The sigils tied around its head weren't stopping it - they weren't even slowing it down and the forest wasn't close enough. It seemed to take three steps for his every one and his pitiful head start hadn't brought him nearly as much time as he needed.
His lungs were burning from exertion and the back of his neck was bleeding from a few barely-dodged strikes and the forest was so very far away. He wasn't sure if it was sweat or blood running down his back but he knew that if he flinched or halted now he'd never see home again.
Something was glowing among the branches, something that made the sigils start to dig themselves into its head and it shrieked in pain as the forest became so tantalisingly close. He wasn't sure if the lights were organic or synthetic but right then they looked like the most beautiful lighthouse he'd ever seen.
It started to stumble and he stumbled too - one from agony and one from exhaustion and both fell in perfect, gasping unison. He still tried to crawl forwards, desperately trying to keep going while it writhed and reached out for him and his fingertips brushed the trunk of the first tree -
- and its fingertips wrapped around his ankle...
His lungs were burning from exertion and the back of his neck was bleeding from a few barely-dodged strikes and the forest was so very far away. He wasn't sure if it was sweat or blood running down his back but he knew that if he flinched or halted now he'd never see home again.
Something was glowing among the branches, something that made the sigils start to dig themselves into its head and it shrieked in pain as the forest became so tantalisingly close. He wasn't sure if the lights were organic or synthetic but right then they looked like the most beautiful lighthouse he'd ever seen.
It started to stumble and he stumbled too - one from agony and one from exhaustion and both fell in perfect, gasping unison. He still tried to crawl forwards, desperately trying to keep going while it writhed and reached out for him and his fingertips brushed the trunk of the first tree -
- and its fingertips wrapped around his ankle...
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