Morning came sooner than I expected. I opened my eyes to bright sunlight pouring into the room from the window. I sat up and stretched, and upon looking around the room, noticed everyone was gone!

"Keia? Ceae? Vegance? Where is everyone?" I flew out of bed and ran into the hallway, almost knocking the innkeeper over. "E-excuse me, have you seen a brown-haired young girl come through here?" She shook her head. "How about a short little boy with blonde hair?" Again she shook her head. "Well… How about an older woman, kinda pale, dark black hair? Please tell me you've seen her…"

"Well, she's been around here for years… She actually came through here, now that I think of it," the innkeeper said.

"Which way did she go?"

"She went outside. She couldn't have gone far."

"Thank you!" I hurried out of the tavern and started for the town outskirts. Three men stepped out and blocked my path.

"You're the prince, ain'tcha?" the biggest of them asked.

"Uh, yeah?"

"There's a bounty on your head 'round here… Saw ya come inta the pub las' night… Reco'nized ya instan'ly. Our boss wants ya dead."

"That's kinda what a bounty is," I pointed out.

"Tha's not the point. Today, ya die!" The three men drew guns on me: their leader held a rifle and the other two drew pistols. I immediately drew my sword and used my gauntlet to block the gunfire as I approached one of the guys holding a pistol. He was not smart enough to move as I brought my hand up and slashed his hand off. Gawking at the sight of his own blood, he freaked out and tripped and fell in the process of trying to run away. Their leader moved to find cover while the other guy continued firing at me. I ran forward and stabbed him through the stomach as he started to back away. He looked down at the blade and then back up at me, and then he fell backwards off of my sword. I looked up just in time to see their leader aim his gun over the cover. I rolled to the left to avoid his fire.

"Give it up, boy! Ya ain't gettin' outta here alive!" he shouted.

"We'll see," I mumbled. I dashed toward him as he attempted to reload. I came around his cover and split his head in two with my sword. As I pulled back my sword, the sound of approaching footsteps came from behind me. I swung around and held my sword to Keia's neck. "Keia?" I put my sword away.

"We heard the gunfire! What's going on?" she asked.

"These men said that there was a bounty on my head out here… That bothers me."

"Well, it looks like you had it covered," Keia pointed out.

"Yeah? Well, where were you all when I needed you? I woke up this morning and I was alone! I thought I was abandoned…"

"We were stocking up on supplies," Vegance said. She and Ceae walked up behind Keia. Vegance was wearing some sort of duster jacket. "We bought some extra potions, and I got this awesome jacket too."

"Well, I guess any protection is better than none," I said.

"Wanna get out of here?" Ceae asked.

"Oh, yes, definitely, before anyone else tries to take my head," I replied. Before further discussion, we put the town behind us.

A half hour had passed since we left the town. We had put quite a bit of distance between us and the town, so much distance in fact that we could hardly see it anymore. "So, you're sure we're heading in the right direction?" I asked Vegance. She was currently leading us.

"Oh, yes… We're following Rona's trail of magic power right now." I looked down at the faceplate in Vegance's hand. "So long as I hold this mask, I can feel his presence."

"What would you estimate our distance to be from the FoxWoods?" Keia asked.

"Still quite a ways, young one. We won't make it by nightfall for sure, so I hope you all are ready to fight some of the stray Darklings," Vegance replied.

"Stray Darklings?" I asked. "I thought all of the Darklings were destroyed by Rona?"

"You're wrong. He destroyed many, but some of them managed to escape… There are quite a few out there still, lost and wild… They've become hunters of the night."

"What do Darklings look like, anyway?" Ceae asked.

"The most common Darklings are small and somewhat weak-looking… They're called Spawns. They have glowing red or white eyes and an unnatural form to them. As the night shadows change, so too do their forms… But mostly, they're a nuisance. It's the big ones you have to worry about," Vegance explained.

"There's big ones too?" Ceae asked.

"Oh, yes… Very big, very strong. They're much fewer, and cannot venture outside of the Dark Lands. They rely on a constant, strong, dark energy force that only the Dark Lands can provide. We won't have to worry about them for a while."

"Ground forces, I hope," I said.

"Some can fly. Not many were created because their flying ability exhausts their energy source quickly, so it's much easier to maintain ground forces. Some flying Darklings, Airrators, do exist still. The larger ground units are called Nightmares, and their physical appearance matches the name. They're like walking tanks, huge, destructive… Mostly, they're living armor animated by dark magicks and surrounded by other elements for added magic resistance… They absorb pretty much any magic you throw at them, and it makes them stronger. I used to work alongside them at the Keep… But, I never thought that I might have to fight some someday."

"It must be hard on you, to change your lifestyle from one of darkness and evil to one where you can fit into the social world," I said.

"Believe me, it's not easy. That town back there… It's the only town that would accept me. It's a somewhat lawless town, but at least they took me in. I'm just glad to be out of there now. A few days back, some strangely dressed men came to me saying that my old master was looking for me, and I could live if I left the town… Good thing you guys came along," Vegance said with a smile.

