When Starlis woke up, she wasn't warm like she expected. She was cold and was wearing her robe. She also had her staff under her hand. "Ah, the 'princess' is finally awake." The raspy voice came out from the dark. "Who are you? Where am I?" She yelled out into the darkness. "My name does matter right now nor does my companions. But, where you are does matter. Right now, you're in the Forbidden Forest." Came the voice full of malice, anger, hate and still having that raspy feel to it. Starlice shuddered. She was in the forest. She was alone and even with her abilities, she knew she couldn't just teleport out of the forest. The forest messed with her magic and had no effect on her body. The creatures within were supposed to take care of that. Only a few could manipulate their magic to use it in the forest, but they were all dead. "You are alone in this forest and my test for you is to find your way out. No help will come for you and your magic is practically useless here. Good luck trying to get out of here ali~iive." His voice came again from the darkness. The last word sent shivers down Starlis' spine and back up. She heard the rustling of leaves and looked around, but could see nothing. She used her magic to create some light. That was all the forest would allow her to do. The forest was tricky and used a sorcerers magic against themselves. But, since light doesn't harm anyone, it helps everyone here, it was impervious to the forests trickery. She was lucky enough to carry a short sword with her at all times. She was a little rusty, but with the elvish blade in her hand, she felt much more comforted. From out of no where there was a slashing of a sword. It cut through some leaves. And through her robe to her leg. It wasn't very deep, but it was still a wound she needed to take care of. More slashing came. All at once from different directions. One of the forests traps. She quickly got out of the situation with a lot of cuts. Next came a howling. She new that the wolves here were deadly. Very deadly and she either had to kill them, or run from them. Very few had the ability to run from the wolves. She turned and ran anyways thinking she had a lead on them. She was sorely mistaken. One of them came from her side and slammed her down to the ground. The others surrounded her quickly. She stood up and swung her staff around and hit one of them right in the jaw. She heard a crack and hoped that it was her staff. When the wolf turned it's face toward her, it was bleed in looked as if it's lower jaw had been pushed to the side a little bit. They started growling at her. Obviously she had hit the leader on accident. She stood up as fast as she could and got into a defensive stance. The lackeys were always first and so he jumped. Starlis swung her elvish blade and hit him just below the throat. Blood leaked from his wound as he scampered off for five steps then fell over in a pool of his own blood. Even though he was now dead and covered in blood, Starlis had blood on her face and her robes. The kept coming at her one by one. Each one getting a less fatal wound than the last. Finally when she had become to tired to make a great defense, the leader came up. She knew it was him by the jaw. She tried to make a good defense but only managed to provoke him. He jumped at her, teeth bared, sharp, dripping with saliva, snarling and growling. She put up a defense that kept her from dying, but not enough to keep it from biting her. She fell over, staff and sword over her face and neck. The wolf managed to get her arm and sunk his teeth in deep. She bat at him quickly with her staff. He immediately let go and pull a little bit of her skin off with his teeth. While she was dealing with the leader, his second in command attacked her leg and managed to must sink his teeth in before the leader was knocked off onto him. He managed just to leave a bite mark and take no skin along with his teeth. But, since they had tasted blood already, they weren't going to give up. The leader started to lead the attack. He jumped again and went for her head again. Starlice expected this and put her sword up just in time so instead of getting injured and letting him get away, she took his life instead. It went straight through him. Through his chest and out the back. The others immediately wield around and ran back to their cave. Starlice just laid there for a while with her sword still facing up. The blood was still dripping out of his fur and onto the sword. When she finally got back up she noticed that her hands and her breasts were covered in blood. She would need to go to a medic as soon as she got out. If she got out. She surveyed her injuries and noticed that she was starting to bleed severely. She was going to pass out soon but had to keep going. She didn't get far before the forests leaves rustled again and this time instead of swords, there were two flying projectiles flying toward her. They were as sharp as the elvish blade she held. She was to slow and got cut deeply by both of them. Her small cut were now bleeding slightly but with all the blood she was loosing and had lost, she could no longer keep her consciousness. The last thing she remembered was the rustling of the leaves around her.

