Submission (#2150) Approved

Quartz is so excited to hear about his brother, Ilari, having his children soon with Zuri. He was in the middle of his journey, but he decided to make his way to Strynhalde to see them just around the kittoms are born. The only thing is that he will have to travel into the freezing tundra by himself, which he’s not looking forward to it.

“I can see… why mom wants to be carried!” Quartz cried out in frustration as he is trekking through the snow. Covered up in his coat and boots, he trudges through until he reaches the village where his brother lives. It’s the complete opposite of the Palu’au Islands he’s living in currently, and he’s not adjusted to the cold weather at all. He carries everything he needs in a large satchel hanging over his shoulder because his little helper isn’t here now. He looks back to see his floating lantern that is tied to his tail and frowns softly. Velvet, his pomu, is in their hibernation during the miasma season and is sitting comfortably in a round-shaped lantern that is wrapped up in a piece of durable fabric for the snowy weather. It still looks as pretty as Velvet believes they are with different pink shades, but it wasn’t the same for Quartz.

It was harder carrying a bag of his belongings instead of using Velvet’s help to stash them away in his shadow. It would make walking easier instead of the struggle he’s having. “Too cold… I need my scarf.” Now he had to stop and look through his bag of all his stuff and gifts from the island. “Ah! There it is…” It took him a few minutes of standing in the snow, but he pulled out his long knitted scarf and wrapped it around his neck and mouth to keep him warm. “If they were here, they could have easily reached into my shadow and pull it up in an instant.” Even though he was wearing gloves, his poor toe beans were still feeling a little frozen. He quickly packed everything up in his bag and continues his way to the village.

He continued his path, finding the signpost that directs him to where the village is located. There was a sudden gust of chilly air, tingling his face, but Quartz panicked, and he had to look back and see his glowing lantern bobbing along in the air. Once the wind dies down, the lantern became still, and Quartz can finally breathe again. “I thought I was going to lose you there.” It made him frown, feeling like he has to keep a close eye on the pomu crystal if this is going to happen. The last thing he needs is another strong icy wind that would snap the string tied to the lantern and chase it down in the snow.

Finally, what seemed to be ages of pure white horror and heart-dropping wind bursts, Quartz made it to the village. “We made it Velvet!” He was happy that he is shivering underneath the new layers of coats and scarves. It wasn't easy to get them out of his bag by himself while making sure his lantern won’t fly away. It came close a few times already that he thought the string would snap, but it held on. “I can’t wait until you come back, Velvet… it’ll also be nice to talk to someone again too.” Just saying that out loud made him miss his other brother, Kalpasi. It made him wonder what he’s doing ever since he left home. And so far, Velvet was there just listening to him. It made him feel less lonely over time, and he hopes that they’ll come back from hibernation soon.