In front of me stands two undead shadowcats. They are the first shadowcats I have ever seen. Also the first undead creatures I have ever seen. Undead creatures were only supposed to exist in the tales told to scare children, but like many other things in the Northern Territories, those childhood stories are a reality.

Standing over ten feet tall they may be one of the largest creatures I have ever seen. Their bones, a dull gray, were impossibly thick and looked more metallic than any bones I have ever set my eyes upon. Their heads were disproportionately large and filled with two rows of teeth that almost looked like the curved swords of the Lerith Kingdom. I’ve never seen a creature with two rows of teeth. And the claws on their feet… their claws look like the sickles farmers use to bag grass for their livestock.

However, the oddest feature of the shadowcats are their tails. Clubbed tails capable of pummeling anything within its range. They are an animal that is said to no longer exist, but had once roamed the Northern Expanse and the Anderan Plains. At least that is what Lady Eleanor had told me before we left. How their bodies came to be here in the Zualf Forest I do not know, but necromancy, yet another story from my childhood has come true. I’m beginning to think perhaps all the tales I was told may have some truth to them. I want to ask Farfyr more but maybe it’s best to wait until we settle for the night.

“Iolas and Alinar, they have kept watch over our gates for almost 500 years. Come, as long as you are with us they will not harm you.”

My team looks more afraid than Mr. Burton, which isn’t very professional, so I give Caleb a glance with my eyes and he’s able to pull everyone back into focus. As amazing as everything is we are still being paid to protect someone. I’d like to leave a good impression in hopes of building a bit of a reputation as reliable guards.

After the gates opened and we walked through we were treated to even further wondrous sights. This forest is almost like a fantasyland, the likes of which I could not even imagine. The path forward is wide, almost as wide as the roads of the Empire, but the sky is still blocked from view.

Despite being cleared for travel instead of an opening above the trees the canopy formed a long archway over the road. If it wasn’t for the glowing fruit hanging from the trees lighting the way it would be quite eerie. The flowers along the road glimmer like the grass of the plains on those bright moonlit nights, but unlike the grass, it is not water causing the sparkling colors, it is the flowers themselves. They change from orange to pink and then to blue in brilliant flashes.

“They are Xianthos. They were planted by the Pygmies. They are a form of warning to travelers. As long as light from the Xianthos shine, the path to Naefir is safe.”

“I've heard of the Pygmies before. We don’t have any in the Alliance but I am very interested in them. With their size they might be excellent workers in the mines. I’d like to hire some if possible.”

“That is not up to me Mr. Burton. Our King will decide. I do not know if Fae will work for you. But a word of warning. Any abuses towards Fae will be severely punished. Keep that in mind.”

“Of course of course. I would never abuse any workers under me. If I ran that type of business, I wouldn’t be in business for long.”

Somehow I doubt that. His pay to us was generous enough, but I think it had more to do with tough negotiations between him and Lady Eleanor than anything else. I’m sure he wanted to keep good relations with the largest distributor of his products in Asmuth so a few extra gold coins were worth it.

I notice Lily and Mira look uncomfortable. They keep squirming, and their eyes keep darting from side to side so I head over to them, no longer paying attention to the conversation between Caleb and Farfyr.

“Lily, is something wrong?”

She jumped nearly ten feet back from me raising her arms up to her chest as if I was some kind of wild beast that came to attack her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No, sorry, I didn’t realize it was you.”

“Are you alright? You and Mira look like something is bothering you.”

Mira’s eyes keep darting between the Elves and the forest. Is there something hiding in the trees that’s worrying her? I don’t hear or see anything and the Elves don’t look particularly bothered, is she afraid of the forest?

“I, I’m not sure. Since I entered the forest, it’s like all of my senses are under attack. I can hear better than before. Stuff that looked blurry from far away is clear now. Smells are so strong I can almost taste them and the air, I can feel the air on my skin, it’s heavy and hurts.”

“It is probably her Elven Blood. It is awakening.”

“Farfyr, do you know what is happening to her?”

“Yes, it is the forest. The plants make a powder we breathe. The powder affects all Fae.”

“Does the powder affect humans as well?”

“No, it does not. They are only half Fae. It will not affect them as much. They will be used to it in two or three days.”

“Is it permanent?”

“What is permanent? If you mean will they stay that way then no. It is only in the forest. When they leave, they will go back to normal.”

A powder that affects Fae but not humans. Lady Eleanor didn’t say anything about this so maybe it is not well known. But it makes all of their senses better, it's a shame that it doesn’t work on humans. Is it possible to collect some of this powder? It would be good to have a member of our team with better senses. I doubt they would allow us to collect a bag full though, but maybe they sell it in the capital.