"Starlis! Yell if you near me darling!" Helenus yelled out into the forest. She made sure to stay close to the group so she didn't get taken down. "Look, let's keep moving. She's not in this area." Elek said. "Well ah reckon we make camp here and ah hunt for some food." Jack spoke up. He had a country accent. After all he came from a farm in the south. "You can go hunt for food, but make sure you track us and don't get lost." Elek told Jack. "Yes, please be very careful." Esme warned him, but it was not heard for she was far to quiet to be heard through the rustling of the leaves. "Get down!" Zeta yelled as she burst through the leaves. Everyone hit the dirt as 20 or so sharp projectiles flew over their heads. "Thanks for the warning Zeva." Elek managed before he got up and helped Helenus up. He made sure everyone was alright before he kept moving. A few hours later and still no sign of Starlis. Jack had come back from his hunting session and made a fire to roast the meat over. After they were done eating, Jack saw blood on the ground. It looked like a paw. When he told the others, they said to follow it. All it lead to was a section of the forest covered in blood with three dead wolves. One whose jaw looked to be a little askew. He told them that there was another trail of blood going in a different direction. "Follow it. Make sure that it doesn't lead to a beast. Or worse, Starlis." Elek told him. He was worried cause the hunter could see in this darkness easily, but Elek could see the trail himself in this pitch black. If it lead to Starlis, they may be to late. Jack took off running in the direction of the blood. They didn't get far before they heard the rustling of leaves and the sound two blades slicing through the air. They heard it cut something deeply and then they heard that thing collapse. Jack followed the sound through the brush to where a figure lay in a pool of blood. "Hold on, let me check this out without us getting caught." Zeva told the others. She quickly maneuvered her way to the figure and then motioned them to get there. Fast. When they surrounded the figure, Helenus cast a light spell. Her magic was weak and only produced a small ray of light. But that was enough for them to see that the figure was their friend. "Move aside! Let Esme get to her!" Elek yelled at them. As soon as Esme heard her name she was there faster than sound. "Oh my goodness!" Esme exclaimed quietly. "What did you do to yourself?" She asked Starlis who was out cold. Esme did her beast to patch her up, but Starlis' injuries were far beyond her capability. "I've done all I can. We need to get her to a medical building quickly." Esme told the others. With that, Elek picked Starlis up and ran to the exit of the forest. The others were so shocked at how fast he had done that. It was faster than they had ever seen him do anything. The others had trouble keeping up with him but had no trouble following him. He left a path of strewn up plants and dirt. When Elek came out of the forest, he started to go full out spring t toward the kingdom. It was a days journey to go from the forest to the castle. But, with Elek sprinting, it would only take two hours to complete. Even that was to long for him. He pushed himself to his limit and then to the beyond. He did not know how long it would take for him to get to the kingdom now, but he knew it would be in a shorter amount of time than before. Not to long after he had gone past the fastest he had ever run before, did he feel a lot of resistance from the wind. This made him feel like he should run even faster. Soon, he was running faster than the speed of sound. He heard what sounded like the air ripping behind him and when he saw the kingdom in sight, he slowed down. A lot. When he entered the kingdom,he was merely jogging. By the time he burst into the medical building, he was almost out of air. "I need..... to see........... a doctor.......... NOW!" Elek yelled between gasps of breath. When a nurse came around she noticed how there was a man in armor bent over a women who looked badly injured. She then noted how heavily breathing the man was. "Come with me." The nurse said. "One second." Elek told her. Once he had caught his enough to carry Starlis again, he picked her up and brought her into a room with two separate beds. "Set her down in this bed here." The nurse told him. He set Starlis down in the bed closest to the door. "Take a seat. You must be tired from the way you look. Did you run all the way here?" She asked Elek. "Yes. In an hour I ran here." Elek told her. "From where?"
"The Forbidden Forest."
"That's impossible!"
