"Ouch!" Rubbing her forehead, she winced as he gave her a mild scolding on her actions. Her face flushed as she realized she was getting ahead of herself. He had a good point; rushing wouldn't make things go faster unfortunately. She was still too eager to see the ending. The trek upward wasn't very eventful, but she was already thankful she'd gotten rid of some extraneous things already. Finally, they arrived at an empty platform and Nerine felt like she was going to wilt. "I think…maybe…rest right now would be good." She panted, leaning against the rock wall. She felt like her entire being was like a limp pancake folding over from a poorly timed flip from a shake of the pan. If this was just the beginning, it would be a very long time before they made it. The next minutes were her catching her breath and using the cliff wall as a support.

When she was feeling less tired, she took a drink from her canteen. The water was wonderful, probably the best thing she had since noon. Or was she just feeling worn out again? Slapping herself lightly on the face, she got up once the tiredness was gone and looked up at the climbable wall Qadim had made. He was already rather far up, and after wiping her hands dry from sweat she started her ascent upward. Nerine was no athlete. Her movements were slower than his, as she needed to be absolutely sure she'd hold if she moved to a new spot. The climb was tedious, with her feeling like she was making little progress. Time passed by so slowly as she inched up the canyon. Once or twice she saw lizards skitter by and frowned. They certainly were lucky, being the size that they were. 

Qadim was already a few feet up when Nerine went and rested on the floor level, having him look down to check her condition. He sighed a bit, a part to her stamina and a part to his own patience. From what he could tell, she was a bit of a city girl, not exactly adapted to much action-oriented travel like he was. Then again, such folk would often send someone else to seek out such a treasure if they knew they were not fit for the trip. He gave her respect for tackling it head on, hoping that it would not cost her too much in the end. After all, such experience would be great to have on her shoulders.

The climb was long, but steady. The sun glared down on them, beating down as they pushed forward ever much more to an end. However, every few feet, Qadim would look back down on her. Sure, she struggled, but she was driven and pushed ehr way through. However, around the upper part of the halfway mark, Qadim paused, allowing Nerine to catch back up. Then again, the around of grip spots were lightening up, meaning he had to set them up soon. "We break again," he told her, ot worried about the fact that they were hanging on a wall with no cave to dive into. However, he smirked and told her, "Best not lose your grip," before resonating with the stone wall, causing it to shake lightly as three stone walls forged themselves beneath them, one on top of the other before dropping down on it, showing it was able to hold its weight with no issue. "Fifteen minutes," he warned her, though, letting her know how long they had to relax.

Pulling off the canteen from his belt, Qadim took a bit of a chug down, gasping in a relaxed freshness from the drink. "If you got questions, feel free to ask."

One hand in front of the other, inching a little higher each time–this was how she kept herself from thinking too much about her situation. The sun was hot, and though she was used to heat from living in Sularia it was something else when coupled with strenuous activity. Qadim's voice was sudden, but she welcomed the chance to stop and rest. Looking up with weary and thankful eyes, she saw him give her a smirk. "What do you mean about not losing my grip?" Confusion gave way to alarm when the wall began to shake. Any tiredness she had was flushed out as she panicked and clamped her hands onto whatever handholds she was hanging from for dear life. Pressing herself against the stone like flatfish lying on the bottom of the seabed, Nerine was wide-eyed as new stone walls emerged from the cliff face.

The elf orc then dropped down onto the newly constructed platform and tersely told her how much time before they resumed their climb. "Fifteen minutes." Noiselessly letting out her breath, she nodded. Cautiously coming down to the stone overhang, she sat down with her back against the wall. Closing her eyes, she wiped her forehead and face with her sleeves. She was perspiring under the collar of her clothes, and she fanned herself to let it air out until she had to go back to climbing. Qadim was clearly used to this, as he took a drink from his canteen while looking far less tired than she was. "If you got questions, feel free to ask." He said. Pulling out her own canteen before resting her hands on it, her first question was: "How much further do we need to climb?" She had been so focused on not slipping and falling off to know how far they were up the canyon. She also didn't want to look down, as the very thought would make her weak at the knees.

Qadim was not completely shocked to hear the question at hand. After all, considering the climb, she would still be on edge to even think of asking anything personal. "More than half way," he assured her. "If we count the time for this break and climb at the same pace as when we started, it would about the amount of time we took here to reach the top. Just don't work yourself too hard, and the end should be no worry." She nodded at his answer, but asked no more questions from there, probably meditating to keep herself from freaking out. Qadim, however, pulled out a strip of jerky to chew upon as he looked at the land from where they sat. Even for being so high, the view of nature in its finest was a sight to eyes. He could even see the other half of the  city inter-meshed with the other wall of the canyon, though too far to really see moving life.

