[Unleashed Squiid]

Silence. All that could be heard was silence. As soon as the last echo bounced off of the lonely walls and the last trace of noise faded away, she knew it was over. Everything was over. The beast had been slain, the royal family freed, and equilibrium restored to the kingdom. This was exactly the way a hero could dream of the events playing out, so why did she feel so empty. Shouldn't this be a happy time?

"We did it," Eden breathed, finally breaking the moment. She stared down at her own paws, and then to the chamber where the monster once resided, haunting everyone in the kingdom. Yet it would do it for no longer, for now it was dead. Eden began to walk away but paused, and glanced backwards. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, but was not rewarded with any response. Her friend just stood, unmoving, as if she were carved from stone.

In her mind, Calypso knew she should be cheering and racing through the halls. She should be skipping outside, where the royal family had escaped and were awaiting her arrival, but to Calypso this was not a happy time. For this freedom; this new and fresh beginning, many things had died. Many creatures' lives, though evil, had been taken by her own blade. It was sickening to her, and the kalon knew that even if she were to leave this place, she would never quite return home. A tiny piece of "Calypso" had died along with those beasts. And just like them, it would never return.

Calypso looked up at Eden, who was looking worried. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, then began to walk away. Outside, the royalty, consisting of the king, queen, and two daughters, stood, looking down upon them with melancholy smiles. They seemed to understand just what the two had been though, and Calypso knew that though they hid it well, they had been through even worse. A layer of connection seemed for form in that moment. No words were needed to pass on these emotions. As it seemed, those four weathered kalons already knew how she felt.

The silence was once again stolen by the queen. "Thank you," she said, though her voice sounded soft and fragile. Almost broken, but not quite shattered. Calypso knew that with time, it would heal. Everybody here would heal. She nodded to the queen, and then did a curtsy to show her respect. To her shock, the queen echoed her movements. Calypso's eyes widened, but she said nothing. The wordless emotion came back to her, and once again, she understood.

Then, Eden turned away and just stared out, over the world for a while. Calypso handed the queen a match, and in return, received a puzzled look. "There's an explosive gas inside of the castle," she whispered. "You do the honors." The queen nodded. Everyone looked to the floor with the weight which began to press down on each of them, as if gravity had doubled itself. Tension rose slowly, eating at each of their souls. The match was lit. And the six kalons, all so deeply effected from this evil castle, watched as it filled the sky with fire. It was all over, now.

The mystique filled the air, leaving Calypso feeling bittersweet. She turned to her friend, feeling different. "C'mon, Eden," she said, "Let's go home."

[lovage]