"Not for me."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Elek. I was part of the royal army and was the captain of every squad captain. I leas every attack and every defense for years. I was enlisted in the army when I was 13. My father was in the great war when I was born. I never got to know him. He died in the war when I was 4. I still remember I got the letter from the military officer. I was so happy because I thought it was a letter from dad. It was that time of month that he sent us a letter. But, when I opened it and read it, I was devastated. From that moment forward, I always took a stick to the backyard and practiced to be a swordsman. I kept working at it for years. I managed to build up my strength, speed, and stamina over the next few years. When I 13, I showed them what I could do. They were impressed and immediately in listed me into the recruits. There, I honed my skills as a swords man." Elek stopped and realized he had gone on a tangent again "I'm sorry, that just happens whenever I think about introducing myself."
"Oh, no no, please, continue. You're a legend and to hear your story is amazing. Especially from you yourself!" The nurse was obviously still in awe and was still impressed by his story. "Over the years of hard work and labor I actually managed to increase my strength, speed, and endurance ten fold. I increased my endurance so much that I could go a full week without sleeping a second. My speed has yet to reach it's peak as I have just found out moments ago. Yet my strength, I have no idea how far my strength has to go or if it is already at it's peak. The years were long and hard and I was ready for an attack for many of those years, yet, none came. When I finally made the highest rank in the guards, the attacks came. An onslaught of dark beings from the forest. I was prepared. Most of my men died even after I sent them warning of the incoming attack. My brother who was only two years you get than I had made it through the academy like I had. But, he was not as gifted as I was for wielding a broadsword. I noticed how he was more skilled with two short blades than a long sword. I brought this to the attention of the captains, but they would not listen. They believed that if I was good at using a broadsword, then so was he. They were sorely mistaken. On that day, when he ran out with his broadsword, he carried two short blades for his own defense in case he was disarmed. That day, he was disarmed and he managed to kill many more foes with the two short swords than any other on the field. Enough to even rival me and my broadsword skills. But, the captain found his broadsword and told him to take it up once again. When he did, he lasted mere minutes before the weight of the sword became to much. I remember yelling for him to drop his sword and use his short swords. I was commanding him. As the commander of everyone, he would have to follow. But, my command reached him to late. By the time he had dropped his sword, it was not because of his want to drop it. It was because he no longer had the ability to do anything but drop to the ground. I saw his head roll of to the ground and get kicked around like a ball. It enraged me so. I was so enraged that I commanded everyone off the field of battle and took my broadsword in one hand and my brothers in the other. I fended off against every last damn one of them. Wielding a broadsword in each hand I ran after the man who had killed my brother. But, by the time I got there, he was gone. I knew a sorcerer had to of pt him there for that task and had to get him out. He was an assassin. An expert assassin at that. This made me even more enraged at not the assassin but the army that controlled these assassins. I started chopping off heads and curring through plate armor like it was chainmail. By the time the enemy called a retreat there was no one left but a lone archer. Surprisingly he was a human archer. 'State your name and why you were helping the enemy!' I yelled at him. He said 'Mah name is Jackson. Ah was captured and forced to fight against the kingdom ah loved so much. Ah see that the defense has gained many new skilled members and one exceptionally skilled. If ah were not to have helped with the attack, ah would have been killed. Ah wanted to see my children and mah wife again. So ah did what ah had to to survive.' I felt pity for the man so I did not decapitate him immediately. Instead I took him to his feet and hauled him inside the castle walls. 'Take him to the dungeon for questioning.' I had told the other guards. I then went out to pick up my brothers body and his head. I carried them inside with his sword and mine on my back. I then made a tombstone for him. I made it as elegant as the sword I own now. I made sure it was of elvish plan, made in the fires of the dwarfs and made by an orc. This way, it looked beautiful and stunning, but still had the ability to stay up for years. I pages out of my own pocket for the tombstone and then, when they found out what I had done and what I had been through, they made me this sword. I told them not to go to the trouble but they insisted." By now the doctor had come in and was looking over Starlis' wounds. "When I got the blade, it was light enough to wield in one hand but sharp enough to cut through plate armor with ease and would last me generations. Etched in the hilt of the blade is 'In memory of all those who fell before the wielders eyes and to the death of all those who stand in the wielders way.' The sword was bound to me and if I were to die, it would bind to the closest living family in the area. The only way it can be unbound to me is if I give it to my heir, or if I die." Elek finished. "Wow. That was a touching story, Elek the knight. But, can we get back to your friend?" The doctor had come up behind him and took him by surprise. In less than a second he was on his feet pointing his sword at the throat of the doctor. "Sorry, you surprised me." Elek told him as he lowered his sword. "Anyway, I am glad you ran here as fast as you could. If you had made the days trek from the Forbidden Forest in well a day, she might not have made it. But, she has a chance. Right now I have called an expert helping sorcerer here. She should be here in a few hours. But, for now, the nurse here will make sure her condition doesn't worsen." After he said that, the doctor left the room.

