Full Rendering Of A Character I Made For A Friend

Older art piece in pixel art i made a few years ago, enjoy

Schedule

As a few observant people have probably noticed I haven’t been posting, not for lack of doing art but a fact of my computer has broken, and am currently borrowing one from a friend for work. So I may be able to get a few updates out on the usual, Sunday, Tuesday, Friday schedule I have been trying to keep for the past time of my blog being up, hope yall enjoy my art as I enjoy giving you the enjoyment and nice art of Mellea and others I end up drawing. So updates may be 1-2 a week depending on how things land, Again I know I am quite impersonal but do appreciate the people who follow and enjoy my, very in development art, and stick with me even over the few months of reviving this blog. So to more furry, and wholesome art and comfort I thank y’all and hope the best coming weeks.

Concept for a creature, based on an older drawing.

Falling Stars (a random draft idea)

I could feel the breeze brush past my face, the sky a multicolored band, clouds in many shades of pinks, oranges, reds fading to dark grey and black. The smell of damp air fills my nose, fresh and clean, when I start to feel the rain fall, as I fall through the sky like one of the drops. Arms open facing the bottom of the clouds as I fall further.

There is no sense of fear, no dread, the only feeling rushing through my body and mind is the word, ‘Free’ as it echoes through my mind, and covers my body like warm water in a tub. The rain picks up becoming more and more dense as I fall, tears of the sky for my falling, but yet no sadness runs through me. I feel the water drip onto my skin as more and more starts to cover my body, where I start to realize the sunset sky has faded as I look up at the sky of tall pillars of clouds at the very edge still glowing in amber light with stars shining down to me in a vista of endless beauty, with long stretches of cosmic clouds colored into endlessness.

And in front of it all, the twisting world, the beauty of the large clouds, endless sky, and sweet rainy air was my body, my clothes and legs flying in the wind as the clouds deepened around me closing up the sky and light above. The rain having now become more heavy and soaking me to the bone, covering me in a bubble, but for that was not why I wept but for the loss of the universe and endlessness that lay above me. 

I choked in a breath, my body convulsing, throwing my arms around and making me almost sit upright. I coughed a number of times, taking deep breaths and holding my hand to my chest to feel my heart beating quickly. And as I slowed my breathing I looked up at the ceiling of an old cabin in the woods. The roof was like an ‘A’ with the… ‘what did father call them? Cross braces? Yeah that’s it, braces.’ I thought of the past few days, and weeks having gone by. 

I was breathing deeply, and slowly, and soon my heart came to the same slow rhythm. There was only a bit of light outside, the room being lit by a single window to show a wooden desk with some assorted shadowy bags, and blobs too close together to discern any detail. I could feel my body, I had been sweating slightly, and outside it smelled like rain had just come through, I even felt the tears of my dream where they dripped down my skin. 

And I almost jumped out of that skin when my door was abruptly opened by a tall man, I had no idea how long it had been since I woke up, but apparently my father heard the commotion, and so while wearing his usual shorts and no shirt under a robe he tried to ask keeping his voice calm but wavering slightly, “Hon, I heard a loud noise from your room, an-and your coughing. A-are you alright?”

I couldn’t see his face, but I knew it  all too well, his buzz cut hair which he said he wanted to grow out, ‘but it seems like it just won’t play nice’ as he’d say, deep eyes, bushy eyebrows, and a short but black beard with a connected mustache all complimented by his dark skin. I could see the twisted mouth through the lack of light, the creases in his head from those upturned eyebrows being so concerned, and those always shining eyes of calming amber. 

I replied looking up at the ceiling, arms spread out, “What did you think I fell off the bed or something?” I cracked a smile to myself, knowing full well he couldn’t see, continuing on to say, “it’s fine just a dream, I forgot to breathe, not like I’m dying you know.” being still groggy and realizing what I said moments too late to stop it, I shifted over to my side and faced the wall, covering my mouth with my hand.

