diff --git a/wiktopher3.md b/wiktopher3.md index ad4d462..f73c2c6 100644 --- a/wiktopher3.md +++ b/wiktopher3.md @@ -659,24 +659,24 @@ Both walked out of the tent and into the desert. The wind was down, and the suns     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 Zucca!" Eka wandered out, "you can call me Eka, and that trumpet-eared invalid in there is Lupen." -    "How do you know my name?" +    "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." Zucca 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?" Zucca 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. Zucca put a hand to the hyroo's side, inspecting its fur. +    "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.     "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." -    "Okay. Fine." Zucca was displeased with this answer. "So then, how long do hyroos live for?" +    "Okay. Fine." Zukka was displeased with this answer. "So then, how long do hyroos live for?"     "Two haty'annums? Maybe? It really depends."     "And how old is Hush?"     "Less than an annum old, Hush is very green," saying this, Eka turned to caress the back of the sleeping hyroo. -    "They grow that big in just one annum? Remarkable." +    "They grow that big in just one annum? Zíaast elli^[Terat word for **amazing**.]..."     "That makes three questions!"     "No, no. That first one doesn't count. I didn't get an answer."     Eka thought about this for a moment, then shrugged, "okay, you get a redo." -    Zucca nodded before leaving the tent, that last question needed to be pondered carefully. +    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. Zucca's words came to Eka's mind then: 'Take only what is given to you.' Zucca had not intended on Waldek helping them. "Technically, we aren't breaking any rules..." Eka said, eyeing Waldek. +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 then: '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.                                             ~ @@ -703,14 +703,14 @@ The next day, Hush was sitting outside the tent with Waldek, healthy, gnawing co                                             ~     "I made you some toast! Eka style!" Eka said, presenting this tasty creation to the bed-bound Verido. -    Lupen was awake, and was looking much better. "Whoa! Fresh mapples^[**Mapple**. An orange, heart-shaped fruit with smooth ribbed skin. They can be either very sweet, or very bitter, only those who have experience in picking these fruits know which is which.]! Zucca let you take them?" With eyes now closed, the patient took a bite, as if the momentary absence of one sense could heighten another. +    Lupen was awake, and was looking much better. "Whoa! Fresh mapples^[**Mapple**. An orange, heart-shaped fruit with smooth ribbed skin. They can be either very sweet, or very bitter, only those who have experience in picking these fruits know which is which.]! Zukka let you take them?" With eyes now closed, the patient took a bite, as if the momentary absence of one sense could heighten another.     "It was a gift from our friend Waldek. Our little secret! Oh! You're going to *love* this place Lu! It's full of greens and oranges and purples and—"     Yesterday, Lupen had been too ill to take in the details of the oasis, but now beyond the fragrant poetry of the mapple toast, this nose detected hints of sweet norcorn^[**Norcorn**. A plant on a stalk that produces inflorescences called nubs that yield bright yellow seeds. With enough heat, the seeds explode into bright orange puffs which are eaten as a snack during special events.] and teaweet in the air.     "—and blues!" Eka finished.     "Looking forward to seeing that," Lupen said with a smile, before taking note of the poultice, "thanks for taking care of me." -    "Sure Sure! Zucca made that poultice for you though, that's what healed you up." -    "Oh. I'll thank Zucca too, then." +    "Sure Sure! Zukka made that poultice for you though, that's what healed you up." +    "Oh. I'll thank Zukka too, then."     "You'd better! Medililly takes ages to grow, it was kind of our host to spare some," Eka said.     After their meal, they removed the poultice and checked the wound, the inflammation was down. Eka spent the rest of the day fixing the hole in Lupen's vest and undershirt. @@ -721,170 +721,169 @@ Under the midday suns, Lupen and Eka sat in front of their tent, playing the gam     Eka smirked, picking up another jar to smell. "Popmeg."     Lupen took the jar in turn, and frowned. "Popmeg? Yea *right*! It's dilly."     "You know, it's okay to make the same guess as me." Eka said, grabbing the last jar to smell it, "dilly." -    Lupen was going to start complaining about how unfair the game was because Eka knew everything about everything always, but then they heard Zucca yelling outside. They peered out through the opening of their tent, spotting the Terin chasing pale winged insects out of a plumpkin field. +    Lupen was going to start complaining about how unfair the game was because Eka knew everything about everything always, but then they heard Zukka yelling outside. "Betnaseke gorat!^[Terat literal translation: *Please do go!*]" They peered out through the opening of their tent, spotting the Terin chasing pale winged insects out of a plumpkin field.     "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!" Zucca 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. Zucca 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. +    "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, then laughed aloud, "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, then resumed the conversation. "So what's the deal with Zucca anyway?" Eka pressed an ear against the side of a karonin, listening for an answer. "Oh! A *secret* you *say*?" +    Eka responded with a quick shush, then 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!"     "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 Zucca had a secret it would be somewhere near the house, that whole area looked very sheltered and private. +    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. -The next day, Lupen got up before the first sun. Zucca was awake already, standing in the fields, tending to the crops and far too busy to notice anyone else was up. Lupen knew better than to break into someone's home, and instead decided to circle it, hopefully this would satiate this Verido's curiosity. +The next day, Lupen got up before the first sun. Zukka was awake already, standing in the fields, tending to the crops and far too busy to notice anyone else was up. Lupen knew better than to break into someone's home, and instead decided to circle it, hopefully this would satiate this Verido's curiosity.     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 then 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 then Zucca 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 Zucca'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 then 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.     "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.     "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. Zucca 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 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. +    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 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. -"You *do* realize I was making fun of you. Zucca *does* have a secret though, that much is clear," Eka said. -    "There's a nursery in there! Full of tiny people like we said! A nursery encircled by hedges. There's tons of grains, and rows and rows of growing children!" the Verido paused, "think Zucca's raising an army?" +"You *do* realize I was making fun of you. Zukka *does* have a secret though, that much is clear," Eka said. +    "There's a nursery in there! Full of tiny people like we said! A nursery encircled by hedges. There's tons of grains, and rows and rows of growing children!" the Verido paused, "think Zukka's raising an army?"     Eka laughed at this, "definitely. They'll be carving swords from karonins, and helmets from hollowed-out kyabe!" -    Just then, they heard barking outside. The hounds were likely chasing away another floater, but then there were strange voices, followed by Zucca's classic line: "Get off my land!" -    Lupen and Eka poked their heads out of the tent to look at the scene, Zucca was at the edge of the oasis with a band of leafhounds, barring entry to a vennec-pulled wagon and three travelers. -    "You need to leave!" Zucca said to them. +    Just then, they heard barking outside. The hounds were likely chasing away another floater, but then there were strange voices, followed by Zukka's classic line: "Get off my land!" +    Lupen and Eka poked their heads out of the tent to look at the scene, Zukka was at the edge of the oasis with a band of leafhounds, barring entry to a vennec-pulled wagon and three travelers. +    "You need to leave!" Zukka said to them.     One of the travelers raised an empty sac of grains to show that they were in dire need of supplies. -    "Leave *now*. There will be consequences if you don't!" Zucca yelled again. +    "Leave *now*. There will be consequences if you don't!" Zukka yelled again.     "You'd prefer we die then?" One of the travelers said. -    Zucca pulled a handful of green herbs out of a side pouch and tossed it at them before pulling away. The hounds, too, backed off as the floaters came rushing in, attracted by the scent of the herbs. +    Zukka pulled a handful of green herbs out of a side pouch and tossed it at them before pulling away. The hounds, too, backed off as the floaters came rushing in, attracted by the scent of the herbs.     Lupen watched, cringing as multiple floaters latched onto the skin of the smallest of the group. The victim fell on the ground, screaming, as the others tried to get them off. Lupen's chest still ached from the recent attack, "we've got to help them!" The Verido turned to Eka, who had already left the tent and was now riding Hush. With a quick motion, Eka grabbed the collar of the injured traveler, and together they jumped up high toward the sky like they'd done before. Altitude and cold, two things they knew worked against them. The other two travelers boarded their wagon and ran away, urging their vennec forward. -    Zucca did not fail to see that Eka had helped them, and the farmer's angry eyes moved to Lupen. "You're with *them* aren't you? They sent you ahead didn't they? I trusted you!" The leafhounds stayed at the edge of the oasis while Zucca moved toward Lupen, flipping the rake around and aiming the end of the handle at the Verido's throat. -    Lupen did not move. "You *can* trust me Zucca!" -    "Then why's your friend helping them?" Zucca spat. +    Zukka did not fail to see that Eka had helped them, and the farmer's angry eyes moved to Lupen. "You're with *them* aren't you? They sent you ahead didn't they? I trusted you!" The leafhounds stayed at the edge of the oasis while Zukka moved toward Lupen, flipping the rake around and aiming the end of the handle at the Verido's throat. +    Lupen did not move. "You *can* trust me Zukka!" +    "Then why's your friend helping them?" Zukka spat.     "Because Eka is kind."     "What about you? Are you *kind*, Lupen?"     "I like to think I am, yes." -    Zucca's face was warped with rage. "You were in my nursery today. Don't deny it! I know you were there! What did you see? You stole from me didn't you?" +    Zukka's face was warped with rage. "Stnectotke^[Terat word for *ridiculous*]! You were in my nursery today. Don't deny it! I know you were there! What did you see? You stole from me didn't you?"     Lupen knew it was dumb to think that their host wouldn't find out, only a blind person could have missed that large hole in the hedge. "I'm sorry. I *did* go, but I took nothing."     "I'm sick of this! Of people like you coming in here, feigning kindness to steal from me!" -    Lupen was afraid of what Zucca would do in this heightened state, then Eka landed back in the oasis with Hush and the injured traveler. "Why did you bring that filth back in here!?" Zucca's voice was becoming shrill with fury. -    "We need to care for these wounds," Eka said, carrying the injured traveler, which did not help to suppress Zucca's growing anger. -    "I made a mistake letting you come in here." Zucca's hand dove into the side pouch again, but Lupen grabbed the Terin's arm. +    Lupen was afraid of what Zukka would do in this heightened state, then Eka landed back in the oasis with Hush and the injured traveler. "Why did you bring that filth back in here!?" Zukka's voice was becoming shrill with fury. +    "We need to care for these wounds," Eka said, carrying the injured traveler, which did not help to suppress Zukka's growing anger. +    "I made a mistake letting you come in here." Zukka's hand dove into the side pouch again, but Lupen grabbed the Terin's arm.     "Don't do it! *Please*." -    "That's sweet grass, that's what attracts the floaters!" Eka said, hand on Zucca's pouch of herbs. -    Zucca couldn't push Eka away, those ruby eyes had a soothing quality to them. Eka and Lupen learned then that the valley around the oasis was full of patches of sweet grass, planted there purposefully, to attract the floaters and to keep people away. +    "That's sweet grass, that's what attracts the floaters!" Eka said, hand on Zukka's pouch of herbs. +    Zukka couldn't push Eka away, those ruby eyes had a soothing quality to them. Eka and Lupen learned then that the valley around the oasis was full of patches of sweet grass, planted there purposefully, to attract the floaters and to keep people away.     "You've been feeding those things? Do you know how many of us have been hurt?" The injured traveler said. -    "You think I don't *know*?!" Zucca's voice adopted a deep, menacing tone. The caretaker looked tired of fighting and arguing. "I take no pleasure in hurting others, I really don't, but I don't have the energy to keep intruders away on my own anymore, I don't have many hounds left." +    "You think I don't *know*?!" Zukka's voice adopted a deep, menacing tone. The caretaker looked tired of fighting and arguing. "I take no pleasure in hurting others, I really don't, but I don't have the energy to keep intruders away on my own anymore, I don't have many hounds left."     They convinced their host to let them heal the wounded traveler. It was uncharacteristic of the Terin to trust strangers like this, but Eka inspired trust. Round ears. People with round ears, according to this Terin, were known to be kind.     After the second sunset, from their camp in the oasis, they could see that the wagon was still out there. A fire danced in the distance, signaling their presence. Eka had sent the woth over, to instruct the other travelers to stay close, to make no attempt to come to the oasis, that their friend would be cared for, and returned to them the next day.     The woth fluttered back after the message was delivered, "thank you Crumpet," but alas, the woth did not answer to that name and went to rest inside of its glass house. -Zucca, Lupen, and Eka were in the tent. The Terin decided not to rest until all the intruders had gone away. Eka's nose had discerned all the ingredients used in Zucca's poultice, and had re-created it using herbs that Waldek had once more secretly provided. Of course, none of this was lost on Zucca. The farmer eyed both Waldek and the poultice with suspicious eyes. +Zukka, Lupen, and Eka were in the tent. The Terin decided not to rest until all the intruders had gone away. Eka's nose had discerned all the ingredients used in Zukka's poultice, and had re-created it using herbs that Waldek had once more secretly provided. Of course, none of this was lost on Zukka. The farmer eyed both Waldek and the poultice with suspicious eyes.     "All they want is food. Surely you can spare some?" Lupen asked. -    Zucca was busy filling a pipe with dried bonan leaves, after lighting it, the Terin took a few deep puffs. The whole tent was soon filled with the smell of roasted bonan. "They *never* just want food." +    Zukka was busy filling a pipe with dried bonan leaves, after lighting it, the Terin took a few deep puffs. The whole tent was soon filled with the smell of roasted bonan. "They *never* just want food."     The Verido looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"     "Land, food, and seeds." -    "The children..." Lupen said in a low voice, but Zucca had seen the word on the Verido's lips. +    "The children..." Lupen said in a low voice, but Zukka had seen the word on the Verido's lips.     "What made you trespass into my home Lupen?"     "You have so much produce, more than enough to feed yourself and those hounds for annums. I just wanted to understand. Besides, you can't know that people will want more, the travelers just wanted a bit of help."     "You're right, I can't know, so I prefer to assume that they're false, it's safer for the children and I." The Terin dipped a finger in some of the pipe ash and drew a symbol on the tent wall, a circle with a diamond shape in its center.     Lupen eyed the symbol carefully, but did not recognize it. -    Zucca took another long puff from the pipe, before exhaling again. "You Verido live very sheltered lives, don't you? It's the Irideri city emblem," then sighed, exhaling yellow smoke. "Iridi people are obsessed with chloromyce shroos, a plant with unique properties. They discovered it about a ki'annum ago. Harvesting them was hard work, Iridi workers had to spend days in the dark digging. They didn't want their people to do grunt work, so they began to enlist workers from neighboring cities to do the harvesting for them. At first, there was promise of compensation, they would be housed and fed and allowed to live in one of the fastest growing cities in the Soronan Desert. Empty promises. Workers were confined underground, they were not allowed to mingle with the Iridi people in the city. Evidently, as news of the horrid work conditions traveled, few enlisted. The Iridi then decided that their only option was to capture workers. Their first target was Ministe, where I lived at the time. The city was quickly overrun with Iridi soldiers, and many of my friends were taken. Those who could fled to nearby villages. They soon became overcrowded, as a result many were forbidden from planting their young, but it was just as well because malnutrition was rampant, and not many could produce healthy seeds." Zucca paused to refill the pipe with fresh bonan leaves. -    "The Iridi had a steady flow of chloromyce shroos, but their leader Moera was greedy, and tired of dealing with Terin workers. My people work hard, but we're stubborn." Saying this, Zucca's hand rolled into a fist. "Moera decided that they would have to grow their own workers instead, only then, would they be fully submissive. Myself, along with a handful of other Terins, built the Suvalba Sanctuary, where a mapa could come and sow their young in a protected environment. It was a secret location, and it worked well for many annums, but then a group of Iridi soldiers got word of it. They raided the sanctuary and took all of the unsown seeds, and destroyed the rest. I escaped with a collection of seeds, and some of the resident leafhounds. Losing the sanctuary was... hard, harder on the parents that had trusted us with their young. We weren't soldiers, we couldn't fight back." +    Zukka took another long puff from the pipe, before exhaling again. "You Verido live very sheltered lives, don't you? It's the Irideri city emblem," then sighed, exhaling yellow smoke. "Iridi people are obsessed with chloromyce shroos, a plant with unique properties. They discovered it about a ki'annum ago. Harvesting them was hard work, Iridi workers had to spend days in the dark digging. They didn't want their people to do grunt work, so they began to enlist workers from neighboring cities to do the harvesting for them. At first, there was promise of compensation, they would be housed and fed and allowed to live in one of the fastest growing cities in the Soronan Desert. Empty promises. Workers were confined underground, they were not allowed to mingle with the Iridi people in the city. Evidently, as news of the horrid work conditions traveled, few enlisted. The Iridi then decided that their only option was to capture workers. Their first target was Ministe, where I lived at the time. The city was quickly overrun with Iridi soldiers, and many of my friends were taken. Those who could fled to nearby villages. They soon became overcrowded, as a result many were forbidden from planting their young, but it was just as well because malnutrition was rampant, and not many could produce healthy seeds." Zukka paused to refill the pipe with fresh bonan leaves. +    "The Iridi had a steady flow of chloromyce shroos, but their leader Moera was greedy, and tired of dealing with Terin workers. My people work hard, but we're stubborn." Saying this, Zukka's hand rolled into a fist. "Moera decided that they would have to grow their own workers instead, only then, would they be fully submissive. Myself, along with a handful of other Terins, built the Suvalba Sanctuary, where a mapa could come and sow their young in a protected environment. It was a secret location, and it worked well for many annums, but then a group of Iridi soldiers got word of it. They raided the sanctuary and took all of the unsown seeds, and destroyed the rest. I escaped with a collection of seeds, and some of the resident leafhounds. Losing the sanctuary was... hard, harder on the parents that had trusted us with their young. We weren't soldiers, we couldn't fight back."     "Alone, I searched for a place to start fresh, somewhere far and hidden. While on the outskirts of Montore, I met two strangers in the desert who told me about a place that was still invisible to the world and that could host such a project. Tired, and desperate, I followed their instructions. I found the place. It was perfect. There was a great recess in the land, surrounded by large irinwood trees, and rows of fragglebush on the ground. This was no mirage. It was a miraculous remnant of the old world. The trees and shrubs would protect the new sanctuary from sand dunes shifting in high winds and from the eyes of curious onlookers. In the hollow, I found a boundless waterstone pit. But there was nothing growing there, getting it to the state it is now took a long time, and a lot of work."     "I'm glad they never found this place," Lupen said, relieved. -    "The Iridi might have expanded much further, if it hadn't been for the loss of their Luminary Moera. No one knows what happened, but it was enough to stop them from advancing further. The next leader, Bao The Bright, put an end to it. Now with a reliable source of workers, they stopped the raids and closed their city to the world." Zucca's eyes had burned through the tent wall, parted the row of irinwood trees, shifted the sand dunes and split whole mountains to better watch Irideri, to make sure that the Iridi city was still dormant, still closed to the world. "May those brutes never leave the Andenuis again." +    "The Iridi might have expanded much further, if it hadn't been for the loss of their Luminary Moera. No one knows what happened, but it was enough to stop them from advancing further. The next leader, Bao The Bright, put an end to it. Now with a reliable source of workers, they stopped the raids and closed their city to the world." Zukka's eyes had burned through the tent wall, parted the row of irinwood trees, shifted the sand dunes and split whole mountains to better watch Irideri, to make sure that the Iridi city was still dormant, still closed to the world. "May those brutes never leave the Andenuis again." -The next day, Zucca allowed Eka and Lupen to view the nursery, while Hush and the hounds were left in charge of the patient in the tent. Everyone on this dust ball was born in the earth, from seeds. A willing, and healthy parent could sow a seed, and eventually the seed would grow into a child. This could take a long time, depending on the state of the soil and temperature. Some could only grow in the dark, others in high-moisture environments, even altitude played a part in the growing process. On their birthday, a carer would sever their roots, helping each child out of the ground. The children needed protection and good nutrition to thrive. The leaves on their heads would fall in time, and like the roots, they left no marks behind. -    Zucca pointed to the markings on Lupen's face, "those lines are a remnant of when everyone lived in the wilds. The Verido didn't have color on their faces then. The color segregation of your people is unfortunate Lupen, I rather liked the subtleties of the patterns from before, like veins on a leaf. These colors are so vulgar." +The next day, Zukka allowed Eka and Lupen to view the nursery, while Hush and the hounds were left in charge of the patient in the tent. Everyone on this dust ball was born in the earth, from seeds. A willing, and healthy parent could sow a seed, and eventually the seed would grow into a child. This could take a long time, depending on the state of the soil and temperature. Some could only grow in the dark, others in high-moisture environments, even altitude played a part in the growing process. On their birthday, a carer would sever their roots, helping each child out of the ground. The children needed protection and good nutrition to thrive. The leaves on their heads would fall in time, and like the roots, they left no marks behind. +    Zukka pointed to the markings on Lupen's face, "those lines are a remnant of when everyone lived in the wilds. The Verido didn't have color on their faces then. The color segregation of your people is unfortunate Lupen, I rather liked the subtleties of the patterns from before, like veins on a leaf. These colors are so vulgar."     