Kishi and I stood on a rather large branch of a tall tree, moss hanging off it and a smelly swamp beneath it. The reason we were in this tree was directly ahead of us, and- despite being nearly thirty feet up- at eye level. I watched, completely horrified, as the massive monster stared at us, almost blindly.

How had this happened, one may ask? Well, after hours of wandering the Dark, we had stumbled upon a swamp. Kishi had cursed upon seeing it, and I knew that meant we had deviated from our course once again. I defiantly had not been dragged through one when the minions had swiped me. I did not blame the fox, however. Even before the Specter had come to live in the Dark, directions had been iffy. Heading in a straight line was nearly impossible for everyone, and had I of been by my self, I would have been even farther from my destination.

Kishi, though not immune to the effects of the Dark, was at least able to tell when it was affecting her senses and could make minor adjustments to our path. We were not traveling directly- more like a wandering zigzag- but at least we were heading in the general direction I needed to be. But we were still getting lost more often than not.

Upon stumbling on the swamp, I could tell that Kishi was not happy. I had been about to ask what the issue was while trying to avoid the lest muddiest parts of the earth, When she shouted a warning and I felt an all mighty tug on the back of my copper robe. One second I was dodging puddles and the next I was flying through the air in the jaws of a giant fox.

Kishi leapt from earth, to bolder, to fallen tree, then up to our current branch. And as she set me on my feet I watched as a huge creature appeared to rise out of the muck. It was massive, at least as tall as a three story house and appeared to be covered, either in moss, or green fur. Its face looked like a moose, but with huge fangs over lapping its lips, and its antlers- they spanned at least five of my own body- looked to be made of twisted branches covered in hanging moss. Its body was shaped as a mans and covered in the moss fur and muck. It stood in the swap, silent, and stared off into the distance.

After an unknown amount of time just gawking at this behemoth, I turned my eyes back to Kishi. She stood on the branch next to me, now looking miniscule in comparison, with her hackles raised, ears drawn back and a silent growl on her lips.

Feeling the need to be as quiet as possible I whispered: "Why isn't it attacking?"

It took Kishi a moment to answer, but when she did it was also in hushed tones. "I can not say." She said harshly, never taking her eyes off the threat before us. "Normally it sleeps, as do all the Ancient Ones that reside here... I can only assume that the interference of the specter has stirred it into wakefulness."

"And we were the unlucky ones to come across it now." I said, finishing the thought. "I take it 'Ancient Ones' refer to things that lived here long before Aeros took over?" I could tell right away that this had been one of the great powers I had felt within the Dark, and now that I was right in its face, I could also tell that it had not even a trace of Aeros' energies within it.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Yes." Hissed the fox. Her fear made me afraid. If she didn't think we had a chance then there was nothing I could possibly do to the beast.

"What now?" I asked, hands clenched tightly, and eyes scanning for any alternative in this swampy mess.

"We flee." She said simply. "It is old and wise, but not highly motivated. If we leave its territory, I doubt it will follow."

I did not question my new friend and companion, even if I did hear the unspoken 'I hope...' dangling in the air. She had the experience here, and I was a semi-powerless land god with quite a bit to live for. And I sure as hell held no qualms about running away.

I dug my fingers tightly into the Guardian's fur and she took off, me clinging to her back, jumping from one precarious branch to the next, the roars of the Ancient One, causing fear ripples over my body as we left it behind us. Kishi had been right, it didn't follow us at all. But it also didn't sound happy that we had escaped it either.

Kishi fled for a good while, not taking any chances. She ran with out a care for direction, nor stopping as she had done before, to make sure we were still headed for the border. I knew we were now more hopelessly lost than ever before but I didn't blame her at all. I wanted to get away too. That swamp monster was no joke, and I was not planning on being anyone's meal just yet. I could only imagine the tongue lashing Lagdon would give me in the after life for it.

As soon as Kishi came to a stop, I slid from her back to the now much firmer and less stinky ground. I was willing to bet that she did not often let people ride her, and I wasn't about to let her think I thought of her as some kind of pack mule either.

We were now amongst a relatively silent grove of trees, a mist wafting amongst the roots and thick moss hanging from tall oaks and other species of trees I didn't know. They may have grown on earth too- some of them- but I was not an arborist and could not tell you one way or the other. But it was dark, and the fireflies had begun to gather thicker now.

Telling time in the Dark proved difficult. It was always gloomy, and distances were hard to make out. I thought that, at night, it would turn pitch black and I would be able to tell the changing of day and night that way, but no such luck. Between the mist, which seemed sort of luminescent, and the fire flies, it was just as bright all day long. It was like the entire Dark was designed to confuse and disorientate a person. I was impressed that Kishi was able to detect any sort of direction in this mess at all.

Worriedly, I asked. "What now?" I was a little afraid that Kishi would abandon me as a lost cause now. She had her own goals after all, and most monsters felt no obligation to aid a random stranger over their own wants and needs. And on top of it all, I wasn't even all that much of a help.

Kishi sighed, panning her great cream colored head from side to side, red eyes scanning, for what, I had no clue. "I do not recognize this area of the forest." She said, and, perhaps seeing a look on my face, added. "No need to worry. Much of the forest looks the same. We need to keep moving till we find a landmark that I recognize, then we should be able to get back on the trail."

I sighed, dejected. "I am really sorry about this Kishi." I said sadly. "I never intended to drag you into all of this."

The fox shook her head and offered me a wan smile -If a fox could do that, anyway. looked more like a slight baring of the fangs- as her eyes softened. "I am not worried Lady Enna. It is a guardians duty to assist and protect. I may have my own grudge to settle here, but that does not mean I can't also lend aid to a wayward land God who has lost her way."