[Trade] Troublesome Thunderstorm

The wind that traveled across the land felt colder than usual now, and nature knew it, even the friendly basilisk having set up its lair closeby retreated back into it for it did not want to see what was to come, Nature grew quiet. Yet the group themselves were too distracted, with them still catching their bearings after seeing Kaikos magical outburst- whilst Rosealyn knew to expect Kaikos magic going out of control from time of time, this was all new to Mori, who pensively kept glancing between the two others.

She sighed, got up from her sitting position- and approached Kaiko, despite her best efforts there was still a lingering caution in her steps even if she tried her best to hide it.

A hesitant albeit earnest "How are you?" left her mouth as she sat down next to Kaiko, checking up on him together with Rosealyn who after some time started to jot down notes in her journal, detailing this event.

"It's best not to touch these elementally charged crystals again!" said Rosealyn, her voice sounding worried for Kaikos wellbeing, ushering him for caution next time.

The cyan puller just nodded before a shiver went down his spine- he felt this crackling on his back, his hair standing on end, just as if something had stabbed him with a thousand needles in his back all at once. He felt a draw from within towards this sensation and this is when he put one and one together, glancing back over his shoulder he found the marvelous floating islands around vitalus and dazzling gem formations he was all too familiar with- yet.

Glancing back at him was something dangerous, unstoppable and ferocious, the sky who was normally a vibrant shade of blue- had turned to a dark purple as heavy storm clouds had spread across the horizon- Kaiko knew of these- with Vitalus being surrounded by wild magic it came as no surprise that even the weather conditions on this continent were magically changed. Whereas in Warrenfall this would have been just a simple thunderstorm, this was something else something with thrice the destructive force- with it attracted to large sources of magic- His eyes opened as adrenaline flooded his system- he had to find shelter- the others too of course, but there was no way that the thunderstorm wouldn't be drawn to him- he had to be below ground if he didn't want to get struck with pure unbridled wild magic. Said wild magic thunderstorms were to blame for some of Vitalus' quirkier sides- it had the power to cause portions of landmass to start to float on its own, could enchant anything it struck, give sentience to animals or just- destroy anything it struck. It was a force to be reckoned with and those living in Vitalus knew better than to be out and about whilst A wild magic thunderstorm was taking place.

"We have to go." said Kaiko, nodding towards the sky which directed his companions attention toward it. Rosealyn was well versed in this Vitalus exclusive phenomenon so when they saw that Mori wasn't catching on as quickly as the others- well she spared no time filling in the Runner on the details.

"Kaiko will act like a magnet to that thing- we need to get underground and that as quickly as possible!" The urgency in her voice hinted at a deeper welling fear which she spared no second on adding "This thing is pure magic- meaning it embodies all schools of magic."

This is when Moris realization also settled in. "Mentalist magic." to which Rosealyn nodded, already starting to drag Kaiko and Mori behind her.

"It could be much closer already if it's infused with mentalist magic. These things act like sponges to the magic they strike, being able to utilize it. Of course there's no sentience behind it, which makes it dangerous and unpredictable." The three started to run knowing that finding shelter was crucial and not even up for debate.

The drumming of paws on forest floor and grassland accompanied the three as the panic started to set in that the surrounding forest had gone quiet- everything else had noticed before them- everything else out there was already cowering in fear, just hoping- no praying that the thunderstorm would cross overhead without striking them down.

"A cave!" yelled Kaiko, looking to his right. As uninviting as a dark cave would have looked on any other day, with the thunderstorm closeby starting to block out the sun there were more pressing matters on his mind. The scratching of nails, forest floor being kicked up and then the drumming of paws on stone followed.

As the three of them slowed down their pace they allowed themselves to catch their breath momentarily, casting a glance back over their shoulder at the caves entrance that seemed even more uninviting than the pitch-black darkness that lurked behind them.

"That was-" said Rosealyn, taking a moment to check over the condition of the things she had carried with her and to above all make sure that her notebook was still present.

"intense." Mori nodded down, looking at Kaiko then Rosealyn inquisitively as if to ask with her eyes alone what the party's plans were. Whereas normally Kaiko had his head a bit in the clouds, now his resolve seemed stalwart as he took charge of the situation.

"We have shelter." he said nodding, trying to reassure the others. "Now, with how that storm looked, it will be here for a while. We should probably avoid continuing to travel today in its entirety and just hunker down. We will need firewood, I have water, a few rocks to surround the fireplace with, sticks and we should probably also set our tents up. Depending on how stormy this thunderstorm gets, having a small tent to crawl into deeper within the cave would be a good idea." Rosealyn agreed with what Kaiko had said, following his train of thought, she allowed herself to be inspired by his plan of action.

