Again? You are crazy, Khijg said in a mock awed voiced.
I mean it. Scour this area for metals. Again. There will be some around here.
How do you know? The question was quite pointed.
Very simple. There is a large peak with a gujg* on the top, there is a nearby river. The green metal is always found around places like these. It never fails.
Never?
Never. The spirits of the internal earth must bring it up in the fiery explosion that takes place whenever they get restless.
Youre saying that the green metals come from the khiths?** Khijg asked skeptically.
Perhaps. Perhaps not. We might eventually find out. Or the spirits of the khiths may never unlock their secret.
Bah. You are full of mysticism.
But it works, no? You are a Rationalist. You know very well how large the correspondence between the appearance of these metals and the proximity of these peaks in conjunction with a river is. Is this not enough evidence for your mind?
I wasnt disagreeing with that.
Oh, but you were.
My main gripe is with this spirit nonsense. What if the spreading of these metals is not by the spirits choice, but by random chance? That they only get the material in their particular Kaj?***
Now youre the one with the mysticism.
Which should appeal to you, Khijg said, grinning. The captain scowled and opened his mouth as if to make a scornful reply, when a call rang out from behind them.
Khijg!
Uh oh, he thought to himself. I am here.
The man who had called leapt down from a large rock above them, and calmly walked to Khijg. You are needed immediately. New orders.
What might these be?
Something about exploring to the mouth of the Sacred River, I cannot be sure exactly.
*crater or caldera
**Lava, magma, all the same to them, liquid hot rock
***mountain
********************************
Orders to be messaged ASAP.