The mist was thick and swirling with her quick passage. So thick that the moisture of the fog left a slight sheen of moisture on her cheeks and cloak as she ran.

She could feel the fire in her veins as she tried to continue her pace, almost tasting the blood coursing speedily in her veins on her tongue.

I don't understand why they are chasing me, she thought, why would the Solisians be after me? What have I done?

Koren had no choice but to go into the nearby forest to escape. Only having enough warning from them asking for her by name to make a run for the nearby woods.

No sooner had she made it inside before the troupe of Fae spotted her, running after her and screaming for her to stop.

Whatever else that had wanted she had not heard as she fled deeper into the dark forest. Koren knew that Fae, lower class or high, were stronger than humans and would be able to outpace her without problem.

Her only advantages being that she had been just on the edge of the forest when they had seen her giving her some distance. The trees, their roots and their limbs would cause them to pay closer attention to their footing, and slow them down some. But, they would still catch her if her luck did not hold out.

Koren had taken several lefts and a few rights when the path had diverged. Taking so many that she had been certain that they would have trouble finding her, as she did not even know where she was.

The fog had begun to arrive then, closing in quickly. Whether it was her good fortune or something else, Koren could not think about it as she continued to run.

The sounds of her pursuers echoed everywhere within the mist as if they were behind her, encircling her. Koren slowed to a stop, lowering herself into a crouch as she listened to her surroundings, heart beating loudly in her ears.

The sounds of the Solisians were behind her, she was sure of it, but as she looked around she began to realize where she was. Koren had entered the Daemon's Woods in her flight from the Solisians.

The Daemon's Woods held many stories regarding people going in, but not returning. Becoming lost or perishing from the ancient evil that was said to be living inside, no one knew for certain. But many had gone inside to try and find the bounties that were said to be held in the forest.

Herbs, gems, ancient talismans of power. They were all said to be found within the ancient forest. Left by a forgotten civilization that had fallen to ruin. The forest later grew around its decrepit city, it was said.

Koren's skin began to break out in goose flesh as she remembered some of the folk stories about this place. The tiny hairs on her arms standing on end as she listened to the sounds of the forest.

She expected to hear some sound of wildlife, like any other wood, but none were forthcoming. Only a deafening silence, broken by her own breathing, the sounds of her followers having faded.

A sharp caw, from that of a crow, sounded in the distance. Koren's heart leaped into her throat and she felt the twig snap, her foot slightly dropping, as she heard it.

An unwanted gasp escaped her lips. She went completely still as she prayed no one heard it.

Koren did not know what they wanted from her, the Solisians, the children of the dawn, but her life had made her not expect anything good to come from anyone wishing to find her.

Koren waited and waited, thinking that the branch snapping had sounded like a giant roar for all to hear. But nothing. Only her and the encompassing mist.

Koren began to breathe deeply as if she had not taken a breath for an eternity, she had not realized that she had been holding her breath.

A sound of ancient metal sounded from behind her, followed by a deep and commanding voice, "who's there?".

Koren did not respond feeling as if she wanted to only jump out of her skin.

How did they get behind me?, She thought, there is no way that they could have encircled me if I don't even know where I am.

"Please come out," the voice continued when she had not responded, "I promise that you have nothing to fear from me."

As if to emphasize his statement she began to hear the sound of metal hitting stone.

"I couldn't do anything, even if I wanted to. Thanks to these infernal chains that bind me here."

Still, Koren did not respond. She didn't move. She struggled to control her breathing, trying desperately to keep her breathing silent.

Koren began to pray to the Dawnbreaker for protection as she heard a great sound from the direction of the voice. It sounded like that of wings, great and powerful ones.

The mist whooshed by her as if being banished, revealing her to the male that had spoken.

As the fog dispersed around her Koren found herself gazing upon the man who had spoken through the mist.

He was unsettling to her, but beautiful in a way that was hard to describe; like that of looking upon the night sky with its blackness, filled with lights and its constellations.

The male who had appeared was that of dark skin like that of the night. He was strong looking with cords of muscles rippling with any of his movements. He had black hair that was shortly cropped to help frame his beautiful face, that flowed like it was liquid darkness. His clothes looked worn, but well made, the colors of silver with black trim only adding to his muscular frame.

He was indeed wearing chains, like Koren thought she had heard.

The chains were ancient looking and grey, worn yet still looking as strong as when they had first been made. The unknown man was chained to a large stone, so large that it would take several people to budge it. Where the chains were attached to him the metal glowed red and orange as if it was still cooling after being forged. Except there was no sound of pain from the man, no sickening smell of burning hair or flesh. He seemed not to notice them at all as he stared at her.

Meeting his gaze, Koren found her breath slightly caught in her chest. The man's irises were that of quicksilver surrounding clear sapphire blue. They pinned her in place.

When their gazes met his eyes widened for the briefest of moments before returning to normal.

"That's better," he said, "so much easier for us to speak to one another." His tone was calm, deep, and seemed to radiate in Koren's bones.

Koren didn't know what to say, so she stood awkwardly silent.

"Forgive me," he said, "it has been a long time since I have spoken to anyone. Where are my manners? My name is Nox."

He did his best to do a bow while being tied to the stone beneath him. Which resulted more in a bowing of his head, his left arm straightened behind him, and his right arm around his middle.

Koren stood, still silent, as Nox straightened himself upwards. Looking from his beautiful face to the chains on his wrists, Koren was not sure what to make of the view.

Following her gaze Nox said, "ah yes," his tone one of disgust, "my eternal bondage."

Nox looked up to meet her gaze.

