{"sf1_id":2036708,"sf2_id":"Vm2LLBL1","title":"MHO - The Cult of the Crimson Isles - Chapter 5","author":"Lloxie","words":5847,"posted_at":"2023-08-12T02:56:00.000Z","tags":["Adventure","Canine","Cervidae","Cervine","Custom Species Names","Deer","Fantasy","Husky","Hybrid","Konuul","Magic","Male","Primitive","Raptuva","Scaly","Sereva","Tribal","Wolf"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2036708-mho-the-cult-of-the-crimson-isles-chapter-5","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/Vm2LLBL1","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/48/4f/484f6900-52f4-44f0-be5e-901f80334f5a","description":"#54 of Mystic Heart Odyssey\n\nAaaand yet again I had to split it because it was getting too long. XD At least this time it's a bit more of an even split. Enjoy!\n\nPlease remember to leave a comment to share any thoughts you have about this chapter! I can only grow with feedback!\n\nPosted using PostyBirb","content":"_Mystic Heart Odyssey_\n\n  \n\n_Part 5: Cult of the Crimson  \nIsles_\n\n  \n\n_Chapter 5_\n\n  \n\n_Ooookay, forget everything  \nI said about this being a shorter one. Five chapters in and we're  \nnot even halfway through yet. Oh well, hope you enjoy it anyway! And  \nas always, be sure to leave a comment letting me know your thoughts,  \nsuggestions, speculations, etc.!_\n\n  \n\n_-Llox_\n\n  \n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\n  \n\n\"It was pretty scary, but luckily we encountered this one bee that  \nwasn't one of the fighters. And she was a lot more reasonable and  \nwilling to hear us out, so before the warriors could catch up to us,  \nshe offered to carry us away from the nest. It was a pretty shaky  \nflight, definitely a little nerve-wracking, but the important thing  \nis she got us out of there safely. And after we landed, we just kind  \nof-\"\n\n  \n\n\"Thanked her and went on our way,\" Kuna quickly interjected with  \na mildly flustered expression upon hearing the subject at hand as he  \nand Hoku returned to the center of the village. He hurriedly rushed  \nover to his friend's side and shot him a look, prodding his  \nshoulder lightly. Luckily, many of the raptuva had already turned in  \nfor the night anyway- some of the younger ones quite reluctantly so  \nat the insistence of their parents- but he still didn't want to end  \nup embarrassed in front of the ones that remained.  \n\"Andabsolutelynothingelse.\"\n\n  \n\nLykou looked up and grinned. \"Oh I seem to remember we chatted a  \nbit and-\"\n\n  \n\n\"Nope! Ithinkyou'vehadtoomuchtodrink, timetosaygoodnightLykou,\"  \nthe sereva said, playfully tugging at his friend's arm as his face  \nflushed and he avoided looking at anyone in particular.\n\n  \n\n\"Ooo this sounds juicy!\" Makani commented with a big grin. \"Do  \ntell!\"\n\n  \n\nThe konuul snickered. \"Maybe in the morning,\" he said as he  \neventually stood up and stretched. \"I'm getting tired and I don't  \nwant to wake up having been rolled into the ocean by an angry  \nsereva.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Awww, come on! You can't just leave it there! I don't wanna  \nwait until morning.\"\n\n  \n\n\"They need their sleep before they continue their long journey  \ntomorrow, Kani,\" Hoku pointed out, helping Mata and a few others  \nclean up around the smoking embers of the firepit.\n\n  \n\n\"Fiiiine... but you better not leave without telling me the rest of  \nthat story!\"\n\n  \n\nLykou grinned and shot a quick glance at Kuna, before responding,  \n\"Don't worry, we won't.\"\n\n  \n\nKuna groaned and clapped his hand to his face. \"Must you?\"\n\n  \n\n\"He must, he must!\"\n\n  \n\n\"Would be rude to just leave the story unfinished, you know,\" the  \nkonuul pointed out.\n\n  \n\n\"Why must you insist on embarrassing me?\" Kuna said, blushing and  \nrubbing his forehead.\n\n  \n\n\"Because you're adorable when you're flustered.\"\n\n  \n\n\"He has a point, you know,\" Makani pointed out with a grin.\n\n  \n\n\"Hey, where are you two sleeping tonight anyway? I wasn't aware  \nanyone had spare space,\" Mata chimed in.\n\n  \n\n\"Oh, uh... we-\"\n\n  \n\n\"Put together a quick, real basic lean-to out in the woods between  \nHoku's place and here. Should be fine for just tonight,\" Kuna  \nquickly explained, gesturing off a bit further north than the spot  \nthey'd actually picked out, just to be on the safe side. \"We're  \nkind of used to doing stuff like that by now.\"\n\n  \n\n\"I'm sorry none of us had any space to offer,\" Hoku said. \"Is  \nthere anything else you'll need?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Nah. There's no hostile critters around here that we have to  \nworry about, right?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Not really, certainly not so close to a village.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Then we should be fine.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Alright, well, sleep well you two.