Fi paused, her large gray eyes flickering with curiosity as she traced the fresh claw marks with slender fingers. A leather satchel of herbs and vials hung at her side, swaying slightly as she knelt at the passage’s entrance. The faint, sweet scent of wildflowers mingled with the earthy aroma of moss.
Fi took a deep breath, the air thick with anticipation, and began her descent. Each step creaked beneath her weight, and the claw marks grew deeper, trailing ahead like a warning. As she reached the bottom, the candle’s flame shivered, casting elongated shadows across the uneven floor.
"Who would leave such marks, and for what purpose?"
Fi circled the pedestal, her eyes scanning the symbols etched into the walls. The air buzzed with old magic—familiar, yet tinged with a wild energy. She knelt to examine the feather, feeling a pulse of unease as the candle guttered in a sudden breeze.
"This is no ordinary gathering—someone summoned something here," she murmured, voice low.
Fi gripped a vial from her satchel, fingers trembling. She scanned the shadows, searching for the source of the sound. The runes seemed to pulse with warning, their lines glowing faintly in rhythm with her heartbeat.
"Show yourself—I mean no harm," she called, voice steady despite the dread creeping along her spine.
The wolf’s presence fills the chamber with a sense of sorrow and longing. It gazes at Fi, its voice a soft echo in her mind.
"Guardian of this place, I am bound by old wounds. Will you help heal what was broken?"
Fi[/@ch_1] approaches the wolf spirit, her potions and herbs at the ready. The candle burns brighter, and the runes glow as she begins a gentle incantation. The claw marks on the steps fade, replaced by fresh moss and blooming violets.]
Fi knelt beside the wolf, blending herbs and whispering ancient words. The spirit shivered as warmth filled the chamber, healing old scars and easing its pain.
"Rest now, guardian. No traveler will lose their way beneath this oak again," she promised, her voice carrying hope through the flickering light.
