Submission (#6355) Approved

I hope it's okay this one kind of continues the first one! I have a whole line of shenanigans planned when Io reaches Silveil in next months prompt!

(The nin he is chasing is only rumored to have been spotted near the theives guild, and is not actually going to be there or related to the guild in any way. But we will explore who and why in the next episode~ )

Io slowed and stopped his jogging pace, coming to rest under a lovely pink tree he was becoming familiar with seeing. He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, basking in the warm sunlight that was quickly whisked away with each new errant gust of wind. Here in Faerindell the scenery was so different from what he was used to. The rolling hills looked like a quilted green blanket, dotted with colorful patterns made up of the vibrantly colored trees. Pale pink branches stretched across the green, forming lovely trailing patterns where the trees skipped a field here or clustered more thickly there, a pattern of lace so fine and delicate your eyes can’t focus on just one piece. Eyes still closed, Io imagined sewing this blissful moment into a tapestry; the calm blue sky, the lush green squares, the grey and brown cobblestone paths, and the spidery limbs of the pink trees, weaving it all just so, in a way that could bring the viewer the same peace he felt. Sighing, he opened his eyes, knowing there wasn’t actually a way to capture the serene moment to share. A painting, a tapestry, none of it could truly convey how he felt right now. In spite of the warm feeling from the scenery, the days were becoming chilly. Soon the pink leaves and flower petals would look almost white against the darkening sky, thickened with miasma. The fleeting perfection of calm rushed away as the wind picked up with a fervor. It seemed to yell: if he wanted to reach his Silveil to spend the miasma season, he needed to pick up the pace. It was still a few days away, and the miasma made travelers warier; less inclined to risk getting caught away from home. Another gust of wind brought him out of his thoughts, chilling him to the bone.  

Shivering, Io moved around the tree he was resting under to better avoid the wind. From this side of the tree he could see Faerindell’s world tree more directly, he had been facing away from it before as he was only passing it indirectly. The city nestled around the world tree looked like the foam of a bubble bath from Io’s distant perch. He knew it was actually a bustling city, but couldn’t resist grinning as he thought of the world tree’s roots enjoying a bubble bath with matching pink suds. It was a silly thought, but a less distracting one. Taking a deep breath, Io stretched and turned toward Silveil once again. If he hurried, he would be in a sea of trees fully clad in pink just in time for sunset, and their petals were rumored to blaze a pink-orange hue like fire at just the right hour. He looked forward to it, strutting jauntily along the path.