It was surprising how little time it took for the fresh open air, the wild forest scenery, and the additional company to feel even more claustrophobic than the interior of the carriage. There was nowhere to go, and very little conversation. None that was lengthy or with any meaning. Thix did try to engage Gerard with more lessons on Galtes but he seemed tense and distracted, and soon after she allowed the matter to drop. No wonder Theo had said what he did, fondling Gerard beneath the cover of their shared blanket would have at least passed the time.
The silence forced Thix to pay closer attention to their surroundings. Shafts of sunlight pierced the shaded green canopy, strange and colorful birds flitted between the winding branches and sang pretty songs, and the forest floor was even more lush with thriving plant-life than she had at first thought. It was all very pretty, and that made it worse. There was nothing outwardly threatening. It was simply that... feeling. Something was wrong. Deeply wrong and she did not know what. It was all too unfamiliar to make proper sense of.
For the next several torturous hours Thix fidgeted, occasionally stood and sat back down upon Gerard's lap, and ran over her vocabulary of both Galtes and Ruvic repeatedly in her head. The forest slowly became thicker, and darker as they traveled. It felt like a pressure was building up inside her chest. Greater and greater until she might just about burst.
What was so rotten about this place?
"Gerard?"
"Oui?"
"Please. Please. In the name of whatever gods you worship, and you may tell me about them if you want, just talk to me. I don't like this. Talk about anything. Tell me about Lumis."
"Hmm... I would not want to ruin it for you."
Unable to comfortably twist around Thix scooted forward and leaned her head back to look Gerard in the face, even if upside down.
"I will bite you. Talk."
Gerard squeezed his arm around her reassuringly.
"Alright, but I don't worship gods."
"You don't?!"
"Ssh!" Theo swiveled his head in an almost owl-like manner to glower at the two of them.
She shifted her body around once more, resting her head at the top of Gerard's chest so that she could speak softly but still be heard.
"You do not?"
"No. I have seen enough of life and of people and I think that we are alone, either the gods do not exist or do not care for us. Or maybe the gods are so different from what we believe that worshiping them does not matter."
Well, this was certainly a distraction. Thix had never before encountered anyone who did not in at least some small way acknowledge the gods, regardless of if they were their own or belonged to others.
It was even stranger to think that there were those, one of which was Gerard, who thought they might not even exist at all. They did. They must. How else would all peoples from all places settle on conjuring up stories that aligned so closely and explained so much. Many of which were not only stories, but history. How would anybody, ever, explain magic?
"What gods do you not believe in then?"
Gerard made a soft snorting noise of laughter.
"They have changed names and faces to fit Galtes, but they are the three Ruvic gods, and their... well it is complicated, I will say 'servants'. They are the god of order, the goddess of life, and the god of light, from whose name Lumis is taken. Some places in Galtes still believe in older... spirits? In the lands near the sea, to the north and west. I am sorry Thix, I do not have much knowledge or interest in gods or spirits."
"So, you do not believe me... when I say to you, that you hold my sacred debt for Vorkah?"
She could feel his muscles shifting against her back as Gerard shrugged.
"I believe you, Thix. The rest, I do not know. I will not say that I do know. I could be wrong."
Thix did not exactly like his answer, but it could have been worse. Before she could dwell much further Gerard continued on.
"If we are talking of it. Who is Vorkah? What do goblins believe?"
Thix tried to find the words. It was both simple, and very much not simple.
"A long time ago, we were of a different people. We lived as spirit and flesh. There was a great... argument may be best word. Yes, for now, argument. Many chose to live only as spirits. Some chose to live as flesh, by the light of moon and sun, but their... their wanting was too much and made them wrong. They made big cities and used magic that... that insulted nature. Insulted what they were before.
Then, there was Vorkah and his mate I'shu who had much joy in the being of flesh, but wanted little. They made a home of the earth, and the stone of the great mountains. They had many children. Their many children had many children. In time, when their flesh became old, Vorkah and I'shu taught all of their children how to live in a right way with nature. Then, they answered the song of the deepest dark, and became as spirits again.
They are with us always. It is said, Vorkah and I'shu are sometimes born again and live amongst us for a time. That is why it is very important to... to care for each other. If a goblin hurts or insults another goblin, they may do so to the Mother and Father and that would bring much evil. A great curse. Still, it happens. Much much more than it should."
A thought struck her then, a very troubling thought. One that she'd never had reason to hold before, and now that it was in her mind, she very much wanted it out. Thix was afraid to speak it, but more afraid to carry it unsaid within her being.
"Maybe goblins of other clans do not believe as strong as mine. Maybe they think as you do, and do not believe in Vorkah or I'shu. That they are only stories."
