The Ape Delivers to the Spider [Veldrys]

[Asha]

Date: 5 Fall, 512 Asha stepped quietly into Nature’s Nurture and looked around hesitantly. Syna had just risen to kiss the tranquil treetop city with golden rays and only a few early risers strolled the walkways. The female Jamoura tapped a finger on her chin in thought, a basket woven of fibrous grasses hanging off an arm. Only chimes earlier when she had arrived at Rak’keli’s Shrine for her gardening duties Kesha had thrust the basket into her arms and instructed her to take it to Nature’s Nurture and resupply the doctors there. The basket held herb bundles tied gently with twine; herbs meant mainly for medicinal purposes and a few that would feed the patients with healthy soups. “Um….. is anyone around?” Asha called gently. The main hallway of the clinic was surprisingly empty of employees. Perhaps they were all busy though Asha dared not call louder and risk bothering patients. The nervous Jamoura feared she would get a tongue-lashing if she did as some healers were fiercely protective of their patients. Asha resigned herself to a bit of waiting. The Jamoura had patience a plenty and looked down to delicately stroke the herbs in her basket with a finger. She recognized a bundle of sorrel and one of arnica but the names of the others evaded her knowledge. She had only just begun to memorize the various plants that grew within the Shrine.

EDIT: Added in date.

[Veldrys]

Fall 5, 512 AV

Veldrys always rose a bell before dawn. He enjoyed those moments when the world was still shrouded in darkness, when most people were still asleep, and the city was empty. It was so much more peaceful then. There was nothing to distract him then. He enjoyed those walks through the city, when the tops of the trees were still hidden behind thick clouds of mist, even though it was colder then, and he was freezing slightly in his silk clothes.

He was usually one of the first to arrive at Nature’s Nurture in the morning. Since Lucette had disappeared, there was no reason for him to linger at home anymore. He didn’t have anybody to talk to.

Nature’s Nurture was a little less busy during those early hours, so he often stood at a window, a glass of fruit juice in hand and watched the rising sun before he took care of his first patient. Even though he had been on the surface for close to two years now, he never got tired of it. In Kalinor, his old home, it had always been dark.

As he heard Asha’s voice, he immediately put his still half full glass of juice away and went to her, assuming that she was hurt and needed a doctor. But as he stood in front of her he realized that it was probably not the case. She didn’t look hurt or in pain. His gaze fell on the basket she was carrying. It was full of herbs.

„Is this for Nature’s Nurture?“ he wondered. Even after all that time on the surface he still spoke with a light accent.

He had to look up in order to see her face. Having only arrived in the Spires at the end of the previous season, he still wasn’t used to being short. When he had lived among humans, he had been considered of above average height, and people hadn’t been so heavy that they could literally crush him. He tried not to let it show though, but smiled at her.

[Asha]

Asha looked up as the pale man approached her. She didn’t hide the curiosity in her eyes as she inspected him. It was not in her nature to be ashamed of curiosity and this human looked different then most. It had taken her a while to get comfortable with humans and begin to tell them apart. Now this human appeared and introduced new features that she would have to learn to associate with humans. He was paler then most, that was certain. It was unfortunate enough that these poor humans didn’t even hair to keep them warm but this one had such thin skin she could actually see some of his veins. Intriguing. “Oh, were you not expecting these? I work for Kesha at Rak’keli’s shrine and she sent me to bring you these. We… uh.. we grow them there you see.” Asha finished lamely, unsure of how to explain her clearly unexpected presence. Well now she felt awkward. Her mind leapt back and forth between wanting to inquire about the man’s purpose for being and trying to figure out a way to resolve the surprise delivery. The curiosity ate at her but she held back her questions. After the djed storm and the influx of outsiders she had learned quickly that most of these bald creatures disliked excessive questions. She never could figure out why though, how was anyone able to learn without asking questions? Her culture encouraged questions, that seemed the only intelligent way to go about things in her opinion. The baldies always got upset and told her to go away. “Do you want them?” Asha asked lamely, tongue tied as her mind wrestled over what course of conversation to pursue. Perhaps it was best to sort out the present confusion before questioning the man. Yes, that was a good plan. First one thing, then the other. She was getting better at dealing with humans everyday and she loved to feel herself progress at something. Her smile expanded as her mind decided on a course of action and she held out the basket to Veldrys.

