For several moments after Astrid conjured the magical sphere, Calden could have sworn he saw some of the creatures stop on their tracks at the very edge of the light. Yet, before he could let himself feel safe (let alone tell Astrid of it) they continued the chase. There was a clear change in their movement now though, the creatures seemed to be avoiding the areas illuminated by the magic, just as they had kept out of sunlight. An uncertain hint of victory was audible in Calden's whisper. "Yes. Yes! Astrid they're trying to avoid the light. They're still chasing us, but they're clearly avoiding the light." Just when he had said that, the boy reconsidered. A particularly daring chaser ignored the fading blue glow being cast on a trunk they just hopped over and followed them; the rest of the darkness came only few steps behind them. "Or... maybe not. I don't know. Yes. You need to get somewhere safe." Calden tried to keep his eye on the way forward. He could hear Astrid's heart thumping so hard and the heavy breathing. The feeling of being a burden had never before been so tangible, but there was one thing he could do. He could be her third eye, but what good an eye could do to stop a pack of monsters?<br/><br/>The night was already well on its way when they resurfaced from the now wholly black swamp back into some sort of cleaner woodlands. For a long while Astrid's light had been much stronger than the distant dimming shine of the sunset and now neither of the kids could spy even a speck of color other than darkening hues of blue or black on the sky behind the trees. The pack of creatures hissing behind their footsteps were still keeping their distance from the center of the azure glow, but some of them were already beginning to question whether or not the magic light was actually dangerous.<br/><br/>One tried the area lit by blue glow carefully with its thin clawed paw as if testing to see if the water was too cold for swimming. It's head was brought to view now just for a brief moment. In the end of a thick neck covered in black fur there was a flatter area from where two red dots glared back with hunger. Just for a brief moment the squinting eye on Astrid's shoulder could make out the details. He saw a face covered with the thinnest layer of dark fur. Wide brows, a small nose and a lip-less grin lined with small thin teeth. Calden quickly turned his eye from the disturbing man faced creature to look into the direction Astrid pointed out for him. Magic had been so easy to see in the day time and he had thought that most of it would have the friendly glow, but these creatures of night were just as black wherever he looked at them or perhaps darker yet. While trying to not look at the details, he gave another creeper close by another brief glance to get reference of it's dark aura and looked into the cave.<br/><br/>Calden instinctively matched his voice to Astrid's and kept it hushed. He had little will left to even try keep the terror within from being audible in the voice. "Uh... no. I think it's empty. I can't say for sure, but I don't see any of them in there. They aren't going to stay away from just your light forever, we need to move fast. But I think fire does it. They always say that fire keeps beasts away don't they? Fire has to work. But how-" He looked up at her tired, terrified face. Calden felt pity and desperation, he had ran out of good words to help her, the only thing he could do was repeat what he had been saying to her ever since. The boy's voice trembled as he tried to convince both her and himself. "You can do it Astrid. I'm here with you. We can do it." Calden hoped - prayed - that she could find some strength to pull herself into that hole and set up a fire that would stay till the morning.