The Bird and the Wyrm

There are certain moments in a being’s life that are burned so forcefully into their minds that they go on to remember them for the entirety of their existence. For some, those moments are plentiful, but even for the downtrodden and unfortunate, they still tend to have at least a few.

For me, entering Pearl City’s Under City for the first time was one of them.

The journey around the island first began by squeezing through a narrow passageway of tall rocks to a surprise opening with a giant hole in the middle.

"Bran," I said, a little uncertain. "We’re not... going to jump down there, right?"

"We’re going down there, but not by jumping," you replied. "Tell me what you see."

"What I see?" I looked at the hole. "I see a big hole in the ground." I leaned a little out. "It’s very deep."

"Interesting."

"How’s that interesting?" I paused. "What do you see?"

"Try not looking at it directly. Try..." You looked around. "See that triangle bit of rock over there? The one just below that branch."

I looked where you pointed. "Yeah."

"Look at that instead then pay attention to your peripheral vision."