There is something on Isaac’s forehead that bothers the boy that he asks Peacock to look.
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCDl7ETMDRw
“Just a pimple” Peacock says, “What’s wrong? Want me to pop it?”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gOPLz6tH2
“Later, but that Nautren…” Eyes gesturing towards the urn figured Nautren whose bowl overflows with something dark yellow. “are they staring at me?”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoi4MNxLYsa
“Mmm…” Peacock squeezes his eyes, “Nope, they are blind as blind”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaxLFJA6En
“I understand,” The escort affirms, kneeling before bowing. Then he turns to the giantess and her followers, “For ye three to hear and bear her words. Ye must gather herbs that best represents you that is found only on our lands then bring it back here to lady Amarizk.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAZzQNEsl3d
“What kind of errand is this” Peacock asks tail feathers shaking off the wilted leaves fallen on it. But then they all turn to the bird, the two Nautrens are glaring while Isaac and Amerie are just as confused as the bird, “Sorry, I meant nothing serious.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvvWDXVOiS
“Okay then, find ye herbs. Chop chop if ye wish to hurry.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwMu7l9MDs
“Uhm, but we don’t even know where they are…” Amerie asks sensibly,
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfg4f1iDly
“True!” Peacock adds, “Where even can we find the herbs?”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywC5NsVOac
“Well…” Their escort gestures, “There are many around our lands. Simply atune yerselves deep within heart beats. And then ye’ll find it.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoajv1Lk8Qr
The trio leaves the fallen tree bearing more questions than an answer. “What does he mean by that!” Peacock cocks his head, pecking at the purple grass and finding it delicious.
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kqhhxfZNI
“I am sleepy” Yawns the boy, while the giantess pats his head,
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVyHmWcfbP
“Now, now. You two, I am not really sure as well what he meant by atune ourselves. But if we want to save Kinguin we’ll have to do it ourselves. Let’s split up, it’d be faster that way.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV19sGzvAgi
“Good idea” Isaac says, immediately falling to the ground and snoring.
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIH9VWa62GO
“H-heyy, we really don’t have much time left. Peacock, help me wake Isaac up.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhRqJJfJa5
And Peacock groans, “Let the poor boy rest Princess, I am starting to pity his growth spurt that he might end up being called dwarfized when he is just Hemrean.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zzknFhfqx
“But…”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANwbxkQAKr
“Once we find ours. We still have to come back here and that way we can also tell the solution to him.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYySXXuDkRe
“You’re right, that’s a good idea Peacock! I sometimes need to remind myself that Isaac is just a boy in his adolescence. He is still growing and stressing him out like this is not healthy.” She sets Isaac’s back to a flat rock, having the boy sit while snoringly asleep.
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0ybrjqTqO
“By the way, how did you get that tall yourself Princess?”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGobpuKe5bf
“Me? Oh, I don’t know really. I never noticed I got so tall until Isaac found me. So I was really grateful that he found me. Strange…how did I get so tall?” Both the giantess and Peacock walk together into the woods before Peacock decides to fly and decide to look from above while Amerie ponders on what kind of herb she wants.
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqnr6BYxuY
She thinks that an herb on the trees is best. Which many of them do not seem to look like herbs, and more like moss. Her head remains to look up, wondering what kind of flora, and sloths—a lot of them hanging on the branches, she can find.
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvhDLrFUgW
Meanwhile Peacock lets the cool air wash in between his feathers. The sight of the undead sends shivers down his spines. He never really saw what keeps the roots up but now he does. The trees nearest to the borders have faces. All look asleep but the tree roots are busy slithering, catching and crushing any undead that dares to climb over it. What herb can he find, he wonders as he heads up for the mountains. Carefully watching that valley with a pale dead and rocky complexion. Its size spanning over the two tailed tiger he saw back at Foggy Marsh.
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyckerFeXlY
Beyond the valley is a cliff leading down to the woodlands with spread out trees. Midnight birds chirp and jump all over the branches. And, after thirty minutes of flying, he reaches the furthest edge of the cliff—overlooking a flashing cloud that its thunder claps can be faintly heard. And one figure can be seen climbing up from the cliff together with a pebble spirit. Olwan notices Peacock and waves her hand for him to come down. Which he does so and says, “I thought you left already.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwHTbvpEvs
“Pebe wants to join in the funeral rites, and those dung beetles and weavers did not believe a bit of word of I. So they sealed off the mountain crack and Pebe and I had to find another way.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmMzdl8ORz
“Cannot Pebe just rise up from the ground?”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMxlaNdTuB
“If it was that easy, I would have already made my way back to Elerdaug.” Helping the Pebble spirit unfurl from his curled pebble state. “Pebe is a criminal among the Nautrens. He cannot be noticed. But he wants to pay his respects to this Alongadol”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGs2YlpmjE6
“The times are dire.” Pebe grunts himself standing, using a staff made out of stacked pebbles to support himself from hunching and leaning over. “First is a dear Nautriarch, now our dearest Alongadol.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldHcvCt7Ei
“Something I want to question Pebe now that we are here, who is Alongadol?”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPc66Bu9Kr
“Our dear Alongadol—our priest who sings lullabies for Cyndoryll. Our muser who yearned for the skies but fated to remain rooted and devote themselves like King. But was actually just a child ordered to care. And because of a curse, the child bears themselves as a Nautren and became Alongadol. Whom we all of Cyndoryll’s Nautren should pay respects. On our own wills as Nautrens.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzsfIllMuI
Peacock remains bothered by the thunder claps, and decides to intrude his question, “What do you think is there?”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcJhfFTwL9
Pebe turns to look around and fear shudder his eyes clear. And the pebble spirit immediately looks away. “So close…it is so close…”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5D85glbdHk
“Stupid peacock” Olwan pats the bird’s head with hands as threatening as a dagger pointed to his neck, whispering, “Do not mention of anything regarding the dark west here. Else I will cut off yer tongue and dinner yer legs to roast.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZIAhLmnYp
“W-w-what is with the threat s-suddenly…”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaaWF5RzW1
Olwan does not answer, instead she stands and asks, “I assume that this is the edge of Módbeorg’s backyard. Can you help us go there.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZyHSSeFV5
“H-HUH!? What makes you think I can get you there both.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTCSaKpUrXZ
“Pebe told me of yer secret and how ye manage to trail me.” Threatening the poor bird with a glare, “No more hiding and grow big already.”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYej8WAohli
“Y-YES!” And Peacock enlarges himself for Olwan and Pebe to climb on his back. Olwan kicking her legs and acting as if the bird is a horse. “Ow ow, do not do that”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5o0C5AZ4k
“Yer are horse for now. Go on, ride, HIYA!”
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGkNqJF3sj
And “Hyaaaaa!” does Peacock go as his underwings ache by her kicking. Flapping for a funeral happening in the peaceful Módbeorg. Which, Peacock only notices that the Nautrens he saw back at the Communal den seemed unbothered by anything. And the way Pebe looked when he spoke about Alongadol was cold and distant. Maybe because the Nautrens are not known to show emotions? But when Amerie is around, the Nautrens can show a smile, can merry around a great eager campfire spirit, or cry in their yearning. Unlike the Nautrens for Alongadol, stone cold and heartless faces.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
