“So, not only do you have a flying, fire breathing, demonic cobra as your pet..."

"Hellbat cobra..." Nova hissed from above.

"You can friggin see in the dark AND smell out any movement in your vicinity?” Sin exclaimed with a raised brow as she walked by Kaine, the both of them dragging behind while the rest walked right in front of them, Dark though moving ahead of everybody else and slightly alone.

“Not smell…It’s more like-You know when you have this feeling of someone watching or following you? It’s a cold feeling just like that, but much more intense.” Kaine explained with a sigh, not once meeting her gaze as they walked.

As the talkative Sin moved from person to person wanting to know more of their abilities.

“And you can do what with fire again?” Lara being the next victim as Sin moved up to her.

The two parties were continuing their traversal of the jungle, following the river still as it slowly widened into a larger yet calmer stream, while the jungle itself grew thinner the further they moved.

Watching as Sin juiced every detail of Lara’s spellcasting out, Kaine then had a thought. “How did you find out of the Elven city ahead Sin?” He asked, just catching up with the rest as she had.

“Oh, Dark got this quest from a large carnivorous monster on like day one, right after it tried to eat us.” Sin said, turning then to question Jedd.

Kaine though wasn’t satisfied with that answer, “What are the quest objectives?”

“Ah-Well, before it tried to chow on us, the thing had the gall to warn us of something worse ‘amiss’ than ending up as its dinner. We beat it up, made it talk more, and got the quest. The only objective we have right now is to reach the Elven city it talked of and find out more before...well it said thirty-two days but at this point we’re down to twenty-six.” Sin then explained further.

“It’s been…six days already?” Lara mused with slight shock.

Yeah, we’ve barely noticed that…

Kaine thought with a grimace, glancing at his own quest window right then.

{Quest Log}

[The Message];

A beast of the savanna has requested you to deliver an urgent message to the far elven city of Calen'Ris which lays deep within the living ravine downstream from here.

Requirements;

Total level: 4 or higher

Race: Elf, or subcatagory of Elven

Reward: Unknown

Time limit: 26 days

Possible results of failure include:

-Death of player

-Widespread deaths throughout the associated realm

-Doom of the associated realm

“Well, I’ll tell you that ours says a lot more.” Kaine said with a sigh.

“Possible result of failure include…Death of player, widespread deaths throughout the as-associated realm, fucking doom of the a-…realm.” Rey read off some of the quest from her own UI.

“Careful you don’t bite your tongue there si-.” Roy mocked jokingly, hearing her stutter.

Rey elbowed him just as Dark whistled from up ahead, “Now that, is interesting.”

“The thought of dying through some widespread cataclysm is interesting to you?” Farvo mused with a sour chuckle. “Man have you been bored this past week then.”

“More than you know,” Dark chuckled too, sounding more so amused though.

“So, what’s the story with you two?” Jedd then asked.

“Hmm? What do you mean?” Sin questioned back.

“Going off as just a party of two in this situation, two Weres without tames even.” Jedd added.

“Ah…well we used to have a couple tames along the way.” Sin mused, glancing ahead at Dark who seemingly began to walk ahead faster.

Kaine sighed, he knew the answer to both those questions. “Neither of them do well in crowds, isn’t that right Dark?”

“Screw you.” Dark simply replied back, continuing to walk ahead.

“What’s his problem?...” Rey whispered through the silence that followed Dark’s insult

“Ah, these two don’t like each other very much.” Sin explained with an awkward smile, “Although they’re pretty much similar.”

“Similar? I don’t see it.” Roy said with a raised brow, glancing between Dark who moved ever further and Kaine who seemed like he’d rather avoid the conversation as well.

“Anti-social, check.” Sin then began counting off her hand, “Temperament issues, check. Sly and outright shifty behaviour, check. Disturbing backst-”

“Right, enough.” Kaine then cut her off, lowering her hand.

“She’s got a point though…” Rey chuckled.

“Meh, most of our guild was a bunch of weirdos.” Sin then shrugged, “Leader’s always had it the worst cause of us all-” then suddenly pausing in her words as she realised what she had just let slip by. “Ah…woops.”

Glancing at Kaine as his expression turned cold, “I’m going to go tell that fool to wait up.” He then said, suddenly rushing ahead after Dark.

Sin sighed in relief, “Phew, close one.” she said with a grin. Yet seeing as the rest eyed her with both confusion and curiosity, Sin felt like she simply couldn’t escape without explaining now. “Err, yeah. Jor used to be our guild master.” She answered the unspoken question with an awkward smile.

“Why does it sound like that’s taboo to even mention?” Roy asked as he watched Kaine catch up with Dark, yet neither of them seemingly saying much to each other before continuing to walk ahead from them all.

“I’m…not sure I’m allowed to explain all that.” Sin said after a long sigh.

“We already know of his screwed up life, might as well, doesn’t seem like he’s going to tell us much else...” Rey mused.

