Submission (#1756) Approved

Quest: Resonance - Act 1
Act Type: Support
Word Count: 2388
Adult Elnin Present: Geir [ELN121]
Regional Affinity: Ealei
Claiming Regional Affinity for: Ilari [ELN154]
[Noble] Rank Unlock Mini-Requirement:
Depict your Elnin during a journey far from home [Home Region: Palu’au]

Act 1: Beating Boredom with Root Orchards [High Hanging Fruit]

 

A subtle splash of saltwater hit the kittom as he rushed towards the edge of the barge as it slowly pulled to port. “Woah Ilari wait!” The gruff voice of his father strained as he yanked the enormous load of packages over his back. As an older elnin, he was less enthralled by the Yggdrasil tree from afar, nor enchanted by the long branching roots over the clear, bright blue waters. The kittom, on the other hand, felt his heartbeat pick up as they smoothly sailed towards the city of Nalnalo. 

 

“I want to visit the center of the tree! Aren’t there little towns up there? Can I see it all?” He spoke out in a single breath as the exasperated delivery nin stood up tall on his legs, staring at the tree and back down. “Of course,” he said kindly, “but we have to do work first, remember? I promised that I’d take you with me and enjoy Ealei after I checked in with the Post Master here and sorted the deliveries from the other branches.” He motioned with his head back towards his filled bags while Sven, his pomu, poked out of his shadow with an annoyed scowl due to the shadow being filled with more packages.

 

“I knoooooow.” Ilari whined softly, his bushy tail wiggling as the boat slowly moved into the city. Far above the twisting roots, the large tree was a sight to behold. The younger elnin wanted so desperately to climb up to the very top and look out for everything. “Can we do it fast?” He turned his attention back finally and pushed back from the edge to sit next to him, putting his tiny shoulder bag over himself with a few small letters.

 

Geir laughed warmly and pressed a paw on his head. “Deliveries don’t always go so fast because we have to go far, but I promise Ilari, we’re going to have some fun too while we’re here.” His eyes looked upward at the large capital city, which stretched upward into the Yggdrasil tree’s base roots, connected by a series of stairs and platforms. His eyes caught the trademark red sign with the postal symbol as the boat shuddered to a stop to make port. “Alright, stick close to me alright?”

 

Ilari was enchanted by the hustle and bustle, grumbling but obliging the older nin as he stayed close to his side. The barge squeaked into place under the shade of the large tree, a pier carved out of one of the lowest roots of the tree reaching out into the water. Geir felt his tail instinctively drape over Ilari as the two walked out into the new crowd moving into the city. The main thoroughfare centered on a marketplace in the center of the town. Simultaneously, carved stairs led to the city’s higher levels, where nestled buildings sat against the large tree’s twisted bottom. Tiers of more buildings flanked the sides, while other pathways led to where the kittom could no longer see.

 

There was a smell in the air that reminded him of the earthy tones he’d noticed in Strynhalde as a younger kittom, but there was something more fresh about it. Rather than the quiet, stagnant smell that snow often had, this was something alive with a hint of sweetness. 

 

Ilari was so enthralled in his thoughts about the smell, he walked straight into Geir when the older elnin had stopped to survey the area. “Ow!” He wiggled his nose and shook his head. Geir leaned over to pat his head. “Easy Ilari, I’m just looking for… ah, there it is.” With a paw, he pointed out to a building at the far corner of the market. Sticking out between a forked root was a red roof with a white “〒” on the front. Geir’s eyes brightened, and Ilari watched as he puffed out his chest and walked with purpose towards it. He was not impressed at all since, for him, it looked like any other post office he’d been dragged to since Geir first found him in the snow. 

 

Immune to the desperate, bored glances of the smaller elnin, Geir entered the building. “Just look at this organization…” He said with a gasp. There were cubbies behind the main desk with a massive row of them and dedicated lines for incoming and outgoing. From the looks of the building, it was longer than it was wide but allowed for a decent assembly-line movement pattern. Ilari’s ears wiggled from the sounds of sorting from the back, hearing endless chatter. How is this any different? He thought bitterly, pawing at a spot on the ground. 

