[IC] Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek listened quietly as the others discussed the implications of what the scouting mission had uncovered. He did not know of the other tribes of their people to the east, but then again, he had only been vaguely aware of the existence of their people. It did make sense that their enemy was using the conquered populations to bolster their forces, though he wondered at how they maintained loyalty. It was possible that they kept the soldiers in line through fear. After all, the families of the soldiers were likely back in their home cities, and to betray their Empire might doom them to death. Even if they had to fight against former allies, that would be a compelling way to keep their soldiers loyal, but without knowing for sure, Tarentek was hesitant to make assumptions.

The others said that there did not seem to be any flying races among them, and indeed, Tarentek had not seen any during the battle, but he did not know for sure if that was the case. If this Empire was as large as the rumors implied, then they would have to have quite a few races under their dominion. It was possible that there were simply no flying species among the attackers at Amman, though again, Tarentek could not say for certain. He was about to put forward the idea when Raldel suddenly placed one of the explosive devices which had wounded him down onto the table. Immediately, his eyes widened and he reflexively took a step back with his mouth slightly agape. After stumbling over his words for a few moments, he finally managed to respond. "That...yes, just...don't touch it! This close to us it could kill us all! Or...at least be careful how you touch it." He said once he calmed enough after his initial reaction. "That is the weapon, the one that wounded and scarred my body. That is the thing that tore apart my allies around it. If you have more of these, make sure everyone knows what they can do; tell them to put them somewhere safe. When they activate they...I'm not even sure if I know how to describe it. It is an explosion of light, sound, and destructive force. A fireball that rips to shreds anything nearby. I do think I recall seeing some of these one time in a cache of old human weapons we found, but we could not figure out what they did or how they worked. They may have been broken. I...still do not know how they work, or how to use them. I don't know if I would want to; it is a terrible weapon."

[Vesuvius00]

Raldel didn't seem surprised at Tarentek's response to seeing the weapon, but rather almost amused. "Yes, we understand that this is dangerous, that is why we took some of them. We saw a few of the soldiers away from the city, practicing how to use them." Raldel picked up the object and touched a small part of it that was near the top and shaped like a ring. "So long as this part is not removed, it is safe, and I have no intention of removing it." He put it carefully back into his pack, and gave the pack to the man who had tapped on his shoulder. "Put them in the west storehouse."

At the order the man gave a slight nod and left. Onyx had a strange feeling, almost like fear but not quite so immediate. Could it be because of the weapon? She thought to herself as Raldel continued speaking. The small object had looked no more harmless than one of the strange carved objects that other races used as currency, but the thought that it was the very thing that had given Tarentek his horrible scars made a shiver go down Onyx's spine. How are we ever going to be able to fight, let alone flee, such a force? "Heillias help us." She muttered under her breath.

[EliteCommander]

"Well, that is good, I suppose. I would hate to see another harmed in such a horrible way." Tarentek responded, doing his best to regain his composure. Seeing the weapon again had brought up memories he would rather have not relived, but at least he could distract himself with present issues. There was still the matter of how to respond to this looming threat, which was inevitably going to make its way west. Despite Tarentek's experiences and Raldel's scouting, there were still many questions remaining about their enemy. At the moment, they did not even have a name for this Empire. They did not know from exactly where they came, just the general direction of east. They did not know their true numbers, just that they outnumbered the defensive forces of any city in the region. Tarentek had the feeling that they were going to have to make decisions based on only a fraction of the information they needed.

"As for our enemies, there is still much we do not know about them. For instance, we cannot really know if they do not have flying races among them, at least not yet. It would not seem like they do, since they did not use them at Amman, but there could be another reason of which we are not aware. If they do have flying soldiers, then your advantage in these mountains would be diminished. And even if they do not, their strength is still considerable regardless. You may hold better than other cities, but I do not believe you can do so forever. If all other cities in this region fall to them, then they will be free to concentrate on you. They could attack your water supply, or kill off the creatures you hunt. There are plenty of ways they could attack the city indirectly. I...admit, there may be nothing that can be done to stop them, but I still believe there is a way to survive their advance." Tarentek explained.

[Vesuvius00]

"Some of the things you mention show just how little you know about us." Raldel started. "First off, there are very few way that they could attack us indirectly. We can see anything approaching above ground for quite a way beyond the extent of even your vision, and our water supply is under the mountain itself. As for the creatures we hunt... If they mess with that, we will simply hunt them. It has actually been a very useful tactic in the wars of the past to eat the corpses of our enemies, as it gives us another source of food and strikes fear into the enemy." Raldel smiled as he said the last part and continued. "Of course, the other questions you asked cannot be answered unless we were to actually confront this enemy ourselves."

