Erian walked slowly, his head bowed toward the ground.
His feet felt their way forward, testing each step with care. Beneath his sandals he could sense the changing texture of the earth. It was no longer as hard nor as dusty as in days past.
The forest surrounding the temple, once dead and barren, was beginning to show signs of life. Erian could perceive it without seeing it. The crunch of dry leaves was no longer uniform, small sprouts interrupted the roughness of the soil.
On the trees, the trunks that had once been rigid and bare now carried something new. He couldn't see them, but he heard the brushing of young branches swaying in the wind, a soft murmur mingling with the brittle rustle of the rest.
The humidity was faint, just a veil, but his senses picked it up. The scent of the earth was no longer so sour. Life was beginning to bloom in a place where it should not exist.
