[--LOG TAKEN FROM AMBIENCE'S PERSPECTIVE--]

Free City, Truce - Fountain
A tiered fountain marks the center of Truce, water gushing from its
summit and trickling into a deep, wide basin, wrapped by a ring of benches.
Roads flow like rivers away from the fountain, and houses sprout like weeds
all around them. Not far to the east, the ocean roars in the harbor.

Ambience appears to be resting on a bench near the fountain, hands folded in his lap and eyes closed in quiet contemplation or some other form of rest. The interest here lies not in himself, but what's on his head.

A pair of small, tree-shaped creatures wrestle with the black rose normally embedded in Ambience's hair, seemingly enjoying themselves as they toss and roll about atop his head.

Korryn wabbles up to the bench, hopping onto it to lean into the fountain for a sip of water. He turns to Ambience, giving him a small smile and a bow. "Greetings stranger, how are you today?"

Ambience opens his eyes, blinking a couple of times as his vision focuses; elsewise, the pair of creatures atop his nogging simultaneously let out silent shrieks at the newcomer, disappearing in separate flashes of green light. The rose they were playing with tumbles down the side of Ambience's face, landing in his lap.

Ambience looks a little confused, looking down at the flower in his lap, then up at Korryn. "Oh, uh.. hello?"

Korryn bows once more to the now awake body, "Sorry to seem bothersome, but may I ask what those creatures that were playing with your rose are?"

Ambience frowns softly, taking up his rose and setting about reapplying it to his blue-black hair, behind an ear. "Weird.. I wonder if it was because of the quiet. I think it was probably Sylvan and Layla."

Korryn tilts his head, "Sylvan and Layla? Mind if you were to explain?"

Ambience doesn't seem to realize he didn't answer the question, but is preoccupied with getting the rose back where it's supposed to go.

Ambience says 'Oh oh.. sorry. I'm just surprised they came out at all. Do you know what Dryads are?'

Korryn gave it a thought, "To some extent. I know they are magical beings, not always wanting to be shown public."

Ambience nods, happy with the black rose's current placement. "Yes. That makes it easier to explain, then. Only for people they trust, and from what Mama tells me, that comes few and far b'tween."

Ambience says 'They used to be Mama's guardians. Now they look out for me, until she can come back.'

Korryn nods as he speaks, "Interesting. I've never truly met a dryad... They are very elusive. I've only ever wanted to find out what they know, being so few."

Ambience thinks for a moment, raising his red irises skyward. "Hm. I don't think they know much more than most reg'lar people... in fact, maybe a lot less. They jus' know a lot 'bout the things they DO know 'bout."

Korryn says ' But where do they disappear to? Is it just an invisibility spell? Are they multi-dimensional beings?'

Ambience looks back down and at Korryn, studiously, for a moment; it almost looks like he were.. sniffing? But not quite. "I don't really know.. other people normally can't see them, but unless they leave completely, I can see them all the time."

Ambience says 'When they leave, they jus' go back to the Holyland, Mama says. They come and go as they want, 'cause that's what they do.'

Korryn says ' Oh, the Holyland. I'll never be able to see such a sight...'

Ambience looks at Korryn for a moment, thoughtfully, as if considering his next statement. "That's where I was born."

Korryn looks over to him, his eyes shining with joy, "Oh? Oh my goodness, what does it look like? What do the senses feel there?!~"

Ambience furrows his brow, as if expecting this. Unfortunately... "I don't know... I was only born there, and then brought here. Mama wanted to keep me safe from.. something, she said."

Ambience says 'She left me with Da right after, and I haven't seen her or the Holyland since. She talks to me sometimes, in my head. She's stuck there, 'cause of some kind of barrier that came up when the Mana Tree died.'

Korryn 's fuzzy ball drooped down in a bit of sadness, "Oh... Oh dear. The mana tree died, that's right... We may have to go there to help revive it... It's a must."

Ambience thinks hard for a moment, trying to piece what little he knows together. "Mama tells me things are okay. She was supposed to become the next tree, but someone took her place, because she had me."

Ambience says 'But since the lady that became the new Tree wasn't supposed to, it's taking longer to get all the way better. That's why Mama's stuck for now.'

Korryn thinks for a moment as well, but not as hard, "Could it be that the lady wasn't pure of her intentions to become the mana tree?"

Ambience looks blank. "I dunno... you would have to ask Mama. She knows everything. I haven't heard from her in a few days, though. The barrier must be actin' up again."

Korryn sighs gently, "Sadly... As I said, I'll never be able to see such a land."

Ambience looks down at his lap; the general obliviousness of your standard 10-to-12-year-old is evident on his face, and he merely looks about himself. "Is it so bad here, in this world?"

Korryn tilts his head to the left a bit to the statement, "What do you mean?"

Ambience says 'Mama says the barrier is in place to prevent bad people from getting into the Holyland when the flow of Mana is weak. But if people still wanna get in, does that mean it is bad living here?'

Korryn sighs once more, "I have no soul," He says bluntly, "I sold it for knowledge and wisdom. I'm impure in the eyes of the Holyland."

Ambience frowns, looking rather upset. "Why? Why would you DO that?" He raises his voice as he speaks, perhaps unintentionally.

Korryn says ' I desire to learn, I once made it a goal as a child to learn everything. I held true to that, but it costed me my own soul to attain.'

Ambience still frowns, but says nothing; he looks disappointed, through and through.

Korryn looks down sadly, "As well, he spoke nothing of selling a soul... Only of a contract."

Ambience says '"He"?'

Korryn says ' He calls himself Kyuubey. He's a very... crafty thing. Now i'm a magical boy.'

Ambience closes his eyes, with a sigh. "Of all things... why? And you're not the first, either. I met a lady the other day who felt the same as you."

Korryn nods, "I know of who you speak, I've spoken with her before. Trust me, She and I are telling the truth. He said nothing about selling away our souls."

Ambience frowns still, looking away from Korryn. "But in a way, that isn't the point.. you had to have more. Neither of you could be happy with what you were given..."

Ambience gets to his feet rather hurriedly. "I gotta go. Da's gonna be back from getting stuff for the cottage soon, and I need to ask him some things." He looks rather dismal by now, for whatever reason.

Korryn nods and waves goodbye, "See you next time mister."

Ambience checks briefly to make sure his rose isn't going to fall out, and hurriedly leaves southward.