[quote]“You don’t need to explain. You’ve earned a rest. I hope you don’t mind I keep you company until we next depart, dear.”[/quote] 

[color=ec008c]"I do not mind."[/color] Said the ranger, smiling. [color=ec008c]"I see that you are quite a collector yourself. Many jewelers and mages would pay a hefty price for it. I saw the other piece fly in that direction."[/color] 

The elven ranger pointed at a location under a tree on the left side of the road, where a gem was hidden beneath the blades of grass. 

Verdant returned, towing a half cart's worth of provision salvaged from their ill-fated transport. Stepan was the first to help her, followed by others to carry the goods to their next stop. 

It was a much-welcomed resource. While some of them were trained to survive in this kind of place, hunting takes time, and Vesemir would prefer their adventure not to be prolonged by menial tasks such as gathering food. 

"No sign of our coach?" Asked the old elf to Verdant while carrying a small sack of unknown grain. The youkai's answer was not a good one. "That's unfortunate." mused the scholar, and he did not speak about it again. 

After a long walk, they arrived at the site. Digenrana roughly meant Lonely Moon in elven, probably named so because from here, they could see the moon, stars, and the whole sky without being obstructed by encroaching branches. It was a quite large glade with mostly flat terrain, a perfect place to set up tents, make firewood, or just lie down on the carpet of grasses that covered the area. For a location situated in a so-called cursed forest, the glade seemed calm and welcoming. There was a small river at the side of it, and the water was swift and as clear as crystal. An apple tree in the northeast was bearing fruit, and the grass was short and neat as if the glade were a well-maintained garden. Maintained By who? Nobody knows, not even the elves know the answer; it had been like that since countless years ago.

[hider=Location][img]https://i.ibb.co/S7MbQ5d3/immerse-your-players-in-a-fantasy-forest-with-the-forest-v0-n3nyyvu0rhta1.jpg[/img][/hider]

It was 11:04 on the Ranger's pocket watch. The campfire was built, lit at an intensity that some may find unsatisfactory. 

[b]"Ain't gonna take a chance, lassie."[/b] Said Stepan, shaking his head as the ranger piled more wood into the small fire. "Shouldn't you be easy with it? Forest Guardians back then were no joke. Wouldn't want to draw their ire if I were you." 

[color=ec008c]"They are not as common as pebbles, and they don't just attack people over campfires."[/color] said the elf, casting a small fire spell to enhance the campfire's flames.

"They don't usually attack people in the outer forest either, yet they did a moment ago." deadpanned the masked elf, causing the ranger to let out an annoyed sigh. 

[color=ec008c]"Then we are screwed either way,"[/color] she replied. [color=ec008c]"If that's the case I'd rather sleep with some fire near me than nothing. Wake me up when they come, yeah?"[/color]

Stepan looked at the two inquisitively. One would wonder, did elves speak in a code language or something? Even a stupid could draw a conclusion that there was something terrifyingly unusual in the place that itself was naturally unusual. Why were they being targeted? Who was that dragon? Was it another usual or the unusual? He wondered if their boss Vesemir already calculated this, that was very unusual of him. Why did nobody speak about their encounter yet?"

[b]"That's one heck of a dragon..."[/b] He said finally. 

"Viladred'saca. That's the name I have heard before but no idea what it entails." Said Vesemir who walked toward them and then gestured for Stepan and the others to stand up rather insistently, much to their silent protest. Then he turned and clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention. "Speaking about knowing names, I believe we have not yet moved past the introduction yet. I, as some of you may have known, Vesemir Barandir, a humble archeologist. This is my secretary Eblana Lacquamarine. 

Vesemir's secretary was a young, blonde elven woman with golden eyes clad in a rather stylish sweater and knee-length grey skirt. When she smiled, she radiated a sense of friendliness that felt genuine.

"And, this is my old friend Stepan."

The grizzled mercenary managed to wave and smile awkwardly. Although the title of "friend" was open to interpretation, Stepan seemed to have been with Vesemir longer than anyone else, except perhaps Eblana. Many people often mistook him for a hired thug, and the scar on his face, particularly the crooked smile he often sports, did little to dispel that impression.

"And this is... err, he prefers to be called Mr. Mask. or Mr. Elc, if you want to." 

"A ranger, with side jobs."  Mr. Elc bowed politely, his mask still in place. It was difficult to determine whether the mask was a fashion statement or a necessity. The masked elf did resemble someone you can find in Varenheim's standing army; moderately athletic, with eyes sharp as knives, and looked like a person who knew much more than he let out. 

"Last but not least. Our Navigator Ms. Gilmariel."

[color=ec008c]"Jazdia would do."[/color] The last elf was a blonde with blue eyes that seemed to have lost their sparkle long ago. Her choice of attire was unusual: a blue blazer and shirt paired with a plain black skirt, leggings, and boots. She carried a seemingly elaborate quiver and a bow, giving off the impression of an office worker or a manager who suddenly grew bored and decided to grab a bow and embark on a dangerous journey on a whim.

"Miss Jazdia and I did not necessarily have similar goals, but our paths conveniently align. Ahem!"

After giving a moment for everyone to introduce themselves, he then continued. 

"Friends, I know we had a rocky start back then, but Praise be the Sun we managed to move past it with [i]almost[/i] no lives lost. Please make yourself comfortable, I know the food has been heavily rationed for four days, but today feel free to enjoy what we have. We will move tomorrow morning. In the meantime, don't hesitate to ask me anything."