Oh, wow... I completely forgot about this. (Thanks a lot, school...) I hopefully will still do this. Thank you for reminding me.

I honestly thought this was over. Silly my and not reading the whole dates. Silly backward American dates. well I'd best get writing

Bumping up~ Only a few more days left for this~

Notes:
- Optional: I paired a song to the story! (link in blue in 3rd paragraph) Pay no mind to the video or the title, I just wanted to find a fitting song aha.
- If the orange text is too bright, let me know! I can change it to something more readable.
- Orange text is Iolani, sienna-brown text is Lute, and black text is un-named merchant. I imagine him to be either a Ny'vene or a Morkko aha.
- Personal note, I'm not sure whether to add an epilogue to this story ahaha.
- Just saw your post about each pet getting a story, woops! ;u; I suppose this story could be more Iolani-centric?



The kingdom market bustled with liveliness: adventurers passing through, merchants peddling wares, and children scampering and laughing through the alley lined with stands. Iolani wandered down the alley, gazing at each stand in wonder, glowing with delight. Her family stopped in at this foreign kingdom, as she came from an exotic region in the south, to have some sort of meeting with the other noble families, but she had no interest in that. She preferred to be away from the primp, pompous, and stiff life of nobility; life for her had to have energy and movement, and so she took the day to visit the market instead of having some sort of audience with another family.



She wore one of her favorite outfits for her outing: a light top and skirt to walk and run in, and tiny gemstones and feathers stringed together as a necklace, anklet, and headdress, and a matching sheer yellow sash wrapped around her waist. She wore light, flat-soled sandals, the ones that she loved to dance in. Nobles would think her ensemble would be reminiscent of lower classes, as it definitely wasn't of the elegant sort, but Iolani thought it suited her perfectly.

A flower stand piqued her interest along the alley. She visited the stand to take in the fragrance of the freshly picked flowers, her long dark hair barely grazing the flowers on display. In the distance, a faint melody started playing, prompting Iolani to turn her head towards the end of the alley.

She drifted away from the flowers to the music. The melody became more audible as she approached the end of the alley, her eyes sparking with anticipation. A fountain came into view, townspeople walking around and enjoying the day, and at the edge was a bard, strumming the melody along the strings of his instrument.

Iolani walked closer into the open area surrounding the fountain, which was wider than the narrow market alley. Her gaze fell on the musician, studying the instrument from afar. It was like an elongated guitar, but its range was somewhat higher than a guitar's sound. The bard was looking down at the strings as he played, but when he glanced up, he noticed the young lady was swaying to the beat of his song. Her eyes met his, a moment of connection when he looked into Iolani's orange eyes, and he smiled as the tempo and volume of his melody grew, inviting her to enjoy his music.



Iolani grinned, stepping forward with a twirl in the open area near the fountain where no one walked. Light-hearted steps pattered about on the concrete, accompanying the bard's melody. The tempo of the music picked up, and the dancer moved her arms and legs about with vivace, energy coursing through her passionate dancing. She unwrapped the sash around her waist as she twirled, and it whipped around in a shimmery swirl as the sun reflected off the sheer silks. Her bangles and headdress, dotted with gemstones and feathers, jingled with each graceful and lively step. Townsfolk and adventurers turned their heads to watch her dance, even stopping and forming a small crowd around the fountain. The audience encircled the minstrel and the bard, admiring the dancing and song.

Iolani lost herself to her movements, letting her body move to the tempo of the bard's song. Her silk sash flew about her like a fire-colored blur, the crowd's clapping and cheering blending with the sound of strings. She closed her eyes and let her arms and feet go, feeling like the bard's song made the wind sweep her away with each twirl, until--

--THUD--

Her eyes jolted open after the impact of her body, given momentum from dancing, slammed into another body. Surrounding folk gasped, and the sound of tumbling wares was heard. She didn't notice that the music stopped, but her eyes frantically scanned the scene she made: a cart, a fallen crate, and an angry merchant that was hit in her dance next to them.

"Hey!" the merchant hissed. "Watch what you're doing, young lady, you broke my merchandise!" He bent down to pick up the crate and its contents. A few average merchant items fell out of the box, but none of them seemed broken. "Argh, my vase!" He wrinkled his face, shoving the other wares into the crate, but picked up a vase that looked just as mediocre as the other items. He scrutinized the vase, putting it in front of his face and squinting in every angle. "You cracked my vase!"