[Veldrys]

„I only started working here late last season“, Veldrys admitted. “So I don’t know who or what to expect. I’m afraid that nobody told me that you would be coming. Are you regularly regularly making deliveries? Are you a herbalist as well – or some kind of healer?”

He was unaware that she was taking him for a strange kind of human and wondering what he was doing here. He was much too busy thinking about whether he should risk to approach her and take a peek into her basket or not. Finally he made a step towards her and took a closer look at the herbs, figuring that a Jamoura who worked at Rak’keli’s shrine wouldn’t hurt him.

“Arnica”, he observed and smiled a little.“I ran out of that. I lost most of my own herbs when Denval was destroyed. I lived there before I came to the Spires. What else do you have in there?”

While he waited for her answer, he gestured for her to come with him. “There’s a room where we store all the herbs, salves and so on”, he explained.

[Asha]

“I’m not sure. I assume there will be regular deliveries made by either myself or Kesha. Seems reasonable. But I’m just a gardener. I’ve picked up a little knowledge of herbs as I’ve worked but I’m certainly no herbalist or healer. I guess I’m just here to do the dirty work.” Asha said with a chuckle at her lame joke. Dirty work, because she worked in the dirt. Well, she had never been known for her jokes anyways. Asha was as oblivious of Veldrys’s hesitance of approaching her as he was oblivious of her intense interest in his physical differences. If she had known that he was nervous to approach her she would have laughed. She was still baffled that humans found the Jamoura frightening or intimidating at times. She seemed to be unable to put herself in their place and realize what kind of an effect someone of her size could have. Asha was preparing to answer his question as to the contents of her basket when Veldrys mentioned he was from Denval. All other thoughts quickly scattered as she found another subject to latch onto. There was simply too much to know in this world; she could hardly keep track of what she was interested in at the moment. Learning about that vast unknown outside of her forest was almost like a drug for the young Jamoura and she couldn’t get enough of it. “You are from Denval? I had heard that our nearest neighbor was destroyed. I had always wanted to visit but I guess I can’t now. I’m sorry for the loss of your home.” Asha paused a moment and lowered her eyes in respect. She looked up and stepped forward eagerly to follow him to the storage room. “What was it like there? I heard they had a lighthouse. I’ve never seen a lighthouse. What is that like? What did you do there? Were you a doctor there too?” She had been polite for as long as she was able. But really, were manners as important as asking questions? Clearly not. Here was an excellent opportunity to speak to a person who had not only visited a foreign city but lived there. As her questions came to a close she realized she hadn’t breathed in a while and sucked in a large breath of air.

[Veldrys]

„I quite enjoy doing dirty work as well sometimes“, Veldrys admitted. „In Denval I had a small herb garden. Without gardeners like you we doctors would constantly be lacking certain things. Most of my colleagues don’t have time to grow their own herbs. I’m sure that you are good at what you are doing.“

As they made their way to the storage room, he expected her to tell him about the contents of her basket and maybe her work as a gardener, but apparently the mention of Denval excited her so much that she quickly forgot everything else. He disapproved of such behaviour, but on the other hand he always welcomed an opportunity to talk about his life.

„Denval wasn’t my real home“, he informed her. „I’m originally from a place called Kalinor, but I moved to Denval a couple of years ago. It was beautiful, old-fashioned in a way. Denval had been isolated for centuries after the Valterrian, and thus the Denvali had preserved some of the old knowledge and prayed to a god that had been forgotten by the rest of the world. They were always friendly, and racism was nearly unknown to them. They didn’t care that I looked different from them.“

„As for that special club for drunken swordsmen, I’ve never been there. I’m not particularly interested in combat or getting drunk. I’m just the man they call afterwards. As for lighthouses, they are kind of like small towers near the coast that help the ships reach the harbor safely. I’m not sure if there is anything fun about them though.“

He paused for a moment. All those questions were rather overwhelming. With all her curiosity she reminded him of a child, and he couldn’t help but wonder how old she was. He could’t really tell with Jamoura.

