Sevak pushes Paq and dives out of the way of the tree. The startled ratfolk squeaks and falls, but not far enough. The hug tree falls, shaking the whole forest as it plummets. With a roar like a landslide it falls on the pair, a vast tangle of branches rustling as if in a hurricane. The huge trunk sinks into the soft mud making a tidal wave that covers Sevak and throws him back.
Silence slowly returns as the tree settles.
Under piles of mud and leave he hears Paq, weakly, 'Help me."
"PAQ!" Sevak cries despairingly as the tree crashes down. He almost weeps with relief when he hears the ratfolk's voice, though he can tell he must be badly hurt and likely trapped.
"Keep speaking, Paq! I am coming!" Cursing his blindness, his folly, his weakness, Sevak tries to follow the sound of Paq's voice, hoping to be able to pull him out of where he's trapped, or maybe lift whatever has fallen enough for him to slip from underneath.
Sevak digs among the leaves, twigs and hanging vines toward the voice. It is hard going without being able to see and the nagaji gets poked several times by sharp jagged wood, but finally he finds th ratfolk.
"I..I'm ok. I am just pinned, not crushed." Paq wheeziness. Sevak soon realizes Paq is trapped by branches not the main trunk, which is why he was not churned to paste. Still, even the branches are too big to move by pure force.
Emotions rush through Sevak as he takes in the situation--relief, that Paq is not worse off; fear, that they will not be able to free him; self-loathing, that he has caused his one friend in the world so much pain and trouble. With iron will he pushes them aside to focus on the problem at hand.
"Look around as best you can, Paq," Sevak instructs, his voice calmer than his heart. "We must get the weight above you to rest on something else. See where the branches rest now--these are places we might shift the weight, if we dig underneath, or if we can get something beneath it."
Even as he speaks, Sevak feels around with his hands, trying to feel out the specifics of the situation for himself.
Paq turns and twists, and Sevak can hear leaves rustling and wood bnding.
"Aah, yes..I think I can..yes!" Paq gasps and Sevak can hear the rustling of his bag and clinking of glass vials. After a few moments the ratfolk has downed a few concoctions.
"B-Better." he says, breath stronger.
Sevak realizes he can either dig Paq out or start hacking and breaking branches to free him.
Having a bit better feel for the situation now, Sevak takes a moment to think. He doesn't have much in the way of digging tools, and while the ground is soft enough to move with his hands, it seems that cutting would be more effective... if he can cut the right places.
"Good, Paq, good. Now," he draws his fang-blade, "I think if I cut the right branches, we can get you out, but you must be my eyes. I must cut those branches that trap you without cutting any that will put more weight on this area. Guide me, Paq."
He listens to Paq's instructions and starts cutting.
Cutting while blind is a risky endevour, even with Paq's help. His directions become more and more erratic as they go on and Sevak worries it is the drugs. It takes time and the jungle sun is hot on Sevak's back by the time he manages to saw through the last branch and the ratfolk squirms free.
For awhile they both sit panting, resting. Finally Paq says simply, "Thank you."
Sevak shakes his head slightly. "If not for my folly, you would never have had to take this journey. I am not even paying my debt to you. I am simply doing my best not to make the debt any deeper."
He takes a deep breath, seeking to still the anger at himself swelling up within him, and lets it out slowly. When he finishes, he pulls out his wand and asks, "How badly are you hurt, Paq? Or was one of those drinks a healing potion of some sort?"
'healing...you could call it that." The ratfolk laughs, his voice shuddering a bit. "It keeps me on my feet, I'd say."
Then he sobers a bit, "My back hurts alot, I could probably use some magic."
As they sit Paq says, "So let's say you get your eyes back, where do we go? We can't go back to the city, not even to steal a boat." He sounds a bit wistful. "I've never done that you know, steal a boat. Always wanted to."
Sevak reaches out and touches Paq with his free hand to make certain of his location, then waves his wand over the ratfolk a couple of times.
