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Pine Wisp · The Monster Catcher's Journal

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Monster Catchers abound, I'm Stella Ferris and
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you have crash landed on the Monster Catcher
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Journal podcast. Not all glyphs are terrifying
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or ancient or filled with mysterious cosmic energy.
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Some are just little menaces with too much curiosity
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and not enough sense. And today we will be talking
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about a glyph called the pine wisp. We were camped
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out near the edge of the Viridian Veins, that
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massive glowing forest that stretched across
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Nibiru's northern hemisphere. Xena was cataloging
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samples while Luna was trying to fix the scanner,
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and I was trying not to think about how quiet
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it was. That's when something tugged my hair.
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Not a breeze, not a bug, not a tug. I turned
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around and there it was, this long, lean creature
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perched upside down from a branch, staring at
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me with bright golden eyes and a grin full of
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tiny needle -like teeth. It had my data chip
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clenched between its teeth. Although it had my
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data chip in its tiny, clever teeth, I couldn't
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move. Not a single muscle responded. Something
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about it held me in place, a strange mixture
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of curiosity and awe. At first glance, my mind
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tried to make sense of it. It looked almost like
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something I'd seen in an old earth -filled guide,
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the Irish Pine Martin, lith in an agile darting
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through the branches, but the resemblance ended
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there. For a long spine crawled like molten lava
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trapped beneath thin delicate skin, ran streaks
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of stone red, glowing as if the creature carried
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a miniature sun on its back. Tiny flickers of
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flames licked the edges of its fur, dancing across
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it without consuming a single hair, illuminating
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the misty air around us in warm flickering light.
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Each movement made the flames ripple and shift.
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a living, breathing fire painting, the shadows
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with motion. Then I noticed its head. Nestled
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just above its small, round ears were two straight
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black horns that rose like twin spikes of obsidian.
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Sharp and perfect, reflecting the moonlight and
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eerie glimmers, they seemed impossibly solid
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against the soft. fluid motion of the flames
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like a crown forged from dark darkness itself.
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The creature tilted its head, eyes gleaming with
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something almost mischievous, or perhaps knowing,
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and in the instant the world around me melted
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away. The air smelt faintly of pine and smoke.
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A heady mix that made my senses sharpen and tremble
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at once. It still flicked lazily, tipped with
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the same fiery red glow as its back, leaving
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faint trails of light that shimmered in the mist.
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Every instinct screamed that I should reach out,
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that I should run, that I should grab the chip
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and escape, but I couldn't. My gaze locked with
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its amber -green eyes and the world seemed to
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pause. as though this creature had the power
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to suspend time itself just for this moment.
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It was playful, yes, but not the ordinary sense
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of playful. Every twitch of its ear, every curl
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of its flaming tail, every deliberate glance
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felt deliberate, like it was studying me as much
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as I was studying it. And then I stood, utterly
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captivated, mesmerized by its impossible, otherworldly
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blend of flame, fur and horns spend it between
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the wild, familiar arity of Earth and the alien
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majesty of Nibiru. I finally blinked and shook
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my head, realizing that Xena and Luna were both
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staring at me, grinning like idiots. Stell, you're
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just staring at it like it's a glowing soda can
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or something. Honestly... I think it likes you
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or it's laughing at you, Luna said after Xenna.
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Before I could respond, the pine wisp leaped
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from the branch it had been perched on, flipping
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in midair like a streak of fire and landing with
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a soft pitter pat on a crystal root in one swift
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motion it batted my data chip towards Luna with
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its glowing tail. The chip rolled between her
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boots. She crouched to pick it up. Hey, it's
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giving it back! Luna said. But the moment she
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touched it, the pine wisp let out a high -pitched
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trill, and a tiny flicker of flame raced across
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its spine like a playful streak of lightning
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before we could react. It snatched a small gadget
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from Xena's pack, a sensor we'd been calibrating,
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and dashed up a nearby tree, its twin horns catching
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the pale light of Nibiru's twin suns and three
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moons. Oh no, Xena cried. Not again. We gave
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chase, moving careful over glowing moss and jagged
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roots. The creature zigzagged expertly through
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the low, hanging branches, occasionally dropping
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small sparks that bounced harmlessly off the
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ground like floating fireflies. Luna tried to
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mimic its chirping calls, laughing as the pine
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wisp paused, cocked its head, and copied her
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exactly, a perfect echo of her voice. For a moment
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I forgot the data chip entirely, captivated by
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the way it moved, its back shimmered in shades
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of red and orange, flames licking the stone,
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red streaks, with each twist of its agile body.
