Scene: Entering the Forest
"Boy, the air is thick in here!" Zeldine's voice cries out. Being a Cirroan and therefore part Air Domain, she'd know.
"Too many smells to tell them apart too!" Brynja chimes in.
"The Green doesn't want us here," Alice states. "We sometimes forget that she protects The Dark as well as The Light."
"Better play nice then," I say with a cautious smile, before adding: "and hope She plays nice back."
"Dump the dimming bands," I instruct. "Maybe one of us'll sense the Familiarity"
"I feel it," Kassandra says solemnly. "But I don't see it. But I do sense it somewhere - everywhere nearby. It's here, but it's not here."
"That leaves us with a few options, and none of them to my liking." I sigh, but try to keep a calm demeanor. "Either we keep tracking east, see where that brings us - I'm still hoping to find signs of Life at some point." I reluctantly turn my attention to the mossy carpet. "Or, we look for what's underneath us. Caverns, tunnels. What Kass is sensing could be crawling around underneath us." Zeldine cringes. She is not good with small damp spaces. I can't say I'm too thrilled either. "OR we go sideways into the Spirit Realm," I swallow hard before diverting my eyes to out Diviner and continuing: "If Alice can get us in and out?" The mention of the Spirit Realm sends a shift through everyone. We have been taught about it back at the Evergreen Orphanage, but that was a few short visits at a safer location, and a couple of years ago.
Alice hesitates for a moment. "I can if we find a spot where the veil is thin enough. But I'd rather rule out our other options first."
"Okay
"Too many smells to tell them apart too!" Brynja chimes in.
"The Green doesn't want us here," Alice states. "We sometimes forget that she protects The Dark as well as The Light."
"Better play nice then," I say with a cautious smile, before adding: "and hope She plays nice back."
I don't like it. We usually play caravan guards or rough up brigands and violent tribes - straightforward quests. But entering the Wild is a whole other thing. The Wild is the Domains' playground, where they go completely untamed. We know The Green permeates everything out here, and according to our intel The Dark is strong here too, but that doesn't mean any of the other Domains aren't present. With The Dark you never know what lies shrouded out here.
"Dump the dimming bands," I instruct. "Maybe one of us'll sense the Familiarity"
We stop and the three of us wearing bands unclasp them almost simultaneously. A feeling of power rushes over me, as I sense my inner flame awakens from the dimming spell. I close my eyes. In my mental image, I imagine my heart a crusible, the blood like liquid metal finally released, now flowing freely through my veins, filling my very being, driving off a coolness I didn't notice before. I wonder if the others go through an experience equally as powerful, in their own way.
With none of us sensing any pull, we continue though the lush forest. The ancient beech and oak trees growing thick and towering into the sky - their crowns joining together to cover all but a few streams of light from entering. The ground a tight knit carpet of moss that covers even the rocks present. Occasionally I motion our group to halt so we can listen and sense our surroundings. But nothing has moved after the first few steps into the unnaturally still forest. The sound of rustling leaves or chirping birds have been exchanged by an eerie silence.
"I feel it," Kassandra says solemnly. "But I don't see it. But I do sense it somewhere - everywhere nearby. It's here, but it's not here."
"That leaves us with a few options, and none of them to my liking." I sigh, but try to keep a calm demeanor. "Either we keep tracking east, see where that brings us - I'm still hoping to find signs of Life at some point." I reluctantly turn my attention to the mossy carpet. "Or, we look for what's underneath us. Caverns, tunnels. What Kass is sensing could be crawling around underneath us." Zeldine cringes. She is not good with small damp spaces. I can't say I'm too thrilled either. "OR we go sideways into the Spirit Realm," I swallow hard before diverting my eyes to out Diviner and continuing: "If Alice can get us in and out?" The mention of the Spirit Realm sends a shift through everyone. We have been taught about it back at the Evergreen Orphanage, but that was a few short visits at a safer location, and a couple of years ago.
Alice hesitates for a moment. "I can if we find a spot where the veil is thin enough. But I'd rather rule out our other options first."
"Okay
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