martyr or monster

The ri'a shamaness circled the fire slowly; her eyes assessed every one of the assembled crowd. As she stepped she shivered her wing-arms -- her feathers created a susurrus that blended with the chimes of her headdress and the barely audible beat her acolyte played on a drum.

Asha sat cross-legged before the fire in front of his assembled acolytes. The shamaness moved closer -- every step was deliberate and sinuous, while her arms kept up the susurrus and slid through their own arcs. Asha took in every motion of the slow dance as she approached. Her circuit eventually brought her before him and she stopped. The shamaness knelt so they were face to face, and he breathed deep and took in the heady scent of her perfume. She reached out with her delicate long-fingered hands and grasped the sides of Asha's head.

"Trees as far as the eye can see in every direction. From the top of the highest point of the world -- which is itself some bizarre tree -- all you can see is forest. From the seas to the mountains, every bit of this world is infested with fecund forms of life." The governor turned from the window of his office and looked at his vice-governor. "I used to enjoy walking through the forests of Illumel, but here there is no place for men beneath the canopy," he sighed and shook his head.