Following a small trek through the Emerald Sea, Cyrene and Gideon arrive at The Sapling. At the very base of the thistle lies a large carved opening. Cyrene and Gideon enter the arbor, and to Cyrene’s surprise, she finds an entire foundation.
Bulky arched dark slated brambles reached as high as five hundred feet. The Sapling held a small populace of inhabitants living on different elevations of jagged thorns that protruded inward. A collection of vines and woods were used as platforms for ascending the tree. Denizens of the bramble were occupied by miscellaneous tasks; cooking over a small fire, crafting with various woods and metals, and generally, happily playing among each other. Yet Cyrene’s interest expanded when she examined The Sapling dwellers and saw their peculiar body compositions. Many of the citizens of The Sapling were similar in appearance to Gideon; their distinctive forms inciting Cyrene's curiosity. Some habitants had tails and horns, others with spiked feet and claws, and most held onto different pigmentations of skin. Other denizens of The Sapling curiously eyed the huntress as she proceeded through the large tree alongside Gideon. The huntress could not help but feel slightly uncomfortable as each set of eyes she passed stared at her. She tried her best to ignore the whispers that bounce from one individual to the next.
“Who is that?” A man questioned.
“She doesn't look like us….” A child says.
“She is quite short standing next to Gideon…” A woman inquires.
When Cyrene moved her head to face the unfamiliar denizens, they shied away. Cyrene sucks her teeth and proceeds to the mysterious man. At The Sapling's base level sat Gideon’s master, still wrapped in shadow. Cyrene and Gideon approach him and he unveils his true form. He had long brown hair, light brown eyes, and dark skin. He also wore a brown cloak over a sleeveless, messy, jade-hued top. A dark-colored ink wrapped itself around his left arm, extending to the left side of his chest.
Gideon’s master held onto a calm yet powerful composure as the two approached him.
“You had me worried for quite some time, Gideon. The other night I thought I may have to look for you myself.”
“I apologize once again, master,” Gideon frowns.
The man looks at Cyrene.
“Despite my earlier belligerent showing, I welcome you to The Sapling,” he bows ever so slightly. “My name is Yoman Krady, Gideon may have referred to you as his master, but I act more as his guardian. Please, have a seat. Before we get started, I have a few questions for you.”
Cyrene and Gideon have a seat in front of Yoman. Cyrene scans the area again, eyeing all the intricacies created within the tree.
“Kinda weird how all these people are living inside a tree…”
“Hmhmhm,” he chuckles, “You think so? Well, your oddity is their normality. But their residence is a topic for another time. Young lady, where is it that you reside? I’m sure Gideon did not happen to stumble upon you out in the Emerald Sea.”
“I’m from a small village past the cave way back there. Stalwart Valley, is it's name."
Gideon adds on.
“I so happen to run into, um…”
Gideon stammers, attempting to recall whether or not Cyrene addressed her name.
“I-I’m sorry, I don’t believe you have told me your name yet.”
“Cyrene."
“I see,” Gideon replies, “Well, I happened to run into Cyrene when I was, well…”
“Wandering outside without my permission,” Yoman finished.
“Y-yes, master, that is correct,” Gideon answers bashfully.
“Well huntress, why were you in the cave to begin with?”
“Since I already told Gideon, I'll keep it short. I’m looking for some guy who passed by my village. Most of my home was destroyed and my brother almost died cause of him," Cyrene raised her hand near her face. "He also did... something to me that left me unconscious. And when I woke up, I could make a sword appear in my hand."
Yoman lets out a sigh.
"Goodness," Yoman shakes his head. "The sword you summoned earlier was an ability of your own doing?"
Cyrene lowers her hand.
"Yes. It's sort of difficult for me to get it to pop up when I want to, though."
She holds out her hand and tries to conjure her blade. Her face strains slightly until a small mass of dark energy crackles in front of her palm. Her weapon spawns and she grips the handle of her blade. She slowly moves her weapon about, swinging it gently.
"I guess it was easier to make it pop up this time, but when I was in the cave by myself it was hard to make it stay out. It came out quickly when me and Gideon were about to fight the monsters, though."
During Cyrene’s breakdown of events, Yoman feels an abnormality beyond the Emerald Sea. His eyes shift to the entrance of the Sapling and Yoman gets lost in a sea of his own thoughts, filling the room with a gaping hole of silence. Cyrene ponders his sudden change in demeanor.
"Um... is he okay?" Cyrene asked Gideon.
"Master? What is bothering you?"
Yoman shakes his head.
“Oh,” Yoman snaps out of his trance. “Yes, I was listening, I was only distracted for a moment. The person you describe sounds vaguely familiar, but I am not the greatest at recollecting my thoughts. Might I ask the two of you to leave me to reminisce?”
“I don’t have a lot of time. I need to know where that man is as soon as possible," The huntress exclaims.
“Please, it will only take as long as thirty minutes; an hour at most. The Emerald Sea is vast, I’m sure whoever you’re chasing after could not have gone far. I don’t know if Gideon has told you, but nothing gets by me in these plains. I can see nearly everything.”
Cyrene crosses her arms.
“Tch, can’t seem to remember everything…” She retorts quietly.
“I will need the extra moment to recall. In the meantime, Gideon can show you around our home.”
“This place? I wasn't exactly in this for a tour of the timber."
“Hmhmhm," he chuckles. "You are a poor liar, young lady. I saw your eyes wander about when you entered our abode. No need to be shy. We won't bite."
Cyrene frowns and grumbles to herself.
"Fine I'll indulge... but please, hurry up and remember."
"Excellent," Yoman smiles. “Gideon, please show the huntress the higher levels of The Sapling."
“Of course,” Gideon turns to Cyrene and smiles, “Come Mistress, there is much to see.”
"Lead the way..." she sighs.
The two stand and leave Yoman to recollect his memories. Yoman focuses less on his thoughts and more intently on what potentially approaches The Sapling.
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