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The horns gleamed every time it paused to observe
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us, as if daring us to try to follow. Finally,
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after a few minutes of this playful chase, it
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landed on a flat branch above a small stream.
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With a flick of its tail, it gently dropped our
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stolen item at our feet, almost ceremoniously,
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before perching again, flicking its ears and
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letting out a soft trill, its gaze met mine again,
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amber green and almost teasing, and I knew it
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was enjoying every bit of our attempt to keep
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up. of the glyphs we've ever caught," Luna said.
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And way cuter, Xena added to the conversation.
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I reached out cautiously, but it bound it sideways,
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its fiery streaks rippling across its back and
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disappearing into the misty forest, leaving only
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faint glowing footprints behind. For a heartbeat,
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the world was still. The only sound that the
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soft bubbling of the stream, and the echo of
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its laughter lingering in the trees. I finally
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picked up my data chip, tucking it safely into
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my bag, and whispered almost to myself, you've
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got to be the most mischievous little creature
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on Nibiru, and I don't even mind. All right,
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we follow quietly and carefully, Zena said. Quietly,
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Lou... Have you seen it? That thing's a walking
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inferno with horns. It's probably laughing at
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us already. I swallowed, gripping my pack tighter.
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It's playful, not dangerous, I think. The forest
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around us seemed alive in a way even the emberwood
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usually wasn't, bioluminescent moss shimmering
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beneath our feet, tiny spores drifting through
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the humid air, and the faint crackle of fire
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on stone. Red fur echoed in the mist somewhere
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above. The pine wisp was moving, leaving tiny
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streaks of glowing light as if navigating the
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twisted branches like it owned the place. We
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climbed over fallen logs, careful not to disturb
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the glowing fungi that covered it. Then, out
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of nowhere, a faint trill reached us, identical
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to Luna's voice from earlier. The pine wisp was
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mimicking her again. Luna giggled nervously,
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and I caught Xenna rolling her eyes. Then before
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we could react, sparks flickered across a nearby
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tree trunk. And Pine Wisp launched himself into
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the air, flipping into a perfect arc before landing
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on a branch a few meters ahead. Its horns glinted
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in the light of Nibiru's three moons and two
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suns, and the flame's longest back pulsed like
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a heartbeat, the redstone, like streaks, seemed
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to glow brighter, almost as if it was excited
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to be chased. I think it wants us to follow it,
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Luna said, or it wants us, or it wants to lead
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us into trouble. Either way, we're doing it,
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Xena said. We followed carefully to keep our
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movements slow. The wisp darted ahead, leaving
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faint glowing paw prints in the soft moss. Each
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time we thought we'd caught up, it would vanish
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into a tangle of roots or a leap onto a higher
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branch, tail glowing, horns catching the light.
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I noticed then that the sparks on its back were
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more than just fire. Tiny fragments of heated
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stone embedded in its fur, giving it a molten,
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living texture. It paused briefly on a broad
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branch, looking down at us with those amber -green
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eyes, as if daring us to try and climb after
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it. I felt my chest tighten with awe and a little
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nervousness. Nibiru was full of wonders, but
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few had ever made me feel this small and this
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alive at the same time. Then, with a playful
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trill and a flick of its tail, it disappeared
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completely into the mist of the deeper forest.
