Drip, Drip, Drip
Kanan laid on his back, watching listlessly as a trail of water seeped through the dilapidated roof, each droplet splattering against the already-soaked ground of his shack.
He sighed, closing his eyes in frustration as the familiar gnawing feeling returned to his stomach. He was hungry.
His hometown, Melody Village, was far removed from any real civilization. The residents lived simple, minimalist lives. If he were to put it less nicely, they were poor.
And Kanan, on his own at the young age of 11, was the poorest amongst the poor.
Normally he survived by doing odd jobs for the villagers, helping them out with menial tasks. He would make deliveries for the butcher, help out with the farmers' fields, or other such small favors in exchange for a day's food.
Unfortunately, heavy rains had plagued the area for weeks. The town always received a lot of rain, but it was out of the ordinary this time. The merchants that supplemented the village's lacking food hadn't been able to make the journey, and the village's situation was now dire.
He still got scraps, thanks to the charity of some kind neighbors, but it was far from enough for a still-growing boy.
He knew he was out of options, realistically. If there wasn't any work to be had, then he had to find food himself. And without the ability to hunt or farm, there was only one real choice: He would have to enter the forest.
Melody Forest, from which the village got its name, was only a short distance away. The towering sea of trees could be seen in the distance from a rooftop or hill, so there was no villager who didn't know of it. Despite that, nobody who Kanan knew had ever so much as set foot inside. Doing so was a taboo, and for good reason.
Within the forest, spirit beasts thrived. Mysterious creatures with dangerous powers roamed the forest floor, not a place for humans to set foot in.
It wasn't that Kanan had never seen a spirit beast, of course. A few villagers raised them, and doing so was apparently a must for the merchants and rare traveler that visited.
Some of the more harmless flying beasts would occasionally approach the village. It wasn't uncommon for small flocks of Sun Crows to terrorize the fields, and each time the farmers would race out to the fields, shouting and throwing stones as the mischievous crows laughed mockingly.
There was even one incident where a farmer was a little too enthusiastic, pelting a crow with such force that it spat out fire in shock. An acre of wheat burned down that day, and from then on the farmers purposely held back, intimidating the beasts but never harming them. The Sun Crows were frighteningly intelligent, and ruining the crops wasn't in anybody's best interest.
As for the land-bound spirit beasts, the Melody Forest to the north and mountain range to the south formed natural barriers. The creatures of each zone rarely ventured out, preferring the resources and atmosphere of their native regions. However, unlike the Sun Crows, these beasts weren't so adaptable, able to coexist with the humans. They lived isolated, and each one was dangerous in its own right.
Still, there was no choice. At this rate, Kanan would succumb to starvation. So, having made his decision, he steeled his resolve and abruptly lifted himself from his straw bed. The sudden movement caused him to wince, a pang of hunger wracking his stomach, but he gritted his teeth and set off.
Half an hour later, Kanan approached the forest, a melodious humming entering his ears. He had heard tales of the forest's music, but he had never gotten close enough to hear it for himself. Still, he recognized the sound.
It was the distinctive music of the Melody Flower, a peaceful spirit beast that used sounds in mysterious ways. He had seen one before from afar, carried by a member of the village merchant's caravan.
Kanan was curious as to how such a harmless-seeming beast managed to survive in the wild, but he had other things to worry about at the moment.
Moving cautiously, he entered the woods and the atmosphere immediately shifted. It was dark. Far darker than Kanan expected from the outside. The rain tapered out, blocked by the thick trunks and leafy foliage, but that also meant that his visibility relied on what little light shined through the canopy.
Despite the darkness, the sight was breathtaking. Kanan stopped for a moment, appreciating the ethereal view. Beams of light shined down like pillars, each one illuminating unknown plants that couldn't be found outside.
Farther ahead, shadows danced through the trees as the leaves overhead shifted under the weight of the rain.
The sight, combined with the gentle hum of the Melody Flowers, created a fantastical, unnerving atmosphere, causing Kanan to feel like he was in another world. The forest itself felt alive and spiritual, completely different from the open plains that Kanan had grown accustomed to.
A cry rang out, the yell of an unknown beast somewhere far in the distance breaking Kanan's trance-like state. He reigned in his thoughts. Despite its beauty, the forest wasn't a place where he could let his guard down. The cry may not have come from a spirit beast – creatures of the regular sort also inhabited the wood – but there were no guarantees. The forest was a forbidden zone for a reason, and Kanan was determined to make his stay as short as possible.
Luckily, he had an idea. He knew from the villager's stories that the Melody Flower was safe, and he was willing to bet that the spirit beasts weren't fond of sharing territory. If he followed the music, he'd hopefully be able to safely search for food in the vicinity of the flowers, avoiding the more dangerous and unpredictable beasts.
With that in mind, he set off through the forest in the direction of the sound. He moved forward for a couple minutes before the trees finally thinned out, the space opening up to reveal a massive clearing before him.
