I guess my disbelief was all over my face, because Til explained everything I was confused about before I ever even had to ask, which, I gotta say, is really convenient!

 

So it’s already been explained that the Water Spirit and Forest Spirit are friends or whatever, right? Apparently they’ve always been pretty close to each other, even before the whole war thing that’s going on right now. And even though this world is all magical and stuff, I guess tectonic plates shifting and global warming and everything still exists here? Honestly, I’m not a scientist, I’m just a plant, so it’s not like I understand it super well; I'm just the poor idiot that has to explain it!

 

Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that the sea levels shift sometimes just like in the last world that I remember, although it happens a bit quicker in this one for whatever reason. From what Til tells me, the Spirit of the Water is only interested in anywhere that’s wet or underwater, and it doesn’t really care about or want anything that’s not, so most of the time when an area in its territory becomes a little too dry, it would just give it away to the Forest Spirit, and the Forest Spirit would trade it any of it’s areas that became overly damp. That’s actually why I’ve run into the two swamps I’ve seen so far from what I’ve told, although Til explained to me a while back that the last swamp we were in had basically turned into a joint effort between the Forest and Water Spirits to protect against the invading Wind Spirit.

 

But yeah, back to the main point here! From what Til’s told me, it seems that that mine that I found the blue rock in must have once been a part of the Spirit of the Water’s territory. One of the more unique Water-based monsters or whatever that used to live there must have died and left behind that rock as its remains, and over time it must have naturally gotten buried. Then the territories must have changed hands, a bunch of time passed, and here we are! It’s like how dinosaur bones are found deep underground, even though when they died, they were just standing on the surface, same as the rest of us. What I’m saying is, I’m basically a paleontologist for finding that rock there! …Except instead of putting my findings into museums, I eat them. Didn’t people used to do that to mummies they found? I think I remember that being something that happened. Hey, at least I’m not a cannibal like those people are, right? Now if I were to find some ultra-magical plants around the place, then this might just be a different story, mind you!

 

“It’s quite odd that the remains you found weren’t accompanied by any others. In fact, it suggests that whatever it was that died there was either very rare, or that it didn’t naturally live there.”

 

=Reeeally hoping for the ‘It just didn't usually live there’ angle, because if whatever magically thingy it was that died was rare, then that means it’s gonna be extra hard to find more blue rocks no matter where I go…=

 

“Yes, you have a point. But it still doesn’t change the fact that you’ll have to go to the Spirit of the Water’s territory if you want the best chance at finding more of them.”

 

=Yeah, ain’t that the truth… But uh, Til?=

 

“Hmmn?”

 

=...Won’t the Water Spirit and all its follower-things get mad at me if I just show up and start eating some of them?=

 

Til’s face scrunched for a moment, and then he looked at me with an expression like he was disappointed, but knew he should have known better.

 

“You weren’t planning to go harvest these blue rocks of yours from the ones that were still living, were you L’Lan’e’frea…?”

 

Oh, I guess that’s not what the plan was, then? Uhhh-

 

=Nope! I… just meant that they might not like me turning into a grave robber!=

 

There! I totally saved it!

 

“That’s certainly a good point… I suppose the best you could do would be to just ask first? We don’t even know how intelligent the particular magical beings you need to find would be; It’s possible that the beings you seek could be at the same mental level as the Cruias’s we saw in the swamp. If they’re unable to communicate, then it’s quite possible that they will see no problem with you taking away their dead’s remains.”

 

Okay, I get it. So if they’re not smart enough to care, then I get a free lunch with no hassle! Although if they are that dumb, then I’m betting it’s going to be pretty difficult to show up where they live and not get attacked, right? Well… Maybe I won’t be blamed if I kill and eat them in self defense…?

 

“Of course, if they are of greater intelligence, then it will be quite hard to convince them to give you their dead. Most of the civilized races frown on anyone taking away their kind’s corpses. I’m sure even if they become ‘rocks’ as you described in death, they still wouldn’t take you consuming their own very kindly.”

 

=...Not even if I was made by their Spirit’s ally?=

 

“If that were the case, then the Cruias’s would have never attacked us in that swamp in the first place.”

 

Oh yeah, right. Til told me before; Just because they’re allies, it doesn’t mean that they accept outsiders where they don’t belong, huh? Darn, I was kind of hoping I could ride the ‘we’re allies!’ train all the way to the end. Well if that’s not going to work, then I guess I’ll just really have to make a convincing case to them for why they should give me the rocks! Like that I need to eat them to get stronger, or that they’re really really nutritious, or… Or.. Look, I’m sure I’m super charming, but I can kinda guess from my interactions with all the elves I’ve met that maybe they don’t find me as charming as I do. What if the Water people feel the same way? What do I do then?

 

…Maybe I can depend on Til to fix it? Despite how big and burly he is, he knows a bunch of stuff and he seems like he can speak super well, right?

 

I clasped my tentacles hopefully at Til and- Well, I don’t really have eyes and eyelashes to bat pleadingly at him, but I’m guessing the meaning of my intense invisible gaze on him was understood well enough, because Til sighed a moment later and covered one of his eyes with his hand like he was tired.

