Quest Home - Fav Photos 2026

the Quest, part 5 - Going Home

The continuing story of Aeran and her companions. Having found the jewel they had set out on their quest to find, they now needed to make the lengthy trek back home....

Starting for Home

The group was very quiet after leaving Byuri, as they made their way back through the rain forest.....

Maya was already missing his new friend...

It took a few days before they arrived at the foothills....

They stopped for the night, knowing the next day they'd have to climb higher into the mountains....

Into the Mountains

The next morning it was cold and windy....

Ahead of them lay the mountains that they'd have to cross....

They climbed ever higher, and the sun came out for a little while....

It turned into a nice day.

But the clouds soon moved in again. "Looks like it's going to snow." commented Aeran....

"It sure looks like it." agreed Maya...

Camp in the Snow

Aeran and her companions finally arrived at camp.

The storm was raging and it was bitterly cold, but Narian and Adrian had set up the tents and had dinner cooking over the fire....

"It should be ready soon." commented Narin.

"It will be nice to eat something warm."

"It sure will."

"And then we'll need to take shelter in the tents to wait out the storm."

"Hopefully it won't last too long."

More than Just Travelling Companions

After the storm subsided, the group continued on with their trek back towards home. Aeran had originally resented her grandfather sending Kyle along,

But as the weeks went on, Aeran's opinion had changed. She noticed that Kyle was brave and kind, and realized that she could never have done this trip without him.
'He is also rather handsome.' she thought.

They had become friends....

...and maybe even a bit more....

Tangle Falls

yle had also developed feelings for Aeran, and the two of them started spending more of their time together. And now that their quest was complete, they could all just take their time and enjoy the spectacular scenery....

And now that their quest was complete, they could all just take their time and enjoy the spectacular scenery....

"Look, there's another waterfalls."

"I love waterfalls." said Aeran as she went to take a closer look.

Kyle agreed. "It is a beautiful waterfall."

and he put his arm around her...

Feeling Lonely

As they travelled on, Maya couldn't help but notice that Aeran and Kyle were becoming closer.

He and Aeran had been friends since they were children, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it.

He had never entertained any romantic feelings toward her, yet he still felt a bit jealous that she and Kyle seemed to be getting closer.

He was also missing Byuri.

He couldn't explain why, as she was still a young girl, but he had felt there was something special about her.

Then one day, after another long hike, he was very tired and he broke down....

Another Waterfall

As they travelled on, every day brought them another day closer to home.

Aeran and Kyle were definitely becoming more than just friends...

She got down off of her horse....

...and they drew ever closer...

But then her horse interrupted and nudged her. "I think he's eager to get going again."

Home At Last

Finally, after crossing one last mountain pass, her grandfather's castle came into view...

Aeran looked around. She had been gone a long time. "It's great to be back home again."

She immediately went to find her grandfather. "We're back!"

A Homecoming

Aeran's grandfather hugged her. "I'm so happy to see you. I really missed you."

"I really missed you too." she replied.

"We found the Heart of the Mountain."

Kyle stepped forward with the chest..

Aeran opened the chest and took out the jewel....

"It's more beautiful than I ever imagined." she said.

"Yes, it is. It's been a very long time since I last laid my eyes on it."

"I was just a young man when I defied my father and paid it as the bride price for your grandmother. She was such a beautiful young woman, and we were desperately in love. I couldn't bear the thought of living without her."

"It passed from hand to hand over the years, until we finally lost track of it." he continued. "You'll have to tell me about where you finally found it."

"But for now, I'm just happy that you are back, and that your future legacy as Queen is finally secure."