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The moment he'd entered the woodland depths, Kalil knew he had made a grave mistake. The familiar pathways of the vast grove had been twisted beyond recognition, dead, burnt leaves and ashen dust blanketing the ground, staining the bottoms of his boots with each step. To make things worse, he was actually lost. A realization which stung his pride, having lived here all his life.

All the same, he could at least take solace in the fact that not all of the forest had been burnt asunder, as he assumed previously. He could spy trees untouched by the flames not further ahead--before soon enough the charred remnants were far behind him as he walked through a vast sea of greenery, the trees denser as thick leaves swayed overhead--though the wildlife which populated them had not returned, leaving an eerie silence in their place.

The attack on their village seemed to have specifically targeted the area where it was positioned–or, that's what he believed, seeing as how all else had remained untouched. Yet back in his mind, despite his vague familiarity with his surroundings, the underlying sense of danger refused to relent. Everything about the depths felt… wrong. As he walked, his soft steps crunching through the dry leaves which covered the path beneath him, he felt as though the ground would break open at any moment and swallow him whole.

...Could the forest itself have been angered by the demons' attack? Was that why he felt so on edge? His tribe paid great respect to the guardians of the sacred grove, as was tradition amongst them. Spirits unable to be glimpsed by the unenlightened were said to stalk the treetops, and for one to incur their wrath...

The blue-haired youth paused at this, lifting his head to observe the rays of light which pierced through the leaves of the thick trees overhead, narrowing his eyes as he strained his hearing, not entirely certain of what he was listening for.

After a few moments, he shook his head and dropped his gaze to resume his trek, steps lighter as he moved through the woodland, sighing as he pulled his cloak tighter to himself. What reason would the forest guardians have to attack him? He'd always done his utmost to honor them. The temple in ode to them was sacred to all in their clan, though as Kayda and his grandmother would tell him time and time again, to enter it for anything but ritual worship or to honor fallen tribesmen would be to desecrate it...

Kalil bit his lip, feeling a great unease well up in his chest.

The demons–could they have...? Once more, he halted–a gasp spilling from his lips as the realization tore into his mind. He could feel his heart begin to pound.

Then, he heard the rustling.

The forest ignited into a deafening cacophony of sound as the vegetation rustled and chittered with movement–no longer the peaceful symphony of birds and insects that had filled them as far back as his memory could recall, nor the unsettling silence which had plagued them till now.

So overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of noise, Kalil could not hear the sound approaching from behind–before something slammed into him, a sharp impact that sent him staggering across the grove.

Narrowly bracing his impact with a roll, Kalil's brow furrowed as he hopped to his feet, hand on the hilt of his sword as he observed the spot where he had been standing–a curious set of claw-tipped tracks leading into a dense thicket he would have to cut through were he to investigate. A bead of sweat formed across his face as he stepped forward–there appeared to be more tracks alongside it.

Far too fast for his eyes to track, a pair of thick vines shot out from the dense foliage to wrap around his ankles–pulling the ground out from under him–snapping taut to drag him along the forest floor–his shout of surprise drowned out by the orchestra of sound that now dominated his surroundings.

Twigs, dried leaves, and everything in between raked and scratched his body, snagging onto his hair and cloak. Unable to pry himself free of the coiled appendages with his own strength, the ensuing surge of adrenaline forced his hand to draw the sword at his side–blade held high to sever the vines ensnaring him in a single slash.

Without anything to slow his momentum, Kalil skid across the ground like a bull–finally tumbling to a heap in an open clearing where the sun shone in full. Short, panicked gasps spilled from his lips as he scrambled to his feet–the hilt of his weapon warm in his grip as he brandished it with both hands–white blade bright as it reflected the sunlight. Again, he found himself aware of motion in the environment–creatures cloaked by the greenery scampering through the undergrowth. His gaze narrowed, but could distinguish nothing from the shadows of the trees. Then, no sooner than it had resumed, the cacophony of noise stopped, bringing the open grove into a deep silence, safe the ebb and flow of trees swayed by the breeze–though the numerous presences yet remained. He could feel them watching him.

His shoulders rose and fell as he panted to steady his breath–a surge of movement and rustling leaves directing his eyes to a portion of the undergrowth to his right–causing him to spin with the tip of blade pointed outwards in front of him–before finally, one of the creatures watching him stepped out into view.