 

“No, L’Lan’e’frea. I’m sorry, but it’s just not possible. As much as I’d like to help keep you from making enemies and fulfill the prophecy, I’m afraid I won’t be able to come with you this time.”

 

=What?! Why?!=

 

This was COMPLETELY news to me! I was sure Til and I had gotten a lot closer over the past day! He was actually acting like he was willing to spend more time with me before! What happened?!

 

“L’Lan’e’frea…”

 

Til sighed again and crossed his arms, looking slightly pained and embarrassed for some reason.

 

“...Yes, there’s no way you would have known. L’Lan’e’frea, elves are not welcome in the Spirit of the Water’s territory.”

 

=...They aren’t?=

 

Oh, so it’s not because he didn’t want to go, but because he couldn’t? Phew, okay, so then he isn’t just abandoning me! There’s still hope!

 

“The Spirit of the Water dislikes elves for being disloyal and changing their master. Even the fire elves, who have never committed such an act, are still looked down on by the Spirit of the Water because others of their kind have proven to have the capability to turn. Well, it would dislike the fire elves simply for being fire elves and serving the Spirit of the Fire, really; The same is true for the wild-folk who serve the Spirit of the Wind. As you can imagine, being an elf and part fire elf, the Spirit of the Water would never welcome me onto it’s lands.”

 

I see… So that means Til really can’t come along with me then, huh?

 

=Um… But then what will you do…?=

 

Til’s already frowning face seemed like it got just a little sadder while he listened to me. I guess he could see how upset all this news was making me. If I was right about us getting a little closer, then maybe he was also upset to have to leave me so suddenly like this. At least, I super hope that that’s the case.

 

For a moment I thought I saw Til’s jaw tense up, but then his face became a little more determined, and he gave me a small crooked smile.

 

“Well… I suppose I have my own tasks to complete while you’re gone. After all, if I’m going to become a L’Lan’e’frea elf by the time you get back like you suggested, I’m going to have to get a few of my affairs in order first.”

 

Ah… Did he… Did he really just say what I think he said?!

He wasn’t just joking with me?

I mean, his face kind of looks like he could totally be joking with me, but his eyes look like he means it I think!

 

I scanned Til over again and again, trying to make sure that he was serious, but eventually I just gave up and decided to test the waters by raising my tentacles like I was offering him a hug. Til tilted his head for a moment in confusion, not really understanding my intentions right away, but when I wiggled my tentacles nervously for a second and then retried the ‘hug offering’ motion, he seemed to get what I meant this time. With a small laugh he raised his eyebrows and let me hug him, although he quickly detached himself from me and cleared his throat when he felt me getting too happy about it.

 

“Well then L’Lan’e’frea, I suppose this is goodbye for now-”

 

Til stopped, looking at me strangely for a moment before he came a bit closer and reached out, gently running a few of his fingers over one of my flowers, and then over the other.

 

“You’ve said before that you grew these flowers because you liked them, yes? Tell me, what flowers are these?”

 

=Hm?=

 

I ran some tentacles up to softly hold my flowers like his touch had tickled me. I was completely surprised about the sudden question, or even the fact that he’d reached out and caressed my flowers like that, so it took me a moment for my mind to catch up with what I should be replying.

 

=Umm, this one’s a Camellia, and this one’s Lily of the valley.=

 

“I see…”

 

Til stood there, looking between my two flowers for a little while, and then eventually gently took hold of one of my tentacles and kissed the back of it, like a knight kissing a lady’s hand. And when he looked back up, I could swear there was a slightly different look in his eyes than how he used to look at me.

 

“Then how about Mellily?”

 

=...Mellily?=

 

I tiled my ‘head’ at the nonsense sounding word, but Til just broke out into a small, heart melting smile back at me.

 

“I did my best to combine the two into a name. If you don’t like it, I can try and think of something else.”

 

Once again, my mind was running slow. I couldn’t tell if it was just because Til was showing me a bunch of wonderful scenes that I’d never seen from him before or what, but it was like my mind had been dipped in molasses and chewing gum, and I was taking forever to compute.

 

=A… A name?=

 

“Yes, for you. You said you didn’t have one before, and continuing to call you ‘L’Lan’e’frea’ would be the same as if you only called me ‘elf’, so I thought I might take the liberty of giving you a name. I’m sorry, I’m not the best at naming things, but...”

 

Wow. Wow! Til was giving me a name?! I kind of hoped this would happen one day, but I really never thought that it would happen this soon. What did he say it was? He said he combined my Camellia and Lillies and made ‘Mellily’? Maybe it’s a bit too simple or on the nose, but the fact that he chose to use the two flowers I made that I took pride in… He used the only parts of this silly body of mine that I was actually proud of to make my name…

 

=How could I not like it?! It’s perfect!=

 

Once again, for completely different reasons than the last time, I wished that my body could shed tears.

_____

AN: And with that, this ark is over! Next chapter we return to our regularly scheduled program!