gifThe Flowers Are LyingA tender breeze caressed a deer's hair and ear as he lied on the ground on his side. It was a soft spot to lay on, the grass felt like a pillow, and so he had no haste in getting up. A delicate smile appeared on his face and he nudged his face against the soft grass. Maybe he could just lay there for a little while longer… The spot was so comfortable, like a finest bed. He was sure he had never slept in a bed that was as cozy as this one. He pondered this for a moment, until he realized something and suddenly opened up his eyes. He had forgotten who he was, except for his name; Kimene. At least he thought it was his name. A distressing observation to anyone, but for a reason Kimene didn't really understand, he wasn't that bothered by it. He felt calm and relaxed, but also curious. He decided to heave his body from the ground and was in a sitting position. He looked around him and was quite stunned by his surroundings. The scenery was dominated by various hues of blue; the grass, the trees, flowers, the creek and the sky… everything was blue. It was like straight from a fairy tale. Kimene was almost waiting for some little sprites to come out and dance on the flowers or on the surface of the water. But he didn't spot anything or anyone. Though, maybe he could find somebody around these parts, somebody who could tell him what this place was or how he had ended up here or perhaps even who he was. He got on his feet, still marveling at the miraculous world around him and started to stroll around. Kimene could hear the mellow sound of water flowing as it ran through its designated path. The kind wind was rustling the leaves of the trees and played with the grass, creating a soft concert. But in addition to these natural sounds one would expect to hear, a different kind of and a little mystifying noise made its way to Kimene's ears. It was like a chime of wind chimes, delicate and gentle. Kimene couldn't tell where it was coming from at first, but eventually as he continued to listen, he figured out that it was coming from some of the flowers. Upon this understanding, he ceased his quest for finding other beings for a moment and just observed the strange flowers. He liked flowers. Maybe that was why he found these ones so pleasant. And there were so many different kinds of flowers, like some had gold dust sparkling and dancing above them and some even emitted a little bit of glow. This delighted Kimene greatly, now he felt even more that he was inside of a fairy tale, just like the ones his mother used to tell him. Wait… His mother? Kimene suddenly felt bewildered. Somehow, through the fog in his mind that was shrouding his memories, he could reach fragments that were related to his mother. It was an odd sensation, getting back a piece of his life like that. But there were still many puzzle pieces missing. Perhaps he could find them if he looked around a bit more. Kimene got on the move again, still feeling a bit baffled, and accompanied with the need to learn more about himself. However, the chime of flowers filled him with a sensation that everything was well. This place seemed like a sanctuary of some sort. But no matter how wonderful it was, Kimene couldn't shed the desire to find someone else. Even if this was a paradise, it would be an awfully lonely one. He wandered around for some time, but the only beings he saw were butterflies that enjoyed the nectar of the gorgeous flowers. It was still nice to see there were some critters here. Soon after spotting the butterflies, Kimene also noticed a tree with fruits. He did feel a bit of hunger, so he decided to pick one. He stepped towards the tree and reached for one of the fruits, grasping it tightly. He picked it up and examined it a little bit. It resembled a yellow apple and its surface was smooth and flawless. Kimene took a bite and focused on the fruit's flavor. Oddly, it tasted more like a peach than apple, but it was still pleasant and sweet. Kimene consumed it happily and picked up a couple more, putting them inside his bag. He resumed his exploration in this beautiful place, feeling a bit more content now that he had found something tasty to eat. He put a mental note on where the tree was, but it was likely that he could find more of those elsewhere. Kimene's attention was completely stolen by a sudden golden light that was shot right into the sky, just a little further ahead of him. For a brief second he watched how it kept climbing higher and higher until it faded away completely. But, he was curious to see what had caused it in the first place and he began to move to the direction where the light had come from, behind a line of trees. Upon further inspection, Kimene noticed that the trees had grown in a weird formation here, they formed a circle. The light had probably originated from the center of this circle, but right