The dense, emerald canopy of the southern forest was a blur of motion as the young
lady tore through the undergrowth. She was a vision of vibrant pink and deep indigo,
her long pigtails whipping behind her like frantic silk ribbons. Her high-collared white
blouse was pristine no longer, dampened by the sweat of a chase that had lasted far
too long. In her hand, she white-knuckled a tall, wooden staff topped with a glowing
azure crystal, its light flickering with her waning strength. Despite her magical
appearance, she was currently nothing more than a desperate prey, her mismatched
stockings—one solid black, the other playfully striped—tripping over the tangled
roots of an ancient grove she hadn't intended to enter.
Her lungs burned with every ragged breath. She skidded to a halt in a small clearing,
her chest heaving as she doubled over to recover her strength. Her blue eyes, wide
with terror, darted upward toward the slivers of sky visible through the leaves.
That was when she saw him.
Perched on a massive, moss-covered tree branch sat a young boy. He was dressed in
intricate, dark flowing robes adorned with swirling cloud patterns and a thick,
fur-lined collar that seemed far too heavy for the humid forest. His long, silver-tinted
hair was tied back in a high ponytail, held by a golden headpiece. He sat in a casual
crouch, his chin resting on his hand, staring down at her with a look of profound, lazy
confusion. He looked less like a forest dweller and more like a bored prince who had
accidentally wandered into a story he wasn't interested in reading.
The lady froze, her breath hitching in her throat. She stared at the mysterious kid, her
mind struggling to reconcile his calm demeanor with the danger lurking in theshadows. But before she could regain enough energy to speak, the sunlight was
blotted out by a massive, feathered silhouette.
Emerging from the trees behind the boy was a Grey Hawk—a titan of the sky with a
wingspan that could swallow the clearing. It let out a piercing shriek, its talons aimed
directly at the boy's exposed back. The lady's heart plummeted. Her eyes grew even
more terrified as she realized the bird was already upon him. She tried to shout a
warning, to tell him to move, but her voice was a mere wheeze.
Jee-shahn didn't even turn his head. He kept his bored, azure gaze locked on the
trembling lady, as if the giant predator behind him was nothing more than a draft of
wind. Just as the hawk's claws were an inch from his fur collar, he gave a simple,
efortless snap of his fingers.
CRACK.
The sound echoed like a thunderclap. In an instant, the Grey Hawk was slammed into
the dirt by an invisible, mountain-like force. The ground groaned as a crater formed
around the beast, its bones shattering with a sickening crunch as gravity itself
crushed it flat. Crimson splattered the surrounding ferns, turning the beautiful
clearing into a gruesome slaughterhouse in a fraction of a second.
The lady collapsed to the ground, the terror in her heart shifting from the bird to the
boy on the branch. She stared up at him, her body shaking. "W-who... what are you?"
Jee-shahn ofered a small, terrifyingly lazy smile. "Me? If you really want to know
about me, running lady, you'd better get to work. Clear this mess, start a fire, and
cook that bird for me."
He hopped down from the branch, landing gracefully amidst the carnage. "By the
way," he added, his voice dripping with casual power. "The name's Jee-shahn.