"We also need to make sure that the cave is safe." she said, which made the other two's attention direct to the looming darkness behind them. "I'm a bit worried about how we will get the firewood. I'm unsure how safe it is outside." Mori had fallen quiet, allowing herself to silently mull over everyone's input.

"I'll go and take care of the firewood. Don't worry please- I'll be fine." she said, ears pinned back, uncertain but perhaps the tiniest bit happy about her inability to use magic so far. Kaiko opened his mouth to object but Rosealyn was quicker than him. "Absolutely not- I'm always up for an adventure- but that is asking too much- especially because.”

"I'm the least likely to get struck by lightning in our group! I can do this! I promise I'll be quick and return as quickly as my legs can carry me." said Mori, not allowing Rosealyn to finish her sentence, Rosealyn frowned but reluctantly nodded. "I hate that you are right. Just... be safe." offered Rosealyn with an uneasy smile. Mori nodded and quickly dashed out of the cave to retrieve firewood.

Whilst Mori was sprinting through the forest Rosealyn and Kaiko were left with a task that felt even more daunting. The both glanced back to deeper within the cave, uncertainty coloring their features. "I'm sure it'll be alright." said Kaiko, trying to put Rosealyns mind at ease who smiled at him in response.

"If we are cautious it will be. Walk ahead so that I can keep an eye on you." she said, nudging the cyan coated Puller forward. As the duo walked, crystals growing throughout the cave seemed to react to their presence, lighting up when they stepped close which cast the slimmest amount of light possible. If this hadn't been an unfamiliar cave it might have even felt cozy.

Luckily for the two of them, the only things they encountered were a few species of moss, mushrooms and some more crystals growing throughout the cave- the cave was safe, causing Rosealyn to breathe a sigh of relief and with the atmosphere growing more comfortable, Kaiko decided to check out some of the mushrooms the two of them had found in the cave and plucked a few of them from in between crystals and cracks in the stone walls.

Rosealyns mind was elsewhere, she ushered a quick word to Kaiko to follow her back to the entrance of the cave where they would hopefully reconvene with Mori. Yet when the two got back to the front of the cave the only thing that greeted them was the intense winds and heavy downpour of the thunderstorm, thunder caused the ground to lightly shake. It was unmistakable- the storm was close.

Rosealyn anxiously sat down, only now noticing the mushrooms Kaiko had collected, whilst the two of them waited for Mori to return Rosealyn decided to check them over and make sure that the mushrooms were for one safe to handle and perchance also maybe edible. Sure they had all brought rations along- but having a bit of extra food on hand never hurt anybody.

It had been the better part of half an hour, the howling winds kept the two company, which masked the footfalls of Mori rushing back to the Cave- a small collection of firewood in her maw, drenched like she was by the downpour of rain. She had gotten lost on her way back to the cave- being out here was dangerous, nerve wracking, but also- exciting. She felt important- important for something she felt insecure about- she was the only one who could safely traverse this thunderstorm and she knew it- which put her in high spirits.

Rosealyn glanced up from her notes, having finished her report on the incident with Kaiko earlier today, Mori dropped the firewood, and then laid down immediately on the floor, clearly exhausted.
Kaiko jumped up to welcome Mori back- making sure she was okay.

"Running through the thunderstorm for half an hour took it out of me- not to mention that rain, it was even hailing at one point!" said Mori, regailing the group with her exploits, yet she too knew that wet firewood wasn't as useful which dampened her spirits a bit.

Rosealyn noticed this, without needing to speak with the runner about it- "It will be fine-" she nodded to Kaiko, "I'm sure we can figure it out- together. For now we should finish setting up camp- Kaiko found some mushrooms further in the cave and we've made sure that there's no surprise guests who might get the jump on us. It's safe." Mori seemed relieved hearing that, getting up to work with the two on their camp for the night- Rosealyn gathered some rocks whilst Kaiko and Mori were pitching tents and soon with a little help of some controlled magic from Kaiko the firewood Mori had gathered, was turned into a campfire, making the cave feel a lot more cozy as the storm raged on outside. The campfires' flame yet held the distinct essence of Kaikos magic, glowing a cyan blue as the flames hungrily devoured the wood it was being provided. Soon mushrooms were skewered and with tents set up, it was only a matter of time until bedrolls were unfurled, furs laid out, the cave started to feel homey. Mori had curled around the fire, her long furred tail had been taking a while to dry after the dash through the downpour at the forest.

The trio would spend the rest of the day there, idle banter going on whilst Mori rested and they all collectively waited for the storm to pass.