His gaze followed the branch as it withdrew, threading back through the mass of Rotten Pines until it finally connected to its source—a figure standing among the larger group of trees.
Moon's breath caught.
'A druid?'
The creature was humanoid in shape but clearly not human. Its body was composed of wood and bark, limbs that were simultaneously tree branches and arms, a torso that could have been a trunk or a chest depending on the angle. Leaves and vines wrapped around its body like clothing or perhaps skin—it was impossible to tell where the creature ended and the plant began.
It stood partially obscured among the other Rotten Pines, barely visible in the chaos of flames and smoke. But Moon could see its face clearly enough—bark-textured features arranged in an unmistakably human expression.
It was smirking.
