"As I have described in earlier chapters the colors of the trees and light in the sky are beyond the beauty or hues of our world. Strange unnatural to our world but still holds an attractive quality. In my travels, I stumbled into a place in contrast to that I'd grown accustomed to. The wood around me became dark and cold, much like that of a burnt forest devoid of life, or at least so I thought. The fey sky is in a sort of perpetual twilight, as the light an hour before the sun is scheduled to rise, yet it never does. But this land I found seemed to be in reverse as if the light was being pulled away. Looking back now, I suppose that's where the ruler of this land gets her name. I wasn't in this abysmal land long before I was ambushed. Capturing me were these small twisted wretched creatures with faces I still am unable to forget. They drug me across the darkened forest floor for hours until we reached a fortress. What I could see of it was jagged and much like a stag’s rack, pointed and jettisoning every which away. Despite being small and what I'd imagine to be an evil ancestor of the kind gnomish folk I'm sure you know, the creature that captured me hosted me above its head. Like a hunter taking in his trophy to be on display, this brute took be before its queen. What I would have presumed to be some kind of grotesque monster of the vilest caliber, was in fact a human woman. The beautiful visage of her was so dumbfounding that when she spoke I hadn't the ability to understand. That is until a hard fist struck the back of my hand, rendering a shout and loosening my tongue. Her eloquent voice, ladened with honey shall never leave my mind for all my days, spoke again saying "I ask you again stranger, who enters the realm of the Dusk Queen without allowance." Looking about seeing her monstrous minions surrounding me, I knew that if she so wished my head would ordain the floor. Thinking as quickly as I could I rallied as much courage within my soul and said " O'fairest Dusk Queen, no one in all the fey nor the material plane could amount to the splendor before me. I am TaMicheal of Felenore a humble author and explorer." I shall never be able to say for certain if it was the words that I spoke, the pitiful vision before her, or maybe it was a secret desire to speak with someone apart from the creatures that stood around her throne, but she spared me. She granted me audience with her and spoke of the material plane, gathering information about the world far from hers. It was weeks that I remained in her capture, providing entertainment and stories about the world we live in. I learned very little from her, for she was very precise with her words and let nothing slip she didn't intend to. What I was able to learn was she once did live among us in the material. Unnervingly I discovered also that she has a group of witches at her disposal she calls
The Spectral Eyes. I bided my time until one of the guards foolishly loosened my bindings enough for me to fetch my hidden magical ring. Clasping it firmly I was returned to home.
Thus concluded my venture into the beautiful and dangerous fey wild. Let me state plainly that it is by the grace of Lliira that I escaped the Dusk Queen. Though she spoke with soothing tones and gilded words, their lie a wickedness unseen beneath her elegant façade. I fear for my life to this day even ten years from the day of those events, remaining in hiding using a pseudonym. So if you find yourself within the darken woods of her land, best to turn and flee lest you be found by monsters."
~TaMichael Samson
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