A Forest of Creatures

I turned my attention away from the dragon wrapped around my neck and stared at the clearing.

The tall grass swayed and danced in a gentle breeze, though there was no sensation on my skin or hair to indicate any wind was passing through. Not even my clothes moved from the draft like I was cut off from the scene itself. I shook my head and began walking through the grass.

It brushed across my knees and might have tickled if they were bare, but otherwise offered little resistance to my movements. I kept my eyes low for anything odd. The tall grass was the perfect place for snakes to hide, and I already had had enough with serpentine creatures.

Sure enough, several steps away from me, I saw a sudden shiver in the grass. Something had moved either closer to me or further away. I froze and drew both of my blades.

“Something the matter?” Azul asked. His voice told me that he wasn’t the slightest bit surprised by my actions.

Slowly and carefully, I backed away from where I saw the movement in the grass. Both my and the dragon's eyes were trained on the spot.

I wished I didn’t have this pink kimono on; it made it very difficult to disappear. Whatever saw me would likely keep track of where I was without effort—hardly fitting for a kunoichi. Yet, despite my misgivings, I continued to wear the clothes. It didn’t feel right, but it didn’t feel wrong either. Perhaps if I could recall something from my past, these feelings would be easier to articulate.

I shook my head and focused back on the grass. There was another movement, this time, it appeared further away. Whatever was in there was leaving. I relaxed my shoulders. After taking a deep breath, I charged out of the grassy field. Once my knees were free of the soft blades, I turned and held my daggers at the ready.

Nothing emerged from within, and I steadily backed into the woods. Azul chuckled. Whatever he found funny was beyond me.

The field was almost out of sight when an intense rustling began. All at once, a myriad of small animals burst from the grass and in my direction.

“Better run, Kiko,” Azul said with an indifferent tone.

“Right,” I didn’t argue with him. Both blades were slipped into their sheaths, and I began my sprint in the opposite direction.

Where had all these creatures come from? I had not seen them before, but the cracking of branches behind me and sudden appearances in trees as I ran past made it clear I was surrounded. Each animal was a different type, a rabbit, several birds, lizards of all stripes, and many more. They were all small; I suspect I could carry any of them if they were a pet. While the colors retained were natural, they all glowed brightly and illuminated the grey forest.

I ran through the trees until the ground gave way to a cliff. My grip barely held me to a branch as I tried to stop the sudden fall. A burning sensation ran up it as I held on tightly. I was fairly close to the ground at this point. If I were twice as tall, my feet would be touching the ground. From above, the glowing animals all stared at me.

Then the branch snapped, and I fell face first.

I moved my arms so they would take the brunt of the impact as I slammed into a steep hill. My legs flipped over my head, and I rolled down to the bottom of a small valley. I quickly turned to look back up but saw none of the animals.

“That was one crazy ride,” Azul said with a laugh. I stood up and began to brush myself off.

A sudden croak caught my attention, and my dagger's hilts were soon pressed firmly within my hands.

A glowing green frog sat on a tree stump. His black eyes looked at my face, then at Azuls.

“Quite a pickle you got yourself in, huh.” The frog spoke.

I wasn’t sure what shocked me more. The speaking frog, or the fact the voice did not match how I thought a frog should sound. How would I usually expect such a voice to be? High? Low? I couldn’t quite describe it, but this voice was rough and crackled where intonation was meant to occur. It was like he was an adolescent in the middle of his voice changing.

I held my blade up and pointed it at the creature.

“Stay back,” I warned.

“Who wouldn’t stay away from someone pointing knives at them?” the frog replied while he rolled his eyes.

Azul hissed at the creature.

“My dear Kiko, we should stay away from the likes of this one.”

If I wasn’t wary, I might have just done the opposite of what my undesired passenger said, just out of spite, but I wouldn’t risk too much in this situation. I took a step back. A twig snapped under my foot, making the frog flinch.

We both froze and stared at each other.

“What do you want, human?” the frog finally asked.

“I… what are you?”

“Kiko, it is best to leave this matter alone. I will explain it to you as best as you can understand later,” Azul hissed in a low tone. His words only made me want to keep talking to the creature.

I looked up; the other animals were standing up from where I had fallen and looked down. With their sudden reappearance, the color glowed brightly from above like a series of stars.

“I would hardly go telling a human.” The frog replied with a tone of righteous indignation. I wasn’t sure what that was about, and hearing it from a frog was odd, so I let the moment pass by.

“He’s nothing more than a minor passerby; there is no reason to continue,” Azul chimed in with a hiss that made the frog shudder. The green animal seemed to straighten up and stand in place.

“Human, it would be best if you and your cohorts left this place,” the frog said.

“Why’s that? I replied while looking around at my surroundings. The trees were clear enough to pick from several paths if this encounter turned into a hostile one.

If the frog could press a hand to his forehead, like one might with a headache, I am sure he would have done so. The frog face could only do so much to convey emotions, but I still had a feeling that I was picking up what he intended.

“This place is not for you to live in,” the frog replied.

“Whether that is true or not, it can be used rather conveniently,” Azul added with a laugh.

The frog shook his head.

“I see no reason to continue; I will leave now. Be warned, human, a day will come when you will find yourself thrust from this world into another, and there is no guarantee that the world you land in will be pleasant.”

With his final words, the frog hopped away and into the woods. The glow from his body slowly dimmed until it had vanished completely. Above, the other animals had disappeared as well.

“Well, shall we return, Kiko?” the dragon draped around me asked.

I shook my head and walked into the woods, my next location was a mystery, but I just wanted time to think.