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, and remember- join us for breakfast and don't leave  \nwithout telling us the rest of your story and saying bye!\"\n\n  \n\nLykou chuckled. \"Will do, Kani.\"\n\n  \n\nKuna rolled his eyes and sighed, but then smiled over at Hoku.  \n\"G'night Hoku. Was nice walking and chatting with you.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Likewise, Kuna. Sleep well and sweet dreams.\"\n\n  \n\n\"You too.\"\n\n  \n\nAfter telling the others goodnight, the boys left and started making  \ntheir way towards their camping spot- taking a slightly indirect  \nroute in order to throw off any potential curious or suspicious  \nwatchers that might have had any ideas of tracking them down in the  \nnight. Everyone had seemed friendly enough, but they still felt like  \nthe extra precaution was a good idea. And in any case, it gave them a  \nlittle extra chance to chat just between themselves before bed.\n\n  \n\n\"So it seems like you really hit it off with Hoku,\" Lykou chimed  \nin after they were out of the village proper. Luckily, their eyes had  \nadjusted to the dark enough that they could navigate reasonably well  \nby moonlight- and with the sky being so clear and the forest being  \nless dense near the beach, they had plenty of it to rely on. \"You  \nboth seem to have warmed up to each other pretty quick.\"\n\n  \n\nKuna smiled. \"Yeah, I think we kind of have a fair bit in common  \nhonestly. I think, uh...\" He paused to scratch his head. \"I think  \nthe practice with my soul magic is starting to give me more insight  \ninto people, if that makes any sense.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Oh really? How so?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Well, it's really surface level and uncommon, but I've kinda  \nstarted to notice that with certain people, I get this... I don't  \nknow, vague sort of impression about them that I can't explain.  \nOnly a few so far- Moyra was the first, I think. And then Aelana-  \nafter that initial little freakout, I mean. And to some extent I  \nthink it was always a subconscious thing I used to get around most  \nspirits, especially galdra.\"\n\n  \n\n\"That's interesting... do you suppose it's just something with  \nthem being other magic users?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Well no, because I got it with Hoku, too, just tonight, and I  \nthink I may have also kind of gotten it around Faergus shortly after  \nwe met... I think. Can't quite remember, since a lot happened after  \nthat.\"\n\n  \n\n\"What kind of feeling is it, exactly?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Just kind of a... 'the world is telling me this individual, if  \nnothing else, is safe to be around' kind of thing, I guess. Heh,  \nyou know how I usually am around new people, so I guess it's just  \nextra noticeable when I suddenly feel more at ease around someone.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, that's for sure.\" Lykou smiled and rubbed his friend's  \nback gently. \"But hey, I'm glad you two got along so well. What'd  \nyou talk about while you were gone? Took you quite a while to just  \ngrab a basket of fish.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Various things. She was curious about my magic, of course. And we  \ntalked a lot about spirits, too. She's _really_ not fond of  \nhow those red cloaks have changed certain things around here, and I  \ncan't say I entirely blame her. You know those stones we found?\"\n\n  \n\n\"The uh... 'Tears of Tuimana'?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Yyyyeah, not so much. Apparently they sort of co-opted those to  \nsuit their narrative, but they used to be called Pelenock Teeth,  \nafter these little spirit things that sound like something you'd  \nlove.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Oh really?\" the konuul asked, smirking. \"How so?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Well, they sound like kind of a combination of fire and stone  \nspirit, that supposedly smoothed out the islands and covered them in  \nsand by chewing up a whole bunch of stone that used to cover them,  \nmaking all kinds of sparks and regularly shedding teeth for new  \nones.\"\n\n  \n\n\"That... does sound pretty neat, I have to admit. I wonder if we'll  \nsee any?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Dunno. I got the impression Tuimana and his... or its, whatever,  \nfollowers spooked any lesser spirits into either leaving or keeping  \nout of sight.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Aw, that's a shame.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Yeah... apparently, these folks used to pray to, or at least  \nacknowledge all sorts of spirits, until that group came along and  \nbasically said 'Tuimana is in charge so no need to worry yourself  \nwith the rest' or something.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Well that doesn't seem right...\"\n\n  \n\n\"Tell me about it. Poor Hoku's not happy about it. She's...  \nactually pretty spiritual herself. She still prays to a bunch of  \nthem, but not really asking for things- just kind of 'hey, miss you  \nguys, hope you're good, here's how my day went' kind of thing.  \nWhich seems kind of sweet if you ask me.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Aww, yeah, it does!\" Lykou frowned a bit. \"I wish there was  \nsomething we could do...\"\n\n  \n\n\"Don't even think about stirring shit up with the red cloaks,  \nLykou,\" Kuna warned, shooting him a quick look. \"I share the  \nsentiment, but just... no.\"\n\n  \n\n\"No, I know, I wouldn't want to risk causing a bunch of drama on  \nthe island or anything. I was just thinking more like... I wish we  \ncould get some of those other spirits to come back and visit Hoku or  \nsomething. Just something to cheer her up, you know?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Yeah... if only.\" They walked in silence for a minute, then the  \nsereva took a deep breath. \"...supposedly Tuimana isn't the only  \ngod around here though.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Oh?\" Lykou asked, his eyes widening slightly. \"I thought  \nspirits that powerful were rare...\"\n\n  \n\n\"I mean, I'm pretty sure they still are. But, well... supposedly  \nshe met one in person when she was little.\"\n\n  \n\n\"...come again? She _met_ one??\"\n\n  \n\n\"Mhmm.\" The sereva proceeded to tell the canid Hoku's story.\n\n  \n\n\"Uh-huh...\" Lykou was more than a bit dubious, as indicated by  \nhis faint smirk. \"I mean, interesting story, but she was just a kid  \nat the time, after all. Sounds like it might be something her mind  \nwould make up to make sense of-\"\n\n  \n\n\"I would think the same if I hadn't seen it too.\"\n\n  \n\n\"What.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Or at least... I think I did.\"\n\n  \n\nLykou stared sidelong at him silently for a moment as they continued  \nwalking. \"...you going to explain that?\"\n\n  \n\n\"When we were on the boat, I was looking down into the water at one  \npoint, and... I could've sworn I saw these two massive glowing eyes  \npeer up at me from the depths, for just a moment. At the time, when I  \npointed it out to her, she brushed it off as probably just either  \nbeing a trick of the light on the waves or some big fish swimming  \naround down there. But the more I think back on it... I dunno. Those  \ndefinitely looked like eyes, and I... I think I _felt_  \nsomething. Like when I feel mystical energies that I don't have a  \ngrasp over- I know they're there, vaguely, but just out of reach.  \nOnly it felt... big. Faint, but huge.\"\n\n  \n\n\"...shit. That's... definitely something. Damn. Did she tell you  \nwhat this supposed god's name was?\"\n\n  \n\nKuna shook his head. \"She doesn't know. It didn't tell her- or  \nat least, not in a way she could understand. She's been kind of  \nawkwardly praying to it since it apparently saved her life, though.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Well yeah, that makes sense... still, though. Wow.\" After a  \nmoment the canid smirked. \"I wonder if Sulyr might know the thing.  \nSince he's a decently powerful water spirit too, after all.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Hey, he was pretty big for a rima, but I'm pretty sure he's  \nnowhere near god-level. Not to mention that was a totally different  \npart of the world.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Heh, true. Wonder how he's doing anyway?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Who knows. Kind of surprised you're thinking about him, though.\"  \nIt was Kuna's turn to smirk and prod his friend. \"What's wrong,  \ncraving a waterjob again?\"\n\n  \n\nLykou stumbled slightly in surprise, then snickered and nudged the  \nsereva playfully. \"I'll show you 'waterjob'... the beach  \nisn't that far away you know. And you're easy to carry.\"\n\n  \n\nKuna giggled and stuck his tongue out at the konuul. Eventually, they  \nmade it to their chosen camping spot, and he conjured up his magic,  \nquickly setting up their shelter for the night. Afterwards, he and  \nLykou worked on making it look discrete before crawling inside  \ntogether and sealing off the entrance. \"Goodnight, Kou.\"\n\n  \n\n\"G'night, Ku,\" Lykou replied, cuddling up with the sereva as  \nthey quickly began to doze off.\n\n  \n\nThe magic had not gone unnoticed, however. A pair of eyes peered down  \nat them from behind a patch of ferns at the top of a hill near them.  \nThe owner took one last wide-eyed look at where their shelter was  \nbefore turning and scrambling off into the night, stumbling over  \nseveral times in his excitement.\n\n  \n\nA short time later, he arrived, somewhat out of breath, at an  \nencampment at the base of the mountain, tucked away from the various  \nbeaten paths between villages.\n\n  \n\n\"Kalei, what are you doing back here this early? You're a way  \nfrom your post, you damn-\"\n\n  \n\n\"M... magic user!\" the one called Kalei finally managed to say.  \n\"S... strangers. Not raptuva.\"\n\n  \n\n\"...what?\"\n\n  \n\nAnother individual walked over. \"What's going on here?\"\n\n  \n\n\"This idiot says there are strangers on the island. Non-raptuvan.  \nAnd supposedly one used magic.\"\n\n  \n\n\"...is that true, recruit?\"\n\n  \n\nKalei quickly nodded. \"Yes! I saw it with my own eyes! And not only  \nthat, it... it was like the Speaker's!\"\n\n  \n\n\"BLASPHEMY!\" the second figure snapped. \"I should rip your  \ntongue-\"\n\n  \n\n\"N-no, I swear it! On my life, with Tuimana as my witness! He made  \nthe plants grow and change!\"\n\n  \n\nThe other two shared a look. Finally one of them, presumably the  \nhighest ranking, turned to the other and said, \"Send word up the  \nmountain. He'll definitely want to know.\" He turned back to  \nKalei. \"And if you're lying, you can expect-... well, you know  \nwhat you can expect,\" he added with a dark chuckle. \"Now go on,  \nget out of here.\"\n\n  \n\n\"S-sir? What should I do?\"\n\n  \n\n\"What do you think?? Get back to your post and keep an eye on them  \nuntil they leave the village.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Y-yes sir!\" Kalei said, then quickly darted off into the night.\n\n  \n\n\\*\\*\\*\\*\\*\n\n  \n\nThe next morning, Lykou sat near the empty firepit along with a  \nnumber of villagers that were eagerly listening to him continue their  \nstory over breakfast. Much to Kuna's chagrin and at Makani's  \ninsistance, he didn't skip the part about a certain giant harvester  \nbee's commentary. The sereva just sat off in the corner and hid his  \nface as he tried to focus on finishing breakfast without meeting  \nanyone's gaze, blushing the whole time.\n\n  \n\nAfter thinking a minute, Hoku smirked and joined him. When he'd  \nfinished eating, she gave him a gentle nudge. \"Hey. How would you  \nlike to show me those art skills you told me you practice?\"\n\n  \n\nKuna perked up slightly. \"Oh, uh.... Sure?\" He looked around a  \nmoment, then spotted a stick and started doodling in the sand. But he  \nwas taken aback when she grabbed his hand and chuckled. \"Not like  \nthat. Kind of hard to make things out in the sand like that.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Er, okay,\" the sereva said, looking around in confusion. \"Then,  \nuh... where, and how-?\"\n\n  \n\nShe stood up again and gently tugged his arm. \"There's an old  \ntradition from our peoples' traveling days that I want to revive.  \nFollow m-\"\n\n  \n\n\"Hold that thought,\" the chief interrupted, having overheard  \nthem, as he walked over to join them. \"I think I know the tradition  \nyou mean.\"\n\n  \n\nHoku looked a bit surprised, not to mention a bit anxious and  \ndisheartened. \"Is... is there a problem with it?\"\n\n  \n\nA smile slowly came across the old chief's face. \"Only that you  \nthought to be so selfish as to keep it on your shack out where only  \nyou and occasionally Makani would see it. He should use the  \nlonghouse.\"\n\n  \n\n\"...really?\" Hoku asked, perking up. \"I didn't think-\"\n\n  \n\n\"Hokulani, those days may be past, but that doesn't mean I don't  \nappreciate the stories as much as you do. Or artistic talent.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Uh, n-not to interrupt, but... what are you two getting at?\"  \nKuna asked somewhat anxiously.\n\n  \n\nThey both grinned, then the chief gently set a hand on the sereva's  \nshoulder. \"Come with me, I'll show you. Fetch the paints, Hoku.\"\n\n  \n\nWithout even saying a word, Hoku rushed off in an unusual display of  \nexcitement. As she did, Kawelo guided Kuna to the other end of the  \nvillage, to a large building whose roof appeared to be made from the  \nhull of a canoe- only it was far, far bigger than any canoe he'd  \npreviously seen. Not that he'd seen many, of course, but it easily  \ndwarfed the boat Hoku and Kani used. The sides of the structure were  \nflatter and smoother than most of the other structures, apparently  \nmade of some kind of white clay, with thick wooden beams serving as  \nreinforcement at regular intervals. A few slatted wooden window  \nframes were built into the sides, which the chief opened before  \npulling back the thick, heavy curtain blocking the entrance, then led  \nhim inside.\n\n  \n\nKuna was immediately captivated by the sight inside the structure-  \nseveral of the walls were covered by various paintings of people,  \nboats, creatures, and plants. And the fact that they were all in  \ndifferent styles suggested that they were definitely made by a number  \nof different people. They all looked quite old, however- worn down  \nfrom ages and occasionally missing bits where whatever they had used  \nfor paint had either faded or flaked off.