Submission (#8708) Approved

The air was filled with excitement as Leon practically vibrated with unbridled joy upon seeing desert sands of Ahza come into view, and shook the boat they were sailing on, earning a look of ire from Atlas and the nin steering said boat.

“Unless you would like us both to drown before we reach our destination, kindly sit your rear end down and stop shaking the bloody boat.”

He brushed a few flecks of water off the cover of the book he was reading, and the miju that was in his lap also let out a sound of displeasure, shaking off water droplets from the spray of water that had splashed them from Leon’s antics.

Atlas had heard sightings of Ealei’s elder spirit during the summer months, and while he himself hadn’t personally laid eyes upon the ancient spirit, unfortunately having been entirely engrossed in his own research to think much about it, he had heard that it was quite a sight to behold, marked as a blessing and boon especially for fishernins, who would be able to harvest a hearty bounty as long as their greed didn’t take hold of them.

That said, his interest lay solely in astrology, the study of the sky, the stars, as well as arcane and runic magic, and so fantastical magical beasts often took a backseat to his own ambitions.

And so, when Leon had excitedly announced that Ahza’s elderspirit was currently active and about, he honestly couldn’t care less, and dismissed it as if it were mere trifle. However, Leon would not be deterred, pestering his partner incessantly until the green kittom heaved a reluctant sigh, deciding that the momentary trek from Ealei to Ahza would be more tolerable than spending the summer months with an extremely dejected headache.

At least the miju that accompanied them would be a welcome distraction, as he had become rather fond of the critter as it aided in his research through carrying over various supplies or just nodding helpfully as he bounced off various theories and research topics to it as a sort of soundboard.

Meanwhile, Leon couldn’t believe Atlas had no interest whatsoever in this. This was the first he’d heard of Ahza’s elder spirit being active, and their presence seemed to bring the eldertree into bloom. Even out of season, the eldertree was quite a thing to behold. A towering banyan tree, deeply rooted into the remains of what seemed like an ancient colossal dragon. It was one of his favourite spots to play, just outside the capital of Bejali, darting about with a stick in hand and pretending that the skeletal remains was a great giant beast he had to fend off to protect his hometown.

Even as he grew a bit older, his love for adventure and aspiration to become a knight had not waned, and the thought of returning back home to see such a sight only made him all the more excited.

Nevertheless, he heeded Atlas’s advice and sat down, yet was unable to control his fidgeting.

“I can’t believe you’re not interested in this kind of thing! Isn’t exploring the mysteries and wonders of this world kinda your thing? Besides, you’re always telling me I should always expand my horizons, and what better way than to actually go out and about? Oh, I can’t WAIT to show you what the tree looks like, and maybe we’ll even get to see Weaver! And-”

In his excitement, he had jumped to his feet again, violently rocking the boat once more and earning a “thwack” from the rower nin’s oar as their look seemed to threaten to throw the rambunctious nin overboard for any further mishaps. Atlas meanwhile only prayed they would actually reach their destination in one piece.

Once they safely arrived in Ahza, Atlas returned his attention to his own research material, while Leon absorbed every word from their guide. The eldertree blooms were large white iridescent flowers, which could be used to craft something called “snaring paint”, which would let them harvest something called “Weaver’s Bite”. It seemed the paint itself was necessary to even see the fruits in the first place.

It was said that while wanderweeds were only found in Ahza, wanderweaves themselves could be found outside of Ahza when the eldertree was in bloom. When Atlas inquired why they even needed to leave Ealei if they could find the fruits there, Leon merely pouted, saying that it was always best to go directly to the source, something Atlas would often say, earning a look of disapproval from the latter for having his own words used against him.

When the two arrived at the flowering eldertree, Leon was more than eager to lather the snaring paint on himself. While traditionally, just having it around ones’ eyes for the ability to see the elusive fruit, and over one’s arms so that one could hold said fruit, Leon nearly coated his entire self in the vibrant medium, earning a look of exasperation from Atlas.

“Why on earth do you need to put it on your feet?”

“In case I step on one!”

“And your tail?”

“In case my tail brushes against one!”

Atlas dragged a paw down his face, quietly telling himself that the sooner they got this over with, the sooner they could leave.

Perhaps it was due to Leon’s tenacity in searching for the fruits, or the copious amounts of paint he had coated himself with, but it didn’t take long for the golden kittom to find a fair amount of weaver’s bite, and after bringing some to the closest shrine as an offering, Leon helped himself to a few as a snack, letting out a delighted growl as he bit into the fruit, colourful juice dribbling down his chin. The sweet and spicy combo was SO so good.
He tried offering some to Atlas, who only waved it away with disgust, and even the miju shook its head vehemently, clinging onto the green kittom as if fearful that Leon would try to force feed it.

The orange kittom shrugged, popping the rest of the fruit into his mouth. Now that the gathering was done, he was pondering what new adventures the two of them would set out for, much to Atlas’ dismay.