Lost and Alone

[The Narrator]

Alone.

---

Nyra curls up in the shelter she's made, brambles bending and twisting around her, leaves and thorns. None of them touch her. The ground beneath her is blackened from the few months now she's stayed here, at least the furs she found are dry enough that they don't rot. Warm too. Everything here is rotting. The thought makes her flinch and curl in on herself. A scared animal. Rotting everything and it's her fault. Need to get food.... Hungry. The brambles around her doesn't have fruit...

She has to scramble out of her nest, brambles parting to make a path in front of her. She stops at the entrance of the patch, nervously looking both ways to make sure nobody is around before dashing forward, leaving a faint trail of decay behind her. She knows where fruit is, fruit- food- is everywhere here. She stops again, looks around. Clear? She creeps towards a tree she can see before standing up on her tiptoes to reach for a hanging, orange and green fruit. As she stretches up to reach she closes her eyes, squeezing them shut tight. Concentrating. The branch with the fruit starts to slowly bend down into reach, and she grabs it, sitting on the ground beneath the tree to eat till she's full. Can't take it back. It will just rot like everything else. .

[[God] - Willow]

Sealcairn forest... What an eerie mark left on the Pantheon. She was young, the goddess of the Hunt, and she was taken so quietly. But they all knew who did it. Willow sometimes kept to visiting the forest, checking itself health but it wasn’t quite hers anymore. Like the forest of The One, this forest was its own entity now. But since the loss of The Huntess, Willow was able to reinherit only some of the forest and regain minimal communcation within their roots. And something felt different. There was life there of course, bountiful with game, but this new thing wasn’t game. Perhaps another lost soul? Not many would stay this long here. While filled with such treasured resources, the forests were often considered to be haunted or cursed.

She walked through the forest, tapping into the root systems to pinpoint where this person was. There was something dense around her, but it seemed to be in her control. But there was also a strange sense of root systems withering in nonrandom ways. The moment the branch of a tree moved, Willow figured almost exactly where the girl was. It was almost like an extrasensory hair, something being pulled. Willow ran in that direction, gliding over the forest floor and stopping to find a nest of brambles. A look around and there was a small path of decaying grass blades leading to a fruit bearing tree. Its fruit still green, and a singular branch losing withered leaves and its branch shriveling up. The decay spread no further that that, meaning that it wasn’t intentional and that the girl likely had a death touch.

Willow neared the brambles, inspecting them. She crouched in front in them over the withering path. “Hello?”

[The Narrator]

Nyra eats her fill but when She looks up at the tree- She gasps, watching now brown leaves drop to her feet where a patch of blackened grass was slowly spreading. "No no no-" Not again- It was only getting worse... She would have to find another tree next time. She didn't mean to- A sound. Just on the edge of hearing. An animal or person- She runs.

Now back in her nest, she curls up, listening. Closer? Gone? She doesn't know- Not until a voice calls out from past the thorns. Hello. It's almost a shock- It's been so long since she heard a voice. A woman? Reminds her of mom-

---

The Brambles outside appear healthy, thriving even, Overgrown from the magic making them flourish. In response to Willow they seem to tighten, Shielding whatever- whoever is inside, the gaps between them disappearing as they twist together. The path from the tree though, Where at first It had been only a few blades of grass, here the ground seems to have all the life sapped from it, Nothing but a few withered leaves left behind.

---

Nyra is terrified. She's so scared. She can't touch whoever it was.. If she touches them.. She feels sick. She has to run.From outside the vines seem to suddenly explode outwards on the other side of the plant, making a path for Nyra to run through. If she goes fast the woman wouldn't catch her.
She wouldn't Rot.

[[God] - Willow]

Willow heard a burst, only to get up and see a person bolting. There wasn’t much, but what looked like green locks oh hair flowing over a tattered white dress. “H-Hey, wait!” Willow immediately darted around and followed the girl and her spotted trail of decay. Poor thing was fleeing as if she thought she was being hunted. Willow tried what she could to catch up to the girl, but she was nimble. Willow reached out within the forest, sending out magic ahead of her in attempts to catch the girl as gently as possible. She didn’t want to hurt or frighten her more than she already was. As of right now, it was a matter of making sure the girl knew she wasn’t going to get hurt and find out what was going on with what happened around her. Around Nyra, stalks would forcibly grow with large leaves roughly her size fanning out to catch and wrap her up, given extra vitality to absorb her decay.

[The Narrator]

Can't be caught can't be caught Can'tbeCaught- She doesn't even notice the leaves around her growing as she runs past. The woman is still chasing why is she chasing- Ahead of her leaves form a wall of green. Nyra charges through thinking. She can push to the other side and hide-

Caught.

