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Chapter Text

If you look closely at the scenery in the Taigas of Dunderlow, you may be able to spot a very small and fragile creature. Those creatures are called Puffballs. Much like the mushroom they’re named after, Puffballs will shoot puffs of their fur when they feel threatened, causing the threat to become confused, giving the Puffballs time to hide. Puffballs work together to create small villages in the trees and bushes around them. Their main diet consists of Poalberries, small berries that are sweet in flavor and are very common in environments that Puffballs inhabit.

There’s one Puffball though, that doesn’t eat Poalberries, or any berries actually. The Puffball in question is named Spid. At an early age, Spid came up with a recipe for making spuds, and now chooses to only eat spuds. Spid’s dream is to find a home with other creatures that make spuds. Though this is a relatively simple dream, it will require Spid to travel across a dangerous world to find the colony he so desires to be a part of.

This is the story of Spids journey across the world called Hilto.

“Mrrp?” a sleepy Spid mumbled while standing up from his cot in his little wooden hut. The day was fairly windy, causing Spid to shiver from the sudden bursts of cold. Though Puffballs tend to thrive in cold environments, Spid despises the cold, and often relishes in warmth whenever possible. He was, to say the least, an outcast in his village. Everyone thought of Spid as a “Dundergol”, which meant “freak” in their town language. Spid was slowly becoming fed up with the brutish treatment. Nevertheless, he continued to live a miserable life in Dunderlow village.

“Hrrllw” Spid would say to whoever he walked past whilst going to collect ingredients to make his weekly spuds. Of course, everyone would ignore him, or show visible disdain towards him. Once he got to the usual spot where he hid his ingredients, he noticed the door was already open. Quickly making his way inside, he saw all of his beloved and well-prepared ingredients had been destroyed by his fellow Puffballs. Fed up, Spid hurried towards the Puffballs he believed guilty of destroying his beloved ingredients.

In the end, the four that were guilty had beaten Spid, causing him to lay on the ground, defeated. That was when he decided it was time for his dream to come true. Spid would pack up his most prized belongings and head off as soon as possible. He wasn’t sure exactly where this colony was located, but he was determined to find it, no matter what may happen, it’s not like he had much to live for in the first place. And besides, what could possibly go wrong?