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek had hoped that Raldel would not remain so confident in his people's ability to defend against their foe after what he had seen, and while he was not dismissive of the threat, it did seem like he would need at least some more persuading. Tarentek leaned forward and placed his hands on the table, taking on an almost somber expression. "I am reminded of a story, and old fable from my people about our earliest, tribal days. It tells of a warlord of great power who wanted the land of our people for his own. He was so confident in his military might that he would not even listen to the negotiations our tribes offered. He decided he could just take it all for himself, and by all evidence, he was right. He sent all of the warriors not protecting his city to eradicate our people, destroying every village he attacked. He seemed all but invincible. His warriors also ate the bodies of our fallen allies, not for survival, but rather intimidation. They would feast on the bodies in their camps before battle, then launch the bones into our villages from a distance before their attacks. It was a gruesome display of power, but it all ended with the sacrifice of the hero Nunkaliare and her people. She was the leader of a village that had tried to retreat from the warlord, but were trapped and cornered. There were other tribes coming to help, but they would not arrive in time. Knowing their fate, she, and all of her people, corrupted their own bodies with a slow, but deadly poison. They were all killed in battle, but when the warlord's warriors feasted on them on the eve of their next battle, they all found themselves deathly ill by the next morning. Many died, and those remaining were not in any condition to fight. When our tribes united together and retaliated, the warlord's city was conquered with relative ease. It is said that this warlord's city was Amman itself, and after the war, most of the tribes stayed united in the city, learning from the technology they left behind and setting our people on their course."

Tarentek let out a sigh and looked back up at Raldel. "I am not trying to say that this Empire will try that tactic. That story may not even be true; it could be just a simple fable, but...the lesson of it is that no defense is impenetrable, no strategy absolute. No matter the problem, no matter what challenge must be overcome, an inventive and clever soul can find the solution. With enough time, and with the numbers they have, one of them could very well discover a weakness you never considered. All it would take is one single flaw, and they could bring an end to your people. They, on the other hand, can take as many attempts as they need. I will not say it is impossible that you can protect yourselves alone, but I will say that I believe you should do anything and everything you can to push the odds as far in your favor as possible. If you accept it, I will offer any help I can."

[Vesuvius00]

"Well, Tarentek. I thought that was the reason you were here in the first place. Your story's lesson is true, there is no such thing as an absolute defense. However there is also no option for what to do to survive in most wars, there is only the inevitable win by one side." Raldel paused, as if wondering weather to say his next words. "I am a leader, not a thinker. I would appreciate all the help you could give."

Onyx was happy that they were finally getting somewhere, even if they did not have all the information that they truly needed to be able to fight this foe. But something pricked at the back of her mind, a small worry that she couldn't quite word...

[EliteCommander]

"Thank you." Tarentek said sincerely, though he was in a position to which he was not accustomed. He had been a warrior all of his life, as well as a student of knowledge in respect to technology, but he had never held any influence over his people's policies. He had never advised their leaders. His experience might qualify him, but it was nevertheless a foreign situation to him.

"I have had some time to think about this enemy, about what I would say to those who I intended to warn. One option that I can see is to simply flee, to evacuate your people out of their path. You could certainly outrun their expansion. If the old Human maps hold true, there is an entire continent to the southwest that is much, much larger than our region of the Earth. The same holds true to the northwest. There is even a continent on the other side of the oceans, as far from this place as is possible to travel. Your people could flee their expansion and wait until their Empire collapses under its own weight...if they collapse at all. In all honest, this is the option that I believe is most likely to save your people's lives, and I do not believe anyone could fault you if you chose to take it. The other option I see is more dangerous, but it could just work. Our region, for as long as our history records, has never been united. Our cities rule under their own names, making and breaking alliances, but always staying independent. I would be willing to bet our enemy knows this, and is counting on it. They know they can attack us all one by one until there are none of us left, for we will all be focusing so much on ourselves to be able to help the others. If we can convince the cities of our desert, of this region, to stand together against our enemy, we might just have a force larger than this Empire is expecting. We might be able to find a way to stop them together...or, we might all fail together. The latter might be more likely than the former, but it is the only option I see that could truly stop our enemy's advance. Those are the ideas I have had, or, well, there is a third option, but I doubt you would want to take it. I certainly would not. I do not believe that the attack was entirely unforeseen. If the rumors I heard in the days before the attack are true, then the Empire sent a diplomatic envoy to our leaders to demand they willingly surrender the city and join them. If that option were presented to you, then it could save all of your lives, but you would lose the ability to govern yourselves. As I said, it is not the option I would choose." Tarentek explained. He hoped that Raldel would have some other, better idea for fighting their enemy, as gaining the cooperation of all of the cities in the area would be a monumentally difficult task, but Tarentek had not yet been able to find any alternatives.

