. +A loud whooping sound woke Lupen up, a dark figure zipped through the clouds above and landed nearby without disturbing the droplets that held onto the grasses. The beast had large round ears, like Kit, in fact, they looked very much like Kit, although this hyroo's fur bore a different pattern.     "Is that you Kit?" -    Sitting up, mildew trickled into the grass from Lupen's chest. The fear of bodily intrusion by plants returned, but Lupen's ears were sprout-free. Perhaps Saffa had arrived a few days before, and exhausted, had lain here to rest. +    Sitting up, dew trickled into the grass from Lupen's chest. The fear of bodily intrusion by plants returned, but Lupen's ears were sprout-free. Perhaps Saffa had arrived a few days before, and exhausted, had lain here to rest.     The beast let out a laugh, a high-pitched noise caused droplets to slide off their beds. This was definitely the sound that Lupen had heard in the dream. The creature was a hyroo too, like Kit. It moved over to Saffa and went in for a good long lick. Saffa yawned, stirred, smiled, lips curving and carving a new shape on the cheeks. Arms and legs stretched out, Saffa's hands found the tip of the beast's snout and moved to caress its large head. All the while, the beast kept its eyes on Lupen, Saffa's eyes opened and followed its gaze and stopped upon the stranger. They stared at each other for a long while, but Saffa's silvery voice broke the silence.     "Can I have *that*?" Saffa asked, reaching forward and tugging at the isilk^[A sought-after fabric made from Ilk hair.] sweater wrapped around the Verido's waist. Lupen blinked, undid the sweater, and handed it over without hesitation. Saffa slipped it on, then put a pink nose in it to smell it. "Hmm! Smells like sand and earth! I can feel the hands that made it! Ah! I love sweaters, they tell so much about a person. Every fiber has its own story y'know!" Saffa took a deep whiff again. "Wow! You wear this a lot." Saffa smelled the fibers some more, and looked at Lupen again, wide-eyed. "Oh oh oh oh oh...ohh... ohhh oh!" This Oh-ing did not stop for some time. "Oh. Oh, oh! No, no, no!" Saffa said, reaching forward. "You're lucky to have survived a fall like that!"     Saffa was full of energy. Lupen's tongue had somehow gotten itself into a terrible knot, plus all this talk of sweaters was confusing. Saffa left the bed of green and went to look at some flowers, swaying from side to side as if there was a song playing.     Saffa turned to face Lupen. "Are you ready to go? I'm dying to get down there to see what's changed!"     Lupen swallowed hard. "Um. Wait. I have so many questions!"     "Nope! No questions! I forbid all questions unless they are about food, but I will say this! My name is Eka, and that fuzzy beast is," Eka paused, as if trying to remember something important, but the hyroo filled in the silence, letting out a series of quick low barks. "Hush! We are Eka and Hush!" Eka said, brushing bits of red hair behind rounded ears. Hush, the hyroo, let out a whoop, taking a seat by Eka, who was inspecting the blue markings on Lupen's face. "Lu-pen. Lovely! Will you come and see the world with me?" Without waiting for an answer, Eka climbed up on Hush's back. "Let's go Lu!" -    Lupen was too stunned to answer. Eka's arm shot forward, gripped the Verido's collar and with a yank and a pull, both were sitting on the beast. Seconds after that, Hush pushed off the ground with their powerful hind legs, bounding high and away from the mountain top, piercing the layer of wet clouds, the sandy world below coming into view. Eka laughed, while the other passenger tried not to scream. Hush made a few dampening landings, before its paws reached the warm yellow soil. +    Lupen was too stunned to answer. Eka's arm shot forward, gripped the Verido's collar and with a yank and a pull, both were sitting on the beast. Seconds after that, Hush pushed off the ground with their powerful hind legs, bounding high and away from the mountain top, piercing the layer of wet clouds, the sandy world below coming into view. Eka laughed, while the other passenger tried not to scream. Hush made a few dampening landings, before reaching the warm yellow soil. Both slid from Hush's back. Eka laughed at the state of the Verido's hair and brushed a hand through it to comb it back into place. "You've got blue in your hair."     "Looberries^[A sweet eatable fruit with a hard outer shell, often used as ink, and as a face and hair dye by Verido people.]." Lupen said, hands reaching up to try and get the rest of the dye out. "Don't ask." @@ -387,7 +387,7 @@ Eka wandered over to the repair shop next door, which used to be green, Eka coul     Bou grabbed a jar from a side pocket, dipped a finger in it and scooped out a thick glob of purple gel. Then, without warning, Bou smeared the purple gel under Eka's nose, near and around the nostrils. Now both had a thick purple mustache. "Better, orae?"     "Lavendiri flowers! Good trick!"     The fresh scent would help cover up the nasty pomparu fumes. Bou also had a thick scarf on to keep the smell out, and passed one to Eka. The scarf was just enough to block the stink entirely while keeping the lavendiri gel from drying out too quickly. -    The butt of a plump pomparu was sticking halfway out of the scupper, its four back legs were dangling in the air while the four forward legs were wedged inside. The pomparu's colorful spots were hard to see because its body was brown with dirt. +    The butt of a plump pomparu was sticking halfway out of the scupper, the creature's four back legs were dangling in the air while the four forward legs were wedged inside. The pomparu's colorful spots were hard to see because the body was brown with dirt.     "Pomparu like strong smell. The sandfinner owner like to ferment bobonion^[A spicy octagonal vegetable enveloped in a thick black rind. The inside is soft, and can be scooped out with a tool.] aboard, this one try to follow the smell but get stuck on the way."     It was common for people to make a pile of rotting food outside of town to get their attention, and to keep them there. Tiputa did have a pile like this, Eka had seen it, but this sandfin had acquired the pomparu while on transit.     "Is it dead?" Eka asked, noticing its legs weren't moving. @@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ Eka wandered over to the repair shop next door, which used to be green, Eka coul     "Ready?"     Eka pushed with such force that the pomparu came flying out and went rolling inside of Bou's workshop. Bou shrieked, tore the broom from Eka's hands and ran inside, but it was too late. The floor was covered with a stinky green discharge, and some had slipped under the various piles of materials. The slimy curvaceous thing was pushed with the bristled end of a broom, out of the workshop, out of the city, away from all the houses. Already some of the villagers were outside, noses pinched and afraid of what this smell would do to the town's shops. They all scurried about, covering the pomparu drippings with ground lavendiri leaves and other strong-smelling herbs, while others scooped it up with shovels and brooms that they knew would have to be discarded after. All had purple gel mustaches.     Bou took Eka's side, the broom was at the edge of town with the pomparu, marking the spot where it was so no one would go near it. Those creatures were slow, and Bou had plans of putting a bowl of sour muckweet far out into the valley to lure it even further away. -    Eka looked at the putrid drippings it left behind. "Wow. All this came from one pomparu?" +    Eka looked at the putrid drippings that had been left behind. "Wow. All this came from one pomparu?"     "Orae. They do this when they nervous. Look like I have to add "burn workshop" to my to-do list..." \newpage @@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ Lupen was enjoying a mug of bonan wine at Javis, the local snack bar, at the edg     Bonan wine was an alcoholic drink traditionally brewed in Finiku villages, each had its own recipe. Some added herbs, or used other fruit as a base. It wasn't uncommon to give some of yours to a friend, the restaurant owner explained.     "Sosae'di de yorala!" Noticing Lupen's vacant expression, and understanding that the Verido didn't know Finic, Javi said it again in the Common Tongue. "Best in the land!"     "Sosae'di de yorala, sosae'di de yorala..." Lupen repeated, determined to remember this time. "Think others in the land say this too about their wine?" -    "Orae," the restaurant owner said, "but they are wrong!" +    "Orae," the restaurant owner said, "but they be wrong!"     Lupen laughed. "I've had bonan before. It was cut thin and dried as chips, never had it as a drink. How do you make it?"                                             ~ @@ -440,12 +440,12 @@ Lupen was enjoying a mug of bonan wine at Javis, the local snack bar, at the edg     Lupen enjoyed conversing with the owner, that is, until Gree showed up. Gree was also a Finiku and captain of one of the Beobug supply ships Nono had mentioned. Gree took a seat by the Verido. Gree's big bulbous green eyes matched the Beobug uniform, with dark hair slicked back tight, so tight that the Finiku could not frown.     One of the gigantic supply vessels, with the name Beobug 2 painted on its side in yellow letters, was moored outside of town, it had two masts and a green hull. Gree was the captain of Beobug 2, and before Lupen could ask Gree was already explaining how Ilk kapo was treated to be turned into gas to power machinery and vessels in Montore.     Lupen knew about Beobug, from Nono, but also because the Volare elders didn't like them, they thought it was disrespectful of them to follow an Ilk. In cities Ilks would eat their weight in teaweet, and when on the move again Beobug was always there to catch the kapo. -    Gree threw an arm around Lupen. "Nono is a good friend to you, dae'sa? I see you arrive on the same sandfin." +    Gree threw an arm around Lupen. "Nono be a good friend to you, dae'sa? I see you arrive on the same sandfin."     "You want something?" Lupen asked. -    "Hm. I see that Lupen like to speak plain." Gree said with a smile. "Nono is a good sandfinner, but package delivery is a waste of talent! In the Beobug fleet, there are two ship. I steer Beobug 2, but the lead sandfin need a captain. I ask and ask, but always, Nono say no. I ask too much! *You* ask for me! The Voice of Ilk can do anything, orae?" +    "Hm. I see that Lupen like to speak plain." Gree said with a smile. "Nono be a good sandfinner, but package delivery be a waste of talent! In the Beobug fleet, there are two ship. I steer Beobug 2, but the lead sandfin need a captain. I ask and ask, but always, Nono say no. I ask too much! *You* ask for me! The Voice of Ilk can do anything, orae?"     Mentioning being Voice^[A traditional Verido role. Only Voices can speak to an Ilk.] to Vol, the Ilk of Volare, was a mistake, Lupen regretted it, blaming the bonan wine. Seeing that the Verido was hesitating, Gree spoke again. "Lupen talk to an Ilk! You are a authority! Use this title to get good thing for *you*!"     "Are we still talking about Nono? I don't understand why a title is so important." -    "Lupen forget, a Voice is a grand being! If you talk big, it make all around listen." Saying this, Gree sharply elbowed the Verido in the ribs. +    "Lupen forget, a Voice be a grand being! If you talk big, it make all around listen." Saying this, Gree sharply elbowed the Verido in the ribs.     "I don't know." Lupen said, attempting to move away but Gree's arm was unyielding. "You really think being the captain of a vessel that collects Ilk kapo is worthy of praise?"     "Orae!" Gree threw their hands up into the air. "No limit to the energy! Montore no more wait for wind! Beobug give the city great success! Gree swim in coin! No poor, no pain. No more, no more!" Gree said, eyes aglow.     "Wind is free. And when there's no wind well, you wait." Lupen said. @@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ Lupen was enjoying a mug of bonan wine at Javis, the local snack bar, at the edg     "Yea, a kiannum sounds about right," Lupen said, deep in thought, "over 320 twin sunrises."     "Up there, it keep you from the worst of the desert. You always safe on an Ilk, you no understand true misery." The captain smacked the top of the Verido's thigh, causing the sand embedded in the isilk clothes to rise. When the dust settled again Gree laughed. "Well, you are learning this now, orae? You are here in the dust with us."     "The Ilk is a friend. We co-exist." Lupen retorted. -    "This is what Beobug do too," Gree turned to the restaurant owner, raising two empty mugs. "Mou sakoi pai Javi!^[Finic translation: *another strong drink*.]" +    "This be what Beobug do too," Gree turned to the restaurant owner, raising two empty mugs. "Mou sakoi pai Javi!^[Finic translation: *another strong drink*.]"     Javi nodded, pouring a generous serving of wine to both, a bit of the liquid overflowing outside their mugs.     Lupen noticed a patch on Gree's arm, "what's that?"     The captain lifted up a green sleeve to show the full patch, pressed onto the skin. "Lunch! Much better than the real thing, oro^[Finic word, asserts a fact that the listener may not know.]!" @@ -463,20 +463,20 @@ Lupen was enjoying a mug of bonan wine at Javis, the local snack bar, at the edg     "Progress means coin..." Lupen replied, bored with the conversation.     "Coin is future Voice of Volare Ilk." Saying this, Gree slapped Lupen in the back, resulting in Lupen nearly spitting out a mouthful of wine.     "What is there to do with so much coin?" Lupen said, coughing and trying to move away from Gree, again, with little success. -    "You are new to the desert, you have much to learn," saying this, Gree pulled out a shiny golden coin, which now found itself into the palm of Lupen's hand. One side bore a poorly-chiseled face, and the other had Montore inscribed on it along with the number one hundred. Lupen was going to return the coin, but Gree refused it. "Keep the coin, it is payment for the favor I ask. You ask Nono for me, orae?" +    "You are new to the desert, you have much to learn," saying this, Gree pulled out a shiny golden coin, which now found itself into the palm of Lupen's hand. One side bore a poorly-chiseled face, and the other had Montore inscribed on it along with the number one hundred. Lupen was going to return the coin, but Gree refused it. "Keep the coin, it be payment for the favor I ask. You ask Nono for me, orae?"     Lupen nodded, pocketing the coin. Gree stepped off of the stool, jelly-legged, and returned to the crew aboard Beobug 2.     Lupen stayed at the bar, unable to put a phrase together. -    Javi laughed. "Eat a muckweet dumpling, it is healthy with bobonion, dilly herb and looma root^[A climbing vine with small edible cream-coloured heart-shaped roots.]. Verido people like looma root, orae? Wawa'de, the food will imbibe the bonan in your belly." Javi pushed a plate of steaming dumplings in front of the Verido. "Eat, eat." +    Javi laughed. "Eat a muckweet dumpling, it be healthy with bobonion, dilly herb and looma root^[A climbing vine with small edible cream-coloured heart-shaped roots.]. Verido people like looma root, orae? Wawa'de, the food will imbibe the bonan in your belly." Javi pushed a plate of steaming dumplings in front of the Verido. "Eat, eat." Having finished all deliveries, Nono felt it necessary to treat the fleshies to a drink. All three gathered at Javi's snack bar, savoring their plumkin ale, although Lupen had opted for tea this time.     Eka, still wearing the overalls, told them about Orin, Bou, the incident with the pomparu, the fixing of the waterstone pump and all the other items on the list they'd been tasked with. Lupen spoke of the encounter with Gree, and told Nono about the favor. -    "Meko'so'ko^[Finic translation: *without good head*]. Gree ask Lupen to ask me to captain a Beobug sandfin? Ia! Ianae!" The Finiku's head began to shake and the shaking did not stop for some time. Eka wondered if their friend was stuck in a loop and needed help, but Nono recovered moments after that. "Iane is what I say and always say to Gree!" +    "Meko'so'ko^[Finic translation: *without good head*]. Gree ask Lupen to ask me to captain a Beobug sandfin? Ia! Ianae!" The Finiku's head began to shake and the shaking did not stop for some time. Eka wondered if their friend was stuck in a loop and needed help, but Nono recovered moments after that. "Iane be what I say and always say to Gree!"     "Being on a sandfin like that must be impressive. Why not do it?" Eka asked, remembering the large green sandfin at the edge of town.     "Mai no yorala aini're wiri no mutau, coin ianae." Nono said with pride.     "The way of the land is perpetuated in righteousness, not coin." Eka translated. -    Both Eka and Lupen laughed at this. Nono went on to say that they were both grown on the same plot of land, "because of this Gree think that we are close. When I was young, I travel on sandfin, but Gree stay in Tiu'va, talk a lot, and make my mapa think that I am useless! Gree say I waste time, and that the only good job is a Beobug job." Nono said, cursing at the air, "Beobug do scam. All profit, no work. Not many know this, but Beobug sandfin need no captain, only worker to do the scamming." After saying this, Nono leaned in to whisper to them. "I follow the Beobug sandfin always. Ponopo follow Beobug 1, another woth follow Beobug 2. I go to village after Beobug sandfin leave, and I correct their misdeed!" +    Both Eka and Lupen laughed at this. Nono went on to say that they were both grown on the same plot of land, "because of this Gree think that we be close. When I be young, I travel on sandfin, but Gree stay in Tiu'va, talk a lot, and make my mapa think that I be useless! Gree say I waste time, and that the only good job be a Beobug job." Nono said, cursing at the air, "Beobug do scam. All profit, no work. Not many know this, but Beobug sandfin need no captain, only worker to do the scamming." After saying this, Nono leaned in to whisper to them. "I follow the Beobug sandfin always. Ponopo follow Beobug 1, another woth follow Beobug 2. I go to village after Beobug sandfin leave, and I correct their misdeed!" -As the evening went on Nono began to tell sandfin stories, like the one about the notorious Dorake's passage, known to have buried countless sandfinners over time. While Nono was talking, a small creature flew over to them, and landed on the table. It had short antennae, and delicate yellow hairs all over its body. "This is Ponopo. Ponopo carry message for me, it have good memory and know the desert well." +As the evening went on Nono began to tell sandfin stories, like the one about the notorious Dorake's passage, known to have buried countless sandfinners over time. While Nono was talking, a small creature flew over to them, and landed on the table. It had short antennae, and delicate yellow hairs all over its body. "This be Ponopo. Ponopo carry message for me, it have good memory and know the desert well."     Ponopo fluttered off the table and landed on Eka's head.     "Wow! A woth! Yora'nae Ponopo!" Eka said, watching Ponopo hover back down onto the table, landing near a puddle of spilled plumkin ale. The woth began to mop it up, its antennae twitching as it drank.     Nono pulled out a small wooden box, laid it out on the table and opened the lid. Six round eggs sat in it, laying over a soft tan blanket. "Woth egg," Nono told them, "I carry many." Nono's hand reached into the box and picked up an egg. "This woth egg is ready, but the woth only come out when it find someone it like. Woth is loyal, it follow you always." Nono reached over the table, grabbed Eka's hand, and placed a single woth egg in it. As soon as the egg came into contact with Eka's skin, the white egg turned sky blue. @@ -485,10 +485,10 @@ As the evening went on Nono began to tell sandfin stories, like the one about th     Eka did as Nono instructed and put a finger on the egg, stroking it.     "Less stroke mean good woth!" Nono continued. The blue egg cracked open after only a single stroke. "Impossible."     Lupen and Eka watched as a new woth emerged from the egg. It had a blue body, covered in light blue hairs, it had long antennae, and even longer wings. -    "Sakoi'di! It is a strong woth!" Nono said, shaking their head in disbelief. +    "Sakoi'di! It be a strong woth!" Nono said, shaking their head in disbelief.     Eka knew many things, but knew little about woths, although this one did appear larger than Ponopo. Nono grabbed a measuring stick and jotted down every detail, the color of its hairs, the length of the wings and of the antennae, the diameter of the eyes too. Everything. "I visit the hatchery soon, I ask question to my friend. My friend know a lot about woth." Nono put the stick away, and continued to marvel at the quality of Eka's woth.     "What should we name it?" Lupen asked Eka. -    "Ianae! You no choose the name! Woth choose," Nono said, waving a finger at them, "it is no easy to guess the name!" +    "Ianae! You no choose the name! Woth choose," Nono said, waving a finger at them, "it be no easy to guess the name!"     "Yea, I mean, the name could be anything! How long did it take you to guess Ponopo's name?" Lupen asked.     Nono took a long sip of plumkin ale. "Five annum, but only after I eat bad herb. For my friend, it take long time. Around fourteen annums."     "Fourteen?!" @@ -522,9 +522,8 @@ The next day, Lupen and Eka spent time with Bou. They had finished their tasks e ![](/home/rek/Sourcehut/wikbook/media/fauna.vennec.png) -    "Vennec are too young now, but in one annum you come back. Vennec will become strong, it -make a good travel companion." The vennec grower said. -    Having a pup now would be impractical, as they had much traveling to do. Lupen liked the idea of adopting a vennec. "You look like an Aristollo." +    "Vennec be too young now, but in one annum you come back. Vennec will become strong, they make a good travel companion." The vennec grower said. +    Having a pup now would be impractical, as they had much traveling to do. Lupen liked the idea of befriending a vennec. "You look like an Aristollo."     "Aristollo?" Eka said, eyes wide and glancing over at the Verido. "But that's the name of a—"     "Skyrock? Yes, I know that."     "No. Well yes. But it's also the name of an—" @@ -559,19 +558,19 @@ The following morning, even before Eka had time to slip on some day clothes, Ori \newpage -This is the tale of a lonely piece of matter. It was once part of some other, larger body, but they'd since parted. There was no way to measure how much time had passed since, which was just as well, because time didn't matter out here. Skyrock had seen much of the universe. It no longer grieved for home, nor did it fear the unknown. Contrary to what it first thought, the great expanse did not inspire fear, it was soothing, and everything made sense here. The celestial bodies danced with one another, locked into a slow waltz. -    Skyrock rather liked the time it had spent adrift, but it neared the atmosphere of a yellow planet and was pulled down onto it. It lost much of its mass in the descent, but still had enough to cause a great big fuss when it struck. -    Now, Skyrock was faced with a new reality, but it knew that one day the waltz would resume, and so its mind quieted. +This is the tale of a lonely piece of matter. They were once part of some other, larger body, but they'd since parted. There was no way to measure how much time had passed since, which was just as well, because time didn't matter out here. Skyrock had seen much of the universe. They no longer grieved for home, nor did they fear the unknown. Contrary to what they first thought, the great expanse did not inspire fear, it was soothing, and everything made sense here. The celestial bodies danced with one another, locked into a slow waltz. +    Skyrock rather liked the time they had spent adrift, but they neared the atmosphere of a yellow planet and was pulled down onto it. They lost much of its mass in the descent, but still had enough to cause a great big fuss when they struck. +    Now, Skyrock was faced with a new reality, but they knew that one day the waltz would resume, and so their mind quieted. -It sat idly for many annums. It saw the suns and moons pass many times. It wasn't tiresome, on the contrary, it celebrated each passing and would count them up. +They sat idly for many annums. They saw the suns and moons pass many times. It wasn't tiresome, on the contrary, they celebrated each passing and would count them up.     "..." -    Skyrock did not know how to count, but it liked to try. -    It was about to assign an outrageously large series of what it thought to be numbers and letters to this next moon passing when some travelers stopped a short distance away. A shell lodged itself in the foot of their furry companion, and the riders were forced to dismount. +    Skyrock did not know how to count, but they liked to try. +    They were about to assign an outrageously large series of what they thought to be numbers and letters to this next moon passing when some travelers stopped a short distance away. A shell lodged itself in the foot of their furry companion, and the riders were forced to dismount.     One had hair like a sun, and the other hair like sand with a face like the sky. Skyrock gave them names then: Sun and Sky-sand. They were fascinated with the shells that covered the ground, and began to search, to try and find the most beautiful shell of all. -    Skyrock wondered if perhaps it too qualified as a shell. Sun found one that was turning and coiling and somehow ending back onto itself. Sky-sand had dug up a shell of a most peculiar shape, it had a face carved into it. Skyrock knew these well. +    Skyrock wondered if perhaps they too qualified as a shell. Sun found one that was turning and coiling and somehow ending back onto itself. Sky-sand had dug up a shell of a most peculiar shape, it had a face carved into it. Skyrock knew these well.     "Um. Lu. That's a seshell krab," Sun said.     Multiple pairs of legs came pushing out of the sides of the shell, along with a set of tiny black eyeballs sitting atop lanky strings of skin. Sky-sand screamed and dropped it to the ground. This amused Skyrock, oh the sounds these fleshy ones could make! -    The seshell krab began to throw bits of broken shells over itself, burrowing deep into the ground. It was not rare for one of them to burrow underneath Skyrock, and to cause it to shift to a new place—this too was fun, each time it happened it wondered where it would shift to next. +    The seshell krab began to throw bits of broken shells over itself, burrowing deep into the ground. It was not rare for one of them to burrow underneath Skyrock, and to cause them to shift to a new place—this too was fun, each time it happened they wondered where it would shift to next.     "Are they *all* alive?!" Sky-sand said, breathing hard. "Not sure I like the idea of standing on a sea of living things..."     "No no, just the ones with faces. Avoid those if you can. They're bad tempered. If you mess with them they'll chase you to return the favor. They never forget a face."     "What if they only saw half my face?" Sky-sand said, coiling a piece of blue fabric to conceal part of it. @@ -580,7 +579,7 @@ It sat idly for many annums. It saw the suns and moons pass many times. It wasn'     "Then everyone's a potential victim."     Sky-sand's eyes widened. "Scary."     