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Poko gladly adopted
the temple of the Seekers as his new home, and he had soon made many new
friends. He had shared long talks with many of them, during which they
both learned much. Poko was able to pass on some tips on various things
he had been forced to learn at the barracks to many fellow Seekers, and
in return learned a host of new talents. Bhaal had taken on the responsibility
of teaching Poko all that he needed to know, and Poko found this to be
most rewarding.
In one particular
lesson, Bhaal was teaching him how to use good judgement, how to be fair,
and then how to put it to work serving justice. This turned out to be the
most important thing Poko ever learned, only he did not realize it until
much, much later.
There was also a
strong attachment to family amongst Seekers, and Poko suddenly felt very
alone. He had no family. They were all dead; or were they? No, they were
not all dead, Poko reasoned, but how could he be sure? The thought had
provoked him for several days, so he finally decided to approach Bhaal
on the subject.
"There is only one
course of action you can take," replied Bhaal after some thought. "You
must seek the answer, or the question will torture you for the rest of
your life."
He paused, obviously
trying to think of the right words.
"It is the mentality
of a true Seeker," Bhaal continued, "once you are faced with a problem,
you cannot help yourself but to try and solve it."
"It would be considered
a curse then, no?" replied Poko.
Bhaal laughed.
"Definitely not,
dear Poko, there is much you have yet to learn. Do not squander or deny
your talents, or they will make the worst of you."
Poko was somewhat
confused about all this; Bhaal almost seemed to know more about him than
he did himself.
"I know what I have
to do," replied Poko, after some thought, "Thank you, Master."
Poko hurried out
of the room, his mind caught in a whirlwind of scattered thoughts. Only
one thing remained clear: he knew he had to find out how to return to the
land of the Dinosaurs; but how? Considering he could barely grasp the concept
of how he got here, he was really at a loss of where to start.
Seeing no better
alternative, Poko concluded that he should simply comb the world until
he found what he sought. The cartographer's shop was as good of place as
any to start, and Poko purchased several maps to help him out. He also
asked Bhaal to teach him the basics of creating good maps, and Bhaal seemed
very pleased that Poko was deciding the best way to seek his own answers.
After packing up a bit of supplies, Poko set out on his quest.
He journeyed for
several days, exploring the landscape, and taking note of his surroundings
as he went. Soon he had reached a small town, deep in the forest, where
he met a historian. Poko talked with him at length, learning much about
the history of the world, and the legends of how it was created. Although
he was unable to pinpoint any mention of the land of the Dinosaurs in what
the historian had told him, Poko was satisfied as he had learned much that
would be able to aid him in the future. As his supplies dwindled, Poko
returned to the ruined temple of the Seekers.
When he returned,
there was great excitement and celebration amongst all the Seekers, and
after talking with Bhaal, he found out why:
"Tonight," stated
Bhaal, "I will be leaving this world."
Poko was thunderstruck.
"My father, Bosco,
has appeared before me and pronounced me redeemed from my former sins,
and proclaimed that I must now rejoin him in the sky as a deity."
Poko didn't know
what to say. He was very happy for Bhaal, yet at the same time sad that
he would be losing the person who had turned his life around. After telling
him his mixed feelings, Bhaal smiled.
"I understand your
feelings, Poko Ono, but my job here is done, and that there is much that
needs to be done in the realm of the Gods."
The realization
of Bhaal's quest brought faith and renewed hope to the Seekers, as they
now knew that their work was indeed making a difference. A new leader was
appointed, and the world enjoyed moderate peace for some time.
Poko continued his
quest, and as he journeyed, his strength and knowledge base grew with surprising
rapidity. After searching out every corner of the land, he could not count
how many towns he had visited, how many wizards he had talked to, nor how
many times he had returned empty-handed.
Although the peace
left behind by Bhaal after he departed remained intact for some time, Poko
began to notice subtle changes in the world. The Gods seemed to be losing
their presence in people's lives, and many lacked any definite scope or
focus. Such changes were even becoming somewhat evident among the members
of Seeker, which had never happened in the past. They were losing hope,
their grasp on their dream was weakening.
Poko would have
lost hope too had it not been for a lucky discovery. After exhausting nearly
all possible resources for clues on Terra, Poko's heart skipped a beat
with the opening of a ferry service across the Dragon Sea to the recently
discovered land of Dominia, and brought back his slowly weakening enthusiasm.
He explored Dominia in much the same way he had done on Terra, making many
trips between the two lands.
Having risen through
the ranks of Seeker, Poko had been a silent observer for a long time, and
had witnessed many leaders come and go. Many were very surprised to find
him almost reluctant to take on the task of leading the clan when it was
passed down to him. However, Poko soon found renewed strength in his new
capacity, and greatly enjoyed this opportunity to help others with his
guidance and knowledge.
Soon however, dark
times were upon the world. Poko had difficulty retaining order within Seeker,
as many were losing hope that they'd ever reach their goals, and found
it much easier to live life for what it was, and not what it could be by
constantly striving to improve. Poko had remained strong and held a firm
grasp on the clan's purposes and principles, but in such a time of need,
he decided he had no choice but to call out to Bhaal for assistance.
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