Quicker than he could react, a pair of thick vines shot forth from the recesses of woodland's edge to coil at his ankles--and no sooner did land and sky switch positions as the youth found himself being dragged across the ground on his back--sucked back into the recesses of the woods as soon as he'd finally reached it's exit--his screams of pain and surprise quickly swallowed in the echoing silence that now dominated his surroundings.
The accompanying burst of adrenaline caused the blue-haired boy's hand to desperately reach for the weapon sheathed at his side, its blade withdrawn and held high before the vines ensnaring him were severed in a single slash, leaving them a dead and useless heap.
Kalil's breath came in short panicked gasps as he scrambled to his feet, the hilt of his sword warm to the touch as he brandished it with both hands--its glossy blade reflecting the weak sunlight which shimmered through the leafless canopy. Once more, he found himself aware of something moving in the environment around him--though now it seemed to be coming from every direction at once. Whatever it was, it had probably been pursuing him the moment he’d left the village...
His eyes directed to the floor of the ashen grove as the rustling environment seemed to divert itself, the sound of dead leaves being scuttled and pushed aside as something ran through the woods toward him, his eyes widening once again as he beheld the creature's movements through the dried shrubbery--before finally, his attacker stepped into view.
From its hands and feet sprouted three large claws, the former serrated, and tips tinged a very faint purple. It held no eyes to which he could meet--instead only a smooth, pearl-colored head and a large gaping maw lined with rows of sharpened teeth--a pair of large fangs remaining protruded as its maw closed to observe him in return.
Half-dried leaves lined the neck of the creature--which given its hunched posture--made its plant-like nature all the more prominent, as if the vines and large leaves sprouting from its back and the many more leaves across its dull-green body weren't enough indication.
Kalil's blade was in front of him, its tip pointing towards the creature--yet he hesitated.
The plant, however, held no such qualms, its toothy maw parting as bits of saliva dangled freely--and no sooner lunging forth with such speed that the youth nearly tripped as he dodged it's scythe-like claws--claws which now lay buried into the ground where he’d stood.
The movement of the entity was almost nauseating, its momentum alone enough to make Kalil's eyes squint and his body shake with an urgency that he couldn't control as he recovered to his feet.
He had no doubts this creature was a spirit of the woods--of course there’d been tales passed down his clan regarding beings of similar nature. Spirits that terrorized their prey and haunted the wilds of the world with an unbound barbarity, ones which the clan vowed to never incur. However, given the current environment, it's sluggish nature, and the pale coloration its body held, it had clearly been weakened, and clearly desperate if it sought to attack him...
While part of Kalil felt inclined to save the creature, however he could manage such a thing--it would not relent so long as it perceived him a threat. The warrior's blade remained fixed in place through this realization--the plant creature standing before him gazing back with an open maw, a long snake-like tongue slinking out as it seemed to pant in growing excitement of a fresh meal.
But before he could do much else, the creature's own four limbs snapped into motion, leaping forward--throwing itself toward Kalil with a ferocity that both terrified and excited the youth.
The second it neared, the creature stabbed down with one of its claws, the tip jutting forward like a spear as it flew toward the youth--who threw himself to the side. The weight of the strike, however, was more than enough to send its claws digging into the earth of the grove--and near-instantly, swung using the momentum it had gained to slam it’s legs into the green-clad boy--before bounding off.
Kalil tumbled to the side, his body striking the ground with enough force to send a sharp shock up his arm. In the same motion, the plant creature lunged at him for a final time--its toothy maw wide as its tongue slung out for a strike that Kalil could only watch.
His sword, however, was not so easily pushed aside--and it found its way to the front of his body--pointing towards the creature once more, its tip glowing with a light akin to that of the sun.
Striking the plant, as though with a mind of its own, the nameless blade met with both the creature's open maw and its tongue, tearing through both with ease before finally burying itself deep within the creature's torso.
For a moment, it reeled back, its tongue flailing wildly as it tried to understand the source of the paralyzing pain that racked it's body--maw wide once more to stare directly at Kalil--before it’s life fled as though it had never been.
The youth caught the plant as it fell limp--not with a hand, but rather with the link of his sword--clutching it tightly with both hands as he pulled it free of the plant creature’s body and allowed it to fall to the ground with a thud.
There was no breath--no pulse--no sign of life as it lay sprawled across the ash-covered underbrush, yet the eyeless face seemed to stare at him as he stood over it, as though an ounce of life still remained.
The boy shook his head, pulling his gaze from the corpse with an effort as he stepped away--the weapon in his grasp heavy, whilst his stomach lurched--before a sudden untraceable wave of nausea slammed into him--force so intense he nearly believed the ground beneath him would collapse.
Clutching the side of his head and pulling at his hair--Kalil's lips parted with a gasp as he lifted his gaze, his breath caught in his throat as no longer did he view the dead remnants of the forest, but rather a verdant canopy filled with life. The bright colors of the vegetation stood out against a backdrop of glassy blue--the entire world absolutely brilliant in its presence.
A sense of wholeness flooded him, an unexplainable joy as his verdant body would soak in the gentle light piercing through the leaves overhead. A euphoric sense of freedom as he would dart through the trees and seek prey lingering on the floor of his home with an open maw. An unquenchable joy as he would claw his way up the bark of trees to chomp down on the juicy gifts of his unmoving brethren...
...And then it seemed to end, as he found himself staring blankly at the ruins of what had once been, feeling as if he would cry.
A shiver trickled down his spine, and for a moment Kalil swore it would've felt no different than a similar feeling to a vine, or leaves brushing against his back.
Sheathing his blade and collecting himself with a deep breath, he quickly turned to stumble toward the exit of the grove--the very path that led from the place of death to the life that awaited him outside.
As the vast field greeted him for a second time, the barest hint of a breeze had sprung up, a cursed patch of wind that was particularly cruel to Kalil as his mind failed to comprehend what would happen next. As he exited from the forest, his eyes fixated upon the stretching plains opposite to the desolation, the world seemed to offer him a new kind of comfort.
Overcome with a burst of resolve, the blue-haired youth started forth--leaving behind him the forest of ash, to traverse the endless grassy fields which had greeted his arrival--pushing the foreign memories he had glimpsed to the back of his mind.