The (Toran) Village [Job/Private]

Job:

Having arrived in Balbadd and only knowing that the Toran Village is a fishing village around the coast of the Yambala forest makes searching for said village very difficult. However, not as difficult knowing that it actually exists. Considering everything that's happened up to this point in time, Zadi has been very lucky. Funny thing is, Zadi has been thinking about "luck" more than "destiny". At least, ever since he washed up on the shores of the Forgotten Desert. Magicians don't generally say "lucky" unless they wish to insult an individual but Zadi meant it in earnest. He felt lucky. Whether or not he FELT lucky didn't mean he may actually BE lucky. It all depended on if he could pull off not only finding the Toran Village but also learning the language.

Zadi traveled over to the Tropics near Balbadd and eventually went looking for the outskirts of the Yambala Forest. Around the outskirts there would lickely be the Toran Village as the tribal farmer had said, hopefully at least. The search ended up taking up a whole day, exhausting Zadi like it would any other normal person with too much on their minds. However, the long wait and inevitable exhaustion ended up being wholesomely worth everything as the Toran Village seemed to notice Zadi's exhaustion. They seemed hesitant until Zadi collapsed on the sand and started to sleep. A sleeping enemy wasn't much of an enemy after all. Their 'natural' kindness allowed Zadi to sleep within one of the empty huts within the village until daybreak after which they had weapons pointed at Zadi with Zadi being totally defenseless, what with all his items, weapons, and wand having been confiscated. Zadi tried to look calm, but the slight sweating didn't help his image.

After some long staring and pointing of the sharp weapons, a Toran Elder moved his way through the crowd of pointy weapons and approached Zadi with ease. He looked to be rather old from the look of his wrinkles and shortness in comparison to the slighting brawny weapon holders. Zadi started to feel genuinely calm knowing that there was more than just empty space between him and the sharp weapons, especially after what the Toran Elder said, "My my, don't you look frightened, hahaha! Alright boys, lower those weapons. This young man isn't here to harm us. He's here to learn, aren't you?"

Zadi was rather dazed by the question and how the old man seemed to know Zadi's objective. He hesitated a little due to the sudden ease of tension within the atmosphere, "Um, I- um...yeah. I would like to learn the language of the Toran...how did you know?"

"Hahaha! Don't worry. I didn't read your mind or foresaw your intentions using magic. Generally speaking, people either come here to trade or to learn. In your case, you are a single individual with magic items and a wand. You even possess a metal vessel. Knowing that you explore dungeons seemingly frequently, I just figured that you are of the learning variety. And I was right! Hahaha!"

"Damn, I'm rather transparent. Well, could you teach me the language? I know it will take time and I'm willing to pay and even work around the village! The reason for my enthusiasm is this memory I have of these symbols that I found within a dungeon I ventured into most recently. Here, I'll draw them in the ground-"

"No need, no need. We will teach you what we know and then some. You also don't need to pay if you are going to work with us. Makes no sense that you pay us for you labor, hahaha! However, you are not to use magic when helping us. Therefore, you will also not be getting your tools and trinkets back until you are completely trained in the language that you seek. Think of them as a second reward for your hard work, if you work hard. Now, before we waste anymore of anyone's time, follow me and we will begin your teaching."

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It took time to get used to, but after a week of not only attempting learning the basics of the language of the Toran but also 'civil duties' within the village, Zadi ended up forming a routine. The routine not only helped him settle within the village as a whole but also improved his understanding of the culture behind the language he was learning. However, learning a new language in a world were the concept of a 'new language' doesn't actually exist was extremely difficult. Zadi's memorization skills weren't helping all that much either. The grammar associated with the Toran language was something unimaginable to Zadi, especially the separate alphabet and the way the words were put together in order to form a legible sentence. Basically the 'real world' equivalent of learning Japanese when all you understand and ever thought possible was English.

Fortunately, even with all this tough language learning, Zadi was happy for a mental challenge that didn't involve scheming or killing or destroying or basically anything violent and plan-worthy. The Toran Elder was a great teacher, too, likely due to his experience with not only the language but also the few people that he's taught that were actually willing to learn. After a month of learning the language, Zadi felt he'd only scratched the surface of a complex culture of history.

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Another month passed. Zadi had been without his personal belongings for quite a while now; two months of not using magic or practicing his swordsmanship may have caused him to become rusty. However, Zadi wouldn't care. He had learned the language of the Toran! Granted, he only knew the basics of the Toran language and could only say simple things that made him sound rather stupid if he earnestly tried to have a conversation...which he tried to do several times with some of his 'work buddies' that he worked with when laboring around the village like an everyday Toran. A great experience all around, but he wasn't done yet. The Toran Elder suggested that Zadi take a brake for even the most skilled linguist would have trouble learning a new language in such a short amount of time. Though, don't confuse the elder's words. He wasn't tired in the least. He had nothing better to do anyway! He was too old to work. He had his shot at being the leader of the village which he gave to his son. All in all, for someone in his position, he'd lived a full life.

Anyway, Zadi decided against a break knowing very well that he may not come out of this experience the same person. Learning anything as large scale as a language in less than 1 year is actually quite impossible for the average person. However, Zadi was not average. He is the main character within his own story! The elder was impressed with Zadi's resolve but less impressed by his stupidity. He attempted to give Zadi some monetary reward so as to goad Zadi into going out in the world and spending it. However, Zadi just graciously accepted the reward as it would be rude to turn it down and just stuffed it in his pockets to put elsewhere later. After all, he still had chores to finish. 2 more months worth of chores!

