Firefly
The area was well lit and full of well...mushrooms. Flower petals drifted in the air, it was quiet and peaceful.
"I'm glad you like it! We should be able to find out where the Hunter is from someone here." said Yae with a smile. They started walked towards the center of the village, when they suddenly heard a voice. "Youre looking for the Hunter?" said the voice coming from above them.

A lune drifted down to them. Besides his wings and tail, he could have passed as a cavern wall.
"You actually just missed him, he passed through here and left recently. Said something about mushrooms or something.", he chuckled. " Oh, we are so close! Can tell us which way he went?", Zima asked eagerly. He nodded his head and said, "Oh yeah, he that way!, pointing to tunnel leading deeper in to the cavern. Zima and Yae turned their heads to look. It was pitch black compared to the village. Seeing the looks on their faces he reassured them, "I know it looks dark but there are fairy lights all throughout the tunnel.. Felling slightly better about going in they thanked the lune and headed over to the tunnel.

Firefly



Yae hopped off the mushroom she had landed on and told Zima to follow her. Through the tiny, winding streets they walked. Zima tried her hardest not to crush any of the minuscule flowers that lined the pathways. Yae turned a sharp left at a sign marked with strange swirls and dots that lead to a purple and white mushroom. A silohuette appeared at the quaint, warmly lit window as Yae rang the little cow bell attached to the front door. A rather fluorescent Lunemara appeared in the doorway and , in a high-pitched yet slightly serious voice, said "Who are you, young ones? How did you find yourselves here? Why-"
"No time to explain, sorry. Where's the queen?". The brightly coloured lunemara looked confused and slightly taken aback. "Why do you want to see the queen-"
"We need to see the queen because... well.... we need to see the hunter." Yae interrupted again. The adult lunemara's bewildered face suddenly held a serious expression. "Of course." she said, flitting out of her doorway and leading the two hatchlings to the largest mushroom of them all. "Good luck young ones." she stated before spreading her vibrant purple and blue wings once again and flying back to the opposite side of the cavern, leaving Zima and Yae standing at the doorstep. "Ready?" Yae whispered. Zima's tail rose and she strengthened her previously weak stance. "As I'll ever be..."

Firefly

*Please keep your voice down.* Said Yae gently. Zima listened to the melodious humming of lunemara wings as they sat nestled on the mushrooms above, their glow lighting a path through the village.
*Who goes there?* A little lunemara swooped down in front of them.

She spoke to yae in lunemara tongue, *All tresspassers must speak to the elder lune.*
*I know.* Replied Yae, *We come in peace seeking safety from trolls.*
*This way, please.* The Lune said, this time so Zima could understand, too. Zima followed the Lune with careful steps so she didnt accidentally crush anything. She nudged Yae with her nose and whispered,
*Do you think these lunes could help us find the Hunter in the Shadows?*

Day 6 Prompt

Hi everyone! I apologize sincerely for not updating this for a few days...I came down with the stomach flu and have been extremely sick. Getting better now though, I am so sorry again. To make up for it...everyone that posts for this next submission will get 250 Chocolate Coins.

Please put the word Hunter at the top of the post so I know that you are replying to the current version of the story.

Click to View to Full Story

By Firefly



Zima looked around in awe, wondering how something so beautiful could have been right there and yet completely hidden. She glanced at Yae, and said, "Can you read any of the signs?"
Yae frowned, and said, "I can try, but...it's a very old dialect." She looked at the signs for a moment, and then said, "They say something about a dark glow that leads the way to ...find what is lost? The rest makes no sense."
There was a rustling in the bushes behind both Yae and Zima, and both of them whirled around."Did the trolls find us?" Zima wondered, and Yae shuddered. "I hope not."
A low, eerie laugh accompanied the next rustle, and then a Lunemara emerged. She blended in with the shadows, and instead of the glow of a firefly, she emitted a strange. dark light." You won't need to worry about those trolls. They cannot find us here."
As the strange Lunemara approached, Zima and Yae involuntarily moved backwards, and Zima yelped, "Who are you?"
The Lunemara let out a low, amused chuckle, and said, "I am the Hunter in the Shadows."

