Submission (#6610) Approved

Niyari really wasn't sure how they ended up in this situation.  They had finally made it to the other town but not without something in their bag that shouldn't be there. Niyari had tried his best to safely follow the path of splintered anima but - thankfully - hadn't find any injured Elnin. But leaving all the Deava traces there had seemed a bad idea. Niyari didn't live here and it wasn't technically their responsibility to clean up but seeing that they were so close to the town the trader lived in... It would probably good to transport a few of the shards with them to get to the town and bring some evidence of the Deava traces. Niyari could then go to the nearest shrine and purify the shard, their Pomu could have enough time to rest as long as Niyari stayed in the town to talk with the trader. It had been hard to get their mind back into their original mission after everything that had happened over the week. Niyari still tried their best.

Niyari had their Pomu and the shard tucked into their big loop scarf so they were held in place by a pouch in the fabric, almost like a kangaroo pouch but around the neck instead of the stomach. Niyari could have also used their bag to transport both their Pomu and the energy shard but it had felt wrong to just stick both of them next to their other supplies. Carrying them in the scarf felt a lot closer and personal and Niyari could keep a better eye on them. They were worried about the Pomu even if they knew it wouldn't really harm the little one. It felt wrong anyway. Having the Pomu being so cold and motionless. The quicker Niyari could get to a shrine to start the purification process the better.

Niyari had finally reached the town. It was bigger than they remembered, maybe the city lines had expanded since the last time and they added some more buildings to make place for the growing community and the extra space needed to store and sell trade goods. There had been a large demand for furniture made out of Bellmoril wood in the last time, Niyari didnt know if it was just an artifical trend or came about naturally, but it hadn't been a hardship for the interested community and the crafty Elnin that lived here. They were more than happy to sell their wares around Eyre. This town especially wasn't a big city bustling with trade, it felt more like the residents were happy with their own little world and going after their passion and were happy to have their goods delivered elsewhere when needed and wanted instead of travelling themselves into other cities. It might generate less income but it gave them the ability to stay longer with their families and not be on the road for half of the year. This was probably the same reason that this trader had decided to live here and keep contact only through letters instead of visiting other cities.

That all was also a reason why Niyari immediately stood out as soon as they came near the town. They didn't get a lot of new travellers just coming through, most people were friends visiting the Elnin that lived in the city or some that always used this town on the way to their work or family in other villages nearby. The Elnin and Kittoms that first saw Niyari were friendly and welcoming but Niyari didn't have the energy left to spare on small talk so they pretty quickly asked for the towns guards, explaining the situation and showing the proof in form of their Pomu in stone form and the dark shard they had stashed away. Niyari explained where they had found the splintered anima and Daeva traces and as soon as that was done they let themselves in turn be shown where the nearest shrine was. Niyari didn't lose any time and immediately went out of the western town gate to make the track through the city, only getting sidetracked once by a market stall to buy some fresh snacks for their Pomu. They would love to eat something and get energy back as soon as the shard was purified.

Finding the shrine didn't take long. It was beautiful, clearly influenced by the wooden craftsmanship of the townfolk. Rounded and polished edges with intricate designs. The last offerings seemed to be fairly fresh and the shrine seemed to be well taken care of and frequently visited. Niyari carefully scooped out their Pomu and the shard and placed them both on the shrine before letting out a sigh of relief. The pomu and shared both reacted to the shrine and began to faintly glow for a second before the light settled down again. This would take a while. Niyari knew it was a long process and that they had lost plenty of time already in the process of getting to this town but they just couldn't imagine leaving their Pomu here alone. It was way too risky. So instead Niyari settled down and leaned back against a nearby tree, eyes focused on the Pomu.

"This will be over soon. And then I got some nice fruit and cookies for you. We will leave this all behind us and get back home."

Niyari didn't even want to think about the way back... Maybe they should take a different route? It would take longer in travel time but... if there weren't any miasma poisonings on that route then it might even be faster...

"We'll be home and then we deserve a vacation."

Niyari smiled sadly, eyes settled on their Pomu, guarding. They would probably be soon joined by other Elnin and their Pomu that helped clean up the splintered anima. For now Niyari just enjoyed the quiet - for as long as it would last.