Description
[ONC 2024 Longlist] From the Forest, all life sprung. And to the Forest, it may return. Umirin's people have lived within the ancient, powerful Forest since they had sprung to life there many generations ago. They respect the land they live off and worship the Heart of the Forest, the divine beast who sowed the seed it grew from long ago. Since its creation, the Forest had grown mighty. It is eternal. It is home. At least it had been, until a great tragedy many seasons ago changed everything. Now Umi's nation lives above the forest, in houses built on beams, to escape from the roaming beasts below known as Soulbiters. They are dangerous and deadly, but rooted to the Forest floor, only able to burrow through the soil. Above the tree tops, the people are safe from them. But man is not made to live floating in the clouds, and there are times when they have to travel to the ground. These trips are done by the best warriors and hunters, but encounters with the beasts are inevitable, and lives are still regularly lost to their curse. When Umi's beloved husband Shani is grabbed by the Soulbiters, he is prepared to do anything to save him from the gruesome fate that awaits if he is bitten. Anything at all. Even strike a horrible bargain with the beasts.
I : Fear