Hunter

Hunter

"The Hunter?" asked Zima, afraid and a bit relieved at the same time.
"Yes, I am the Hunter," replied the Hunter, chuckling. "Who else would I be?"
"Can you help us?" asked Yae. "We're looking for a lost Vulnyx."
The Hunter laughed. "Sorry my little lunemara, but I do not help anyone without payment first."
Zima gulped. She had absolutely nothing to give.....
"What do you want as payment?" Zima asked.
"Something pretty. Like a flower or something. That should be easy to find."
"Thank you Mr. Hunter. We will go look for a flower," replied Zima.
And with that, the 2 sylesties set off.

Hunter

As Sima and Yae gaped at each other in shock of their stroke of luck, another thought flashed through their minds: Is the Lunemara friendly? Determining by its speech of the troll's folly, they decided to take a chance. "Y-you said you're the Hunter in the Shadows?" Zima managed to squeak out, her throat tightened by the fear yet anticipation of what the reply may be. "Indeed I am," replied they cobalt Lunemara, fluttering its wings a bit, as if restless. Turning slightly to peer at the passage the two had been deciphring, she said "I see that you've found one of our more 'prophetic' signs, if you will." Rather taken aback by how simply the Hunter stated their observations, Yae and Sima were speechless for nearly a minute. Regaining her courage to speak, Yae stumbled over her next spoken words: "A-are you willing to h-help us?" Slowly, the elegant Lunemara seemed to think. Closing her eyes delicately in thought, this gave the two a closer look at her, quite eager to know her better. The 'light' she emitted was so dark, it almost appeared as if she was absorbing the light around her, like she had a unique gravity. The air around her seemed mature yet mysterious, like an adult with a gentle secret. Opening her eyes again, the Hunter replied ...

Hunter
Zima leapt back, a sudden streak of fear filling her mind. As she looked at the Hunter, she tried to figure out why she was frightened. The lunemara seemed like a perfectly good creature, not dangerous in anyway. Yae, on the other hand, was filled with curiosity. He was excited that they hand finally found the Hunter. This meant that the two were another step closer to finding Zima's sister.

Hunter

Zima and Yae gasped in surprise. Zima gulped and nervously moved forward a pace. "You're the hunter?" The lunemara gave her a flat stare, "That's what I just said. I hate having to repeat myself." Yae inched nervously forward, "We..We're so...sorry. We were just a little surprised that's all." The hunter in the shadows snorted, "Humph, so is everyone who chances to meet me."

Before they could say another word the dark figure laughed. "You two are pretty small to be wandering about here." Zima growled, "We are big enough to do what we need too." Yae her eyes wide with fear whispered, "Zima you can't be rude to someone like the hunter." The hunter's dark laugh stopped them. "At least you have some spirit. What are two little hatchlings seeking in the grotto?"
Yae gulped, "We were looking for you."
"Why?"
Zima took a deep breath, "We need your help...To track down the Blood Coven."

Hunter

"You're the Hunter?" Zima questioned.
"I'm not quite what you expected am I?" She chuckled.
"Well, I thought the Hunter was a fierce sylesti based on the stories I've been told." Zima explained.
"Haven't you heard the phrase, fly like a Lune, sting like a Vene?" She laughed.
"Ah, I have but its just interesting, you really aren't what I expected." Zima replied sheepishly.
"I see. Now what can I help you with?" The Hunter enquired.

"Yae and I are trying to find my sister Zuri. She's out there looking for the Blood Cascade Coven." Replied Zima her voice wavering slightly.
"That group is dangerous; it would be against my morals to let a pair of young sylestis go after the coven on your own." She said wisely.
"So you'll help us?" Yae enquired.
"Certainly, I'll help you find Zuri." The Hunter responded.

The Hunter paused for a moment thoughtfully. She had a rough idea on where to start this search given what she already knew about the coven. The pair looked at the Lunemara curiously, trying to work out what was on her mind. The Hunter broke the silence with a hum.

"Hmm I think I know where to start looking. Follow me."