Closed Lost in the Enchanted Forest (Aradia)

[Iosha]

When Aradia agreed to accompany her farther into the caverns, Iosha gave the woman a sweet smile and said softly, “Thank you, Aradia.” Iosha turned to Curgan and stated, “Why don't you lead the way Curgan.” Iosha followed the man through the corridor, and she eventually came to large dark cavern with only the soft blue lights of the small glowing mushroom to guide their way. Iosha was amazed at how quiet the underground forest was except for the occasional fluttering of bat wings off in the distance. The konti noticed the cavern was relatively cool and dry compared to certain parts of the Underground Forest. Iosha figured this cavern either had access to the outside air, or the moisture never makes it into this part of the cavern. Whatever the case might be, the mushrooms on the ceiling made the alien environment rather comfortable like the plains of Syliras. Iosha noticed Curgan was making his way towards the green light, and the Konti said loud enough for both of them to hear, “If either of us get separated in the cave, I want us to meet up by the lake shore.” Iosha ran a hand through her hair and said with a small laugh as she smiled at Aradia, “I am not trying to jinx us, but I wanted to have a plan before we get farther into the cave.” When they got closer to the green light, Iosha put a hand on Curgan's shoulder to stop him, and he looked back at the konti and snapped, “Why you stopped me, konti?” Iosha sort of knew the misshaped man wouldn't understand beauty if it hit him in the face, but ever since her time as a slave the konti always took a few chimes to appreciate the beauty of Mizahar. When she walked into the Green Tree Cavern, Iosha was expecting to see great green treelike mushrooms, but Iosha was amazed the green trees were the still standing petrified trees before the Valterrian. Iosha walked up to the petrified trees, and she noticed what gave the rock it's green glow was a think fuzzy green moss that covered the surface of the tree. The konti ran her hand over the moss, and she smiled to herself at the soft texture of the small plants. She looked up into the trees, and she saw tiny balls of glowing white light drifting through the cavern. Iosha figure theses were the legendary luminance spores of the Underground forest. The konti didn't really care if she looked like a idiot, so she jumped up as high as she could to try to catch a spore floating close to the ground. She missed the first one, but eventually after four more tries, Iosha was able to grab on in her webbed hand. Iosha gave Aradia a childlike grin and said with a giggle, “It was trying to escape, but I was way to fast for it.” Curgan crossed his arm in disgust as he walked the Konti get distracted by the spores. His mind was clearly in a different place than his traveling companion. The man looked at Aradia and muttered, “I know the konti has a attention span of a sparrow, but we really need to hurry if we are going to help them.” Iosha didn't here Curgan statement to Aradia, and she walked around to the other-side of the tree and gazed out over the vast cavern. The forest of petrified trees went on for miles, and the scene was something out of story book. Iosha started to think the small white lights were spirits of the animals and people who died in the disaster five hundred years ago. It was good idea for a story, but she knew it was only in her imagination. Iosha stood there for five chimes basking in the glow of the spores. She knew she had to leave, but a part of her wanted to stay in the dream a moment longer.

[Aradia]

Aradia smiled and nodded her head to her friend Iosha, she really hoped they did not get lost, for Aradia would surely not find the lake again, she would perish in the caverns for sure. She followed the misshaped Curgan, sticking close to Iosha, as they entered a place with a green light. Aradia frowned and looked around her, taking a few more steps further in. It was a beautiful sight, petrified trees that seemed to be there for many years. Aradia followed Iosha to the green trees, curious as she was at the beauty before them. There was green glowing fur on the trees, which made the Singer frown once again, reaching out her hand she stroked the green fur on the trees and smiled. It reminded her of moss in moist areas of woods, except it was glowing. ”This place is amazing..” Aradia whispered softly, still stroking the green moss. The Singer’s attention was taken away from the green fur, when she saw her friend jumping wildly into the air. She did not know why her friend was doing such a thing, then she looked up and saw why. There was spore like things in the air, like little lighting bugs, just floating around above them. Aradia laughed as her friend finally caught one, clapping her hands softly. She looked down at her webbed hand and smiled, ”That’s amazing!” Aradia said with a chuckle. This place was frightening to be sure, but filled with so much beauty she almost did not want to leave at all. Curgan broke them out of their dreamlike, childish, scene with the duty that was at hand in the first place. Aradia’s shoulders shrunk, but she knew that people needed help, so they had to push on. She followed the pair again, this time lagging behind, not wanting to leave the mystical scene before them, just wanting to linger a little longer.

[Iosha]

Iosha knew Curgan was right, so she decided to try to ignore the natural beauty around her and ventured farther into the cave. As she walked, the konti started to think about her life in Wind Reach. She noticed her life was simpler in Wind Reach since she was starting to establish herself with the gingers. She was still unsure most of time that she wasn't aggressive enough for the fiery humans, but she didn't want to completely loose her konti nature too. The most important part of her, the visions, seemed too have gone away entirely from her life. This fact bothered her greatly, and she wished could talk to another Konti about it. However, she the only other Konti Iosha knew about in Wind Reach was Whisper. Iosha tended to be shy around her brethren, so she wasn't sure how even start a conversation with such a influential konti like her. As Iosha ventured down the incline, she could see the large spider webs entangled in the petrified trees, and she remembered the last time in the Underground Forest when she encountered the bats the size of dogs. She hoped she didn't encounter more of them on this second trip especially with Red's sister Aradia with her. Iosha looked back at the beautiful Inarta and gave her a reassuring smile that everything was alright.

Iosha observed the dwarf seemed to move quickly through the dense forest even though he was badly deformed. Curgan kept his eyes to the canopy of the petrified forest, and Iosha kept a hand on her sword hilt. After about fifth-teen chimes of walking, Curgan put a hand up for them to stop, and he said in sympathetic voice as he at the base of the mushroom, “Poor sod. I have a feeling he didn't know his fate till it bite him.” Iosha looked over, and she saw the half eaten corpse of human at the base of the mushroom. The corpse painted a picture of his or her last moments before death because the skull's mouth was open like it was screaming at the point before he or she died. Seeing the blood trail on the ground, the face of human looked like he was trying to crawl away from the creature that killed it, but he ended up dying at the trunk of the mushroom. It was gruesome scene, and the Konti realized why people tended to venture in the Underground Forest armed. Iosha and Curgan last adventure in the forest was unfortunate enough to encountered the spiders that inhabit the green moss of forest. Iosha looked back at Aradia and said with a weary smile, “We should leave him or her up there. It will act as a reminder for the adventures coming into the forest to be ever vigilant within such beauty” The konti stopped and decided to walk besides the singer. Iosha didn't know how the singer was dealing with the adventure, but she wanted to make the woman as comfortable as possible when they ventured farther into the unknown.

After a bell of traveling, Iosha heard movement in the trees, and she went wide eyed and looked at Curgan. The deformed man unstrapped the broken table leg from his belt, and Iosha quickly unsheathed her long sword. Iosha looked up and saw two bats quickly descending toward them. The one descending quickly was heading straight for Aradia, so Iosha shoved the ginger out of the way of the winged hunter. Iosha quickly warned Aradia, “Don't let them bite you!” Iosha swung her sword in a wide arc above her trying to hit the bat as it was coming down, but the bat was took quick for her. Iosha missed her swing horribly and now the bat was on the ground ready to pounce.