Elek had just left them behind. They could hear what sounded like a something being torn, but they didn't know what it was. The followed the path of torn up grass and churned up dirt all the way back to the kingdom. It had been a long journey, but they had made it back to the kingdom. "Halt! Who goes there!?" One of the gate guards yelled. "Why hello gentlemen, my name is Helenus and these are my friends. We live in the kingdom and have come back from a long journey. We wish to enter the kingdom and take our rest." Helenus told them. "Sorry madam, but that name doesn't ring a bell." The guardsman told her. "What!? How can you not remember someone like me? I am the most gorgeous women in the entire kingdom aside from the queen herself!" Helenus fumed. "Whoa whoa, calm down madam, we were only joking. It's boring out here and we usually make a few wisecracks to passerby's and people we obviously know. Sorry about that madam. Please enter." He said as they both bowed and stepped aside to let her in. "Hmmmph!" Helenus was now very upset. Everyone else made sure to keep their distance from her til she calmed down. Now that they were back in the city, they all came to realize that the sun was still not up and the moon was gone. All that lit the night sky were the stars. "Why is it still night out?" Jack asked. But, it was as if the King had heard him. All the sudden the sun started to rise from the west. It rose slowly. Very slowly. Slower than it usually did. But, soon the sun was on it's path to the top of the sky. The stars started to wink out of existence one by one. "Oh, never mind." Jack said.
In the hospital, things were looking bad. Even though the healer had arrived, his friends still hadn't shown up. He was starting to get anxious when all the sudden Zeva came in out of no where and yelled, "Surprise!" Elek was so shocked he fell out of the chair he was sitting in and onto the floor. "God, Zeva, try not to do that during such a stressful time! I was already on edge about Starlis and you guys!" Elek sounded a bit annoyed but got up and hugged Zeva. "But, I'm glad your alive."
"Maybe now.... but not for long if you keep hugging me!" Zeva said running out of breath. "Oh, sorry." Elek dropped Zeva onto the floor. When she caught breath she said, "Nah, it's fine." Zeva said then went to see what the sorceress was doing. The rest of the gang came in minutes later. "Alright nurse. Everyone is here. Please, tell us the extent of her injuries." Elek told the nurse. "Well, it's hard to say how badly she was injured. The forest does weird stuff. Most of these injuries I have seen and can place. For intense all these small cuts, it came from a trap in the forest. The forest likes to weaken it's prey and taunt it then kill it. So, these cuts were formed by vines whose thorns made these cuts. But, on the tip of the thorn is a smaller thorn that cuts into your body very very slowly. No travel can feel it digging in so they usually get out of the forest and notice that the small cuts are now bleeding heavily. Anyway, I removed those tiny thorns that the nurse blocked for part of the time. The forest, even a tiny thorn messes with our magic. It took a lot of the nurses effort to keep the thorns from going any further. She succeeded for a while but, they made it past her defense. Back to your friends injuries. She has two bites from the wolves there. Many people think that the wolves there have rabies because those bitten will foam at the mouth and then die. But, their fangs and will emit poison into your body which slowly kill you and make you foam at the mouth and fall over dead. I managed to remove the poison from her veins, but she will need to take this for a few days to make sure its completely out of her system. Now the last injury I cannot place. It looks like a sword cut her, but when I tried to see how it was cut, what came up was not a sword. I don't know what it was. It seemed like some sort of flying object made out of sharp blades. Here let me pull up the image." She said as she pulled out a crystal shard. It was no bigger than a pinkie finger of a grown man. She concentrated on it for a second and then an image appeared. What it looked like was a plus sign with it's ends sharpened to a fine tip. In the center was some sort of crest. It was of a dragon slaying a man and in between them was a shield. The dragon was looking around the shield to get the man with his fire. It was all in black. Elek knew the sign immediately. He swore quietly under his breath. "They're back." He said. "Whose back?" The sorceress asked
"The ones that killed my father and my brother. I have a feeling that they hate my family line. We have prevented them from getting this kingdom for two generations thus far. I am not sure about any of my ancestors before my dad and who they had to face but I am sure that this is some sort of rivalry involving me."
