Submission (#1833) Approved

Perma danced along across the glittering and glowing foliage of Silveil’s dark forest. She hummed a lullaby as she picked through the flora, not at all minding the tiny forest dwelling creatures nipping at her fur. She was searching for a flower her brother Hawthorn described in great detail which was deep in Silveil with her pomu near to survey the area.

She sought it out while reminiscing about her and her brother’s conversation after departing from Strynhalde to find their own way with their mother sobbing dramatically. She was so embarrassed she had to turn away as the boat drifted.

*

    “Where are you dropping off at?” mewed Perma while gazing out at the horizon.

    “Palu’au.” Hawthorn replied as he held onto the deck’s railing. “Yourself?”

    “Silveil,” purred the kittom as she was warmed by the afternoon sun.

    “Oh,” he responded dryly as though it did not fully occur to him where that was. “I have heard it’s dangerous. Very fitting for you, sister.”

    Perma playfully nudged her brother and he returned the gesture. “I’m glad you think so! Oh! Do you think I’ll get robbed? Maybe I can slip into a secret underground illegal-something! Will I get stabbed?” Her eyes were glittering and Hawthorn recoiled. He settled back in beside her, sighing.

    “Would you rather get robbed or stabbed?”

    “Ohhhhh hmm…” Perma heavily considered the weight of those two options. “Both seem pretty intense..”

    “Perma,” Hawthorn began slowly. “You’re supposed to say ‘robbed’. You can’t come back to life but you can get your coin back.”

    Perma giggled and nudged her brother again, “Come on Hawthorn! Silveil is fairly safe plus, there’s a lot of exotic plants out there!” Her voice trailed upwards as she emphasized her last conveyed words.

    Hawthorn perked up, his ears rotating towards his sister. He summoned his pomu and retrieved a ripped page and handed it to Perma. “While you’re there, and you haven’t gotten stabbed, could you look for this flower?”

    Perma reviewed the parchment and took in how brightly it was depicted. She also called upon her pomu and handed it to them to store away. Her pomu threw it in before clambering up to sit atop her head. It angrily patted Perma’s tuft of hair before huffing without moving.

“I should have let you know we were already sailing,” her tone was sincere as she looked up. “I am sorry pomu.” She then looked at her brother. “I will do as you request, Hawthorn.”

“Thank you,” said Hawthorn before turning back to peer over the edge.

*

Perma stopped to review a cluster of mushrooms that nearly illuminated brighter than her own luminous anima. She reached out and parted them to find a tiny sprout that unfurled into a glowing blue flower. Gasping, Perma signaled for her pomu without taking her eyes off the flower. She needed to double check if this was the one illustrated on that parchment Hawthorn had given her.

She signaled and then once more. When she could no longer wait, she turned calmly and staggered to see a floating golden crystal. She hastily looked from left to right, trying to find anything else like it. She turned around to check on the flower, confirming it was still there before turning back to the crystal. Perma leaned in and sniffed the crystal, wondering if it were dangerous or not.

Perma sat on her haunches and contemplated her situation and why her pomu was not responding. “Where did you go?” she mewed aloud. “You should have-” She paused before briskly rubbing her face after realizing what had happened. She brought the crystal close and hugged it. “You’re hibernating,” she whispered almost apologetically. Of course, it was winter. How could she have forgotten something that happened every year?

“Well pomu,” she started after carefully uprooting the flower she discovered. “Let’s get you into a lantern so we can stay together!”

Using the materials available, Perma wove fronds and sprigs together and added a petal pouch that hung inside the lantern to hold the little flower she had freshly picked. She set her crystallized pomu shard within the dilapidated, makeshift lantern before looking around for a tie of sorts. With all the bright mushrooms and how dark it was, she felt it impossible to make out anything remotely close to a strong enough vine.

She brightened her eyes and horns as much as she could while also holding her lantern out to find that vine. Together, although her pomu was dormant, they searched high and low. Eventually, she found herself at the edge of a sizable body of water that separated her from the city. You could make out the elder tree reflected in the water and how brightly Silveil had pierced the darkness across the way.

Perma turned away and continued on her search with her friend, the little glowing flower, and her own guiding light. It was not until she tripped that she stopped to survey her surroundings. It was still dark wherever she turned but there, hanging from a low branch was the vine she had been seeking.

“We did it!” she exclaimed, loud enough to stir every creature to the shore and back.

Perma grabbed the vine, broke it off, and finally fastened the lantern to her. She tied it around her waist, rather having the lantern floating above her than trailing behind. The dark kittom also decided to keep the flower either until her pomu wakes up so she could check or when she sees her brother again.

Rotating towards the direction of the city, Perma made her way around the body of water, careful not to trip. From walking, to trotting, to loping, Perma took pride in how fast she could travel with her paws alone. Her pomu, when awake, especially enjoyed riding on her back at high speeds. It was like a thrill ride and even though her pomu was hibernating, she was certain it still enjoyed the ride regardless.

She challenged herself to travel faster than before and moved her legs as quickly as she could manage. With her momentum, she was able to clear large patches of glowing mushrooms and other foliage as well as leap over fallen trees with ease. When her paws touched uneven ground that alternated between stone and earth, Perma tripped over herself to avoid crashing into other travelling elnin. She rolled off the road and into a tree, stunning her momentarily so she could rethink her recent choices.

After regaining full movement, Perma checked on her pomu and then the pouch holding the flower. Sighing with relief to see everything in tact, Perma brushed off her leafy mane, disappointed by how dirty she became, and stepped back onto the path leading to Silveil. She looked back at her lantern and then stepped off to the side once more.

There were pieces of her lantern that were peeling off or otherwise lost in the wind. Perma was surprised it held together at all now that she took the time to truly reflect on how reckless she became. She shrugged it off, purring as she put its pieces back together. Her pomu would have loved her reckless momentum anyway and that comforted her.

Finished, Perma stepped back onto the trail and was bound for Silveil. She intended to travel to one of the tallest buildings and stargaze with her lantern close by. The more she relaxed, the slower her movement. All that adrenaline was wearing off and all she desired to do was curl up and nap however, she knew if her pomu were around, it would encourage her to reach her goal.

She puffed up, suddenly gaining more energy and walked in stride, knowing the exact spot to stargaze from. It was not quite a building but a bridge at the highest point in Silveil. Each wooden post that made up the bridge was decorated with its own lanterns and twinkling lights that shimmered softly; similar to her own lantern with the aid of Silveil’s flora. Perma could finally relax and rest with her pomu-lantern by her side and the little flower safe and sound as well.