Stepping out, Kanan audibly gasped. Before him, thousands of vibrant flowers dotted the clearing, forming a rainbow sea. Each stood around a foot tall, and he nearly fell over as the wave of sound that they emitted blasted him as he left the cover of the woods.
Deeper in the wood, with the trees and plants blocking the way, the sound had been gentle and soft. But here, a thousand melodies permeated the air, filling up the entire area like a giant concert hall. It wasn't unbearable – the clearing was enormous, after all, and the flowers were spread wide – but the sound still dominated the space, overwhelming Kanan's senses.
In the center of the grove, circled by the army of flowers, stood a massive tree which towered above Kanan to the point that he had to crane his neck to see it's top. It was just a tree, as far as he could tell, but it radiated a mysterious energy and spanned many times the size of any other that he'd seen.
Tearing his gaze away, Kanan carefully approached one of the flowers. Two large leaves hung at its side, and the tulip-like head swayed in the wind as it hummed. If he hadn't known about it beforehand, Kanan likely wouldn't have realized that it was a mysterious beast at all. It was indistinguishable from a plant, albeit a noisy one.
He leaned forward, and a cracking sound rang out as Kanan crushed a twig underfoot. The Melody Flower stiffened in shock, and its tulip-like head turned to Kanan. Two floating yellow eyes peeked out, widening as they landed on Kanan's figure. Before he had time to take a good look, however, the Melody Flower pulled its two root-like feet from the ground and waddled away at a high speed.
...It can walk? Kanan was dumbfounded. He knew that spirit beasts were special, but he didn't expect that even the plant-types were quite so… animated. The flower retreated into the distance, looking back at Kanan to make sure he hadn't followed before re-rooting itself and resuming its swaying.
Amused, Kanan went back to scanning the edge of the grove, his eyes landing on a tree and lighting up in excitement. Red and yellow fruits hung tantalizingly from its branches, each covered in small spikes and hanging at twice his height.
A popple tree! Kanan recognized the fruit. The village's orchard had popple trees, though they had long since been picked clean for the season. The fruits were crisp and juicy, and the ones Kanan saw were easily twice the size of those he had seen in the village.
In fact, all of the plants Kanan had seen thusfar were vigorous and full of life. He wondered if the soil of the forest could really make such a big difference, or if there was some other reason. He glanced at the giant tree in the clearing in contemplation – such a plant would be impossible to find outside.
Regardless, now wasn't the time. His long-awaited meal was finally in front of him! He agilely scrambled up the tree, sliding along its thick branches. The task wasn't hard, climbing trees was a familiar pastime for all of the village's children.
Reaching out, Kanan eagerly grasped his prize. He cheered inwardly, and with a strong pull he tugged the Popple, ripping it from the stem. However, he miscalculated. The fruit didn't snap off easily like he was used to, the stem was robust. As a result, Kanan exerted far more force than he meant to, and the fruit slipped out of his hands and flew into the air.
Desperately, Kanan lunged after his precious food, leaping off of the branch and over the rainbow garden below. His face twisted at the realization of what he had done, and there was only time for a single thought before crashing down.
Ah, I messed up.
Kanan hit the ground with a thud and groaned. He wasn't sure if was lucky or unlucky today. His fall could have been serious. A fall that steep would be dangerous for anyone, especially a boy of his age, but thankfully the impact was cushioned.
Unfortunately, the cushions in question were staring up at him in shock, and they were not pleased. Pinned underneath Kanan, two Melody Flowers erupted with sound, their hum turning into a piercing wail, and Kanan scrambled to his feet in worry.
"I'm sorry! Are you OK?" Kanan wasn't sure if the flowers could understand his intentions, but he spoke to them reflexively. Examining them closer, he let out a sigh of relief. He was no expert, but they seemed to be fine. Their stems and leaves were intact, and they looked uninjured.
The incessant wailing was painful to his hears, but he was glad they were harmless. Had it been a different spirit beast, things would have turned out poorly for him.
Relieved, he stepped back, before taking note of the eerie silence behind him. The flowers were still wailing, but the air no longer vibrated with sound as it had before. His heart sinking, he turned around to witness each and every Melody Flower turned to him, their petals open. Thousands of yellow eyes bored into him from every direction, making his hair stand on end.
Kanan had a bad feeling. They were harmless… right?
As if on cue, a third flower started wailing, adding to the unpleasant cacophony. Four, five, six flowers joined in, and Kanan turned his back and started sprinting into the wood. Behind him, a chorus of wails erupted, and the trees started to crack and splinter as he passed by them.
Kanan ran as if his life depended on it, but the sound kept growing and growing. A small river blocked his path, and he hurriedly changed direction to run alongside it. He didn't know where it led, but there was no time to consider the direction.
Finally, the sound peaked, and shockwaves started to course through the woods, each one more intense than the last. Kanan stumbled, the force of the sound causing him to slip on the slick undergrowth, and his hands scraped against the forest floor. He turned his head, and in shock he witnessed a wave of destructing hurtling at him, tearing up the ground and plants in its path.
With no time to think, Kanan hurled himself into the river, diving as deep as he could before the blast hit and everything went dark.