I'm not skipping day 6! I just did this one first ;w;
This was actually based on an old RP I did with  GrumpyGoat a while back!
Fantasy!Gahwor gets lured off the trail by an odd melody coming from the coast, and meets a peculiar figure for the first time.

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The pitter-patter of the rain against the forest canopy may have been relaxing to Gahwor, if not for the unsettling scene that surrounded him on his path. The trees, perhaps a few miles back green and healthy, were now gnarled and twisted. The birds that had been singing an hour or two ago had gone silent, and the only noise that could be heard, aside from the heavy rain, was the occasional lapping of the waves, the coastline not far beyond the thicket of trees.

Gahwor, clad in chainmail and with a blade at his side, barely could stand to walk anymore, as he had been travelling for hours upon hours. The adventurer could not afford a horse, and had to deliver a small, sealed package to an alchemist in a town 8 miles away. Still, he had a few days to do this duty, and he figured that, perhaps, he could find somewhere to set up camp. After all, he should keep himself at his best, in case beasts or thieves ambushed him while he was exhausted, he thought to himself.

Venturing a short while off the trail towards the coast, Gahwor found a small clearing, enough for him to set up his tent and bedroll. Though the wood was far too damp for a fire, his lantern would do for light and his thick, heavy fur would do for heat. The ocean, churning with activity, was visible just beyond the trees. The tide must have been in, as the sea crashed and foamed, as if filled with rage.

Before Gahwor could open a ration, however, his ears picked out a snatch of sound between the violent ocean and the howling rains. The faint, gentle notes of a pan flute, a gentle accompaniment to the brash crescendo of the tides. The sergal’s ears perked up as he noticed the faint song, coming from down the rocky shoreline. The soft, caressing notes calmed his weary mind and body, and aroused a curiosity in his heart. Standing up and taking his backpack and blade, he stood up and began to venture deeper onto the shoreline.

As he followed that music, and as the source got closer and louder, Gahwor idly noticed the peculiar effect it was having upon him. He felt calm, safe, and renewed, despite the fact he was exhausted and stressed prior. His mind began to slow down and settle into relaxation, and he let it happen. Each note was masterfully played, the soft yet clear tones echoing throughout his mind as he approached almost automatically

It wasn’t just him the music seemed to be calming, however. The tides began to calm, slowly losing their vigor as the rains thinned, becoming a simple drizzle as he approached the source. The music echoed from a small cave in a cliff face, the acoustics of the outcropping allowing the notes to carry throughout the entire forest.

Though his fur was wet, and he left everything aside from his package and his sword at the camp, Gahwor, transfixed by the melody, couldn’t help but to wander inside the cave, feeling himself be sheltered from the storm as he stumbled inside, the pleasant warmth from the cave helping to heat up his cold, damp fur. From just around a bend, the wonderful, powerful, enthralling serenade could be heard.

As he basked in the song, he let his thoughts grind to a halt, all memory of the camp leaving him and he let the power of the music glide through his mind, urging him forward. The cave was lit with small, yellow candles, which never blew out despite the harsh winds that occasionally gusted into the cave, and by that light, Gahwor could navigate the cave with ease. As he turned the corner, he glimpsed the source of the song

Canthus, A peculiar creature, superficially resembling a goat, sat by a small fire. He leaning against the cave wall with his eyes closed, peacefully playing away on a pan flute covered in small, arcane etchings, and bound with a glittering golden cord that sparkled and glinted enticingly. The rest of the creature, however, was rather bizarre. Where it would have hair, instead it had slick, yellow tentacles, which swayed gently with the music, and his long, black tail bore a powerful-looking maw at the tip, which licked its lips as the sergal entered the cave. The goat-thing opened his deep, yellow eyes and looked at the helplessly zonked sergal, his gaze a curious, yet amused one.

He stopped playing for but a moment, to speak in a dignified, gentle tone. “Please, you may sit.” Gahwor was powerless, unable to resist the kind offer as he staggered next to the creature, sitting down at his feet. Canthus smiled, granting Gahwor the faintest glimpse of a sharp fang, before he began to play once more. The beautiful song ran through his mind, washing away his conscious thoughts as he slipped into a deep, peaceful trance. He couldn’t help but slump, muscles too weary to even remain awake for much longer and the music began to lull him to sleep. He yawned and tried to mumble, but his mind was too weak to manage even the most basic words before he rested his head in Canthus’s lap, the soft, shaggy fur on his beast-like legs proving to be a sufficient enough pillow. He felt the tailmaw snuggle up to his leg, and a hand stroking his cheek and neck as he let himself drift peacefully to sleep...