The Chamber, the Valley, the Dale.
The names were all recognizable, but nothing else. It did not help that he had spent nearly a century (give or take; it’s hard to measure time when trapped in the darkness that lies deep beneath the earth’s crust) away from Beqanna and knew so little of her persistent changes, but even in the time he had walked on the surface, it was as though he’d done so in a haze.
But he can easily see the connections Ryatah possesses and, for a moment, a flame of jealousy licks at his heart. So much time wasted, not even counting the years stolen from him. The feeling passes quickly though, for he realizes that there are likely many more years ahead in which to make up for it.
His head nods slightly as she gives a very brief introduction to her past and finds himself wondering just how long it has been since her arrival. There is a trace of something in her voice that suggests that she is older than her appearance would suggest, or perhaps it is just an air of maturity that often occurs naturally in mortals.
Whatever it is, he unhesitatingly falls in step with her as she resumes her walk, debating what his answer to her question will be. The idea of creating a permanent home is appealing, but he is not yet convinced that the Dale is where he is meant to be. While beautiful, there is a sense of something unnamed calling him elsewhere. Still, he is determined to keep his mind open to the possibilities.
“Visiting, at least for now. I know of the resurrected lands by name only, though nothing at all of Pangea, so I thought it might be a nice little adventure to take a grand tour of them all.”
“It’s strange, sometimes upsetting, to think that I’ve been alive almost as long as some of these lands and yet I know nothing of their history. And there are apparently kingdoms that came long after me and are now lost to the ether. But I suppose that’s the price to pay for choosing to live in oblivion.”
He looks to his new traveling companion, again besieged by the idea that she holds a considerable amount of knowledge of the past. Supposing that there is no harm in asking, he opts to start with the obvious, hoping for some enlightenment, even on the smallest scale.
“What do you know of the Dale’s history, if you don’t mind my asking?”
assailant
"The comfort zone is always the most desirable place to be. But in settling for comfort, there is a price to pay and it comes in the death of ambition, of hope, of youth, and the death of self."
-Simon Barnes
@Ryatah