expiationlogs | april catch-all!

A wyvern, [ Claude corrects. ] The difference is that wyverns only have two legs -- their hind legs. Her front is a little more like... a snake, I suppose?

[ To the untrained eye, a wyvern is frankly a little bit more eerie, though certainly not to one who is accustomed to the strange, distorted forms that one's inner self may take. But to Claude, who had grown up alongside them as trusted and beloved companions as close to mankind as any dog or cat, he's unable to see them for the true beasts that they are, at least when appropriately trained. And Zafeera, the steed of the beloved royal prince, is as well-trained as they come. ]

If you're all right with it, that is. They're pretty common where I'm from -- we have entire batallions on wyvern-back. Just say the word if you'd rather us hike out somewhere instead. Now that Spring is here, I have to really start replenishing my stores.

[ Technically, Claude could buy a lot of this, or hire others to do it in his stead. But by and large he prefers to do it on his own, not for any reasons of quality or of integrity, but because it's an opportunity to explore the landscape around Aldrip, to spot any other changes, to poke his nose into any other types of flora and fauna that could serve a purpose, whether that be medicinal or poisonous. ]

[ Minato is taking each piece of Claude's descriptions and assembling a bigger image in his head. He imagines a dragon, one with two wings, a pair of taloned hind legs and... something lizard-like with no arms. Huh...

He shakes his head. ]

No, I don't mind. I guess I was just surprised.

[ In fact, he's quite looking forward to meeting this wyvern of Claude's. Much like the man he's accompanying today, Minato's fond of creatures no matter their shape or size. ]

...my world didn't really have anything like that.

[ It seems rather mundane compared to Claude's. ]

From the kinds of reactions I got, most people's worlds don't! It's strange for me to think of, honestly. Where I'm from, wyverns are a pretty common sight. Not as popular as horses, not when they're so expensive to keep fed, but still.

[ They were even more common in his homeland. Every soldier worth their salt seemed to know how to deal with wyverns, and he grew up with massive wyvern pens stretching through the palace, a perfect hideaway for a rambunctious runaway prince. He loves his wyvern, he really does, but sometimes he thinks it must be awfully lonely that she has no other wyverns to keep her company.

As they turn the corner, towards Claude's business and residence, he steers them into the back where his wyvern lays in wait. She's a massive, fearsome creature, with eerily pupilless yellow eyes, ivory scales, rows of wicked sharp teeth with her tongue lolling out of her mouth, taloned feet digging into the dirt. Just as Claude said, her wings serve as her front legs, the upper half of her body smooth and lithe. As they approach, her antlered head twists, long neck extending to greet them. ]

Hey, sweetheart, [ Claude coos. ] Minato, this is Zafeera. Zafeera, this is Minato. Be nice.

[ That goes for you too, Minato! ]

[ Minato trails after Claude, following him behind the apothecary and -- oh. That's... definitely a wyvern. Whoa. Completely different from facing down a Shadow or a Persona. Those creatures were supernatural, whereas it's a little wild to see Claude interact with the wyvern as though she were a more mundane beast.

For a moment, Minato's speechless before remembering his manners. He offers Zafeera a incline of the head. ]

Hello, Zafeera. It's nice to meet you.

[ He glances over at Claude, recalling the way the man greeted Koromaru, offering a hand to allow the dog to learn his scent. ]

...how do I introduce myself to her?

[ While he'd said hello to her, maybe there's a more effective method of communicating with the wyvern. ]

Just saying hello is fine. You can touch her neck, if you like -- just make sure to stroke with the scales, not against them. She doesn't like that. [ He reaches out himself, giving her sides a sturdy whack, like she's a particularly unruly dog that enjoys being thumped rather than an oversized lizard, though she seems to soak up the attention well enough. ]

People around here can be a little scared of her. I can see why -- she's pretty big. But you have my guarantee that there's no better trained beast in all of Aldrip than her. Her manners are impeccable. [ He pauses. ] Unless I'm paying your Koro a terrible disrespect by saying that, but having a well-trained dog is a little less important than having a well-trained wyvern. Only one of them can eat you!

