Kinda tied into my avi dress up entry lol. Time's inescapable march is scary! x)
Wordcount: 991 according to Google Docs. heh

Deep in the shadows of the Umbra Forest live a Bulbori and a Kelpari. Their names are Eif and Heiwho. It is a common misconception that the Umbra Forest is rife with zombies and other undead annoyances - in fact, it is home to many wandering Sylesti and travelers.

It is a windy autumn evening, and Eif and Heiwho are taking a stroll down one of the wold's many arboreal paths. Today, the friends are discussing the inevitability of death - and bananas. "Heiwho, how come we've never seen a banana tree? It's a tree, we're in a forest. Forests are made of trees!"

The Kelpari harrumphs, fins rippling. "You're ignoring the pressing problem at hand, as always. We'll die before either of us even see a banana tree, never mind bringing one here."

"And how would you know that?" the Bulbori asks.

"It is the truth," an unfamiliar voice says. Eif and Heiwho stop. A human stranger sits beneath the shadow of a draping willow tree, clad in a thick black cloak.

"And who are you?" Heiwho demands, planting his hooves in the path.

"Just a passing traveler," the traveler answers, producing an ornate silver pocketwatch from the folds of his cloak. "I could not help but hear about your quandaries on bananas. Noble Kelpari, bananas don't exist. In fact, nothing exists outside this forest."

Heiwho and Eif stare, unblinking. "N...nothing?" Eif says in a small voice.

A smile graces the corners of the stranger's lips. "Nothing."

"Well- well, how?" Eif's eyes are wide.

Heiwho snorts. "He's clearly pulling your tail," he chortles.

"But am I, Heiwho?" He stands.

Heiwho freezes, withers twitching. "How do you know my name?"

The stranger laughs, pocketwatch swinging. He wears strange white clothing beneath his cloak, nothing like the flowing robes worn by the elves and fairies of the Forest. Heiwho would've likened it to the attire of the Nightfall Bandits, but it is white to their customary black.

The stranger peers at the polished clock face, expression pensive. "Perhaps I am clairvoyant, perhaps we've met in a life far behind us... or a life far in front of us."

Eif has been captivated by the stranger's riddles, and hops forward. "Lives? Clay-clarobouyant?"

The stranger lowers his hood. His face is timeless, in a rugged, half-elf fashion. A curious skull-hourglass signet is tattooed beneath his ear. Curly black hair frames his face, and his dark eyes twinkle with a thousand enigmas. "Allow me to regale you with a tale..." He pauses, arms held open in a dramatic pause. He lets out a breath, gaze sweeping over his captive audience.

"A long, long time ago, in this forest of green... there lived a terrible queen. She ruled with an iron hand over these verdant lands." He holds up a hand of his own. "Hers was the power of time itself, with ultimate dominion over both Sylesti and elf."

Tick, tock. The forest seems darker now, and the trees' shadows longer, sharper, like splintered bone. The stranger's eyes have a gleam to them. "Was it a curse or a blessing? Alas, those she was repressing would say it was quite distressing. To be able to stop time with but a click..." He clicks the pocketwatch. The sound reverberates in the darkening forest, startling Eif and Heiwho.

The stranger yawns. Oddly enough, his canines are pointed, like a Vulnyx's. "Now where was I..."

"Er, the queen's power. Over time," Eif answers tentatively.

"Ah, yes. Queen Korless. She's not important - perished from a poison. Quite potent. Her power of time, on the other hand... was coveted across the land. Her 'untimely' trips led to an apocalypse." The stranger sweeps his piercing gaze over the two Sylesti. "Have you ever seen a land ravaged by a time plague?" His tone becomes sharp, losing its melodic beat.

"It starts with a pocketwatch. Tick, tock." He holds out his own watch.

A pin's drop could be heard in the silence between the ticking of the clock.

