[ with a quick okay and a last glance along the length of beach, xehanort heads into the forested area.
given how long they'd been on their respective solo walks and how the slope of the island fell, the two of them would have been close to their initially proposed meeting at the opposite end of the shoreline anyway. it wasn't much of a diversion from their path, but a thin veil of anxiety clung to xehanort's shoulders as he headed further past the treeline. even being slow and careful, the dense foliage made silence tricky, and if they could hear the beast, it would likely be able to hear them as well.
so despite how anxious he feels, xehanort chooses each step carefully. the tension and shifting shadows through the leaf-light make his keyblade hand twitch, but he does not summon the weapon just yet. somehow, he's grateful for having to navigate the complexity of scala the past few years, blessing him with a decent sense of direction that had been unnecessary on his tiny childhood island.
it's a few minutes before he hears another crack, closer this time. its vaguely muted, dull tone sounds less like wood splintering this time and more like... bone, he supposes, unsettled and intrigued all at once. he should wait for alhaitham, or at least a sign of him. he should wait, since he couldn't be far off now. he should wait.
xehanort moves toward the source as a low-pitched sound, almost a hiss, comes from that same direction. ]
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given how long they'd been on their respective solo walks and how the slope of the island fell, the two of them would have been close to their initially proposed meeting at the opposite end of the shoreline anyway. it wasn't much of a diversion from their path, but a thin veil of anxiety clung to xehanort's shoulders as he headed further past the treeline. even being slow and careful, the dense foliage made silence tricky, and if they could hear the beast, it would likely be able to hear them as well.
so despite how anxious he feels, xehanort chooses each step carefully. the tension and shifting shadows through the leaf-light make his keyblade hand twitch, but he does not summon the weapon just yet. somehow, he's grateful for having to navigate the complexity of scala the past few years, blessing him with a decent sense of direction that had been unnecessary on his tiny childhood island.
it's a few minutes before he hears another crack, closer this time. its vaguely muted, dull tone sounds less like wood splintering this time and more like... bone, he supposes, unsettled and intrigued all at once. he should wait for alhaitham, or at least a sign of him. he should wait, since he couldn't be far off now. he should wait.
xehanort moves toward the source as a low-pitched sound, almost a hiss, comes from that same direction. ]