\n\n  \n\n\"As I'm sure Hokulani has told you, our people used to sail  \naround the ocean quite a bit, and we used to get visitors more as  \nwell. An old raptuvan tradition was for visitors to leave some sort  \nof art or crafstmanship behind wherever they visited. We used to  \nstore such things here, but one of my predecessors was particularly  \nfond of paintings, and the way they can tell a story. So, for this  \nvillage in particular, it became a tradition to invite visitors in to  \nleave their mark on the wall.\"\n\n  \n\nKuna carefully looked over the various paintings with fascination.  \nMost of them were clearly raptuva in various styles, some wearing  \nunique clothing, while others bravely faced off against monsters  \nbursting from the water; there were also various depictions of  \nnature, including a small but beautiful mural showing the sun dawning  \nover a valley with a river winding down the middle. And intriguingly,  \nthere were a few non-raptuvan people visible as well, though they  \nweren't familiar looking to Kuna at all either- mostly. Suddenly,  \nhe stopped and gawked at one in particular, tucked away in the  \ncorner. The people depicted looked almost certainly to be some kind  \nof konuul. Some of the details were different- slightly different fur  \npatterns and there was slightly less natural curl to their tails, but  \notherwise it looked startlingly similar to his canid friend's  \npeople.\n\n  \n\n\"These... these look like-\"\n\n  \n\n\"Oh, that's interesting,\" the chief said as he walked over and  \nrubbed his chin. \"They do resemble your... friend, don't they?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Who were they? How old is this one?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Oh, I'm afraid I couldn't say. Their names are long forgotten.  \nThe most recent of any of these paintings go back to when I myself  \nwas a young one. And without context, I suppose they're largely a  \nmystery now.\"\n\n  \n\nThe image depicted a trio of individuals. The two on the side lacked  \nmuch distinction, though they clearly looked canine in nature. They  \nwere standing to either side of a central figure, which was somewhat  \nmore defined. The middle figure had what looked like a dark blue  \ncloak- whose exact color notably wasn't visible in any of the  \npaints in any of the other paintings- and was casually holding what  \nlooked like a cup in one hand in front of itself, the other hand  \nperched in their hip. And whereas most other paintings at that scale  \ntended to lack much in the way of facial details, this central figure  \nwas at least granted two dots for eyes- and Kuna thought he could  \njust barely make out a tiny, faint smirk on its face, faded over  \ntime.\n\n  \n\nOddly, despite the minor detail- many other larger paintings had a  \nlot more- the central figure almost felt alive. Kuna couldn't shake  \nthe feeling he was actually being looked at.\n\n  \n\nHe managed to snap out of his fascination and pull himself away when  \nthe curtain opened up again as Hoku slipped inside with a tray filled  \nwith small wooden cups and bowls filled with various substances in  \ndifferent colors- mostly paste-like, but a few were runnier. She set  \nthe collection down next to Kuna as Kawelo patted the sereva's  \nshoulder. \"Lykou has his way of telling your story. I'm curious  \nto see your own. Just have some fun with it,\" he said before  \nturning to leave. \"And use as much space as you want- not like we  \nget visitors very often these days anyway.\"\n\n  \n\nAs the chief left, Hoku grinned at Kuna. \"Isn't it great? So many  \npeople, so many stories...\"\n\n  \n\n\"Yeah... too bad everyone seems to have forgotten the details.\"  \nThe sereva went back to staring at the unknown konuul. \"Lykou  \nshould see this before we leave.\"\n\n  \n\nShe moved over to look where he was looking, then her eyes widened.  \n\"Oh... oh wow. How have I never noticed that one before?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Well, it's just one image and it's tucked away in a corner, so  \nit'd be easy to miss...\"\n\n  \n\n\"I guess,\" she said, looking the image over. \"So strange,  \nthough. Doesn't seem to connect to any of the other paintings...\"\n\n  \n\nKuna bent down and picked up one of the bowls, examining the pasty  \nsubstance inside. \"What's this made of?\"\n\n  \n\nShe leaned over and looked at the bowl. \"Hmm, I think that one's  \nsome kind of berries and clay, maybe some other things.\" She  \nsmirked. \"Wouldn't recommend tasting it, just in case. Its for  \npainting, after all.\"\n\n  \n\nThe sereva smirked and dipped a finger into the paste and drew a line  \non an empty patch of wall. \"I know.\"\n\n  \n\n\"You know, I might be able to find some kind of brush you can use,  \nif you want.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Brush?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, you know... like a stick, but with hair or something  \nattached to the end? That way you don't get as messy.\"\n\n  \n\nHe arched a brow, then shrugged. \"I'm used to using my fingers,  \never since I was little.\"\n\n  \n\n\"I bet you were adorably messy,\" she teased, then chuckled,  \nmaking him blush a bit. \"What'd you use for paint?