"Time stops for no one. Not even those who hold dominion over it. It longs for revenge on those who seek to stop its onward march. It longs to leap forward and reclaim its squandered pause. Your crops will grow, bloom, and die in a night, your homes weathered and broken under a storm of years, and you- you are still the same, still young, still alive in a world whose time has left you behind." His voice raises to a fever intensity. "And who, pray tell, do you think is affected most by this heinous effect of time abuse? The Queen, who so callously stops time as she desires, or the people, caught in its flow?"

"P-people," Eif says.

"People," Heiwho echoes.

"People," the stranger affirms, voice barely a whisper. He leans forward, face cast in shadow. "This forest is a byproduct of that time disgrace. While the world outside moves at a regular pace... Umbra Forest is stopped in a single space." He sits back, drawing his cloak about his shoulders. "And that is why nothing outside the forest exists. Time, and in essence, space, has abandoned this place."

"W-what? Just because time operates differently here doesn't mean things don't exist." Heiwho snorts.

"What do you think will happen if you cross that time distortion?" the stranger asks.

Eif and Heiwho cock their heads.

"You will turn to ash. A thousand years, creeping up on you like that." He snaps his fingers, startling the two Sylesti. His gaze shifts to his watch. "Ah, I've got to run. Time waits for no one!"

"Wait! Who are you?!" Heiwho calls as the stranger turns away.

"Me? I am Adagium, keeper of the clock." He smiles and disappears into the shadows with a flip of his cloak.

Tick, tock. Time marches ever onwards, Sylestians. What will you do?

Will you go gentle into that good night?

Or will you rage, rage against the dying of the light?

A year ago, if you'd told me the apocolypse would be brought on by clairvoyant fairies I would have laughed and asked you if you did stand up. Now, squatting in the middle of the Umbra forest, with only one party member left, I'm not in the mood for laughing.

The thick foilage covers the sky, but I can tell it's not yet nightfall, close, but not yet.
A soft rustling sound to my left captures my attention and I wince, Banana my bulbori is gently nuzzling a fever-ridden kelpari towards my hiding place. We had been sent out to retrieve it, after it's owner and it got seperated. I could only hope that whatever ailed it wouldn't spread. The last thing we needed was a plague.

Once the kelp has had a chance to catch it's breath, I motion for us to move. Taking the lead across the leaf covered ground, I swerve and duck, the light of day slowly grows dimmer, I can feel the hairs on my neck raise, as a cold shiver shoots down my spine.

Before the forest goes almost pitch black I utter a curse to whatever part of my brain made me volunteer for this mission. The silence around is defeaning, the darkness blinding, and the smell of dead plants cloying. Behind me I can make out Banana's yellow fur, and...no, that's wrong, I shouldn't be able to see that well.

A soft blue glow, almost like a small floating orb, bobs down from behind a tree, illuminating where the two sylesti huddle. It's quickly joined by another, a pink, then a green, then another blue. Before my body can catch up with my minds command to move, the lights are everywhere, their tinkling laughter swells around me, it's hopeless really...unfair. My legs give out first, then my arms, my chest, and just before my head hits the ground I think to myself,

Why couldn't it have been zombies?

"Bane...you've become quite a nuisance around here." A dark chuckle came from behind. Dani spun around with her qitaris fast on her heels. There wasn't much time to react as a legendary bulbori and an epic themed kelpari jumped out and charged. Dani's qitaris quickly confronted them as they were a more imposing threat to their survival than the nightfall captain.

"Who are you?" Dani asked calmly. She couldn't deny that she had been caught off guard, but she could try to play it off like she was merely startled...not just unprepared. She had trained these qitaris for months and they barely needed her help in combat anymore, which meant her sword was still strapped to her side instead of loose in her hand. She needed to stall the captain till she could find a chance to release her sword without him striking her before she even got it out of its scabbard.

"Who am I? Ha! You can't be serious! I am Pierre Knight! Greatest of all the nightfall captains under the command of Elaine! Son of not one, but two clairvoyant fairies from Umbra Forest! How can you not know who I am?" The captain sputtered in disbelief.

