Gridania was all and more the old books and stories had told it to be. Vibrant, verdant, abundant with aether and cheer. It had come as a major shock for Howler - the whole of Twelveswood had been a forbidden zone when the foliage had gone on a rampage, and after that… after that it had just been depressing. Dead. So to be met with all of this for real, to interact with the green grass under their fingertips, to breathe in fresh air with its odd scents of life mixed in, hear the fresh - FRESH! - water flowing…
It had been overwhelming, at first. Even now, Howler wasn’t sure if they were in the right place. That maybe Time had decided to give one last favor for the last survivor of that doomed timeline, with these beautiful sights of what had been.
The city itself had been so active at first that Howler didn't know where to go - so many people, talking, walking, preparing for something, worries big and small… Lively. Too lively, really, for someone who had spent the last couple years around a small group of people. So it was only natural for Howler to find themselves a quiet spot - to calm down, take a breather, catch their bearings. It would do them no good, being caught in their emotions.
Thankfully, such a spot was easily found in the quiet hours of the night - by a small pond, surrounded by lights and seats and high rock walls. There was history here - they could sense it, from the few people around, from the air itself. Apkallu Falls, right? Didn’t their gran say something about this place?
Howler leaned back, letting out a small sigh - no point in trying to remember now. It would only hurt, and they had a job. A duty. They had to-
Howlers thoughts were cut off by a sudden appearance of small, flickering lights. For the briefest of moments, the cloned elezen stopped thinking - only enamoured by these flicking small lights, dancing across the air and surface of the water. Never before had they seen anything of the sort - had they even heard of it?
Cautiously, curiously, Howler stretched their hand over - hoping to lure one of these lights into their hand…
