#mossy shrine

[larajeandoodles]

A sacred place in the woods for the mushroom folks.

[chthonic-eldritch-terror]

Me and my friend- in the ultimate show of platonic love may I add- have little shrines in our rooms for the other. My one for him has rocks and jewels and a watercolour painting and his for me has tiny seashells and a teddy with moth wings. When he is kind to me, I leave him "sacrifices" (cool rocks and sweets) and vice versa.

This is the new friendship bracelet. Make your friends a shrine

[earthjournalbyawildrose]

Mother Eārth .:. by @earthjournalbyawildrose

source

[the-feral-one]

Wo-Chien’s a pretty snail, even when he’s casting his judgmental glare on whoever was unfortunate enough to annoy him.

[bonguri]

20230812 Gifu-Yamagata 1 by Bong Grit Via Flickr: 以前に住んでたり、飽きるほど訪れたことのあるエリアを撮り歩き。最初は伊自良湖近くの七社神社。神様が七体祀られてる神社だから七社神社。 @Shichisha shrine, Yamagata city, Gifu pref. （岐阜県山形市伊自良地区 七社神社）

[chatsukimi]

ｓｃａｒｓ： "ᴛʜᴇʏ ꜱᴀʏ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ ʟɪꜰᴇ"

Sukuna x deceased reader. pt 1.

Sukuna whose flames are unleashed solely on special occasions. One day, when Yuji wonders aloud why he has two, he tells the brat to "shut up and get yourself your first technique before asking for seconds." Yuji winces, shutting up nevertheless.

Sukuna who quietens next to the bonfire on New Years. The open conflagration bursts and wanes. He peers at the sparkling flames, dancing before Yuji's worn out sneakers. He wills the boy to let him switch places- one minute, just as he had promised when Sukuna restored his heart. Now the Devil will restore his own.

Sukuna who appears, silent, next to a mossy pillar in the middle of a redwood forest; a trick of Cursed Technique, long lost. He only has a minute: prepare the incense, plant the prayers, spare one longing gaze at your statue. He clenches his teeth as he hears Yuji banging on inside his mind, but it's the one chance he has of being with you, alone.

Sukuna who had always been concentrated compared to the other Special Grade sorcerers, capable of miraculous devotion. Suffice to say, he likes it best when there aren't passerby's, mistaking zeal for shortcoming.

He sinks to the ground, bowing his head, pressing his palms together, before wisps of flame start drifting from between them, touching every candle and incense to life. Wisteria scents float over him.

In this forgotten corner of the world, all who remember you are the monks who tend this shrine, and the strongest of them all.

When Yuji wakes up, on the stone floor of the Fujiwara Clan's tombs, sputtering at the cold. Shocked, later on, by the violent burn in the middle of his chest he had never seen before.

"Curious..." Gojo murmurs, inspecting the wound. "Yuji, you're growing more and more like him."

This used to be his scar.

Sukuna who doesn't come out for days when Gojo informs Yuji about the Fujiwara Clan's destruction. What was he doing at the shrine? Why did he kill them all, the children, the soldiers, the wives?

Everyone assumes Sukuna's just tired of Yuji's moral clamouring. No one suspects he is drowning in the shadows of his domain, his head collapsed back onto the animal skulls, exhales spilling out in long drawn out phrases, in the nightmare he created.

Sukuna who used to hate fire because it quashed the dark, until he saw you manoeuvre flames and arrows as though they were a second skin. He was the Disgraced One, but you- you were kind.

Sukuna who was killed by you, when he killed your clan. He was promised your technique when he said he would protect you. He made a vow. He had to keep it.

So, when it came time, he had simply let you press your burning hand upon his chest and feel him recline in agony. He knew it would be the last time you touch him. He wanted to feel it burn.

"Sukuna, you told me you would try to get better. You told me you didn't care how the others saw you, about us- how could you lie to me?"

He never wanted to lie to you, of all souls. If it makes you feel better, he still thinks of you when he uses your flames, only on special occasions. Your strength, your grace, and the look you wore as you killed him, they all come wobbling, like moth to a flame. Like a lowly cast-away boy on his way, in rage, to destruction.

Sukuna who thinks to himself, "you have given your technique to me, but what if I had asked for your soul with mine forever?", looking for your voice in the flames.

It only cracks and cackles.

It is Yuji who first notices you on the street.

"Hey! Hey!"