I quietly whispered, maybe more for myself, “I-i’m sorry, not what I meant.”

I could feel him walk over and sit in the alcove by my knees, and his soft hand on my shoulder as his concerned stare could always open me up to talking, even if this time it took a little longer, with him lightly rubbing my arm. I eventually turned over with difficulty, my fathers face illuminated ever so slightly by the light from the window, accentuating the bags under his eyes, and the real look of concern for me.

I pushed myself against the headboard, however small it was to make a good backing, and held his hand, not sure what to say but wanting to say everything at the same time the tension feeling like it’s building and my mind starting to race and nothing yet everything feeling like it’s weighing on me, “Hey, look at me, I’m right here, just checking up on you, don’t look so panicked.”

My father grabbed my face to look at him, startling me for a moment, taking in where I was again, and slowing my brain when he continues after seeing that I have calmed down thoroughly, “You said something about a dream, would you like to tell me, or is it about someone you like.” His smile gets lit by the light, which in conjunction with him poking at my side helped kill that tension in my mind. 

“N-no not about anyone, it was just a dream of me falling through the clouds during a sunset, with a beautiful sky above me, full of stars and nebulas. And as I fell the clouds started to close in around me with the rain getting heavier and eventually I was covered in a bubble of rain, and I guess that’s why I woke up.”

My father shifted his position up the bed next to me, very intentionally listening to me, despite what I guessed was him being exhausted himself, maybe not even sleeping because of his concern for me. When I was done talking he just simply rubbed my head and said with a smile, “Someone has an active mind. Do you want to go watch the sunrise, maybe I’ll even let you have hot coco.”

I could see the devious smile play across his face, backlit by the now rising sun, and so my face mimicked that energy saying, “I think I’d like that, but you better pay up with that hot coco.” a snicker and evil smile playing from me.

Bit Busy this week, no art, only lore

So I am going to be quite full this week with the real world, so I will give you all a little more Mellea Lore, as she is my personal favorite character I have made. So random facts about her, 1 she can purr, as a genetic hybrid she has enough feline genetics to be able to purr, she only finds this out after having landed on Earth and some exploring with people where she ends up with a caring and comforting friend named Peral, a snow fox. It is both of them laying together on Peral’s couch, helping untangle Mellea’s long thick fur, and during a break from untangling Mellea’s head fur, Peral just starts rubbing Melleas head, (petting her basically) where to the surprise of both, she starts purring. Questions as to why she only figures this out once she’s an adult (18) and living elsewhere, well she never got close enough to anyone else for them to be able to make her feel comfortable for a long period of time to spark that nice feeling to make her purr. So hope you enjoy the Mellea lore dump for her history of being able to purr, the least interesting thing possible.  

Fluffy little dargon for someone I know who let me make them an oc

Here’s a short(ish) story Draft I’ve been working on

In a long away mountain, surrounded by a dark forest engulfed in magical energies, where the ancient, mystical beings of Gnomes, Fairies, Fae, and Spirits live. 

They roam the woods, spreading good fortune, growing plants, and maintaining balance between the vitality of the world. In the centre, stands a great mountain, on which lives the ancient Fox clan, which raise their young, with magic crystals, and spells passed from generation to generation, using them to focus their magical talents.

They used them to protect their home and everything surrounding it from danger. The chief of the clan is a male fox, and the firstborn of the skulk. The current chief, Eiju, is trying to pass off the crystal to the next heir, Ryota. But transferring title from fathers to son has been difficult to get invested.

Ryota is quite passive for the typical male fox, always exploring the mountain or forest, and avoiding practising magic with his father, Eiju is worried about the fate of the clan if Ryota doesn`t become the next defender of the mountain. As he is the only male fox of his lineage, his father has tried everything he can to reach Ryota, but things have only gotten more tense between the two, with Ryota avoiding him more and more.

