Dressed in an exotic battle kimono, she treaded lightly down the path humming a tune from the time of her ancestors. The woman traveled alone, but was accompanied by a forest spirit which took the form of a will-o-wisp— appearing as a flitting phosphorescent ball of blue light. It manifested when she started to sing, allured by her melody. The spirit gyrated around her in a playful manner and often went ahead of her as a guide, emitting a glittery trail with it’s fluid movements. She was of a whimsical nature too and followed the forest spirit while it danced along to her song.
It was nice to have a friendly little wisp to keep her company. The thought kept a smile on her face.
The will-o-wisp turned a sharp corner into the dense part of the forest; continuing down a path with no trail. Curious at the core of her being, Tsunami turned and followed close behind— her turquoise eyes were wide with suspense. The spirit did a few swirls around the priestess before leading her once more. There was a different aura in this part of the forest and she could feel it ever more so with each step.
She could hear the sound of running streams—soothing to the mind, and before she knew it, she had arrived at an entirely different part of the thicket. The sun’s light beamed through the canopy of twisted branches and vibrant green leaves— creating a serene ambiance that washed over her senses.
The wisp faded away, leaving her to marvel at the mystic scenery in solitude.
Strange monoliths decorated the area; most were covered in vines, but the structures themselves did not seem damaged by time. She wondered for a moment as to what their purpose was, but her mind drifted from that thought as she continued to examine everything around her.
There were an abundance of colorful mushrooms, many of which she had not seen before. She decided to pick some to research for later. Tsunami hoped for fungus that had healing properties, but she was also one to dabble with the poisonous type. As she collected a bountiful harvest, she couldn’t quite ignore the towering monoliths and the ancient writings etched into the stone. Unfortunately she couldn’t read it, but she ran her finger through the carvings, imagining for a moment that she could comprehend the text of old.
The priestess turned her head back to gaze at the path she walked, only to realize that it was slowly blurring out by a creeping mist.
“I guess I can’t go back… oh well,” she spoke calmly to herself. It didn’t bother her, it just gave her more reason to explore the area.
“I wonder where the little guy went…” She referred to the wisp, although she had already knew it was long gone. It’s presence could not be felt. “I suppose it's just me from here on out.”
As she was picking the wide variety of mushrooms, she noticed that the further she followed the stream, the closer she came to what appeared to be ruins.
Curiously driven, she walked up the stone steps and quickly stumbled across the entrance to a crumbling structure. Judging by the intricate design and glyph symbols, she came to the conclusion that despite the old age of the place, there was a distinct sophistication that accompanied the era, which seemed to be lost in time.
She took it upon herself to explore further and enter the forgotten ruins. The spirit led her here, but for what reason? Tsunami could only wonder. The answer may lie in the heart of the forest.
(Con.)