"Apologies," Dani said with a shallow bow and quiet click as she unfastened her sword in the subtle motion, "but how can you be the son of two fairies if you are visibly human?"

"Ah, what a clever girl you are Bane! A worthy opponent for one so great as I! A few of my grandparents were human, meaning my parents were half human-half fairy. Hence why I appear to be human."

"I see now. There was a 50-50 shot of you appearing human or fairy and you got lucky, didn't get the curse of being a fair one."

"Hey! I'm a fairy too, remember?" Jinxie exclaimed from behind Dani.

"I know Jinxie." Dani sighed. "I was trying to tick him off so he'd make a mistake."

"Well, it's working!" Jinxie and Pierre said together.

"You hit her from behind and I hit her from front?" Pierre offered Jinxie.

"Nice try!" Jinxie scowled and together she and Dani lunged for Pierre, magic and sword at the ready.

It was a quick battle, Dani had thrown a trap at the bulbori after the qitaris had weakened it and Jinxie covered her. The bulbori escaped but the kelpari did not. Dani smiled, she knew a kelpari collector who would pay well for the themed sylesti. With the wild sylestis taken care of, Dani's qitaris joined the fight against Pierre and very quickly overwhelmed him. His rapier clattered to the ground and Pierre fell to his knees.

"Please! Spare me!" He begged.

"Sorry, but it's a long walk to the barracks and I don't trust you that far." Dani replied. "Plus you did just try to kill me and you serve our enemies and if we let you live then we'd have to feed you and guard you...do you have any information that would be useful to us? We could barter, info for your life?"

"I would never sell out my fellow captains like that!" Pierre gasped.

"Suit yourself." Dani shrugged, drawing back her sword.

"Wait! I am a clairvoyant! I can tell you the future!"

"Hmmm, well...Jinxie?"

"If what he says sounds plausible...I suppose it wouldn't hurt to spare him."

"Alright, you heard the lady, get talking." Dani said as she poked Pierre with her sword.

"Ow! Okay, I need a banana if I'm to do this right."

Jinxie and Dani exchanged puzzled looks before rummaging through their supplies for a banana. Eventually, Dani pulled out a very old and black banana.

"You don't have anything fresher?" Pierre asked, but shut his mouth after receiving a dark glare from Dani. "Right, I guess this will have to do." Pierre mashed the banana in his hands and spread the paste over his eyes, then he placed a piece of the peel over his eyes. "I see...the apocalypse..." his voice shook with fear. "It-it starts with a fever...a plague spread by zombies... The zombies spread the plague...but they didn't start the fever..."

"Well, who did?" Jinxie asked, nervously biting her lip.

Pierre shifted uncomfortably and removed the banana remains from his face. "Dani does." He said quietly. "She kills me and carries around my skeletal remains like a trophy because my rapier is the last one she needs to build the Blacksmith Station..."

Jinxie raised a questioning brow at Dani. "Really? That's what you were planning?"

Dani didn't even try to hide her guilty smile. "A girl's gotta celebrate one way or another! But I guess if that causes the apocalypse I should probably let him go... Alright then, Pierre, you can go free if I can have your rapier."

"Fine." Pierre growled. Dani picked up the rapier then she, Jinxie, and her qitaris turned to leave Pierre where he stood. Alas, any person associated with the nightfall are known for lying and cannot be trusted. Dani learned this very quickly when Pierre grabbed her from behind and put her in a chokehold. "Hahaha! You actually fell for it! There is no apocalypse caused by carrying around my corpse! Hahaha! I have fooled the great Dani Bane!"

Dani had somewhat expected him to attack from behind and she grinned, she still had his rapier in hand. She pulled her arm forward and drove the rapier back into Pierre's stomach, within seconds the captain's arms went limp and he was gone.

"Well, that was interesting. What do you say we let this kelpari clean him up, Jinxie?" Dani asked although she was already dragging his body to the captured kelpari.

"There's something wrong with you." Jinxie shook her head in disapproval.