He lay on the dank cool floor of the cave, in one of the deep. He was looking longingly at the crystal in the rocky floor. It was a shimmering blue, illuminating the abnormal white diamond on his face, which curved inward on its sides, a symbol only seen in the females in the skulk. He lay, looking at the crystal, with lines and streaks of pink, and purple shifting in and out, with a calming and methodical pattern.

He felt his stomach rumble shortly after, he went further into the cave, to his small stash of berries, and leaves from the forest. Ryota was the eldest male in the skulk, he did not believe that title belonged to him, he felt off, and as his ceremony to name him the next leader of the clan was drawing near, he felt more dissonant with himself. He tried to distract himself by delving deeper into the cave.

He started walking the same path done a hundred times be. He. Slipping into this crevice, and that walkway, covered in larger and larger crystals. It started getting cooler as he went. A rock that had been getting more loose with every pass he made, but this time it had fallen, and he realised it knocked open a small crack in the wall. The crack was small, about as larger as a small rock. Since he was hanging his head it just barely caught his attention. Curiosity grew as to what it could be hiding, and what could be hidden back there. He wanted to get something to eat first. Ryota pulled a loose crystal from the floor, pointing it towards the hole, a soft ting echoing through the cave as it was placed on the ground.

 He quickly went to fill himself in his little stash, since he wanted to always have an easy snack, and a quiet place to rest, he explored the caves, and found a small and secluded little cove. Then he quickly made his way to the crystal, and tried to look through, it was slightly too small to see anything clearly. He grabbed a small long rock on the floor, and started to try and widen it. The tapping echoed through the cave, but the wall seemed weak, and gravely, so it crumbled away quite easily, still he had to grab a crystal and use a spell. Which only male foxes could generally do, and which made him feel disconnected with himself.

He managed to create an opening just slightly larger than he, then slipped through the narrow cavity with some scratching on his back, which wasn’t all that unpleasant. He made his way down, using that crystal for light, and he found there were no other crystals here, but the faint glow illuminated most of this cave in a teal blue glow, he noticed long stretches of moss with glowing bulbs on them as he walked. 

Until on one wall, stopping dead in his tracks, on one of the walls, was a large faded painting made of natural dye, and simple colours and shapes. With writing underneath, in an old language that he barely understood. It talked of a born male fox, contaminated with a self destructive plague, it continued to talk of this plague being a risk of the safety to the forest and mountain, but could cure it by. It had been smudged out at the end, but all Ryota could make out was, ‘east… Mountain of Song… The Crystal of Gods.’ 

There was a soft tink, as the crystal dropped and bounced on the hard rock floor, and Ryota sat down in front of it, mouth agape, stunned, the fox was a near perfect drawing of him, his mind spun, and was wrapped up in what this meant, and he realised he wasn’t… his thoughts trailed off, exploring the implications.

Ryota lay in front of this old painting, and the idea of chasing this prophecy to which he matched, something about it felt right, something about it felt like straightening a line that had been crooked for ages past. Their mind began to run wild with this thought. They took a breath to try and make sense of this all, then looked at the prophecy that lay on the wall, and used the crystal to light up a bit more of it, and found there was a map, and in a way a start to a quest, but not one of fighting dragons, or saving a princess, but of themself.

They tried to read the last bit of text, and as they took their time, was able to read “This journey is one not of mortal peril, not of glory or fame, or of riches, but of yourself, and is decided, and starts with your first step to finding who you are.”

They were confused, and didn’t know what that meant, but were also quite sure that staying anywhere around the skulk of foxes they grew up with, would be a bad idea. And so they left the hidden tunnel, grabbed some more berries, and assorted food, and snuck out to the main cavity leading out, and snuck through a side tunnel they found, then moved a rock in front of it. And they started down a path that would lead to another exit, and walked quietly to the opening after being in darkness for quite a bit of it. 

They had been able to think, and now were questioning who they were, if not what they were born, then who. The sense of dread, and fear started to consume them, but set out down the mountain and into the forest, to try and get more information on what that painting was saying. They were still very anxious, and tried to think of something to help calm them down. They were at the base of the mountain when, like a lightning strike it hit them, a new name, Hanako, this was enough to distract from her growing fears, for now.

