Continuing Through the Dark Trees
You shudder and proceed down the dark path after Icadia, still a bit disturbed from your meeting with a ghost. Imagine that! Straining your eyes in the darkness, you can barely make out the skeletal forms of the trees. Their limbs shiver in the strange, hot wind. You shudder a second time.
Suddenly, you catch a glimpse of two green eyes glowing at you from out of the darkness. As you squint into the darkness, you can just see the form of a dark, shadowy creature connected to the eyes. It looks like a grey and black wolf!
:Hello, human.: A deep, rumbling voice speaks in your mind. :I am Ok'tal, Zerruleii adult. You have heard of our kind?: At your shake of the head, he nods. :Humans tend to be ignorant like that. Zerruleii are wolf-like creatures that enjoy darkness and heat. We come in many different colours; I, as well as my brothers and sisters, are all grey. We like mist and smoke, when we can find it. During our night hours here, a very nice fog comes up. You ought to stop and see it at some point.:
'I, personally thought you would liven up the dragon's sulfer pools, plus you would have had the heat and mist.' Icadia smirks slightly. 'But those two prissy pixies would never have agreed.' Ok'tal makes a small coughing noise; you decide that it is laughter.
:I must get back to work. Good hunting, human,: Ok'tal calls to you. You wave farewell.
'Well, let's continue on.' You agree and, squinting, find the path. As you turn, your eye is caught by a tarnished sign, nailed to a tree: