An icy wind ruffled Kimi’s hair as she leaned over the edge, carried upwards by the sheer walls of the cliff. In spite of the light from the moon and the stars, she couldn’t make out the people who jumped down. The forest was in an uproar behind her with sounds that defied description. Her best estimate was to call it an avalanche of wood.

“Why do you think that woman rode down in the boy’s arms?” Kimi asked. Apparently to no one in particular, because her ghost offered nothing but a hum. It seemed animating a forest through their dormant Vital Nets took a lot of concentration. “They must be pretty good friends.” She sighed and sat down, dangling her legs in the air. The sent of sap was overwhelming.

She chanced a look behind her. Almost all the plants had uprooted themselves and were now clambering down the mountain on makeshift limbs. Their bodies shifted between grotesque shapes with each step, releasing mists of sap and splinters into the night air.

“The vine trick,” she scoffed. “That’s a cute name for it. More like the nightmare monstrosity trick.” She turned away, closing her eyes. They reminded her of creatures in the Old City sewers. At least they weren’t howling.

“Okay, that should do it,” Morgan said. Kimi felt a wave of nausea. She wiped a line of blood from above her lip. Morgan fidgeted in the back of her mind. “Are you okay?”

“We’ll get to the Shaping Stone, don’t worry about that.”

“That’s not—“

“Is the Keystone really going to be that useful? I don’t think there’s many plants up north.”

“The vine trick isn’t the only thing the, um, Keystone is good for,” Morgan said. “And working so close to the Paladins we’ll need everything we can get. I’m sure the White Temple is aware of my escape by now, and they’re even less charitable to my existence than the Arteficers.”

“What about that strange woman you talked to, with the Oracle stone?” Kimi said. “What’s her angle?”

“I doubt she has an angle. Merely a woman who found an interesting arte and was trying it out. It would be good if we could find something to trade for it. I would like to avoid a raid on the Black Temple if possible.”

“Well I don’t trust her. She asked too many questions.”

“She was only curious,” Morgan said. He didn’t have a body, but she felt like he shrugged anyway.

“Too curious.” Kimi did her best to glare inside her own head. “Anyway, we should take cover somewhere, let the ‘vines’ do their thing.”

“Why do you say that?”

“If the Maho-ju sensed when you touched the Keystone, imagine who else might have now that you’ve done this.” Kimi waved behind her without looking. She got up, sparing one last glance for the village far below. They weren’t in for a good morning.