Iolani frowned as well. She looked to the crowd, bystanders that clearly made a noticeable circle around her only a few minutes before, but the crowd already dispersed as they went on about their lives. "I'm sorry!" she said in quick reply. However, as much as the merchant growled about the vase, it looked perfectly fine. She saw a slight scratch or two on the vase...but it seemed like it was already there before; otherwise, the vase seemed dusty and dull, and Iolani couldn't see why he made a fuss about it.

The merchant's face was fuming red, and the fist he had holding onto the pot seemed to shake so much that it could've broken the vase then and there. "This vase was an important from an exotic land! You're going to have to pay thousands of gold for this!" he yelled.

"Now, now, no need to be so hasty," a softer, calmer voice interjected.

The minstrel and the merchant turned to see the bard walk in, his instrument slung onto his back. He had a gentle smile like a peacemaker, a mediator between the two. "She didn't mean to run into you like that. She was just dancing." He joined the minstrel's side, looking up at the merchant with his calm demeanor.

"What lollygag dances in the middle of the street?!" the merchant snapped. "People pass by here all the time! She should have had her eyes open, dancing or not! Now I can't sell my vase because it's broken!" Iolani glared at the merchant, opening her mouth to spit fire...

"Oh, is it now?"

Her eyes glanced towards the bard, one hand folded behind his back, and another gesturing to the vase. Behind his back, his fingertips glowed faintly. Her eyes followed his other hand pointing to the vase, and the vase sparkled slightly with the same color glow.

"Look again." The merchant held up the vase, and the vase seemed cleaner and shinier than before. The scratches miraculously disappeared!

"Hrmmm." The merchant tried to hide his surprise by keeping up his frown, but he turned the vase around and around, looking for the imperfections that were nowhere to be found.

Iolani glanced suspiciously at the bard, and the bard winked back.

"Hmmm. I guess you're right." With a huff, the merchant carelessly threw the vase into his crate and lifted it back onto the cart. "You're lucky you didn't break it, young lady, you probably couldn't afford this vase." With that snide remark, he pushed his cart onward, continuing his commute to the market alley.

"That vase is probably as expensive as a piece of stale bread anyways. You'd be lucky to even find someone to take it for free."

Iolani gasped and covered her mouth. She couldn't believe she said that out loud. Even though she felt like what she said was 99% true.

"What did you say?!" the merchant snapped again, turning around with even more anger than before.

"Oh no, now you've done it," the bard said with a laugh. "Run for it!"

The bard took Iolani's hand and ran in the opposite direction while the merchant gave chase, charging after them with the cart. As they ran, the merchant yelled angrily, even reaching into his crate and throwing miscellaneous items at them in his rage. Iolani ran as fast as her feet could keep up with the bard, but when she looked back, she noticed that if any of the random projectiles got too close, it glowed with an orange glow and was diverted away from them.

"Ah, over here!" After gaining some distance ahead of the angry merchant, the bard tugged her into a smaller side alley. "Up here!" With a few waves of his free hand, the two seemed to be running on air, climbing on invisible steps up onto a rooftop.

"Argh! Where are you rascals!?" The merchant finally caught up and peeked into the side alley, but found no one there. He quickly scanned the alley with his frowning face, and turned around to continue his heated search for the two.

The bard and the minstrel looked over the side of the building as the merchant stomped away, catching their breath and wiping the sweat off their heads. Iolani checked herself, making sure that she was still in one piece and all her jewelry was in place, and wrapped her sash around her waist. She looked over at the bard, who seemed to be watching her as she dusted herself off from the chase.

"Why'd you save me?" Iolani asked breathlessly.

"You can't blame a gentleman's instincts to save a damsel from distress, can you?" the bard replied with a coy smile.

She huffed, gaining confident composure and folding her arms. "I didn't need help. He was just being all roar, no bite."

"No sane person throws their goods at people."

"He wasn't sane!" Iolani made an exasperated and surprised expression, throwing out her hands and arms in a big gesture and widening her eyes as if she were to blame for enraging the merchant.

Her genuine reaction only made the bard laugh. "You're quite cute when you get mad!" he chuckled. Iolani felt taunted to smack him off the building, but there was something about his smile that made him quite charming.

"Well, it's a thing of the past. I won't be seeing him anytime soon." She turned away and folded her arms. "This kingdom wasn't that interesting. And I'd be glad to leave if everyone is as rude as him!"

"Aw, you don't mean that, do you?" The bard stepped closer and tilted his head. "You were plenty interested today, were you not?"

Iolani pouted her lips, barely turning her head to glance back at him, remembering his playing from before. "Well...your musicianship isn't half bad."

"Why thank you," the bard replied with a smile. "And your performance was amazing as well. You're quite a talented dancer."

