Submission (#4827) Approved

Ailea was a curious and adventurous kittom, known in her village for always being up to something. She lived in a quiet boggy marsh, or perhaps a marshy bog, but she was not satisfied. Her fine purple coat and gold markings felt dull to her after seeing an adult elnin return from a two-month trip with sparkling motes floating from their fur. She had met the elnin before and the change was subtle but striking. Thinking back on the conversation that the elnin had recently returned from Faerindell after experiencing changes in his body, Ailea decided to set out on her own journey. Faerindell was much too far for Ailea to reach, alone and on foot with the miasma thick outside the protection of the cities, but perhaps she could sneak out for a few days someplace closer. Carefully considering her options, Ailea opted to stow away on a boat headed for Port Pthalo in Ealei. She would not be outside of a protective area for more than a few minutes after jumping off the ship and swimming to shore, where she would again be safe.

The Enmir port was not far from her village, and Ailea felt confident she could slip away unnoticed. While not unfamiliar with the humans of Enmir, Ailea still shied away and scampered between legs and behind boxes. Several large sailors chuckled as they spotted her; some even moved their legs playfully to create small hurdles for her to jump. Weaving in and out of the busy street was no issue, and scrambling up the side of a boat unseen was almost too easy. If she had been more observant, she would have noticed her guardian nearby, paying the human captain of the tour boat her fare. Though it began as a secret expedition, it had gained tacit approval from an adult.

The boat set out with a heaving lurch, Ailea's stomach doubled over itself in protest as the rocking evened out and became less noticeable. Heart pounding at not being discovered, a thrill shot through her small body as she curled behind some barrels. She was on her way!
While the boat lumbered on, Ailea remembered her geography lessons on the land of Ealei, a place filled with twisted trees, towering rock spires, and rocky shores. She was determined to find a place to set up camp, content to explore for a few days. In Enmir she was used to foraging for food and assumed it would be equally simple in Ealei. Lost in thought, and possibly a nap, Ailea barely noticed how long the boat had been churning until it suddenly rattled to a rough halt. Humans and elnin began shouting incoherently, but the tone was friendly and excited. Families welcoming each other back, perhaps? Ailea crept from her hiding spot and jumped over the side, landing in the water a lot further from shore than she expected. The boat had pulled up to a pier rather than risk coming too close to the rocky outcrops. What an awful impression to make with her first step in Ealei. Bedraggled and miserable, she yelped and swam around the boat where a man fished her out with his hands. He was laughing, as were many others. Embarrassed and afraid of being recognized, Ailea bolted for the shoreline and didn't stop for any of the adults calling at her. Someone might tell her guardian, which would abruptly end this trip and her life as she knew it. Her guardian would ground her forever, with no dessert for a month. Horror!

Her straggly wet fur continued flinging drops of seawater as Ailea sprinted for the nearest path that trended upwards. She hardly noticed the unique way the bridges had been carefully crafted of living vines and tree roots, intertwined and encouraged to grow in lovely paths with vine handrails to prevent falls. The bridge weaved around a uniquely smooth walled rock spire and upwards towards yet another, larger rock tower. Her pattering feet slowed from a sprint to trot and finally to a crawl. Shivering from the wetness and exhaustion, she began to consider, maybe, possibly regretting her decision to sneak out and travel. This feeling lasted only a few seconds before she firmly pushed that aside and thought instead about how beautiful she would be once her mana shifted and gave her a beautiful mutation. Unfortunately, she was not a very attentive student when it came to mana mutations, so she wasn't entirely sure what change she would experience by traveling through Ealei - or how long it might take. A week, a month, or several? It seemed to her that there was still some uncertainty about things, though many things that had been unknown in the past had been carefully tested and classified. Maybe she should have done a little research before leaving, but she had only packed her bag with a few snacks, a brush, and a blanket from her bed.

Ailea picked her way higher up the mountains, avoiding groups of people and elnin that paused in various paths; generally angling towards the world tree where she would most likely find a city. In fact, now that she thought about it, the mana here tickled her nose and toes in a prickly, almost unbearable way. Ailea was sensitive to other subtle differences from Enmir's mana, shifting on her feet as she gazed down to the ocean, the twisted roots looking almost like hair that dipped below the surface and curled around the towering stone spires. This place was so high up the air felt thin and even the whistling of the wind through the leaves seemed higher pitched, almost hollow.

