Lost and Found

Yesterday, we stopped by the Qualot tree for the night, as we were lost and it was getting dark. We didn’t want to get even more lost in the forest at night.

“Luca! Lucaa!!”

Strixx’s voice rang out, loud and full of energy.

I groggily opened my eyes, still half-asleep. Morning sunlight peeked through the trees, and right in front of me, Strixx stood restlessly, shifting on her feet. I blinked. “What…?” My voice was drowsy.

It was rare to see Strixx awake this early.

 Usually, she’d be the one sleeping in, refusing to get up.

“What happened, Strixx?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.

Strixx pointed excitedly ahead. Now, she is practically bouncing in place. Before I could say anything else, she grabbed my hand and started running. “H-Hey— Strixx! Wait—!”

But she didn’t wait. Still half-asleep, I stumbled along as she dragged me through the trees. After a few minutes of running, Strixx finally stopped.

Catching my breath, I looked up— And there it was. A mountain, standing tall through a gap in the trees. Unlike the icy peaks we saw before, this one looked different.

I narrowed my eyes. “Strixx… this might be Vaeliris Peak.”

Strixx turned to me, fidgeting with her fingers.

“You know…Luca… whenever..Strixx woke up… very early…morning… Strixx always… sleep again… But today…when Strixx… woke up… then remember… Luca and Strixx got lost… in… forest… because Strixx was running around…”

She hesitated for a moment. “So Strixx… thought… maybe… Strixx should do something! Strixx… walked around… and then! Strixx saw mountain! It wasn’t the icy .. mountain… it was new! So Strixx thought… Strixx should show Luca!”

She looked at me proudly, waiting for my reaction.

I smiled and patted her head. “You’ve been really helpful lately, Strixx.”

But then I sighed. “Still… you shouldn’t be roaming around when we’re lost. What if you got even more lost?”

Strixx grinned confidently. “Strixx can just… follow scent of… Qualot tree… then come back to Luca!”

I stared at her. “That’s true… but what if I woke up and wasn’t there anymore? What if I went looking for you?”

Strixx blinked, ears twitching. “Mmm… Strixx is sorry… Strixx won’t do it… from next time.” I sighed, but smiled. “I’m just worried about you, that’s all.”

Strixx tilted her head, then looked at the mountain again.

“Luca… that mountain… we seeing… from here… Strixx thinks… it new mountain… Strixx can smell… sweet… scent… toward the mountain…” Sweet? I paused, thinking. Then— “Wait— Riko told us about the Flower Festival happening this time of year…”

I turned to Strixx, excitement rising. “Strixx, this might really be Vaeliris Peak! And if that’s true… Vaeliris Town is just below it!” Her eyes sparkled. “That means… we’re close?!”

“Yeah. We should head straight there.” “Thank you, Strixx. You’ve really been helping a lot since we entered this forest.”

Strixx smiled, looking a little embarrassed. “Actually… Strixx just… wandered around… and found… stuff… Strixx did… nothing.”

I chuckled.” Alright alright Come on, let’s go see the festival.”

After hours of walking, the trees finally cleared.

As we stepped out of the forest, the ground sloped downward, revealing the view ahead. And there it was—Vaeliris Town, resting in the valley below at the foot of Vaeliris Mountain.

I took a deep breath, relief washing over me. “We finally made it, Strixx.” Beside me, Strixx beamed, eyes filled with excitement.

Vaeliris Town was right in front of us. As we are about to enter the town, Strixx quietly moves behind me, like she always does when meeting strangers. Since we are heading into a new place, she doesn’t seem very comfortable around many people. It’s a bit surprising—just a few minutes ago, when we first saw the town, she was beaming with excitement. But now, as we get closer, she hides behind me again.

 Even though she likes humans, she still hesitates. And come to think of it, I really get confused sometimes—is she even a demon? She doesn’t seem like one at all. More or less, she’s just like a very energetic and kind human.

But I understand why she acts this way. After all, she’s just a lone demon in the human realm. If I were suddenly thrown into the demon world, I’d probably feel the same way. Still, she’s strong. Before meeting me, she must had been traveling all alone, going from place to place—despite being part of a species hated by almost everyone in this world. And yet, instead of destruction, she chooses to see the world for what it truly is. She truly is something unique… something very different.

I smiled, looking at her. “Strixx, it’s fine. I’m right here next to you.”

Strixx clung to my arm, nodding gently. As we entered the town, the streets were bustling with people. The air was lively, filled with chatter and movement, while many homes and market stalls were being decorated with flowers—the Flower Festival was approaching.

I approached a fruit seller, his stall neatly stacked with fresh produce.

“Uh… hello, mister. May I ask something? We’re travelers from afar.”

Strixx clung to my arm, staying close. The fruit seller looked at us with a warm smile.

“Surely, it must be about the Flower Festival, isn’t it, young boy?” I looked at him. “Ah, yes… about that.” The shopkeeper nodded. “The festival starts two weeks from now, young boy. You’ve arrived at just the right time!” He gestured toward the town. “There are plenty of inns around. Just enjoy your time here.”

He really was a kind guy. Then, he packed two large apples from his stall and handed them to us. I hesitated. “Uh… mister, actually, we’ve run out of travel funds, and—” The shopkeeper cut me off with a chuckle. “It’s fine, young boy. Just a gift from me. Vaeliris Town always welcomes travelers. Take it.”

I looked at the apple—it was different from any I’d seen before. Bigger, rounder, and more fragrant.

As we wandered through town, my stomach growled. Strixx and I had set off this morning without eating anything. Well… we didn’t really have time for that, since Strixx had been dragging me around.

Eventually, we found a small bench in a quieter part of town and sat down. I handed Strixx an apple, and she took a bite. “Strixx likes this… smells good and tastes sweet!” she mumbled under her cloak. I smiled. “I see.”

I took a bite myself—it was just as she said

After we finished eating, I looked at Strixx. She tilted her head slightly. “What happened, Luca?”

I sighed. “Strixx, we might need to earn some travel funds.”

Strixx looked up at me from beneath her cloak. “Traveling fund?”

I nodded. “Yeah. You see, Strixx, in the world of humans, there’s a thing called money.” Strixx blinked. “Money?”

“Yes, money. It’s an object used to exchange for things—almost anything you want can be obtained with money.”

I pointed back toward the market. “For example, you saw the fruit seller from earlier, right? We can’t just take his fruit and eat it without giving something in return.” Strixx thought for a moment before looking at me. “But… he… gave… apple… and took… nothing? Even… Riko… gave… meat patty… and took… nothing?”

I sighed with a smile. “Well, you see, Strixx, sometimes people give things for free, but not all the time. In this world, you usually need to give something in order to take something in return.”

I held up a coin. “That’s where money comes in. It’s what we use to exchange for things. If we’re going to keep traveling, we’ll need money to stay at an inn—a place where you pay to sleep for a night or even a few days.” Strixx still looked confused. “Strixx don’t… think Strixx understand… but… this mony… Luca talk… of… look important…”

She hesitated for a moment before asking. “But Luca… how do we get money?”

I looked at her. “By helping people, finding a job, or selling things… but that’s not important right now.

 You’ll understand as we go. First, let’s find an inn. Since the Flower Festival is still two weeks away, we’ll need a place to stay until then.”

Strixx seemed unsure but nodded. “Actually… Strixx doesn’t understand anything properly… but… Strixx will just watch… and join what Luca do…”

I smiled at her. “Yes, yes. You’ll understand as we do this. Don’t worry, Strixx.”