"Eh, well, what's the worst that could happen? I mean he's already dead and it'll make the kelpari trust us which will make our travel easier..." Dani shrugged as the kelpari dug in, though she did turn away and walk a distance away so she couldn't hear any of the chewing noises. As Dani and Jinxie waited for the kelpari to finish, a mind-deteriorating bacteria was transferred from the sylesti to the bones of Pierre...and Dani later became victim number 1 of the plague...

Curse of the Night


The blazing sun settled on the horizon and sunk lower and lower each second, the festival would arrive any minute now. Every year, the fairies and Sylesti hosted an annual event to celebrate the nightfall of halloween. Drinks were set out, food, warm springs for the creatures of the forest to relax and let off steam, and of course, a nice clean lake for the water Sylesti that couldn't make it onto land. There were tall wooden stakes around the place, all decorated by the Sylesti of air with alternating colors of black and orange banners that twirled around together and gave off a swirling look.

Hatchlings were crouched near the shoreline and stared directly at the sunset, most of them quiet and awaiting for the annual festival to begin with a few of them querulously complaining about how they would need to wait. Then their impatient wish came true. Then the sun was drowned and taken away by the rippling waters, a roar echoing throughout the area from a Morkko. All the Sylesti cheered and turned to the roar, watching the giant mammal taking rather slow steps forward.

It was no other than Wenuio, the great leader of all the Morkko, with dark tan fur and orange-tinted stripes that ran along his side. He also had dark blue stripes run from the bottom of his eyes and to his cheeks, they almost looked like something magical that flowed down from his white, glowing eyes that lacked pupils and irises. Wenuio took large, heavy steps into the festival area, dipping his head to the locals.
Next came an ear-piercing call from in the sky, everyone turning their eyes up to the darkening, navy blue airspace. In came a dark blue Nyvene with pale blue wings and black back scales and claws. She dove down and tucked her wings close, flapping them out when she was close to the ground, safely landing and standing tall. She, too, was much larger than any normal Nyvene, and her name was Tuyn, the leader of the Venes. Glowing white eyes met Wenuios eyes as they both nodded to each other.

Splashes were audible, coming from the cool lake as a large Kelpari dove out and landed on the boulder. There she sat, keeping her front hooves stuck in place to help hold herself up, with an orange body and white stripes running from the edges of her hooves all the way to her tail, with the same penetrating, white eyes. She was no other than Galia.

All of them were the divinities of certain Sylesti, only allowing four to be alive at a time. When one of the deities from a Sylesti tribe passed, another tribe was chosen and had a new champion born. All of the leaders were granted clairvoyant powers, yet sometimes, not even planet earth wanted to show them what truly lies ahead. So the festival went on and the night was young, but something was missing, the Bulbori leader. Where had he gone? Sure he said he was going to be late, but even when 2 hours passed, he was nowhere to be seen.

Tuyn noticed first about the absence of Bulbori, Galia second and Wenuio. But Wenuio was the one to hear the rustling bushes and hurrying footsteps, heavy panting coming from a small and tiny Sylesti. Out it darted from a bush and into the festival area, bumping into Tuyns leg and tumbling over to a stop.

Tuyn lowered her head, using her muzzle to help him up, Are you okay, little Bulb?

The Bulbori looked up and trembled, he couldnt believe it. He had ran into the one and only Tuyn, someone he looked up to, but this was urgent. Yes, please help! Pok is in trouble, hes hurt!

Pok was the Bulbori leader, no wonder he was so late. But Tuyn was concerned, looking at Wenuio, nodding.

Show us to your leader, oh great boy. Wenuio said calmly.

The little Bulbori hopped away as the two deities followed, leaving Galia to guard the Sylesti participants of the event. Minutes passed and there they were, slipping into the large den opening, grass and vines overgrown. Pok was there, fallen ill with a heavy fever and huffing.

Good, youre here listen, the zombies are returning to Umbra Forest, I was cursed, save the forest.

