Submission (#3037) Approved

Standalone Noble Rank Act

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Quest: Resonance - Act # 4 [RQ-E-3] Pilgrimage
Act Type: Exploration
Word Count: 1124
Adult Elnin Present: N/A
Regional Affinity: Palu'au
Claiming Regional Affinity for: Hanabi [ELN595]
[Rank Name] Rank Unlock: Standalone Noble Rank Act
(Bellmoril)

Ocean wind surrounded her and she inhaled deeply, letting out a somber sigh. Her pink fur was waterlogged from swimming, which made the sand under her stick to the edges. Yet, it was a comforting feeling in all of its usual discomfort. Palu’au held a new, shining and special place in her heart as they’d spent a long time there. On her own she’d made friends and found a life there, but more importantly felt a sense of yearning each time she laid eyes on the bright seas surrounding the islands.

            Despite that comfort, something drew her away from the bustling town where her mother was tending to the shop. It was still a place she felt close to, somewhere she might call home someday. Not sure what it was, the compulsion needed to be followed and the kittom had wandered to the edge of the island and swam to a smaller set of islands nearby, walking along the shorelines to admire the ocean waves and bright foliage, admiring the beautiful flowers in the far-reaching jungles and groves of palms at the edges of the shore.

            “Mmm.” She sniffed at the air and looked around. It was the same sweet air she’d grown accustomed to, but she could feel something different drifting on the warmth of the breeze. A sweet scent mixed with the typical salted or briny aromas. A chain of small, solitary islands lead outward, solitary little bodies outside the main islands and attractions. In the recesses of her mind, she remembered that she heard something about “Mermaid Rock Island,” which was appealing to her and she had wanted to visit. Maybe out on the islands, she’d find it, but how would she know if she’d never seen it before?

            Using rocks to her advantage, she moved to another small island that was more like a small mound of sand with a single palm tree swaying in the breeze. On the other side of it, she looked out at the scattered patches of land and smaller islands, slowly scanning the horizon. Something that looked like a fin sticking out of the water from far off caught her eye, and she squinted to see out to it.

            Whatever the full shape, it bowed in the middle and one end was forked, sticking out of the water while the other side curled up out of the water on the other side with a long, narrow edge reaching towards the sky. “They weren’t lying, were they?” She said to herself, softly as she moved back into the water and paddled towards the rock and the small, boulder-covered island behind it with taller rocks falling over each other haphazardly. Grunting, she kicked her legs hard against the ocean’s pull, which pushed her another way.

            Gasping, she rolled into a different rock between her destination and where she came from, panting softly. From her vantage, she could see what she thought to be a smaller island was a larger one, where distance played tricks on her mind. I have to get there! She stared back at the water, seeing her blurry reflection, and stared back. Her eyes settled on another rock along the way and she hopped back in the water, paddling to it quickly for another rest.

            Surprisingly, the water was calm and she pulled herself onto the rock, rolling her body to get the water off and she stretched out. Every moment she drew closer, staring at the larger rock now that she was close. Almost. After a breather, she jumped into the water and swam along the side of the upward “fin” part of the rock and onto the shore, staring up at its majesty. That same sweet scent danced over her nose, to where she swore she tasted that sweetness despite being covered in salt water.

            The rocks around created a cove to where she walked around them, peering inside. There in the center of the island, sheltered by the rocks, sat a pool of bright water and a carved sphere carved from a rock sat center to it. Somehow the air felt heavier around her body and she moved towards it, smiling as she stared at it. “Guess this is somewhere special after all.” Her voice echoed and disappeared, and she turned to look back at the mermaid rock and at the sphere.

            Here, the sun felt warmer on her paws and she settled on a grassy spot nearby, where a pale palm tree spread out with a buddy tree, offering a small spot of shade against the rocks under the midday sun. Hanabi laid down, staring at the pool of water, and basked in the sunlight against her bright fur, smiling back to the perfect sphere carving. There was a flow to it, calm from the distant waves and the stillness around here that rippled deeply into her soul, connecting her to something deep inside.

            Belonging. That was the feeling in the space, laden with the magic of some forgotten ancient spirit. She imagined a mermaid spirit, or a fish of some sort, thinking the sphere to be a sort of pearl or something of that like. Breathing in deeply, the same sweet aroma of the bright flowers growing at the cracks of the stones surrounded her. Truly, it was a sacred place, where the stones protected the pool and carving from the elements, while the mermaid formation gave a sense of wonder and delight.

             As if a weight had been lifted, the kittom stood and looked back at the pool, again at her reflection, and gasped. Unlike in the ocean water, her reflection was clear and vibrant, steady in the calmer water. Her pink fur stood out against the color, and her golden anima and eyes sparkled from the surface. Happily, she let out a gasp and leaned down to stare back at herself, standing back up tall and looking to the ball of stone.

            “Thank you.” She said softly, smiling back at it, sitting once again. Magic or yearning, curiosity or fate, whatever force drew to her she could feel back and felt the need to answer. With her voice, with her body, but mostly with her spirit. The words swirled and she took in a deep exhale, releasing a sing-song cry of joy, “I belong in Palu’au!” Echoing off the rocks, it hit back and she felt deep happiness swelling inside. She'd watched her brother find a love of his own and make a family, watched her father travel and her mother sell clothing. But this, this was something just for her. A place all her own, to truly find herself and live her own life among the white sandy beaches and alluring pull of the clear oceans.