I wanted to seek, but I got distracted

Curiosity and nightmares drove Lúta northward. She had to know if any of the strange occurrences that she'd seen in Auster were also occurring in Boreas. It was a long journey but she felt it was time she got out and started wandering again. The Hallows just didn't seem the same without Resin and now that her memories were surfacing with more regularity she needed to get out and clear her head. Shifting her studies from healing to battle was proving more difficult than she'd originally thought. It was bringing so much to the surface she'd wished to forget. Even thoughts she thought she'd risen above now echoed at the back of her mind.

Lúta arrived at the great river that cut through Boreas and was left staring in shock. The whole river was glowing! Much like the bioluminescent algae at the Shimmering Shore. It seemed to be a similar type of phenomenon.

Lúta picked up a stick and tossed it into the river to see what effect that had.

The world was strange, scary and getting worse with each passing night. Leaving the safety of the Armadas borders felt like a risk not worth taking and yet Ophie couldn't really help herself, as though she was tethered to an invisible force as it tugged her out of her den. She wandered through the long grass, in a sleep-walking daze as she headed north. Only to really come back to her senses as she came across what was supposed to be the familiar shores of the Grande. Except it wasn't safe or familiar at all. It didn't dawn on her how close she'd wandered to the water's edge before it was too late and the inevitable happened. As though this had been someone, or something's plan from the very start. Blinking at the sudden change in lighting-and oh man was it bright- Ophie drastically misjudged where the river edge met open water. She didn't even register that she wasn't alone, nor that the stranger had tossed a stick into the river, churning up the waters as it swelled and roiled. Eager to pull Ophie into its embrace. The mud gave way beneath her paw, squishing downwards as she lost her balance and was sent hurtling down the steep bank. Imagine a ball rolling down a hill. The glow of the algae hurtled towards her, seemingly thrumming in beat with the racing of her panicked heart. And then everything went black as the cold water shocked her system, causing Ophie to breath in a lung full of air as she sunk, limbs failing as she stared up at the neon blue of the surface above. "speech"

I wanted to seek, but I got distracted

Lúta's entire focus was on the stick. She watched as it hit the water and the area around it seemed to glow even brighter, the waves rippling out from it in rings of light with very little light. It was almost like the whole river was clogged with bioluminescent somethings. Algae maybe? Lúta started to make her way to the river's edge when she heard a thump-thump-thump. She looked up and froze, fur on end as she saw a dark shape go hurtling down the embankment. Just as it was about to hit the water it was lit up by the light of the water's surface and she saw it was a wolf. Oh spirits!

Lúta raced down the rest of the embankment and hurled herself into the water. She was afraid to open her eyes underwater but she knew she had no choice. She risked a glimpse, enough to see the form of the girl as her fangs lashed out, seizing a clump of fur and flesh along the back of the girl's neck. Oh spirits she was heavy! Lúta struggled to swim with the extra weight. Her claws found purchase on a half fallen tree that lay half in the water and half out. With more of a base she hauled herself out of the water, dropping the girl on the muddy shore before collapsing prone on the tree, coughing violently.

The surface seemed so close and yet so far away, the luminous blue blurring her senses as though she was looking directly at the sun. Before Ophie could make a valiant effort to kick her way back to the surface, yet again she felt the tug off teeth at the back of her neck as she was hauled up. She didn't kick or struggle this time and so the pair quickly surfaced, gasping for air. Clusters of algae clung to her coat, nestling in deep amongst her markings as though they belonged there, Like this was somehow the end goal, to not only force watery algae down her throat, but smear it into her very being. Flopping onto her belly, she laid there like a beached whale. Her heart still racing as nausea settled in the bit of her stomach, no doubt from anxiety than anything else. Maybe. She knew she ought to be relieved and thankful she'd been rescued but-this wasn't good. What would happen to her? Was it poison? "I think I swallowed some..." Ophie managed, twisting as she tried to flick the algae off of herself. It was stubborn, didn't want to shift without a fight, it seemed.

