Green Acres; A Beautiful Beginning

This place was truly breathtaking, and El was taken aback at the sight as he came up out of his shadow. Comparatively, this was nothing like Valparaiso was at all, and it seemed like most of the prosperity that could have manifested in Valparaiso flowed upward into this place. It was magical, to say the least, and it... actually reminded him of his homeland a bit.

He stood there dazed for a while, before Tzita spoke to him, and he snapped out of it. "It's breathtaking, I thought I was home for a minute there." He laughed a bit sheepishly, playing it off with a smile, though it was clear that he was still wondering about if he could ever return home. For now, he tried to put the thoughts out of his head, so that he could focus on helping Tzita accomplish her goals. He'd said that he would and his word was bond.

El followed behind her as she led them towards where the Ankh was leading. He figured that Tzita knew where she was going and how to work the mystical items bestowed upon them much better than he ever could, and he chose to trust her lead. If it was necessary, he would allow her to be the brains while he remained as the brawn. It was much simpler that way anyway.

"Hmm, well what would you like to know?" El asked as he looked over towards her. El had no problem with telling her about what he remembered. He knew of his own world, and could think on it fondly enough, but there was a small gap in his memory. He wasn't sure where it started, but at a certain point he doesn't remember anything except for waking up in the realm between worlds and choosing to be sent to Valparaiso due to a calling in his heart.

The information that she wanted were all questions that El could answer. He wasn't actively trying to be a 'drag', as she called it, but just wanted to know what she wanted before he began speaking. It was quite possible that he might go off on a tangent about things she wouldn't find as interesting as she would have hoped them to be. Still, he nodded his head and figured maybe it would have been better to just start talking, rather than ask about what she wanted to know. She was definitely the type to tell him to shut up if she didn't care.

"Hmm... I suppose I can tell you those things, no problem." He stopped for a moment and took the time to stroke his bare chin before clearing his throat, "Well the world I come from, though I can't remember the name, was much like this realm we walked through now. There were many varying climates, but the predominant one was lands of lush greenery between kingdoms. My specific kingdom had the most claim to the land that surrounded it and governed it all with a gentle hand, but a powerful military. We weren't a warmongering kingdom, like many of the ones in the North, but we could protect our lands just fine from them since we actively recruited capable men to our army from the small towns and villages who wanted to fight for their homes." He stopped there, reminiscing a bit on what the kingdom he hailed from looked like, and wondering how the people were faring while he was here with Tzita. He could only reminisce for so long though before he got to the spotty parts in his memory.

"I... didn't have much family, not much to my name besides Durandal on my hip," He happily tapped the pommel of the sword, "and I never actually knew who my parents were. I was raised on a farm very far away from the kingdom by my aunt and uncle, and joined the kingdom's military, when my uncle grew ill, so that I could collect enough money so he could be treated. Unfortunately, I was never able to succeed in that dream because once I'd gotten to a high enough position, being moved to inside the castle as the royalty's head of security, to make the money I needed, he passed." Though it was a difficult thing to talk about, and it would have been for any lesser man, El spoke as if he wasn't affected by it in the least. To him, at the time, it'd seemed so surreal and he had wanted to cry about it, but he remembered his uncle telling him to stay strong. Those words had tempered El's heart, soul, mind, and body and even when things like this happened, he was usually able to maintain his composure.

"I submitted myself to my duty, as a Knight should, and many a fine lady tried to court my fancy, but I was happier with doing my job and the thanks of the people were the only reward that I needed. The money that I made I used to buy most of the land around my home farm and hire workers so my aunt wouldn't have to work as hard without my uncle and could live comfortable. The rest I gave back to the kingdom that gave it to me, helping people less fortunate and children with parents like myself. It was around this time that I was gifted with Durandal from a courier that said nothing about it besides that it had always belonged to me and I was only to receive it when I was ready. In retrospect.." He looked at Tzita with a smile, and a small chuckle, "Perhaps I should have asked more questions. Is this sufficient Lady L'sia?"

"Well, Lady L'sia, I seem to recall you curling into my arms and not the other way around." El pointed out with a playful chuckle. He wasn't sure what it was, but maybe the transition to the new area had stiffened him up since it was an unknown to him and he wanted to be on guard. He relaxed, at Tzita's behest, but remained privy to their surrounds just in case. Another reason he felt so tense... the Sun.