Party /// Cinna, Artemis, and Feliks
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁
They walked towards the nearby city. Artemis helped out Hera
and Hestia to the nearby hospital. Feliks and Cinna booked a
room at a nearby inn for a few nights before going home. Word
soon spread that the brave Kalons were located in their city.
They were told of the three day festival taking place the next day
and that the town would provide any needed items for their stay.
The festival soon started at dawn.
▁Day 1 of the Festival▁▁▁▁
The town was kind enough to provide the trio some comfortable
clothes, instead of them wearing their smelly armour to the
festival. Artemis wore a pale orange medieval dress. She added
a white flower crown for a small touch. Cinna wore a light blue
medieval dress. Feliks wore some simple clothing with some
armour over it. His fluff covered up the scar, he got from the
battle, but wore some bandages over it to stop any bleeding.
As they left the inn, the town was filled with booths for the
festival. Kits ran together to both to both. They cheered in
happiness every now and then. Adults stayed back and chatted
in groups. Salesmen shouted loudly what they were selling to
catch the attention of others The festival was buzzing wit
life and excitement.
Artemis ran off to the hospital to see how Hera and Hestia
were doing. "Well, do you want to wander around to see what's
all here?" Feliks asked. Cinna didn't reply, but started to walked
away. "Cinna, what do you have around your waist?" Feliks asked,
his curiosity got the better of him. She sharply turned around
to face Feliks. "Hera's wand is in this pouch, a sword and some
coins, did that answer your question?" Cinna said. He didn't reply
to that. She drew out her sword and pointed it towards Feliks.
"Next time, expect another scar." Cinna said coldly. She walked
away while holding her sword. "Okay?" Feliks said confused. He
followed her from a distance. Cinna stopped to turn around, but
Feliks turned around before she saw him. She rushed into an
alleyway before vanishing. He walked around the festival before
bumping into Artemis. "Have you seen Cinna?" Feliks asked.
"No. Have you seen booths for bread and cloaks?" Artemis said.
"No for the cloaks, yes for bread. Head straight then take
the first right, and it should be on your left." he said. Artemis
nodded then dashed off to find it. Feliks saw a sign for a sword
fight taking place at ten a.m. He walked over to were it was
taking place because he had nothing better to do. The walk was
short, but felt long because of the streets being so crowded.
Feliks found a seat in the stand just as the first round was starting.
Two Kalons, dressed in full armour. They drew out their swords
before the round started. They rushed towards the other. Their
swords clashed against each other. Feliks watch one then realized
that they had Cinna's sword. They glanced up into the stands and
met Feliks's eye. They were caught off guard and they were pinned
against the ground. "Round one is over!" the announcer said. The
crowd cheered with delight as the winner was announced. Feliks
didn't join the cheering, but ran down the stairs and jumped the
fence. "Hey, you! You stole my friend's sword." Feliks said.
"What do you mean? This is my sword." they said, backing away
from Feliks.
Feliks grabbed a sword that was on the ground. "Feliks, don't
do it!" a voice shouted. He turned to see Artemis standing
by the fence.
"Why, Artemis? They are a thief." Feliks shouted angrily.
"It's me, Feliks." they said. They removed their helmet to reveal
that they were Cinna. "Yeah, they only let males enter into the
tournament so I had to cover my face because they would of
known I was female," Cinna explained. "Let's get out of here!"
They walked out of the arena. They walked around the festival
before calling it a night. They enjoyed the first day, and couldn't
wait for the next day.
▁Day 2 of the Festival▁▁▁▁
The second day soon dawn upon them, but they didn't go out
till one. The streets seemed to be just as busy as the previous
day. "Anything interesting going on today?" Cinna asked, she
did expect an answer. "In the town square, some Kalons are
going to be dancing so I'm going there. Anyone want to come
with me?" Artemis asked. She started to walk towards the town
square. "Fine, we're coming." Feliks said. He grabbed Cinna by
a paw, but she pulled it back. "Who's 'we'?" Cinna asked. She
glared down Feliks.
"Um, I want you to be my partner for the dances. Can you,
please?" Feliks said.
"Fine, but I didn't forget what happened yesterday." Cinna said,
rolling her eyes. They walk to the town square. They saw different
partners dancing to the music playing. Feliks took Cinna to the
outer end of the group and started to dance. "Follow my movements.
Make it look natural." Cinna said. She started a waltz. Feliks followed,
trying to keep pace with Cinna. "Well done! Warm ups are now done,
time for the competition." an announcer said. "We will pull a pair
out one by one till we have a winner. I hope you all know ballroom
dancing because this is today's theme." The music shifted towards a
more elegant feel. Cinna continued with a waltz. "Spin me, if we are
going to win then we need to up our game." Cinna said. Feliks stopped
as Cinna twirled about. They looked graceful and peaceful as the
danced away. The judges kept on pulling out partners till the final
three. "The final three are here and song is about to end. Judges
will start to become picky." the announcer said. "We need to finish
with something." Cinna said. Feliks nodded and immediately spun
Cinna. He picked her up and did a half circle before placing her
down again. They went into a waltz before Cinna was spun again.
The music slowly stopped, and they finished with a dip. "We have
the final judging before announcing the winner." the announcer said.
Artemis ran towards them. "You guys were awesome!" she said.
"Thanks!" Feliks said. They relaxed on the side while the judges
made the final decision on the winner. "We have the winners," the
announcer said. "The runner ups are the pair in the blue. While the
winners are pair that did the waltz to start off." Feliks looked up in
shock. Cinna was starting up towards the stage to receive the prize.
Feliks rushed behind Cinna. When he got to the stage Cinna already
got the prize. "They said to expect a letter tomorrow." Cinna said.
The trio went in after dinner at six.
▁Day 3 of the Festival▁▁▁▁
In the morning, a letter was slid under their door. Artemis picked it
up and read:
'Dear Cinna, Feliks, and Artemis,
You have been invited to tonight's feast as guests of honor. We
would be honored if you told the story of your heroic mission. If
you wish to attended please come at six. It will take place in the
town square. You will also be served a few different meals.
Sincerely,
The Town Council
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
They arrived at six sharp. Their seats had a name card in front of
their plates. Artemis took her spot in between Feliks and Cinna.
She couldn't wait to see what was being served, and she could
hardly sit still from the excitement. The townspeople came later
and sat at tables reserved for them and their families. The town
square had tables circling the fountain in the center and their
table was on the stage from the other day. The first dish came out.
It was fish with small amounts of sauce and a side salad. It was
delicious for the trio. The dishes cane out smaller and smaller then
the last. The final one was dessert of their choice. After the feast,
the tables were cleared out of the town square. "May I introduce to
you, the young heroes who saved us all, Artemis, Cinna and Feliks.
They will now tell the tale of their journey to save us all from the
evil creatures." a voice said. They stepped forward and told the tale
from start to end. The crowd enjoyed every part of it. Afterwards,
music was starting along with dancing. This lasted until midnight.
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁
The trio left Kalokairi. They waved goodbye to Hera and Hestia,
who were both heathy again. Their journey ended, but they still
remembered fondly the memories of it.

