Chapter 13: Travel and Understanding

Crystal woke to the sounds of movement and low conversation. She blinked against the morning light filtering through the jungle canopy, momentarily disoriented until her memory caught up with her surroundings. Everyone was already busy breaking down camp—Kaji rolling up bedding, Spohr carefully uprooting himself from his meditation spot, Nyzekka organizing supplies.

"Good morning," she called, her voice still thick with sleep. Only Cottonmoss acknowledged her with a tiny wave from atop a nearby leaf.

Crystal took a deep breath and pushed herself upright. The bone-deep exhaustion from yesterday had subsided to a dull ache. Her muscles protested, but it was manageable. Progress.

"We're heading to see Yaghan-Ko today, right?" She stood slowly, steadying herself against a tree trunk.

Nyzekka glanced over. "Yes. He should be two days' journey if we make good time."

Crystal nodded and took a step forward. Her legs wobbled traitorously beneath her, and she stumbled, catching herself before she fell. She tried again with the same result—her body refused to cooperate, muscles trembling with each attempted step.

Ssyn, who had been securing bundles to Tharn's saddle, turned and observed Crystal's struggle. The Crocan's amber eyes narrowed.

"Krrystal-ulo nür Tharn-zhok öha," Ssyn growled, gesturing toward the massive swampgator.

Nyzekka translated without looking up from her task. "She says you need to ride Tharn today."

"No way." Crystal shook her head, trying another wobbly step. "I'm fine. Just need to get my legs working again."

Ssyn watched Crystal's pitiful attempt at walking with what could only be described as reptilian skepticism. She exchanged a quick glance with Nyzekka, who shrugged.

"Doch zehn zhaïr ye kïhz koyorr. Nuh ghess suq." Ssyn's tone left no room for argument.

"She says you're being childish and will surpass your body's injury. She won't allow it," Nyzekka translated, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Crystal squared her shoulders. "Tell her I appreciate her concern, but I can manage. I'm already feeling much better."

Before Nyzekka could relay the message, Ssyn made a dismissive sound deep in her throat. In three swift strides, she crossed to Crystal, bent down, and scooped her up, tossing her over one broad, scaly shoulder.

"Hey!" Crystal yelped, the sudden movement sending a jolt of pain through her tender muscles. "Put me down!"

Kaji snickered from where he was tying up his pack. "I could have told you she'd do that. And that’s just me listening to half of Kreecha’s angry-talk."

Crystal squirmed against Ssyn's iron grip, mortified. "This is completely unnecessary! I can walk!"

Ssyn ignored her protests, carrying her to where Tharn waited. The massive swampgator blinked lazily, as if enjoying Crystal's predicament. With surprising gentleness that contrasted her forceful actions, Ssyn deposited Crystal onto Tharn's saddle.

"Loü öha," Ssyn ordered, pointing a clawed finger at Crystal.

"She says stay," Nyzekka called out helpfully.

Crystal's cheeks burned. "I'm not a dog." She shifted, preparing to slide off Tharn's back. "And I don't need to be carried like some invalid."

Before she could dismount, Ssyn placed a heavy hand on her knee and shook her head slowly. Her amber eyes locked with Crystal's, communicating a clear warning.

"Ghess rral. Ye zhïz rïkhö quzüz tä yor. Doch ghess ü radaïjaïk."

Nyzekka approached, adjusting some straps on Tharn's harness. "She says don't try it. Your heart needs rest and healing. You are without your magic."

"I'm perfectly capable—" Crystal began, but her protest was cut short as Tharn suddenly rose to his full height. The ground dropped away, leaving her perched atop what felt like a living mountain. The swampgator rumbled, a sound Crystal felt through her entire body.

"Oh," she breathed, gripping the saddle. The drop to the ground now looked considerably more daunting.

Ssyn made a sound suspiciously like a chuckle as she patted the side of the large swampgator. "Tharn qerta ye zhïz uï."

"Tharn remembers your heart is serious," Nyzekka translated, then added with a smirk, "It means he respects your courage from the other day, but he agrees with Ssyn."

Crystal slumped in defeat. "Fine. I'll ride. But just for today."

Ssyn nodded, apparently satisfied, and returned to finishing the camp breakdown. Cottonmoss fluttered up to land on Crystal's shoulder, patting her cheek sympathetically.

"Don't you start," Crystal muttered to the pixie.

Kaji bounded over, grinning up at her. "Look at you, riding high and mighty now! If I'd known saving a Boneback got you a swampgator taxi, I might have tried it myself."

"No, you wouldn't have," Crystal said flatly.