"Is that sufficient? Regardless, we should likely make camp soon... though perhaps not too close, to give you a bit of time to recover."
Sevak is silent for a long moment after Paq asks his question, staring sightlessly out into the jungle. "Leave Nagajor," he at last responds, voicing a thought he had had many times even before their latest escapades. "Though that... Esipil Sahkil, she called it, yes? Its presence worries me, but from her description, perhaps the best thing I can do for the jungles here is to leave and thereby draw them with me."
He barks a short, bitter laugh, then shakes his head. "Not that I could hunt them even if I knew for certain there were more... with my connection to the natural world destroyed by my own actions, I am but a very poor warrior, even were it not so close to Iskassar that I would fear discovery. No, I must leave the area, and I have no desire to go to another city of Nagajor. Not after seeing the truth of what the naga and my kin do to other races."
"And so it is my thought to go north. Po Li has part of the jungle within it, perhaps we might stay there for a time while I... try to put myself back together, seek peace with the spirits of the jungle..." He trails off for a long moment, then sighs.
"Beyond that, nothing certain. I know only that all that I once believed, the service that defined me... I now see it is a lie. Or if not a lie, certainly not what I had believed it to be. I would seek out the truth of the world, what is truly good... wisdom. I hunger now for wisdom beyond any thirst for water or hunger for bread I have ever known."
He pauses again, and looks in Paq's direction. "But I also know my debt to you, Paq. What would you wish?"
Paq sighs, "I think we may have time to get to the Spring. It sounds like a good place to rest to me. Sacred healing spring." he huffs, "Probably not much to steal, eh?"
As Sevak talks, Paq listens quietly. When asked he says, "I have not traveled much. I lived in Goka, the center of the world, they moved to Quain. I have never been to Po Li, although the less time we spend in jungle, the better." He slaps the wet, muddy ground. "I don't get the appeal, Sevak, I'll be honest. Lots of mud, trees and biting bugs."
At Sevak's philosophical musings, the ratfolk adds, in a blunt voice,
'Truth? No such thing. The gods decree what they will, as they do. The best we can do is grab what we can, when we can." A pause, "And I can grab things most anywhere."
"Though you have little enough reason to grab mud and biting bugs from the jungle?" Sevak teases, grinning just a little, though he quickly sobers. "Perhaps it is simply because I so long centered my life around serving the naga, but... I find such a thought unsatisfying."
He shrugs slightly. "But whatever the case, if you feel well enough, let us continue as you say. I shall try to keep my ears open for any more surprises as we go. Lead on, my friend."
Together they thread through the trees and secret jungle paths. Sevak can hear them startle birds into flight and once, a deer into panicked retreat.
Following the directions they are soon in a wet, even muddier region. The sun is cooling, and just as Sevak is about to call it off, he hears a rising chorus of frogs. Not just the normal random calls but...music. The songs of the amphibians rise and fall as one.
Even Paq notices and says, 'What is that?"
Together they stumble toward the odd sound until Paq stops him, "We are here. A large spring, of crystal clear water." The sound of the frogs is louder here, a cascading waterfall of intricate croaking.
"Is...is that normal?"
Sevak breathes deeply, taking in the smell of fresh water along with the unusual, musical chorus of the frogs. And for the first time in months, he lets himself hope... just a little.
"The frogs' harmony would not be normal elsewhere, no," Sevak replies, smiling slightly. "But here? Perhaps it is."
He pauses. The old ratfolk had given him no more instruction than 'await what fates the gods allow you.' Now that he was not pressed for time and in the anguish of his soul, he realized what an odd phrasing it had been. It sounded... like a choice. But what was he to do? Wait only? Wash? Drink?
...and what gods had she meant?
"Paq, did you ever hear anything of the gods those who told us of this place worship?" he asks. "And is there anything here beyond the spring and the frogs--a rock worn by many knees kneeling, perhaps, or a shrine, or anything of that nature? I would not defile this place by doing something incorrect, but our instructions were rather vague..."