[ Ha! Haha! Hahahahah! ]

[ No, that's a genuinely good point. A poorly-trained wyvern would probably wreak more havoc compared to a poorly-trained dog. Minato can agree with that.

For now though, he steps a little closer without any fear, and reaches out to run his palm along the wyvern's scales. They're smooth and cool against his hand. ]

I don't really know. I've never thought about whether Koromaru had good or bad manners.

[ Which might imply Koromaru's manners were more on the good side of the spectrum. Surely, bad manners would be far more noticeable?

Minato continues to stroke at Zafeera's scales, pensive. ]

He already knew how to sit and stay when he came to live with us.

Then he must have belonged to someone else before you, [ Claude says thoughtfully. When he flies Zaffy on his own, he tends to ride her bareback, attuned with her enough to be able to manage such a thing. But with another rider, it's better to have something to cling to, so he grabs the large, custom-made saddle he'd had outfitted for her and flings it over her back, sliding beneath her to affix them across her belly. ]

Where did you pick him up from? A shelter around here, or is he a companion that was brought from home, like Zaffy here?

[ Minato steps aside, giving Claude a bit of space to adjust Zafeera's saddle. ]

Oh. ...yes, he belonged to a priest where I lived.

[ "Back home" is conspicuously absent from the response. While the Iwatodai Dorm and its surroundings areas got pretty close to that feeling, there's... no point in calling it "home" anymore. "Home" is someplace one returns to, and, well.

Even if all the Chosen freed themselves from Aldrip, Minato won't be returning anywhere at all. ]

Not a shelter, no. He found me here.

[ As opposed to the other way around. After Aldrip's sudden overnight changes, Koromaru found him and led him back to the inn. Otherwise, he might have been stuck wandering around searching for the building for the next few days. ]

Like Zafeera, I think.

Ah, so he is from... [ Home? No. He notices that the kid never said home, which could be for a great many reasons, most of which aren't worth too much speculation. A bit too personal for the time being. It could be that the kid just moved from town to town a lot. ] Where you lived before. Strange, that this place sees fit to reunite us with our furry, feathered and f... f.... it's very inconvenient that your scales ruin my alliteration, Zafeera. Oh, whatever. You get what I mean. In any case, I'm not complaining. There's no companionship quite like an animal's.

[ He runs one hand lovingly down Zafeera's neck. It's clear that there's a real depth of love and affection there, of the likes that's rarely seen from Claude, though it's unclear if it's reciprocated from an outside observer; giant lizards are terribly difficult to read.

He finishes strapping the saddle to her back, then offers Minato his hand. ]

All right! Are you ready?

[ As soon as Minato says yes, Claude will haul him onto Zafeera's back. Even on the ground, it's higher and wider than any horse, forcing his legs splayed as far as they can go, the world already at a great height, the slant of her back forcing her rider to adjust their weight almost immediately. There's something more physical, more primal to riding a wyvern, in Claude's experience. Not everyone is up to the challenge, but he can't lie; he always finds it thrilling to show someone else what it means to fly. ]

[ "There's no companionship quite like an animal's." Truer words have never been said. Perhaps it's why the rest of SEES took so quickly to Koromaru.

Minato offers Claude a tacit nod, grabbing onto the man's hand as he scrambles onto Zafeera's back. He's never been on a horse before, so he doesn't have a frame of reference to compare the wyvern's size. Either way, it's immediately apparent just how high up he is, and how much further away the ground will be momentarily. ]

Where do I...?

[ No reins available. What was he supposed to hold onto? ]

Hold on.

[ Claude hops onto Zafeera's back with ease just behind Minato. There's no room to be precious about personal space here; he wraps one arm securely around Minato's midsection, the pressure of his thighs being the only thing he needs to stay safe on Zafeera's back. It's not the way most people ride, granted, but most people in Fodlan haven't rode for as long as Claude has. ]

I've got you. And you're going to want to hold onto the front of the saddle, right there, or the straps holding the saddle to her back. Don't worry. Zafeera's the most experienced wyvern you'll meet - [ the only one he'll meet, but whatever ] - and she'd never let you drop. Ready?