"No problem," Keia said.

Vegance sighed. "When night comes… I want to be alone for a little. I need time to stare at the stars… Pray to Rysta, that sorta thing… If you don't mind."

"Oh, no problem! Take your time, Vegance," I said politely.

"Thanks."

Night had fallen earlier than expected. From our spot in the middle of the Fields, the stars could be seen easily in the night sky. Keia and I had built a fire and she, Ceae, and I were all gathered around it just conversing with one another. Vegance had left the campsite as we were starting the fire about ten minutes ago.

"So, Cryos… What's it like, being a prince and all?" Ceae asked me.

I looked at him with a puzzled expression on my face. "Where did that come from?"

"I'm just curious…"

"Yeah, Cryos, why don't you just fill us in on the life of a prince? You've never actually told me before," Keia said.

"Well… You know… I live," I said, trying to avoid the topic.

"No Cryos… Tell me. I'll do anything to hear!" Keia said. My mind began to wander.

"You and I can discuss payment later. I guess I can tell you two," I said. I took a deep breath. "Well, as a prince… My life is very boring. Actually, I'm surprised that I didn't die of boredom over eighteen years! Most of the time, I deal with matters of the public, and the rest of my time, I lay in my room. Yeah, sometimes, I spend time with my friends… Well, friend, you, Keia. You know, you're the only friend I've ever had. I've never had any pets, and my freedom is very limited… I rarely get out of the castle, but everyone still knows who I am."

"I'd imagined that, being a prince, you would have done a lot of fun things," Keia said.

"It's a lot more work than you think," I said. "I rarely get time to myself."

"Are you going to tell her about your secret in your room?" Ceae asked.

"Ceae!" I shouted.

"What secret?" Keia asked. "What could Ceae know that I don't?"

"I, uh…" I tried to think of something. When nothing came to mind, I sighed. "I had enough time to build myself a laboratory in my room."

"You have a laboratory?" Keia asked.

"Yes… It was supposed to stay a secret, but Ceae just ruined it."

"Have you ever built anything in there?"

"Actually, yes. I built my sword," I said while pulling it out. "I was also working on a teleportation device… I wanted to escape from the castle. My only problem is, I could never get it to turn on. I've worked on it for years, but I can't finish it. I need help with it."

"Well, your life isn't entirely boring," Keia said. She put her hand on my shoulder.

After a long silence, I asked, "So, what's it like, being a servant?"

"Hmm… You don't know what you're missing. I've been a servant all of my life… Something is always happening. I'm never bored, because most of the time, I'm cleaning up after you."

"Oh, you can't bring that up!" I said. "Believe me, I've cleaned up some of your own social 'messes…' Should I remind you about the weapon shop?"

"Thank you, Cryos… I never got to repay you for that."

"We'll discuss payment at another time." I glanced at Ceae. "Not with the child here…"

"Hey! I'm not a child!" Ceae exclaimed.
Keia ignored him. "Not with him around? How about if we go off somewhere, alone, for a little bit?"

"You lead," I said.

Ceae looked up from where he was sitting. "Wait! What if something happens to me?"

I looked at him. "Nothing will happen… Vegance is nearby. She'll take care of you." I turned back to Keia and stood up. I took her hand and helped her up. She smiled at me and led the way.

Keia and I arrived at a pile of rocks fairly far from the campsite about five minutes later. I looked back at our campsite; from here, the fire was only a pinpoint of light. Keia climbed up onto one of the rocks and motioned for me to sit down next to her. I came over and sat with her.

"So… Payment? What are you asking?" Keia asked me. I shook my head. "Look, we walked all the way out here to talk… You have to have some sort of idea…"

"I do, but I'd rather keep it to myself. I think you should decide how to pay me back yourself," I said. She leaned a little closer to me and put her hand on my leg.

"Cryos… You know you can't hide anything from me." She was staring into my eyes. "I know exactly what you want…"

"You do?" I asked in shock.

"Of course! I've been friends with you forever… I know when you're acting strangely, and I know your feelings for me."

"Y-you do?" I was only a little bit creeped out. For the first time, I looked up to see her face; she was smiling.

"It's not everyday that royalty falls in love with commoners… I am deeply honored."

"What are you talking about? Love? I don't know what you're talking about!" I lied.

"Cryos… I see it in your eyes." Keia leaned in closer to me and put her forehead against mine. "You want me to decide how to repay you? I'll give you what you want…" She moved even closer, and her lips came in contact with mine. After a deep kiss, I could hardly stop the thoughts running through my head.

"You… You really didn't have to do that…" I said.

She smiled. "It's okay… I like you too." Keia dropped down off the rock and started to walk back to the campfire. I was still a bit stunned. When a minute had passed, I ran to catch up with her.

"Keia, wait!" She turned around and watched as I approached her. "Keia… You're right. It's not often that royalty falls in love with commoners… That makes us a rare case. I think… I think we should both live through this journey. That way… We can be happy together."

"My thoughts exactly." Her and I walked the rest of the way back to our campsite together.