"No, I wouldn't have," he agreed cheerfully. "Those things would eat me in one bite. But it's fun watching someone else do it!"

Crystal sighed, adjusting herself more comfortably on Tharn's back. The swampgator's scales were surprisingly warm beneath her, and the saddle was well-padded. As much as she hated to admit it, her body was grateful for the reprieve.

"I hope this Yaghan-Ko has some answers," she said, watching as the others finished preparing for departure. "Do you think Ssyn would skin me if I take some painkillers?" Crystal whispered to Cottonmoss.

The pixie shrugged her shoulders before making an X with her arms.

"Yeah…possibly shouldn't try using something from my world that she wouldn't understand or trust."

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As the group set off, Crystal found herself with an unexpectedly magnificent view. Perched atop Tharn's broad back, she could see over the dense underbrush that had previously blocked her sightlines. The jungle stretched before them in undulating waves of green, punctuated by vibrant splashes of color—exotic flowers, strange fruits, and the occasional flutter of winged creatures she couldn't identify.

Nyzekka climbed up Tharn's side with practiced ease, settling herself just behind Crystal. The small Krenka seemed perfectly at home on the massive swampgator, adjusting her position with the casual confidence of someone who had made this journey countless times.

Ssyn took point, her powerful form cutting through the dense foliage with minimal effort. She moved with surprising grace for her size, each step deliberate and silent. Occasionally, she would pause, head tilted as if listening to something beyond Crystal's perception, before continuing forward.

Spohr followed several paces behind, his fungal form swaying slightly as he walked. He seemed to be in a state of semi-meditation, occasionally reaching out to touch plants they passed. Kaji bounced along beside him, alternating between walking normally and performing unnecessary acrobatic maneuvers over fallen logs and low-hanging vines.

Above them, Rell's emerald feathers flashed between the trees as she scouted ahead, occasionally circling back to let out a soft trill that seemed to communicate something to Ssyn.

Crystal found herself relaxing despite her earlier protests. The rhythm of Tharn's movement was oddly soothing, and the height gave her a new perspective on the jungle. She watched a cluster of butterfly-like creatures with translucent wings that caught the sunlight like stained glass. Further away, something with too many legs scuttled up a tree trunk, disappearing into a hollow.

For nearly an hour, she simply absorbed the sights and sounds around her, allowing herself a moment of wonder at this strange world she'd found herself in. The constant hum of the jungle was still there, but it felt less intrusive now, more like background music than an unsettling noise.

Finally, her curiosity got the better of her. She turned slightly to address Nyzekka, who was scanning the canopy with alert eyes.

"Hey, Nyzekka. I've got some questions for you," Crystal said to the Krenka. Nyzekka turned to look at Crystal and gestured with her hand forward to indicate she was listening. "I got a proper introduction to you and Ssyn yesterday. Then a brief intro to Tharn. But what's the name of that bird?"

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Nyzekka gave a small giggle. "I do suppose you were quite worn out yesterday. That is Rell. She is a frondwing. Rell is Ssyn's other familiar. She scouts ahead and allows Ssyn and me to communicate with our tribe when we're on the road."

"How does Rell provide communication? Does she talk?"

"No, no," Nyzekka giggled as she shook her head. "Rell carries messages. Scrolls made of bark or stone."

"Oh, much like a messenger pigeon back home."

"A what?"

"Sorry," Crystal chuckled softly. "A pigeon is a small bird from back home. Some are trained to be messengers, though I think that has declined in recent decades."

"Why exactly would it decline? Where exactly are you from?" Nyzekka asked. She moved around Than's back and over Crystal's leg to sit in front of and facing Crystal. "Kaji had mentioned yesterday that chocolate comes from your home. What is that?"

"Okay, I guess that's fair that you’d have questions for me, too." Crystal thought for a moment. "How do I put this?" She closed her eyes. Explaining a whole different world posed all sorts of problems. Crystal could recall all sorts of science fiction shows that stressed the importance of not introducing advanced technologies to alien civilizations before they were ready. Did that same logic apply here?

[The logic is sound. Technologies introduced before a society is ready to receive them could lead to dire consequences. The Radix Fluxus highly advises not to push too much.]

Radix Fluxus? What's that? Crystal thought.

[User's current knowledge level of Muragu has not reached an adequate threshold for explanations of the Radix Fluxus.]

