Luis, Archie, and Kyle walked together as they exited the cave where they came from and entered this hidden forest below the ground.
The forest looked normal, and even the beasts are dormant as they just looked at the three without the ferociousness that was on a typical beast.
It's like they're domesticated by someone or something.
Once they stepped inside the forest.
Kyle felt like he was stung from inside, the other two didn't notice him but he bears it as they walked further.
On the other hand, Archie felt like he was continuously refreshed as soon as they entered this forest.
"What are we looking for exactly?" Archie asked.
"I don't know? Maybe Luna knows something." Luis responded as he lay Luna back to the ground.
Luna sniffed the ground and perked her ear as she focused on the surroundings. The three followed the wolf pup as it walked towards a certain destination.
The wind blew as it carried a tiny voice that only Luis heard. He looked left and right trying to find the voice but he can't seem to find it.
The farther they enter the forest, the louder this calling seemed to get and Kyle's condition is getting worse.
"Kid! I discovered something. One of your friends is getting his energy drained by something inside this forest, you need to stop it before it gets worse!" Skyrion's voice rang inside Luis's head as he focused his energy on his eyes to gain the sense to see the energy flowing around them.
Luis saw that Kyle's energy was getting drawn out towards the ground as Archie receives a lot of energy from the same ground.
"What do you think causes this phenomenon?" Luis thought which was heard by Skyrion.
"We won't know unless we reach the center of this forest. For now, cover him with a barrier to stop the ground from drawing more energy from him." Skyrion suggested.
"Earth Skill: Earth Barrier!" Luis chanted as a brownish semi-transparent appeared around Kyle.
"What are you doing Luis?" Kyle confusingly asked as he looked towards Luis, surprise was etched on his face. "Protecting you from dying! Why didn't you tell us that you're feeling something?" Luis shouted.
A look of guilt emerged from Kyle's face as he lowered his head.
"I just don't want you both to worry about me." Kyle pouted as he kept on looking towards the ground.
"Yeah right, and make us look dumb trying to comprehend how you died when you're with us? That's great Kyle! You should have told us earlier!" Archie sarcastically reprimanded him.
"I'm sorry!" Kyle apologized.
"It's alright, we are your teammates so tell us when something doesn't feel right and we will try to find a way for it, do you understand?" Luis comforted which was answered by the young man with a nod. "Good! Eat this to replenish your lost energy." Luis gave a white pill as Kyle ate it and his pale face slowly regained its rosy hue.
After walking for a few minutes, the ground trembled almost making the team lose their balance.
"How dare you enter my domain!" A deep voice bellowed as the ground shook and woods sprang from the ground forming an entity.
A wooden dragon with leaves as its mane and tail feather appeared. Its eyes shone as it looked towards the three young men staring at them.
"Those who stepped inside my domain deserves to die!" The dragon bellowed as it swiped its sharp claw towards the three.
The three dodged as Luis boosted himself away by emitting strong light, Kyle dodged by manipulating vapor and the vapor pushed him away as Archie dodged by using the counterforce of that swipe when he blocked it with a thick wood slab.
"Interesting! How about this?" The dragon bellowed as leaves from the surrounding woods swayed and gathered around the dragon as they spin and hover around it like they were dancing for it.
The leaves stiffened as they rushed towards the three in unpredictable trajectories.
The three summoned their barriers to cover themselves as the leaves endlessly barrage it.
The three were at a disadvantage as they ran and surrounded the 50 feet tall dragon.
"Trying to outnumber me? Think again!" The dragon grinned as it summoned the trees who were transformed into treants. Kyle summoned a large tidal wave but before it could even move, it was devoured by the ground.
"Ha ha ha! Using water in my forest is helping it! Thanks for the nutrition kid!" The dragon laughed as it swiped its tail towards Kyle that made the young man flew and broke some trees.
The barrier surrounding Kyle broke as his energy was drawn out of his body faster than it used to.
"Kid! That young man is in danger! Hurry!" Eroditus shouted inside Luis's head.
"Earth Skill: Earth Barrier! Light Skill: Light Barrier!" Luis immediately double chanted as two barriers covered Kyle. "Here!" Luis threw the same pill he gave that recovered Kyle's energy.
They gathered together as if they're communicating in their minds as they nodded and form a triangular formation. Kyle was in front while the other two were behind.
"You want to kill your friend that badly? Well, I'll gladly grant your wish!" The dragon mocked as it spews a bright green light from its mouth towards Kyle.
The three grinned as the formation suddenly changed from Kyle being in front, to Luis being in front.
He made a light barrier that absorbed the energy of the dragon but before the beam died, they returned their formation back. "If you can defend yourself from that attack, then try defending from this one!" The dragon bellowed as numerous roots sprang up from the ground as it rushed towards Kyle.
The formation changed again and this time, Archie was in front as he manipulated the roots and force them to shoot back towards the dragon. The dragon was surprised when he saw the roots coming back at him.
"These kids are interesting!" The dragon thought as it flew up in the air. It was expansive and it immediately covered the light emitted by the rock with its expansive leafy wings.
It flapped its wings as strong winds blew that almost topple some trees.
The three ducked to avoid being blown away by the winds as the wind felt stingy because of the pressure.
Every flap of its wings makes seeds rain from the sky like bullets. Luis made double barriers to cover them from the barrage of the seeds.
The seeds grew at a visible speed as they slowly became the replacement of the toppled trees. A tree emerged below the group as it lifted them.
"There you are!" The dragon smirked as it swiped its tail towards that tree.
"Earth Illusion: Camouflage!" Luis chanted as the team became invisible. Not quite invisible but they blended with their surroundings so that they looked like they're invisible.
The dragon landed looking for the three who suddenly disappeared.
As if fate was siding with Luis's group. The tail of the dragon lay before them as they climbed on it. The dragon didn't notice this movement because it felt the same as dirt stuck on a person's skin that you will only notice when you paid attention to it, but in Luis's case, it's like they're dirt stuck on the dragon but they're invisible so no matter how hard he paid attention, he won't notice.
The three slowly crept up the dragon's head. Luis leads the way and when they reached it,
Luis summoned a Warhammer and Archie covered it with thick vines until it got big enough. Kyle blasted the Hammer as it quickly smashes down towards the dragon's head.
When the dragon noticed it, the dragon brightened up as the hammer hit nothing but air.
The three fell but managed to make cushions that save themselves from damage.
From within the forest, a middle-aged man walked out heading towards their direction. He has these beady eyes that when you look close to them, you will feel how wise was this person.
He wore a green robe with brown root embroidery on it. The three became vigilant as they prepare themselves to fight this man.
"No need to be cautious you three, I won't hurt you again! Ha ha ha! Welcome to my forest, I am Klygor." The middle-aged man introduced. The three looked confused as to what the man was talking about.
"Ha ha ha! I am that dragon you fought earlier and you passed my test! I'll give you your rewards and the reason why you discovered this place." Klygor explained as he walked deeper inside the forest towards a simple temple up ahead.
"This is my place, the Temple of Woods, inside you will find the treasures or if I reword it correctly, your fated items. It is not an accident that you came here but it was fated." Klygor informed as a look of reminiscing appeared on his face, remembering his past.
The three entered the temple and it's a long way hall and inside there were statues of beasts and human figures with wings who were covered with vines and leaves.
When they reached the end, a gigantic door covered with vines was in front of them and when they opened it, a force drifted around the three which carried a sentimental nature on it as if it was calling for them.
They entered the room and their eyes laid on the exact three things that were lying on the altar covered with leaves and vines.