The Tale of a Trinacornagon

Kalzin Talontail and his brother Jeropher had been hired by this noble as a guide several weeks ago. It was not that uncommon for men of their tribe to take upon such odd-jobs, the extra coin was always welcome especially in the wake of such a harsh winter. They were well experienced with these areas and it was easy enough to give the nobles the 'safe thrill' they wanted.

It wasn't real danger they sought, merely the idea of it, enough that when they returned to their lavish mountains they had a story or two to brag about. So him and his brother played up the aesthetic of wild men, untamed yet in tune with nature. It was funny to see the way the nobleman took them so serious, even as Jeropher picked a blade of grass and gnawed on it gravely before pointing in a random direction.

Such a thing had even become a game between them, of who could get away with the most outrageous thing yet still be believable to the nobleman and his retinue.

As they followed the paved path, Jeropher was walking alongside the carriage, making small talk as well as he could with the language barrier between them. Kalzin was ahead, pretending to lead the way by following his 'nose as sharp as a direwolf,' while he let his mind wander along the dizzying maze of daydreams. Abruptly, he stopped, raising a fist. The carriage ground to a halt behind them and the inquisitive voice of the nobleman sounded out.

"What is the matter, Master Talontail?"

Kalzin paused, genuinely sniffing the air. He turned back with a grim expression, addressing his brother who noticed that and stood alert.

"Smoke. And it smells recent; a few hours old at most."

Jeropher signalled his skepticism with a raised eyebrow and a few sharp gestures.

"Well, little brother, there is a reason they say my nose is as sharp as a direwolf's and not you're nose is as sharp as a direwolf."

Jeropher rolled his eyes, approaching Kalzin and leaving the carriage behind. Lowering his voice, Kalzin spoke in a hushed whisper out of earshot.

"I don't remember setting up anything here, the last thing was the mock bandits and that's not until much later. You think Seldas and the others are too close or something?"

Jeropher shook his head, his eyes scanning the forest warily. For the first time, the trees so familiar to him seemed to bend and twist unnaturally, hiding in their shadows something just beyond perception. Kalzin agreed with a begrudging nod:

"Yeah, you're right, it wouldn't be them. Besides, they would have no need to set a fire, not in this weather. Still, something feels off about this and maybe I'm being paranoid but keep an eye out, okay?"

As the two of them were conversing, out of the carriage hopped out a masked figure. Even under the sun, he was covered head to toe in garments of pure white, flowing and billowy. His movements were precise, akin to a stalking jaguar and when he spoke, his voice was mechanical and emotionless.

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"What is the matter, why have we stopped?"

Kalzin turned around and responded with a smile plastered on his face.

"Nothing much, sire. Just thought we heard something but it was probably a brown bear, they usually steer clear of the roads so we should be fine."

The cloaked figure was motionless, surveying the pair of brothers for long enough to make them nervous. He turned to look at the trees and spoke off-hand.

"These trees, is that usual?"

"Hmm? Is what usual?"

The cloaked figure pointed and the pair of brothers followed his white-gloved hands with their gazes. There, nestled amongst the lush greenery, standing out like a blotch of ink on a blank canvas, was a skeletal tree. Devoid of leaves, branches like gnarled fingers reaching out but falling short of the untouchable skies. Its bark was cracked and dry, exuding a sense of death as potent as the vitality it was surrounded by, as jarring as a hole torn in a beautiful landscape painting.

Kalzin could not help but shudder, exchanging a worried glance with Jeropher, before turning back to the cloaked figure with that plastered smile feeling just a little more difficult to uphold.

"Treerot isn't uncommon in these parts, though it usually doesn't spread. The fungus is like a parasite, killing its host and leaving it to die as well. Pitiful, but such is the circle of life."

The cloaked figure lowered his pointed hand, glancing at the brothers once before returning to the carriage without another word. Kalzin whispered to his brother as they watched him enter the carriage.

"You think he bought it?"

His brother fixed him with a flat, unimpressed look and shook his head slowly before returning to the side of the carriage.

"What, I though I was pretty convincing."

With that empty reassurance, Kalzin resumed his position at the front of the procession, though this time, his eyes and ears were peeled for real. Jumping at every sound was something he hadn't done since he was a young child, inexperienced in the ways of the forest. Yet now, that unfamiliarity seemed to come out in full force, as if what they walked through was something other than the forest he had grown up in.

Yet at first glance, and even after a more detailed inspection, apart from that single tree, everything was normal, nothing out of place. All his rational thought reassured him that he was safe, that this was normal, that nothing could go wrong. Only a single, opposing force waged the lonely war in the depths of his mind.

Instinct.

***

An indeterminate distance further along that path, walking such that they would surely meet, were a certain Jeffbob and Ziriothrax. They walked in not quite a comfortable silence, but perhaps a necessary one. Yet, abruptly, Jeffbob shattered the infant silence, forever barring it from appreciating the wonders of life and growth and an eventual, natural end.

"My nostril hairs twitch with excitement, at the prospect of adventure!"

The infant silence had, in fact, died in vain for the sake of Jeffbob's nonsensical speech. Uncaring, Jeffbob continued with his disquisition.

"The taste of tomorrow's rain mixes with today's sun, leaving behind the bittersweet aftertaste of a longing for a moment that does not exist. It shall rain for a long time to come, little cricket. It would be wise to let go of the greater things and enjoy the healthy radiation raining down from the heavens above."

Before Ziriothrax had a chance to say anything, Jeffbob once again spoke up in an ominous voice.

"Ah well, too late. It has already begun."

"What has already begun?"

Ziriothrax snapped, spiteful at having been interrupted from his scheming within scheming.

"Huh? I don't...know. That's because there aren't any memories in my head."

Ziriothrax decided to tune him out for the sake of his own mental health and the continued existence of the world which, at least for now, he had a stake in.

Ohhhh I cannot wait until the time comes to let loose. It has been a long time since I have Heralded Extinction, and this disgusting, fertile land is ripe to be harvested.

Muhehahehehahahahaheehahehaha

He laughed manically in his head, rubbing his insect legs together with an evil look on his insect face. All the while, the corpse of Unitopia wept.