Eventually, Benjamin came back with a plentiful number of logs and set them down before starting a fire. He and Isabelle huddled closer and attempted to warm themselves up.

“It’s a good thing I know how to make these without magic.” Benjamin mused to himself.

“Yeah, I guess that’s a good thing...” Isabelle muttered as she stared at the flames.

Benjamin glanced up at her. “Is something wrong?”

“You were okay with taking care of all that by yourself?”

“Yeah, I didn’t find it that difficult.”

Isabelle bit her lip and shifted in a different direction. “I’m sorry.”

“Huh, for what?”

“For being such a deadweight. I’m being a burden to you, aren’t I?”

“Oh no, not at all. It’s not like you could’ve predicted or expected your body to get injured like that.”

“That wasn’t what I—”

A soft roar grumbled throughout the area, causing the ground in the cave to rumble. Red eyes pierced through the darkness as the loud noises grew closer by the second. Benjamin got up and attempted to hightail it out of there. He stopped and turned to find Isabelle struggling to stand up. He ran over to help her up and did his best to lead her out of the cavern area.

“Come on!” Benjamin yelled out.

“I can’t keep up with you!” Isabelle cried.

A long, slick arm reached out of the darkness and smacked them out of its way. Benjamin caught himself as he slid across the dirt and skidded on his arm and knees, tearing through his pants and sleeve. He gripped his shoulder and bit his lip, trying to get through the pain.

Isabelle continued to tumble on the ground with the sprained leg, making for an unpleasant experience. She collided with the back of a tree trunk with a hard thud, cutting her screams short.

Benjamin turned around, only to find her on the ground, blood pouring out of her mouth. Her eyes shot wide as her body grew stiff and numb.

He wanted to scream, but was short on breath, words escaping his dry throat. Benjamin extended his arm out towards her unconscious body. The sharp pain from his other arm didn’t help matters, and made it hard for him to focus or think straight.

The white creature stomped onto the ground, causing it to shake all around them. Trees fell and hit the surface, prompting bird-like monsters to fly away from here. Benjamin almost forgot about it for a moment. He crawled backwards as the monster trudged towards him. Tears streamed down his face as his heart pounded across his chest.

Between its legs, the roaring campfire still burned bright from behind it. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists in the dirt. When he got up, Benjamin sprinted away. The creature extended its arms and legs straight at the magician, as he did his best to sidestep and dodge every single one of them. The sprains on his knees made it impossible for him to jump or run fast, so he had to improvise and plan on the spot. He tried to find an opening spot to go under the beast when it lowered its guard. He shook his head, deciding that move would be too risky to pull off.

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Instead, Benjamin opted to run around it enough times to catch it off guard. The magician settled for going around once. Its body was already slow compared to its limbs, which were attached under the ground, and it tried to pull them out.

Benjamin slid under its unsuspected arm one more time before leaping right next to the fire pit. After sticking the landing, he grabbed a stick that contained fire and ran back out of the caves. The monster lost interest in the magician and crept toward the unconscious Isabelle.

“Hey, you!” Benjamin thundered, waving the stick around. “Get away from her!”

The monster faced the fire and backed away from him. The opportunity arose as Benjamin stepped forward with every part of him screaming to charge at it with all his might, but he held back, much as he hated the idea. When the beast didn’t budge, Benjamin swung the torch harder, tightening his grip so he didn’t accidentally drop it.

Eventually, the monster ran off in the opposite direction. Benjamin fell to his knees and stared at the sky. His heart continued to race, and his breath became shaky. He didn't believe he had escaped that situation with his life. Then it hit him.

“Isabelle!” Benjamin exclaimed.

He turned on a dime and towards her. His eyes watered as he bent down and examined the body. She showed no signs of opening her eyes. Her pulse grew cold as her heart pounded at an accelerating rate.

“No...” He cradled her in his arms and whimpered. He didn’t want to lose her too, but had no clue how to save her. “Please, don’t die on me, don’t leave me...!”

“Hey, not so loud there.” a voice told him. “You could attract predators. They can be vicious, especially at night.”

Benjamin raised his head and looked around the area. “Huh? Who said that?”

“I did.” A circular device rolled over toward him.

The magician squinted his eyes. What was that guy using? How did it work? It had a glow surrounding it. The man standing inside had shaggy brown hair and a messy set of light brown and white clothing.

“Hello there.” The man adjusted his glasses and greeted him.

“You, you can use magic?”

“’Magic,’ now that’s a word I haven’t heard in a long time,” he said with a sad smile. “I also haven’t seen any other people around these parts before.” His expression fell when he noticed Isabelle. “Oh no, the poor girl. I’m sorry about your friend.”

Benjamin looked away. “Don’t remind me...”

“Look, I may know a way to help save your friend. You’ll need to come with me, though.”

Benjamin's shoulders slumped. He knew nothing about this guy, but also didn’t know what to do about Isabelle either.

“Um, could you at least tell me your name?”

“You can call me Hugh.”

“So, Hugh, can you really save her?”

“I’ll try my best.”

Hugh pressed a button inside the device, causing the door to open and laying out a platform in front of the duo. The magician trudged toward the entrance, with Isabelle carried on his back, as the surrounding air got more humid and thicker. Once the doors closed, Hugh activated the propellers at the back of the sphere. The engine from the rocket exhaust pipes fired off, propelling the vehicle into the air as it went over cliff sides, rocky terrain, and past creatures and trees.

Eventually, the trio reached the top of a hill, with gates closing off the extensive area. Torches burned brightly on each corner of the gates standing by. Hugh got out and took a small cube out of his pockets. He threw it on the grassy plains, and it transformed into a bigger hut. Hugh made sure the coast was clear before giving the signal.