The Lady of the Forest
As you leave the blooming fields of Sunnyside behind, you enter a small, shaded grove. The scent of flowers hangs thick in the air, and the winding path leads you to a clearing where a statue stands tall.
The woman carved in stone looks both majestic and slightly annoyed, as if she’s had quite enough of standing still for several centuries.
The inscription at the base is weathered—barely readable. With a sigh, you spot a chisel lying at her feet. Why it’s there, you don’t know. You don’t ask. You simply pick it up and start retracing the letters.
With each tap of the chisel, you wonder if the Lady will end up as Bady Sylvana instead. Stone doesn’t forgive typos.
As you work, a soft rustling comes from the undergrowth. You pause, glancing around. The forest is… watching you. You can feel it. There are eyes in the shadows. Large, curious eyes.
Once the last letter is restored, you take a step back and speak solemnly:
“Hail, Lady Sylvana. Please, show me the way.”
The statue moves. Slowly. So slowly, in fact, that you start to wonder if she’ll finish before the trees decide to cover you in ivy out of sheer boredom.
But at last, her stone arm rises and points to a path that leads deeper into the woods.
You accept the silent invitation.
Behind you, the wind stirs the leaves and whispers a message, just loud enough for your nerves to hear:
“Good luck. You’ll need it.”
Please observe the following rules:
- Address the Lady of the Forest by her proper title
- Greet her by name
- Ask politely for directions
- If any damage occurs, you must re-carve the letters into the base
