Burning Off Impurities (Day 58)

He couldn't say how long it took before he reached something resembling a landmark. He might have reached the end of the valley, but it wasn't the sheer wall that he had been expecting. The ground was definitely sloping upward, but through the strand of trees ahead of him, he could just make out. . .something. It was angular, unnatural. It didn't look like something native to the woods so he could only conclude that it was something man-made. Then again, his imagination could just be running away from him. It had been a long time since his tumble and his momentary panic had been replaced by boredom at his unchanging surroundings. Was he just making things up now?

As he drew closer and closer, he had to admit that there was definitely some sort of structure a little further up the hill. It was a dull gray color; it looked metallic, like an old sword thrusting up out of the ground. Soon he could make out more details, but there really wasn't much more to it than that. It was of uniform design with no openings that he could see. It could be some sort of monument, he thought, but what purpose would that serve out here in the middle of the wilderness? He had to be close to civilization for this to be out here.

Finally he came to the top of the small hill and found himself in a clearing ringed by denser woodland. The structure was definitely made of metal and stood at approximately ten feet in height. It was no doubt constructed by men, but there was something otherworldy and eerie about it. It was absolutely perfect in shape. He examined it closely but found no mars or chips anywhere on the surface. He found it hard to believe that such a structure would remain in such good shape for any period of time, especially considering the rainstorm the night before.

There was definitely something special about this particular structure, but the man hadn't the faintest idea what it was doing here. He gave his new surroundings another cursory inspection but his search yielded no meaningful results. As far as he could tell, he was still hemmed in on all sides by trees, denser now than before. He'd thought he was getting closer to the edge of the woods and it had imparted some small amount of hope in him. He had no plans for what he might do once he reached the edge, but it was a milestone he couldn't help but look forward to. Maybe once he saw more than just trees stretching out endlessly before him he'd have a better idea of what to do next. He imagined it would clear his mind.

This monument was a mystery. It was the first thing he'd encountered in his impromptu journey through the Lakara Wood that suggested man had ever set foot in its forbidding depths. As he stared at the unremarkable, featureless surface, he couldn't help but reach out to touch it. It was warm to the touch and almost felt. . .alive. He could almost feel a gentle pulse emanating from beneath the monument's surface. The air was still chill on his bruised flesh. There was definitely something special about this seemingly unremarkable structure.