"I doubt some light marking will deal lasting damage to the trees. They're resilient, after all." They have to be, to have lasted so long and grown so tall.

Since Doc has the strongest claws, Akechi will leave it to him, then, keeping low enough to remain in view. He stops to perch once or twice as they progress, if only to get a better view of the path ahead.

"Some of the foliage seems rather odd. See that large vine up ahead?"

Granted, what's 'natural' in a world like this remains debatable, but there was a certain mundanity to the foliage closer to town that's sorely lacking.