The forest's whispers were louder today.
Nathan stood at the edge of a stream, the water rushing over smooth stones as he knelt to wash his hands. The air felt heavier than usual, charged with an unspoken tension that prickled at the edges of his senses. He paused, his fur bristling slightly as he glanced over his shoulder. The trees stood tall and unmoving, their branches swaying gently in the breeze, but something felt… off.
He rose slowly, his ears swiveling to catch any unusual sounds. Over the years, Nathan had developed a keen awareness of the forest's moods. It wasn't just the corrupted creatures or the strange shifts in weather—it was the subtle changes, the almost imperceptible shifts in the air and the earth.
Today, the forest felt restless.
With a sigh, he adjusted the strap of his bag and started back toward his shelter. The fish he'd caught earlier hung from a loop at his side, their scales glinting faintly in the sunlight. The day was warm, and the perpetual spring had blanketed the ground with vibrant greenery. But even the beauty of the forest couldn't dispel the unease gnawing at him.
Unwelcome Visitors
The feeling of being watched began long before he reached his shelter.
Nathan stopped abruptly, his amber eyes scanning the trees. He let his senses expand, reaching out with the faint tendrils of magic that he had come to rely on. The forest around him hummed with life—birds flitted between branches, and small animals rustled in the undergrowth. But beneath those natural sounds, there was something else.
A presence.
"Show yourself," Nathan called, his voice low but firm.
For a moment, there was only silence. Then, a figure stepped out from the shadows.
It was a man—human, by the look of him—clad in leather armor with a sword strapped to his hip. His face was weathered, and his expression was cautious but curious. Behind him, two more figures emerged, both similarly dressed, their hands resting on their weapons.
Nathan's ears twitched, and he shifted his stance slightly. "You're far from home," he said evenly, his gaze darting between them.
The lead man raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "We mean no harm," he said, his voice calm but wary. "We're part of the adventurer's guild. Sent to investigate the strange occurrences in this forest."
Nathan's jaw tightened. The guild had been sending people into the forest for years now, most of them reckless or desperate for coin. Few lasted long.
"You shouldn't be here," Nathan said, his tone sharp. "This forest isn't safe."
The man nodded slowly. "We've heard the stories," he admitted. "But we're under orders to explore the area and gather information. There's a court mage working on understanding the magic here—"
Nathan cut him off with a bitter laugh. "The court mage won't find anything they can use," he said. "And if you're smart, you'll leave before the forest decides it doesn't like you."
One of the other adventurers—a younger woman with a bow slung over her shoulder—stepped forward. "Wait," she said, her eyes narrowing as she studied Nathan. "You're... you're one of them, aren't you? A Harrin beastkin."
Nathan's ears flattened slightly, and he felt a familiar surge of irritation. "Does it matter?"
The woman hesitated but didn't reply.
The lead man sighed. "We don't want trouble," he said. "If you know something about this place—about what's causing all of this—maybe we could help each other."
Nathan regarded them silently for a long moment. He could see the desperation in their eyes, the thin veneer of confidence barely masking their fear. They were out of their depth, just like everyone else who ventured into this cursed forest.
"Turn around," Nathan said finally. "Go back to your kingdom. There's nothing here for you but death."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, his movements deliberate and unhurried. He didn't need to look back to know they were watching him.
Memories of the Past
The encounter left a sour taste in Nathan's mouth as he returned to his shelter. He set the fish aside and began preparing a fire, his thoughts restless.
The forest had always been a dangerous place, but it had grown more unpredictable in recent months. The corruption was spreading faster, and the creatures it twisted were becoming more aggressive. He had seen signs of it in the increasing attacks, the strange behavior of the land itself.
And now, with more humans venturing into the forest, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was building—something far bigger than any of them understood.
As he worked, his mind wandered to the girl he had saved—Lyra. He had thought about her more than he cared to admit since their brief encounter. There had been something in her eyes, a spark of resilience that had struck him. She reminded him of someone he had known long ago, though the memory was too painful to dwell on.
Nathan shook his head, trying to push the thoughts away. He had learned long ago that attachments were dangerous in a place like this.
The Forest's Warning
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, Nathan stood at the edge of his shelter, staring out into the trees. The whispers had grown louder, more insistent. The forest was trying to tell him something, though its language was one he only partially understood.
He felt the familiar tug of unease, the sense that he was being drawn toward something. It wasn't the first time the forest had called to him, and he doubted it would be the last.
With a sigh, he grabbed his spear and stepped into the woods, following the pull of the forest's magic.
He didn't know where it would lead him this time, but he knew one thing for certain.
The forest always demanded a price.