A small cliff coated with slight rays of sunlight and blanket of shade resided connected to the tunnel with light blue glowing crystal nodes lining the entrance. A group of black-feathered beings with long ears crested over their shoulders and some behind their neck are clustered around a fire. A couple of hard, petrified logs sat around it as if it were turned to stone a long time ago. 

Two of the men were roasting a big, crispy, hunk of meat. A leg which had the same portions, width and length as a fully grown bird from the surface level of the islands. A Quallix. One of them was draining some deep berry-red liquid from a keg that had ancient language marked on its cap. In white, they looked like toothy-ended lines in an S-shaped calligraphical style. It was unknowing what it said but the two marks at the end seemed significant like numerals. 

Alex was too held up on the dark purple, thorny flower befallen to him by a shadow. Curious he watches as the edges of the petals glisten and shimmer a feint mauve, disappearing as he twirls it around. A warm feeling is deep within his chest. New emotions keep creeping within him. He didn't know if he should chase after them or to keep them hidden. He keeps choosing what he feels is the safer option. Silence.

Akhmin bumps Alex's shoulder prompting that they're at the destination. He looks up, blushing a tad as he quickly pockets his flower, making it somewhat look like a brooch upon his shirt. It tore. He put it inside his khakis before, why did he sift it into his shirt? He found this action very concerning.

As he fumbled worriedly at the mess he made of the material, he was flashbanged by the sun and its following shadow shielded his gaze. He was able to find a dark-riddled version of the Raphiim. Akhmin introduces everyone, "These are our neighbors, sons, Alex. These are the Carrowai. You know the ones I spoke of earlier before commune? These are the people I wanted booze from" He grins happily. "I love their mead very much." He walks up to the one by the keg. They were all wearing darker, one-armed attire. The one he's talking to had a cloak with dark navy and deep bronze trim/patterns while the others wore similar but different colored garb.

"How goezit friend." The mead-monger smiles in return, gripping Akhmin in opposite arm happily and going in for a side hug. Akhmin pats and holds their shoulder. He laughs a bit, "I'm still holding on to the ledge..." As Akhmin still smiles, the other seethes wind through their teeth at the news. "Life still not treat you right?" Akhmin returns, "nooo no... just old. Life has been steady, good crops, good meat. Steady. Same for you, Nadha?" He retorts "absolutely!" Nadha shakes his head and reaches the air, motioning everyone to sit down.

A fluffy tail swishes behind Nadha as he gives everyone a small saucer of the fermented juice for everyone and a bowl with a single pick of metal designed to poke and prod. He sits down and sighs, sipping his fill of the juices that then run down his chin. Wiping it, he gasps in bliss. "So... everyone is here I see. Who is... ehm..." He looks at the odd and awfully naked being with hair on only his head. "The monkey...?" Alex stares into space as it is said while the others just started taking food, Elkhra even asking for another saucer of mead, downing it in an instant. Akhmin whistles out a small puff of air in stress. "This is ... Alex." He looks at him for a moment. As he does, Alex perks up, hearing his name. "Me?" pointing at himself, his chest. 

Nadha puts down his mead, crossing his leg and locking his fingers resting to his chin in interest. "Yes, who are you? What is your story?" Alex isn't quite sure what to say. He woke up, he got dragged into being part of a family he doesn't know, and then got... he remembers being impaled by a robot on his back. "Uhm... who... AM I...?" He asks the same question. Nadha squints his eyes more. "Interesting..." he says. "Very interesting case of amnesia." Akhmin rubs his own neck, closing his eyes. "Yyyyeah... Seff found him in a very shallow cave. Trails leading to his rest. Flowers... sprouting from the ground in his wake. His essence..." He opens his fingers spreading them apart. "It bloomed..." Akhmin looks at Alex. "He's not from this world. Taellis...--" Nadha holds his hand up. "Speak no further, friend. Yes I see. This is a conundrum."

As the group sips down the broth of the Quallix stew and finishes the rest of their mead, Nadha speaks to Alex. "Alex... have you heard of 'The Obelisk'?" Alex's eyes open wide. He remembers that time Thana spoke to him. He also remembers before that, the story he'd been told by Akhmin before that journey to that grey ball... Pluto, was it? He's astonished and jumps up. "Yes! W-what is The Obelisk? I am to find it now." Nadha calms him. "You will find it." He points down. "Down there." Alex is in thought of that place... "Termigann" they called it. Elkhra and his parents are worried about it... but Akhmin seems fine about it. Why?

Nadha takes out of his bag beside him, a relic of a book. It was in the same shape as Riddik's tome. He skimmed through the pages and spoke of the ancient tales of Termigann. "The Kymera weren't the only ancient beings. There were Hyshpa... They were a brutal enemy of the Kymera as a faction. Unrelenting, rude, always laughing. Brutes with claws. They live to this day amongst others. Many of them are peaceful now, trying to rewrite their own instincts, forget their ways. Others aren't even trying to behave for the betterment of the land and people. Groups of Hyshpa would be considered a clan or a gang today due to their purpose in modern times. They steal, pillage, they break things. They aren't just bullies though, they have territories. The faction has tried ruling Termigann for quite some time now. Their leaders are a trio of jerks planned by the King of Hyshpa before his death to live on as their successors. Be warned, Alex. All of you be warned." 

Akhmin gives a slight frown. "Yes... they will be fine. Those times should be gone by now..." Nadha leers softly at Akhmin with kind worry and closes the book. He sighs... "Just be careful... friends..." He gets up and stretches. "Now! Who is up for more stories that don't entail sad and depressing rulings of big fat angry dogs?" Seff wakes up and lankily raises their hand as Elkhra drunkenly raises his hand as stiff and selfish as can be, holding on to Seff.

As everyone is ready for another story, Akhmin walks away to find a colder, more stray area off-center from the crowd to set against and close his eyes tiresomely. As he does, Alex watches him. He is sad. He feels Akhmin's soul, it's tightening. It's like he wants to say something but knows that it won't feel good. This resonates with his recent problem with the knowledge he has on that book. Regardless, he stays where he is, to let Akhmin alone for his own sake. He knows in some way that must be the best choice... right?