Sun started to whistle a tune and found yet another impossible shape: a flat shell coiling and again, ending back onto itself. "Look at this one!" -    Sky-sand seemed to envy Sun, wishing to find an interesting shell too. Skyrock caught the eye of this sky-faced scavenger and grew nervous, no two-legged land dweller had ever come this close to it. +    Sky-sand seemed to envy Sun, wishing to find an interesting shell too. Skyrock caught the eye of this sky-faced scavenger and grew nervous, no two-legged land dweller had ever come this close to them.     "Beautiful," Sky-sand said, eyes aglow and nearing a hand to Skyrock.     "Disqualified!" Sun shouted, Skyrock fidgeted with ever-growing excitement. "That's a skyrock, not a shell."     "Really? I thought they'd be bigger than this." @@ -590,8 +589,8 @@ It sat idly for many annums. It saw the suns and moons pass many times. It wasn'     "You mean like, skin and hair and things?" Sky-sand said, trying to picture this body worn down to the size of a fist.     "Does it make you sad?" Sun asked.     "Not really. Um. I don't know why I said that." Sky-sand's fingers traced around the flat face of Skyrock, "there's nothing sad about you Skyrock. You're the most experienced of us all, and too beautiful for this ball of dust." -    Skyrock felt proud. It was in a most wonderful state. Time and weather had smoothed down its exterior. The two land dwellers were very impressed with this, and decided to transform its body again, in a very big way. Skyrock was ground down further, and shaped into two pendants, a string was tied to one end. Skyrock was now split in two, it hung around the necks of each land-dweller. It could see itself on the breast of the other, it was a most unusual sight. Skyrock relished this new perspective. -    How wondrous, it thought. +    Skyrock felt proud. They were in a most wonderful state. Time and weather had smoothed down their exterior. The two land dwellers were very impressed with this, and decided to transform its body again, in a very big way. Skyrock was ground down further, and shaped into two pendants, a string was tied to one end. Skyrock was now split in two, they hung around the necks of each land-dweller. They could see themself on the breast of the other, it was a most unusual sight. Skyrock relished this new perspective. +    How wondrous, they thought.     Sky-sand and Sun returned to their fuzzy companion, and left the sea of broken shells behind. \newpage @@ -608,13 +607,13 @@ Lupen and Eka made a detour to a hollow, despite Nono's warnings that the place     Near the hollow, Hush stopped after seeing spotted round creatures hovering in the distance, they had black points for eyes, long fluttery wings and tiny slits for mouths. The hyroo would not move forward, fearful of the strange beings ahead.     "Whoa! Look at those!"     Eka grabbed Lupen's shoulder, "remember what Nono said." These creatures were familiar to Eka, but little was known of them because usually people made a point of avoiding them. -    The Verido took a step forward anyway, the creatures turned a solid red color and flew towards them. Eka leapt onto Hush and reached over to grab Lupen's collar, but one of the creatures latched itself onto the hyroo's side and another to Lupen's chest. Their bodies were sticky like goo, and burned like hot coals. -    In a panic, Hush bounded fast and far into the distance. Eka kicked at the soft gooey body to get it off, but it would just bounce back into shape. Hush landed with a roll, sending all passengers cascading onto the ground before rubbing its side on the sand and clawing at the parasite with its hind legs. Clawing was not enough to get this spherical creature to let go, Lupen even tried hitting it with the butt of a mug, nothing worked. Hush leapt into the air again, as high as Eka had ever seen a hyroo jump. The beast became a point into the sky, just another skyrock orbiting the planet. +    The Verido took a step forward anyway, the creatures turned a solid red color and flew towards them. Eka leapt onto Hush and reached over to grab Lupen's collar, but one of the creatures latched themself onto the hyroo's side and another to Lupen's chest. Their bodies were sticky like goo, and burned like hot coals. +    In a panic, Hush bounded fast and far into the distance. Eka kicked at the soft gooey body to get them off, but the skin would just bounce back into shape. Hush landed with a roll, sending all passengers cascading onto the ground before rubbing their side on the sand and clawing at the parasite with their hind legs. Clawing was not enough to get this spherical creature to let go, Lupen even tried hitting it with the butt of a mug, nothing worked. Hush leapt into the air again, as high as Eka had ever seen a hyroo jump. The beast became a point into the sky, just another skyrock orbiting the planet.     There was no way to help Hush now, and so Eka went to assist the other victim. The creatures had burned through Lupen's vest and undershirt already. Lupen was in agony, twisting on the ground.     "I can't get it off!" Eka cried, trying to pry it off using a rock as a barrier.     Moments later, Hush returned, the parasite was gone but the skin where it had been had been stripped of all fur. This is how they would get rid of them: altitude and cold. Eka whistled for Hush and climbed onto their back, pulling Lupen along.     "Take us up Hush! As high as you can!" -    As before, Hush jumped high and fast. The parasite quickly abandoned its host. When they landed again, they were a good distance away, leaving the fluttery fiends behind. Eka helped Lupen off Hush. +    As before, Hush jumped high and fast. The parasite quickly abandoned their host. When they landed again, they were a good distance away, leaving the fluttery fiends behind. Eka helped Lupen off Hush.     "Those things, why did they attack us?" Lupen asked.     "They're territorial, I know that, but there's usually not so many together in one place."     There was a logical explanation, but right now Eka focused on crushing waterstones over Lupen's wounds to help reduce pain and swelling. The injury was covered to keep air and sand from the seared surface. Hush received the same treatment. It was nearly dark, and with two wounded it was best to set camp here. @@ -627,24 +626,24 @@ Eka prepared nuni nuggets for everyone. Nuni was a starchy stuber with bright ye ![](/home/rek/Sourcehut/wikbook/media/fauna.leafhound.png)     "Is that where you came from?" -    The hound barked, triggering a series of faint yaps and yips, all coming from the faraway green smudge. A pool of clear slime had accumulated at the animal's feet, dripping from its long purple tongue. Eka cut a piece of nuni, tossed it over, watched as their visitor gobbled it up, and waited for more, its antennae-like ears twitching in anticipation. +    The hound barked, triggering a series of faint yaps and yips, all coming from the faraway green smudge. A pool of clear slime had accumulated at the animal's feet, dripping from their long purple tongue. Eka cut a piece of nuni, tossed it over, watched as their visitor gobbled it up, and waited for more, their antennae-like ears twitching in anticipation.     "You really like that, huh?" Eka said.     Breakfast was served, although Lupen was in a feverish state and couldn't eat. Hush had no problem eating, and despite Eka's warnings helped themself to Lupen's portion.     "Yea, yea. I know. I know you've got two stomachs," Eka said, caressing the hyroo's fur, "right now you're the mapa okay? You take care of Lu while I'm gone." -    Hush's ears twitched at the word "gone". While not familiar with the letters making up the word the hyroo recognized the sound and length and associated it with a moment of prolonged absence, a thing it didn't like. Hush let out a pained whine, lowering its head into Eka's hands. +    Hush's ears twitched at the word "gone". While not familiar with the letters making up the word the hyroo recognized the sound and length and associated it with a moment of prolonged absence, a thing they didn't like. Hush let out a pained whine, lowering their head into Eka's hands.     "I won't be far, just listen for me," Eka said, fingers brushing the contours of the hyroo's large parabolic ears. Hush yielded then, letting out a yip and taking Lupen's side.     Eka smirked, and turned to the orange hound. "Okay! Let's get going!" Both walked out of the tent and into the desert. The wind was down, and the suns felt extra hot. The leafhound followed Eka closely, well-aware of the existence of a secret piece of nuni, hidden in the palm of Eka's hand. The leafhound stayed close, as if to make sure no one else would get it. -    Gradually, the point of green expanded into a row of trees. At its center there were patches of bright color, each one corresponding to a different crop. There was no way that this place had come into being on its own, this improbable oasis was the work of a devoted carer. Looking further, Eka glimpsed a few of those horrible floaters hovering around the green piece of land. It would be impossible to go near it without them noticing. If one of them did, without Hush or Lupen around to help, Eka and the hound would be in trouble. The orange hound seemed calm, not bothered by their presence. Eka assumed that it had come through here once already, and yet it had not suffered any harm. Had they not seen the hound? Maybe it knew of another way inside. Eka's eyes were looking out for any movement in the oasis. There were many other leafhounds there, one of them was chasing a floater that had wandered a bit too far inland. The floater turned yellow and backed away, returning to the outer perimeter. +    Gradually, the point of green expanded into a row of trees. At its center there were patches of bright color, each one corresponding to a different crop. There was no way that this place had come into being on its own, this improbable oasis was the work of a devoted carer. Looking further, Eka glimpsed a few floaters hovering around the green piece of land. It would be impossible to go near it without them noticing. If one of them did, without Hush or Lupen around to help, Eka and the hound would be in trouble. The orange hound seemed calm, not bothered by their presence. Eka assumed that the hound had come through here once already, and yet had not suffered any harm. Had they not seen the hound? Maybe there was another way inside. Eka's eyes were looking out for any movement in the oasis. There were many other leafhounds there, one of them was chasing a floater that had wandered a bit too far inland. The floater turned yellow and backed away, returning to the outer perimeter.     Eka returned to camp, the faithful leafhound trailing behind. Using the nuni as a lure was brilliant, Eka thought. They would make their way inside with the hound, drawn close by the irresistible allure of the yellow tuber, and keep the floaters away all the while. Hopefully, this hound was scary enough to protect all three of them and grant them safe passage into the oasis. Eka packed the tent and supplies, and the injured Verido was secured onto Hush. The group marched towards the oasis, stopping at the edge, waiting.     Lupen opened one fatigued eye. "Eka no... we can't."     "It's okay, we've got a guide this time." -    The hound was at their side, mouth dripping with saliva. The last bit of nuni in hand, Eka stepped onto the grass marking the entrance to the oasis. The spheres reacted, they raced over but did not attack, not while the orange mutt was there. Eka gave the leafhound half of the piece of nuni, it swallowed it whole and waited for the rest. +    The hound was at their side, mouth dripping with saliva. The last bit of nuni in hand, Eka stepped onto the grass marking the entrance to the oasis. The spheres reacted, they raced over but did not attack, not while the orange mutt was there. Eka gave the leafhound half of the piece of nuni, who swallowed it whole and waited for the rest.     "Mind guiding us all the way in?" Eka asked, "I promise you'll get the rest, and more!"     The hound yipped, and led them deeper into the oasis. The spheres had all gathered around them, but left a corridor for them to walk through. Their skin color changed from red, to orange and back to yellow. Lupen was hiding under the fabric of the tent, feeling dubious about the whole idea. The round creatures stared, but did not move.     Eka was glad that they were safe, but noticed that other hounds were in the oasis staring at their little group. None charged at them, or made a sound. -    Lupen breathed a sigh of relief, and Eka offered the rest of the nuni to the hound, caressing its head. "Good job hound!" +    Lupen breathed a sigh of relief, and Eka offered the rest of the nuni to the hound, caressing the spot between the antennae-ears. "Good job hound!"     Someone was shouting from the top of the hill before they came running towards them brandishing a rake. A Terin, dark-skinned, dark-haired, two-toed with thick limbs, head covered by a brimmed hat made from banabo leaves. The hat was secured with a cloth tied under the chin. "Waldek! What did you do? *No* one is allowed in here! You know *this*!" Waldek, their guide into the oasis, yipped and wandered off, nose to the ground, searching for more food.     "I love your green place!" Eka said, brightly.     "Leave! This is *my* property!" The Terin said, getting ready to push the group back, but then noticed the hyroo and froze mid-step. "A hyroo? Rare creatures. Very few grow. Hyroos need lots of moisture, a temperate climate. How is this possible?" @@ -662,14 +661,14 @@ Both walked out of the tent and into the desert. The wind was down, and the suns     "I need some medililly herbs to treat my friend's wounds."     