"Just a few more would do. I wonder how many of these will sprout back there?" Brushing her blond bangs out of her eyes, she inspected a handful of ripe juniper berries before carefully packing them away in a jar. It had been weeks since she left Arri for Parvpora and had gotten used to her new home. The Steward had been very gracious in giving her free reign to do as she pleased in Antikythera, and had ordered the construction of a new wing to accommodate a greenhouse. But as vast as the Machinarium was, she still wished to spend time in the great outdoors. Railoch wasn't the safest place outside of the citadel walls, so the deity arranged for her to take a few days elsewhere for a breath of fresh air. 

The greenhouse the deity had in mind would take a while before it was completed, so she had some time to think about what she would grow there once it was ready. Whenever her spirits were down and the storms outside battered the stone walls, it would be nice to have a place that reminded her of home and a place where the sun shined. Some trees and exotic plants would bring a touch of color to the Machinarium's stark white corridors. Though the Steward could sculpt highly detailed replicas of anything, it just wasn't the same as a real, living breathing garden. So far she had collected seeds and cuttings of anything she thought would make the future greenhouse more natural and welcoming. But the weather in Railoch was extremely inhospitable to most flora, so Nerine was looking for hardier plants–those which wouldn't need as much intensive pruning or care like roses. 

Places with extreme conditions should produce flora which were adapted to such climates; so following this train of thought she came to the great canyon settlement of Eyota Etu. At first very self-conscious, she found that she did not appear too out of place here with the Desert Rosenites living nearby. Most Rosenites who lived in Arri rarely came into contact with their more nomadic distant cousins, and their cultures were very different. Even though they both shared the same blood of the great Empress Willow, the two branches of that lineage were strangers to each other.

Nerine was currently searching for a very interesting specimen of plant life. She had heard rumors of strange plants which could live off moisture from the air and did not grow roots that anchored them to the earth. Such plants would be perfect for a place as dark and damp as Railoch, and would fare much better than the average shrub. The only problem was finding someone who knew what she was talking about. Asking around only garnered her confused looks while others shook their head. Disappointed, she was left with trying to pick her way through the canyon cliff-side in hopes of either finding what she came for or someone who at least knew what they were.

"And this here is where you will call rest," a voice echoed in the carved hallways of Eyota, a door cracking open revealing an Elf Orc and Desert Rosenite as they stepped into a simple room, with basic emetics such as a bed, stone stove, and firewood, all exposed by an open window gazing out through the canyon. "Even with the open gap hear, people from the other side will not be able to see you, in case you were worried." Qadim, the elf orc, shook his head as he gazed out, figuring that if he could hardly see the squares for windows, then the same was for them without a tool to peep. "Good. Quick warning, though, this angle will mean early mornings," the Rosenite chuckled before pointing back outside. "You have the rest of the day to yourself. If you desire, the bathhouse is at the end. Enjoy." With that, the Elf Orc was left alone, in which he took to the bed.

He let off a sigh as he brushed the sweat from his brow from the desert heat. Sure, half of him could easily bear it, but the more prominent one more enjoy the shade that rested beneath the trees. Still, the Guild thought the change of scenery was best for him, and the Laeto camp was well-covered for how dangerous the land was to navigate. Still, this did test his abilities in other terrains, so he accepted the change in base. Besides, each location had its own charm to it, so it would not be a complete waste to explore it.

After a moment of laying down, Qadim pushed himself back up before taking his bow in hand. As if per routine, Qadim was sure to eye the bend of the bow to ensure it was correct before giving the string a quick twang, hearing its tautness as it rested. It resonated good with the bow, leaving the elf orc to smile before his attention was direction elsewhere. A noise nearby… rustling of pebbles outside, and soon… a head peeping out the window?

Unfortunately, Nerine was as ill-equipped for cliff climbing as a fish was for traversing the desert. "I should have known better than to ask the junipers…the breadth of their root systems run deeper than they are wide." She huffed as she painstakingly shifted her weight to latch onto another handhold. Her arms were sore and she was always on the verge of losing her grip. It made it hard for her to progress at a reasonable speed. The scholar could have easily used botanical growth to create an easy support system, but with how dry and rocky the soil was she was worried that the roots wouldn't be strong enough to hold her. 