The first thing Kalil noted about its appearance were the three large claws sprouting from both its hands and feet–the ones on its hands slightly longer and crescent-shaped like a scythe, tips tinged the faintest lavender. An ornate mane of patterned leaves decorated with flowers dangled from around its neck and shoulders, other similar plant-like ornamentation adorning the rest of its green, scaled body, and especially its tail. The only discernible feature of its smooth, elongated, pearl-colored head was a large, gaping, jagged maw that pursed shut as it spied the weapon he held out.

Neither of them moved. Kalil could feel the sweat build across his face with each passing second, his body wracked with hesitation–locked into a standoff with this creature cloaked in floral adornments that could tear him to shreds with a slash of its claws, or bite his head off with a clamp of its jaws.

The plant, however, did not hold, value, nor honor such complex trivialities. Its maw parted with a toothy grin, before it reared back on its legs and lunged toward him with nauseating speed–the nameless blade flung from his hands as it tackled him to the ground with the full impact of its body. A pair of thick vine-like appendages snaked out from its back to keep his arms restrained as it sat atop him.

Flinching, Kalil's eyes clenched shut as the creature leaned in–giant maw opening to reveal the rows of sharp teeth lining its interior–a long, thick serpentine tongue lolling out, beads of saliva falling to stain the front of his tunic as it drew closer–

–to lick him.

Shivering with half his face slathered in the creature's warm saliva, the youth popped an eye open as he felt its weight lift from his body–twin jaws shut as it reclined on scaled legs, slurping its loose tongue back into its mouth as it seemed to study him–before its jaw opened to speak.

"You… friend." A claw lifted, pointing at him.

Kalil stared back, mouth agape and eyes wide–the fear and adrenaline assaulting his body pushed to the back of his mind with the knowledge this creature–this spirit–could speak. And not only that–he had raised a blade to its face–and it was talking to him?

"You friend." It repeated, nodding excitedly, hoping to quell his uncertainty and reassure him. "You child of forest tribe. You. Friend." Punctuating the last two words, it gingerly crawled toward him, the vines from its back rising to run through his hair–picking at the twigs and bits of leaves tangled within.

Still stunned, Kalil's gaze was drawn to more rustling–this time from all around, as it had begun. More creatures crawled out to reveal themselves, some sliding down trees, others stepping out from the underbrush. They all bore striking resemblances to each other, sharing the same, giant maws and eyeless face–though their leaf-manes were different in design, some having fewer or no flowers at all, while the leaves on their bodies and tails, along with their sizes, varied between them. Including the one atop him, he counted at least five in total.

"We see you leave village." One of the creatures panted excitedly, tilting its head back and forth while its tail swished. "You want to leave forest. But forest no let you."

"Village attacked by demons. We see fire." Another said, lowering its head meekly. "They come to temple after. Temple infested with monsters."

"Guardian spirit try and fight." A gruff-voiced one added, it's leaf-collar and body dry and faded, with a scar across the top of its maw. "Guardian spirit lose. Sealed by evil presence."

"Forest in trouble." A slightly larger one nodded, looking straight at him with its maw, remaining still. "Village in trouble too."

"Evil presence kill life. Forest wither and die." The one cleaning his hair finished, regaining his attention. "Guardian spirit in trouble. Need help."

"The forest is… dying?" Kalil whispered, processing the words of the spirits. Not only had they taken Kayda–they had gone so far as to bring ruin to their forest, as if torching their home wasn't enough?

"Demons take life." The five creatures confirmed in unison. "All life here. All life burn."

"Friend help?" The spirit atop him asked, vines retreating from his head.

"Of course." He replied, looking over to the white blade which lay flat in the grass of the open grove–feeling a tinge of anger. "Those demons… they took my sister. They burned my village. And now they're trying to kill our forest…"

"Tiku make them pay. They hurt forest tribe. They hurt friend." The creature hissed, extending one of its vines to wrap around the hilt of Kalil's sword, dragging it closer to return it.

"Tiku?" The youth's head lifted as he reclaimed his weapon, meeting the spirit's open maw. "...Is that your name?"