I wanted to seek, but I got distracted

Lúta focused on steading her breath, hoping she hadn't inhaled any of the water and she was fairly certain she hadn't. Her heart was still racing and she slipped off the log to pad over to the yearling she'd pulled out of the water, silently praying that the girl was alright. She spoke, saying that she might have swallowed some. Lúta grimaced. "Ok, I'm not sure if its poisonous or not but I might have to help you throw up just in case. I have-" She looked around for a moment. Where was her pack? She'd flung it off before diving in after the girl and now it had been swallowed up by the night. "Oh, no, my pack. I have to find it!" She immediately started searching for the pack, pausing once to shake her coat violently, trying to rid it of algae and water. "Hang on, I know its around her somewhere." In some ways it was a blessing that the moon was so bright. It made it easier to see.

Ophie felt okay-ish, all things considered, but what was going to happen to her? Regret flooded her system, wishing she could turn back the clock and just stay in the safety of her den. She wasn't even all that worried for her own sake, rather she just didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings or make them worry. The Armada had more than enough on its plate as it was, she didn't want to be even more of a burden. To force her pack mates to nurse her back to health, if such a thing would even be possible. Hauling herself up onto her paws, she tried to ignore the tightening in her throat. The river shone as bright as ever, a much-needed source of light but a sore reminder that things weren't as they ought to be. Forgoing the stubborn algae holding onto her coat for now, she made to help the stranger. It was the least she could do, even if it meant she might have to throw up soon. "I'll help you look, where did you see it last?"

Luta

As you hit the water, the layer of algae seemed almost to try to preemptively scatter away from you before you could land atop it. It seems almost as if it recoils from your touch - but that's impossible, right? Nevertheless, the bioluminescent greenery is much easier to shake from your pelt then you'd expect it to be.

Maybe you shouldn't have done that...

Ophelia

Having been drug back onto land and given a moment to catch your breath, you now notice that along with your next several heavy exhales small glowing spores float out from your mouth and nose. It seems that the tighter your throat feels, the more spores are released on your next breath. That's weird…

Maybe you shouldn't have done that...

I wanted to seek, but I got distracted

Lúta searched about in the dark, as she moved any of the algae that had gotten on her coat seemed to fall off of its own volition. She paused only a moment to think on how strange that was before she spied her pack and raced over to it. "I found it!" Lúta snagged the strap in her teeth and hauled it back over to Ophelia. She'd spied some strange glowing spores when Ophelia coughed up the water and that definitely didn't look good so she dug about in her pack until she found her ipecac root suspended in a tincture. She pulled a ceramic bowl out of her pack and while normally she'd take advantage of river water she didn't dare with the strange glowing lifeforms inhabiting it now. She instead added a little water to the bowl from her waterskin then added a few drops of tincture. "Here, drink this."

After offering the bowl Lúta took a vial and headed back toward the river, attempting to scoop some of the strange glowing algae into the vial.

Firefly Shoppe- Luta

A firefly draws your attention nearby to reveal a cloaked figure with a small wooden table in front of him. On the table lay three items, with their prices beside them. "Choose wisely, and only choose one," the figure says. "If you can afford it, that is." Perhaps he accepts cŕ̷̕y̵̍͊stals and mushrö̸́̀ō̴̉ms... or perhaps its worth bargaining for something greater...


Inventory:

• Serious Steroids- 1 /
  The cloaked figure assures you it’s not really steroids but he does say it’ll make your body more resilient, he won’t tell you what’s in them though.
  
• Glittering Concoction- 2 /
  Smells like mushrooms, glitters like crystals.
  
• Shrink Potion- 1 /
  This bottle is shaped like a pear and within it swirls a sparkly gold liquid. The label shows a crudely drawn image of two wolves of vastly different sizes, with a green checkmark over the smallest one.
  

I wanted to seek, but I got distracted

Lúta's ear flicked at the sound of buzzing. She stowed away her vial and gazed for a moment at the cluster of strange blue fireflies floating nearby. She gazed out at a particularly bright one then froze in horror at a strange figure lurking nearby in front of a table. It seemed to be made of fireflies and something else. "Psst…" she whispered toward Ophie. "Hey are you seeing this?"

Fear and curiosity clashed until her curiosity won out. She approached and the figure brought her attention to its wares. She paused for a moment and wiped at her eyes, blinking rapidly as she tried to ascertain whether or not she was having a reaction to the algae. Surely this couldn't be real?

