Submission (#1334) Approved
User
Prompt
Submitted
29 November 2020, 17:39:06 PST (3 years ago)
Processed
29 November 2020, 19:01:22 PST (3 years ago) by tatter
Comments
928 words!
Regional Affinity: Strynhalde
Elnin: https://worldofeyre.com/character/ELN338
Regional Affinity: Strynhalde
Elnin: https://worldofeyre.com/character/ELN338
Content
There's a biting chill in the air as Ivan waits outside the trade depot, shuffling his paws nervously in the snow as he peeks in with wide eyes. Through the open gates of the depot, he can see traders and travelers milling about, working to park their carts and caravans, or unloading baskets of fruits and vegetables harvested from all over Eyre. Although the delivery of farmed goods is exciting and all, it's not what Ivan's here to see- instead, his eyes are locked on the traveling elnins that brought the food. He marvels at their adventuring clothes and their heavy supply packs, wondering what it must have been like out on the road. His mind is buzzing with questions, but he hesitates to step forward. He doesn't want to get in the way, after all.
It's not long before he's pulled from his thoughts by an approaching elnin. The traveling elnin doesn't look like an adventurer- the outfit he wears doesn't look especially useful for trekking through the overwilds, and the only thing in his bag seems to be a few large textbooks. Ivan steps back to let him through, but the other elnin stops short.
"Hey, kiddo. You look like you're waiting for something, is there something we can do for you? Are you lost?" The elnin asks kindly.
"Oh, no, I'm okay!" Ivan pipes up. "I'm just... Well..." He's a little embarrassed to say it, but he finally does. "I was just wondering if maybe... If I could ask some questions? About the places you've all been?"
"Sure, no problem." The traveler says, with a smile. "I've got a bit of work to do here, though. If you'd like, we can talk while I help move this food off of the carts. A lot of people worked very hard to get it here, so I don't want to let them down by skipping my part of the work."
"Okay. I'll help, too!" Ivan says, hopping up. He nearly trips as he tries to run through the heavy snow covering the ground, but the older elnin waits patiently for him. "My name is Ivan." The kittom says, once he catches up. "Who are you? Are you an adventurer? Do you fight monsters?"
The other elnin chuckles at the kittom's rapid-fire questions. "My name is Pyralis. I wouldn't exactly call myself an adventurer, and I certainly don't fight monsters. No, I'm actually a scholar from Bellmoril."
"Wow, Bellmoril??" Ivan asks, his eyes practically lighting up. "What's it like there? Is the snow there colder than our snow?"
"You see, Bellmoril doesn't really have snow. Certainly not like this, anyway!" Pyralis pauses in his work to hold up a paw to catch one of the many thick snowflakes drifting down from above. "Strynhalde is pretty unique, this is the only place in Eyre that gets this much snow."
The young kittom turns to look at the distant figure of Strynhalde's elder tree, rising high from the ground. The dark blue trunk is stark against the pale grey sky, and the white leaves are heavy with the latest snowfall. Every now and then, the heavy snow becomes a bit much for the leaves to hold, and chunks of it can be seen tumbling down from the higher branches. The ice and snow almost seems to glitter in the meager light that filters through the clouds.
"I think our elder tree is the prettiest." Ivan continues, helping the traders move their cargo by picking up a single apple and setting it on top of a nearby crate. "I mean... I guess I haven't seen any other ones. What does Bellmoril's tree look like? Is it pretty, too?"
"I certainly think so." Pyralis. "It's got bright yellow leaves, and the trunk is pure white."
"That sounds like the opposite of ours." Ivan says, not sure if he really likes the idea of an elder tree with bright yellow leaves.
As the two of them work on unloading the baskets and crates of food brought in from the harvest all over Eyre, Ivan rattles off whatever questions pop into his mind. Somehow, the older elnin patiently answers them all one by one. Questions about where he's been, where he's going to go, he doesn't seem to mind answering anything the kittom can ask.
Soon enough, their cart is empty of cargo, and the bulk of the fruit and vegetables have been hauled off to the market, or off to soup kitchens to be made into delicious meals. By now, Ivan is exhausted, even though he can tell he didn't really help all that much. His mind is still burning with questions, but it's getting dark, and the snowfall heavier. Knowing that he needs to get home soon, Ivan bows his head and thanks Pyralis for his time.
"Here, wait-" Pyralis jogs over to Ivan. The kittom turns, and the traveling scholar passes him a small basket of bright orange mangoes imported straight from Ealei. Ivan stares down at the gift, then looks up with a beaming smile. He starts to leave once again, but stops.
"Uhm, mister scholar?" Ivan says, looking back. "I just have one more question. Do you think... I might get to travel the world someday, too?"
Pyralis' smile is bright and cheerful, so warm that Ivan can almost feel it.
"Someone as curious as you?" He answers. "Definitely. You're gonna do Strynhalde proud someday, kid."
Satisfied with that answer, Ivan pushes on through the snow, straight back to his home, with dreams of the future filling his head.
Rewards
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| Elecite Coins | 6 |
Characters
ELN338: ★ Ivan 🌿
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| AP (Strynhalde) (Currencies) | 1 |