The second that witch's voice had rung out in the night, Dan had sensed immense and unexplainable power. It was if the entire forest and everything in it had cringed and backed away at the sound of her voice. The great light that seemed to emanate from her just added to the force, and Dan was surprised he didn't disintegrate on the spot. Instead, he found himself looking out to where the darkness had been a second ago. His eyes widened at the sight of what had been lurking just out of reach, ready to grab them. These creatures, these...monsters, were some of the freakiest things he had ever seen. If he had known those things had been out there, he wouldn't have minded letting someone else bring up the rear on their treck to the cottage. But he didn't plan on staying to stare at what had almost killed him. Instead, as soon as that woman had appeared, he had bolted it into the house. The last thing he wanted was to be a midnight snack.<br/><br/>And so, here he was, sitting in the cabin with the others, worrying about a whole bunch of things: who he really was, where Jon was at, who that missing person had been, and why he couldn't remember anything about any of it. He sighed softly. Dan wasn't ready for this kind of change in his life, but he felt that it was all true. He wished it wasn't, but there was enough evidence to prove that he wasn't normal. He looked to the witch, hoping she had some useful information for the group. She went to prepare a small meal for them, after telling them she would answer their questions. He wondered what he should ask the woman. He was, afterall, worried about a whole array of things. The selfish thing would be to ask about his powers, but Dan thought about it for a second. First off, it wasn't the most important thing right now, even though it was a close second. But right now, he cared more about how to find his old friend. There had to be a way to get him back safely, without facing those shadow creatures.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"The woods claimed him...."</span>Dan's eye had twitched when Tima had said that. He didn't want to believe that Jon was really gone. No, he wasn't gone. They would find a way to get him back, no matter what.<span style="font-style: italic">Woods claimed him....</span>It was partly his fault that Jon had dissappeared. He had made sure everyone else had made it to safety, yet he had forgotten Jon.<span style="font-style: italic">Woods...</span>If it wasn't for these stupid woods, then none of this would have happened. They would have enjoyed a nice reunion around a campfire, but instead they get their lives turned upside down by some messed up monsters.<span style="font-style: italic">Woods</span>Dan had a realization at that instant. The woods! Earlier he had been able to<span style="font-weight: bold">feel</span>the earth under his feet, and everything that was on it: his friends, the trees, even that dragon, and Dan was sure the others hadn't seen it. What bothered Dan was that he hadn't sensed any of those monsters that had been after them. It was as if they weren't on the earth, which actually made sense. He would have to figure out a way to avoid the monsters, but other than that, he had an idea of saving Jon.<br/><br/>As if on cue, everything faded again. The noise around him died down, the roar of the fire, the witch making food for them, even the slight breathing of the group. His vision faded to a darkness, with only outlines of his surroundings remaining. He once again felt the ground, and he could even see past the cottage they were in. He realized this was a type of true vision, where he saw things the human eye couldn't, because he didn't see straight with his eye, he felt everything within a certain perimeter, because it traveled throught the earth, unblocked. He also felt different aspects of the earth. There were pulses of movement, roots growing ever so slightly underground. Later on, he would even be able to feel how the air changes when it hit the ground. Dan didn't know where he had gotten that thought from, but he knew it to be fact. He started to feel a familiar presence approach. It was the dragon, at the edge of the forest outside of the cabin. It once again regarded Dan with a slight nod. It spoke in his mind once again, "You are the chosen hero of the earth. And this ability is one that all creatures in tune with nature know. It is my gift to you, a small push to help you discover yourself. What more you can do, you must uncover yourself. But there is great danger in store for you. You must be ready to defend all that you live for. That is the fate of heroes."<br/><br/>The outline of the sleek dragon faded, until it was as if it were never there. Dan turned back to the fire, even though it didn't matter if he had line of sight. He could feel some of the others eyes on him. To whoever had saw him, his eyes glowed a bright green, but still in focus. You would never guess he was in a trance. When he looked at you, he appeared to be looking right at you.<br/><br/>He released his focus, and his original vision returned. A final message was implanted in his brain, "The earth will aid you at your discretion. Go forth and seize your destiny. Your first great task has already begun." Dan assumed that the spirit had meant finding Jon. He broke the silence of the group, and dared to take a risk. "Ma'am, I don't know how the others feel. But I really only have one question:<br/><br/><span style="color: #00BF40">How can we get Jon back?"</span>