Night came back to the Emerald Verge like a tide.
The sky got darker and darker until the trees looked like shapes against the fading light.
One by one the sounds of the day went away.
Birds went back to their nests and the noise of animals disappeared into the undergrowth.
Then the quieter sounds of the forest at night started to come out.
Crickets started to chirp.
Distant owl calls could be heard.
The soft sound of leaves brushing against each other in the wind was nice.
The students had set up camp near the ruins.
They chose an area where the ground was pretty flat.
Takemi sat by the fire holding a stick and poking at the burning wood.
Sparks jumped up. Disappeared into the dark.
Rauk sat across from him eating from a metal bowl.
Lira sat nearby with her journal open drawing the dragon carvings they saw earlier.
Takemi looked at her notebook.
"You are really drawing all of the Emerald Verge ruins?"
" course I am."
"That seems like a lot of work."
"It is a lot of work."
She did not even look up.
"If the academy does not have records of these Emerald Verge ruins then this might be the first time someone is writing about them."
Takemi whistled softly.
"So we found something by accident."
Rauk shrugged.
"Something that was forgotten."
Takemi leaned back on his hands.
"Same thing."
The instructor walked past the fire checking the area around the camp like he did at night.
He stopped near Takemi.
"You are quiet tonight, Takemi."
Takemi tilted his head.
"Am I quiet?"
"Yes you are, Takemi."
Takemi watched the flames for a moment.
"I was just thinking about those Emerald Verge ruins."
"What about them?"
Takemi tapped the stick on the ground.
"That stone platform."
"The one?"
"Yes that one."
The instructor nodded slowly.
"What about it?"
Takemi hesitated.
Then he shrugged.
"Probably nothing."
The instructor looked at him for a moment moved on.
Takemi could still feel that feeling at the back of his mind.
Something about the Emerald Verge ruins was bothering him.
Not fear. More like... Curiosity about the Emerald Verge.
The camp got quiet.
People unrolled their beds.
The fire burned lower.
Students went to sleep one by one.
Takemi lay on his back staring up at the stars through the gaps in the trees.
The stars were visible again tonight.
They were bright and clear.
For a while he just watched them.
Then he closed his eyes.
Minutes passed.
Maybe longer.
Then.
Tok.
Takemis eyes snapped open.
He sat up slowly.
The forest was quiet.
The fire had burned down to glowing embers.
Most of the others were asleep.
Rauk was snoring lightly a feet away.
Takemi listened carefully.
Nothing.
He rubbed his face.
"I must have been half asleep."
He was about to lie down when.
Tok.
This time he definitely heard it.
A dull sound.
Faint.
Like something hitting stone.
Takemi stood up slowly.
The instructor noticed it.
"You hear it too?"
Takemi blinked.
"You heard that?"
The instructor nodded once.
"It is coming from the Emerald Verge ruins."
Takemi turned toward the shape of the structure beyond the clearing.
At night he could see the outline of the walls.
The hollow platform was inside.
Another sound echoed faintly.
Tok...
Takemi frowned.
"That is not the wind."
"No " the instructor said quietly.
"It is not."
Before they could go closer to see what it was a noise came from the trees behind the camp.
Not a small movement.
Something heavy.
Branches snapped.
Leaves shook violently.
Rauk was on his feet sword in his hand.
"What was that?"
More students woke up grabbing their weapons or spell things.
The instructor raised his voice enough to carry.
"Form a line!"
Takemi grabbed a stone from the ground automatically.
The forest beyond the campfire shifted again.
Then something stepped into the firelight.
It was massive.
Much bigger than the Ironfang Wolf from before.
Its body looked like a wolf at first. That is where the similarities ended.
Its fur was dark. Bristled like needles.
Its shoulders were too high.
Too broad.
Its eyes glowed an amber in the firelight.
Several students froze.
Lira whispered
"Fang."
Rauk tightened his grip on his sword.
"A big one."
The creature lowered its head slightly baring teeth.
It growled.
The sound vibrated through the clearing like thunder.
Takemi swallowed.
"That thing definitely heard the knocking, near the Emerald Verge ruins."
The Dire Fang took one step closer.
Then another.
Its muscles coiled beneath its fur.
The instructor raised his staff.
"Hold your ground!"
The creature lunged.
The peaceful silence of the Emerald Verge shattered into chaos.