now, there was nothing noteworthy, just a patch of crimson flowers. Though it was a little strange, considering how everything in here was blue. Then Kimene's sensitive ears picked up a sound nearby; something was coming towards him, rustling the vegetation near the circle of trees. Kimene was curiously staring at the direction where the sound was coming, until finally, somebody appeared from behind the trees. He wasn't quite sure what this person was, he looked like a feline but with dragon-like characteristics. His fur was mostly red with black stripes decorating it, but there were bits with light brown. But what Kimene found the most striking about his appearance was the stunningly blue eyes. However, his looks aside, Kimene was plagued by a feeling that he knew this person, but he couldn't reach his memories of him, not just yet. But he was happy to finally meet someone, it didn't matter whether they were acquaintances or not. “Hello there!” Kimene said cheerfully and raised his hand in a greeting manner. “I'm Kimene. Who might you be?” The feline dragon was staring at him in a similar way as how Kimene had just observed him. It seemed like he too was getting the sensation that he knew Kimene, but wasn't sure how. “I'm Amaru”, he answered as he took a few steps closer, turning his head slowly to look at the sky. “I followed the golden light…” “Oh, me too!” Kimene exclaimed and shifted his gaze upwards as well. “I wonder what it was.” “Huh. Just one more oddity this place has to offer.” Amaru then looked at Kimene again. “Are you… from these parts?” “No”, Kimene answered and shook his head slightly. “I just woke up here a while ago, all my memories gone.” He tilted his head a little bit. “Don't tell me your story is the same.” “Well, unfortunately it is”, Amaru said. “Oh…” Kimene was pondering something for a brief moment. “Maybe we should stick together, what do you say?” “Fine by me”, Amaru answered. “Great!” Kimene was happy to have some company. “Let's look around a little.” They picked a random direction and infiltrated through the vegetation to proceed. All the blueness around felt mesmerizing and tranquil as they wandered around this strange land. A serene feeling had conquered Kimene's soul, meanwhile Amaru, he had a seed of doubt inside. Kimene was happily strolling and investigating his surroundings, but Amaru couldn't shed a feeling that something was wrong here. Very, very wrong. But since he had lost his memories too, he couldn't quite understand this nagging feeling. It was frustrating. They came upon a patch of flowers again that were glowing in light blue color and they chimed their song. Kimene was the first one to stop and listen. He tilted his head from side to side, in a tune that Amaru couldn't perceive. Of course, he could hear the pleasant chime of the flowers, but it seemed like Kimene was more captivated by them than he was. “Do you like flowers, Amaru?” Kimene asked. “I think so”, Amaru replied. “But don't you think… that there's something off about these ones?” “Hmm…” Kimene was thinking again for a little while. “I don't know. They're beautiful. This whole place is beautiful and feels like a sanctuary.” “Can't deny that”, Amaru said quietly. “But it's like I can sense things… And something definitely is wrong here.” “Maybe you should just let yourself relax a bit more”, Kimene said and turned to face him, a smile decorating his face. “This place doesn't seem hostile. What if we took a break here? Perhaps resting will make you feel more comfortable.” Kimene gently captured Amaru's hand and looked him in the eyes. A small gesture of tenderness, but with strong consequences. A vortex of sensations suddenly surged through their bodies. There definitely was a bond between them, they could sense it now more clearly. It was like their hearts were beating as one, that their souls were entangled tightly. Insides filled with warm and strong emotions which they had forgotten for a moment, but now they were trying to come back, breaking through the shroud that lingered in their minds because of something they didn't remember happening. And still, their shared memories refused to be seen, something was causing them to run away. But at least now they were sure that there was a bond between them, something so powerful that wasn't shared with just anybody. Kimene felt confused and overwhelmed for a minute because of the spark he had just experienced after touching Amaru's hand. Still he continued to hold it, still he was looking at his stunningly blue eyes. But it all was so strange. How did he know this man? He didn't remember him at all, but why did it feel like this was the most important person in his life? Maybe Amaru's hunch was right… Maybe something truly was wrong with this place. “I want to remember you, but I can't”, Kimene spoke silently, sadness dripping from his words. “I can