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Job:

Zadi had decided to stay another period of time within the Toran village, pretty much however long it took to complete advanced knowledge of the Toran language. That meant more chores, less magic, and more learning! Altogether it didn't sound like fun, but Zadi, being a magician, loved to learn. However, the time span in which he is learning is a little short. Zadi plans on learning the rest of the Toran language in a mere two months! What drove him to this conclusion is the fact that Zadi learned the basics of the Toran language in the same amount of time, two months. Rather impressive but only so due to Zadi's memorization skills. However, the memorization didn't necessarily help all that much to begin with. It was Zadi's skills in learning complex magic arrangements that got him the basics of the Toran language in a 'short' amount of time. To be honest, in a world where these is only one language, it is difficult to map out a set learning curve for the world if they, too, attempted to learn the Toran language. Zadi may very well be slow compared to the rest of the world. Not likely with his skill set, but all the same plausible.

Anyway, that didn't matter for Zadi continued his training in a second language. Zadi asked the Toran Elder if anyone else he had taught was able to get as far as Zadi did in such a short amount of time. The elder was honest and rather blunt saying, "Just about the same amount of time as you. Perhaps less. Perhaps more. With my old age, I cannot remember exact details such as a span of time, hahaha!"

Zadi was a little disappointed with his results after learning of his progress compared to past students. Zadi went to clear his head and work on some chores for the rest of the day while he pondered his ultimate goal in learning the Toran language;

What do I want to learn a this language anyway? Been a long time since I had my magic and my schemes. Two months isn't all THAT long considering my lifespan up to this point, but taking into consideration everything that I've been doing in my life, I'm basically doing nothing right now. However, I do believe in what I am doing. I may not have an 'ultimate goal' in mind just yet, but I probably will once I get my stuff back, hahaha!

Zadi motivated himself to work harder throughout these tough weeks. His chores didn't get any easier with the material he was learning nor did the material get any easier with the shores he was doing. Rather obvious but Zadi felt so much pressure riding on him. The pressure didn't come from the villagers, much less the elder. Instead, Zadi gave himself the pressure to work harder and stay motivated. Pressure may cause others to fold, but Zadi found a way to work with pressure such that he kept in the 'game' and could 'score a goal'!

After almost a month, around four weeks, of learning the advanced forms of the Toran language, Zadi was asked by the elder to speak in Toran with the other villagers while also writing poetry. Up to this point in time, Zadi had only ever spoken with the elder in Zadi's first language and been given basic commands by the other villagers in regards to Zadi's laborious tasks. As for writing poetry, Zadi had written a few essays here and there for the elder to read, but poetry seemed to be a step up. Probably the language within the dungeon was poetry. However, knowing now what he does, Zadi attempted to speak Toran with the other villagers while giving poetry a shot. Things seemed to be going well for Zadi and the other villagers came to respect Zadi a little more than before. They even read some of his poetry, for better or for worse. Unfortunately, news leaked of what Zadi had learned up to this point in time and so the villagers started to talk a little slang and try to 'teach' Zadi some more phrases to say out loud and write in his poetry, to Zadi's embarrassment of course. Not only did the slang confuse Zadi, but the villagers were teaching Zadi 'poetic' phrases that either made him sound like a complete moron or sound like, well, a dumb ass. Not much else to the embarrassment aside from the laughter or the stares that the other villagers were making. Fortunately for Zadi, he learned quite a bit whenever that happened. Not only does pressure help Zadi, embarrassment does, too.

A week or so passed after all the embarrassment and learning. Zadi was finally able to hold legitimate conversations with the villagers and write decent poetry in their native language, Toran! Zadi ended up being quite proud of himself knowing that he was done, or so he thought at least. The elder continued to teach Zadi more and more every day as if there was no end to the essays this language could write! Not only that, but Zadi was still unable to translate what he read in the dungeon, even with the help of poetry. However, Zadi could tell that what was 'written' on the walls of the dungeon was Toran. He knew of a couple characters and phrases that seemed to slightly fit the symbols in his head, but they were just not right in one way or another. Perhaps it was a mental block created by Zadi in order to stay within the village just a little longer. After all, Zadi was living like a 'normal person'. No magic, chores everyday to help around the village, and most of all Zadi felt rather 'normal' for the first time since he met Yakuroro on that fateful day. That day changed Zadi's life for better or for worse. Even with his experiences with the Toran people, Zadi still couldn't tell which answer was correct; was meeting Yakuroro a godsend or just some dumb luck that may cause agony in the end? Either which way, Zadi was stuck with the past that he created. Not like destiny had anything to do with it. The idea of destiny is just too omnipotent to be logical to begin with. Not that Zadi cursed his fate or destiny as a whole. He just didn't believe in it as much anymore. Funny thing is, with learning the Toran language, Zadi felt like he was becoming distant him the idea of 'destiny' or at least what he believed to be 'destiny'.

Zadi continued his studies. The elder gave him scrolls to read and research. They weren't anything super special, to Zadi at least. Just stories about how the Toran came to be and that they were first, not everyone else. The research continued until, finally, one day, out of the blue the Toran Elder said that he had no more left to teach Zadi. Zadi was happy about the news, but he did end up feeling different as he had feared since the beginning of his endeavor. Zadi got his items back and felt even more different. He felt a revelation building up within him. However, Zadi didn't let it get to him and just felt relieved that nothing bad had happened while he was learning the language of the Toran. Zadi had his things, another monetary reward for his work, and therefore left, proud of his achievements...and happy that he could finally translate what he remember from the dungeon of Buer!

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