"Really? Tell us who these things are. Obviously they are not orcish, elvish, dwarfish, or human. Maybe with a little more information I could heal your friend faster. If not then it may take some time for me to figure out how to heal her wounds."
"That's the problem though. No one knows what they are, not even the elves knew of their existence until they attacked us. I could give you an accurate description of them. I have done battle with these beasts before not only that but one of them murdered my brother. Jack can also give you a good description. He was captured by the beasts."
"That would be most appreciated. Please, tell me what they look like."
"Well, they are solid beings that look like shadows. Their skin is to dark to see through and when you stab them, their blood spews like a fountain. But, if you cut them, you can't see their blood until it drips off their body. They have horns on their head and when they are disarmed they have claws that are as razor sharp as my blade here. It can cut through the best of armors in one swipe. Some use weapons while others decide to use their claws for battle. Their body is vaguely like a humans. But, the shadowy blackness that curls around them like smoke make it hard to make out the actual shale of their body."
"Wow. That's impressive. You gave me just enough detail to put together a replica. I'm going to save it to my crystal of species." As she said this she pulled out a crystal as long as half a mans forearm and as thick as the hilt of a sword. After she pulled it out she had to concentrate on it for a longer time than she had to to pull up the image. After that, there was an image of those beastly things in her crystal, but it wasn't done yet. It then started to do a search. It searched everywhere, even the forest, for a species that looked remotely like the image. A few seconds later it came up with a better image of the beast. This one had a tail, wings, horns, and was now starting to take on a different color that was not black. It looked more like a gray. But, now you could see a mouth that were full of razor sharp teeth. "They've adapted." Elek said. "What?" The sorceress asked.
"I have battled these beings thousands of times. Each time I do, there is something new about them. The second time I fought them they had wings, the third they got the tail. They adapt to their surroundings so they can beat their enemies." Elek informed the sorceress. She sat there deep in thought then said, "Yes, that seems plausible. They are making themselves lighter so that it harder for us to see them when they attack." After that everyone remained silent as the sorceress went back to work. After a few hours she said, "I've done all I can. It's up to her now. If she has the will to live, she'll pull through." Everyone was now in a prison of sorrow. All they did was look up at her and nod. Zeva was known to never put her hair down, even in her sleep, but this was the first time her hair was straight. It made her look completely different. "If she does make it through, she should wake up in at least a weeks time." The sorceress said.
It was two weeks since the sorceress had left. Starlis still hasn't of woken up. Everyone was worried. Elek was so worried that he was contemplating on taking his helmet off for the occasion of mourning the injuries of their friend. Elek had never taken his helmet off since the battle where he lost his brother. Well, that is when he isn't alone or bathing of course. Or mourning. When he lost his mother two years after that fateful day, he mourned and took off his helmet. This was one of those times of possible mourning. But, just as he was about to take off his helmet, Starlis bolted up. "Huh? What is going on?" Starlis asked. Before anyone could answer she fell back down in pain. "Mmmmmmm!" She muffled her scream with her lower lip. "What's wrong Starlis?" Elek asked
"It's my arm and leg. They really hurt."
