For the sake of clarity, until my wisp is given a spoken name, o is being used in place of a more conventional name.<br/><br/>Dusk fell over the swamp and o emerged from the hollow beneath a dead tree where it had slept through the day.  Glowing dimly, it bobbed a few feet off of the ground, opening its senses to the landscape at gloaming.  Bugs droned in a background buzz, interrupted in staccato bursts as creatures plopped into the water as a male owl calling for a mate provided melody.<br/><br/>o found no signs of travelers in the vicinity, the same as every other waking the past few moons.  More and more, people were sticking close to home, and those who did journey forth were sacrificing speed for safety, choosing to take the longer road around the swamp.  Yesterday, o had resorted to feeding from a lynx cub, it’s animal panic a weak substitute to the rich terror and anger provided by humanoids.<br/><br/>Flying toward a nearby goblin settlement, o was waylaid by the discovery of a small abandoned pack.  Extinguishing it’s glow, it scouted around, searching for signs of the creature the pack belonged to.  Finding no tracks nor anyone nearby, o moved closer to the pack, studying it for clues.<br/><br/>The pack was open, so o muttered and bobbed for a moment, concentrating on the container.  The pack rose off the ground and tipped over, losing a few of its contents.  Some humanoid food, a rock and piece of metal, a piece of paper, and other sundry objects humanoids seemed to feel they needed whenever they went somewhere.<br/><br/>o almost gave up on finding anything of interest when it noticed that the piece of paper resisted the spoilage of the swamp, not even getting dirty.  Letting the pack drop to the ground, o bobbed closer to the ground, reading what is written on the white square.<br/><br/>“So,” o thought, once it had read the invitation, “A gathering of humanoids.  Prime pickings for a creature like me…”<br/><br/><hr/><br/>o set out that evening, traveling mostly unseen, finding enough pain and suffering along the way that it did not need to work to feed.  It arrived the sundown of the day before the invitation had specified, approaching the gates while invisible.<br/><br/>“Ah, Master Will-o’-Wisp, you’ve made good time.”  o stopped in surprise as the human at the gate continued his greeting.  “Welcome to Ormarr Manor.  A room has been prepared for you.  Kindly wait a moment while a servant is summoned to see to your accommodations.”<br/><br/>Less than a minute passed as o waited in silence before a young maid came down the path from the house carrying a lantern.  She looked around nervously, not sharing the guard’s ability to see the invisible.  o gorged itself on her fear, until a pointed cough from the guard prompted it to glow once more, causing her to jump in surprise.<br/><br/>Once she could see o, she led the way inside to a room on the first floor, reciting the rules of the gathering all servants had been instructed to memorize.  o remained silent throughout, not even answering once they reached the guest room and she asked whether she should turn down the bed or start the fire in the hearth.<br/><br/>Awkwardly, she clasped her hands in front of her.  “Is there…anything you require, sir?”<br/><br/>o flew to the window, bobbing in front of it until the girl caught on and eased it open, allowing the cool evening  breeze inside.  Once that was accomplished, it guided her to the hall, returning to the room and moaning a warning when she made to close the door.<br/><br/>Having fed better than it had in months, o found that it actually was ready to rest.  Foregoing the bed, it extinguished its glow and moved under the claw-footed wardrobe to sleep.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>The next day, o woke and was amused to find a tray of human food resting on the small table in the room.  The servants of the manor were trying their best, but clearly had no idea of the needs of a wisp.<br/><br/>Venturing out of the room still invisible, it wended its way through the household, enjoying the mixture of tension and jealousy and myriad other emotions filling the air.  No matter what happened at this gathering, o was tempted to remain forever, wondering why it hadn’t visited such a place before now.<br/><br/>After a few hours, o noticed a large group of servants moving in and out of the main hall, arranging seats and refreshments in what it assumed was a pleasing manner.  Over time, creatures began to gather in the hall, glaring and muttering at some and chatting with others, partaking of the refreshments and very carefully choosing a place to sit and wait.<br/><br/>Remaining invisible, o floated to a high corner, once more glutted on the emotions rife between the assembled creatures.