Wallace seemed to consider Draxly's words while Forest and Helena exchanged curious glances. The twins seemed to have grown bored with the grown up talk and had now taken to openly gawking at Draxly and Lagdon. I had become so desensitized to being around the two races that I forget that others may find it fascinating to just have monsters hanging out in their homes. Glady was still staring at me, which was a little discomforting.

Wallace turned his gaze my way. "If what you say is true, and you have no ill will toward my people... well, I would first have to discuss it with the other representatives of the village, but I can't imagen them not accepting your terms. I would be honored to be a part of the growing nation you seem to envision. We demi-humans, especially those like the kobolds who look less human than most, tend to be shunned by both humans and monsters a like. It would be a welcome reprieve to secure a future for my people where all races are loved equally beneath our god."

He made it sound so grand and poetic, while in my own head my ideals sounded rather juvenile. Like a kindergartener wishing that everyone could just play nice on the school grounds. Still, it was my hope that all the races of this nation, no matter their backgrounds, could come together and help the place thrive. After all, I was going to be a big part of this place- with any luck- for a near inconceivable amount of time. The less in-fighting the better. Besides, if all the races of monster and demi-humans alike, could pool their resources and talents, I was sure that we could make this place as prosperous as any human nation. And eventually, I would like to have good relations with our human neighbors as well. Was it a lofty and infantile dream? Probably, but hey, I had to start someplace right?

"And your offer to care for our people during this time is exceedingly generous." Stated Helena, her eyes a little dewy with her emotions. I could tell that these people had been living in fear for quite some time now, unsure if they would even live to see tomorrow, much less a bright future.

"Yes, on that fact I can accept your offer straight away." Agreed Wallace, and I saw Shill's shoulders slump in relief. "Whether the others agree or not, the safety of my people is of greatest importance. I will order the evacuation of the tow come morning, if that is agreeable to you, Lady Enna."

I was surprised that he thought he could get it done so fast. But, then again, if anyone could die at any moment, I was sure that any one of the kobolds would be eager to escape that fate. I nodded my agreement to the mayor. "Of course, I will leave it to you. I also think the faster we get this done the better. Shill has not had much information to provide on the threat your people face, maybe you could tell us more about what it is that has been stalking your people?"

Wallace sighed, looking more at ease but still fearful. He filled his glass once again before taking a seat next to his wife. "It is not just us. We have seen the desiccated corpses of monster over time as well. It seems that this Specter- as the people have come to call it- is not very picky in what it likes to consume."

"And you believed that it is eating these people and monsters then?" Asked Lagdon in his deep and commanding voice.

Wallace looked at him nervously but answered all the same. "Of a fashion, yes." He said . "All the bodies we find are mere husks of bone and flesh. But the specter seems to leave anything weak alone. Weak in life force that is, not necessarily in power. After all, we kobolds are about as powerless as a species as one can get. But, like every other creature of intelligence, we have strength of spirit."

"You think it is the energies that this Specter is after?" Asked Draxly, before I could. It was a worrying fact, and one I felt myself taking great offence too. The energies of this land and its people were mine. Mine to care for and mine to direct for the betterment of everyone. I had no idea if i could just suck the life out of my people, and I had no wish to find out either. But the fact that someone was, and right in my own backyard, was very insulting and disconcerting.

"That is the theory we have been able to come up with. And no normal monster could have the power to do that either. It also begs the questions of: Why does this creature need this energy? And why now?"

"Maybe it is new to the forest?" I asked. "Perhaps it also fled from Barsole and decided that the Dark was a safe place to set up camp."

"Perhaps..." Said Wallace, but he did not sound convinced, tapping his fingers on his glass.

"But you think not?" Asked Lagdon.

