Exploring is the Spice of Life (Open)

[Tao]

65th Fall, 510

It was late in the morning by the time Tao was making his way down the streets of Lhavit, making his way towards the Amaranthine Gate that he had crossed through only a few days ago. On his back was his old and worn backpack, filled with supplies that he would need for a day or so, and he was wearing a worn set of clothes, more geared towards comfort and ease of movement than fashion.

Having recovered from the long journey, he couldn't help but be excited about his new home and life. There was so much to do and see, and even if he barely spoke the language or even knew his way around, he felt confident that he was going to find a purpose in Lhavit, one way or another.

For today, however, he decided to put his father's teachings to good use while getting a feel for the local countryside. He preferred to get his own food most of the time anyway; food always tasted better that way.

With a contented sigh, he stopped just before the Gate itself, pleased with his plan for the day.

[Vendaril]

Striding towards the gate, Vendaril breathed deep. The mountain air had a fullness to it that didn’t exist anywhere else he had travelled. That was one thing he did not miss about Kalinor - the stale, motionless air. He had spent his time so far in the city getting acquainted with the layout, and with his new job. Today though, he was prepared for a day in his true home; the rough, the danger, the wilderness. He was garbed in his exoskeletal armor, and carried a light pack holding only some tools to start a fire and a bedroll, in case he failed to finish the days work within a reasonable time. He took no food; he would eat only what he could procure for himself. His horse, Smyrnos, had been left in the city. The creature did not cope well with the rocky landscape.

Ahead he caught sight of a human walking with a leisurely gait, carrying a pack and admiring the scenery. Vendaril called out to him in Lhavitian, roughly saying “Hey!” The stranger seemed to be someone out to explore, and more importantly someone that could handle themselves outside city life. Vendaril always preferred traveling with company, both for the added protection and the company. Perhaps this person was willing to have him tag along.

[Tao]

Tao didn't realise that someone was calling after him; most of the time, he let Lhavitian roll in one ear and out the other. The language escaped him for the most part, and despite now hearing it every day, he wasn't getting any better.

Eventually, he realised that someone was approaching and that the yelling in the background was directed at him. Startled by the attention, he turned to face the man, quickly realising that he was probably not a local; his thin and elongated form was not reminiscent of the people he had seen.

Comfortable in knowing that the man was likely not a threat, about to attack him before the Shinya by the Gate, he decided that it could help to see what he wanted, and paused, waiting for him to catch up.

"H-hello." He replied in Lhavitian, stumbling over the unfamiliar word. He pulled a face at his pronunciation and swapped to Common, hoping that the other man would speak it. "Sorry, I can barely speak Lhavitian. Do you speak Common? ... Or perhaps Tukant?"

[Vendaril]

Vendaril smiled at the young man's shaky use of the local dialect - it reminded him of his own weakness in that area.
"Yes, common is fine. Perfect, in fact, unless you speak Symenos?" It was a rhetorical question, he had never met anyone outside his own people who was familiar with the language.

"I gathered that you were not a local by the time it took for you to hear me! My name is Vendaril Ixora, I am also a new arrival in Lhavit and I was wondering if you would be willing to accompany me on a small expedition into the mountains today? My meager skiils in the hunt require constant honing, and it is far more enjoyable if I have a companion. You yourself appear to be venturing into the wilderness, so if you perhaps were willing to tolerate my presence I would be delighted." He winced at how pompous he sounded, but it was how his father had taught him back in his youth, and he was loath to let that reminder of him slip away.

"Oh, and do not worry," the Symenestra said, chuckling as he noticed the worried way the human was eyeing his physique, and when he spoke - the fangs. "I do not consume the flesh of other sentient beings. That is why I hunt today, one can only take so much soft fruit!" The joke appeared to fall on deaf ears, the man apparently confused by what he had just said.

"So," Vendaril hastily broke the silence. "What do you say?"

[Tao]

Tao was a little taken aback by the man's chatter, quite unable to get a word sideways until he was done. At the mention of language 'Symenos', he realised what he was. He hadn't seen a Symenestra since he was very young.

The spidery people had always unnerved him a little. Vendaril's friendly chatter, while in a strange and formal dialect, made him appear much less vicious than how he remembered others of the species.

"I'm, uh, Tao. Tao Kuroya." He replied, once he was sure that he was done. "I'm... well, just going out to collect herbs today. I... well, I guess I don't mind the company, if I won't get in your way."

He smiled, hoping he didn't look as nervous as he felt; it wasn't every day he was propositioned as a hunting companion. The move was certainly a myriad of new experiences.

