The portal transported them outside the black market to the head of the only visible path through a forest. A little distance up front was a large carriage that could fit at most ten people and it was drawn by six horses.

Behind them was a river that separated the forest from the small town opposite the forest.

The forest was quiet despite the fact that it was noon. There wasn't the chirping of birds or the angry roars of big cats, or anything of the sort. It was as quiet as a graveyard. It was lush and filled with different tree smells and animal smells, and yet no animals could be seen. There were hardly any fallen trees or deadfalls and non of the trees looked sun-dappled even the tiniest bit.

This, was the infamous Evergreen Forest. But it was famous not just because of its ability to keep any kind of plant or tree evergreen. This Forest had a background story that always scared the shit out of both black hairs and the gifted. Adventurers would almost never dare to come near this place, and of course those who did never returned.

Drew led his team into the forest through the path.

The moment the man carrying the cage which the little girl was in, stepped into the forest, the girl suddenly opened her eyes with a small yawn.

Everyone turned to look at her, wondering why she suddenly woke up. She was really cute now that she was awake.

They watched as she slowly observed her surrounding, then abruptly began to wail with a loud voice.

"Shit!" One of the men who's name was Reguire and who was the one holding the cage Sky was in, cursed.

"Well, thank the stars it's still noon here else we would have been fucked up real bad." Another said, using his aura to create an invisible bubble which covered the cage she was in. Air could still pass through, but her cries was greatly suppressed so you had to really listen closely to hear her cries if you were a little distance away from their current position.

"Still, it makes little difference. Our smells have begun travelling into the forest already." Shang, the shortest of them all said with a grunt.

"Shut the fuck up and look." Drew said and they watched as the little girl's tears fell from her face, passed through the bubble and landed on the ground.

Immediately it made contact with the soil, bristlecone pines began growing, and at a fast rate which was abnormal, since they were trees known to grow very slow.

The man holding her cage, who's real name was Stevan but preferred to be called Jester, moved aside so they could all see the magic happening before their eyes.

The bristlecone pines was gaining size and length rapidly just as the wailing of the little girl increased. More of them were growing at the new spot Jester just moved to as more of her tears dropped to the forest floor.

"Well I guess this proves Gold finger wasn't trying to sweet-talk us into buying her." Shang said. By now, the first bristlecone pine that had begun growing was now taller than him. Of course, that felt like an insult to him since he could only grow this tall, but he didn't take it to heart.

"But why is this particular tree growing and not an apple tree or something?" Tony, the fourth man who held the cage Tecoy was in, said. Everyone knew that he loved apples, so that question wasn't strange.

"Who knows? Nobody has seen her kind in centuries now so we can't be sure." Reguire said and he was right. It was thought that her kind was already extinct after the great purge 500 years ago. And even then, the Naturals—what they called themselves— led secret lives, so they were never studied in-depth.

Just then, Tecoy Spoke.

"You guys are even dumber than I gave you credit for. Obviously, why that particular tree is growing is because she is sad and confused. Her tears carried those feelings and transformed them into that."

Everyone turned to look at Tecoy, including Sky. Sky was beginning to re-think his judgement on Tenny's attitude. It seemed he was not arrogant but just daringly bold.

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However, that boldness could only get him into a heap of troubles.

Sky turned to see what their captors would do.

Tony suddenly chuckled.

"You know, he could be right." He said.

Shang grunted.

"Such an arrogant Kid. He truly is a Kione. Hmph!"

Drew walked closer to Tecoy's cage and leaned closer to his face. Although he expected Tecoy to be at least afraid with the mask and all, he was surprised to see Tecoy staring back at him with a straight face.

"What?" Tecoy asked in a bored voice.

"What's your name kid?" Drew asked.

"Tecoy."

"Well, you definitely are not coy." Drew said and his team laughed.

"So young Tecoy, what should we do to stop the incessant wailing of that child?"

"Just give her the branch of a tree or a flower."

Drew straightened and snapped his fingers.

