Ezra continued to follow Reis around the various enclosures as he spoke, finding elation in having his master's full attention. Master was quiet, and that was okay, Ezra decided. There would be moments where Master wanted words, and others where he wanted silence. Ezra was more than willing to provide either one, depending on Master's desires. Reis seemed to find pleasure in listening to the Asha speak on about his homeland, encouraging the young creature further by asking him more questions. As Reis brought up the subject of Ezra's intelligence, the Asha furrowed his brow, bringing up fingers to lightly tap along his plump lips as he constructed an answer.<br/><br/>"Master, I do not know the answer for this, but I do have ideas. Asha are found in many parts of the world, no? They have been with humans for a long time. Their existences are weaved together with one another. On Tuloa, there were never humans. Just Asha. Without humans to take care of us, Tuloan Asha grew to tend to themselves. Perhaps that is the reasoning for our intelligence, as you say. It is not different from how human-owned sheep cannot shed their own coats, and how they must be clipped, no? Maybe because other Asha have depended on humans for so long, they stopped growing to tend to themselves." Ezra paused, keeping his eyes trained on Reis' parrot. These were questions no one had ever thought to pose to him before. Tuloan Asha didn't know the rest of the Asha world wasn't like them, and none of the keepers, handlers, or dealers ever found it necessary to relate that information. Ezra was the first Tuloan Asha to be sold in Belmir, but others had been smuggled away before him. Had they too discovered this strange bit of information? Had they too learned too late that they were unique, special, and ultimately alone?<br/><br/>"Yes, other Tuloans are like me," Ezra confirmed. "I was told by my keepers that I was the prettiest and the smartest, though I am beginning to wonder if all that was true. They said many things that did not turn out right. But even among my own kind, I am different," Ezra added, wrapping his arms around himself as if the very realization left him feeling cold. "I can read. Most Tuloan Asha can read Tuloan, but Belmiran is difficult. Your letters are strangely shaped and the order in which you put your words is very different than that of Tuloan. Most Asha have much difficulty with it, though I struggled only for a short while and was able to read at the level of a Belmiran adult by the time I was six. This is like four in human years, if I am remembering what Mother said. Asha do not age the same. We develop slower."<br/><br/>Ezra had nothing to add in regards to Reis' comment about Belmiran pet laws. He had never been taught about such things, only instructed on how to best serve his master. Asha were drawn to the subservient lifestyle, desperately eager to please. Ezra supposed that a wild Asha might challenge the rules placed upon him, and Ezra himself toed the line from time to time, he realized this, but he had no desire to fight against his own position. He liked his Master, strange though he was, and simply wanted to please and be adored in return. Law was too complicated a thing for him to concern himself with.<br/><br/>He fed the old parrot while Reis worked to clean the bird's home, smiling when the extravagant beast nuzzled him for more dried fruit. "Oh, it must be very good," Ezra cooed to his new feathered friend, "but I cannot have any. I will get sick." The bird flapped its fiery wings and squawked, conveying his displeasure. "It's okay, I have my own fruit. This is all for you." He held up his hand once more and allowed the bird to enjoy its treat as he looked to his master again, admiring the meticulous way Reis went about his task. It was obviously something he had done many times before and would continue to do for many years to come. Even Ezra knew birds like these had the potential to live for many decades.<br/><br/>"It is odd to me that you do this yourself, Master," Ezra commented, wiping his hands on his shirt when he was all out of snacks for the parrot. "Cleaning is something I thought most humans made servants or Asha do. Humans do not like dirtying their clothes. Mister Andras didn't like the dirt on my hands after I planted some of my seedlings." His hand drifted to his pocket, stroking the outside fabric lightly to ensure his package remained safe. Still there; he could feel the rough bumps through the thin material used for Asha clothing. He would have to find homes for the other seeds in the coming days.<br/><br/>When Reis was finished cleaning, he took Ezra back into the main house, upstairs to the hallway containing their respective rooms. Though Ezra didn't want to spend the night alone in the bedroom Reis had provided for him, he wanted to get put back into the cage even less. Ezra hung his head low as Reis locked himself away, shutting the door in Ezra's face. The Asha lingered, listening to the sounds beyond the door, trying to picture his master as he disrobed and retired for the evening, but eventually the sounds went too quiet for Ezra to hear and he slowly made his way to the bedroom as Reis had wanted.<br/><br/>Sighing, Ezra stripped himself of the confining clothing he had been forced to wear all day, his skin itching to be freed. He was bare naked when Yhet came in with a snack for him, but the large man didn't seem fazed by the Asha's nudity.<br/><br/>"Thank you, Mister Yhet," he said softly, taking the plate of dried roots and sweet spread Yhet had made for him along with a glass of cool water. It seemed the cook had no problem experimenting with the strange food that had been shipped alongside Ezra, and everything he had given to the Asha so far had been delicious. A few minutes passed after Yhet departed, Ezra staring longingly out the window as he munched on his food. The bedroom window overlooked part of the garden, and although he would have much preferred to be<i>out there</i>, being able to see gave the young creature some amount of comfort. It preferable to being trapped in the windowless, musty basement, and Ezra decided he would do nothing to potentially incur his master's wrath again.<br/><br/>The knock at his door caused the Asha to jump in surprise. His curls swirled about his head as he looked to see Mister Andras letting himself in.<br/><br/>"Hello, Mister Andras," Ezra said sweetly, setting his plate down on the windowsill. "No, I am not sleeping. I do not sleep well when I am alone. Shadows enter your head when you do that. But Master thinks I should stay here instead of with him." Ezra's answer was matter-of-fact, as if Andras should already know all about the nighttime shadows, though he didn't even know how to properly eat fruit.<br/><br/>Ezra shook his head when Andras attempted to lure him outside with promises of wine and entertainment. "No, Mister Andras. Master made it very clear that I am to stay in my room during the nighttime, and I do not want to make Master angry with me again. You are nice for inviting me, but I am going to stay where Master wants me, until he calls for me again. I think this is best."<br/><br/>The Asha's pretty face twisted in confusion at Andras' words, unsure of how to interpret them. "I do not know what you mean," he admitted. "Master is very knowledgeable about many animals. Maybe he knows little about Asha because he has never had one before. That is okay. He and I can learn things together."<br/><br/>Ezra wasn't comprehending Andras' implications, unschooled in areas of subtlety and nuance. He bit his lower lip and looked to Andras, his muscled body and tanned skin looking out of place cooped up in a standard bedroom. "You have owned Asha before, yes? This must be why you know things. Maybe you can teach Master."