Hello again, old friend.

There was a sad tone being carried on the wind that night, tears had been given, cries of anguish slowly calmed but a hollowness that would never again be filled was growing obvious to those present.

A fire fought against the bitter rain as the sun lingered upon setting, darkness crept across the lands as its dying light would be extinguished from view, the creatures of the night would soon be encroaching any who dared to linger behind.

The flickering fire continued against all odds, illuminating the surroundings in a warm, blue glow, disturbed only by the four sitting around its magical embers, their eyes lowered towards the ground, their cries fading with every minute that passed.

The loss of a friend, a loved one, never truly fades.

The pain is always there and though a year had passed, it was obvious that Sophia's death had affected the others. Her name had barely been spoken from their lips since that agonizing night but her memory had been honoured in their hearts. No pack mare had even been so loved, so strongly cherished and adored and none had taken her place since. The party would carry their belongings and continue on all future journeys.

Having avoided the location of their loss for so long, it was a difficult journey to return but it was a tradition they had promised one another after Eli had suggested it.

That on the event one of their group were to fall, the others would return with time and celebrate their stories together

"I'm sure we buried her here?" A troubled, tender voice urged to the others, her eyes scanning the base of an old oak tree that stood out from the surrounding trees, her hands reached out, trailing her fingers along its rough, mossy exterior.

"Aye, but it couldn't 'ave been." Answered another, his voice apologetic as he stood beside her, looking over the edge of a large chasm in the ground, it reached for miles, the depth hidden in dark shadows. "There's no telling how deep this is, We're lucky we 'adn't fallen 'ere, Gem."

"Oh, be quiet Odo, and don't call me that!" She retorted, her fingers now pulling away at the moss, revealing a crudely carved name, Sophia. "See... It's right here! She should be right here!" She exclaimed in both anger and confusion as her eyes fell to the same chasm once more.

"Well, she ain't 'ere no more, Ge... Ruby". Correcting himself with a light flinch, not wanting to be at the receiving end of her anger.

Taking a cautionary step back, Odo looked up to Ruby, even as she lowered herself to the edge, she was taller than his halfling form. "Look 'ere, we oughta find the others, let them know we found her tree"

With those words, there was a rustling of leaves approaching from behind, Odo's instant reaction was to reach for the large axe at his waist, as he spun in the direction, his caution died down as he sighed. "Ah, we found you"

"Don't you mean, we found you?"

Odo's eyes narrowed, "aye, whatever ya say Eli."

"Don't start bickering now, this... This isn't the time" Ruby pressed, walking from the chasm to join them, her arms wrapped around her beloved, Chase, the rather silent elf who accepted her embrace with his own. "Sophia isn't here, the ground, it must have taken her further down" her words felt forced, the thought of their cherished mare at the bottom of some great crack in the world was breaking her heart all over again.

After hearing from Eli, how he and Chase had found other "Splits" in the earth, the party agreed to retreat from the wooded area, finding comfort in a small village just beyond its borders.

The night was beginning to take over and with the looming darkness, the village grew quiet, doors could be seen closing, locks rattling as the four walked past, lights extinguished, it was an eerie sight to behold, the residents peering out of darkened rooms into the streets before retreating into their homes.

Even the inn, a place that should be bustling with customers, where drinks should be shared with friends was swallowed by the darkness.

As Odo's heavy hand banged onto the locked door a cautious voice answered, releasing the locks before ushering the party in.

"What's goi.." Eli was silenced by a large clammy hand as the barkeep urged him in with a silent finger against his lips, fear in his eyes.

Ruby's grip tightened on Chase's hand, Odo's fingers wrapped around the hilt of his axe once more as confusion took over.

It wasn't until the doors were locked and the four were escorted to the bar that the keep finally spoke in a whisper.

"What are you doing out here?"

Eli took to speaking for the party, imitating the barkeep's quiet tones.

"We're just passing through, what's with the n.."

Again, his words were cut short

"We don't get visitors no more, you must be outta your minds!"

"Sir, what has the village so troubled?"

"monsters, creatures of the night. They've been roaming the woods for weeks now"

"But, we've just come from the woods, we didn't see anything?"

It was with these words, the barkeep's eyes lit up in shock, his body froze as he stepped back.

"You... You survived the woods?" He questioned, his skin losing colour, all except the reddening of his knuckles as his hands gripped the edge of the bar. "Even in the day, they are active in the woods though. How'd you survive?"