Lupen wasn't sure what to say, looking at the patterns on these arms in silent embarrassment. The Verido recalled when these patterns were coloured blue, it was a painful process. The people of Volare were proud of the color, it was a tribute to Vol, their carrier and protector. The festivities around this event were extravagant, everyone in the city was there baking looma root pies, organizing glider races and whistling contests. For Lupen, the party was even more grandiose given the relation to Volare. Now, thinking of it, perhaps these colors did serve to separate their people...     Eka put a hand on Lupen's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "The blue looks nice," saying this, before ruffling up the Verido's pale head of hair, dispelling all feelings of unnecessary shamefaced-ness. -    Zucca went on to explain that bearing seeds was a complicated matter, anyone could start bearing seeds after a certain age. Though not all would grow into children. A hungry and tired person would produce nothing at all. Greenery too was a rarity, and it was the same for safe planting grounds. Many stopped sowing. For the better part of history, Terins were responsible for the steady, and healthy growth of children. This dependence on outside help was the main cause for the world's growing depopulation problem. Levi had spoken of a Terin living in Volare that cared for the seeds, but this was long ago. Growing up, the Verido had no memory of a Terin living amongst them. This raised many questions, had the elders done away with this practice? -    "Have you ever planted one of yours?" Lupen asked Zucca. +    Zukka went on to explain that bearing seeds was a complicated matter, anyone could start bearing seeds after a certain age. Though not all would grow into children. A hungry and tired person would produce nothing at all. Greenery too was a rarity, and it was the same for safe planting grounds. Many stopped sowing. For the better part of history, Terins were responsible for the steady, and healthy growth of children. This dependence on outside help was the main cause for the world's growing depopulation problem. Levi had spoken of a Terin living in Volare that cared for the seeds, but this was long ago. Growing up, the Verido had no memory of a Terin living amongst them. This raised many questions, had the elders done away with this practice? +    "Have you ever planted one of yours?" Lupen asked Zukka.     "I owe it to all of the mapas who entrusted me with their young to finish the work I started in the Suvalba Sanctuary. Planting my own would be selfish. These children are my responsibility, their needs and safety are above my own." -    Conversations with Zucca always seemed to take a dark turn, it would always end with Lupen feeling terrible. +    Conversations with Zukka always seemed to take a dark turn, it would always end with Lupen feeling terrible.     Eka had wandered to another part of the nursery, accompanied by Waldek who was excited to show how big the leaves of the children in the far end of the field had become. -    "I guess I don't really want to sow seeds either." Lupen said to Zucca, eyes on a leaf, part of a row reserved for Aodal children. "My reasons are selfish. I've always had pressure to do it. Because of my connection with the Ilk, and to Volare... it was always expected of me. I would have to sow a seed, to raise another Voice. It's kind of a big deal. Now that I left, my branch of the family has ended. I feel bad saying it, but I'm sort of, you know... relieved." -    "Don't dwell on it. You would make a terrible mapa," Zucca said, looking at the leaves of a nearby growing child. -    Lupen laughed, Zucca's honesty was brutal at times, but correct in this case. "Yea. Maybe." +    "I guess I don't really want to sow seeds either." Lupen said to Zukka, eyes on a leaf, part of a row reserved for Aodal children. "My reasons are selfish. I've always had pressure to do it. Because of my connection with the Ilk, and to Volare... it was always expected of me. I would have to sow a seed, to raise another Voice. It's kind of a big deal. Now that I left, my branch of the family has ended. I feel bad saying it, but I'm sort of, you know... relieved." +    "Don't dwell on it. You would make a terrible mapa," Zukka said, looking at the leaves of a nearby growing child. +    Lupen laughed, Zukka's honesty was brutal at times, but correct in this case. "Yea. Maybe." Lupen returned to the tent midday, to check on their patient.     "Can you help us?" The patient was awake and sat up, despite the wounds being fresh. A pair of thin hands shot forward and grabbed onto Lupen, saying it again again, but with more confidence this time. "Help us."     "To do what exactly?" Lupen wanted to look away, but couldn't.     "We need food if we hope to make it back to Kippu. All the usual places we go to find cactubs or gingin roots were empty... it's never happened before." -    "This annum's been tough, I heard. I'm sure we can convince Zucca to part with some produce." +    "This annum's been tough, I heard. I'm sure we can convince Zukka to part with some produce."     "That would be wonderful. By the way, my name is Laris." Laris began to relax, releasing the Verido and melting back into the bed. "You've been here a while then? Have you seen the nursery?"     "Why do you ask?" Lupen replied, unsure if it was a good idea to speak about this.     "Children are such a rarity these days, I'm of bearing age but it just isn't working out you know? It's probably for the best, I can barely feed myself." Laris paused. "Do you think it is cruel to create more life in such times?" -    "I'll talk to Zucca. I promise." +    "I'll talk to Zukka. I promise."     "What about you? Would you bear children, I mean, if you could?" Laris asked.     "No." Lupen replied, but was shocked with how quickly this was said. "I mean, I don't know, really. I feel like I don't know anything about anything! One of my good friends told me once that I was always underperforming, so afraid of failing to achieve great things that I continued to fail. I lack confidence in a lot of things that I do, and I'm wondering if my 'not wanting to bear a seed' is just another fear I have, of failing." Lupen noticed then that Laris had drifted off to sleep, and laughed. "Rest well." The Verido said, smiling, relieved that this little speech had had no spectators. -Lupen decided to go and speak with Zucca again, walked around the property, past the Verido-shaped hole in the bush, and entered through the front door of the house, which was built in the Montore style, a mixture of mud, sand, waterstones and dried grasses. It was a tall cube, with several shorter annexes all around, where several holes had been carved into every side, to allow the air to enter through one end and to flow out of the other. A series of decorative lines, criss crossing each other, were carved into the outer walls. Lupen noted that the lines were exactly the thickness of Zucca's finger, the farmer had likely drawn the pattern by hand before the material had set. -    The front door of the house opened onto a narrow passageway, which ran straight through the building, opening onto the nursery in the back. At each side of this passage were spaces bordered by half walls. The space on the left housed large recipients that were integral to the house, filled with soured and salted plumpkins. The pickled food was weighed down by large stones. Lupen could see that a thick, leathery skin had formed on the surface. This skin, Lupen had learned, was a byproduct of the pickling process, it was possible to dry it and to use it as a sponge for cleaning. On the ceiling near the windows wrinkly mapples hung from their stems, shriveled, dusted with the bloom of their natural sugars on their surface. Zucca liked drying mapples, and during their tour of the house yesterday had explained how at a certain stage each fruit had to be massaged once a day to bring the sugar content to the surface. +Lupen decided to go and speak with Zukka again, walked around the property, past the Verido-shaped hole in the bush, and entered through the front door of the house, which was built in the Montore style, a mixture of mud, sand, waterstones and dried grasses. It was a tall cube, with several shorter annexes all around, where several holes had been carved into every side, to allow the air to enter through one end and to flow out of the other. A series of decorative lines, criss crossing each other, were carved into the outer walls. Lupen noted that the lines were exactly the thickness of Zukka's finger, the farmer had likely drawn the pattern by hand before the material had set. +    The front door of the house opened onto a narrow passageway, which ran straight through the building, opening onto the nursery in the back. At each side of this passage were spaces bordered by half walls. The space on the left housed large recipients that were integral to the house, filled with soured and salted plumpkins. The pickled food was weighed down by large stones. Lupen could see that a thick, leathery skin had formed on the surface. This skin, Lupen had learned, was a byproduct of the pickling process, it was possible to dry it and to use it as a sponge for cleaning. On the ceiling near the windows wrinkly mapples hung from their stems, shriveled, dusted with the bloom of their natural sugars on their surface. Zukka liked drying mapples, and during their tour of the house yesterday had explained how at a certain stage each fruit had to be massaged once a day to bring the sugar content to the surface.     Along the walkway stacks of dried norcorn, and several other dehydrated vegetables, were packaged into neat bundles of dried bonan leaves. Each bundle was wrapped using a single leaf, held together without string by a series of tucks and folds. -    Lupen entered the nursery then, and saw Zucca adding waterstones to a large hopper, with its bottom opening onto a set of thick rollers. A windmill overhead would turn the rollers and crush the waterstones, water would then flow down small trenches running through the crops, flooding the area gradually. +    Lupen entered the nursery then, and saw Zukka adding waterstones to a large hopper, with its bottom opening onto a set of thick rollers. A windmill overhead would turn the rollers and crush the waterstones, water would then flow down small trenches running through the crops, flooding the area gradually.     "Can't you give them supplies?" Lupen regretted the abruptness of the question, but didn't know how else to ask. -    Zucca continued to work, heaving another armful of waterstones into the hopper. "What did that vagabond tell you, hm?" +    Zukka continued to work, heaving another armful of waterstones into the hopper. "What did that vagabond tell you, hm?"     "The same thing they told you. They're hungry."     "And, like I told you and Eka, this is about more than food."     "You can't be sure of that! You may kill them if you don't help. This is what I know."     "Dying, yes. That may be true, but that's only because they spend all their time begging for food. They should try gardening, or learning to forage, instead of living like parasites."     "Laris told me the harvest was poor out there," Lupen said, "I thought you cared about all life." -    "I do," Zucca replied, irritated, "I'll give them food and they'll ask to stay, then they'll ask to see the nursery. The nursery makes everyone lose their minds. Many feel that this world has too many unfed mouths. Mouths. What about minds, I wonder? No one wants to learn. Hardly anyone can name all of the plants that grow where they live. Yes, I could teach the younger ones how to sow and care for food. I could do that, but I can't teach adults." Zucca's voice was gentle, even if the words were harsh, the farmer knew better than to be angry in a nursery. The children slept in the ground, their leaves swaying from side to side as they dreamed good dreams. "Nowadays most prefer the comforts and conveniences of a town, rather than finding their own food in the desert. There's plenty out there, but it takes time, it is difficult, and you can't be picky. The absolute guarantee of comfort and safety is all anyone ever cares about now." +    "I do," Zukka replied, irritated, "I'll give them food and they'll ask to stay, then they'll ask to see the nursery. The nursery makes everyone lose their minds. Many feel that this world has too many unfed mouths. Mouths. What about minds, I wonder? No one wants to learn. Hardly anyone can name all of the plants that grow where they live. Yes, I could teach the younger ones how to sow and care for food. I could do that, but I can't teach adults." Zukka's voice was gentle, even if the words were harsh, the farmer knew better than to be angry in a nursery. The children slept in the ground, their leaves swaying from side to side as they dreamed good dreams. "Nowadays most prefer the comforts and conveniences of a town, rather than finding their own food in the desert. There's plenty out there, but it takes time, it is difficult, and you can't be picky. The absolute guarantee of comfort and safety is all anyone ever cares about now."     