Submission (#6663) Approved

Under a perpetual night sky, Ren found himself immersed in the captivating dance of the phosphorescent creatures that lit the darkness of Silveil.  The landscape formed an enchanting sight of shadows and luminescence that stretched far beyond the horizon.  Towering phosphorescent ferns cast intricate patterns of light on the ground, resembling a carpet of constellations that whispered against the wind that blew through the plains.

Ren was accompanied by older elnin as his caretaker in a quaint cottage nestled at the edge of the luminous forests that rose up around the ferns and grasses.  From his bedroom window, he could see the mushrooms casting an iridescent glow, their colors shifting and melting.  So much so, that his eternal companion, his pomu, had barely said a word or uttered a sound since their arrival.  Instead, the small creature remained pasted to the window, eyes wide and mouth falling open.  Moving only when a glittering creature darting past, momentarily captivating its attention.  Occasionally, it hummed to a melody only it knew.

Eventually, Kara came for him, knocking on his door briefly before pushing the door open without waiting for answer.

"Ready?"

Ren turned to his pomu, who barely shifted.  When he nudged it, the small creature waved him away with a huff.  With a small smile, he pushed away from the window and went to follow Kara.

The elnin led him through a natural cathedral of radiant fungi.  The mushroom caps, ranging in shades from azure and amethyst, created an impenetrable roof overhead that obscured the night sky completely.  Even the ground beneath their feet pulsed with a gentle luminescence that reacted to their every movement.

It was within this unique and enchanting setting that Kara led Ren in gathering ingredients for pickling.  With care, Kara directed Ren into picking specific mushrooms that they carefully set inside jars that would soon form the main ingredients for the food they would prepare ahead of the miasma season.  Ren plucked each mushroom reverently, enjoying how the pulses of light danced between his paws.

As Ren and Kara moved through the mushroom-lit expanse, they encountered creatures that also came in hunt of edible flora and mushrooms—tiny winged beings with bioluminescent wings, like a cross between a butterfly and firefly, fluttering like delicate lanterns.  Their soft glow proved an enchanting spectacle the two were eager to pause and enjoy as they gathered their ingredients.

Upon filling up their jars, the pair headed back to the small kitchen in their little cottage.  Surrounded by the radiance of the mushrooms and the soft glow of the pickling jars, they set about preparing their ingredients.  The mushrooms were thinly sliced, and the brine was created using water fresh from the well and white vinegar they had obtained earlier that day.  Spices were added that Ren couldn’t have named, along with garlic, salt, pepper, and sugar.  Once all ingredients were carefully placed and mixed in their jars, the mushrooms still glowed, albeit faintly, watery.

As the jars were sealed with a satisfying pop, Ren leaned back to watch their work with satisfaction.  The jars seemed filled with the very essence of the forest, a beautiful sustenance that would ensure their safety through the dangerous miasma, but also, a glimmering reminder of what he had learned this day.  A glance at Kara showed the elnin was well-satisfied to—he smiled and nodded, turning away to help tidy the remains of their work.

With a heave, they gathered the jars into a basket, ensuring their seals were tight as they moved the objects.  With an excited grin, Ren tottered downstairs, hefting the basket with an eager bounce to his step.  The door opened with a creak once pushed open, revealing wooden shelves crafted from the resilient wood of phosphorescent ferns, waiting to cradle the newly prepared jars of pickled brilliance.

This basement room was going to be a luminous sanctuary for the carefully prepared jars for the coming months.  The arrangement of the jars would take the reverence of a ritual, as the elnin and kittom carefully arranged the pickled jars upon the sturdy shelves.  Once placed side by side, each jar seemed a luminescent masterpiece, glowing faintly in their perches as the vinegar mixture worked to preserve the mushrooms for the long run.