Iolani couldn't help but smirk. "I can sing too. I'm actually really good for my age. I perform for nobles in every kingdom. It's your lucky day that a star like me stumbled upon you."

"Ah, am I?" He went up to her side, took her hand, bowed down and kissed it. "Then I'm lucky indeed. What may be the name of the star who graced my presence?"

Iolani blushed, retracting her hand as soon as he let go. "I-it's Iolani! What's yours?"

"My name is Lute. I'm a traveling bard and a wandering soul of sorts. Pleasure to meet you." He did a humble bow, and when he came back up, his smile seemed to give her butterflies in her heart.

"...A-also!" Iolani forced herself to pout to try and hide her blush. "What was that glowy stuff that you were doing before? I saw you do something to that vase!"

"Did I?" Lute winked again. "If this is the first time you've witnessed magic, then perhaps it's your lucky day that I was around to save you."

"Ahhh, back to this again!" Iolani sighed again, throwing her hands up in an expression of defeat. "I didn't need saving, thank you very much!"

"You're welcome!"

"Aghh!" She pouted again. "I'm gonna go home, where there's no cheeky "gentlemen" like you making fun of me."

Iolani walked to the edge of the building, and realized...she was on the edge of a building. A particularly high one.

"..."

"Need help?"

FLORIAN

The luminous full moon hung high in the sky, spilling its cool glow over the ravenous glooms and shadows that was once a place of serenity. 11 days ago Florian made a spontaneous decision to travel south west and visit the Sweet Blossom Orchid, known for the carpet of silken petals that cover the paths in spring. Florian loved to nibble on the fragrant blooms as he walked along the road. However, as his silver mane blows in the gentle night breeze and every strand shining silver under the moonlight; he thinks. In a matter of a short few days, the orchid is an orchid no more. The ground has turned to solemn rock; the wooden figures twisted and turned in sickly angles; the first blooms of spring became blooms of doom and last of all, a black hole has set upon the orchid lavishly sucking away every beam of light that reaches it. Florians eyes pain at the sight of such horrendous ugliness and lifelessness. The misfortune dawned right in front of his eyes as he watched from this cliff at a safe distance away. And there was nothing he could do to stop it. No creature was ever seen to leave the rim of blackness since. The knight is the only one who could save Sweet Blossom Orchid, the heavy responsibility weighed on his shoulders no lighter than the darkness in front of his eyes at this time. With one sturdy stomp of the hoof and a long heralding neigh! he charged off into the distance.

Clang! Cling! Dink! Florian draws his rapier in a duel with an unidentified opponent. The enemy is fierce, hidden under folds of black silks. Shimmering black gems beaded through her mane and along the rims of her face veil. Fast, accurate and unbelievably unforgiving. Each lethal strike strikes to kill. In the chilling hours deep in night, Florian broke out in a profuse sweat as the enemy closed in on him. Waves of terror engulfed his consciousness methodically as the numbing fear gripped him. He narrowed his eyes, focused on the target and he strikes

The figure falls.

A dark mass lays on the ground. In amongst all the former petals, trees and life. It lay there, still and silent. Florian knew immediately something was not right. He gave a swift landing but not enough to result in death. He observed what he was seeing carefully. Then he saw it. In its jet black eyes. Forgiving hatred, wishful vengeance, loathing remorse. She had suffered a dreaded event, she initiated a path of revenge and she ended it with tears of regret.

Florian approached her, each hoof landed heavily on the ashes. He was tired, exhausted. He also had let his guard down.

Gently he nuzzled her, made sure her heart was still beating. Then he healed her with the last of his potions. All that was left to do was wait. Florian was unsure of his fate after this decision, but he knew his fate if he chose otherwise there would be nothing other than sorrow and guilt.

She came to. Fear and distress lit up her eyes like stars in the night sky in these early hours of the morning. Florian has stayed used his own body heat to keep her warm and his own vest to keep out the nipping morning frost. The dark mare breathed a sigh of relief as she saw he was still asleep.

After putting the vest back on his body, she checked her neatly bound wound which had already begun to heal with the help of some potions. With one last look at Florians resting face. She galloped off into the distance. She could not face him with what she has done. With blood still warm from Florians presence, she secretly hoped theyd meet again in the distant future. Next time, she wont leave.

Just an update/last reminder, this ends in 2 and a half hours~! If you need to make a submission or change anything, now is the time to do so~


@Flute,
And Iolani and Lute actually count as one entry together, so you're good~! :) Lute's not actually a legendary, he's just matched up with one.

I submitted the story before the storyline/description was given, of him being a young swordsman etc.
Is that a problem?