Though leaves crunched and twigs snapped under's Risni's feet as he staggered through the forest, none of the animals seemed to notice. Deer continued to graze as he walked by, as though he was as natural a part of their surroundings as any tree. "He's back..." Risni could hear the whispers of the fae in the treetops, speaking in their own tongues, their language one of the many gifts he had been bestowed by the veil. Ordinarily they were very friendly creatures, at least to him. They could be quite fierce with intruders to the forest, luckily, he was not counted among them. On days when he returned from they wastes, however, they would often stay hidden until he had finished his mission and delivered it, out of reverence for the master of the woods. "He looks hurt..."<br/><br/>He hadn't really felt it before he had returned and his adrenaline had a chance to thin, but once he was in the safety of the woods, Risni quickly began to feel the toll both the wastes and raiders had taken. Small nicks and cuts covered his legs, and his cheek still burned from the worn knife he hadn't completely dodged. Most notable, and the reason for his limp, was the heavy bruising at his right side, below the shoulder, where he had taken the impact of the iron ball. It was sore to the point he wondered if a rib had cracked, though it had still been the better choice than to allow himself to be tangled in the rope it had carried. Not to mention, bruises were easy to fix...<br/><br/>It took him only a few hours to navigate to the heart of the forest. Not only did he know the woods like the back of his hand, he had an uncanny sixth sense for it's navigation. There was little that happened in the veil that he didn't seem to know, provided he was in the veil as it happened. Leaving his sanctuary within the trees was becoming more common by the day. When he first became allies with the forest, he rarely left, often simply guarding the forest from intruders that would exploit the sacred grove and it's creatures, fae and feral. As the forest's needs grew, he found himself going out more and more often, speaking to his kind in the forest's name, from settling disputes between tribes before fighting broke out near the veil, to trading for things the forest could not provide itself, such as medicines and magics unfound in nature, to threatening those that simply refused to negotiate. Most recently, he found himself heading into the wastes far more often than he would like.<br/><br/>"I have returned." Risni called out as he reached a clearing in the middle of the veil, where a large, perfectly still, impossibly clear pond surrounded the largest of the forest's trees, a massive red oak with a trunk several times the width of Risni's body. It was so large it could easily been seen from outside the veil, towering above the other trees, and rumor was that it had been around since before the magwars. Without so much as a hesitation, Risni knelt before the water, wincing as he did so from the pain in his back, and submerged his head.<br/><br/>Pulling back for breath, Risni tossed his dark hair back behind his head as he gasped for air. His face was once again clean, and not simply clean of the dirt, grit, and sand of his journey, the cut on his cheek had been washed away as well, as though just another smudge of dirt. Bending down, he cupped his hands, letting the water pool in them before bringing them to his lips, letting the cool, refreshing water slide down his throat. He could feel the pain at his back dissolve, his legs feeling less itchy from all the small lacerations by the moment. Reaching to his sash, he uncapped a simple water skin made from a deer's hive, submerging it in the water. He'd need to remember to ask for the right to skin the next animal that passed away, one skin never seemed to be enough.<br/><br/>As Risni continued to bathe, drink, and resupply, the leaves in the oak began to rustle, the bark at the base beginning to shift, before long, the figure of a woman stepped out of the tree as though it were no more solid than fog. Her dark olive skin was barely concealed by patches of leaves and moss that seem to heave themselves into a makeshift dress. Solid black eyes locked on Risni as she silently stepped across the pond. Her hair, a vibrant green, was decorated by small blossoms. "Welcome home." she spoke softly as she stepped to the bank. Slowly, buds uncurled into blossoms around her feet, a single vine slowly crawling up the side of her leg as it grew.<br/><br/>"Thank you, Veil." Risni said as he looked up at her. He still didn't know her name. He wasn't sure she even<em>had</em>a name. She was simply the forest, and he had taken to calling her Veil, after what his former tribe, like so many others, called the forest. Reaching into his satchel, he produced the silver coiled crystal, releasing it over a stump just off to her side, right at the edge of the pond, where it hovered in place. "I'm happy to say I was able to find one this time, and not too far in."