FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Small cool drops of rain fell from grey skies down onto the potion maker's hill. A soft mist curled against greenery and folded around the hill. The potion maker herself stepped out and shivered as she felt the cold air touch her, but she smiled as she placed a paw out, palm facing up to the sky. Layne had stepped out into the morning with the intent to do a little bit of rare ingredient hunting. A specific mushroom grew out in the woods during weather like this, but it was more than just the cold and rain. With Winter edging closer and closer she could practically feel the frigid seasonal magic begin to creep around her home. Conditions for finding these mushrooms would be much worse if she needed to dig through snow, so it was better to hunt them down herself. Of course, she could have asked Silas and perhaps ordered them from his store, but she didn't want to trouble him. With a sigh, she squeezed the brim of her pointy hat with one paw and hugged her satchel to her side with the other paw and began to walk down the hill and towards the woods.

Layne cherished the rain as even the sound of soft drops hitting blades of grass was enough to soothe her mind, but she could do without the cold. She wore a scarf that coiled around her neck and the black dress she wore had long sleeves with a material inside made for colder weather. A chill breeze sent a shiver up her spine despite what she wore and she found herself wondering if turning back for a bit of that potion warmth would be a good idea. Instead, she continued on figuring that it would be best to save those little vials for the Winter months. A friend of hers had told her that the cold here was nothing compared to the cold in Eefrin and while she had submitted to the fact that her friend was most likely correct, she also added that Eefrin was a frozen hellscape that no one should be forced to live in. Of course, her friend had agreed with her.

Eefrin was a place that never stopped snowing thanks to the strange magical separation of the regions and Layne was extremely thankful that the snow hadn't started falling yet. Many of the leaves were turning a sweet orange up in the trees above her and there plenty already dotting the floor of the woods which crunched beneath her steps as she continued through the woods.

The beauty of nature was fine and all, but Layne really needed to get to work if she wanted to get done with her plucking before lunch. With a small hum, she stopped and brought her paws together and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and allowed herself to sink into a trance where she could feel magic passing over her. The magic of nature coiled around her and she could feel Winter's touch. She expected to feel the brush of cold magic against her fur, but she had not braced herself for a blast of frigid air that caused her to gasp and break out of her trance. Both of her paws were at her shoulders squeezing tight as she shivered as if she had been naked out in the snow. She trembled and drew the scarf around her neck closer to her neck.

That had been more than just a little bit unexpected. That type of frigid magic felt like something straight out of Eefrin during the Winter, not here and not during the Autumn. It had felt as if the spirit of Winter itself had given her a kiss. She could still feel the latent touch of that magic brushing past her and her curiosity caught the better of her. There were many sources and fonts of cold magic she could follow to find her mushrooms, but that strange blast of pure Winter was much more interesting.

Deeper into the woods and towards the source of that strange magic she began to feel the cold of that strange source begin to manifest within the air. The leaves around her were beginning to fall more rapidly and her breath came out in little puffs of fine mist. Her walk slowed as she continued to notice the subtle changes around her. There was a fine layer of frost along the top of the leaves. Small drops of rain from the sky seemed to turn into small flakes of ice that felt like something in between snow and yet not quite. It was at this point that she really wished she had thought to bring warmth with her. The cold began to pierce through the material of her dress and each breath sent a little tremble down her back, but she was far too curious to turn away from this now.

Soon, Layne felt the trail of magic drawing to an end. She slipped through a thicket of trees and found herself standing at the edge of a clearing where a large tree sat in the center. What seemed to be a curled piece of earth laid against the gnarled roots of the tree. Moss covered the strange figure along the back where she could see something like folded wings. Along with the light spray of green, she could also see mushroom caps growing along the length of what she now recognized as some sort of creature. Those mushrooms were what she needed, and that creature seemed to be the source of the cold magic, but what was it?

To Layne, it looked like an elemental curled up and resting, but something felt different about it. Elementals were forces of nature, creatures made of the natural magic of this world. This creature certainly looked as if it came from nature. Her thoughts were put on pause as she took a single step closer and she saw blue flickering lights coming from the creature's front. It raised its head and looked at her before slowly getting up. Layne's eyes trailed up as it rose to full height standing somewhere near the halfway point of the gnarled tree.

It stretched and she swore she heard it groaning, "Not oft' is it that I get visitors on my duty...Not oft' is it that I take naps during my duty either."

The grand creature straightened and it lowered its head to meet Layne's curious eyes as she mumbled, "Well...I can't say that I came to visit you, but I'm certainly interested in learning about you now that I am here."