„Yes, I was a doctor there too, although the hospital in Denval was much smaller. I was also a herbalist and an acolyte at the chapel. Before Denval was destroyed, I hoped to become a priest and spend the rest of my life working there.“

He paused again to open the door of the storage room for her and indicated where he wanted her to put the basket.

„Is there anything else you want to know? Have you ever left the Spires?“

[Asha]

Asha listened attentively to his words and felt a little of her fervor subside. He had given her plenty to store away for later consideration though there was still many things she wanted to pursue. She had heard stories of this Kalinor place and she wanted to know if some of them were true. He indicated where she ought to place the basket and she stepped forward to do so. The questions he asked of her made her pause before placing the basket in the desired space. Perhaps she had been a little too upfront and zealous in her interrogation of him. She just wanted to know things after all. No, perhaps that wasn’t it. Maybe she just wanted something new. “No, I’ve never left The Spires. I’ve reached an age where my kind might go out into the world to gather knowledge for the benefit and memory of our people. I’ve meant to, for a long while, but the time hasn’t felt right yet. I suppose that’s why I interrogate all the newcomers, I’m very curious about what is out there.” After she had spoken Asha felt a little embarrassed for her personal admission. She hardly took her desire to explore and experience new things seriously. Asha stepped out of the storeroom so that he may close the door. “Do you still wish to become a priest? There are many shrines here after all.” Asha said softly with a smile. Her brow scrunched for a moment as she recalled something he had said and she couldn’t resist a small inquiry. “And what does it mean for a city to be “old-fashioned”? Is The Spires old-fashioned?” Try as she might she couldn't hold back every inquiry. Besides, old-fashioned seemed like an interesting way to be if one could be that way. Or perhaps new-fashioned was better? New and old were interesting concepts for Asha. To a human, she was old. But to her people, she was still young. Not so young as to be a child but still young.

[Veldrys]

„What is the age where your kind usually go out into the world?“ the Symenestra wanted to know. He knew that Jamoura lived far longer than his own people, but he didn’t know how long or how slowly or quickly they aged. “Where I come from you are considered an adult when you are about eighteen.” He had been eighteen when he had left for the surface for the first time – and sometimes he wished he had stayed there and never come back to Kainor.

“Do a lot of people come here?” he wanted to know. He hadn’t seen a lot of new people since Lucette and he had come here the season before – and none that looked like him. But then again, maybe that had been because of the great djed storm that had taken place in spring. Maybe people normally visited The Spires more frequently.

“I still do”, he replied and glanced at his arm where Viratas had marked him. “But I doubt that there is a shrine to my god here. Although I pray to Rak’keli as well likw most doctors, the god who I have dedicated my life to is Viratas, the patron of my people.” He averted his eyes for a moment, aware that some people had a problem with the god of blood and those that followed him. He hoped that Asha wouldn’t think less of him because of who he prayed to.

“A city is old-fashioned when it doesn’t change. As far as I know Denval had been almost the same from the Valterrian since its destruction this spring. In an old-fashioned city people do the same things they have always done. It’s not a bad thing. Old-fashioned places can be comfortable because you know what to expect.”

“I’m not sure if The Spires is old-fashioned though. I haven’t been here long enough to come to a decision. Do you think your city is old-fashioned?”