[Fallen ❤ Dreemurr]

Tʜᴇ ᴄᴜʀsᴇ ɪs ʟɪꜰᴛᴇᴅ!
❝ I can't believe you did it. What a tale, what an epic! This is the final words now. No quest is complete without celebration. The Kalokairi Summer Solstice is upon us!
Tell me how your hero celebrates!
Tell us how this story ends. ❞

•••

We'll celebrate later on back at the village, with a new friend too! We had such a wonderful journey, and it was worth all that we went through.
Signing out for now, Ghost and Co.!

[ωolfie]

p r o m p tx t w e n t y - o n e
☆☆☆
Tʜᴇ ᴄᴜʀsᴇ ɪs ʟɪfᴛᴇᴅ!
☆☆☆

"quest: completed!"

they high fived each other gleefully. pride, joy, and relief surged through their hearts when they had finally defeated the one who was causing their poor village all of this chaos. and to think, three completely average kalons actually suceeded in this quest? it was most definitely mind-boggling, well, atleast for kyrou it was. he was always a pessimistic person, and it scared him half to death knowing his friends were willing to go onto this horrid quest. he was almost completely sure that they wouldn't be able to make it. but if his friends were going to go down, they would all go down together, and that was the reason why kyrou offered to join this quest in the first place.

shelbie, though, never really doubted her and her friends' abilities. she was completely confident that they would defeat all the demons and restore kalokairi back to normal. but of course, there were some times during the journey where she had lost all hope. shelbie had gotten particularly angry during this quest, and she felt like she just needed to flip a table. fortunately, kyrou was there, and he miraculously calmed the short-tempered shelbie.

cain had honestly just came there to have a good time. he was always all about those adventures, and this was the perfect chance to meet new people and discover new places. and honestly, he had a whole lot of fun. even though there were some difficulties and bumps along the road, he made it through all with a smile on his face. he was never this optimistic before, and it pretty much shocked him how much happier he was during the journey, but he pretty much figured, being together with your friends for 21 whole days really makes you want to think about the positives.

they all laughed and talked about the quest while walking back towards the village, big, goofy smiles on their faces.

they began to hear loud cheering and talking when they came nearer towards the village of kalokairi. once the three heroes stepped foot inside the village, crowds and crowds of kalons stampeded towards them, knowing that these were the heroes who saved them from the wretched demon beasts. kyrou watched in amazement as he looked at the villagers who waved at cheered at them. he remembered the last time they were at the village, everyone had huge eyebags and looked all worn out. and now, it looked like life had bloomed once again in the villagers of kalokairi.

the kalons of kalokairi held a party for the three heroes, cain, kyeou, and shelbie. there was music, chips, soda, and much more. it was similar to the mini party they had in the lavalands, but much more grand. hadain and briceus stood with pride, showing off how they had talked with these three heroes before they took off.

kyrou had the time of his life. he chatted with many book store owners, and some even gave him discounts and some free books. he tried to avoid being the center of attention at all costs, but actually receiving recognition for the first time in forever felt refreshing and amazing.

and cain was having a blast. he loved all the attention he was getting, and showed off his brand new axe. everyone fawned over it while he was munching on the chips delightfully. cain grinned widely, telling stories about his adventures in the forest, crystal coves, and the lavalands. needless to say, every one was intrigued and he easily pulled in his listeners.

shelbie smiled ear to ear, thanking every one who had showered her with praise and gifts. finally. the sweet taste of victory and success. finally her name was important. she was no longer some lowly little girl, she was a hero. and that was all she ever wanted.

