Brighthollow Banquet | Lost and Found

Flap! Flap!

A shadow covered the night, as far as their wings spread. The head turned left and right, up and down until…

//...There they are!//

Far in the north-east, a group of dull lights were flying in a sequence of spirals. At the centre of a barely visible tunnel, there was a trail of the tiniest, brightest dots.

The ‘shadow’ imagined a smile at Trellisa, Oborn and Yanwei. It belonged to Lance’s star envoy, Nova, who always knew a friend despite it’d be only a second of being acquainted.

“I should’ve seen it coming...” The vexyn squinted at a zig-zag of tiny lights.

“Nova!” But, the wind roared back.

Lance’s wings folded slightly, as they went for a dive. The wind slid past, but not without shivers to the body.

Flap, flap, flap…!

The vexyn’s long-cut cloth was flickering, as if not knowing where to sit. Suddenly, half of the vexyn’s sight was overshadowed by a covering on their head.

“Ach…!” Lance’s wings stretched out.

The air pushed back against the vexyn’s weight, losing all speed.

//This outfit…//

The vexyn’s eyes darted through the dark. Teeth clenched together.

//Where are they…?!//

Barely at the corner of the eye, collective lights descended to an area full of… shapes?

Lance didn’t dare to look away to lose the spot. But after landing, it became very hard to ignore.

Eye holes stared right back at the vexyn. Not a single pumpkin was spared, uncarved.

“Nova!”

…Lance’s right ear leaned slightly.

…who?

The vexyn turned to the left. Their eyes widened.

A cobweb covered the sky. Strings were barely visible by the very thin moonlight. A tangle swayed haphazardly from left to right.

Who…? Who…?

Lance leapt over the gourds. With a flap of the wings, they hovered over the field.

…The cobweb’s ‘tangle’ was shaking. The vexyn lifted their wing near the threads, furthest away. The crystal-end sliced one string cleanly, then another.

One by one, until the ‘tangle’ landed on the ground. It immediately ran, but tripped over its twisted strings. The threads fell off a bit, revealing the eight lights.

//Clair…//

…No, it was a Lumihoot. The vexyn was just a stranger.

Lance whistled a slow note… Fwoo…

“Hoo, hoo…!” The luminhoot tried to stand up again, but its legs were lopsided by the web.

Fwoo… Hoo…!

Fwoo… Hoo…

For who knew how long… The voices matched together. The lumihoot didn’t move hectically as before. Whereas, Lance’s mind rushed all over the place.

//The trick, it still…//

The vexyn breathed in, and out. They cut the threads around the creature’s legs.

Lance stood back, as the lumihoot impulsively shook its head. The strings slid off smoothly.

The broken cobweb danced with the air, capturing the vexyn’s eyes.

“...Whoever planned this, will not be pleased,” They sighed, “I wish that I brought a pen.”

“Hoo…” The lumihoot stood still.

Whereas, Nova went somewhere…

Lance gave a small nod to the creature, before walking off to another hill. They had to restart again…

… Although Lance hadn’t turned around yet, a shuffle was right behind.

“Nova!” Despite the shouting, the ‘shuffling’ hadn’t fled away, “Nova!”

At the top of the hill was a forest. The dark consumed everything, however. The vexyn took a step, but eight lights were steps ahead.

The lumihoot perched on a branch, and leapt to another. Lance ran to its tree, and the next.

…The vexyn formed a picture of themself as a vexlet.

The kid ran, and ran, while watching Claire’s flight. Lance felt his younger self’s smile, as they made their way to the forest’s pasture…

“Nova!” Their voice brought themself back to today.

The grassland was empty. Lance looked up, and-

They shut their eyes. The chillest air brushed past their wings, and… inside their body?!

The vexyn can’t help, but shiver. The internal cold was gone in an instant, though.

They opened their left eye. A fading, white trail, or tail…

“Hey… you?!”

Lance was in a tornado…?

They squinted, trying to focus on one detail. A smile… Smiles…

Whereas, the lumihoot got smaller, and smaller…

“Wait…!” The vexyn charged ahead into... nothing?

The ‘spiral’ broke apart into spirits, and tiny stars.

“Nova, you…!” Lance’s hat fell.

They didn’t bother to fix it, though, as the star envoy walked up into their sight. Importantly, smiling.

//...Why is this funny?//

“No, no, no…” Lance shook their head, but their grin didn't go away, “I’m supposed to be mad…!”

Their mind spun, and spun… The vexyn paced back, but Nova stepped forward.

“Oh, now you’re following me?”

The star envoy yawned.

“Oh.”

Lance ‘bowed’ down to Nova, who tripped over. The vexyn’s hat got lop-sided, blocking their left eye and then, right. At the end, they got a ‘headache’ in the shape of a star envoy.

“Let’s get you…”

No eight lights…

“...home.”