"Helenus, Zeva, somebody go get the nurse!" Elek yelled at them, but Esme had already ran out of the room to find the nurse. By the time she had gotten back, Elek had just finished yelling at them. "Um, I just talked to her and we said that I could try to reduce her pain, if that's OK with you Starlis." She said quietly. "That would be.... Fine!" She barely got out through her pain. Esme went to work immediately. Not to long after she got to work, Starlis started to look a little more relaxed than before. In a short period of time Starlis was relaxed and didn't look like she was in pain. "Does it hurt still?" Esme asked. "Yes, but it is better than it was before." Starlis replied to her. Starlis then thanked Esme for what she had done. "Oh, and, um, you will need to stay here until your wounds have fully healed. Right now almost all your wounds have healed but your arm and leg still need to heal. Really it is nearly done healing. I'd guess that maybe just a day or two and you will be fine." Esme told Starlis. "Two days in here? Alright. Someone get me a book to read." Starlis kinda commanded them. "First, we would like to now how you got yourself injured dear." Helenus told her. She sighed and then told them how she had been captured and how she had to fight through the forest. Eventually, she finished her story. By the time she had, it was night. "Well, it looks like your story took up most of the day, Starlis. It's about time we slept." Zeva said unexpectedly. With that, everyone turned in for the night. Starlis decided to use healing magic to try and speed up the process of her own body healing. She was a novice in healing magic, but she had successfully completed the spell. It had drained her almost completely. So, without another breath, she joined her comrades in sleep.
"Hahaha. My daughter has finally come to me at last."
"No! No! You aren't my father!"
"Yes, I am. Now give into your darker side." The room was dark and hard to see what was going on. Starlis felt a wall behind her. She was trapped. A figure came out of the darkness. She could only make out his outline. "Join me. Join me! JOIN ME!" The figure started yelling at her. As he was just coming into the light, Elek was suddenly in front of her and shaking her. "Wake up!" Elek was yelling at her. "I'm awake! Stop shaking me please!" Starlis yelled back at her. Elek still had his helmet on. It had been days since he had taken it off and he probably needed to clean it out. "What happened in your dream, dear?" Helen is asked. "It's none of your business. I'm sorry but this dream was kind of personal." She replied. "Ooooh!" Helenus exclaimed sounding intrigued. "Someone has a crush! Who is it?" Helenus was now sounding a bit to interested. "It wasn't one of those kind of dreams!" Starlis snapped back at Helenus. Before either one could get any further, the wall next to them exploded towards the wall across from them.

The man walked in and said, "Follow me. The hunt has begun and you all are the prey. I am here to try to protect you six." The figure said. His voice was smooth and full of reassurance. His hair was blond, long, and flowing. He held his helmet in his left hand under his armpit and his swords in the other. He was wearing what looked to be elvish plate armor. He wasn't the perfect man for being heroic, but he was close to it. His arms didn't look very strong and he looked more like a rogue. The question is, why is he wearing plate armor? "You, Sir Elek, come forth." He commanded. Elek store forward and stood in front of the man. "Some elves, dwarves, and orcs wanted you to have," he started to take off the armor and struggled to say the words as he took the armor off, "this!" He said. "Man, that was heavy. I am the last man to be carrying any kind of heavy armor. For you Esme, a book of healing for those gifted in healing. Helenus, you are the most beautiful, but you can sting like a bee. But for you, I have a book that can make you bite like a dragon instead of sting like a bee. Zeva, for you, the elves thought you might want some swords. After all, they are your people. You can stop hiding your ears as well." With that, Zeva blushed and muttered a few words in elvish. Her ears turned from human to pointy elvish. He then tossed the books the Helenus and Esme and the swords to Zeva. "Now for yo-" he started to say before he was cut off by the sound of a horn. "Damn!" He muttered under his breath. "Quickly! We MUST leave now! The rest of you will have to get your gifts from the elves, dwarves, and orcs later! Follow me!" He said. "Wait! Starlis is still injured! She needs to heal!"  