Pompods

5

Elder Ino kept a watchful eye on Oku ever since his birth. Once per cycle he would give him a thorough examination to make sure that he was doing well.

He hadn't intended to see Oku for another few days, but when he crossed paths with him and Zaree, it was a convenience he could not pass on. Zaree was understanding and volunteered Oku to go do his examination early as she had felt the elder's excitement for examining him.

Oku remained a mystery to everyone, especially the elders. They were always delighted if given the opportunity to try and understand him better.

What had transpired while he was in his pod? Why did it heat up? Why did it draw in the surrounding energy around it? Why did the Memees create a protective cocoon around him? Why were Kaia and Zaree the only one capable of touching him? This and many more questions flowed amidst the elders' discussions about him. Any opportunity to help understand his uniqueness was exciting and welcome.

Elder Ino's biggest questions surrounded the red gem he had glimpsed inside Oku and wondered how it affected him. Was the gem a contributing factor to the process undertaken during his attempted ascension or was it sheer luck that Oku had survived at all with the gem imbedded inside him. This and a flood of other queries rattled themselves within his mind as they made their way.

Oku as usual remained quiet and emotionless when Zaree sent him off with Elder Ino. She told him she would meet him near the sacred stones by the lake. Elder Ino knew she enjoyed sitting atop the stones to observe the world as it was reflected in the lake.

As they travelled towards his home to do the examination, the only thing that broke their silent walk was when the ground had rumbled significantly beneath them.

"Hmm... these quakes seem to be getting stronger," said Elder Ino as he straightened himself up from having almost stumbled to the ground. He knew Oku would not respond but this did not dissuade him from attempting to start a conversation with him. He engaged him as often as possible in the hopes that one day Oku might respond, unsure whether he was capable of speech or if he simply chose not to speak.

The closest Oku had been to being vocal outside the time of his ascension ceremony had been when Ezo had been hovering around him and Zaree, making faces and silly gestures with his floating bones. Ezo had elongated his body to match Oku's height and attempted to mimic his walk and scowling features. Oku had turned towards Ezo and opened his mouth ever so slightly and let out a deep rumbling growl that emanated from deep within him.

It was the first and last time Ezo ever attempted to imitate him. Zaree had laughed so hard at the interaction that she had fallen to the ground. Oku had stood watching over her, unable it seemed, to understand why she was laughing. This in turn only made her laugh harder at his apparent obliviousness to the situation.

The remainder of the walk had been silent in the way of conversation minus the instant he had had to contain himself when Oku detoured slightly to make sure he would step on a Memee that had crossed their path. He had had to turn away from them when he heard the inevitable squeak.

Elder Ino let his fingers hover just above Oku's armored skin. The gemstone allowed him to sense deep within Oku's being without worrying about cutting himself.

As the Eldest healer in the village, his cycles of knowledge allowed him to sense nuances and minor changes that occurred within everyone he examined. Although emotionally hard to read, Oku's body was like an open field to him. Vast networks of nerves and veins expanded throughout the body, each system working as it should.

The only noticeable change he could sense was that the gemstone had finally stopped spreading itself into Oku's nervous and circulatory system. He had noticed the process begin shortly after the ascension and with each passing cycle, the gemstone and Oku became more integrated. As it did not seem to impair anything or change his vitals in any way, he kept those findings to himself to keep those close to him from worrying without justified reason.