"Yes." Its jaws parted with a smile, gesturing to its leaf-mane with a claw as it reclined on its legs, a large white flower sprouting amidst the leaves and other flowers. "Tiku leader of forest spirits. Guardian spirit trust Tiku, so Tiku always watching. You Kalil, yes?"

"...Yeah." Kalil nodded with a smile, returning his sword to its scabbard as he rose to his feet. "How do you know my name?"

"Tiku watch Kalil for long time." Tiku panted excitedly, tail swinging as it flexed its claws. "Tiku and Kalil make demons pay. We teach them lesson." It turned away, the other spirits joining him with excited pants, before speaking up. "Tiku and friends lead Kalil to temple. Follow."

Without another word, the gathering of plant creatures all leapt up to swarm him from all sides, leaving him no choice but to follow Tiku to a wall of dense vegetation–the undergrowth seeming to part through its influence as it waved its claws in the air.

---

With the cheery disposition of the plant spirits, the path through the flora felt more like a pleasant stroll through the woods than the long, tedious walk it would be otherwise. While still having to dodge occasional bram, as well as keep his cloak close to prevent it from snagging onto something, the whole journey was relatively peaceful. Really, if Kalil had learned anything during their meander, it was that spirits could talk. And they liked to talk.

...A lot.

"Kalil need help? Tell Tiku. Tiku always help friends." The forest spirit patted its belly as it led the way through the sea of trees, emitting a low rumbling as it craned its maw to look back at him. "Especially when hungry. Tiku like food."

The empty sounds of the forest had all but been drowned out by their constant banter. Tiku was gregarious, giddy and full of life. It chattered incessantly as it led him through the trees, as did the other four spirits accompanying them, who followed their leader with pride. Like Tiku, they had names as well.

The spirit with the ever-excited gait and constantly twitching head was called Loka, appearing to be the youngest with its short tail and flowerless mane of leaves, some of which, alongside patches of scales, were a nascent yellow. The one with the meek posture and lithe body who never lifted its maw from the ground was Yuka. The largest with the bush-like mane and thickest tail was Fuka, who was quite muscular compared to the slimmer and leaner bodies of its brethren, offset by its quiet demeanor. Finally, the spirit with the deceptively-deep voice and mane of dried leaves was Okon, who he assumed to be the oldest, owing to its worn hide and scars--and by how casually it talked with Tiku, referring to him directly by name whereas the other three called him 'leader.'

"If you hungry, leader get food." Loka chittered, tongue lolling out from the side of its jaw. "Food good."

"Tiku have courage. Okon like courage." The dry-maned spirit explained to him, craning its maw to spare what could only be a glare to the meek spirit trailing behind them. "Yuka always scared. Should be like Tiku. Friend agree?"

Kalil shook his head with a smile. "You can be scared but still have courage… And besides, he's brave enough to tag along with us, isn't he?"

To his surprise, Okon nodded. "Okon test friend, not disappointed with answer. Yuka scared, but has courage. Friend smart, unlike Tiku." It pointed a vine at the leading spirit, grinning deviously. "Tiku's head empty; idiot leader."

"If Tiku idiot, then why Tiku leader?" The plant patriarch replied, spinning on its haunches to glare at them with a scrunched maw–only to faceplant as a branch whacked the back of its head.

"...Because leader have courage." Fuka answered plainly, parting the branches overhead with its vines. "Leader may be idiot and walk into branch, but leader have courage."

"Leader foolish... but never scared." Yuka added, voice soft. "Yuka looks to leader for courage."

"Loka agree!" Loka exclaimed, scampering to the fallen Tiku to help it to its feet, grasping the sides of its leader's jaws and stretching them out into a smile, while it ruffled his mane with its vines. "Loka not smart, so Loka look to leader! And leader brave! We proud to have such brave leader! Not like coward demons! "

"F-Friends too kind…" Tiku sniveled, patting the hyperactive spirit's head with a vine after prying its claws from its maw, turning back to resume leading them forward. "Going to make Tiku cry..."

...They can cry? Kalil glanced away, scratching at his head as he tried to imagine how an eyeless face could shed tears–blinking the image away as a vine tapped his shoulder.

"This why Tiku leader." Okon rumbled to him proudly, before gesturing to itself with a claw. "Okon too old to be leader. Better at fighting. Friend good at fighting too. Okon sees potential."