You turn around. A boy with pink hair is jogging towards you. He waves.

"Oh. Hi, do I know you?"

"Don't think so. You just look really alike to someone I saw a while ago at a shrine."

You can't pinpoint what but the slit on his face... you can't tear your eyes from it. You shake your head. What is wrong with you today?

"I don't go to shrines," you say. Your fingers itch to reach out to graze his cheek. "... that's a cool scar you've got there. Both sides of your face. They say scars are where you were killed"

"Oh I've got many scars," he mutters sheepishly. "A big one on my chest, s'kinda lame though, 'cause I don't remember how I got it."

You laugh. "Me too." You drag your T-shirt neckline down just an inch, pointing at it with your thumb. "I was born with mine."

A scar.

A burn.

A flaming arrow.

Right above your heart.

[clovercrafted]

✨ the shrine of remembrance ✨

Thought by Duskwood historians to be a long forgotten place of worship this old cave seems to have been taken over by an overgrowth of plant life.

Tah-dah, finally finished the portal room and the connecting nether portal too! The first shot is the nether-side portal while the rest is the remains of the stronghold I consumed.

Tag list ☘️: (ask to be +/-, if you changed your url/changed blogs and I lost track of you, let me know if you’d like to be readded!)

@gronglegrowth @absintheaftershock @adairctedgibbgirl @theronlovingcare @thefoxesraven @yourfriendphoenix @entomolodee @grymmdark @polnareffsbrows @sluttysoulcowboy @sculkgrowths @berieecraft @asynchronouscommunication

Blocks used: amethyst, basalt, stone, cobblestone, mossy cobble, andestite, oak planks, glow berries, flowering azalea leaves, calcite, sea grass, kelp, sea pickles

[haveyouplayedthisttrpg]

Have you played WANDERHOME

By Jay Dragon @jdragsky

Wanderhome is a pastoral fantasy role-playing game about traveling animal-folk, the world they inhabit, and the way the seasons change. It is a game filled with grassy fields, mossy shrines, herds of chubby bumblebees, opossums in sundresses, salamanders with suspenders, starry night skies, and the most beautiful sunsets you can imagine.

A diceless and GM-less game, built on the Belonging Outside Belonging engine

[girlwiththewhiterabbit]

Resplendent armor of forgotten heroes cover the mossy stone, their skeletal contents long withered away. The legendary weapons of these unfortunate adventurers line the walls of this shrine, and you realize the truth too late

Treasures of a Druidic Deity👑gold foil clear tape✨

[merakiui]

thinking about a concept in which you are shouki no kami’s devout follower. you visit his shrine every day to pray and leave offerings. he often visits you in your dreams to return your kindness, but each time you wake from these dreams you can never quite recall them. as a result, you have no idea that you’ve been interacting with your god all this time. but he doesn’t mind. he likes to watch over you while you sleep. once he caught you sleeping just outside his shrine, and he was overwhelmed with an intense adoration. it’s very sweet of you to devote yourself to him. naturally, he must devote himself to you in return, as you are one of his first followers and you deserve to be treated as such.

unfortunately, the life of a mortal is fleeting. when you break your promise to him and depart from the mortal coil, shouki no kami is enraged. how dare you succumb to your mortality whilst he was working to halt that annoying clock that shackles all humans. he was going to make you immortal and you were going to continue to exist alongside him. this is how it was meant to be. you promised. you told him you’d always worship him—only him—and that no other divine being could compare to his benevolence and kindness.

shouki no kami can’t rot, for he is not composed of the same flesh as mortals. but it certainly feels like he rots inside his shrine, growing more bitter and lonely with every passing day. he doesn’t dare to visit your grave because the thought that you might exist beneath him is enraging. your place is not above or below. it’s right at his side. he becomes quite volatile when he mourns, subjecting any unfortunate souls in his path to ruinous destruction, and frustration consumes him. eventually he can’t muster anymore cold-hearted revenge, and so he falls into an eternal slumber within his shrine, slowly fading into obscurity.

time passes. the world changes and evolves. time periods come and go. it has been so long since he’s last heard your voice. in the early stages of grief, he’d often hear it in his own dreams. now it’s a sound he’s beginning to forget, and that is one of the greatest tragedies. even when he’s trapped in the permanence of eternal sleep, he cannot recall your precious voice.