Taken aback, Eli swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat, Ruby stepped forward now, releasing her grip on Chase's hand.

"There was nothing in the woods, just... Those cracks through the ground"

"Ya saw the cracks?" Whether it was shock or disbelief, the four weren't sure what to make of his words, Ruby nodded hesitantly.

"I don' like this" Odo chirped in, quickly being shushed as he wasn't so quiet as the others.

"Look, sir. We'll be gone by the morning, we just need a few rooms and some food, is that possible?"

"It's night lad, I ain't gonna turn ya to the monsters now am I? Rooms plenty available, but food, we can't risk the smell attracting the beast"

There was clear disappointment in Odo's features to this which was quickly washed away however as the keep continued.

"Drinks I can do though, so long as you keep your noise down?"

"You'll not even know we're here" Eli promised with a soft smile, followed by a cautionary look towards Oda.

The drinks weren't great but it lifted the party's spirit a little, whispered conversations that could barely be heard and stifled laughter as they tried to be quiet continued for a while before their sounds fell silent, interrupted by a noise at the door.

Scratching, slow at first, growing quicker before a thud would sound against the thick wood.

Ruby was the first to stand, her hand reaching for the bow that she had resting against their table, Chase followed suit, a sword in hand with Odo in the rear, his axe ready to be swung.

Eli stepped past the three, a thin sliver of weeds in his hand as he extinguished the tips, a blue flame erupted from the ends, causing a strange film of air to spread from its base, a perfect dome around the party where the air felt thicker, the sound seemed unable to penetrate the strange dome but the subtle shaking of the door showed that whatever this creature was, it was still there, trying to get in.

Ruby rushed out of the dome, taking the barkeep by his hand as he stood frozen in place, fighting back tears of fear as she dragged him too into their protective circle, a mimicry of his earlier action from the others as they lifted their fingers to their lips, pushing for silence as he nodded.

The door continued to rattle as the blue flame ate away the remaining weeds, a look of worry entered Eli's eyes that he hid from the others, instead, reaching to his hip where he took hold of a detailed stick of wood, to most, just a part of a branch with pretty etchings perhaps but the emerald that was embedded in the end showed it was more than just a fancy ornament as it emitted a green light in reaction to his touch.

The door stopped, it was no longer moving and there was a moment where each person finally exhaled the lungful of air they had been holding in, Odo gave Eli a look, one they had shared on many occasions during their travels and with the agreeing nod of the elf, Odo tightened his grip and stepped forwards.

Exiting the dome, it was always a strange sensation to Odo, like his body had been covered in earth, a thick, invisible mud coating his every inch, warming his body and protecting him until that moment he would walk out, as he did, the mud was simply sucked back off from his form, the familiar shiver ran down his spine as he reached a hand to the door, placing his palm flat against the wood before his ear pressed to it, listening.

Silence greeted him like an old friend, something he didn't expect but was so thankful to find, silence except the racing of his heart, he could feel the blood pumping through his ears, as the silence took over, a small sigh of relief escaped his lips and with it, a response.

One heavy thud retaliated to his sigh, the door made contact with his ear as he had been stood in the same position, jolting his heart into overdrive as he stepped back, teeth clenching down on his tongue to refrain from a flurry of explicit curses, he could taste his blood as his jaw tightened harder, forcing himself to not shout.

The others looked at Odo with worry as he tried to not react, they could see the extent of force he was using on himself and knew, this was not finished yet.

A few sparks lifted from the blue flames that were now burning Eli's hand as he resorted to holding it, trying to keep it alive but as they died out, the protective dome faded from around them, the sounds of scratching once more began at the door, frantic and desperate to get in.

The parties silence was broken by a sudden scream of agonizing pain, their heads whipped around to the back of the group, Ruby's scream mixed with the barkeeps as blood gushed from his shoulder, down his arm, and to the floor below, he fell to his knees and revealed Chase standing behind him.

The crimson blood so obviously soaked his lips, poured down his chin, coating his chest, he lowered himself to the keep as his teeth sunk into the man's neck this time, ripping flesh from his body as the others moved away, shocked by this sudden attack.

"Chase? What are you doing!" Ruby screamed, the door forgotten in their sudden turn of events, she went to move to her beloved but Eli's grip on her wrist was too quick to avoid.

"let go of me" she urged as tears crashed down her cheeks, "Something's wrong with him!"