Tuyn perked up to groans, it was obvious they were spotted. The two healthy leaders darted out and roared at the enemies, charging forward and ramming into them. The entrance to the Bulbori den was closed off, leaving them there to fight off the horde all alone, but that was a good thing. They charged back to the festival zone, roaring out a warning.

They both called out the same thing. Zombies, the curse is upon us! We need everyone to fight together!

With that everyone growled and hissed, spinning to the enemies, the adults and even adolescents running forward and fighting against them. Even the fluttering fairies joined in after watching and throwing their own parties in the trees. Was this it? Was this the plague the world had warned them about that refused to specify what would happen? If anything, it was just a temporary apocalypse, everyone was seeming to fight them off and even defeat them.

Then, just like that, there was only one zombie left that groaned and limped forward. But there was one Sylesti closest to it than any other, a young Draeyl who was trying to aid their parents. They let out a tiny roar and snatched up a random food, a banana, and threw it at them. Then they leapt up and bit the zombie, falling off almost immediately before the adults finished the job.

The whole festival took a breather and looked at the young Draeyl, who clenched their claws into a fist and threw it up in the air, The fight of the banana!

Vanishing Ferrikkis

On day, Quill went to check on his most treasured freinds, His ferrikkis. He noticed something odd when he got to the stables. One of his ferrikkis had a fever, and was Covered in Banana colored blotches. He panicked and ran to get some medicine but by the time he got back, the ferrikki had vanished. Worried out of his mind He went to check around the stables. It was Nightfall when he finished searching but to no avail. The ferrikki had just vanished. IN anguish he went to the Fairies to find help. One of their Clairvoyants told him to go to umbras veil to find the ferrikki. HAving hope he went home and went to bed. The next morning he went to retrieve his ferrikki from Umbras Veil, when he stopped by his stables to find a Ferrikki to ride He gasped. They were all covered in Banana colored blotches, Then one after another they vanished with a pop. He contacted some of the other ferrikki owners in the area and indeed the same thing had happened to them, there was a plauge affecting the Ferrikkis. Hopeless but still determined to find his friends he went to the local stables and found a bulbori to ride. He went to umbras veil and started searching. He heared terrible sreams and howls coming from a particularly dark cave. Thinking about what might be in their he shuddered, but it was the only place he hadn't looked. He ventured into the cave and at the end his heart stopped. He saw Thousands of ferrikis, no, Zombie Ferrikkis swarming a throne. On the throne was a Kelpari, she was as red as blood with black markings. She locked eyes with him and grinned, an evil grin. She Told him that she was the embodiment of the apocolypse, Cursed by the ferrikkis to forever remain in jail. But she had found a way. She had turned all of the ferrikkis into her minions and was going to wreak havoc on the world. He was terrified and raced out of the cave only to find himself surrounded by his very own ferrikkis. That was the end of Quill. Even now as we speak the zombified ferrikkis are turning the world to ashes and who will be next. could it be you?

They tell a story to the children who decide to wander around Umbra Forest at night. A story of children past: the ones who did not believe in the Dancing Curse and tried to play in the Forest after dark. These children---the heedless ones, the ones who were not clairvoyant enough to foresee the consequences of reckless behaviour in the woods---would disappear for weeks, then return home, bruised and broken and plagued by never-ending music that no one else could hear. As if zombies, they would shuffle slowly, slowly, through life. The simplest motion was as the most Herculean task; they withered away, life having become too effortful after their harrowing ordeal.

Only due to the recollections of one child---the first child, really, who escaped with minimal trauma before the abominable fairies had devised a more foolproof plan to lure their victims in---is this story even known...
__________________________________________________

After midnight, music floats out from between the trees of Umbra Forest. It is always there, but moonlight amplifies each tone, making the song sweeter and louder, yet crueler somehow as well. A young girl, entranced by the melody, slips out of her home and into the woods. The woods at night are much different from the woods in the morning. Sylesti appear and disappear intermittently, casting ghostly shadows across the forest floor. Sinewy shapes cross paths with the girl. She spots what looks like a glowing kelpari peering out from behind a tree. There is no water in sight, although the girl has heard that thousands of years ago, the forest used to be a sprawling lake. Perhaps this kelpari is a remnant from the past.