<br/><br/>As Risni spoke, the polishes silver began to tarnish as the crystal sunk into it and began to fade, both pieces of the artifact slowly graying as they naturalized. "You did well, Risni, the land needed that magic badly. I trust you've noticed the decline of life this last year?"<br/><br/>"Yes, I'd noted that I've been needing to find magic to return to the land more often lately. Is something amiss?"<br/><br/>"Indeed there is..." Veil paused to run her fingers along the vine, now at her hip, gently stroking it a moment, letting her fingers trace the tip, causing Risni to let out a short, staggered breath and shiver. "You've become far more connected to these lands than I had expected you would in just three years, I believe you're ready."<br/><br/>"Ready?" Risni snapped back to sobriety at the word.<br/><br/>"Risni, the forest is dying." She began to explain, holding up one hand before Risni could even react, and continuing. "Until last year, the land was slowly renewing, the wastes were shrinking, as they have been slowly since the end of the empire. It still is, except to the North. This last year, something has been feeding off the life of the forest."<br/><br/>"What is it?"<br/><br/>"That." she replied with a shake of her head. "I do not know. All I can sense is that it comes from the scorched earth."<br/><br/>"Why didn't you tell me before? We have to stop it! If this land dies-"<br/><br/>"That is exactly why I kept my secrets. You were not yet ready for this task. You are ready now."<br/><br/>It was hardly an answer Risni liked, but it was one he was used to. "Very well. What should I do?"<br/><br/>"That..." she began, peeling the vine from her leg and walking past Risni to the edge of the clearing. "... is for you to decide. This is a threat I cannot tell you how to face, for I know not what it is. It will be up to you to learn, prepare, and face the challenges ahead. Henceforth, you shall act of your own decisions, but remembering that you are the voice and avatar of this forest as you act."<br/><br/>Risni was at a complete loss for words. In the years he had served the forest, his goals were often clear cut. It had been carefully explained how he would carry out each task, who he would barter with, who he would threaten to keep their distance... as much as it pained him to admit, over so many years of service, he had nearly forgotten how to think for himself. "I... I understand. Whatever is happening, I will stop it."<br/><br/>"I have faith in you, Risni. Remember as you go, you represent us all in your words and actions. Before you leave, there is one last thing, a gift." The woman waved her hand, beckoning one of the elder fae from the edge of the clearing. His bright blue skin stood out as much as any flower, and though he only came to Risni's waist, his mossy beard was nearly the length of Risni's ponytail. "This piece of the woods will help keep you safe." She explained as the fae handed Risni his gift. It was a long, coiled vine that wove once through his fingers as he slipped his arm into it, and tightened snugly to his arm as he did, though not nearly enough to be uncomfortable. Once worn, it had the appearance of a gauntlet, though one made from a plant. Risni could immediately feel the same connection with it that he felt with all of the plants that surrounded him or that he called upon.<br/><br/>"Thank you, Veil, I have yet to be worthy." Risni replied, his mind already racing over the task at hand and his sudden freedom to decide how to proceed.<br/><br/>"You have yet to make me regret my decision all these years." was her reply. "I do not see any of us doing so now. Good luck, avatar, carry your title with price."<br/><br/>With that, the woman silently crossed the lake, disappearing into the same tree she had emerged from. "Thank you as well, elder. It is a wonderful gift." Risni turned to the fae, who chirped a response in his own language. "And you as well." Risni replied, before taking his leave of the clearing. He could barely begin to think where to start. Given a task, he would often analyze it and decide the best course to take while following his orders. Now that he was free to act on his own, he couldn't think where to begin. He needed information, likely needed equipment. He had no idea if he was in for a fight, but it was likely so, given the threat. He would need more than the forest could provide for weapons and protection. It was possible he needed allies, especially after how close his last trek into the wastes had been. One thing was certain, he wasn't yet ready to brave the wastes again. Not like he was. He knew of a good place to start, at least. He had visited Trade Town on more than one occasion, often trading the forest's bounty or skins from those that had returned to the land in exchange for goods or medicines the forest needed. It seemed as good a place as any to start. Risni made one last stop by his tree to gather what little goods and gold he had for bartering before beginning to head south. If he hurried, he could be on the trail to Trade Town before nightfall.