Shards of a Wayfarer: A Crystalline Necklace (CD #95: Talisman)

The endless mundanity of Zuramel’s life was so unequivocally tied to their sense of being they might’ve told you there was nothing which could counteract it. All they could do was survive.
Then, the portal on Lyra was discovered.
Funny thing, that. Myriads of adventurers trickled in, each looking for a thrill or sight to see. It became impossible to avoid them. Zuramel watched from his perch high above the paths as they sauntered around the place like it was their home. Of course, it was not. They knew nothing of this place, not like he did. Nevertheless, how were all these people this… fulfilled? Laughing together, chatting about the same trees and the same rocks he had seen his entire life as though they were novel?
The thought remained a thorn in their side for days. Eventually they were forced to pull it out.
Zuramel approached an unfamiliar yet friendly seeming face for answers. The traveler was only too eager to indulge his questions, smiling brightly as they babbled on about the various portals and talismans and guilds and quests. All he had to do was nod slightly at opportune moments to encourage them to continue.
Fortunately, the information the excitable adventurer supplied didn’t appear inaccurate. After mulling it over for some time, Zuramel came to a decision.
His first step was to inquire about portal petals. Obscure as they were, it took some digging before a willing merchant showed their hand. He paid the steep asking price without complaint.
At his workshop, he set the little bottle of petals aside while he scavenged some other materials from a drawer: coppery wire and a length of thin, durable cord. 
Time to work.
There was a clear glass container on the workshop’s table filled with crystal sand. Zuramel uncapped the portal petals and poured them into one hand, scooping up a small handful of the sand with the other. Joining his hands together, he focused on the image of a round crystal in his mind, willing the sand to compress and become something new as he let the familiar warmth of his magic flow. Gradually, he felt the shape form. By instinct he knew when it was done, and he uncupped his hands to inspect his work. 
The crystal itself was clear and iridescent, sparkling with colorful luster. Suspended within were the purple portal petals. They had spread themselves evenly throughout the crystal, which made for a pleasing effect.
Zuramel placed the crystal down in exchange for the wire. He grabbed a set of pliers off the tool rack to twist and bend it into shape. It became something almost resembling a woven basket, which he checked from time to time to verify it fit the crystal as intended. Eventually he slotted the crystal in to stay, closing off the wire with a loop at the top.
All the pendant needed now was something to hang from. He took the scissors and cut the cord down to size before pulling it carefully through the loop and tying the end. Finally, Zuramel slipped the necklace on and glanced at the hanging crystal. 
If this truly worked, where would they go? They supposed they had no way of knowing. The traveler had mentioned other worlds, including one covered in bioluminescent mushrooms and one whose people lived in large ships in the skies. Who knew what else might be hiding?
They knew one thing: they wanted to remember. Regardless of where they ended up, it’d be a waste to not keep some kind of memento. Maybe a tiny bead threaded on the cord? Wouldn’t be too difficult. All they’d need was a bit of sand or dirt from wherever they were. And there’d be Lyra, front and center.
Heh. But maybe they were getting ahead of themself. Plenty left to prepare.
Zuramel tucked the necklace snugly underneath their shirt and left the workshop, thoughts buzzing in their head.

 

Author's note

Word count: 655 words Prompt #95: Talisman Here we are with a talisman for Zura :) Doubles as an explanation for how they got involved with the portals.