Exiastgardsun Chronicles – Twelve Fruits of Creation

The sun spilled over the horizon in soft ripples of gold, painting the lake with glimmering light. Mist drifted lazily above the water, whispering secrets only elves and wind might understand. Another day had dawned for the party, wet, wild, and not without mischief.

Fuhiken, ever the responsible brother, narrowed his eyes at Kyle, who was creeping away from the lakeside with suspiciously dry hair.

"Kyle," Fuhiken said, voice edged with warning.

Kyle froze mid-step. "I was just... uh, checking the weather?"

A blur of gold and blue, Fuhiken lunged, scooping Kyle like an unruly fish and splash, straight into the lake he went.

"Yup," Sinryo snorted, tossing a pebble. "Weather's wet."

Jessica giggled, hiding it behind her sleeve. The shy samurai was growing bolder by the day.

A distance from the fray, Fahleena twirled under a willow tree, twin tails catching morning light like rose petals caught in a playful breeze. She pointed her keyblade to the lake.

"O spirits of water and fish! By the decree of Lady Luck, may our haul be legendary!"

She struck a pose, eyes gleaming, pink hair fluttering like cherry blossoms in spring. Her voice echoed like poetry only she could hear, grand, over-the-top, and sincerely chuunibyou.

"Fahleena," Gabyola called gently, "just don't fall in again."

"I never fall!" Fahleena declared, immediately slipping on damp grass. "I perform dramatic aquatic entrances!"

Gigih was perched on a rock nearby, spellbook open. "I could help with the fish…"

"Don't, " Yuuna warned too late.

A zap! A crackle! And then, 

BOOOOOM.

Electricity arced across the surface, rippling in blue veins through the lake. Fish flipped belly-up in synchrony, stunned.

"Oops?" Gigih blinked.

"Again! Again!" Kyle cheered from the water, holding a half-conscious fish. "This one's doing the fish dance!"

"I'll cook this one," Jessica said, eyeing a bulky, strange fish with a warrior's gaze.

Adiw raised a brow. "You sure that thing's a fish?"

Jessica nodded solemnly. "I can feel its spirit."

Kyle made an exaggerated shiver. "Jessica just unlocked her monster-fish-hunter arc."

Orchid stepped forward, sword sheathed, apron tied with crooked determination. "I shall prepare this meal! I feel inspired, by honor, justice, and the art of cuisine!"

"No, " Yuuna and Gabyola said in unison.

Too late. Orchid began preparing the fish. Ingredients flew. Something sizzled. Something sparkled. Something mooed. No one knew why.

Fahleena skipped into the scene like a wind-blown petal, swirling in loops of whimsy and flair. Her twin tails danced with each step, eyes sparkling with theatrical fervor. "A maiden's feast," she declared, voice rich with imaginary grandeur, "must be woven with dreams and seasoned by fate! Orchid, I bestow upon thee my blessing of luck, may the spirits of flavor guide your hand!"

Orchid beamed. "Thanks, Fahleena!"

The fish, partially filleted and suspiciously glistening, gave a twitch.

Then a full-bodied flop.

Then, sproing!, it sprang off the makeshift plate like a rubbery torpedo of vengeance, flipped midair with all the grace of a defiant ballerina, and splash-landed back into the lake with a triumphant ripple.

Everyone froze.

"The fish revived?!" Kyle yelped, pointing dramatically. "Is this the Great Fish Rebellion?! Phase two?!"

"It lives!" Fahleena gasped. "The seasoning... it gave it hope!"

Sinryo crossed his arms. "Or maybe it heard Kyle's puns and chose death. Again."

Gabyola sighed. "This is why we let Fuhiken cook."

Fuhiken took over. Calm, precise, composed. The next batch of fish was properly cooked, seasoned with wild herbs and grilled over a fire powered by a magic stove. The aroma settled like a warm hug over the party.

Everyone gathered to eat. Sakura nibbled delicately. Yuuna read while chewing. Kyle pouted at a pile of carrots Sakura tried to sneak onto his plate.

"I saw that," he mumbled.

"I deny everything," Sakura said, mouth full.

Fahleena munched on a crispy fish tail, eyes alight with sparkling theatrics. She twirled in place, arms outstretched like a dancer mid-prophecy, her twin tails fanning behind her like ribbons in the wind. "Delicious!" she cried, voice ringing with reverent awe. "This taste… it is the flavor of destiny! Of fate! Of moonlight promises and star-forged dreams! Of, "

"Of fish," Gabyola said dryly.

Yetsan nodded, chewing with solemn precision. "At least it's clean. No dirt. Acceptable cuisine."

Bellies full, the party packed up. The road southward stretched before them, grassy plains giving way to distant fences, farmlands, and the soft smudge of human settlements in the horizon.

Yuuna walked beside Jess, who now held her katana with more confidence. "We'll reach the Machinia border by dusk," Yuuna explained. "They're industrialized. Expect gears, steam, and more noise than trees."

"Like... what kind of noise?" Jessica asked.

"Mechanical toys, spinning blades. In my past life, uh, I mean… some call them beyblades. Crushgears. Or Tamiya cars. Tiny battle tops that clashed like warriors. Model cars with motors and pride. There were also Gundam kits, plastic knights of space, and robots with swords! Even trains that ran on tracks, singing electric lullabies through miniature cities…"

Everyone stared blankly.

"Kamiya?" Kyle blinked. "Sounds like a sushi roll."

Yuuna chose silence.

She looked away, the corners of her mouth tightening ever so slightly. what would they do if I mentioned... the internet? Forums? Fanfiction? Her thoughts darkened. Earth had its wonders, but also... its obsessions. Maid cafes. Bunny suits. Foot cults. That one guy who married a game character. She shuddered at the possibilities.

She exhaled quietly. Yeah. Definitely not the time.

At the front, Gabyola tried to establish marching order. "Adiw and Fuhiken take the lead. Sakura and Gigih stay center. Fahleena, please don't wander off mid-monologue."

Fahleena saluted, already standing atop a rock with one foot raised. "Fear not! For I, the Ever-Lucky, shall scout ahead! The winds speak to me, the path shall be clear!"

"Don't fall off the, " thud

"Scouting success!" Fahleena called from the ground.

Adiw offered her a hand. "You good?"

She clung to it dramatically. "A knight has saved me! Shall I repay with an oath of eternal servitude?"

"No thanks."

The line dissolved into laughter. Marching order failed once more.

As evening stretched its amber fingers across the hills, the group saw lights, small and flickering, marking the edge of Machinia's frontier. The first signs of a different world.

The elves, so long wandering forest and spirit-touched lands, stood at the edge of something else. Buildings with smoke stacks, metal fences, and strange buzzing sounds filled the air.

Jessica looked up. "Are humans scary?"

Yuuna smiled faintly. "Some. But most are just... human."

Fahleena spread her arms to the wind. "Then let this be the next chapter in our tale! A tale of gears and dreams, of luck and courage!"

Her keyblade caught the dying light, glinting like a shooting star. Their march continued, into unknown lands, into a world beyond the forest's breath. And somewhere in the lake behind them, the strange fish flopped once more.

Ghostly notes drifted across the water, slow, sorrowful, like a forgotten lullaby. No hands touched the strings, yet the melody curled through the air like mist clinging to memory.

Fahleena froze, ears twitching. "Did you hear that?"

Yuuna's eyes narrowed toward the lake as the tune faded. "Just wind," Gabyola muttered, though she stared longer than needed.

The melody returned, faint, eerie, beautiful. Then silence swallowed it whole.

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