The Terin promised to bring some fresh sprigs over later, returning to the house atop the hill.     Hush started to whine, with Eka nodding to every grunt and growl, "yes I agree. Our host is overprotective, and has a big heart! I'm glad you picked up on that." -    Eka raised their tent, helped Lupen inside and sat down to watch the orange dogs walking through the fields. They looked at every single crop, their antennae prodding them gently, as if they were asking them about their health. The oasis was divided into many parts. The front had fresh produce, like karonins^[A fruit with a warty asymmetrical shape and a hard rind. The inside flesh is crunchy with a pungent, spicy flavor, varying in intensity depending on its growing environment.] and babams, teaweet and other grains sat in between the vegetables and the small house atop the hill. Eka could see a space contoured by tall hedges behind that, but the green fence made it impossible to see what was inside. +    Eka raised their tent, helped Lupen inside and sat down to watch the orange hounds walking through the fields. They looked at every single crop, their antennae prodding them gently, as if they were asking them about their health. The oasis was divided into many parts. The front had fresh produce, like karonins^[A fruit with a warty asymmetrical shape and a hard rind. The inside flesh is crunchy with a pungent, spicy flavor, varying in intensity depending on its growing environment.] and babams, teaweet and other grains sat in between the vegetables and the small house atop the hill. Eka could see a space contoured by tall hedges behind that, but the green fence made it impossible to see what was inside.     Waldek would come by their tent often to check on them. A very good mapa, Eka thought. Later that day, the voice of the Terin sounded outside of the tent.     "Hello Zukka!" Eka wandered out, "you can call me Eka, and that trumpet-eared invalid in there is Lupen."     "How do you know my name?" -    "Oh, your leafhound Waldek told Hush, and Hush told me because I don't speak leafhound, not *well* anyway. I always mix up the subtleties in the yaps. Don't get me started on the yips! It's a very tonal language, not easy to master, and there are *so* many dialects!" -    "I don't like lies, or jokes. I'm going to apply your friend's medicine. I don't want to hear any more nonsense." Zukka prepared two medililly poultices. The soft, moist mass was applied to Lupen and Hush's wounds, and wrapped carefully with a clean strip of notcott cloth. "What is the name of the mountain you spoke about, where the hyroos grow? It's within the Central Rim isn't it?" Zukka asked, eyes locked on the hyroo. The large-eared creature was resting now, coiled into a tight ball with its head hidden. Its body expanded and contracted with every breath. Zukka put a hand to the hyroo's side, inspecting its fur. +    "Oh, Waldek told Hush, and Hush told me because I don't speak leafhound, not *well* anyway. I always mix up the subtleties in the yaps. Don't get me started on the yips! It's a very tonal language, not easy to master, and there are *so* many dialects!" +    "I don't like lies, or jokes. I'm going to apply your friend's medicine. I don't want to hear any more nonsense." Zukka prepared two medililly poultices. The soft, moist mass was applied to Lupen and Hush's wounds, and wrapped carefully with a clean strip of notcott cloth. "What is the name of the mountain you spoke about, where the hyroos grow? It's within the Central Rim isn't it?" Zukka asked, eyes locked on the hyroo. The large-eared creature was resting now, coiled into a tight ball with their head hidden. The hyroo's body expanded and contracted with every breath. Zukka put a hand to the hyroo's side, inspecting the fur.     "It hasn't got one, places without names remain strangely unseen."     "You won't say. You think I'll tell?"     "I'm telling you the truth. It *hasn't* got one." @@ -684,7 +683,7 @@ Later that day, the voice of the Terin sounded outside of the tent.     Zukka nodded before leaving the tent, that last question needed to be pondered carefully. The next day, Hush was sitting outside the tent with Waldek, healthy, gnawing contentedly on a stalk of spicy gingin root. Under the cover of darkness, their leaf-tailed guide had snuck a pile of fresh produce for them. Zukka's words came to Eka's mind: 'Take only what is given to you.' Zukka had not intended on Waldek helping them. "Technically, we aren't breaking any rules..." Eka said, eyeing Waldek. -    Waldek let out a yip before returning to its meal, it had helped itself to some of the items in the pile. Eka smiled, gathered some produce and began to cook breakfast. +    Waldek let out a yip before returning to their meal, the hound had helped themself to some of the items in the pile. Eka smiled, gathered some produce and began to cook breakfast.                                             ~ @@ -735,12 +734,12 @@ Under the midday suns, Lupen and Eka sat in front of their tent, playing the gam     "What's going on?" Eka said.     "Mosslings. I can't get rid of them. They hate lemilim grass so I planted some to keep them away, but I'm beginning to think they've developed a taste for it. Curse these things, they make everything rot!" Zukka said, breathing hard, tired from chasing after them.     Lupen had stayed near the tent, sipping tea, content despite the ever-present chest pains. The oasis had a voice, speaking through the rustling of the various plants. A concerto of greenery. There were not many around to listen, a handful of hounds, the caretaker, and Eka. Zukka and the hounds were producing all of this food for themselves, with no one else around to feed, that is unless there was a village of tiny people over there in that walled garden by the house. Lupen brought up the topic later that day, when tasked with peeling babams for their meal. -    "Let's ask the vegetables!" Eka set the peeled babams down in a pot and wandered over to the fields, stopping near a mossling-infested karonin patch, "hey there, how are you all feeling?" Eka paused, laughed aloud, "yea, those mosslings are relentless, aren't they?" +    "Let's ask the vegetables!" Eka set the peeled babams down in a pot and wandered over to the fields, stopping near a mossling-infested karonin patch, "hey there, how are you all feeling?" Eka paused, laughed aloud, "oof, yea, those mosslings are relentless, aren't they?"     Lupen watched from afar, frowning. "Stop it. You do not speak Vegetable."     Eka responded with a quick shush and resumed the conversation. "So what's the deal with Zukka anyway?" Eka pressed an ear against the side of a karonin, listening for an answer. "Oh! A *secret* you *say*?"     Lupen watched, resisting the urge to ask about what the karonin was saying. Asking would mean giving into this prank, but then again Eka knew a lot about the world, perhaps there was such a thing as Vegetable Speak, a language of light and vibrations. After a short conversation, Eka rose and wandered back over to Lupen.     "So um, what did the karonin say?" Lupen asked. -    "It said that there is something valuable here," saying this, Eka covered these ruby eyes with two hands and uncovered them just as quickly, "hidden away!" +    "They said that there is something valuable here," saying this, Eka covered these ruby eyes with two hands and uncovered them just as quickly, "hidden away!"     "Valuable? You mean like a treasure?"     "Like a secret," Eka corrected, pressing the point of a finger hard on Lupen's nose before continuing to peel some babams.     The thought of a secret was intriguing, but likely false. Even so, Lupen could not sleep, haunted by the idea of a treasure, drawn by mystery and the unknown. If Zukka had a secret it would be somewhere near the house, that whole area looked very sheltered and private. @@ -749,9 +748,9 @@ The next day, Lupen got up before the first sun. Zukka was awake already, standi     Lupen arrived near, but the tall green hedge blocked the way and there was no break in its branches, no way to see through the thickness. Lupen put an arm's length in it, to see if it was as thick as it looked. "Um, thick indeed," Lupen said, but then froze. Waldek was here, standing close. "Hey Waldek! We're friends right? You're not going to tell on me are you?" Lupen said in a low voice, stuck halfway into the hedge, vest and hair caught into the branches.     Waldek let out a quiet bark, and another.     "No no no shush, shush!" Lupen begged. Getting out of the shrubbery was harder than getting in, its branches curled inwards and refused to let go, "I can't get out!" -    Waldek caught the scent of food in the air, from Eka making breakfast and ran off, leaving Lupen alone in the hedge. "Oh good, oh good..." Lupen tried to wriggle out, but the only way out of this would be to break branches, and Zukka would know someone had been here. Going inside, giving in to the pull of the branches was the best option. With a grunt and a lot of whining, the Verido popped out of the other side, clothes full of leaves, and skin full of scratches. The hedge now had a Lupen-shaped hole, a weird not-quite triangular outline that made the hedge look like it was in mid-cry. This supposedly inoffensive excursion around Zukka's house had turned into a break-in. “The branches of the shrub and its curly fingers made me do it,” was hardly an excuse. Lupen could not accuse the karonin either, blaming the words of a rotten vegetable would do no one any good. +    Waldek caught the scent of food in the air, from Eka making breakfast and ran off, leaving Lupen alone in the hedge. "Oh good, oh good..." Lupen tried to wriggle out, but the only way out of this would be to break branches, and Zukka would know someone had been here. Going inside, giving in to the pull of the branches was the best option. With a grunt and a lot of whining, the Verido popped out of the other side, clothes full of leaves, and skin full of scratches. The hedge now had a Lupen-shaped hole, a weird not-quite triangular outline that made the hedge look like it was in mid-cry. This supposedly inoffensive excursion around Zukka's house had turned into a break-in. “The branches of the shrub and their curly fingers made me do it,” was hardly an excuse. Lupen could not accuse the karonin either, blaming the words of a rotten vegetable would do no one any good.     "What am I doing." The Verido took a step back, but another orange leafhound began to bark and growl from inside the compound. Lupen kept as far away from the hound as the hedge permitted, fitting back in the Verido-shaped hole, and in this instant, Lupen saw what the hedge was concealing. A vast green field full of unborn children. The reason that the hound was so miffed, was because Lupen had almost crushed one. "Oh hey, I'm sorry." -    The hound's antennae-ears caressed the near-crushed child gently, all was well, its protector was content. Although it did not approve of the intruder's proximity, and with a push of the nose, the leafhound nudged Lupen away from the field. This place was full of little green nubs pushing out of the soil. Some had leaves that had different shapes, and colors. +    The hound's antennae-ears caressed the near-crushed child gently, all was well, their protector was content. Although the leafhound did not approve of the intruder's proximity, and with a push of the nose nudged Lupen away from the field. This place was full of little green nubs pushing out of the soil. Some had leaves that had different shapes, and colors.     "This is a nursery." Lupen said, amazed.     Lupen had seen nurseries before, they had a small one in Volare, but at most the village had two children growing at once, this place had many more. A nursery this size explained the need for a large and reliable food source. Zukka had planted enough to populate a small city. After circling the field, under the watchful eye of the hound, Lupen moved closer to the house to look at a calendar on a wall, marked with possible birth dates. There were bags of grains, as well as a giant stone bowl with a yukwood^[An excellent shade, drought-resistant tree. Often used to build sandfins.] mallet. Lupen ran a hand along the insides of the bowl, and tasted the leftover grounds. "Granulated teaweet berries!" Teaweet was a widely consumed grain, but this teaweet was different, it had a strong aroma and tasted sweet, clean and fresh.     Lost in thought, Lupen had only just noticed a figure moving inside the house. It was time to leave. The Verido hurried back towards the bushes. Precipitated by the fear of being discovered, Lupen kicked dirt over the footprints, threw the broken branches back into the hedge, and pushed through the dense thicket before emerging on the other side. @@ -856,7 +855,7 @@ their time begging for food. They should try gardening, or learning to forage, i Lupen returned to the tent and told Eka everything that had happened, the conversation with Laris, and the one with Zukka too. Eka was running fingers over Laris's face, even in sleep, the traveler looked worn-out, near-spent.     "Zukka wants us to leave," Lupen said, hurt by the Terin's indifference. -    "Then, we will do what Zukka says." Eka replied. "You know, back in the old days, Terins used to do check-ups on the Ilks. They did this every annum, back when Ministe was still standing. The Voices would report to the Terins on the annum, on the pains the Ilks may have mentioned. When Ministe fell, a Terin boarded Vol, taught your people how to care for them, and helped to create the Hands^[Hands inspect the Ilk's body for signs of disease or wounds. It is dangerous work, many have fallen and died while on the job.], as you know them. Terins can see sickness and health in others, it's second-nature. They're the carers of the world." +    "Then, we will do what Zukka says." Eka replied. "You know, back in the old days, Terins used to do check-ups on the Ilks. They did this every annum, back when Ministe was still standing. The Voices would report to the Terins on the annum, on the pains the Ilks may have mentioned. When Ministe fell, a Terin came onto Vol, taught your people how to care for them, and helped to create the Hands^[Hands inspect the Ilk's body for signs of disease or wounds. It is dangerous work, many have fallen and died while on the job.], as you know them. Terins can see sickness and health in others, it's second-nature. They're the carers of the world."     