Chapter 2
How can I find this Ghost Eater Kobold? I can’t even find my way out of this forest. I must be walking in circles. Everything looks the same except for new types of bugs that buzz around and things I find crawling and slithering through the grasses. Frustrated and unsure what direction to go next, I sit down with my back to a tree to gather my energies.
SQUACK
I must have entered sleep mode, as I come alert a shadow appears on the ground at my feet. Angling my head up towards the noise I see a flutter of movement like a tiny rainbow shifting and flapping in an adjacent tree. As the motion stills, I see resting on the branches above me a large parrot.
SQUACK
This is unlike any bird I know. I find I know of many varieties of birds, from the tiny Esmereldes Woodstar Hummingbird so small their flight sounds like the buzz of a bee, to the giant albatross that can stay sleeping in flight while their giant wings ride on currents of wind. Never has there been such an amazing bird as this. It is as though each individual feather is made of tiny prisms. Every time I look, I find different shades of light reflected to me. I feel myself drawn to this creature and rise to my feet to get a better look.
The bird tilts its head down, winks and then takes flights. It’s beautiful in a way that resonates to my very core and I know this bird is important. I follow the flashes of color as it weaves it way through the woods and must pick up my pace to a run to keep up. Each time I fear I have lost its trail it circles back, flaps its wings from a nearby branch and then again launches into flight. Finally feeling I am on the right path I chase after the macaw barely noticing when the trees give way to a flat open plain. I pick up my pace in the grasslands, easier to keep track of the streaking bird and without all the uneven ground of the forest. As the sun begins to dip toward the horizon a structure is silhouetted in the distance directly in my path.
SQUACK
With the golden rays of the descending sun glancing off those prismatic wings the bird seems to glow with its own light. Spellbound I stop in place to watch the wonder of light and color in the sky above. Circling back over my head, I see the moment with an exceptionally powerful flap of its wings a single feather comes loose and floats slowly towards the earth. Catching it in my hand I can’t help but spin it around and become lost in the beauty of its iridescence.
It isn’t until the sun has set and darkness falls that I shake off the spell. In the absence of the light the feather is incredibly beautiful, but its magic has faded. I tuck it in my belt and continue along the path to the structure in the distance.
Entered by: 0xe999…719B and preserved on chain (see transaction)
Chapter 3 - The Atelier
I near the house as the final light from twilight fades into darkness. Approaching the door, light flicks on and as I lift my hand to knock the door swings open. Standing on the other side is a kindly face smiling back at me from the portal.
“Ahhh Tad you made it, a little late, but welcome to the Atelier. We have been expecting you.”
Waving me in I’m brought to the inside of a comfortable cottage surrounded by a beautiful walled garden softly lit in the fading light.
“Make yourself comfortable, this will be your room for the week, and we will get started in the morning.”
Looking slightly embarrassed he added, “You did of course bring an offering? Something to pass along to the next visitor to the Atelier.”
I reach into my waist band and withdraw the rainbow feather.
“I have only this to offer”
“Oh how very curious, very curious indeed! This is of course the perfect offering, but it was truly destined for you to arrive in this time. You will find the gift left for you by the previous guest on upon your bedside table. As you rest I ask you to consider your gift received, consider your offering given, and we will discuss more of the Atelier in the Light of day.”
Shown to my room I find on the table the pitch black feather of a crow. A jolting contrast to the prismatic feather of the scarlet macaw. Sitting on the edge of the bed I hold the feather, twirling it slightly in my gauntlet and sit late into the night considering the contrast of rainbow and blackness, Light and Dark.
The week with Caleh passes quickly as I learn more of the world and myself. Through the study of Light and Shadow I unlock the mechanisms for charging my armor, shield, and sword. Ozzz helps explain more of the workings of the Runiverse while constantly asking his own questions I struggle to answer. As a masterful artist Ozzz creates a piece to remember our time together and the lessons I have learned while in this refuge.
After discovering the mechanism of using my inner energy to power my gear I am no longer reliant on external light for my protection. The scarlet macaw began to visit us during our final sessions and upon learning to activate my pauldrons its favorite perch has become my shoulder. Watching the flashing colors play across the iridescent wings brings me the first peace I have felt since my awakening.
The time has come to continue my journey. I leave with a more complete understanding of my purpose and a new constant companion in the macaw who now rarely leaves my side. Also strengthened by a new understanding of my systems abilities and a truer understanding of the Light and Darkness in all things. Grateful for Ozzz and the knowledge gained in our short time together I again heed the unceasing mantra and prepare to resume my journey to ...
‘guard 55 – find Ghost Eater Kobold of the Technochrome’
Entered by: 0xe999…719B and preserved on chain (see transaction)
