Quest for the Lyre of Orphaeo

[Breaker]

Breaker crouched at the maul's side, paying his respects to the fallen monster. He rose as Philomel approached, having sensed the arcane earth shift that brought her near. It seemed the lyre bearer boasted hidden talents. Josh smiled at the beautiful faun, dimpling the scars on his cheeks. A soft breeze played in her purple hair. The forest seemed so silent with the maul's fury gone.

"I had hoped we would," Breaker replied, his hazel eyes meeting her grey ones, "after all, we must work well together, in sight of our goddesses." He leaned down and plucked a handful of dirt, letting the coarse earth cascade between callused fingers to remind him of Suravani's touch. The sensation grounded him in their purpose, and he gestured in the direction of the tera'k's obvious tracks. "We should return to your friends before we attract more attention."

Side by side they followed the tera'k trail, pursuing bruised foliage and battered turf. For all that it had torn up the ground, the beast of burden left barely a sign when compared to the thundering maul.

"The trees are grateful," Philomel said with a sly smile, "for you stopped the giant from felling even more of them in its wrath."

"You can speak to the trees?" Josh wondered. He supposed he should not be too surprised. The faun seemed particularly attuned to the earth, but then, the chance she was having a laugh at his expense lingered.

"They speak to me, mostly," she teased, extending an elegant hand to point at a gently swaying red oak, "see how they dance? They are pleased by your presence."

"As am I by yours, lyre-bearer," Josh said quietly. He thought he glimpsed a dim blush on the faun's neck beneath her purple plait. "Though this forest is filled with dangers, it seems that together we make light of them." The deep violet cloak he had made for her shimmered in the wind, reminding him of the way the soul blossom had looked perched in her hair. The breeze rattled the leaves in the trees, and they seemed to laugh at him. Perhaps they conspired with Philomel.

The faun and the demigod arrived at the downed tera'k's side. Its flanks heaved mightily with slumbering breath, and the fox Veridian crouched at its side. Sunlight cascading through the latticework of tree branches cast irregular patterns over them all, and somewhere distant a Dur'Taigen pack howled.

"It appears your beast has fallen asleep on the job," Josh observed with a twinkle in his hazel eyes.

"He was overstimulated," Philomel said, brandishing a fist, "I put him to bed for the moment."

Josh chuckled and shook his head. She boasted many hidden talents indeed.