The Forest of the Lost is named as such for a good reason. With its thick dense trees and wildflowers littering the ground, it makes it very hard to navigate one's way through it. Ridley sat on a fallen log, eating a bit of dried meats and stale bread. He pulls out a piece of paper and a pen and starts to write.

“My dearest little sister.” He starts. “It has been several years since I last saw you and father. The war had taken its toll on me and I could not bear the nightmarish horrors that I have endured. By now you’ve probably already heard rumors of my desertion. It is all true. I am sorry. I have had enough of war for one lifetime. But now I seem to have gotten myself very lost.” Ridley wrote as he looked up at the trees around him. “As unbelievable as it may, I have entered into a strange fairytale with strange folks. As of now, I am attempting to get myself back home to see you and father once again. The world I have landed myself in is one you would definitely like. It is full of elves, don’t call them elves, and mythical beasts. I will write to you more when I can but for now I must find what I am looking for in this forest. I will keep my promise and return to you both one day.” Ridley wrote. He placed the pen down and read over his letter one last time before folding it and putting it back in his bag.

“Now I just have to-FUCKING FIND MY WAY OUT OF THIS GOD FORSAKEN WOODS!” Ridley shouted up into the trees. He grabbed his bag and started to walk.

“Fucking woods. Fucking trees. I hate it.” He grumbled to himself as he kicked up a pile of leaves.

“Are you lost?” A tiny voice whispered into Ridley’s ear. Ridley spun around. His eyes darted back and forth in confusion.Nothing. A cool breeze gently brushed against his face. He wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Ah christ now the trees are fucking talking to me.” RIdley said as he frantically looked around.

“Not the trees. Only me.” The tiny voice whispered. Ridley spun around again, this time drawing his sword. Still there was nothing.

“Are you the business partner Gizmo told me about? Where are you? I don’t like games.” Ridley said. He only heard giggling. He let out a grunt of frustration. “Come on out now! Tired of this whimsical shit.” He shouted.

“Ah, but I wanted to play.” The tiny voice said with disappointment. “Oh I know what. Let’s make a deal.”

“No. No deals.” Ridley said as he attempted to follow the voice once again.

“Ah, then I can not help Gizmo’s little lost friend.” The voice said in a taunting tone.

Ridley blinked a few times and sheathed his sword.

“Just out of curiosity. If I were trying to look for something or go somewhere. And agreed to play. What kind of games would we play?”

“Word games and puzzles.” The tiny voice cried out with joy. “I like those.”

“And if I lose?” Ridley asked.

“We can work something else out.” The voice said. “First round. Riddles.”

“Great…” Ridley mumbled to himself in a sarcastic tone.

“At night they come out without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?” The voice asked.

Ridley blinked a few seconds and then scrunched his eyebrows in thought.

“Come out at night and by day they are gone…” He said as he paced a little bit.

“Tick tock tick tock.” The voice said.

“Hey! I’m trying to think. Didn’t know there was a time limit.”

“Well next time you should have asked what the rules were. Tick tock tick tock.”

Ridley let out a grunt of frustration as he flung his arms in the air. He could feel the tension building and building as the imaginary clock counted down.

“DING!” The voice shouted out. “Do you have an answer?”

Ridley hastily looked around.

“Uh, yeah I got an answer.” He said. Silence draped over the area. “It’s the stars.” He finally guessed.

“DING DING! Correct!” The voice called out cheerfully. “Next riddle.”

“Wait what?” Ridley said. But the voice continued.

“Who makes it, has no need of it. Who buys it, has no use for it. Who uses it can neither see nor feel it?”

“What the fuck is that suppose to mean?” Ridley shouted out.

“Tick tock tick tock.”

“Oh goddamn it.” Ridley said as he rubbed his head. “Uhh...let’s see. What can you make but no need and buys and can’t use? That’s flipping crazy.”

“Tick tock tick tock.”

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Ridley let out a groan. “AH! I got it! A ship!”

“BZZZZZZZZZZ! Wrong! Last riddle.”

Ridley kicked a stone in anger. “Damnit!” He shouted.

