Carriage wheels come to a halt. Aleena slides off her white horse and gasps at the dreadful aftermath of a battle.

  Empty crates and damaged wagons are on the grass. Dead wood elves litter the land, bloody with gaping holes in their skulls. Their armor is discolored and their skin pale. Broken swords and bows lay scattered next to lifeless bodies with broken limbs.

  Faylin, Lyrian and Aleena wander cautiously throughout the carnage. Blood soaked and clawed clothes with severed parts are laid out like a graveyard.

  Tents are torn and ripped with bite marks along their surfaces. Lyrian crouches, holding one open, viewing supplies and bedrolls.

  Aleena walks through the ruins holding her chest, crying silently at all the corpses of the elf clansmen she once knew.

  Aleena examines the corpses of her former clan. The bodies of women, men, and children all lay lifeless, covered in deep gashes.

  "Who would do this?" she gasps and falls to her knees, sobbing. Tears stream down her cheeks. "Valery was right. They're dead..."

  Lyrian notices bite markings and blood stains everywhere he looks. Tattered pieces of clothing and armor. Everything is in complete shambles, nothing salvageable, and nothing usable. A faint rotten stench hits Lyrian's nostrils as he picks up a discarded dagger, hot from the melting rays of the sun.

  "Looks like something big has been definitely feeding on them," Lyrian opens his book full of dinosaur information. "A mapusaurus is a carnivore and according to this dinosaur book we found. These wounds are much larger than raptor talon strikes. This thing has been feasting on your people. Possibly swallowing them whole as well. Small portions are a mapusaur's greatest snack. They would steal and snack on sauropod breeding grounds."

  He flips through his book, "if this mapusaur is smart, she probably won't hunt the same spot twice. Or at least, not for a few weeks or so. It's probably long gone from here."

  "They've raised me here," she stands. "My elder... Our homes, our community... everything was taken." Aleena shakes and wipes her tears, and wiping her nose. She clenches her fist, "why would these beasts target my clan?"

  "The beastmaster could be a human and targeting wood elves. She also must have ties with the humans we met with, especially Valery, the assassin," Lyrian says.

  Faylin replies, "but Valery was just a simple mercenary. She probably didn't care about the beastmaster's goals, whatever they are. Valery said the beastmaster was an elf, but she made it sound uncertain."

  "Those dinosaurs, they seem to be pretty organized," she glances at the bodies scattered around, missing limbs and chewed bones. "The mapusaur was specifically ordered to destroy your clan. Like a mission of some kind."

  Faylin pauses and thinks, "which means..."

  "The Beastmaster is smart and knows how to command dinosaurs?" Aleena answers.

  "Or control them, makes sense at least," Lyrian points out holding his chin.

  "That is an abomination to nature. Animals should never be commanded or controlled," she protests. "Even if they do act with their instincts and natural order of things. Even if they're monsters, or carnivores, it goes against our moral code."

  "The beastmaster may not necessarily be an elf. We have to assume that they aren't," Faylin adds. "Elves normally respect nature and would never do such a thing. But the beastmaster is controlling dinosaurs to attack villages."

  "Unless it's a dark elf, or an elf that simply hates others," Lyrian argues.

  "Doubt it," Faylin replies. "Valery wouldn't risk her reputation and job. She wasn't born yesterday. But still, she seemed to have had close enough contact with the Beastmaster."

  Faylin looks at Aleena and puts a hand on her shoulder, "we'll make it right, okay?"

  "How?!" she shoves her off and steps back, turning around to kneel in front of a former clansman.

  Faylin steps back in nervous tension. Her shoulders lift and palms up, "because I promise. Because we're your friends, we care for you and want justice for these murders."

  "I-I'm sorry," Aleena stutters, stepping back. "I'm sorry, Faylin, Lyrian," She kneels down to cry again.

  "Aleena," Lyrian speaks calmly.

  "I need to be alone to say my prayers," Aleena walks on to the center of the dead campsite.

  Faylin grabs Lyrian's wrist, holding him back, "let her mourn, I know we mean well, but she needs space."

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  Lyrian nods and steps back to give Aleena some distance. Faylin follows behind Lyrian as he starts to look through some old, forgotten belongings.

  Faylin looks around, noticing multiple tents and shelters. Each shelter holds some supplies inside.

  Aleena steps up to a corpse and falls to her knees. She reaches out a hand to hold the arm of the dead woman. A woman she use to know, Yuthyra, comes to her mind. There is no leg. Holes are bloody, all over her body and clothes. She was pricked by teeth of something large.

  Heat makes the battlefield even more rotten. Aleena let's doesn't even care about the smell of death. A small grunt, her hair falls, lowering her head. She peeks up at the dead Yuthyra, recalling the time she would share stories with her. Aleena puts Yuthyra's hands on her chest for her to peacefully rest.

  Her voice cracks as tears fall down her face. She speaks slowly as if trying to find words through her sobbing.

  "Dearest nature, we have been wronged and slaughtered. My elder has been slain and our lives ruined by dinosaurs who do not belong to this world. Bring vengeance upon our killers and help us save our forest," Aleena closes her eyes.

  "Please bring us strength for our struggle. Please bring us justice for our fallen brethren and loved ones," her voice lowers and her head drops.

  "Let the forces of nature fight against those that wish harm to come to this land."