639 words

[lonk]

prompt 21 | 690 words | roster post | palmer, venita, & rudy

the king finished his speech, and the crowd let out a roar of excitement. palmer, rudy, and venita stood next to him and the rest of the royal family, facing the whole village. kalokairi was saved by the trio, and now, it was time to celebrate.
it was sunset, and the sky lit up in reds and pinks as the festivities began. the royals were extremely grateful for the party, but they refused any compensation (although palmer was hesitant to do so). they already got a lot of loot from the chests they found the crystals in, and the glory and pride of being able to save a whole kingdom was enough for venita and rudy, at least.
the streets were filled with people, singing, laughing, and dancing to some of the music that street performers played. vendors sold food, which they refused to let the group of heroes pay for, and it seemed that a sense of peacefulness had returned to kalokairi. the summer solstice festival was in full swing.
as it got darker, the streets were lit up. strings of lights hung between houses, lanterns floating up through the air. it was pretty, but palmer seemed... off.
"you okay?" venita asked, sitting down next to him. he sat on a bench in the town square, watching as rudy made conversation with some of the locals.
he nodded. "yeah, i'm fine, ven. everything will be fine." she was puzzled. why couldn't he just be happy for once? she elbowed him before getting up from the bench.
"alright, palmer. just try to lighten up," she called back to him as she went to join rudy. he shook his head, smiling back at her. it was hard to celebrate- they'd be leaving soon, which they knew, but what was more important was the inventor. god, they were still a problem. currently, they were knocked out in palmer's back closet, locked in by magic. he'd be back soon enough to get them, but he was still worried that they'd cause more trouble.
regardless of his bitter mood, he got up, stretching his arms. maybe it would be nice to join the festivities.

the party crowded in a circle in palmer's house. he held two of the little machines that sent them here- both with similar blue crystals that glimmered even in the darkness.
"alrighty," he said, pocketing one of them. "i've set the coordinates- we should be back in dove's house, exactly where we were. we've only been gone for, say, a few weeks, so i think it'll be fine."
rudy was still hugging chrys and marigold. he'd been crying over his two companions for the last hour- he couldn't bear the thought of leaving them behind.
"you'll be able to visit them whenever you want, rudy. maybe i'll smuggle them over to your world, if i have the chance." rudy let out a sniffle, and nodded, letting the two creatures go. they seemed to understand that he was leaving, and looked incredibly sad as well.
venita gave him a small pat on the shoulder. "well... this was a somewhat fun way to spend the summer. i'm happy i got to help others." she fiddled with the strap of her sword. the group was dressed back in their modern clothing, but she insisted that she wanted to bring her weapon home with her. "it feels like it belongs there," she'd said earlier, persuading palmer to let her keep it. he said yes.
their journey was over, and it was time to go home. "everyone hold hands!" palmer said as he fiddled with his machine. after doing so, the room was enveloped in a flash of light.

dove rubbed her eyes, walking down the stairs. the twins complained about a loud crash from downstairs, so she was pressured to go investigate. she wasn't quite sure what it was, but either way, she wasn't happy.
she turned the corner, entering the kitchen. venita and another kalon she'd never seen before were laying on the floor, while palmer sat upright on the kitchen counter, eating straight from a bag of chips.
"what the h-"

[lucas.]

Prompt 21

Rhea and Li-Wei were tired once they were finally done. They decided, since no more monsters were to be found, to take their final rest as a group. Now, since they were going to separate soon enough, they thought it would be nice to spend the rest of the time together, while they had the extra time on their hands. They absolutely loved sleep though and could never pass it up, and they had to admit, they were exhausted. Everything they've been through seems a bit crazy!

They were happy it was finally over though. They didn't plan on celebrating the way most kalons would, by with a party. No, they weren't really party people. A nice sleep to finish off the day would just be wonderful for the two. Or just spending time together, Li surprisingly enjoyed.

They never planned to be friends from the start of this entire mission. Never. But now, it's probable you can never separate the two - they love each other very much.

- 168 words -

[**Snowwhisper**]

Prompt Twenty-One:

" I can't believe you did it. What a tale, what an epic! This is the final words now. No quest is complete without celebration. The Kalokairi Summer Solstice is upon us!
Tell me how your hero celebrates!
Tell us how this story ends."

The misshapen adventures of Nadia and Avery


As the setting sun hit her eyes, Nadia squinted as she and Avery walked out of the castle of nightmares. It was the first time, she felt that she could let her guard down. They had done it! And just in time for the Kalokairi Summer Solstice, she thought as she and Avery stumbled into the light and up the grassy hill. The wind was blowing, and everything seemed so peaceful.

