Lee's Religion (REWORKING)

Ch 2.2 // Visions

     Axel was captured by the magic of the forest as well, yet his eyes were wide open. He noticed everything and was mentally keeping track of everything he saw. Every herb, bark, and feather gained his attention. He couldn't stop smiling at how amazing it felt to be surrounded by the greenery.

     Lee opened his eyes again and looked back to make sure his son was on the path behind him. He nodded and then felt the bird stop suddenly. He held onto the reins tight, his bird rearing back and squawking. He looked around to see a large river where he hadn't seen one. "Ah damn," he said, looking around. "I think that big storm they had up here might've made a new river."

     "A new river?" Axel said, half listening as his paws were getting itchy from wanting to look for his precious ingredients already.

     "Yeah. It was something I was aimin to talk about with your granddad. We should head upriver, should be a little thinner up there." He looked up the river and sighed, hoping that he would've gotten word about it. It was trivial, but he didn't want to end up trying to care for himself and a pup in the woods at night. Lee thought about how much quicker the trip would have been without having Axel to worry about, but the thought went away once he saw how happy his son looked to be in the woods. His focus wavered for a moment as the woods grew thicker, and he noticed the path was going away.

     He started to yell back at Axel to watch his step when he realized there was a thick mist starting to build. He looked around in a panic as the lush green foliage began to fade. His breath quickened and he yelped and barked as he tried to locate his son who wasn't sounding back. He could barely tell if he was in the woods anymore, which didn't help his anxiety.

     The mist had formed a wall around Lee, giving way to an oddly flat mossy area. A bright light shone through the field which helped illuminate the moss in a magical way. He sat his bird down to rest and checked the beast for signs of panic. The bird looked around curiously and pecked at the moss a little, and was completely unaware that something was wrong. This struck Lee as odd considering the panic he was feeling. His paws tested the soft moss as if he might fall through as he walked to the lit area. "H..Hello? Is someone there? Can't see past the mist..." His words fell off as he realized the light was coming from a strange figure.

     A feeling like a balloon in his chest began to rise. The world began to spin a little and he squinted his eyes to see the figure better. His breath caught in his chest when he saw a bright gold and orange deer with antlers white as snow. He sank to his knees and caught himself before he fell completely, his eyes unable to look away from the being. The creature stood on two legs and knelt down to comfort Lee with a hand on his shoulder that felt almost electric.

     "Chrom." Spoke the being, "Calm yourself, child."

     Lee froze completely upon hearing his original tribe name. He felt his chest rise with a breath and realized he hadn't been breathing for a minute. He took a few calming breaths, which made the beast before him laugh. The booming jovial sound brought a smile to Lee's face and released the tension he had felt. He rested on his knees now instead of bracing for a fall. "Hello er- Greetings? A-are you.." Lee began to ask.

     The being nodded and smiled back, "I am. Salvie of the harvest."

     A trickle of laughter came from the old wolf as he sat there in complete disbelief. He had never been close to a god before. His sister was the one who spoke with them, he didn't usually have the honor. His mind was zooming with questions and concerns but he just couldn't voice them now that his patron was here before him.

     "It's an honor, Salvie. I say prayers to you daily and thank you for my bounty. Without you I would have no livelihood." Lee said. He felt as if he were reciting a prayer from a book and shifted a little uncomfortably.