Bounty and Blades

After finishing the fruit, Pippa spread its wings and flew off again. Less than an hour later, it returned, its beak wide open, carrying a red crystal core the size of an adult's fist.

"Chirp! Chirp!" It dropped the crystal in front of Thalia, then hopped proudly along the bamboo trellis, its tiny eyes occasionally glancing toward the barrels of mutated persimmons.

"Where did you get this?"

Thalia