Seeking the Island Alyko

August darted beneath a crumbling stone structure once she was out into the forest air, feeling a surge of relief at having escaped that corpse of a castle. Looking back at it reminded her of the skeletal remains of a giant creature.

It was dark on the outside of the castle, but the green tint of the trees made it welcoming—like a womb that one could burrow into and stay protected. She wondered if this was part of the appeal for the vampire.

It was interesting. Zagan was a non-living, non-dying thing that apparently wanted to experience both, and it seemed as though he had made himself a kind of womb to live in until the time came—a womb of tightly woven trees. The trees bent protectively over his corpse-like home, shielding him from the light and keeping him hidden.