158 An Unpleasant Forest Guardian Beast 1 (1/2)
However An Fei wished to remain in her relaxed position for the night, the Sanctum whisked her body away the instant the sun completed its descent into the vast horizon.
Before the little raven's envious eyes, the young girl's body dissolved into countless fragments of softly colored light, scattered by the awakening calls of the lake prowlers and night terrors within the Wu Ji Forest.
Scratch that, An Fei was much more comfortable in the quiet and tranquil environment of the sanctuary of sky-blue crystal, than perch herself on a precarious branch directly above the gaping, hungry maws of fierce creatures starving for the night.
It was a pity that the little raven couldn't follow and had to remain as a displeased sentinel to guard over her nonexistent body, but alas, An Fei would never realize where exactly her 'raven' had resided throughout the entire time until the critical moment.
A moment too late, in her defense, but that was a fiasco in itself that could only be told at a later date.
Caw!
The lonely cry of a crow struck the Wu Ji Forest and awakened its nightly slumber of bloodlust, the crimson eyes of the raven greedily observing the fierce creatures underneath slaughter one another to satiate their ravenous stomachs.
Nothing served better to take the edge of his own murderous intent than the rampant slaughtering of mortal creatures at the peak of their prime.
Although it would save the miserable, stinky lass from his claws for another night, just she wait…
The raven released an unreasonable cackle of laughter at the thought, berating itself in the next moment for nearly toppling off its perch and becoming a nearby prowling lion's early midnight snack.
–
The next day, An Fei bade the vine-covered region farewell for the last time.
With a single leap towards her front, and utilizing the to negate any damage incurred from such a fall, the young girl had departed the region of the Wu Ji Forest.
The last of the hanging vines vanished from her view, as the sea of plain and bare trees once again filled her vision.
A trip that should have taken numerous days and perhaps weeks, achieved in a day and a few hours.
”Somehow… that region reminded me of something incredible horrible…”
Caw!
If anything, however, An Fei did not wish to be reminded of that creature's presence. The young girl revealed a bizarre shiver at the thought of the grotesque bulbous head and the sea of vines laced with grey thorns…
The little raven voiced its assent, its beak parting wide to swallow whole a gingko nut.
Under An Fei's concerned watch, the little creature choked on the large portion and its overconfidence, resulting in another iteration of a rather embarrassing endeavor enacted by both a human girl and a raven.
The raven squawked in anger and embarrassment towards An Fei, only ceasing its actions once she had promised many times under its threatening gaze to never divulge the incident.
However, the immortal sentience within was clearly cognizant of the fact that once it turned its back, the stinky lass was keeping track of the number of times such an incident had occurred thus far.
That annoying Jun Mo; only he and his spiritual imprint of a crow would perform those types of nonsensical and brainless behavior!
”Enough with the sulking, Xiao Hei, let's go!”
An Fei called from the side, slinging the leather bag over her shoulder. Once the little raven had resentfully returned to its perch, the young girl stretched her limbs and stepped forward to continue her journey through the forest with an invigorating shout.
Somehow, as though she had expected it, the sea of trees before her seemed to be circling a large clearing.
Towards her sides, the density of the trees was greatly above that of the patch of the forest directly ahead.
With a confused expression lacing her countenance, the young girl carefully walked through the undergrowth, her eyes sweeping her surroundings numerous times.
What increased her suspicion was the unnerving fact that there didn't seem to be any fierce creature within the vicinity, regardless of the radius her perception stretched to accommodate.
Moreover, the little raven on her shoulder remained devoid of any warning cries, a feat that usually did not occur.
”What's… going on…”
An Fei murmured, pressing against the back of her tree for support as she stepped forward. The young girl didn't forget to prudently grasp the hilt of a butterfly sword, her eyes narrowed in caution.
With that step, the young girl found for herself a large surprise, one that she didn't expect.