A Regular, Normal, Not Weird Hike with Friends

With the sun still high in the sky, one would expect its rays to penetrate even the darkest of shadows... yet this was not the case in a forest of lumbering trees and twisting roots.
Consus had made it his goal to enter the forests outside of Candletown's boundaries, but he couldn't help the feeling of fear bubbling up in his stomach. He clutched the starleaf cloak around his shoulders while his seasun, Helianthus, trailed closely behind. Around him, the leaves swayed with the minimal wind blowing through the winding trail while Boingo, Vatos, and Viorel mapped out the path ahead.
The taller painted satyr looked back over his shoulder and paused for a moment to walk with Consus. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm not sure. I just... I feel like something is watching me - I don't know why, but I just do." A breath escaped Consus while he looked around, not seeing anything of note. "Maybe I'm crazy, but I know we've just got to keep pushing, I know."

Viorel gently put his hand on Consus' shoulder and offered a reassuring smile. "I hope that, by having us here with you, we can at least offer some kind of help and comfort. If we need to turn and head back, just say so, alright?"

Consus only nodded wordlessly in return, but still returned Viorel's smile.

Ahead of the pair, Boingo and Vatos continued to point out a few stops on the map before they eventually settled on an old statue they could mark as a rest point. The illustration appeared to depict a carved bench with two figures where the armrests would usually be.
The two browbirds looked at each other and then over their shoulders, hoping that using the spot as a rest stop was a good idea.

After walking for a few more minutes, Consus stopped petting Helianthus when the two statues from the illustration on the map came into view. Moss crawled up and over the base of the stone bench while the two figures held their hands over their eyes. A circle of mushrooms akin to the symbol of a “fairy ring” lined the area around the stone, which Consus took as a strange sign.

“Well… I’m about ready to go home. Um… but it’s probably for the best to make sure you guys mark this down. I wanna be ready when we eventually come back but this isn’t giving me a vibe I’m comfortable with.” The painted satyr stepped backwards while looking around the forest while the sun’s rays failed to shine through the leaves around them.

Vatos and Boingo marked the map while Viorel grabbed Consus’ hand. “Alright, thanks for telling us. We’ll get going as soon as I collect a quick sample of that moss, if that’s okay?”

Consus nodded, and while Viorel plucked a few particles of moss from the stone, Boingo and Vatos failed to notice the dark figures shift from farther back beyond the line of trees.
The satyr was right: something was watching them… but it wouldn’t be revealed quite yet.

END. 514 Words.