"No. It is hard to explain, but the Dark has a sense about it. A feeling of dense energies that it exudes at all times. Part of that power feels ancient and untouchable, maybe even older than Aeros himself. But the other part of it is all him. We believe that much of Aeros' excess energies had been deposited here, in the Dark."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. I knew that the dragon was crazily strong, but was he so briming with power that it just spilled out of him? that just made me even angrier at the stupid dragon! He had so much power that it was just left to waste. Imagen what he could have been doing with it! Heck, I had very limited stores but I like to think that I at least helped a little in the growth of this land so far. And Aeros was just content to sit on his mountain and let these poor monsters worship him in hopes of just a scrap of favor. What a jerk.

"Dragons are highly magical creatures." Explained Lagdon at my right shoulder. "And the most ancient of them as well. There are not many left, and most of the ones who are have become gods in their own rights. Or at least looked at as if they are gods. There are not many left and most are pretty inactive now. But they are literal sources of magical and spiritual energies. the very make up of this world."

Wallace nodded. "It is said that if all the dragons were to die, then this world would die too. Just as a plant would die with out sun or water. They may be flying, fire breathing disasters, but they are an integral part of this world. Luckily they do not move from their slumbers too often."

"Yes. but they do leak energy. It has long been though that Aeros had been funneling that power into the Dark..."

"We were of the same mind. We kobolds are not gifted in the use of magic, but we are highly sensitive to it, being able to pick out a person by their magical signature. And the Dark is rank with Aeros' power."

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"What does that have to do with the Specter?" I asked.

"Lady Enna, has anyone ever told you how monsters are made?" Asked Draxly seriously.

I almost blushed. I did not need a 'Birds and the Bees' talk right now. "They are born." I said, maybe a little defensively given i was not fond of being made to feel stupid. "I have seen the pregnant women and have felt the birth of children."

As a land god I am connected to the flow of magical and spiritual energies of this land. I can sense, in the back of my mind, both the coming and going of life of the people under my care. Even the lesser monsters and the animals, to a feint extent. the greater the energies within the individual, the stronger the impact. As well as the closer the tie to me they possess. I am much more closely connected to the foxes and goblins than the other creatures because, through my will and the powers collected from this land, I evolved them. It was like a part of me lived inside of them. I suppose it was like how Wallace said that a part of Aeros was within the Dark.

"Yes. But, unlike humans and Demi-humans, we monsters did not evolve into existence over millennia." Continued Draxly.

Helena nodded. "It is why many nations do not accept monsters, even those as intelligent as your friends here." She said, nervously indicating the two imposing figures behind my chair. "many people- especially humans- see them as unnatural, and the product of bad magical energies..."

"How do you mean?" I asked. This was all news to me.

"The core of all monsters is in the energies of this world. Where it pools and builds is where monsters tend to emerge. The greater the density, the greater the power or number of monsters created. It is why many see things like Dragons as the source of monsters. We literally spring up from their excess power. Once formed, many can then reproduce on their own. But, initially, we are created from energy. It is why monsters can grow and change so easily from it. Just like how you evolved us."

That opened up so many questions though! "Wouldn't all monsters be different though?" I asked. Or maybe they were created in a single batch then spread throughout the world. Its not like the only goblins in existence lived here in the Monster Nation, after all.

"It is the system the true gods created." Explained Wallace. "It is they who set about the fundamental laws of this world. Fire burns. Water is wet. The wind blows and plants grow. And Monsters are spawned when certain conditions are met. I can not say I know what even a quarter of those conditions are..."

"From what we know," Said Draxly. "It is that specific environments are more likely to spawn specific monsters. Just like specific circumstances activate evolutions in monster."

"When not aided by a land god." Added Lagdon.

Ah. So, kind of like goblins spawned in caves sort of thing. And monsters normally did not evolve all at once like mine did; that was due to my interference. Normally it was very rare for monsters to reach an evolutionary stage and, what could I say, I guess I liked to bend the rules a little.

"So, what you are saying is that...?" I said, quietly, an idea forming in my mind.

"Yes, this specter is likely a new, powerful monster born of the left over essence of Aeros abandoned in the Dark."

