Back in the abyss that Zarath and Sha’lara found themselves in Zarath’s dreams where interrupted yet again as he found himself waking in the strange room, he had made the faceless being before that claimed to be the creature of the blight, the former shadowy monster that once tried to consume him.

“You appear to be drawn to my creation or it to you a curious design though I suppose it may be because you are akin to a demi-god in such is your relationship with that pesky mutt that did nothing while I was imprisoned so long ago.” The shadow figure once again had grown more solid in its form, from its feet to its knees, an iridescent white and purple skin had seemed to form with constellation like patterns, as its hands fingers a burning white, and forearms the same purple iridescent color with starlike designs. His ears had grown to a point and its face was more defined though it still remined featureless.

“Each time I appear here you seem to grow more solid, and speak more fluidly, and you say your creation I already knew you created the blight.” Zarath remained calm, he had learned that this shadow had no intention of hurting him, he had no idea why this being was drawn to him or how he held such power over the world of dreams that belonged to his goddess. “I would not have thought you an elf.”

“Is that what I am, to be honest my kind existed long before the elves you know today every walked upon the soil of the great forest. No, my kind are closer to the gods made flesh, the first living beings of the world.” The being floated over to a nearby bookshelf grabbing a tome off the top shelf. Once again, the being seemed more interested in its work than it did the living person speaking with it.

“You’re a star touched aren’t you then?” Zarath slowly approached to see if he could at least get a glimpse of the words in the tome unlike his broken body in the living world in the dream realm he had a little more control given the amount of time he spent here.

“It would appear that you are more educated than I thought, I am surprised any one from your time knows that beings like me ever walked the world.” The being turned a few pages in the ancient tome.

“The Star Touched elves still exist the live in the floating islands beyond the great forest.” Zarath raised his brow did this being think his people were dead, what happened that this person was imprisoned for so long if he assumed the star touched elves were extinct.

The being slammed closed the tome and the whole room that made of this dream space shook violently as if trying to break apart but couldn’t, who ever built this prison inside the world of dreams knew what they were doing meaning it had to be a god or other star touched elves.

“So, the ones responsible for her death still dare to draw breath after all I did to get my revenge on them, it would seem that my work in the living world truly is not done yet.” The being’s voice seemed to lose its once gently and deep tone being replaced by the shadow form that once tormented Zarath in his dreams. Slowly returning to the more elvish form.

“Apologize I allowed emotion to control me for a moment, but as for the problem at hand, it would appear that you will need help, your body is broken and unfortunately your goddess can not help you here in this place.” The being’s voice took on a sinister tone as he outstretched his hand.

“What are you saying?" Zarath’s fur stood on end as he looked at the beings outstretched hand wary of the possible deal that this strange being who has tormented him and now offers help so readily.

“My creation was never meant to kill or corrupt like you and other mortals think, my Blight as you call it was the solution to weakness, you have already felt its influence the rush you feel when you hunt the increase in your speed, but you have yet to release its true potential.” The being floated closer.

“All you need to do is allow my creation to do what it was always meant to do.” The being’s voice seemed laced with honey and poison at the same time.

Zarath awoke with a jolt groaning as the pain flooded his body, his leg burning and throbbing in the makeshift splint that Sha’lara made for him, he gritted his teeth as he slowly sat up at some point while they were sleeping. Sha’lara shifted from sitting next to him to being draped over him.

          “Sha’lara hey wake up.” Zarath shook her slightly as he tried to get her weight off him. He was still weak after the fall and couldn’t do much about it.

          “Sha’lara wake up.” Zarath gave her a gently push, making her roll off him slightly which got her up. She grabbed her sides which still hurt.

          “Ok, ok I’m up, just stop pushing everything hurts right now.” Sha’lara looked even more tired than she did before their rest, it was possible she might have an internal injury that neither her nor Zarath could do anything about.

          Slowly the two of them got up and made a quick and minuscule breakfast of some of the supplies they found, Sha’lara helping Zarath up and supporting his weight so he didn’t need to put pressure on his injured leg she winced at first only confirming Zarath’s suspicion that she was more injured than she looked but at this point there was little they could do since she was the only one that could really move around. The had managed to find a small path that lead upwards away from the blackness of the rocky shore in the abyss luckily since they were both beast folk they could see in the dark better than humans, elves and dwarfs the hardest part was trying to no slip on the wet slopped rocks that made up the path.

