Bleeding Color

Never seen by waking eyes

Slipping through the woods, I followed my query. The big footprints leaving a brief, clear trail into the woods as the vegetation parted for it and then return as though the ten foot giant hadn't passed through. The forest was large, huge even, it must have multiple types and varying populations of Others. The fact this one Leshy had singled them out was unfortunate. Leshy tended to be territorial, but in a forest this size they were usually focused more on keeping Others out of their area to notice a couple humans, well one half-human, sneaking past.

Leshy are the spirit and guardian of the forest often known for tricking travelers and leading them astray, and on occasion even kidnapping them. Shapeshifters capable of being small as a blade of grass or large as the tallest tree of their forest, they take on many forms of plants and animals. However, their true form is a unnaturally tall straggly man with a beard and hair of living vegetation, bright green eyes, and incredibly pale white skin that their blood blue can been seen through, coloring their cheeks. Capable of imitating voices of loved ones and other humans, it was not hard to figure out what had lured Pitri into its grasp. A creeping feeling of guilt pressed down on me.

I didn't want Pitri to be hurt, even if I was upset with him. What would the scientists say? Probably something about him being a genetic anomaly as a half-breed...maybe they'd want him killed. I could smell it though in him, the human those I had been sent to protect and the harpy whom I was meant to eradicate. It made my head spin sometimes in confusion. I knew I couldn't do it and not because he was part human. Those scars forever on his back from having his wings sawed off had screamed the same terrible words that had been painted in red for me. Monster...unnatural...demon...unwanted. We were both unwelcome in the world we had been forced into.

The Leshy stopped, shaking his giant head to and fro. Satisfied, he shrank slight to comfortably fit inside the cave he entered. Leshy were odd creatures. Despite how much was known about them, even more was unknown. Rarely seen by humans during or after the invasion, scientists were able to collect little concrete. Many rumors were told about the protectors of the woods. Some good like a Leshy would make a bargain with human farmers to for good luck and to watch over their cattle. And others very bad better left unspoken...

The cave lit from within, a light glowing that shifted and flickered unlike an fire. I crept forward anxious. Pulling out my two hook swords, my feet brushed the lichen growing around the cave with barely a rustle. I leaned into the entrance. Two giant wolves were laying in wait and above them bounced the source of light, little woodland sprites, darting about like fireflies. The wolves could be a problem, they were much larger than a regular wolf and a quick whiff confirmed they were indeed Dire wolves. I backed away, wary they might smell me in their sleep. I needed another way in, then again maybe not.

Running water could be heard not far off, I made my way towards it and dipped my hands into the water. It was cold and sent spasms up my arms. Pitri better appreciated this. Taking a deep breath, I waded into the stream. Opening my eyes, I look around in the murky water and swam to the bottom. There I began rolling around in the muck and plants. Standing up, I had no doubt I looked like a demented water nymph. Speaking of, I raced out just in case. I reeked from the river bed, but the smell was a think nature stench. More than enough to cover the human and not entirely out of place with the water so near, hopefully this would work.

Back at the cave's entrance, I slipped into the bouncing lights. The sprites twittered at me, but made no move to try and stop me or wake the sleeping Dire wolves who covered most of the floor. I took a large step to straddle over one and get by, it's chest raising high with a deep breath. I froze, balancing on my tip toes hoping it wouldn't brush me. It's nostrils flared. One of my hands shook from where it was hovering by my hook swords. It's large eyes moved beneath shut lids frantically. The wolf exhaled back down. Swinging my leg over, I stumbled away leaning into the wall trying to breath normally when my lungs were starved for oxygen. That could have ended very badly.