Jedd was about to argue, but it was too late.

“Ahah, right sounds just like him. Well, Felicia, his elder sister used to be the guildmaster before him…” The chatty floodgate that was Sin had already been unlocked, “The guild was formed by her two years into Aether Rifts Online, lasted for two years before the both of them suddenly disappeared for several months. Only Kaine came back and it took him three months more before he was willing to explain what happened to them.”

Hearing Jor’s real name for the first time an awkwardness seemed to fill each of them, something Sin did not notice as she continued to explain, drowning now in memories of the past.

“Kaine took over then, but the guild slowly died off during his time. We used to have over a hundred members...during his time we were reduced to only the main fourteen officers. Me and Dark were a couple of them, and when he came back we all vowed to remain and hoped to revive the guild but…” Sin’s expression for the first time gained a sorrowful look as she then stared ahead at Kaine, “When he came back, he’d changed. He was completely different from the Jor we knew before.”

“H-How was Jor before t-then?” Lara asked, each of them growing curious.

A smile appeared on Sin’s face as she was asked that, “He was…calmer, always cool and friendly with everyone. Not one thing passed by him either, he always knew when someone had something going on. He was always there for them too, unlike his rash sister Kaine was the mature brother to us all.”

A long sigh then escaped Sin’s lips as her gaze dropped, “You know? The three of us use to have a bit of a triangle going on back then…” She chuckled, melancholy filling her tone. ”That all changed when Kaine did, now he’s just cold and…distant.”

“Can’t blame the guy either,” Farvo mused, “Not with what he’s been through.”

Sin simply nodded, “Yeah, yeah I can’t. But that doesn’t mean I have to like how he is now. Dark may be cold at times, but at least I don’t feel hate in every word he says.” She then glanced over at Jedd, “He’s an ass most of the time, only talks when he feels like he needs to, and he’ll always steal the spotlight from you…Cause he thinks only he can get it done. Still…Take care of him alright?” Sin said with a friendly smile, her words surprising Jedd.

And before Jedd could even reply, Sin rushed ahead and broke the silence elsewhere. “Oi, idiots, you’re way off from everybody else! Slowdown will you?” She said, grabbing onto Dark’s arm and slowing him down.

“Ah-Y-Yeah f-fine!” Dark stuttered in reply, embarrassment filling the weretiger’s face as he tried to escape her grasp.

Kaine though paid little attention to either of them still, seemingly now lost in thought as he continued to walk ahead.

To the rest of them, this was nothing less than a sad sight to see, as Kaine walked by his old friends…Yet neither of them acknowledged the other.

“They…a-abandoned him, didn’t t-they?” Lara mused in understanding.

“Yeah, I think they did.” Rey said, annoyance clear in her tone as she suddenly rushed forward, grabbing Kaine by the shoulder and stopping him.

His dreadfully cold eyes were glossed over with the fogginess of reminiscing, they seemed to look right through Rey as they befell her. Filling Rey with a cold chill.

“Now don’t get all relaxed cause your old mates are around, how about we get back into formation?” Rey said with a wide grin, “Never know when a fucking Elite might show up again.”

Her words seemingly dissipating the fogginess from Kaine’s eyes as he nodded, “You’re right, we’re not out of the jungle yet.” He agreed, glancing at the trees on either side of them.

Yeah, we’re his family now.

Jedd resolved herself, shaking the sorrow out of her own thoughts as she pumped her hand up. “Alright crows, re-enter formation!” She exclaimed in a commanding tone, “Butch, Nova, keep an eye on the trees. Everybody else keep your eyes peeled and ears open!”

“Y-Yes boss…” Butch growled as the worg then wandered off into the jungle to their left.

“Hmph, fine.” Nova said with clear annoyance, having ben fluttering overhead and watching them from above, she now soared into the treeline to their right. Disappearing out of sight as well.

“Yeah…might wanna do that.” Dark then mused as both him and Sin stopped, the entire party pausing in their steps then...

Seeing that just ahead, the jungle was suddenly coming to an end.

The treeline opening up as the river abruptly widened to twice its previous width, all of them now able to make out the tall cliff once hidden by the trees.

Seeing also that the river continued through the cliffs, flowing into a massive crack in the earth which loomed before them. It was a thin yet mightily tall canyon, the jungle seemingly continuing to grow into its rocky sides as well; roots running from one wall to the other all the way up to the very top of the cliffsides. Vines also hanging down like a curtain closing off the entrance into this eerie place.

“The living ravine?” Roy mused minutes later as they reached the entrance, a wall of vines laying before them.

The sound of whistling winds blowing through the ravine ahead filled their ears, as the vines waved back and forth. A cold breeze exiting the ravine sent the vines suddenly waving into their direction, like a breath being exhaled into their faces, the cold breeze filled each of them with a chill.

“We’re…supposed to find a city, in there?” Dark mused in disbelief.

