Aturs, Year of Severus, 15, I.R., the 33rd day of Fall, Arenfall

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Morning came in with a gloomy sky. The sun shied away from the clouds and the little sunlight that kissed the hills created threads of light descending from the heavens. The elf woke up in an empty room. It looked like her comrades had already woken up earlier than they normally did—well, naturally, the beastman always did that.

The beastman was always the first to wake-up among them. He hunted early before the sun rose and would've cooked breakfast for all of them by the time, they woke up later on the day. The elf usually began her day with a quick prayer to her Goddess, thanking her for the protection during the night. Then the elf would begin scraping the excess fats and sinews from the animal skins the beastman had skinned during his hunt.

She went out of the tent to begin her task but there was nothing hanging in the rack. She looked around trying to catch a glimpse of one of her comrades. But they were nowhere to be found. She tied her hair back into a bun and made her way into the thick forest outside of the camp to forage for some mushrooms and firewood.

As she walked along the forest's winding path, she began to recall the conversation that happened last night with the four of them.

"Lad, tis deal is a piss, that I know." The dwarf blurted out as he laid on his bed.

"I know," Adaloun sighed. "But you don't have to do it. If you have to leave—"

"Nonsense!" The dwarf growled. "Are yah still that thick-headed to carry dis burden all alone?"

The beastman sat up from his bed. "You saved and freed us. I won't leave you again like what happened the last time!"

The elf wanted to speak up too, but she had nothing good to say. 132-X or now, Adaloun had always been a polarizing figure to her. On one hand, he helped them inside the mines and freed them from slavery. On the other hand, she felt like up until this point, all of his actions were just means to gratify himself. To feel like a hero and be a hero. She never mentioned it to any of them, but she felt as if Adaloun could've been a reincarnated being trying to relive his former glory.

A flock of squawking ducks flew over the gray sky. It got her distracted from the train of thought she had. Her stomach grumbled as she remembered she haven't had her breakfast up to that point. The elf looked around for a mount of fallen leaves and cleared her way through it. On the cold damp ground, a clump of round and shiny mushrooms formed a small patch of vegetation underneath the leaves.

She examined it first with her eyes. The last thing she wanted was touching it if in case it was a poisonous type of mushroom. The moon-shy mushroom which is an edible mushroom looked awfully similar to the toadboil mushroom which was of the poisonous variety.

She took a stick and pressed it on the biggest one she saw. The stick easily pierced its way through the mushroom. The elf checked the stick for any sappy contents, luckily there was none. Her stomach grumbled once more as she realized it was the edible kind.

The elf took the mushrooms from the ground and gently put it on her sash. She then looked for the shallow stream that was located near from where she was. After finding the stream, she immediately washed the mushroom and sat on a shade from a wailing willow tree just beside the stream.

She gorged the mushroom. It had always been a favorite of hers ever since she tasted it as a child. The sweet yet savory flavor of the mushroom had always been a mystery to her. As far as what she had read, mushrooms only come in either a citrusy flavor, like the steak mushroom or a savory taste like that of a gopher mushroom.

But this mushroom flavor was different. It had a delicate spongy texture that crumbled in your mouth with every chew and the juices it produces gave a satiety feeling just by eating few of it. She knew the book she read before as a child needed an updated version.

The elves of the Vridian forest had never been able to travel the world like they used to during the Age of Wonder. Their ancestors where supposedly great scouts and adventurers who travel the unknown lands of Haelgea, the old name of the Arterian Empire before they conquered most of the lands.

She dreamed of one day travelling the world like what her ancestors had done. She wanted to meet the mysterious Prairie Elves from the Northern most side of the Great Dunes. Learn the different fauna and flora of the different regions of the world she lived in and experience what it was like to be as free as a bird. Just the thought of it filled her heart with excitement and her body with shivers—at least she could dream of it.

With the current situation she had now, she was indeed lucky to reach the Isle of Oyue. The isle that not many of her kind had wanted to go to. It was said to be a place of evil and insanity. There were accounts of her ancestors losing their minds in the island after finding a forbidden knowledge they weren't supposed to learn about.

She recalled how scared she was when she first set foot on the Crescent Isles. The feeling of dread and uncertainty loomed in on her until she met her newfound friends. The human who polarized himself almost every time, the dwarf who chatters and loved reenact stories and poetry, and lastly a beastman who was too scared and too emotional for his own good. They were all flawed and had their own issues to work on, but they stuck together like the clump of mushrooms she took earlier.

She took another piece of mushroom and chewed on it slowly. Enjoying every bite of it. She thought of sharing the mushrooms with her friends, but this was her favorite mushroom, and it was hard to get by. The elf would rather keep it to herself…on second thought maybe she could give a piece of it to—

Suddenly she felt a crunch in between her teeth. Was there a piece of rock inside that mushroom? There shouldn't be any of it as far as she was concerned, she cleaned it thoroughly. She spat the debris out of her mouth and into her palm. The hard object shimmered in the sliver of light that pierced through the clouds.

The elf took a look into it and noticed it wasn't a rock but rather a shiny crystal gem. It was clear enough that she was able to see her palm from underneath the crystal. She curiously took the gem let it bask in the sliver of light. That's when it dawned on her, the story her grandmother talked about the moon-shy mushroom. Legend has it that it was a good omen when you find a gem inside. It was said that the moon goddess had smiled upon you.

The more she realized what it meant, she suddenly felt dizzy. Her world began to spin and as the grey sky suddenly began to turn oddly blue. She laid her back against the trunk of the tree as her consciousness slowly faded into the sight of the blue haze.

She opened her eyes and saw nothing but a pale blue light illuminating what seemed to be a paved road. The elf looked around and saw nothing else but the light. Somehow her senses were telling her to follow the path in front of her.

Although hesitant, she braved herself and walked along the beautifully patterned pavement. There were lines dancing across the path, swirling beautifully as the light casted on it. She walked a bit further and saw strange yet wonderful flowers by the side of the road. They were as pale as the moonlight and yet as she examined it more, she saw it was made of glass.

She was tempted of picking one up, but for some reason, her senses were stopping her from doing so. Her senses are directing her to move forward, and there was no way for her to control it. So, the elf made her way forward and enjoyed the strange world she was in.

This dreamworld paradise was something out of the storybooks that she had read when she was younger. The otherworldly appearance was stunning and overwhelming at the same time. If here senses weren't directing her, she would most likely be lost in bewilderment from the tantalizing view that she saw.

As she walked further down the road, she heard a humming. A sweet childlike voice humming just not far from where she was. She picked up her pace and eagerly ran to the enchanting hum that sounded like a symphony of birds singing from the distance.

As she took the final step from the paved road, she saw a figure waiting for her. It was a child of otherworldly beauty. Her pale skin made a beautiful contrast to her flowing sparkling blue hair. Her eyes had a pale blue glow on them that stood out from her already comely face.

The child smiled at her, "Welcome, you finally found me, Orphella."