Yula, the Middle State

Seera watched him disappear before disappearing into the forest, shifting into a wolf mid-air.

Ellon arrived in the village a few minutes later, for after he was out of eyesight he had ran swiftly through the forest. Korder was a minute ahead of him, and was waiting in their hut. "Okay, Korder, here's the thing. That was all an illusion, it never happened." Ellon told the gray cat, who nodded and blinked. After that, Ellon went and delivered the deer pelt to the requester. Walking back, he stopped to talk to a few out of town traders and look at their wares. He spent a few coin for a fancier shirt. The next day was the village festival, after all.

Seera sits outside the village, the rest of the pack a bit behind her. She stares into the village, deep in thought.

Ellon told himself that it was just an illusion so much that day, he started to believe it. He didn't have much time to think, he spent his time helping with the preparations for the festival. Some ladies needed help cutting vegetables, some men had wood to chop, children were collecting flowers. It was always a busy time, and this year was no exception. However, he still had his uneasy feeling deep in his gut. He dismissed this and continued his work, though.

Seera frowns, standing and dismissing the pack as she moves into the town, staying hidden as she watches the village.

Ellon was helping the men build a large bonfire pit in the center of town. This, by far, was one of his least favorite jobs in the village. You have to stack large trunks, which is no small feat for a weak wood elf such as himself. Eventually, the human men took over and suggested he help the women cook. Ellon decided to get a bit of rest, instead, after all, he'd been out all day. He went to his hut and sat on his bed, Korder at his side, and watched out the window. As if anything would happen in Yula.

Seera moves to watch him for a moment before going to offer the men at the bonfire some help with the wood.

"Ellon, wakey wakey." Korder's purring voice came. "You weren't supposed to sleep, you know." His bright eyes were fixed down upon the wood elf. "Get up and work, lazy bum." Ellon sighed, he knew Korder was right.
"How long have I slept, Korder?" Ellon asked as he got up off of the straw bed and put his hands in the small water basin at the far edge of the small hut.
"Not long, half an hour, at the most." Ellon sighed again as he splashed some water on his face. He not only felt groggy, he felt drained. He just thought it was the hunt from earlier. He grabbed his bow and arrows, something he never left without, and attached them to his back. "Okay, help with flowers, cooking or walk around and look for other work?" Ellon said sarcastically. He knew he didn't want to do any more flower or cooking jobs. He'd look around.

Seera frowns, helping around the village, some of the people staring at her like she was crazy. She didn't know why they looked at her with so much suspiciousness.

Ellon had been conversing with an elderly man who was once a good friend of his father's, when a few kids came up an told them that a strange woman was in town. Ellon knew it was probably another old traveling woman, who needed a place to stay. He made a small joke to the old man about the village being excitable and politely excused himself. He followed the children to the middle of town, where a woman was walking around. Once he saw her, his jaw dropped.

Seera sees him and nods slightly in greeting, at the moment carrying one half of a huge log with no apparent difficulty while the guy on the other end struggles.

Ellon stood there in disbelief. He couldn't speak anything legible, but he knew he had to talk to her. After all, it was just a dream, right? "I-I'll help you." He said to the man on the other end of the log. He moved quickly, almost stumbling over a rock as he helped hold up the side of the log.

Seera chuckles to herself and helps them get the log to where it goes, not even sweating over the weight. She sets it down with them and dusts herself off.

"It wasn't a dream?" He murmured quietly to himself. No way was this woman a full human. She was too strong, too mysterious. "Hey, you. You're here?" he asked, not caring if he sounded dumb near everyone. Usually he had a clever way of talking, like his father did, but that seemed to not work when he was this nervous.

Seera blinks at him, seeming confused. "Of course I'm here. I didn't turn invisible or anything did I?" she asks, looking down at herself.

"Uhm, no. Maybe I'm thinking of someone else." He said, his doubts taking root. He considered that maybe it was a Daywalker Vampire, which, all things considering, would be worse. Maybe she just works out a lot. "Where are you from?" His voice trembled slightly.

Seera frowns at him, "I'm from the forest. You met me earlier remember? Do you suffer from amnesia?"

"Ah, no, I don't. Its just that. . .this is Yula." He said as if it'd make more sense to him. "I mean, it's Yula, nothing happens here." It was a smaller state, the state of peace. No wars were fought here, and almost everyone got along. There wasn't any thing exceptional about this place. "So it's true?"

"What's true? That I'm real? Of course I'm real. Or do you mean shapeshifters?" Seera asks, chuckling a little.

"Yes, shape shifters. I mean, my dad told me stories when I was a child, but not stuff like this, not true stuff. Sure, a few stories seemed pretty real, but I know they're not. It's a bunch of imagination!" Ellon said in a hushed whisper, after all, business wouldn't be good if people thought he was crazy, which he certainly was not. Or was he? Maybe it was getting to his head, maybe he needed fresh air. You know, fresh air is hard to come by when you spend your day in a forest.

Seera chuckles, "We're very real. And I'm sure many of the stories your father told you are real. Many are probably false as well. If you wished... I could take you to meet other shapeshifters."

Okay, Ellon had concluded this was a dream. A very realistic dream. "Sure, show me." He said, taking a deep breath. After all, it was a dream and he did have his bow and arrow on him if anything got too rowdy. Not once did he bother to think about how he had certainly felt it when he was lifting the log a moment ago, nor did he think about how he could feel his quiver on his back.

Seera smiles and leads him into the forest, leading him a small distance before whistling, the pack surrounding her slowly, wary of him. She smiles and pets them, seeming to tell them something. Soon they all run off again and she continues deeper into the forest, stopping when they come up a small village... in the trees.

"What. . .is this place?" Most definitely a dream. He'd been in this forest hundred of times before, but nothing like this had ever been here. He was sure of it. Well, it's not like he walked around looking at the sky all the time, but still! You'd think a small, observant wood elf would notice these things.

"This is my people's home. We build like this and veil with magic," Seera says, smiling and looking at him, her head tipped slightly to the side. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, not at all." The elf's long knife-shaped ear twitched. Boy, the story tellers at the village will love to hear this one. Not only was it pretty interesting, but it seemed pretty accurate to the legends. "So, magic? So, like wizards and witches and stuff?" He asked, noting the location of each possible escape routes.