The Soronan Desert had plenty of nomads, but every annum, more and more settled into towns, lured by the promise of stability. Lupen spied a sign on the back of the house. -> *Wherever you tread, greenery will follow.* +> *Var gorat, zi elli afram.* -    Eat one, toss one, Lupen thought. -    Zucca noticed the Verido's wandering eyes. "My people used to find all they needed out there. We'd walk from garden to garden, sowing as we went. Many don't like what I do because it is so laborious, but as I said, their lives matter more than mine, I'll do it even if it means I don't have time for anything else." -    "But if you had help?" -    Zucca's hands were gripping so hard at a waterstone that clear liquid was seeping out of the hard skin, from tiny cracks zigzagging on the sides. "Everyone is false." +    Zukka noticed the Verido's wandering eyes. "*Wherever you tread, greenery will follow*, is what it says. My people used to find all they needed out there. We'd walk from garden to garden, sowing as we went. Many don't like what I do because it is so laborious, but as I said, their lives matter more than mine, I'll do it even if it means I don't have time for anything else." +    Eat one, toss one, Lupen thought. "But if you had help?" +    Zukka's hands were gripping so hard at a waterstone that clear liquid was seeping out of the hard skin, from tiny cracks zigzagging on the sides. "Everyone is false."     Lupen swallowed hard, "Eka told me that those who grow up in Montore aren't taught these things anymore. If they don't know what's important, then how is it their fault? I mean, I didn't know what a cactub was until Eka taught me. You said it yourself, you'll teach the children to care for themselves. Why not teach travelers?"     "You would have me care for this land *and* run a school for inept gardeners? I've got no time for it. Besides, grown adults do not change their ways... they just don't. They lie, they come to steal, and I won't give them any more of my precious time." With this, Lupen was ordered away. At least the hounds couldn't talk, they only yipped and yapped to report a problem. "You will leave with that vagrant tomorrow. I'll deal with my own problems. I always have."     "You know not everyone is like this. I'm sure you can all live here together. You'll need help to raise all those children, right? Give them a chance," Lupen insisted, in a near-begging tone. -    Zucca eyes darkened then, lines formed in places where there had been none previously. "You understand nothing. Get out. Gather your things and go." With this, the Terin moved away from Lupen and climbed up a ladder leading to the second floor of the house, disappearing from view. +    Zukka eyes darkened then, lines formed in places where there had been none previously. "You understand nothing. Get out. Gather your things and go." With this, the Terin moved away from Lupen and climbed up a ladder leading to the second floor of the house, disappearing from view. -Lupen returned to the tent and told Eka everything that had happened, the conversation with Laris, and the one with Zucca too. Eka was running fingers over Laris's face, even in sleep, the traveler looked worn-out, near-spent. -    "Zucca wants us to leave," Lupen said, hurt by the Terin's indifference. -    "Then, we will do what Zucca says." Eka replied. "You know, back in the old days, Terins used to do check-ups on the Ilk. 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 Ilk may have mentioned. When Ministe fell, a Terin boarded the Ilk of Volare, taught your people how to care for Vol, and helped to create the Hands^[**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 then, "when the carers are as spent as Zucca, what does that say of the state of the world?" +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 Ilk. 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 Ilk may have mentioned. When Ministe fell, a Terin boarded the Ilk of Volare, taught your people how to care for Vol, and helped to create the Hands^[**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 then, "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." -Zucca awoke to tend to the usual early day chores. Walking into the nursery, the Terin froze, Laris was sitting in the nursery, hands full of dirt and head hanging low. +Zukka awoke to tend to the usual early day chores. Walking into the nursery, the Terin froze, Laris was sitting in the nursery, hands full of dirt and head hanging low.     "Why are you here?"     There was a long silence, but eventually, Laris spoke up. "I wanted to rip out every single one. To spare them of all misery, but I couldn't do it." -    Zucca stepped forward and looked around to make sure that all of the children were safe. Laris had done nothing, all swayed gently in the early first sunrise breeze, calm and content. -    The Terin was relieved, and could resume breathing again. Zucca grabbed hold of the intruder's arm, but the fingers found a foodpatch, "you've been living off of this crap?" Upon close inspection, there were other foodpatches decorating this stranger's skin, all expired, all sucked dry. The Terin took a seat down in the mud, in-between rows of greening leaves, and began to peel the patches off one by one, careful not to hurt Laris. Like a leafhound searching for parasites on a plant, Zucca's fingers searched around for patches. "No one ever tell you that you can't live off patches? What a ridiculous invention, these are no substitute for real food..." -    Zucca's tranquility surprised Laris. Despite being handled by gentle, caring hands, these limbs could not stop trembling. "Everyone in Montore uses these." -    "These," Zucca began, removing yet another patch "are expired. They can help a little when fresh, but not like this." +    Zukka stepped forward and looked around to make sure that all of the children were safe. Laris had done nothing, all swayed gently in the early first sunrise breeze, calm and content. +    The Terin was relieved, and could resume breathing again. Zukka grabbed hold of the intruder's arm, but the fingers found a foodpatch, "you've been living off of this crap?" Upon close inspection, there were other foodpatches decorating this stranger's skin, all expired, all sucked dry. The Terin took a seat down in the mud, in-between rows of greening leaves, and began to peel the patches off one by one, careful not to hurt Laris. Like a leafhound searching for parasites on a plant, Zukka's fingers searched around for patches. "No one ever tell you that you can't live off patches? What a ridiculous invention, these are no substitute for real food..." +    Zukka's tranquility surprised Laris. Despite being handled by gentle, caring hands, these limbs could not stop trembling. "Everyone in Montore uses these." +    "These," Zukka began, removing yet another patch "are expired. They can help a little when fresh, but not like this."     Laris's eyes threatened to spill all of their water, "the crew of a passing Beobug sandfin sold us a crate-full." -    During yesterday's events, blind with rage, Zucca had failed to notice how thin Laris was, with arms that weren't the same length. One was visibly shorter, the ears bore this same kind of unevenness. In the old days, keeping children healthy and safe was all a Terin needed to be happy. It was easy to forget that everyone was a greening thing once, small and frail. -    Zucca accompanied Laris out of the compound. +    During yesterday's events, blind with rage, Zukka had failed to notice how thin Laris was, with arms that weren't the same length. One was visibly shorter, the ears bore this same kind of unevenness. In the old days, keeping children healthy and safe was all a Terin needed to be happy. It was easy to forget that everyone was a greening thing once, small and frail. +    Zukka accompanied Laris out of the compound.     As they walked through the fields together, Laris glanced at the endless supply of produce. "You have false-mosslings in your produce." -    "What are you talking about," Zucca said, hurrying ahead, wishing Laris would not talk — this little walk was painful enough. +    "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." -     Zucca 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 Zucca's eyes. Like Laris, the two had uneven limbs, and their skin was see-through and fragile. Zucca was embarrassed to stand there with a fleshy body. The travelers helped Laris onto the wagon, and urged the vennec onward. Zucca went back into the oasis with the leafhounds. -    Eka and Lupen were awake, and noticed the bed was empty, saw the group leaving in the distance. They kept their promise to Zucca, and were now pulling the tent apart and packing away their gear. They did not address their host. Zucca walked to a field of herbs, and picked out a handful of fresh meppermint, then went over to the mossling-infested fields and distributed some in a plumpkin patch that had been plagued by these pesky insects. Zucca waited for a moment, nothing changed. With a sigh, the Terin walked off but then noticed a mossling flying past, and then another. All had curly antennae. The pests began to fly off in droves. "False-mosslings. How elegant." Zucca 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 Zucca would hear. -    "False-mosslings," Zucca 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 then. "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." +     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, 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, and picked out a handful of fresh meppermint, then went over to the mossling-infested fields and distributed some in a plumpkin patch that had been plagued by these pesky insects. Zukka waited for a moment, nothing changed. With a sigh, the Terin walked off but then 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 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 then. "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." -    Zucca and Eka climbed onto Hush, ready to go intercept the travelers aboard their wagon. Before leaving, the Terin looked at Waldek. "You're in charge. And as for you Lupen," the Terin smiled at the Verido. A first. "Don't. Touch. Anything." +    Zukka and Eka climbed onto Hush, ready to go intercept the travelers aboard their wagon. Before leaving, the Terin looked at Waldek. "Waldek'dou^[Terat word. Appended to names, or words, to mean *little*, used for someone for whom you care about], you're in charge. And as for you Lupen," the Terin smiled at the Verido. A first. "Don't. Touch. Anything."     Lupen laughed, and did as told. -    Hush disappeared into the distance, and later returned, leading the wagon back into the oasis. A meal transformed their faces completely, the three looked less translucent, solid and warm. The Terin agreed to teach the travelers to grow food, in exchange for help around the fields. To start, they would be fed and housed for an annum. It was difficult for Zucca to commit to longer than this, the Terin did not trust others yet, but one annum seemed reasonable, and after perhaps they'd be granted an extension, or better yet, permanent residence. The travelers accepted, they had no ties to any city. +    Hush disappeared into the distance, and later returned, leading the wagon back into the oasis. A meal transformed their faces completely, the three looked less translucent, solid and warm. The Terin agreed to teach the travelers to grow food, in exchange for help around the fields. To start, they would be fed and housed for an annum. It was difficult for Zukka to commit to longer than this, the Terin did not trust others yet, but one annum seemed reasonable, and after perhaps they'd be granted an extension, or better yet, permanent residence. The travelers accepted, they had no ties to any city. -The next day, with Zucca's permission, Eka and Lupen filled their bags with fresh produce. They all stood over a mapple bush, picking the fruit by hand. Lupen grabbed hold of an oversized mapple, its ribbed skin glistening under the suns. The Verido peeled off part of the outer layer and took a big bite. "This doesn't taste anything like that other mapple I had, it's so bitter," Lupen said, nose wrinkling, resisting the urge to spit out the piece, "it hurts my face." -    "You really know nothing of the world," Zucca said, reaching into the mapple bush and picking out another fruit, checking the underside of the fruit, and the area around the stem before handing it over to Lupen, "you'll like this one. Finish that other one first though, I don't tolerate waste." +The next day, with Zukka's permission, Eka and Lupen filled their bags with fresh produce. They all stood over a mapple bush, picking the fruit by hand. Lupen grabbed hold of an oversized mapple, its ribbed skin glistening under the suns. The Verido peeled off part of the outer layer and took a big bite. "This doesn't taste anything like that other mapple I had, it's so bitter," Lupen said, nose wrinkling, resisting the urge to spit out the piece, "it hurts my face." +    "You really know nothing of the world," Zukka said, reaching into the mapple bush and picking out another fruit, checking the underside of the fruit, and the area around the stem before handing it over to Lupen, "you'll like this one. Finish that other one first though, I don't tolerate waste."     