act15mini

Hiss—

Huff—

Hiss—

You can take off the breather, Magallan. There are no spores here.

Oh, okay.

Whew... hah...

I've never been so scared of mushrooms in my life.

I warned you, Maggy: Don't touch anything, don't touch anything, and don't touch anything.

Now you know why.

M-My—

The empty box you gave me? I put the mushrooms inside and sealed it. Here.

Th-Thanks.

*pant*—*pant*—

I didn't expect the spore density to be so high, or that it could paralyze the respiratory system.

It's a carnivorous mushroom. Where do you think its food comes from?

Ugh...

So how come you aren't affected at all?

We hunters have ways to deal with them.

If I died in one of those mushroom swamps, I'd never live it down.

(Sami) Typhon, the sacrifice.

(Sami) Sacrifice... are we there?

(Takes a deep breath)

You're right.

Where are you going? Wait for me!

And what do you by 'sacrifice'? Me?

Of course not, you birdbrain.

This is the heart of Sami, the First Forest.

Where we come from, and where we go.

Prepare some food as tribute to Sami, and we can enter.

Would bad things happen if we don't?

Who knows? Do you want to find out?

Er, never mind.

Is hardtack okay?

No idea.

Crush it and spread it on the ground.

A-Alright.

(Sami) Great land, we ask your leave to pass over you.

(Sami) We offer you this sacrifice, that you may watch over us, and protect us from bloodshed, from being hunted.

(Sami) Sami says it's okay, ladies.

(Sami) It will eat well thanks to your generosity.

Isn't that a little... casual? Young shaman.

...Apprentice shaman.

This isn't really a formal occasion, after all. Sami wouldn't mind the presence of a child of the Santalla Tree.

...Oh?

A shaman, a hunter, and an outlander? That's a rare sight.

I don't suppose you're here just for the experience?

We're in a hurry to head south, and don't have time to go around the First Land.

I see. My teacher often takes this shortcut too.

Not this time, though. He left me here alone to 'experience the Samivilinn.'

I've been here for days, wandering the woods without a sliver of revelation to be found.

You should know what I mean, child of the tree.

Please, call me Santalla.

Very well, Santalla. Can you tell me what our teachers expect us to bring back from here?

I do not know, oak-child. I have only been here to witness. This is not where my trial was.

Is that so? What a shame.

We have a long road ahead of us. Let's hurry.

Hmm...

Wait!

I'll come with you.

I know the trees with the best shade, the cleanest streams, and the safest animal trails.

I can be your guide!

There's no one more qualified!

Let me come with you, Santalla. I'm so bored here I could turn into a tree.

What do you think, great shaman?

And what about you, hunter? Or our outlander friend?

I guess I don't mind...

We're all agreed, then?

Let's go, then! Welcome to the First Forest!

Hmph...

One more question, oak-child.

Hm? What is it?

What should we call you?

Me? Hm...

My Sami name might be a little hard to remember... My teacher calls me Oakcup, so you can too.

May I ask how you got that name?

Because he always grabs my horn and tries to drink from it when he's drunk.

Oh...

Hey, are we being watched?

Like, by a deity...?

Big predators. One on the tree, one behind Simone in the bushes, and one behind that tree to the left.

Oh, is that all?

After all the weird stuff we've encountered, dealing with carnivorous wildlife seems almost quaint.

Should I be ready for a fight then?

No need. They're not hungry enough to risk attacking.

So stop worrying about their dinner and start worrying about ours—!

Huh? Look out!

Need help?

No thanks, I'm done.

A tuskbeast lies prone on the ground, glaring at Typhon.

A gaping wound stretches from its cheek all the way to its foreleg.

I guess one of them <i>was</i> hungry enough. Terrible choice of prey, though.

Go. Your meat tastes terrible anyway.

The tuskbeast does not seem willing to leave. It crouches down in the shadows, ready to attack again.

Bang!

A loud bang rings out in the air before it, sending it scampering into the distance and leaving behind only a scattered trail of blood.

Did you just shoot something with your finger, Typhon?

Yeah, for scaring away big guys like these.

A roll of leaves?

You wrap up air with leaves until it forms a ball.

(Takes notes)