An attempted meeting, ending in...

So it was the Rukh's fault. Of course they didn't tell her but their silent actions were what made her curious.

Curses.

Anyways, as she approached my forest, I wonder. What am I going to do with her.

If she enters my forest, then I will let her enter peacefully.

Of course, with the drowsy aura the tree emanates at all times, she will soon begin to fall asleep. She would then either back away, or begin moving forward without concern nor plan whatsoever.

I hope its the former.

Well, let us hope fate can guide her, otherwise she'll be lost on its path.

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-[Scheherazade] POV

As I've began to see the forest come into view, I wonder if I'll ever find the answers which I seek.

I always wanted to find out what this presence, and what kind of being is capable of it. After all this time, I hope the answers will lie in this forest.

Approaching the forest, I see a long line of dark, grey trees looming in the distance. Dark stormy rainclouds cover its entirety, the sun unable to pierce the clouds and trees with its warm light.

The Rukh are flying around me, neither telling to go in nor stay away.

They're just...watching me, waiting for me to make a choice.

And I made my choice.

With a deep breath, I walked into the forest, wary of its dangers.

...

Walking in the forest, with the Rukh hovering and circling around me, I expected to find danger or feelings of lurking creatures hiding from me, but instead, a calmness

The Rukh's shining white light is dulled, nothing more than a shell of it's former brightness.

Hoping it is the right path, I walked deeper into the forest.

As I walked with my walking staff, I began to unconciously loosen my tense shoulders. The silent dark trees, raindrops rarely dropping through the leaves, the sound of it splattering, it feels...alluring.

Unknowingly, I began to slowly blink my eyes, and yawn. I walked for a couple days, maybe I should take a brief rest amongst the trees, after all I've been walking for quite a while

Yawning, I made my way over a nice looking tree, its roots forming a shelter of sorts. Feeling satisfied, I walked over to it, not bothering to look at the Rukh, who were trying to warn me.

Warning me of what? I don't know. I'm just gonna take a brief rest, maybe even a nap while at it.

Sitting underneath roots, I pulled my knees so I could lay my chin on them, wrapping my arms around them after laying my walking stick to the side.

I closed my eyes, a sleepy feeling washed over me. Listening to the rain drops tapping against the branches and leaves, the darkness wrapping me it its cold embrace, slowly guiding me...

...

Wait.

My eyes shot opened, and I scrambled out of the roots with my walking stick, and began running, adrenaline filling my body, with the Rukh flying after me.

That was dangerous, too dangerous, I shuddered with fear.

I didn't know what that was, but the Rukh weren't able to protect me, it felt so right, so calming... NO!

I shook up head back and forth, trying to use the Rukh's dull light to see my path.

I almost tripped over a root, and as I began to run again, a wave of drowsiness washed over me once more.

I began to slow down, trying to move forward as fast as I can, and before I noticed, I slowed down into a crawl.

I tried making my way forward, but the forest never seems to end, always the color grey.

As I've begun to feel as if all hope has been lost... I saw a dull glow of pink light coming into view,

Adrenaline coursing through my body once more, I pushed myself... walked into that light...and coming into view of a clearing.

It wasn't much of a clearing, grey looking tree branches and leaves still blanketing it, but what was instantly noticeable was three things:

The pink glowing leaf tree bending, the calming pond, and... someone leaning against the sakura tree.

Even with the dull glowing pink light, I was unable to determine if it was a person or not, and as I began to slowly inching my way towards the tree, I noticed the Rukh around it.

They were just sitting there, waiting, and the Rukh with me flew over to them, and sat down on the ground.

Getting closer, I saw what it, no, what he looked like.

With dark grey armor covering him, a tattered red cape, a helmet , no skins or bones was in view.

I came to a stop in front of him, trying to see if he was either alive or dead. I tried to say something, but it came out as a whisper. I tried yelling, still whispers.

After trying to gauge the reaction of the Rukh, who were still starting at me, I knelt down, attempting to get a good look at face, trying not to touch him. The helmet, covering his entire head, was filled with a number of circular holes in the front.

I slowly got closer, trying to see what's in those holes. Looking closely, all I saw as nothing but pitch blackness, a void of nothingness, and as I was staring into it...his head moved a tiny bit upwards to face me.

I let out a *Eep* and stood up suddenly, dropping her stick and quickly stepped backwards.

I ended up tripping and fell into the pond with the last of my dignity as a Magi gone.

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-[Ill Ilah] POV

There's a difference in looking at something from a bird eyes view, and looking at something in person. It's kind of surreal to be honest, since all this time I've used [Projection of the World].

Anyways, seeing Scheherazade, in all her glory, letting out a cute sound and fall into a pond, and flailing about, is quite the scene. The Rukh were also staring at her with feelings of amusement.

I'll make sure to log this scene into my library of memories. For entertainment purposes of course. Now then, where were we?

Ah yes, Scheherazade.

She was still flailing, and since the pond was shallow, it didn't even come up to her knees if she were standing up, so would be unable to drown.

I think she realized this, because she suddenly stopped flailing about, blushed, and stood up. Shivering, she walked out of the pond, and used Magoi to dry herself. After checking her appearance and fixing her hair and clothes, she then walked up to me, and stared.

After a few moments of staring, she coughed out the awkwardness and embarrassment into her hand, and started to introduce herself with a bow.

"My name is Scheherazade, Magi of the Reim Empire, may I have the privilege of knowing your name?"

A few seconds passed, and I'm just staring at her, attempting to find a way to figure her out from her description using [Appraisal].

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[Scheherazade]

A girl at the tender age of 10, she is the soon to be Magi of the Reim Empire, and is currently traveling around the Western Continent, learning new things from other people and the Rukh. As someone with adultlike maturity, she is currently feeling embarassed over her previous embarrassment, and is trying to make conversation. She believes that the presence she felt since her birth was you, or somehow realted to you, and is trying to find answers. She hopes you are the presence, since the presence was like a parental guardian to her.

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While I was reading the description, the supposedly mature girl began to fidget awkwardly, and after a few seconds of staring, my mouth opened...

And closed.

I abruptly dropped the chin of my helmet against my breastplate, ending the start of a conversation.