sense it… You're important somehow.” “I feel the same”, Amaru responded and touched Kimene's cheek tenderly. “But we'll find a way to get our memories back, okay?” “Okay…” A weak smile appeared on Kimene's face and he touched Amaru's hand. “Let's look around more, then”, Amaru said. “Surely there is something helpful we can find.” Hands were then separated, but only to find their meaning back. Kimene and Amaru decided to follow a creek, the water leisurely flowing forward. A silence had fallen in between the duo, for the bewildered feeling still remained. Both were trying to process it, but it was hard when you couldn't remember what those sensations meant. It seemed now that trying to restore their memories was an even more important task than before. There was a crack in the flawless surface. Amaru noticed how some of the flowers they saw on their path were flickering, like they would disappear for a blink of an eye, but then return to their spot like nothing had even happened. It gave a sensation that this was a fabricated reality. Amaru probably shouldn't have been able to see what he did and the flowers knew this, too. They started to chime even more enticingly and spread a fragrance that had soothing properties. It started to take hold of Kimene again, for some reason he was more prone to their intoxicating effects. Amaru looked at him with worry, because he didn't want anything to harm this deer, the feeling was so deeply rooted in his heart that it didn't matter that he couldn't remember Kimene. They had to get out of here, they just had to. Amaru wondered what would happen if he destroyed the flowers. He put this thought in the action as he started to stomp on the closest ones, crushing them completely with his feet. Their chime turned dull and their bright colors faded away. He ravaged every flower he saw and as he did so, he could hear a faint screech traveling to his ears from somewhere far away. For him that was enough proof that this wasn't a paradise, this was a fake. “What are you doing?” Kimene asked after watching Amaru stomping on the plants for a moment. “Something in these flowers… They're harmful to us”, Amaru responded. He damaged the last flower that still remained and was pretty pleased with his work. “Did you hear the scream? Something didn't want me to destroy the flowers.” Kimene shook his head. “I didn't hear anything.” “Well, I did. Clearly what I just did affected this world somehow”, Amaru said. Before they could say anything else, a golden light suddenly appeared from ahead, behind the trees, and rushed towards them. It circled around Kimene and Amaru for a little while, like a comet, before it went back to the direction where it had come from, disappearing from sight once again, leaving Kimene and Amaru to ponder its true nature. “Do you think… that it wants us to follow it?” Kimene asked quietly. “Perhaps. I think it's worthwhile to check out”, Amaru answered. “Come on, let's go.” The duo resumed their journey, except that now they had a little different goal in mind. Whatever the golden light was, it didn't seem malicious. Maybe it was trying to aid them. Maybe it had helped them to find each other when it had first appeared. Amaru had decided to trust in its guidance, especially since he got a different feeling from it. The light didn't possess this veiled oppressive sensation that the rest of this world had. They hoped that the light had gone straight ahead, because following anything was a hard thing to do when there were so many trees and other plants in the way. It was yet another strange thing this place had to offer; it was like vegetation had turned significantly more dense the further Kimene and Amaru were wandering. It felt quite smothering and gave this haunting sensation that the plants didn't want them to go. They wanted to keep them here, forever. It was unclear whether the plants had been growing this tightly from the start or had they just suddenly shifted their roots to create this thick formation. Unfortunately, it started to seem that it was the latter. The plants were like a cage, imprisoning Kimene and Amaru inside. “Amaru, I don't know if we can get further here”, Kimene groaned as he tried to push through a thick bush. “Maybe… maybe we can find another way around”, Amaru said, stopping for a moment, pondering their options. “Maybe if we go back and try some other direction…” He knew that they were pretty much stuck here. Without a proper tool, they had thin chances to get through the walls the plants had built on their way. It was probably only getting worse. With their branches and vines, they would form shackles and prevent them from ever escaping. Such a hopeless picture had been painted. However, miraculously, before Kimene and Amaru were able to lament their fate that much, the golden light appeared to them once more. It pierced through