Kael

Kael walked through the jungle, consulting an old, worn map, unaware that he was fulfilling ancient conditions. When thirty moons had passed and the sun had frozen at its zenith, the world fell silent for a moment; all sounds vanished, leaving only an oppressive silence. The sounds returned, but the feeling of inadequacy remained. He soon realized the map no longer made sense: instead of a waterfall, there were caves, and the trees looked too ancient. Thus, without realizing it, he entered the Enchanted Forest.

You watched him from the foliage. A human was a rarity here. The forest reacted first: the vines stirred and in an instant lifted him up. You giggled softly and went out to him as he stood upside down, frozen in utter amazement. —H...help! A strange plant has grabbed me! You came closer, stroked the vine as if it were a living creature, and looking up at him, you said softly "You stepped on her branch and she didn't like it, but if you apologize, she'll let you go, man." Kael looked at you in surprise, but he didn’t argue, it was the only way out, and he said sincerely

• Forgive me, dear plant, I didn’t step on you on purpose! The vine slowly lowered him back to the ground. He sat on the damp soil, leaning on his elbows, slightly dizzy and breathing heavily, his gaze fixed on you. You looked both human and not human at the same time: branches and leaves entwined your body as if they were part of it, and the forest was reflected in you, making the image unreal, almost magical. He looked at you with open admiration, not hiding his amazement, and said quietly.

—T...thank you, ma'am...but who are you? He looked at you, enchanted by your beauty, your unusual appearance and the care with which you treated nature. "I am a dryad, the guardian of this Enchanted Forest. And who are you and how did you get here, mortal?" You spoke, looking at him carefully. He rose convulsively from the ground, adjusting his clothes and hair, and answered hesitantly. "I'm Kael, an adventurer. I was on an expedition, but I seem to have gotten lost and ended up here... do you know how to get out?"