Sunflower - Chapter 19 (Patreon)

A most curious creature stands before us, resting beneath the cooling shadow of a tree.

A pair of beady, black eyes stare our way. They remind me of the birds, they remind me of the hobgoblins.

Burch takes a step back, lifting her hands and I watch in fascination, as the thing, the animal, the monster, which looks exactly like a mushroom, begins to move.

It is larger than a normal mushroom, by a good measure.

Its head reaches up to Burch’s waist and far more interestingly, it is able to move.

- Wow.

Mushrooms sure are strange things.

“Nyah~!” shouts the strange little-large mushroom monster as it lunges towards Burch with angry eyes.

(Burch) uses: [Ambient Energy Wave]

SOUL: 18/23

Similar to her other magic, a wave of energy shoots out of my friend’s hands. Now however, it is far more visible in the air, taking on a bright-yellowish green hue.

The monster is struck and flops backwards.

(Burch) has struck (Mush-Mush{Orange}) for {9} DMG with her [Ambient Energy Wave]

Mush-mush (Orange)

HP: 11/20

Burch lifts her hands again.

“Nyah,” grumbles the mushroom, just barely getting itself back upright.

Poor fellow.

He doesn’t even know that he doesn’t stand a chance.

Burch is a killer, after all.

(Burch) uses: [Ambient Energy Wave]

SOUL: 13/23

__________________________________________________

My friend splishes and splashes like a fish, as she finds much joy in the bountiful waters of the lake.

The landscape is serene. The grass is bright and green and healthy. Each blade glistens with hints of the warm, yellow coating of the sun’s light.

My roots dig through the soil, reaching and touching and prodding the roots of the others, the grass, the trees, the mycelium of the native fungus.

They all whisper to me, these others, they whisper to me that this place is peaceful.

This place is good.

I give them some of my sugars as thanks and then spare a glance to watch Burch splash around for a time, before my attention focuses on that which matters most in life.

- The sun.

Ah.

Its rays reach me as I lift my face, gently stroking me, as if it were a long lost lover.

Salacious.

[Sunflower]

You bask in the light of the sun

+ 1 EXP

EXP: 180/310

__________________________________________________

We have rested well by the waters of the peaceful lake.

Burch had made a fire and then roasted the meat that she had harvested from the large mushroom monster.

Now, she feasts.

As for me, I simply watch in curiosity, as she eats.

- It’s a rather odd thing, eating.

The more that I think about it, the odder it appears to be.

I suppose that I am glad that I do not need to partake in such a thing.

Although, it also saddens me.

There is something in this world that I might never experience.

Even if there are a million other things and then a million more, this one is not available for a sunflower.

Interesting.

I never knew that I could get sad about something so trivial.

Feelings are a complicated thing.

- Right, Burch?

Burch, not hearing my thoughts, continues to munch away at her prize, her cheeks flush and full, like those of a proud squirrel, having found a treasure of nuts and seeds.

Hmm.

Perhaps I was mistaken?

Perhaps Burch really is the smarter of us two?

After all, she seems happy.

- If I am so smart, then why am I unhappy?

Haha.

A conundrum.

I am a riddling sunflower.

__________________________________________________

A new day has come.

The valley we have been walking through closes in on both sides, our way growing tighter and tighter.

I must say, I have grown to care for the nomadic lifestyle.

I wonder, is this what it is like to be a bird?

To fly across the world and see far and different things each and every day.

It almost pains me to think, but I imagine that being a bird must be quite pleasant.

A fool. I truly am a judgmental sunflower.

I recall the days when I had cursed the birds and their ways and now I realize that they were right all along.

Life sure is fun.

I never knew that I could be wrong about so many things.

The forest passage comes to an end and before us is a cave.

However, it is a most unusual cave.

Its entrance is oddly square and cleanly struck from the rock.

It reminds me of the houses.

Is this the work of her ilk? Is this cave just a big house?

- Wow.

She looks at a piece of wood on the side of it, covered in scribbles, like those of her book. If she can decipher them or not, I am unable to say.

But we keep moving, as she steps inside of the square-cave.

I would complain. After all, we are leaving the sun once more to go into a dark place.

However, I feel as I have learned that the dark-places are those where we find the best things and experiences.

Ah.

I fondly recall the grotto in which we had hidden, many weeks ago.

- That was nice.

We almost died there.

I lift my gaze, looking towards the crystalline formations that hang above our heads, as my friend follows the path, leading through the square-cave.

I hope that we almost die again.

It is very thrilling.

__________________________________________________

Burch laughs, her voice echoing out all around us.

She presses her face up towards a large, blue crystal that glows with a light, which I find most pleasing.

Her reflection is present in its glassy surface and she makes an odd contortion of her face, watching her reflection present the expression back to her.

She laughs and then scoots over towards the next crystal, of another color and light, and then repeats the process.

- Amusing.

She stops and then stares for a time at a crystal, yellow.

This one is my personal favorite.

But whatever her reflection had shown her this time, it seems to have brought her little joy.

My friend laughs no more and then just turns to keep walking through the path of the square-cave, filled with many crystals.

It is beautiful.

The world sure is full of strange things.

Why do the crystals glow?

Why did her ilk make a path through this place?

It appears that this is not a house. It seems to simply be a way.

- But to where?

I can not say.

Lifting my gaze, unable to see the sun, I instead look at the many different crystals of many different colors.

It isn’t the same as the sun.

But I’ll take what I can get.

I am a content sunflower.

__________________________________________________

What a peaceful day today has been.

No monsters have found us. No birds have come to steal my seeds.

We have reached the top of the upwards slanted path, inside of the square-cave and rays, which hint of daylight, shine out on the other side, just ahead of us.

Burch lifts her hand to her eyes as she walks, the vividness of the brightness too much for her to handle.

I spread my leaves out wide, my petals out wide, in order to draw in the last peaceful grace of this day’s sunlight.

[Sunflower]

You bask in the light of the sun

+ 1 EXP

EXP: 180/310

EXP (Burch): 30/240

We leave the square-cave.

- It was nice.

I would perhaps like to see it again one day.

Or maybe another like it?

I wonder how many square-caves there are? Or is this just the one?

Burch and I stand atop a cliff and stare out over the landscape which we are above.

Orange hues, mixed with red, coat the dark-green world before us as the setting sun paints it with its light.

Birds fly through the air, visible only as silhouettes, as they return to distant nests.

There, far on the horizon, as far as I can see the world span, from where we stand, there sits a thing that I have never seen before.

“…A city,” mutters Burch beneath her breath.

A ‘city’?

Interesting.

I gaze towards it. It reminds me of the houses, of the villages, but just… bigger. I suppose that this is a large colony of her ilk?

Very interesting.

Knowing Burch, I suppose that we will rest for the night somewhere here and then we will carefully stake out and stalk our prey for the next days to come.

- Burch immediately breaks off towards the left, following the road, as she runs with a most wasteful amount of energy.

She follows the path, which leads to a road, which leads towards the red horizon, towards the city.

I am surprised.

I was mistaken.

Oh well.

Perhaps this surprise, this unexpected change of my friend’s attitude, perhaps this is the gift that life has decided to present me with today?

A blessing.