It seemed to take that in for a moment before nodding its head, "Honest words for such a small thing. Last I remember someone stumbling upon my work, they begged for their life thinking that I would either eat or crush them. Meat is not in my interests and I have no reason to gore creature smaller than I. Curiosity is a respectable thing, so ask questions and I will answer them, but know that I will ask some myself, do you accept these terms."

A shivered trailed down the potion maker's back as the creature finished their statement. She felt as if some sort of magic was looping around her and about to snap shut like a noose, but it didn't feel malignant or evil, it just felt natural.

"I ah...I suppose that's fine." The fur of her tail puffed out as she felt that loop of magic press against her body and she looked around for the source of the spell, but found that there was no one around her casting anything and for the most part she seemed safe.

"Ask what you will then. I need to be gone when the sun hits a certain point. I can't be late."

Layne found herself looking at the creature and wondering just exactly what she was staring at. They looked like an elemental in the shape of a dragon, but their words carried a weight far greater than any dragon that she had ever met, and she had never met an elemental that can talk, so she supposed she start with that.

"What are you?"

The creature let out a rumbling noise akin to what she assumed and hoped was a chuckle. Before they answered the question, they looked up at the sky for a moment as if to think carefully about their next words, "Hmm...I am what you think I am in some ways, but in others, I am much greater. I am an elemental of great age that has existed since the first days of this continent, back when the seasons and weather of this great slab of earth shifted and bucked like a wild beast. In part, I was responsible for that, but I am old now and was humbled greatly in my hay day."

Layne blurted, "You control the weather?"

"Ah...That is another question. I need to ask you one before you ask another."

The feline shut her mouth and bit back another question, but now her curiosity had been piqued enough for her to forget about the cold. Now that it was clear that she was going to be quiet, the old elemental asked, "What are you doing out here alone?"

"Oh! That's easy. I'm looking for some mushrooms for my potion making. The kind that only grow during the passing of Autumn and Winter when rain touches the ground and the icy magic of Winter's change kisses the earth. Like...The ones on your back actually!"

After her answer, the elemental shook itself so that the mushrooms on its back began to crack and fall off. Layne looked at them curiously, but dared not move until she saw the elemental nodding, "Thank you! This will save so much time."

"I'd think a little patience would be better for your health, but then again none of you little ones live as long as I."

As the potion maker knelt to collect one of the mushrooms she looked up at the creature, "I guess that's true! You have all the time in the world, whereas I only have so much time. I think...My main curiosity was satisfied with your first question, but I really do wonder if you control the weather?"

"No. Not all of it. Only Winter, and only a portion of it. There are many things at play when the seasons change. This place is special. Not many other continents are so steeped with magic that the very weather itself manifests as elementals...Now, I will warn you now that I will not answer questions about my past. That is a part of my life that is long since gone."

A touch of empathy crossed the feline's features as she sighed, "I can understand that..."

The elemental craned and tilted their head, "Can you?"

"Is that a question?"

Loud and rumbling laughter touched the air for a few moments before the creature spoke, "As clever as they come. No. Don't answer that. Instead, I would have your name, young lady."

Layne blinked. Names carried power for certain beings, and she was half-certain that this creature was the same way, but she didn't feel as if the elemental was evil. In fact, even though she shivered from the cold, she felt almost at home near their presence.

"Layne Luness." She said quietly.

The elemental heard her name and lifted their head up to mumble something to the air before speaking her name clearly, "Layne Luness...Well, Layne Luness, it has been pleasant. You have not tried to take advantage of what I am, and you have played a game with this old piece of history. I must depart, but I will repay your visit in kind."

Before she could ask what the old elemental meant, they were gone. A chill wind passed by her body and the ring of magic that she had felt from before faded away until she felt no sign of the old creature. She looked around and even closed her eyes for just a moment to feel for their magic, but there was nothing but the leftover remnants of Winter's touch; except, there was something small that felt just the same as that old elemental. When she opened her eyes she noticed a blue glow around the rest of the mushrooms. Layne knelt down in the grass to reach down and collect the gift left behind by the elemental with shaky digits. A bright cut gem in the shape of a tear sat in her paws. It felt colder than the chill wind that blew through the air and she could feel magic twisting and swirling from within the small gem.

When she got up, she looked around one last time for any other signs of the old elemental and she muttered, "I suppose...I'll see you again someday old one."

With that, Layne started back home with her satchel full of mushrooms and a magic gem clutched in paw.