Soon, she draws closer to the rousing melody, and spots a man---a fairy---dancing among sylestis inside a mushroom ring. His eyes, a glowing, putrid, banana-skin yellow, pierce through the fog of the night. Gaze alighting on the young girl, the faes ears twitch and lips curve up into a fearsome mimicry of a smile.

"Come! Join the Nightfall Circle." As he spoke, a single foot tapped out a rhythm against the forest floor. Before she can react, he has pulled her into the mushroom ring---a fairy circle, she feebly recalls---and starts swinging her in chaotic circles, singing all the while. She dances for hours and hours, until her feet hurt and her knees creak and her bones ache.

Finally, she slips away when the fairy man is distracted. Heart racing like a bulbori chased by a fox, she makes her way home. In the distance she can still hear the fairys song, the tune of which she is sure she will remember for the rest of her life:

"Dance like your life depends on it; dance like its the apocalypse! Feel the beat from head to toe-- feel it in your fingertips! And from your lips come fevered quips, but never, never, never quit!"

(edited for formatting)

The Fairies Curse

A young fairy walked down the path unknown where it would lead, though as scared as she was she was too curious and wanted to find out what hides beyond those shadows.

Cora, only 12 years old was the first fairy in decades to wander into Umbra Forest. Rumour has it that there was a Fairies Curse on the forest and that if a fairy goes down those dark paths a mysterious apocalypse would come to doom the world. No one knew much about the curse but in Cora's opinion she thought it was just a lie to keep fairies from getting lost in the unknown woods. But no one cared about Cora, she was an orphan who's parents has mysteriously died many years ago. "Too curious" "not pretty enough" " so strange" she would often hear as she walked down the alleyways of her village.

I left the village, only with my Bulbori, Banana and a small satchel of things. I took one last glance at the small place wondering if I would come back alive or never to return. The dark woods weren't as menacing as the stories told, there was some sunlight that was visibly through the trees and there was no sign of any monsters or creatures that would harm myself. Just when I thought everything was safe something emerged from the bush a humongous amount of zombies and nightfall bandits pushed through the trees! A shock wave rippled through the air and though I felt unaffected, Banana suddenly collapsed beside me! A few Kelpari suddenly emerged from from a nearby pond and charged toward me and poor Banana. I sat there, scared and not sure what to do. Nightfall Bandits, Kelpies and Zombies zoomed through the forest like a plague charging with unbelievable speed. I felt for Banana and he felt hot as if he had a fever. Two zombies cornered me on behind the bush I was sitting at, I thought "this is done, I'll never see light again." I couldn't bring myself to simply give up there, I ran as fast as I could towards the edge of the forest. The dark trees seemed to creep in me, telling me to stop, to know that I'll never succeed. But as I can towards the flicker of light, the zombies seemed to be catching up. I quickened my speed, hanging on to whatever hope I had left. My leg caught on a root a tripped, a huge gash was in my leg and blood was streaming down, but I didn't care. The light seemed to envelop me as the attackers approached. It was the weirdest feeling in the world and I saw many things as if I was clairvoyant. Vision awoke I sat there wondering if it really all happened. I gathered my things and me and Banana headed out of the woods, not to return to the village but to see where life would bright us. However as I left the woods zombies emerged from the trees, and I sank into the darkness.