***

After spending the night in the forest, or at least what I believe was night, we woke early to continue to Naefir. Farfyr answered most of our questions to the best of his ability, but the other Elves kept their distance. Their leader set up a small perimeter and the Elves kept watch at night. Other than Darren almost wandering off while following Wisps, the night was pretty uneventful.

I had many questions about the shadowcats and necromancy. The story says that almost 500 years ago a merchant arrived with two shadowcat kittens as gifts to the king. They were raised as family pets until they died 30 years later. They were to have their bodies preserved but a forest sprite offered to bring them back from the dead, it was decided they would guard the gates of Naefir for all time. How true any of this is nobody really knows as they are just legends and tales, but it is an interesting story. I’m sure it is one my mother would have loved to hear.

“Farfyr, is it going to get much warmer? It’s almost winter but it’s hotter than a summer’s day under the baking sun.”

The heat coming up from the ground is starting to make it pretty uncomfortable. The Elves look fine, but everyone in our group is already wearing the bare minimum. Farfyr told us it would get warmer before we made it to the city. Apparently, this whole area is littered with vents that give off warm air from below.

“We are almost in Naefir Mr. Burton. The air will cool soon.”

That’s a relief. If it gets any warmer I don’t think we’d be able to make it. I look over at Caleb and he’s hardly wearing anything at all. It almost looks like Sophie wants to say something to him judging by the look of disgust on her face, but maybe she’s too hot to bother starting a fight with him.

We haven’t seen anyone else. Even though this is the largest road to the capital Farfyr said it is not often traveled as most Fae travel through the forest instead. Talking with Farfyr about the types of Fae has become exhausting. There are so many different types I can’t keep track of them. One thing he has been very adamant about though, do not speak to anyone unless he is around.

Not all Fae are friendly to humans. This especially goes for Harpies. I made sure to remind Darren and Caleb this morning, especially Caleb. It seems like Harpies like to seduce men, sleep with them, and then eat them. A pretty terrible way to die, though Caleb joked it was the best way he could think of.

Up ahead in front of us the road has become a bit foggy and the once sparkling Xianthos have gone dim. I walk over to Mr. Burton and stand in front of him just in case anything comes towards us and call for my team to surround us. The temperature is beginning to cool rapidly, if Farfyr can be trusted we should be getting close to Naefir, but something feels off.

It didn’t take long before the Elves hurried around us and began pushing us forward. The leader is barking orders in their language that is leaving us confused.

“Past the fog, it is Naefir. We must hurry. There is a Kludde behind us.”

Running forward I yell back and ask Farfyr what a Kludde is.

“It is a large dog. They attack travelers. They are very difficult to kill. We will be safe past the fog.”

Looking back I see a massive black dog surrounded by a strange blue glow following after us. Much larger than a bear, larger than a horse as well, it dug into the road as it ran towards us with monstrous claws that looked like they belonged to a giant cat. I feel stupid for running away from this thing and I’d like to build a rock wall or hit it, but I’m not sure if there are any consequences to damaging the road or anything else. Everyone keeps telling me to be careful and don’t cause any problems while in the forest.

I don’t think we’ll make it past the fog in time, but before I can do anything one of the Elves turned around and drew his sword from his back. The swords these Elves carry are massive, and with a slash downwards he hit the beast just below its shoulder, nearly cleaving its leg in two and forcing it back momentarily.

“Farfyr can I kill that thing!?”

“Yes. It has attacked us. We are here to keep you safe. But if you can kill it, then kill it.”

Without waiting any longer I create an ice spear and throw it directly into the chest of the giant beast that has ambushed us. I manipulate the ice reshaping it into spikes that explode out from its body before completely enveloping it. Even after all of that, just before the ice wrapped around its head, the creature continued growling while staring at me.

The black blood from the Kludde looked almost like tar on the road and dyed the clear ice. This forest is filled with strange creatures, and my heart is racing. Other than Darren no one else on my team looked like they were willing to battle this thing. We’ll need to work on that after this job is done.

After everyone calmed down Farfyr asked me to bury the Kludde almost 20 feet deep. He was not sure if it was still alive or not and did not want to take the risk of it attacking other travelers. The Elf who drew his sword and attacked before me thanked me in his language. I walked back over to Mr. Burton who oddly enough seemed pretty calm.

“What a shame what a shame. I bet that thing would be worth a lot of money to the right person.”

