speedrun to post number 40 !!!!!!!

The dryad of Eridanus could not currently return to Eridanus due to unfortunate circumstances. Adenium was forced to make do going literally anywhere else - except Canis, I guess. Or Gemini. The Hive ruins everything.

She'd spent most of her time rooted somewhere in Tunnel... Whichever. The one that brought her here. She had something like a plan brewing - finally. Took you long enough.
They were quick, awake and aware. Anxious about how fragile the future in front of them felt, but also a how Dark It Was Right Now. Oh my goodness gracious. The orb light must've went out, or dimmed just a little too much, because Adenium had stubbed their toe on rubble three times on separate occasions.

They couldn't rawdog this, clearly.

They hadn't been practicing their magic nearly as much as they should, so the spell working was a nice surprise. Their glow brightened some, a pale rose gold colour emanating from their ribcage. Huh. They were feeling good about this expedition.

It wasn't home, but it was... A place, at least. And the twinkling crystal ceiling was pretty neat too. She just missed being able to share it all with someone, anyone.

Speaking of.

Something tantalizing shined in the light, and Adenium felt a rush of electricity. Her glow flared brightly as she reached downward towards it- But her foot slipped as she did.

Her face crashed into the floor, the gravel carving scores into her face with the collision as she toppled over. She stayed like that for a while, just... processing.

"ouuuh."

She pressed her palms to the floor and rose to her knees again, six eyes scanning the ground nearby - just in case.

Adenium spat the grit from their mouth, as they reached for a rectangular piece of blue left discarded on the ground.

They didn't SUPER know how this worked, but they reached out again, inwards then outwards with their magick. Their glow pulsed with the rhythm of the energy as they searched for a sign of life within the mineral.

Something flickered back weakly inside the kyanite, and sure. It COULD, technically, be enough. but Adenium wasn't so sure she could foster it into something tangible without it fading away again.

Maybe she could donate this one to someone more equipped to take care of it?

Let's try this again. She'd figured out to find magic around her, maybe she'd lead with that. Let's not eat dirt again.

The signal she picked up wasn't any stronger, unfortunately. But hey, two chances are better at one! She stepped carefully toward the source.

Another blue gemstone, rounder than the last and a little more matte. Still pretty.

Hopefully this'd be enough. She took the two chunks in her arms, and made the trip back towards her home - not to return to it. Just to watch from afar, and wait for the day she could go back.

exit