The shaded depths of the high-rising grasses and fruity plants shadow the trouped Raphiim family as rays of light seethe through the crop gaps. Glowing scarabs flood around several plants as they sip nectar with long probisci. A small, winged amphibious lizard snaps its tongue at one of them. It disperses the swarm and gulps its prey, the bug's light still flickering within the predator's throat. It scurries away as Seff watches, walking beside the others. Achiin's little robotic scorpion scuttles beside him as Akhmin walks in front of the group, leading. He is still holding Alex even with all his weight, showing no signs of falter or struggle. The integrity of his stature and the strength of his muscles show beyond the fluffy feathers on his arms. His claws grip tightly over Alex's torso through the blanket. Truly a marvel of nature.

As they come to the edge of the cobbled walkway, nearing the village, Elkhra is seen talking to his father. It seems they've already talked about the plan and now they're simply just having conversation. Akhmin stands present, holding Alex upright like a post as he's idle. "Saithe, Takhra. Have you gained the intel?" Takhra nods, "Yeah, yeah... it feels odd taking your place for a while but I understand. I don't exactly know why...--" He looks at Alex. Alex starts drooling a dim, blue serum. This time it... doesn't glow. It looks slightly viscous and chemical-like though. "Hm... your friend looks like a Hanuth wrap. Why are you taking a journey to Termigann?" Akhmin looks at Alex and back at Takhra. "This boy here needs to go back to the sky." Takhra has no clue what Akhmin is speaking about but goes along with it anyway. There has to be some meaning behind 'sky' right?...

Akhmin starts walking over to a range of booths as the family sits behind for a moment. Takhra and Elkhra exchange some goodbyes. "I would like to go with them, Vathi...", Elkhra says. Takhra looks in his eyes and holds his shoulder. "Be safe in Termigann. It can be risky..." Takhra stares deeply into Elkhra's eyes further before closing them and taking a small charm woven in celtic fashion out of his pocket. Its colors were of muted olive, tan, and a nice ground dye. They were cascaded in slightly curved, horizontal layers over the thick threads in the shape of several entangled triangles. It seemed to indicate a form of nature-inspired totem. "Take this with you... I made it myself and I was going to give it to you for your birth year... but... I think now's the best time. May your soul be sound, Elkhra. Stand strong." 

Takhra gives Elk a big hug. They exchange a heartfelt farewell as Takhra holds in his tears. Elk's mother comes around the corner, her dark greyish brown feathers wavering as she holds him too. Seff watches as his parents witness Elk leave. He asks him why it's such a big deal that he's leaving for a moment. Elkhra corners his eyes back to his parents, concerned. "I'm not sure... maybe it's because it's the first time I've ever left the nest... It's also... Termigann... my Vathi is from Termigann... he must've had a horrible experience as a native there." Seff isn't understanding. Akhmin spoke well of Termigann. What made it so... traumatizing? He holds his thoughts and walks on with Elkhra to Akhmin. As they do, Elkhra, staring deeply at his newly acquired charm, pockets it into the side of his padded vest. He adjusts the luggage on his back and trudges forward.

Elk and Seff arrive at an odd wagon. The wood is a dark chocolate laquered brown while the inner pulp is a slightly light orange within. There's steps that hover just 4 feet above the ground. There's brass railings that line the small deck it has. A dark, forest green rug is laid out in front of the dark blue, drape-covered, wooden doorway. Akhmin is speaking to a man with light and thin-clipped slightly cobalt-grey feathers. Their plumes are tied up in a lower, neck-level, curly ponytail with their front feathers mimicking swept bangs. A slightly translucent, light brown, and tan plumage sticks out of a dark green button-up shirt with the fabric of satin. Silver buttons with greenish gemstones line it. Their pants are a darker steelish color, tight around the legs with some roughage near the ankles. They have open-toed and open-heeled leather ankle wraps that act as protection from components on the ground, but still allow for free and natural movement. Aside from everything else, there was a device, a silver cuff... it had a glowing, cyan green, glass box as it ticked with a status on it. 

The dressed up and feathery raptor stands gentleman-like and proper. "Good evening, everyone. Seff, your vathi has told me your friend's predicament. My service is completely open to your family. Absolutely." He sweeps the drapes aside as he motions for them to go within the mysterious carriage, opening the door. Akhmin goes first, barely fitting the door. He puts Alex inside first while squeezing in. Seff and Achiin giggle as they step in. They see Akhmin's head fitting as there's a second tier to the wagon. The inside as a whole has four windows. There's boxes filled with gemstones and rocks. Geodes line one of them, uncracked for decades. Some glisten and some are muddled, imperfect. shards gather around a bookcase that have straps to hold all of the tomes in place when in motion. 

There's several interesting titles but one book stands out above the rest. It has a circle on it with a triangle engraved on the spine. An unknown language is settled on it as well. The leather is a slightly dark brown pigment and aged for what seems to be about a thousand years. Seff never saw books before. His family doesn't use leather for these purposes. They use them for clothing, straps and handles for weapons only. Scrolls were always the messaging and archiving way to stow information for the Raphiim.

Akhmin motions the gemologist over to the desk right next to the small set of stairs that wrap around toward a singular, upper-level bed. Akhmin gives details to the man in the background. Alex is laying, still wrapped in the big, fluffy, white blanket. He's no longer snoring but he's still fast asleep. Seff notices something about his skin. The trails that were on his arms, his legs, running through his body toward his back are completely gone. He still breathes, though. The only thing that hasn't gone missing is the diamond-like shape on his chest. Achiin pokes Alex's shoulder as Zyphon looks around the area. It seems to sense something in the vicinity.

The gem-hoarding man waltzes over to Seff and Achiin, not even intimidated by the robot scuttling around his place. He does seem aware of it in a sense that it could cause trouble but ignores it for the time. "Where are my manners! My name is Riddik... Riddik Vitreum. It is so nice to meet the heirs of the Raphiim blood." Seff and Achiin are confused. Riddik stands astounded at this response. "Interesting..." he seems to half stare at Akhmin as he's trying to get comfortable. "Hmh... well... you'll understand another time I suppose." Riddik sits behind his desk, putting on his wired grey, metal frame ovular glasses. "Soooo... one, two, three, four..." he looks at Alex and hesitantly writes. "Five...." He then turns to look at Zyphon and pauses a moment, making a slightly bothered face. "Six........." He looks at it again and continues writing. "Six passengers..." He closes his journal and straps it up, moving it to the side. He spots the glowing gemstone he forgot to put up and swiftly puts it in a drawer lining his desk, locking it without anyone seeing. 

"SO." Riddik stands up and tells everyone some pretty upsetting news. "The road on the way to Talann has... collapsed..." Everyone looks at them. Akhmin is the most distraught. "Why? What happened?" Riddik looks down at his ledger and noms on his writing utencil's frilly feather. "Well... nobody knows. There was rumbling that surged through the island. They think it's from below... so people went prospecting to find out what it was but they never came back. Everyone was told to never go there and await further reports or a fix for a bridge." Akhmin looks down in disappointment. "We're... still able to find another route, right?" Riddik immediately swaps their tablet and places it down on their desk looking back at him. "Oh absolutely. Can't let that stop us can we?" Seff stares blankly at this. "But isn't that... the only way through?" Riddik smiles unsettlingly as his back is turned. "I have my ways... don't worry."