Dendrik and Clara sat with two others in the dimly lit inn known as the Drunken Forest, only a few miles outside of the Red Forest. The inn's bottom floor was a large tavern, while the two floors above housed travelers. The inn was vacant aside from the four, as it was long into the night. Dendrik and Clara sat across from a brawny male dwarf with a thick brown beard with long hair tied in the back and a blonde, thin, remarkably beautiful female elf. A pair of candles flickered between them on the table, accompanied by four large tankards of mead. Gloom and silence hung over the small crowd until the dwarf finally spoke.

"Why did you have to bring that demon to my inn, Den?" He asked, giving Dendrik an uneasy stare.

"He's not a--" Clara began, almost shouting.

"Quiet Clara!" Dendrik commanded. Clara grew silent, glaring at the dwarf. "We don't know for sure if the lads a demon yet, Grey."

"He used a death cry for gods sake!" Grey urged.

"He shouldn't know the old language." Said the elf as she brushed aside her golden hair. "Even the current Speakers had to spend several years studying to use their power."

"He can't be a Speaker, Eve." Replied Dendrik. "The eight gods of light all have living Speakers."

"Can't a god have two?" Asked Clara.

"Impossible." Said Eve. "The power of a god would be too weak with more than one Speaker. Weaker gods fall in the hierarchy. No god would grant power to another Speaker and risk losing their current position."

"Then, aside from a demon, what is he!?" Grey stood, hands on his hips.

"Calm down Grey. There's no reason to be huffin and puffin." Said Dendrik, attempting to lighten the mood.

*Thump* *Thump*

"Sounds like your demon's awake." Clara again glared at Grey.

"Eve, see to the boy." Said Dendrik. Eve nodded, stood from the table, and started up the stairs.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alder awoke with a start, sweat covering his brow. He lay on a wooden sleeping pallet in a small room. Next to him, a lit candle, a chair, and a gorgeous elf sitting at his side. 

"Where--" started Alder, his voice rough and dry.

"Shhhh. Drink." The elf held a wooden mug filled with water to his mouth.

"An elf?" He though, a bit surprised. "Well, this is another world, i bet there are more than a few things I haven't seen before."

At first he sipped, and soon realized how parched he really was. Sitting up, he took the mug in both hands and drank deeply. As he drank, the elf spoke.

"I am Eve, an old friend of Denny."

Alder lowered the mug. "Denny?"

"Ah, my apologies, Dendrik."

"I see." Alder replied. "Im Alder, for the time being. Its a pleasure."

"Likewise." Said Eve. Alder turned to sit on the edge of his bed. Eve refilled his mug from a clay pitcher at her feet. As he again went to drink, he spotted his reflection. Alder quickly stood, shocked. He peered into the water, staring at himself.

"What happened to me?! My eyes... my hair its..." Alder paused, glanced to Eve, who looked worried, and back to himself. His reflection showed his short hair, originally brown, had turned jet black and his eyes, a cold steel silver. Alder lowered the mug and again sat on the bed.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Why do I look like this? How did this happen?" He asked, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"This is proof..." Eve mumbled to herself.

"Huh?"

"It is rare, but their have been cases like these. After the body experiences a certain power, the appearance may change. The color sometimes corresponds to the type of power experienced." Said Eve. "Relax, it is said to be harmless."

"Harmless..." sighed Alder. His thoughts suddenly jumped to his two companions. "Dendrik and Clara! Where are they?! Are they alright?!" He asked, almost shouting. Eve smiled warmly.

"Why don't you ask them yourself? They're down stairs."

Alder took the stairs two at a time as he quickly descended. Turning the corner, he saw Clara and Dendrik sitting at a table, completely unharmed. Alder sighed in relief. Sitting across from them was a man that, to Alder, looked like a very short body builder. Considering his past experience with fantasy novels and games, he concluded the man was something like a dwarf, and easily accepted the fact. He had already run into an elf, a dwarf was no surprise. Clara turned to look at Alder. Her eyes widened, and quickly looked down at her hands, blushing.

"Oi laddy! You gave us a right scare. Look a bit different, can't say its bad though." Dendrik let out a hearty laugh. "What do you think Clara, he your type?" With blinding speed, Clara's fist came down on the top of the old man's head.

"D-d-don't say such things!" She said, embarrassed.

"I'm glad to see you guys are in high spirits. Clara, I'm so sorry..." Alder said apologetically.

"Hmmm? For what?" She asked, getting up from the table. Dendrick holding the now forming lump on his head.

"Because of me... those bandits almost..." Clara strode to Alder and pinched his nose. "Ahhhh! Why?!" Clara looked into his eyes, let go of his nose, and smiled.

"Its ok. You saved us. Don't worry about it much. We're here, and we're safe." Said Clara.

The two stood silently, smiling and looking into each other's eyes. Dendrik cleared his throat.

"Now then, boy, lets get you fed and caught up." He said. Alder sat at the table and Dendrik introduced him to Grey. At first Grey seemed tense but, after exchanging a few jokes and drinking quite a bit of mead, he relaxed. Dendrik filled Alder in on what happened after the bandits. Clara and Dendrik had practically dragged him to the Drunken Forest, Dendrik having been old friends with the owner, Grey. Eve had been staying at the inn for a short time already. Being an elf, and very close to magic and nature, she had sensed a massive surge of power inside the Red Forest, planning to investigate the following morning.

*Bang Bang Bang*

A loud knock came from the door. "Travelers? At this hour?" Grey said to himself as he walked to the door. He removed the large wooden plank from the door that kept it locked from the inside, and the door swung open. "Welcome to the..." Grey stopped. A man and a women entered the inn. The man had blood red eyes and long red hair. He wore a black robe with red armored plates built into the chest and arms. The woman, short blue hair and eyes, wearing light blue leather armor, a crest of an eagle at her hip.

Everyone, aside from Alder who had no idea who they were, stood in awe. "Sp-Speaker of war, Speaker of Grace, w-welcome..." Grey shuddered.