shouki no kami’s shrine has become abandoned, swallowed in overgrown greenery. there are blue flowers that bloom around the area—the only pop of color amidst plenty of earthy greens. he does not wake for anyone, having condemned himself to silence. even the birds who make nests out of the trees above do not wake him.

it isn’t until someone steps foot on the eroded, mossy steps of his shrine that he shifts and stirs. and then there’s a long-forgotten voice: “hey, i think this is a shrine!”

shouki no kami wakes to a modern world full of strange, wondrous technologies. but all of it pales in comparison to the person who brushes leaves from the placard on his statue to read the inscription. though you may take on a different appearance, he’s certain—after close inspection—this is undeniably you. your hands are just as warm as they were in the past. your laughter is just as melodious. your smile is just as bright. when you begin the exhausting process that is clean-up and restoration (and he recognizes that same selfless generosity that you often showed all that time ago), he watches from afar, studying your every move. and he becomes even more certain that this is you.

because only his first follower—the only human who mattered to him—could awaken a bitter god from his slumber. and now that he knows you’ve come back to him, he isn’t willing to let you go.

[powdermelonkeg]

Tears of the Kingdom: Final Trailer Analysis

This is most likely the last teaser we're going to get before the game's release in three months, and hoo boy, did Nintendo not hold back with this one.

Unlike my previous set of trailer breakdowns, this one's also going to factor in the audio. Because the audio for this gives some very telling details.

Let's start with the first shot.

Unfortunately, the video starts off a bit grainy due to the rain contrast. This clears itself up later, but it makes these initial first few seconds a bit hard to make out. The clearest one I could get is the one above, where the lightning strike is visible, but the flash has already passed.

Death Mountain is ablaze with malice, as we saw in previous trailers.

The shrines are encased in green spirals.

Then after that, the graininess starts to clear up, and we see these strange new enemies

I'm going to call them kargarocs. I'll get to why later.

With another flash of lightning, the scene finally gets into proper definition, and we can make a few things out.

Bokoblins patrol the ruins these kargarocs are guarding

And it's right beside a misty, deciduous forest. The mist seems like a new element of the game rather than weather we can pinpoint, however.

Then, up in the sky, only visible thanks to the lightning, we can see an island with a structure on it.

The light fades, and-

Look at that design! It looks somewhere between a keese and a toadpoli. The feet can definitely grab things, but the throat pouch makes me think this thing might spit acid.

Next we have a shot of the Hyrulean countryside, facing Hebra from the southeast.

The first thing that stands out is this rune. We saw it in the last trailer, too, though this one appears more yellow than teal; it could be lighting, or it could be a different effect.

We have what appears to be a Sheikah tower, surrounded by light. The core is orange, though, indicating that it's disabled, and it looks to be missing its top; upon closer inspection, the sides seem more organic in shape than the rigid towers we're used to:

Then when the lightning strikes the scene

We can see a very interesting-looking shape in the sky.

It looks like it might be the source of this thunderbolt, but more importantly, it looks like it's hiding something. Possibly the temple thing from the 2021 trailer?

We then move on to the isles

This isn't a lot to look at at first, just some mossy ruins, with clouds covering up identifying features. However

What is this? A weight? A checkpoint? Why is it orange? Does it need to be activated?

Then the clouds move.

These ruins here look a lot like the Sacred Ground Ruins in BotW, where Link was recognized as hero.

There are some key differences, though. For one, the platform has no pillars at its center, instead four structures being seen towards the back.

Then there's the big block of a building it's attached to on the right.

Moving on from this, we can also notice another glowing rune

Which looks to be the same one from the first scene, just from a different angle.

What I'm most interested in, however, are the meteor spots beside the Sacred Ground.

Because I recognize that.

That's Gisa Crater.

It's just south of Rito territory. There's a Talus there, and a shrine with a glitch that lets you fall forever. I used it to make Link into a barcode.

Continuing this in a Part 2, because I'm out of image space. I'll edit this with a link to it once it's done.

Edit: Part 2!

[theresattrpgforthat]

do you happen to know any ttrpgs focused around primarily around travel? the only one i'm personally aware of is ryuutama and i'd like to broaden my knowledge

THEME: Travel

Hello there, I hope that you find some of these games fitting that niche you're looking for!

Apocalypse Roadtrip, by Mynar Lenahan.