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A faint green glow lingered for a heartbeat before
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vanishing. We stood there, listening to the echo
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of its laughter, mingling with the distant crackle
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of flame. I think it's trying to teach us something,
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Luna said, or just shove off. Xena scoffed. I
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smiled, tucking my data chip safely back into
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my pack. Maybe a bit of both. Either way, we're
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not done yet. And with that, we stepped deeper
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into the ember wood following the faint trails
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of fire and light, ready for whatever mischief
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the Pine Wisp had in store. I knew if I wanted
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to catch the Pine Wisp, I had to get him to come
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down somehow. And then it hit me. They're meat
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eaters. They love the pods of the carnivora plant,
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and we had found a few earlier, so I decided
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that I was going to try and lure him down with
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the carnivora plant. I held my breath as the
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pine wisp crouched over the glyphid, its amber
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-green eyes flicking between the meaty carnivora
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pods and the trap itself. Its tail flicked lazily,
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flames pulsing along the stone, red streaks of
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its back. And for a heartbeat, I worried it might
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sense the danger and bolt. But it was too focused
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on the food. Each careful nibble brought it closer
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to the glyphid. Mechanism, the trap, I had painstakingly
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prepared. I had tested it with smaller creatures
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before, but nothing like this. The pine wisp
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was fast, clever, and mischievous. Wrong, one
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wrong step, and it could vanish into the ember
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wood, leaving me empty -handed. Then, as it reached
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for the final piece, inside the glyphid, I triggered
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the mechanism with a quiet click. The cage -like
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field of shimmering energy enveloped the creature.
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For a moment it froze, flames rippling across
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its back, horns glinting in the twin sun's and
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three moon's light, and then it let out a sharp
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thrill of surprise. I held my ground, careful
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not to startle it further. Xena and Luna emerged
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from the trees, eyes wide. You actually did it,
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Zelle! You got it !" Xenna said. And look! It
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looks furious! Look at those flames! Luna said.
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The pine wisp placed the paste within the glyphid.
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Tail flickering, sparks trailing behind its movements.
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But it didn't try to break free. Its amber -green
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eyes studied us. Intelligent and wary, but also
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somehow curious. I approached slowly, speaking
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softly. It's okay, I just want to observe you,
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I won't hurt you. For a moment, it seemed to
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consider my words, head tilting, horns catching
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the light, like two tiny sentinels. Then it settled
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down slightly, still alert, but no longer panicked.
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The carnivora pods had worked as bait, yes, but
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I realized this wasn't just about hunger, it
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was about trust. The pine wisp might be mischievous
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and wild, but it wasn't stupid. It could tell
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the difference between danger and careful curiosity.
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I exchanged a look with Xenna and Luna. We had
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done it. We had captured the pine wisp not with
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brute force, but with patience, cleverness, and
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respect. And as the small creature glowed softly
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in the glyphid, I felt a thrill of triumph. Mixed
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with awe, on Nibiru, even a capture could feel
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like a privilege. When I finished recording the
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Pine Wisp's capture data, I made my way up the
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steep stone path to a redoring study. The air
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was still thick with the scent of resin and ember
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from the ember wood grove. The small glyphid
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in my arms shimmered faintly. It's tell flick
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sparks that died before they could touch the
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ground. I mean, the glyph inside the glyphid,
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its tail, you know. Inside, the warm, lit cabin
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orient sat at his desk, surrounded by glowing
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data screens, the faint hum of the academy's
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filled network filling the room. He looked up
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when I entered, eyes instantly drawn to the creature,
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nestled inside the glyphid in my hand. Well,
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he said, folding his hands. That's not something
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you see wandering near the Academy every day."
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I nodded, still watching the pine wisp. It had
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finally stopped moving and was staring at Orion
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unblinkingly. He had my data chip, I began. I
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thought he was just another ember wood spirit,
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but he mesmerized me. He looks like an earth
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pine marten. But with stone -red fur climbing
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up his back, glowing like embers, and those horns,
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they shimmer with his when he's curious. Orion
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leaned forward slightly, described the temper
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it meant. Playful, mischievous, I said, smiling
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faintly. He likes to steal shiny things and meaty
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carnivora pods, but he isn't hostile. More like
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he's testing us, seeing how far he can go before
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we can catch on. Interesting, Orion tapped a
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note into his terminal. That matches no current
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registry record. You may have encountered a new
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variant. Perhaps even a proto -glyph species,
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native to Nibiru's Emberwood regions. He paused
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and gave a slight nod. Very well, Steliferous.