The pair enjoyed a peaceful moment of relaxation as they regained their stamina, though the sound of a crack echoing around them was enough for Qadim to stand up. "Seems like this platform will only last a couple more minutes. Break time's over." Hand against the wall once more, he forced out more stone grips on the side riding all the way to the top. "Best not look down when the canyon echoes with this stone's final moment," was an easy warning he gave her before pulling himself on the wall, pushing himself further up, looking down to make sure she was hanging on alright before ascending once more.

Through pushing towards the end, Qadim was the first to pull himself up on the top of the canyon, though quick to turn about and offer an arm to Nerine, pulling her up once she arrived as well. "Well then, take a good look… this is the top of the canyon!"

"Halfway there…" The scholar muttered to herself as they resumed their climb up the wall. No matter how slow the minutes passed or how long it felt, she kept repeating those words in her mind. She was almost there; she was almost at the top. His advice to avoid looking down was taken, and the thought of each move upward meant less ground between her and her goal gave her renewed vigor. Her heart was pounding as she scaled the wall, both from anticipation and excitement. What would she find up there? Would she finally see the elusive Eyota blossom? Finally, she felt her hand touch the top of something larger than a ledge. Tired with clothes mildly damp with half-dried perspiration, a strong hand took hold of her and hoisted her up and onto the canyon. Qadim's voice boomed loudly in her ears as he announced: "Well then, take a good look… this is the top of the canyon!"

With feet back on solid ground, Nerine turned around and looked out towards the near endless horizon stretching before her. The painted cliffs of Eyota Etu were as beautiful as a sunset on a clear Ignius day right before dusk. Catching her breath, she wiped her forehead and broke into a smile. "It's beautiful… I never thought I'd see a sight like this in all my life." She couldn't believe she had really climbed up all the way, with Qadim's help and guidance of course. Plopping down onto a rock a safe distance from the edge, she admired the view. "I can't believe I'm really here!" This was an experience she would never forget. Now safe at last, Nerine began thinking about things she had wanted to ask the elf orc. She thought for a while, and came with something she had considered asking him ever since they were formally introduced.

"Qadim, this might sound like a silly question–but why did you choose the path you took?" Leaning on her elbows, she looked up at him. "Why did you choose to become a guide?" She had heard of many who made their living from the wilds, as hunters or seekers of things to sell. There were others who called it home, and communed with nature like the druids. The scholar was curious as to why he was a part of the Protection and Preservation guild, and what led him to choose this way of life. By no means was it easy yet he was satisfied with his work. What was his driving passion? The winds were warmer up here, where the sun could finally shine down on them without being obscured. That warmth helped soothe her sore arms after that last stretch of the climb. While they made their ascent, she worried what would happen if her hands or arms were to suddenly cramp up. Thankfully, that had never happened.

A smirk escaped Qadim as he watched the scholar admire the view before her. It was something no textbook could really demonstrate, no picture could really hold its majesty. There was not a land he found where someone's artful rendition could capture its beauty. Even the simple detail of the blowing winds causing the particles in the air to move could never be truly captured like this.

Of course, though, once there was no threat of falling, Narine's gears began to turn in her head as she sought out questions, the first one hitting him a bit. "By bloodline is not exactly an easy one to live with," he commented. "I am sure you often hear stories and ideas behind what one half of me thinks of the other. Offspring between them are rare because of it. Then again, it does have its benefits. The might of the orcs allow to to tackle challenges before me while the wisdom of the elves allow me to plan my movements carefully. Add in isolation from both sides, and you gain the comforts of the land. Being a guide like this allows me to use all of that, I suppose."

This time, though, Qadim did not really push for a time to get moving. After all, the hard part there was out of the way. Back was still another story, but for now, they were on level footing, seeking out their prize. He was in no real rush to seek out such a rare plant. He left their next move up to her.

"Oh…I see." Maybe it wasn't such a good idea asking the question after all. She'd been in Iria for too long, and had forgotten how things were in Canelux. In Iria people could believe that they wanted, and there weren't so many social norms. It wasn't uncommon to find people of mixed heritage, or even with more than two different bloodlines. Try as she might, the most she could do was empathize. She was born a Rosenite, and her ancestors had been Rosenites as well. Somewhere down the line perhaps one might have been turned by the people of Arri in centuries past, but she had never thought to search that far back. Despite travelling the world, she saw her worldview was still limited. She was still young and green, like a sprout. There must be much more that she still did not know. Though her own ancestry meant she had more time in the world than most, wisdom and age were not equivalent.

