Two days have passed, and the only visual the group could see of the sky was through the gap of leaves. Rokas had noticed that the sky was turning darker and understood that the weather was about to change. Southern Saintsland rarely had rainstorms, and when it happens, it is typically a very harsh amount of rain for a short period of time. It took just a couple of minutes of traversing the weary trail for the sound of raindrops, hitting the leaves and branches above them.

"You don't happen to have a spell that could dry us off, would you Rokas?" Elias asked with a hint of humor. Rokas's list of spells were expansive, but no spells existed of that nature to his current knowledge. Rokas responded with a tisk and they continued walking. The one trail they were on had lasted many miles and Elias was getting tired of carrying the bag.

"Would either of you be willing to carry this bag for a bit? I can finally say that I'm over it."

Ariah held her hand out to gesture to hand it over to her. Elias did so, and she didn't realize the weight of the bag until she threw it over her shoulder. With each step it felt as if she was sinking an inch or two into the now muddy path that they had to follow. They had just a few miles to go before the day would turn to dusk and the group would set up camp.

"You know, I hope you two didn't expect this to be a fun journey through to the end. This is what adventuring is actually like, expect the unexpected or the unexpected will expect you. A little quote from my father. I haven't been down this path since I captured my powers, so I pray to the two moons that nothing has changed, or we may be in for a treat." Rokas said. He knew he had to start setting some reality into the two jolly twins. He never understood why they were always so happy.

"Fine by me, I like a challenge, it keeps me on my feet. However, the more I'm on my feet, the less I enjoy the challenge. I'd say we're getting close to setting up camp right?" Elias asked. He kept tripping up on tree roots that were sticking out of the mud like a sore thumb. He always bared the idea of looking up when walking to show confidence and pride, but this was an exception, he finally started to watch the ground.

"How're you doing back there sis? You've been quiet." said Elias.

"I have no idea, I'm not used to this and I'm already missing our little home. At this point I'm just glad we are almost ready to relax. We have walked countless miles in the couple days that we have been walking. I have tripped more times than I can count, and these bugs are ginormous. I pray that Rokas finds a little spot to tent up, I need some rest." Ariah replied while panting.

The three would walk about another two miles before coming upon a nice little clearing in the middle of some old pine trees. Considering their location, they have started to make their way around Lake Celia, Starch’s main resource for water. For the first time since they had entered the eerie forest, they noticed this small area had flowers and various foliage. Finally some vibrant colors to help with the gloominess of their current journey.

"Alright, looks like this is our spot to set up, hand me the bag Ariah." Rokas said with his hand sticking out.

"Okay, but it's your turn tomorrow to carry this bag first since you didn't even touch the damn thing." Ariah responded miserably. Rokas took a hold of the backpack full of their inventory and started casting a spell after dumping their miniature objects on the ground.

"Casting Physical Reversal." Rokas's palms glowed a bright white. It was visible, one could watch the items slowly expand to their original size, to the twins, it was extraordinary.

The three would then set up their own tents made up of refined wooden poles and leather cloth. Elias would stack some logs for Rokas to light so they could keep warm over the night alongside the campfire. Once everyone settled and they were sitting around the campfire, smiles could be seen for the first time since their initial entering of the woods. Rokas had brought some packaged fish to cook over the fire which smelled great to the three after being so hungry. They ate their meal and drowsiness was upon them.

"Welp, I think it's time to call it a night, there's not much to say, this is going to take some getting used to, I'm just tired." said Ariah as she groggily fragged her feet to her tent.

In the heart of the forest, where the dense canopy blocks out the moonlight, darkness reigns supreme. The shadows seem to stretch and coil, swallowing the surrounding trees in an inky embrace. The only source of illumination is the flickering campfire, its warm glow casting long, dancing shadows that dance across the forest floor. Elias and Rokas sit across from each other, their faces illuminated by the fire's dancing flames. The crackling of burning wood punctuates the silence of the night, echoing through the stillness like a haunting melody. Around them, the forest seems to come alive with mysterious sounds: the rustle of leaves, the hoot of an owl, the distant howl of a wolf. Despite the darkness that envelops them, Elias and Rokas find solace in the warmth of the fire. However, Elias was bouncing his leg as he sat on the wooden log placed for him, Rokas took notice of this.

"What's on your mind?" Rokas would ask after watching for countless minutes.

"We haven't ever been away from Starch on our own without some kind of adult. You're the same age as us, and oddly I feel somewhat unsafe but also protected because of your history. I'm not sure how to feel, maybe I'm just anxious, or maybe I'm not made for this. You must've heard Dusty the night of the attack, I moved without thinking, I'm immature, and what if that gets me killed?" Elias replied with a faint sound of depression.

"Elias, look, the amount of traveling I have conquered on my own is one of my strong suits for sure. I have seen and experienced many instances that I would find dangerous to the average person, but you two twins make a powerhouse for combinations that you likely haven't ever imagined. I'm here to help you two grow, I may not be much older, and I may not be the strongest mage in Saintsland, but I will assure you of one thing, the stars have been aligned, and you two are destined for greatness. The Silvers are the future of Xero's prosperity." Rokas would respond with haste.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

It was Rokas' goal to make the twins understand that they unfortunately don't have time to mope and worry. They were capable of extraordinary powers unknown to the universe, it just took a good pep talk to make them start looking up again.

"If you don't think what I'm saying is true, look at what you two did for Starch. You had every man, woman, and child on their feet filled with hope. It's certainly not everyday that two teenagers, who are almost adults, can make that impact on stubborn old heads. Plus, I don't believe Dusty would have allowed you guys to leave if you were too weak, think about it." Rokas said in reply to his previous statement.

"Okay, maybe you're right, we should probably get some rest, I'm sure we have quite the hike tomorrow." Elias replied.