She had inched her way up the cliff's side somehow through a combination of holding her breath and taking several movements of faith. The most important thing, of course, was to never–ever look down. This was the last place for her to look if she hoped to find anything today. When she asked the juniper trees if they knew where any plants that subsisted off the moisture in the air and bore no roots would reside, the common response was: 'There are plants that can take in water without roots?' They thought it incredulous that such a thing could exist, and so she was left trying whatever options she had open to her. Hazarding a guess, she assumed something that didn't rely on living near waterways would stay where potential moisture could collect. And if what she knew about rainfall was correct, then it had to be at a higher elevation than the ground level.

Struggling against the burning in her upper arms, she was searching for the nearest ledge where she could stand. The sound of loose gravel being disturbed by her feet was worrying, and she shoved away any thoughts that would make her panic. She was basically hanging for her life, and she needed to find solid ground. Naturally, as a Rosenite not having contact with the earth itself was enough to cause distress. Combine that with the instinctual urge of self-preservation for any being hanging off a cliff, and you could catch a glimpse into what was going through Nerine's mind at that moment. By the Mother's grace, she found a particularly wide overhang and grabbed the edge to pull herself up. Taking in a deep breath of relief, it soon turned into a gasp as her eyes met another pair looking back…

It was more of the unexpected surprise that threw her off than the fact he was not exactly fully clothed. Vainly searching for words after recovering from hanging above a wide ravine, she stuttered unintentionally stating something obvious. "This…this isn't a cave." An awkward silence followed as she was faced with a difficult decision: pull the rest of herself in while pretending nothing had happened, or climb back down the rock wall out of embarrassment.

Voice alone stated that his new guest was a female as she tried to work out how to handle the situation. After all, there she was, hanging off the side of the cliff as Qadim sat there, bare chested and bow in hand. "Well well," Qadim muttered, "I was never told to anticipate company like this this," he thought out loud, setting the bow down before walking over to the window, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt and lifting the guest up by it, almost as if dangling her over the cliff side. "Normally, guests outside my window would not bat an eye, but this is another case. Not many would seek company on the face of a mountain… unless you were hoping there was no company to be had.

"Now then, state your name and business. Just be warned that if I catch even a hint of roguish tongue trying to weasel out of this, well… let's just say the next person you meet shall most likely be Lady Dalanesca…" She had no wings as far as he could tell, but from what she wore, it would be pointless to hide them under her clothes, and if she dared fight back, he could easily let go from the flinch alone. Unless she had any form of levitation magic on hand, which she could have used to get up here in the first place, it was clear who had the winning hand here.

As he held her above the long drop, Qadim's eyes made note to study her face a bit more as she verbally fought for her ability to not be dropped. Blonde hair, wavy, dropped down to her chin. Bright blue eyes with a slim fixture. She could easily pass as a human, but the pristine details almost gave hints of Rosenite blood. The lack of the rings in her eyes, however, made it enough to have the elf orc question it.

Nerine gave a nervous laugh as she was held up by the man's hand. She was fighting the urge to glance down and this was not how she wanted to be reunited with the earth. Her arms were shaking and she tried to stop them by partially holding her breath in. "I-I had no idea this wasn't anything but a rock ledge. Here I thought I was lucky to set my feet down." Falling from this height would be fatal to anyone, and she absolutely did not want to entertain the thought. "I'm Nerine, a scholar. I was hoping to find a few plants up here–but it seems I've intruded on your privacy. You wouldn't happen to know if there are any on this cliff face, would you?" The anxiety in her voice was easy to hear, and she was mentally begging that he wouldn't let go.

