Submission (#7242) Approved

Suzaku huffs and adjusts the straps along her back. The woven fronds of leaves that have been fashioned into a carrier shift slightly and settle a bit more comfortably than before. The movement causes Suzaku's pomu, Valor, to squawk in indignation and Suzaku can feel her patience wearing thin. 

"Knock it off back there! Don't you have something else to keep you occupied rather than bothering me?" Valor crosses their arms in protest, but movement within the backpack causes their attention to shift and the Pomu instead busies themselves with hoisting the top off. In response, a glowing fish head bobs out of the water much to the joy of Valor. The two of them begin a strange game of communication, with the fish swirling within the water of the pot held carefully between the woven backpack, and the Pomu playing a curious game of charades with their ongoing journey and destination. 

The young kittom sighs. She's been journeying for quite some time alone (much to the dismay of her half-brother Taro) and although she felt optimistic and energized at the start, she's begun to feel the weight of her burden a bit too literally. At least, Suzaku quietly mulls to herself that they have finally made it to Ealei. When they had arrived a few days prior, Suzaku was much too naive to believe her journey was finished there. Escorting the cargo was one thing, but actually delivering the fish to the Boundless has proven to be another. And while the inhabitants of Ealei have been nothing but kind, even going so far as to draw a crude map of where to travel to with the glowing fish, Suzaku is absolutely over the extra crowds brought upon by the extravagant Elder Tree. 

(its made worse that she's often mistaken for a local--just because she was born with metallic markings doesn't make her a native! she's starting to understand why some tourists leave a bad reputation)

Suzaku sighs and stares up at the tree that has caused all of her recent problems. She hates to admit it, however, but Yggdrasil is beautiful. The bright and golden blooms make the tree seem even more ethereal than normal. It's not her first time seeing the tree, but somehow it feels totally different. The petals that float delicately upon the clear water's surface make the environment even more beautiful than in the past and she's not surprised at the burst of activity within the region. What Suzaku is NOT a fan of, however, is trying not to trip over every single root she passes by. Which, in case you did not know, is quite a lot. And while the device on her back for transportation is very useful for short spurts of travel, it was not crafted with intricately balancing upon twisted and entangled root systems that Ealei can be quite known for. One wrong move and suddenly half the water is slipping out and Suzaku is then needing to stop to carefully refill the container lest the fishy friend inside would suffer. At least during these frequent stops her Pomu is relatively useful at carrying cups full of water back and forth. Sometimes the aforementioned golden petals would be included and the fish would then enjoy playing with the golden petal while Suzaku slowly tries to not lose her cool. In her mind, these are small victories. But she definitely misses the companionship of Taro and at least wishes she agreed to let him tag along, if for nothing else but to make him have to do all the heavy lifting. 

She's going to make him do double the chores once they are back in Kyendi. 

The journey to Port Pthalo takes a lot longer than she likes to admit, but soon they're among the hustle and bustle of the port city of Ealei. Maybe she should have paid that shady sea captain a few extra elecite coins to have dropped them off here, rather than near Nalnalo. Whatever, file that thought away with all the other regrets she's felt during this entire trip. Starting off with finding the glowing fish to begin with. Finally stepping on solid ground, something Suzaku has desperately missed within the day and a half, she takes a moment to wipe away some of the dried dirt and debris that made its way on her clothes. The port town is obviously busier than normal, with many more vendors and street stalls laid along the cobblestone. She begins the walk towards where she can see some floating boats in the distance, if her memory serves correctly, she should be able to rent one that will take her far enough out to the Boundless and all of her troubles will swim away. 

Suzaku's pomu catches her attention with a few quick taps on the head. There's a perfectly sized boat for rent for cheap near the edge of the pier. She thanks Valor for their sharp sight, which causes the Pomu to fluff up in affection. They make their way over and after a quick exchange of words and currency, she's firmly sat on the boat, with the cargo safely nestled between the wooden seats. The journey is almost done!

...

...

Suzaku has never rowed a boat. She sits, head in her paws, as the three of them drift aimlessly out to sea. She really, really, really needs to stop being so stingy with money. After a few moments of despair, she perks herself up with some mental motivation and begins the awkward motion of rowing. It doesn't take all that long to get a hang of the motion and eventually she makes it to the Boundless. Or, at least looking at the drawn map, what Suzaku believes to be the Boundless. The water is much darker than the crystal clear she's been rowing through, and the smell of salt wafts through the air. Suzaku lifts the container and stares within. The glowing fish stares back, and she feels a sense of sadness pass over her as their journey together is ending. As if sensing the mood, the fish swirls around and jumps, splashing Suzaku with some water. Valor seems to understand the message and places a clawed hand on the shoulder of their kittom. She nods, blaming the haziness in her eyes for humidity and with a few silent goodbyes, sets the container gently on the water for the fish to leave. 

...

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...

She really should have had Taro come. He's doing triple chores now.