The crack of movement is alarming enough that the voice which follows is a definite relief, even though I can hear the annoyance already threaded through the words. I actually laugh a little, recognizing both the voice and the tone of irritation — If I'm going to discover myself in a decrepit village of tree houses, it's somehow fitting that I find myself here with Kira.

"Where are you?" I call back, one hand bracing myself against thick, looping vines as I step carefully across rotting planks and slippery limbs.