Lupen swallowed hard, "when the carers are as spent as Zukka, what does that say of the state of the world?"     "Get some rest," Eka said with a smile, "it's late."     All went to sleep, but not Laris, who had overheard their conversation. In the dark, the patient left their bed and went over to the house atop the hill. The strong scent of the medililly poultices covered up all smells, no leafhound could smell Laris. Laris pushed through the hedge, like Lupen had done, and arrived on the other side, where slept, row after row, unborn children with green tops sticking out of the soil. They looked beautiful under the moonlights, casting tiny shadows. To Laris, this field was a thing of cruelty, this land would not keep its promise and would not stay green. Panicked, Laris's hands dove into the dirt, fingers wrapping tightly around the stem of a child. "You won't suffer like I did. I won't allow it." @@ -875,7 +874,7 @@ Zukka awoke to tend to the usual early day chores. Walking into the nursery, the     "What are you talking about," Zukka said, hurrying ahead, wishing Laris would not talk — this little walk was painful enough.     "False-mosslings. They mimic mosslings. They have curly antennae, and are impervious to lemilim grass. They hate mepperpint. I can't read, but a book saying it was read to me."      Zukka froze in mid-step, having never before heard of false-mosslings. Both continued to walk in silence, to the encampment where the others travelers were waiting, a leafhound had come along. The two travelers moved out of the wagon to greet Laris. "Thank you for helping Laris," one of them said, careful to avoid Zukka's eyes. Like Laris, the two had uneven limbs, and their skin was see-through and fragile. Zukka was embarrassed to stand there with a fleshy body. The travelers helped Laris onto the wagon, and urged the vennec onward. Zukka went back into the oasis with the leafhounds. -    Eka and Lupen were awake, and noticed the bed was empty, and saw the group leaving in the distance. They kept their promise to Zukka, and were now pulling the tent apart and packing away their gear. They did not address their host. Zukka walked to a field of herbs, picked out a handful of fresh meppermint, and went over to the mossling-infested fields and distributed some in a plumkin patch that had been plagued by these pesky insects. Zukka waited for a moment, nothing changed. With a sigh, the Terin walked off but noticed a mossling flying past, and then another. All had curly antennae. The pests began to fly off in droves. "False-mosslings. How elegant." Zukka laughed. +    Eka and Lupen were awake, and noticed the bed was empty, and saw the group leaving in the distance. They kept their promise to Zukka, and were now pulling the tent apart and packing away their gear. They did not address their host. Zukka walked to a field of herbs, picked out a handful of fresh meppermint, and went over to the mossling-infested fields and distributed some in a plumkin patch that had been plagued by these pesky insects. Zukka waited for a moment, nothing changed. With a sigh, the Terin walked off but noticed a mossling flying past, and then another. All had curly antennae. They began to fly off in droves. "False-mosslings. How elegant." Zukka laughed.     Eka saw the insects flying away, looking for another place to nest, and smiled. "You did it! Mosslings are leaving!" Saying it loud enough so Zukka would hear.     "False-mosslings," Zukka corrected. "I didn't used to have these here. It's something new, something I didn't know." A rush of emotions overcame the Terin. "I thought the world had nothing more to teach me. Not everyone is equipped with the knowledge to save themselves. I mistook this for lethargy." Terins were supposed to care for others, not just in the growing phase, but throughout their lives too. People never really stopped growing. "I've made a huge mistake."     Eka held a hand out. "Not yet you haven't." @@ -890,8 +889,8 @@ The next day, with Zukka's permission, Eka and Lupen filled their bags with fres     Eka, mouth full of mappols, couldn't answer right away, so Zukka decided that this was something that would be better left unasked. "What is your favorite food?"     Eka swallowed the bits of mappol, smiling. "I like norankes^[A near-extinct, sweet, and bitter fruit with a thick rind. It has a fragrant smell, and can calm the mind.] a lot, they’re a bit rare though."     The Terin disappeared inside the house, and returned with a small pouch made out of weaved norcorn leaves. Inside the pouch was a single seed. "Plant this seed in a green place. It needs a lot of moisture and shade. When the leaves grow broad, full suns is fine. In a few annums you'll get some norankes." Zukka explained that this seed had been salvaged from the Iridi raids at the Suvalba Sanctuary. Their host also gave them two fresh norankes from the only tree on the property as thanks. "Keep the seeds," Zukka made a point to say. -    "It will be planted in the greenest of places, I promise," Eka said, before eyeing Waldek the leafhound who sat there at their feet, wagging its leaf-shaped tail. "Keep your friends safe okay?" -    Waldek barked, before turning to Lupen, its antennae prodding Lupen's legs and chest. It let out a whine, but Zukka stepped in. "Don't you have work to do?" The orange hound barked again, and moved off into the fields with the others. The Terin handed Lupen a bag of medililly herbs. "Brew a leaf with your tea, a leaf a day," Zukka paused, a thick hand coming to rest on the Verido's shoulder, "make it part of your routine. A leaf a day. Easy to remember. You've got enough here for a long while, but come back and see me when you run out... well, before you run out." +    "It will be planted in the greenest of places, I promise," Eka said, before eyeing Waldek the leafhound who sat there at their feet, wagging a leaf-shaped tail. "Keep your friends safe okay?" +    Waldek barked, before turning to Lupen, a set of antennae-ears coming to prod Lupen's legs and chest. Waldek let out a whine, but Zukka stepped in. "Don't you have work to do?" The orange hound barked again, and moved off into the fields with the others. The Terin handed Lupen a bag of medililly herbs. "Brew a leaf with your tea, a leaf a day," Zukka paused, a thick hand coming to rest on the Verido's shoulder, "make it part of your routine. A leaf a day. Easy to remember. You've got enough here for a long while, but come back and see me when you run out... well, before you run out."     Lupen accepted the gift, acknowledging how precious the leaves were. "A leaf a day, got it. Thank you."     The two left shortly, their bags plump with fresh supplies. They wished Laris and the travelers well, thanked the leafhounds, and the farmer. Zukka watched as the two, led by Hush, disappeared behind the row of canopied trees. @@ -912,7 +911,7 @@ The next day, with Zukka's permission, Eka and Lupen filled their bags with fres     "What is this?"     "If you want to exist in the eyes of Montore you need a piece of identification."     "So, how do you know I won't lie about who I am?" -    "You can lie, but beware, that ID will be tied to you always, and if we find out you aren't who you say you are..." A graphic hanging behind the desk portrayed someone smiling while being fed through a manual grinder, with the remains, stylized as colorful confetti, coming out of the other end. The clerk reached under the desk and pulled up a durdle, a creature with long ears and a spiked shell. It had a tag stuck to one of its spikes with the writing "D-126". "See. Even D-126 here has an ID. It's the law." +    "You can lie, but beware, that ID will be tied to you always, and if we find out you aren't who you say you are..." A graphic hanging behind the desk portrayed someone smiling while being fed through a manual grinder, with the remains, stylized as colorful confetti, coming out of the other end. The clerk reached under the desk and pulled up a durdle, a creature with long ears and a spiked shell. The durdle had a tag stuck to one spike with the writing "D-126". "See. Even D-126 here has an ID. It's the law."     "Okay, *fine*. Say I want to get an... *ahy- dee*, where do I get one?"     "You'll need to visit the next stall, Specter^[The name given to those in Montore who don't have ID, who don't yet exist, and who cannot enter the city. It is also used as an expression, to refer to those who live alone, outside of communities]. Next!" the clerk called, eager to move on to another customer.     "Specter?" Lupen stormed off, looking for that next stall the clerk had mentioned. The stall was easy to find, it had a long line of people standing in front of it, a long, long line, snaking around Montore's outer wall, and lined with colorful tents. @@ -936,7 +935,7 @@ The city of Montore sat on a hilltop enclosed entirely within a single, continuo     Lupen frowned and was about to leave but asked another question. "I was wondering, do you know a Zukka?"     "If I know azucca? What's azucca."     "Zukka. It's a name." -    "Azucca'itsaname...? No, sorry. Don't know one. Hell of a name though, would sit real long on an ID." +    "Azucca'itsaname...? No, sorry. Don't know one. Impressive name though, it would sit real long on an ID."     "Are you done wasting my time?" Lupen asked, impatiently.     "Way I see it you're wasting *mine*. I might start being useful if you throw a coin or two my way though..." the Terin said with a wink, presenting an open hand.     Already, Lupen hated everything about Montore, even those living outside its walls. The Verido gave the Terin a rotten look before walking away. @@ -978,7 +977,7 @@ The next morning, Lupen and Eka went to wait at the foot of the new wall that wa     Eka did have one left, but wasn't sure if it was a good idea to say so.     "I'll get you an ID for one!" One Terin said. "I've got coin, you want coin for it? What about kavava?"     "Uh oh," said Eka, noticing the amount of attention they were getting. Some guards turned, tipped off by the many Terins beginning to encircle them, shouting offers. -    The woth moved out of its glass ball, and reached into Eka's pocket, pulling out the last noranke. The woth took off with it, carrying it high and above everyone's head. Eka let out another "Uh oh," followed by, "Humhum come back!" All of the surrogates in line were staring at the brightly-colored fruit, jumping into the air to try and grab it. The guards saw it too, now hurrying over. The woth hovered out of their reach, and flew over the main entrance and inside the city. A crowd followed, a mix of surrogates, guards and visitors, all reaching for the fruit. +    The woth moved out of the glass ball, and reached into Eka's pocket, pulling out the last noranke. The woth took off with it, carrying it high and above everyone's head. Eka let out another "Uh oh," followed by, "Humhum come back!" All of the surrogates in line were staring at the brightly-colored fruit, jumping into the air to try and grab it. The guards saw it too, now hurrying over. The woth hovered out of their reach, and flew over the main entrance and inside the city. A crowd followed, a mix of surrogates, guards and visitors, all reaching for the fruit.     "Noranke!"     "Get it, get it!"     A mob was chasing the woth inside the city, Eka and Lupen, following, were able to get inside. @@ -1145,16 +1144,16 @@ Lupen was at their tent outside of the city, waiting for Eka to return. Hush was     Eka gave Lupen a big hug, "is that what you think we're doing? Helping others?"     "Yes? Maybe? I don't know."     "We came here for cake and tea." -    "Yea. Yea, you're right," saying this, Lupen took a bite of the babam cake. "Oh wow! This is *so* good!" The woth moved out of its glass house, eager to get a bite of this famed pastry, even Hush was intrigued. "I'm not sharing, sorry!" Lupen said, but both approached, eager to sample the remaining chunk of cake. Lupen was pinned to the floor, with Hush chewing on the end of the cake and the woth eating stray crumbs off its snout. "Yea yea, you've got two stomachs..." +    "Yea. Yea, you're right," saying this, Lupen took a bite of the babam cake. "Oh wow! This is *so* good!" The woth moved out of their glass house, eager to get a bite of this famed pastry, even Hush was intrigued. "I'm not sharing, sorry!" Lupen said, but both approached, eager to sample the remaining chunk of cake. Lupen was pinned to the floor, with Hush chewing on the end of the cake and the woth eating stray crumbs. "Yea yea, you've got two stomachs..."     "Hm. Maybe I should come back later, you look busy." Rosmus said with a laugh, standing near.     "Sorry I didn't come to see you." Lupen said, trying to inch away from both Hush and the woth.     "I saw guards escorting you out, figured I'd come to you instead." Saying this, Rosmus turned toward Eka, waving. "Hi! Me and Lupen grew up together, but that's easy to guess isn't it?"     "Hello Rosmus! I'm Eka." Eka waved back, smiling from ear to ear upon noticing that the visitor was carrying a pot of tea. "Mepperpint!"     "Everyone here drinks this." Rosmus took a seat on a rock and motioned for their cups to be handed over. Eka snatched Lupen's Thinking Cup, and grabbed another they had picked up in Tiputa. The cups were promptly filled to the brim with hot liquid. "I much prefer licky root^[Grown for its roots, which have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. This plant is very hardy, it grows in high-altitude areas.], it doesn't grow out here though..."     "Only on the Ilk," Lupen replied. -    "Only on the Ilk." Rosmus echoed. "So, what made you leave?" Seeing Lupen's expression, Rosmus decided that perhaps it was better to continue talking, "like I said to you before, I'm glad you didn't become Voice. Someone being at the Ilk's ear, it's a nice idea and all, but it doesn't guarantee a thing, it's all a matter of superstition." +    "Only on the Ilk." Rosmus echoed. "So, what made you leave?" Seeing Lupen's expression, Rosmus decided that perhaps it was better to continue talking, "like I said to you before, I'm glad you didn't become Voice. Someone being at the Vol's ear, it's a nice idea and all, but it doesn't guarantee a thing, it's all a matter of superstition."     "Tradition," Lupen corrected. -    "Right. But our people see it as a guarantee. If Vol tells the Voice that they are healthy and happy, then we're happy too, and it means we can continue to live on their back. But that's wishful thinking, there is no guarantee, and our people have forgotten that. When Verido were nomadic our situation was precarious, sure, but we knew the desert. When a generation doesn't know storms, how can it hope to weather one if it comes?" +    "Right. But our people see it as a guarantee. If Vol tells the Voice 'I am healthy and happy' then we're happy too, and it means we can continue to live on their back. But that's wishful thinking, there is no guarantee, and our people have forgotten that. When Verido were nomadic our situation was precarious, sure, but we knew the desert. When a generation doesn't know storms, how can it hope to weather one if it comes?"     "You think a storm is coming."     "A storm is always coming," Rosmus said, re-filling all of their cups, "how badly it strikes you depends on how you stand to it. Better to know it is coming, and to take it on the nose, than to not know and take it in the back."     "Our friend Nono says this too." Lupen said, eyeing Eka. @@ -1196,7 +1195,7 @@ Later that same day, Kuzi had sold the last of the kavava in exchange for coin t     "I had a long talk with Zukka about the Iridi, they ruined a lot of lives. They raided all those villages for workers, destroyed the Suvalba sanctuary, all that because they didn't want to harvest the chloromyce shroos themselves. It's horrible. Why are they so dependent on shroos anyway?"     "That's because of The Luminary, Moera, the first ever Sovereign of Irideri. Moera loved the stuff." Eka opened the book and began to turn the first few pages. It was an old tome, the pages, like the binding thread, were also made from banabo fibers. "I'm going to read the story out loud! I'll make voices and everything."     "I don't care to hear it, I already know how it ends." Lupen said. -    "Shush, shush, this is not for you, this is for Hush and Wormple the woth." Eka said. The woth stirred inside its glass ball, but did not rise to the name Wormple. Eka flashed Lupen a smile and began to read aloud... +    "Shush, shush, this is not for you, this is for Hush and Wormple the woth." Eka said. The woth stirred inside the glass ball, but did not rise to the name Wormple. Eka flashed Lupen a smile and began to read aloud...                                             ~ @@ -1329,7 +1328,7 @@ Number 10 went back to having a lackluster persona, muted, without worry or fear     "Eka sighed. "No, you're right they wouldn't. This is an Aodal."     "Aodals are much taller than this usually aren't they?" Lupen asked, saddened by the thought of someone suffering like this.     "Stunted growth," Eka said, "from malnutrition, and from living in the dark. Workers in the Irideri mines aren't allowed chloromyce, and because they don't get any, they get sick." -    Hush had a nose to the ground, catching a nearby scent, the hyroo followed it and stopped at a mound, pushing sand off the top with its snout, off of something that was buried there. First, a shriveled hand came into view, then a torso. Hush continued to brush sand off, revealing the rest of it. It was small, gray, wrinkly, with skin like leather, and like Ten, this body also had a character carved into its neck. +    Hush had a nose to the ground, catching a nearby scent, the hyroo followed it and stopped at a mound, pushing sand off the top with their snout, off of something that was buried there. First, a shriveled hand came into view, then a torso. Hush continued to brush sand off, revealing the rest of it. It was small, gray, wrinkly, with skin like leather, and like Ten, this body also had a character carved into its neck.     "8."     Lupen and Eka began to dig through the soil, both had the same idea. 8 couldn't be left here for someone else to find. They put the body in the hole and Lupen placed a piece of cloth over 8's face, they covered the body with a thick duvet of golden sand. The two stood at the place where the hole had been, hand in hand.     "What do Verido say on Leaping Days in Volare?" Eka asked. @@ -1338,10 +1337,10 @@ Number 10 went back to having a lackluster persona, muted, without worry or fear     Lupen did as told. After Eka had done the same, both noticed that Ten appeared more relaxed.     "I bet they put those heads on as a warning to others too, of what can happen if you mess with Iridi people." Lupen sighed. "How are you so great in situations like this?" Lupen asked Eka, "you're calm and always seem to know just what to do..."     "When it comes to helping others it comes easy, had you been alone you'd done the same." Eka's fingers traced over the prism on Ten's head. The shapes and pieces on its surface were not random, every one could be pushed and moved to a new place. It was an elaborate puzzle. Eka soon stopped touching it, realizing that every bad move resulted in the prism shrinking. There was no way to pry it off this poor child's head. "We can't leave Ten here and we know we can't go to Irideri. There's a village just a day's walk away, we'll go there." -    The woth slipped out of its glass ball and fluttered ahead to show them the way. -    "How does it know where to go?" Lupen wondered. -    "Good internal compass," Eka replied, chasing down the woth as it disappeared in the distance. "Slow down Plit!" Eka called out to the woth. -    "Do you really think that any woth in its right mind would answer to the name Plit? Oh no... what if this woth actually *is* crazy? What if its name is a sentence, and that the sentence isn't actually a sentence at all but a succession of random words? Or that the words are not words but just strings of random letters? What then!? This woth is crazy Eka!" Lupen said. The Verido was relieved to see that it did not, in fact, answer to Plit, although there was no real way to know if the woth was of sound mind or not. +    The woth slipped out of the glass house strapped to Lupen's belt and fluttered ahead to show them the way. +    "How does the woth know where to go?" Lupen wondered. +    "Good internal compass," Eka replied, chasing down the woth as they disappeared in the distance. "Slow down Plit!" Eka called out to the woth. +    "Do you really think that any woth in their right mind would answer to the name Plit? Oh no... what if this woth actually *is* crazy? What if their name is a sentence, and that the sentence isn't actually a sentence at all but a succession of random words? Or that the words are not words but just strings of random letters? What then!? This woth is crazy Eka!" Lupen said. The Verido was relieved to see that it did not, in fact, answer to Plit, although there was no real way to know if the woth was of sound mind or not.     Hush bounded forward, carrying Ten on its back. Soon, Lupen joined in, climbing behind Ten to make sure that their guest wouldn't slip off. It took them half a day's time to get to the village, with Eka and Lupen taking turns on Hush. They arrived at the famed tent village of Renate. @@ -1496,8 +1495,8 @@ During the voyage, thoughts of Irideri that had long been buried came to Renzo's     "Talking *is* a sound of the world! Like the sound of the wind and the chime of a bell."     "Bells don't ask questions," Renzo retorted.     "So, you speak bell then?" -    Eka tried to imagine the grammar and rhythm of bell language, but knew that if Lupen was to continue this interrogation Renzo would never warm up to them. The woth agreed, it flew out of its glass house and onto Lupen's nose. -    "Pity it didn't land on your mouth," Renzo sneered. +    Eka tried to imagine the grammar and rhythm of bell language, but knew that if Lupen was to continue this interrogation Renzo would never warm up to them. The woth agreed, they flew out of their glass house and onto Lupen's nose. +    "Pity they didn't land on your mouth," Renzo sneered.     Lupen smiled. "As if *that* would stop me!"     By then, the woth had moved to Lupen's cheek, wondering which part of the Verido's face to protect next, fearing a fist coming to it very soon. Eka acted quickly too, smacking the back of Lu's head. @@ -1595,7 +1594,7 @@ They spent a long time with Bariton, talking about Hori and the puzzles. Eka lik     The two traversed the city, as fast as their feet could carry them. Eka whistled for Hush, a distinctive sort of whistle, sharp and melodious.     "Hush is on the other side of the mountain!" Lupen said.     "You, speaker of Ilken, should know just how far the sound of a whistle can travel! That paired with Hush's parabolic ears!" -    They looked at the sky. A large shape had bounded up into the clouds and was coming down fast. Hush landed on the roof of a building, cracking the tiles. Ten was sitting on its back, gripping the fur, hard. +    They looked at the sky. A large shape had bounded up into the clouds and was coming down fast. Hush landed on the roof of a building, cracking the tiles. Ten was sitting on their back, gripping the fur, hard.     "Wonder what Ten thinks is happening, must be confusing." Lupen said, watching the Hyroo take another leap down to meet them at street level. Monarch Demeri's face turned pale when told that Renzo had been spotted in Irideri. "Is it really Renzo?" the Sovereign asked, swallowing hard. Demeri and Kurono usually stayed up late, having tea in the Moon Room. Servants were there to serve drinks, Demeri's cup was already dosed with chloromyce shroo powder. @@ -1815,15 +1814,15 @@ Lupen was busy trying to find directions to the next city on their list. They al     The cartographer nodded, and waved a hand, asking for Lupen to come forward. Lupen approached, walking over the map and avoiding newly-painted markings. The Verido unrolled the map, laid it over the floor, and went down on hands and knees, mirroring the cartographer's position.     "I'm Lupen."     "Leonin," the cartographer replied, eyes on the map. -    Lupen's eyes widened. "Really? Like the name I tried to give our woth, what a coincidence..." +    Lupen's eyes widened. "Really? Like the name I tried to give our woth friend, what a coincidence..."     It was no coincidence. Earlier that morning, Lupen passed in front of this very tent and had seen the name, but forgot about it.     Leonin's eyes studied Lupen's map, hands already busy correcting mistakes, adding new bridges, danger areas and such. "Didn't happen to see an Ilk on your way over here did you? It's late."     "An Ilk is coming here?" Lupen was sweating now. "Which one?" -    "Ilk of Balandri," Leonin answered, "is supposed to arrive here soon, we hope." +    "The Ilk of Balandri," Leonin answered, "is supposed to arrive here soon, we hope."     Lupen glanced outside through an opening in the tent, heart beating so hard it threatened to break out. Soon, Leonin finished adding corrections. Lupen thanked the cartographer and hurried back over to their tent. Eka wasn't back yet, and Hush was resting in a recess in the ground, keeping cool. One side of the tent was open, to let air transit through. Lupen took a seat, waited, eyes on the horizon as memories of Volare came rushing in. Then, there were people shouting.     "It's here! The Ilk is here!" -    Bala, the Ilk, arrived from yorata, not its usual path. The whole town was a swirling mess. People amassed empty carts and bags, gathered tools and extra hands. All were getting ready to help unload cargo off the Ilk. Lupen saw a familiar tall ramp, with people running up the steps to greet the visitors, but these eyes had never seen it from down here. The ramp looked frail and unsteady, swaying from side to side as people scaled its many steps. -    Bala arrived at last and came to stand by the platform. Like all Ilks, Bala was skinny, long-legged, had giant three-toed feet, a long thin face with a great big set of horns. On their back, was a small Verido town. Already, caretakers had prepared bags of feed, consisting of teaweet grain. Renate villagers hoisted bags over their shoulders, and ran up the ramp. Others were busy brushing sand off, picking rocks from Bala's toes. Other workers moved tents, to make a pathway up to the town. People would be coming on and off of Bala for 7 days. +    Bala, the Ilk, arrived from yorata, not their usual path. The whole town was a swirling mess. People amassed empty carts and bags, gathered tools and extra hands. All were getting ready to help unload cargo off the Ilk. Lupen saw a familiar tall ramp, with people running up the steps to greet the visitors, but these eyes had never seen it from down here. The ramp looked frail and unsteady, swaying from side to side as people scaled its many steps. +    Bala arrived at last and came to stand by the platform. Like all Ilks, Bala was skinny, long-legged, had giant three-toed feet, a long thin face with a great big set of horns. On their back, was a small Verido town. Already, caretakers had prepared bags of feed, consisting of teaweet grain. Renate villagers hoisted the bags over their shoulders, and ran up the ramp. Others were busy brushing sand off, picking rocks from Bala's toes. Other workers moved tents, to make a pathway up to the town. People would be coming on and off of Bala for 7 days.     "This is so exciting!" Eka said to Hush, having just returned to their camping spot in the city. Hush lifted their head, stared up at the Ilk, unimpressed. Next to the hyroo, was Lupen, who bore the same disinterested gaze. Hush continued to sleep, but Lupen could not stop watching the Ilk. Eka went to pat Lupen on the head, but didn't, due to the presence of a cup full of tea. Eka wanted to say something about it, but chose to ignore it.     The quiet town from this morning had turned into a bustling open-air market. Vendors from Balandri were setting up shop in the center of town, between masses of tumbling weeds, dry sweet grass, lavendiri bushes and blue plovies. The place was full of life and color, people laughing and shouting. Eka took a seat and watched, the market was set up right near their spot. Already, some Balandrians were exploring the city. Like Lupen, they had ears like delicate flutes, but unlike the Volarian blue, bore the red pigment iconic to Balandrians.     Eka was glancing from Lupen and back to the people of Balandri. "Don't you want to say hello?" @@ -1856,7 +1855,7 @@ Lupen was busy trying to find directions to the next city on their list. They al     "You'd better, I do not want to be the one marking the road to it." Leonin said, busy adding the desired modifications. Map in hand, Lupen returned to their encampment. "Change of plans, we're going yosaata^[One of 4 Finic intercardinal points, lying between yorata(away from the soul of the land) and saata(with the wind).] to intercept Vol." -    Eka was lying over Hush, arms hanging down its sides, caressing the large furry beast. "Okay Lu, yosaa'ta we go!" +    Eka was lying over Hush, arms hanging down the hyroo's sides, caressing the large furry beast. "Okay Lu, yosaa'ta we go!"     The Verido eyed Eka carefully. "You don't want to know why? Or is it one of those situations where you already know why and that I'm an idiot for asking."     Eka was ready to go, standing upright. "Less thinking, more doing!"     "I'm scared Eka." @@ -1944,7 +1943,7 @@ All in the group were merry, all but Nono and Eka, to whom it had little effect.     "Eka, I want to say to you," Nono said, moving close, "I stop by Edonor to talk to my friend who know a lot about woth."     The Finiku filled up Eka's mug again. "To see the bottom, it is bad luck." Nono once said.     "We haven't found the name of our woth friend yet." Eka said. -    "You will find soon," Nono replied, "I tell my friend about the detail of wingspan, antenna and color of your woth. They say it be *super* woth!" Saying this, Nono's arms spread wide, spilling half the contents of a mug into the sand. Then, Nono's body relaxed. "Long, long ago, there be more big thing in the desert, and now, not so. But, when I young, I see a rare creature..." Saying this, Nono's eyes glassed over. "Wati teki kira te sawa no mawani..." +    "You will find soon," Nono replied, "I tell my friend about the detail of wingspan, antenna and color of your woth. They say it be *super* woth!" Saying this, Nono's arms spread wide, spilling half the contents of a mug into the sand. Then, Nono's body relaxed. "Long, long ago, there be more big thing in the desert, and now, not so. But, when I be young, I see a rare creature..." Saying this, Nono's eyes glassed over. "Wati teki kira te sawa no mawani..."     Maka overheard the last bit of their conversation, and eyed Nono in disbelief. "You saw the heart of the suns and the wind?"     Nono drifted to another place, recalling something that had happened annums ago. Nono began to tell the story, switching to Finic, speaking in a low voice so Eka could translate for everyone. @@ -1975,7 +1974,7 @@ The day ended with everyone sleeping around a dying flame, all, but Lupen and Ek     Lupen gazed up at the moons. "I wish I could live forever."     "A good life is better than a long one Lu, and whether a life is good can't be determined by its length." Eka's hand slid over Lupen's skyrock necklace. "Remember what I told you about skyrocks? They look small from here, but they come from far, far away, and there, they are giants. You too are a giant to someone, and you shine brighter than you think."     As Lupen drifted off to sleep, Eka was reciting constellations. "Salarus, Vitali, Neoneve..." at that moment Eka's eyes took note of a shooting skyrock. A name came to mind, an old name, belonging to a friend that was now long gone. The name never left Eka's mind. "You came as quickly as you went my dear Wiktopher. We had a lot of fun though..." Eka said. -    Suddenly, the woth crawled out of its glass ball and flew onto Eka's head, wings fluttering wildly. It began to shimmy its body from side to side, wiggling its antennae. When it settled, Eka smiled, "I agree, it is time someone else bear this name," and began to caress the soft hairs on the woth's back, humming. +    Suddenly, the woth crawled out of the glass ball house and flew onto Eka's head, wings fluttering wildly. The woth began to shimmy their body from side to side, wiggling their antennae. When they settled, Eka smiled, "I agree, it is time someone else bear this name," and began to caress the soft hairs on the woth's back, humming. The next morning, Lupen woke to the sound of arguing. Nono was awake, standing at the foot of a Beobug sandfin, which must have moored here in the dark and kinked Nono's vessel, an accident that Nono believed was deliberate.     Lupen walked up to Nono, and noticed Gree at one of the portholes. "Gree! Come down! Stop hiding!" @@ -2077,8 +2076,8 @@ There was no breeze to sail with yet, but there were signs of its coming. Once i     Renzo groaned. "Yes, but I did put my hand over my cup. Nono must have filled it through the gaps in my fingers while I wasn't looking."     "Yea, empty cups are bad luck. I saw a durdle licking your fingers this morning while you were asleep. Are your hands sticky?" Lupen quizzed the headache sufferer, with an ever-widening grin.     "No," Renzo made a face, "well, not anymore." -    "You sure it's okay to leave Hush with you?" Eka asked Renzo, joining them near Toronka. Hush, who was sitting near the bow of the sandfin in the shade, had a crowd of appreciators around at all times. Children were gathering around the hyroo now, stroking its fur. A mess of tiny hands ran through its mane, separating the soft hairs like teeth on a comb. The large beast seemed to enjoy the attention. -    "Yes, it's fine." Renzo offered Hush a sip of plumkin juice, and gripped the cup tightly so the beast wouldn't lick it up by accident. The children laughed as the beast drank, spilling plumkin juice everywhere. Renzo smiled. +    "You sure it's okay to leave Hush with you?" Eka asked Renzo, joining them near Toronka. Hush, who was sitting near the bow of the sandfin in the shade, had a crowd of appreciators around at all times. Children were gathering around the hyroo now, stroking their fur. A mess of tiny hands ran through the beast's mane, separating the soft hairs like teeth on a comb. Hush seemed to enjoy the attention. +    "Yes, it's fine." Renzo offered Hush a sip of plumkin juice, and gripped the cup tightly so the beast wouldn't lick it up by accident. The children laughed as the hyroo drank, spilling plumkin juice everywhere. Renzo smiled.     Eka caught the smile, and was determined to catch many more before they left for their trip. "Vi zou korozoson num Renzo, nandasoli vi mi elio nanata.^[Aodan translation: *We are heart be together now Renzo, never my sky leave.*]"     Renzo froze, and by these words was transported to another time and place. Its rhythm was comforting, better than music, like re-discovering a long-forgotten, and favorite childhood meal. Ren had learned Aodan while first employed in the Court of Light, Enji grew up speaking it, and taught Renzo over games of Hako... @@ -2100,14 +2099,14 @@ There was no breeze to sail with yet, but there were signs of its coming. Once i     They had played this game once already at a party, at that time Eka had not eaten a spiked dumpling, and neither had Lupen, although Eka was very good at pretending and had won the game. Now, it was almost certain that one of them would have to suffer its effects. Nono was next in line, Eka knelt down to match the Finiku's short height. "By the way, our woth friend is named Wiktopher." -    "Sosae'di!^[Finic translation: *Good very!*]" Nono said, ecstatic, pulling Eka in close, the Finiku's short arms barely able to encircle The Wonder. "I am happy to hear this!" +    "'To grow wise'. Terat wawama, dae'sa? Wiktifer! Yoroi'di're!^[Finic translation: *Terat tongue isn't it? Great very be*]" Nono said, ecstatic, pulling Eka in close, the Finiku's short arms barely able to encircle The Wonder. "I am happy to hear this!"     Lupen also said goodbye, but spent the most time with Klev, chatting away in Ilken. Both Verido were using the short form, whistling away while the villagers listened, perplexed by the absence of talking. Klev had finished the isilk bracelet, and gave it to Lupen as a parting gift. "Now you carry Bala with you."     "Thanks, it's lovely." Lupen said, stroking the braid, its red hue evident under the two suns. Then, the Verido removed the skyrock necklace and handed it to Klev. "It's a piece of skyrock. A reminder that the world is bigger than an Ilk, bigger than the Soronan Desert even. It's an amazing place, and there is much to see."     Klev took the necklace, eyes locked onto its shiny, smooth surface. "Wow. They're as small down here as they appear up there! Incredible." Eka and Lupen stepped aboard the sandfin, each taking on the tasks they'd agreed on the previous day. Lupen pulled on the mainsail halyard to raise it, while Eka kept the rope rings that secured the sail to the mast from catching. Once the sail was all the way up, the rope was tied and Eka loosened the sheet to let the boom hang to one side and catch the wind. The sail soon filled with air, pulling the sandfin forward.     All in the village waved as Toronka sandfinned away. Nono held up a scarf, letting the wind catch into it. The others in the group let their scarves fly too. -    As Eka and Lupen left Renate, they could see the scarves undulating in the wind, hundreds of colorful knitted arms waving goodbye. The Ilk of Balandri sang a parting song that resounded throughout the desert. This song would catch the ear of the other two Ilks, and for a moment Lupen wondered if it could convince Vol to slow down, or alter course. Lupen knew that thinking this was silly, as it was near impossible to dissuade anyone from taking the Leap. Lupen's mind drifted to a day when Levi was still alive, a day they'd spent together. +    As Eka and Lupen left Renate, they could see the scarves undulating in the wind, hundreds of colorful knitted arms waving goodbye. The Ilk of Balandri sang a parting song that resounded throughout the desert. This song would catch the ear of the other two Ilks, and for a moment Lupen wondered if they could convince Vol to slow down, or alter course. Lupen knew that thinking this was silly, as it was near impossible to dissuade anyone from taking the Leap. Lupen's mind drifted to a day when Levi was still alive, a day they'd spent together.     Lupen sat with this wonderful happy and sad memory for a while, and then let it go. That day, Lupen made a plan to try and plant a garden in the desert, like Zukka. "I wonder if woodgeon shrubs can grow down here..."     As Renate faded away, they settled into their respective tasks, taking bearings, checking the horizon for obstacles, or anything that could help them identify where they were. The Soronan Desert has many mountains, used as landmarks by countless sanfinners and foot travelers to find their way. In the Central Rim, the wind always circulated in the same direction. To find saata, all they had to do was walk with the wind at their backs. On days without wind, one need only to look at the sand dunes which are shaped by the wind, the direction of the slant indicates it. Finding yoramu is easiest after the second sunset, all avians sleep with their heads pointed in that direction. Etyl's old compass twitched, their bow heading saamu, or "into the wind" in the Common Tongue. The needle always pointed to yoramu, another Finiku term to mean "towards the soul of the land." On the compass were Finiku symbols for all 4 directions. @@ -2147,7 +2146,7 @@ That evening, both took a seat on deck and watched the stars.     "No, I can take the first watch."     Eka nodded, and went inside to sleep. The woth was on deck, hiding behind a bulkhead from the wind.     "How's your shift so far?" Lupen asked the woth. -    The woth moved its antennae, not because it was replying to the question, but because it was busy working bits of sand out of them. +    Wiktopher moved their antennae, not because they were replying to the question, but because they were busy working bits of sand out of them.     "Do you know what lies ahead Wik? A pass," Lupen paused for dramatic effect, "Dorake's pass."     Dorake's pass was an opening between two sets of mountains, the meeting of two great capes. In this area, the height of the surrounding mountains accelerated the wind. @@ -2227,7 +2226,7 @@ It's Eka's turn to prepare food. We had a dinner of bonan chips with a looma roo The dark shifts were easy because the wind left us again. I walked around the deck reciting Volare's poems from memory, but was careful not to wake Eka.     