[center][b][@whist] (Grant); [@ravenDivinity] (Darius)[/b][/center]

[Wait, you two are just going to leave poor John behind like that? He still needs another hour or two to recover... Oh well, I'm not going to railroad you.]

As Darius and Grant walk along a trail in the magical forest, they're lucky to not get attacked by any more hostile creatures... for now. After some time, glimpses of cottages can be seen ahead between the trees, their structures a welcoming familiarity compared to the far more outlandish plantlife in the forest.

However, three beings seem to block the path ahead to the village.

All three creatures are roughly humanoid in appearance, if only vaguely speaking. The first resembles an elf from some work of fantasy on Earth, with tanned Caucasian skin tone, a lean build, shoulder-length brown hair, emerald green eyes, and long pointed ears. He is dressed in rather plain-looking green and brown garbs of a forest ranger of some sort, with a bow on his back, and a slender, curved shortsword in each hand; both blades glow with a verdant energy. The second figure is an elf similar to the first, but with pitch black skin, a pale white ponytail, and green eyes considerably darker and murkier in tone, dressed in black leather armor ornately decorated with dark green patterns. He holds a scimitar with serrated edges, made of some dark metal, glistening with venomous green energy. The third creature is far more demonic, a human-sized insectoid creature covered in black spiked carapace, with the head and wings of a fly. It stands on its two thicker hind legs, and possesses two pairs of arms, the lower pair ending in human-like but still shell-covered hands, while the upper pair ending in long, vicious, mantis-like blades. Wispy strands of inky darkness emanate from the creature's body, and its two blades are coated in the same sickly green energies as the dark elf's sword.

"You will not pass, spawn of the Blightmother," the wood elf snarls. Grant and Darius can fully understand his words, even though at the same time they get the feeling that the elf is not speaking English at all; it is a language entirely unknown to either of them.

"So you are this village's strongest warrior?" The dark elf says with a smirk. "You don't have to die here today, child. If you join the army of Darkness, that'll be a much better use of your talents, don't you think?"

"I'd rather die than become a demon like you!" The wood elf spits, and readies his weapons.

"How unfortunate..." The dark elf sighs. "We'll grant your wish then. I suppose your corpse is better than nothing..."

The dark elf and his insectoid demon companion both prepare to strike. Neither of them have spotted the humans, so far...