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Submit your findings to the Luan Archive, then
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take him home. Observe his behavior over the
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next few cycles. Diet, environment preference,
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glyph response patterns. Report again at week's
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end. Yes, sir, I said. As I turned to leave,
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the pine wisp lifted its head and gave a soft
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chirp. Eyes clenched in gold like burning sap,
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Orion smiled faintly. He's already chosen you,
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I think. Outside the forest, wind brushed through
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the high branches carrying with it the scent
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of pine smoke and wild nectar. Xena and Luna
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were waiting near the trail. Luna reached out,
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letting the creature sniff her hand through the
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glyphid. He's kind of cute for a fire beast,"
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she said softly. He's more than that, I murmured,
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holding the glyphic close. He's clever. He knew
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I was trying to catch him and walked right into
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it anyway. I think he wanted to come with us.
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The pine was trilled again, brighter this time,
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the flames on his back flickering with a pulse
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-like rhythm as he began the long walk. we began
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the long walk home, the path lit faintly under
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his glow, as if the forest itself was acknowledgingly
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the new bond forming, one spark at a time. And
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in that moment I knew without a doubt everything
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would be okay. The Emberwood's mischievous fire
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beast had chosen me, and somehow I had chosen
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him. And when we got home, I sat next right beside
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him, letting him explore his new home. I realized
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that this was only the beginning of the adventure.
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Curiosity and a little bit of chaos were coming
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with him. But for the first time, it felt like
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home could handle it. And with a small trill
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from the pine wisp, sparks softly faded to embers
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along its back, I smiled, feeling a deep certainty
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settle over me. We were both exactly where we
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were meant to be. I woke up in the early morning,
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shivering under my blanket. The cabin was quiet,
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except for the wind brushing against the window
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panes. The air had that crisp bit of dawn. The
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kind that seeps into your bones, no matter how
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tightly you wrap yourself. Pinewisp was curled
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up near the hearth, his tiny horns barely visible
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against his dark fur. His tail flickered once,
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a spark of soft whoosh -whoosh, and then, before
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I could even blink. The little fire starter decided
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to help, and in an instant his entire back flared
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to life, causing the room to light up in an orange
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glow. The heat hit me like a wave, and my blanket
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smoked before I could react. Ah, pine wisp! I
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yelped. Falling out of bed, my hair stood on
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end, my sleeves were singed at the edges, and
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I must have looked like some half -burnt forest
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ghoul, stumbling into the hallway. Xena burst
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out laughing from the kitchen. Stars above Stella
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Ferris, did you fight a campfire in your sleep?
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Apparently my new roommate thinks I am one. I
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groaned, padding at my still warm shirt as Pine
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Whisp sat proudly on the rug, his back still
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blazing, tail swishing with satisfaction. Luna
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peeked out around the corner, trying not to laugh.
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Well, at least he's thoughtful. He didn't mean
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to roast you, just toast you. I gave her a look
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that could have melted ice. Very funny. But I
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couldn't stay mad. The little creature tilted
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his head, eyes glowing like tiny embers, and
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gave a soft, guilty trail, almost apologetic.
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I sighed and crouched down, rubbing the top of
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his head gently. It's okay, buddy. You meant
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well. Just maybe next time warm the air, not
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the human. He chirped again, tail flicking and
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the flames along his back slowly dimming to a
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warm, harmless glow. The morning light finally
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broke through the windows, casting golden streaks
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across the cabin walls and a set of steaming
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mugs of pine teeth on the table. Luna opened
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the shutters and pine wisps hopped into my lap.
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Curling up with a soft hum of contentment. And
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though I smelled faintly of charcoal and regret,
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I couldn't help but laugh. This was life with
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a mischievous ember wood creature. Unpredictable,
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chaotic, and somehow comforting.