Song of storms

Final

"From the ground,

To the sky,

I sing this song,

I sing it high.

Song of weathers keep,

Lull the sun to sleep.

Heavens hear, this melody,

Rising from below; my plea.

Your tears wash away, all strife."

A soft voice sounded through the green lands of Sildir, an ancient forest located in the ends of Silvermoor - just by the foot of Mount Grimstone. The forest had been standing tall since the beginning of time, before the mankind first set foot in those lands. Many legends have traveled through the ears of mankind, mostly about the lands of Sildir. They spoke of the mythical creatures said to reside within the safety of the trees standing tall against the baby blue sky painted with small, fluffy clouds, the ground clad with a thick layer of old leaves from many autumns, plants and mushrooms — treaded only by the forest's inhabitants, and very brave hunters and explorers.

The sun was still high on the sky, the air was crisp and the grass was very wet, and very green from the rain falling during the early hours of the new day when Jongin — a hunter living in a small village a few miles from the outskirts of Sildir — carefully walked across the meadow and entered the said forest. He was met by the smell of damp earth combined with the smell of young birches and beeches — small drops of water was dripping from the treetops, occasionally landing on Jongin, making his brown hair damp. Walking farther and farther into the lively forest full of life, all the different kinds of trees grew higher and thicker, the branches also growing closer to the ground. Jongin climbed over a fallen tree now inhabited to the ends by bugs, worms, and maggots, and straightened the quiver full of arrows placed on his back. The birds were chirping happily everywhere around him, bugs buzzing and the wind singing a song as it moved the leaves in the tree crowns.

An hour and a half's walk into the forest, and after exploring parts of the forest he hadn't seen until now, he decided to rest. He drank of the cold water a small stream provided him with and washed his face before he sat down with his back against an old oak which gave him shelter from the burning sun. His eyes met with a curious squirrel climbing the branches when he looked up. He chuckled to himself, grabbed a piece of bread from his rucksack and broke it in pieces.

"Excuse me little one, would you break bread with me? The sun is awfully high on this beautiful day and I have yet to eat. I would like to share my bread with you if I may." The little squirrel up in the canopies so high slowly climbed down from where he was. He jumped down and landed a few feet from the young lad, not sure if it was safe to come closer or if it was much wiser to stay away.

"I promise that I will not cause you any harm in any way possible, I promise you this on our Gods" with this the squirrel finally came closer and stretched his small paws out. Jongin carefully handed the squirrel a piece of the bread and the both of them started eating.

"May I ask what your name is?"

"Kim Minseok at yours!" said the squirrel with his mouth full of bread, and bowed. Jongin had met brave animals, unafraid of people before, but never ones with the ability to speak and understand the languages of mankind. He had heard stories about it, the elders loved telling the children in the village stories about what dangerous creatures that probably lived in the forest.

"K-Kim Jongin," he stuttered a bit shocked and slightly flustered a moment later when he regained his ability to speak. "I never would have believed that things who are not of my kin would be able to talk."