She panics when she can't seem to push through, turning around to find another way and- A wall of green meets her instead, starting to wrap around her. By now her breathing is ragged, tears pricking at her eyes. No! She has to concentrate- She squeezes her eyes shut, fists clenched at her side. She needs to move the plants and-

... Nothing. 

It was the first time nothing had happened. They were supposed to move! THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO LET HER GO! She was going to hurt the lady she doesn't want to- If she touches her she'll- Nyra is in tears by now, struggling against the plants to try and get out. 

[[God] - Willow]

The leaves curled around her a little tighter in the form of a gentle hug, only parting around her face. Willow’s run slowed into a light jog, stopping only a couple feel away from the leafy cocoon. “It’s alright little one. No one is here to harm you.” The poor dear was so upset and afraid but Willow couldn’t figure out why. She could read souls, but souls didn’t give insight to thought. Then it struck. She knew the girl had a touch of death regardless of what it was, the only things alive with her were her brambles and even they seemed to be combatting themselves over life and death. A vine slowly branched off the stem of a leaf and released a fresh scent of flowers, moving around to brush Nyra’s face and wipe tears off. The girl learned really early that she caused death and decay, not yet able to control that and that must have been what she was afraid of. Learning such a thing at a young age was heartbreaking.

[The Narrator]

Nyra is shaking as the god approaches, trying her best to get away. She HAS to get away. If she touches- If she-

"Please."

It's all she says at first, voice small, rough with disuse as she begins to shake in the cocoon of leaves. The moss growing in her hair is withering, a reflection of her emotional state. "D-Don't- you can't-" You can't touch me. "Please." It's clear from her soul at least that she doesn't mean harm. So young.. her control is obviously thin, if at all present. It's not hard to make the leap of logic that willow made. If you're unable to even keep your powers from sapping the life from the food you eat then the people who you come in contact with... They Die. Rot.

It's a horrifying thing for a child to witness. To watch the people who live around you- who touch you slowly rot alive.

It's not clear how long she's been alone out here but her face and skin are dirty, Hair tangled with plant life and, as Willow noticed, her dress is in tatters, soiled from who knows how long of wear and torn and tattered at the hems, probably from the very brambles she was living in.

[[God] - Willow]

So it was a matter of worry for her touch of death. If Maisha could handle the kind of decay Incarnidine cast naturally, Willow was certain that this mage's affects wouldn't harm her. Sure, she may feel a natural strain, but it wouldn't be much. "Look at the plants holding you. They aren't withering." She said, making sure the girl was aware that there was something overpowering her own magic. I won't wither so easily.

[[God] - The One That Whispers]

"It doesn't rot." 'It doesn't rot.' "It doesn't die." 'It doesn't die.' The voice was everywhere and nowhere at once, the sounds of the forest faded to nothing. The voice seemed to speak like a whisper and a roar, echoing inside of the mind. A strange echo sat among it, almost like an answer to an unsaid question, a constant reassurance of a presence that had now invaded the forest.

The shadows grew deeper and from the blindsides of vision during a blink, a new figure now stood among the trees. "She doesn't know." 'She doesn't know.' That strange echoing voice rang out once more, coming from all directions, never centralised, impossible to locate. A blink and the creature had moved again, closer, head tilted as it looked down to the child of rot, the one that brought wither where she walked.

"Death becomes her." 'Death becomes her.' "She doesn't realise." 'She doesn't realise.' It turned, once more unseen, just jumping position like stills in a camera. It stared at Willow, closer once more. Now that it was properly in sight of both of them, Nyra would be able to see just what it was. Looming at nearly ten feet in height, its entire body was covered in loose, rippling cloth. Two arms rested neatly at its sides, branch like claws extending from fingers too long to ever be human. It didn't seem to have a normal head, just a deer skull with gnarled, twisting branches covered in thorns as antlers. It's sockets were empty and no part of it moved other than the cloth that made up its body.

"You scare her. She panics." 'She panics.' The echo said to Willow, another flicker and the beast looked at Nyra. "We do not rot." 'Do not rot.' "You cannot kill us." 'Kill us.' If she blinked, its claw would rest on her forehead, one finger extended to touch her. "Witness." 'See the truth.' "Understand." 'Know your place.'

[The Narrator]

Nyra doesn't Understand. What does she mean?? The child was overwhelmed, tears only coming faster, Breath unsteady. Scared scared scared- The plants aren't rotting? They aren't. She's right but-

The new voice catches her off guard and she freezes, head snapping towards the source. Where was the source?? It feels like it's coming from her own mind- head splitting... She squeezes her eyes shut, trying to block out the noise, and when she opens them again she looks up and gives a shriek. It was right in front of her! She didn't hear it or- She's frozen in terror, Staring up as it continues to speak.

