Submission (#1001) Approved

Word count: 1,078
Elnins featured:
Amazon (Mine)
Hades (MewW0lf)
AP: Kyendi

  Amazon wandered the forest of Kyendi, her pomu lantern and miasma ward floating behind her. The soft blue light from the lantern and her Emberglow illuminated the ancient trees around Amazon. It was the middle of the night, but after tossing and turning for hours, the Adventurer had decided her time could be put to better use, like searching the forest for stranded Elnin. Sure enough, the light revealed a Kittom, curled up in the leaves of the dark forest. Amazon examined them, noting the miasma hadn’t poisoned them too much. They didn’t have a ward but their own mana was strong enough to keep them alive. Amazon got closer and poked the kittom’s shoulder. They twitched and grumbled a bit, but didn’t move. She unfolded her pack, locking the bars into place on the sides to make a stretcher. She lifted the small Kittom on to it and began to trudge home, planning to care for the Kittom until a caravan came through to take them home.
   The next morning, as dawn light soaked the trees, Amazon watched the sunrise. The distant floating island were visible between the leafy branches, even with the miasma wreathing around the trunks. A sharp intake of breath from inside her house made the blue and white Elnin turn around, her messily braided hair hitting a nearby branch. The Kittom she had rescued the night before stumbled outside, blinking in the dawn light. He was light brown, with trine tails and green horns. His leaf colored eyes strained in the sudden brightness after the cool darkness of the inside of Amazon’s home. “Where… where am I?” He asked Amazon. “And who are you?” Amazon looked him over. “You’re in Kyendi. I found you passed out in the forest last night and brought you here until a caravan comes. I’m Amazon, and don’t worry, I do this a lot in the winter months.” The Kittom gave her a confused look. “Well, thank you, but I can take care of myself. Good luck, to you and the others you rescue.” With that he began to walk off, in, what Amazon noted, the opposite direction from any civilization. “How do you think you’ll survive out there?” Amazon asked patiently. “You’re nearly defenseless, you can’t fight, you have no supplies or wards, and you’re going the wrong direction and don’t even realize that. Wait for a caravan, and I’ll teach you to survive.” The tan Kittom gave her a glare that could outfreeze a glacier, but he walked back towards her. “Fine.” He said grudgingly.
  Amazon ducked into her home and came out a few minutes later with an empty cloth satchel. She handed it to the Kittom. “What’s your name?” She asked him. He blinked his leaf green eyes. “Hades. Why?” Amazon took a needle and thread out of her own satchel, and deftly embroidered his name on the bag. “So you never lose it. This will be important, trust me.”
  That day, Amazon taught Hades about the plants in the forests of Kyendi. Which were edible, which were poisonous, which were flammable, and all of that. She taught him about the common plants, like juniper, oak, poison ivy, borage, magnolia, and many others. She taught him about rarer plants as well, and the animals and the different rocks and all sorts of natural phenomenon. The Kittom soaked up these lessons like a thirsty creature who has received water. Once Hades could name any plant he saw and all its uses, or make any rock into a good weapon, or identify a spot and set up a shelter in any part of the forest, Amazon moved on to different lessons. These were harder, more brutal, but they would come to pay off.
  “Jump! Roll! Dive! Front left! Other left!” Amazon shouted. Hades moved in a flurry of attacks, but nothing was to Amazon’s satisfaction. She drilled him all day, barely letting him rest until he got something to her standards, which didn’t happen often. By the time three weeks had passed, the Kittom had extreme respect for his blue marked mentor, and had built up many skills that would awe any Elnin, even those trained in self defense.
 “The next caravan comes through in a few days.” Amazon suddenly informed Hades. He blinked in shock. Amazon grinned at her student who had been so grudging at first. “What, you thought you would never leave?” She teased him. “Well… I guess I forgot. It’s been amazing learning with you, Amazon.” Hades told her formally. Amazon lightly swatted him and said “Cut it out! You have a few more days, and I’m not that old!” Hades laughed, his brown and cream shape trembling slightly. “But, since your training is basically complete, come enjoy the sunset. Kyendi has amazing views!” She told the Kittom, dragging him towards a nearby hill.
  After a hike that most would find grueling, but to the Elnins it was like running up a short flight of stairs, they reached the crest of the hill. Amazon and Hades could see around for miles, the tops of the trees looking like a huge leafy ocean extending for miles around. Suddenly, a little ways off in the distance, the land ended, and there was just sky, broken up by other floating islands. Such was the magic of Kyendi, with colorful birds soaring through the sky, flaunting their gorgeous tails, and islands suspended in space, creating an effect of mystery, completed by the mists wreathing the forests of ancient trees. The setting sun radiated beams of golden light all around, turning the sky pink and purple and reflecting off the islands as the forests became lit from within by the night dwellers with bioluminescence. The two fluffy creatures sat in comfortable silence at the crest of the hill, watching the sun set and the world become peaceful around them. “Y’know, I’m going to miss having you around.” Amazon told Hades quietly. He chuckled. “Why not start a school for Kittoms? There’s plenty of youngsters who would be interested, I’m sure. And they’ll keep you company.” Amazon looked at him in shock, but a small smile crept across her face. “That’s a great idea! I can start a school! And take care of Kittoms! Oh my goodness I LOVE that idea!” Hades laughed at his mentor’s excitement and told her, “I think you’ve found your place in life, Amazon. I’m glad I could help with that.”