The hunters travelled further into the Sunless Lands. At each rest, Corrin began to notice changes in the forest. The green leaves of trees, lush grass, and clear water of the forest she knew began to fade. The straight sturdy oaks of old began to twist and turn the further they travelled into the abyss. The forest had become more similar to a cramped cave than a forest. It was dark, quiet, and the soil was moist. The dirt smelled rancid and foul the further she travelled from home.

Corrin struggled to see any further than a few feet from her lantern's light.

The Sunless Lands of Vana were full of rot and ruin, but what Corrin found surprising was that they were not absent of colour. The leaves of the twisting white trees glowed vibrant shades of red in the dark. The sap inside the trees even shined visibly from the outside. Radiant ferns and fungi pulsated white, attracting hoards of moths and bugs around them.

The glowing ferns smelled of honey, but were prickly to the touch.

"We find our most special herbs and spices here in Vana." said Chief Bagala as knelt over to Corrin's side, watching as she curiously analyzed the glowing ferns and abnormal plants.

"Is this where tether root is from?" said Corrin, looking up at him curiously.

"Hu- how do you know what that is? You haven't tried any of that, have you?" said Bagala.

"No." said Corrin, shaking her head, "Why?"

"Oh, good. That is nice to hear. It's not beneficial for the young and nimble."

Chief Bagala slit the leaf of the fern and lathered his hands in the liquid pouring out.

"This plant is called Honeyleaf. It can heal wounds and afflictions when applied."

Corrin filled her hands with the Honeyleaf ointment and rubbed her sore feet with it.

"It tingles," said Corrin, "I don't know if I really like it."

"When it hurts you know, it's a sign that it's working- that it's healing."

Chief Bagala knelt over and placed a hide satchel on Corrin's lap.

"I've been saving this for you, child. I wanted to give you it when we made it to Vana."

"You have? What is it?"

"I carved it for you by hand- your very own God Mask."

Grabbing the bag, Corrin reached in and carefully pulled out the cedar mask from the satchel.

Chief Bagala smiled, showing a big toothless grin. He watched as Corrin's facial expressions turned from a curious expression to mouth gaping wide. Her eye's widened and shined, twinkling.

 The cedar mask was carved in the likeness of a fox, painted in red, black and white.

"Athame the Fox-God. A mask for the lost and the curious." said Bagala with a chuckle.

"This is for me? Seriously?! I love it!" said Corrin as she jumped up and down.

Corrin held the carved mask up to her head and peered through the eye holes.

"Thank you!" said Corrin, "But, who... is Athame though? I'm not sure I've heard of it."

Chief Bagala cleared his throat and leaned in closer.

"Athame was a fox goddess." said Bagala, "Her colours are black, white and red like the colours painted on this mask. At the sides is white wolf hide veil, stitched with cedar straps."

"Athame was a goddess with many tails. Each of her tails represented one of the many different lives that she lived. I felt she was the goddess that matched your spirit best. She was very curious of the world around her like you are. Her curiosity often led her through many different realms and dimensions in our legends."

"Realms and dimensions? So she travelled to different realms like Ama the Spirit Tamer?" asked Corrin.

"--Yes, just like Ama. But, the Spirit Tamer never ventured far from home. Athame the Fox-Goddess travelled further than any other. She was always exploring and she spoke many different languages and knew many different people because of it."

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"It sounds like Athame was always seeking adventure." said Corrin

"Yes, she was." said Bagala nodding his head.

"She wanted to find something new, something exciting when things became dull. That's what I would have done if I was her and knew how to adventure."

"She wasn't scared of leaving her comfort zone." said Bagala

"And she had a love for other languages and other cultures like me?" asked Corrin.

"Exactly. You already have taken to learn new languages and I think it's only a matter of time before you meet new worlds and new people as well." said Bagala.

"She does sound a lot like me." said Corrin as she placed the mask over her face.

"I like to think Athame's spirit is within you, that even now she guides you."

"Why do you say that?" asked Corrin.

"We live in a world where Divine Gods and Immortal Beasts roam freely. I like to think that when one of them falls and disappears another must take its place, or fill its shoes."

Corrin sat quietly and listened to the Elder.

"That maybe the Divine Souls and Ancient Spirits of Past Gods must find new bodies to dwell in. Perhaps they are simply born again into our world, or perhaps they bind with an already existing soul-- I do not know." said Bagala.

