I grabbed the side of the stone and threw my legs over the side and fell to the muddy water below, which led to the Shadowmire Swamps. As the trogs landed with a splash one after another, I ran into the dry grass to get to the lever to pull up the gate blocking off the deadly swamps. Dodging countless arrows, I ducked under the ascending steel bars and disappeared into the darkness of the Shadowmire alongside the trogs.

After trudging through the murky water in the tunnel to get to the open swamp, I leaned against a gnarled tree to catch my breath. My deep breathing slowly turned into laughter. I started to laugh so hard, I was almost crying. The trogs just stared at me.

"Ummm, what's wrong with you? What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing, I just haven't had such fun in a long time. I actually had a good time. Hehe, to be honest, I hated those damn guards and have secretly wished for their death, but I never imagined it like this! I feel li—Wait, you can speak!"

Another trog came up beside me. "Yeah, we can talk alright," It looked up and grinned at me, "but it's getting us to shut up that's the trick!"

I smiled back at it, or him, I should say. I looked around at this strange place. The trees were so dense that barely any light could manage to seep in through the thick canopy. Torches along beaten pathways gave off thin smoke that gave the air a stuffy, misty kind of feel. The green water appeared here and there. We stood above a waterfall, dumping cool, clear water into the murky pool below. To my right, there was a rickety wooden bridge connecting the two high strips of land. The ground felt like a sponge, and mushrooms grew in random places among the dark grass. There was a rotten stench in the air, but it didn't bother me as much as it would have seemed. I found the swamps to be… beautiful, in its own way. The distant noise of crickets and who knows what else was almost calming.

I yawned. I had forgotten how tired I was before the trogs had entered the village. A few of the trogs left, or skimpered away. It was now just me and the one that I'd used magic on. A sat down at the base of the enormous tree, and she curled up beside me. The spines on her back lay almost flat against her now. Looking up into the shadowy branches, I lifted my hand and stroked her head. She made a soft purring sound, but it was deeper, like a dragon's purr rather than a kitten's.

"Who are you, anyway?" She asked, her eyes closed.

"My name's Kiara, but I don't have any family, nor a home."

"You could stay here if you like. I could be your family. I'm an orphan too. My name's Tokage."

"Me, stay here? Really? It wouldn't, you know, bother the others?"

"No, remember? You're on our side now. You are, right?"

"Yeah, of course I am…"

I looked around again at the swamp. It felt so cozy, I'd honestly love to live here, but what about all of the trogs? I mean, I can't expect to be welcome here forever… Can I? What id they're just trying to get me to believe they're nice, and then… No, they're not known for being manipulative like that. If they wanted to kill me, they had plently of chances. I just need to be a little more trusting. Tokage opened up her red eyes, lifted her head, and sniffed the air. The spines rose up on her back as she hopped up and bared her teeth into the dark exit of the swamp.