Mitch and Alan entered into the temple located right in the middle of the forest it was pretty run down for a temple with no roof covering the top or entrance for that matter just a few stone pillars and then a bunch of pedestals with chess pieces placed on cushions. "I'm guessing these are the relics we need to take?" Mitch said as they walked around looking at each individual piece there were 20 in all and already 10 pieces had been taken "So seems we're one of the last pairs to arrive" Alan observed as Mitch walked and snatched up the Black Knight tossing it into his pocket "All the more reason to grab the piece and go".
"Hey don't I get a choice on what piece we take?" Alan objected as Mitch shrugged his shoulders "Black Knight seemed the coolest I like Black and personally the Knight seems the most awesome piece" "I suppose I could think of it like an actual Knight fighting for justice and that!" raising his Tonfa's high in the air as Mitch shook his head "Dude whatever helps you sleep at night".
As they were turning around to leave a rustling in the bushes to their right was heard as Mitch immediately unsheathed Ashura a fireball forming as he launched it towards the shadows only for it to be deflected as Tom and Ania both stepped into the temple "What the hell!" Ania yelled as Mitch shrugged his shoulders "Thought you were Grim". "So these are the relics we're supposed to be taking" Tom walked around the room staring at the different pieces there was 9 pieces left as he assumed most if not all the teams had already passed through here.
"So we just pick one and leave?" Ania walked over staring at all the potential choices "Do you think it matters which one we decide on?" "Hmmm I think it's a test to decide on what type of team we want to be" Tom exclaimed seeing the King and Queen but deciding against those "If we take the King and Queen we might be sending the wrong message that we deem ourselves the most important team or the most powerful since the other teams haven't taken that relic, I say we take the Black Knight, Knights are strong stalwart people of justice and one of the unique pieces in chess to move which I think reflects both of us very well".
Done with his long speech Tom looked down ready to take the piece only to find it was gone with Ania walking towards Alan and Mitch tossing the piece in her hand "You done with your world peace speech since we're leaving" she called back as he sighed "No one appreciates a good intellectual speech these days".
"That's all there is to this initiation you grab a chess piece and walk back with it seems pretty simply" Mitch said to Ania while Tom and Alan walked behind them "I managed to make friends with Ania!" Tom exclaimed as Alan patted him on the back "Very good your sensei is proud" "My teacher?". Laughing Alan patted his back again "It's a joke since I'm your teacher on how to get friends I decided to name myself your sensei" "...I still don't quiet get it" "You have much to learn my young student" Alan said shaking his head as Tom still stared confused.
"I still do wonder what these chess pieces mean and what they symbolise" Ania held up the black knight as Mitch noticed they had picked the same thing he did "Huh fancy that I picked the black knight as well". "So do you guys have any idea where we're going because I certainly don't" Mitch said stopping suddenly as Ania glared at him "Wait why were you leading then!" "I wasn't leading I was following you" "No I was following you!"
"Honestly those two would be screwed if they weren't partnered with us" Alan said sighing as he leapt up onto a tree branch and proceeded to scale the tree until he emerged at the top overlooking all of the Emerald Forest. He spied a giant bird like Grimm flying off in the distance with a small group of students attempting to engage it, also a crab was chasing another group but they were all well off on the eastern side of the forest. "Hmm so the cliff's are directly north of our location so if we keep heading straight we should reach the bottom and then can climb up".
Leaping down he relayed the information back to the three of them as they resumed their walk forward unaware that a giant dirt mound they had just passed opened a pair of dark orange eyes to glare at them followed by a deep rumbling growl. Mitch stopped suddenly as Ania ran into his back "Why'd you stop for" she exclaimed as Alan and Tom also remained still as he turned to look behind them all "Did you guys hear a growl of some sort?" All of them shook their heads as Mitch "Hmm must be hearing things" shrugging his shoulders they all went to resume walking only for the ground to suddenly shake beneath them and a loud roar to assault their ears "Okay surely all of you heard that".