《Young one, I need time.》Ila moved her head from resting on her paws to face her young ward, her golden eyes staring intently at her young ward.《And it seems that you need time as well.》

Ali was standing before the giant Amorok, which seemed as if it had grown larger than the last time she saw it.

The moon remained changed from the day before, it ominously hung in the sky saturating everything with a blueish tint that almost seemed malicious, even in her dream she could feel the force of it's dark intent pressing down on her.

Over the last few days she would find herself wrapped in a task or test Ila set forth for her in the way of training but this time the Amorok sat still at the entrance to its den.

"Giant horned rabbits are attacking my home. I need your help."

《No, I know of the creatures you speak and while true they would attack, you are not the type of thing they would bother with, you nor your manthing companions unless...》

Before Alice could continue with her argument for aid.

《I believe that you have a more pressing problem at the moment. I cannot aid at this time. So grow strong young one.》

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Alice awoke to fire.

Rising from the walls in disproportionate heat and stinging smoke that seemed to peel off the walls the fire spread, slowly turning her once colorful room charred black before her eyes.

'This is a nightmare', it was the only thing that filled Ali's mind.

She was having a nightmare.

The sting of the smoke assaulting eyes made it feel so real.

"ALI!!!!"

The shout was all she needed to knock her out of her daze.

Gabbing her phone and dialing the emergency number while stumbling into her old pants as fast as she could she all but tripped her way through her bed room door.

"MARY, BYRAN, SHAWN! THE FARM'S ON FIRE!" Ali yelled as she left her room. The passageway wasn't completely on fire but she could hear the sound of fire extinguishers being used.

Ali rushed into the nearby bathroom, put some water on a used tee shirt and covered her mouth and nose with it.

"If you're going to make an appearance, now is definitely the time." Ali said to the mirror but only seeing her own reflection and nor even a shimmer of anything else.

With nothing happening in the mirror, Ali went down the stairs to help deal with the fire.

------------

Only a few hours before.

Ali couldn't remember the last time she just had to deal with normal problems, it was a refreshing change over the last few days.

The contract for the farm next door had already been signed by both herself and the widow and it was only the bank that had delayed the sale.

She left a message for the Cord or at least she hoped it was the right number.

After that and a big celebratory meal of what ever was left in the fridge and their own cider.

Ali and the others called it a night.

------------

Smoke and other fumes filled the room making her cough despite the wet cloth covering her face, tears formed in her eyes as she struggled to battle the fire.

"We should get out of here, the fire service should be on the way." Mary shouted over the spray of the fire extinguishers that she and Bryan were holding, meanwhile Shawn was filling pots from the sink throwing out water onto the nipping flames.

"Let's go." Shawn said making his way through the front door, he then abruptly stopped without warning almost if he'd walked into a wall.

At first Ali thought he was having trouble with his leg but then beyond him looking out from the trees was a face that Ali thought she would never see again, unless it was a nightmare.

The man she fought with once before.

The same man she'd found dead in the middle of the night.

Was standing there smirking at her while playing with what looked to be a lighter.

As their eyes locked his smirk grew into a fanged smile.