Ivory waited outside the Seashell Grotto for Fran to feed and prepare her horses for their journey back to Calanfer. He rubbed at his eyes and gave a great yawn—despite falling asleep almost instantly, and having a good eight or so, he felt exhausted still. He attributed that to the frankly dramatic way in which he was woken up: Ivory had expected some kind of magical alarm, light or something that befitted a world with magic. No—it was a young woman coming into his room to gently shake Ivory awake and tell him to get up, coming back in every few minutes to check whether he was actually doing as he was told. No need to invent the wheel, Ivory had thought. This worked perfectly fine indeed.

“Alright. It was fun, but we’re off. I wish you luck in Drath. Say goodbye to Ivory, ladies.” Danger and Sooky turned to Ivory and gave a not unfriendly huff. Ivory felt nice and warm at the acknowledgement of those crazy horses, when he realised what she actually said.

“Oh,” he said, sounding a bit dejected. “I thought you’d see me off?”

Fran raised her brow and then looked around. “What do you think this is? I’m seeing you off now,” she paused, and then shook her head. “I see. No, the girls hate fish. You’re a big boy—use some of that [Light] you kept going on about to help make your way back there.”

Yes, that did make sense. “That was pretty rude actually, sorry Fran. Thanks for staying. Have a safe trip back.” Fran merely laughed and gave a thumbs up as she climbed into her coach and set off without a moment’s notice. Ivory wondered how she’d manage to see in the dark; she didn’t exactly have headlights. He knew she’d manage, but the thought of Sooky’s eyes bursting with light to show the way was a thought he struggled not to laugh at.

“[Light],” Ivory mumbled, and a small star of light appeared in front of him and wafted ahead. “Oh,” he thought, “that actually worked. Cool.” Thinking outside the box, Ivory imaged, was a [Sorcerer]’s bread and butter.

Ivory remembered the way back to the merchant pier, and was not surprised to see that the various [Fishermen] were already reeling in their catches, and [Fishmongers] preparing for the day in the markets. The way was perfectly illuminated, but he kept his little guiding star nonetheless.

The merchant pier was also lit up, but extravagantly so—it was like he was at a sporting stadium; the artificial light made the sun look like an amateur. It made sense after he thought about it for a few seconds: you’d not want any chance whatsoever of dropping, misplacing or otherwise damaging expensive artefacts and scrolls, especially when transporting them from the water on to land. Ivory guessed this was Wistram’s contribution.

The Drathian ship was all packed up and seemingly ready to set sail. The only indication that they weren’t about to depart right this second was that the ship’s gangplank was down, and Hidenori was casually leaning against the edge of the ship. Their eyes met, and he walked down the gangplank.

“I am glad you made it. We are all ready to depart at a moment’s notice, you need only let me know.” Hidenori gave another gravity defying bow.

“Hey, yeah, I think so? Do I get, like, a cabin? Sorry, I should have actually asked this yesterday.”

“Of course. Our vessel is manned by many novice, ah, [Sailors] who are learning their craft—I make it a point to provide the opportunity—so this vessel has ample cabins. Shall I show you to yours?”

Ivory’s first reaction was to raise an eyebrow, but as soon as it lifted he forced it back into place. Ivory assumed it was just the two of them manning the ship; yes, it was ‘small’ compared to the other trading ships, but it was still a ship. He hadn’t the nautical knowhow to identify and categorise ships, but this ship didn’t exactly look like it could randomly accommodate a random dude in addition to training god knows how many [Sailors].

“Please do!” was all he replied.

Ivory watched Hidenori saunter up the gangplank as if it weren’t a plank of wood, and Ivory followed. It wasn’t actually as scary as he had thought, or maybe the excitement was overruling it. Either way, he made it up safely, and exhaled a sharp breath he didn’t know he was holding as he boarded the deck.

It wasn’t as spacious as he had imagined. He’d never actually been on a ship, and his only frame of reference was Pirates of the Caribbean, and that was a pirate ship— this was a trading vessel. There were some low benches for sitting on, and a few empty crates scattered around; this wasn’t a place designed for loitering while at sea, Ivory figured.

Hidenori opened a sliding door that Ivory did not realise was there and walked inside. It almost seemed obvious that it was there after the fact; it was a dark, lacquered brown that contrasted with the rest of the otherwise white boat.

