• It had been a hot summer's day, and fatigue had soon taken over the young man soon after he began work. A few hours later, he found that the freedom his one hour long lunch gave him was satisfying, and he decided that he'd snag himself a nap under an oak tree that grew near the edge of the town he lived in. He half ran towards it, lusting after the shade it would bring him. When he reached it, he found that he was in luck. The shadow was just about his length, and he could lie down with all of his body protected from the burning glare from the sun. When the length of his body was laid out over the well-kept grass, he closed his eyes, folded his arms beneath his head and was soon among the clouds, dreaming of nothing.
    Several hours or so later, the smell of smoke entered through his nostrils. He was only awakened slightly, and he winced. It was a disgusting smell, one that reminded him of the time he had burned a meal of his, long ago. Then, the sound of running footsteps. Someone breathing heavily from the apparent run. The feet stopped near him and Dante opened his eyes. He looked up to see Michael, one of the teenagers he had never bothered to get to know so well. He noticed the panic-stricken look in his eyes, the mouth hanging open from the effort of the run. But there was something else. Shock. Fear. Michael's mouth moved, like as if he was speaking, but nothing came out of his mouth. Dante sat up straight.
    ______"What has happened, Michael?" Dante asked, looking up at him with a worried face. Michael turned his head and nodded towards the direction of the village. The sight that was revealed to Dante was appalling, one he had never even dreamed of seeing. There were fires everywhere, burning in the majority of the homes and shops of the town he lived in. He could heard dying screams, painful screams that pierced his heart. He stood stock still, just staring, when he heard the hooves of a horse. Then more and more hooves, making it clear that there were more than three or four people riding in the town. One horse came into view, running towards Michael and Dante. Then five other horses approached. Dante immediately recognized the riders. They were a part of the terrorizing gang, the Black Dogs. It was a cliche name, everyone had to agree, but this gang of hated people was originally created generations ago. The goal of these people is to hunt down anyone that performs magic, or isn't human. Their form of hunting down is to set fire to a town or city where such people live. Dante raised his hands self-consciously to his ears, fingering the shape. They were long, not rounded like a humans' ears, and stuck out behind his head. It was one of the many features of an elf, including his ability to navigate through a forest without any tools, and without leaving a single mark that he has been there. He looked at Michael. Michael was one of the many inhabitants of the town that could use magic, and he was skilled at manipulating the air around him. It seemed that the two of them would have to team up.
    ______"I'm scared." Michael whispered. His voice was shaky, and that of a developing teenager's voice. Dante nodded, agreeing with him. He didn't feel calm either.
    ______"Come on. Follow me." Dante said softly, smiling as comforting as he could considering the situation and then turned and ran in the same direction members of the Black Dog gang were riding. They were obviously trying to hunt down the apparently last citizens of the town to finish the job. The town was a remote one. At the East and the North, it was surrounded by sea. At the South, there was an allied town. And at the West, there was a large forest, unmapped and filled with creatures that feed off of lost travelers. Dante had been lying at the West of the town, and figured that running into the forest would be their best chances of survival. He held Michael's sweaty hand (Or was it Dante's hand that was sweaty?) tightly and ran towards the edge of it. There was a lot that was good about running into it, since the horses would have a bad time running through it, and the riders would probably not be able to convince the beasts to enter it from the beginning. It was a place animals refused to enter, and the moment Dante felt the afternoon sun disappear behind a lush canopy of branches, the hairs on the back of his neck gaining life, standing straight up like needles in a cushion.
    Almost a half hour after running non-stop through the forest, Michael collapsed. Dante was near doing the same as well. Even though they were both fit and trained well, running more was going to be painful and impossible. Dante's muscles were screaming in agony, and Michael's muscles could barely aid him in his movement. Dante bent down next to Michael's panting body, and picked him up, dragging him towards a tree that he recognized as a Mepnels tree. It was a safe one, not one that usually harbored faeries or pixies, or was poisonous. Unfortunately, it didn't bear any sort of fruit, and the pair would have to go hungry for the time being. He put Michael down, letting him lay on the moist forest ground. Dante himself sat, leaning his back against the tree. His breathing was noisy and desperate, knowing that it was probably attracting whatever predator's that lived in this mysterious forest. Ten minutes passed as the two lay panting heavily until Michael managed to heave himself up and sat like Dante, with his back against the tree.
    ______"Dante..." He said, his gaze staring off into the distance.
    ______"Yeah, Michael...?" His voice was tired. He had taking his knife out of its place in his pocket and was about to go look for something to eat. He needed to eat if he was going to run like that again. They both did. He looked at Michael and watched as he raised his arm, pointing into the distance. Dante moved his gaze to follow it where he was pointing. He saw a pair of eyes, more like two green slits, facing down diagonally. He froze. A hiss came from whatever was watching them, and he saw golden scales in what little light was available. Dante's ears pricked, alarmed at what was there. He stood up slowly, his knife gripped tightly in his left hand. The creature suddenly stepped out of the shadows as slowly as Dante moved, revealing itself. It had black horns, tipped with a golden color. The whole of its body was covered by golden scales, and the claws on its paws were alarmingly sharp. It hissed again, flicking its tongue out like a snake. It stood on all fours, and had a lizard-like tail that swished behind it.
    ______"Humanssss...." It spoke. It spoke?! Dante almost stumbled back in surprise. "Humanssss in my foresssst...." It said. Dante stepped back in alarm. "Food?" It said, this time seeming to be asking them whether they were its meal or not. Dante shook his head, then found his voice.
    ______"No. Sir." He added the last word hastily, almost automatically. He saw this creature as a form of authority, like a superior being. A sound was suddenly emitted from the creature's throat, and it seemed like it was... laughing! Dante was scared by the noise and stepped back one more step, his back connecting with the Mepnel's trunk. He glanced at Michael, who lay slumped against the bark. He had fainted. Dante looked at the creature again, his heart pounding loudly.
    ______"What are you doing here, human?" It asked, and Dante hesitated to answer.
    ______"Running away. From... from the Black Dogs. Sir." He answered as best as he could, which wasn't much. The creature laughed again, the noise scaring Dante.