Kellen made sure to watch his feet, watch his sides, watch everything around him. He was on high alert, as he should be. The smallest of crunch, his feet sinking into the damp soil made small iridescent…spores float into the air. Kellen hated that, hated what it probably signified as he made his way eastward.
He came to the small river, noticing for the first time a few cracked branches, a few marks on the trees.
Hardened sap surrounded the marks, clearly made with a knife, and his chest swelled as he recognised the marking technique he had taught his students. It might have been the older Esper who had been sucked in with them that had told them to do so, but that didn't matter. Kellen was just glad to see signs of life, and that they were signs he was able to follow.
It was clear that they hadn't crossed the river, like Kellen had no plan to. At least not yet. It looked so damn toxic that Kellen could almost feel how it would dissolve his clothes. His bones.