“Ravenfell was found on the ceiling of a cavern, I wouldn’t be surprised.” Kaine mused as he stepped forth and through the vines. “It’s dark in here but I can sense better in darkness, so I’ll go on ahead. Come on.”

“W-Wait!” Rey exclaimed, but was far too late as Kaine disappeared into the wall of vines.

Each of them then glanced at one another, unsure of the unnerving ravine before them.

“Well, no point waiting around now is there?!” Jedd then suddenly said, “Onwards people, let’s go.” She announced, pulling Lara and Roy with as she also delved into the vines. The rest followed, albeit still remaining wary.

Kaine led the way now, as the further he moved the darker his surroundings got, a mass of vines falling all around him blocking out what little sunlight made it through the crack above.

“Damn its thick in here! See an end to this yet?” Farvo exclaimed as he trudged along with the rest, pushing aside vine after vine all the while trying not to slip over the smooth river surface beneath them. Finding their way through while trying to keep Kaine in sight, as most of them were still able to somewhat see in the dark.

Other than Lara…who had to hold onto Jedd tightly as not to get lost in the utter darkness she saw.

“Not yet…” Kaine answered, hearing his voice just a few feet ahead as only his movements through the vines was visible to them. The sound of splashing water and a whistling breeze the only things they heard before, “Oh…” He then said, going completely silent right after.

“What?” Rey asked, “’Oh’ What?!” She repeated when he did not answer.

Each of them then reaching the end of the mass of vines, exiting into the ravine proper as it expanded all around them.

Their eyes widening fully at the sight, as mossy roots growing into the ravine sides held up large trees which loomed over them, acting like a ceiling to the ravine and allowing no sunlight through.

Still there was light, as strange plants hung down from the tree’s own roots, ending in a golden bulb of brightness.

Falling all around the roots also were dozens of waterfalls, all along the ravine before them, as the river beneath them suddenly grew deeper and fiercer.

“Here, this way.” Kaine said, gesturing to the side as he pushed through the now waist-deep river. Watching as he passed under one waterfall, seemingly pulling himself up to some platform behind it which they hadn't noticed at all until he pointed it out.

Following him, each did the same.

Passing through the waterfall and drenching themselves in the meantime, they pulled themselves up to a ten feet wide pathway, which from looking ahead seemed to go along the canyon's side and rest just a few feet above the river’s surface.

Still able to fully see the river and trees above through the falling water to their left, they began to walk along the wet pathway. Stems ending in the bright bulbs of light growing along it and showing them the way as well.

“This…can’t be natural right?” Sin mused as she dragged her palm along the pathway’s rocky right wall.

“Well it doesn’t look hand-made either.” Farvo said as he inspected the wall and ceiling himself.

“These plants are giving off their own light too, so much for realism.” Rey chuckled as she flicked one bulb out of her way, a surge of energy then suddenly filling her arm. “Ow! Fuck…” Stepping back and away from the plant as its light flickered a few times.

“D-Did you…feel t-that?” Lara asked, glancing at Kaine. The both of them were now staring at the plant.

“Yeah…I don’t think any of this is natural.” Kaine mused, having felt the surge of energy he also knew what it was from his past experiences. “Those plants are filled with magical energy, this tunnel was probably artificially made with magic as well…”

“Guess w-we’re getting mighty close to the city then?” Rey mused as she held her now numb hand.

“Close indeed.” Suddenly spoke out a melodic voice, as each of their visions blurred, barely able to make out the figures swiftly stepping out of the waterfalls from their left.

Each reached for their weapons, watching as the tall green figures now surrounded them, but were unable to make them out as their senses turned numb, their minds filling with nausea and weariness as the world around them swirled.

“Wh-What? Who-” Jedd tried to ask, watching as Rey, Lara and Farvo passed out nearby.

Kaine struggled to keep his own eyes open as well, his vision clearing briefly, he made out some of the figures.

Tall humanoids with long pointed ears, pale skinned and wearing leafy clothing held together by vines and plant fibre. Each wielded long dark green spears ending in strangely metallic-looking leaves, the jagged blades now falling to point at him and his party.

The Elves surrounded them, as one by one they fell to the ground unconscious. Roy, Jedd, Dark and Sin being the next to fall as Kaine now stood alone and on one knee.

His vision blurring in and out as one of the figures approached him, kneeling down before him was the speaker, a tall female Elf with bright green short hair and piercing golden eyes. “Sleep, dark stranger. No harm will come to you…yet.” She spoke softly, her voice like a melody to his ears, causing his mind to relax.

Kaine saw her hand waving in front of his face, a spark of blue light flashing into his eyes causing him to release his own hands from gripping his weapons. The sensation of weariness becoming unbearable then, Kaine felt himself being unnaturally lulled into sleep.

“And welcome, to Calen’Ris.” She said, Kaine making out her thin smile just before the darkness of unconsciousness took him over.