Ivory followed Hidenori inside and an “oh” escaped his mouth. He was at the mouth of a relatively short hallway, perhaps 10 metres long, with a frankly astounding amount of doorways. Except, they weren’t doorways at all, as there were no doors: each room had intricately designed door curtains that you could just walk through. As Hidenori led Ivory down the hallway, he looked into one and saw that it was no room at all: it was just a low bed running longways. Each ‘room’ he passed housed a sleeping [Sailor].

“Here are your quarters, Ivory. Please join me back on deck so that I may inform you of our journey. You are welcome to keep your Bag of Holding on your person, if you wish.”

Ivory wasn’t sure why he asked, but then realised there must be some kind of Drathian hospitality that he was accidentally breaching—it would surely be rude to imply that he didn’t trust his host with his belongings. It was interesting that he could see it, as well—or not; it wasn't meant to be able to fool everyone.

Ivory took it off and bent down to place it on his pillow. Hidenori smiled gratefully and lead him back through to the deck. As Hidenori slid open the door, he was buffeted by strong, salty air.

“Christ, we’ve already left!” Ivory exclaimed with a startle. Hidenori gave no reply as he sat down in the centre of the deck and motioned for Ivory to sit opposite him likewise. Ivory figured he should be sitting as Hidenori was, on his legs. It was a bit painful, but he managed it.

“It may be presumptuous of me to assume, but you have not taken part in a Drathian tea ceremony.” Hidenori said it as a statement, not a question. Ivory wished he could be technically right and say he had, but he’d never done what he knew was the Japanese equivalent back on Earth. Ivory nodded in response, and saw a [Sailor] bring out a large tray with an array of different items. Ivory only really explicitly recognised the tea pot and bowls. The [Sailor] placed them down, bowed, and walked back from wherever he came from.

“It has been an age since I have been joined from one not of Drath. [船: 茶道].”

At once, Ivory did not feel or smell the salty sea air. Instead, a slightly woody, botanical aura filled the air. It felt serene, like he was experiencing true mindfulness. Ivory had never meditated, but this is what he imagined it felt like to be meditating in some remote monastery in nature.

It was an interesting Skill for a… [Merchant]? [Captain]? He wasn’t sure what his class was, and it was definitely going to be rude to ask. He supposed that meant that some Skills were cultural, or at the very least, you could get Skills that did not ‘fit’ your class. That was good to know.

Hidenori finished preparing the tea mix and placed it in the ornate kettle, which he placed back on the floor.

“Our journey shan’t be too long. I am privileged to be afforded Skills that allow me to bring my ship home to Drath with haste.” Ivory noticed that the kettle was boiling somehow; Hidenori placed a bowl in front of himself and Ivory and poured the tea. It had an earthy aroma; Ivory wasn’t too fond of tea, so he was preparing to put on a brave face.

“Hold the bowl with both hands and sip—it is hot, so be wary. It can be a queer taste for Terandrians; the tea we cultivate exceptionally strong.” Hidenori brought the bowl to his lips and sipped eloquently. Ivory attempted likewise—the bowl wasn’t as hot as he imagined—and took a cautious sip.

A kaleidoscope of flavours and sensations filled him. It tasted wonderful—as if he was drinking the essence of some primordial personification of nature itself. The scene of this… whatever Hidenori had called it, Ivory realised, was incomplete before drinking this tea. The Skill created the feel of that meditative monastery—the tea brought him straight there. It was a euphoric, psychedelic feeling Ivory was experiencing, and he almost thought that he’d been drugged. Hidenori noticed his reaction.

“My Skill recreates an experience of my youth. Lost, and unsure what my future held for me, I pilgrimed deep into the forest of Drath to find something. What I eventually found was a monastery. The [Ascetic] and his [Monks] welcomed me and provided lodging, asking for nothing in return. I had no interest in their lifestyle, but participated nonetheless. I shared meals with their [Monks], ever diligent, and shared with them mundane stories of my inexperienced life. Those whose [Vows] allow it listened.”

Ivory nodded and took another sip of tea.

“After a week, the [Ascetic] invited me to a lavish room, decorated with the very things an [Ascetic] or even a simple [Monk] would eschew. I asked him a simple question: “why?” He smiled—the first time I had seen such a sight in my stay—and explained that his Order had come to live in the monastery thousands of years ago, and their ancestors were appalled at its existence. For a thousand years the room had been uninhabited, yet the splendour of the gold never dulled; the sheen of the gemstones never faded.”

Hidenori took a long sip of his tea.

