Misunderstood Destinies (2)

He consumed the boar and put the fire out, then nodded to her, asking if she was ready to go

"Whenever you are," she said, "I'm ready."

"Alright, let's head out, We have a lot of ground to cover" He started heading south once more

Layla followed behind.

After their days of travel, they made it into the Darkwoods. It was an eerie seeming place, but the air itself seemed to be welcoming, a contradiction


"I welcome you to Darkwoods, Layla"

Layla had never been a forest elf, but liked the new atmosphere. "I'm accustomed to the mountains. This will certainly be new to explore."

"Yeah, that's the beauty of the Darkwoods. Alright, we need to make it to my place" Jargos started to navigate the Darkwoods

Layla nodded and followed.

Jargos knew every tree, root, bush, nest, and hut by heart. The was no central city, people just lived where ever they wanted. While they were like Jargos, none looked as bestial as he used to in his masked form. None had as many runes either, most only had three or four. After an hour, Jargos made it back to his hut. The people they saw on the way were kind, offering food, water, and other such things. The people of Darkwwods were kind and generous. No one went hungry, and no one had to sleep in the cold. Jargos' hut was large and ornately decorated with skins of animals and finely crafted woodwork. His bed was covered in large blankets and pillows, yet, they seemed unused. In fact, everything seemed brand new, as if he never used all the luxuries around him. He motioned for Layla to come in


"Home sweet home"

"Everything here is so open compared to my home. More welcoming and such."

"It is the law of the forest, we all share and help"

"I could really enjoy living out here. You have it so easy compared to Zeiza, Jargos."

"Not if we don't stop the Dark mages . . . All of this could be gone if we don't succeed. I can't let that happen. We start looking at nightfall" Jargos said, then laid down on the floor to rest

Layla could only wonder as to the power of the Dark Mages. She sat down to only guess at it.

It was noon before Jargos feel asleep, but he did not rest well

Layla couldn't sleep with worry, but decided she'd use the time to relax.

As night fell on Darkwoods, the sounds of festivities could be heard everywhere. Camp fires lit up the night and soon every tree and every branch was covered in light. Jargos woke up and stood, readying himself for the hunt

Layla, though slightly tired, asked, "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" He asked as he finished preparing himself

Layla glanced outside. "I suppose I'm not used to so many people being out at this hour. I'm assuming most are hunting now?"

"No, it's just party time. We prefer fire light to sun light, so this is when we celebrate the day we've had. We drink and eat when the sun sets"

"This is surely unlike home. I respect that highly." She smiled. "This is really something I could enjoy."

Jargos smiled, then left his hut and walked into the night life of Darkwoods. He smiled as some people began to play music as others danced and ate and drank and cooked. He waited for Layla before heading even farther south to hunt

Layla understood Jargos wanted her to come, and she followed behind him.

He began to track a strange scent in the area, several hundred yards from the nearest hut. He followed in, his fur standing on end