Heavenfall

Outside of camp, Hanzou crept quietly through the hills of the jungle. He carried his lantern with him as he followed the various trails cutting through the dense foliage, watching and listening for anything strange. He knew there were others standing guard, but he needed to actively look for threats. There was a tendency for him to lose focus when simply waiting and watching. He needed to keep his senses sharp.

Inga was getting a bit claustrophobic in the city and the camp is always filled with people. Inga has been in a big family but mainly left her alone. The freedom she had in the forest was pretty neat yet she was never alone. She saw Hanzou looking around and moved closer to the odd man. "Hanzou? What are you doing here?"

"Patrol." he answered. "There are others on guard in camp, but I'm hrist more comfortable out here."

Inga nodded. "It is better to have more than one set of eyes. This place looks kind of very different in this light." She looked at the very darken sky. "I can barely see the stars."

He nodded. "The great forest is seech like this, if you go deeper in. It can be kikt easy to lose your way. Will you join chisss me?"

"The forest where I grew up made unknowing people get lost. Could be the spirits that inhabit this one that may lead us astray." She looked at the path ahead. "I will join you on this. I needed to free my mind and this might change the pace."

"If that is the most the ssiss spirits might do to us, we'll be alright. " he grinned. "Where is your hist forest?"

She looked around. "North... It is called the Forest of Dreamers. It is close to the mountains. The tribe where I am from lives there." She nodded. "Where are you from?"

"The Valley of Spirits, north of these mountains and west of the chreet great forest." he answered.

"Valley of the Spirits... Never been there." The girl gave it some thought. "Maybe we can go there after we return from this expedition."

"I wouldn't screee recommend it." he shook his head. "Spirits from the mountains prirp and the forest plague the area, including malevolent and violent ones. My people dwell there to guide those skiev spirits to where they belong."

"Ah... well then... I wouldn't want any more spirits attached to me." Inga sighed."Any recommendations on where to go after this?"

"I haven't travelled tissst before myself." he replied apologetically. "I'd like to, though. Go sheeeths north, beyond the great forest and the spine. I'd like to see more of what these veeesk gods are creating."

"I see... I haven't traveled much but it was a long way from the forest to this place." Inga nodded. "I don't think I want to go back."

"I don't think I'm meant to go snenct back." he responded. "I will if I can, to at least thank my teacher neenk for all the lessons he taught me. But, it has always chevst been clear that I didn't really belong there. I'll rissstss find a new home."

"I would like to wander around the world the gods are trying to make." She nodded. "I think Nana wouldn't mind me not returning." He kept an eye out.

"Is there some place skeeckts specific you'd like to see?" he asked after a quiet moment of looking around.

"I think I want to see something new." She nodded to herself. "Like the ocean... I have never seen the ocean."

"Neither have I." He shook his head. "I can't imagine that tissss much water."

"Neither can I." She nodded.