Sevak hears Paq move around, his step light and careful. After a few moments, "I don't see anything like that. Just a large clear pool. A little too clear, you can even see the bottom stones. But I see no sign of people here, not even a path leading up to it."
Paq laughs a bit, "I know very little about their beliefs. I know it is forbidden in this land, so rumor says. They do not worship the same snake god that you do. A snake god. Horrid."
Sevak is silent for a long moment before murmuring, "I am not so certain I still worship her."
Louder, he asks, "Could you lead me to the water's edge, Paq? I know not just what I am to do, but whatever it is, it seems likeliest it should be there."
Paq leads the nagaji to the water. Sevak can feel a cool draft of air off the pool, refreshing and invigorating. It fills his lungs and nose, a scent of fresh water and cleanliness. He feels better just standing next to it.
A quiet smile came to Sevak's lips at the feel of the water in the air. Carefully he got down on his knees.
He spends a long moment simply... listening. Taking in the smell of the water, the song of the frogs, everything.
At last he breaks his silence. "It seems like I should say something," he murmurs.
He hesitates a moment, then says more loudly, "I know not who watches over this place... but I feel I should state my purpose. I am a broken man, a fool, but at last a fool who knows his folly."
He falls silent for a moment, bowing his head, then continues, "I know I bear the taint of evil upon me, but I... I hope not to walk that path. I would seek the way of wisdom, the way of righteousness... but I know not the way. My soul feels as blind as my eyes. But so long as my eyes are blind, it seems I have no means to seek to relieve the blindness of my soul. And so... so I come here."
Sevak trails off, mind searching for more words and finding none. And so he just listens again for a minute, hoping he is not doing wrong.
At last, he reaches cupped hands into the water, lifts it to his face, and washes his eyes.
Paq sharply inhales as Sevak stoops and splashes the clean smelling water on his face.
The nagaji seems to be able to feel each drop of water as he washes his eyes and the water runs down his face and his back, easing his shoulders of many burdens. Even without sight, he can feel dirt and stains being removed from his scales. The cool water washes him clean and he looks up, blinking his eyes clear....
And sees only the same endless blackness. The frogs do not cease their endless, musical song.
'Yes?' Paq says urgently, taking a step closer, breathing hard.
Sevak pushes back the feeling of despair that suddenly wells within him as he shakes his head.
"No," he replies, the disappointment he cannot hide in his voice saying all else. "Come, let us make camp. She said to 'await'. Perhaps I am being impatient."
Or perhaps I am simply unworthy, he thinks as he carefully gets to his feet. Aloud he adds, "Perhaps something will happen during the night."
His mind goes to the frogs. He had noticed anything yet, but perhaps there was meaning to their song? He resolved to listen carefully to them while they rested.
They set up camp, Paq gathering some small berries to eat and some wood for a small fire. "I..I don't feel right catching the frogs or looking for fish." They make small talk around the campfire and then go to sleep, Paq taking first watch.
Sevak listens to the frogs song as he lays there. It is deeper then he guessed, layers of meaning, depths to the song. He loses himself in it and is soon asleep.
Then he awakes, out of blackness into blackness. The frogs around him have gained in power and strength. Other notes have entered the song as if frogs from all over the jungle have gathered here. A deafening roar, a music strong enough to fill the mind and sense.
Beneath it Sevak can hear Paq sleeping, deep steady breathes.
Behind him, from the water, Sevak can hear a swirling, rippling sound. The rushing sound grows louder as something, something large broaches the surface. The crescendo of frogs reaches a fever pitch then stops suddenly.
Into the deafening silence a hoarse voice croaks, "Greetings, Sevak. I am she that you await."
"I agree, Sevak replies to Paq's statement.
He marvels at the frogs' song as he drifts off to sleep. He had never thought much about frogs before... he would have to change that...
Wonder fills him when he awakens and hears the change in the song. Something is happening, he is certain... and then something does.