Off in the distance she could see the town, it seems so far away, she thought tiredly. She looked over at her brave daughter. She was dirty and bruised but she seemed to be in good spirits, if a bit tired. She smiled slightly as they both stood there just watching the sun set.

She looked down at Avery before saying, "I think this is a perfect place to rest, don't you think?"

Avery, exhausted but realived that they had made it out alive, looked at her mother, confused, "Don't we have to go back? For the festival and awards and stuff?"

Nadia smirked before tossing her backack to the ground and laying down with her head on it. Throwing her arms behind her head, she closed her eyes saying, "I think they can wait a bit, don't you? Either way, I'm staying here for the night and so are you. Come here, it can get cold on the plains."

Avery smiled at her mother before curling up at her side with her, so they could have a quiet night for once. And so they spent the night there on that hill watching the sun set and the moon rise, happy to be done and happy to go home.

[Tomura]

Day 21 Prompt
Writing
with Julia and Fauna
---

It was... over. It was finally over.

Julia and Fauna sat in front of the castle with their tiny fire chicken, exhausted and relieved. Those long days and nights spent on their quest had been tough, and had caused many sleepless nights. One thing's for certain though, their journey changed both of them, shaping them into whole new kalons. Fauna lied down right where she was and began to fall asleep, until a tug on her arm stopped her.

"...what?" Fauna asked in a sleepy tone. She tried to sound annoyed, but it just came out in a quiet mumble.

"Come on Fauna, we should celebrate," Julia said. "We can sleep afterwards."

"After a nap," she replied, closing her eyes again.

But her mother wasn't having it; she literally picked her daughter up as if she was still a kit, walking back to town with the fire chicken trailing behind. Somewhere along the way, Fauna had fallen asleep, because she was awoken by her mother's voice announcing their arrival to the tavern. Luckily, her mom put her down so she didn't have to answer random townsfolk when they asked why she was being picked up by her mother at her age.

"Did you seriously carry me all the way here? How long did that take?" Fauna asked, slightly surprised.

"Oh, no, it didn't take too long, there was actually a kind kalon who offered to take us here by wagon," her mother responded. "Now come on, let's go get something to drink. After all, we've got some spare gems, might as well use them."

Fauna sat at a booth while her mom went to Briceus to order a drink. When she came back, she brought a cup of water and some... strange drink. She handed the water to her daughter, and kept the other beverage. Fauna drank the water, thankful for her mother bringing... wait, what was that drink her mom had, and why was she drinking something like that? Her mom was happily chugging it down. Was that an eye in it?!

"Mom, what are you doing?!" She demanded. "What even is that?!"

Julia paused, shrugging. "Does it even matter? It tastes better than it looks, I swear."

Fauna stared at her mom, her jaw slack and her eyes wide. Sometimes she didn't understand how she was related to... this.

(394 words)

[beautea]

prompt twenty-one
kalon used: althea, peregrine, & james

After defeating the horrifying demon king, Althea moved towards the royal family to free them from their prison. She pitied them, of course; who knows how long they had been there. But they didn't appear hurt in any way, just very shaken up. At first, the group couldn't figure out how to free them, since they needed a key. But the demon king had left behind a stash of treasure nearby, and Peregrine had found the key beneath some of the gold, after some searching. James and Althea were relieved, for they were worried that after all this battling that they wouldn't even be able to figure out how to free them. Peregrine had taken the honor upon himself, and turned the key into the lock before opening the door, and the royal family was free.

Some celebrating was to be had after that, unsurprisingly. The small prince and princess of the royal family were so excited rather than traumatized of the battle they had witnessed, and thought of the group as heroes. Apparently, the king and queen did as well, as they offered some treasure for freeing them. Althea hastily declined, as she would rather not have had any wealth go to her head, but James and Peregrine accepted a small amount. Althea didn't think anything less of them, of course; there's a small amount of Kalons in the world that would refuse free treasure.

Many drinks and food later, the royal family invited the kingdom to their castle to celebrate the heroes the next day. The party was wonderful, and although Althea felt herself a bit overwhelmed by the festivities, she was glad she had stayed. The party went their separate ways afterward, as they had their own lives to live, but it wasn't without many tears and hugs; especially from Peregrine. Althea looked back at the castle after walking a great deal away from it, and it was still in view. She sighed happily before turning and walking again. She knew she would never forget the adventure she had. Not if her life depended on it.

