Fantasy The Visitor to Sarcago (GodlyDnD and CoolRoleplayer)

Ventemal said first, "So you would not say you have come from the realm of the fairies. Right? I get it... There must be other realms, just like there is the other realm beyond this reality where fairies come here from at times!" He thought, and then said, "In homes everyone who is growing up and all through their adulthood will wash dishes, many times. It is work for some people in businesses where food is served to others who are their customers. But it is a luxury that most will not go to so much, there are just a few of such businesses. There are farmers and there are builders of structures and there are craftsmen. I think you could come to more promising occupation, though it may be well off, you are yet a child but I know you would learn quickly. If you would teach, there isn't anything more needed than what is available to people here to learn for being farmers or builders or craftsmen. What more might you teach anyone? The ruling man Groudar didn't need to learn anything besides what is available, nor would any need more to come to the high council, other than social skills people generally should learn."

Ventemal still looked at Colin across the table from him, to watch for any reactions and see that Colin was understanding him. "You see, leading is doing things that gain you the respect of others. They will be more inclined to defer to what you say. You then lead with that. But it will not involve making any others do what they do not want to do. If you were owner of a business and had workers you pay, you might tell to do things they would not want to do, but they will do those things while you pay them, if it is enough for them. Would you rather have a position like that, rather than be a leader? It will be for what you can do when you have grown more, I can think of a few things for which such leaders will be wanted."

Ventemal had taken his time, but he finished up with what he had brought to eat there.

Colin chuckled a little bit when 'fairies' were mentioned. Did the boy look like a fairy?! Maybe it was the white clothes?
"No.. I don't come from the realm of fairies." He smiled a little bit. Ventemal, though, was speaking with such a certainty, as if fairies were real. Well, maybe they were, but then, maybe it wouldn't be like the fairies Colin was imagining.

Then Ventemal went on about the things Colin could teach. Really? He could teach tons of things!
"I can.. teach math. Science. Technology. How the world works. How the economy works. How to build machines. How to free yourselves from working monotonous boring tasks." He shrugged a little bit.. the boy was out of examples, but if he could, he would have given more! He didn't know much, among his favorite things to study, were math and physics. However, any information he needed, were in the ship's database and computer systems, and, he was sure there could be plenty of beneficial things that could improve their society. What was the point of that conversation?!

As for the two choices Ventemal gave him, his answer was obvious! Clear! He didn't need to think on that one!
"Yes. I'd prefer to be a position like that! Paying them! That way, they do whatever I want, and no questions asked." Isn't that much simpler. Why to bother wasting time explaining something to people, just to have them agree with you?
"And then, after they see the results, of, a good administration, or good knowledge, they can have respect or inclined to defer with what I say! Or not. Either way, things would get done without discussions or fights." He didn't like those. Explaining ideas to people who didn't want to hear, or who have a different point of view, or who were downright wrong but were unable to see it, for some reason, was really frustrating, and he didn't like. Besides, a much truer reason: were he came from, he was often denied having his wishes fulfilled: perhaps a given food that he was in the mood in a given day, or playing a given game, or going to certain places, whatever, and, if he had the chance, he'd pick doing whatever he wanted, without anyone nagging about it, without having to worry about what people think, or about having people's respect.

He just relaxed in his chair, having finished eating, and wondered why Ventemal was talking about these things with him. For when he grows up?
"Why are you so worried, right now, about when I grow up? That's going to take so looooong!" He spoke out, chuckling a little bit.
"Unless you're talking about this because you want me to take over this village!" He joked, chuckling a little it.... could he do that? ... Yes.
"Wait... do you?" There was a pause, and then he looked at the man. It wasn't the first time he was asked to do something like that.. And yes, besides that, he was asked to do many more things. Maybe he shouldn't have asked that.. He didn't realize, but, asking questions could as easily reveal information as just downright speaking or making statements. He didn't want to let them know about his abilities, but that question revealed more than it should.

Ventemal listened, but it went beyond what made sense to him. Colin said he could teach, and it would be for others to learn mathematics, and sciences. And what did that have to do with technology? Farmers, and builders, and craftsmen, and merchants, and guards, learned their professions, they had technology for themselves, but how much could be useful of any more mathematics being learned, or what was science to any profession? But how presumptuous, that he could teach any of all the people here! The world was understood pretty well by all, anyway.

Ventemal still listened on, until the words just came out of him, "Listen. What we actually do not understand is what should be known about the great forest, and how we could ever move through it anywhere, anymore. Yet, you did it. You have knowledge we do not, that is clear. The clearest way you can be of any great help around here is going back through it again, some distance, with the ways you defend yourself, moving anything you need to with your mind, and taking others along who you would lead. There must be things to learn that would be, that way."

Ventemal paused, and then said further, "But still, you need to grow up some, and you would become ready for that, with learning some more things yourself still."