Fear starts to chill his heart at the voice. What if he had done wrong by washing in the spring? What if he had offended? Still... the voice did not seem unkind.
Trembling slightly, Sevak rolls over onto his knees and bows low towards the sound of the voice, head up and looking towards the sound as if he bowed to a naga. His mouth works for a moment as he struggles for words, then finally he speaks. "You know my name... did you hear my words earlier? I hope I did not offend by washing in the spring."
After a brief pause he asks, "And if it is not too much to ask... might I know who I speak with?"
"I have hear your cries and those of others in your name, Yatre." The voice says, using the fake name he gave the ratfolk in the city.
"And yes, you may know. I am Immonhiel, the Balm-Bringer. This my Sacred place, where my power is greatest. So you wish to have your sight returned to you?"
The voice does not become hard but becomes questioning, "If you did, what shall you do with it? Become a gardener again?"
"Seek to learn what is right," Sevak responds instantly. "Seek to learn what I should do, for the service to which I had dedicated myself now seems vile to me. And once I have learned, to do that which is right."
He thinks quietly for a moment, then adds more slowly, more thoughtfully, "Some things already I think I know are good... to defend the jungle from those Esipil Sahkil, if there are more of them and if I would not throw my life away in so attempting, I would hunt them before leaving Nagajor. To treat others well, to view all races equally instead of thinking my own above others... though I know little enough what good to do for them, beyond the most obvious. These things would I do."
"Hmm." The voice murmurs then Sevak can hear water sloshing and rolling as some object swims through the water toward him. At the water's edge he can hear large feet step into the mud.
"This seems a worthy cause." A pause then, "I will give you a chance, Sevak, to see again."
The frogs begin singing again, this time a quick tempo. The croaking fills the air, an urging, driving sound. Then Sevak hears something else, something he has never heard before.
The sound of plants...growing. A splitting, reaching, living sound. The creaking seems to grow right in front of him, then he feels the faint brush of leaves and flowers against his skin. Several new scents waft on the clear air.
"There are three orchids in front of you, Sevak. Choose the correct one and eat it and you shall be cured. The other are poison which will, in a way, also end your blindness. Choose wisely, nagaji." An amused tone enters, "I have never healed one of your kind before, please do not fail and deprive me of the pleasure."
Sevak feels certain that shock shows on his face for a moment. He had hardly expected a test like this...
Test. This must be a test of some sort. But what? A test of his skills as a druid, perhaps?
"I... will do my best not to disappoint, o Immonhiel," Sevak replies, with a slight bow, not wanting to bow too far and whack the plants in front of him with his head.
Carefully he reaches out and feels for the three orchids. He touches them as little as possible, though he tries to get a feel for their shape. He also carefully sniffs at each, comparing each to his knowledge of plant life and the hazards of the jungle.
It occurs to him that there might be a connection here with the scents of the old temple where the ratfolk had been. He mentally compares these scents, as well.
Then he realizes there are other memories that might aid--those from his time as a humble gardener.
Sevak searches his memories and lore on the plants of the jungle. Sadly much of his teaching had been based around color and shape....useless qualities now. Still, his fingers touch each in turn, careful not to damage them. The scents....
A thousand times after he entered the naga's service they drilled him on plants but the lessons seemed brittle and faded, useless.
The old ratfolk woman....his mind drifts back, farther, to when he was a gardener, tending the growing things before he was one of the Living Eyes. A simple planter and gatherer....
An old memory glows, when he first made his communion with nature. When he picked and dried a single orchid out of the thousands of the garden, the care he took to preserve it...even now he had it. His focus for his power, the old woman had remarked....
There, the middle orchid, it was the same as he had in his pouch! The same type he had picked at seemingly random all those years ago.
With a gentle smile, Sevak carefully reaches out and picks the middle orchid. He hesitates only a little before eating it.