Apocalypse Roadtrip is a 34-page Forged In The Dark game for 2-5 players about normal people finding their way after the world has ended. Specifically, it is a hack of the tremendous and innovative As The Sun Forever Sets. 

Navigating their way past roaming Kaiju, military bombings, otherworldly cryptids, UFO fleets, and other survivors (friendly and not), the characters work hard to achieve their goals and, ultimately, make some changes in their world.

In a world where staying in one place for too long can kill you, travel is pretty important in Apocalypse Roadtrip. Your crew will probably need a vehicle in order to get resources and a safe place to sleep for the night, and you can travel in anything from a sedan, to a snow plow, to an alien spaceship. Travel is one of a few suggested strategies for getting what you need. On the whole, this game aims to emulate a desperate wandering ragtag crew, seeking a place to lay their heads and something that gives them just enough of an edge to survive another day.

If you bought the Türkiye & Syria Earthquake Relief Bundle, you own this game!

Space Taxi, by gothHoblin.

Space Taxi is a zany Tabletop RPG for 1-4 players and a GM, where players are all passengers of the same taxi taking them on a journey through outer space! Each character type has their own goal to complete before the trip is over, and will encounter all kinds of things along the way. But watch out for the Space Cats - these adorable little fluffballs can be as mischievous as they are cute!

Space Taxi is a lighthearted journey through space using the Caltrop Core game system, with a special set of prompt tables that you’ll use throughout the game via a pack of cards. In this game, it’s all about the journey - you’ll fill in the world as you move towards your destination, encountering warp portals, dive bars, accidents and Space Cats! I’m intrigued by the possibilities of Caltrop Core, and I think this game might be an excellent example of how to combine the ruleset with a prompt list that makes the journey interesting every time.

Wanderhome, by Jay Dragon (Possum Creek Games).

Wanderhome is a pastoral fantasy role-playing game about traveling animal-folk, the world they inhabit, and the way the seasons change. It is a game filled with grassy fields, mossy shrines, herds of chubby bumblebees, opossums in sundresses, salamanders with suspenders, starry night skies, and the most beautiful sunsets you can imagine.

You might be a tamarin who dances with small and forgotten gods, a leporine mail carrier who relies on moths to get packages where they belong, a little lizard with a big heart and a mysterious past, or a near-endless number of other thrilling possibilities. No matter what, we’re always travelers—animal-folk who go from village to village and get to see the length and breadth of all the world of Hæth. The seasons will change as we play, and we will change with them.

I like Wanderhome as an example not just because about the travel that exists within the game but also because of what doesn’t exist - combat. Wanderhome takes place in a land where a war has already been fought, and your characters are navigating a landscape that has been changed by that conflict. Together you will navigate places that you create together, during seasons that will not just add depth to each location, but also give you the sense of the passage of time. Because each location can be created using pieces in the book, it feels like everyone is discovering a new place together, which feels like an essential element of a travel game.

Slugblaster, by Wilkie’s Candy Lab.

In the small town of Hillview, teenage hoverboarders sneak into other dimensions to explore, film tricks, go viral, and get away from the problems at home. It’s dangerous. It’s stupid. It’s got parent groups in a panic. And it’s the coolest thing ever.

This is Slugblaster. A table-top rpg about teenagehood, giant bugs, circuit-bent rayguns, and trying to be cool.

Slugblaster is mostly about teenagers on hoverboards, but I really like the way it frames an adventure for the party when it comes to how it relates to travel. The multiverse has connections between dimensions, but each portal only works one-way, and there aren’t guaranteed “thin-zones” between each dimension.

You may have to cut through a cyberpunk dystopia if you want to get to the coolest beach and sometimes you may have to dodge some vampires or a self-replicating math panther if you want to get back home. Players will have to confront a number of obstacles thrown at them by the GM on their way to seek out fame, fortune, and finally a way back home once they’ve got that sweet shot by the prismatic waterfall.

You can currently get Slugblaster and also support a fundraiser for Teen Mental Health if you check it out here!

The PARAGON System, by John Harper.

If you’re not familiar with the Paragon System, I’d recommend starting with AGON, by John Harper, as it provides a full game and a solid setting to explore: you are Greek heroes and demigods, seeking to make your names great while voyaging around mythic islands full of monsters and legends. Each session will start with your characters voyaging on the open sea, meeting an obstacle that they will have to overcome to reach their destination, while also determining who is the greatest - and therefore the most fit to lead the upcoming expedition.