[Vesuvius00]

"It would be next to impossible to unite the people of this region. However, the people of the continent you spoke of to the southwest would possibly join forces with us, as most of them are our kin." Raldel started explaining about how their tribes had spread from their origins on the continent, while Onyx excused herself and left the den.

The worry in her mind was making it hard to concentrate on anything they were saying anymore, so she started flying around the nest to clear her mind.

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek noticed Onyx leave, but for the moment, he listened closely to Raldel's explanation of his people's origins. He did not know much of the world beyond their region, or at least, not the world in its current state, so this was the first he heard about these groups of people. Reaching out to them for help did seem like a solid option, but there were concerns in his mind.

"It is good that you already have a relationship with those groups. Certainly, it will make it easier to get their help, but...I do have some concern about leaving the cities of our region to fend for themselves. Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and especially Tel Nof are large settlements with many people, much like Amman. Even if we have not always had good relations, I do not wish to see them fall to our enemy. Not to mention that those cities will be great assets to this Empire. Tel Nof used to be a Human military base. I want to warn them, but...I do agree that it would be beyond difficult to convince them to work together. These groups in the continent to the southwest, Africa, as the Humans called it, how much do you know about them. I fear that, to resist the advance of our enemy, we will need the support of large cities with organized militaries capable of using human weapons. I fear anything less will not be enough. And, even if we can find the support we need, Africa is far from here, and it may not even be possible to bring their forces here in time. Your people may need to retreat to the southwest regardless." Tarentek reasoned. He still did not like the thought of leaving such large cities to be conquered, but if Raldel had faith that the groups in Africa would be open to joining in the defense, then they might be a better option.

[Vesuvius00]

Raldel continued on as if he hadn't even noticed Onyx's absence. "We do not have a 'good' relationship with the tribes that are not akin to us, but as a race we have our pride and responsibility that binds us. I know of Three groups already that would shelter us should we need to flee, and over 10 groups that would rally with us at the earliest notice. The tribes that live on the continent of Africa are much larger than our tribes here, and they may have developed a pact with the other races there, so I believe sending a messenger to each of them as soon as possible would be the best course of action right now, because then they would be able to send warriors to the isthmus between here and the continent to guard against land expansion of this empire into the continent."

"As for the cities of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, I believe that they are still under the control of a race much like your own. I have never heard of Tel Nof before, but if it is in the same area as the other two we may be able to assume that they are also under the rule of this same race." Raldel looked around for a moment and then ordered Opal to go find Onyx. "She's been gone long enough now."

---

Onyx wasn't really sure where she was going, or why she had left in the first place, however her instincts had never driven her wrong before, so she closed her eyes and let the wind guide her.

After a while she was able to smell the familiar taint of salt in the air, and she knew she was nearing the sea she had met Tarentek at just the day before. She opened her eyes and landed at the side of the wide grey road, rather than going all the way to the bank of the sea like she usually did, and looked around.

The sky looked as grey as the road beneath her and the sea reflected the color across its surface, creating a variable monochrome scene around her. She had never been much for camouflage, but now, still following her instinct, Onyx pulled the top of her shawl up over her head and face and tied it into a hood, effectively hiding both her face and wings from the sight of any other creature.

Then she waited. She wasn't on the normal stretch of shore that she usually ended up at, instead she was in an area that was dominated by the shells of the old buildings and relics left behind by the civilizations before. Her dark clothing blended well into the shadows of the old wall she had chosen to hide behind, even though she really had no idea what she was hiding from.

After a while, she heard a loud rumble in the distance. Keeping as still as she could, she watched as the source of the rumbling came into view. It was a small group of the old vehicles that she had seen so many of just lying around that was moving quickly down the road towards where she was. As she watched, the group started going slower as they entered the area until they came to a stop in the middle of the small ruins.

They must be scavengers for the empire. Why would they come all the way out here though? Onyx thought to herself as the creatures emerged from the vehicles.

