Nascha rushed through the rain-drenched forest, desperately clinging to whatever food she could quickly scavenge. Even her womanly strength began to fail her due to malnutrition, and even the leaves and twigs beneath her giant feet challenged her progress. Even the sky conspired against her, washing away her tracks and obscuring her sight. She was able to search elsewhere, when she felt her eyes drawn towards a strange mound of mud and moss, significantly larger than the small helper bijjiorks. It guided her back to her precious Niyol, who was more strongly influenced by the pains of hunger, laid near deed against the back of a tree. He meekly said, “Nascha” he said, pausing to see the food she was offering him, “You should eat. You could return to your tribe, convince them that you were taken by momentary madness.” Nascha rested herself against a tree adjacent to him, placing the food between them. “No, you should eat. If it was for you, I could wait many sun-rises to eat again. As many as it would take.” Giving a weak smile, “You are an unreasonable woman. We should at least share the food together.” he replied. “You are an unreasonable man. We both know that this would hardly be enough for either of us as it is.” she retorted. There was a pause between them, as Nascha allowed herself to slide down to the ground and lay down. Drowsiness began to overtake both of their stubbornness. Niyol stated, “I am going to rest. Please if you can not eat while I watch, then eat while I sleep and leave. I will be happy with your thoughtfulness alone.” Nascha stared at the food, but eventually surrendered herself to the need of sleep. The constant drip of water through the leaves was making it more difficult. When she stirred, the water no longer reached her and yet she could still hear its rhythmic striking against the ground. Her eyes shot skyward, and suddenly she was sleeping beneath a great canopy. Looking around, the two trees that the pair were sleeping against had grown massive. The branches between the two trees had woven themselves together as if designed to protect them against the storm, and the roots had entwined in a ring around them. She then noticed the strange mud mound had moved closer. She kicked Niyol to wake him, while she brushed the sleep from her eyes. On closer inspection, he looked vaguely like a tiny childan wrapped and covered in mud, almost like a youngling but not quite. Niyol startled up, quickly meeting her gaze and following it to the stranger, he panickedly asked, “Who are you.” He responded, “I wish that you would eat first.” he said, gesturing toward their pile of food. He didn’t sound like a youngling. Nascha replied, “I won’t eat until there is enough for Niyol first.”, however Niyol didn’t reply. She looked at him, and he had a shocked expression. She looked at the food supply herself, and suddenly it was a large pile of fruit. It appeared as though there was more than enough for the both of them. She hesitantly picked one up and handed it to Niyol, before grabbing one for herself. “How do we know they won’t make us sick and weak.” she said, a moment of silence met her as she realized that was already there current state. The two ate together, and only after their stomachs no longer were in pain did Nascha ask, “But why did you help us? We broke the rule.” The muddy entity answered, [color=C59401]“It saddens me to see that you are bound to such entropic law. I helped because you have my gratitude.” [/color] Niyol asked, “But what will become of us now?” [color=C59401]“The fruits of this tree are rightfully yours. If you stay here, food will be plentiful. I shall not dictate how you should live, except that you met the obligation that you share.”[/color] the entity replied. Nascha repeated, “The obligation that we share?” [color=C59401]“I apologize. I did not realize that you were unaware.”[/color] he said, pointing to her stomach, [color=C59401]“It is a burdensome, but joyous obligation.”[/color] Nascha and Niyol exchanged glances. When they went to question the spirit further, it had already vanished. [hider= Story] Nascha and Niyol are two Childan who eloped together. Separated from their tribes, they have started to starve. Nascha gathered what food she could, but with it not being enough for the both of them, they both refused to eat. They fell asleep against the backs of trees, and when they woke up, those two trees had grown in size and their roots and branches had been entwined together. Arvum stood in front of them, appearing as a small vaguely human shape covered in mud. Suddenly, their small food supply became a pile of fruit with plenty for both of them. He vaguely explains that he is grateful to them, and says the two trees will be plenty to provide for them, but he won’t force them to do anything but met the obligation that they share. It is revealed that the obligation is that Nascha is pregnant. Then Arvum vanishes. [/hider] [hider=Vigor] Arvum Starting Vigor: 3 No Vigor spent. Discounted with Cultivation to create two big, interlocked fruit trees that provide plentiful food all year around. [/hider]