Submission (#8298) Approved

A light whispy breeze brushed up Harper's fur as it passed his quiet ambling along the dirt path. Trees curled around his direction, enclosing him in this narrow but forward space. Up ahead of him was his friend Silurian, who'd ran quite far by now with his energetic pace and left him behind a distance. Despite the fact he was gradually escaping his view over the horizon, any feeling to chase him were far away from his mind. He didn't want to think about it right now, these thoughts that were swirling through his mind, occupying all his space to make any other decision.

He left the chapel without any notice to the caretakers. Well, direct notice at least. He left a note (against Silurian's suggestion), but it still lingered on the tip of his tongue it wasn't enough for the Elnin who took care of him all this time. He didn't get to show his gratitude and it felt too late to appreciate the memories he made there. Even if... he wasn't a big fan of most memories. Never got along with the other Kittoms there, and sometimes the adults just pushed him off as just a particularly quiet and obedient Kittom.

Maybe that was what spurred him to leave.

No-- it was Silurian that made him realize he didn't enjoy living there anymore, left to read the same books over and over, trapping himself with the thoughts this was what was expected of him. The societal expectations... the weight of others believing he'd grow out of this phase and change to become more palatable as a villager... He hoped he could see more interesting things out in the open, but so far, nothing but trees had stood out to him.

But he still felt guilty for making this choice. It was a selfish thing of him to do, to just run away. The chapel was often understaffed and lacked much funding, and being one of the older Kittoms, it was left to him to take on the responsibility of caring for his younger peers. Keep them out of danger, fed, happy. The Elnins depending on him... His stomach hurt thinking about it. He stopped in his pace and crouched over, gripping his shoulders to deter his thoughts.

Has Silurian even noticed he's not right behind him anymore? This troublesome Kittom proved to be a bigger handful now that it was just them both traveling from village to village. A sigh left Harper's lips, carried away by the gentle winds.. Was this choice he made a right one? He shut his eyes, hoping the discomfort would pass soon out of his system.

It felt like an uncomfortably long silence before a hand suddenly violently shook his shoulder. Harper shot up, confused, alarmed--

"Harper-? Hey, I wanted to show you but you... you good man? If you wanted to take a break ya should've told me."

"Uff..." The russet-haired Kittom's ears twitched, "you were too far ahead for you to hear me."

The platinum-haired Kittom's tail swished back and forth, probably his only way of exherting his excess energy. "We can still take a break."

"Yeah.. I don't think I can keep going right now."

Silurian circled around him to his side and sat down with a plop. His tail continuing to sweep the ground behind them.

"What is it?"

"What?"

"The thing you wanted to show me."

Silurian's face lit up and his ears flicked with his excitement. He immediately held out his other paw, shoving it into Harper's cheek. Hooked in his fingers was a weird rock-like doll covered in moss. "Look at this! I found a bunch of them stacked up on the side of the road up ahead. I turned around for you but ya weren't there and then they were getting up and leaving, so I grabbed one. They move! What are they?"

"I- uh- a..ah-" Harper stammered in surprise. He immediately cupped his palms in instinct beneath the critter and his friend responded in turn by dropping it into his hands. He gently checked the state of its leaves, then shot a dirty glare at Silurian. It seemed to respond in his kindness by cowering behind the barely full cover of his fingers. "Don't be that rough with it! It's alive.. it's..." he wracked his mind for the memory of some books he read, "it's a Miju."

"Oh it's alive? That explains why they all moved."

Harper contemplated scolding him, but the thought felt like it would upset his stomach further instead. With this idiot... Harper stood up instead, careful not to rouse the small creature. "You dumbass. You don't need to grab everything you see just to show me... We're going to put it back with its friends."

"I guess we can try. But they all ran away." Silurian said. He rose to his feet and shifted up his posture.

"They probably did because you were too loud. And then chased them."

"But then ya wouldn't have been able to see them! It was like.. a forest greeting of sorts. They were all lined up, watching over the road probably."

"It's.. not the end of the world if I missed it." Harper sighed, stepping on ahead. The Miju seemed to let out a small noise, but it seemed unlikely it meant anything to him.

"I wanted you to see it." Silurian repeats.

".. Okay, if they come back." Harper listens to him running up to his pace.

Up ahead, stones that seemed carefully placed begin to line the side of the path. The other Miju he talked about weren't present, but it was a fairly curious sight. Leaves and sticks were randomly stuck between some cracks in the tiny wall, as if decorating it along the way.

".. I don't think Miju could've done this." Harper murmured, lowering himself to let the small critter go. It chittered off into the undergrowth.

"That's why I thought it was interesting. The stones are as big as their bodies. You don't see these sorts of things every day."

"It might just be a pathguide some other Elnin set up." Harper shrugs returning to his feet, staring out through the trees. ".. I guess so." Just not too far away between the branches seemed to sit an small stone cottage. Judging by the smoke coming from the chimney, it must be lived in. "The Miju might be living with whoever lives here."

"Ya wanna go ask 'em for directions?"

"Not in particular." Harper answered, "unless.. you mean that we're lost."

"Next town's probably close by if there's houses on the road."

"Sure. If you're wrong though, we're coming right back."

"Yes, yes. Honestly? Maybe we should to see if the rest of the Miju come back."

"I just want to get off this trail, man..."