Submission (#3152) Approved

Quest: Resonance - Act 1
Act type: Character
Word count: 1165
Adult Elnin present: Nari [ELN917]
Regional Affinity: Faerindell
Claiming Regional Affinity for: Minako [ELN1276]
Mini-requirement: Depict a treasured possession or a gift for a treasured friend/mentor.
Minako crafted a floral crown for Nari which she looked up to as a mother figure. The floral crown was made of a flower which the petals where from pink to purple to blue. She also added some leafs in and some ribbons trailing which she attached a flower at the end of it. She had it enchanted by druids so it would last for a long time and Nari would remember her. Also for Minako to thank Nari for all she did for her.

Minako had found the days were getting long. She had worked to help clean up the shrines for many weeks now. She didn’t really have a home to stay at as she tended to go where the work was. Sometimes she would work in the fields and other times in the shrines. They often had a stack of hay for her to sleep on and stay warm. But as time went on she lacked proper nutrition and energy and wasn’t sure how long she could go on this way. Being a small kittom it was hard to take proper care of yourself. Faerindell was always a beautiful place full of elnins ready to offer you work and a place to stay. But Mina had never found a permanent home there and she often dreamed of a different future than being a field worker or a shrine maiden. As much as she loved the flowers, Mina was getting tired of sweeping up petals every day. Yes there were always petals everywhere, that was the beauty of Elenion. 

 

One day at the shrine she met an Elnin there she had never seen before. Her name was Nari and she was as sweet as the fragrance of the flowers or Faerindell. To Minako she appeared to her as an angel and she had the most comforting aura. Sometimes it was even hard to see her through the pink florals as her fur was the same colour. Nari had quickly taken to Minako as she thought of her as an adorable kittom. Mina couldn’t help but find herself often seeking her and always wanted to cuddle up to her. Something about her just made her feel at home and safe. The elnin was a healer and she was really good at her profession. Many came day in and day out at the shrine seeking her guidance and elixirs. She even had prepared something special for Minako to help her regain her strength and proper nutrients. Every night she would make sure she had a proper bed to sleep in and a warm blanket. She would even make sure she fell asleep each night telling her stories or singing her songs. 

 

But unfortunately as time went by Nari wasn’t here to stay forever as she went to many shrines across Eyre to help other elnins in need. She often traveled through the continent even though Faerindell was her home. Hearing about this Minako ran and clung onto Nari leg not ever wanting her to leave. The blue eyed elnin looked down at the small teary eyed kittom and hugged her so tightly. “You can come with me if you want. I will take you wherever I go. You will always have a warm bed, some love and food. I will even teach you about healing if you want.” Mina smiled at her ever so brightly for this was the best offer she had ever received and she really did love Nari and looked up at her as a mother figure. That night Mina had a hard time falling asleep. Maybe she was excited at the prospect of having a person to call family or maybe she was starting to realize that this wasn’t her dream. Even though at this point all she ever wanted was a home there was something else the small kittom dreamed of. 

 

The next day came and Nari was getting her things ready to move on to the next shrine in the next week. She would stay a few days more as she would gather supplies of things not found in her next location and to prepare a few more elixirs. It also gave more time for Minako to decide if she wanted to follow her. 

 

At this time of the year it was the festival where everyone would gather flowers to make various bouquets to be preserved. Usually Mina did not care for it so much as she never had a place to display the bouquet or someone to give one to. But this time it was different. That day she set out at the crack of dusk to gather the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen in Faerindell. As she ventured around she found flowers she had alway seen and they did not interest her much. The day was going by quickly and she had yet to set her eyes on a flower she loved. At this point she was beginning to feel hopeless and was about to gather any flower she saw next. But something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. This flower was different from what she had ever seen. At this point she was close to the Eldertree and it was known to sometimes sprout a wider variety of flowers. These flowers hanging down from the tree were simply perfect for what she had in mind. Having gathered as many as she needed in her backpack, she headed back to the shrine knowing there would be druids to enchant the flowers to stay in pristine condition. For the rest of the evening she wouldn’t show anyone what she was working on but she was sure hard at work. At some point Nari came close to offer her some food “make sure you eat this Minako soup. You will need energy if you plan on working all night”. She smiled at her and left the meal close to her but did not interrupt her. When she was finally done she admired her creation and she knew she could not follow Nari. For her dream lied elsewhere. She wanted to be a seamstress and make beautiful clothing and hair adornments for all the elnins. This flower crown was proof of where she belonged. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep having worked so hard on the crown and having spent all day walking trying to find the perfect flower to make it. 

 

The next day she went to speak with Nari as she offered her the gift after she had gotten it enchanted. “ I made this for you as I will always treasure you and how you’ve helped me. I will always be grateful for your offer but I believe my dreams need to take me elsewhere.” With tears in her eyes she offered the beautiful flower crown she had crafter to Nari and with tears in her eyes she accepted the gift. “She sweet child this is the most beautiful flower crown I have ever seen. I will always treasure it deep in my heart.’ It pained her but she understood. She just wanted to make sure the little Mina would always be safe and taken care of. “ I understand that your dreams want to take you someplace else but if you ever change your mind or need me you will know where to find me.” She hugged the kittom so tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks and this is where they said goodbye to each other.