Submission (#3952) Approved

Quest: Resonance - Act 2
Act Type: Bravery
Word Count: 1525
Adult Elnin Present: Stellalea [ELN475]
Regional Affinity: Ahza
Claiming Regional Affinity for: Rhapsody [ELN2578]
Adventurer Rank Unlock Mini-Requirement: Act of Bravery

Rhapsody plodded out of the white canvas tent, followed with a stretch and a yawn. The early morning sun cast a warm glow to the east, bathing the camp with warmth. Tall, skinny trees cast long shadows across the landscape. It felt so luxurious to spend a night curled up on soft cushions again. The oasis roughly marked the halfway point between Devara and Termina. There was technically a shorter pathway between the two cities, but it was nearly impossible for a solo kittom to make that trek due to the limited number of supplies that they could carry.

Speaking of supplies, it was time for Rhapsody to stock up for the second leg of his journey. The kittom gathered up the belongings from his rented lodgings and set off toward the orderly rows of vendor tents near the water’s edge. Nins lined up on the shores of the clear blue lake, filling large gourds and clay jars with water to cart out to the more remote settlements to the north and west. It didn’t rain much here in the desert, and water was essential. Areas close to the coast did experience frequent fog, but even the most advanced fog condensers that sustained those settlements weren’t entirely reliable. The water collectors would regularly top off the underground cisterns in their villages to ensure a reliable water supply.

The kittom passed by various tents selling musical instruments, jewelry, clothing, textiles, and assorted baubles, heading straight for the general store in the center of the commercial district. The large linen tent housed pretty much all the wares that an adventurer could want. As he turned to enter the shop, a starry blue nin with long wavy hair nearly ran him over in their rush toward the town square, tripping over their own feet as they scrambled out of his path. A trail of stars trailed from their eyes… or were those tears? Rhapsody paused and watched as the nin posted a piece of parchment on the board. Curiosity got the better of him and he bounded over, his paws leaving deep impressions in the sand.

Most of the requests on the board were stamped ‘ADULT ONLY’ in bold red ink, but one stood out to him; ‘LOST KITTOM!’ the sign read. Lost kittoms were a huge deal in the middle of the desert, especially if they weren’t used to the heat and weren’t carrying enough water. The ink was still damp and was slightly smudged on the edges. Rhapsody cautiously approached the stranger who leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree, catching their breath. The nin was dressed in a snowy white cloak with intricately carved golden clasps shaped like luna moth wings. Long golden earrings hung from their ears and gold cuffs encircled their wrists and ankles.

“Hey, you need help?” Rhapsody asked.

“Uh… yes… I…” the stranger trailed off with a cough.

Rhapsody held out his waterskin, “I’m Rhapsody, and I’m here to help.”

The azure nin gladly took a long swig of water. It seemed like it had been a while.

“Thank you so much. I’m Stellalea, but you can call me Stella.”

“Pleased to meet you. Now, how can I help you?”

“Well… I got separated from my daughter, Luma, this morning. She was chasing lizards while I packed up camp, and when I turned around, she was gone. She must have headed to the oasis on her own. Maybe she tried to tell me and I didn’t hear it? I don’t know. She’s very independent. I tried to follow her tracks in the sand, but there was so much activity here that eventually I couldn’t figure out which were hers. I’ve searched the market and asked around, but nobody recalls seeing her.”

Rhapsody ran back to the sign and tore off the poster. “This mentions that she is purple and white, with star-shaped markings on her back, ears, and forehead. Anything else that you can tell me? Hobbies? Favorite foods?”

“Well, she’s wearing a white cloak much like mine, and she enjoys exploring new places. The spookier the better. She’s probably hungry because she skipped breakfast, but she doesn’t have any money for food.”

“Hmm… it wouldn’t hurt to check the vendor tents just in case. There’s one baker I know of who enjoys giving generous samples, especially to young nins with rumbling bellies.”

