Burch struggles to walk, rising up along the mountain path.

It is a path not carved by toiling hands or by digging claws, but rather by the shearing of the wind over a span of countless generations.

Having walked for the full day since we were on the shore and now for the start of the night, we very slowly begin to rise.

Despite the fact that we are moving closer towards the sky, towards where the sun hangs for most of its life, it is becoming colder. There is little protection from the wind up here.

The rocky terrain rattles, stones coming loose as Burch treads over them.

- Ahead of us is a cave.

“Let’s stop for the night,” says Burch, rubbing her head. “I don’t feel so good.”

Ah.

There are many reasons for you to feel unwell, Burch.

I assume that your body is unhappy with the raw meat of the crab and with the exertion of your tearing muscles and with the deep hunger of your belly.

- But I would find it most unwise.

Burch looks around at the cave.

It is a shallow thing, being little more than an indented hole in the rock of the mountain. But it provides shelter from the wind.

She sits down, letting out a long exhalation, her head drooping the moment she falls down and plants herself against the rocks. Deep exhaustion has overtaken my friend to a point where even I can do little about it.

This is most unfortunate.

I look around from where we sit, having an overview of the lands behind us.

The sky is bright tonight, but not because of the moon, which has gone into hiding. But rather, because of the manifold blanket of stars, hanging heavily over the world.

It seems that I have no choice then.

(Sunflower) has used: [Floral Resonance]

I can not speak to the mycelium of the mushrooms from here, as there is little loose soil on the mountain. But I know that the hobgoblins are on their way.

I can only hope that the spiders will dissuade the first of them and slow their approach. At least until Burch has rested a little.

My roots snake down alongside her body, winding their way to the rocks like vipers.

It will take a long time, but I must start to burrow into the stone. Perhaps I can afford us some more time?

Burch has been sleeping for many hours, her body recovering as best as it can from her grievous malnutrition and overwork.

For her sake, I consume several of the spiders, who have begun to make their way to the mountain with my roots, eating them as bloodmeal. This paste, I then channel into her body, through my thicker roots. I press the spider-mash into her stomach while she rests.

Sleep well, Burch. Heal. Eat. Grow strong and fat.

I need you to do this.

I can not reach paradise without you.

My other roots burrow deeper into the loose stones of the mountain.

Half of the night has passed. It is precious time that we will never recover.

Burch still sleeps in a state that I am unable to rouse her from.

Down far below us, down below the field of stars that covers the world, a second field has made itself seen.

The ground is covered in stars, just like the sky is.

- Firelight.

Torches.

The hobgoblin horde is moving down along the world below us, straight in our direction.

I suspect that they are around the area where the cow was. I hope for its sake, that it is there no longer and has left for a distant pasture.

It seems that we are in luck, however. The swarm seems to be slowing down. It seems that they are also resting for the night.

Fortune has favored us today.

But the first of them, the scouts and the pathfinders, they will be here soon nonetheless.

- I prepare.

Something sniffs in the darkness around us, grunting and hobbling.

My roots, laid out gently over the interconnected mass of uncountable numbers of spiders' webs, sense a vibration as something steps into one of them.

A thousand and then some legs skitter towards the disturbance and, despite it being much larger than the usual fly or moth that they trap, the many spiders begin to eat the hobgoblin, as they would any other insect.

- [ The fight is over ] -

(Hobgoblin pathfinder) has died.

+ 08 EXP EXP: 332/450 (Burch) EXP: 83/310

There is no scream.

I assume the hobgoblin simply had too many spiders in its mouth.

The spiders retreat and return to their webs in the darkness.

Then, another one comes.

This dance continues for a while with the goblin scouts, sniffing out our trail, only to always encounter a web or a snare, made by the hungry spiders, who find no insects up this high.

- [ The fight is over ] -

(Hobgoblin pathfinder)(Hobgoblin pathfinder)(Hobgoblin pathfinder)(Hobgoblin pathfinder)(Hobgoblin pathfinder) has died.

+ 40 EXP EXP: 372/450 (Burch) EXP: 123/310

Burch continues to sleep.