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Whatever I could. After a certain point I mostly just doodled in  \nthe dirt, though, since it wasn't like I had anything else to work  \nwith.\"\n\n  \n\nShe frowned. \"Really? Nothing?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Given the circumstances... nope,\" he said as he continued  \ncarefully shaping out a figure on the wall, then let out a sardonic  \nlaugh. \"Ironically, I think being abandoned gave me more chances to  \ndo this kind of thing. After I found a cave to hide out in, anyway.  \nDidn't have to worry about pissing anyone off. Only had mud and  \nmaybe sometimes some extra berries I stumbled across to paint with  \nthough, usually.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Damn, Kuna... I'm so sorry.\"\n\n  \n\nHe shrugged again and flashed her a faint apologetic smile. \"Sorry,  \ndon't mean to sound all gloomy all of the sudden. Thanks for  \nbringing me these. This is... nice.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Hey, no problem. I'm glad you agreed to it.\" She moved over  \nnext to him and watched him paint. \"There's a cup of water down  \nthere if you need it. Starting with Lykou, huh?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Mhmm. He's the first one I met on our journey, after all,\" he  \nexplained with a smile.\n\n  \n\nShe grinned back and playfully, but carefully nudged his side. \"Just  \ndon't forget to add yourself there, too.\"\n\n  \n\n\"I will, I will.\"\n\n  \n\nAfter he'd been painting a while, Lykou walked in and looked  \naround, with Makani following along behind him. \"Oh wow...\"\n\n  \n\nKuna looked up from his painting and smiled. \"Hey Kou. I'll try  \nto finish up soo-\"\n\n  \n\n\"Nah, you take your time, I'll just work on my instrument until  \nyou're done. It's nice to see you enjoying yourself,\" the  \nkonuul said, smiling over at his friend. \"Looks really good, by the  \nway.\"\n\n  \n\nThe sereva blushed. \"Thanks... really nice to have so many colors  \nto work with. I could get used to doing this...\"\n\n  \n\n\"Hey, we'll make sure you get plenty of chances back at  \nLakefire,\" the canid assured him.\n\n  \n\n\"Oooo, is that what the shakonu look like??\" Makani commented,  \nlooking over the sereva's shoulder. \"So cool and weird!\"\n\n  \n\n\"Hey, careful not to get in his way, Kani,\" Hoku reminded her,  \ngently tugging the other raptuva's arm.\n\n  \n\nMakani grinned sheepishly and backed up slightly. \"Right, sorry!\"\n\n  \n\nKuna chuckled. \"You're fine. And yep, that's a shakonu. They're  \nbig people, but really nice once they know you're not a threat.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Hey, if you're up for it, you should try drawing the echo one we  \nsaw. What was his name again?\"\n\n  \n\nKuna thought for a moment, rubbing his chin and inadvertently  \nsmearing some yellow-ish paint on it. \"...Tareq, I think. And sure,  \nI can give that a shot. Should be fun drawing him, heh.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Is that a lepne?\" Hoku asked, pointing to a long-eared figure.\n\n  \n\n\"Mhmm. Specifically, Faergus, since he was the first one we met.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Wow. Did they all have those blue markings?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Nah, just the more... warrior-like ones. And it was dyed into  \ntheir fur, not natural.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Oh, that makes sense...\" Hoku said, looking around at some of  \nthe older paintings. \"Seems like a common theme for some people to  \npaint their bodies for certain roles.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, a while back I was showing him how some of our hunters do  \nsomething like that for luck on their hunts,\" Lykou chimed in. \"We  \neven ended up painting each other. It was a rainy day so we were  \nstuck in the cave we slept in anyway. It was fun.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Oh yeah, that was a nice day,\" Kuna said, smiling as he thought  \nback to their little mutual makeup fun, and subsequent goofing  \naround.\n\n  \n\n\"It sure was.\" The konuul let him paint in silence for a bit,  \nminus occasional interrupting questions from Makani, while he walked  \naround, looking at the other, older paintings decorating sections of  \nwall.\n\n  \n\nKuna eventually glanced over at him and gestured to the one corner.  \n\"Oh hey, Lykou... go look over there. There's uh... one small one  \nin particular that I think you'll find very... interesting.\n\n  \n\n\"Oh really?\" Lykou walked over to search the corner. When he  \neventually spotted the image in question, his eyes grew wide and he  \nstared at it for a moment, transfixed. \"Hey... are those...?\"\n\n  \n\n\"Sure looks like it, doesn't it?\"\n\n  \n\nMakani rushed over to see for herself. \"Wait, we were visited by  \nother konuul in the past??