“I asked again, “why?” and received no response. The [Ascetic] poured me some unappealing, flavourless tea and then asked me: “why, indeed?” It infuriated me. From that moment, when the [Monks] were meditating, I joined them with a purpose. Perhaps meaningfully immersing myself in their lifestyle would reveal the answer to [Ascetic]’s riddle. For a riddle it was. After a week, the [Ascetic] invited me back, poured me some tea, and asked me the question again. I again had no answer, for the countless hours I had thought of it. Perhaps I was doomed to never understand, as I had rejected the class nightly.”

Reject the class? Ivory didn’t miss that part.

“Frustrated, I stormed out—it was an appalling display. I returned to the meditating monks and made a fool of myself, decrying the [Ascetic] and questioning them for following him and allowing such a place to defy their sacred Order’s grounds. I’ll never forget the eyes of the [Monks] who looked at me; the pitying glare of those who had vowed to give up everything, whose commitments to their class strengthened upon seeing one who so embodied everything they abandoned. They did not know the answer either—I had asked them previously. I knew I had not only caused grievous offence, but made a mockery of their hospitality. I knew, then, that I had to leave. As night fell, I gathered what belongings I had and prepared to descend the thousand stairs before me. Before I took the first step, the [Ascetic] called my name—he was right behind me. His gaze was unreadable, which was discerning.”

Ivory was enthralled, and he was brought back to reality Hidenori briefly paused his story to finish his tea.

“He asked me that question again. I did not respond immediately; I feared I would strike the man if I spoke my mind. I glared at his impartial eyes for minutes, unmoving. It was then that I understood, and gave my reply. “One must know that which they forego, to forego.” I ask you, Ivory: what do you make of my answer?”

“So, you are saying that the [Monks] kept the gaudy gold room so they would remember their [Vows], ‘cause it could get to the point that they don’t actually remember what it is that they were removing themselves from?”

“Yes. The [Ascetic] smiled for a second time and led me back inside. We entered the golden room and he tapped one of the opaline statuettes, and one of the back walls opened, leading to a simple garden, overlooking the entirety of the monastery. I knew not how I never noticed it from below; no doubt this was some secret of the former inhabitants of the place. Wordlessly, he sat down and produced a tea set—a Skill, I could only imagine—and poured. The splendour of the previous five minutes was shattered in an instant at the thought of that disgusting tea. I drank, reluctantly. The experience you felt was my own. We wordlessly finished the tea, and he addressed me finally. “Enlightenment comes not from your surroundings, but from yourself.” A simple, yet profound statement. I resolved to leave the monastery the next day; what the [Ascetic] thought I could not say, but I felt it in my soul that I had redeemed myself in his eyes, but not in the eyes of the [Monks], whom I arguably offended more.”

Ivory was on autopilot—he went to drink more of his tea, but it was all gone! He wanted to ask for some more, but he didn’t want to interrupt the flow of this tale.

“I received no apparent looks of judgement during the next morning’s meditation. I resolved to make a grand apology to the [Monks] at the end of the session, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Whether by fate or luck, it was the [Ascetic] who led that morning’s meditation. “We farewell Hidenori, whose sojourn reminds us that there is life beyond our monastery. We learn, we reflect. Pride precedes humility; we learn, we die.” He stood up, turned towards me, and bowed. I received a few side-eyes from the [Monks], who seemed to understand the significance of his words far better than I did. I left shortly after, making my long journey home. I had gleaned no hint of what my future held—that was point, after all—but I had gained something far more important that has stayed with me since. Perspective.”

Ivory, feeling the Skill wear off, was caught unawares by the chill he felt from the wind. He was grateful that Hidenori had shared this intimate story from his youth—it was a gripping tale, and he had goose bumps throughout the majority of it. Was he meant to do the same? Was this some Drathian tradition he’d been caught by?

“I appreciate your hospitality. I must ask, and I apologise for not knowing proper Drathian etiquette, but is this normal?” Ivory knew it was a very basic and crude question, but he had just been given a pretty profound retelling of an emotional experience. They didn’t even know each other! Fortunately, Hidenori laughed politely, taking it in stride.

“No, it is not normal. But see—look.” Hidenori arched his head up, indicating for Ivory to look behind him. He was sitting with his back to the front of the ship; confused, he stood up and looked around. In the distance, he saw land.

“What,” was all Ivory could say. He was no [Geographer], but this couldn’t be right.

“We have been at sea for quite a time. Welcome to Drath, Ivory Henderson.”