the dense formation of plants like a beacon and stopped in front of Kimene. The deer looked at the orb of light with confusion, especially when it started to circle around his hand. He raised this same hand and saw how golden light particles began to float above it. It was magic. “What the…?” Kimene was staring with wide eyes at his own hand and Amaru had gone silent, too. The golden light had awakened something within Kimene, the gift that had been granted to him when he had been a child. Eventually the orb of light moved aside and disappeared again, but its effect remained. The little particles around Kimene's hand turned green and as he clenched his hand into a fist, a green flame burst out and consumed it. But this didn't hurt Kimene, it was empowering him. He unleashed his newly found might and touched the plants in front of him. They immediately were engulfed with green flames and the fire just kept spreading. Kimene's magical flames destroyed all the obstacles on his and Amaru's path and now that they had the means to counter the smothering forest, they could freely proceed. The screech Amaru had heard earlier rushed into his ears once more, but more sharply, sounding more frustrated than before. Harming the plants apparently was making it angry. That gave Amaru an idea. “Kimene, burn every plant you can, especially flowers and trees”, Amaru said. “Okay, but will you tell me why?” Kimene responded while maintaining his green flames. “I heard the shriek again”, Amaru explained. “Maybe it is the entity that trapped us here and took our memories. If we can lure it out, maybe we can confront it and get out.” “Oh, alright”, Kimene said and did what Amaru had suggested. It was time to burn the paradise. The green fire consumed pretty much everything on their way as they kept going forward. Kimene was bewildered by the power he wielded, but the longer he continued burning the plants, the more familiar his abilities started to feel. It was a skill he had forgotten, but little by little it all was coming back to him. It was part of his core. Eventually, however, casting the fire started to feel really draining and Kimene was getting exhausted. He hadn't expected himself to be able to use magic for a long period of time, but finding out his limits was still a disappointment. He delivered the last few flames from his hand before he had to stop. He felt so weary, like if he had just done physically hard work. He had to catch his breath for a brief moment. “You did well”, Amaru praised as he came by the deer's side and patted him on the back. Kimene didn't get much time to rest when suddenly reality started to shift. He snatched Amaru's hands and grasped them tightly, afraid of what was happening around them. Some purple lights appeared that devoured everything, absolutely everything so Kimene and Amaru were standing in a black nothingness for a second. Then a really bright white light appeared, so bright that Kimene and Amaru had to shield their eyes. When it faded away, they found themselves standing on a blue plain that seemed endless, but as they let their gaze wander around, they couldn't possibly miss the most disturbing aspect of the place. At first it had looked like there were oddly shaped clouds in the sky, but then Kimene and Amaru realized that they weren't clouds. They were pale faces. Sorrow and torment had been carved onto them and they glided through the sky, disappearing and then reappearing. Out of nowhere emerged an entity that stole Kimene and Amaru's full attention. It was a hunched figure, dressed in dark purple robes that were filthy and ragged. Vine-like appendages filled with thorns were sticking out of various parts of the creature's body, moving eerily like snakes. A hood was covering most of the entity's head, but Kimene and Amaru could still see an abhorrent half-rotten face of some predatory beast that was emitting purple saliva. The creature let out a horrible shriek and at that moment Amaru knew that this thing was the one whose screams he had heard earlier. “Ruiners, filthy ruiners!” the creature yelled with a horribly gruff voice. “You won't leave! Ever!” The entity crouched and touched the ground with one of its hands. A few vines with thorns grew immediately from the ground and they rushed towards Kimene and Amaru. They embraced each other tightly as the vines were forming a cage around them. Kimene was still exhausted from using magic, he couldn't possibly do anything to get out of the situation. Amaru didn't know what to do. Maybe there was no other option than to just surrender to your fate. Something dropped from the sky and broke the upper part of the plant cage. It was the golden light again. “No!” the entity screamed. “You can't! Begone!” The golden light made a couple circular movements inside the cage and it managed to destroy the vines; it was like they had got