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 Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:14 am
Valerian frowned as he studied one of the strange flowers growing in Belrea. The teen had actually found himself enjoying their trip to the relatives since he could browse through medical tomes and the like, exploring all of the herbs and their uses. While he wasn’t certain if he would have magic like other members of the family, the boy was definitely interested in rare plants and how they could affect the body. Such fascination was holding him now as his father approached with a basket swinging from his arm. “One second, papa.” He advised before finally plucking the strange purple plant and tucking it into a leather bag, making certain that the strings were tightly secured before placing it in the pocket of his jacket. He had been crouched on the ground before Uzumati had approached, the teen sticking to the open fields that surrounded the country-side cottage the family had opted to visit with some of Padma’s Belrean relatives. Valerian liked the scenery here with the bluish green grass that swayed gently in the breeze with the crystal clear lake to the south, the sounds of the water reaching them because of how close it was to the cottage. Smaller flowers of various colors dotted the landscape and a range of mountains decorated the nearby horizon. It was almost like a painting, truly. He would honestly miss it a little bit whenever they had to return to the city and eventually Tale.
[Valerian 1]
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:14 am
Uzumati frowned but stood silently next to Valerian. He was always curious about why his son liked to gather strange plants and press them into collections and slightly concerned with how many plants he had collected on this journey. What if some were poisonous? Would Valerian be experimenting with them as well? The very thought made a concerned sigh leave his lips, but even Uzumati knew he couldn’t stop his curious child. While he was out hunting and doing reckless things like that, Valerian was finding out more about the flora of the area. Maybe he would become a healer like others in the family and maybe that was a good thing considering how wild and reckless Eujanie could be. Uzumati nodded at the thought before shifting the basket on his arm again, the thing full of snacks for the two of them to share. He was on cottage arrest for the most part, trying to let his freshly healed wounds finish aching while the rest of the family went out and about for the day. Valerian had opted to stay behind, his son tired of shopping and more interested in the local flora and fauna by the cottage.
[Uzumati 1]
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:14 am
“Alright, got it.” Valerian grinned as he tucked the leather bag safely into place and turned to face his father. “Did you bring lunch? I was going to head back, but honestly it is nice outside. We should picnic!” While others were not completely accustomed to the more silent nature of Uzumati, Valerian was fairly good at reading his father’s actions and expressions. Who needed words all the time? He had thankfully already brought a blanket and a few other things to read out by the lake and so the boy gestured in that direction. “The shore?”
[Valerian 2]
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:14 am
Uzumati nodded at the suggestion. He would be fine with a picnic by the lake. While normally he would love the idea of swimming to relax, the ache of his recent wounds reminded him that it was best to keep his clothing on. The last thing he wanted to do was worry his family, especially not after promising Zadia to keep the incident between them. While Uzumati wasn’t certain why she wanted to hide that she had healed his wounds, the man was just thankful that she hadn’t shared his injuries with the rest of the family. The last thing he wanted to do was worry anyone. And so he walked forward without showing any sign of a limp or the bruised ribs that while back in place still ached as they were not completely healed, not yet.
[Uzumati 2]
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:14 am
“I wish we could stay here a few more days.” Valerian commented as he walked after his father, the teen stopping to pick another flower or two that seemed to be more like common wildflowers and nothing dangerous. They were still lovely and perhaps he could add them to his collection if they were used in simple teas or the like. Some of the golden flowers growing around the meadow apparently worked well in basic poultices to help stop bleeding, an emergency use if you couldn’t get to the better medicines and bandages in time. “Still it was a nice trip. Maybe we can come back in the future.”
[Valerian 3]
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:14 am
“Hmm.” Uzumati nodded thoughtfully. Maybe it would not be the worst idea to come back for a second visit. Even though he hated flying in the airships the actual countryside had been nice, for the most part minus the dage. The city he was still uncertain of even though there was some really nice food which he had never tasted before in the cafes and restaurants here. Food was most definitely something Uzumati could appreciate. It made him more eager for the basket of food on his arm, some local honey, bread and cheese tucked inside with fresh fruit next to it. It was not a fancy affair but something light and fresh to keep them going through the day. Now that he was outside of the cottage the breeze was refreshing with the sight of the gleaming lake making his gaze soften. It really was a beautiful little spot…for Belrea.
[Uzumati 3]
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:14 am
Valerian grinned. A hmm was definitely better than an outright no! Even if his parents didn’t get the chance to return to Belrea, Valerian had the feeling that he would. It would be really cool to study things here like his grandpa and Zadia. Now that they were approaching the shore, the teen opened his satchel bag and pulled out the turquoise blanket he had picked up for resting outside. It was a heavier material, the woven threads proving sturdy as Valerian placed it on the sandy ground. After smoothing the blanket out, he gestured for his father to join him where he had plopped down on the ground. Now they could open the basket up and share some food.
