Magellan sat there with her for about thirty minutes before saying anything, but knew the longer it took them; the more danger the empress would be facing alone. 

"I think we had better keep moving." He told her.

"I'm sure you're right. I'll follow you." She told him, as they both stood up from the soft grasses at almost the same time. 

           He nodded as she walked with him through the next forest. Each mile they walked seemed to help her fears slowly fade off into the surrounding night air. It felt to her that with this vampire by her side she could take on anything or anyone standing in the way of saving her empress.

As they kept going on through the dark, thick forest came upon a small village but thought it best to go around it.  She was traveling in the middle of the night with a vampire, she didn't want to see a lynch mob festival tonight. 

 Once they made it around the little village, going further and passing through Meridians Isle, passing the occasional night owl and nocturnal gnomes. The two of hem walked another hour when he pointed at a huge black rock with an eerie looking tree growing out of its'  cracks. 

  "That landmark is the half-way point of our journey." Magellan explained to her.

"Oh thank the gods." She said.

"Don't worry we'll save her." The vampire told her with a sympathetic look. 

"I do hope you're right." She stated.

"I'm right, you'll see." He told her.

The sorceress nodded pulling out a muffin, nibbling at it as they passed the rock- tree and into more seemingly endless forest terrain.