storm - a sky cotl au

chapter 22 - fox

My eyes open again, for the...I don't even know which time anymore. I see Moon looking over me, a small smile on her face.

"You feel better? We put some poultices on your wounds."

I hesitate, slowly propping myself up. "Yeah...I'm...I'm good. What did I miss?"

Moon hesitates, and I see her smile falter for a moment. Then I realise that smile was never a true one. "...Vale can tell you."

I look over at my friend. He's pacing nervously around the small pavilion, his black cape fluttering in the wind. I see the boy from earlier next to him, too. Then Vale's gaze meets mine, and he sighs, before walking over. "Hey Fox."

"Hey. What's up?" I ask casually, trying to put him at ease.

He sighs deeply. I can almost hear the exasperation in it. "...so, I found the crystal—"

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"—let me finish, Fox. The only problem is, we can't afford it."

I hesitate for a second. "Oh."

Moon quietly mumbles, "...we could brainstorm?" She sits down on the edge of my bed, and Vale sits down on the ledge below it. "Okay, so what would be expensive enough to afford it?"

"Something unique. Or in need. Or a sacrifice," Vale lists, "That's what he told me, anyways."

"...a sacrifice...like light?" I mumble.

Vale tilts his head, before shaking it. "Light...could work, but it's too risky, considering where we're at."

"A cape? Or extra clothing?" Moon suggests.

"...do any of us even have an extra cape or extra clothing?"

Moon and Vale awkwardly shake their heads. And I know I definitely didn't bring a change of clothing, considering I just randomly decided to join them a while ago.

"What if you guys try to find something out in the wild? Like another crystal or something? You could trade it," the boy from earlier points out.

Moon makes her thoughtful thinking face, but Vale mutters, "The trader says he's leaving for the Valley of Triumph tomorrow, though."

Everyone goes quiet, but an idea sprouts in my mind. "Then why don't we just go to the Valley of Triumph to find something to trade with him? We need to go there for something else, anyways."

"Oh! Right!" Moon's eyes sparkle with enthusiasm, before it fades abruptly again. "But what would we trade...? What from the Valley of Triumph is in need, anyways?"

The boy from earlier mentions, "I heard that there's something going on in the Valley of Triumph, involving some darkness crystals or something. It's just...it's really dangerous, and the entire village near it has evacuated. Some people say it's from the Storm."

I pause for a moment, the gears in my mind turning, weighing the risk with the reward. It could be deadly for us — especially Moon. But I don't really see any other option.

"I don't think we have a choice," I voice out.

Vale hesitates and nods reluctantly. "Guess we're going to the Valley of Triumph. Mizuto, do you know where exactly it is?"

"The Village of Dreams, I think," the boy, who's apparently called Mizuto, replies. "There's a wind tunnel nearby that'll lead to a plateau near the village. I can bring you there if you'd like. It's just kind of hard to get to. We'd have to go through the Wind Paths."

"The Wind Paths...," Moon murmurs softly.

I look over at her. "You know about the Wind Paths?"

Moon smiles sentimentally. "That's where I was from. It's just kind of corrupted now. The rocks flew in from the Wasteland. It's closed now, until the issue is resolved."

"Oh...are there any other ways to get to the Valley of Triumph, then?"

Mizuto hesitates. "There is......but you'd have to go through the temple. To be more precise, sneak
through the temple. That's the only way for anyone, even merchants, to get out of the Forest."

Everyone goes quiet again. We all know the tales of what the Forest Elder did.

"Well, we clearly don't have a choice," Vale sighs.

Mizuto smiles awkwardly. "Follow me."

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hi :)
The chapters on the Hidden Forest are kind of taking up a lot of space ;-; sorry about that hehe. The Valley chapters will come soon though!