"I am cursed to remain here, until set free," he said simply.

"Cursed?" Koren said.

Nox's lips slightly curled up without warmth, "it is not important," he said, "what brings you to my neck of the words, miss?"

Koren smiled and responded, "usually you offer your name first, before asking for another."

Nox's smile grew, reflecting in his eye as he responded, "ah, again, where are my manners?," Doing his bow once more he continued, "I am Nox, the Fae cursed of this forest. Whom do I have the pleasure to be speaking with?"

Doing a slight bow of her own, she responded, "I am known as Koren."

"It is nice to meet you, Koren," Nox said.

Nox could not help but stare at Koren, as he sat there. Koren began to feel uncomfortable and started to shift beneath his gaze, her face going slightly red.

Noticing this, Nox quickly looked away. "Forgive me, Koren, it has been a long time since I have talked with anyone."

Koren felt slightly unnerved by his saying this, "how long has it been?".

Nox seemed to sit and ponder this for some time, but then raised his arms whole saying, "I am not sure, this place has a way of making time seem irrelevant.", Continuing on, Nox asked, "what brings you here, Koren?"

Koren debated telling him that it was none of his business, that meeting him here was only by chance nothing more. But seeing him chained, having him tell her that he had not spoken to anyone for so long that he didn't even know, something told her that it would be okay.

And, so Koren explained how she had only been in the nearby town of Oaken as she was passing through, never staying too long in any place, when she had heard the High Fae were looking for her. As she was not sure how anyone would know who she was, or how they knew she was there, she had made a break for the nearby woods. Having lost her way inside the woods she kept taking turns to try and outpace any of the Fae behind her. Stumbling upon Nox in the process.

Nox listened quietly as Koren had explained her tale of being pursued, not interrupting her even once as she spoke. Yet, Koren could not help but notice that as she had retold her coming upon this area that, for the briefest of moments, Nox's eyes seemed to sparkle. But the light quickly disappeared before she could be certain, and no emotion appeared upon his beautiful face.

Koren mentally shrugged off the thought that his eyes had seemed to light like that of the stars in the night sky.

After she had finished regaling Nox with her story, Nox asked, "these Fae that had been following you, were they of a certain colored skin, or did they seem to protrude a kind of essence?"

Koren looked confused, but thought about it for several moments.

"They seemed to be of a lighter color, as if their essence was that of rays of the sun. There seemed to be no shadow wherever they were as if it did not exist, and they didn't make any."

Nox nodded his head, "they followed you into the forest?", Koren nodded. "I see, well you are safe with me, for now."

The way he emphasized his final word unsettled Koren, as if his words sent shivers down to her very narrow. Koren got the feeling that he was not talking about the Fae that had followed her either.

Not seeing her unease at his words Nox continued on, "but that will not be the case very shortly." Meeting her gaze he said, "let us make a bargain. How would you like to not be found by these Fae, and be able to come and go as you please?"

Koren could not help but leap at the chance of not being under the scrutiny of the Fae. Although there was a weak peace between the mortal and immortal realms there had always been whispers that humans would go missing from time to time, not to be seen or heard from again. Koren did not wish to be under the gaze of any of those immortals for fear that her name would be added to the unspoken list.

Yet she was now needing to make a deal with one of them, to escape the others.

Koren swallowed, finding her mouth dry, trying to push some saliva back into her tongue to make it work as she said, "I would like that."

Nox smiled, a warmth on his mouth that stretched all the way to his eyes.

"But what would I need to exchange in return for this gift?" Koren asked.

Nox's smile weakened as if he was unsure what her answer would be, hesitantly he spoke, "I would require that you come to visit me, here."

Come to visit him? Koren thought, what makes it so hard for him to look like that?

Nox's grin seemed to recede more as he waited, like watching winter begin to win through fall to claim its season.

"I will come to visit again, if you are true to your word and can make it where no other Fae will find me," Koren said.

Nox's warm smile returned and he said, "then we have a deal, Koren."

Nox then looked downwards as he reached behind his neck to remove a necklace that had been hanging there.

The necklace seemed of such a simple design, made of a thin chord of string like night itself. Attached to the chord was a small and simple, yet elegant and rich looking pendant. The pendant looked to be made of a metal she had not seen before, like silver yet foreign as of it had been crafted by something beyond mortal hands. Inset in this pendant was that of a small round jewel that looked like liquid darkness, ebbing and flowing as the pendant slightly moved, as if the gem would try and suck all the light from the world. It was mesmerizing.

Nox held the necklace out to her and said, "this pendant will keep you from prying eyes making it easier to go wherever you wish, and will seal our pact."

Koren put the necklace on her neck and asked, "how do you know that I will honour my word?"

"Ah," Nox's face held a grin that held no mirth, like looking at the cold beauty of an ice encased rose, "if you do not return then the pendant shall return to me, and you will be vulnerable to those trying to capture you once more."

Koren's spine felt fused straight by ice as he said this.

Licking her lips she nodded her understanding.

Nox smiled once more, melting some of the ice it had previously held.

Koren took the offered necklace in her hands, putting it around her neck.

"How will I know that it is working?" Koren asked.

"When another Fae, but me, looks at you they will be unable to see you. You will know as you will feel it working."

Koren was about to ask what he meant when there was a lone howl in the distance. The howl was piercing in the stillness that had overcome the mist.

Koren felt her marrow go cold like the very blood in her veins had frozen. She looked to Nox to ask what that was and where it came from, but the look on his face stopped the question dead in her throat.

Nox's face was like a stone as he said, "you need to leave, now."