Brothers' walk down fairy lane, part two

Chapter Thirty-one

"And so basically that's what happened…"

Kashin mulled over the words as Kavin told him about the event that had occurred earlier. Sitting down in a water-filled grove atop some rocks, he looked down into the water at his own reflection.

~Did I really lose my mind?~

Kashin dipped his hands into the water, cupping two handfuls. He lingered in this hunched position for a dozen seconds before taking action, splashing water against his face. The water bounced off his skin and hair, leaving him looking a bit unkempt. Kavin similarly did the same on a rock of his own.

"Sorry that you had to deal with that. I'm sure it was freaky." Kashin said, still looking down at his own reflection. Kavin shrugged his shoulders as he pulled out a foldable metal fishing rod from his leather waist satchel.

"It's fine Kashin. As long as you're okay." He said.

Kashin wiped his face clean of the extra water with the bottom of his shirt and looked over at his brother. He was already ninety-five percent done with setting up his rod.

~His speed always surprises me.~ He thought to himself.

While they had only learned recently, the two were borderline expert fishers. It was not a surprise to him that his brother would be interested in testing his skills in the water here.

"I wonder if there are actually any fish in this little grove," Kavin remarked as he cast a line into the water.

"Well, I guess we'll find out," Kashin said in response as he pulled his satchel around from his back. A few moments of rummaging later, Kashin pulled his own rod out and began unfolding and preparing it.

A few hours later…

…

"I caught another one!" Kashin yelled out as he pulled on his rod, fighting his newest catch with all his might. Kavin on the other hand had been left sitting in his spot for the entirety of their hours spent here. His lazy eyes wandered the pond watching as the little fishies masterfully evaded his bait whilst seemingly frothing at the gills to be caught by his brother.

"Well at least one of us is having fun," Kavin exclaimed boredly.

Finished wrangling his newest catch, Kashin looked over at his brother and the empty space behind him on the shore that he had cleared for his yet-to happen catches and cracked an amused smile.

"I guess I've gobbled up all your luck for good and for ill," Kashin said jokingly as he walked through the shallow water to the fire he had made on the shore. He sat on the muddy ground and started to prepare the fish to be roasted. With a clean-cut encompassing his catch, that being of an adult catfish, he freed the creature of its guts. With another clean and swift cut, he beheaded it. He laid the now exposed flesh on the inside down on the metal grate over the fire that the duo used to chef it up on their travels. Mildly frustrated, Kavin set his fishing rod down and walked over to the fire, sitting with his brother while the fish cooked. Kavin's frustration showed with his furrowed brow as he took stock of all the catches that Kashin had made.

Crossing his arms with a huff, Kavin yelled out childishly. "You got all the fish in the river!"

Kashin rubbed the back of his neck as he cackled his usual bit. Kavin followed suit behind his brother, the two's laughs evolving from quiet to booming in just under half a minute. Needless to say that they were well adept at keeping themselves entertained. After the laughter's journey ended, Kashin laid himself back, staring up into the now night sky. His following words were warm like the fire at their feet as he spoke.

"What a day this has been, aye brother?"

Kavin, taken by the beauty of the false sky laid out before them both, nodded. And though Kashin could not see his brother's affirmation, he knew. The two just had that kind of connection. And so strong was this connection that the both of them could not help but feel as if they were truly about to engage on their own odyssey.

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A blue giant of a man sat still at their desk in what one might recognize as a small woodland hut. Streaks of silverish light beamed from the man's crystalline form as the false stars above spilled their radiance through the window.

"Felling Star has been working really hard to find a body for you. I promise soon that you'll be able to come back." Said the man.

In said man's hand, he held a stone. The stone seemingly hummed as the false moonlight refracted from its jagged edges.

"Ah! I can tell that you're ready to come back as well with all this energy you're exuding!"

The blue man's face wore a thin smile accompanying its words delivered ever poorly. Hints of sadness peaked at the corner of the eyes, the faintly quivering cheeks, and a wounded stare.

"Just a bit longer…"

The man sat for a time, watching as the night turned into day. Somewhere along the way, he had secured the shard on his person, setting off out of the hovel once the false sun crept up from the depths of yesterday.

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"Felling Star! It's me Poppy! Open up!"

*thump* *thump* *thump* *thump*

"I said it's Poppy!"

A few silent moments pass.

"..."

Unable or unwilling to wait any longer, Poppy wound his arm back and prepared to knock the rainbow barrier down.

Felling Star, who was currently entangled with his latest project, could not afford to stop and open his space for another and so simply planned to do it remotely.

Poppy's fist came barreling towards the barrier only to find it dissipate in front of him, sending him along for the ride as the force he prepared carried him down into the multicolored stairwells decline. His yelps and banging could be heard for at least half a mile (.8 kilometers) as Poppy bounced along to the bottom, landing on his shoulders and head in an awkward position.

"Ouch…" Poppy said as he flipped himself around and sat upright, rubbing where he had landed with his right hand.

"What brings you to me today Poppy?" The voice of Felling Star asked from one of the many sculptures in his emporium.

Standing upright whilst dusting off his shoulders Poppy said "The usual. I heard you're almost done with this particular piece? Does it look like it will be a suitable placeholder for-"

Cutting off Poppy's line of speech, multiple sculptures interjected, all with the same voice as Felling Star with some being more feminine and some more masculine in accordance with the respective dominant traits.

"My work does not revolve around you and your plight. Do well not to forget that."

Poppy could clearly hear the dissonance between them now and how they usually are and so tempered his response accordingly

"True true. I guess I got a little ahead of myself."

One of the many sculptures stepped off their plinth, beckoning Poppy to follow them.

"This one will take you to where I am currently."

Poppy nodded and followed behind it. The path went straight through the center of the emporium.

"Looks like you've been at it. Almost all of these are new." Poppy declared as he casually surveyed in passing.

The creation next to him affirmed.

"They are. I can feel it. I'm getting closer to my ideal… I just need to keep on working."

"So you figured out what your ideal is then?"

A long silence followed before the creation spoke.

"No… But like I said, I really am getting closer. Any year now."

Poppy stuck his hand inside his shirt and rubbed his shoulder as he shook his head.

"Well keep at it I suppose."

Felling Star's creation turned its empty face around to look at him. Poppy imagined that if it could have a face it'd probably be filled with annoyance.

"I don't need you to tell me that. I would keep on going even if the abyss collapsed in on itself."

Poppy pulled his hand out of his shirt and held them up in defense.

"C'mon, you know I meant no offense."

The creation returned its gaze forward without a word. The two walked in peace for a bit before coming upon a large "empty" space where Felling Star's true body worked tirelessly. Countless stations filled with all sorts of equipment lingered around them as they cleaved chunks off a bortz obelisk that looked like it was rooted out from the fairy towns of old in the realms of the corporeal world. At least, that is what Poppy thought when he saw it.

"You know, if I had found something like that and submitted it to the archives I could probably level up from junior to at least the intermediate tiered stratum."

Undisturbed in their workflow, Felling star offered nothing but a sidelong glance and some words. Their hands were busy chiseling away at one of the sides of the obelisk at blurring speeds. The shape becoming ever more clear with each passing second.

"That would be quite fortunate for you I'm sure. Though being under the direct tutelage of the king I'm sure you won't be lingering at the level you're currently on for too long."

Poppy nodded and chuckled a fair bit before making himself more comfortable by sitting down on one of the workstations. A free hand came around from his side, pulling out a small box from within it.

"You're definitely right. So do you think that this'll be the one?"

"It's possible, though it's too early to say since I've yet to carve out a suitable slot for the shard. Just wait a little while. We'll find out today."

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