Tony, who was standing the closest to the bristlecone pine proceeded to hold a branch of the tree in an attempt to cut it but immediately retrieved his hand on contact.

"What? Do you have Dendrophobia?" Shang asked with a hint of mockery in his voice, as he wondered why Tony suddenly took his hand back from the tree.

Tony shook his head. "No. The tree is really hot. Like as if the the bark is boiling."

He took the branch of another tree and passed it through the space between the metal bars of the cage.

Once the girl saw the branch, she stopped crying and held unto the branch with her little hands. Of course, smaller branches began growing from the buds of the main branch which she was holding, but slowly this time.

"I guess he was right after all." Reguire said.

Drew began to walk towards the direction of the carriage. "Let's go."

But before they could all move, they were interrupted.

"It's not right to keep us in cages. We are not animals. And I'm sure these two haven't had anything to eat all morning."

That was Tecoy's voice. Again.

The five men directed their gazes towards Tecoy's direction immediately.

Sky who had been passive the whole time, was sure that the masks they were wearing was covering their anger.

Drew sighed.

"We haven't even moved an inch closer to our destination and I'm already starting to regret buying a Kione.

"Then let me shut him up." Said Shang, being the grumpy one.

"Then I presume you can refund his share of the money paid to Gold Finger?" Drew asked, his words laced with mockery.

Shang grunted once more.

"Release both of them." Drew said.

Sky and Tecoy's cages were opened and they came out. Now that they were standing, the difference in stature and muscle was glaring. Compared to Tecoy, Sky could only be called a broom stick.

Drew walked back and stood in front of both of them.

"Now let me give you a fair warning. You belong to me now and I won't take crap from you or hesitate to slice your head off your shoulders if you fuck up." His voice was considerably deeper and a slightly suffocating aura was emitting from his body.

When he was sure they understood him, he withdrew his aura then turned again towards the carraige and began walking.

"Let's go."

Finally, they left the entrance into the forest and got to the carriage.

Beside the carraige was another person who was wearing the same clothes and mask as these men but from the body figure, it was easy to know that she was a woman.

"What took you guys so long? And why are there only three?" She asked.

"I believe we can talk about that on the go." Drew said and jumped up to the coach roof furtively and sat cross legged.

Sky and Tecoy entered the carriage before the rest of the men, but it so happened that Tecoy was in-between Shang and Reguire while Sky was sitting beside Tony and the girl who was still in her cage, at the back. Tecoy and Sky were given bread and honey to eat, while the girl was fed with milk and cokkies.

The woman was the coach driver and she began the journey with whipcracks that felt like kisses.

It was almost sundown, and slowly, the forest was starting to come alive as strange animal sounds could be heard.

As they gradually made their way into the forest, Tony told the coachwoman what she'd missed through his soul's sense.

While the rest were quiet.

Eventually, it was night and they had to stop their journey. Under the direction of Drew, they set up a small camp before he gave a warning.

"There are numerous beasts in this forest, and now is the time when they hunt. Do not wander off or you are dead meat." After that, he cast an Abjuration barrier spell around their perimeter and went into his tent to sleep.

Shang, Jester and Reguire sat by the camp fire with Sky and Tecoy. It was really cold now so they needed the warmth. They however did not remove their masks. The coach woman and Tony were busy untying the horses from the carraige and feeding them.

"So, how did you end up in the black market Tecoy?" Jester asked.

"My tribe was betrayed and abushed. Many of my people were killed in cold blood and the rest were captured. My father, who was the acting leader managed to send me out of the clan through his griffin and I never saw him again. I had to fend for myself on the street until a man saw me and took me off the streets...to the black market." Tecoy summarized his latest life story.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Tecoy. Really." Jester said.

"Well I can't really be sure since I can't see your face." Tecoy said.

"That's true." Jester chuckled.

"What about you? Uh?" Reguire talked to Sky.

Sky laughed faintly.

"You should be worrying about where your companions are." He said.

The coachwoman and Tony were missing.