Amon moved again.
Slowly, carefully, he began walking along the base of the tree, following the curve of the colossal trunk. Each step echoed faintly, swallowed almost immediately by the oppressive stillness of the place.
Up close, the bark looked even stranger. Veins of dark, as if remnants of something once alive still lingered within. He reached out once, brushing his fingers against the surface.
It was cold. Not just to the touch. Cold enough to seep into his bones.
Amon pulled his hand back and continued forward, eyes sharp, senses stretched thin. He walked between towering roots that formed arches above him, some so large they blocked out what little light remained. Shadows layered upon shadows, thick and heavy.
As he moved, the feeling in his chest intensified. After circling part of the base, something caught his attention.
Between two massive roots, half-hidden by overlapping bark and twisted growth, there was a gap.
A path to somewhere.