The person she had accidentally came upon reminded her of an orc, but not quite the same in build. He was very tall from her perspective, perhaps being held up high in the air was lending that impression. She had no weapons, nothing in her hands, nothing of real general value. Nerine was regretting not using a more secure method of climbing up now. Oh what she would give for a net or a climbing harness, preferably one secured to something that wouldn't crumble. The canyon was much more massive than she expected, and even though she was nowhere near the top she was beginning to feel lightheaded. Or maybe that was from the knots forming in her stomach. A strong breeze made the folds of her robes flutter and her own heartbeat was quaking like an aspen.

There was a minor delay after the woman, Nerine, tried to defend her point before a heavy sigh escaped his lips, pulling her through the hole that was a window and tossing her onto the bed. Rough, maybe, but it was certainly a much safer position to be in now that she had floor beneath her feet. "Stay there. You touch anything, and back out there you go," he told her, just in case, before nesting the bow across his body and stepping out, closing the door behind him, leaving the girl alone to let her heart settle down.

Of course, he had to make mention of the guest, calling forth the Rosenite who lead him to the room and explaining the situation. While confused at the occurrence, it was not something she was going to act to immediately aside from handing Qadim a cup of water. After all, from such a massive climb, she must have been thirsty and did not intend on harm. Still, it did not help but keep on alert, just in case. Or, at the very least, see if they can work on smoothing out the rock walls to prevent people from getting a grip near homes in the first place. A lot of labor, yes, but nothing compared what was done before.

It was only for a moment Qadim was gone until the door opened again, the elf orc returning and placing the mug of water on the night stand next to the bed before personally pulling a chair up for himself. "Nerine, you said?" he checked, "Not exactly a place where one would look for plants, not would it? Especially on the face of a cliff… Either you are looking for something specific, or you are a loon of a scholar." Latching off the canteen from his belt, he took a quick swig of water before telling her. "The name is Qadim. Hopefully I can be of some help."

Her eyes went wide as he pulled her inside and tossed her onto the bed on the opposite side of the room. He didn't need to tell her twice to stay put. Nerine was too overwhelmed by panic and then relief to do anything aside from thanking every ancestor and the goddess queen herself that she was still alive. Breathing in and out she clung to the bed's frame closing her eyes. All the tension in her body from fear left and the scholar slumped over. 

"Oh sweet holy Mother, Empress, and all that lies in the good earth–I'm alive…I'm alive." Putting her head in her hands she rolled onto her side as the aching stiffness was creeping back after that adrenaline shock. Hearing the door open again she looked up and saw the man had returned. He commented on how odd her choice of location was for finding plant specimens, and she didn't have anything to say in her defense. Yes, it really was crazy thinking she could find an unknown plant species up on the face of a rock wall. Nerine sheepishly averted her gaze when he pointed out how silly the idea was. "I…can't disagree with that. Maybe I should've known better than to follow rumors, but I wanted to find a specific type of plant perfectly adapted for harsh arid environments. I've never seen it myself, but from what I heard it subsists on moisture from the air and has no roots."

Giving a polite nod at his self-introduction, she replied. "I apologize for attempting to crawl in through your window earlier, Qadim. I am sure this accident has made it abundantly clear that free-hand rock climbing was not a very wise decision…" Now sitting up on the bed, she frowned. "So far all I've seen here are the junipers and brambles that cluster together. I'm beginning to doubt if my searching was all for nothing." She didn't even know what the shape or size of those air-plants were like. Either they were incredibly rare, or they didn't exist.

Qadim listened intently on her story, trying to see if he could make any connections. A plant that can survive on pure moisture and has no roots? Definitely not a plant he had ever heard of, or at least, not in Laeto. Rumors can still be that, but if they were followed with even a hint of truth, just maybe it would lead somewhere. "Well, at the very least if you need a plant that can handle such rugged land, then you certainly came to the right place. Just, maybe you the front gate next time instead of someone's window." Taking another quick drink from the canteen, he latched the container back onto his belt before pulling out a coin bag, digging through before pulling a few crescents out.