Great…another thing Verda mentions, but doesn't explain. Crystal took in a deep breath before opening her eyes. She looked at Nyzekka. "I'm not entirely sure what Kaji told you, but I'm sure you and Ssyn could tell that I'm not from Muragu." Nyzekka nodded her head in agreement. "I lived in a very different world until about four days ago. I'm not sure how I got here, but here I am. Anyways, that world was very interconnected. We developed technologies that would very much seem like magic to you, that allow us to communicate instantly. Those technologies made messenger pigeons unnecessary as many of those technologies are cheaper to obtain than it is to maintain a bird's livelihood and training."

"Intriguing….Krenka actually have tales of magical instant communication. If it is possible in Muragu, it's been lost to the ancestors. Only the Radix remembers now," Nyzekka stated, twisting her whiskers as she spoke. "And this chocolate? What is it?"

Crystal chuckled. "I actually think we might be able to find Muragu equivalent ingredients to make chocolate here. It's a sweet from my world. The nice part about it is that it is a versatile sweet. There's a pretty famous pastry artist back home that does a lot of sculpture work with just chocolate." Crystal quickly checked her inventory for her current stash of chocolate.

[Chocolate Holdings: 2 chocolate bars (Standard), 37 chocolate chips (Fractional)]

"It looks like I might have enough for you and Ssyn to sample some and still have enough to bribe Kaji when needed." Both Crystal and Nyzekka chuckled at that statement. "We were really close to finding the main ingredient. My world calls it cocoa. I'm not sure what it's called here, and Spohr and Kaji didn’t seem to have a name for it either. The grove it grew in was in Crocan territory though. No offense to Ssyn, but we weren't going to risk our lives just to get a few pods."

Nyzekka nodded her head. "That is wise. Not that it would have helped at the time, but I doubt that was mine and Ssyn's tribe. We had just finished up an envoy mission when we met you. Our tribe is still a week's trek away, and I doubt it was a tribe we are on friendly terms with." Crystal gave a shrug, indicating she had figured as much. "However, since many Crocan tribes have territories with similar foliage and typography, we should be able to assist in finding this cocoa you speak of."

"That's great!" Crystal smiled. "Once we figure out this magic situation, we can start working on finding the ingredients for chocolate."

A moment of silence hung in the air between the two. Crystal nervously braided strands of her hair for a moment before steeling her resolve. "I hope I don't offend Ssyn with my next question, but I want to make sure I understand. Kaji made it sound like Krenka are slaves to Crocans. Is that accurate, or is that Simari assumption?" Crystal asked, keeping her voice low enough that it wouldn't carry to Ssyn ahead of them.

Nyzekka's whiskers twitched, and she let out a soft snort that might have been amusement.

"That's a very Simari view of things," she replied, her small clawed hand adjusting a strap on Tharn's harness. "We are not slaves. The relationship between Krenka and Crocans is... symbiotic. Mutually beneficial."

She paused, considering her words carefully. "Outsiders often misunderstand because they see our size difference and assume domination. They see me cleaning Ssyn's scales or fetching something for her and think 'servant.' What they don't see is everything we gain in return."

Crystal nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"Crocans provide us with physical protection and territorial safety. Their villages are secure against predators that would happily make a meal of a lone Krenka. We have access to resources we couldn't otherwise obtain. But more importantly," Nyzekka's voice softened, "we're considered honor-bound partners. Many Crocans, like Ssyn, view their bonded Krenka as full family."

She gestured toward Ssyn, who was clearing a path ahead with efficient sweeps of her powerful tail.

"Ssyn calls me 'nest-kin'—sister, essentially. I'm ceremonially adopted through shared Radix-oaths. It's a sacred bond, not a master-servant relationship."

Crystal considered this. "And what do the Crocans get from the arrangement?"

Nyzekka's whiskers twitched with what seemed like pride. "We're excellent guides through marshland fog or toxic thickets. Our vibrissae," she touched her whiskers, "can sense changes in the environment that even Crocans miss. We're early-warning scouts—I can detect predators or magical anomalies before they reach the tribe."

She continued, warming to the topic. "We collect rare mushrooms, bugs, and alchemical mosses that Crocans often overlook. We serve as interpreters when dealing with outsiders or navigating System interactions, which most Crocans find awkward."

Crystal nodded thoughtfully. "So you complement each other's strengths and weaknesses."

"Exactly." Nyzekka looked pleased. "And yes, I clean her scales—especially in hard-to-reach spots. It's not servitude; it's sacred trust. I've seen her most vulnerable places, and she trusts me to care for them."

Ahead of them, Ssyn's head turned slightly, as if she were listening to their conversation despite the distance.

"The bond goes deeper than most outsiders understand," Nyzekka added quietly. "When Ssyn and I met, we were both young and lost in different ways. The bond saved us both."

Crystal absorbed this information, watching as Ssyn effortlessly lifted a fallen branch from their path.