"But what would it be then? What kind of monster I mean? I am the first to admit that I am no expert in the matter, but I haven't heard of a creature that can suck the life out of others." I said, rather horrified. What if Aeros just had nasty pools of his power spread all over this nation, just waiting to form into even nastier beasties?

"I doubt that it a species related monster." Sighed Glady, shaking her head sadly.

"What?" Again i had no clue what was being said. As soon as we made contact with a nation of readers I was investing in a great many books. I felt so ill informed on everything in this world. Mostly because I was.

"It is rare, but some times unique monsters can be formed from such situations," Explained Wallace. "Very rare in fact. But if I had to make a guess it would be that."

"In other words, we could be dealing with just about anything?" I sighed, frustrated.

"Precisely."

"I don't like it." Growled Lagdon, arms folded across his massive chest and eyes now glaring at the curtained window. "The faster we get away from here the better."

"I agree." I said, still annoyed.

"But?" Sighed the hobgoblin prince, knowing me too well.

"But." I said. "This is not a problem we can just ignore. If this Specter is stealing power from others, on top of what ever remnant left behind by Aeros, then it is clearly up to something. Something that can only mean trouble for us all. I don't like it. Not one bit." Frustrated, I glared at the fire place before addressing Wallace. "So long as you agree, I suggest that as soon as it is safe, we get the village packed up with the necessities and begin the evacuation. Every night spent here is another life we risk. But before we move off, I need to enter the Dark and get at least a partial read on what it is we are facing." Sensing Lagdon's displeasure, I cut him off before he could lecture. "No, this needs doing Lagdon. You and Draxly can come with me while Wallace and his kobold leaders organize the masses. I will not be going in far and I will only need a couple minutes. Then we get out of there as fast as we can."

Lagdon still wasn't happy, but he did not argue. The monsters may protest my more dangerous decisions from time to time, but they rarely argued with me any more.

After that, the conversation turned to the mundane technicalities of moving an entire village in one go. Glady fell asleep on one of the couches, and the twins were tucked in, in a corner of the room on a makeshift mattress. Forest managed to stay awake with us, clearly both interested and eager to be of aid to his father and his people.

Had I needed sleep any longer, then I may very well have fallen asleep. There wasn't much I could contribute to the topic. I was even debating drifting off into my inner sanctuary, getting a sense of the mood of the people I had left behind. It would not provide specific information, but I would at least know if the groups were in distress or not.

However, just as the thought had crossed my mind, and I started to close my eyes to drift off, a piercing, heart breaking screech ripped through the night. Instantly we were all on our feet. Draxly and Lagdon hurried to the window, pulling aside the curtain and attempting to see through the fog. Helen rushed to her husband while Forest went to comfort his now awake and crying brother. Glady nearly fell off the couch.

Another scream was quickly followed by two more distinctly different ones and my blood ran cold. Clearly one of the families in the village were under attack.

"We need to help!" I gasped, horrified.

Instantly Lagdon was at my side, clearly determined to put a stop to me if I tried making a break for the front door. But it was Wallace who hurried to block my exit this time.

"Sorry Lady Enna." He said, pale and shaking and half my height. "This upsets us too. But no good can be had by attempting to rescue them. The Specter works fast, and any who have tried to rush to another's aid before have also turned up dead the next day."

I didn't want to accept that. I wanted to run out of this mansion and find the people who were being attacked. But it was no good. There was one last, gut wrenching shout, then silence besides the weeping of the twins in the corner and the shushing noises their brother was using to calm them down. As Wallace had said, the attack had ended as soon as it had begun. I cursed, spinning on my heel and flopping back into my chair.

"Has the creature had its fill then?" Asked Draxly, his cool and indifferent words hiding the rage I could tell was burning inside of him.

All Wallace could do was shrug weakly, rubbing the arms of his silently weeping wife. "There is no way to know for sure. the Specter usually attacks only once, but there have been a few nights when it has come multipole times. It is best to just stay indoors and hope the sun comes up soon."