The last poem I learned, goes like this: -    *The Skyrocks alight,* +    *The skyrocks alight,*     *Golden sands mask their color,*     *The dark draws a path.* @@ -2290,7 +2289,7 @@ We did it. We've cleared the obstructions away, and were able to raise both anch We made it through the pass in good weather. After Eka and I traded places I slept long, and hard. It was the best sleep I've ever had. Now, Encela and Protus are out, they light our way towards the Rupture. If this wind keeps up, and our navigation is correct, we will be there the day after tomorrow. We have Etyl's compass to orient ourselves, the needle to yoramu points behind us.     I am nervous. I don't know what I'll do when we find Vol, and I'm not sure what to do if we don't. I've resolved to put it out of my head until I see Vol, and by then I'll be too busy to worry. -    Growing up, I remember Levi putting my ear to the ground so I could hear Vol's heartbeat, resonating through its thick carapace. My mapa said it was the most important sound in the world. Now I think I understand why my mapa said this. Listening to the heartbeat was a way to measure Vol's health, historically for our people it was also a way to count the passing of time, but it also served to estimate the time we had left on Vol's back, the sound of a thread leaving its spindle. +    Growing up, I remember Levi putting my ear to the ground so I could hear Vol's heartbeat, resonating through their thick carapace. My mapa said it was the most important sound in the world. Now I think I understand why my mapa said this. Listening to the heartbeat was a way to measure Vol's health, historically for our people it was also a way to count the passing of time, but it also served to estimate the time we had left on Vol's back, the sound of a thread leaving its spindle. **Day 4** @@ -2553,6 +2552,7 @@ The Common Tongue is the language of trade in the Soronan Desert. > Wai — who > Wiri — way, manner > Wawa — mouth, (wawa'de, *to put in mouth, to eat*) +> Wawama — tongue, language > Yawai — have, contain > Yorala — sand, desert, land, outdoor area > Yora'nae — hello, greeting(*waking to the desert*. "Yora", casual) diff --git a/wiktopher_preview.md b/wiktopher_preview.md index 964ad1d..c4780b3 100644 --- a/wiktopher_preview.md +++ b/wiktopher_preview.md @@ -1,23 +1,7 @@ --- -# title: -# - type: main -# text: Wiktopher -# - type: subtitle -# text: Desert Tales -# creator: -# - role: author -# text: Rek Bell -# - role: editor -# text: Devine Lu Linvega -# publisher: Hundredrabbits -# lang: en-CA -# rights: © 2023 Hundredrabbits, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 -# table-of-contents: true documentclass: book ... - - This story takes place in the Central Rim of the Soronan Desert, but the world is bigger than this region. The wind blows counterclockwise around the planet. The top of the planet is referred to as Yoramawa, and its bottom as Yoralo. ![](/home/rek/Sourcehut/wikbook/media/map.jpg) @@ -33,7 +17,7 @@ Yorata(yoramawa'atae) — away from the soul of the land ![](/home/rek/Sourcehut/wikbook/media/fauna.ilk.png) -> *The giant walkers of the Soronan desert. There are three Ilk in existence: Oto, Bala and Vol. To communicate with each other, Ilk produce low-frequency vocalizations at high amplitudes.* +> *The giant walkers of the Soronan desert. There are three ilks in existence: Oto, Bala and Vol. To communicate with each other, Ilk produce low-frequency vocalizations at high amplitudes.* \newpage @@ -91,7 +75,7 @@ While Lupen slept, Uno stayed close, reading through a pile of old books, a thic Like every other first sunrise they had spent together, the giant served tea, a mixture of medililly^[A leafy, hard to grow plants that requires a lot of water and attention. It takes annums to grow to maturity (the only time when the plant gains its medical properties). It is used to reduce inflammation.] and lemilim herbs. "Great for circulation," Uno would say.     Lupen did not know how much time had passed, but noticed that the wind outside was getting stronger everyday. A constant strong wind in this area meant that they were in the gusty season. "I've been here a long, long while haven't I", Lupen thought, there are 240 twin sunrises in an annum^[An annum follows the growing cycle of teaweet, which takes 240 twin sunrises. There are 10 annums in a kiannum.], "I've seen at least 30." -    Most places in the Soronan Desert have severe weather at some point or another, but the Ilk always walked ahead of the gusty season. Verido people were blessed with good weather all annum long. Storms could still happen on the back of an Ilk, but they were rare. +    Most places in the Soronan Desert have severe weather at some point or another, but Vol always walked ahead of the gusty season. Verido people were blessed with good weather all annum long. Storms could still happen on the back of an Ilk, but they were rare.     After serving tea, the giant's silver eyes scanned the skies and the horizon, before stopping on a mountain. "Drink your tea. You need to be in good shape if you're going to climb that mountain," Uno said with a grin, a long finger pointed to a tall shape in the distance, a thick layer of clouds obscured its upper half, "all the way to the top is what you said. Very brave of you."     "What? I never said that," Lupen replied, "I'm better than I was, but I'm not fully healed."     Uno's silver eyes scanned the Verido's body and in a calm, authoritative voice, "You're healed enough." @@ -130,7 +114,7 @@ Lupen, carrying a bag full of waterstones, loaves of teaweet^[A staple grain. It     Lupen eventually ascended beyond the height of an Ilk. "If I were a giant, this scene would be most ordinary! Oh yes! With a flick of my finger, I could brush that dune away or pinch a new one over there!" Lupen said with a laugh, gesturing over specific points on the horizon.     The air became progressively moist, and soon, thick wet clouds engulfed everything. "Like breathing water!" The walls were perspiring, stained with verdant green. Lupen's climb slowed to a crawl. It wouldn't take much to slip over the edge.     "One fall was plenty." Lupen mumbled, reaching to find a grip, but instead of rock, found wet moss. -    The Verido stretched and gazed at the top of the nameless mountain. The summit was flat, blanketed in shrubbery and flowers. Mesmerized at the sight of the flowers, Lupen's knees met with the damp ground. The flowers had massive petals bound together by a single fuzzy yellow button. Lupen brushed off little droplets of mildew that held on the leaves and tasted them. "Is any of this *real*?" +    The Verido stretched and gazed at the top of the nameless mountain. The summit was flat, blanketed in shrubbery and flowers. Mesmerized at the sight of the flowers, Lupen's knees met with the damp ground. The flowers had massive petals bound together by a single fuzzy yellow button. Lupen brushed off little droplets of dew that held on the leaves and tasted them. "Is any of this *real*?" Tucked in a recess in the lush vegetation and moist leaves on the ground slept a red-haired being, who's chest rose and fell, lips curved into a smile. Verido people sometimes color their hair, but no dye could produce a red as vibrant as that, it burned the eyes.     Lupen took a step back, keeping a line of tall grass between them. Why would anyone be alone up here? Perhaps this place is a refuge. The grass was tall and thick, it had been allowed to grow unhindered for many, many annums. It didn't appear that anyone else had ever come here for a long time. Lupen gulped, realizing how careless it had been to climb up here without a clear goal, and wondered if Uno knew that someone lay here. @@ -148,16 +132,16 @@ After many days, burdened by disquietude, Lupen decided to try and speak to the Lupen dreamt of a city erected on the back of a giant hyroo, in which the inhabitants had braided the fur into elaborate houses. The leaflings would play hide-and-seek in the fur forest. A hatter twisted fur into elaborate fur hats. Lupen was fluent in "hyroo speak" and would climb up to the hyroo's ears and send loud whoops traveling far across the world. In the dream, something happened that threw the city, along with all its inhabitants, off the hyroo's back. Lupen fell. There were no stars, and the hyroo vanished into space. Even the suns had gone. Lupen felt nothing, and began to weep. -A loud whooping sound woke Lupen up, a dark figure zipped through the clouds above and landed nearby without disturbing the droplets that held onto the grasses. The beast had large round ears, like Kit, in fact, it looked very much like Kit, although its fur bore a different pattern. +A loud whooping sound woke Lupen up, a dark figure zipped through the clouds above and landed nearby without disturbing the droplets that held onto the grasses. The beast had large round ears, like Kit, in fact, they looked very much like Kit, although this hyroo's fur bore a different pattern.     "Is that you Kit?" -    Sitting up, mildew trickled into the grass from Lupen's chest. The fear of bodily intrusion by plants returned, but Lupen's ears were sprout-free. Perhaps Saffa had arrived a few days before, and exhausted, had lain here to rest. +    Sitting up, dew trickled into the grass from Lupen's chest. The fear of bodily intrusion by plants returned, but Lupen's ears were sprout-free. Perhaps Saffa had arrived a few days before, and exhausted, had lain here to rest.     The beast let out a laugh, a high-pitched noise caused droplets to slide off their beds. This was definitely the sound that Lupen had heard in the dream. The creature was a hyroo too, like Kit. It moved over to Saffa and went in for a good long lick. Saffa yawned, stirred, smiled, lips curving and carving a new shape on the cheeks. Arms and legs stretched out, Saffa's hands found the tip of the beast's snout and moved to caress its large head. All the while, the beast kept its eyes on Lupen, Saffa's eyes opened and followed its gaze and stopped upon the stranger. They stared at each other for a long while, but Saffa's silvery voice broke the silence.     "Can I have *that*?" Saffa asked, reaching forward and tugging at the isilk^[A sought-after fabric made from Ilk hair.] sweater wrapped around the Verido's waist. Lupen blinked, undid the sweater, and handed it over without hesitation. Saffa slipped it on, then put a pink nose in it to smell it. "Hmm! Smells like sand and earth! I can feel the hands that made it! Ah! I love sweaters, they tell so much about a person. Every fiber has its own story y'know!" Saffa took a deep whiff again. "Wow! You wear this a lot." Saffa smelled the fibers some more, and looked at Lupen again, wide-eyed. "Oh oh oh oh oh...ohh... ohhh oh!" This Oh-ing did not stop for some time. "Oh. Oh, oh! No, no, no!" Saffa said, reaching forward. "You're lucky to have survived a fall like that!"     Saffa was full of energy. Lupen's tongue had somehow gotten itself into a terrible knot, plus all this talk of sweaters was confusing. Saffa left the bed of green and went to look at some flowers, swaying from side to side as if there was a song playing.     Saffa turned to face Lupen. "Are you ready to go? I'm dying to get down there to see what's changed!"     Lupen swallowed hard. "Um. Wait. I have so many questions!"     "Nope! No questions! I forbid all questions unless they are about food, but I will say this! My name is Eka, and that fuzzy beast is," Eka paused, as if trying to remember something important, but the hyroo filled in the silence, letting out a series of quick low barks. "Hush! We are Eka and Hush!" Eka said, brushing bits of red hair behind rounded ears. Hush, the hyroo, let out a whoop, taking a seat by Eka, who was inspecting the blue markings on Lupen's face. "Lu-pen. Lovely! Will you come and see the world with me?" Without waiting for an answer, Eka climbed up on Hush's back. "Let's go Lu!" -    Lupen was too stunned to answer. Eka's arm shot forward, gripped the Verido's collar and with a yank and a pull, both were sitting on the beast. Seconds after that, Hush pushed off the ground with its powerful hind legs, bounding high and away from the mountain top, piercing the layer of wet clouds, the sandy world below coming into view. Eka laughed, while the other passenger tried not to scream. Hush made a few dampening landings, before its paws reached the warm yellow soil. +    Lupen was too stunned to answer. Eka's arm shot forward, gripped the Verido's collar and with a yank and a pull, both were sitting on the beast. Seconds after that, Hush pushed off the ground with their powerful hind legs, bounding high and away from the mountain top, piercing the layer of wet clouds, the sandy world below coming into view. Eka laughed, while the other passenger tried not to scream. Hush made a few dampening landings, before reaching the warm yellow soil. Both slid from Hush's back. Eka laughed at the state of the Verido's hair and brushed a hand through it to comb it back into place. "You've got blue in your hair."     "Looberries^[A sweet eatable fruit with a hard outer shell, often used as ink, and as a face and hair dye by Verido people.]." Lupen said, hands reaching up to try and get the rest of the dye out. "Don't ask." @@ -196,3 +180,5 @@ Both slid from Hush's back. Eka laughed at the state of the Verido's hair and br     Lupen laughed and moved onto the hyroo's back. "So we'll live off mepperpint leaves then?"     "No. No you can't. If you eat too much your eyes will sprout leaves."     Lupen fell silent, suddenly very afraid of mepperpint. + +End of preview. \ No newline at end of file