This theme of voyaging from one port to another is very translatable, and shows up in many other Paragon supplements, such as Rising Tide, by Dan Brown (eco-justice pirates bringing down corporate operations) and Endeavour, by Armiger Games (Star Trek). Regardless of what your characters are doing, the storytelling in these games is easily abstracted, challenging players to make connections between attributes such as Courage or Spirit and actions such as singing a ballad or aiming a cannon. The most travel-friendly aspect of these games is the idea of each location feeling unique and separate from the rest of the world, showing a vast and varied setting that will challenge your players with every stop along the way.

The Wildsea, by Felix Isaacs.

Your character is a wildsailor, part of a crew cutting their way across the island-studded wilderness of the treetop sea on a vessel of your very own. You’ll clash with survivor cultures and wild beasts, scavenge and salvage for wreckage and trade-goods, chase rumours, and uncover secrets. The focus of this game is on exploration, progress, and change - you’ll define the world of the Wildsea as you sail it.

The Wildsea has a very well-thought-out and extensive travel mechanic. One player at any given time will be responsible for piloting the ship, but other characters need not take a backseat to the action. There are roles for weather-watchers, cartographers, lookouts and more. Each roll has the possibility to forecast dangers or opportunities, giving characters choices about how they are going to deal with upcoming encounters - will they stop by a port to trade for spider silk, or avoid what looks like an ominous pirate flag? All the while, the group marks their progress on a track, which will indicate how close they are to their destination of choice. The question is whether they’ll still have all their cargo when they get there.

If you want to check out the system of this game for free, try out the Free Basic Rules version of this game!

[natade-art]

i’m never going to get around to redrawing wolfie or doing a different design for the left border column so i present to you. this one illustration for my zelda. what in-world lore lets me have a wolf link of my own? idk fuck it we ball

ID: an illustration of a golden wolf Link sitting beside a small winged stone goddess statue similar to those seen in Breath of the Wild. There is a lit candle in a hollow in the statues chest, and a plate full of flowers and fruits at its feet. Behind Link are some bushes and a deep, dark forest. At the bottom, with a fairy on either side, are the words “Forest Shrine’s Guardian”. The borders to the left and right depict the Master Sword in a mossy pedestal. There are two skulls in the bottom left and top right corners respectively, while the top left corner has blue wildflowers and the bottom right has a blue ocarina. end ID

[justarandomhumanontheinternet]

A Random epithet I came up with for Hekate (UPG)

I just came up with the epithets She of mossy stone and Lady of bridges. I made a shrine to her on a bridge that had tiny patches of moss growing out of the stone. I feel like bridges remind me of Hekate, because bridges exist in a kind of liminal space.

[snowiwyvern]

day 26 overgrown

i didnt know what to do so i just was like what if the shrine of resurrection was in botw how it was in totk and boom. he mossy

[luckyshotwrites]

Part 1 - Since Ya Owe Me~

Contents (Warnings/Mild spoilers): A twenty foot tall "human" cowpoke, Cliff, meets a "stunted" small human named Cassie. (g/t, vore mentions, goofy shenanigans, and lore dips)

Wordcount: 1,800+

Side note: None to report

_______________________________________________

Cliff

Husked rice sounds good. Maybe I can get a side of salmon or tuna, too. His stomach complained about the promise of delicious food. It knew the closest town was nowhere in sight.

"Ugh," Cliff grumbled. 

He twisted the reins in his hands idly. The vipkey bobbed up and down along the faint stone path. 

How long has it been? His stomach growled an answer. I haven't eaten for a whole day. He gave the last of his food yesterday to his scaly, saddled-up omnivore companion. He patted their side, feeling their scales shimmer with approval as he did so. 

Cliff's eyes scoured the wet forest floor again. He hadn't seen any animals swinging or slithering about. Nor any appetizing plants. Huh? Maybe one of those eco events happened here. That would explain the lack of food and people.  

He smacked his lips and rolled his tongue in his mouth. It felt dry. 

He traced his belt, his digits skimming over his currently empty holster and then to his gourd. He swung it up, and his body felt the immediate disappointment—it held no weight. No water either. 

Cliff tapped the bottom of the uncorked gourd to his head and sighed. 

He fixed it back on his belt, then went to the other side. He picked up the compass and flipped open the silver top. The golden arrow spun, searching for a direction. 