[Valerian 4]
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:14 am
Uzumati watched as Valerian set up the blanket, the man adding a rock to a couple of the edges just in case the breeze picked up into an actual windstorm. The last thing they wanted was for the blanket to fly away and toss the food everywhere. Now that his son gestured for Uzumati to join him on the ground, the larger earthling nodded and carefully plopped down. Crossing his legs, Uzumati placed the basket in between the pair of them and started taking out some food. He kept a roll for himself, tearing it in half and opening a jar of honey to drizzle over the darker bread. He left the other half for Valerian before starting to munch on the piece he had prepared for himself. Mmm.
[Uzumati 4]
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:14 am
A chuckle escaped him at the sight of his father, a wild man simply sitting in Belrean clothing and munching on a piece of bread drizzled with honey. Admittedly it was really good honey and Valerian found himself frowning at it thoughtfully. “Where did you get so many goodies, papa?” He asked with confusion as he tilted the jar in the sunlight, the amber contents glistening in the light. There was no store marker on it, just a simple mason jar that had been tightly sealed as if homemade. Valerian didn’t recall anyone packing such a thing for this little outing. It was really delicious though. Thoughtfully he went through the rest of the contents and realized that most of the basket was full of unmarked goodies. “You didn’t…steal this, right?” He teased though he was genuinely curious. Where did his father find all of these things?
[Valerian 5]
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:14 am
Swallowing, Uzumati finished the last of his piece of bread before reaching for a chunk of white cheese. His hand hesitated for a moment before grabbing the piece, his mouth pressing into a tight line at the question. He had received the basket as a gift from a local farmer for saving his niece but Uzumati didn’t want to exactly tell his son that he had fought a dage for it. “Gift.” He replied after a moment. “Yesterday.” Did he need to reveal the details as long as he didn’t steal it? Uzumati shifted on the blanket as he glanced towards Valerian warily. Valerian wouldn’t be the type to question things further, right? If he was worried though he would be the first to grab a medic. Uzumati chewed the inside of his cheek at the thought.
[Uzumati 5]
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:14 am
“Hmm.” Valerian studied his father thoughtfully before letting out a soft sigh. His father was not a bad man and Valerian knew he was no thief. As long as he was in one piece and no one was coming to burn down their place later then things were fine. “Okay then. It’s a nice gift basket.” His father had gone gathering yesterday afternoon and came home very late so that would explain things. Maybe he just helped someone out on a trail or something? Valerian nodded at the thought before brightening up as he thought of something else. “Oh! Talking of gifts…” He started as he moved to open his satchel again, digging through until he pulled out a book of artwork. “Look! It’s got descriptions and drawings of local fauna and flora. Would you like to look through? There’s some very interesting beasts inside.”
[Valerian 6]
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:14 am
It would be a lie to say that Uzumati was not relieved when his son just let the whole idea of the gift slide. A soft breath left his lips before the appearance of the book caught his interest and Uzumati found himself scooting closer. He nodded his interest and sat patiently back as he waited for Valerian to show him through the book. Even though he could somewhat read now his skills were at a youngling’s level and he was afraid of touching anything made of paper for fear of ruining it. Plus he wanted to finish some more of the cheese he had picked up, something he did now while waiting on Valerian to flip through some pages.
[Uzumati 6]
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:15 am
Valerian grinned as his father agreed to look at the book with him. “Okay so let’s begin!” He opened the heavy tome and started flipping through until he got to the section about creatures in Belrea. “Look - it’s your favorite.” Valerian teased as he pointed to a drawing of a duruf, the short creature with its fuzzy mane a menace in his father’s eyes. While Valerian thought that they could be kind of cute, his father often got into snarling matches with the few that they had passed while visiting the Belrean cities. “I’m guessing we still can’t adopt and take one home with us, right?”
[Valerian 7]
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:15 am
Uzumati huffed at the very thought of adopting one of those pests. The wild man definitely had no liking for the duruf, especially after one had stolen a snack from him while they were walking through a local festival earlier this month. He had gotten a bit carried away by chasing the thing and was later admonished by others for it, but at least he had shown that the little creatures could not intimidate him into surrender. He definitely would not support adopting one of those. Uzumati shook his head roughly and gestured for Valerian to continue on through the book.
[Uzumati 7]
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Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:15 am
A laugh escaped Valerian at his father’s reaction to his teasing. “Okay, okay. I would rather prefer a loatoa anyways. Maybe we can look into that when we return home?” He offered, his fondness for the fluffy creatures in Sauti obvious ever since he had seen one when they were departing for Belrea. Valerian smiled towards his father before flipping the pages and stopping on a fierce looking creature. “A folmar?” He mused as he looked over the picture. “Almost like a Belrean witu, right?” It reminded him of the dangerous creatures of Tale that were also quite aggressive, just made more for the crystal plains and not the mountains like the folmar were. Just stockier with less crystals and a shorter tail? Either way Valerian was glad that they hadn’t encountered one of those this trip!
[Valerian 8]
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