Travelling for a day and a half, the party stopped at a clearing in the far forest.

Corrin looked up to the bright moon above her. It followed her through the trees and brush, always watching. Holding her hand up it felt as if she could puck the moon from out of the night sky. Making a fist, she covered the apple-sized moon from out of her sight. The moon was much larger than she had realized, or perhaps in the dark woods it was more visible and clearer.

Beneath her feet the Bluestone Pendant's trail of light still led on through the endless woods. The massive pillar of light at the end of the trail still stood tall in the distance, reminding Corrin of how far they still had left to travel.

"We should set up camp here." said Letto to Barkon, requesting a break.

Barkon sighed and lowered the bag of supplies hanging over his shoulder.

"Chief Bagala. How do you feel about resting here for the night?" said Barkon to his elder.

"Barkon, you are the Sozo- the leader of this hunting party. The decision is up to you." said Bagala.

"You have hunted many more years than I have. Let us follow in your footsteps." said Barkon.

Chief Bagala placed his tall wooden staff in the soft soil of the glade, propping up his lantern to shine over the forest clearing providing light for the hunters to set up camp in.

"It will do just fine." said the Chief with a big toothless grin.

Corrin rested her aching feet as she sat cross legged on the soft brown soil in the glade. Her feet were sore from the long journey through the forest, worn from stepping on thick roots, stones, and logs over long hours without rest.

"This glade should make for a great camp." said Barkon.

Barkon and Che began to pile up large stones into a circle.

"We will make the firepit here. It is far enough from the grass." said the Chief.

Che and Barkon looked at each other. They already knew where to build the fire, but it made the Chief feel good to be of service after so many years retired from hunts.

"Yes, Chief. Good idea." said Barkon, bowing his head to Bagala.

Letto climbed up into a nearby tree and laid alone, nestled into the thick bed of branches. He began to play a song on his homemade bamboo flute. As a navigator he was free from the burdens of setting up camp and free to do as he pleased for the time. Nothing relaxed him more than the soothing sounds of his instrument.

The lulling notes of Letto's music brought chills to Corrin. A tingling sensation crawled along her body as the notes made their way to her ears. The song was gentle and beautiful. It made the forest glade feel like a dream. She couldn't help but shed a joyous tear.

The hunters stopped for a moment to listen to his song, distracted from their duties.

Breid closed his eyes and kneeled in the soil, relaxing in harmony.

Bonoto and Ninn continued on with their duties, gathering herbs and tinder. 

Corrin and the hunters clapped loudly as his first song ended.

"That was great!" said Graine, clapping loudly.

"Please. Don't let my music distract you from your camp duties. We are will go hungry without that fire," said Letto as he took his lips off of the flute.

The hunters shook their heads and laughed aloud.

"Let's get this fire going already!" said Barkon.

Breid and Graine ventured through the surrounding field of grass towards a nearby thicket of trees, gathering kindling and wood for the fire. Breid's lantern staff shined in the dark, scaring small critters and deer from out of the tall green grasses.

After returning lumber and kindling, Ninn and Bonoto began to start the fire.

Bonoto placed bunches of dry grass in the center of a tent of small dry sticks while Ninn struck a small flintstone against his Aurana blade, releasing sparks at the tinder- which caught into flames.

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The hunters rested at the bonfire. They sang songs, cooked foods and played old Asla'ati games like matching symbols on flat stones. The large fire was covered with searing meats and hot iron pots and pans. The pots were full of rice, and stews, and one with boiling water for tea. The pans fried bread and baked goods for desert. Corrin smelled the meats and watched as they cooked in the fire, mouth watering.

Chief Bagala sat beside the fire, cooking the meals for his crew with Ninn's help.

Impatient, Corrin filled her empty wooden bowl with rice and dumplings. Without sparing a moment, she began chowing down beside the fire, and only stopping briefly to reach in to refill her empty bowl or to grab some fried bread and cooked meat.

"Everyone dig in!" said Ninn as he filled his wooden bowl with stew.

Bonoto and Breid wrestled for first in line as Barkon jumped ahead of them, grabbing a huge slab of cooked meat. A big hardy laugh followed as Barkon watched Breid's face drop- that was the slab of meat he had his eye on.

Graine and Lief watched, with their jaws on the floor, as Corrin shoveled rice into her mouth while tearing into meat and swallowing it all down at once.

"It's so good!" said Corrin, smiling at Chief Bagala.

