The quartet, Benjamin, Eris, Bridget, and Midoricha, leaped out from the portal and landed, finding themselves in a large forest. The soft, grainy sand meshed underneath their feet, and the tree leaves had a distinct purple color with glitter surrounding them. As the group traversed through the thick forest, the smiling moon shone its light through the trees, giving off a sparkling atmosphere around the pink skies and white clouds.
Bridget’s mouth gaped at the sights. She spun around, trying to take it all in. Despite the Queen's warning, she grew captivated by the location. On the other hand, Benjamin had difficulty watching where he went because he squinted his eyes. The bright colors and pleasant vibe made his stomach churn and twist into multiple knots.
“Hey, are you alright?” Midoricha asked, noticing of Benjamin wobbling all over the place.
“I think I'm feeling woozy.” He replied, sinking lower to the ground.
“But why’s that?” Bridget asked. “This place is pretty.”
“Yeah, easy for you to say.” Benjamin shook his head and flew fast, straight into a tree. The glitter leaves fell and landed on top of him in an instant. “Scratch that, I know I’m gonna be sick...”
“Do you need to take a breather?” Midoricha floated over to check up on the guy.
“I don’t see how he can,” Eris pointed out, scratching her chin. “Considering we’re surrounded by all of those.”
“I’m good; I think I’ll be ok,” Benjamin replied. He shook his head again. “We need to keep going.”
“That’s right,” Eris nodded, crossing her arms. “Stay on guard. Remember what we were told about this place?”
“Right.” The group added in unison before trekking out.
Eris led the others through the forest with caution. With the help of her magic blade, she cut down any vines in her way. Bridget did her best to keep up, traversing through the sand and trying not to get stuck in the soft grain. The only things Midoricha and Benjamin had to worry about were bugs (and glitter, in Benjamin’s case).
While hiking, Eris cut a vine that appeared different from all the others. She didn’t notice the slimy grip loose from her hands until after she used the blade, as a piercing scream roared throughout the area. The group jumped back to a safer distance as they stared at the face of a carnivorous plant, showing off its sharp teeth and remaining tentacles in front of them.
Eris warned the others to get behind her and stay safe, but while she let her guard down, the plant grabbed her and lifted her body. Bridget stepped back and covered her mouth, watching it squeeze her body tight. Eris could feel her life force slowly depleting away. Bridget’s face hardened at the dire situation at hand. She glanced at Midoricha as he nodded, knowing what she was about to say.
Bridget released an icy mist and threw it at some tentacles, attempting to freeze each one and leave the creature powerless. However, it noted what she tried to do and spat out acid bombs, disintegrating and melting other stuff in its wake. Midoricha cast a reflective barrier on Bridget and Benjamin. Benjamin watched Bridget cast more ice spells to freeze the acid from outside her reach.
Stolen novel; please report.
Eventually, Eris broke free from the plant’s grasp and dodged the poison before catching up with the rest of the group. Bridget covered Midoricha with more ice and tossed him toward the plant. Eris used her magic to trap the plant and keep its arms from reaching and blocking his attempts. The plant breathed fire, heading toward Midoricha, but was impervious to the attack, thanks to the shield and ice, as the Pilkon flew into the creature’s mouth. After a bit of struggle, Midoricha popped out of the creature as it screamed and fell to the ground, motionless.
The group sighed in relief after they finished the fight. Benjamin looked at the ground. Normally, he’d be great at fighting, but he had no clue how to fight back in his new form. It wasn’t the time to mope. They survived and won the fight, so they had to get a move on.
This is going to be harder than I thought…
And so, the group continued onto their designated path, hoping to find the trail that would lead to their familiars. Bridget's breathing staggered as she lagged behind the rest of the party. Benjamin looked around. They hadn’t made much progress in finding their friends.
Eris pulled back some shrubbery and called for everyone to check something in front of her. There, they spotted a lake in the middle of the forest, with a tall waterfall roaring in the back, and small stones resting at the edge of the waters.
Bridget hoped this would be a good chance to take a break and rest for the time being, but Eris and Benjamin weren’t sure if the water was safe. Midoricha floated over and dipped halfway into the lake to inspect the area. After a few seconds, he popped out and confirmed it was safe to swim around, so everyone agreed to take a quick break.
Eris scooped up some crystal-clear water to save for later. Benjamin and Midoricha sipped and drank some of it without getting too close, and Bridget dipped her body in the water to bathe in like a bathtub. She sighed in content as she looked up at the moon, feeling the tension melt away. As the four relaxed, something caught Bridget’s eye.
Hmm, usually there’s cool stuff behind the waterfall, I wonder…
While the others weren’t looking, Bridget swam under the waterfalls. She got up and found herself inside a cave.
Going against her judgment, she kept walking toward the end of the path. As her curiosity grew, she noticed a shiny light. Bridget reached the light of the tunnel and discovered a blank portrait. When she got closer, she discovered her reflection, blinking at her from the other side. As Bridget stepped closer to her reflection, a bright light appeared and grew, causing her to shield her eyes and block out the vision.
Meanwhile, Midoricha paced the area while Eris and Benjamin prepared to head out.
“Have you guys seen Bridget?” Midoricha asked, glancing from side to side.
“Wait, wasn’t she here just a moment ago?” Benjamin inquired.
“She shouldn’t have left our sights for that long,” Eris said.
Midoricha peeked his head in the water and looked around. When he couldn’t find her anywhere, he deduced the one last place she might’ve been in: the waterfall. After telling the two to wait, Midoricha flew headfirst into the waterfall. He hadn't returned after what felt like minutes.
“You know, maybe we should check on them,” Benjamin suggested. “We’re already—”
“Don’t worry.” Murasakiiro’s voice rang from above. “I found the bubble that shows where Midori and Bridget are. They’re doing just fine.”
“Really?”
“However, they’re both far from where you are, but they’re safe and sound now.”
That’s a relief, but... “Um, do you think they’ll be ok?” Benjamin asked, glancing at his mentor.
“If what Her Majesty says is true, there isn't much we can do,” Eris replied with a shrug. “We have to keep going.”
“Alright...”