The land was dark, smoky, and corrupted. The soil itself seemed to breathe, blanketing much of the land with dead trees whose trunks were so twisted and gnarled they bent close to the earth.
Only by some miracle had their protruding roots not failed them, allowing the trees to collapse to the earth.
The roots only occupied the surface of the soil, and with time, one could see them growing, emerging from the ground as though they had minds of their own.
Yet in the middle of the land stood a tree glowing green, as though it drained the very life from the surrounding land and trees.
Its trunk was gnarled and firm, bark layered perfectly, as if its creator had spent centuries crafting it.
The tree's canopy spread wide, so layered and thick that neither heavy rain nor sunlight could pierce through, lending the area an eerie quality.
It was the Oynx Tree.
Guarding the tree were two individuals.