[ As soon as Minato voices is assent, Zafeera races forward, her feet pounding against the soft dirt below, one-two-three-thump before they take off with a deafeningly loud leathery flap of her wings. They slowly ascend until they're well above the newly heightened buildings of Aldrip, the only thing more prominent than the whistling of the wind being its chill on their faces, the exhiliration of being so high in the air, the way that Zafeera tosses her neck as she catches a breeze to glide on.

Claude does this every day. He's done this every day for as long as he can remember. But it never gets old. ]

[ Minato glances down at the front of the saddle before leaning over a bit to take a look at the straps. Deciding the straps were the better play, he wraps his fingers over them before giving Claude a small nod. ]

Ready.

[ Or at least, about as ready as he could be as a first-time wyvern rider. Minato's grip on the saddle's straps tightens as Zafeera ascends. It's... surprisingly smooth sailing after she spreads her wings to glide. Nevertheless, he thinks he'd prefer Claude not remove the arm around him.

Agreeing to fly on Zafeera's back is a bit of a trust exercise. And though Claude can't see Minato's expression, his posture is more relaxed as he takes in how exhilarating it feels to have the wind rushing against his face.

He could get used to this. ]

Keep it steady now, girl. No tricks. We've got a new rider with us.

[ As though she can understand, the flight is nearly as smooth as a small plane's; there's the occasional bump and jump as Zafeera flaps her wings to maintain their height above the town, too far up to be easily shot by an arrow (old habits die hard) but largely, Zafeera manages to glide on the easy breeze of the fresh Spring air.

It's gratifying to see Minato's tense shoulders beginning to relax, his posture smoothing out, head swiveling from side to side as he takes in the view. ]

I hear most of you guys have these things called planes where you're from, but in my book? Wyverns will beat stuff like that out any day. What do you think?

[ Zafeera's impeccable instruction-following leaves Minato wondering whether she can clearly understand Claude's words. It's not an unusual concept. Koromaru's the same.

Somehow, Minato's not surprised to hear that airplanes don't exist in Claude's world. ]

Yeah. I know planes.

[ He knows of them, anyways. There's never been a need for him to step foot on a plane. But as he hangs onto Zafeera's saddle and takes in the taste of fresh, crisp air, Minato knows he doesn't need personal experience to answer Claude's question. ]

Mhm. This is definitely better.

Maybe a little less convenient, I'll grant you that, but there's no beating the view.

[ Someone has drawn what a plane looks like to him before. It's interesting to be sure, and the potential of being able to transport many people rapid-fire through the air is doubtlessly an incredible achievement of human technology...

But compared to this? The warmth of Zafeera beneath him, her heart beat thudding steadily beneath his thighs, the unencumbered wind beating against them, the expanse of land beneath them -- there's no replacing that.

He points out beneath them. ]

There, that field right there is where we're headed! Ready for the landing?

[ Given how dysfunctional airlines can get, a wyvern might in fact be a little more convenient --

Minato leans forward a bit, peering over the slope of Zafeera's back to catch sight of the field. While he can't tell whether the area's the precise spot to harvest the plants and herbs Claude needs, it's flat and wide-open, ideal for a landing.

In fact, he doesn't think he actually knows what Claude needs, only that the man asked if Minato could accompany him on the trip. ]

I'm ready.

[ He hangs on a little tighter to Zafeera's saddle, both physically and mentally preparing himself for the wyvern's descent. ]

All right, hold on tight!

[ The descent is almost as thrilling as the ascent, and certainly several degrees more dangerous. Beginners always think that the most dangerous position to be in on a wyvern is in the air, frightened as they are of falling from a distance. Experienced wyvern riders like Claude know that that couldn't be further from the truth; far from the relative stability of gliding through the air, having your wyvern hurtle towards the ground is a risky affair, putting you at greater risk of getting shot, or of your wyvern making one wrong move and causing you to lose your balance, or having to dodge between unpredictable terrain. Claude still remembers when he was a lad, crying inconsolably at the wyvern pen as one of their most experienced mounts hadn't been able to see a branch sticking out from the ground and had pierced the fine sinew of his wing.