She looked at the items on the table before opting to try purchasing a few. It couldn't hurt, right? "Hello sir, I um… I'll take a Glittering Concoction." She had to be dreaming, this all seemed so surreal. Was she really buying strange items from a cloaked figure made of fireflies?

Doing as she was told, Ophie took a drink out of the mixture the healer had provided. Except that she didn't feel any different, didn't feel mended or whole. She puffed out a sigh, only to flinch yet again as she noticed the dotted spores floating past her lips. She felt no satisfaction in being right,  in fact this was the wrong kind of right. The sort that had her shivering as she tried to hold in her breath, wondering what was going to happen to her, whether she'd been poisoned after all. So distracted by her thoughts, Ophie didn't even realise they had company, nor that the stranger was conversing with this newcomer. She just felt so alone, you know? Sinking down into the mud she squeezed her eyes shut and hoped it would all just go away.

Firefly Shoppe- Lúta

The figure inspects the currencies and then, seeming satisfied, vanishes, leaving you with the bottle of concoction by your paws.


You gain:

• Glittering Concoction- Smells like ̸̾͌m̴͑̋û̸́s̵̀͒h̸̏̒r̶̍͒o̷̢͊o̷͊̀ṁ̴̃s, glitters like ̶̿͘c̶͌̕r̴̔̉y̷̅͋š̵̾tals.
  

You lose:

• Currency (x2)- Used in Firefly's Shoppe, and perhaps elsewhere...
  
  

Firefly Shoppe- Ophelia

A firefly draws your attention nearby to reveal a cloaked figure with a small wooden table in front of him. On the table lay three items, with their prices beside them. "Choose wisely, and only choose one," the figure says. "If you can afford it, that is." Perhaps he accepts cŕ̷̕y̵̍͊stals and mushrö̸́̀ō̴̉ms... or perhaps its worth bargaining for something greater...


Inventory:

• Go Fast Juice- 1 /
  The liquid in this bottle is thick and dark, and has something that looks surprisingly like muscle.
  
• Xtra Shrink Potion- 2 /
  It comes in an extra tiny bottle. There’s barely even one drop!
  
• Pungent Potion- 1 /
  This tiny bottle contains a green globby liquid, the label claims it was made from local mushrooms.
  

When Ophie opened her eyes there was a tall figure looming in front of her, strange and otherworldly, with dozens of blue fireflies buzzing all around him. A shocked gasp passed her maw and even more spores wafted into the air, making Ophie clamp her mouth shut as she scrambled to her full height. He wanted to sell her something? Looking at his wares, Ophie felt a strange pull towards the pungent potion. Just because it was stinky. But she already had spores coming from inside of her, was it really a good idea to ingest even more strangeness? "Oh...Hello Mr Sir." She had no idea what to call this daunting creature, only that she had to be polite as possible. But not too kiss-assey, hopefully. "I'm Ophie." Gosh what was she even doing? She shook her head, trying to get back on track. "I don't want to be rude but...would it be possible to trade for something else? I want...could you make me special?" Bless her with his weird glowy lights and magics. What did she have of value, something important to trade? "I can give you Jerry, my racoon." She told him, knowing the little beast would come when called. "He's a really good friend and..no one deserves to be alone. Oh and- he's really good at finding and gathering things. He'd be really helpful to you!" And now she was nervously rambling, go figure.

Firefly Shoppe-

The rotund girl introduced herself and the figure bowed slowly in response. She asked if she could trade something else- to be special. She offered her friend, and the figure took the small creature into his arms. With a wave of his free hand, the woman's markings would begin to glow. "You are already plenty special," he said, moving to stroke the racoon softly. "Remember that some of the most special things are our friendships."

His voice faded as he, his shop, and Jerry vanished, leaving Ophelia with her new glow.


You gain:

• Glow Markings- All your teal markings now glow faintly. Dark enough to not be a strong source of light, but bright enough to bee seen any time between dusk and dawn, or on a particularly cloudy day. Plucked or shed fur loses its glow.
  

You lose:

• Jerry the racoon- A really good friend and really good at finding and gathering things. Really helpful to you!