Ventemal was exactly proving his point. Convincing others about things that were obviously truth was exhausting, it was just easier to tell them what to do: no respect, no questioning, just, 'yes sir'. How could someone think they understand the inner-workings of the world, when they don't even have electricity?! He could feel how Ventemal considered what Colin had just spoke of, as nonsense, even if Ventemal said no word. It was just how the man was eager to speak. And how he spoke that the only thing they didn't understand was a forest, that meant, everything else was understood. Whatever. It really didn't matter, in the end, and they could have their own opinion about things, even if it wasn't true.
"Really? You think all you don't understand is a forest?" They needed to look at nature a little more...

Even more interesting, is what they wanted him to do, or, rather, what Ventemal wanted him to do. To go back? And actually lead people? To a forest? Were they serious?
"You want me.... to go to the forest... with people coming with me?" That took him of guard.
"Why? What for? What's so important there?" What was in the forest, that they seek to find, or that they didn't understand? What was exactly the goal? To learn how to travel in the forest? All he did was to walk.. and to shoo a few of the animals along the way.. true.. some were big.

And that was not all! The most surprising bit of it...
"And you want me.. to lead people?" That.. was mind-blowing. That was a first. No one ever asked him to do that!
"Fine. But they gotta do what I tell, when I tell!" That was not really needed, if it was simply going to be a trip across a forest.... .. still. He was curious to see what Ventemal would agree to it, or what he was going to say. Would the man really agree to it? Would he? No, right? Or would he?

Ventemal said, "Well, I can move things from the table, to where I can have them rinsed and cleaned off. Then we can discuss this still here, at this table, or sit in the front room for that if you would rather move. Then we might talk further about leading." Ventemal then was up moving the platters and the vessels to the other side, where there was a basin and a stream of water running into it from an open pipe above it, a pipe that came from the same direction where the other one was which Colin knew about.

Ventemal still said when he reached the basin, "You do understand hopefully that this involves me helping with you learning, and it will take a long time for you to be ready to lead others, in this or any other activity?"

So, Ventemal wanted to continue the conversation..... later? Okay. Whatever.
He watched as the man began moving up the platters to the other side, towards a stream of running water, so they could be washed out.

He sighed a little bit, at what the man said later. Clearly the boy didn't like what Ventemal had said this time.
"What do you want me to learn?" It would probably be something useless, for sure. If it were mathematics, or something fun, or something he enjoyed, then, sure. But. It wasn't going to be, was it? He was imagining they were going to teach him some kind of monotonous boring task.
"What if I don't want to learn what you want to teach?" Would they make him learn anyway? Or not? He wondered.

Ventemal turned then toward the boy, and said, "If I might teach you any of the mathematics used among us, I would, you might like that. But something from your communication to me suggests you know mathematics already that you could be teaching. So I might not be able to, with you knowing more of it already. So I might not teach you anything if you do not want to learn anything from me. But yet I think you know I do things to be helpful. To help you further here in this place not yet so familiar to you, I would need to teach you, and it would be in your own interest to learn, especially if what I help you learn would further your future here for the better. You might consider that carefully, I want to work with you. I was just speaking visions I have of what might be possible. But there might be anything else if you set your eyes on worthwhile things you would pursue here."

Ventemal then started putting the cleaned ware in the nearby storage places for them, before turning to Colin again to hear what Colin would tell him.

But it was then that a knock at the front door was heard. Ventemal would have to wait for the opportunity to hear what Colin would answer. He saw that concerned look on the boy's face. Ventemal said then, "It must be the neighbor living right by us who I befriended, Aeherdiens. I had told him that he might come talk with me further the next day, if he saw he had the chance. He saw something strange that maybe you should hear about, it may be of interest to you."

Ventemal left that room, and went into the front room. He opened the door, and seeing who was there, he said suddenly, "Pildetar! It is so early and it's just the next day. Must you be here already instead of giving more time to learn things?"

The boy sighed a little bit. The man kind of had a point, considering the boy knew very little about the place he was. Did it matter? He wanted it not to matter, he wanted to shrug it off and forget about this, but he was unsure if it was a good idea. Information about that place in general, could be useful. He kept watching at the man as the plates were cleaned, and, he had no idea what to say next.

When Ventemal looked at him, the boy was silent. They might have shared a few seconds of staring each other.
Saved by the knock at the front door! The boy glanced quickly at the door, wondering who it was, and then Ventemal would say it was simply a neighbor.. with a strange name.
"What did he see?" The boy asked, unsure what the conversation would lead them this time, but he was curious as usual.

As Ventemal left the room, Colin followed him, behind, not really wanting to be on the way, and he didn't keep himself close to Ventemal, instead, just enough so he wouldn't loose his sights on the man. He witnessed the door being opened and them greeting each other. He then simply walked towards the center of the front room, just waiting, and watching these two talk, and listening, of course.

Pildetar spoke in response, and Colin suddenly recognized who it was, having heard him just the other day. Another guard of Sarcago was standing out there right by him. "There has been all yesterday into the evening that any one thing might have been learned. Certainly there should be much more learned, that you would get to with more time, but I should have some one thing at least learned, for now, that I can say to the chief I answer to, that you can get more time for getting anything further. So tell me what you got."

Ventemal stared for a moment. Then he said, "I learned the boy that came is named Colin, and that he is cultured. He came from somewhere where those there are cultured. It is not Frenillo though. There is somewhere else and I am yet to work on where that is, though we in Sarcago do not know there was somewhere else with any but those strange beings in places in the wilderness. He came along the road that has no longer been used for a long time, a great long way, and he has a way that I would learn more about to scare off any creatures that were approaching. That is what I can tell you now. This will need more time, much more time."

Pildetar looked at Ventemal, and then turned to exchange glances with the other guard. He said to Ventemal, "There will really have to be a lot more."

Ventemal said then, "If you give me a lot more time than this was, I will surely have much more information that I can get from this. I think you would want that."

Pildetar considered, and he said, "Very well. We will leave you both together, for that, for a longer time, at least a couple of days anyway. Keep learning more, there will be things we need to find out."

Ventemal gave them a little more than a moment to say more. He then nodded and shut the door with no hurry. He turned, and saw Colin in this room at the front. He said, "I did my best, for you to not have any worry about this. I can continue, that you would still stay here, where we work things out together."

He went on, "They will only know what we would willingly let them know. If you have things for me to keep confidential between both of us, I will. I had to explain that you came here to Sarcago and how the beasts known to be out there were not any problem to you. I still said nothing about the power you showed me can move things without using any of your body, for that. They will never know that while you do not want them to. Can we go on? I think you might have been about to say something in answer to me."

Ventemal sat down on one of those low cushioned seats there in that front room, not really so primitive apparently, as if ready to collapse in it, and he sighed.

"Colin," he said, "This is one good reason why it would be really desirable for you to be learning to be a leader. If you do not, I see them still going after you for a long long time still trying to get ever more information from you, they sense that there is a lot that they do not know and through you they could have answers that were missing. But if they know you are becoming a leader, they would know good reason themselves to hold back."

Ventemal considered, what if Colin could be brought to where Ventemal knew good leadership was in practice. He knew several individuals at work in the community with teams they were leading, and doing well in that. For some reason, seemingly Colin had not seen any showing good leadership before, as he responded like he had no concept of that. Yet Ventemal could tell Colin had good qualities in his character that could be developed for being a good leader. Yet Ventemal knew, if he could have Colin go in that direction with Ventemal's help, Colin could be much more in leading than at work with a team. Colin still would need a vision, himself, for a desire to go in a direction that would have him come to any leadership.

But just then, before any response, there was another knock at the door. Ventemal said quickly, "It would not be Pildetar and the other with him back already. They know they have to wait now for anything at all further." He still hesitated, and went to the door. Opening it, he saw it was the one who came the previous day. "Aeherdiens, it is yet early. But come in. You can speak about what you need to now. But just know that if the boy with me, Colin, needs to talk with me right away, I will interrupt you and go to the other room with him for that, and you would have to wait. Come on in. Alright, what is it you do need to still say?"

"I have come for help from you since I was a boy. You are the best person I can still come to talk to. That guy who is a bully still has not returned. If that giant after him did not get him, he might still, though."

Ventemal said, "Aeherdiens, the giants live in isolated spots pretty far into the wilderness. One would not just enter Sarcago to go after any one person. It might only happen if one, such as that one, went out from this city and found a giant and did anything to provoke that one. And then if that happened they would really have to run very fast to get so far from there. Do you know anything about that?"

"I know he was often with others in that area near here, where my home would have been seen. And I could see they were daring each other to do little stunts. Maybe there was such a dare as that. He came along the way you came with the boy, running then, with that giant soon coming behind him."

Aeherdiens said, "I waited but do need to talk to you about this, as you told me I might today."

Ventemal concluded from what I had gathered by listening well, "I came back here late yesterday afternoon, and brought this boy that was found into my home, and right after that you saw the giant who was running after that man who was as you say being a bully, who you had to avoid, but that one was ahead and you didn't see the giant catch him. And then you did not see that giant again. And the man who was being a bully has not returned to where he was hanging out, somewhere near to your home. Is that right? I might find some others who saw a giant running that same way along which we had just come. We were noticed."

"Yes, I think there must be some others who saw it. That man who ran from the giant knew that giant was there, though I don't know what happened to that man. I don't know where the giant went after that either. You should ask about it. Someone else would have seen. If the giant is around something must be done."

Ventemal said, "I could ask neighbors and get some information on it. As it was along the same way, I think the boy I am doing what I can to help would likely know some things about giants along the way."

Aeherdiens said, "Then just ask him."

Ventemal answered, "I could. But he is quite shy especially with strangers. I have work to have him trust me. I won't get answers from him just now while you are still here."

"So, you think I should leave again already?"

"Maybe, unless you have another important thing to say to me."