Did the forest changed? We asked ourselves.
That was the first thing I noticed once we left the clearing and started down the trail that led deeper into the belly of the beast.
It was supposed to be a taiga thing, darkish, thin tall trees that's easily found in snowy weather, with crunchy grass on uneven ground.
Yet the farther we went, the more wrong it felt. The trees were… too green. Their needles looked almost waxy, the smell was heavier, humid, like moss.
We started moving in a more proper formation now, with Akira leading the group, Marc guarded the rear. While Hailie stayed dead center, sandwiched between me and Rina, with me being the one standing behind Hailie just to catch glimpses of the three women's behind.
"Strange… We're supposed to be in a taiga region, the atmosphere and map suggested so," Rina muttered, brushing her hand against one of the trunks. "But these look like pines."
