Chimper #110
Does a stone ever wish it were a leaf? Chisei the Stoneborn mulls this over while fletching arrows, a task they despise. They were found as an infant in The Heart of the Forest, but not of it—left at the base of a forgotten, lichen-covered statue. The locals took it as an omen, naming them for the discovery and pushing a bow into their hands. They were to be a guardian. But Chisei has none of the forest's flexibility. Their gaze drifts during tracking lessons, more fascinated by the mineral deposits in the soil than any footprint. The jagged scar on their face isn’t from a grand battle, but from tripping over a root while trying to sketch the patterns on a river rock. At night, they polish stones, not their armor, feeling more at home with their silent weight than with the rustling leaves.
