16 | Hunt (I)

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"So run it by me, again," Xanthy wrung her hands as they walked underneath the forests of Diven

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"So run it by me, again," Xanthy wrung her hands as they walked underneath the forests of Diven. Wherever the clue was in this vast forest, it better show itself now. It's all good, as Xanthy's experience with the pirate ship went, perhaps, this one would too.

Cirasa scratched his head. "Uh, we need to find the things that have a solid connection to Rafaline," he held up the locket they got from the ship. "Like this one, we probably have to find objects that is involved with both Pelrise and Rafaline."

Xanthy snatched the locket and hefted it to the afternoon sun. She caught something written at the back. It's too faded to read. "Hey, look at this," Xanthy tapped Cirasa's arm who stopped walking. "What does it say?"

"Uh..." Cirasa squinted at the writing as he retook it from her. " 'Just as the sun, so will my love be'. In the ancient language, of course."

Xanthy touched her chest. "That's really sweet."

"Why? No one said it to you yet?" Cirasa raised his eyebrows

Blood rose to her face. "Shut up," she glared at him. "It's the last thing on my mind."

Cirasa shrugged.

"Does this line mean something?" Xanthy closed her hand around the locket when Cirasa gave it back to her. "You know what? Give me everything you know about this Rafaline person."

"Hmm," Cirasa tapped his chin. "She loves carquet flowers because of their capability to protect themselves. She possesses a horn made from anchor ivory and would use it to call her husband back to shore after his voyages. She loves knitting and succulents, for some reason. Oh, also, she loved jewelry."

Xanthy nodded. "That explains the locket."

"Oh, there's one anecdote that tells the story of her escaping a robbery with nothing but a teacup," Cirasa shook his head, his pale yellow hair bouncing against his head. "But that's another story."

"Hey, maybe the teacup's one of the things we need to find," Xanthy grinned.

Cirasa shrugged but chuckled. Xanthy joined him. Perhaps, they could be a little stupid sometimes. Xanthy looked down as her feet took her somewhere she wouldn't know. "Weaver's meadow," she cleared her throat. "You mentioned carquet flowers. What are they?"

"Oh, it's a deadly flower," the shard fairy shoved his hand in his hair and shook it. Should Xanthy do the same? Her scalp could be full of sand right now. "They are one of the species of flowers that can defend their systems. They flourish in hordes and will shoot an attacker with web-like mucus. Then, once the attacker is covered in enough mucus, they will feast."

Blood drained from Xanthy's cheeks. "Feast, you mean..."

"They will devour it," Cirasa finished for her as he leveled his gaze at her

Oh.

Cirasa waved his hand. "But nothing to worry about. They went extinct hundreds of years ago."

Xanthy raised an eyebrow. "How?"

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