Envy slipped off of the boulder, his height meant that the water only came half way up his muscular shins. He walked, effortlessly through the water, towards them. Jamie shuffled over slightly as Envy crouched in between him and Dan. They sat in awkward silence for sometime before Envy spoke. His voice was deep and masculine. "You're players, right?" He asked. Jamie nodded, trying not to stare into Envy's deep, dazzling eyes. Envy sighed. "You know you'll have to pass my test." He said quietly. Jamie nodded again, a lump was beginning to form in his throat. Ryan and Connor had come over to join them now, sitting in the water with legs crossed. Envy turned to to face away from them. He stared up at the midday sun, the beams reflecting across the water.
"What's it like. The real world?" He asked. Jamie sat stunned for a moment. He hadn't expected anyone except the players to know non of this was real. "It's...different."Jamie replied slowly. "Less trees." He added. Envy chuckled.
"I've always wanted to go. But alas, I cannot." He admitted. "I'm not real, just part of the game." Envy sighed. "If anything I'm a little jealous of you players. The first lot left me this." He pulled out a small toy, carved from wood and turned it over in his hands.
Jamie thought about his for a moment, he had been jealous of Envy's fine physique, but he had just been reminded that it was Envy's role to do this. It had never occured to him that Envy would want to see the real world. Envy stood and stretched.
"Nice talk. See you later." He waved goodbye to them. Jamie was suddenly alarmed.
"Did we pass the test?" Dan asked. Envy turned back to face them.
"Possibly." He muttered. "I'll decide when you face the next boss." With that remark Envy waded back across the pool and climbed up the rocky sides of the water fall and disappeared off into the trees, leaving Jamie to wonder whether or not the conversation had gone the right or wrong way.

Slash came back clutching a pile of clean clothes. They were made from dear skin, and another kind of material, sort of like cotton but not as soft, that Jamie couldn't place. Gratefully, he put them on, the fabric was light and it was as if he was wearing a second skin. Then, he folded up his old clothes and shoved them in his bag. Like Dan, Connor and Ryan he now wore a pair of pale brown leggings, a grey shirt and he had also been presented with a black, hooded cloak. He slipped the cloak on, pulling the hood up over his wet hair. It was warm and inviting in the materials embrace. He sighed and began to run, once again trying hard to keep up with Slash. Only this time he just about managed, but he was unsure whether it was the affect of the invigorating water or if Slash was just moving slower than before. After just over half an hour they burst back into the clearing. Emily smiled as they walked over to join her and Sarah. Both of them were wearing the same kind of clothes as he was, the only exception being the colour of their cloaks. Jamie's was a deep midnight black whereas theirs were a brilliant forest green. Jamie grinned.
"You'll never guess who we just met."

After telling the girls about their encounter with Envy the sun had begun to set and Voodoo was calling for them to come and join them. Children gathered around and, although he hadn't seen them before, parents and young adults came out from the woods, trudging out of the vegetation from every direction. The men carried dozens of slaughtered creatures over their shoulders, rabbits, exotic birds and even a whole buck. The women held bundles of herbs and wild vegetables in their arms. Children ran up and hugged their parents, or greeted bolder brothers and sisters with a broad smile and laughed. Jamie felt a pang of homesickness, realising that he missed his mum and dad an almost agonising amount. He wondered if the others felt the same way. Sarah nudged him in the ribs.
"Come on, we have around an hour till the feast, you should get some sleep. We've got a lot of ground to make up tonight." She suggested.
Jamie nodded and followed Sarah over to Voodoo, who told them they could rest in the guest cabin over in the corner of the cluster of houses. Connor yawned, walking ahead of the group and opening the door.
"Such a gentleman." Ryan said, rolling his eyes and entering. Jamie followed, the inside of the building had a homey atmosphere. Beds lined the walls, fluffy pillows and woollen blankets beckoned to him. Jamie don't bother to take off his shoes. He flopped on the bed and wrapped himself the blankets. Jamie quickly fell asleep to the sound of Ryan's snoring.

Sarah woke them up an hour later, and Jamie wondered if she had rested or not. He stretched and yawned, looking around he noticed that he was the last to awaken. Emily had already left, as had Dan, Connor and Ryan. He stood and followed Sarah over to the door, and was greeted by the smell of cooked meat and burnt wood. He sighed and moved across the field, darting between the crowd and joining his friends by a huge bonfire. He could see animals moving around amongst the people, wolves with glowing silver fur sat happily next to children who petted the predators and giggled. Foxes skipped between groups, begging for scraps. Jamie sighed, everyone here was so in tune with nature. He wondered when the society of the real world ceased to be like this, focusing more on industry than the natural world around them. He accepted the plate of meat and vegetables Voodoo offered him and picked up a piece of greasy dear and popped it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.
"They're dancing." Connor said, transfixed on the fire. The children of the village were indeed skipping around the fire, flaming sticks clasped firmly in their hands. The adults played drums made from stretched hide. Everyone was chanting in a language Jamie couldn't understand. The fire roared upwards in response, a nine tailed fox leapt skyward, it's body composed of fire.
"The more tails a Kitsune has -they may have as many as nine- the older, wiser, and more powerful it is. Because of their power, we offer you these to protect these players as they advance through the game." Voodoo yelled, holding up a plate of various meats, decorated with flowers. Carefully, she poured the food into the fire, turning the Kitsune a pale green as the offering burnt. It broke free, The smoky bodied Fox did a lap around the clearing, it's tales moving to the rhythm of the drums.
The Kitsune regarded Jamie and his friends with glowing red eyes before diving head first back into the fire, causing the wolves and the foxes that had gathered to leap into the air, howling and barking along with the people. Voodoo spread her arms wide as the embers flew into the air. Behind her in the forest Jamie thought he saw a flicker of movement, a glimpse of green hair, but in a moment it was gone. Voodoo grinned, suddenly in the light of the huge fire she looked much older. She addressed them for the final time.
"May the spirit and wisdom of the Kitsune be with you."