The Lantern Festival (7) : Scientists have been hard at work trying to understand the strange, glowing qualities of the luminescent caterpillars found in the caves by the reservoir. The caterpillars still shrivel up if they are taken out of the caves but their glowing secretions have been processed into an organic paste that can withstand the outside world. The city is selling paper lanterns infused with various seeds. The glow paste is full of minerals to support healthy plant growth without risking damage to the environment; all lantern purchases come with a small packet of activating power that will heat the paste up enough to mimic the effects of a candle without the concerns of flammability. When the glow paste loses its heat, the lantern will return to the Earth and upon the first rain (or any contact with water) the paper will dissolve and the seeds may begin to grow. All proceeds from the lanterns are put right back into the community to support local conservation and environmental protection efforts.
He appeared back in the city. Alone. Without Narcissus. As much as it pained both of them, this was for the best, and Rakovanite would not take long. There was little reason to draw this out. There was that one hiccup of the knightling’s energy signature being concealed. Maybe the result of an unseen Guardian nearby, or maybe she had some bit of magic to hide herself. But that had hardly seemed relevant. Rakovanite knew where he left her.
So… where was she.
And on top of that, where was he? They’d been in that strange construction zone when Rakovanite teleported away, and that was where he meant to return to, but it wasn’t here. All those strange buildings and that peculiar magic buzz- they weren’t here, even though he was sure this was the location wherein he and Narcissus had stumbled upon them, and that girl. They should be here.
But this was an ordinary city alleyway, dark and dirty and stinking in the summer heat. All of his senses told him that while it was certainly unpleasant, there was nothing of interest here. No frosted-glass buildings. No Saturn knight. No traces that any of that had even existed-
Except that he was still bleeding. There was still a piece of glass wedged into the muscle of his shoulder, and the sticky heat of it was soaking down the front of his coat. She definitely existed. And so had that place. Where were they.
Rakovanite skulked up and down the street, back and forth through the alley, but he’d hardly gone far when something like a question started to permeate his thoughts: had this actually been the path he should’ve taken?
Should he have followed through on what brought him here?
Or should he have gone home with Basyl…?
Something still nagged persistently at him: that girl in particular needed to die. Even if she was replaced immediately, Rakovanite could at least find solace in knowing that the one he’d seen had been taken care of. That Nidavellir needed to go because she had the misfortune of letting him see her. He would not be so personally slighted in such a way and stand idly by. However… he was starting to doubt that the benefits of dispatching her immediately outweighed the benefits of relenting to his lover’s pleas.
It would’ve meant more to Basyl if he’d listened-
Rakovanite could not be walked all over by his sweet fiance-
But that wasn’t what it was… Basyl would never…
And now he had nothing to show for this betrayal of his partner’s faith. The way Narcissus had looked at him as Rakovanite pushed him away… The General was dizzy, panting softly, barely able to keep stable balance. The sting of a fresh wound was starting to develop into more of a deep ache and burn as the immediacy and adrenaline wore off. He was hurt, and he needed to go home-
No.
What he needed to do was find that girl. He could not have abandoned Basyl for nothing. Rakovanite could not have essentially made the proclamation that finding her was more important than Narcissus’ feelings and then not find her. No, no, no. She was here. He knew she was. Where could she possibly have gone? She was injured too, and he had only left her for sixty seconds, max. She could not be far. She could not be.
He didn’t find her.
It didn’t matter where or how hard he looked, there did not seem to be a single trace that she’d existed. Maybe she didn’t. Maybe it was just an illusion brought on by the holiday to test him and Narcissus; such trials hardly seemed impossible- And they’d failed, obviously. Rakovanite wasn’t sure what that meant, but he didn’t like the bitter taste it left on his tongue.
He dropped his shoulders back against the building behind him, head thudding as he canted it back, loathing, loathing what he knew would come next. But he had to go get Narcissus since he’d foolishly left the Senshi out in the middle of nowhere with no way to return home. Which had been the point- he hadn’t wanted Narcissus to be able to find a way to interfere. No nearby mirror to walk through to get him back to Rakovanite’s side. Somewhere isolated and safe for him to wait for just a few minutes. That time was up. Rakovanite had nothing to show for it.
This piece of city was unpleasant: hot, stinking, industrial almost. But as he exhaled a stiff breath and looked to the sky, he was struck that it was… still beautiful. Intermittent dots of light drifting up amidst a blue-purple expanse. Rgis wasn’t a movie- the sky wasn’t filled with them. But Rakovanite recognized the gentle ambiance of lighted lanterns making their way toward the heavens.
A tradition Nataniel and Basyl partook in every year because the anniversary of their first meeting was during the Star Festival… That was probably where they should’ve been. Lighting lanterns in their backyard, sending them up together with positive wishes for their future. His partner sweet and safe and happy in his arms…
An uncomfortable sound ground its way out of his throat. He fiddled with his set of keys to their house, fingers brushing over the string of blue charms his fiance so dutifully collected for him. A little bird flittering to bring him trinkets to impress him. The General had left him abandoned in the forest.
Rakovanite had ******** up.
[WC: 922]
