The winding trails between the similarly elder undergrowth that dominated the Ixchel Wilds. Insects of every variety seemed to swarm and congregate within the space allowed by the vibrant and virulent growth of vines and low hanging branches.
Even the floor of the woods that he traveled saw but a portion of the true strength of the sunlight when he had dared to expose his digits to the offending warmth. A tingle of discomfort had warned him against prolonged exposure, but yet pushed on to enjoy something he had seldom the chance to do.
Removing the cloak that usual adorned his shoulders, the older man allowed the shallow rays to grace the marble-like skin.
Isolation alongside his usual trades gave him few fans or reasons to venture in the hours graced by the burning orb so many lofted prayers to.
Farmers and travelers alike lauded the blasted thing, scampering inside in the waning hours of light for fear of what lurked in the bliss of darkness. Even being a creature of nocturnal preference, there were certain occurrences were even he had sought shelter in discovering he did not journey alone.
But predators viewed one another with wariness and mistrust.
Even providing one another with stiff legged displays of power and ability before most often separating to leave one another in what some might have considered tolerant peace.
Most often it was merely a measure of risk being outweighed by the potential reward of such a scuffle.
Especially when the initial assessment of a potential adversary proved inadequate and lacking in prior knowledge. Was such the downfall of a particular oddity that had stumbled into the little inlet of a cave he had slumbered in one afternoon.
The slow settling of the sun beyond the horizon finding him woken by the violent shuffling and posturing of some feline creature nearly double his height in length, though markedly slim by his measure.
Examing the remains had given him scant few details as to any outstanding biological traits the beast had about it. Aside from its large size, which he ventured to reason was the outcome of an abundance of resources.
Evidenced by the simple lack of residence by such a creature in any greater numbers. His encounter had come at what he guessed was the initial outskirts of the Ixchel Wilds, and potentially a misstep in predicting the proclivity of such a creatures habit.
But further information could only be gathered by continuing his journey. Leaving the corpse outside the inlet had promised something else an easy meal, and told the more sentient beings that hid themselves inside the treacherous flora that dominated the region.
The small bag slung about his shoulders bobbed and slapped against his hip as he swung himself a large protrusion of roots beside a grand tree.
Had he the inclination he might have stripped some of the bark, to examine the density and overall liveliness of the towering cover. His eyes squinting a little out of habit to stare at the formation of its branches among the canopy.
It always astounded him to see the flora working together to cohesive survival. A note he had made over the centuries in some long forgotten hand penned journal. A moniker scribbled with perhaps a slight chortle at the pen name he might have chosen for that decade to keep himself riddled in mystery.
Not that he truly believed anyone interested in finding the authors of such texts.
Seldom had he ever eavesdropped a riveting conversation over the findings of a potential long dead scholar about the nature of beasts and their habits of defecation or the oddities of plant life managing to flourish even beneath similarly heavy canopy coverage in far flung regions.
He paused in his steps, long enough to pay mind to an odd thought given to the elves and their natural affinity for the woods they clung to. Perhaps they might have shared an interest in those very topics.
He shook the idea from his mind, the folly of such wonder reminding him of his sole attempt to make peaceful contact with that race some time ago ending with a majority of his being split into pieces and buried for some time.
Made whole once more by the kindness of a mortal with little in the way for regard of their own well being, or ability to breath and think within the same instance.
A sweet soul truth be told, and it was a shame to watch them fall afoul of the bull they kept in the pasture.
Even the floor of the woods that he traveled saw but a portion of the true strength of the sunlight when he had dared to expose his digits to the offending warmth. A tingle of discomfort had warned him against prolonged exposure, but yet pushed on to enjoy something he had seldom the chance to do.
Removing the cloak that usual adorned his shoulders, the older man allowed the shallow rays to grace the marble-like skin.
Isolation alongside his usual trades gave him few fans or reasons to venture in the hours graced by the burning orb so many lofted prayers to.
Farmers and travelers alike lauded the blasted thing, scampering inside in the waning hours of light for fear of what lurked in the bliss of darkness. Even being a creature of nocturnal preference, there were certain occurrences were even he had sought shelter in discovering he did not journey alone.
But predators viewed one another with wariness and mistrust.
Even providing one another with stiff legged displays of power and ability before most often separating to leave one another in what some might have considered tolerant peace.
Most often it was merely a measure of risk being outweighed by the potential reward of such a scuffle.
Especially when the initial assessment of a potential adversary proved inadequate and lacking in prior knowledge. Was such the downfall of a particular oddity that had stumbled into the little inlet of a cave he had slumbered in one afternoon.
The slow settling of the sun beyond the horizon finding him woken by the violent shuffling and posturing of some feline creature nearly double his height in length, though markedly slim by his measure.
Examing the remains had given him scant few details as to any outstanding biological traits the beast had about it. Aside from its large size, which he ventured to reason was the outcome of an abundance of resources.
Evidenced by the simple lack of residence by such a creature in any greater numbers. His encounter had come at what he guessed was the initial outskirts of the Ixchel Wilds, and potentially a misstep in predicting the proclivity of such a creatures habit.
But further information could only be gathered by continuing his journey. Leaving the corpse outside the inlet had promised something else an easy meal, and told the more sentient beings that hid themselves inside the treacherous flora that dominated the region.
The small bag slung about his shoulders bobbed and slapped against his hip as he swung himself a large protrusion of roots beside a grand tree.
Had he the inclination he might have stripped some of the bark, to examine the density and overall liveliness of the towering cover. His eyes squinting a little out of habit to stare at the formation of its branches among the canopy.
It always astounded him to see the flora working together to cohesive survival. A note he had made over the centuries in some long forgotten hand penned journal. A moniker scribbled with perhaps a slight chortle at the pen name he might have chosen for that decade to keep himself riddled in mystery.
Not that he truly believed anyone interested in finding the authors of such texts.
Seldom had he ever eavesdropped a riveting conversation over the findings of a potential long dead scholar about the nature of beasts and their habits of defecation or the oddities of plant life managing to flourish even beneath similarly heavy canopy coverage in far flung regions.
He paused in his steps, long enough to pay mind to an odd thought given to the elves and their natural affinity for the woods they clung to. Perhaps they might have shared an interest in those very topics.
He shook the idea from his mind, the folly of such wonder reminding him of his sole attempt to make peaceful contact with that race some time ago ending with a majority of his being split into pieces and buried for some time.
Made whole once more by the kindness of a mortal with little in the way for regard of their own well being, or ability to breath and think within the same instance.
A sweet soul truth be told, and it was a shame to watch them fall afoul of the bull they kept in the pasture.