She clambered down the mountain, anxiety and uncertainty making her less graceful than usual. Then passed through the forest, seeing small fae sparks, of vibrant colours, small gnomes walking about, picking tall grass which came up over their face, some fae which came and said hi to Ryota, and they could see even if she tried to hide the discomfort that name caused, one fae, a small teal spark asked, “You are hurt by your name? If a name is a life, then it should not cut you like it does so. Why is it that you and your name are cutting such edges to each other?”

Hanako was confused, and could only weakly get out, ‘I-i use Hanako’. The Fae seemed content with the answer, wishing her luck, saying that she need be confident of who she knows who she is. Which did help improve her mood. As Hanako was leaving, a Spirit floated by, a black and grey spectral being that protected the forest, and it had a smoky opaque covering to their face which was also hidden under its hood, and it stopped in front of her, saying in a haunting spiritual echoey voice, “be safe and well, you are what you are doubting you are, you are the one I knew when you were born.”

Hanako had memories flash through her mind of the Spirit that talked to her a lot differently than others when she was young. To that she thanked the Spirit and walked away slowly, confused and realising these things she hadn’t before. She set off into the world, seeing what life holds for her, and what is out there careful to avoid being seen as she left the forest. 

She walked east for days, unsure where to go, she was wandering the landscape of open fields and light forest. When one night found a nice small alcove under a tree just before sunset, she slipped under, curled herself up and fell asleep. When she awoke later in the night, she noticed a small source of light under the back of the hole. Curious she decided to dig, where she found a crystal, like  from her home, around it was an inscription which glowed with blue-white magical light. It was written in the same language as before, saying, ‘Take this crystal to guide you, we follow the same path, and I bow my head to you for the best of luck.’

 Hanako decided to take the crystal, thinking that this could be useful either way. But as she picked it up she noticed another crystal lying beneath it, glowing a scarlet red, and with deep black consuming streaks throughout it. Startled by what that meant, Hanako ran, and kept running until she got to a calm river. She started to just lay down, next to the water on a flat rock, her chest burned from running so much, and so fast she coughed to catch her breath. 

But scared, tears started burning her eyes like needles. She curled up on the flat rock water running next to her, as the moon had just risen above the horizon, a guardian beaming down with a brilliant silver light. She shockingly wept, unsure of what she was doing, where she was, or why she even was doing this, forsaking her past. 

When she heard a raspy little voice of a duck say,¨Hey, what’s wrong? Your quite far from home are you not?¨

  Hanako looked up, and saw this small call duck, and said with a wine in her voice, ¨I have left from home to find who I am, but it seems I may just be all wrong by pursuing this path. Just a stupid way to escape¨

  “That does sound awful, I’m sorry I never introduced myself, I am Niagra Feathers, what is your name?”

  “H-Hanako, I’m not sure where to go, I’m lost, no idea how to get home, and I don’t even have anyone to help.” as more tears dripped down her face.

“Well, that sounds like a big problem, I`m not the best with directions, heh, so I think we best get you something to eat… maybe some berries, I especially love seeds.” Niagra quacked happily.

Hanako chuckled slightly, and nodded as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. She started following Niagra around as they looked for seeds, and some berries, they found a few and had a talk, and Hanako was able to calm down. Using her crystal, which was now more pink than blue, Hanako made a small fire and they slept with Hanako curled up, and Niagra in the middle. And as they slept, the fire crackled, and the night was silent, and the stars shone above like gems in Hanakos’ cave, and only a soft breeze rustled the leaves of nearby bushes, and trees. The silent night was uncommon, but it was welcome by both.