(He had been fine, in the end. But he was never able to fly the same again.)

But there are no such risks here, just the flood of adrenaline that doubtlessly surges through his companion as they hurtle to the ground. Their landing is as bumpy as you'd expect any animal's to be, Zafeera simply running across the field, claws leaving deep grooves in the dirt below until they finally come to a stop. Claude hops off first, then holds his hand out for Minato. ]

Give yourself a second. First timers always get the wobbles after landing, and I need you in hiking shape for the plant we're out here to find.

[ The descent is equally as exhilarating as takeoff. The ground beneath comes into clearer focus as Zafeera glides downwards. Minato hangs on and can't help but squeeze his eyes shut as the wyvern's claws sink into the dirt. Only after she finally comes to a halt does he crack one eye open, his thumping pulse slowly evening out to its typical tempo.

He blinks, shaking his head to toss his wind-touseled bangs out of his face, before reaching out for Claude's hand. He takes it as he slides off Zafeera's back. True to Claude's word, Minato finds his legs are a bit wobbly. It leaves him leaning a bit against the wyvern's side.

Minato offers her a gentle pat. ]

Thanks, Zafeera.

[ He should thank the wyvern for letting him ride. It's only right.

Once he feels his sense of balance return, Minato lets go of Claude's hand and looks up at him with an inquisitive gaze. ]

What kind of plant are we looking for...?

[ It must be an important one for them to come all the way out here to track it down. ]

We're looking for a plant called Samambaia. It's got long, feathered, light green leaves, and -- here, I'll show you.

[ He takes a book from out of his bag (worn with dog-eared pages and a cracked spine, the margins filled with Claude's messy scrawl) and opens it up to the appropriate page. ]

The fishmonger's son is absolutely covered in rashes and pustules, and no amount of magical healing seems to do more than temporarily close up his wounds before he scratches them open again. She was at her wit's end when she came to me, and said she'd heard that a salve made of this plant could help ease her son's pain. So! That's precisely what we're looking for today!

[ It's not that important, really. It's one kid with a bad case of eczema. But it's his duty as the local apothecarist to take care of such things, and Claude's heartstrings are surprisingly easy to tug, underneath the right circumstances. ]

[ Botany is a field of study unknown to Minato. It's why he shuffles a little closer to Claude, leaning over to get a better look at the page containing information on Samambaia. The illustration is an exact match with Claude's description.

He listens wordlessly to Claude's account of the fishmonger's son. If the issue was the boy scratching his wounds open over and over again, a salve would probably be more effective compared to healing magic. ]

Magic can take a lot of energy if it's used over and over again, so... a salve is a good idea.

[ It's something that can be applied as needed. Nor would it require the boy to be in the vicinity of healers any time his wounds began to bleed.

Minato looks up from the book, fixing a pensive gaze upon Claude. They'd flown all the way out here to retrieve a plant for that one boy? Surely, Claude could harvest some extra just in case others required a similar salve, but the tale has Minato regarding Claude in a new light. He'd sensed an underlying kindness within the man's heart, but this is an extraordinarily charitable action for any person. ]

The locals -- it sounds like they rely a lot on you.

They rely on the apothecarist, [ He corrects Minato, a spring in his step as he gestures for the boy to follow him on the prowl for the herb. He feels as though he can catch some of Minato's meaning, some appreciation for his labour -- and surprisingly, it's a little uncomfortable. He's never been one to receive priase for doing his job, and to start now feels a bit odd. ]

The people who ran the Apothecary before me were among those sacrificed by the Rumpiturans, you see. [ His expression remains placid, but there's a sting in his heart thinking about it; crazed by religion though they were, it was deeply sobering to go through all of the personal effects of people who had lived, broke bread, and flourished in the place he now calls home. ] And when it became clear that they were no longer coming back, I decided to take over. [ He shoots a grin towards Minato. ] All I did was fill in a gap. I hope someone else will do the same once I'm gone too.

[ He trails after Claude, following the man like a shadow. He glances at either side of the path, taking stock of the different flowers blooming alongside the road.

