Every grain of sand a star

In the end he hadn't been able to justify the risk.

He'd come to Torchline for the tournament and Starfall was right there, but Remi's warnings rang and echoed and Tal was faced with the knowledge that he was woefully under-prepared to challenge the enemy stronghold with no one but himself and maybe Sah to back him up. So maybe doing this the slow and steady way would still work out with him alive to finish it another day.

Or at least that's what he told himself as he climbed the stairs of Safrin's lighthouse to its topmost chamber. A light sea fog illuminated by a waxing moon might have made the passage to the island difficult without his Goggles, but Tal had safely docked the Peregrine outside and followed behind Boreal as she'd bounded eagerly up to investigate the altar for previous offerings. Tal pushed her muzzle gently aside to lay out a bouquet of stargazer lilies twined round with moonflowers, taking the time to arrange it so that every petal was perfect and in place before he placed the star charm and his Goggles below the flowers. Sitting back on his heels, Tal took a deep breath and rested his hands on his thighs.

"Safrin? Sorry it took me a bit, but... I touched th'charm t'everythin' y'asked for, 'cept Starfall. I... I'm not ready t'face that place yet. Not without more backup than I was able t'get," he admitted frankly, shoulders tensing under his failure to live all the way up to the challenge she'd set him.

---

Ultraviolet
1. Touch his charm to a known void-flora A touch of shadow Void Tangleweed
2. Touch his charm to a known void-fauna ain't never caught a rabbit Voidweaver Spider
3. Touch his charm to where the meteor fell Touching grass
4. Take his charm to the Greatwood so it can experience the infection {se} floor it through the fences

The pollen in the center of the flowers begins to list and swirl slowly, rising away before melting into tiny stars that illuminate the inside of the lighthouse. From within their glow, the goddess appears, resplendent and poised.

"My, that took almost no time at all." She murmurs softly and without judgement (though, when is she ever free of that), as she reaches down for the small charm and plucks it up. Holding it in her palm, she looks at it for a moment as it begins to glow a hateful and putrid shade of violet. Wrinkling her nose with disdain, she shakes her head before picking up Tal's goggles and affixing the charm to one side.

---

Tal has received:

Void Charm | A small charm attached to the See-Right Goggles that allow the wearer to see void-infected characters within 10ft. **Cannot identify members of the Family

SAFRIN

Tal held his breath, afraid of disturbing the dancing pollen until it turned into light and the goddess made her entrance, looking better than she had in a good long while. The courier didn't exhale until he started to feel a little light-headed, and then he relaxed all at once as she didn't seem to be too disappointed in him. Or... disappointed at all, that he could tell.

Which, after hitting a wall on his Frey quest, left the courier feeling almost pathetically grateful. "I'm gettin' pretty good at huntin' down th'little Void stuff, at least," he admitted, an almost-shy little boast as he took the Goggles back and cradled them in his hands. Boreal stuck her nose towards them to investigate the charm and then sneezed prodigiously, giving an irate shake of her head. Tal barely managed to lift his Goggles out of the splash zone, wincing as he tucked them tight to his chest to protect them. "Thanks, Safrin. An'... it's really good t'see you lookin' better," he added, this time with a genuine grin of relief as some hope slipped back into his world. The Void might have won the first round, but they hadn't been able to snuff out Safrin's light when they had the chance, and surely that meant she'd be back stronger and brighter than ever, right?

Right!

~Fin~