"There are a lot of things I want to know about you, Lady L'sia. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to know everything, but let's start with this. Where did you come from, Lady L'sia? What was your world, and you, like before this?" No matter how he looked at her, there was something about her that told him she was used to commanding a level of power she no longer had. He also wanted to know how the entire world was before the Sacred Beast had fled their dwelling, as well as how it was immediately after. Tzita was a person of interest to him and he wanted to know more than the cryptic information that she would share.

El folded his arm and watched her as she prepared what she wanted to say, and, perhaps more importantly, what she didn't want to say. He didn't expect everything, but he did expect enough for him to see her in a new light, good or bad. El's opinion of her wouldn't changed though, he tried to let things that happened in someone's past never effect his perception of their present and their future. It was clear that Tzita was probably a different person, and wanted to change.

Of course as he listened, he reacted visible to a few things, but not negatively. Her being well over 800 years of age was definitely a surprise, but what surprised him more was ho youthful she was and he wondered if shed used those years to grow wise. He wished he could have that much experience. "I suppose I should be calling you Queen Tzita." El joked, stepping before her and kneeling with his head bowed. "Forgive my disrespect, oh great and awesome."

El rose without resistance, "Oh I was only.joking about calling you Queen. I much prefer the alliteration in saying, Lady L'sia. " El admitted with a chuckle before he began walking again, with her chain still around his neck. He, however. Seemingly could feel it or wasn't effected by any choking sensation. In fact, he'd probably be pulling her along as he walked since his strength had, inadvertently, been enhanced by being directly under the rays of the Sun, unlike he'd been in Valparaiso.

"You are correct though, we probably don't have much time. We can continue our game later... there will be relaxation time later after our mission, no?"

El heard her. Every word she said, the sound of her wink, and the sound of her blown kiss, which he was happy to thrust his right hand out to catch in the air and playfully stash in his breast pocket for later. Much like his strength, all his senses were enhanced to a unspecified degree, but it wasn't particularly jarring. Unlike his strength, which was enhanced almost immediately, his sense only grew great as he continued to bask in the sunlight. Durandal on his hip hummed with a short, quiet vibration as Tzita plastered herself to El's wide back and rested her head on his broad shoulders.

"You'll grow rotten if you allow people to spoil you." El warned as he slipped his hands underneath her and locked his fingers together before moving them up and touching her butt, as to provide her the support she requested. He continued on their path, being led by the light of the Ankh around her neck, and briefly glanced on his shoulder to take a look at how far they had traveled since they first began walking. They'd made it a fair distance from where they first arrived.

"Not that I would, personally, mind." He added with a wink and a smile of his own.

Eventually, as the two continued on their trail, they'd come across a large bovine man standing roughly about the same height as El, harboring generally the same physical build and constitution, save for more exposure and the clear difference of cloven hoof feet, a lashing tail and two large horns protruding from the sides of his head. His upper torso was completely human in feature, but the shaggy legs barely covered by the cargo shorts donned upon them were clear indicators that the lower half of this man, though standing upright, was not.


His voice was young and filled with vitality, accented only slightly with a southern flavor, but nothing too deeply soaked in his tongue. From the tone of his voice, he seemed to be a little concerned about their appearance in the land, almost like he'd never seen people like them before.

El took Tzita's teasing in stride, almost like he wasn't affected by it at all, and eyed the new face that approached them. El had never seen anything like the man, but he wasn't quick to judgement. In fact, the man seemed friendly enough, and El thought that maybe he could point them in the direction that needed to go more acutely than the glowing Ankh.

"Hello friend, we're just passing through."

"Passing through, eh?" He said, still a mite skeptical, "... Well, I ain't never seen a feller like you before. You're kinda... funny lookin'." It was very clear that this guy didn't get out much, and probably hadn't seen too many creatures that were outside of his own race. He was out gathering special herbs and materials that were native to these pastures to take back to his settlement, and was worried about these guys possibly being intruders, or maybe even being out to get them. They were headed in the general direction, after all.

