Submission (#4490) Approved

Regional Affinity: Faerindell
Elnin: https://worldofeyre.com/character/ELN2314

2nd Elnin: https://worldofeyre.com/character/ELN2578
3rd Elnin: https://worldofeyre.com/character/ELN2889

Word Count: 1066

Bonuses:
+1 EC - Includes pomu
+2 EC - 900+ words

Hoo hoo hoo hoo, hoooo, hoooo… the call of an owl broke through the calm night.

Ismeria tiptoed through the wooden cottage, carefully stepping over the creakiest floorboards. She quietly turned the doorknob ahead of her and stepped into the second bedroom. Her candle cast a warm glow over the room’s occupant, a black, ivory and gold kittom with red and blue horns and ear tufts. He slept very soundly, one leg draped over his eyes and the other tucked gently against his side. A tiny rivulet of drool ran out the corner of his mouth. Ismeria was tempted to pull the covers back over his chest and shoulders, but she couldn’t risk waking him up. Not tonight.

As she gazed at her dear friend, she noticed movement in his shadow. Two pointy ear tufts popped out, followed by red and blue horns, a white mask and a soft, feathery black body. The pomu waved to her to her and gestured out to the hallway. Ismeria lightly placed the candle on the room’s dresser and followed the creature through the doorway. When she felt confident that the pair were out of the other nin’s earshot, she leaned down and whispered something in the pomu’s ear. The creature nodded enthusiastically and skipped back to his shadowy home. The plan was now set.

The next day, Ismeria continued business as usual. She merrily swept pink leaves off the front doorstep, taking a moment to admire her lush surroundings. The little fairytale cottage sat on the top of a hill, nestled within a grove of blush, fluffy trees. Brightly colored fairy shrouds streamed down from their branches, swaying gently in the breeze. Birds sang merrily above, enhancing the enchanting, fantasy atmosphere. A cobblestone path led down toward a picturesque village surrounded by rolling hills and farmland. There was no shortage of fresh fruit and vegetables here due to the abundant agriculture. It was such a nice change following a few months in the sandy desert.

As Ismeria completed her morning chores, Rhapsody finally plodded down the hallway seeking breakfast. He had worn himself out the day before running errands for his father’s import business, so she didn’t begrudge his late start. While digging into a tray of dragonapple fritters, Ismeria shared her plans with Rhapsody. After dark, the two of them would invite her brothers and sisters to join them in the woods for ghost stories and then scare the living daylights out of them. Of course, instead of inviting her siblings along, she had planned a spooky surprise for Rhapsody. Lately, Rhapsody had been so wrapped up in work that the pair hadn’t pulled any good pranks. While she appreciated her friend’s new, responsible attitude, she missed his unpredictable, playful side. Hopefully tonight’s performance would rekindle his love of tricks.

Late that afternoon, as the sun began to drift below the horizon, the two kittoms headed out to the woods. The breeze had subsided, leaving the pink foliage still. The usually vibrant, cheery trees looked a little more sinister than usual in the waning light. She wasn’t usually afraid of the dark, but something felt off tonight. Maybe she should find an excuse to cancel and head back. She shook her head, trying to keep her resolve. They needed this, after all.

The pair approached the clearing at last and began setting up candles around its perimeter. Once all of the candles were lit, they sat and waited as the last traces of sunlight were extinguished. Soon, the forest came alive with the sound of crickets and tree frogs. Ismeria closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. It was almost time.

To her left, Ismeria heard the loud snapping of a twig. She whipped her head around, looking for an intruder, but all she could see were illuminated trees. She glanced over to Rhapsody, but he was nowhere to be seen. The rustling of leaves behind her caught her attention, drawing her to the edge of the clearing. In the faint candlelight she could just make out her friend tied up with ropes, a branch in his mouth. His eyes were wide with fear. This wasn’t what she planned at all. Something was wrong.

As she took a step forward to help her friend, the candles began to go out one by one. Soon they were both swallowed up in darkness. The chirping of forest life stopped suddenly, and the chilling silence sank into the kittom’s bones. Her hackles raised involuntarily as she stood frozen, willing her eyes to adjust. Her luminous markings and inner fire did nothing to cut through the blackness.

The sounds of a struggle broke out ahead of her. There was a loud crack and Rhapsody let out a yelp of pain and alarm. Ismeria snapped out of her daze and bounded forward, hoping to help him. Her toe beans landed on warm, wet fur. Ismeria took a step backward in terror. Something grabbed her. She felt hot, moist breath against her neck and let out a rasping shriek.

“Got you…” a familiar voice whispered in her ear.

One by one, the candles were relit and she found herself face-to-face with a smirking Rhapsody. She was both relieved and irritated to see him. The kittom glanced over at the figure that she had stepped on a moment ago. A small, fuzzy blanket was wadded into a heap, covered in what appeared to be heated corn syrup. Sneak, Rhapsody’s nin winked at her, then tugged the soiled blanket into his shadow, bringing a cascade of fallen leaves, twigs and flower petals in with it. The conniving ball of downy floof must have betrayed her. The pomu certainly lived up to his name. On the edge of the clearing, Ismeria spotted another familiar face: her younger brother, Vask. The dark purple kittom grinned mischievously, his inner fire swirling in a particularly active manner as he blew out the match in his paw.

After a few moments of bewildered silence, Ismeria started to giggle, followed by an eruption of hysterical laughter. She wiped away her tears, forgetting that her paws and forelegs were covered in corn syrup, smearing a mixture of sticky liquid and debris across her face. This made her laugh even harder. The old Rhapsody was back. Or maybe he never left. Either way, she was ecstatic to see this side of him once more.