The sun had long since peaked and was trending to the deeper colors of sunset when Ailea realized she needed to make a camp. Her fur had dried but was a little crinkly from the salty dip, and she needed to brush herself out and sleep. Her bag was still quite wet but the blanket might be enough for a makeshift tent if she could find a way to hang or prop it up - and that might even help it dry.

Rounding a corner, Ailea was surprised to see a small brown kittom untangling a string of lights in front of her. He looked up and gave a stiff half-nod before focusing on his task. "Hello. Could you tell me the way to the nearest town?" Ailea posed primly, her paws together in her best "company manners" way. His ears flicking with frustration, he glanced back at her. "This IS the nearest town, the lower bridge to be more specific. Homes and market are two levels up." his paws tugged on a twisted loop that seemed to be the main culprit of the tangle. Ailea considered this information carefully as she responded. "I'm a traveler, looking for a place to camp for the night. My name is Ailea."
The brown ears flicked again, this time with more interest. "So you're not from around here?" he asked cautiously. Ailea shook her head. "No," He eyed her again. "Do you have a place to stay?" Again she shook her head. Seeming satisfied, he stood up and looped the light string over his head to carry it more easily. "I'm going to be an adventurer," he confided with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "My name's Raziil. I'm making a secret hideout- if you want to help out you can stay there. It's close by."

Ailea agreed, noting the tingling in her horns had subsided. Perhaps it was less the difference in mana between regions and more the miasma, which she had conveniently forgotten was highly dangerous. In fact, her whole trip so far had been very risky, yet had gone impossibly smoothly. She sighed inwardly, realizing her guardian had probably set everything up for her, allowing her the freedom to believe she was making her own decisions yet in a way that was safely guided by others. The smiling sailors, convenient hiding spot, groups blocking certain bridges, forcing her almost directly upwards towards this city - and therefore the protection against miasma. Raziil seemed unconcerned about her thoughts, as he had been talking almost the entire time without noticing she hadn't replied. "Which is why I'm going to Silveil in spring," he concluded proudly. She paused, realizing they had come to a small but pleasant glade that seemed to be made of a subtly curved tree limb with a hollowed-out knot. Raziil scrambled into the hollow and helped her up, into a snug and warm room with a box of fabric and trinkets. The woody musk of the tree perfumed the room ever so slightly, making it feel cozy despite the lack of furnishings. "I haven't had a chance to decorate yet" Raziil admitted sheepishly, "I'm not much good at it, anyway."

Ailea looked around appreciatively. "It has a lot of potential, though. We can hang my blanket at the entrance for a door, and this fabric looks like enough to make some pillows if we get leaves for stuffing." Raziil nodded excitedly. "I'll find some flowers and leaves!" he cried as he dashed back to the entrance.

Ailea spent some time brushing out her coat before she unpacked the box, finding an odd assortment of loose items Raziil had probably picked up over time. A pile of cracked bits of sea glass and string, pieces of loose coral, a leg from a stool, and now the string of lights that she had caught him actively stealing. Laughing, Ailea realized the reason he had been so indifferent to her at first, and why he was in the lowest part of town nobody came through, was that he had been pilfering items for this secret hideout. She got to work, tieing the string around the colorful sea glass to create a hanging decoration, the stool leg was suitable asa makeshift wall hook to hold the blanket-door open, and sorted the fabric bits for pillows and blanket sizes. The coral had small edges that could be jammed snugly in-between the crevices formed by the twisting wood. Even inside, the tree grew in a spiral amalgamation of many tendrils, much like hair. It made many convenient nooks they could use as small shelves, a blessing because Raziil's box seemed to be filled with a year's worth of beach combing and trading for random trinkets.

Raziil made several trips, and eventually they had a perfect base of operations for their adventures. They chatted until well after dark, when Raziil said he had to get home before his parents came looking. Ailea settled down on the pillow cushions, staring sleepily at the green and blue sea glass decorations twinkling in the lights, casting dappled lights on the walls and floor.