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek did not know enough about Onyx to know for sure if it was normal for her to suddenly leave in this manner. Though, given that she was wandering alone when she found him, it couldn't be too strange of behavior. Indeed, Raldel did not seem too greatly concerned, so he doubted it was anything terribly important. After Opal left, Tarentek turned back to Raldel to continue.

"Hopefully, your allies can mount a defense in time. Just be sure to warn them of the extent of our enemy's capabilities. I do not know if we could win direct, head on battles against them. Unless our enemy is far outnumbered, we would need clever tactics to give us the advantage. As for the three cities to the northwest, Amman engaged in trade with all of them. We weren't exactly allies, but it was rare for us to have any direct conflict, given our distance from them. Tel Nof is controlled by another group of my race, the Karisskan. We were civil with them, mostly. Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are both controlled by different races; they do look somewhat like my people, but neither of them are Karisskan. From all I have heard, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem have a complicated, and sometimes violent history with each other. Their people are almost opposites in how they behave, so I agree that it may be difficult to convince them to cooperate. It may not be impossible, but...they would need to believe the danger from this Empire is greater than their animosity for one another. Tel Nof is the smallest of the three cities, but there might actually be a good chance of convincing them to aid in the defense. If...I were to speak to them, the fact that I am Karisskan might give me more credibility." Tarentek explained.

[Vesuvius00]

"I could have a group of sentries go with you there, if you can show the way. As for Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Unless you believe that you could negotiate the truce between them, I know of only one person who is level-headed enough to do so." Raldel spoke with emotion barely contained in the quiet, matter-of-fact tone he was using with Tarentek, an almost unnoticeable quaver behind his words. "You should know though, to retrieve them would mean a dangerous mission into territory that is most likely already under the control of this empire."

---

Opal breathed a slight sigh of relief as he left his father's den, and then immediately cursed himself for it. What was he relieved for? To be finally away from the Karisskan Tarentek, and back doing something that was actually DOING something. Yes, finding his sister once she's gone off on one of her little 'adventures' wasn't doing much, but to Opal it felt like he was doing more than standing around and talking about war tactics with an outsider.

Opal could not understand how his father or even how his sister could stand to be near such a creature. He had been told that Tarentek was staying with Onyx until he recovered, however, except for some apparent dehydration and a few nasty scars, the Karisskan seemed to be in perfect health. "Healthy enough to stand against one of us, or even launch a surprise attack on Onyx or Raldel should they ever be alone." The words slipped from Opal's mouth before he could even begin to think that he could be wrong. Even when the thought did cross his mind though, he couldn't force himself to change his mind.

He forced himself to stop thinking about his distrust of Tarentek as he saw the thin line on the horizon that he knew was the sea where Onyx always ended up.

---

Onyx watched for a while as the scouts searched the area, gathering anything they had apparently deemed useful, and then place a small object on one of the walls of the ruin before they left, continuing down the road to the north. They must be going down all the roads to find all of the ruins and search them before they start trying to find the people. Onyx's thoughts continued to wander about the topic as she started flying back to her nest.

She ran into Opal as she flew, who told her that her father had sent him to go bring her back. They flew back to the nest in relative silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek nodded to Raldel. It would still be at least a few days before he would feel well enough to travel, but once he had recovered, he could take on the role of negotiator for Tel Nof. "Of course, Tel Nof is barely farther than Jerusalem, and they would be able to send forces quickly. It is the smallest of the three cities, but their technology is notably better. They regularly engage in trade with other cities, so as long as we are cordial, we should have no problem simply walking through the front gate. Getting an audience with their leadership may be more difficult, but if they are governed in any way similar to Amman, there should be a method to get a message to someone important."

As for Raldel's next suggestion about finding people to broker a truce between the other two cities, Tarentek was slightly more hesitant, but nevertheless quickly came to a decision. "As for finding these other negotiators you speak of...if there is going to be a mission to find them, I would volunteer for it. Ultimately, it is my idea to even attempt to broker a truce between the two cities, and I would not send your people into danger without being willing to risk my own life as well. Where are these people you are referring to, and what kind of danger to you expect such a task would entail?" He asked.

[Vesuvius00]

"The two I speak of are my mate and eldest daughter. The last any of us had heard of them was that they had arrived safely at the nest of our sister tribe to the east, and shortly after then was when we stopped receiving communications from them." Raldel pulled a map out from a shelf on the wall and rolled it out onto the table, pointing to a spot far to the northeast. "This is where they should be. We don't know if the empire is there yet or not though."

