𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 ᵉ*ᵗᵐ

32 ┃ 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬

━ ⭑─⭒━

━ ⭒─⭑━

As you followed Telemachus through the dense woodland, you couldn't help but glance back every so often, checking behind you, half-expecting the fox to be silently padding along in the shadows.

But each time, the path behind you was empty.

Not even a rustle. Not even a flicker of movement.

It was as if the creature had never been there at all.

"You're looking for it, aren't you?" Telemachus' voice carried over his shoulder, amusement laced in every syllable.

You whipped your head forward, quickly composing yourself. "No. Of course not. Why would I?"

"Uh-huh."

"You're imagining things."

"Right," he hummed, stepping over a fallen branch with ease. "So you're not worried that you just bonded with a creature that should've eaten you?"

You exhaled sharply through your nose. "It didn't eat me," you muttered, stepping around a moss-covered rock.

"Not yet," he quipped, shooting you a sideways smirk.

You groaned, picking up your pace to get ahead of him.

Eventually, the two of you broke free from the thicker part of the woods, and the first thing you noticed was the sky.

The sun had begun its descent, stretching gold and pink hues across the horizon, staining the treetops in a soft, amber glow. The light filtered through the leaves, casting long, shifting shadows along the earth as the air cooled, carrying the crisp scent of water and damp earth.

The path sloped downward, golden light spilling over the ground in warm, shifting rays. Somewhere ahead, the soft murmur of flowing water filled the air, growing clearer with each step.

The watering spot was beautiful.

A long, slow-moving river cut through the land, its surface shimmering in the late afternoon light.

A few minutes down from where you stood, the river trickled into a smaller pond, tucked into a secluded alcove where large rock formations jutted from the earth, creating a natural barrier.

A thin waterfall cascaded over one of the cliffs, feeding the pool below, the sound of rushing water mixing with the rustling of leaves.

The entire area was enclosed by towering trees, their sprawling roots twisting over the rocks and dipping into the water's edge. The light filtering through the canopy cast shifting patterns over the river's surface, giving the space a serene, almost untouched feel.