The sun shone high in the sky, but the earth still bore the scars of winter. The melting snow left the ground heavy and muddy beneath their feet. With each step Seth took, it seemed to sink a little deeper; every effort to advance was more arduous than he had imagined. The dense forest surrounding them did not help.
The bare branches, stripped of their leaves, occasionally snagged at their clothes, as if trying to hold them back, to keep them imprisoned in this bleak and desolate landscape.
Their progress, already slow due to the terrain, was also hampered by their constant vigilance. They could not afford to be negligent.
The creatures that roamed this area were numerous, and although they had only encountered minor monsters thus far, the shadow of a greater danger always loomed overhead. Seth kept this thought in mind, remaining alert. Every confrontation delayed them, making their advance uncertain.