consumed by golden flames. This effect reached all the way to the entity who got stunned by the burst of light. Kimene and Amaru were still holding onto each other, feeling quite astounded by these sudden events. They simply watched at the creature that was on its knees, the power of the golden light still affecting it. But, as Amaru stared at this mysterious entity, a strange but also familiar feeling found its way into his soul. He could feel a tingling sensation in his left hand. He let go of Kimene and started to slowly approach the creature. While doing this, he was unwrapping the bandages on his left arm and hand, revealing that this limb had a blue shimmer in it. Once he was standing in front of the entity, he touched its head with his blue hand, guided by some instinct he could feel within his heart. By the moment Amaru touched the being, a blue light engulfed its whole body. It glowed in the color of the sky for a little while, but then the light started to scatter, breaking down the creature's figure. A wind swept away these pieces until nothing remained, like if the entity had never even existed. Amaru and Kimene were left to wonder what it actually had been. Once the creature disappeared, the surroundings around Kimene and Amaru shifted again. The plain simply faded away slowly, a different reality taking its place. They found themselves in the middle of a forest, but this time, it was a regular one, so it had to be real. There was absolutely nothing out of ordinary and after experiencing the twisted paradise, it was a welcome sight. Kimene and Amaru kept glancing around happily, being just so unbelievably glad to be back in the world they belonged to. It was nighttime and the silvery moon was glowing in the sky; everything was bathing in its light. Seeing it and the stars that accompanied the great pale sphere, it was washing away the horrors of the parallel world. Soon after Kimene and Amaru were back to their own world, their memories were freed as well and they came back with a blast. They finally knew who they were, but most importantly, they remembered each other again and how much the other one meant to them. Kimene and Amaru stared each other in the eyes as the overwhelming love came back to them and they could feel again how every single little memory they had was enhanced by their true feelings. They rushed towards each other and got locked in an embrace, hearts beating as one. They held each other and kissed passionately, being just so incredibly happy that they had survived this horrifying ordeal. Everything would be alright. They had survived. Together. The golden light appeared to them one last time. Kimene and Amaru broke their embrace for a little while to acknowledge its presence. The light circled around them a few times before it stopped in front of them. “Thank you”, Kimene whispered and smiled. Then the light shot itself upwards and Kimene and Amaru watched it go until they couldn't see it anymore. They weren't sure what it had been, but it was thanks to this light that they got out. Under the blessing of the moon, Kimene and Amaru began to walk away. Hopefully their journey would lead them to pleasant experiences next time.Painted In StoneIt was an exceptionally bright summer day that woke Kanin up. Many moons had passed since the last time she was awake, she couldn't really tell the exact time, but it wasn't anything unusual in her case. When the sun was at its highest point in the cloudless sky, the warm and golden rays managed to travel through the holes on the ceiling of the cavern and shine on Kanin's face. As a reptile, she found the warmness of the sun quite enjoyable. She raised her head and looked up, making an observation of the above world. It seemed to be a beautiful day, not only because of the sunlight, Kanin noted that a mellow breeze was rustling the leaves of the trees, all of them possessing stunningly green foliage, some even had grown flowers. Kanin nodded her head approvingly, as if somebody had asked her if today was a fine day. She got onto her feet and stretched her limbs because it had been a while since the last time she had used them. She rustled her colorful feathers a little and she was ready to go. Kanin lived in a cozy cavern; there were a few holes scattered here and there that let in the light of day. But of course, it also gave shelter against rain and wind, making it quite an ideal place to live. But she didn't dwell there alone, her best friend Upai shared the cavern with her. And then there were also the fossils, remnants of the past, that had survived since the ancient times. Among them, there were crystals as well, preserving something miraculous and magical that otherwise would be forgotten. The cavern was quite a mystifying place, but more importantly, it was a home. As she walked around the cavern, Kanin pondered whether Upai was