Submission (#7293) Approved

Quest: Resonance - Act 1
Act Type: Support
Word Count: 1090
Region: Zevjia
Claiming Regional Affinity for: Subaru (ELN952)
Noble Rank Unlock Mini-Requirement: Far From Home (Homeregion: Strynhalde)

A sharp hissing sound pierced the air and Yuji jumped, before stumbling into Subaru, who was walking next to him and looked at him in surprise for a moment.

“Oh gosh- Sorry-” He tried to steady himself again, but felt still on edge and eyed the geyser next to them.

“You’re alright, don’t worry…” Subarus' voice was calming and quiet and he gently nudged the smaller one against his fluffy cheek. “As long as we’re on the path, we’ll be alright. The geysers can’t reach this far.” He gave Yuji a kiss on the forehead and purred quietly to calm the younger one.

They were both walking through the colorful, rocky wasteland that was Zevjia, on a wooden footpath that led across and between the fumaroles, geysers and various hot springs. The air was filled with damp earthy tones, it was warm and quite humid this close to the waters and he could hear Yuji panting next to him. It was the first time the Nestling was in Zevjia.

-

“Are you sure you want to come? It’s quite a bit outside of the village boundaries. We will be walking all day.” Subaru was in the middle of packing when Yuji had asked to join him.

“I don’t want to be all alone here!” The smaller one made very clear that he didn’t like the thought of being left behind. “There are barely any elnins here and the ones that are kinda creep me out…”

It had been a few days since they had arrived in the village. It wasn’t very populated, since it was so far away from Hadaven, and the locals had been wary of outsiders. Subaru didn’t mind it, he knew the locals were only looking out for themselves. Outsiders could mean trouble, especially this far out. They were still polite and friendly towards Subaru and Yuji, especially when they learned that Yuji was only a Nestling.

After observing the two newcomers for a few days, and seeing Yuji being so lively and playful around Subaru, who always seemed calm and composed, a few elder elnin had approached him this morning to ask for a favor.

Apparently not far from here was a collapsed mine that had recently caused trouble. Kittoms were found playing on top of the unsteady rubble and tried to venture into the mine to explore it, despite many warnings.

“Our local noble and adventurer elnins are all out on missions already, sadly, and we are worried the little ones will get hurt if they continue like this. We would like to ask you to shut off the entrance. As payment, we can offer you some remedies for your friend.”
Subaru tried to tell them that they didn’t need to pay, but the locals insisted, and his protest didn’t last long either, since it was supposed to help Yuji somehow.
“A fair exchange!”, they said, as they handed him the medicine. It was a specialty, made from the various mineral rich soils and crystals in the area, mixed with the water of specific hot springs. “Put it in his bath water and it will help him to find sleep.”
“Ohh..” Subaru raised an eyebrow. Looks like they had been watched more closely than he thought, when the locals noticed that Yuji had trouble sleeping in this new region.
He thanked them generously, before collecting materials in the village and heading to the Inn again to pack everything. That’s when Yuji had chimed in to join him on his little quest, but the older one wasn’t fully on board yet.

“Please!”, Yuji begged him. “If it’s too far, I’ll just sit down and wait for you to return.”

“You would rather sit in the middle of nowhere than to stay here at the Inn?”

“Yeah!”

Subaru shook his head a bit, still unconvinced and trying to figure out why Yuji was so adamant about joining him. But since he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, he agreed in the end. //Whatever makes him the most comfortable…//, he thought to himself, as he picked up the backpack.

-

“Are you okay if we keep going?” Subaru reached into his backpack and grabbed a water bottle for Yuji, who quietly thanked him and took a big gulp.
“Yes… I was just spooked. There are so many unfamiliar noises and scents around here, it’s quite overwhelming.”
Subaru nodded and let his gaze wander. He could spot the giant eldertree with its red canopy behind a distant mountain (or volcano?) range. “It’s not that far anymore though”, he explained. “Almost there, and then you can rest while I close the entrance to the mine.”
“Sounds good!”

The two eventually continued their journey, until Subaru could spot the mine in the distance. Another five minute walk and they arrived at their destination.

While Yuji layed down near the pathway and rested, Subaru began his work.
He thrilled quietly and his Pomu emerged from his shadow.

“Time to get to work, little one”, he smiled gently and the Pomu nodded. It sank back into the shadows and started to send out little wooden boards, while Subaru took off the backpack and layed out the tools he needed to seal the entrance. It needed to be kitten-proofed after all. Dutifully he got to work over the next few hours, with the help of his Pomu, who eagerly held up tools and nails while Subaru hammered together a wooden door, imbedded with magical charms that would keep low-ranking elnins and kittoms alike out, to make sure no one would get hurt. Carefully he sanded down the edges of the boards, and cleared the magical sigils. He took a few measurements and had to saw the newly formed door into shape so it would fit perfectly snug into the entrance of the mine.

After that was done, he grabbed one last wooden board to make a sign. They would place it further down the pathway when they were on their way back - to warn everyone and to let them all know that the mine was now collapsed and sealed and that there was no need to head out all this way.
With the help of a little wood burning tool and a chisel, he finished the inscription that would hopefully hold up for many years to come.

As he turned around, he saw that Yuji had fallen asleep. Subaru chuckled softly to himself, before he joined his friend for a little rest as well, before it would be time to head back.