Submission (#6572) Approved

The morning was particularly still. Few birds chirped in the dawn light, and the pair woke later thanks to it. The sat in silence for some time, afraid to break the uneasy quiet that lingered. The laugh of a nearby group of travelers finally broke the air, and the two sighed. They glanced at each other, and Mercury let an uneasy chuckle slip. 

“Sorry I woke you up last night.” 

Holst shook his head as he pulled out a biscuit.

“Oh, no, that’s all right. We’ve had a disturbing couple of days.” He took a bit and chewed, looking thoughtfully at nothing in particular. “I had a few bad dreams myself.”

Mercury nodded, taking a tiny bite of his food.

“I’m glad that nin knew where a shrine was though.”

Holst nodded in agreement as Mercury pulled out his map, looking at the location of the scrine the friendly passerby had marked. He rolled up the piece of parchment, carefully placing it back in his rucksack. 

“Maybe we can finally get this bad luck turned around.”

The two chatted about the best route to take as they finished their biscuits and broke camp. Today, they decided, they should definitely stick to the well defined roads and paths. Their spirits lifted a bit as they talked about the shrine and the workings of mana. Holst was entirely unfamiliar with its workings, and happily soaked in the information while exchanging tidbits about what mercury called his own “mana”, dew. 

The two chatted happily, with Mercury finding a particularly nice rock on the path. Every once in a while, they  could hear the sound of chatting and laughter coming from some other travelers ahead of them. Occasionally, they would pass a sign post letting them know they were going in the right direction. 

The day slowly warmed, but didn’t become oppressive, with the light breeze being particularly delightful. As noon came, the two sat by the side of the road enjoying some of the treats they had foraged the night before. Mercury hummed in contentment. There was nothing like fresh berries on a temperate afternoon to refresh a traveler. Now if only they had some cream to go with them.

His thoughts were cut short by a scream coming from the forest ahead. Holst snapped his head up looking in the same direction as birds startled from the trees. The two glanced at each other and quickly began packing up their lunch. Holst glanced at the kittom.

“Do you think that was the travelers ahead of us?”

Mercury nodded.

“It sounded like a nin in trouble. We’d better hurry, maybe somebody is stuck or something.”

The ‘or something’ lingered between the two as they put their bags on. Mercury quickly kicked up into a gallop, Holst holding on to his hair to keep up with the pace. The two darted off the path, weaving through the undergrowth of the forest. Mercury couldn’t help but think of what Holst had said about living forests, as it seemed to bend around them, dark and menacing. What spirit was here that could twist it to their whim? He thought he knew the answer, but he didn’t want to. 

The two burst through a bank of tall ferns to find a wide clearing. Mercury skid to a halt, then backed into the undergrowth once more, peeking out through the ferns. Holst tightened his grip, clinging anxiously to the kittom. The two stared into the clearing. In front of the was a set of elnin tracks that came in, then quickly went back the way they came. Beyond those lay something Mercury had only heard of in whispered stories. 

A strange trail of splintered anima crystals, the same deep purples as the veil they had encountered the day before, were embedded in the ground and floating in the air. Each one sparkled with the reflected light of a white glowing halo that drifted in the air. Mercury slunk lower into the undergrowth, incredibly still. His ears swiveled slightly, listening to every tiny noise in the forest around them. Once again, he felt as if anything around them could hear the beat of his own heart.

He wasn’t sure how long they sat there as the shadows shifted in the clearing, but eventually the sound of insects, and then slowly, the sound of birds returned. He let out a sigh of relief as a tiny group of songbirds alighted on a nearby tree. He slowly rose, joints aching from his tense position. Holst carefully flitted beside him.

“What is happening? Are those mana crystals?”

Mercury tilted his head towards the eerily glistening crystals in front of them.

“In a way. They’re actually anima splinters. It’s- “ He drifted off, shivering before continuing. “It’s the tracks of a Daeva. I think they’re called anima splinters. You can tell by the weird color and ring around them.”

Holst nodded, tilting his head as he considered the shards. 

“What should we do?”

Mercury considered for a moment, looking at the other elnin tracks.

“Well, it looks like the other travelers are ok, but I don’t think they stopped to get any of this.”

Holst let out a surprised squeak, tilting his head.

“Get any of it? Is it not dangerous?”

Mercury nodded as he carefully approached the tracks.

“Actually, it’s extremely dangerous! That’s why we’re supposed to pick it up and purify it when we see it., but I guess those other nin were too scared.” 

Holst nodded.

“I see. So what do we do now?”