Chapter 30: The Idle Botanist

Subject: Caim Location: Maliscade - Protoflora: Envisioned Ecosystems (Gate District)

“What is a flourishflora?” Caim blurted out randomly, seeing many of the labels placed before the plants around him using the word.

Gwen darted forward and tugged on the sleeve of his cloak.

“Caim, you silly seeker, we need to work on how you phrase your questions,” she jabbed. “What he means to ask is: ‘would you be willing to summarize what flourishflora are to you, and why you’ve chosen this path?’”

Was she trying to criticize his asking questions? Or, was it his manners?

Novette’s blank expression resolved to a friendly smile. She nodded. Gwen let go of Caim and hastily stepped away, crossing her thumb over her pointer finger and nodding, satisfied.

The shopkeeper launched into a passionate description of the curious plant, Caim found himself increasingly interested in the subject.

Just how could a plant seemingly defy known physics and generate more than it took in? Why was he only just hearing about this now?!

Periodically, Novette fielded Caim’s questions, energized by his interest in her passion. He absorbed what he could, even if the premise seemed entirely too fantastical.

Novette described the “protoflora genesis” theory that all complex life on the planet was spawned from a single species. Not descended evolutionarily, though a great many flourishflora variants were related. However, other species couldn’t have developed without the ecological linchpin that was the flourishflora.

So important were these plants that entire ecologies thrived or transformed depending on flourishflora health and variety. Many flourishflora would produce blossoms, like those sold in this shop.

When Novette was finally finished, Caim had a risky-but-burning question.

It was much safer than his first choice: ‘how does The Covenant of Shade work into this understanding of the world?’

“Why isn’t flourishflora research more mainstream? Or, have I just not noticed its influence?”

Caim added the second question to cover for his general ignorance.

“There are major labs here and there, but they aren’t as well funded as those studying Blight materials. Blight matter valued more,” Novette explained, wistfully staring off into space.

“Do flourishflora grow in festerfonts?” Gwen asked out of the blue.

Novette paused to consider the question before answering.

“No, now that I think about it… I don’t think they do. I wonder...”

Gwen seemed more interested in the direction the conversation was taking, now. Rather than stowing her harvest tool in her backpack, she had decided to secure it in what looked like a waterproof cloth case. Now, her hand slid down to rest atop the tool within, pensively feeling the weight of her treasured possession.

“Could it be that only researchers specialized in the Blight study the ecology of festerfonts? And blightbeasts aren’t alive, right? I think?”

“Yes, that must be it! I believe I heard during my schooling that many organisms die off, become replaced, and so on, once land has been tainted. Flourishflora have always been the sustaining factor in ecologies, but some other mechanism could be replacing their role in maintaining the newly configured biophysical environment.”

Caim was paying attention when Gwen cast a confused glance his way. Novette had hopelessly lost her. It wasn’t as if Caim had a full grasp of what Novette was saying, but the concepts weren’t all that foreign.

“Basically, a specialist like you wouldn’t be there in the first place, and the specialists that have that domain have other concerns?” Caim summarized.

Gwen seemed satisfied with the simplified summary. Now, her attention was drawn away, and she was looking around at the store’s offerings. The merchant didn’t seem interested in the flowers themselves, so much as she was concerned with what Novette was charging for them.

“Are you interested in a decorative plant? So long as it isn’t one of my more expensive products, you can take one for free.”

Gwen rubbed her temples out of frustration. She was caught between gratefulness to this selfless merchant and outright rejection of her business acumen.

“May I instead look at your catalog? Do you have one? I understand keeping a record of changing stock can be difficult and expensive. I would understand you only have it in your head.”

“Indeed, I do. Oh, right, you’re a merchant too! I also keep paper records of sales and other notable changes. I think that need is a holdover from schooling. Would you perhaps want to look at it?”

Even more vibrantly than they had on the road when Caim offered his support, Gwen’s eyes gleamed with passionate desire.

Novette left and returned with a neat binder, full of black pages covered in neat blue scrawl. As if possessed, Gwen took the binder and walked over to a corner of the store. She plopped down and began to voraciously devour every word.

While his new financial advisor was occupied, Caim propositioned the underappreciated researcher with an idea he was formulating.

Subject: Caim Location: Maliscade - Protoflora: Envisioned Ecosystems (Gate District)

“Does anything I’ve said resonate with you?”

Caim asked because he couldn’t read Novette’s dazed look. Was she confused by his proposal, or did she have a problem with any of the details?

“Aren’t you a seeker? Can a seeker’s secondary job really be so different from what they normally do?”

“I’m an Initiate. Today, I saw that I’ll need to adapt if I’m ever going to have a future. And I’m not suggesting I do any research of my own, and I can’t pay you. But I do have other tools that might help, and more are on their way.”

Caim didn’t fully know what he was saying, but the vague blueprint in his mind was enough to share thoughts about the future. Gwen was so absorbed in her binder that she didn’t even hear Caim mention allude to the curious magic he’d shown her on the road.

That was what he was really talking about when he said the word “tool”. Caim wasn’t talking about Scion, though. He wasn’t even referring to Flourish Catalyst, but another variant that he felt would soon be made available.