“The cost of making only the maker knows. Valueless if bought, but sometimes traded. A poor man may give one as easily as a king. When one is broken, pain and deceit are assured. What is it?”

Ridley paused for a moment. “Uhh...The cost of making only the maker knows. Something something when broken pain and deceit are assured.” Ridley said as he rubbed his forehead.

“Time’s up!” The voice called out. Ridley spun around.

“Bullshit! I had less time than the others. Where are you!?”

“The time for the last riddle is always less than the first two. You should have asked for the rules.”

Just then, Ridley felt a physical presence behind him. He quickly turned around and was met by a strange woman. She had light pink skin with deep dark blue eyes, bleach white hair and pointed ears. Her scarlet lips curled with excitement. As fast as Ridley could anticipate she struck out her hand and dove it into his bag; pulling out the letter he just wrote.

“The answer was a promise.” She said as she took a few steps back. She dangled the letter from the tips of her fingers in a mockingly manner. Ridley reacted in blind anger and tried to snatch the letter but the woman was quicker than him and before Ridley knew it, she was floating ten feet off the ground in a laid back pose while reading the letter.

“This is so sweet. A human like you, wandering into a world like this and are trying to get back home.” She said with a laugh. “This is so amusing. I absolutely love it. It’s like a real hero’s journey.”

“Hey! Hand that back right now!” Ridley shouted. The woman looked at him and giggled.

“Your attempts to threaten me are very cute. Like watching a small lizard hiss at a great bird about to strike. Guess which one you are.”

Ridley hesitated for a moment before he reached into his pocket and pulled out the iron horseshoe that Gizmo gave him.

“I said hand the letter back right now, you Jackanape!” Ridley demanded as he raised the iron horseshoe towards the woman. There was a pause as she stared at Ridley with some minor confusion and then she glared at the iron horseshoe. Her eyes lit up with rage and fury and her hands shaked with irritation. She thrusted the letter as hard as she could towards the ground and spat on it. She let out a grunt of annoyance.

“Not as foolish as I figured. But very rude.” She said. “A deal can be made. But the price will be high. What is it that you wish, friend of Gizmo?”

“I want to get out of here. Out of the barrier and back to my world.” Ridley asked. The woman looked at him and then back down at the horseshoe.

“Put that vile thing away and we can talk peacefully. You have my word on it.” She said as she folded her arms and started to float towards the ground, stepping on the letter.

A small smile of victory cracked on Ridley’s face as he slowly pocketed the iron horseshoe.

“You have a name?” Ridley asked. The woman tilted her head and gave a mischievous smile.

“You can call me Leaf. And can I have your name?” Leaf asked curiously.

“Ridley.”

“Well Ridley. Let’s come to an agreement.” Leaf said as she took a step forward towards Ridley.

“I can help you get out of here. But in order to do that I will need three items from you. Three items and you can return to the world where you came from.”

“And I’m guessing you're not just going to tell me, right?” Ridley asked. Leaf tilted her head and gave a childish smile.

“Can’t make it that easy for you. Unless you are willing to make a deal for one of the items on the list.”

“Okay fine.”

“Where there is Death, there is always Life. Balance is to be achieved.” Leaf said as she turned to Ridley. “About our arrangement. I require something of you. Something deep, personal and meaningful.”

Ridley turned to Leaf with a perplexed stare. “Is this another riddle?” He asked. Leaf slowly turned her head towards Ridley with a mystified look upon her face in silence. She stood in silence for a moment.

“You’re certainly an enigma.” Leaf said. Now it was Ridley’s turn to look at Leaf with a puzzled look on his face.

“A what?” He asked. Leaf let out an amuse giggle.

“Nothing. The knowledge for the item as well as the means to acquire it for your first born child.”

“My first born child?”

“Should you find your way back out that is.” Leaf said. “Should you fail and cannot leave; then you will be in service to me for a year and a day. No more. No less.”

“Shit…” Ridley said as he bit his lip. “When one is broken, pain and deceit are assured. Deal.” He said as he sighed. Leaf came up to Ridley and before he could react, she cut the side of his face. Ridley let out a loud yip as he covered his cheek with his hand. Leaf held up her index finger, showing blood.

