The sun filtered dimly through the twisted canopy of Muderan's ancient forest. Kai, Vepice, and Orlin walked towards the skeletal remains of a house long since surrendered to decay.
Of animals, or perhaps the previous inhabitants, but there were no corpses or carcases to speak of.
"We'll stay here for a moment," Orlin said quietly, brushing aside a clinging vine as he stepped into the half-collapsed structure. "We're not far from the forest's exit now, but the forest thickens from here on for a while. And it becomes... less forgiving."
The walls were damp mulch, the floor little more than dirt and fibrous roots. The air smelled of mildew and death.
Vepice sagged to the ground with a tired sigh, her limbs trembling from the hike, her breathing shallow but steady. Kai sat beside her, resting his back against a wall that cracked under the pressure.
He breathed as calmly as one might having woken up from a restful nap.