Well, maybe I shouldn’t have expected much else from him. Up ahead the sky is getting brighter and it looks as though we are leaving the forest. It’s still a bit warmer than it should be, I think we’re still on some type of thermal vent. When I buried the Kludde there was a lot of steam rising up. Still, it is quite a bit cooler than just a little while ago.

A little bit of ice mixed with rain is starting to fall on our heads but when it touches the ground it melts instantly. Up in front of us are a number of houses and there even appear to be a few taller buildings. There are also a few Elves and Halflings walking about. And if I’m not mistaken, that looks like a pretty large castle in the distance.

“Welcome to Naefir.”

***

Most of the Disgraced were Northsmen who left battle, refusing to fight to the death. To the warring tribes of the Northern Expanse, the only punishment for this act of cowardice was death. With nowhere left to turn, many left the Expanse to live life on the plains, where eventually they would create their own village.

Over time the village grew to almost one-thousand Northsmen, half-bloods, and humans living behind the walls of the Alliance. The great border wall of the Alliance was the reason they were never found by the scouting parties sent from the Expanse. The Alliance had strict laws regarding entry of Northsmen. A group of three or less could enter as long as they could pay the fee, but any more than three in a group would be considered a threat. The Alliance also set a limit of 10 Northsmen per week at each of their gates.

The village was built with strong houses of wood and stone and there were small areas of commerce and trade. Craftsmen such as carpenters and blacksmiths could be found as well as general shops that sold clothing and food. It was much like the villages found throughout most of the Anderan Plains, only it was built by the Northsmen with the help of humans.

“The people do not listen to the disgraced Chief Kharel. What good could come from sending messages?”

Unlike the tribes of the Expanse, the village was not ruled by the strongest member, nor was it ruled by one person, but instead it was led by many. It was a council of elders that governed the village.

“The people of the plains will attack our tribes. We cannot defeat them. They are many and we are few. They have weapons that can bring down great walls. They have ogres. And they have great beasts that can run through men like horses through brush. They will kill every one of our people if we do not send a warning.”

“The people of the plains are strong, this we all know Chief Kharel. If they really do attack, then the Expanse will fall. This is also true. But the people will not listen. We have sent messages before. The only reply we have gotten from the people is violence. They will not listen to you now chief, you are disgraced, just like us.”

Chief Kharel was well aware of the response forces sent by the tribes of the Expanse. If messengers were sent, the messengers would be attacked. When pigeons were sent, the warriors would track the pigeons back in hopes to kill whoever sent them. To the Northsmen, the Disgraced were not allowed to live in this world. If they were willing to betray their own people on the battlefield, then how could their words be trusted?

“Then should I let our people die? Should I let them be destroyed? How could I allow such a thing to happen?”

Although they were considered traitors by their people, many of The Disgraced had family and loved ones they were forced to leave behind. Their people could be barbaric, but they did not wish for them to be slaughtered.

The elders shuffled in their seats, turning to one another and whispering before the head of the council changed position to face the chief and spoke.

“Chief Kharel, please wait outside while we discuss what to do.”

The council of elders was made up of thirteen former warriors and chiefs who had left for similar reasons as Chief Kharel. Each of them was advanced in age with gray hair and feeble bodies. Feeble bodies the likes of which would never be seen in the tribes of the Expanse.

To the warriors of the Expanse, dying of old age would cast great shame upon your bloodline. Chief Kharel had never seen fellow Northsmen that were so gray and weak. Having lived through 28 winters himself, the chief was still in the prime of his life, but the men of the council reminded him of the old women in his village who look after children and cooked meals.

The Disgraced lived like the people of the plains. Comfortable and safe behind the walls and within the houses they had built. They had become similar to the people of the plains, civilized with new customs. It was what Chief Kharel had wanted for the people living in his village. If his people could live to be this old and pass the knowledge gained through years he was certain they could grow strong like the people of the plains.

To build a village of wood and stone, where food was grown and not stolen. Houses built by the hands of his people, it is what the chief had desired for many years. Now he stood in a village exactly like that, and he could not help but think that it did not feel right.

The men of the village were not warriors; they had lost the fighting instinct within them. The village was strong, but the people within it were not.

“Chief Kharel, the council has made a decision, you can come back in.”

It did not take long for an agreement to be reached. A council of Disgraced. Of old men who betrayed the values of the warrior. Chief Kharel stared blankly at the young man, he thought of how fitting it was that the ones hunted and condemned to death by the tribes now held power over them. He could only hope for a positive decision in his favor.