Having adjusted more to whatever Vera did to him, he saw… potential. It was too difficult to put into clear words.

“I only understand that you are saying you might have a way for me to continue my research,” Novette answered.

There was a faint, hopeful waver in that voice. Novette had said that Flourishflora ‘give more than they take’. In these past moments, Novette had repeated over and over how “content” she was with her present situation.

That may not be a lie, but this very atmosphere reeked of wasted potential. Novette lived in a greenhouse just to be able to afford some progress. What would she be capable of if her passion was nurtured and supported?

Caim’s vision for a “life worth living” had use for just such a person.

“Yes. Gwen is part of that plan too. She has her expertise, and you have yours. I wouldn’t exactly say the same for myself, but I do have information that no one in the city has. It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

Caim wished he could say that this tingling of expectation was him feeling more like himself again. But, in the past, he would have never taken the initiative like this.

Before casting him off, Vera encouraged him to willfully realize his goals. That was what this was. This was a new start.

“I have friends, but I don’t have these... allies, you speak of, when it comes to realizing my dream,” Novette shared.

Caim flashed an excited grin and extended his hand.

“You do now. I can’t give you a timeline, but your role is more long-term. I imagine Gwen is working on the short-term pieces right now. She will help you thrive, doing what you need to do in the moment. Though… I don’t really know what she’ll suggest… Let’s just agree to a foundation pact of goodwill.”

I’m in the thick of it now.

Looking uncertain, Novette reached out and took Caim’s hand. He gripped firmly and initiated the handshake. His future business partner watched on, perplexed.

“That was a… I think I remember hearing about that custom from a classmate. She was a historian, studying the Orchestrators. I can’t remember anything about the named pacts, though, or are you using a cultural adaptation of an Orchestrator practice?”

“I…”

“Where in Shroud did you say you were from?” Novette asked.

Subject: Caim Location: Maliscade - Protoflora: Envisioned Ecosystems (Gate District)

In an instant, Gwen was on her feet and by Caim’s side. Before she could interfere, Caim answered Novette’s question with a prepared lie.

“I’m from a village in Western Shroud, and I know many greetings, but not their origins. What do you know about the Orchestrators? Have you ever seen one?”

Gwen murmured in protest, but he didn’t relent. He needed to know.

“Have I ever seen an Orchestrator? Are you referring to artistic depictions? Or supposed Orchestrator ruins? In either case, I’m afraid I have not. Only citizens who have proven their faith are allowed to study heretical culture. It isn’t for me.”

“Orchestrator culture is heresy?” Caim asked before he could stop himself.

Gwen stepped in.

“Yes, they are gods that have blessed past civilizations, I think. Even before Shroud was formed? I once heard a story that someone met one in the darksprawl, but I don’t remember anything except that there was supposedly a community of cartemi that… couldn’t die...” Gwen answered, uncertain of the details, just as Novette was.

“Shaden don’t believe in those gods,” Novette added. “I remember a story about an orchestrator that watched over an island full of magical plants. They grew with a strange magic that mages could not detect, but could only observe with their eyes. Then, Goddess Prane cleansed the ‘unnatural thing’,” she somberly concluded. “I guess I mistakenly believed you studied them.”

These fantastical stories sounded familiar somehow. Maybe.

“Yes, I think the custom rubbed off on me when I traveled here in a merchant’s carriage. It’s just as well,” Caim said dismissively. “With just the two of us and a long journey ahead, we talked to pass the time.”

The lies were accumulating. Caim would need to keep all of this straight, somehow.

“You traveled here with only a single companion?” Novette asked.

“Yeah, but I didn’t know him before the trip.”

“Are you that powerful? Or were you too poor to afford to join a mass migration convoy?”

Gwen looked stunned. Were the roads really that dangerous? Caim had never even seen a dangerous wild animal around Maliscade.

They were straying into dangerous territory, so he had no intention of continuing the conversation, but it sounded like he’d met one of these so-called “Orchestrators” once before.

“What’s wrong? Did I upset you?” Novette asked.

“Nothing, I just remembered the boredom of travel,” Caim jokingly deflected.

“The boredom of travel…” Novette mumbled, with only a hint of casual curiosity in her tone.

One thought led to another, and Caim was thinking about his forced journey here. Gwen looked back down at the sales ledger under her arm. She began to flip through its pages once more.

“You still look unhappy. You made me happy when you suggested a way for me to continue my research in the future,” Novette confessed. “That feeling was more than I could have asked for, even if it's a small chance.

Gwen closed the book again, her curiosity piqued, and tried to follow along.

“I was just reminded of a person who had a knack for lying with her eyes,” Caim grumbled. “Now, I have a bitter taste in my mouth. Gwen,” he called.

“Yes?”

“I don’t want to make my new friend uncomfortable. You could help out. After reading those records, do you have any useful advice for Novette?”

Novette didn’t look all that uncomfortable. Confused, but not uncomfortably so. Regardless, Caim wanted to move on as quickly as possible. He didn’t want to lose this confidence until the groundwork had safely been laid down.

“I do have some casual advice I could give if neither of you minded it.”

“Please, go right ahead,” Novette consented.