even awake. She kept glancing around, trying to catch a glimpse of her best friend, but didn't see her. It wasn't until Kanin had made her way to the grand entrance of their dwelling when she spotted Upai. So, she had woken up as well. Glad to see her friend again, Kanin started to walk towards her. They were quite different, Kanin and Upai. Kanin was a raptor that had lived since the lost times when dinosaurs inhabited the world. She had a very colorful plumage, making her pretty gorgeous sight. Upai, on the other hand, she was like a salamander, having an affinity with crystals. There were a few of them growing from her body, holding the colors of the rainbow. They had met aeons ago and formed a friendship that had lasted since ancient times. A bond like that, it was a treasure. “Good morning, Upai”, Kanin greeted as she emerged from the cavern. “It's technically not a morning anymore”, Upai pointed out, but maintained a smile on her face. “I think it's morning whenever you wake up and start the day, no matter what time it is”, Kanin explained her logic. “So, you're saying that if you woke up in the middle of the night and you decided to stay up, that's morning to you?” Upai inquired. “Yup.” Kanin sat down next to her friend. “Fine. Whatever you say”, Upai dropped the subject, but still remained amused by her friend's logic. The two friends were silent for a minute, looking at the wonderful panorama in front of them – it had been a while since the last time they had seen it in this glorious state. There was a stunning valley, filled with green since there was a lot of woods. The view was especially beautiful in autumn. But there were a couple colorful patches even in summer because of the flowers that bloomed. All the colors blended in together perfectly, it was like the whole scenery was a work of a talented artist. And who knew, maybe that was the origin story of the valley. It was also a peaceful place, Kanin and Upai had lived there for thousands of years. The wind started to blow slightly more strongly and it carried the smell of flowers which was a delight to Kanin and Upai's sense of smell. The breeze played with Kanin's feathers and rustled them while she would look at the clear summer sky and watch how birds were flying by. It truly was a serene moment. “Do you ever wonder who created all this?” Kanin suddenly asked her friend, her gaze still fixed at the sky. “What do you mean?” Upai asked. “You know what I mean. Like, did someone just snap their fingers and everything came to be? Or maybe an artist with a giant brush painted everything? Or did everything just… started to exist without anyone giving guidance to living beings and the world around us?” “Wow, you're pondering the weird stuff again”, Upai chuckled. “Maybe you've been asleep for too long, your head is getting fuzzy once more.” Even Kanin managed to snicker a little. “Yeah. Maybe.” They sat in silence again for a couple of minutes, just admiring the world around them. Whoever had created all this, they had done splendid work. Then Upai turned to face her friend again. “You know what we should do?” “What?” Kanin asked, looking at Upai with curious eyes. “We should paint!” Upai said; there was a spark of excitement in her eyes. “It's been so long since the last time, I honestly can't even remember.” Kanin seemed to think about this for a brief moment, perhaps trying to recall when was the last time they had done this. Whether she succeeded in this or not, she didn't let her friend know. Instead, she just nodded her head after a while. “You know what, I like that idea, we should definitely do that!” “Great!” Upai exclaimed, seeming even more excited now that she got an approval from Kanin. “But! Let's make this interesting.” “Oh?” Kanin tilted her head a little, being all ears. “I think we should form teams and do a challenge! The team that manages to get more paintings done wins.” “I'm in!” Kanin replied and she got up from her spot. Upai started to slither inside the cavern and Kanin followed her. Upai was glancing around the insides of their home, trying to recall where they had left their artistic tools. “Do you remember where our brushes and paints are?” Upai asked her friend. “I can't quite bring it to my mind, it's been so long.” “I think they're in this section”, Kanin answered and took a turn to the right, heading to a small chamber. And that indeed was where their tools had been stored. Clean brushes just lying around, ready to be used to create something beautiful. And many stone bowls filled with paints of various colors, they were something Kanin and Upai had made together. They had been sealed shut with flat stone covers, which had gathered a layer of dust since they hadn't been touched for a long time. Kanin approached one of their homemade paint containers and opened it, peeking inside. It appeared the paint had been