 Hanako awoke early, her head was pointed to one side, but she moved it to look ahead of her, still layed on the ground, and as she looked about, realised the stars were starting to fade, as there was a faint blue sky coming from the east. Hanako’s crystal was now mostly pink, with purple and magenta lines coursing through it. Mesmerised, she kept on staring at it, thinking about the blue crystal that she had before. Hanako looked at Niagra still sleeping, moving with each breath, their beak tucked under their wing. Carefully, she moved away to the side, got up to stretch. Then picked up the crystal in her mouth on instinct, when it started to pulse wildly.  Energy started flowing through Hanako, and created a vortex of colours around her swirling upwards, like a tornado of endless rainbows.

Hanako looked around her, seeing the tornado of colours, and magical energy, swirling and spinning upwards to the heavens. Her mind went blank at the sheer beauty and majesty, then as she stepped back a few paces, she accidentally tapped Niagra. They woke with a start, flying back a ways, out of instinct. Hanako was entranced by the energies before her. As it all reflected in her eyes, and she sat down, looking all around at the majesty of whatever this vortex was as a soft tune started to play with the swirling wind. That’s when the vortex started to twist, and contort into a corridor that pointed towards a distant Eastern mountain that faded into the fog, with clouds pouring off the summit. 

Then with a final gust of wind, it all dispersed like leaves of a bush in a strong wind, the colours dispersed out in a circle around Hanako, they looked like torn ribbons that got smaller and smaller as they moved, until all was peaceful and quiet like nothing had happened and the song faded into the distance, carried away by the sound of the river, and leaves.

Niagra was still trying to understand what had happened, as Hanako started almost mindlessly towards the mountain, Niagra quacked behind saying, “Hey, one, what just happened? Two, what did you do? And three, can you let me catch up on what I just saw, since I’m still tired?”

Hanako looked back tilting her head, and said, “Well, one I think someone or… something just gave us directions. I don’t honestly know what I did for that to all happen.”Her voice trailed off, and she paused for a moment, to herself wrap her head around what just happened, then continued on saying, “If you want I can give you a ride on my back, but we’ve got a long way to go, so I want to find out what’s going on, and why that mountain is so important.”

Niagra opened their beak looking like they had more to say, but instead flapped their wings, and laid on Hanako’s back. Hanako then walked carefully, so as to not disturb Niagra, and continued on. They talked and pondered every possibility about the implications for the next few days, with lines of energy seen pointing them towards their goal whenever they ventured off the path, Hanako always had her ears perked, saying she could hear that tune faintly whenever the energy formed itself, but Niagra didn’t know what she was on about.

They camped at night, and Hanako said she’d keep watch, but spent the time mostly just pacing around, constantly debating if she was doing the right thing, or if she was even right in what she, ‘herself’ was asserting, and didn’t sleep well most nights because of that anxiety growing worse with each passing day. Most of their campground was located close to, or on the river bank for the soft soil, and open space.

Then one day mid conversation as they neared the mountain, Hanako stopped dead, looked up, ears perked, sniffing the air, then looked off to one side, seeing some berries that were medium pebble sized green bulbs, which smelled like pure sugar. They were found on a rather odd bush, it had light tan branches, but maroon red, thick and waxy looking leaves that reflected the little light found under the forest canopy quite brilliantly.

Hanako looked longingly, and in an almost mesmerised state, just stared at the berries for a few moments. She promptly walked over and just bit them off their stems. As her favourite kind of berries she tried to get as many as she could, while Niagra hopped down, waddled over and tried one, with a look between confusion and unimpressed, as much as can be managed by a duck, said to Hanako, “You like these? They are so barren of flavour. What’s special about them?”

Hanako through a  mouthful said, “What do you mean, they’re the best kind of berry, so sweet, and juicy. Maybe you don’t have such a refined palette.”

With a sarcastic look, and tone said, “Oh, my dear fox how dare, I never heard such an outrageous claim.” they chuckled to themselves softly.

