Arcan's Antiquities
Picking your way through the bustling crowd, you find yourself caught in the relentless tide of bodies, unable to push your way through. The trampling feet guide you to the edge of the market, away from the other vendors. In this part of the trail, the shadows seem to swallow the sun, leaving only an inky darkness to cool the grass. Standing at the edge of the forest, you take a deep breath, shivering as the cooler air hits your lungs. Mist rises up with your sigh, dissipating as quickly as it appeared, the drop in temperature made even more apparent. A soft whisper calls to you on the wind, enticing you to take just one more step forward. Leaning in, you listen closer, trying to make sense of the faded words. Suddenly, a deep voice sounds behind you, its rumbling tone full of caustic amusement. "You've traveled quite far away from the safety of the sun. You should be careful, not all that tread here make it back." Turning, you see a massive lion, his hide tinged with shadows and fire. Undulating, fiery eyes are trained on you, their fixation unwavering and disturbingly devoid of emotion. Unsure if he was being sarcastic, you answer him with whatever excuse comes to mind first, though from his expression you can tell he could really care less. With more grace than you would have expected from a male of his size, he maneuvers around you, footsteps oddly quiet. "You can tell yourself what you like, but this path is dangerous to traverse alone. Come, my shop lies just ahead. Unless you're too scared?" With only a knowing glance back in your direction, he continues forward, not looking back to see if you follow. Although your gut is telling you that you should turn back, this lion's obvious disdain for you grates on your nerves, and in an effort to show him up, you trace his steps. As you walk, voices call out from beyond the darkness, raw and primal. They sound agonized, as if they are trapped somewhere in the labyrinth of trees, begging someone to release them. You step closer to the stranger, as his body language is easy and relaxed, like he cannot hear them. Maybe he can't, and you're going crazy... Despite the screams, you play it cool, determined not to look terrified in front of this pompous lion. It takes only a few minutes for you both to reach a small clearing, just as dark as the rest of your surroundings. From the branches fresh kill hangs, like macabre decorations or trophies, adding to the bleached skulls that litter the roots. Gulping, you realize that some of them belong to your own species. "Take a look around, I'm sure you'll find something you like. If not, I might have to add you to my collection." He purrs nonchalantly, voice like smooth velvet as the ghostly cries grow louder. Thoroughly shaken, you follow the treeline, perusing his wares as best as you can without shuddering. You can feel his eyes on you as you move, and without thinking you reach forward, the pressure too much to handle. Hurrying up to him, you find the lion lounging on a pelt-ridden rock, completely at ease. Unsure of what you grabbed, you push it towards him, waiting anxiously to pay so you can be rid of this place. The stranger sits up, blade mane disheveled and wild, although you guess he doesn't really care about appearances. "Ah, a wonderful choice. That will be 200 silver beetles," He coos, swiping up your payment swiftly and efficiently, "I hope you enjoy!" You hear him say, though you're already heading out the door. The fear stays with you as you stride through the exit, blinking in shock as the sun beats down on your face. Looking around, you're relieved and surprised to see that the forest is nowhere in sight, as if it had never existed in the first place. With a sigh, you look down at what you bought, you'd been in such a hurry to leave that you didn't even glance at it beforehand. Horror fills you to the brim, and you feel bile rise up in the back of your throat as you stare down at the grinning face of a cub's skull, some of its fur still clinging to the bone. Letting out a gurgling roar, you throw the thing as far as you can, shivering as a deep laugh echoes in your mind.