preserved well. “As far as I can see, we have everything ready here”, she informed Upai, who had been checking something else. Upai found a pile of thin stone plates that had nothing in them. They had used these kinds of plates before as their canvases, it was great that there were still quite a few of them left. “Nice, we can begin now”, Upai said and took a batch of the plates, starting to carry them to a more expansive chamber, suitable for working. Meanwhile Kanin had taken it as her task to carry all the bowls of paint to the said chamber. The two friends prepared a little workshop in there; it was spacious and there was plenty of light coming through the holes in the ceiling. Soon everything was ready and they were about to begin painting. However, there was this one thing they had to do first. “Time to awaken our buddies!” Kanin exclaimed excitedly. She rushed around the cavern, touching all the stones that contained fossils. With her touch, they started to come alive; a green glow appeared on their surfaces, waking up the ancient creatures that had slumbered for a long time. Various dinosaurs came forth from the fossils, just as whole as back in time when the world had been ruled by them. They stretched their limbs, shook their heads, trying to get used to moving their bodies again. While Kanin was going around awakening her fossilized friends, Upai was doing something similar as well. Within the crystals that were scattered around the cavern just like the fossils, they hold something alive in them as well. Upai's touch made them glow too, but with different colors, depending on the crystal. A life could be seen pulsating inside the crystals, then the glow would grow even brighter before disappearing. In the place of the crystal would stand a creature similar to Upai, a diverse cast of animals that had crystal growths in their bodies. And just like the dinosaurs, they had been asleep for a long time, so they were doing the same kind of rituals using their bodies after their great rest. Once Kanin and Upai had managed to wake up their friends, they watched happily as their little crowd gathered inside the grand chamber. It was a wholesome moment, old friends meeting again and catching up, talking about what kind of dreams they had been having since the last time they had seen each other. A light chattering filled the cavern, a sound that hadn't been heard within its stone walls for centuries. Kanin and Upai allowed the friends to talk for a while before they caught their attention. “Listen up, everybody!” Kanin yelled loudly so her voice could be heard by everyone in the cavern. The crowd went silent immediately, numerous curious eyes now staring at Kanin and Upai. “We have now gathered here because of a fun little event we thought you would enjoy”, Upai started explaining. “It's a little art challenge! We form two teams and the one that's able to get more paintings done wins!” A chatter burst throughout the crowd again, everyone seemed excited. Upai decided to keep a brief pause before she continued. “It's fossils versus crystals, everybody! Now, if you all are ready, start painting!” After her declaration, the game was on. All the creatures rushed to get their brushes and stone plates Kanin and Upai had prepared for them. Everyone found their own little spot, dipped their brushes in paint and started to create art. Kanin and Upai joined them and so everyone in the cavern was busy with painting. The joy of being able to create and express yourself, the sensation is wondrous. All the creatures were filled with this feeling. Everyone was having so much fun that they ran out of stone plates rather quickly. But it didn't stop them from creating, they just started to paint on the cavern's walls instead, making it more beautiful than it had ever been. The pictures they painted depicted many different things, brought into the canvas with vibrant colors for everyone to see. Some of them were portraits of those who were once dear to them. Some were landscapes of their former homes. And some were simply things they just felt like painting. But they all told a story of some kind and with the power of their brushes, they were able to bring these things to life, in a way. The aspect that this was a game was pretty much forgotten after some time since all the creatures just enjoyed creating art. Since this thing was Upai's idea, she had tried to keep track of who had painted what and how many paintings they had done, but even she had to admit eventually that it didn't really matter and went with the flow. So much joy, so much passion… The cavern became a little art gallery. The creatures would fall asleep again, but whenever they would wake up once more from their slumber, they would be reminded that they had shared an inspiring moment when they all gathered around and created something with great desire.trophy