          “About how far do you think we fell, or any clue as to how we are going to get back to the main tunnel once we get up there.” Sha’lara asked between labored breaths as she tried to climb up one particularly slick rock Zarath pushing her up from below as she pulled herself up onto it.

          “Honestly I have no idea Sha’lara, maybe once we get closer we can pick up a scent or find a map, lets just hope to what ever gods are watching that we don’t run into any more blighted.” Zarath winced as Sha’lara pulled him up onto the rock by his arms his side burning with each stretch of his muscles the wound in his side most likely infected.

          “For a rash… what ever you call it you’re not a very devout paladin of your god or goddess, Zarath.” Sha’lara fell back onto her rear when she finial managed to get Zarath onto the rock next to her.

          “Lets just say as someone who has spoken to literally gods, my relationship with them is not on the best of terms.” Zarath panted as he tried to catch his breath of step every climb was exhausting for the both of them.

          “You make it sound like you’ve actual been in the realm of the gods but only magic users can cross over the veil and into the world of dreams as the humans call it.” Sha’lara leaned back as she caught her breath and slowly stood up, she waited for Zarath to respond but no answer ever came.

          “Wait have you seriously been to the realm of the gods?” Sha’lara asked a bit surprised she knew Zarath had taken an oath of a paladin but usual only high religious figures or high ranking paladins have every spoken to actual gods and even then those few who did where considered hero’s and the last known person to do it was a human priest who died during the last blight.

          “Lets just focus on getting out of this ravine first and I might tell you more about it later.” Zarath used the rock to help him get up looking at Sha’lara the Felinar princess was for the first time speechless and didn’t have a witty remark to make, but then again given the situation they were both in right now not even Zarath was in the mood for their usual back and forth.

          As the two of them began to work up the slipper rocks again they had made decent progress at least a third of the way up or maybe half it was hard to know or tell when they had no idea how far they had fallen to begin with. All they could do was hope that they would reach the top and find a path back to the surface world or near another dwarven settlement or even better a dwarven outpost with soldiers that could help them fight, if need be, against the blighted or any other creatures that would happily make a snack out of two wounded teenage beast folks.

          After about another hour or so of climbing the two had managed to make it a decent sized ledge, Sha’lara helped Zarath prop up against the rock wall away from the edge and started to make a small fire with some of the scrap wood that she salvaged from the broken wagon, a once wet canvas fabric still slightly torn was used as a makeshift blanket for the two of them to share, while Zarath took some of the dried meat and tore it in half, they had limited supplies and had to make what they had last until they could find more or get help.

          ‘here this should at least be enough to keep the hunger at bay for a little while.” Zarath handed Sha’lara the larger of the two halves already putting the smaller piece in his mouth.

          “You should have the larger piec..” Zarath shoved the larger half into Sha’lara’s mouth before she could finish her sentence.

          “Look right now you are in better shape than I am, if we get attacked I really can’t do anything with this hole in my side and a broken leg, so you need to eat more I will be fine with the smaller pieces for now ok.” Zarath showed no sign of giving in on this subject as he started to chew the piece in his mouth, but he was right the only one that could fight right now was Sha’lara and she knew it as well as he did that he wouldn’t be doing much of any thing unless they could get some healing magic or potions.

          “Alright fine but the next time we stop you get the bigger half ok I don’t want to drag your corpse out of her.” Sha’lara tried to bite back but there was no real venom in that remark as she pulled her knees up to her chest and began to eat her piece of meat.

          Eventually the two of them curled up under neath the makeshift canvas blanket, despite the fact that it was probably midmorning or midday it was hard to tell in the dark of the ravine or underground anyway, the two of them knew that this was going to be a marathon not a sprint and that they would need all the energy and resolve the could muster so stopping regular to take naps or eat would be what would make or break them in this journey out of hell.

          Sha’lara easily dozed off as she had to do a lot more of the heavy lifting right now to pull and help Zarath climb up the slipper rocks, Zarath on the other hand was having trouble trying to keep himself from nodding off as he didn’t want to enter the realm of dreams again where that strange being that clams to be the one that created the blight or his adoptive goddess mother who only tells him half the truth majority of the time, despite his best efforts to stay awake having Sha’lara right next to him made it impossible to stay awake, maybe it was the warmth of her body or just the fact he wasn’t alone in this place but for some reason he felt he could let his guard down around her even if she was a prissy Felinar princess.

                    After a few hours of sleep the two began to climb again, after a few more hours of climbing they finally began to see light above them moving closer to the edge.