 

“This way Ilari.” The braided adult nudged him towards the main desk under a sign that read “Courier Check-In” and he moved to it, tapping at the bell set up for those of his height. “Maybe I should have drunk some manaberry juice..” Ilari heard his father mutter. However, the concern was short-lived as another elnin hurried over to handle him. 

 

The elnin was dressed in a red vest and red hat with the same symbol as the building. A golden wing tag showcased that they were higher on the postman hierarchy. Though to Ilari, it meant nothing, and the two adults began into the same old small talk and pleasantries that drove him crazy. “I’m always happy coming so far!” Geir said boisterously. He gazed down at Ilari and nudged him. “I’ve got a lot of deliveries to check in here before I get my local bag for here, can you sit out here quietly while I head to the back?” 

 

 Ilari grumbled but nodded. “Of course.” He sighed, and the postnin lifted up the gate and led him to the back. The young kittom twitched his bushy tail and waited an entire 5 minutes before opting to spend the time back out under the tree at the very least. In his mind, Geir just wanted him to be safe, but nothing was saying he had to be safe AND bored, was there? 

 

Once back outside, Ilari stared upward at the far away branches. The varying colors of green attracted his gaze, and the fluttering of the high winds that made it dance. Entranced by the colors, he barely could hear the bustle and noises of everyone around him, save for one. His ear twisted backward as he listened to the telltale angry yelps of someone struggling. The kittom turned and looked back through a root archway, and he wandered in the direction. From the archway, there was a twisting spire of stairs which he trudged through.

 

His ears were honed in on the specific noise, wondering why no one else was moving to help whatever poor creature was making them. As the small kittom rounded another corner, he stopped in awe of the area. While the large tree was far above him, the roots had formed a plateau-like area where a few small houses were nestled into the roots, but further off was a small house surrounded by trees. “Huh?” The kittom felt the confused noise escape involuntarily. It was as if they were little branches sprouting from the tree, hanging overhead with many colors. Enchanted, Ilari pressed his paws against one to get a better look. They were different from anything back home, and he could smell the sweetness coming off of them.

 

Tranquility gave way to confusion, as the kittom was now hearing a steady stream of “Dangit” and “Come on!” comments from deeper into the strange orchard. Slowly he pushed off and moved beyond. “Hello?” He said quietly. 

 

“Eh?!” There was a loud KERFLUNK noise, and Ilari could see some buckets toppling over as an elnin fell over. At first, Ilari was confused since he had definitely heard an adult, yet the size seemed off. Curiously, he approached, and the pale yellow Elnin pulled herself free of a bucket. With bright green eyes, she noticed Ilari and stared awkwardly. 

 

“Hey little one, what are you doin’ out here?” She approached slowly, avoiding some spilled bright fruits from underneath. “You get lost? Just gotta go back down those stairs.” Slowly it dawned that she was just short, and Ilari shook his head.

 

“I heard someone struggling up and decided to investigate!” He pumped his chest up proudly as Geir would do. 

 

“Oh…” She looked sheepish and turned. “That was nothin’!” Her long tail wiggled around. “Just pulling down some of the cherrans and the ones higher up are hard, that’s all.” She grumbled but moved back to point a paw up at the top of the trees. “I’m out of manaberry juice for now, and the husband’s gone back into town, so it’s just me out here and these fruit are stubborn.” Another huff escaped her.

 

Ilari followed and looked back up into the tree, looking at his short stature and back at the other elnin, blinking. “Well,” he began, “You look like you need help.” He said quietly.

 

Her tail flicked again, “No offense sweet pea, but you’re only about as big as I am, if not a little smaller.” She sighed as she righted a few of the baskets and scooped the little orange fruits back into them dejectedly. 

