Afru Tree

I stood up and wiped the sweat off my forehead, getting ready to head back to the meeting place White Bun and I decided on. 'Do you know what his goal is'

"No idea, once he doesn't disturb me I'll be fine," I replied with a yawn as I manoeuvred through the thick underbrush. I soon made it to the meeting place and dusted off the twigs and leaves still coated in the morning dew. I ran my fingers through my silver hair unhindered by knots, the silky texture tickling my skin. While I fixed my attire coated in a thin sheen of sweat from the scorching humid air creeping in from the forest, I scanned my surrounding for my ball of fluff; White Bun.

My eye finally stopped at the rustling of a small shrub bearing red fruit. A tiny head popped from behind the luscious green leaves. A red tongue peeked from White Bun's mouth and his wet black nose wiggled ever so slightly. I beckoned him towards me and he trotted towards me, his white tail wagging behind him. "White Bun, did you get the Blue-Horned Wolves?" I scooped him up in my arms and placed him on my shoulder.

"Yes, but I couldn't get the claws so I can tell you the direction to the corpses," He spoke directly into my ear, "Who's that person tailing us,"

"Red-haired guy, just act normal," I replied quietly. Heading in the direction White Bun pointed out to me. Once I reached the corpses, I knelt and got to work. The surrounding sounds seemed to amplify as my hairs stood on edge. The rustling of the trees, chirping of birds and soft humming of bugs banged against my ears. After I finished wrapping the claws and other parts to sell, I packed them into my bag and set off to find an Afru tree.

"Miss, the person is getting closer," White Bun whispered into my ears, his pointy fang grazing my ear.

"I know, once he doesn't attack I find no need to jump into a brawl," I looked forward and plunged forward scanning the area for an Afru tree. After about an hour of wandering, I finally stood before a monstrous tree. Its golden trunk oozed a thick egg-yolk like sap and sharp black points pierced the tree from the inside out. Its green leaves crouched, the branches it hung on sunk low, threatening to fall at the softest breeze. Scattered across its majestic leaves Afru fruits sprouted the long fruit speckled with orange swayed in the soft breeze. Butchered fruits littered across the forest floor, flies buzzing around the fruit gushing from the inside after being brutally smashed to the ground.

"White Bun stay here," I said and placed him on the ground and walking up to the daunting tree.

"Miss, you don't plan on climbing that, right?" He wiggled his nose and asked with disbelief ridden in his high-pitched voice.

"How do you think I pay for your meals? To eat you must work," I circled the trunk looking for a place with slightly less sap and glinting spikes. "This would be much easier if I could take out my scythe," I mumbled, a sigh crashing from my lips. I pulled out two of my daggers and said a silent prayer for their fates; being ruined by impossibly thick sap. I stepped on a spike testing it with my foot, finding it stable enough I stabbed my dagger into the soft trunk sap oozing from the crack. I stabbed the other dagger next to it pulling myself up testing the spikes I stepped on before pulling myself up with it beneath me.