"I think mostly they are... Cloudier? Rat swarms are very cohesive. Herds get like that sometimes, but there is much more individualism in larger animals. They are hard to speak to as well."

"Huh! Physically larger animals? Like whales or elephants?"

"I've never heard of a 'whale', but I met an elephant once. It was so upset but really just needed some better care instructions. More like... Goats, chickens, cats, turtles, llamas. I think there is something in insects and crabs and fish but I haven't managed to put myself in a sufficiently crabby perspective." He chuckles.

"Any idea how any of this came to be?"

A slow headshake. "Only stories from men as clueless as I. Perhaps I should tell them anyway?"

"Please! We sell what's in this shop for stories whether they're true or not, we want them all."

"This world already existed when humanity arrived from across the stars. By an act of the gods and great spirits, the first men found themselves here, and quickly grew and prospered, making order and peace out of a brutal and hostile nature. But the terrible dragon kings warred with the gods, and all were slain. Now, we are left only with the broken pieces of two things that were once great, doing the best we can.

"Another telling says that Humanity's place has always been here, that it was usurped by dragon and beast jealous of our intelligence and the great cataclysm uncountably many generations ago was the Eldest Dragon's rage and hatred growing like a wildfire, until she consumed herself - and everything else. Since then the good people of the land have slowly been growing stronger again, and yet have a duty to stamp out chaos for good.

"Some say the Star Lords still watch over this world, observing and testing us. That those who are worthy - who exactly is worthy seems to change all too often - are rescued after death and taken to join them in the sky. The unworthy are left to crumble into dirt and become nothing, a fate that all must strive to avoid.

"Others say that rejoining the world after death is a natural and good thing. They bury bodies to second them to the soil rather than burning them to urge souls upward, and some believe that the spirits and animals of the land are former humans, while others say that all the dead sleep in a river of souls, resting eternally.

"The spirits tell a different story that I've pieced together. They say that the first and greatest spirits were Father Sun and Mother Earth, who came together to produce all their children, from the great dragons to the very tiny beings that cause disease. At first there were few, but over time they grew and changed, molded by chance and spirit. They say that humans arrived later, brought here from some distant place."

"That's really interesting. We'll be able to check, whether humans came from somewhere other than here to this planet, do you think that will be disruptive?"

"I think those who turn out to be right will believe you and those who turn out to be wrong will say you're liars. A city or two might eject you over it. Personally, I don't think the history matters. We're here now."

"Yes, it would just be abstractly interesting," Cassiel agrees.

"To many, it would be an important and immediate question. 'Is my grandmother with the star lords? How could it be that the star lords don't actually exist?' Or alternately, 'I thought we were a real and true part of this world, you're saying we're invaders after all?' Would it be good for a society to find out the truth, or bad? Is 'what is good' even the right tack to take? Good is so subjective. I've known generals who confessed to me that priests and holidays are weapons, weapons of belief. But I'm no statesman or king. Just a spirit talker, used to rambling on and on."

"How did you decide to do this with your life?"

He scowls before covering it with a smile. "Ah, let's just say that asking questions isn't always a good way to become well liked. I... Ended up in a mud hut in the swamp with only an old man for company. Picked it up from there."

"...huh. Do you like it now?"

"Oh, definitely! It's not all beer and blankets but I've found my long journeys very fulfilling, considered as a whole. Say. How did you end up here, I wonder?

"You mean, me specifically in this town, or Vanda Nossëo on this planet?"

"You, if you don't mind? I think I understand why the organization is here, even if it's a lot to take in, but some sort of personal view is better to really understand."

"Well, I joined Vanda Nossëo because, like, you know, the dream is to help people and I turn out to have not nearly enough aptitude for healing to beat any of the other magic healing options. I took a quiz to see what departments I'd be a fit for and considered Integration but decided envoy would be more fun. This particular town I think we got assigned randomly, we didn't know enough to pick and choose in advance. Oh, and I'm on Nelen's team because during training I met Natsuko and put in a request to be on the same team as her and she'd wanted to be on Nelen's because she likes his vibe or something."

"Huh. Sounds like some very careful planning. I should stop monopolizing the story store if you've got enough from me for these spices and salt." He makes a head tossing sort of gesture at the line. "I'd love to meet the others if they'd wish it. Perhaps you have need of further consultation with a shaman."

"Sure, they're over there!" She points and turns to the next person.

He walks to Nelen and politely waits to be acknowledged.

"Hi there!" says Nelen, when he's sent his current customer on their way with a new contraceptive ring.

"Hello! I am a shaman, able to speak to the beasts and spirits. I've told the lady over there some about it, it sounds like that could be useful. I also wanted to meet more visitors from other worlds, I'm very curious what brings you all specifically here."

"Oh, well, I joined up when - for a while after Vanda Nossëo found my planet I didn't have a job, kind of a lot of us didn't - my subgroup of my species. We took a while to get used to the multiverse, enjoy having Vanda Nossëo basic income, lots of us immediately started having a ton of kids, took up a lot of hobbies we hadn't been able to try before. And that was fun, for a while, but then I wanted to be doing something. If I were married it'd probably be the having a ton of kids thing, my species loves kids, but I'm not, so I wound up in an employment office and it funneled me this way and I passed a screen for the extra fancy spells. Eventually I'll meet someone and settle down. Maybe still do a turn as an ambassador now and then while the kids are at band camp or something."

"I wish you joy and luck in that, truly. Sadly my time is nearly past, family is an old dream that is not to be for me. Are there very many nonhumans who look mostly like humans?"