They approached the bakery tent. The nin behind the counter took one look at Stella and grabbed a glossy red bean bun from the counter. “For you…” he trailed off with a wink.

“Okay, enough flirting!” Rhapsody knocked on the counter to draw the vendor’s attention.

“Oh, Rhapsody. You here for the usual?”

“Not this time. I’m here for information,” he puffed out his chest, trying to make himself look more authoritative. Rhapsody explained that they were looking for a lost kittom, and Stella gave a detailed description of Luma’s appearance and outfit.

“Ah, I’ve seen a kittom like that! I gave her an apricot empanada and she headed off that way,” he pointed toward the edge of town, where the locals owned or rented lodgings in the mudbrick condos. Aside from the tavern and bathhouse, these were some of the few permanent structures around this oasis. “I thought she might have been a fellow merchant’s kin. So many new faces these days.”

“Thank you!” Rhapsody tossed him a coin. “For the pastries and the information.”

He hoped that he looked as cool as he thought he did.

Rhapsody and Stella poked around outside the sand-colored buildings, but there was no sign of the kittom. All the obvious hiding spots like large jars and crates were empty. Stella gave Rhapsody a panicked look. They were running out of places to search, and Luma was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, Sneak jumped up between them carrying a bright golden earring set with a faceted topaz stone. Suns and moons were stamped into the metal. Stella gasped. “That’s hers! That’s Luma’s!”

“Where did you find that?”

“POMU!” Sneak ran a few yards into the desert and pointed to an indentation in the sand next to a single set of tracks. The footprints led toward the boneyard on the outskirts of the oasis.

Of course, a kittom who loved exploring certainly couldn’t resist the boneyard. The skull of a massive, extinct, creature soon came into view, with twisted black horns and long ochre tusks. Ribs poked up behind it, casting long shadows on the desert landscape below. As they approached, a tiny voice cried out, “HELP!”

Rhapsody and Stella dashed in the direction of the cry and found a kittom tangled up in white fabric, which had somehow gotten snagged on a large cactus.

“Luma!” Stella exclaimed as she and Rhapsody worked to untangle the kittom.

After a few moments of carefully navigating the sharp spines, Luma was free at last! Her tattered cloak would need to be replaced, but at least she was safe. Stella sighed and held the kittom close, stroking her ears and checking for stray spines in her fur. Rhapsody handed Stella his waterskin, and the starry blue nin held it up to the troublesome kittom’s mouth.

“Thank you!” she glanced at Rhapsody with tear-filled eyes.

The trio returned to the village and ate a veritable feast at the tavern. Stella explained that she and Luma were heading toward Bejali via Termina. Afterward, they would travel to the stormlands to meet with a renowned researcher who Stella hoped to hire for a project in their home region of Silveil. As they finished their meal, Stella pulled a large navy-blue pouch embroidered with gold moons and stars and counted out coins to pay for the meal. She paused for a second, then handed a second stack of coins to Rhapsody. “I hope this is enough for your trouble.”

“Wait, are you sure? This is too generous.” Rhapsody gasped. This would be enough to get him to Termina. And then some…

Stella nodded and smiled, “you’re a lifesaver. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t turned up. There’s something about the heat and shifting sands that gets me discombobulated… Oh, here, take this, too.” The adult nin handed Rhapsody a short length of glossy red silk rope. Intricately carved gold beads were tied to each end. “For your pomu!”

“Wow, thank you!” Rhapsody recalled that pomus loved string, and Sneak didn’t have one yet. How thoughtful. “Umm… since I’m heading the same direction as you, would you care for a traveling companion? I know this route like the back of my paw.”

Stella and Luma agreed, and the nins set off to resupply at the merchant tents.

After a soak in the public baths and a small dinner, Rhapsody led the nins to the top of the nearest dune so they could watch the sunset together. Desert sunsets were always a hit with travelers, and today’s was no exception. A wash of red, gold, and purple spread across the sky, reflecting on the surface of the lake. The tall trees cast long shadows across the village. Who knew what wild adventures tomorrow would bring?