Annie looked around the stables with what could only be described as awe in her eyes. She had seen plenty of strange creatures during her travels, but seeing so many different mounts gathered together in one place was apparently enough to catch her attention. "Now these are interesting," she remarked, her eyes moving across the various animals. There were standard horses, of course, but her gaze quickly drifted past them to a row of razorhooves. Further down, she spotted a pen holding massive, reptilian beasts covered in thick, crocodile-like scales. Next to them stood something even stranger: tall, bipedal creatures that looked remarkably like birds, boasting vibrant feathers, sharp curved beaks, and stubby little arms.
"You've seen all of these out on the streets during our travels, right?" Chae asked, leaning against a wooden structural post. The two of them were simply killing time, waiting near the entrance while Tiyun and Zamin haggled over purchasing their mounts. "How come you're so awed by them now?"
"That's true," Annie admitted, slowly stepping toward one of the feathered bipeds. "But there is a world of difference between watching them trot past you on a busy road and seeing them right up close, you know?"
She reached a tentative hand out, gently stroking the creature's neck. To her delight, the avian mount gave a soft trill and leaned its heavy beak into her touch.
Watching the interaction, Chae crossed her arms. "Actually, where are you from? I know for a fact those two idiots inside don't even know yet. It seems they just blindly accepted this job without asking for any real information about their employer."
Annie continued to stroke the creature's smooth feathers, a small smile playing on her lips. "I'm from... nowhere," she murmured, her voice trailing off mysteriously before she let out a bright chuckle. "Okay, fine, I'm from Ironhelm. But admit it, that had questions swirling in your head for a second there."
Chae shook her head, letting out a long-suffering sigh. "Kids," she muttered under her breath. Clearing her throat, she pressed on. "Anyways, Ironhelm. Right in the center of Aetheria and the Free Cities. I thought that place was completely walled off and nobody ever left. Did that change?"
"No, for the most part, that's still true," Annie replied, finally pulling her hand back from the bird creature. "But you can get kicked out of the city if you're naughty enough—or if you happen to possess magic."
Chae hummed, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "'Kicked out' is an interesting way to say exiled," she noted. "And since I already know you don't possess a drop of chi or mana, what kind of naughty thing did you do to get 'kicked out'?"
Annie giggled, clearly delighted by the deduction. "I love it when people match my rhythm," she remarked.
Turning her back on the stables, she closed the short distance between them. Annie leaned in close to Chae and dropped her voice to a dramatic, theatrical whisper. "The reason I got kicked out is... a secret."
Pulling back just enough to meet Chae's eyes, she offered a playful, exaggerated wink.
Chae rolled her eyes at the girl's playful evasion, shifting her gaze back down the bustling aisle toward Tiyun and Zamin. The two hunters appeared to be finally wrapping up their lengthy negotiations with the stablemaster.
"By the way," Annie spoke up, drawing the older woman's attention back.
Chae turned her head. "Hmm?"
"While I do love these mounts, and this one in particular is undeniably cute," Annie began, reaching her hand back through the wooden slats to affectionately pet the soft plumage of the bird-like creature once more. "How come you don't have much in the way of steam technology? Things like steamwagons and the like. I know they aren't exactly pretty, but they are a whole lot more effective than the heavy manual labor I've been seeing all over Aeruna."
Chae hummed, tapping her chin as she went into quiet thought for a moment. "Well... I think it is mostly due to the fact that we just do not have much in the way of natural metal deposits here," she explained sensibly. "If you take a closer look around our cities, you will notice a lot of wood, jade, and stone, but not many of our structures—or our people, for that matter—incorporate metal. It is the exact reason why swords are almost exclusively reserved for the wealthy or high-ranking military officials. Most standard guards are armed with spears, pikes, and halberds simply because those weapons require significantly less steel to forge."
She offered a small, practical shrug. "All of the advanced technology coming out of Ironhelm requires a massive amount of metal to build and maintain, so as a country, we simply cannot afford it."
Annie gave a slow, appreciative nod. "Huh. I really didn't expect such an actual, practical answer," she admitted. "I honestly thought you were going to say something about preserving the beauty of nature, or that machinery is too barbaric. I expected an excuse that was much more emotional rather than completely rational."
Chae let out a soft, elegant chuckle. "I suppose I cannot fault you for assuming that. Our culture does project that exact sort of image to outsiders."
Their conversation was cut short as Tiyun and Zamin finally walked over to join them.
"Alright, we finished talking to the stablemaster," Tiyun announced, gesturing broadly down the long row of enclosed stalls. "We are cleared to get our mounts now. Go ahead and pick one each."
Annie's lips instantly curled into a wide, satisfied smirk. She cast a fond glance at the tall, feathered beast she had been petting for the last few minutes. "Oh, I have already made my choice."