2407 Tull 17, Daleth

Jona buried his hands in his hair, forcing himself to stay awake during this tricky time in the afternoon. Ixy's caws and the feeling of wind in his skin were something he missed in moments of quiet like today. His whole morning was spent poring through endless stacks of tomes in the palace library, all in the name of finding an explanation on what's happening in their territory. He had been in this place for two straight days and until now, he still couldn't find anything.

The closest he had come was a tome describing the phenomena of a wilting forest and they referred to it as the Decay. The Keijula squiggles told him nothing about where it came from, why it was happening, and how to stop it. All he found was about what it was.

But it's still something, right? At least he knew enough to call it the Decay now.

A bitter laugh tore off his mouth. Yeah, that's going to help anyone. He needed an answer as to how to prevent more creatures and forests from dying.

The reports arriving at the doorstep of his room became more and more alarming. Some of the animals had failed to wake up for a whole day, worrying some of the researchers. If they didn't wake up, they would starve. And when they starve...

Jona slapped his cheeks, not wanting his thoughts to stray down that road. No. Focus. He squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds before opening them again. When his gaze landed on the current tome about medicinal herbs opened before him, the squiggles began to blur and turn into gibberish in his understanding.

Dear Satris. How long was he in this place?

He looked to his left. The wall was nothing but a huge, arching window, giving him the view of the waterfall surrounding the palace. It was like this for all the buildings in this complex. No one bothered with windows or privacy and resorted to just reminding everyone of what would happen if they made a misstep on the palace's edges.

Outside, the sun had started to darken. It wouldn't be too long before the moons would replace it. Which ones would be out tonight? He rolled his shoulders, wincing at the sharp cracks his joints made with the motion. What would it do to know which moons would grace the sky every night? It wasn't like Crozal, the Crimson Mother, could do anything.

He rubbed his face with his hands, erasing any traces of frustration and exhaustion from his system. Or at least, he tried to. He spent a good while trying to understand the paragraphs he was reading but he always kept spacing out and forgetting what he had just read. Everything was slow. He hated it.

The library door opened, the wooden hinges creaking. A series of footsteps later and the Grand Monarch was standing beside the table he was studying in. His face was a mixture of worry and disappointment.

"Why do I keep finding you here?" his father asked, clasping his hands behind him in a solemn gesture. His eyes glossed over the stacks of tomes scattered atop the table. Finally, his gaze landed on the tome Jona had open and he blew a breath. "Medicinal herbs? Why would you learn about them so late in the afternoon?"

Jonadrin shrugged, refusing to meet his father's piercing gaze. "I just want to."

"Rest, will you?" the Grand Monarch said, laying a hand on Jona's shoulder. It was both comforting and quite heavy. Jona wasn't sure what to feel about his father's words too. "You've been here for a long time since yesterday. If you want, I can endorse you to the Academy for you to learn more about these....medicinal herbs. I'm sure the scholars would love to have you there."

The School of Magical Arts, or the Academy, as some fairies call it. If Jona was to be found at some place with the Academy, it would be away.

"My duty is to the nature fairies," he removed his father's hand from his shoulder. "My duty is here in Dwanzeig."

"Then just visit Acosa without working for once," the Grand Monarch said. His tone bordered on begging which brought a confused twist in Jonadrin's gut. "For me?"

Jonadrin drove his hair away from his face. He should have slicked it back before he went out of his room but that's that. He raised his eyes to meet his father's gaze with a small smile. "I'll think about it," he said. "Do you still have work? Edicts and projects to sign?"

The Grand Monarch winced at having been reminded of his pending work. "You make a good to-do list, son," he patted Jonadrin's back. "I'll be off, then. Think about what I said about visiting the rest of Acosa without having to think about work. You owe that much to yourself since taking the role of a Grand Royal."

Jona bobbed his head just to pacify his father's worry. The Grand Monarch gave him one lingering look before slinking out of the library in a series of long strides. After a few seconds, he was gone and Jona was completely alone, surrounded by a mountain of tomes.

When he got back to his tome, his brain refused to register anything anymore, he slammed the tome shut. Dust flew in faint clouds and tickled his nose. He sighed. Maybe he did need a break.

2407 Tull 22, Briss

The wind in Acosa was hotter than that in the mountains of Telsbury or Komery. It was certainly better than the morning drafts he had flown through with Ixy in the past few months. Jona pursed his lips and tucked his hands inside the long coat he shoved himself into. He felt silly and overdressed as he trudged through the unfamiliar streets of what was supposed to be his hometown.

Acosa was a huge city in its own right, smaller than any other city, except maybe Opreah or Ardgate, but big enough to house its own trading squares, small pockets of towns hidden in the thick and untouched forests, and a sightseeing place where fairies could view some of Umazure's largest animals in their own habitat.

Jona had passed by several ongoing tours like that on his way out of the bounds of the royal territory. As soon as the land changed from stone to compact dirt, the feel in the air shifted. Gone were the tightness and the fragrance of the felmisa lining the palace's walls. Instead, the cacophony of odors from all flowers colluding into one strong mixture filled Jona's nose as he walked.

The forests in Acosa sported minimal proof of the Decay but there were still some around.ona gritted his teeth and crossed his arms. As he mentally agreed with his father, he was in Acosa today not to work. Then again, what was he really supposed to do now that he wasn't expected to do anything?

A low growl emanated from somewhere beside him. He turned to find himself face-to-face with an enlarged krou. Their species boasted a lot of variation in terms of their fur color and the patterns in which they manifest. This one had a tabby-like orange coat which shone against the early morning sun. It had lowered itself into its haunches, its back muscles tense and ready to spring. Slitted eyes glared at him, its nose wrinkled to reveal a set of pointed teeth, each one longer than the last.

Jona stepped back. Being a kaviste keiju, he had no control over animals like this krou. How was he supposed to force it to revert back to its cat-like state, one where it could be picked up by hand? What did his tutors say about confronting a wild krou? His mind came up with nothing. Nice going.

He was about to turn around and start running when the krou lunged forward, its claws extended and ready to draw blood. His arms flew to his head in panic, his heart leaping to his throat with a whimper.

"Ghiena, heel!" a stern voice resounded in the air. Jona waited for pain or for anything to happen to his form. Nothing did. Slowly, he lowered his arms and his gaze landed on a man with an orange tabby at his feet. It was now licking its paws while sitting on its hind legs. A bushy tail curled on the ground, bursts of stray breezes stirring the fur covering it.

He blinked at it and at the man who averted his impending doom. "Thank you," he said, gaining the man's attention.

Blue eyes flashed towards him and, a few seconds later, a huge smile. "Not to worry!" he propped his hands on his hips as he faced Jona fully. "Ghiena doesn't normally eat fairies. It's just that you happened to step on her area."

Jona turned behind him and back at the man again. "Area?"

"He was about to take a dump," the man said without his features betraying his thoughts. "You happened to have passed through and now your scent messed up the whole thing."

"Oh," came Jona's awkward reply. "Sorry."

The man chuckled, seemingly oblivious of who he was talking to. Jona was left to wonder if the man recognized him to be the Grand Royal. "Be careful next time, kid," he said, giving him a quick wave. No, he didn't recognize Jona as anyone else besides the one who meddled with his familiar's session. "You might end up as manderfin's meat if you don't stay alert."

Jona nodded. "I'll keep that in mind," he said. Then, without missing a beat, he asked, "Do you know the quickest way to town?"