Jack yelled after the man. "Fine! Sir Elek, carry her! We haven't got time to dilly dally!" He yelled back just as an arrow can whizzing by his face. Then, another one landed right next to his feet. "Scratch that! For now stay indoors! Starlis, I want you to sound the alarm from here! Get all citizens inside!" He said. Starlis concentrated and then the bells started going off. Then a guard yelled for all citizens to get indoors as quickly as possible. There was a slight panic but everyone got inside. The arrows soon started to rain down upon the building. It was as if it were an hour until the sound of arrows halted. "Now, up! We must move quickly! Have your swords ready. Jack, have your bow loaded with an arrow at all times!" He commanded them. No one questioned. He knew what he was dealing with and they knew that they needed to follow his orders in order to survive. The all got out their swords and Zeva seemed to be having fun playing with her new swords. Jack had an arrow already locked into his bow. Elek had changed into his new armor rather quickly for a man his size. No one had even seen him change his helmet. Starlis was in Eleks arms now and the man had his swords prepped and was already twirling them. Helenus had her staff in hand and apparently had read through one spell from the book already. Her free hand was now a blaze of fire. Esme did not know many fighting spells, but knew how to wield her staff it was covered in a freeze spell so anything that were to hit it or be gotten by it will begin to freeze very slowly. "Let's go!" The man commanded as he kept through the whole in the wall. After everyone had left, the nurse walked into the room. "I heard all the commotion, what's going o-" she stopped there cause she had finally opened her eyes to see the entire room covered in dust, and the wall left in rubble. She had a glass of water in her hand which she then dropped to the ground in shock. She started to walk backwards but ran into something. This thing was shocked too, but recovered faster than the nurse had and was furious. The nurse was just standing there and looked down to see the water on  floor. Then, she saw drops of blood on the ground. She put her hand on her abdomen and pulled it back. It was covered in blood. She then felt the pain of a sword through her stomach. She then knelt to the floor and started coughing up blood. It splattered all over the floor and when she looked up, all over the  as well. She looked back to see a gray shadowy figure with teeth as sharp as a sword and wings. That was the last thing she saw before her vision became blurry and darkness began to eat away at her sight around the edges. She hit the ground and saw the feet of not the beast, but of a human or elf. This was all she saw before the darkness had taken her eyesight from her and could no longer feel anything ever again.

They had been running for quite some time now. Helenus was starting to get tired. "Can we stop please. My feet are going to get blisters!" She started whinning. "In a few more feet, yes, but not now. They are still able to find us  in the area we are in now." The man said. It was night now and it was beginning to get cold. After a few more minutes of running, they came to a halt..... right outside the Forbidden Forest. "Wait, why are we here?" Starlis asked. "Because, I know these forests well and we need to pass through the forest to get to the Elven land. This is a shortcut. It takes at least two days of travel off of the journey to the city of Eagle's Eye. That is the closest eleven city within the eleven borders." The man said. "By the way, what is your name?" Elek asked. "My name is Tukiko." He said. "My mother and father gave me my name but, they are no more. Well, that's what I hear. I don't know who my parents are or were if they aren't alive still." Tukiko said. No one said anything. They were just curious on where the name came from. It surely wasn't elvish or human. Maybe it was an elvish name with an orcish background of some sort. He broke the silence when he said, "What was that?" He sounded alarmed and cautious. The leaves were rustling like they were before. "Get down!" Zeva yelled through a whisper. Everyone hit the ground except Starlis who was already laying down. More of the projectiles that had cut Starlis passed overhead. Zeva could hear these things flying now that her ears were no longer hidden by magic. The magic allows her to seem human but it makes it so that she can't hear as well as the elves normally do. "I'll go check it out." Takiko said. He took off expertly quiet and came to the entrance where he pulled out a small crossbow no one had seen until now. He pulled the trigger and the bolt went flying into the brush. They heard a thunk and a quiet wail. Something came stumbling out where Tukiko immediately pulled out one of his swords out and cut off it's head. As it fell it rolled toward Elek. When it stopped the face was looking at him. The face of his brother. The head then whispered in a raspy voice, "You are the one that got me killed! You are the reason my head no longer connects to my body! May your head fall off this day or you shall go insane with guilt!" Elek started muttering to himself, "No. No! No! No!" He started shaking his head and was hyperventilating. Then a voice came from no where sounding defend. "Elek! Elek! Elek! Come on get up! Elek get up!" As soon as he heard that then image vanished and he was staring at Starlis. "Oh praise the stars you are alright. After that beasts head came off something came out of it. Some sort of gas and it didn't go anywhere but to you. Tell me, what did I you see?" Starlis asked him. "I'd rather not talk about it. It's to personal." Elek replied as he got up and walked away.