Far, far in the future- a bulbori by the name of Midnight wandered Umbra Forest at nightfall. The plague had slayed millions of bulboris like her- there was no doubt someday she would get it. The victim first had a fever, then was slowly turned into a zombie. The zombie apocalypse were cursed by the fairies- they would always live, but it would be slow torture for them. They raged the night, stalking every living being like herself. Midnight glanced fearfully behind her, then rushed into the night. She heard the tortured groans of the zombies behind her, and leapt nimbly over a small pond. She sprinted into a small clearing, only to find a kelpari. The kelpari was weeping, its body shaking. Midnight recognized the early symptoms of the plague, then looked around. There was nowhere to go. The zombies with their disfigured bodies crept in closer, as she shuddered. Midnight tightened her lips, then dashed over the kelpari's body. The kelpari jolted upward, and Midnight felt its body touching hers. The kelpari grabbed her and slung Midnight over her body. Then it raced through the crowds of zombies without a care, running away until Midnight could no longer hear the zombie's bodies creaking. They stopped by a small stream, and the kelpari plucked a banana from a tree next to them. She handed Midnight the banana, wordless. Midnight cleared her throat. "I was wondering.. What does it fell like to have the Plague? I'm scared." The kelpari shook her head, all of the sudden smiling. "You didn't get the Plague. i got it, but I'm clairvoyant and didn't really get it. I was pretending back there so I wouldn't get it again.. I don't know what happens if I get it two times." Midnight smiled softly at the kelpari. "Are we safe here?" she asked. The kelpari nodded, then showed her a pillar-like stone. It read: "THE FAIRIES AND THEIR FRIENDS CAN NOT GET YOU HERE. I HAVE PLACED A CHARM ON THIS CLEARING FOR THEM. YOU ARE SAFE FOR NOW." The bulbori hugged the kelpari gently, then turned away to go to sleeprestfully since she was a baby.

Its a chilly morning and youre out hiking with your companion ryori. You stop at a nice mountain lake to take a rest when your ryori suddenly darts off. Surprised, you scramble after him. After about 30 seconds of running you find him digging into the hard earth. A book of some sort peaks out of the ground. Helping your ryori, you unearth the book and crack it open to the first page.

Intro
Well, if youre reading this, then Im glad you made it. Or maybe youre like 2,000 years in the future and dug this up somewhere. If so, hey. Welcome to a firsthand account of the Plague of 2020.

Day one
Well, Im sitting here with my Kelpari, Pond (yes, I know, how original), and my Bulbori, Hansel. Bet you didnt expect that name, huh? To be completely honest, I have no idea whats happening. There are even rumors that theres some kind of plague or curse or something going around. Heck, some even say its a zombie apocalypse. I think theyre ridiculous. I havent even seen any sick sylestis or people. Surely there cant be anything, right?

Day two
Whelp, I was clearly wrong. In a matter of only 24 hours whatever it is has spread. Its some kind of plague that kills, and fast. Ive left my village after the first was infected and came down with a fever. I dont want to risk it, ya know? Im now just wandering in the Umbra Forest with my two companions beside me. Pond is a little upset at the lack of large bodies of water, but she understands that its safer here.

Day three
Well, not much to say. Hiked a little, found a small lake for Pond to play in, and ate a banana or two. Okay well, it was three if Im being entirely honest. Hanson is currently napping in the sun with his belly full of foraged berries.

Day four
Still not much to say. Its been getting a bit chillier at night. I honestly wished I paid more attention in Scouts Anyway, thats it for now.

Day five
Weve been roaming since early this morning and I think I see smoke in the distance. Theres definitely some glow, but Im not positive if its from a fire. Ill wait till nightfall to try and figure it out. Who knows, could just be a burning town.

Day six
Well, it most definitely was a fire. A large one. With tons of fairies surrounding it. I hid in the bushes until I could figure out if they were good or evil, but one of them must have been clairvoyant because they marched right over to me. Or maybe Im just awful at hiding Oh well. Theyve heard of the plague thats rapidly spreading through Sylestia and are trying to find a way to stop it. Hopefully they can think of something.

Day seven
I woke up today with a terrible headache and a raging fever This might be the end for me.


You close the book, eyes wide. No more entries exist after day seven. You learned about the Plague of 2020 in school, but had never seen a firsthand source of it. The plague was over 300 years ago and there hasnt been one since. You get up, pat your ryoris head, and tuck the book into your backpack. You plan on giving it to a museum or something like that.