"That's... that's not Chase" Eli exclaimed, "not anymore.." His eyes were tainted with the pain of seeing Ruby's anguish, he couldn't stand it, couldn't stomach what was showing on her face as Odo grabbed his free hand.

"We need t' leave"

"No! We can't just leave him" Her words drowned in the anguish of her sobs

"C'mon Gem, This ain't Chase n'more" Odo insisted, pulling on Eli who in turn, fought with Ruby's weak attempt to break free from his grip. With a moment of force, the three were moving from the scene, hoping to find a back door in the bar, a basement, anything that might put space between them, Chase, and whatever was trying so hard to break in.

"Odo, there!" Eli's released hand pointed to a door hidden behind a half-drawn curtain, a small window above the frame showed darkness but there was moonlight to be seen.

As Odo took the lead, he pulled on the handle, struggled a moment with the lock before finally, in his desperation, he had almost broken it free from the frame, hit by the cold night's air as he took the first step out, followed by Eli and, a sudden slam as the door shut once more.

Ruby's voice came from behind the wood, "I'm... I'm sorry, I can't just leave him"

There was a crash in the distance, wood splintering, screams from the other houses but it meant nothing, Eli pressed himself to the door, tried to open it but could hear the lock slide into place once more.

"Ruby, no, don't do this" he urged in painful need, "He's dead, turned, changed... He's not Chase anymore!"

"He's my Chase, I can't leave him. I have to try" she insisted, her footsteps echoed away from the door as Odo too pressed himself to the wood.

Shoving Eli aside, Odo's axe made contact with the wood, again, a heavy thud with each swing until finally, the door was no more, their hands bloodied from pulling at the remaining chunks of wood that obstructed their entry but even now, as they finished, there was a blood-curdling scream from the building, Ruby's soft voice, filled with so much pain and suffering before dying off into a bubbling, watery gurgle.

They were too late.

Heavy breathing, hearts racing, Eli looked torn between leaving or staying, wanting to confirm his fear of Ruby's death, Odo, using the back of his hand to wipe away at tears and sweat took a deep, defeated breath.

"We... we can't stay 'ere"

"What's the point of running?" Eli asked, his eyes fixed on the doorway that lead to their previous drinking space.

"Our lives?"

"lives? our lives have been meaningless all along, Odo"

"Spew what ya want, I'd rather be living than dyin'"

Eli, finally tearing his eyes from the door had turned to look down at Odo, his face was emotionless at this point as he gazed down at the halfling.

"Look 'ere lad, I... we lost 'em. We can still survive"

"Survive? Die? What does it matter? We have nothing Odo"

Their voices stopped, the two who had always been at each other's throats lost the attention to talk as their eyes peered out into the night, they saw something, something was coming.

The darkness that surrounded, what was void of light except for the faint moon above had a new source appearing. in the depths of shadow, small, somewhat familiar blue wisp had appeared in pairs, the sounds of shuffling, both heavy and light, was beginning to approach from all directions.

"It... It was all for nothing"

"Wha' was?"

"This... Everything"

Odo's confusion showed as he looked back up to Eli, a slow realization coming to mind but before he could voice his thoughts, he felt the sudden piercing pain enter his chest, his eyes widened as he slumped to his knees, Eli's hand still on the hilt, having the bend forwards with the halflings collapse.

"I did this for Ruby, remove Chase and she would be mine" He explained in a dull tone.

The blue lights came closer, revealing themselves to be the magically illuminated eyes of many creatures and... at the front, a mare, her half rotten carcass taking unsteady steps forward towards the two as Odo tried so hard to free himself from the knife, his axe fallen to the ground beside him before the many beasts descended to his body, his eyes hadn't left Eli even as the torn fur of numerous undead beast feasted upon his flesh.

Not a scream was heard, even in death, he was too stubborn to give Eli the satisfaction but the elf's attention was already elsewhere.

"You did good Sophia" he assured, a hand coming to the mare's decaying neck, a few gentle strokes as she pressed her head to his chest, "you did what I asked... and it still wasn't enough" he continued. His head reached down a little, pressing a soft kiss to her temple,

"Not... good enough"

With that, Eli plunged his hand into the side of her neck, the flesh so far gone that it had no strength, no fight or resistance before pulling himself free again, a small amulet in his clutch now as the blue lights faded, the many beasts began to drop to the ground.

"I can bring her back though".