They both soon after, with quite a bit of effort made it to the base of the mountain, Where the crystal seemed to hum with each night more and more. Once they got to the base of the mountain, the crystal in Hanako’s mouth started to sing, a soft tune, a familiar one, like a lullaby, like heard during that encircling whirlwind of energy and magic. Neither knew what it meant. But the crystal shot a light out to a close tree, and under the large root system beneath it, Hanako started to dig, where she saw another small den, just like the first one, the crystal showed a glowing inscription on the walls of the small hovel, in the same old tongue as the other times, saying “We both have met again it seems, my crystal is singing, I guess this is the call of the Mountain of Song, time for us to find whoever lead us both here.”

Hanako and Niagra looked at each other, confused, but Hanako stepped to the base of the mountain, the sun was starting to recede below the horizon, with the horizon behind the mountain was illuminated in a brilliant golden hue, fading to a purple sky with faint stars shining like gems in the dark sky. 

Hanako stood, staring at the looming shadow of the foreboding mountain, the tune started up in her ears, so she hummed along. Like a beaver’s dam in front of a stream, the wind stopped, she continued, slowly raising her voice, singing louder, and building her confidence. Then, the world was silent, the tune stopped, and then ahead of her there was a burst of colour and energy from the darkening rock of the mountain, which swirled outwards making a tunnel into the mountain. Hanako was completely silent by this point, and was floored, unable to comprehend the majesty. Niagra was entranced by the song. The gateway started to fade after a few moments of her staring. she picked up singing again, with more passion, closing her eyes, and repeating the eloquent melody, as it rang amongst the trees, wind, and sky.

The mountain seemed to reach up to the flowing night sky, submerging the world in the beauty of the night.  And just barely have its peak touch and poke the night sky flowing over the world. The swirling colours started to rush past, creating a gust of wind rushing past Hanako, and it caused her to only sing with more fiery passion, and louder to contest with the strong wind that rose against her, she started to make her way through the tunnel created by this swirling mass of rainbow colours, with her eyes still closed, and sure of her step she continued to sing the melody guiding her through the passage into somewhere she had no idea what was in store.

As she crossed the boundary, there was the feeling of walking into a flat wall of water, but none was there, and when she opened her eyes, to her surprise there was now a large room, massive as could be, with a large walkway made of some cold, hard and deep orangey, brown, and red material that made a clink with each of her steps due to her claws. In the middle there was a crossroads that had four large grey, weathered and overgrown pillars that were at least four times her length in diameter. She continued straight into a light grey fog, that unravelled before her as she continued, like a curtain before a play, she made her way based on instinct, with large brownish yellow statues made of a similar material, which like the rest of this place had hairdos of vines, and togas of moss. 

Hanako realised that Niagra wasn’t with her, and that she didn’t have her crystal either, making her feel unprotected, but as she continued realising she was almost completely lost, and the overwhelming scent of these new substances, made it near impossible to find where she had been, and not yet explored. She unwillingly continued to strike onwards trying to put as much confidence into each step, and as she continued, passing more and more fiendish statues that depicted Old Ones, and the Forsaken Kin, old beings of malicious devilish evil, who struck out against the Eldest Father, the true creator and ultimate deity of this world. Hanako became scared and worried about her choice, not sure if she should turn around and try and make her way back, but she figured that she has made it this far, life must have a plan for her, and she continued with caution.

She had been walking for quite some time, having need to sit down a few times, and with a few of the statues having cupped hands, drank of their water, which dripped from the ceiling stalactites into their palms, when she then came upon a room so large, it felt like it could contain a small forest. it was made with a circular catwalk in the centre, and four paths in what seemed like cardinal directions, and in between the catwalks, there were large bars and water rushing through them into a large pool in the centre underneath the jagged and imperfect looking form of a crystal which spanned from floor to ceiling, illuminating the room in a dull blue light.

The catwalk in the centre was connected a bit above the base of the crystal, as the water  flowed beneath it. The crystal seemed to be emanating small glowing dust of all colours, and size from a speck of dust to small pebbles, as she stepped in, the room seemed to start to hum, and vibrate gently a calming sound that was so familiar. Hanako made her way down the steps towards the crystal, remembering how she got in, hummed along, a soft tune. The crystal shifted in tune, picking up volume slightly, and clarity. Hanako followed the new melody, and kept with the same volume as the crystal. This developed, building a new and beautiful soft melody. Where Hanako and this crystal were found singing a duet to this beautiful and soft melody which resonated through the empty caverns, surpassing all other sounds, the world seemed to obey and went silent .

