(SE) Of Gods and Mushrooms

I R I S She sighed, everything seemed too far away now. At this point the grass under her feet would make for a good bed. Her thoughts were already on the walk ahead of her, but as she considered the stranger's offer of escort Iris noticed a sliver of something familiar. A slight shift in countenance, an invisible distance, a cautious glance. He was wary of her. She felt quite proud of herself for that. Smirking at his unease, she replied simply with a "No." Then, her intimidating presence was marred by the panic that came over her at having lost all of her worldly possessions, and the man's nonchalantly cheerful insult of her ability to cover up her tracks. "Oh, please. You can tell from a glance, can you?" She looked back in the direction she'd come from, blinking at a deep winding path in the tall grass. She had disappointed herself in several ways that day. Iris didn’t really get a word in before the man sprouted wings and flew off towards the forest. She decided he was either unbelievably earnest or simply very enthusiastic about robbing her. Either way, she decided to leave the grove. Stepping out onto an adjacent field, she found a spot where her view of the horizon was unobstructed. Then, she sat down and watched the sky, dearly hoping the giant bird wasn’t going to make her run. The soft grass she had trampled over was one thing, but she’d crossed cultivated fields, brooks, meandered through a forest, and not to mention the lake, whatever it was. She didn't expect the man's enthusiasm would be enough to find a trail through all these obstacles. Still, she was grateful for the respite. Her mind was abuzz, trying to untangle the threads of what she'd seen. The stranger said people have been seeing the dead. That would mean Elias was truly... But if Ludo is the cause of these visions, nothing was certain. The herald could have simply cooked up a concoction of her own personal hell and stirred her into it. She needed to know more. A headache seemed to spread out from her temples. Sooner than she'd expected, a dark spot appeared in the sky, growing larger. Iris propped herself up once more. At first, she thought the eagle had given up the chase, but it soon became clear that his talons were not empty. She squinted, straining to see the familiar curve of her bow sticking out of the bundle. There it was. Just as a fragile sense of relief settled in, she noticed something was off. The massive bird began its descent, but it didn't seem to be slowing down. Perplexed by the eagle's intentions, she made a quick decision. Iris stood her ground, adamant to prevent her possessions from ending up on the hard side of the eagle's landing. Her heart's pace picked up as the giant approached. With each second the impact appeared more painful. At the last moment, her pack landed safely, and she sidestepped out of the way, missing the beast's wings by millimeters. She rushed to the mud-stained bundle, giving the bird a quizzical look. It appeared very proud of itself. The rope binding on her luggage was loosened, but as she raised an eyebrow at the giant avian it appeared innocent, if a but too curious. She drew out her bow, long and unbroken, and placed it at her side. Next, she put her hand into the pack only to feel something moving inside, and a sharp bite. Retracting her hand with a squeal, she was on her feet and a step away in the next instant. There was a bite on her finger, two small holes in the skin. Her headache intensified. "Bird man," she addressed the stranger, "It looks like you brought in a stowaway." She approached the pack only to give it a small kick, receiving a high-pitched squeal and feint rustling in reply. Her lip curled slightly. At least it isn't a snake. She turned to the eagle again, a picture of politeness. "Would you mind? This seems like a job for a bird of prey." Iris inspected her hand, wondering if whatever had bitten her carried any unpleasant diseases.