The taste is light, aromatic and not very pleasant. But as he chews, a warmth starts to trickle out of it, like warmed honey. He can feel it radiating throughout his body, a feeling of jungle sun on his scales. The peace of a summer's day, every good thing he has ever eaten, every pleasant scent...
Slowly it penetrates him, from crown to tail. His face begins to burn, lightly, as if he was staring at the noon day sun. The darkness that he has been trapped in turns to gray, then to ivory, then bright blinding white.
Then a swirl of colors, every color he has every imagined and many he has not. An entire lifetimes...many lifetimes, experiences all at once. It leaves him breathless at the wonder and interplay that mere color provides.
Then he comes back to himself, kneeling in the wet mud at the side of the spring. The frogs have started to sing again, a gentle crooning sound of hope and healing in his ears.
He opens his eyes, and....he sees! Head down, he can see the dark, black mud he kneels on, his own shining scales, and even sees a tiny gold frog climbing his tunic. The sight brings tears to the freshly healed eyes and everything swims as he blinks.
"Your body is healed, nagaji." The low voice intones.
Sevak is not certain how long he wept.
Eventually, the flow of tears slows, and he can again begin to see clearly. He spends a long moment marveling in the simple beauty of he texture of the mud he kneels in, the subtle differences in his scales... he smiles at the tiny frog. For a moment emotion threatens to overwhelm him again, but he slowly raises his head to look at his benefactor.
"Thank you." His voice comes out as something of a croak, and a corner of Sevak's mind finds humor in the comparison. He struggles for words for a moment, for something to express his gratitude, his joy, the feeling of freedom. But he cannot find eloquent phrases or grand prose to express his emotions.
Only these two words again. "Thank you."
Sevak looks up and he sees a vast dark shape outlined against the strangely opalescent spring. It is a toad, a huge toad, the size of a wagon. The massive eyes are a dark green, the size of a child's head.
"I have only healed your eyes, Sevak. You still remain...out of balance." The massive creature says, voice deep, "And so within as without. Your imbalance is effecting the world around you. It was you that brought the Sahkil to this place, and they will leave with you. Until you heal your soul as well as your body they will be a threat to you. Be on your guard and keep your friends close." Slowly the toad begins to slide back, slipping back under the water. The sparkling water churns as the massive shape starts to sink.
Then it speaks, voice fading, 'Your friend is in danger from within as well. So without, so within..."
And Immonhiel is gone, the chorus of frogs resounding.
Wait, he wanted to cry out. Teach me, he wanted to plead.
But there were only two words he could say, still. "Thank you."
For what seemed a long time Sevak kneels there, both seeing and not seeing the spring. At times he is so caught up with seeing that it fills his mind--the constant, subtle changes of flowing water, the beauty of this spring in particular, the countless frogs--as if he is trying to make up for months of darkness all in this one moment. At other times his thoughts so swell within his mind that they drive out even this wonder.
The unvoiced fear in his heart was right. The Sahkil were his fault, and the best he could do for the jungle was to leave. And Paq... what had Paq done to himself?
The thought of his friend finally drove Sevak to move. Carefully he stood and turned, wondering if Paq had slept through it all. Perhaps Immonhiel had enchanted him to sleep through her appearance?
Silently, not breaking the endless chorus of frogs, Sevak turns to his friends. Paq is lying on his side, sleeping soundly. In fact he seems to be sleeping better then he has in a long time. A parting gift from Immonhiel?
Sevak looks closer however and sees changes in his friend. His fur looks matte black, not the healthy glossy shine he remembers. The tail looks scabbed and red, scratched to the point of bleeding. Even his whiskers look brittle and graying. His friend is not well.
Almost Sevak cries out in dismay, but he stops himself. He had long suspected that whatever Paq was drinking was not good for him, but had scarcely been in a position to do anything about it. Now that he could see... well, the pain of seeing the ratfolk's sorry condition almost quelled the joy of sight.
But the middle of the night was not the time to do something about this. Paq needed a good night's sleep dearly, he was certain. In the morning, they would talk.
