Post by curseofcj on Feb 13, 2013 15:30:41 GMT -5
Cruben landed. He'd awoken on a small side walkway, just outside the small shack on the edge of the forest, at the end of a river. As he walked along the path he'd seen her kneeling on the bank, meditating.
Right on time, he thought.
As he approached her, he she immediately snapped out of her trance, standing and turning to him in one swift motion.
"Took you long enough."
Or not. "Sorry, I woke up late." He thought he saw her smirk beneath her hood.
She waved a hand at him. "No matter, the forest is alive at all times."
With that, they began to venture out into the woods, neither saying a word.
After an hour night had fallen, and they reached a clearing, one that seemed void of wildlife.
"I don't see anythin-" he began, as he turned to the sage.
"You aren't looking."
With that she finally removed her hood, revealing long flowing green hair entwined with vines. With it her face began to shift, taking a more elven form, with her skin taking a green tint. "You're here to learn the path of druidry, right? This path is best learned the hard way."
She stretched out her arms, causing her robe to fall off, revealing the body of a dryad, causing Craben to instinctively step back. Behind her the ground in the forest began to quake, and within seconds the edges of the clearing were lined with massive spiders.
"I forgot the forest spirits of this world were keen on betrayal."
"This world?" She cocked her head. "We knew you weren't from here."
"So everything," he began, becoming furious, "was a lie then?" By now he was teeming with rage, remembering the past lessons taught by the sage-dryad.
"No, just practice. practice that leads up to this point. Consider it another lesson, not a betrayal."
Cruben prepared a spell, one of protection. As soon as he was finished, the spiders rapidly converged onto his location. "This isn't how I want to learn," he began, but his voice was stopped by the fumbling of the spiders. Within seconds, the spiders reeled back from their attack, showing that Cruben was completely unharmed. He repeated himself. "This isn't how I wanted to learn."
The dryad frowned, unsummoning the spiders. She seemed frustrated, thinking of a response, until she remembered he wasn't from here a second time. "Then find your way back." With that, she disappeared into the trees, leaving Cruben to find for himself.
The forest was alive at all times, she had said. She never said what was alive at night.
Right on time, he thought.
As he approached her, he she immediately snapped out of her trance, standing and turning to him in one swift motion.
"Took you long enough."
Or not. "Sorry, I woke up late." He thought he saw her smirk beneath her hood.
She waved a hand at him. "No matter, the forest is alive at all times."
With that, they began to venture out into the woods, neither saying a word.
After an hour night had fallen, and they reached a clearing, one that seemed void of wildlife.
"I don't see anythin-" he began, as he turned to the sage.
"You aren't looking."
With that she finally removed her hood, revealing long flowing green hair entwined with vines. With it her face began to shift, taking a more elven form, with her skin taking a green tint. "You're here to learn the path of druidry, right? This path is best learned the hard way."
She stretched out her arms, causing her robe to fall off, revealing the body of a dryad, causing Craben to instinctively step back. Behind her the ground in the forest began to quake, and within seconds the edges of the clearing were lined with massive spiders.
"I forgot the forest spirits of this world were keen on betrayal."
"This world?" She cocked her head. "We knew you weren't from here."
"So everything," he began, becoming furious, "was a lie then?" By now he was teeming with rage, remembering the past lessons taught by the sage-dryad.
"No, just practice. practice that leads up to this point. Consider it another lesson, not a betrayal."
Cruben prepared a spell, one of protection. As soon as he was finished, the spiders rapidly converged onto his location. "This isn't how I want to learn," he began, but his voice was stopped by the fumbling of the spiders. Within seconds, the spiders reeled back from their attack, showing that Cruben was completely unharmed. He repeated himself. "This isn't how I wanted to learn."
The dryad frowned, unsummoning the spiders. She seemed frustrated, thinking of a response, until she remembered he wasn't from here a second time. "Then find your way back." With that, she disappeared into the trees, leaving Cruben to find for himself.
The forest was alive at all times, she had said. She never said what was alive at night.