We began the walk towards the actual village that we were supposed to be at. I looked over our team and felt a determination in everyone's aura. Maybe not for the same things, but it was a start for our mission.

As we set out, Luke met us at the edge of the village. He hugged both Zeina and Katrina as we were leaving. Luke gave me a glare of understanding and shame. I nodded and felt his aura rest with relief.

We trekked for most of the day and into the night. We began to walk through this fog that settled over the forest path. We had to light lanterns for us to see the path in front of us. I could something looming over the forest. This felt too much like the forest the beast was trapped in.

The specter lights of the town's lanterns appeared through the fog. We walked through the wooden archway that led into the small village. Small huts and tipis were spread out throughout the town, but none of them had lights or lanterns. I looked at Katrina who had closed her eyes and her dark appendages were floating around, trying to feel the aura of the area. Her face scrunched and swayed in frustration. I closed my eyes and followed her lead to feel the aura and all I felt was a cold despair and sadness of the area.

I opened my eyes and saw how uneasy Katrina was. I looked over the rest of the team and they could feel the same thing without even seeing the aura of the town. We slowly bunched closer together as we stopped at the center of the town where the only light of the town was held.

The sound of dirt and leaves crunching together echoed through the village as a light floated towards us. We all watched as torch emerged through the fog, followed by a claw, and armored purple arm. A nidoking glared at us, sizing up are strong and ruffing in disappointment.

"What're some youngins doing here? Didn't your ma's teach ya to stay inside in the dark?" He said turning away from us and walking to one of the tipis nearby. He lit one of the lanterns and went inside.

When his presence was gone, we all unfroze from our spot. Zeina looked at all of us and shook her head in disgust.

"Come on. We came here to do something so let's do it." She said, angrily stomping after the Nidoking.

We all gained our courage and followed Zeina into the tipi. We entered to find the Nidoking sitting around a small fire with Zeina glaring at him.

"I am no child, and we came to help this village." Zeina said as a late retort to Nidoking's comment.

His burly chest burst with laughter. He didn't turn away from his fire and poked it with a stick to stoke it further just as he stoked the anger of Zeina further.

"Help? What can a couple of youngins do to help this town? You don't have a thought of what is goin on." Nidoking said with another chuckle.

"That is why we are here you oversized-" Zeina started, but Carter jumped in front of her and gave a nervous smile to the Nidoking that turned to Zeina with interest in the end of her last sentence.

"We are here to help the pokemon of this village. We will find those that were lost." Katrina said quietly,b tu with such strength that we all stared at her for a moment. I looked down at her paws and saw her fists shaking.

The Nidoking stared at her. His eyes measuring up Katrina and her resolve. He looked back at his fire and watched the flames dance with disgust and sadness.

"The guild thinks that it can help a small town like this with a couple of misfits. I guess it shows how much they care about the small towns. You probably won't get any further then the last group I told the town story too. I give you a day before you give up and call us a lost cause too." He said and stood.

"It all started when that blasted mist came out of the forest a month ago. The children thought it was fun to have something like the mist to play in and us parents didn't think much of it ll." The Nidoking grabbed a small talisman that hung around his neck. I saw his arms tremble a little as he relayed his own haunting story to us.

They were the first to go missing and then their mothers. There are only a handful of us left. After most of the mother's left, the village leader ordered the abandonment of the village, but for those who lost so much to the mist, we have nowhere else to go. So, we wait here for our loved ones in the mist. Waiting for death to take us to them." He said.

We stood there for a moment and watched the Nidoking handle his talisman. I began to feel his aura and it wasn't warm like Katrina's. It was cold. Not like the darkness inside oof me, but it was lacking in power, like a small candle flame that was left alone for too long. The wax needed to replace to bring the brightness back, but I don't think the Nidoking was in any hurry to find a new fire to warm his cold heart.

"Do you know how the mist took your child?" I asked as a shiver ran down my spine. He looked at me with anger and sadness in his eyes.

The anger quickly died away and sadness was the only thing that remained in his eyes.

"They were taken while they were playing in the mist. The only thing left behind was this." He held up the talisman around his neck. "All we heard was laughter from their playing and then their screams. We rallied together to go and find them, but the mist wanted the mothers too and separated them. If you want to be like the rest, go into the mist and leave me be." The Nidoking said as he went back to his little fire.

That was it. The Nidoking acted like we weren't there anymore. He only stared at the fire, searching for comfort from it. I felt sad for him and hoped he would find something.

We all looked out into the dark forest and felt our tired bodies sigh as the energy left our muscles. My mind was tired from the sad feelings that were draping and drowning this village.

I felt someone grab my shoulder and Katrina began to pull me back to the little hut we had come from.

"We should rest before we search" she said, and the rest of the group followed. I could see the uneasiness in Katrina's tired eyes. She could feel the gloom more than me and I looked at the rest of the team and saw their tired bodies trudge behind us. Even Carter was keeping quite from how tired he looked.

I continued to follow Katrina to the tent, and we asked for help from the Nidoking to let us rest in his little tent for the night. He grumbled and let us stay, but he made sure we didn't touch anything besides the bed rolls he gave us.

I woke again to the room, but Nora's side had changed a little. Above the fireplace was the magic mirror box. It was flashing and only held a black covered that reflected a fuzzy image to the world. I walked up to it and ran my paw across the cold smooth surface.

I heard the monster growl from within his forest and felt him pull me towards the trees, but I didn't want to go. I felt my dream self-turn away from the black mirror and right I as I looked away, it began to flash white and blue.

I was entranced by the flashing lights as they settled on just a white screen. The white left and I saw a pale creature staring back at me. It's pale eyes were fixed on me. I moved back to the screen and reach to touch the cold surface again, but never touched it. It sprang forward and grabbed my paw. It kept it's calm stare fixed on my eyes as it held my paw hostage. I tried to free myself, but it's grasp on me was stronger.

"You know me. I am you and you are me" the pale creature spoke to me with my own voice. My stomach filled with fear as it spoke to me, but I stared straight back into it's eyes and replied.

"I am Koro."

A smiled formed on it's face.

"We are Caleb."