i was wandering.
wandering, wandering, wandering.

where was i? far from home. where was home? behind me. where was my true home? all the way somewhere in a different coast.
was this my home now? i couldn't answer, because "this" is no where.

i have been traveling for weeks. i have not stopped; only to rest or to eat. gookmal and odeng were tired, though they had done nothing. my muscles ached from pulling around my chest full of my belongings. i knew after this i'd be strong enough to lift a tree, it seemed.
but back on track.

i was climbing up a steep, steep hill. was it a hill? i didn't know, it was taking forever to get up. until i found a shortcut. there seemed to, somehow, be a tunnel system in the mountains. how? i didn't know. obviously, something had been here before me. and whatever it was, i didn't exactly want to meet.

crawling through the tunnels, they were bigger than i imagined. not too big, but high and wide enough that i could just barely drag my chest and my sugar gliders' cage through. feeling slightly claustrophobic, i went as fast as i could through the tunnels, my pawsteps echoing through it as my pace quickened with each step. my breath began to quicken, becoming short as i began running. running from something.

ever since i had stepped into that tunnel, i felt like something was watching me. following my steps. i didn't start running until i had heard something along the lines of giggles. then i had known there was something following me. oh, how i hoped it wasn't whatever had created these tunnels!

it was then when i noticed something in front of me, though it was small, and i almost missed it. skidding to a stop, my heart feeling like it was beating out of my chest, i gasped for breath as i looked down at what seemed to be a snake. it was curled up on the ground, and it didn't look like it was breathing. 'is... is it dead?' i thought to myself, picking up my paw to poke it. where my paw should have connected with scales, it instead went straight through the snake, touching the ground. yanking my paw back as fast as i could, my breath ragged, i laughed quietly to myself. 'great, des, now you're hallucinating. fun memories.'

gulping for air, i stepped back, only to hit my rump on the chest. yelling out in pain, i bit my cheek, trying to keep quiet. the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as i released my grip, smacking my lips in disgust. "똥!" i cried out, tears prickling at my eyes. i was scared now. i didn't want to be here anymore.
then i noticed the snake was missing.

whipping my head around, i groaned, my normally confident stance now cowardly. what was going on here?
[member=1946]divinity[/member]

♛ The valley had grown desolate, being only a former shadow of what it once was. The only creatures left were the nymphs, who continued to laugh and play in the forests and tunnels, as if nothing had ever happened. The few material reminders were aging and picking up dust, as there was only so much Divinity could do at once. As dear as they were to her, the nymphs weren't much of a help and were closer to being her unruly children than anything else.

The majority of her days involved tending to the shrine atop the mountain, along with looking after few chickens and crops left on the farm. She would've left alongside everyone else, but the thing was, she was attached to this place. Besides, she was trusted to carry out the valley's legacy, and there was no way in the world she'd just let the group die. After all, she wasn't a failure.

The girl had been relaxing by the pool, glimmering and glowing crystals reflecting against the sparkling water. She'd been fully unaware of the scene unfolding in the tunnels, not even hearing the cursing or distress of the stranger. A small rabbit-like nymph bounded up to her, whispy form skidding to a halt before her, a childish grin on its face. Ears twitching, the girl lifted her head up to look at the small creature, before it giggled and ran off deeper into the cave.

"Ah, what are you up to now?" she hummed, getting up and following after the creature. It looked back at her a few times before continuing to run off, leading her off to the tunnels. The small nymph would only stop upon turning around corners or when paths forked off, in order to make sure that Divinity was still following. Not before long, the girl could hear the faint giggling and chattering of the nymphs, who were all gathered in a small corner. Perhaps they were setting up a little game? Divinity wasn't used to them involving her in such a task, as she seemed to be the one that was always doing the hard work. She watched from across the tunnel, as the rabbit approached the group.

The rabbit seemed to chatter something to a snake before addressing the rest of the nymphs. They all ran and floated around the corner, giggling and chattering, clearly excited about something. Curious about their behavior,  the girl continued forward, freezing upon the scene that unfolded in front of her. The nymphs were curiously gathered around a stranger, some poking at, though ultimately phasing through, him in his distressed state.

"Hey! Everyone, stop!" she snapped at the small creatures before their heads turned to her. Despite their behavior, the nymphs seemed to listen to Divinity, whether they liked it or not. And so, the creatures would scatter away from the scene, disappearing off into the tunnels. She was sure they'd be back, and she could already feel the eyes of a few curious nymphs peeking at her from the corners of the tunnel.

"I'm truly sorry about them, sir. They're very unruly, and it's been a while since they've seen anyone new," she explained, laughing a tiny bit at the last statement, "They just get all excited when something catches their eye." As a matter of fact, it'd been a while since she had seen anyone else. The girl lost track of time, only able to note the changing seasons as a very rough estimate. It had to have been at least a season before someone last passed through the valley,  only stopping for the food the girl offered before disappearing into the night. Most passerbys in the past ended up being the same in that regard, and it was quite lonely. Still, the girl used every opportunity she would get to inform people of the once-amazing group, in hopes of gathering interest. Of course, she saw this stranger as a chance to do so, just like everyone else.

"Are you doing alright, though? I can help you through the tunnels, and well," she huffed "Make sure there are no more nymph incidents, you know?" It really was an awful first impression of the valley; she'd have to lecture the unruly creatures later. Speaking of first impressions, the girl had completely forgotten to introduce herself. Ah, how silly of herself. "Anyways, my name is Divinity. Nice to meet you, Mister...?" her voice trailed off, expecting him to complete her thought. It'd be rather rude of him not to give her his name, wouldn't it?

//wrote way more than i thought, feel free to just read the last couple of paragraphs, aaa

i was so nervous that i didn't even hear the voice of the stranger in front of me, my thoughts only focused on the giggles that were echoing off the tunnel walls. pinning my ears to my skull, i had completely blocked out everything, my eyes squeezed shut, until i realized it had stopped. opening my eyes frightfully, i laid my eyes on a beautiful feline before me. her pelt was like the sunset, and i found myself in awe at her beauty. why, and i thought i was beautiful? i almost thought someone had one-upped me.

shaking my head lightly, i beamed at her words, thankful for the apology and at the formal mention of "sir." it did make my senses tingle with pleasure at the word. bowing repeatedly out of respect, i was possibly a little over-the-top with it, but it did not bother me much. "ahh, thank you, thank you! i am alright now, thank you." i found myself continuing on, my mouth seeming to be going faster than my mind. "it's nothing to worry about at all, truly!"

at the word "nymph," i immediately found myself intrigued, shuffling my crooked paws. "nymphs? aren't those... in greek mythology?" i found myself looking around for the creatures, only to notice they were gone, and my shoulders hung in slight sadness. though, my eye did catch a glimpse of them peeking out from the shadows, and i chuckled lightly.

when the stranger introduced herself, however, as divinity, i bowed once again. "des- um, i mean, crownedprince is my name, but you can call me prin, if you'd like to make it easier on yourself." i grinned, surprised at my own decision of using my old name my mother had given me. maybe this could... be a new start for me.

looking around the tunnels, i paused for a moment before looking back at divinity. "what... is this place?" i asked, my accented voice filled with wonder. though i was only in the tunnels, i had begun to realize that there were gems hiding in the ground below me, and everywhere else. and they were glowing.