Elysia was having quite the time fitting into a culture that wasn’t her own. It didn’t help that she was so different from the nouls and of a species generally known as an enemy to them. She did work towards finding a place she could call her own, a safe spot. She’d spent her life living in the ground of the barrens, here trees towered overhead and it was kinda thrilling to be so high. Elysia had decided to find the right tree she could build a home in and she did. However, Elysia was a social creature, dire rats tended to be.
One day she was down lower, mostly foraging for food stuffs she could store away. She kept close to the base of trees, moving quickly between them and ducking under bushes it necessary. A jack hop burst through the bush Elysia was taking a break in, knocking her clean out of the bush. She squeaked in a panic and scambled to her feet. The jack hop stopped and turned around when he heard the squeak.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there. Are you alright?” he inquired of Elysia.
She dusted herself off and looked up at the jack hop. “I’ll be alright. What’s got you in such a hurry? Nothing chasing you I hope.”
“Ah jeez no. I’m a messenger from the ascended noulicorn, Brightheart. She’s reviving a new species soon and calling for guardians. I’m to tell as many nouls as I can.”
Elysia paused a moment, “A new species? That’s exciting. Is she just calling for nouls?”
The jack hop tilted his head and pondered a moment, “Well I suppose you could go too. We’re still getting use to having allied dire rats here. Wouldn’t hurt going over and asking Brightheart herself.” The jack hop then gave the dire rat directions to where the ascended vivify noul was and waved goodbye before racing off.
Elysia watched the jack hop run off again, shouting his message as he went. She ran a handpaw over her whiskers in contemplation. She had been quite lonely since moving to Homewood and another creature would certainly be nice to have around. It really couldn’t hurt to go and see if Brightheart would think Elysia worthy of being a guardian. Following the directions given to her, Elysia made her way through Homewood in search of one noul she hadn’t met yet. The path took her through some noul heavy spots and she had to be careful not to get stepped on or accidently kicked.
“Elysia?” a familiar voice called.
She looked up and spotted a noul she had briefly met before. One who wasn’t in either party from the long trip in the barrens. No, this noul she met shortly after, she had needed help with some finicky handy work that really called for Elysia’s handpaws.
“Oh hello there, Safflower. How’re you?” Elysia greeted politely.
“Doing well. You settle in alright?” Safflower inquired.
“Yeah, I found something that’ll work for me. Kinda lonely though. I’m so use to living with a bunch of rats like myself.”
Safflower nodded, “On a mission today then? Don’t usually see you down this low.”
“I was foraging but ran into a messenger. They said Brightheart is reviving a new species and is calling for guardians. Thought why not give it a go.”
Safflower smiled, “Oh yeah, I heard about that. You should definitely go. A familiar might just be the thing.”
A familiar huh? Elysia pondered, Is that what they are called. Interesting. “Well thank you Safflower, I shall be going now!”
“Good luck!” the doe called after Elysia.
Elysia continued on her path towards Brightheart’s location and arriving just in time. She hesitated though, looking at all the nouls that had already gathered. Her nerves about got the best of her but she took a deep breath and walked past the other nouls and right up to Brightheart.
“Excuse me, Brightheart. Uh..down here.” Elysia called to the winged noul. “Hi, I’m Elysia. I was brought here by Wanderlust and their travel party. Uhh, I’d like to offer myself as a guardian to one of these creatures.”
Brightheart smiled down at Elysia, “Oh of course dear. Please, wait here while we wait for the rest to arrive.”
Elysia smiled and nodded to the ascended and found a stump to sit on while they waited for everyone to gather near. Elysia was still nervous but also excited, she would soon have a familar of her own. Jack hops, scuttle scales and cockatrices must also be familiars. She’s seen those keeping nouls company. She wondered what species would be revived to join their ranks. Elysia washed her face and whiskers to help her dissipate her nervous energy. She discreetly glanced over at the nouls waiting, she recognized some from Wanderlust’s travel party and smiled at them.
WC: 813