[349 words]

[Cheeb]

xxxxxTʜᴇ ᴄᴜʀsᴇ ɪs ʟɪꜰᴛᴇᴅ!

xxxxxdesiree, flynn, & elle
xxxxxxxx+ minerva

xxxxxwith the final screech from erebus as he descended back into the void of darkness he came from, it was over.
xxxxxflynn and elle rushed down the castle's many flights of stairs to freed the royal family from the dungeon they were held in. they were met with tears of gratitude from the royal family; even the stoic king. elle took it in stride, and basked in the glory, while flynn simply felt overwhelmed.
xxxxxhowever, before desiree could join the group as they went back to the village, she needed to do something.
xxxxx"minnie?" she asked softly, walking towards her fallen friend. minnie was unresponsive, lying on the ground, bruised and beaten. "minnie... oh, god..."
xxxxxthe crystals were still scattered around the floor after desiree had summoned their power in the heat of the battle. the party had avoided hurting minnie, as she was under the influence of erebus, and tried only attacking the deity of darkness... but harming the kalon was unavoidable. desiree knew that the crystals' light had made her friend suffer a great deal, and she felt regret course her veins.
xxxxxshe darted around, picking the crystals up off the ground, mumbling to herself. "i don't know what exactly these are capable of... but i really, really hope that they can help me."
xxxxxwhen desiree collected them all, she knelt down beside minnie, tearing up. "i-i hoped that we wouldn't have to hurt you, b-but... minnie, i'm so sorry..." she laid them down in a circle around the girl, just like she'd done for herself. "crystals, please, help me once again!"
xxxxxonly one crystal lit up. the wind crystal, with its delicate, gentle glow, seemed to connect its energy to minnie in a way. her bruises and giant gashes seemed to heal themselves and fade away at a speed so rapid it left desiree's mouth hanging wide open. once its energy faded away, the kalon fluttered her eyes open, and sat up.
xxxxx"ugh... where... where am i...?"
xxxxxminnie didn't get an answer right away. instead, she got a hug.

xxxxx---

xxxxxdesiree, elle, and flynn were regarded as heroes -- for a while, at least. the hype surrounding them faded away after time went on, but their story still stood as a folktale to tell children. over the many years, the story became twisted and reworked, changed over time, and the original tale of three kalons facing the deity erebus turned into something completely different.
xxxxxbut, as for the kalokairi solstice festival, the party of kalons were celebrated within the village. they'd banished the darkness and ended the monster plague in one go, after all. the king presented them each with their own small pile of treasures that ensured they could all live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
xxxxxthe festival itself was simple yet grand. kits darted through the stalls, with their mothers and fathers struggling to keep up with them; while other kalons chatted and lounged around outside, enjoying the good food, good drinks, and bright sunshine.
xxxxxflynn marched out of the inn with three bubbly drinks. "here you go, guys," they said, handing elle and desiree each a glass.
xxxxx"what's this for?" asked dez, innocently.
xxxxxflynn laughed. "we're celebrating, duh. or, at least," they added, "we're enjoying the festival. it really is nice to see the sun again..."
xxxxxelle took a sip of her drink. "mmm. it sure is. but... i feel like we've celebrated enough, don't you think?"
xxxxx"eh, who cares?" said flynn, with a shrug. "we've been through a lot." desiree nodded in agreement, and elle knew that the kalon was right. "now, c'mon, guys, let's make a toast."
"cheers!"

xxxxx---

xxxxxafter the journey, the party split up. their mission was over, after all. there was nothing left for them to do. it was a teary farewell, and perhaps it was a bit too rushed, but they all went their separate ways.
xxxxxdesiree went home to continue honing her mage skills, still studying the fine art of magic. she became a little less of a ditz and more serious. the dark circles around her eyes never seemed to go away. desiree went on to become an influential sorcerer... but she still craved the simplicity of her life before the journey.
xxxxxelle went home, too, and continued her business. the little shop was still her home, after all. she sold and traded some of the loot she'd collected on the journey, and in turn, she became well-off. she never quit working, though. elle became less reclusive, however, and spent more time outside in her home village.
xxxxxas for flynn... they stayed within the kingdom the party journeyed within, and bought a nice cottage far away from the graveyard they'd spent so many hours within. they grew themself a little garden, and brought flowers to the market every now and then. flynn was often lonely, and missed desiree and elle -- although they could never work up the courage to send either of them a letter. instead, they lived a peaceful, secluded life on the edge of town.
xxxxxperhaps the ending was less satisfying than the journey, as many things in life are.

xxxxx(855 words ♥)