You're apprehensive as you enter the brooding shadowed forrest lands. Stepping carefully through the darkened primeval wood, ancient moss draped limbs woven from the stalwart trunks of massive black oaks create a cathedral of shadows above your head and flank you on all sides. The trail is elusive and winding, but not undetectable. Barely visible it meanders out like some dried corpse of a forgotten riverbed. The way is difficult, however in due but immeasurable time you stumble out upon a clearing,.. emerging into a vast expanse of open air spacious and inviting but still guarded by the venerable, immovable, stout columns of the silent bark covered sentinels. A rustle of leaves and a gentle warming breeze caress you in the cool midsummer night air. Moonlight pale yet revealing illuminates the stage before your eyes giving witness to the dance of a thousand glowing emerald embers of fireflies ...or are they? One passes close to your cheek and in the periphery of your vision and in the illusion of dusky light you almost seem to see form ... small yet somehow almost human ...but as you blink in disbelief it is again gone and nothing more than mundane creatures of the midnight wood remain ...then in the stillness of a moment something leviathan in its existence stirs among the shadows ...a sense of mass and darkness you almost fear as if some creature of nightmares punishment was upon you.... You freeze ...a sharp intake of breath like a razor upon ice and you hear a deafening thud ...footsteps?? Does this thing approach???... Attack???... But no you realize like a foolish child it is only your own heart that you hear your own coursing blood thunders in your ears and nothing more ...you were struck stiff and dumb by fear but somehow you realize you sense no malice, and in the blindness of the mind caused by panic you did not see it approach nor did you notice its gaze leveled upon you ... Hazel eyes possessed of a smoldering darkness and articulate bestial inelegance stare calmly and intent. Here it is before you ...that creature of legend ...so many stories cast ...tales woven ...intrigues of brutality and evil. A savage and horrid Ogre. The tales that flash through your brain from your childhood which at first simply by its presence, deadly silent grace and commanding presence seemed to have been true ...yet ... it does nothing but regard you in patient contemplation ..."heh"...you laugh in your head ...and why wouldn't it ... it can take you at any time, carelessly you stumbled onto its Lair and it could just by natural right attack! ...But still there is something more to this creature ... but do you dare to look closer? You hear your own voice small delicate gossamer web, fragile and seeming to come as if from a great distance .." I'm sorry I...I..." you stammer to a halt feeling foolish and somewhat angry with yourself and at the situation. The flushing heat of your ire beginning to bubble up within you and focus upon the massive green eyed shadow before you ... its granite confidence and presence now beginning to become annoying ...almost seeming smug to you in this moment...but your taken aback again as it suddenly sinks with an unnatural fluidity of movement crouching lower more to eye level with you ... and it speaks in a voice like velvet thunder
" Hail and Greetings ... If you commeth amongst us in peace and kinship than Welcome... enter and be merry ...If you carry about you pain and disharmony like a soiled funerary shroud and find amusement in harsh hipocritical judgement of others souls then move on and tarry not for there is nothing here for you... and you may not remain among the clansmen and blessed creatures of this wood.. Go in peace but go without delay ... How do you enter this Grove ??? " and again it is silent ...as now are all things in the wood ...even the air seems rendered immobile as if the whole world awaits your decision and reply ... |