For now, however, the excitement of the night was draining from him, leaving him to remember that it was the middle of the night after a hard day. While part of him felt he could never sleep after these events, his practical thought was that he would need all the rest he could get.
After all, it would be his turn to watch at night.
And so Sevak returns to his bedroll and lays down. He hardly wants to close his eyes, not with the beauty of the world laid bare before them, but he knows he must. He does, however, hope to wake before Paq in the morning.
Lying down, Sevak can see the stars, high above. It is rare to see them in the jungle but the spring creates an open patch of sky.
They are dazzling and Sevak's breath is taken away at the extent. When was the last time he simply stopped and looked up? Not since the naga had taken his loyalty.
He loses himself in the twinkling lights of varied colors. Several times he sees a flaring shooting star cross the tiny patch of sky, lighting it up. Surely it wasn't this breathtaking every night...was it?
Sevak was never sure if he feel asleep or not, but soon he noticed a growing light in the east. Sunrise? Weather he slept or not, he felt rested, healthy, full of life. No only was his sight returned, it had also removed much of the legacy of those dark, painful weeks.
Besides him Paq sleeps soundly.
Sevak sits up as he sees the light of dawn starting to brighten the skies. Even while blind, he had done his best to continue his morning meditations on nature, and he is not about to break that habit this morning.
And so he stands, bows one more time to the spring, then sits down in his usual pose. But this time, instead of closing his eyes as usual, he keeps them open, and watches as the sun's light slowly creeps over the jungle, marveling at the colors as they play over leaf and stream and earth. He keeps Paq in the corner of his eye, trusting that movement from the ratfolk will be enough to rouse him from his reverie, but mostly loses himself in the moment.
The world has always been this beautiful, he realizes in the midst of his meditation. I simply, though seeing, was blind to it. I shall not be again.
The magical moment is broken as Paq snuffles awake. The thin ratfolk stretches and rolls around in his blankets before sitting up, yawning. Before he even opens his eyes he says, 'That was the best night's sleep I've had in weeks. not a single bug bite!"
Sevak grins broadly at his friend. "I am glad to hear that, Paq. You have stayed up too many nights for my sake. But this is a beautiful morning to look upon, is it not?"
He waits for the ratfolk to catch on to the implications of his statement.
The ratfolk stands up and stretches fully, arching his furry back. He looks around sleepily "Yes, very nice. Surprised we aren't eaten alive, sleeping by water. Maybe the frogs?"
Paq sighs and starts rooting through the packs without looking up, 'So, plans for today? What are we waiting for?"
Sevak's heart sank just a bit. Paq was rather quick-witted, usually... had the drugs dulled that, as well?
"Well, now that I can see, it is time to travel north," Sevak states, then waits for Paq's reaction.
The ratfolk jumps as if stung.
"What!" he shouts, eyes sharp, all signs of sleep gone. 'What happened? Did something happen at the night? Was it the spring? Tell me!" The ratfolk grins showing all of his sharp white teeth.
Then, 'Does this mean we can leave this jungle and stay at a nice inn?"
Sevak laughs, enjoying Paq's excitement. "You slept right through it, Paq! I woke in the night to find Immonhiel, the great..."
He realizes he hasn't really a clue what Immonhiel is, other than a giant frog-like thing. "...being who dwells in the spring," he continues, going for the most general word he can think of, "Rising up to speak with me. Immonhiel healed me after questioning me. And now I can see again!"
He laughs again, this time just with pure joy. "Paq! Have you ever realized just how beautiful the world is? I had not noticed it before, but now... seeing again, I see it! The trees, the blooms, the sunlight, even the mud and the rocks, all of them!"
Sevak realizes he might be going a bit far, and reigns himself back in to answer Paq's question. "As for a nice inn... I dare not go into any city of Nagajor, lest Iskassala's agents await me there. It is many hundreds of miles to the cities of Po Li. So while we will in time reach one, I am afraid you shall have to put up with camping for a while."
