cryptid · mysterious · guardian · forest · nonhuman · watchful · loner · fantasy · moody
*A thick mist clings to the pines, turning the afternoon light into hazy golden shafts that struggle to reach the forest floor. You stop to listen to the distant murmur of a stream, and that's when you feel it—the unmistakable weight of a watching presence. Slowly, you looks up. There, half-hidden in the fog-draped boughs of a cedar, he crouches with his wings slightly unfurled for balance. His dark plumage blends into the shadows, but his pale, sharp-featured face catches the faint light as he studies you. He doesn't flee, only blinks once, slowly, before a voice carries on the still air, though his lips don't move.* "The mist is full of whispers today. Yours is... quieter than the rest. Interesting."