"Thank you for explaining," she said finally. "I'd rather understand than make assumptions."

Nyzekka's eyes crinkled with what appeared to be a smile. "That will help many gain respect for you. Seeking understanding rather than judging is an honorable trait. I know Ssyn will see it that way, even if you are incredibly stubborn."

Crystal felt a surprising warmth at that. "So the Radix Vow she made—that's serious business, I take it?"

"Very." Nyzekka's expression grew solemn. "A Crocan never breaks a Radix Vow. To do so is not only dishonorable—it invites public death or exile. Ssyn would kill even kin if a Radix Vow was challenged."

Crystal swallowed hard. "That's... intense."

"Crocans don't make promises lightly," Nyzekka replied. "When Ssyn vowed loyalty to you, she meant it with every scale of her being. You saved her life, and now that life belongs partly to you. It's not servitude—it's sacred honor."

Crystal glanced ahead at Ssyn's powerful form, seeing her in a new light. Not just a fearsome warrior, but someone bound by deep cultural codes and traditions.

"I'll try to honor that commitment," Crystal said softly.

Nyzekka nodded approvingly. "That's all anyone can ask."

Crystal's gaze drifted to the jungle canopy, watching shafts of sunlight pierce through the dense foliage. The steady rhythm of Tharn's movement beneath her had become almost hypnotic.

"There's something else I've been wondering about," she said, turning back to Nyzekka. "I keep hearing references to something called the Radix Fluxus. Ssyn and you have mentioned it as the Radix, and now even my system interface brought it up. What exactly is it?"

Nyzekka's whiskers twitched thoughtfully. She twisted them between her clawed fingers—a habit Crystal had noticed indicated deep contemplation.

"The Radix Fluxus," Nyzekka said slowly, as if tasting the words. "We often simply call it the Radix or the Rootflow. It's... difficult to explain properly."

She gazed out at the jungle surrounding them, her blue eyes reflecting the dappled light.

"It's the magic of this world—but not just magic as outsiders think of it. It's an invisible current of energy that flows through everything." She gestured broadly. "Through the plants, the fungi, the animals. Through rivers and stone. Even through decay and rebirth."

Crystal nodded, trying to grasp the concept. "Like a life force?"

"More than life alone," Nyzekka corrected. "It carries memory—the memory of the land. Ancient ley-lines, spirit echoes, forgotten imprints of souls. And it connects to the will and emotion of sentient beings—our loyalty, our shared purpose, our vows."

She touched a small carved bone hanging from her neck.

"Every spell, enchantment, or magical effect draws from this living circuit. The Verdant Path—the system interface—interprets and shapes your relationship to this flow."

Crystal thought about the white energy that had flowed from her hands when she'd found Cottonmoss, and again when she'd fought to save Ssyn.

"So when I used magic..."

"You were channeling the Radix Fluxus, yes." Nyzekka nodded. "Though from what Ssyn described of your battle, you did so in a way that's... unusual."

Crystal frowned. "Unusual how?"

Nyzekka's whiskers drooped slightly. "I wish I could tell you more, but much of our knowledge about the Radix has been lost. The Crocans once had a deeper understanding, passed down through shamanic traditions, but over generations..." She sighed. "Wars, displacement, the fading of old ways—much has been forgotten."

"That's why we're going to see Yaghan-Ko?"

"Yes. The Loxari have preserved more knowledge than most." Nyzekka's expression brightened. "They're the keepers of stone memory. Their tusks can read impressions left in rock from thousands of years ago. And Yaghan-Ko is special even among his kind—a true seer."

Crystal glanced ahead to where Ssyn was clearing a path, her powerful tail sweeping aside undergrowth.

"So he might understand what happened with my magic?"

"If anyone can, it would be him." Nyzekka nodded firmly. "The Loxari remember what others have forgotten. They commune with the deepest currents of the Radix Fluxus. Their geomancy—earth magic—is said to draw from the oldest memories of the world itself."

Crystal absorbed this, watching a colorful bird flit between branches overhead.

"It sounds almost spiritual," she observed.

"It is," Nyzekka agreed. "But also deeply practical. The Radix Fluxus isn't just belief—it's the foundation of how magic functions in Muragu. Understanding it better will help you understand your own abilities."

She looked at Crystal with newfound curiosity. "And perhaps help us understand why you were brought here in the first place."

Crystal met her gaze, feeling the weight of that question. Why had she been transported to this world? Was it random chance, or something more purposeful?

"I guess we'll find out when we meet Yaghan-Ko," she said quietly. Nyzekka only nodded.