[Asha]

“Well… not everyone chooses to leave. Some do, seeking knowledge of the world outside The Spires. Some prefer to stay and make families. I suppose they are content with the knowledge they are told. Eighteen seems young but I’ve been told some races age rather quickly. I’ve reached physical maturity and I’m one hundred and seventy-nine. Some Jamoura mature a little faster, some a little slower. “ Asha marveled at rapidity with which Veldrys’s kind aged. Did one even have the time to smell all the kinds of flowers in the forest when life passed so quickly? She knew that many peoples did not live as long as her own, but hearing it from her elder and hearing it from another were differently things entirely. “More people come here then they used to. We never got visitors when I was a young child. Then they began to come in small groups. After the horrible storm this spring many visitors came. Much more then I had been accustomed to. It has slowed some, but there are faces here that I do not recognize.” It was certainly strange for Asha to not recognize all around her. She was used to a time when the population was stable enough to know everyone in the city. Now people came and went, there were strangers she did not know. In some ways it excited her to see new faces and new kinds of people, in other ways it made her nervous to face unknowns in her own home. “Viratas?” Asha had to ponder a moment. The name was awfully familiar but it was difficult to place. She hadn’t heard many mention the god growing up. Aw, then she had it. The god dealt with blood though she knew little else about him. Just the thought of blood brought queasiness to her stomach. “ The blood god? Why do your people choose to worship a god of blood? Blood, is, well, it ought to stay in the body.” She tried her best to be polite but she couldn’t help the skepticism in her tone. Even the scent of blood… she tried not to think about it. If she thought about it to much she would be sick right there on the clinic floor, and that would be quite embarrassing. At least she could address a different topic now. “You know, it’s hard to say. On the one hand, we could be considered old-fashioned because we have done things the way we always have since Caihya gave us her gift. But, perhaps we are not because there was a time prior to Caihya’s gift. A different sort of time but then again perhaps not so different after all. We certainly didn’t live in the city then. There was no city in which to live.” Asha tapped her finger on her chin. This was a perplexing question. The early history of her people was chaotic though they changed so much from Caihya’s gift were they really even the same people to compare to that earlier time? “I suppose, ultimately, we are old-fashioned. We still commune with nature and see ourselves as equals among the forest. Each has a right to live, each has a right to die. We watch and we wait and we remember.” Asha nodded her head firmly, resolved in her opinion.

[Veldrys]

„One hundred and seventy-nine?“ Veldrys repeated incredulously. He suddenly couldn’t help but feel inferior in the presence of the Jamoura. And then something occurred to him, and his eyes widened. Maybe – maybe the answer to the questions that troubled him so coule be found here, in the Spires! Maybe Asha’s people could help him! Maybe they remembered the way things had been. “How old can Jamoura get? Are there any who have been alive during the Valterrian?”

For a long time the Symenestra had been convinced that the ‘cure’, the one thing that would save his people from extinction could be found in the past, that you could only ensure that they had a future if you understood what had happened when the world had nearly been destroyed. It had been the reason why he had gone to Denval. He had thought that the people in such an isolated community were more likely to remember the world before the Valterrian.

“The blood god”, he confirmed. For a moment he wished that he hadn’t mentioned his faith at all. He feared that it would make her less inclined to talk about the unique traits of her people and their longevity. But then again, his worship of Viratas was an integral part of him and hiding it wasn’t really an option. “I agree, blood ought to stay in the body. I’m here to ensure that. But Viratas isn’t only the blood god. He is also the god of community, of family. All creatures that bleed are connected. That’s why we pray to him.”

As she mentioned Caihya’s gift, the Symenestra furrowed his brow. “What kind of gift?” he wanted to know. “Your longevity? What was it like before Caihya’s gift? Were you different then?” Why hadn’t they lived in a city back then? What had the Jamoura been like? Had they been changed by the Valterrian as well? Had their fate been as cruel as his people’s? No, most of the Jamoura he had met had been fairly content …

“We aren’t that different then”, he decided as she said that each had a right to live. “Those that worship Viratas, that really worship him, in the right way, believe that each creature that bleeds is worth the same. We remember as well, a world where we were normal, where we lived in trees just like your people and didn’t have to fight for survival.”