@akashicmuses liked for a starter!
The Forest of the Lost, as the locals call it, has turned out to be...unfortunately, very aptly named.
The place is apparently full of valuable herbs and rare animals, which made it a popular destination for potioneers and hunters alike. But the worth of such ingredients is debatable when weighed against a multitude of missing persons reports. The nearby townsfolk also seem to have taken a rather lackadaisical approach to the whole situation, eager to benefit from the flow of trade that travelers brought to their town and refusing to rope the area off because it was supposed to be 'safe, as long as you don't get too greedy.'
You'll be fine if you stick to the paths, an old lady had told him earlier that afternoon, lowering her voice conspiratorially. But, well, new folks will sometimes see something just a little off to the side...and that's up to them, really. If you give in to temptation, the forest will take you.
Nonsense. If people keep getting lost, then the solution should have been to either mark the place off-limits or improve the system of trails within. In any case, none of this is useful advice when Leon had been sent specifically to look for the missing people, and must therefore go off the path by necessity.
He could swear that he'd been keeping good track of his progress, though, marking trees with a dagger as he passed. So why...is it that everything looks so unfamiliar...
All things considered, he has an excuse for being a bit high-strung when some nearby bushes rustle, making Leon whirl around with a hand already resting on Chaltier's hilt.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"