A chilling thought crosses Sevak's mind now. Those substances Paq had been drinking... if he was addicted, what lengths would he go to in order to resupply? How would he view a trek of this length?
"I am glad you can see, it means you can take your turn gathering the food. Maybe the berries will taste better with an experienced jungle guide selecting them."
As Sevak talks about Po Li, the ratfolk frowns and turns to his knapsack. Out of it, he pulls a parchment map of Tian Xia.
"I took it from your palace." He says as an side, looking at it. "Po Li is actually the closest non-jungle. To the south, lie volcanoes and the Valashmai jungle. To the north and West lie ocean an Nagajor. East is our only options but we have the plains and the River Xei to cross before we have to endure any more jungle."
He smiles, "Plenty of inns."
Sevak was, of course, familiar with the map, but somehow he'd never quite realized how little jungle truly lay between Iskassar and the plains.
"Once we cross into Po Li, yes," Sevak says, pointing at the map's scale. "Which will still be a few days. And I am not certain how many inns I would call nice in the rural farmland of Po Li, but I suppose they will be better than the ground."
He grins a bit, though doubts still lie right behind his eyes. What would the people of Po Li think of him? Would they be as suspicious of him as the people of Quain? And what of Paq? Immonhiel's words echo again in his mind... Your friend is in danger from within as well. So without, so within... Had Immonhiel meant something beyond his friend's physical state, his dependence on the substance he'd been drinking?
Sevak thought of Paq's response when he had spoken of seeking truth. Perhaps Paq was sick in spirit in his own way... but how was he to help him, when he could hardly help himself? He would have to find a way. He would find a way. He owed Paq that much.
By now Sevak's face showed the seriousness of his thoughts. "Thank you, Paq," he says, quietly. "For staying with me. I know it has not been easy. It shames me to see..."
He trails off, gesturing at the ratfolk. "You look as if you've aged thirty years in caring for me for these few months," he murmurs, shame starting to drag his gaze downward. "Thank you."
'Thirty years?" Paq looks surprised, 'I hope not. That means I'd be ready to retire to my ancestors, or close to it." A devilish grin, 'Far too may places left to see and things to steal for that."
"I just stayed up too many night's watching over you, that is all."
Sevak notes the ratfolk neatly dodges the question of his health.
'So, do you think you can get us out of the jungle?"
Sevak frowns, the expression seeming uneasy on his face after his recent joy. "Paq... what do you mean? Surely you do not have so few years left? Regardless, I can get us out of the jungle and into Po Li easily--and even provide some better fare along the way, I think," he flashes a grin, "But you certainly must rest at night. I do not think it true that your state is due entirely to lack of rest, but I am certain it will help."
He looks around and sighs slightly. "Part of me wishes to stay longer. I doubt we shall find such peace elsewhere. Immonhiel warned me that those Sahkil will continue to pursue me, so we shall need to be wary as we travel. But come, let us prepare to depart."
Sevak sets about breaking camp, but as he does he cannot help but keep looking at Paq, wondering at the truth of his state.
Paq narrows his eyes at Sevak's first question, 'How much do you know of my people, Sevak? We are not common in Nagajor, so perhaps very little? I am fifteen years old, my friend. I am a full adult. My span of years will not reach past fifty, even if I survive traveling with you."
The ratfolk shrugs, 'Such is the way of the gods. As I said, we take what we can when we can. The time given to me is shorter then most."
Sevak's breath catches slightly in his throat. He'd known many other races were shorter-lived than nagaji. He could hope to live past a hundred and fifty years of age, if he were fortunate, but he had not known the difference was quite so... vast.
After a moment, he quietly replies, "I had known your people were not as long-lived as mine, but... I had not known the difference was so great..."
He trails off helplessly, staring at Paq without seeing him. What could he say to that? Sevak shakes his head slightly and continues his packing in silence as he thinks.
Finally he looks up again and says, "All the more reason for us to make certain your count of years is not cut short, yes?"