As, they sat by the fire Gloria was in deep thought. Niku asked her what they were looking for and she was unsure whether to answer truthfully. After a few moments Niku asked her if she had heard him. “Aye, I did…..”

“So?” Niku asked anxiously.

“Well, it’s rather hard to describe….. To put it simply it is a leaf…. But not an ordinary leaf! It’s a leaf of great power. A Deity once possessed it long ago. I have heard about it before and when I finally found out where its location was. That’s why I’m here to find it.” Gloria looked deep into the fire with a longing face.

“Oh…” Niku said sounding a tad bit disappointed.

“Trust me; it’s better than it sounds! The powers it wields are mysterious, but I’ve heard rumors of the marvelous things it can do!” Gloria was brimming with excitement now.

“If you say so….” Niku still seemed rather disappointed, but Gloria didn’t mind. She was focused on finding it. It would give her many powers of the forest, but still…. She wanted Niku to feel like he was getting something out of this.

“You know, they say that there is other treasure along with the leaf.” Gloria said turning her head to face Niku.

“Really?” Niku’s face lit up a bit as he lifted his head from staring at the fire.

“Yes! Absolutely! I mean, the place where it’s said to be kept has so many wondrous nooks and crannies!” Gloria gleamed.

Niku sat there, seeming to be thinking. Gloria smiled, knowing that now he would be intrigued to continue on this quest. Gloria stood up and turned to face Niku. “I think I’ll be turning in now. We have a long journey ahead of us.”

“Alright. Good night.” Niku told her. She could tell that he was a good companion on this journey. She didn’t want to face the dangers alone. She went in their makeshift shelter and curled up.

She was exhausted and knew she would fall asleep the instant she put her head down. With the forest around her she felt at peace. Her wings enveloped her and her eyes gently shut themselves. She fell into a deep sleep as the noises of the forest rang around her.