This post is part of a chronicle of the journal entries of Alarian Vasz, my wanderer in my first ever playthrough of Her Odyssey, a caltrop core solo journaling RPG.
The path stretched on for what felt like hours. The crisp leaves underfoot eventually transitioned to a crunchy snow. The dark gray skies remained, gifting me with the steady precipitation of fine flakes, but the winds had died down. This left me alone on my trek with no sounds but my steps and breathing. The raven flying ahead was always just at the horizon, cleaving the forest as it went. Without even realizing it, I was now ascending. What had started as a gentle hill had very quickly gained in incline. About half way up the rise the tress stopped, but the raven flew onward to the top. My legs tired and I stumbled into the snow. I struggled to rise at first, but found my footing and shortened my steps to push on.
Atop the hill stood a lone tree covered in black leaves. No, not leaves, ravens. The unkindness of ravens was innumerable on the branches of the hill's centerpiece. I was vulnerable, exposed, standing unaccompanied in their shadow with hundreds of eyes inspecting and judging me.
"Come closer," this wasn't a whisper on the breeze, but an audible command. I obliged.
"Touch the Ash," the voice commanded. I reached out, the smooth bark feeling soft under my fingertips for a brief moment before my mind shook.
THE BLESSED ACCEPTS. HUGINN ABIDES.
Another auspicious omen.