The Messenger

Kai had never seen a proper forest before, and it took his breath away. Thick trees intertwined with one another, blocking out the sunlight and casting the interior into a deep green shadow. It reminded him of the web tunnels that spiders build to lure in prey. It was actually quite unsettling. Adjusting his heavy pack and steeling himself, the young man stepped out of the open sunshine and into the density of the wood. The change was nearly instant. The air chilled, the wind calmed down, and the sweet smell of grass was replaced by the rich earthy scent of dirt and roots. He could hear the noises of insects and birds and the scuffling of creatures that his eyes could not pick up. Kai bit down on his bottom lip nervously. The road stretched out before him, if not a bit overgrown. He continued to follow. “It’s all right,” he whispered to himself in comfort. “People live here, after all.” Even so, why anyone would choose a forest over the plains and Serpentine River was beyond him. —From Messenger, an entry in the Tome of CHAOS

• #splinterlands
• #chaoslegion
• #art
• #sketch