"Well..."

Hadrol launches into a description of all the different things different plants have said to him. He often doubles back when he realizes he left something out or didn't offer context. Different species seem to have slightly different interests but the major differences are based on region, the health of the soil, and nearby plants of other species. It becomes clear that these are individual plants, not the species' spirits. Hadrol does not seem to notice this might require clarification. Mostly, plants seem to talk about nearby plants, the weather, their health, and what they think of the animals that pass by them- flowering plants have a lot to say about pollinators.

"How do plants sense things without sense organs?"

"Well, you see, it turns out that sense organs are less essential than they might seem. Quite a few aspects of the world- the Prime as well, but especially Arcadia- are the result of historic beliefs which have since been disproven on the purely material level. Instead, they persist due to ideological inertia. Since the Prime is made up of both belief and matter, and Arcadia is only belief, plants can sense things just fine, without having the intellectual sophistication to make decisions."

"Oh, huh, cool! But maybe plants on Amenta can't sense things without sense organs? Since belief doesn't affect things there."

"It's possible! I would love to visit Amenta just to communicate with your plants and animals- I wonder if they even have spirits, there! If Amentans don't have souls and everything is made of matter, it's vanishingly unlikely that animal species would have spirits."

"Yeah, it doesn't seem likely. Hopefully it'll be easy to visit one day!"

"Lintalai was also curious about flying," Nue prompts.

"...yes! Of course. While our ability to call the winds to our aid is not as precise as some spellcasters' flight can be, it is often more graceful. I prefer moving through the air as naturally as I might the water, but some seem to prefer moving as easily as they might on land."

"Like preference has fuck-all to do with it! Not like you can choose which kind you get. We can't fly," contributes Torrig, "but if you're looking to scale walls and look badass, I'm your girl."

"Why can't you choose which kind you get?"

"I chose to become a zodje, didn't I? And he chose that nature-lover- stuff. But after that you can't really change how it works. I could always try to pick up tree stuff if I wanted, but who wants to half-ass that?"

"So the two kinds of flying aren't both xaema?"

"It's not even really flying, what I do. Wind boy here does flying. I do running so fast I don't ever have to touch the ground."

"Flying using the wind, the way I do, is part of xæmā. Torrig's ability to climb, jump, and run in impossible ways is part of shezodza. It can resemble flying in its effects, and it often allows for more control over the movements themselves, but it is vastly more limited in scope. Torrig cannot clear the distances I can in the air. On the ground, she would beat me in any race."

"Mostly I'm interested in flying because it sounds fun, not because it would be practical."

"I think my deal is the best, but I would say that. I picked it. If you want a list of what I like about it, I can try that."

"Flying is not my favorite part of xæmā, but if it soaring through the air with effortless grace sounds fun, you may enjoy it. I am quite fond of it, myself."

"May I see?"

"Certainly!"

Hadrol will step away slightly to give all of them a wide berth.

"First, I will begin to call the wind to me. It requires about five to ten seconds of time to gather, so this is not ideal in case of emergencies, but of course there are few of those in the Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia."

He starts to move his arms through the air, fluid, languid motions. About five seconds later, she can feel a noticeable shift in the air around them. A gentle breeze. Then, Hadrol rises into the air in a spiraling pattern, spinning around and laughing as he does. About ten feet above them, he calls out,

"The wind will only carry me for a minute at a time, before it must be released to go elsewhere- at least, that would be the case on the Prime Material. In Arcadia...as long as I am helping others live justly and honorably, the winds will be by my side."

"That's SO COOL."

He flies around a little bit, doing some flips and other tricks- he's not a daredevil by nature, so they're more graceful than extreme.

Shortly, he lands.

"Were there other things you wanted to know now, Lintalai? If you're interested, I can assist Nue with your lessons."

"I am interested! Do you have one of those animals, what are they for?"

"The animals are- allies, trusted companions. I have a boar. As with the plants that I can speak with, my companion is not more intelligent than others of his species in every sense of the word, but he is- personable, and conscious, and can communicate with me, or any who can speak to animals. Our companions are more skilled than their wild counterparts- although the term 'wild' means different things, after death."

"Different things, what different things?"

"Animals on Arcadia, even the so-called 'wild' ones, behave comfortably and safely around people. It's disappointing- I'm glad people are safe, of course! But I would have liked animals in my afterlife. They sniff around, you know, the way a hunting dog might, but they would never do things that a real dog might."