"I'm nearing the end of my days, that is something I do know. I wish nothing more than to aid our people one final time."

"Don't say that. You've got many more years to live. The Asla'ati can live for a dozen centuries if the Sun allows it." said Corrin, comforting the Elder.

"When I prayed to the Sun and the Gods of Light for answers, they pointed me in your direction. I sat alone at the Shrine of Gods, listening and waiting. They said find our lost King and aid his granddaughter for she will be a Queen. I asked-- I said, which God speaks to me now? And one of them answered." said Bagala

Corrin looked at the Elder with a confused look.

"You spoke to the Gods at the Shrine? Those Old Idols and Statues?" asked Corrin.

"A single Idol moved. The Idol of Athame. It was Athame who spoke to me, and she guided me to you. I want you to let Athame guide you now, on your path, wherever it takes you."

Corrin looked down at the beautiful cedar mask in her hands.

"Thank you for this mask. I can tell you've put a lot of time and care into it." said Corrin.

"I had a dream once that I was Fox Spirit. A sort of magic turned me into one. Do you think that could be possible?" asked Corrin.

"Dreams are often bizarre and filled with magic, my Princess." said Bagala.

"But, what if it wasn't a dream? Have you heard of magic capable of that?"

"In the old times, perhaps it was possible. These days the Asla'ati of the Chara Nation focus solely on hunting. We have lost a good deal of our ancestor's knowledge. If it wasn't for the forging of Aurana blades we would have lost our way of the old language all together."

Corrin handed her bandana to Bagala. Together they strung the cloth bandana through the two holes on the side of the mask and secured it on top of her head, which covered just over her forehead.

"How does that look?" said Corrin with a grin.

Bagala chuckled, "Oh ho ho ho. It is marvelous."

 Travelling ahead of the Asla'ati hunters, Letto navigated through the black forest.

Letto pressed his face down to the floor, staring at a track in the mud.

"What is it?" asked Ninn as he jogged over- catching up to Letto.

"A track left from the Vana'atos." said Letto.

"A demon? What kind?" asked Ninn.

Ninn flashed his lantern on the track in the mud.

"Yaga demon!" shouted Letto, alerting the Asla'ati hunters behind them.

Chief Bagala shot up, trembling as the name of the demon made its way to his ears.

"Yaga demon?" asked Corrin looking to Bagala, "Which one is that?"

Graine gestured with his hands for Corrin to come closer to him and the hunters.

Corrin and Chief Bagala hurried back over.

Breid jogged over to Ninn and Letto and looked down in the muddy tracks.

"These are the tracks of a Yaga or a Lugarou, but definitely a demon." said Breid as he examined the thick bear-like footprints in the forest mud.

"It is a Yaga, trust me." said Letto.

"It could easily be a Lugarou." argued Breid.

Letto approached Breid and pointed to the large scar running across his eye.

"See this scar? It was from a Yaga," said Letto, "I think I know the markings of that demon pretty well by now."

"I know. I was in that hunting party and I seen you get that scar. I still think it's a Lugarou." insisted Breid.

"A Lugarou? Are you serious? There's three large fingers and a thumb in that mud. That makes it a Yaga, not a Lugarou." said Letto, pushing Breid a step back.

Breid and Letto argued as Corrin turned her attention to the forest around her. The trees were covered in vines and thick spider webs. Peering orange eyes of small beasts stared back at her from behind veils of thick forest brush and darkness.

"You know who didn't get a scar that day? I didn't. If you hunted better you wouldn't have gotten hit." said Breid.

"If you've seen me hunt you wouldn't say tha--" said Letto.

"--Stop the bickering. We will retreat further down the mountain. We should be safer near the coast." said Barkon, interrupting the arguing hunters.

Letto and Breid looked at each other, shaking their heads.

"Yes, Sozo." said the two hunters as they briefly bowed their heads to Barkon.

Corrin watched as the hunters began their way down the bank. The guiding path of light made by her Bluestone Pendant led her up the bank, in the opposite direction.

"I hope this detour doesn't lead us too far from my path," said Corrin to Nawa.

Nawa, who rested on Corrin's shoulders, was wrapped around her neck like a scarf. She purred and nudged her head towards the hunters while scratching at her ears with her paw.

"You think it will be fine, Nawa?"

Nawa yipped and nodded her head.

"I have a bad feeling about this." said Corrin as she hustled over to the hunters.