A Damp Quest [Job; Solo]

It had been over a week since her exile from the capital of Zou. Arashi could feel a deep homesickness building in the pit of her guts. She wanted to see her home again. The urge to go and run through the halls that she grew up in with her brothers was intense and burning. She wasn’t sure if her spirit could handle this. All her life she had been loyal to the kingdom, and now, Arashi couldn’t even go into the capitol. Of course, it wasn’t her kingdom’s fault. No, there were forces at work she couldn’t control. Maybe her exile was what her kingdom needed? All these thoughts swirled through her head like the storm she was named after.

Her thoughts distracted her to the point where she had forgotten where she was. This became evident when she nearly stepped off the cliff like edge of the mountain pass she was walking along. Leaning back, Arashi rested against a post that was planted on the path. Why was she out here again? Rain was pouring down, making these less than perfect travel conditions. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath. That’s right, she had to find some plants. The plants were the key to her problems hopefully. Ever since a child, she had heard about the monks in the mountain’s temple. However, she had never given them much thought, but now, with her newly exiled status, Arashi was hoping the deep sleep could solve her problem.

She knew it was silly, but Arashi still clutched the list of plants needed tightly in her hands. They weren’t rare plants, but they were tedious to get to- that is, if one didn’t know how to. Luckily, a portion of Arashi’s training had taken place in the mountains. She knew her way around fairly well. Because of her position as a ‘spare’, she had been expected to memorize the countryside in case a master needed to leave the capital for business. Closing her eyes, she tried to recall the map. The plants needed also had medical or practical uses. As such, she had marked down most of their locations for emergencies.

The first plant would be in a field. The field was known for having bears in the area at times, but so was most of the mountain. However, that was why Arashi chose to travel out here during the pouring rain. The animals were smart enough not to be out and about. As such, she simply had to approach the field and pluck the lilies, tucking them into a basket for safety. With that, she continued to the location of the tulips. They weren’t too far from the lilies, making it a relatively easy trip with the exception of some muddy missteps here or there. The most difficult plant to obtain would be the reed. They grew on the sides of rivers… With the current rain, the river levels were sure to have risen. Sighing, she began her trek to the nearest river.

Once she arrived, her fears seemed to be valid. The tops of the reeds could be seen, swaying in the current. With a deep frown, Arashi dug out her sling, aiming for a sturdy tree near the reeds. She pulled out a large round marble and shot it off. As the marble flew, it released a rope. The marble would then stick itself to the tree. Grabbing hold of the rope, Arashi tied it to another tree. Taking in a deep breath, she put down the basket of plants and began to climb towards the reeds, shimmying down the rope with all four of her limbs. When she was over the reeds, Arashi hung down, her legs bent over the rope, as she began to gather the reeds. After sticking them in her shirt, she climbed back to the river bank and gathered her items before heading back to the temple.

Once she arrived at the temple, Arashi frowned. There were guards of Zou outside. From the looks of it, a royal caravan was in the area. It looked like she wouldn’t be able to solve her problems today. Arashi made sure to leave the basket of plants by the door of the temple when the guards were distracted before making her way back down the mountain.

722/500

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