“Do you think the elves will find out anytime soon that we have escaped?” Jinn asked.
“I don’t know. We have been stealing and have been using up a lot of their resources lately. They are bound to figure out something is going on but hopefully not until we can execute another plan. Our last one almost got us caught.” I don’t really want to wait though. There is so much to learn and see. I want to see the elves' city and see what more of them look like. Maybe I can sneak off for a little bit before anyone realizes I have been gone for too long. Maybe I can see that one elf again. Maybe they all like rabbit’s like me! I just have to be careful so I don’t get my insides eaten. It was decided.
“I’m hungry. I’m going to grab some more berries or something to snack on.” Caym said, getting up. He bent over and grabbed Clover.
“You aren’t bringing that with you are you?” Jinn asked. Caym stared at her.
“Why wouldn’t I bring him?” He asked. Jinn rolled her eyes and got up.
“Well if you are going to carry him everywhere you might as well have an easier way of transporting him.” She looked around until she found a pouch and put it on Caym so the strap went across his chest securely.
“There. Now you have something to carry your hairy thing.”
“His name is Clover!” He said impatiently and slid the rabbit into the pouch. Clover peeked out and began sniffing the air curiously.
“Won’t the commander get angry that we are using up resources?” Caym asked, and stared down at Clover with pride.
“Nah, what he doesn’t know won’t kill him. While you're out can you bring me something too?” Caym nodded and headed out in the opposite direction. Once the forest concealed him he turned and started towards the elves' city. He knew what he was doing was putting their whole operation in danger but he was so curious to learn more. What did elves like to do for fun? Did they train like the elf he saw? Were they as gentle as the other elf was? As he walked he came to a small river that rushed gaily down. Fish swam and jumped through the river, scales gleaming in the sun. He put his hand in the river and was shocked how cold and wet it was. Even though he has sat in the lake next to camp, it always surprised him how the water felt. Back at his home water was scarce and had to be conserved and used wisely. Food was just as hard to find, if not harder. Before he went through the portal he was skinny and weak, like everyone else but was chosen because he had more training in fighting. When the small group first went through the portal they ate and drank so much they could hardly stand up. Caym still couldn’t believe how abundant everything was. He had grown stronger over the past couple months but still had dizzy spells once in a while if he moved for too long without a rest. His mind wandered back to the realm that he grew up in. He was honored when he was chosen to help with the mission but he had to leave his father behind. His mother died while giving birth and even though Caym never met her, he missed her. He remembered the bone crushing hug his father gave him before he left and how he smiled hopefully for a better future. I will bring him over soon and will make sure he never goes hungry again. It has been six months since he has been able to see his father or any other demon from the other realm. Hopefully, they will be able to find a way to create a portal back home. As soon as everyone assigned to the mission and supplies were out, the portal shut and so that meant they were stranded here. Caym leaped over the small river and continued his journey. The trees towered over him with vines wrapping around the trunks covered in flowers. Occasionally, he would lean in and smell the flowers, marveling at the sweet scent of the flowers. Never had he ever smelled something so marvelous! Finally, he spotted the biggest trees he had ever seen. There were stairs that wrapped around them and small houses that were attached. How did they build something like that? He could see little orbs that seemed to be attached everywhere that gave off a warm glow. He crept closer as slowly as he could so he wouldn’t bring attention to himself. As he crept along the bushes he saw an elf reading from a book to some children in a little clearing and Caym stopped to listen. Since he wasn’t very good at reading it was nice to have someone read for him and this would mean he would have an opportunity to learn something new. He was impressed by how well the elf could read and was a little jealous. He must know so much! He was still a couple yards away just as a precaution but that meant he could only hear snippets of what the elf was reading. “Midnight star…magic…spells.” Those were the only words Caym actually understood and instantly knew they were reading about the Night of the Midnight Star. It was a phenomenon that happened every hundred years and somehow was able to enhance magic. That was how the demons were able to escape. With the star on their side and making their magic stronger, they were able to cast a spell that was able to open a portal for a small amount of time. The thought of not being able to create another portal without the star made him feel sick. If he and his team weren’t able to find another solution to open the portal they would have to wait another hundred years but by then they would be dead from age or something worse. Caym shook his head and tried to distract himself with something else. The elves were so colorful. Their skin, hair, and eyes were all sorts of different colors he didn’t even know could be possible. Clover looked from the pouch and sniffed the air, looking around at the new surroundings.