Just like he had read in the many tomes Cayto rented out from the Neumenon, and had scattered across his large apartment, Shaaloani’s jagged mountains and high desert didn’t disappoint the viper who was so used to Thanalan’s self same harsh climate. It felt more wild here. Untamed, yet so full of life if one knew where to look.

Lohkri felt quite at home here, if he was being honest, and the unrelenting heat from the afternoon sun felt good on his skin. Especially after residing in cold, dreary Sharlayan for a few months. The Seeker was thriving.

Mehwahhetsoan.

It had been three weeks since him and Cayto happened upon this small miqo’te village. Hhetsarro, they were called in Tural. Tucked far away in a secluded corner of Shaaloani’s hot and dry landscape, but surrounded by trees a plenty and a large lake that supplied them what they needed to survive.

After Sitka had persuaded Ruva, a tall, red-haired hardy hhetsarro, to help train him in the ways of the viper once again — to unlock that potential he’s been so desperately seeking for years and years now — Lohkri and Sitka had become quite close in this short amount of time. While Cayto was apprehensive about staying so long to help these people, it benefited them both to reside here. Lohkri would get the training he desired, and Cayto would obtain more information from the locals about the lost temple they sought that could quite possibly give them answers regarding the mage’s parasitic magic. As much as Lohkri just wanted to be open and honest to their new compatriots, he left out that little detail about his partner’s affliction.

Sitka had openly welcomed them into his home. Of course, after presenting their dilemma to their chieftain and gaining his approval and trust to stay as long as they needed.

It had always been difficult for Lohkri to make friends, but with Sitka it was easy. The two of them hit it off quite quickly, sharing stories of their homeland and talking about what foods they liked, what made them laugh, what spurred them to enjoy the thrill of combat. What their goals were. Lohkri even went as far as going on a small hunting trip with Sitka to learn more about his people and the hhetso. Learning about how to take only what you need from the land, and making use of the entirety of the animal you felled. It wasn't all that dissimilar from his younger years in the U tribe. And of course, the rroneek that had meant so much to them and how the creatures gave them purpose, made them thrive as a people. Ruva explained to him and Cayto the importance of finding out what happened to his tribe and their hhetso: the zu. If they could help this man become reunited with his people and his hhetso, he promised Lohkri he would help him. Train him to be the viper he's wanted to be. Just like his father.

While Cayto is somewhere in a neighboring town gathering more information, as is his wont, Lohkri has been looking for Sitka for a good while now. His new friend was rather hard to track down at times, and when he didn’t see him in the village, the viper assumed he was with Ruva. As always. The two of them seemed pretty close, and rarely separated to boot.

Lohkri finally spots him on the outskirts of town sitting by himself on the dock by the large lake.

“Ah, there you are.” Lohkri approaches him carefully as not to startle him, and chooses to join the dark blue-haired man. The Seeker crosses his legs and glances over at the hhetsarro. Sitka seems rather… sullen. Melancholic, even.

“Oh! Lohkri. Many pardons… I didn’t know you were lookin’ fer me. Is everythin’ alright?” Sitka beams and suddenly changes his demeanor to this cheerful vibrancy, his shorter ears flicking up in surprise, and his bright, icy blue eyes instantly focusing on the sandy-haired miqo'te.

“Everything is fine.” Lohkri smiles at him, searching the other man's face to see if aught was amiss. “Cayto is still in that town not far from here… Shooshoo—nowasi… something springs. Or whatever.”

“Sheshenewezi Springs?” Sitka replies with this thick Shaaloani twang. An accent Lohkri is still getting used to.

“Yeah, that. It’s hard to pronounce names around here…” The viper chuckles with a lazy shrug. “I figured I’d find you to see what you were doing. Was a bit bored, honestly. And I haven’t seen Ruva anywhere.”

Sitka’s smile was so bright and full of life when Ruva was mentioned, and the hhetsarro’s bushy lion tail did a content wave. It didn’t escape the viper’s notice that the hhetsarro hunter always seemed to be attached to Ruva’s hip. Anywhere the red-head was, Sitka was there, following him around like they had a rope tied to one another. Was he like that with Cayto, he wondered? When he was… pining for the mage all those months ago. A year ago now; has it truly been that long? Is it more obvious observing this behavior from another when him and Cayto have already been together for so long now?