\"\n\n  \n\n\"Apparently. Or people that look a lot like them, anyway,\" Hoku  \nsaid, tilting her head at the image. \"Must have been a really long  \ntime ago though.\"\n\n  \n\n\"No tribe emblem though, that's strange,\" Lykou mentioned,  \nscratching his head. \"I wonder who they were... especially the one  \nin the middle.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Or where they came from, exactly,\" Hoku added. \"No offense,  \nbut I can't imagine people as fluffy as you settling anywhere even  \nclose to these islands, so they must have come from a pretty long way  \naway.\"\n\n  \n\n\"No kidding...\"\n\n  \n\nAnother hour or two passed as Kuna continued painting. Lykou took a  \ngood chunk of time just looking over and appreciating the other  \nimages on the wall before eventually sitting down to work on his  \ninstrument. Meanwhile their raptuva companions chatted idly with  \nthem, both contemplating the background of the other images and  \nasking questions about Kuna's depictions. On a few occasions, one  \nof them left to fetch a clean cup of water for the sereva. In the  \nend, he and his poncho were thoroughly covered in little smears of  \npaint, but he seemed quite happy regardless.\n\n  \n\n\"That looks amazing, Ku,\" Lykou said, wrapping an arm around the  \nsereva and admiring the fresh paintings. \"Heh, I'm surprised you  \neven added Ink down there.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Hey, whatever I think of her, she _is_ the reason we're on  \nthis journey in the first place. And, well,\" he paused, glancing  \naround to make sure no other raptuva had entered or were listening  \nin, then continued in a lower voice. \"She did teach me to use  \nmagic, anyway.\"\n\n  \n\n\"So that's the creepy powerful lady you mentioned, huh?\" Makani  \nsaid, leaning in to examine the figure. \"Spooooky~\"\n\n  \n\n\"Wow... so many fascinating people out there,\" Hoku mused, a hint  \nof jealousy creeping into her voice. \"Wish I could meet them.\"\n\n  \n\nKuna and Lykou shared a look, then the former gently rubbed her  \nshoulder. \"Hey, maybe you'll get more visitors soon. Or your  \npeople will get another navigator sometime and you can go exploring  \nwith them.\"\n\n  \n\nHoku smiled faintly. \"Kind of doubt it at this rate, but maybe.\"\n\n  \n\nKuna sighed and looked down at the mess on his fingers and poncho-  \nnot even aware of the bits he'd managed to get on his face. \"Well...  \nI better go get cleaned up so we can get going.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Hey, that old thing looks good with some extra colors on it,\"  \nLykou pointed out.\n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, better than just the old bloodstains anyway,\" Kuna  \nretorted with a smirk.\n\n  \n\n\"Hey Kani, go let the chief know Kuna's done, I'm sure he'll  \nwant to see the end result. I'll put the paints away.\"\n\n  \n\nLykou packed away his instrument while Kuna went to wash his hands  \nand face off in the sea, setting his poncho aside temporarily while  \nhe did so. He figured the little bit of salt wouldn't be too big a  \ndeal, and he'd probably try and clean up again later in some fresh  \nwater wherever they camped for the night anyway. Once he was cleaned  \nup and reunited with his friend, the chief approached, along with a  \ngroup of other villagers.\n\n  \n\n\"Your painting is very beautiful, Kuna,\" Kawelo said, with a few  \nothers that'd seen it voicing their agreement.\n\n  \n\nKuna blushed and rubbed his shoulder. \"Thank you for letting me  \npaint it. It was... well, I really, really enjoyed getting the chance  \nto do that. More than you probably know.\"\n\n  \n\n\"We will cherish its addition to the longhouse for years to come,\"  \nthe chief assured him. He then adopted a more serious, somewhat  \ncurious expression. \"But now I must ask- where are you two headed  \nnow? Especially without a boat. And I may not personally know every  \ninch of the island, but I'm sure we'd all know if there was one  \nof these... 'magic portal arches' you mentioned around here  \nsomewhere.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Oh, uhhh-\"\n\n  \n\n\"To pay their respects to Tuimana, of course,\" Makani quickly  \nanswered with a subtle wink to the boys. \"It'd be rude to visit  \nhis islands without going to say hi, right? They mentioned they were  \nheading that way yesterday on the boat ride over.\"\n\n  \n\n\"R-right!\" Lykou quickly agreed with a slightly nervous smile of  \nhis own. He'd told them about the portals, but skipped over the  \nfact that they'd been having to use Kuna's magic to activate  \nthem. \"The, um... re-\"\n\n  \n\n\"Y-yeah, I'm sure the Order of the Enlightened will certainly be  \nable to help you find one somewhere,\" Hoku interjected quickly,  \nrubbing her arm with a fairly forced grin.\n\n  \n\nThe chief slowly nodded. \"Ah, yes... that... that would make sense.  \nIn that case, I suggest you follow the marked trail behind our  \nvillage- there are a number of them connected the villages on this  \nisland, and the ones leading up the mountain are marked with red  \nstripes on the trees near it. It's a bit indirect, but trust me,  \nit's easier and safer that way.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Thanks for the tip, we'll definitely do that,\" Lykou quickly  \nreplied.\n\n  \n\n\"Safe, safe is good,\" Kuna agree with a wooden grin of his own.\n\n  \n\n\"I'll take them to it and see them off,\" Hoku quickly  \nvolunteered, then hurried over to start subtly urging the boys in  \nthat direction.\n\n  \n\n\"Well then, farewell you two. It has been an honor meeting you  \nboth.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Yeah, we'll miss you guys!\" Kani agreed.\n\n  \n\n\"Thank you all for your hospitality, it's been wonderful!\"  \nLykou said with a more sincere smile. \"It's been great meeting  \nyou all.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Thanks for the stories, Lykou,\" Mata chimed in, followed by a  \nslew of other similar sentiments from the others present as people  \nsurrounded them to offer them well wishes, pats on the back, and so  \non as they passed through towards the trail the chief mentioned.  \n\"Hope you both visit again some day.\"\n\n  \n\nOnce they were finally outside the village, the boys turned to bid  \nHoku a proper farewell. \"Definitely don't go up that way if you  \ncan avoid it,\" she quickly told them once she was sure nobody had  \nfollowed them. \"The red cloaks mostly hang out on the mountain,  \nespecially further up. That shrine is their headquarters.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Are they really that dangerous?\" Lykou asked, glancing warily up  \nthe trail. \"Even if we keep Kuna's magic secret?\"\n\n  \n\n\"It's... I can't prove anything obviously, but let's just say  \nI have a bad feeling about what might happen if you stumbled across  \nthem. Just call it intuition. They don't really like not being in  \ncontrol of things, and you two arriving is definitely something that  \nmight throw that control into question.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Fair enough, we'll steer clear of them if we can.\"\n\n  \n\n\"You definitely don't have to tell me twice,\" Kuna said with a  \nslight twitch. After a moment, he grinned a bit, then suddenly  \nstepped forward and hugged Hoku, taking her by surprise. \"Thanks,  \nHoku. It was great meeting you.\"\n\n  \n\nLykou chuckled. \"Told you he was a hugger, deep down.\"\n\n  \n\nHoku grinned as well after a moment and returned the embrace. \"So I  \nsee.\" After they parted, she turned and hugged Lykou as well.  \n\"Well, fair is fair then.\"\n\n  \n\nThe konuul returned the embrace. \"Give one to Kani for me too when  \nyou see her again.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Will do. Be safe you two. Hope your journey home isn't too much  \nlonger.\" She smirked before turning to leave. \"But I hope  \nwhatever's left of it continues to be good and interesting.\"\n\n  \n\n\"...as long as it's good-interesting,\" Kuna added.\n\n  \n\n\"Of course. But I'm sure you two can handle it either way.\" She  \nwinked, then sprinted off.\n\n  \n\nThe sereva took a deep breath after she left, then turned to his  \ncompanion, his smile fading. \"Well... let's re-do that spell real  \nquick.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Oh? Why, did you do something that interfered with it last night  \nor something?\"\n\n  \n\n\"No, I uh...\" Kuna fidgeted and adjusted his poncho. \"I'm  \nhoping it's wrong.\"\n\n  \n\nLykou gave him a dubious look. \"Huh? Why is that?\"\n\n  \n\n\"...it feels like its pointing us either up the mountain or to the  \nother side of it.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Shit. Alright, let's hope it's a fluke.\"\n\n  \n\nAfter a quick re-cast confirmed what Kuna had sensed before, he  \ndeflated a bit. \"Dammit. Maybe we should try going around the  \nmountain...\"\n\n  \n\n\"Kuna. You saw how big this island was from the other one. That'd  \ntake forever. And then what if it's actually _on_ the  \nmountain?\"\n\n  \n\nThe sereva sighed. \"Yeah, I know. But you heard what Hoku said.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Hey, look, we'll just... be extra careful, alright? We'll  \navoid getting too close to any other villages and stay off the  \ntrails. Even if we do come across those... 'red cloaks', maybe  \nthey're not as bad as we think. Hoku's nice, but maybe she's  \njust a little paranoid, you know?\"\n\n  \n\n\"I guess... but let's still do our best to avoid them.\"\n\n  \n\n\"Definitely.\"\n\n  \n\nAs they turned to begin their trek up the enormous mountain, a  \ncertain colorful bird sat on a high tree branch, silently watching  \nthem go.\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Mystic Heart Odyssey","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2034927-mho-cult-of-the-crimson-isles-chapter-4.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2038134-mho-the-cult-of-the-crimson-isles-chapter-6.json"}}