1 day remaining....
Prād squatted, carefully patting the soil around a sprig of rainbow grass. He had never heard of it before but Karya had assured him that it was quite rare and could be used to balance one's energies. Once it was planted, Elhandriel did her special 'plant growing dance' which he absolutely had to watch or it wouldn't work. He observed with fascination as her final steps showered pixie dust into the soil. The rainbow grass visibly picked up and a few new colourful blades emerged from the loosely patted earth.
Over the last few days, this small patch of ground had become a work of natural art. Under the direction of the dryad, Prād had started to build a nature shrine. A nature shrine, he found out, was something both incredibly simple and decidedly complex. As an offering to the dryad, Prād had brought a new dress and a pot of honey. The shrine had started with the honey. Her directions were simple. First, he had placed some honey on a rock that would be the focal point and sat nearby in meditation for around half an hour, focusing on his senses and observing every living entity. Soon, nature became curious and began to reveal itself. Ants and bees found the honey and partook. Beetles and other insects gradually crawled out of their hiding places, attracted by the sweet scent and eventually, a blue and red lizard made itself known, cautiously eyeing Prād before snapping up a honey-filled bug.
His next task was to serve every living entity that he had seen, observing and understanding what they needed. He shifted stones and decomposing wood to provide better shelter. He placed offerings of bread and honey where he saw hunger and provided water where he saw thirst. His presence became known and gradually, the fauna accepted him as friendly. Then, under Karya's watchful eye, he started to plant, carefully selecting the location of each herb and root to form a natural balance. As time passed, nature itself began to help him and he developed a feel for the plants and animals in the area.
"Muladhara," Prād whispered, his eyes closed and his breathing slow. He felt his energy sink to his base chakra and released it. Empty. He drew a few more breaths, enjoying the feeling of emptiness before opening his eyes again. In a meditative state with his personal energy at rest, Prād could feel his surroundings. He reached out towards a recently planted section of bloodroot and felt a slight stab in his solar plexus - the Manipura chakra. This meant that the plant's energy and power to grow was low. Fascinated, Prād reached out toward different plants, the energy of each leaving a faint but tangible impression on his subtle body.
As someone who performed chakra meditations on a regular basis, Prād was no stranger to these impressions, but they had never been so sensitive. Perhaps this was part of the power of the nature shrine. He could feel what needed to change, where to plant and how to improve the environment.
From within the woods, Karya smiled. The young monk was learning quickly.
As the sun dipped behind the mountain and the shadows lengthened, Prād gathered his meagre possessions and called Elhandriel away from her consortium of snails to leave for the evening. At that moment a foot, surrounded by an anklet of small white flowers emerged from a nearby tree, followed by the graceful fey form of Karya. Thankfully, she was wearing the loose fitting green dress that Prād had given her and he was able to look at her without turning bright red. Prād placed his hands together and gave a small bow.
"I have a gift for you," said the dryad with the slightest hint of a mischievous smile as she held out a fist sized orb. Prād accepted the gift with curiosity. It was milky white and had a firm yet soft texture. It felt alive. "What is this?" he asked.
"It's a giant spider egg. They usually only hatch in spring, but if you keep it warm and moist, it may hatch within a few weeks. The mother is dead and the eggs from this sac may not hatch at all."
Prād was uncertain of how to react. He did not feel even remotely equipped to handle the life within his hand. "Thank you," he said. "I will do my best."
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"I shall ride it," declared Elhandriel, stabbing a butter knife into the air like a lance. "I shall call her Greta and upon her back I shall conquer all human lands and force my minions to bake the ultimate crumpet."
"Terrifying," agreed Sanjaya with a solemn nod. The three of them were gathered in Sanjaya's room. Prād had no idea what to do with the spider egg, so they had wrapped it in a damp cloth and left it near the wrought iron chimney next to Elhandriel's new bed. The bed itself was an interesting construct, consisting of small slatted boards over a wooden tray, topped by a tiny mattress. Within the tray was a pentacle surrounded by arcane containment runes drawn in ink mixed with pixie dust, in the centre of the pentacle was Sanjaya's ruby, acting as a focus. After a bit of experimentation and a visit to the carpenter, Sanjaya had managed to fashion a bed that stored pixie dust while Elhandriel slept. The process was slow, but already there was a fine layer of silvery dust forming, which the pixie could collect and use to work her fey magic.
"Tomorrow is the eclipse," Sanjaya reminded them, realising with a hint of apprehension that he had seen the last of the sunlight. "I don't know about you two, but I intend to stay here and read and hope for the best."
He had already told everyone he knew and Tercia had added it into the local gossip. While the news was mostly met with skepticism, he hoped that they would at least stock up on some extra candles.
He realised that his reputation would suffer if nothing were to happen, but there was no denying the stars that disappeared in the dark planet's wake. He was sure.