1 Egg of pain

Daegon was lost. This time he had screwed up big time.

He loved to play in the forest, sneaking off from daily chores around the farm to run between the old oak trees and climb their thick branches. But this time he had gone too far in, the trees became older, taller and thicker and blocked the sun with their thick canopy. Losing his sense of direction he wandered deeper and deeper, and now the sun was falling.

Daemon sat against a tree, his torn cloth sandals pushed into the undergrowth. Thin arms wrapped his barely exposed knees where his forehead was pressed. The long dirty blonde hair covering a simple, youthful, yet dirt smeared face, as he thought, 'Dad's gonna kill me, if this forest doesn't first.'

Picking himself up Daegon set off looking for a source of warmth in this gargantuan forest. Gathering sticks to light a fire, Daegon paused as the wind changed and he was greeted with the smell of smoke. Thinking there maybe a camp nearby, the boy ran off towards that direction.

What greeted him was not a cheerful campsite with food, but a burnt clearing with ruined trees and blackened ground. Daegon was taken back, 'what could have happened here', he thought. Footprints pressed into the ground and wheel marks suggested a large party was here not long ago.

But what caught his eye the most, was the large hole marking the entrance to a cave in the center. A trail of dry blood crept its way from the hole giving a sinister appearance. Shocked Daegon ducked behind a tree.

The fading light cast the surroundings in a grey twilight, where darkness lurked out from the undergrowth painting the forest in shadow.

Preparing to retreat Daegon came to a crouch, using the cover of unburnt low foliage he planned to escape this place. 'Grrrrr', a low growl came from in front, between the trees a pair of white lights bobbing slowly, a paw emerged.

'Oh shit' Daegon swore under his breath. The emerging dog-type beast was not a good sign. Without realizing it Daegon had backed up into the clearing. More, growls sounded around him but it was too late he was already surrounded.

They pounced, Daegon ran the only place left... The ominous cave. He ran, the cave was not long but it was pitch black, somehow he made it to the end through the tunnels, but tripped as he entered the larger cavern at the end.

Shuffling on his back Daegon pushed himself up against the wall of the cave. Breathing heavily the sounds of barking and scuffling brought him a deep sense of panic. But they weren't entering the cave, he might have a chance. With his left hand on his side he elevated himself against a stone, but then grimaced in pain. 'This stone is smooth how could I cut myself on it'. Blood flowed from his left hand and he went to retract it but realized, 'I can't pull it off'. The stone as if a sponge began absorbing every drop of blood and turned a crimson color. Pulsating it began giving off waves of heat.

"ARGH!" The pain was intense throughout his entire left arm, it felt like it was on fire. Daegon's mind was blank, all he felt was pain before blacking out.