[Vendaril]

Vendaril beamed when Tao agreed to come with him. “Excellent! I believe I saw a likely place to start tracking a little way down the mountain whilst I was climbing the other day, and on the way you should find plenty of plants for your collection.”

He set off down the mountain road, checking carefully that Tao was following. The poor man was obviously flustered by the Symenestra’s approach, and even more so than his less than typical demeanour. Hopefully he would grow more at ease around him as the day wore on. Still, Vendaril was pleased to have found a companion so early in his tenancy in Lhavit. “So,” he called behind him as they walked, “What are your interests?”

[Tao]

Vendaril took off the moment he agreed, beaming like a lunatic. With a small yelp, Tao took off after him, already struggling to keep up; the Symenestra was quicker than he appeared. Readjusting his bag so that it would sit more comfortably, he followed after the man, occasionally running forward in a short burst to keep from falling behind.

Once they were a little away from the city and moving out on the mountains, Vendaril's apparent chattiness resurfaced, shouting back a question. Keeping his eyes on the ground in front of him so that he wouldn't lose his footing, he answered quickly enough. "I have... well, I dunno. A lot of things, I guess. I like to cook, mostly. I read a fair bit, and I like puzzles."

He pulled another face when he realised how shut-in his hobbies made him sound. "I-I also like stargazing!" He added quickly. "Anyway, what about you? You like hunting, right?"

OOCI just realised I hadn't named the thread. *facepalm* Fixed now!

[Vendaril]

Vendaril paused, allowing Tao to catch up. He clearly wasn’t used to going off the beaten track. After eyeing him for a moment he replied, “Funny, I wouldn’t have marked you for an astronomer. You seem like the more introverted type.” He resumed his awkward way down the rubble and scree, his long limbs allowing large paces, avoiding the looser rocks. “As for me, yes I enjoy hunting, but I am hardly an expert in the art. I have learnt to track and stalk only through necessity, I was never truly taught by anyone.” This wasn’t entirely true Vendaril reminded himself, but it wouldn’t do to bring up the less savory aspects of his education. “The closest thing I have to a normal hobby is my journal, but even then it is a terrible thing. I never paid much attention to the finer points of the written word as a child, even in my native tongue.”

Vendaril glanced about them and took a bearing from the quickly shrinking city. “Come Tao, the place I told you about is just over this ridge.” Within a few quick bounds he scaled the rocky outcrop and spotted the small spring he had in mind. Surrounding the burbling waters was a small amount of greenery, and the dust contained several markings left by animals coming to drink.

OOCI was wondering about that XD

[Tao]

"Astronomy isn't exactly flashy." Tao replied, flushing a little at being called introverted. He couldn't exactly deny it, but he had thought he was a little less obvious. Clambering after Vendaril, he kept a slower pace, testing his footing first to see if it was stable, and keeping his hands out for balance in front of him.

"They sound like useful skills to have." He pushed past his own awkward silence, giving Vendaril a chance to start talking again. It was interesting to hear his thoughts; even in his own journey, he had mostly kept on the straight path and paid his way. "It'd be useful if you were travelling a lot."

Suddenly, he was left behind as Vendaril leapt up the outcrop, scrabbling to keep up. He made it to where the Symenestra stood a few minutes later, a bit out of breath. He took the chance to appreciate the view a little; Lhavit blended smoothly into the mountain range at the distance they had already covered, like it was a part of nature itself. The greenery of their standing point and the fresh water made his eyes light up.

"That's really nice." He said, straightening up once he had recovered. "It's a spring, isn't it? One of the ones that comes from underground." He started forward towards the small, bubbling spring, wanting to take a look at the plants growing around the water.

[Vendaril]

Vendaril was pleased that the Tao was appreciative of the spot, there weren’t many like it their surroundings. “Just try not to disturb the earth too much,” he called after him as he eagerly stumbled towards the flora.

Kneeling down to the markings on the ground, he thought back to what the web had taught him. ‘The deeper the imprint, the heavier the quarry’ he heard in his mind. Although this was not the exact context he had been instructed in, the basic principles were the same. People were just clever beasts, they still left trails. He found what he suspected to be a large goat, and traced its path up to the water’s edge, and away again, down the mountain due south-east.

He glanced back to Tao, who was as if in a trance, delicately picking the plants, and storing them gently in his pack. Vendaril had never personally had any interest in herbs and the like, considering all his meals ended up as a syrupy fluid. Still, he was intrigued by the care his companion lavished upon the stalks and stems he cropped from the sparse vegetation. He patiently watched him until he was finished, before informing him of the quarry he had found.