Michael

It's been months since we began our journey from Mt. Sinai. We've lost a few people along the way to different causes, some initially seeming so stupidly preventable by my opinion that I consider them tragic.

Traveling such a long time through so many difficult and beautiful experiences creates bonds between people. I've come to know everyone in our traveling party to the extent that its a personal tragic lose to loose any of them to death.

Saeid died from an arrow to the heart from one of the demi-elven beastmen tribes that roam the forest of Sue on the isle of Wonder. He died using his wind magic to keep the thousands of arrows that permeated the air as we retreated from finding purchase. Resulting in the following aura enhanced volleys all going to him until one went through his defenses.

We gave him a warrior's funeral by way of the Tribes, burning his body on a barge when we reached the coastal city of Stella in the Empire of Celestia in the continent of Spatium, yes I'm learning the geography. The city is a beautiful sparkling wonder that reminds me again that these people aren't primitive just because they carry bows and arrows.

We stayed three days there in what was seemingly the second rest of our entire furious journey before we had to separate from the other group. On the fourth day it was our original traveling party of 12 plus Edward. He being the only other person besides us who is an earthling now that his traveling partner Ellen disappeared into the wilds of the Shadow.

We left there on a ship that would take us straight to the coast of Pangaea and from there we were to apparently walk to Sandaria. How we were to walk across the ocean I clearly see depicted on the map is a matter to fully wonder about later.

*

The going hasn't always been easy or even pleasant but the dreamer on Earth that said 'it's about the journey not the destination' hit the nail on the head. This world of Gaia is perilous, unpredictable and savage yet it is also beautiful, provides great reward for competence and somehow promotes contentment.

Max, Edward, John and I are the only remaining earthlings on the expedition and we've come to appreciate the Gaian philosophy these people of the Conclave try to live by. Taking life on a daily basis and living it to the best of their ability.

People on Earth have replaced a lot of vital fundamental goals for a species that lives so long a life and replaced them with different priorities. Most strive forward to matriculate high school, we challenge ourselves to do well in college, we struggle to get that promotion at work.

But the older we get on Earth we generally get more comfortable or tired or we lose our vision of a destination or another goal to strive for with all our lives. We stop striving to improve ourselves seeking more meaning in our everyday lives, we stagnate.

And what else is there to do? Isn't it natural for a species that is dominant and at the top of the food chain to seek comfort, make life easier for itself and even more so for the following generations? And yet somehow by eliminating the daily grind to survive we decrease the will to survive.

I lift my head from the spot I'm lying on to look up at the close friends I've now made on this 6 month journey. Max, Edward, John and I are sitting alone in a pool of heated water in a cave languidly. I notice in my chakra blossom state that each of them is content in their own way though not fully aware of it yet.

I think back to the conversation we had with Wes and the others...

*

"They think that if their lives are easier they will probably be happier." Wes says talking to both Dewan and Wiley as all seven of us sit together as the women went to the stream.

"What's wrong with making things easier?" Max asks with a pout perturbed.

"The way your people have been doing it seems to lead to stagnation. As far as I can understand your societies as you've been describing them it's not comfort you are building but a lack of challenge." Dewan is already nodding even before Wes finishes the thought.

"Its fascinating really how doggedly the earthlings seem to be pursuing their downfall into a lesser being." Dewan says and I wince internally at his bluntness.

As far as I can tell and now understand from being here they have a point when they see Earth from the perspective they do. They like listening to us talk about our world but the fascinated looks of pity on their faces when we do show that they see Earth as some sort of dystopian world we were fortunate enough to escape from.

Even the 16th century that was the time in which Edward lives his life is only marginally better off by their standards, and by the time John speaks of mandatory bar coding tattoos and welfare you'd think they were listening to one of Mirabilis' horror stories.

*

That conversation plays out in my mind as I feel the truth of it within my own way of thinking back home. I think I would have been deeply unhappy looking for a purpose had I not become a soldier. The daily challenge to improve myself and the thrill of having my life on the line provided something vital for me that a lot of people don't have.

A thing I can't really identify but everyone here on Gaia seems to have. Earthlings are becoming sheep as we rob them of the most primal of motivational factors, the challenging drive to stay alive by our own wits.

Besides enjoying ourselves and being picked off by death our journey from Hala has been good training. I've been practicing doing things while in the chakra blossom state and I find myself noticing things I would have otherwise ignored or been oblivious to.

One of the most interesting things is watching these people lead their lives to the fullest of their abilities. People from the Conclave have this way of doing things such that an activity that would normally be a means to an end becomes the end itself.

Every discipline they pursue they pursue in the way Saya describes as meraki, putting all of themselves into their work. But at least not everyone on Gaia is this way, that would have been rather sad for the Earth's prospects in comparison.

We are on Sandaria now I remind myself. The continent is beautiful and so far the people of these lands seem friendly enough, especially in comparison to Terra and Pangaea. In the last few weeks we have seen the last of Sandoria and are going into Saya's Tundra now.

Ten-day, I should think in ten-days not weeks.