Adia dropped her weapon and hugged Tarot, tears streaming down her face. “You came back! I was so worried!” She cried. “I thought you were never coming back.” Adia stepped back and looked at him , then turned to Flara. “Are you from Love and Nurture?” Flara felt uncomfortable with the reunion and just nodded her head. “We came back to help this world with a purpose," Tarot answered. "The spirit Nova gave us a task to do. Dilos... “ He turned to look at the grave, “Sacrificed himself for me so I could cross over to Love and Nurture to find Flara.” He finished, putting his arm around Flara and pulling her in. Flara finally spoke “We need to find someone here that has the sacred objects to help change this world.” Adia stepped back and looked complexed. “Adia, do you know anyone else that Dilos talked to, maybe someone he trusted to hold the objects for him?” Tarot asked. Adia felt uneasy. "let’s go in.” She said, as the winds started to pick up .

They went into the small structure. Flara frowned as the door opened. She saw decaying walls, and a few, tattered blankets on the floor. A small hearth was located in the corner and a small fire smoldered inside it. A pot was on the floor, full of what Flara thought was sludge. She grimaced when she looked at it. Looking closer she saw there were some herbs and maybe even bark. Tarot sat down and opened his satchel, handing Adia some berries. Her face quickly lit up. She felt them in her hands. "They aren't dry or foul smelling." She smiled as she tasted the sweet texture and the juices that flowed into her mouth. He handed her the bota bag full of water and she drank it down quickly, “Whoa, slow down! “ He chuckled, pulling the bota bag away from her. She licked her lips and closed her eyes, taking in the sweet taste . Flara sat on the ground next to them and fumbled with the necklace around her neck. “What’s with the necklaces?“Adia asked . “They protect us from the powers of this world and even Sinister." Tarot said. He began filling her in on his journey to Love and Nurture, pausing here and there to look over at Flara, who gave a half smile. As they continued to talk, Flara gazed upon Adia and her heart broke. Adia's fur was matted and scars were scattered all across her body. She hadn’t notice as many on Tarot at first, but the as she looked at him more intently, she saw a scar above his eye and a few on his back. She was thinking of the inhabitants of the village and their weapons . She shook her head and tried to forget. This world was full of hate. She was doubting herself. How could she help? Tarot paused, grabbing her paw and squeezing it. Adia noticed this and stared at their paws . “I can’t believe you and Dilos are from Love and Nurture. Dilos was always there for me ever since my parents died. I never knew.“ Adia responded, feeling envious. Tarot looked down , with a sad expression. “I never knew either. All I know is we need to find those objects and change this world.”

“I think I know where they are.” Adia answered . “ I’m not sure exactly, but Dilos told me about secret place he stored his important stuff in case something happened to him.” Tarot and Flara looked at her. “Dilos told you?” Tarot finally answered, thoughts consumed his mind. Why not him? “There is a grotto not too far from here. He told me where it was located but not to look at the content until... “ She lingered off her eyes started to tear up . Flara came over and gave her a hug. Adia was a little shocked at this gesture, especially from someone she hardly knew . She felt Flara’s soft fluffy fur and was consumed in it. Flara stepped back and smiled at her. Adia smiled awkwardly and started to gather the blankets. “We need to get some rest, tomorrow we can make our way to the grotto. Flara helped, while Tarot made a fire in the hearth . Tarot cuddled close to Flara, keeping her safe . Flara realized how tired she was, her eyes feeling heavy. She drifted off to sleep feeling Tarot’s protection.

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That night, Flara kept tossing and turning , thinking of this terrible world, it consumed her with nightmares. She dreamed of walking to the grotto and saw a dark figure looming on the cliff side. Her heart began to beat faster as she saw it lunge at her and Tarot. She yelped, and sat up quickly. She was breathing fast, sweat dripping from her face. Tarot sat up with her, ”Flara are you ok?“ he asked in a groggy voice. He saw the fear in her eyes and embraced her, “ This is too much for you.“ He whispered. Even though he was right , Flara knew she had to be strong for this journey. She never knew hate and sorrow and regret before but she had to endure it to make everything right again.

The next, day the trio left the structure and headed to the grotto. The winds picked up and the sand swirled around them, pelting their bodies. Tarot shielded Flara as they continued walking. Her feet were soar as she walked on the jagged landscape. “There it is !” Adia shouted over the winds and pointed to a large rock formation. Flara looked up the at the grotto and thought of her world. The grottos there were full of life with huge waterfalls cascading down from them. This grotto was dry and had char marks of endless lighting strikes. When they got closer, she noticed indentations in the rock where waterfalls once were and an imprint of a lake that was all dried up an brittle. Adia ran ahead of them and disappeared around the one of the rocks. She poked her head out and shouted, “Over here!” Flara and Tarot quickly caught up to her. Flara looked in awe of the open mouth of the cavern. Then she saw it. A chill coursed through her body that froze her in place. There was a black crow perched on top of of he mountain side. Tarot and Adia didn’t notice as they took refuge in the grotto. Tarot looked at her in concern. “Flara are you coming?” She broke out of her reverie and ran in. She looked back to see if the bird would follow her, but it didn’t .

Adia counted her steps under her breathe and Flara and Tarot followed . Adia knelt down to a small boulder and looked at Tarot, “A little help here?“. He knelt down and they both turned the boulder over. There was a hole underneath it and a makeshift box. Tarot pulled out the decaying container. They all gathered around it as Tarot pried it open. Inside there was a bag and a book. The book cover was made out of pelt and it smelled rancid. Flara blocked her nose. Tarot opened it and noticed Dilos' writing . “I-It’s his journal . “ Tarot said, flipping through the pages. Adia preceded to open the bag. The first item that she pulled out was a flute made out of wood and had swirls carved in it. The next item was a chisel and a small hammer. The last item was a key that shined of gold and was heavily decorated with swirls like the flute. They all looked at the items and were confused. Tarot held onto the book. “Maybe there is something inside to help us figure out how to use these items.” Flara said as she held onto the key. Tarot started to read and each page he flipped, his face changed. Tears streamed down his face and he caught his breath. Flara knelt down next to him and felt his pain. “Tarot what is it?” She asked in concern.

“It is the history of this place..”. He paused, tears were continuing to flow, he looked at Flara, “ Dilos... “ he paused again, he had a hard time forming his words. “Flara, Dilos was you father.....”. Flara's heart sank, tears forming in her eyes. “No...” She cried.