Somewhere to the west a wolf howled. It was dark. Lonna was alone now. The others, including that charred man, were leaving. Lonna turned north and began to walk towards the forest. She made sure to keep a watch behind in case the other mage tried something, but they quickly vanished into the darkness without incident. She was already at the far end of the battlefield, so it wasn't long before Lonna left the carnage behind. It wasn't far to the forest.

As a child, Lonna had often snuck into the forest when she thought she could get away with it. She loved the peacefulness she felt there. But she had never come so far out alone nor had she ever been out in it alone past dark. Now she felt none of the peace of her childhood.

Emily sighed and glanced at the clock. It was just about quarter to 5. Only 15 minutes until her shift was up. An old station wagon with faux wood sides pulled up to the drive-through. She put on her best fake smile and tried to ignore the ache in her feet as she greeted the customer. “Welcome to Carl's Jr. May I take your order?” The order was a double cheeseburger, salad, ice tea and an extra large Mountain Dew.