A Trip to Hallogrove

Suds has only ever been able to dream of going to Hallogrove around Hattoween, ever since he was a hatchling. For a long time, though, he'd been too scared to go, especially not having a group of friends to go with him. This year, finally, some new friends agreed to go in a group with him, as long as they all stick together. There's no telling what could happen, they all agree, but the four are all curious about what's in store for the journey. All meet at one place, then take a boat over to Hallogrove. The trabble feels a chill run down his spine when they get closer, and he can't help but stare at the creepy-looking forest. At first glance of the marshy forest, all there is to see is mud thick enough to get stuck in with each step, and dead trees completely filling the land. It's unpleasant at best, he thinks to himself, but nothing impossible.

He's pulled from his thoughts as Ibiza docks the boat, blinking a few times before looking at his surroundings. The mud clumps around the sides as it's lugged onto shore, and he's further not looking forward to putting his bare feet to the surface—he can already hear the wet smacking sound of the bakiri's feet trekking across the mud. His body jolts slightly when the boat stops, and he looks down cautiously at the land below. A sudden splash—a soft sound of one, at least—causes him to jump slightly, and when he opens his eyes again, he notices it was just Nib leaping off the boat's edge, splashing some of the mud onto his small self. C-disc.0—or C, as her friends call her—steps out of the boat wordlessly behind him, though he wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't for the sound of her feet splashing the mud a little.

"Suds?" Ibiza calls ahead, concern etched in her features. "You coming?"

The trabble nods, staring down at the ground. Slowly, he reaches a foot down to the ground, pulling it back up quickly at the chill of the moist soil. With another attempt, he settles his foot down despite his discomfort, nearly slipping when the one foot is planted on the ground. He catches himself on the edge of the boat, however, keeping himself from slipping and landing in the mud—as much as he doesn’t want to admit it, it’s more the embarrassment than the dirt that he’s worried about. The chill and texture causes him to shudder, but he knows he'll get used to it eventually. Nib gives him a supportive smile and nod from a few feet in front of him, and he's feeling better already.

“I think we’re good, then,” C chirps, beginning to make her way along the path while trying not to go too far ahead. Before she can get very far, though, a heavy bakiri lands himself in front of her, causing the girl to yelp in surprise.

“Who goes there?” the larger man asks, his voice gravelly. The group huddles together, trembling slightly at his intensity—his utility belt and eye patch not quite helping with his somewhat-scary appearance. Suds clears his throat before speaking, attempting to fix his composure.

“W-We do,” he claims awkwardly, clearing his throat again. “We just wish to walk the Hallogrove path.”

The figure in front of the crew stares at them for a moment, then gives an honest chuckle.

“I know what you’re here for,” the bakiri assures, waving dismissively. “We get tons of travelers every year. The name’s Mort, I’m the gatekeeper of the Hallogrove trail. Who might you four be?”

Suds visibly relaxes with a sigh of relief, allowing himself to step out of the group huddle.

“I’m Suds,” he greets, gaining much more confidence than before. “This is Nib, Ibiza, and C-disc.0.”

With each friend listed, he gestures to them respectively, each having their own form of greeting. Mort eyes them all warily, almost analytically.

“You seen like an awfully bubbly lot,” and, unbeknownst the crew, he bites back another soft chuckle, choosing his wording based on Suds’ bubble-like colors and markings. “Are you sure you can take this?”

“We don’t know,” C pipes up, rather cheerfully, “but we won’t unless we try!”

Mort smiles at that, though it looks more of a smirk at best.

“No, you won’t, will you?” he echoes rhetorically, not a hint ice to his tone. He sighs before stepping out of the way of the entrance, though he’s not quite done yet.

“You lot be careful now, you hear?” the heavy bakiri warns, eyeing the group again. The four call out their “we will”s and “thank you”s as they all pass by with a wave. Mort shouts a quick promise that he’ll watch their boat for them as well, and with that, they were on the Hallogrove path.

It’s cold, the river breeze with the dampness on their feet, enough so to wish they’d considered sweaters or jackets. From right now at the start of the path, the night sky and the leafless trees make it eerie at worst. C starts up idle chatter to distract the rest of them from the chill and the setting, and eventually both are forgotten about as conversation keeps up.

After some time, though the group isn't sure just how much, C gasps excitedly at a shiny, mossy rock sitting perfectly by a tree. It's probably, Suds observes, the brightest thing in the forest color-wise, aside from the four friends themselves at the moment. She picks up the rock, showing it off to the other three.

"Look how pretty!" she exclaims, gleaming with joy. The other three lean in to observe it some more—it is a rather gorgeous rock. Nib is about to say something, and then the trio releases a startled gasp when the rock blinks at them. Legs appear on the living rock next, eliciting an "ooh" from the group. Nib reaches his pincers out to hold it, which C hands him gently, confused.

"I think you've found yourself a rock golem here, C."

The girl gasps excitedly again, now her turn to lean in to observe the small creature. Ibiza takes hold of the little guy next, settling it into her arms as though she were cradling a baby. She plays with the creature gently, which it seems to enjoy very much. A few moments pass, and Suds is ready to outstretch his arms to politely ask for a turn of his own, but the moment is broken when a piercing screech rips through the air. The bakiri sets the golem down gently before covering her ears to follow suit of the rest of her friends. C-disc.0 notices before the rest of her friends that the golem seems to be running with a purpose, as though on a mission, astray from the path.

"Hey!" she calls after it, breaking into a run as well. The screech stops, then, and when her friends see her running off the designated trail, they run after her in concern, also to make sure they don't lose one another. Eventually, C collapses to her knees in exhaustion, her friends not far behind. As if just beginning, the living rock is still running in the same direction with all the energy in the world.

The group is still gasping and panting on the forest floor trying to catch their breath as the creature runs out of sight into the horizon. It's Ibiza who recovers from the fiasco while the rest of her friends watch after where the rock was running. She swallows a final time before speaking, throat dry after running so fast.

"C," she speaks, slightly hoarse, though the brightly-colored bokkudo turns to her anyway, "what's going on? Why'd you take off like that?"

C-disc.0 swallows as well, finally catching her breath from the run.

"It seemed like a call," she explains, turning her body to fully face the other. "Like a mother calling a kids to dinner, but it didn't seem...pleasant, almost like it was in trouble. I wanted to see if we could catch up to see what was going on."

Suds and Nib had calmed themselves as well, C's words processing in their heads as they share a glance.

"While I agree that'd be a great idea," Suds pipes up, "I don't know if that'd be possible now. We don't know where it went, and it's much darker than...."

Than when they were on the path, he adds silently, only now realizing they strayed from the path and it's very easy to get lost from here on out. Even though he doesn't say it, the others seem to fill in the blanks.

"We can try, though. Can't we?" and C's voice sounds so hopeful Suds doesn't think any of them can deny such a thing. He and Nib share a knowing glance again, 

"I don't see why not," Nib speaks. C squeals with joy, and it seems to magically fill the group with the same motivation she has.