“This contract is sealed.” Leaf said with a smile. “What I require from you is called Brushweed. It is a fairly harmless little plant that it’s difficult to find.” Leaf said. “The Brushweed is not far from here. But one cannot see it under normal observation alone. You would need to consume the blood of the forest.”

“What? Oh this just gets better and better. How do I know you’re not lying?”

“Fairies are not allowed to.”

“And I bet that's a load of bull as well.” Ridley said in a sarcastic tone. Leaf let out a sigh.

“Look If you don’t want my help leaving the barrier. Fine. Wander around here for the next few days until you're dead.”

Ridley let out an exasperated sigh.

“Okay okay. Where is the Blood of the Forest?”

“Follow.” Leaf said as she turned around and walked away. Ridley was about to follow but took a moment to pause and pick up the letter he wrote earlier. It was crumbled, dirty and looked like someone burned a hole through it. But he carefully folded it and tucked it away in his bag.

Ridley followed Leaf for a bit of time in silence. He was more preoccupied about where he was going than to drum up a conversation. As they walked, Ridley could have sworn he heard voices off in the distance. People asking for help along with nearby footsteps.

“Hey how about the other two items?” Ridley asked with worry in his voice.

“I’ll give you a little riddle. You’ll have to find them out for yourself.”

“Oh are you freaking kidding me!?” Ridley said in a frustrated voice. He could almost hear Leaf humming to herself as they walked.

“Riddle one. ‘I have many tongues but cannot taste. By me, most things turn to waste. I crack and snap, yet I stay whole. I may take the largest toll. Around me, people may sleep. Yet run when I am released from my keep.’ Any guesses?” Leaf asked. Ridley blinked a few times and shook his head.

“Ah, I hate riddles!” He shouted out. “Any hints?”

“To find the hint that you wish, ask the dragon that likes to fish.” Leaf said. “Riddle two.”

“Ask a what?” Ridley shouted out.

“Blessed are the first. Slow are the second. Playful are the third. Bold are the fourth. Brave is the fifth.” Leaf said as she continued to make her way through the forest. Ridley let out a tired sigh.

“Any hints with this one or more riddles?” Ridley asked in a disappointed tone.

“To find this hint at its core, you must first look where they smelt the ore. We have arrived.” Leaf said. The trees around them started to twist and turn. They then came across an open space surrounded by lifeless twisted trees. The soil was black and coarse. At the center sat a dead rotten stump. The smell of ash was in the air as Ridley entered the space. Ridley stared at the stump and noticed that the top part was hollowed out like a bowl and inside was a maroon color liquid with dried leaves floating on top of it. Ridley was left in silence. He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion as he turned his head to Leaf.

Leaf didn't say anything else. All she did was conjure a wooden chalice and held it up to Ridley.

Ridley turned from her and looked at the stump. It’s merky red colored water looked revolting. Ridley suspected he could even smell it and it made his stomach turn. The weight of the letter in his bag sudden became heavy.

Ridley took the wooden chalice out of Leaf’s hand. She could only smile as Ridley approached the stump and dunk the chalice into the small pool at the center. He did not hesitate because the smell would have driven him in the other direction should he be near the pool any longer. It carried an unearthly odar with it and it was quick to invade and disrupt the mind. Ridley drank the liquid down and stumbled back away from the stump.

“Oh.” Leaf called out. Ridley turned to face her but could no longer see her. “There was one thing I did not mention. The Blood of the Forest has some interesting side effects. If you live, you can have a chance to continue. No matter what, we will meet again; Ridley.”

Ridley’s vision suddenly turned. All the color around him was suddenly sapped and replaced with shades of gray. The voices he heard off in the distance suddenly grew louder.

“I fucking hate faires.” Ridley said in a disgruntled voice.

The trees suddenly turned twisted in even more horrendous ways. The world around him suddenly became a nightmare. Then a sound came that shook him to his core and caused him to take off running.

“Ready men. Present arms. Fire” A commanding voice called out. There was a series of gunshots that echoed throughout the forest. Fear took a hold of Ridley and sent him on his way. He darted off in a random direction.