One by one, the dragons land near the edge of a cliff. Sitting down, they allow the riders to step down, except for Hiro. His dragon gracefully drops Hiro on the ground seconds before he lands.

"I think I'm going to throw up." Hiro said, running to the nearest bush.

"Wow, I still can't get over it. Did you see all the colors and scenery? This place is beautiful." Ito said.

"Yeah, I could see myself getting comfortable here." Chung said.

Lemir pats the dragons and wishes them safe travels as they take off, sending all of them to fall back as they flap their gigantic wings to create a windstorm around them.

"Follow me, and don't get separated. I can't guarantee I'll find you." Lemir said.

"Why is it that whenever he gives instruction, it makes me more scared?" Ito asked.

Entering the forest, the mood changes. The dark, foreboding forest differs from the one they departed from. Everyone walks close behind Lemir, not wanting to get lost here. Hiro and Ito stay inches away from Panko, wanting any protection they could get. Everywhere they look, they see movement throughout the darkened forest, above in the trees and ripples in the nearby water. Everyone saw it, but they all tried to concentrate on not getting lost. They continued not to say a word, walking in unison like soldiers in a military drill.

"Almost there." Lemir shouted to the group, making Kenji jump.

"Why do I feel like he's scaring us on purpose?" Kenji said to Mei.

"Maybe because he is." Mei said.

Kenji walks down the path very cautiously, not wanting to risk touching a poisonous plant to add to his woes. "Situations like this make me question my life choices."

"This is what I've been dreaming of." Sungwoo said, appearing between them out of nowhere, startling both of them. "I knew there had to be more out there. It's exciting that my life could be taken at any moment." Sungwoo continues to look eagerly throughout the forest while Kenji and Mei focus on one another, silently agreeing not to continue this conversation.

"Hey guys, check out this cave. It's so mysterious." Chung shouted from at least twenty yards away, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Chung!" Mei said, terrified how far she strayed away. "Get over here now. It's not safe." Mei whispered but in a yelling tone.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

THUMP!

THUMP!

The ground around them shakes violently, sending creatures around to scatter away. Lemir sprints to Chung, grabbing her and distancing her from the cave. Lemir stares into the cave. A smell fills his nose, similar to burnt charcoal. As he pulls out his wand, the thumping continues to get louder and closer. A thick fog fills the entrance of the cave, spewing out to the forest and all around them. The fog makes it hard to breathe as everyone pulls their clothing to their mouths and nose, trying to prevent all of it from entering their lungs.

Slowly the beast reveals itself, showing a minotaur tenedraug, measuring at least eleven feet in height. It slowly rises from the cave. The black cloud fell from his body, exactly like it did from the hawks before.

The hand of the figure rises and slams down on the ground, creating shock waves throughout the forest. Lemir pushes Chung further behind, shielding her from the monster, as an aura of blue light surrounds Lemir. As Lemir stands there glowing, an axe forms in his right hand. The wand acting as the handle while Lemir sent more and more energy to the axe, now two times the size of his body. He tightens his grip right as he leaps through the air. Everyone watches below in pure astonishment.

He winds up and strikes down, aiming for the head. The tenedraug raises his arm and forms a blade, blocking it with little effort. Lemir lands and jumps back immediately, composing himself. The tenedraug inhales and quickly releases a purple haze surrounding Lemir and the others. Everyone tries to escape the fog, as it becomes almost impossible to breathe. They rush with their arms in front, careful not to run into anything. Sungwoo, from the corner of his eye, saw a flame heading straight for him. Lemir lands before him, blocking the flame with a circle of light, sending it straight back. The monster steps back and wobbles to the ground as the flame passes inches from his head. Before Lemir can finish him, the tenedraug turns and runs to the pitch-black cave, where it appeared from. Lemir runs, but he looks at the others and stays to protect them, in case more were to come.

What are they doing all the way out here? We're nowhere near Teneborg. Lemir thought as he stared down at the black fog dissipating throughout the forest.

Lemir turns to Chung, his face filled with anger. "What were you thinking? That thing could have killed you. I told you to follow me closely. If you can't do that right, I should've fed you to him myself."

Mei walks forward with her fist clenched. Kenji, knowing that look, holds her back. Mei knows Chung is wrong, but the way he talks to her is a little out of line and she can't help but be angry. Chung slowly makes her way to the group. Lemir is still glaring at her, while Mei sends the same glare back.

Mei puts her arm around Chung, trying to stop her from shaking. "It's okay. We'll make it through this."

"Hurry and stay close. We don't know if it'll return." Lemir said, glaring at them like a stern father to his kids.

"Things just keep getting better." Hiro said.

They walk for only a few more minutes when Lemir stops. He scans the forest, checking for any more threats and waves his wand, building momentum with each rotation. Slowly, a door appears before them. He walks through and holds it open for the rest to follow.

Walking inside, they didn't know what to expect, but imagined it being more glamorous in their minds.