"I appreciate your offer, however i'm not sure I could allow you to go there. A small team of sentries would do just fine to go and find them, and you will be to busy to go anyway. Once you are well I expect to send you with a team to Tel Nof to hopefully convince them to join forces with us." Just as Raldel finished speaking, Opal and Onyx walked back in.

Opal greeted his father curtly, and shot a dirty look at Tarentek before taking his place beside Raldel again. Onyx still had her shawl tied up over head so it created a hood, and her face was shadowed as she stood off to the side. "Nice of you to rejoin us Onyx," Raldel started. "Where did you go this time?" He didn't seem to actually be interested in what she would say next, and she knew that he wasn't. This was a normal thing for them, her father would absentmindedly ask her this every time she ever had to be brought back, and then the topic would be ended before she had even gotten past saying she was at the sea.

She decided to play it differently this time. Instead she kept silent, at least until her father prompted her again, and even then she started with, "I'm not really sure. I was near the sea, but I didn't go down to the water like I normally did. Instead I stayed up the shore, by some of the ruins and the road that went through them." She realized that she still had her shawl in a hood and took it off to fix it. She didn't realize until she had got it back on right that Raldel was waiting for her to say more. "Oh, sorry I thought that was all you were going to listen to."

Opal rolled his eyes and shot another look at Tarentek. "Well? What happened there?"

"Nothing, at least for a while. Then I heard something approaching and saw some of the creatures that were part of the empire. I think they were scouting out the roads and searching for things to scavenge." Onyx finished and waited in silence for their responses.

[EliteCommander]

"I understand." Tarentek said just before Raldel began to speak to Onyx. The isolationist attitude of their people seemed to extend beyond just this tribe, though he was right that Tarentek would be busy in Tel Nof. They could not afford to wait on any front, as they needed as many allies as they could muster. Tarentek hoped that Raldel's mate and daughter were as good of negotiators as he was suggesting...and that they were still alive. If they were not warriors, then there could be a better chance that they survived if the eastern tribe had been attacked. Their enemy was not destroying cities, but annexing them, which meant that the city was kept in as good of a state as possible with civilians spared.

Tarentek largely ignored the looks from Opal. He did not expect to easily gain his, or anyone else's trust, so he kept his focus on the matter at hand. After Onyx mentioned seeing a group of enemy scouts, Tarentek spoke up. "That makes sense; our enemy is expanding quickly, but there are limits to their mobility. They still have to learn about the land, find the locations of settlements, and plot their next move. They have a large army they must move, house, and feed, so they cannot simply move on immediately. Hopefully, that gives us time to mount our defense and learn about the Empire. In the meantime, the roads may become more dangerous to travel." He commented, pausing a moment as a thought entered his mind. "Well, they might. There is still quite a lot we do not know about our enemy, but the fact that they annexed Amman seems to suggest they want to expand their Empire. However, that does not mean they will attack everyone on sight. Warriors perhaps, but their target seems to be cities and other settlements they could use to expand their power, not necessarily common travelers. In fact, it may not be so difficult to scout the cities they control. If the cities they conquer are joining their Empire, then they would not keep them locked down forever. They still need to keep trade flowing in order to keep their economy strong. Scouting their cities, especially those they have held for a while, may be as simple as walking through the front gate. Perhaps disguised as merchants? We would need more information before attempting it, of course, but it is a possibility."

[Vesuvius00]

"That's an interesting idea. We will have to look into that as well." Raldel started. "I believe that is all we can talk about now, though if you should think of anything else you may come and tell me. Onyx knows the times I am not here, she can lead you to me if it is urgent. It's about time you get back to resting, so this meeting is over." With that he waved everyone out of the room while he went about gathering small rolls of paper and other items.

Onyx waited until the two who had gone with her father on their scouting mission left before speaking to Tarentek. "My father is right, you should go back to sleep. Would you like to eat something before then though?" She hadn't noticed Opal standing by her until he tapped her shoulder.

"Sister, I leave you for now, but I do still wish to speak to you, alone." He said while looking at Tarentek. "Be careful until then." He called as he took off.

"He doesn't trust you, although that doesn't surprise me at all. He's always been protective." Onyx started leading Tarentek back to her den, walking this time.

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek could not think of any more to add beyond the suggestions he had already made, so he left with Onyx when requested. Now, he had a mission on the horizon after he recovered, which, as long as he kept up a good diet, would not take terribly long. Perhaps a week or two at most. Likely, he would recover from his dehydration first, as he had been able to get plenty of water since arriving in the village. In fact, now that he was out of the meeting, he resumed drinking from his canteen.

