Ekay is surprised by the sergal child’s statement, and presses them for information. Realizing they should explain further, the sergal takes a moment to share one of their tribe’s beliefs, thumping themself on the chest to signify their heart and the souls they believe lie within.

Meanwhile, Ekay realizes that there may be other children where this sergal comes from, and finds he is indeed correct. Perhaps little Pekk will make his way there, or someone else in the village might have found him?

— MORE INFO ON TRIBAL SERGAL BELIEFS OF THE SOUL —

Many Sieg clan sergals such as those that belong to the Mole-Digger tribe are always in danger of losing their lives all too easily. This is because they are generally a gathering of weak, cowardly people who do not have a sufficient way to fight back against the deadly Talyxian flora and fauna. Due to this grim fact and harsh situation, they often develop a rather unique outlook on life and the concept of death.

The Mole-Digger tribes consider and recognize what a “living person” is through a very unique lens: they believe that all of their collective souls in their community — their friends — exist together among all of their hearts. These souls exist as an invisible force or energy, but when a person is born, some of this existance flows from mother to child, and the person now exists physically.

However, they also accept that this existance is brief and temporary. When a person dies, their soul energy that was housed within returns to the group, where it lives on among each other. Thus when a person loses their physical body or disappears, it is said that they simply revert back to their invisible soul essence.

Because of this belief of transient existance, those of this belief regard the time spent together to be very precious and a blessing to have. This also gives them a somewhat altered perception of reality, as they do not distinguish between a friend’s witnessed death and a friend that departs the village and never returns.