Sunbug and Moonstruck headed toward the Mistfruit Forests, nervous about exploring somewhere new. This place was the talk amongst scouts as the newest area chosen for healing. Everything within it was still a mystery. What plants could they bring back? What creatures would live within? Though there was some trepidation there too. Not everything that lived in Vykeli was ready to befriend noulicorns.
Moonstruck seemed far less anxious than Sunbug, though, as was usual. He lazed across her back, head lolling with every step she took. "This place looks boring."
Sunbug's brows furrowed. "Boring? How do you mean?" They'd barely even arrived and already he was critical.
"Look around. There's nothing interesting. The trees are plain; or what's left of them are at least. There's nothing moving. I don't even see much food. I don't understand what there is to heal."
He wasn't technically wrong. Compared to some of the other places they'd been so far, this forest did seem pretty plain. One thing he said stuck out to her though. There really was nothing moving. She couldn't hear any leaves turning over, or anything snuffling through debris. It was weirdly quiet and still. She called forth her magic, trying to detect life in the area.
Not a single thing pinged.
She gave a shocked gasp. "It's so dead. There really isn't a single living thing nearby."
Moonstruck's head lifted at that. "You looked?" She nodded and his expression turned a little cloudy. "I wonder what happened to them all..."
She wanted to believe that maybe it had always been this empty, but she knew better than that. She have enough imagination to see how lively these trees could be, much like Homewood's, and knew that would attract all kinds of life. At the very least, it would bring in squirrels. "I don't know. Do you think the Other's did something to them?"
Moonstruck nodded. "Almost definitely. Come on, let's keep going."
Sunbug followed orders and headed deeper into the trees. For a while it really was all the same. Uphill, downhill, rinse and repeat. The trees didn't vary much from ridge to ridge. But eventually she heard the welcome sound of running water and changed her trajectory. "There's bound to be more down near that sound," she said hopefully. Moonstruck made an agreeable noise, but didn't comment further.
If he was skeptical, he was right. Though she was glad to see a few small fish darting around in the water of a large lake fed by a river, she was horrified to find that paired with a Other-built monstrosity. It was like a concrete wall running the width of the lake, from bank to bank. She approached it curiously, and found that the other side was barren and dry, though it had clearly once been a river bed. Why had the stopped the river? What purpose could that possibly serve? "I don't understand..." she said aloud, barely above a whisper.
It had been mostly to herself, but Moonstruck responded with "Me either."
For the first time since they'd entered the forest he hopped off her back, exploring farther. He even trekked out across the huge wall, nose down to investigate.
"Please be careful!" Sunbug called anxiously. He didn't respond, but he did slow down some. He spent a long time peeking into what looked like holes in the wall. He'd tilt his head one way, and then the other, and when he finally turned away he looked even less happy than before. Finally he returned to her with a deep frown on his foxish face.
"I don't know what it is, but there's a lot of pipes and big wheels on the inside. It's huge and dark, so I couldn't see very far. I think it's supposed to do something, but I don't really know what."
Sunbug didn't really know what to do with that information either. "I don't like this place," she said instead. "I haven't seen any Other-made homes, but they clearly destroyed this place anyways. Nothing lives here. The river doesn't run anymore. It's just creepy."
"Agreed," Moonstruck said easily. "But I think we should stay. We should find out as much as possible, and maybe we can find something to bring back to the council?"
Sunbug considered. Really, she'd like to turn right back around and leave. But she was a scout, and she wanted to do her job properly. "You're right. Maybe we can find something for them to bring back. These trees must have left some kind of seed behind. And I know there had to be animals here before." It just didn't make sense that this place would be so empty. "Lets see what we can find, and we'll head back before the moon rises tomorrow."
Moonstruck nodded, just as eager to get done and get out as she was. It was almost certain that they'd end up back here some other time, so a short look around was fine.