"If anyone asks, you are here under the permission of Lady Rebut and under my watch," he told her, getting up and handing over the silver coins. "That should, at the very least, give you some of the same treatments as we do in the Protection and Preservation Guild. Now then, use some of this to get into the bathhouse and wash off the sweat and dirt on you. Afterwards, visit the cleric to get any cuts or blisters taken care of. If you lack an extra set of clothes to wear to get your robes washed, then you can use some of that for simple items before anything else. I don't want to be billed hundreds for a simple shirt.

"While you do that, I will ask around to see if any of the locals know about the plant you seek for. After all, if anyone would know anything, it would be the people who grew up here." The last thing he showed her was a map of the local area, to help her get an idea where everything was. The last place he pointed out was a small cafe. "When you are done with your tasks, meet me over here. If I am not there before you, then again, simple drinks. Other than that, keep yourself safe." With those last words, Qadim gave her a nod before stepping out the door, expecting her to do as he told her.

She grimaced at the reminder of her little accident, but she accepted his advice and generosity with thanks. "I'm glad to hear that I wasn't entirely off…though I should have done more research to make searching easier. Thank you, sir." Listening to Qadim explain, she learned he was part of a guild whose focus was in protection and preservation. And he said he had been to the rainforest in Laeto, so she guessed this guild had something to do with safeguarding the earth and the natural world. Nerine put to memory important points, such as this 'Lady Rebut' and the guild, as well as Qadim's placement here. Hopefully she wouldn't run into trouble, but if so she needed to have this information ready.

"I'll be waiting for you at the cafe when I've finished washing up." She said while looking over the map he showed her. The local terrain was much different than expected, with most of it being vertical than horizontal like flat land. Mapping out the canyon cliffs would take time, and a very experienced person to know the lay of the land. If she could understand the tongues of beasts, then she would've brought a mountain goat. Leaving Qadim's quarters, she went to the bathhouse he mentioned. It was a welcome respite from that harrowing attempt to climb the canyon, and the warm water eased her sore arms. Her hands were alright thankfully, so there was no need to visit the cleric. After shaking the dust off her robes, she was ready to meet Qadim at the cafe. Even if he had been kind enough to give her a few crescents, she didn't want to spend it all.

Arriving at the cafe, she took a seat where he could easily see her. The guild he said he was a part of piqued her curiosity, and she decided that she would do some research of her own when she was back in Iria. When a server came by and asked if she would like a drink, she made a request for a glass of water. After that climb, she needed plenty. While she waited she listened to the locals talking amongst themselves, hearing some local news and possibly a few rumors mixed in. Eyota Etu was a rather quiet place for its size, and she had noted the unique traits of the tribes whose ancestors had first settled here. Their artwork and crafts were interesting, and when she was finished maybe she would purchase a trinket or two.

As Nerine washed up, Qadim focused on keeping his end of the bargain, looking for clues on this particular plant. Dropping by a library would take too long as she could be done washing before he even found a single book to break open. No, his main source of information were his guild-mates: those that wandered the land high and low to keep the town safe and to guide those lost to safety. After all, it was apart of their job to know these lands inside and out. To know what was safe and what was dangerous. Easy to eat or to avoid at all cost.  The essence of survival.

It took him a while, but at the very end, he did find a guild-mate with the information he was seeking. Qadim watching as his informant pulled out a botany book of the local wildlife, placing a couple bookmarks inside before passing on the book to him. He stated these would have been the best guesses he could come up with with what little he had to go off of and hoped it gave him the information he needed. Skimming it himself, he noted how most of them seemed dangerous to have, even though they were very useful in terms of medicine. Only one of them, however, seemed possible for decorative use… At least, compared to everything else.

Nerine was left with a few moments to herself alone in the cafe, possibly because Qadim expected she would have been out longer than she was. However, when he did come in, she sat at one of the tables near the door. "I hope you have not been waiting too long," he said as he placed the botany book on the table. "It seems your rumors had a hint of truth to them after all. We were able to narrow it down to around ten or so plants. All we have to do is narrow down the need for said plant, and we can narrow down what we need to search for."