"I apologize, I didn't meant to bring up unpleasant memories for you. I've always found it amazing how people would choose something and say: 'This is my life's work'. That sort of determination is something I've always wondered about ever since I began my studies." Wrapping her arms around herself, she took in the cool air and sighed. "That kind of firm belief must be nice, I suppose. Before I thought I knew what I wanted, but now all I have left is my work. It's been the thing that's kept me going." It was true. She came here to get her mind off of things. Even that climb up the canyon was simple compared to what she had been trying hard not to think about. Although it didn't hurt so much anymore, she felt like a part of her life was missing when she was in Arri. Nerine had spent so many years thinking of him, waiting to see him, thinking of where they would go and their future together. But now, it was just…gone. She still had friends and family, but there was a void that used to hold something precious, something that once gave her life meaning.

Perhaps it had been too sudden. It had been less than a few months and she was out of that pit of despair and grief. Had someone not come by and helped her leave the past behind, she would be sleeping in the catacombs for eternity…waiting for someone who would never come. The initial excitement of completing the climb waned, and her expression was melancholy. Everything she had done after that day, even her search in Eyota Etu, was just a big distraction. How long would it be until that memory would fade away? Slowly standing up to dust off her clothes, she took a drink from her canteen again. "Maybe that's why she told me to go out and see the world, to do things that I've never done before. To meet new people, to learn new things. I don't know if I'll ever find that same fire that burned within me back when I was in Iria. But if I do–I would hope that it will come soon."

"You can shut it with that sympathy talk," Qadim was easy to bark back, voice clearly being irritated at hearing her feel sorry for his heritage. "I was born this way, and unless you have power over the blood I was given like Lady Angela could possibly, there was nothing you could even do to stop it. I can never blame my family for what they did, or else I would be doing so in a way that insults myself on simply existing." Looking her straight in the eyes, he told her, "There are two kinds of people in the world: Those that complain at the hand the world deals with them and takes advantage of it, or those that complain. I took my hand and played my cards to get me to where I am now, and no regret has been placed with my moves. Time will move on no matter how much I bicker about wanting to be more one or the other."

While Qadim did hear her mutter a bit, he simply took it as talking to herself. WHen she finished up, Qadim spoke up, "We still have a few hours of sunlight. We should get hiking to see what can be found," pointing along the edge of the canyon. "The notes state they grow around the ledges of the canyon, so its best to start there. We will be following it a couple meters from the edge, just to make sure that if we trip, we don't plummet down or have to worry about any loose edges beneath our feet."

With a nod, Nerine got up and prepared for resuming her search. They had already spent most of the day climbing up here, so there was no time to waste. Delaying would only mean she would have to spend more time. It was hard enough searching for something this elusive, and she had no guarantees that they would be present. From a safe distance, the scholar edged along looking for any sign of the pink blossoms. She set her sight on the canyon and the sky, taking turns between both locations. If the rock walls were daunting, searching the canyon's top was no easier. Every now and then, she'd see a spot of green and her hopes would flutter–only to realize it wasn't the right plant. There were plenty of hardy weeds and little stubby plants, none of which knew of the Eyota blossoms when she asked them. Their root systems were wide but shallow, and they were too far apart from each other. A few of them were sleeping, and she left the night-blooming wildflowers alone. Neither would be able to see if there were other plants around this way.

"…I see. Thank you anyway." The Rosenite said before moving away from a small cactus peeking out from a crack in the earth. It was no good; these plants mostly had a lifespan of a few months in which they would produce seeds, then wither. Other species of flora which were more long-lived were typically so isolated that they hardly knew the passage of time. It was the same problem which she had run into earlier, before meeting Qadim. Discouraged, she took a seat and collected her thoughts again. At this rate, she could be here for weeks–or even months. Perhaps being able to converse with animals would expedite the process, but even so it didn't guarantee results. Many other possibilities were crossed off as certain issues regarding the flower in question were brought up. Throwing back her head, she sighed and stared up at the dimming sky. It was then she saw something bobbing in the air. Squinting, she thought it was just some bird caught in the currents up above. But when she looked longer, it seemed like it was large enough to be a foot or so if it were at ground level. Rubbing her eyes, she was desperately hoping that she wasn't just seeing things again.

She'd end up looking foolish, but it was worth a try. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she shouted at the floating object hoping that her words would reach it–if it were a plant. "Hello?! Can you hear me up there?!" Nerine then listened on bated breath, waiting for its response. If it replied back, then at least it was some kind of plant. If there was no answer, then it probably was a bird at best…