Submission (#585) Approved

The Ghostmallow. Lux had heard about it when he was attending his first training session. Mostly because he was eavesdropping on a conversation between some warriors that were far more accomplished (and far less injured) than him. He'd gotten Jihao's approval and as far as Lux was now concerned, he was the right warrior for any job. He'd asked around about the Ghostmallow to anyone who would give him the time of day...which was not many. After all, he was covered in bandages that did not do much to hide his injuries. (He'd take care of it...eventually. He really would!) Echo, his trusty Owllet, pestered and bugged him about taking better care of himself incessantly but eventually would follow him in defeat.

"I think we're almost there, Echo," he cried out triumphantly, stopping a moment to examine a strange rock at the entrance to some very spooky looking woods. "Do you think this rock looks like a...uh, scary clock?" Not only had Lux completely forgotten what he was meant to be looking for, he couldn't even figure out what this rock resembled. Echo scrambled to the top of it and puffed his chest. The woods were scary looking, that seemed proof enough.

With his lantern and sword, Lux padded into the trees with Echo following in a flurry of brown feathers. Lux's hair was practically standing on it's ends at the creaks and groans of the trees around him. The branches looked eerily like hands and he SWORE he could see their twisted fingers reaching for him out of the corner of his eyes. Echo, who was noticeably unhaunted, seemed unbothered by the trees. It gave Lux some confidence but also made him doubt himself. (As if he needed any more help with that!)

"W-where do you think it is?" he said with a shudder, casting his lantern's glow ahead of him. Echo gave a noncommittal response and kept walking, ignorant to Lux's plight. Lux prepared to give chase to his Owllet as the distance between them began to grow larger, only for the Ghostmallow itself to lunge from the bushes. Lux curses himself for not noticing it sooner. The smell of burnt marshmallow should have been a clue! His sudden desire for s'mores aside, Lux pulled his sword from it's makeshift sheathe. (A simple belt he'd tied around his middle.)

"I'm here to fight you!" He announced, puffing his chest. The marshmallow's growling stopped, a strange expression on it's face. The silence between them drags on for a few moments before the Ghostmallow snarls and bounces towards the Luminute, leaving a sticky residue behind. Lux yelped in surprise and scrambled back, his chest heaving.

Then he heard Echo squawking from a nearby tree. With his trusty pal at his side, he could do anything! With a warrior's cry, Lux charged for his first real opponent! Even if he was hurt. Even if he was scared. He couldn't disappoint Echo.

He wouldn't.

Reward	Amount
Blood Sucker (RECIPE)	1
Candy	10
Warrior Points	10
QuBits	320