Eril's Story

Day 26

It was easy to rise the following day. The air was already pleasant, with no hint of chill, and the skies were clear for as far as the eye could see. Pre-dawn light illuminated the meadows, and animals were already stirring and going about their days.

After breakfast I hoisted my pack and started downward. The slope was not at an unpleasant one. The angle of which was such that I could feel the momentum of my body being carried forward with each step. Far off in the distance and well below me was a valley shrouded in a thick mist. It was a striking feature of the landscape and so I decided to see what lay underneath. It took me much of the day to reach, and while I thought it might dissipate with the day's heat, when I reached it, the fog bank hadn't receded at all. Forming a dense barrier.

I plunged onward. Feeling an instant dampness in my clothes and on my skin. It was a stark contrast to just a minute ago. Pressing forward I lost a lot of my sense of direction, having to often follow the shape of the hill, picking my way carefully to the bottom.

On the way down, the plants surrounding me grew increasingly stringy and elongated, adapting over their counterparts to this moist climate. There were a few areas of interest I noticed. Most notably were places where there would be clumps of vegetation surrounding raised fractures in the ground, each giving off great amounts of vapor. Concerned, I checked the source to see if it was toxic or not. Perhaps I was slowly killing myself being here. After putting my hand quickly over and even tasting a drop or two, it appeared to be water, though slightly acidic in taste - perhaps adding to the density of the clouds I found myself currently in.

Occasionally I would hear the whooping calls of small primates, emanating from the mist. Seeing them snatch some small fruit from a pant and dance away, swallowed out of sight.

I finally reached what I assumed to be the bottom when I came upon a sluggishly moving river. It was choked with plants and thick mud, forming tangled obstacles that blocked any direct flow. Diverting the current in roundabout ways, slowing the water to a crawl.

In some strange way I felt sorry for the river as I bent down to examine it closer - as if it had been robbed of its potential to be a swift moving and energetic force of nature. But as I looked more carefully, nature astounded me yet again. Within the cluttered pools, whole ecosystems thrived. Building homes, feeding off the abundant algae, and going about life oblivious to the greater world around them. All possible because of the seeming inconvenience. When I moved a plant or log, poking with a stick I had picked up, a hundred tiny exposed creatures would scurry to the next shelter. Sometimes a bigger shadow under the water would dart away, its cover gone.

Mostly I tried to keep my distance from the murky waters and not poke at things too much. There was no way to know how deep the bottom was, apart from the top few inches it could have been bottomless and I wouldn't have known. I would rather not test fate to see what the biggest thing that lived in these waters was. Not trusting my own footing on the slick banks either.

It was amusing to be in this separate small world, its ecosphere feeling distinct from that of the world around it. Each little animal knowing of nothing else, residing here in the humid slimy environment that provided a unique life to so many. I drew my cloak tighter around myself as the damp chill and swarming gnats both began to find their way into the inner reaches of my garments. Normally I might be perturbed by such things. But after the fortune of good weather and seeing so many natural wonders the past few days, I welcomed the change and accepted things for how they were - simply appreciating the diversity of life for all creatures in this world.

To my great delight, small grounded birds would give off light from the crowns of their heads, pulsing periodically. Like little beacons in the gloom. The effect was enhanced even further when it happened as they were diving underwater. This accompanied by luminescent algae floating suspended made the whole waterway look like a miniature cosmos. Small stars and galaxies among the muck and mire.

When evening came, which was hard to distinguish exactly given my surroundings, I moved farther away from the river. The visibility didn't improve as I did, but at least the noise of the frantic critters was less and no stagnant smells wafted my way.

Once I found a suitable spot, it was another matter to be able to find dry material with which to start a proper fire. I gathered what I could, but to my frustration would not light by any normal means.

Opening my pack, I pulled out a vial that was tightly sealed, ready to get serious starting a flame. I put only a few drops from it on the plant matter piled up before me. Those few drops, upon connecting with organic material, started to smolder and glow, producing small strands of smoke that lingered in the wet air. With some fanning and coaxing the liquid expanded over a whole branch, engulfing it and igniting it rapidly. Once it was healthily blazing, I added more on top to continue drying out future fuel.

The flames added a good deal of cheer to the night and I did not mind that I couldn't see the stars or feel any discernible breeze. I had the glowing creatures around me after all. In the light of the fire I reached into my bag, producing two small stone figures, in the likeness of my deceased parents. I ran my hands over both lovingly, thinking of many good memories together. An unexpected wave of nostalgia overwhelmed me and I choked up with tears. Happiness and sadness went to war within me.

Gently I wrapped up the figures and placed them carefully back. Then with a silent prayer I retired.