"Nearest town," he whispered, swallowing hard after. I hate that when you notice the thirst, it burns even more. 

The arrow pointed a smidgen northeast. Damn, do these make travelin' easier. It then lit up at the center with the miles, and he hung his head. That's three hours. He put his free hand to his face and grunted into his palm. 

"Nearest..." Cliff played with his options. I at least need some water. He said the word questioningly, "shrine?"

The arrow buzzed again, rotating quickly, but showed a similar path, more northeast than the town. An hour, that's better. Not the best, but to hell with it. 

He grabbed the rein again, "We're going this way, Kackles."

Cliff's mount spurred and listened. 

...

He strayed off the half-buried stone path for about an hour, humming old tunes. His eyes lit up as he finally spotted a torii. It looks a little worse for wear, but it's something. It meant a shrine was just beyond it. 

He couldn't wait for the refreshing taste of fresh water. 

He crossed his fingers as his companion started to strut up the long steps. Here's hoping they have one of those shrine guards with food.  

Upon reaching the shrine, he jumped off and told Kackles to wait. 

The shrine was small, with several cracks in its curved red roof, old, nearly shredded paper talismans, and no idols. Hmm. Cliff's teal-green orbs touched the mossy stones, and his finger ran across the podium, which normally held the shrine owner. 

Is there some kind of Yokai roaming here? He questioned. His boots clattered across the muddy, grassy slabs. His eyes caught what he was looking for—a spring to the right of the shrine. It looks clear. 

He slowed down before he reached it. His body twitched at the sound inside the shrine's paper gate. He narrowed his gaze, watching the movement. 

"Hello?" Cliff called. He lifted his right hand slowly. "I saw this spring out here, and I wanted to know if anyone minds me takin' some." I'd also like any food you got, he thought, but he wouldn't ask for handouts.

A very skittish voice answered, "Go ahea-ah-eed!" Her tone skittered with panic.

"You need any help in there, ma'am?" He pushed his hat up, keeping his line of sight on the shadow beyond the paper.

"I'M FINE, DON'T COME IN!"

That doesn't sit right. 

Cliff cautiously backed up. He took his gourd from his belt and walked over to the spring. He filled it up slightly and took a swig. His lip tensed up with distaste. A little tangy. Which meant the spirit of the shrine was gone, and the spring was on its way to being corrupted. 

Regardless, he couldn't be picky, so he drank and filled what he could in the gourd.

He looked back at the shrine. He imagined it was a yokai inside, but...

A yokai doesn't usually sound like a scared woman unless it's asking you to save em'. 

Cliff walked up the shrine's steps again, leaning back on one of the railings near the way down. He prepared to tell her he was going on his way. However, a loud shatter and cry made him leap from the pillar. 

He threw back the paper door, and his eyes caught what looked like a woman. Her skin was as pure as snow in a tattered kimono that matched. Except for the splotches of blood and mud soaking its “skirt” end. 

Her claws were deep in the varnished wood, trying to climb it. Her head twisted back to look at him. Cliff took a step forward. The remaining vase pieces crunched under his boots.

She spoke with a garbled, gruff speech. She's new. 

"This ain't your shrine, is it, Yokai?"

It hissed at the word, insulted by the term. It jumped down at Cliff, and he sidestepped out of the way. It rolled and crashed into the other table of useless trinkets. He backed into the other wall in doing so—his back bumped into the wall. The space was far too tight to fight in. 

It really is a newborn; most yokai are faster, stronger, and have some supernatural magic to back them up. 

He threw up his finger pistol and aimed it at her. Cliff’s eyes sparked with a ring of brighter, neon green light. It circled within his hunter green iris. The ring sparked repeatedly like someone kept hitting two stones together. 

Before she could scramble back up, he set his vision on her along with his pointer finger. He lined it up and set the weak Yokai ablaze. It took a few seconds for the screeching to stop. It had been crisped.

He blew on his finger and put out the imaginary pillar of smoke coming from it. 

That was pretty easy. Cliff got off the wall ready to leave, then realized that he was talking to someone else before. His eyes quickly looked over the room. He did a 360 in an attempt to find them. 

He only saw shattered pots, dust, and a few broken trinkets. He rested his gaze back on the claw marks in the wood. Why would it try to get on the wall? He followed what its path might have been. And up there, between the wooden beams, was a girl. She was hard to see with the shadows of the unlit space protecting her. 