 

The young kittom visibly flinched but shook his head, “Maybe, but you can put me up there.” He pointed with an extended paw to the top. “I’m a little smaller, but the higher branches are closer together and I can shake the fruits loose for you.” It reminded him of dealing with his siblings, who had grown before him, and how they often boosted him to higher places. 

 

The other elnin seemed to stand still, and the wind blew past her short hair. “Oh.” She let out the soft realization and moved over. “Well, that is a great idea! Come on. She moved under him and pressed her head, pushing him up the side of the tree. 

 

 “Woah!” He wasn’t entirely prepared as he was lifted, but hopped up into the branches and blinked with his dual-toned eyes at all of the brightly colored fruit.” Wow…” He gasped, looking back down. “This is amazing!” His thoughts were all around the fruit now, far removed from where he had been, or concerned about his dad or anything else. The other elnin put a bucket on her head, looking up. “Alright kid, just shake them loose and I’ll catch them!” 

 

 Happily, he moved on a branch and shook it with both paws, watching the little orange orbs fall into the bucket, and he grinned back at her. Moving up further, he poked a few with his paws to make them fall, too, feeling satisfied by every new plonk into the bucket. He could quickly adjust and move expertly among the more spindly branches up near the top, where he continued to shake the fruits free. 

 

Overwhelmed, the elnin underneath started setting up buckets to keep up with him as he was able to get more than she anticipated, but she was happy for the help. Ilari poked another area, grabbing hold of some to stare at as he dropped them back down into a bucket. “Do you have to do all of these trees?” He asked, suddenly realizing the orchard was further back on the roots than he anticipated. While it wasn’t the same as an orchard on the ground, it seemed just as large if not larger than some of the orchards he’d seen during some travels with Geir. 

 

As he gently lifted down some more fruits, he saw her shake her head. “Naw, these trees are on a staggered schedule. Always have been. I think they know that getting all ripe at once might not be good, though they tend to stick to a season.” She chuckled, watching as the last few bits of orange came down. With a gentle “hm,” she motioned him down. “I think you got all of them!” 

 

 Ilari was satisfied with the answer and looked around before moving down to slowly hop down, happy for the bark to land on, and he looked back up at her. “That’s great! Now you have everything!” She nodded and moved around, setting her buckets onto a nearby cart, and she beamed back at him. “Only with your help! You really did hear me and came running, I think that’s a first even for me!” She chuckled and turned back, moving her paws over something before turning around with a small satchel. “I realize I don’t have your name, but please take some of the cherrans for payment.” 

 

 His little tail wiggled, and he blinked at the satchel, smiling as he took it around his head and smiled. “I’m Ilari, and I’m glad I could help!” Though there was something odd about it too, as he thought. He shrugged and popped a wayward cherran into his mouth. Sweetness erupted into a burst of flavor, and he felt a goofy grin on his face, giggling. 

 

“ILARI!” The happy feeling sunk as he swallowed, turning to see an angry, familiar braided elnin at the top of the nearby stairs, glaring back at him.

 

“Ah, I gotta go…” He said sheepishly. “Hope it’s easier next time!” The unknown elnin nodded with a happy wave, attaching herself to the cart and walking off with it to a nearby pulley system to get them down. Ilari rushed to the feet of his father figure. “I-“

 

 “You gave me a heart attack! Do you know how big this place is?! There are so many branches and stairs, I thought something bad happened!” Geir was steadfast in his anger, but the concern in his eyes hurt Ilari the most to where Ilari had to look away, back up at the cascading series of the trunk and roots wrapping around the enormous tree. At the same time, a rain of loose leaves spun in the warm air down towards them. 

 

Geir blinked and noticed him looking away, sighing, and he put his tail over him to lead him back down. “You’ll have to tell me why later.” He said matter-of-factly. 

 

Ilari nodded, feeling that same pit in his gut but stepped close to him. He had wanted so much to see the city, but now through helping someone, he might not get another chance.