Lupen reluctantly swallowed more of the bitter fruit. -    The Terin glanced at Eka then. "You're also a carer aren't you? Do you think that making green places and growing children really matters? On a grand scale I mean... say, you were flying over this rock we all inhabit, or if your head reached high above the clouds." -    Eka, mouth full of mapples, couldn't answer right away, so Zucca decided that this was something that would be better left unasked. "What is your favorite food?" -    Eka swallowed the bits of mapple, smiling. "I like noranges^[**Noranges**. A near-extinct, sweet, and bitter fruit with a thick rind. It has a fragant 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 noranges." Zucca explained that this seed had been salvaged from the Iridi raids at the Suvalba Sanctuary. Their host also gave them two fresh noranges from the only tree on the property as thanks. "Keep the seeds," Zucca made a point to say. +    The Terin glanced at Eka then. "You're also a carer, je na^[Terat expression to mean *aren't I right*]? Do you think that making green places and growing children really matters? On a grand scale I mean... say, you were flying over this rock we all inhabit, or if your head reached high above the clouds." +    Eka, mouth full of mapples, 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 mapple, smiling. "I like norankes^[**Norankes**. A near-extinct, sweet, and bitter fruit with a thick rind. It has a fragant 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 noranges." Zukka explained that this seed had been salvaged from the Iridi raids at the Suvalba Sanctuary. Their host also gave them two fresh noranges 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 then, but Zucca 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," Zucca paused then, 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." +    Waldek barked, before turning to Lupen, its antennae prodding Lupen's legs and chest. It let out a whine then, 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 then, 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. Zucca watched as the two, led by Hush, disappeared behind the row of canopied trees. +    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. \newpage @@ -911,7 +910,7 @@ The next day, with Zucca's permission, Eka and Lupen filled their bags with fres The city of Montore sat on a hilltop enclosed entirely within a single, continuous wall, made from rammed earth and decorated with geometric motifs. The tops of large hampa sails were visible from the ground, raised high on a ledge atop the wall so that nothing could disturb the wind. The sails lay over a rotating circular track, following the whole top of the city wall. The orientation of each sail changed depending on the wind, their motion was slow, but constant, powering the city.     On one end of the city, a wall extension was in progress. Wooden scaffolding lay in place, with workers standing on the top of the wall with long ramming poles, pressing and packing the soil down into the mold.     Lupen approached a young Terin standing in line, "hey, how long have you been waiting here?" -    "We've both been in line for five days." Lupen followed the voice and turned around, meeting with the forehead of another Terin. "I'm Kuzi." Kuzi wore a notcott bandana, a long, loose-knit banabo fiber shirt, and a colorful scarf. Kuzi's line neighbor was indeed unresponsive, standing, but just barely. +    "We've both been in line for five days." Lupen followed the voice and turned around, meeting with the forehead of another Terin. "Oteyo^[A Terat greeting]! I'm Kuzi." Kuzi wore a notcott bandana, a long, loose-knit banabo fiber shirt, and a colorful scarf. Kuzi's line neighbor was indeed unresponsive, standing, but just barely.     "Lupen," Lupen said, "that long? For an ahy- dee?"     "Yeesh, you're saying that real weird."     "Saying what weird?" @@ -924,64 +923,65 @@ The city of Montore sat on a hilltop enclosed entirely within a single, continuo     "Every surrogate in this line is here for kavava." Kuzi said.     "So everyday, you wait in line to earn coin for kavava, the wait is so long that you consume your entire kavava supply purchased with the coin earned from your previous time in line, so when you reach the front desk you get paid and spend it all on more kavava, then you find someone to wait in line for because you know you'll run out again waiting. That is psychotic Kuzi."     "You don't know anything about anything." -    Lupen frowned and was about to leave but then asked another question. "I was wondering, do you know a Zucca?" +    Lupen frowned and was about to leave but then asked another question. "I was wondering, do you know a Zukka?"     "If I know azucca? What's azucca." -    "Zucca. It's a name." +    "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."     "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. -    "Come on now Specter, I was kidding. *Every* Terin *knows* about Zucca. Has something of great value I heard. Many go out into the desert to look for it, but most never make it back. I bet you know that though, being a friend to Zucca! If you know the location and tell the guards I bet you and I could get ahead in line real fast! There's a guard right there, see? Hey! Hey *you*! Guard person!" +    "Come on now Specter, I was kidding. *Every* Terin *knows* about Zukka. Has something of great value I heard. Many go out into the desert to look for it, but most never make it back. I bet you know that though, being a friend to Zukka! If you know the location and tell the guards I bet you and I could get ahead in line real fast! There's a guard right there, see? Hey! Hey *you*! Guard person!"     Lupen wanted to run away, but the Terin gripped the Verido's vest collar. A tall guard in uniform walked towards them.     "Kuzi, I wish you wouldn't call me ‘guard person’..." The guard said, offended by this.     Lupen spied a name on a piece of ID pinned to the front of the guard's green blazer, the tag read 'Averet'.     "Averet here has a fear of being perceived as ordinary," Kuzi said, turning to Lupen.     Averet's face turned red. "I've got grand ideas! There are plenty of things I want to do with my life! This is not my forever job you know, I am *not* going to spend my life making sure kakava addicts, like you, don't fall down a ditch..." -    "This Specter and I know the whereabouts of Zucca!" Kuzi then blurted out in a hurry, before Lupen could react. +    "This Specter and I know the whereabouts of Zukka!" Kuzi then blurted out in a hurry, before Lupen could react.     Lupen tried to deny it all, but the response was delayed, unnatural. "I'm just a traveling potter! I make pots! I don't know anything about anything! Well, I know about pots! But that's really *it*!"     "Montore already has a blue-faced Verido potter, you dolt. If you're gonna make up a back story, take it from someone who doesn't look like you." Kuzi said with a laugh.     Lupen became red in the face, "there's already a Verido potter from Volare? Here? Really?" -    Kuzi knocked on the side of Lupen's head with a closed fist, as if to check if it was hollow. "There is definitely something swishing around in there," before turning to Averet again,"*Zucca*! Come on, you've heard of the one with the green place, yea? Well, we'll tell you where it is if you let us skip the line." +    Kuzi knocked on the side of Lupen's head with a closed fist, as if to check if it was hollow. "There is definitely something swishing around in there," before turning to Averet again,"*Zukka*! Come on, you've heard of the one with the green place, yea? Well, we'll tell you where it is if you let us skip the line, soutket'le^[Terat expression to mean *you get me*]?"     "As if either of you would know where it is, least of all *you*, Kuzi, and we've just established that this Specter is a liar." -    Whenever Lupen tried to tear away, the Terin found some other limb or piece of clothes to grab onto. As Kuzi tugged away, a norange fell out of Lupen's vest pocket and rolled onto the ground. +    Whenever Lupen tried to tear away, the Terin found some other limb or piece of clothes to grab onto. As Kuzi tugged away, a noranke fell out of Lupen's vest pocket and rolled onto the ground.     Both the guard and Kuzi froze at the sight of it. -    "A norange." Kuzi said, releasing Lupen and going to grab the colorful piece of fruit instead. Kuzi held onto it, stroking the bumps on its surface gently, like stroking the soft hairs on the head of a newborn. There was a hint of sadness in Kuzi's eyes. The Terin put a nose to the fruit, smelling it, and whispering softly into it. Averet reached forward and tore the fruit away, inspecting it from all angles. +    "A noranke." Kuzi said, releasing Lupen and going to grab the colorful piece of fruit instead. Kuzi held onto it, stroking the bumps on its surface gently, like stroking the soft hairs on the head of a newborn. There was a hint of sadness in Kuzi's eyes. The Terin put a nose to the fruit, smelling it, and whispering softly into it. Averet reached forward and tore the fruit away, inspecting it from all angles.      "Where did you get *this*?" A question aimed at Lupen, although the guard's eyes were fixed on the fruit. -    Kuzi leapt at Averet and stole the norange before running away, grabbing Lupen's arm in passing before darting into the crowd. The guard rushed after them, but soon lost sight of the two runaways. -     "A norange..." Averet whispered. If it weren't for the fruit bits still stuck under these fingernails, Averet would have thought it to be a hallucination. -    Kuzi stopped running once they had gone far away enough, breathing hard, the norange in hand. +    Kuzi leapt at Averet and stole the noranke before running away, grabbing Lupen's arm in passing before darting into the crowd. The guard rushed after them, but soon lost sight of the two runaways. +     "A noranke..." Averet whispered. If it weren't for the fruit bits still stuck under these fingernails, Averet would have thought it to be a hallucination. +    Kuzi stopped running once they had gone far away enough, breathing hard, the noranke in hand.     "You lost your place in line! Days of waiting!" Lupen said.     "Doesn't matter," Kuzi replied, eyes still on the fruit. "You really were at that oasis."     "Yea, you thought I was lying? This was a parting gift. I'd never heard of noranges until I was given one. My friend knew, though."     "Noranges were thought to be extinct. I thought the plant and seed had gone up in flames with Ministe and the rest. Ah, I love the smell of noranges warmed by the suns! Some have tried to synthesize the smell and taste, but it's not the same. I forgot how fragrant it was. So sweet, yet so bitter."     "You can have it," Lupen said with a smile. "It's yours to eat."     "I love the smell, but I also hate it, it brings back memories I'd prefer to forget." -    Lupen knew why. After the Iridi raids many Terins had stopped growing food and lost their connection with the soil. Kuzi's eyes were set on that fruit, having a silent conversation with it. The Terin then smiled, breaking out of the trance and throwing the fruit up in the air before catching it again in mid-flight. "Thanks for the gift. Seems like I owe you big now, eh? I'll get you an ID, I've got some connections." +    Lupen knew why. After the Iridi raids many Terins had stopped growing food and lost their connection with the soil. Kuzi's eyes were set on that fruit, having a silent conversation with it. The Terin then smiled, breaking out of the trance and throwing the fruit up in the air before catching it again in mid-flight. "Thanks for the gift. Seems like I owe you big now, je na? I'll get you an ID, I've got some connections."     "Yea, that'd be great! I need one for my friend Eka, too."     "Not a problem," Kuzi eyed Lupen curiously then, "why do you want to get into Montore anyway? It sucks there."     "We're in the mood for some babam cake and tea." The next morning, Lupen and Eka went to wait at the foot of the new wall that was being built. Kuzi had instructed Lupen to wait there, but now the second sun was nearing midday, and their helper was a no-show. They wandered back over to the town entrance, making sure to avoid any guards, while keeping an eye open for Kuzi. -    By then, the story about a Verido in possession of a real norange had reached the ears of many other Terins. Many of the ones standing in line for IDs glanced at them as they walked past. -    "Hey!" One of them called out. "Is it true that you've met Zucca?" +    By then, the story about a Verido in possession of a real noranke had reached the ears of many other Terins. Many of the ones standing in line for IDs glanced at them as they walked past. +    "Hey!" One of them called out. "Is it true that you've met Zukka?"     Lupen nodded. "Yes, but keep your voice low."     "Got any more of those noranges?" Another yelled.     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. -    Then, the woth moved out of its glass ball, and reached into Eka's pocket, pulling out the last norange. 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. -    "Norange!" +    Then, 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. +    "Noranke!"     "Get it, get it!"     A mob was chasing the woth inside the city, Eka and Lupen, following, were able to get inside.     "That woth is brilliant! A first-class instigator of change! A genius!" Lupen said, running inside, shouting the war cry: "Cake and tea!"     "Cake and tea!" Eka yelled while laughing, mimicking Lupen. "You're going to start a riot!"     "I'm just an opportunist, the woth is the mastermind!" -    The woth landed on top of a high building, setting the norange on a visible but inaccessible place, and waited. Out came several "ooohs", as well as a succession of reverent "aaahs," from the growing collection of admirers at the foot of the building. +    The woth landed on top of a high building, setting the noranke on a visible but inaccessible place, and waited. Out came several "ooohs", as well as a succession of reverent "aaahs," from the growing collection of admirers at the foot of the building. -Eka and Lupen ran deeper into the city, past buildings and street vendors, until they arrived at the town's public square, a clear space, encircled with tiny stalls selling a variety of flavored foodpatches. +Eka and Lupen ran deeper into the city, past buildings and street vendors, until they arrived at the town's public square, a clear space, encircled with tiny stalls selling a variety of flavored foodpatches and green gruel.     "Get your bobonion soup patch here! Best in the city!"     "In the mood for some mapple pie? Get the patch right here, right now!" -    The floor of the city was paved with stones, but dusty, with bits of debris here and there. Young workers stood around with brooms, there to catch spent patches. The people of Montore threw them over their shoulders when they were done, mirroring the habit of throwing away remains of fresh fruits and vegetables. The desert and small critters consumed the peels quickly, but not the same could be said of those patches. +    "We've got some healthy green gruel here! Forget cooking! This is all you need to be healthy! " +    The floor of the city was paved with stones, but dusty, with bits of debris here and there. Young workers stood around with brooms, there to catch spent patches. The people of Montore threw them over their shoulders when they were done, mirroring the habit of throwing away remains of fresh fruits and vegetables. The desert and small critters consumed the peels quickly, but not the same could be said of those patches, the critters avoided them because they were now devoid of calories. Given enough time the patches would disintegrate, but would remain whole for a long, long time.     "What do you do with the collected patches?" Eka asked one of the children.     The child pointed to a building adjoined to the outerwall.     "And what happens when the building's full?" @@ -990,7 +990,7 @@ Eka and Lupen ran deeper into the city, past buildings and street vendors, until Every house, or business in this city had thick yellow walls. They were constructed in a way to remain cool in the day, and warm once both suns had set. A large building topped with a dome sat at one end of the public square, adorned with the Montore insignia, the same symbol stamped on the face of every coin. A dozen green flags perched on the roof gave the building some color.     In the middle of the city was a thick beam with a large wheel around it, spinning slowly. Eka noticed that the beam and wheel were connected to a much larger cog, built under the city. Following one of these long branches, Eka arrived at a bakery. Inside, another one of these large beams came out of a hole in the floor, behind the counter where the baker worked. This secondary beam had a series of smaller branches and cogs attached to it, leading to a flour mill.     "Whoa!" Eka said, kneeling down near the hole in the floor around the beam to catch a glimpse of the underground mechanism. "This is brilliant!" The city was built on top of a huge cog, powering devices in the businesses of the city. In the bakery, the beam had an arm that could be repositioned to power a grain mill, or a dough beater. -    "You shouldn't mill so much muckweet!" someone said, "we sell so little now, no one wants any! Why waste it?" +    "You shouldn't mill so much muckweet!" someone said, "we sell so little now, no one wants any! All people want is that green gruel and those foodpatches. Why waste it?"     The baker sighed, and glanced over at a fresh loaf of muckweet bread. "People in this town need to be reminded of what real food looks like and smells like, Ira!"     "They're going to shut us down, Avril. We need coin to keep this place running."     Eka overheard the conversation, and was sad to hear it. Eka carried these words back to Lupen, who had somehow gotten dragged into a Montore tour group. Leaving it was hard, everyone kept pushing them from one place to another. @@ -1029,7 +1029,7 @@ Outside, the main city square was filled with people, who had gathered around th     "Eka? Eka! Ah, never mind. I'll just wait here, *alone*." Moments later, Lupen's eyes found a familiar face, one lined with blue. "Rosmus? Hey Roz!"     Rosmus looked up, eyes locking onto the other Verido standing near. "Well, well! Look who's got two feet in the dirt!" Rosmus said with a laugh, "fancy genuine Volare wares?"     "Pottery!" Lupen said with a laugh, reaching for a cast-carapace pot, one of many lining the shelf of the stall. "You always said you'd leave to do this, but I never thought you'd actually do it! Well, I'm not *that* surprised. If anyone could succeed out here, it's you. Just so you know, I pretended to be you a moment ago to get out of something..." -    "Yea, a bunch of people have been coming over asking me about a norange. I don't know, guess that's something to do with you, huh?" +    "Yea, a bunch of people have been coming over asking me about a noranke. I don't know, guess that's something to do with you, huh?"     Lupen nodded. "It's been a weird day, but hey, how long have *you* been in Montore for?"     "4 annums and counting!"     Lupen smirked, reached forward, and tapped the piece of ID pinned to the front Rosmus's shirt, "Rosmus Rosmus." @@ -1046,12 +1046,12 @@ Outside, the main city square was filled with people, who had gathered around th     Rosmus nodded, waving as Lupen left the stall. Lupen rushed over to Kuzi. "You forgot to meet us!" The Verido stopped talking, noticing that like the other Terins in the line outside of town yesterday, Kuzi too was high on kavava. -    "Oh, hey Lu-Lu!" Kuzi said, smiling stupidly. +    "Oh, hey kottzi^[**Kottzi**. Terat word to mean friends (but more than this), to come from the same tree, the same community]!" Kuzi said, smiling stupidly.     "Kuzi, you didn't..." -    Kuzi looked at the Verido with red eyes, and groaned. "I didn't even taste the norange. Not one bite. I'm *so* weak." -    Lupen sat down, shoulder to shoulder with Kuzi. Both said nothing, sitting together with Dot's voice in the background. Just then the woth returned, carrying a small bit of norange peel around. Lupen grabbed the peel, and handed it over to Kuzi, "you can taste it now." The Terin pushed it away. +    Kuzi looked at the Verido with red eyes, and groaned. "I didn't even taste the noranke. Not one bite. I'm *so* weak." +    Lupen sat down, shoulder to shoulder with Kuzi. Both said nothing, sitting together with Dot's voice in the background. Just then the woth returned, carrying a small bit of noranke peel around. Lupen grabbed the peel, and handed it over to Kuzi, "you can taste it now." The Terin pushed it away.     "No. I don't like how it makes me feel. By the way, I was never gonna meet up with you. If I could get IDs easy you'd better believe I wouldn't spend all my time in line." -    A curious onlooker noticed the norange peel. "Norange!" Word of the norange on the rooftop had traveled, everyone in town knew about it. Dot stopped speaking then, words falling on deaf ears as the crowd gathered around Lupen. There was nowhere to run this time. The guards arrived, recognizing both Kuzi and Lupen. +    A curious onlooker noticed the noranke peel. "Noranke!" Word of the noranke on the rooftop had traveled, everyone in town knew about it. Dot stopped speaking then, words falling on deaf ears as the crowd gathered around Lupen. There was nowhere to run this time. The guards arrived, recognizing both Kuzi and Lupen.     "You two!" The guard gripped Lupen's arm, then began to search for the piece of ID. "What! No ID either?! We've got a Specter here!"     "I've got ID! I exist! See? *See*?" Kuzi yelled, fumbling around for it, but the guard didn't want to hear it, and both were dragged away from the main square and into the courtyard of the building with the Montore emblem, and were asked to stay there. @@ -1060,23 +1060,23 @@ The space was enclosed by 4 walls, with two doors, one leading inside the courty     Kuzi gave Lupen a shove. "Why'd you have to get me involved?! Is babam cake and tea code for something?"     "I didn't do anything! Everyone here just gets real crazy whenever there's mention of noranges! I didn't know that would happen!"     "You can't just go flaunting extinct fruits around!" Kuzi realized something then. "That's how you got into the city." -    "Yea, me and a ton of others." Lupen smirked. "Another accident." +    "Me and a ton of others." Lupen smirked. "Another accident."     "They're going to put us into a mill and grind us into foodpatches!" Kuzi yelled. -    "There'll be one less swindler in Montore!" Lupen spat out. +    "Yea well, there'll be one less swindler in Montore!"     Kuzi began to fight Lupen in the courtyard, although the fight occurred mostly on one side, and less so on the other. The Verido didn't know how to fight, and instead made a dance of it, avoiding the onslaught of fists with ease because Kuzi's movements were sluggish, still high on root juices. Their fight was interrupted by Averet, the guard. -    "Hey! Stop that!" Averet instructed them to follow, and brought them in front of a large door, made of carved banabo. "Whom does this belong to?" Averet asked, holding the norange peel. -    Lupen didn't put a claim to it, having no desire to get ground up into anything. Kuzi addressed Averet then. "How would I have a norange? I was raised here and never left, same as you." +    "Hey! Stop that!" Averet instructed them to follow, and brought them in front of a large door, made of carved banabo. "Whom does this belong to?" Averet asked, holding the noranke peel. +    Lupen didn't put a claim to it, having no desire to get ground up into anything. Kuzi addressed Averet then. "How would I have a noranke? I was raised here and never left, same as you."     The guard blinked, then gripped Lupen's arm. "Right. Come with me, Specter."     "I bet the foodpatch version of you will be *disgusting*!" Kuzi shouted, just as another guard arrived to escort the Terin outside. -Lupen gulped as the large carved banabo door opened, revealing a thick curtain, obscuring both the room and its occupant. "Go," Averet said, pushing the captive onward. Lupen took a few steps forward, found an opening in the fabric and pushed on. A young Terin, dressed in a green robe, was on the other side. "You're the Specter, the norange smuggler?" +Lupen gulped as the large carved banabo door opened, revealing a thick curtain, obscuring both the room and its occupant. "Go," Averet said, pushing the captive onward. Lupen took a few steps forward, found an opening in the fabric and pushed on. A young Terin, dressed in a green robe, was on the other side. "You're the Specter, the noranke smuggler?"     "Smuggler? That's escalating things a bit don't you think?"     "Follow me," the young Terin said, pushing past yet another set of curtains. On the other side, Lupen's fingers found moss clinging to the fabric. Small trees grew from holes in the ground, their roots raising the tiled flooring. There was a large gap in the ceiling, bringing light into the room. The walls were covered with notes, and drawings. A large ornate table lay at the center of the room, buried in a blanket of greens, with plants wrapping around its legs. Some of the chairs encircling the table lay on their sides, with pieces broken off, used to build other projects. A painting of the table as it once was hung on the wall. -    "The norange thief is here." +    "The noranke thief is here."     "What? I'm no thief!" Lupen retorted. -    A Terin with graying hair and a thin young face rose from behind the table, head reaching just over a mound of moss. "Where did you get that norange?" The Terin asked, nonchalantly, speaking low and slow while bending down again to check over the leaves of a nearby plant. +    A Terin with graying hair and a thin young face rose from behind the table, head reaching just over a mound of moss. "Where did you get that noranke?" The Terin asked, nonchalantly, speaking low and slow while bending down again to check over the leaves of a nearby plant.     "If I said, I'd betray a friend and endanger lives," Lupen replied, bending down to look under the table to see what the Terin was doing. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you who it's from though..." -    "You are correct. I am happy to learn that Zucca was able to save some norange seeds," the Terin said, moving from one plant to another, "norcorn patties just aren't the same without norange sauce." +    "Kitattle'ti^[Terat literal translation: *Correct to be*]. I am happy to learn that Zukka was able to save some noranke seeds," the Terin said, moving from one plant to another, "norcorn patties just aren't the same without noranke sauce."     Lupen observed that the Terin wore a simple pair of tan hampa pants, scuffed at the knees. "So um, are you Monty?"     Monty stood up again, slowly, to look at Lupen only to find that Lupen's head wasn't there. "Not what you were expecting?"     Lupen mimicked Monty's movements, and stood up again. "No, not at all... you've got all these plants, yet you're feeding others false food, then there's the Beobug goons and their sandfins. Hard to believe it all comes from you." @@ -1098,13 +1098,13 @@ Lupen gulped as the large carved banabo door opened, revealing a thick curtain,     Lupen took note of a painting on the back wall, it resembled the portrait carved on the coin, "that looks nothing like you."     "If I were to go out there on the city square right now, they wouldn't believe I was Monty." Monty too stared at the painting, then turned so Lupen could compare details. "My artist got carried away, they thought I needed to look more imposing, more angular. It's why I'm here really, and that no one can see me. If they did, they'd throw me out, thinking I was a pretender. Anyway, it suits me, because I am tired. Dot has the helm now. Staying here, at least I'm safe and free to think up ideas all day, everyday..."     "Yea. You're comfortable while people suffer." -    "People have suffered long before your time and mine. I was wondering, how did you get Zucca to give you that fruit?" +    "People have suffered long before your time and mine. I was wondering, how did you get Zukka to give you that fruit?"     Lupen bore a sad expression, eyeing the entrance. "If you want to know the full story you'll have to walk out of here with me. How about it? It's Monty Day after all."     Monty smirked, "I would have really enjoyed hearing that story. For you to know, and me to wonder I suppose." Saying this, the grand leader continued to look after the plants in the room, checking the leaves for signs of malnutrition with much love and care, like a leafhound would.     "Why did you ask me in here?" Lupen asked. -    "Curiosity. A Verido with a norange, a hyroo and a round-eared companion together, *very* unusual." Saying this, Monty glanced at Lupen once again, the pair of yellow eyes appeared focused, quietly dissecting the visitor. +    "Curiosity. A Verido with a noranke, a hyroo and a round-eared companion together, *very* unusual." Saying this, Monty glanced at Lupen once again, the pair of yellow eyes appeared focused, quietly dissecting the visitor.     "I'll add that story to the pile, in exchange for you to tell your people the truth." Lupen teased. -    "Goodbye Specter." +    "Zíaast fara^[Terat expression to mean *goodbye* or literally *good leaving*], Specter." Monty pointed at the entrance, motioning for Lupen to go.     Lupen let out a deep sigh, there was nothing to do then but leave. The Verido glanced at Monty's second hand. "What now? What happens to the ones who don't exist in the eyes of Montore? Do I get ground up into food?"     The green-clad Terin laughed, "the things people think we do. Sometimes I wonder why we bother making laws at all, stories like this keep people in line better than our laws ever could." With this, Lupen was escorted out of the building. "You need to leave the city right this instant." Monty's second hand watched as Lupen stepped into the main square, and headed towards the city gate. The guard kept close, to make sure the Verido didn't decide to take a detour on the way out.     As Lupen was escorted out of Montore, Kuzi stood by, watching. Eka stood near too, chewing loudly, eating chunks of freshly baked babam cake. "D'you know where I can get some mepperpint tea around here?" @@ -1158,7 +1158,7 @@ Later that same day, Kuzi had sold the last of the kavava in exchange for coin t     "I'd ask Avril's bakery."     "Bakery?"     Kuzi pointed to it. "Yea, it's where I got this bread. You want to try some?" -    Averet grabbed a slice of bread, and took a bite. "It's *so* moist! Why do I never buy real bread? Thanks, I'll visit Avril later, to ask about the norcorn. You see, I kept this piece of norange peel..." +    Averet grabbed a slice of bread, and took a bite. "It's *so* moist! Why do I never buy real bread? Thanks, I'll visit Avril later, to ask about the norcorn. You see, I kept this piece of noranke peel..." \newpage @@ -1183,7 +1183,7 @@ Later that same day, Kuzi had sold the last of the kavava in exchange for coin t     "I'll woth it back." Eka said, smiling at the woth, asleep in the glass ball on Lupen's belt.     "Is that something people say? 'I will *woth* this letter to you?'" Lupen asked.     "It's something I say, and that others ought to say." Eka said, showing Lupen the cover of the book, it read *Habitants of the Night*. -    "I had a long talk with Zucca 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?" +    "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... @@ -1338,7 +1338,7 @@ It took them half a day's time to get to the village, with Eka and Lupen taking     Historically, Renate was an open bazaar, a place of exchange with no permanent residents. Nowadays, many artisans made Renate their home, but still kept to the tradition of temporary housing. Most tents were kept up by flexible banabo poles and had walls of fabric, offering less resistance to wind while providing a cool shelter. Each tent was unique, with walls of varying colors and patterns, some were weaved from banabo fiber, others from lesser-known materials like sassum^[Sassum yields a very stiff fiber, often used to make ropes on sandfins.], or linim^[long, rough bast fiber that people in Renate spin into coarse threads.]. There was no visible organization for the placement of the tents, in fact this village had few rules, and no official leader. The people here liked it that way, Eka said.     When they arrived, they approached a group of children playing in an open area between tents, they'd heard of these prism-headed prisoners, but didn't have time to answer questions because all of their attention quickly turned to Hush. The children combed the hyroo's fur with their fingers, along with repeated 'oohs' and 'aahs'. This caught the attention of an older villager, who'd been busy sifting sand and rock from a batch of freshly dug lanivanil beans. The villager left the basket and beans on the ground and hurried over, urging the kids to move away.     "Hush is not dangerous." Lupen said. -    After successfully shooing the kids away, the villager shook their head, "nan nan. Nan ti..." and then pointed a finger toward Ten, "*ti* estre! Volubi, seklo vi. Rappida!" +    After successfully shooing the kids away, the villager shook their head, "nan nan. Nan ti..." and then pointed a finger toward Ten, "zou *ti*! Voluk, vi seklo. Hayat!"      "Follow me, quickly," Eka translated at the end of the conversation. They could sense the fear in the villager's eyes. They were led to a large tent on the outskirts of town. They could hear the sound of someone beating into a piece of metal inside.     "Nio citi atada^[Aodan for *Wait here*. Literal meaning: *this place wait*]." The villager said, slipping into the tent.     "Are we in trouble?" Lupen asked Eka, "also, what language is that?" @@ -1711,7 +1711,7 @@ On the eve of the coronation Lupen and Eka were given free reign over Irideri. T     "I think that dream is about to come true." Eka said.     During the conversation, Lupen was busy inspecting the white gloves, wondering which Ilk the thread came from. "Why not keep the original color?" Lupen interjected.     "A request by Bao." the Librarian said, "the kingdom bears no color, as I'm sure you've noticed. Our people prefer shapes and texture." -    Lupen remembered how Zucca had disapproved of the art of skin-dying in Verido culture. "Why not use a material that is already white?" +    Lupen remembered how Zukka had disapproved of the art of skin-dying in Verido culture. "Why not use a material that is already white?"     "Isilk is the softest and most durable thread in the Soronan Desert." The librarian replied. "It doesn't damage the conk shroo paper, it's also impermeable."     "You are a true treasure," Eka said to the library worker, "a wealth of knowledge."     The librarian would have blushed, but seeing as color was considered to be an extravagance, decided to bow in thanks instead. @@ -1741,7 +1741,7 @@ That evening, there was someone at Bariton's door. "My Brightest!"     Bariton had no words. The museum carer was touched, and tried hard not to cry. Crying in front of royalty was hardly respectable, Bariton thought. The banquet took place in the Garden of Light. All the tables were decorated with common sumiras, their soft heart-shaped petals were sprinkled with chloromyce shroo powder. The menu included local vegetables and fruit, like kiari, and gorins. Kiari were sweet root vegetables, best served roasted over a fire with a side of gorin puree. In the absence of light the food was dull and grey, but would emit rainbow-like patterns under the light of a chloromyce shroo. -    Eka wished Zucca was here to see this. +    Eka wished Zukka was here to see this.     Renzo made a toast to Kurono, holding a luminescent drink that looked like liquid starlight. All raised their mugs.     "Light of Lights!"     The day ended with a master of shadow puppetry, performing a play on the outer wall of the garden, a comedy involving Kurono and the foreigners. Lupen laughed hard, belly aching with every joke. Eka clapped with much fervor, the hands continued to vibrate long after the clapping had stopped. @@ -1947,7 +1947,7 @@ All in the group were merry, all but Nono and Eka, to whom it had little effect.     "No one spoke to the giant?" Renzo asked.     "No," Maka began, "all they saw was the crate at the edge of the village and a tall silhouette, riding away."     Renzo also had something to share. "Like you, Klev, I did not see it with my own eyes, but I heard stories. During the raids at the Suvalba Sanctuary, soldiers stole seeds to bring back to Moera. One day, all awoke to the blood-curdling screams of a soldier. The soldier was shaking, claiming to have seen some kind of large apparition wandering through the camp. No one else had seen it. When they arrived in Irideri, they found the bags were empty, full of holes. Some of them went back to gather the lost cargo, but they found nothing." -    Lupen smiled, "Zucca would be glad to hear this." +    Lupen smiled, "Zukka would be glad to hear this." The day ended with everyone sleeping around a dying flame, all, but Lupen and Eka. Both were lying next to each other, gazing up at the sky. A question burned at Lupen's lips. "You didn't look surprised when you saw me at the top of the mountain."     "Surprised? No. Happy? Yes." Eka said with a kind smile. @@ -1982,7 +1982,7 @@ The next morning, Lupen woke to the sound of arguing. Nono was awake, standing a     Nono nodded, but was not proud of this fact. "Orae. Gree and I grow together. But the stem of Gree wrap around me, like a snakadil do!" Saying this, Nono's hands wrapped around this throat. "Gree suffocate me already then, and today Gree never stop to smother me!"     "You always reject me!" Gree complained.     "Even when I was a seed, I want nothing to do with you." Nono spat. -    Lupen remembered that Zucca had said that when children were grown, they developed links to one another, and the emotions of one could affect its neighbor. Gree depended on Nono more than Gree cared to admit, and Nono wanted to get away after being trapped early in life. +    Lupen remembered that Zukka had said that when children were grown, they developed links to one another, and the emotions of one could affect its neighbor. Gree depended on Nono more than Gree cared to admit, and Nono wanted to get away after being trapped early in life.     "How about you two sandfin together?" Lupen suggested.     "Lupen is crazy. I no want to work for Beobug." Nono said, disgusted with the idea.     "Aboard Etyl." @@ -2043,7 +2043,7 @@ All were awake now, and gathered around the bucket to dip their hands in it. The     "Your palms are *very* wrinkly Eka." Lupen noted. "Like an old licky root rind."     Eka was getting the last basket of supplies onto the sandfin, "or like your face when you're complaining about something," Saying this, Eka smirked and disappeared inside the cabin.     "Well, my face *doesn't* do *that*..." but creases formed on Lupen's face then from scowling. "Okay, okay. It *does* crease up a bit." -    Lupen looked at Toronka's hull again. The Verido's handprint had lines and dots, resembling veins on a leaf, as Zucca had once said. The Verido thought of home, and was surprised to find that thinking of home was pleasant again. +    Lupen looked at Toronka's hull again. The Verido's handprint had lines and dots, resembling veins on a leaf, as Zukka had once said. The Verido thought of home, and was surprised to find that thinking of home was pleasant again.     Eka arrived outside to pour tea into the mugs of their companions. All had slept around Toronka, except Nono who preferred sleeping on Etyl. Lupen passed some bonan leaf plates around, each one had slices of toasted muckweet bread with a generous serving of spiced bam purée. Klev and Renzo declined a plate, having not yet recovered from yesterday's drinking. After breakfast, Nono boarded Toronka to inspect the deck, outer hull and rigging again. The Finiku's big wet eyes scanned every part, followed every rope from working to bitter end, the hands inspected every knot, and even the feet got to prove their worth by stomping down to sound the deck for abnormalities. After a thorough inspection, Nono climbed up to half mast to make an announcement. @@ -2055,7 +2055,7 @@ There was no breeze to sail with yet, but there were signs of its coming. Once i     "How's it going so far?" Lupen had asked, with Gree out of earshot.     "It is... how to you say in Common Tongue? Full of mind and body pain," Nono replied.     "Painful," Lupen corrected. -    "Orae. Very, very pain-full, but I try." Nono glanced at Gree on Etyl, who was adjusting the standing rigging, and began to yell. "Ianae! Ara maha?! Tawari'ia!^[No! What are you doing?! Don't touch!]" +    "Orae. Very, very pain-full, but I try." Nono glanced at Gree on Etyl, who was adjusting the standing rigging, and began to yell. "Ianae! Ara maha?! Tawari'ia!^[Finic literal translation: *No! What doing?! Touch do not!*]"     Gree gave Nono a dirty look and continued to adjust the lines. "This way is better!"     Nono stormed back on deck and both continued to bicker in Finic.     "In short, too many captains." Renzo explained, having witnessed the argument. @@ -2096,7 +2096,7 @@ Nono was next in line, Eka knelt down to match the Finiku's short height. "By th 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 Ilk, and for a moment Lupen wondered if it could convince Vol to slow down its pace, or alter its 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 Zucca. "I wonder if woodgeon shrubs can grow down here..." +    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 saa'ta, 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 yora'mu is easiest after the second sunset, all avians sleep with their heads pointed in that direction. Etyl's old compass twitched, their bow heading saa’mu, or 'into the wind' in the Common Tongue. The needle always pointed to yora’mu, another Finiku term to mean 'towards the soul of the land'. On the compass were Finiku symbols for all 4 directions.     Lupen took notes on a map while Toronka was sandfinning itself, bow pointing toward the Rupture. @@ -2252,7 +2252,7 @@ Both of us stayed awake, the noise outside makes it difficult to sleep. We spend *First sunrise* -The storm abated, and it started to rain. A gentle, cool rain. We sat outside for a long while, letting it clear the sand from our clothes. It helped strip the sand from the deck too. Now that the wind is down, we can see plants coming out of hiding, their leaves fanning out. The ground is covered in green now, resembling Zucca's Oasis. Nono told us that this place had many hidden waterstone caverns, but no one ever stayed here long enough to uncover them, the area was just too dangerous. +The storm abated, and it started to rain. A gentle, cool rain. We sat outside for a long while, letting it clear the sand from our clothes. It helped strip the sand from the deck too. Now that the wind is down, we can see plants coming out of hiding, their leaves fanning out. The ground is covered in green now, resembling Zukka's Oasis. Nono told us that this place had many hidden waterstone caverns, but no one ever stayed here long enough to uncover them, the area was just too dangerous.     After the rain subsided, we began freeing Toronka from the enormous sand bank that had engulfed it. The whole front of the bow disappeared under a thick, and heavy yellow canopy. I understand now why Nono insisted on us carrying a pair of heavy shovels. After a few horos of digging I found my appetite again, I ate half of a muckweet loaf. *Second sunrise* @@ -2566,13 +2566,13 @@ A generous giant, an avid reader, who travels with a hyroo named Kit. Not much i Vol is the nickname of the Ilk of Volare. Vol has another name, but it is long and few can pronounce it. ### Waldek -A clever leafhound and resident of Zucca's oasis, serving as guide to Lupen and Eka. +A clever leafhound and resident of Zukka's oasis, serving as guide to Lupen and Eka. ### Wiktopher A messenger woth, friend to Lupen and Eka. Wiktopher is also the name of someone that Eka knew and traveled with, a long time ago. -### Zucca -A Terin and caretaker of a hidden oasis in the desert. Known by many, Zucca has a reputation for being a grouch. This Terin has much knowledge when it comes to gardening, but is reluctant to share it. +### Zukka +A Terin and caretaker of a hidden oasis in the desert. Known by many, Zukka has a reputation for being a grouch. This Terin has much knowledge when it comes to gardening, but is reluctant to share it. \newpage @@ -2732,8 +2732,8 @@ A leafy plant with rounded bulbs hanging from a thick central stem. Its leaves h ### Muckweet A plant cultivated for its grain-like seeds. These seeds are rich in complex carbohydrates, and can be ground down into flour. It is popular with the Finiku people, made into bread or cooked into stews. -### Norange -A sweet, and bitter fruit with a thick rind. It has a fragant smell, and can calm the mind. The rinds are often dried, ground up into a powder, and sprinkled onto meals. Terins like to add norange powder, or dried rind slices into their tea. +### Noranke +A sweet, and bitter fruit with a thick rind. It has a fragant smell, and can calm the mind. The rinds are often dried, ground up into a powder, and sprinkled onto meals. Terins like to add noranke powder, or dried rind slices into their tea. ### Norcorn The leafy stalk of the norcorn plant produces inflorescences called nibs that yield bright yellow seeds. This plant is heat tolerant, its root system is deep and reaches deep underground. There are 5-6 seeds per nib, these can be ground up and made into flour to make Soronan Desert favorites like norcorn patties. The entire nibs and their seeds (which are held together by a stalk) can be grilled as is. With enough heat, the seeds explode into bright orange puffs which are eaten as a snack during special events. There have been events when the environing heat was too hot that an entire norcorn field exploded into puffs. @@ -2745,7 +2745,7 @@ Nuni is a starchy tuber with bright yellow flesh, it has a taste and smell that A type of fungus that grows in habited areas, like cities, they even grow on the Ilk. Many residents promote their growth on their own houses, nutshroos like growing on materials like banabo. ### Peagram -A type of pulse growing from a thorny bush, with large seedpods filled with a green liquid that contain 10-15 peas. It is said that this liquid is klorea from past harvesters, and that the pulse owes its sweetness and nutrition to this. The harvesters from the old days would pick the pods without wearing gloves, and the thorns would cut their skin. Everytime a meal with peagram is consumed, the eater thanks the harvesters aloud for their sacrifice: "Estre danki." +A type of pulse growing from a thorny bush, with large seedpods filled with a green liquid that contain 10-15 peas. It is said that this liquid is klorea from past harvesters, and that the pulse owes its sweetness and nutrition to this. The harvesters from the old days would pick the pods without wearing gloves, and the thorns would cut their skin. Everytime a meal with peagram is consumed, the eater thanks the harvesters aloud for their sacrifice: "Zou danki." ### Plumpkins A large purple root vegetable, its skin is covered in scales. The scales can be peeled off, revealing the bright and soft red flesh underneath. Plumpkins can be processed into juice, or fermented to make plumpkin ale. @@ -2922,17 +2922,18 @@ The day of the annum when the residents of Montore celebrate the greatness of th ### Aodan Aodan is spoken by the Aodal people, but it is a dying language. Most Aodals now speak the Common Tongue, but some older residents of the Soronan Desert still speak it. Aodan stayed with the Iridi longer because of their policy of isolation. +Numbers from one to 10: Ante Tula Frel Kont Sen Seki Ren Octo Neul Ton + > Ana — one, a > Atada — stay, wait, remain > Citi — in, at, or to this place or position > Danki — an expression of gratitude or politeness, in response to something done or given -> Dekon — 18, ten is dek, eight is on. -> Estre — verb. to be > Granda — adj. big, heavy, large, long, tall; important; adult > Grandlalun — full-moon +> Hayat — move or act with great haste > Jui — yes > Koroa — noun. heart (physical or emotional). Adj. Feeling (an emotion, a direct experience) -> La — particle. separates the subject and the verb (I am happy, vi la tanka) +> La — particle. separates the subject and the verb (I am happy: tanka la vi) > Mo — appended to words, (emphasis, emotion or confirmation) > Nan — no > Nio — this, that @@ -2940,15 +2941,50 @@ Aodan is spoken by the Aodal people, but it is a dying language. Most Aodals now > Nos — dawn, apart, away > Nulalun — null-moon > Plusa — something extra -> Rappida — move or act with great haste > Soli — day, light > Tanka — adj. good, positive, useful; friendly, peaceful; simple > Tribu — noun. community, company, group, nation, society, tribe > Salu — expression of greeting +> Sara vi zou — I am sorry > Seklo — go or come after (a person or thing proceeding ahead) > Son — Dusk, together, with > Vi — noun. I, me, we, us -> Volubi — used in polite requests or questions +> Vimi — Mine +> Voluk — used in polite requests or questions (please) +> Zou — verb. to be + +### Terat +Terat is spoken by the Terin people. + +> Afram— enduring, kept, protected; to continue to + +> Var — located at, present at, where +> Gorat — going to, moving +> Fara — leave +> Zíaast — good, simple, to improve, to make better, well, greatly +> Elli — many, a lot, very, quantity +> Skolatt — thank you. +> Oteyo — hello. +> Stnectotke — stupid, or ridiculous. +> Je na — Aren't I right? +> Koπzí — friends (but more than this), to come from the same tree, the same community. +> Recttat — alone +> Betna — wish/pray +> Seke- to do +> Betnaseke — please, lit: to do pray/wish< +> Sorona — people of the desert +> Soroketkat — skin markings, lit: desert oath stripes +> Youtka — war paint +> Gon — avian +> Zi — tree +> Haka — growing +> Kitattle — correct +> Soutket — to understand +> Le — appended to words, for asking questions +> Ti — when appended to words, means 'to be'. Ex: Kitattle'ti!, you are correct. +> Ookle — sibling, or someone you share feelings with and that you are close to. +> Ookledou — term of endearment, to mean little sibling. +> Dou — appended to names, or words to mean 'little', or used for someone for whom you care about. Ex: Ekadou. ### Common Tongue The Common Tongue is the language of trade in the Soronan Desert, spoken by all. @@ -3011,7 +3047,7 @@ The Common Tongue is the language of trade in the Soronan Desert, spoken by all. > Yora'mu — Short short of yoramawa'muko, to mean towards the soul of the land > Yora'ta — Short short of yoramawa'atae, to mean away from the soul of the land > Yoroi — cool - +