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A large portion of the Ruins were structurally stable, even in Father's stories. Ralir saw the items that other nouls brought back all the time: other-made things, things that needed something more delicate and dextrous than a hoof to handle properly. But he'd heard about those huge, terrifying structures, too, and could not imagine what giant hand had formed them.

It was a terrifying first venture, for a buck all on his own. The Barrens had been stark and dry, and hot beyond imagination, but at least sand and stone were familiar sights. There was nothing ordinary about these resolute straight lines, sized for some alien creature that would've dwarfed any noul. They clearly did not belong here.

Yet Ralir wanted to know. Not about the Others, exactly; he wasn't sure there was much worth emulating in their past. But about why they'd come, and how the nouls might dissuade future invaders. So it was to the Ruins that Ralir headed first, once he and his father had all been settled in again now that Ralir had received his gift. There was no poison hanging in the air here, and it was not so hot that the warmth Ralir created would be counterproductive.

Only now that he was here, he wasn't quite sure what the correct way to approach any of this was. He cut a lonely, dark silhouette in the bright afternoon, looking up at a large, rusted structure with something resembling awe or fear. What was this? Was it safe to go inside? What could he even do, to try to help here? He'd spent so long mapping out a plan with his father - tying supplies to his shoulders, discussing the predators in the area - and none of it asking what any of these things even were. And yet who could he ask?



wc: 305

The Ruins were a little more densely populated, from what Ralir had heard, than the Barrens or the Bog. It made sense: it was a lot more habitable, and catbeasts and dire rats had both been brought to Vykeli by the Others. That did mean danger, but as Father was quick to remind Ralir, there were far more creatures on Vykeli now, and that was thanks to the work of noulicorns.

Besides, the click of hooves was quite distinct. Ralir felt a sigh of relief run through him at the doe's opening words. "Nice?" he parroted. Well - it was another noul, and one with a pale horn and all. Yes, he could admit that it was nice, to see something familiar. Something less alien. "I've never been out this way before," he admitted, ducking his head just a little.

But she'd come right out from somewhere deeper inside. Did she...live here? "My name's Ralir," he said quickly. "What..." Oh, no, it'd be a terrible idea to ask what he was supposed to be doing out here. He'd look clueless. Well - he was clueless. "I just wanted to get an idea of what it was like out here. I've - I've recently received my Gift, and I want to be able to help, though." But it wasn't as though having his gift made Ralir any wiser than he'd been before, apparently.

Perhaps he should've asked Father for more advice, before heading out...but, then again, just because Father had told him he'd no longer prevent Ralir from venturing forth didn't mean that Father wanted it to happen.

This strange doe had a soft, soothing sort of voice. It relaxed Ralir, and he found himself smiling at her. "It's nice to meet you," he told her, and it was true. It was less nice to hear that so few nouls spent time here. He'd been hoping...well, he wasn't really sure what nouls did, when they left the Homewood, and he'd been hoping he could chance upon someone and maybe do as they were doing.

"That's certainly strange," he said, though as he did, he realized he could see why other nouls found this place uncomfortable. At least in the empty barrens, the sky was dreamy and blue, with sparse, puffy clouds...and even in the low visibility of the bog, presumably, people could see trees - even if they were dead. Some of these sheets of metal seemed like they'd block out all sign of the sky if nouls let them.

"Are you always alone on these trips?" On her own, with only these alien constructs for company...it seemed lonely and thankless. How did she maintain motivation to keep working? He stepped in beside her, trying to see what she must be seeing. "I'd appreciate company. I don't know how I'd deal with doing my work in a space devoid of living organisms...even though I think it's necessary." The Ruins were part of Vykeli, after all, and someday, Ralir wanted to see it return to what it'd been like before everything.

He answered her question as an afterthought, trailing behind her by a few jerky steps. He didn't know where she was headed, after all. "Ah - I'm a Solar user." He paused, not taking his eyes off of her for more than a second. "And you?" Should he explain his ability, too? He wasn't really sure how it could be relevant here...but everything about this place had surprised him, so far. Surely even this would be no exception.

"...what exactly do you do here?" Ralir asked, when they'd been traveling for a little while. They hadn't entered any of those monstrous rectangular shapes, though they weren't exactly surrounded by nature's embrace, either. They'd made their way up some steps and were walking along a metal pathway that clanged as they moved. There was a metal railing next to them, like the Others had put it up to keep the trees beyond it out. The railing itself was hanging loose, and some sad yellow blades of grass were visible just beyond - though when Ralir stepped up to it, parting from Krima just because he was curious, he noticed there was now a steep drop between the platform they stood upon and the land next to them: they were atop what would've naturally been a slope, but had been overtaken by metal and rust.

"And...how might I be most helpful?" Ralir asked, backing away uneasily. He'd said he'd work with Krima, so he was already committed!