He staggered to his feet to see that the tree moved from the path, blocking their way. The tree was old, with thick, cracked bark. He raised his arm as Soprana attempted to get rid of it with her wand.
"No, let me handle it!" he wanted to put what he practiced all those days into fighting. It would be good to see how much he improved. However, what he grabbed from the doll wasn't a sword, but keys, a bunch of them.
He shoved the keys back to the doll, keeping his eyes on the tree. He could finally make out its hidden eyes and mouth in the middle of the trunk. He put his hand in the pouch, pulling the sword and aimed it at the living tree. Fortunately, it was just one. If there were a bunch of them, then he would need Soprana's help in keeping the others at bay. He needed to fight a lot to get used to it.
