The light was fading in the Swamps of the Living Moss.
.png)
I must light the stoop, the old woman thought, then quickly set to the task. In defiance of Lyverian custom, the old woman allowed her fireflies to roam freely about the cabin when they were not needed in the lanterns. She had discovered that crickets were not only easy to catch, but the Razor-Fang Fireflies loved them as a sort of incentive program.
Their fangs can kill, but the ancient Palavan ways are clear: Respect given to animals will always be returned. Besides, they live long lives and the old woman considered them friends. One by one, the giant fireflies accepted their reward and flew into their respective lanterns. In their familiar and comfortable spaces, the fireflies began to glow with a tremendous light which shone out over the swamps.
Standing on the porch, the old woman could now clearly see a light in the distance, which could only mean one thing: A boat. They had made it this far. A sigh of relief filled her lungs, but was clenched short when she remembered that arriving was only half of the arduous journey. Still, she knew the Magi of the Forest would not send people in her direction unless it were a matter of utmost importance.
The old woman thought back to the last time she had visitors. They had come for answers at the Magi’s behest, just as those who traveled on tonight’s boat. The young summoner and his wife had found all the answers they sought and more, but were tragically swallowed by a giant tortoise as they were attempting to leave the swamps. Their raft had been of inferior quality, Minotaur make. Regardless of the specific circumstances of their destruction, the Swamps of the Living Moss had desired the young couple. Perhaps they had possessed a Heliostone that the old woman hadn’t known about, but surely the Magi of the Forest would have warned them of the dangers of carrying a Heliostone into the Swamps of the Living Moss.
The boat was very near now, but the last patch of water that must be crossed was deceivingly deep. Lizards, tortoises, serpents or crocodiles could emerge, and the Living Moss itself has the ability to capsize a boat, if that is its desire. The old woman muttered a quick Seed Prayer of protection for the passengers of the approaching boat, and her heart was calmed.
The old woman crossed her arms, squinted and thought to herself as the small boat reached the ground in front of the cabin: I guess in a world of stories, myths and outright lies, sometimes the truth is worth dying for.
The End
Artwork by @candycal.
Original map hand-drawn by @chrisroberts.
Edited and formatted by @carrieallen.
Lore written by @chrisroberts. He and his wife @carrieallen are currently finishing up the backstories and lore for all the Splinterlands. He will be offering sneak peeks, accompanied by brand-new artwork created by the Steem Monsters Team. Both Carrie and Chris prefer you refer to them as The Masters of Lore.😎
The Team is currently building up to launch a Kickstarter for the 150+ page campaign guidebook. Keep on the lookout for announcements and more inside scoops about the Splinterlands.
New to Steem Monsters? Check it out HERE
Hi, @steemmonsters!
You just got a 0.1% upvote from SteemPlus!
To get higher upvotes, earn more SteemPlus Points (SPP). On your Steemit wallet, check your SPP balance and click on "How to earn SPP?" to find out all the ways to earn.
If you're not using SteemPlus yet, please check our last posts in here to see the many ways in which SteemPlus can improve your Steem experience on Steemit and Busy.