Words could scarcely describe what he was seeing. Everywhere he looked monuments to the grandeur of Caiyha’s wild temple stood proud masking the sky allowing only slivers of light to cascade through their foliage. Aoren marveled at the great trees all around him. Never in his life had he seen a forest of this scale. The great trunks dwarfed any of the great oaks to be found in the Bronze Wood of Syliras. They certainly made the bitter trees of the mountainous lands surrounding Zeltiva look sickly and pale by comparison. He knew that the goddess of the wilds was a definite power in the great world but to see a land so wild and untamed truly humbled Aoren’s opinion of the civilized world.
“
What is this place?”
Aoren took a step forward surprised to feel the crisp coolness of earth beneath his feet. He jumped back in slight surprise looking down at himself. The Drykas man was barefoot wearing only a pair of leather breeches with leather straps wrapped around his calves to keep them from billowing out. His torso was bare. He wore only leather bands around his biceps with bracers covering his forearms. He found himself holding a sturdy wooden quarterstaff. Aoren gave it an experimental twirl testing its balance. The staff seemed sound. Though he was slightly off put at finding himself in a strange and unfamiliar wilderness Aoren decided that he would get nowhere by just standing there.
“
Might as well get a move on.”
Giving an experimental jump or two to test his bearings he took hold of the quarterstaff more firmly before setting out at a jog. There would be no sense to sprinting through a dense forest that he knew nothing about. The heat of the environment soon began to make the young man perspire. A fine sheen of sweat formed on his brow with the humidity making his skin moisten even further. Still, he kept moving. What else could he do?
As he ran, Aoren used the quarterstaff as leverage occasionally jumping over gnarled roots by vaulting into the air only to bound off the trunk of a tree to maintain speed. He came down on the ground lightly though there were times when he stumbled having to use the quarterstaff for balance. It was a method of travel that he had used for many years. Growing up venturing into the forests around Syliras he had come to utilize this “tree bounding” method of getting around in the wilderness fairly often. That was not to say he didn’t have the bumps, bruises, or brush in with branches and roots for his trouble. It helped that the soles of his feet were slightly callused from spending a lot of time barefoot in his leisure time when outside the walls of civilization.
Before long Aoren’s exertions caught up with him. He found himself needing to take a break from his dash through the jungle. Bringing himself to a wobbly stop he flailed an arm briefly before planting the butt of the quarterstaff into the ground to catch his balance.
“
Whoa! Whew! That would not have been fun.”
He chuckled aloud to himself taking a look at his surroundings. He found himself staring at a half-ruined wall to a structure that could only be described as positively ancient. The stone was smooth, worn away by years of exposure to the natural elements. Thick greenery crept up the ruinous wall but Aoren managed to spot an opening in the stone. A collapsed part concealed by vines. Reaching out he pushed aside the plant life with some minimal effort. It clung to the stone jealously, desperately trying to conceal the opening in the wall but Aoren managed to part it. He stepped through using the quarterstaff to hold off the greenery until he was firmly on the other side.
Raising an arm Aoren wiped away the sweat on his brow. He would have greatly enjoyed a drink of water right then but no such luck. He would have to find a source of water soon or risk heavy thirst in this strange wilderness. Aside from that he took a look around.
Rising all around him were the gutted remains of what Aoren assumed had either once been a great temple or a very complex city. He had no way of knowing. The architecture was unlike anything he had seen before. Half of it had been reclaimed by the forest with some of the structures still standing albeit in a dilapidated state. The cool stones felt pleasant beneath his feet to offset the warmth of the environment. It was then that the trickle of water reached his ears. He cast his gaze toward the opposite side of the structure to see a very thin stream weaving its way through the upturned tiles of the ruined floor. Making his way over Aoren knelt down still grasping the staff in one hand while using the other scoop up the water.
Bringing the water to his lips he began to drink. What waited for him in the depths of this unnamed forest? If it could even be called that. The word “forest” seemed underwhelming when applied to where he was.
Only time would tell.
NoteItalic text are Aoren's thoughts.
