They stared at the house in surprise, it was a miracle that they weren't close to the home. Ayden grabbed Sebastian by the arm. “ Did you know that would happen?” 

Sebastian shook his head, “ No of course not. There is something weird with this dagger your father gave me. It burned the spiders and I don't know what made them explode. I have no idea what this thing is!” 

He stared at the dagger in disbelief. Ayden picked up the little creature and placed them in her hair, “ Perhaps dad can explain it when we get back. Come on, it's late, let's find a safe place to sleep.” 

They walked in the dark looking for somewhere to sleep, the little creature glowed slightly in Ayden's hair, it seemed to be asleep. 

While walking they came across a hole in a tree in the woods. Ayden shined a flashlight on it checking if this hole isn't anybody's home.

“Coast is clear.” She said and they walked in. Pulling out sleeping bags from their bags they laid them down on the ground. There were some ferns and mushrooms in the tree's hollow but none that they were looking for. The mushrooms were in the colors pink and purple that glowed dimly.  

Ayden pulled some sticks together and sat down on her sleeping bag.

Sebastian laid out some books that were about history and held the flashlight in his mouth he read countless pages of the history of elves, witches, and everything in between. He turned to Ayden and asked, “ The book mentions that elves disappeared after the war, why?” Ayden shrugged “ Nobody knows. It's been an unsolvable mystery for ages.” 

Perhaps that was how the king won the war, he did something with the elves that made the magical people curse the forest, and boom war ended. 

“Hey, Sebastian?” Ayden asked Sebastian, looking up from his book, “ yeah?” 

“Do you think I killed the spider lady? I mean she was so nice and living and breathing. I think my dad would be mad at me..” She down and looked sad

“No of course not.” he said “ I was the one who killed her. your dad won't be mad, he gave me the dagger for a reason after all.

``Ayden looked up at him and smiled “ Yeah you're right! “ 

She turned at the pile of sticks. “ Man, it would be nice to have a fire.``

“ wouldn't it, should've brought a lighter or something.”

bushes nearby started to move. Sebastian grabbed his dagger and the little creature woke up and hid in a tiny hole in the tree. 

Ayden had her hands out ready to attack.

Coming out of the bushes was a white-haired boy with leaves in his hair. He turned around to look at the two teenagers, he looked around the same age as the two and was a bit taller than Sebastian. “ I’m so hungry,” he whined. 

Ayden used her plants to knock him down and yelled “ You will not eat us.” 

the boy struggled to get out and yelled back “ What the hell? Do you know who I am?” 

Ayden walked over to the boy and looked down at him “Should I?” 

The boy frowned “ Yes of course and if you let me go I will tell you."

Ayden looked at Sebastian and he only shrugged. She dragged the boy inside the tree and sat him down as the plants unraveled from him. 

Sebastian sat down next to the boy and asked him “ So who are you?” 

The boy said, “ I am the rightful heir of the house in Bleu Vert, Ethan, I am a prince you should have heard of me.” 

“Why is a stuck-up prince in the “cursed” forest? “ Sebastian asked 

Ethan gasped “ Stuck-up let me tell you this, I am the opposite of stuck-up. I am humble, nice, friendly, and most importantly humble!” 

“Dumb too,” Sebastian commented

Ayden laughed and walked up to him “You still didn't tell us why you are in the forest?” 

Ethan frowned, “ I don’t need to tell you anything.”

Ayden stared at him,”Tell us or-” 

“Ayden I think he is right."Sebastian said

“ So can your friend here not do magic or what?” Ethan asked

Ayden just shrugged, “ That's because Sebastian is a human.” 

Ethan backed away and pointed at Sebastian “What are you doing with a human, he is going to kill us!” 

Sebastian put his hands up and dropped the dagger. 

Ayden laughed “ Sebastian? Killing something? He can’t even look at a dead bug without looking green.”

 “ But you heard the stories about the humans, haven't you? They are evil” Ethan said panicking 

Sebastian rolled his eyes “ Dude I’ve been with Ayden, alone in the woods almost all day, and I haven't done anything. What does that tell you?” 

“That you waiting for the right moment to attack.,” he said 

Ayden retorted, “You need help.” 

Sebastian rolled his eyes “Listen if I do anything to hurt you or Ayden you can use your magic on me. Happy?” 

Ethan got more comfortable and the little creature came out of its hole to investigate the boy. The little creature flew around Ethan's head and sat on it. “ Um.. what is it?” Ethan asked.

Ayden and Sebastian shrugged “ We don’t know what it is but it's been following us.” Sebastian answered

The little creature flew back to Sebastian and rolled around like a little dog and slept on his head. 

Ethan clapped his hands together “ So do you have any food I’m hungry.” 

Ayden looked through her bag and grabbed a hotdog pack “ I have this, but we could use a fire..” 

She stared at her terrible makeshift fireplace.

Ethan smiled, walking up to the fireplace he hovered his hand at it flames appeared out of it and on the firepit. He turned around and smiled “Aren’t you glad Ethan came by to help you!”

Ayden clapped her hands “ Thank you so much! Fire magic! You’re an elemental too!” 

Ethan picked up a hot dog quietly.

The three teenagers ate their hotdogs and told goofy stories and theories about what the little creature could be, Ethan suggested it was a baby insect that was going to turn massive with poison fangs, Ayden suggested it was just a little guy who liked them, Sebastian thought it was some fairy. The other two laughed at that response. 

“You do know fairies are the worst right? “ Ethan said Sebastian tilted his head “ No what do you mean by that? “

“Thye take anything shiny and pull pranks on you when you're not expecting it like I said the worst.” 

“Hey, why don’t we tell spooky stories!” Ayden suggested 

“Didn't you have enough scares today?” Sebastian asked 

Ethan grinned “ Have you heard of the banned dark magic?”

Ayden and Sebastian shook their head no,

“Long time ago during the war, a group of necromancers tried to take over the world, causing the humans to go mad and blame them for all the troubles magical creatures did and started a whole world war, the necromancers tried to summon demons, and took out all the elves. So the king, my dear grandfather, banned necromancy as a whole. If you're a necromancer you have to go to the castle and get your magic removed. Those who didn't obey got sentenced to death.” 

Ayden shuttered “That's scary. I don't like ghosts and demons, they mean to destroy plants.” 

Sebastian picked at the dirt with the stick he previously used to cook his hotdog “They all can't be bad can they?”

Ethan shook his head, “That's it with you humans you don't understand, no Sebastian all necromancers are bad, they only want death and rule with their necromancer army.” 

Ayden yawned and lay down on her sleeping bag.

“The girls right, we should go to bed, night Sebastian. “

Ethan lay down on Sebastian's sleeping bag and fell asleep.

Sebastian sat for a bit and looked at the sky, wondering if this was a part of the puzzle. 

As he drifted to sleep he wondered how did the human race possibly win the war with demons now on the chessboard.