The two boys nodded their heads with respect and headed towards their tents. The sounds of crackling fire were becoming faint as the flames simmered down alongside the wind. Just as the boys got to their respected tents, cracks of some twigs beyond the neighboring trees could be heard.

"psst! Elias!" Rokas whispered. Elias turned to look at Rokas as he was motioning with a finger to his mouth to the notion of be quiet. He followed it up with motioning his hands to his side like he was grabbing at metaphorical blades on his side. Elias understood what he was saying as he slowly gripped the handles to his tanto blades. Elias knew it could be dangerous so he channeled mana to tap into Ariah's sleep-driven mind to warn her of danger, an odd power only capable due to twin telepathy. Her eyes opened suddenly, but her body moved with silence as she exited her tent.

The three of them would be hunched by the front of their tents, they heard the branch cracking and leaf rustling getting closer with each second. With limited vision, the three were fearful about what could be beyond their human sight. A deep growl and snarls could be heard, then the dark furry paws of a Bearilla appeared in front of Rokas. In a moment's instant, four others followed the first, and the trio would be outnumbered to this rare species of savage animals.

"Rokas, what are these things?!" Elias asked frantically.

"These are Bearillas, Xero has a weird way of extraterrestrial-like beings made up of two species. To the other continents, these are just gorillas or bears. I'm not quite sure how these came to be about, but I do know they are ferocious and they seem to be hungry, we may be their meal." Rokas replied.

The beasts got into positions surrounding the trio, pawing at the ground below them tearing apart the flowers while doing so. What made them so intimidating was the fact that they had the front paws of a bear, back feet of a gorilla, claws of a demon, and the teeth of jagged swords. The trio had to think, they had no clear vision of the Bearillas, but the Bearillas could see them.

"Can you think of any weaknesses Rokas? I think we're about to become a late night snack, and with this fish in my gut, mixed with anxiety, I'm gonna throw up and end up dead." Ariah said.

It took Rokas a moment of silence for an idea to come to mind, the chances of survival were low due to lack of preparation, but Rokas was a mastermind when it came to procrastination.

"I got it! We just need a couple uncooked fish, and I need one of you to grab them from the sealed bags next to the campfire, and throw them off into the trees to buy us time, hurry though, they may charge so be ready you two!" Rokas would command.

Using his aforementioned telepathy, Elias told Ariah he would scurry to the fish, and that he needed her to watch his back while he cut the packages open. She nodded toward his direction in approval of the situation. She knew that one of her stronger spells had to be put to use, they had three of the five Bearillas inching towards them in particular.

Elias would ready his body for one of his fastest movements he ever could've made. "Casting Light Step" Elias would say softly. Mana pulsing through his feet could be seen by the under glow to his boots. His body went into a ready position similar to the start of a track run, and his body moved at the speed of light. This spell can only be used for so long before exerting a large amount of mana, but luckily in his case, he just needed ten steps. He grabbed his two tantos and quickly sliced into the packaged fish, Ariah quickly followed behind. The three Bearillas would join side by side and begin sprinting toward the twins head on, while the other two Bearillas facing Rokas, began running towards him.

Elias quickly picked up the two bags of fish and threw them beyond Rokas into the trees, this would distract the two Bearillas into going off into the woods. Meanwhile, the other three that were about to pounce on the twins, knew what they wanted to eat. "Casting Mud Wave!" Ariah yelled. She formulated her mana into the ground below her, knowing with the rain from earlier and the water she can produce would create the perfect spawn of distraction. She waved her hand from the ground grabbing the molecular weight of the magic mud and launched it into the faces of the Bearillas. The mud wave stood approximately seven feet high prior to it crashing into the faces and bodies of the mythological creatures.

Blinded by the mud that was now creeping into their eyes, the Bearillas were enduring a rampage of anger and the want to kill. Elias quickly took advantage of the situation by watching until one sat still to paw at its face. He would then use the mana in his feet again to boost his speed, running towards the beast, he jumped highly above it, and while hanging upside down, he stabbed both of his tantos into the top of its head.

Ariah would capitalize on this moment and would immediately start a magic chant, "Casting Ice Pin". Using just one finger to accumulate and form her magic, a four foot long, thin, yet sharp icicle-like object floated above her open palm over her head. Awaiting her command, Ariah brought her arm back as far as she could reach and launched her hand towards the direction of the beast. The ice pin, like a dart, would strike the Bearilla directly through the side of the skull and out of the other side, converging itself with the tree beyond the now fallen creature.

There stood one last Bearilla, this one had managed to remove the mud from its eyes. After realizing what the twins had done to its family, it ran off in the direction of the fish that was thrown far into the trees. Rokas had felt exhausted from the many various spells he had to use throughout the day and led on with an obnoxiously slow, yet loud clap for the twins. "You two just did very well! If that isn't a testament that it's in your blood, I don't know what is." He would say to the twins.

Ariah and Elias were breathing heavily, it wasn't a large amount of physical exhaustion, it was their adrenaline being at a peak and significantly lowering, they were on edge. Just when they thought they had caught a break, a large rumbling was felt through the ground beneath them.

"Is that an earthquake in Southern Saintsland?" Ariah would ask.

An atrocious low pitch roar would be heard from the direction of the Bearillas escape, it was loud enough to continue shaking the ground. Suddenly, hundreds of light rays spanning off in a multitude of directions would appear through the foggy trees and into the sky. Trees would fall, rocks would crumble, where the beasts were last known to run off in, was now an open field of debris. The remaining three Bearillas, formed into one. The trio was now faced with a forty foot monster, with lack of knowledge, they all felt as if they were meeting their last day of being alive. All they could think was “how the hell did they just do that?!”