It wasn't until he saw the figure of the girl on his back that he was more interested in the two of them, snorting and smiling wide, tail flicking about happily, "Heh, and what about that mighty fine little lady on yer back? She looks sorta tired..." Suddenly, at the sight of her, his entire demeanor changed, and he seemed more than willing to help the two of them out now. "If the little miss is tired, y'all can come on back to my settlement over yonder and have a rest, or somethin... Wouldn't want a little lady like that one being all worn out when there's a nice cozy cabin and hot food she can get at!" He huffed heavily through his nose again, puffed up his chest trying to look strong and bold.

El laughed off the man's suspicions about the way he looked, awkwardly. He could here the skepticism  bleed out the man's speech. He supposed that coming from a man of a species he'd, personally, never seen before the man appeared 'a little funny' to him too. Still, he hoped there would a shared, mutual respect between the two of them so that the situation didn't escalate pass a level were talking it out wasn't a feasible way of diffusion.

El noted his sudden change in character, once he was able to spy Tzita on his back, even if Tzita probably hadn't, but thought nothing major of it. The offer was a kind enough gesture, and they'd be fools not to take it, if only to get a small bit of information about the region. They both knew that the Virgo spirit had been awakened, but neither of them really knew what that meant or what could have changed in this region because of it, at least that's how it was for El. Besides, if he wanted to decline, Tzita had already made up her mind that she was going.

"Well, I suppose my vote has already been cast." He said with his genuine smile as he unlocked his fingers from one other and pulled a hand out, careful to keep Tzita balanced comfortable on his other hand, and offered it to the bovine man. "We'd be happy to take you up on the offer, maybe hear a bit about this region from a native, since we're fairly new. My name's Elliot. Elliot Faulkner."

The man-cow huffed and snorted, getting stirred up from the beautiful girl eyeing him and speaking to him so sweetly. His male testosterone was getting the better of him, but he was still pretty level-headed. "Hyuh! Sure thing, little lady! We can mosey on down to my pa's farm down there and get you folks a good old fashioned meal!" When the hand was extended out to him, he'd rather swiftly and vivaciously return the favor with his own, gripping the man's hand firmly and shaking securely in affirmation, like he was taught, before introducing himself.

"Th'name's Buck! Buck Wilde!! Nice ta meetcha, Elliot!" It was clear that he was taught to be a rather mannerable man-cow, despite his slightly happy-go-lucky personality. "C'mon, lemme show ya the way!" he said cheerfully, starting down the grassy knoll, "It ain't too far down, just over that hill yonder, and we'll be right there. We'll fix ya up good, don'tcha worry!"

"Well he did offer, Lady L'sia, there was no reason not to respond favorably." El said as he went ahead and followed the man to where they were headed. He wondered just how many people worked at this farm, or how big Buck Wilde's family was. When El lived with his aunt and uncle, it was only those three and they tended the land together. Their plot wasn't very large, so it was easy with two capable men, but after he'd bought the rest of the land, years later, he had to hire at least 4 workers to help his aunt, since he wasn't able to, his uncle was gone, and his aunt was much too old to work.

"How long have you been in the area, Mr. Wilde, you seem to be fairly privy to the area."

He kept right trotting long as the two picked up behind him, guiding them down the first hill and over the grassy knoll where his little settlement was, "Hyuh, well shoot... I've been here as long as I can remember! Ain't nothin' changed around here in all my years save for seein' folk like you come 'round these parts. Otherwise, it's just been me, my pa, ma, gramps, l'il sis and the other Cattle roamin' 'round and keeping our herd safe and peaceful from anything come try and mess up our crops." He was from a humble, simple country folk that led a nice, quiet life in the pastured; working hard each day, enjoying the wide open field and each other's company. That was the life, for them.

"Oh!" he finally realized as they were walking up the hill, "I suppose that you two don't know a lick about what I am, 'specially if I don't know about you! Me and my kin are what're known as 'Bostaurus.' Cowfolk, iff'n ya like to call us. Some of us are more 'cow' than 'folk,' and some are more 'folk' than 'cow,' like myself." When he was done explaining, they would reach the top of the hill, from which one could see the small plots from the not-so-distant distance. This is what was known as;