Unexpected Beauty

The redwoods were a beautiful forest. In that, she had not been led astray. Though darkness of night had turned the vibrant collage into a muddled symphony of dark crimsons and browns, slivers of moonlight allowed select leaves to return to their shining scarlet hue. With night came a calm silence, quiet enough to highlight the sound of each leaf as it fell from its tree and drifted to rest on the soil among its brethren. This silence was broken by footsteps, the crunching of talons piercing the fallen leaves as a beautiful dragon stomped through the forest. Beautiful, and clearly unhappy.

The redwoods had not been someplace Alasterea had ever intended to visit. Though this was the homeland of her favorite bodyguard, Alasterea thought she had made it clear she was quite done with forests after their adventures in Meadowing. They were traveling with the intent to enjoy the modern culture of these realms, not wander around places full of nothing but leaves. Yet when they had been looking into their next destination, Missy just wouldn’t stop babbling about the beauty of the redwoods this time of year. Alasterea had finally agreed to stop by for a short visit, if only to get the lovabun to shut her mouth.

Upon the trios arrival at the inn earlier that day, Alasterea quickly come to the realization that this stop would be of little interest. Though the vibrant reds were preferable to the grating greens of Meadowing, once again she found herself surrounded by nothing but trees. She had opted to retire to her room for a mid-afternoon nap while her companions explored the area, and had not awoken until long after the sun had fallen into the horizon and the moon had risen up through the clouds. After making herself presentable, she peeked in on her companions, pleased to see the lovabun and lopilu both soundly asleep. Perhaps now she could take a moment for herself.

Alasterea left the inn and wandered aimlessly into the forest, her dismay quickly returning at the lack of anything but trees. Didn’t Missy get bored of this stuff? The dragon shook her head, perhaps she would never understand lovabuns. She found herself walking along a well-trodden path, silhouettes of trees looming over her as she lost herself in her thoughts. She may never understand the lovabun she traveled with, but that didn’t mean she held any regrets. 

Alasterea had taken no small amount of time choosing her associates. Traveling through the realms alone was not unheard of, but she considered herself something like royalty, and taking on menial tasks such as booking inns and talking to commoners was not something she had any intention of doing herself. It had only taken her a few trips through the Reflection to realize companions would be necessary for a comfortable journey. After many painful introductions and dozens of rejections, Alasterea finally found herself two lackeys she was comfortable with. Soleil, a lopilu from the redwoods, was one of the best assassins she could find, and one of few willing to take up a full time gig. Alasterea was fully capable of protecting herself, of course, but it never hurt to have an extra bit of brawn on her side. Missy’s role was that of a diplomat. Alasterea had been impressed more than once by the lovabun’s ability to diffuse complicated situations, and it was surprising how often a smiling face came in handy. The lovabun was no good in a fight, though Soleil’s intermittent combat training had been helping with that, but her true strength lay in the ability to garner information and assistance from creatures of all kinds. As such, the three were able to travel nearly anywhere they so pleased without conflict.

The path through the woods grew steeper, and as Alasterea crested a small bluff she came to a sudden stop, breath catching in her throat. She was up just high enough to see over the trees, and she gazed at the forest as it streched far into the distance. Trees melded together into a collage of amber and maroon as a light breeze trickled through the leaves. The pale moonlight shone down, topping the view with a slight shimmer as the trees danced below her. Never had Alasterea imagined a forest could be so beautiful.

She stared at the sight for hours, only when the moon had fallen and the sun was peeking out did she finally turn back. The return trip passed in a flash as her mind was fixated on nothing but the unexpected beauty she had just experienced. No wonder Soleil had come from such a place, only somewhere this beautiful could give birth to a soul so strong. As her claws crunched through the leaf-covered floor, a smile slipped onto Alasterea’s face. Perhaps making this trip had been worth it after all. 

Returning to the inn, she was surprised to be met with a lit room and a boiling kettle, two cups had been placed on the table and were ready to be filled with tea. Soleil looked up at the dragon's arrival, the usual expression of disinterest painting the lopilu’s features. “So, how was it?” Alasterea looked Soleil up and down. “Perhaps… this is not the most dreadful place to spend a night or two.” Soleil’s eyebrows rose in surprise, the corner of her mouth twitching. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Missy you said that.”