An Entirely Unremarkable Wood

[Alec]

An entirely normal woodland, with the sun shining and birds chirruping and all the like. You stand on a ridge, high above the town of Wistvale. Honestly, you've no idea why you're here, or - for that matter - exactly where here is. Though, for a reason you can't rightly put your finger on, this doesn't bother you. Much.

Deciding to go, having enjoyed the view quite enough, you pick a direction, more or less at random, and strike off.

[Zane]

Zane walks along merrily, whistling. Wondering how exactly a bird 'chirrups', he continues to walk along, enjoy the scenic view.

"Well this is quite nice. Not often I get to take a break from all of the sickness and death and whatnot. I'll have to remember this place, it'd be good for a date or something..."

Realizing that he sounds like a loon when he's talking to himself, Zane shuts up and keeps moving

[Alec]

Realizing a bird chirrups very easily, as they are meant to do - save for the ones that caw, and cheep and, well you get the idea - a cloying scent seeps into the air. At first, it isn't so bad. At first, admittedly, it's a rather pleasant smell. Hints of vanilla, with just a touch of raspberry. Perhaps. And something horribly unpleasant just below that. A smell familiar to our good doctor, but.....one you can't place. This doesn't upset you. Much.

As the smell gets more oppressive, a thin fog comes into view and - shortly - to pass, just below the boughs of the trees. Eventually, as the trail continues - as what you're on is very clearly a trail, though you're not sure when you set on it - the fog falls, to around your feet.

[Zane]

Zane sniffs the air, scrunching up his nose

"Ick. What is that smell... It's... familiar somehow...."

Zane does his best to put it out of his mind and continues on, walking down the trail. Seeing the fog, a light sense of panic settles into the back of his mind, but he walks on, heedless.

[Alec]

"And then a great, big, SCARY monster falls from the trees! Well, not really. But how great would that be?" the man now standing beside you asks. He's tall, standing a good head over you, and thin. Almost emaciated, really. He introduces himself as Mortimer, and extends a hand affably.

[Zane]

Zane looks at Mortimer oddly, and then tentatively shakes his hand

"Hello... Mortimer, was it? I'm Zane, healer by profession. What brings you out here?"

[Alec]

"Oh, this and that, you know." He looks around, and inhales deeply. "And you." He stops turning his head, and looks off down the path. "Wonderful smell, innit? Vanilla and raspberry. My favorite." Turning to the shorter man, Mortimer throws his head back in the direction you were headed. "Onward, shall we?"

[Zane]

Zane shrugs

"Seems to me that there's some smell under all that, but I can't quite place it. Oh well, sure, lead on."

Zane decides to follow this stranger, maybe because the way this has been written so far is like he went and smoked some wacky tobaccy before leaving his house, but that's besides the point

[Alec]

"Ah. That smell. Well. It's the grave, if you're curious. Death, if you will." Heading off down the path, you begin to notice the tell-tale smell of rot, underneath the heavy fug of vanilla scented fog. "It's an ever-present in this forest. You get used to it." He sniffs heavily. "Well....some do."

[Zane]

Zane grimaces

"Figured as much. Fresh death I deal with, but the lingering sort is not exactly my specialty..."

Zane looks at Mortimer askance when he sniffs it in

"I doubt that's the healthiest thing to be sniffing"

[Alec]

"Perhaps not," he chuckles, "but I'm well beyond worrying about my health." He glances back, heading further into the forest. The sun begins to be choked out by the thickening treetops, turning what was midday into what feels like midnight. "You though.....if you've got something, anything, to hold over your mouth so you don't breathe much....it'd help. It's not fatal - per se - but it will make you light headed."

[Zane]

Zane thinks for a moment and, not wanting to rip his shirt or anything, he takes off one of his socks and holds it over his mouth, trying to ignore the faint scent of sweat

"Thanks for the tip friend. At any rate, where are we headed?"

[Alec]

He shrugs, not slowing or looking back. "Deeper."

[Zane]

Zane shrugs at Mortimer and continues to walk

"Whatever you say, Mortimer."

[Alec]

Wondering exactly how one shrugs at something or someone, Mortimer continues down the path.

Shadows move. But they're not shadows - really. Glowing red eyes peer out at you from the sides of the path, first one, then two, but soon hundreds. A small murmuring begins to pull at the edges of your mind, testing it's limits.