Lights in the Dark

Isaan Torbordt was born and raised in the slum city of Daelmarun, into a relatively poor yet loving family. He didn't have a spectacular intellect, however what he lacked in brainpower he made up for in passion. Early on in his childhood he came across an encyclopaedia detailing extensive kinds of plant life. To a child living in any other place in the world, this book would likely bore to tears, however perhaps due to the fact that Daelmarun had an inexplicable lack of verdant plantlife, Isaan became possessed with an indefatigable lust for knowledge. The aforementioned family of his managed to scrape together enough coin to send him to a decent school, and soon after he graduated from the famed Cobalt Fin College with a degree in botany. He promptly gave a bittersweet goodbye to his home and to his family, and set out into the world to pursue further research in the field.

His endeavours eventually led him to the wildly untamed jungle landscape known as Oyangia, where he had been studying the unique exhibits of flora that encompassed the entire region. He lived alone on the beach in a small campsite of his own design, with all of the amenities that he could hope to have in a place like this: a bedroll, a tent, and a large stump that he used as a desk. He did not need to live in complete isolation, as there was a humble encampment nearby, made up mostly of anglers and seamen who happened to be passing by.

He was hopeful that he would be able to publish his own research on Oyangia, as the investigation of this land seemed to be a relatively untapped resource of knowledge. Torbordt's studies would often take him deep into the jungles, sometimes for days at a time, and before long he had found himself becoming increasingly comfortable in the lush underbrush. A blatant juxtaposition to the environment of his upbringing, he found great purpose in classifying various kinds of vines, shrubs, and even flowers. He did not pay any heed to fungi, however, as he detested mycology and all of its heathen worshippers.

One day, while surveying a portion yet to be mapped out by him, he noticed a structure poking out of the distant treeline; a man-made formation of stone, certainly larger than any building he was familiar with even in urban areas. As this was entirely outside of his expertise, he wrote letters to various institutions around the world detailing his discovery, and requested that they send their most capable individuals to assist him in an expedition. While Isaan was not too concerned with the structure itself, he was well aware of the possibly massive implications it could have in certain scholarly circles, as it was previously considered common knowledge that Oyangia harboured no marks of civilisation whatsoever. It was not long before he received replies to his letters, all explaining how excited they were to have been given this opportunity. The following weeks involved excruciatingly frustrating scheduling issues related to having a number of parties from around the world attempting to agree on a date for which the expedition should begin.

"Alright everyone, it's going to be dark soon, so we should camp out for the night." Isaan advised the four other members of the expedition. He dropped his backpack gently onto the ground and began to unpack, but was immediately halted by the blinding sun rays. He shielded his eyes with his hands, his attention being drawn to the view from the hill they had just conquered; ichorous light spilling into the valleys pulsating with life of all shapes and sizes, the harmoniously swaying treetops granting the illusion that the entire jungle were a single, breathing organism. The sight reminded him of his ultimately insignificant existence from a cosmic perspective, yet strangely he found himself inspired by this feeling. He could do anything that he wanted to do, because he was connected to the world, a cell in the organism. He absorbed the view for every moment that he could, until the sun was tucked away beneath the horizon.

That night when he had finally gotten to bed, he did not sleep as well as he'd have hoped.

Suspended in the air, the warm jungle air flowed through Isaan's messy, unkempt hair. Leaves and branches battered and brushed against his face, yet he was unbothered. His eyes remained closed, but his mouth hung open and graciously accepted oncoming insects. His arms and legs swayed with each bound. One stride landing a bit too hard, the creature unintentionally bit down on its kill, watering the various plants and fungi at its feet with the esteemed blood of a Cobalt Fin alumnus. The four individuals, who had just met this person a few days prior, and who were now scrambling to avoid a similar fate, could not see this happen; they only heard an earth shattering stomp, a grotesque crunch, and a blood curdling roar.