Thanks to Flora's influence he had a map and permission to enter the Greatwood, even if his reason for doing so had just moved back to Halo. Still, for the first time in his life Halo was feeling claustrophobic and Tal was drawn to somewhere new. Not for a job, but for himself and his desire to walk amid green and growing things that might once have called Halo home, before the sea had frozen over.
Still, he wouldn't be Tal if he didn't have a box in his hands as he walked through the Woods, following the map to a shrine tucked off the beaten path. Boreal ranged ahead of him, head swinging low from side to side as she tasted all of the new scents in this place. The trees had shifted a little ways back, changing to something spookier and more forbidding and the courier swallowed hard and looked from side to side as the shadows grew indefinably darker.
And then he heard the roar.
He didn't quite squeak, but he jumped a little as the dragon's head raised and pale eyes pinned in the direction they had been walking. The tip of her tail twitched and then she bounded forward, low and eager, while Tal tip-toed frantically after her. "Boreal, girl, get back here! Boreal! Hsst! C'mon!"
She stopped abruptly a little ways ahead and Tal finally caught up with her.
Only to freeze as well at the sight of the manticore clawing up the earth.
He swallowed hard against a throat gone suddenly dry and tugged at her tail, trying to quietly urge her to back away from the mighty creature.
Still, he wouldn't be Tal if he didn't have a box in his hands as he walked through the Woods, following the map to a shrine tucked off the beaten path. Boreal ranged ahead of him, head swinging low from side to side as she tasted all of the new scents in this place. The trees had shifted a little ways back, changing to something spookier and more forbidding and the courier swallowed hard and looked from side to side as the shadows grew indefinably darker.
And then he heard the roar.
He didn't quite squeak, but he jumped a little as the dragon's head raised and pale eyes pinned in the direction they had been walking. The tip of her tail twitched and then she bounded forward, low and eager, while Tal tip-toed frantically after her. "Boreal, girl, get back here! Boreal! Hsst! C'mon!"
She stopped abruptly a little ways ahead and Tal finally caught up with her.
Only to freeze as well at the sight of the manticore clawing up the earth.
He swallowed hard against a throat gone suddenly dry and tugged at her tail, trying to quietly urge her to back away from the mighty creature.
