[u]~8:17 PM
The Wilderness of Hope Springs, West Virginia
November 4th, 2019[/u]
[h3]The Wanderer[/h3]
[hr]
    Shawn shook his head, gazing up to the man now flying several feet above his head, a look of childlike sorrow. Even now, all he could see was beauty in the denizen threatening to force him out. Shawn had spent his entire life wishing for the forest to speak with him, and now he faced that wish, only to see it rejecting him as if he had never known or loved his domain. He nearly felt tears flooding his eyes, but he held true to his now-turned stoney expression. [i]Don't shun me, please.[/i]
    
    Looking down he clenched his right hand into a fist, not out of aggresion, but an almost overwhelming feeling of abandonment. Then, suddenly, he felt a sensation that was similar to feeling an invisible rope tug on his chest. Visible only to him, he saw a shimmering, near transparant trail move from his chest like a tendril, connecting to the chest of the flying man before him.
    
[h3]Harris[/h3]
[hr]
Harris looked down on the hiker waiting for him to make his decision, leave or fight. He was hoping the former, though he wasn't opposed to being forced to fight. He then noticed a small glimmer near the man's eye and his brow furrowed in confusion, it was almost as if there was some magical change in the man; he felt nature itself tense, and the whispering in his head halted.

He felt a sudden sense of familiarity with the man, weakly, as if they'd met before. He found himself struggling to maintain his composure, and he had to mentally convince himself to keep on the same path, and he could barely manage to convince himself that he could hurt this man, this hiker who he'd just met.

This feeling only got stronger and stronger, like they were old friends, like they'd known each-other far longer than Harris had been in his new form. He hesitated, struggling with himself, he kept telling himself it was preposterous, this was his new reality, stop men from harming nature, and yet one of the first times he had to do so, he couldn't. The ring of trees surrounding Shawn crumbled as Harris finally gave up his resolve, his wings doing the same. Harris landed on the ground with a loud thump, head down and staring into his hand.

"What just happened?" he questioned softly.

[h3]The Wanderer[/h3]
[hr]
    Shawn watched the man before him, his eyes switching back and forth from the tendril in his chest to his furrowing brow. He seemed to be having some sort of internal conflict, and Shawn could recognise the emotions displayed on the mans face from having experianced it many times himself. He knew from the tone of aggresion in is voice earlier, the man intended to remove him, forcefully if neccesary, from a place he had known to be his home. 
    
    However the man before him seemed to have a change of heart, and Shawn felt a surge of relief as the trees surrounding him crumbled, and the man landed, staring at his hand. [i]"What just happened?[/i] he asked himself internly, almost in unison with the man before him. 
    
    Stepping forward, Shawn looked to the ground for a moment, before looking into the man's eyes and speaking.
    
    "I'm sorry, if I seemed to be a threat or upset you. I'm Shawn."
    
    [h3]Harris[/h3]
    [hr]
Harris turned up his chin as Shawn approached, intrigued and bewildered. There was something strange about this man, he wasn't sure what, but it was clear to Harris that he was more than normal. Harris pushed himself from the crouch he had landed in, stretching his shoulders back and scowling.

"Not necessary, Shawn, I am the one who must apologize," Harris responded, noticing that the man seemed just as confused as he. Harris flexed his fingers and looked to the sky, "I suppose I may as well give you my true name as well. I am Harris Herzog, or at least... I was," he said, punctuating his statement by looking into the palms of his hands.

He pulled up a corner of his mouth as he thought, "Perhaps you've seen a missing person's poster or a newspaper article about me, not that there's anyone who'd care enough to call the police about my whereabouts."

Harris bitterly chuckled. "Of course I have no wish to go back to civilization looking like this, and I was beseeched by either a hallucination or the spirit of the planet to defend all nature."

"It is for this reason that I was so quick to threaten you earlier, for which I again apologize," he offered, closing his eyes and giving a soft frown. "I have little to offer you in return for leaving, but I would still appreciate it, I'm not... a fan, I suppose the best term would be, of other people, especially since..." He again looked at his hands.

[h3]The Wanderer[/h3]
[hr]
    Shawn watched Harris as he spoke, sensing his apprehension and insecurity, stepping forward again, he did something he rarely did, and embraced the man before him.
    
    "You are still Harris, and you are still worth care and kin."  He said softly, before letting go of Harris and stepping back, regaining his compusure. 
    
    "And you aren't the only one hiding out here to avoid people, nor are you the only one who isn't a fan of their prescence." He paused for a moment, before continuing with a small smile.
    "If you're meant to be the protecter of nature, then perhaps you should start small. I intend no harm to this place, but it could be a chance for you to train yourself up. I doubt some companionship will do you harm." 
    
    [h3]Harris[/h3]
    [hr]
Harris did not expect any of this. The shock of Shawn's hug left him standing awkwardly, with his hands held out in front of him. He was unsure as to what they should be doing, so he slowly lowered them to his sides. When Shawn told him that his identity was not yet lost, and that he was still worth human attention, it was almost too much for him to bear. Harris's eyelids flickered like a dying light as he desperately attempted to stop himself from crying.

Harris' mouth was stuck in a perpetual state of confused open-ness, and he had to shake his head to snap out of the confused trance he found himself in and close it. Harris listened as the man suggested that they be companions. Harris found himself unopposed to this idea, despite his usual hatred of company and fear of others' thoughts. His eyes darted around in his head as he attempted to think, letting out a few primal sounds as he did so.

Finally he collected himself and sighed.

"Perhaps you're correct, I've been alone for half a year, with nothing but the trees to keep myself company. I'd resorted to writing a journal in an attempt to keep myself from going insane."

Harris found himself unable to not chuckle at that statement.

"I always thought that people would shun me for what I've become, but you've proven me quite wrong, and I am truly thankful for that."

Harris smiled then, perhaps the first time he'd truly smiled since his transformation. He approached Shawn and offered a hand.

"If we are to be companions, then I must be able to shake your hand at the very least," he japed, feeling open, almost happy for the first time in months. He gave a toothless smile, revealing his mouth to be not full of teeth, but with hardened plant matter, connected to each jaw in an almost tooth-like manner, but without individual divisions, they were just singular "teeth".

[h3]The Wanderer[/h3]
[hr]
    Shawn smiled through his beard, chuckling as he took Harris' hand.
    "I'm always happy to prove someone wrong about their fears."