"Thank you, my Princess. I'm glad you like my old-fashioned cooking." said Chief Bagala

"We should really consider naming you Chef Bagala!" said Corrin, talking with her mouth full of food.

"She sure can eat." said Graine to Lief.

"Yeah, but where does she put it all?!" said Lief, "She's as skinny as a toothpick."

The hunters rested quietly after dinner, exhausted from the journey. Letto still played his flute in the background as Graine played Asla'ati sports against Ninn, Bonoto and Breid. Chief Bagala took an early nap, while Barkon and Che discussed the hunting plans drawing lines in the sands and banterings to each other.

Lief poked his head from out of the swaying moongrass, sneaking behind Corrin. Slowly moving closer and closer to Corrin, Lief hoped to surprise her and catch her off guard.

The creaking sounds of small twigs snapping under Lief's feet alerted Corrin's finely tuned ears, causing her to turn with a smile.

"Are you trying to scare me?" said Corrin.

Lief shook his head back and forth.

Corrin narrowed her eyes at him.

"Okay, I might've been." said Lief admitting defeat.

"You know, I'm not easily scared!" said Corrin.

Lief smiled as he ducked back into the moongrass, disappearing into the dark green field.

Corrin stood up, and jumped into the grass, dipping into the sea of green.

The tall moongrass made for an excellent bed when pressed down. It was soft to the touch like silk but cushiony like a sack stuffed with wool and cotton when flattened.

Corrin laid in the bed of grass staring at the bright stars in the sky beside Lief.

"The stars are wonderful." said Corrin, watching as stars shot across the skies in vivid colours.

Lief looked at Corrin and looked back up to the stars, "They are, aren't they."

Corrin closed her eyes, falling asleep in the bed of grass to the sounds of Letto's flute.

In the morning Corrin sat beside the smoldering coals of the fire waiting for the sun to rise, but it never came. She watched as the large moon dipped beneath the horizon, taking its moonlight with it and disappearing from her sight. Turning around, Corrin waited hoping to see the sun rise on the other side, but it wouldn't show. With the moon gone, it had become even darker than before.

The Sunless Lands were true to their name. There would be no sun in these lands. It didn't matter how far they travelled. Lanterns and torches would be the hunters only source of light.

"We aren't too far from our destination." said Letto as he emerged from the tall moongrass with his lantern staff in hand.

Corrin turned in Letto's direction and quickly shook Barkon awake, who slept near the fire on the soft soil. She thought she was the only one awake this early in the morning, but had forgotten to check if Letto was in his tree.

"I scouted the region this morning. We aren't far at all." repeated Letto as he tossed fresh demon meat into the smouldering firepit.

"Where'd you get that meat?" asked Corrin.

"Hunted it." replied Letto as he handed Corrin his bow.

"Have you never used a bow?" asked Letto.

"No." replied Corrin as she looked it up and down.

"One day you'll need to learn to hunt for your own meat." said Letto as he pierced the meat with a stick and rested it in the hot coals of the fire.

The Asla'ati hunters continued on into the far, far forest.

Leaning down, Letto pulled up a handful of soil from the forest floor. The soft brown dirt sprinkled to the floor between his fingers.

"This is the end of safe passage." said Letto, "We approach Oronin territory."

"Be wary and agile, my friends," said Barkon, "Oronin do not treat Asla'ati kindly."

Corrin stepped behind Graine, and peered into the brush looking for eyes watching back.

"Are you scared?" asked Graine.

"No," she replied.

Corrin lied through her teeth. She was shaking and trembling. The far forest had an eery feeling to it. Not only was it dark and full of creatures and demons, but no sun shined on their backs.

Asla'ati revered the sun. It provided them strength and nutrients. In the legends it was told that whatever the sun touched with its warm embrace was the Asla'ati rightful inheritance and while the sun shined on the Asla'ati they were immortal.

Letto continued to lead the hunter's forward, climbing up rocky hills and across rivers, thick logs and bent-over trees. The hunter's travelled on, only stopping to relight their lanterns and oil their torches.

The grounds of the Hamatsa demon were nearing. He recalled the markings left on the trunks of the trees and recognized the faint footprints of the hunters from before.

"It is not far now," announced Letto as he pressed his hand against a large tree, which had damaged bark and sap pouring down the trunk, "The hunt took place on these grounds. This slash on the trunk was left by the demon."

The sound of a hissing cat screeched alone in the quiet forest, followed by the sounds of several other cats hissing from behind the party.