Hanako, hearing an unknown voice with a calming, and very soft warm sound, say,“There is always a connection, sound is the connection through time, I see the destiny you have to follow has built your soul's song.” 

She looked around, seeing nobody backed up from the crystal, saying in a tense voice, aimlessly in response, “W-who are you, where are you, and what do you mean, I’m just a fox from the Western forest of-”

“The Essence Valley, I know, I know everything about you, dear Hanako.”

Hanako couldn’t see this person, but could tell by the inflection in their voice, and just their presence, that they were smiling and quite happy to be talking to her. So she responded with, “But… I am sorry for any impolite nature, I did not know.”

Instantly the voice responded, “It was not a manner of hostility in which you responded, not a manner of hate, but that of a fear of the situation in which you were presented with to which you responded accordingly to instincts.”

“...Why am I here then? Was it you that called me here?”

“It was your journey, and your sense of self that has brought you here.”

Hanako replied in a low, and dejected tone, “But I feel lost in my way… I am not sure what it is that I desire any more… I don’t even think I know who I am, and feel led astray.” 

“Your soul and spirit know what it is that you desire, why you are here, and the thread of your fate is intertwined with that soul. So I ask you, look into the crystal, and only search for yourself, then the thread from your soul, self, and fate shall intersect and become one whole journey. So when you’re ready, place your paw on the crystal before you.”

Hanako repeated the conversation in her head, sat staring at the crystal for what felt like an eternity, then tentatively walked up to the crystal, feeling frozen in place, just inches from the cool air coming off the crystal. She then closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, put her paw on it. She felt a jolt of energy, as she lifted into the air, she squirmed at the feeling, then she started to glow with magical energy and having the particles that were surrounding and orbiting the large crystal which she now face, started to orbit her, and she felt parts of her change, and could tell she was different, as she squirmed with the feeling, a ringing of that melody in her head, something compelled her to sing along to the tune, her voice different, brighter, and a lot more soft and supple, like the soft reed heads on the edge of the river. After that she was slowly set down on the catwalk, her claws making a tink as she was set down, it echoing around the massive room.

This was in essence an aligning of her spirit and her physical self, but not yet her mental state. She was so happy, she had no idea what to think, and just sat there, for quite some time, before calling out to the voice asking, “How can I thank you? And who are you?”

The voice fading now, but clearly there, said “No need to thank me, you have completed that by going on this journey. As I am the sea, the mountains, the ground of which you all see, the sky, and stars above. And you can never repay them, they are grand and expansive beyond your comprehension, this is another gift for your service and protection.”

Hanako spent some time trying to understand what was said, but all for not, by the time she got over that, she realised their presence  was no longer there. She looked around and realised that she was back in the entry hall, finding all the paths that she’d travelled not but a few hours ago, were collapsed and looked like all the rocks had been laying for centuries

That’s when she started to hear the same song that had been following her since the first night with that whirlwind of energy. She hesitated but started to sing faintly,, barely above a hum, this time a softer melody came out. Her new voice like eloquent silk, soft humming growing slowly in volume and confidence, the melodies too matched her, yet nothing happened.

She stopped, took a deep breath and started again, eloquently flowing between notes, like a slow stream of music building larger into raging wave of music, then the wall started to open from a bright white spot, sparkling light grew into a large tunnel which had a  glowing white floor, that showed her a way forward, her anxieties seized her, and she froze, unable to sing, unable to move. Unsure of if she could continue, she stared into the outside world, looking longingly at the tunnel, swirling, pulsing, like a heartbeat in front of her. Visions of her life up to now played through her mind, finding that cavern, then being found by Niagra, and their trip thereafter.