Northstar Vale when you're living in a dream world

In spite of what Asterr had said, the other did not raise herself to stand at the same level as the young leader. Not a single comment was made upon her choice, however, for she could understand how difficult it may be to adjust to something new. For many, it was a show of respect when they lowered themselves, and so the matter was not pressed. Someday, she hoped that Menta might find a way to abandon that specific ritual, but for the time being she'd simply let it go. It would do neither of them any good to argue over the matter, after all. Plus, if the chieftess were to command that the female hold herself a certain way, the purpose behind the foundation of her tribe would be gone back upon. She'd turn herself into a hypocrite, a label that she found to be most unappealing.

In place of her straightened posture, there had been offered a smile and a few tail wags, which were gladly accepted. The smile had been returned, but the wags not, for not often could she bring herself to complete the motion. For, just the same as the other female, Asterr had been raised in a specific manner. There were certain things that she could not do, or acts that were frowned upon, and that was just the way in which life worked. For some, a gesture might be friendly, but for others, a threat—different cultures inspired different reactions, or the lack thereof, but still could pleasantries be exchanged.

With a question posed, an answer was quickly formulated. For her to not have a response ready immediately after being spoken to was a rare occurrence, for during the pauses in speech, she'd ponder the direction of each conversation. Everything was to be properly calculated, words and decisions made to be precise. "There are not," the girl voiced. "By living your life, you are assisting the tribe as a whole, for your interest in the world can offer you a great deal of knowledge. Your intelligence is of enough service, so you need not worry about performing any tasks that do not appeal to you." Ryūjin operated as a single unit, each member's interests and talents serving as a way to continue their progression in health and stability. It was as simple as that, really.

Following that, there had come another inquiry, one of which that had made the dragoness grow quiet for a moment or two. It was not often that their history was discussed, the troubles of the past seeming better when left alone. Yet, she could not ignore the request. "The cavern that you know was not our first place of settlement," she began, thinking back. "We had made our home on a volcano, living within and off of a cavern that is nestled into it. It was much like the Ryūjin of today, though seemingly larger." It had been spacious, yes, but she could no longer remember its exact size. No longer was it home, and no longer did her heart twinge at the mere mention of it. "We were not alone there, however, not as we currently are. We had possessed neighbours, and with them we had shared a border. The border had, of course, made for strained relations," the chieftess continued. "One day, a battle had broken out between us and them along that very same border. By the end, we had been granted our lives, but no longer were we permitted to stay within our first home as a tribe. To stay safe, we had departed from the area, traveling through the mountains until our new home had been found." Her original apprehension of the lair had not been mentioned, deemed unimportant, for it was her opinion alone. Asterr had wished to share facts, and so no mentions of her personal thoughts on the matter had been included.