When we arrived, Ceae was chattering away to Vegance. Vegance seemed to enjoy his company. Both of them looked up at Keia and I as we approached.

"You two… Walking together? When I came back, you both were gone. Ceae said that you both went off together… Have fun smooching?" Vegance asked.

I laughed and Keia blushed. "No, no… We just had to talk about something. It was nothing, really," I explained.

"Right," Vegance replied. "Well, let's get some sleep. It's still quite awhile to the FoxWoods."

"I could use some sleep… Rest my mind a little," I said. I looked to Keia. She nodded and picked a favorable spot on the ground.

"We should be at the FoxWoods by noon tomorrow," Vegance said. I laid down and let myself drift to sleep…

In the morning, our fire had dwindled to just a few glowing embers. I was the first awake, but I was also the first to see that something was wrong. The air around us was covered in thick fog. I could feel surrounding eyes glowing at me. I moved slowly over to Keia and shook her awake.

"Err… Cryos, what's wrong? I was sleeping so well…"

"Keia, get up… Something's not right," I said. She sat up a bit and blinked a couple of times. She took a quick look around.

"You're right. Something is definitely wrong…" I moved to Ceae and Vegance and woke them both too. Vegance immediately knew something was wrong. She grabbed her daggers and rose to her feet. Ceae remained where he was, but when I turned to Keia, she was already up and ready. I drew my sword. When we appeared more threatening, I could hear footsteps moving closer, but in such a way that I knew we were up against four-legged beasts. A pair of glowing eyes made themselves visible as one of the beasts walked through the fog. The rest of its body followed behind the eyes.

"Keia, this is a wolf?" I asked.

"Yeah. I think it's funny how wolves are everywhere…"

"This shouldn't be so hard then." I turned to look at Ceae, who was still lying on the ground. "Ceae, get up!" I shouted. Ceae jolted and pulled out his shortsword. He jumped up onto his feet in an instant.

"I'm' up! I'm up!" Ceae shouted. The noise caught the wolf's attention. The wolf jumped up over us all in an attempt to get to Ceae. In a panic, Ceae dropped his sword and thrust his arms forward. Just before the wolf landed on the ground in front of Ceae, a spout of water shot up from the ground. The wolf was blasted up into the air, where Keia shot an arrow into its neck.

"Ceae, did you just… I thought you said you weren't skilled?" I asked.

"I can never use it when I want to… Only in a panic."

"You did good." I patted him on the shoulder. Three more wolves emerged from the fog. Vegance was quick to act. She ran to the first of the wolves and stabbed one dagger through its neck. She twisted and threw the wolf into the air. She leapt up to meet the wolf halfway and with the other dagger, sliced its head from its shoulders. By now, the other two wolves sped up their advance towards us. When Vegance hit the ground, she threw her daggers to the ground and morphed into a large, black, cat-like creature. She tackled one of the wolves to the ground and clawed its face to pieces and ripped out its throat. She turned around, her eyes filled with a frightening bloodlust. The last wolf was upon us now. I raised my sword into the air in preparation for its attack; just before I swung at the wolf, a bolt of lightning struck it from above! My sword struck the ground right through the ashes of the wolf.

"Well, that was satisfying," Vegance said and picked up her daggers from the ground. Ceae, Keia, and I were all staring at Vegance. "What?"

"That was amazing… For someone who hasn't fought in years, you sure are amazing," I said.

"Believe me, I'm far from lacking skill…" Vegance smiled at me. She turned around suddenly as a much larger wolf flew from the air and landed on her, pinning her down. As she struggled to get free, my first reaction was to run up to attack the wolf. I thrust my sword into its side. It turned its head to face me and knocked me away with its paw. Keia was shooting arrows quickly into its head. This was not enough to stop it, however, as it leapt off of Vegance and dashed toward Keia.

"Keia!" I shouted. I hurried to stand and started running towards her. When the wolf leapt into the air, I watched it get surrounded by a ball of energy. I turned to look at Vegance. She had rolled over onto her stomach and her hand was sticking straight out in front of her. She was deeply concentrating. I looked back to the energy barrier; when it cleared, the wolf was now a pile of ashes, just like the last one.

"Impressive," I mumbled. I helped Vegance to her feet and went to join the others. "So. Some day so far, huh?"

"Yeah," Keia said.

"No time to talk… We need to get to the FoxWoods," Vegance said. We grabbed our stuff and continued to travel.

Vegance was right. When the sun was high in the center of the sky, I could clearly see a wall of green rapidly approaching. As we got closer and closer to the treeline, I had to look up to see the treetops.

"Wow… I thought the city gates were huge," Ceae said.

"They were nothing compared to this… I've never seen so much green, so close either," Keia said. I merely stared.

"These are the FoxWoods… Rona's presence grows strong," Vegance said.

"When we're all ready, we enter the Woods," I said.

"I'm' ready," Keia said and leaned a little closer to me. Ceae smiled and nodded.

"Then I guess I'll lead," Vegance said. She led the way, and the rest of us followed. Upon entry into the FoxWoods, I could feel a very powerful surge of magic all around me.