She mumbles about bees or something.

I don’t quite understand it.

But I enjoy watching her flinch like a jumpy rabbit as she rests. It is cute.

I wonder.

Perhaps I have become too stressed, after all?

- My roots wind around the creature’s neck as it flails, kicking in the dirt and grabbing at them.

I have become so enamored with the idea of paradise, with the idea of adventure, that perhaps I have missed the whole point?

- The hobgoblin chokes and splutters, as the life leaves its vessel.

Finding paradise was not my idea, after all. It belonged to my best friend, Burch. I just adopted it, as I did her.

And here I am, forcing her hand and her legs to move towards that place, as if I was the one who had thought of it.

Paradise isn’t going anywhere.

- The hobgoblin spasms. Its hands grow weak and let go of my roots, as the bones in the back of its neck snap apart.

- [ The fight is over ] -

(Hobgoblin scout) has died.

+ 08 EXP EXP: 380/450 (Burch) EXP: 131/310

What a fool I have been.

I have become so captivated by the destination, that I have been neglecting the journey. This journey has brought me a lot.

I have realized, rather suddenly, that I have overemphasized the importance of the reward at the end of our way. But I have neglected the rewards which I have already received.

These are far more important than paradise could ever be.

Another hobgoblin makes its way up the cliff towards us.

(Sunflower) has used: [Sunkiss]

It screeches, grabbing its burnt face and eyes and falls down into the darkness.

- [ The fight is over ] -

(Hobgoblin scout) has fallen to its death.

+ 08 EXP EXP: 388/450 (Burch) EXP: 139/310

I lift my head, gazing towards the moon.

I have always only ever had eyes for the sun.

- But perhaps the moon is worth looking at as well?

It has already been established that I am a judgmental creature. Perhaps this has been my own folly, however?

The fact that I am aware of this, but have done little to correct it, shows a weakness, that is most unbefitting of a sunflower.

(Sunflower) has used: [Heavy Pollen]

Applied Status: [Sleep] to (Hobgoblin Pathfinder)(Hobgoblin Pathfinder)

Applied Status: [Lethargy] to (Hobgoblin Pathfinder)(Hobgoblin Pathfinder)

Applied Status: [Delirium] to (Hobgoblin Scout)

Four bodies fall to the ground and are quickly swarmed by hungry spiders. They vanish into the darkness. The fifth hobgoblin clutches its face and eyes and begins tearing at them with its own claws. It digs all the way through, until it falls over and dies.

- [ The fight is over ] -

(Hobgoblin Pathfinder)(Hobgoblin Pathfinder)(Hobgoblin Pathfinder)(Hobgoblin Pathfinder)(Hobgoblin scout) have died.

+ 40 EXP EXP: 428/450 (Burch) EXP: 179/310

I must try to be better.

My best friend, Burch, is counting on me, after all.

Is that not why I am here?

With a featureless face and non-existent eyes, I stare up towards the moon.

It is a most obscure thing, the moon.

The sun comes every day, but it always comes in the same form.

- Bright. Full.

The moon however, it is different.

The moon comes some nights only in part, some nights in full and some nights, not at all. It changes itself every day, but it continues with its journey, despite the changes that it undergoes with every passing night.

Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned here?

Perhaps I ought to be a little more like the moon?

- Persistent. But willing to undergo change. Bright. But bright in a dark place, so that others can follow me, like I follow the sun.

Hmm.

Many hundreds of feet make their way up the mountain.

The spiders tell me as much.

Burch still rests however, having fallen into a deep, deep sleep. Her mind is full of dreams and her belly full of processed spider flesh.

Heal well, Burch.

Tonight, I will be a moonflower in the meantime.

- I hope that you do not find this an offensive change on my part.

Turning my head, I look back towards the darkness below us, towards the hundreds of silhouettes and eyes that begin to make themselves distinct in the darkness.

It is about time.