"H-Huh?" Kalil blinked, gaze veering away as his face flushed red with uncertainty. "You… really think so?"

It nodded in assurance, tapping a claw to the side of its head. "Okon know so. Forest tribe have many warriors in past. Like to train with spirits. Sacred blood make them strong." It lowered its head. "But sacred blood weak now. Forest tribe peaceful. Cannot protect themselves with weak magic. Lack courage. But friend has courage and strength." It continued, giving his shoulder another pat. "Okon senses it. Forest guardian can wake sacred blood. Must have faith. Must not lose hope."

He stifled a sigh, not entirely sure how to take the old spirit's words. Had their tribe's magic grown that weak over the ages? Kayda's strength told him otherwise, but maybe that's because she had been the most magically affluent of everyone in their tribe… maybe even she paled in comparison to the might of their ancestors.

But if even she hadn't managed to ward the demons away… what could he hope to accomplish with one sword?

Tightening the collar of his cloak, the blue-haired youth found himself lifting an arm to shield his eyes from the harsh sunlight as they finally exited from the shaded canopy into another open clearing, squinting as he beheld the large structure which sat its center–the very same he and his tribe held in such high regard. The stone architecture was a far cry from the wooden huts in his village, though it bore a heavy resemblance to their sanctuary–owing to the civilizations which had long preceded them. The temple had long been reclaimed by nature, overgrown with vines and creepers. A massive tree loomed far atop, roots grasping at the base with branches spreading along the cracked, uneven stairway leading to the entrance.

The serenity of the open grove and majesty of entering his tribe's place of worship could not have been any further from Kalil's mind. Gazing upon the sealed entrance, a foul, primal fear seeped into his body. The darkness infesting the temple was so overpowering, it was practically seeping out past the sealed doorway. Even the air felt wrong.

Unwavering, Tiku stood hunched at the bottom of the stairs, the four spirits following after to join their leader, who turned to gesture the tribe scion forward.

"Friend hungry?" Loka stirred as he drew toward them, quivering with exhilaration. "Because Loka is! Loka make sure to eat every last demon! Loka make them squirm!"

"No Loka, demons not nutritious! Bad for stomach!" Tiku huffed irritably, snapping its claws. "But–we make them squirm. We show them anger of forest spirits and of forest tribe! Then we have victory feast!" In unison with its cry, the five plant creatures huddled together and raised their maws to the sky, flaring their manes and shaking their tails in a series of jovial snarls.

Dispersing moments later, Tiku stepped aside and gestured for Kalil to ascend the stairway. Without further ado, he did so–the foreboding feeling intensifying with each step upwards.

He halted before the sealed entrance, sucking in a breath upon lifting his head to gaze at the giant tree overhead. The entrance was so large, even all six of them bunched together side-by-side would still leave room for entry. The trunk was thick and gnarled, its branches spreading wide to form a canopy overhead. Moss, lichen, and fungi grew along the bark, creating a soft, green glow. Yuka and Fuka came up from behind him, their own bodies halting at the sides of the large shut doorway, thick vines extending outwards to press against its center–before they pushed with strained growls. The ground rumbled as the pair heaved the sealed doors open–a foul scent of decay wafting from the rapidly widening gap. He gagged at the stench–tears welling up in his eyes from the sheer intensity of it.

Upon making a wide enough opening to grant entry, the duo silently retreated–a deep, damp stairwell gracing his sight. Tiku peered down the dark entrance upon reaching his side, maw closing in a frown, lifting the tip to spare him a glance.

"Kalil scared?"

The youth swallowed before nodding, face cold with sweat. His heart pounded as he held his palm to his chest and took a slow, deep breath; letting it still upon exhaling.

"No worry." The spirit reassured with a toothy smile. "...Tiku scared too. But Tiku has courage." It lifted its maw to him, gently taking his hand into its claws. "Kalil has courage too. Evil presence no match for our power."

He nodded once more, exhaling swiftly as he curled his fingers around the hilt of the sword at his hip. Clutching it tight and holding it close, with renewed vigor he carefully stepped through the slit of the doors before beginning his descent–the idle claw-taps of the plant creatures trailing after him.

The twin doors slammed shut behind them with a hollow bang, the sound echoing through thick stone walls, before falling eerily silent.