But at the mention of the prior apothecarists' fates, Minato's eyes widen, unsettled by this new information. The people who ran the Apothecary before Claude were what?? ]

Sacrificed?

[ He'd gotten the impression that this world's original residents didn't always get along with one another. Religious sacrifice, on the other hand, is news to him.

Claude is clearly a pragmatist. Perhaps the man simply perceives his current job as stepping into a niche left open. That doesn't necessarily mean he's the one who had to step up to the plate. ]

If you share your knowledge with others, maybe they can take over when you're gone.

[ Minato's learned it's not a matter of "if," but "when." ]

...I don't know much about plants, but I can try to learn too.

[ He doesn't mind putting in the effort if it'll alleviate some of Claude's concerns. Plus, Minato's catching a little whiff of a Social Link. ]

I would be more than happy to teach you -- even if I don't particularly want you bogged down with the shop itself once I'm spirited off. It's a big commitment, you know!

[ Not that Minato isn't presumably game for a big commitment, but between having to rub elbows with the local shopkeeps, balance the books, continue keeping everything in stock and improving his base knowledge, it's not the sort of job he wishes on anyone. It's mere happenstance that Claude was the ideal fit for it with his extant breadth of knowledge and his voracious appetite for learning more about the natural world around them.

His smile fades a little, though, brows knitting as he realizes Minato must be new enough that he wasn't around for all that. ]

Nobody told you about Rumpitur? We've... really got to make sure everyone's up to date. [ He drags one hand across the back of his neck. ] A long, grim story made short is that there was a fearsome sea monster by an island just off of Rumpiturs's own shores, and that monster had been killing Rumpitur's own. So instead of doing the sensible thing and asking for help, they began to lure others out and sent them to the island themselves to keep the beast sated. The previous owners of the apothecary were just two of the unfortunate bunch who found themselves in that fate.

Eventually, they moved onto the Chosen as well. Once that happened, we took action and the beast was dealt with -- but by then, the cost was too high. Not a happy story, I'm afraid.

[ It's perfectly understandable. That's why Minato responds to Claude's warning with a small nod. ]

Even if I'm not the one who takes over the apothecary, I'd like to still help whoever is there.

[ He can at least take a bit of the burden off that future person's shoulders. ]

Other than that, it's... nice, learning new things.

[ Minato's never been aggressively studious, but he's always absorbed new information like a sponge. You just never know when something you learned might become relevant. Even a seemingly inconsequential piece of information could later become essential.

It's why he also listens intently to Claude recount what happened with Rumpitur. ]

Maybe they were afraid to ask for help.

[ He doesn't quite understand the politics of the world, but he does know that asking for assistance isn't always easy. ]

...I don't think what they did was right, but... reaching out to others -- some people are scared of that connection.

[ Acknowledging that something is too precarious to handle alone, opening yourself up to accept help from others, letting those people in: it's a level of vulnerability that may be so unbearable to certain people that they would rather suffer alone. ]

[ If all Minato wants to do is help - and to gain some extra knowledge on his way - then Claude has no objections. He nods along cheerfully enough to all of that, but his expression clouds over as soon as Minato turns to the issue of Rumpitur.

If Claude had been in charge, he would have executed those in charge. He would have found no joy in it, wouldn't have done it with the same religious, righteous zeal as others, but he would have done it anyway. That sort of action can't be taken, entire families decimated, people stolen away in the dead of night only to die in the throes of desperate fear, without proper consequences, so that others know that it's not an action that can ever be repeated. ]

That's no excuse to do what they did. The people who died, died in just as much fear, if not more, drugged and tied up and confused, only for the last thing they saw to be some hideous beast. [ He frowns, looking away. ] They lured the previous owners of the Apothecary by preying upon their piety. They told them that they were to meet them by the edge of the forest in order to pay respects to their gods, and instead knocked them out, kidnapped them, and sent them to the den of the beast. If they were to truly commit to their cowardice, it would have been kinder to kill them themselves, so that they could receive a more merciful death than fleeing from that thing.

If it were some of the townspeople, I think I would find it a little more understandable. But it was the leaders who made that call -- and no leader worth their salt allows fear to dictate their actions.

april catch-all!

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