(Sunflower) has deactivated: [Floral Resonance] (Sunflower) has started channeling: [Hard Water] Channeling Time: {6} Seconds SOUL: 06/15

My roots, having dug very deeply into the rock of the mountain and having spread themselves out over the course of the night, quench themselves full of a heavy, mineral-laden water that has been resting in the porous rock of the mountain’s heart.

The first forward legion of the hobgoblin swarm makes their way towards us, having sniffed us out.

Something snarls in the darkness, looking our way.

Goodbye.

(Sunflower) has used: [Hard Water]

The rock cracks noisily in half. A split runs through the mountain for as far as I can see in the tepid moonlight.

The face of the mountain breaks and slides off, taking with it a hundred and then some hobgoblins, who careen down, screaming into the darkness.

They die gruesome deaths.

It is good.

- [ The fight is over ] -

(Hobgoblin Pathfinder)(Hobgoblin Scout)(Hobgoblin)(Hobgoblin Shaman)(Hobgoblin Scout) have died...

{127}

+ 1016 EXP EXP: 825/825 (Burch) EXP: 310/310

LEVEL UP!

Congratulations! You are now level {09}! Congratulations! You are now level {10}! - [Sunflower] - 🌻 Health-Points: 23/23↗ Soul-Points: 19/19↗ Level: 10 ↗ Experience: 169/1250 Class: You are a sunflower. Sub-class: None Race: You are a sunflower. Obols: 000 - [Stats] - STR: 04 ↗ DEX: 04 ↗ WIS: 10 ↗ INT: 09 ↗ LUK: 08 LOV: 08 ↗↗ NEW - [Moonflower]{Passive} - Allows [Bask] to be used at night. The fuller the moon, the stronger the effect.

Full moon = 100%

Waxing/Waning moon = 50%

Crescent moon = 25%

New moon = 0%

The solar energies from the moon, while different and much colder than those of the sun, are still energy nonetheless. By adapting the photo-receptors on your body, you are able to absorb moonlight much easier. NEW - [Adulthood]{Passive} - You have reached a state of maturity. Your seeds are now ready to grow on their own. Your blossom is ready for pollination. Reaching the final stages of its lifespan, the seeds of a sunflower are ready to fall and to grow on their own.

LEVEL UP!

Congratulations Burch! You are now level {7}!

- [Burch] - Health-Points: 32/32↗↗ Soul-Points: 26/26↗ Level: 7↗ Experience: 395/650 Class: Druid Sub-class: None Race: Human Obols: 000 - [Stats] - STR: 09 ↗↗ DEX: 14 ↗↗ WIS: 07↗ INT: 07↗ LUK: 10 ↗ LOV: 07 ↗↗ NEW - [Restful Sleep]{Passive} - Allows you to recover injuries twice as fast as others while sleeping on a full stomach. Living in hardship for a long time will train the body to be able to utilize its rare downtime hyper efficiently. NEW - [Personal Journey]{Passive} - Passively gain EXP while walking and not in combat. Every step taken forward is a step towards personal development. It might not seem like much, but every little action serves to train the mind in some sense over a long period of time.

It is much later.

Burch stretches herself out like a funny cat and yawns. I find it most pleasing to watch from my precarious vantage point.

I feel her back popping and her bones creaking as she moves.

The sun shines down upon us both. A new day has come.

She rubs her face blinking and continues to stretch.

Given her movements, it seems that a full belly and a strong rest have done wonders for her composition.

“Good morning,” says Burch, sleepily looking my way.

Good morning, Burch.

I lift my head, returning my attention to the sunlight.

- But then I turn away again, to watch her instead.

The sun will be back tomorrow. But I only have Burch for now. My time with her is far rarer than my time with the sun ever could be.

Burch yelps in terror, scrambling over on her knees in terror and grabbing me. I sit sideways on the edge of a cliff, which was certainly not here last night. How mysterious.

Haha.

We almost died.

This was fun.

I am an old sunflower, and I have come to understand something about life that I did not see before. I wonder, Burch, as your fingers grasp my stalk and hold me tightly, do you see it too?

- The truth of the nature of our kinship?

I was a moonflower.