Another blink and it's gone, between her and the woman now. She wants to run. It's Scary. She squeezes her eyes shut and can feel it touch her and... There's a magical discharge. The feeling of death... But no one screams. Nothing happens. She opens her eyes and- The branch isn't withering. She.. She can touch them? They won't rot and fall apart and scream as the flesh sloshes off their bones and- NO. She shakes away the memories, crying now. She struggles again, trying to push away. Towards Willow or back towards the briars she doesn't know but she wants to Hide.i 

[[God] - Willow]

Willow seemed surprised at first, looking around to only find The One Who Whispers looming around. "Ah, The One. I didn't notice you were here." As ominous as he was, he had a point and he could see it more clearly than Willow could. Of course, that's to be expected from the God of Omens.

Willow sighed, shaking her head at the accompanying god. "You've scared the poor girl that she's paralysed now." She looked at Nyra and stepped closer, trying her best not to seem as intimidating. "I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Willow, the goddess of plants. I help breathe life into them, just as my sister does for animals. The touch of death doesn't harm us." That was a half truth. While it didn't look like anything was happening on the outside, it was an internal push of excess power to combat the amount of decay. But she didn't need to know that right now.

[[God] - The One That Whispers]

A deep hiss erupted from the forest after Willow finished speaking and The One removed his hand from the girl's face with another blink, now standing directly before Willow. "We do not lie." 'It does not become us' The echo was a dark growl this time. The shadows lengthened once more before finally fading, any essence of anger that The One seemed to have disappeared instantly and he returned to normal. His cloth stopped rippling, even though the wind continued, he did not feel the need to move anymore.

Another unseen movement, now he stood a few steps away, in view of both. "Child. You are of us." 'Part of a whole' "An Omen in living form" 'An unspoken truth' He paused for a few moments and then spoke once more, again the sounds seemed to come from anywhere and nowhere, a permanent existence, something that was and will be but not fully realised. "We do not wither for our power is greater." 'Strength saves us' "Others can as well." 'Death is never without life' His next movement was bowing his head, deep in thought.

"We are The One That Whispers, God of Omens, One That Should Not Be." 'A truth that wants to lie' "Who are you?" 'What are you?'

[The Narrator]

Nyra doen't listen to the god's whispers. She doesn't want to listen. It hurts too much to think about and he's scary and she wants to go home but home is long gone and she's scared. She wants him out of her head- tries to push him out or cover her ears or something but it penetrates her very being and she's Scared.

Without warning Nyra suddenly bursts out of the leaves- Darting behind Willow to hide behind her skirts- some barrier between her and the monster who was playing with shadows and moving when she wasn't looking and growling in her mind- Her hands clutch at the fabric, face hidden as she Shakes, tears soaking through. Scared Scared Scared- 

Her powers seemed to be warring inside her- Death spreading in a circle around her all well the moss in her hair grows down to cover her shoulders and back- like she's trying to hide.

[[God] - Willow]

Willow watched as Nyra burst out of the leaves, darting by and clinging to her skirt. The goddess turned and crouched down, placing a hand on Nyra's head and gently rubbed the mossy hair. "It's alright little one." Willow was trying to make sure the girl was safe, even with The One's passive tampering of the area. "He isn't here to harm you. Cryptic as he may be, he will not harm you." She made sure that she kept in contact with Nyra, looking back at The One to shake her head at him. She knew The One hasn't actively gone to hurt people aside from those who would try to harm the forest he resided in. The goddess turned back to Nyra, trying to make sure the girl's focus was less on The One and more on Nyra.

But now that the girl was literally in front of her, Willow could get a better look at her. She wasn't in a great condition on her own. Actually, her dress seemed worn, and there was dirt caking parts of her skin. Her scalp had mud between where her clumped hair grew out. Concern grew for Willow as those were signs that the girl was out in the wilds for a while. Maybe a few days, maybe more. "Are you perhaps lost? Where are your parents, I'm sure we could find them." If the girl was separated by her parents, it would probably be good to find them soon and get them together again. "...Might I ask for your name?"

[[God] - The One That Whispers]

It would appear that his ability to aid this situation had been massively reduced. That was understandable but he needed the child to know that she was not as dangerous as she thought. He had planted a seed of knowledge and understanding and it would grow. Another blink and he moved further away, fading into the shadows of the forest now as he looked towards Willow. His voice narrowed and focused, whispering only into her mind. With the echo gone, his voice was strangely... Dead, as though there really was nothing behind it.

"Keep her safe. We will take our leave, our presence is dangerous." He told her simply and with one last blink, he was gone. The wind started to blow again, the shadows returned to normal and the sounds of animals came back, as though it had all just been a nightmare, like they had been in a small pocket dimension while he was around. It was done now however and if the child ever expressed interest in meeting him again, he knew that Willow would tell her where to go.