Gallade's Story Archive

              I thought it was paradise. I really did. When I first wandered towards the strange scene, it looked to me to be lush with fruits, trees, and homes I could stay in. And to the credit of the place, that visage never broke, not even once I saw what was underneath.             I had come to stay there because of a handful of creatures which had chosen to become my friends. A peculiar grasshopper that was as tall as I was. A dryad with pink-and-white patterns all down their body, like a cherry blossom tree. Even the forest itself was run by a timid and affectionate, if a bit invasive, spirit of a troll that endeavored to behave like a human child.             But the real caretaker, and also the source of my trouble, was the old man who had dug himself out a residence in these hundred-acre woods. He welcomed me, as the others did, ...

                 The click of the key in the shop’s door was as soothing as ever, and in that moment, Merrien felt the day finally cast its weight upon him. His broad shoulders and upright posture slumped into a willed wish for rest, his face tired from hours of smiling and pitching his various potions. But this is fine, as this would be the start of his favorite part of each day. Travelling upstairs, the boards creaking beneath his feet, each step gaining strength as he felt himself shifting moods, shifting his purpose for the night. Though he had the house to himself, it still felt like he could bother someone if he wasn’t careful. Reaching his loft, he pulled from the shelf a concoction most precious: A glimmering jar, sparkling with light. Within, little strips of paper floating, each eminating a separate color that glints majestically outward in the dim lantern-light. He began his ritual. First, he placed the jar on the si...