"I could certainly use a meal, thank you." Tarentek responded. "I do not know if I could bring myself to sleep for the moment, but a good diet is all I really need to recover. In perhaps a week's time, these scars will be gone, my muscles will no longer be sore and weak, and I will be ready for the mission your father has given me."

After pausing for another drink, Tarentek took on a concerned expression. "As for your brother, well...I do not think I expected trust. You were certainly not lying when you said your people do not trust outsiders; honestly, I'm surprised your father has been as accepting as he has. I am grateful he has, of course, as it may end up saving your people. I do wish I could gain Opal's trust, along with the rest of your people, really. If your father is giving me tasks, then I assume I am going to be with you all for the foreseeable future. Do you think there is anything I could do that might gain your people's confidence? I do not really know what traits or actions your people respect, or dislike, for that matter."

[Vesuvius00]

"That's good that you feel you'll get better that quickly, but I don't remember anything about you doing a mission. Was that something that happened while I was gone?" Onyx shook her head for a second and continued. "Never-mind. I don't think that matters much, If he gave you something to do, take the opportunity. It will give others a chance to interact with you, and possibly learn to trust you, though I suppose I should tell you that I don't completely trust you myself."

"I understand that you're a victim in this, but I still feel on edge around you. Even though I've promised to help you, I suppose you feel the same about me. As for things you could do to gain confidence... You've shown that you are knowledgeable, and you are respectful as well. I assume that my father has already placed some confidence in you, if he is giving you missions, however your respect that you've shown him was probably what caused that confidence." Onyx thought for a moment about what to say next as they got to the center of the nest.

"I guess part of my distrust for you is due to the fact that you pushed me into the sea right after I had given my promise to help you. As you could guess, I do NOT like water." Onyx twitched at the memory and took flight, staying near Tarentek as he walked.

[EliteCommander]

Tarentek supposed he should not have been surprised about even Onyx's distrust. There was a reason that he had scarcely even heard of her people prior to meeting her, and that was not easily overcome. At the very least, she did have some good things to say about him, which was more than she could say about most anyone else she had met in this place, but he did hope that he could at least fully gain her trust at some point.

Tarentek gave a slight grin upon Onyx's mention of the events at the sea. "Now, can you truly blame me for that...incident? As I recall, you had done the very same thing to me only minutes before, did you not? I would say that would be fair...although, I suppose such rules only really apply among friends. Harmless pranks were not that uncommon among my friends in Amman. As long as no one went too far, simple jokes like that could be amusing. I suppose it was not too appropriate in the situation at the sea, but also keep in mind that I had been dehydrated and starved for days on end by that point; rational and reasonable thought was...not exactly my strongsuit at that moment. For what it is worth, I apologize."

After a brief pause, another thought crossed Tarentek's mind, which prompted a question. "You say that you do not like water. From what I saw at the sea, you seemed quite afraid after I pushed you in. I assume you cannot swim, correct? Is that common among your race? I suppose there is not much water in the area, and it does prevent you from flying, but I would still call swimming a useful skill regardless. It was rare that I had the opportunity, but when I could, it was a great pleasure to swim in the nearest river to Amman. Without that ability, you would drown if you fell into a deep section of water. Perhaps I could make it up to you by teaching you that skill? If your people have to retreat to the isthmus connecting this region to Africa, the continent to the southwest, then it is not farfetched that we may have to fight near the water. Knowing how to swim could be lifesaving." Tarentek offered.

[Vesuvius00]

"While it's true that most of my people dislike water for the mere fact that we are unable to fly if our wings are soaked, it's not a normal trait to fear the water. My brother Opal has been able to teach himself how to swim, and even dive. He likens it to flying, but you have to hold your breath. My fear is... not entirely irrational." Onyx wasn't sure whether to say the reason, but then decided that if he knew he might not try to force her into the water again.

"Once, when we were living in a different nest, we had a river nearby along with a tribe of creatures whom we did not get along with. I was very young still, so I don't remember much of why we did not get along, but I do remember the reason we left. These creatures, I do not remember their name, attacked us. They knew that we could not fly when our wings got wet, so they gathered as many children as they could and dragged us to the river... I remember fire and yelling, and then I was under the water, unable to move." Onyx shivered and landed to walk beside Tarentek again.

"I appreciate your apology, and your offer, however I think I'd rather stay as far from the water as possible. I can trust in people like my brother to save me if it should come to a situation like that, and Olias will not allow me to fall into water should I fall while in flight."