She looks so tiny. Cliff had never seen a stunted human before. She looked like she’d stand at his knees. How did she even get up there? 

"Thank you for that, sir," she said, hugging the wooden pole.

"Cliff," he replied.

"I'm Cassie," she said back, giving a slight wave, almost falling, and quickly clinging to the beam again.

"Can you get down, Miss Cassie?"

"O-of course I can. I just like the view up here is all." She said, "But I wish you luck on your trip, sir."

Cliff raised a brow, "Uh-huh." There's no way she's getting down from there without seriously getting hurt. Cliff put his arms out, "Two things: one, you got nothing to land on down here but shattered pots and dust."

She glanced down at his arms. "You want me to jump down into your arms?!"

"Yes."

"But what if I miss you?"

"Got any other options?"

She was quiet before she closed her eyes and adjusted her glasses. "Please don't drop me."

"Don't plan on it. Now come on," Cliff said.

She slowly got her legs dangling. She squeaked, still clinging on. Cliff waited and swayed with her feet. 

"Don't have all day, Miss Cassie." 

She nodded, took a deep breath, and let go. 

Cliff caught her bridal style with a slight "oof," yet once he held her in his arms, he realized how light she was. 

“Thank you,” she uttered.

I've carried toddlers with more weight than you. Cliff joked in his head. And we even look similar in age. 

His mind wandered to her looks as he worked on putting her down. Stunted like her were rare, and knowing she wouldn't be that hard to carry made him reflexively swallow. 

"By the way, nice focus magic you did there. Though, I don't think I've ever seen anyone put a hand up like that to use it." She copied his finger gun motion.

Cliff shifted his gaze and muttered, "I like putting on a show." He poorly hid his embarrassment. Here, I thought Stunted didn't know much about magic. 

His mind trickled back. Is every rumor I heard about them right then?  His stomach wanted to know. 

"And you mentioned two things earlier but only said one," Cassie said.

I can't let a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away. He wanted to know for sure if Stunted lived up to their hype. 

"Two was about my services. They ain't cheap." Cliff said. He expected her to start running. She didn't.

"I told you everything was fine! You didn't have to intervene."

He scoffed and pointed to the pile of ash behind him, "You know what that thing was?"

The Stunted opened her mouth. Nothing proceeded to come out. 

Cassie conceded, "I've never encountered that Yokai before, so, no."

"That was an Agubanba," Cliff said, "a Yokai that probably wanted to use you as a catalyst for its growth."

She lowered her head, "right."

Yet, newborn Yokai don't usually attack people outright. 

He crouched down to meet her eye level the best he could, "Given that you seem to lack anything of value on your person-"

The girl with wild brown hair interrupted him, "I had plenty of valuable goods before those outlaws took them! I was resting in the shrine when they came in. I panicked and climbed up to hide." She fixed her large, thick, rounded lenses, "and I dropped my stuff when I made my way up." 

Cassie shifted her head up, "They probably took those items into town to sell them."

She rubbed her hands together. It almost looks like you want to fight em' "Can you direct me to the nearest town, if it's not too much trouble?"

"Direct you?" Cliff questioned. You're asking a lot from a stranger, aren't ya? I can throw you in the opposite direction if I wanted. 

"That way, I can pay you back! I'll get to town, bury it somewhere, probably along the edge, and even put one of those sizzling starlight flowers on it. They are quite common in this region." She said.

He rubbed the slight stubble of his chin. The more he looked at Cassie, the more he felt his little shoulder devils curiosity to eat her rising. "And how do I know you ain't lyin'?"

Her eyebrows knitted together, "Why would I-"

"Listen, little missy. I don't know much about you. A Stunted in the middle of the forest is a very odd thing to see." He slapped his hands on his thighs, "but I'll tell you what, I won't charge you my usual price."

Cassie's eyes lit up, then quickly fell to skepticism. "You won't?

"Nope, I have a little proposition instead," Cliff smirked. 

His mind and body were in agreement. He wanted to curb his hunger. 

Cassie didn't seem to like what his face was selling. "What kind of proposition?"

He flashed a wider smile and flicked up his hat, "I'd estimate it'd take about two hours until we hit town." His eyes met her rich brown ones. "So, in the meantime, little miss Cassie, since you owe me and I'm pretty hungry—" 

He maintained his confidence as he asked, "—how about you be my temporary meal on our way there?"

...

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