  Aleena opens her eyes and looks up to the horizon with sorrowful eyes. A feign figure stands near the elder's wagon, holding her hands like she's praying. Aleena takes notice of the long ears and her green hair.

  "Maiwyn?" Aleena calls, "is that you?" Her tears dry in shock and confusion. Maiwyn doesn't hear her cries.

  "Maiwyn!" Aleena tries again with worry.

  The figure vanishes from thin air in an instant, leaving Aleena confused. "Maiwyn... How are you still alive?"

  Aleena stubs her foot over a log and smacks her forehead on the side of a small tree, "Gods!" Her hand lands on top of a corpse of an old wood elf man.

  Her breath shortens and her heart pounds rapidly. His wrinkled forehead with brown and white hair covers his face.

  She cries out and crawls up to him. Aleena grasps him tightly and hugs him with teary eyes and shaky hands. Finally, a scream bellows the air, and her cheeks wet, scared for her life and left with nothing once again.

  "Aleena!" The green haired elf woman stands before her in shock. She kneels down for a hug, "Aleena it's okay. How are you still alive?"

  Aleena's eyes widen in surprise. Aleena gets up to hug the girl, wrapping her arms around her. "Maiwyn!" Aleena cries, "Thank the gods!" She hugs her tighter.

  "Aleena!" she gasps, "I thought you were killed by the pack of mapusaurs!"

  The two remain in each other's embrace. Aleena sobs uncontrollably, burying her face in Maiwyn's leather armor.

  Maiwyn holds her close, "Aleena, it's okay, you're safe. The monsters won't hunt again."

  "Our entire clan is gone," Aleena weeps.

  "And their sacrifice won't be forgotten Aleena," Maiwyn assures. "I've taken refuge in the Red Leaf Clan. I heard clan Aeirwood was destroyed. I had to come say my prayers, even though we had our disagreements, we're still brothers and sisters."

  "Why didn't you ever come back?" Aleena questions. "The elder said you could but you never did."

  "Maybe it was a good thing I never came back," Maiwyn's voice is soft and nurturing, and her figure very mature. "But I've found my place as nature's healer Aleena. I'm happy with my life. When I heard about the attack, I had to take refuge with the Red Leaves to stay safe."

  "I am going there myself, Maiwyn." Aleena pulls away from her grasp and wipes her eyes. "To gather help in killing the Beastmaster, she's responsible for all these killings, and I can find her and stop her."

  Maiwyn nods her head in understanding, "I've decided to stay with the Red Leaves to help heal injured elves. They've suffered greatly too."

  "What happened?" Aleena asks, concerned, worried.

  "There was an attack last night, the first of its kind in recent memory."

  "Who attacked them?"

  "Something called a monolophosaur. A lizard beast with a crest on it's head. Some call them fallen dragons who had their wings taken from them."

  "I'm planning on visiting the Red Leaves soon." Aleena nods sadly.

  "If you're lucky, you should arrive there in a couple of hours. I can take you there."

  Aleena sighs in relief, "that would be wonderful Maiwyn."

  Maiwyn explains what happened to the tribe in greater detail, "a pack of those creatures raided the clan, attacking several members before fleeing. Most were injured while hunting. I was traveling and found an injured group of hunters so they took me in."

  "How many are injured?" Aleena asks with concern.

  "There are at least five elves wounded. The leader of the hunters, Garrik, is hurt badly, but I hope with my magic abilities he should survive."

  Faylin and Lyrian investigate further, walking back and forth, searching for anything useful within the remains of the camp. Faylin holds Lyrian by the wrist, afraid he may stray from her gaze.

  Maiwyn looks over at the humans, "what are humans doing here?"

  "Oh them?" Aleena mentions, "they're helping me, I've grown fond of them. There's no way I could defeat the beastmaster without their help."

  "Aleena you know better than to trust humans," she lectures, "humans enslave other races, force them into horrible conditions, and treat us all terribly."

  "They're good people. And they're risking their own lives to help me. Please accept them Maiwyn, for me?" Aleena begs with her hands folded.

  "Aleena, I beg you reconsider. Those humans aren't worth the risk. We can gather elves from the clans and kill the Beastmaster ourselves."

  "Please just do this for once Maiwyn? They're not like other humans, I promise you."

  Maiwyn sighs in disappointment, "fine, I will let the Red Leaf Clan elder decide whether to let them in or not."

  "Thank you Maiwyn," Aleena hugs her.

  "Now let's head back to the clan, I'll guide you."

  "Hold on, I have to talk to the humans." Aleena leaves Maiwyn behind to talk to Faylin and Lyrian.

  "Good news you guys, someone has survived."

  Faylin turns from rummaging through boxes of vegetables.

  Aleena continues, "her name is Maiwyn, and she's taking us to a clan of elves. If they allow us in, we may restock on supplies, gather help to aid us in our quest to take down the beastmaster and whatever army of dinosaurs she's amassing."

  "That's wonderful, but what happens after we get rid of the dinosaur menace?" Lyrian asks.

  "She mentioned gathering an elven army together. But after that, it's unlikely the beastmaster would leave survivors of the villages she destroys. But after, I imagine everyone will continue to live out their lives. But until the threat of the Beastmaster is eliminated, the future will never happen. Now let's go."

  Maiwyn

  Aleena Reunites with Maiwyn