Scarlet Moon's cries for help brought River Breeze to his senses. He turned to see her waving her crystal staff and retreating into the woods.

He immediately picked up a priest from behind and threw it to the ground with all his might, another quickly lunging at him, and another lunging at Crimson Moon.

Another dazzling flash of blue.

A second before Robert issued a warning, Stone realized that the priests had set a trap to catch them, and quickly drew his sword. He saw a claw in the crack of the old trailer trying to snatch the crystal staff.

The knight quickly ran forward to support River Wind, but River Wind staggered back, not at all resisting. River Breeze just stared blankly at the attacking creatures, the weapon shaking in his hands.

Stone thrust his sword into the creature's back, and it screamed and turned around and snatched the sword out of Stone's grasp. In a dying struggle, the creature hugged the knight and fell into the mud on the side of the road. Stone knew it was dying, and began to try to overcome the fear of touching its slippery scales.

When he felt the creature harden, the screams stopped.

The knight immediately turned the body over and tried to pull out his weapon—but he couldn't!

He glared in disbelief, and then, with all his strength, even with his feet, he couldn't pull out the sword, which was quickly jammed. He angrily threw a punch at the corpse, only to be surprised to find that it had turned to stone!

"Calamon!" ston shouted as another priest rushed at him with an axe. Stone looked down to dodge the blow, but felt a sharp pain, blood flowing into his eyes, making it impossible for him to see, and he fell, and a huge force crushed him to the ground.

Calamon stood in front of the trailer, and just as he was about to go to Scarlet Moon's aid, he heard Stone shouting. Then two priests rushed at him. He drew a dagger with his left hand and wielded a dagger in the other to force them to keep their distance. A priest lunged at him, and Calamon slashed at him with a sharp slash.

The dagger cut through the priest's body deeply, and then he smelled a strong stench, and a terrible green smudge appeared on the priest's robes. But this wound only seemed to infuriate the priest even more.

He still kept pressing, his reptilian jaw dripping with drool. Calamon was instantly terrified. He had fought giants and goblins, but these terrible priests had left him powerless. He felt helpless, and then he heard a familiar whisper beside him.

"I'm coming, brother. Rodrith's calm voice came into his head.

"It's time, too," Calamon gasped, forcing the creature back with his weapon. "What the hell are these priests?"

"Don't stab them with weapons!" Rodrith was quick to warn. "They're going to turn to stone. They weren't priests, they were supposed to be some kind of reptilian in human form, so they disguised themselves with those robes and cloaks. ”

Although the two figures are a contrast of light and shadow, the twins make excellent fighting partners. They rarely talk to each other when they fight—because their ideas communicate much faster than words. Calamon put down his dagger and dagger.

Stretch out your arms. The creatures saw Calamon drop their weapons and rushed towards him, their robes fluttering in the wind. Calamon flinched at the sight of scales and claws.

"Ready," he said to his brother.

"Azsala Ksimira Karanawi," Rodrith said softly, throwing a handful of sand at the sky at the same time. The creatures stopped sprinting, their heads shaking sleepily, waiting for the magic-inflicted sleep to engulf them...... But they blinked. In an instant, he regained consciousness and continued to rush forward at a rapid pace!

"Magic-resistant!" Rhodelis muttered in shock. But the brief dizziness caused by that spell was enough for Calamon. He grabbed the two priests by the necks and slammed them together.

The corpse fell to the ground and became a lifeless stone statue. Calamon looked up to see two more priests over the corpses of their companions on the ground, their long swords curled in their hands glowing with evil.

"Stand behind me. Rodrith commanded in a hoarse voice. Calamon stooped down and picked up his dagger and ducked behind his brother. He was worried about his brother's safety, but he also knew that if he stood in the middle, it would only hinder his brother's spell casting.

Rodrith glared intently at the priests, who recognized him as a mage, and exchanged glances, not daring to approach him. One lay on the ground and climbed under the trailer.

The other leaped forward bravely, sword held aloft, hoping to impale the mage before he could cast a spell, or at least interrupt the concentration necessary for him to cast a spell. Calamon shouted nervously, and Rodrith didn't seem to notice anything about it.

He slowly raised his hands, put his two thumbs together, and spread the other four fingers to the sides like wings, and the magic of "Kertan Gasmeo Zhengya" quickly passed through his thin body, and the creature was engulfed in flames.

Robert had just recovered from his initial shock, and as soon as he heard Stone's cries for help, he immediately rushed out of the bushes and rushed to the main road. He slammed the blade of his sword like a rod into the priest's head against Stone. It let out a scream, giving Robert a chance to drag the knight into the bushes.

"My sword," Stone muttered, blood streaming from his face. He tried to wipe it dry, but to no avail.

"We'll get it back for you. Robert admitted, thinking about what to do. Looking to the other side of the road, he saw that there were more enemies swarming. Robert suddenly felt a dryness in his mouth. We've got to get out of here, he thought to himself, fighting back the panic in his heart. He forced himself to stop and take a deep breath. Then he turned to Hubble and Wade as they followed.

"Stay here to protect Stone. He instructed. "I'm going to get everyone together, we're going to have to hide back in the jungle. ”

Without waiting for them to answer, Robert rushed to the middle of the road, only to be greeted by the flames of Rodrith's spell. He had no choice but to lie down to escape the heat.

The trailer and the hay on it, as well as the creatures hiding underneath, began to catch fire, and smoke came out.

"Stay here and protect Stone!" Hubble muttered, clutching the battle axe in his hand. At least for the time being, the enemy from the other side did not notice the dwarves, the kanders, and the wounded knights, and they all focused on the two groups of combatants on the road. But Hubble knew it was a matter of time before he was discovered. "Find a way to help Stone!" he said to Wade angrily. "At least make yourself useful!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Wade replied in an injured tone. "But I couldn't stop the bleeding. He rubbed the knight's eyes with a clean-looking handkerchief. "Can you see that way?"

Stone groaned and tried to sit up, but the sharp pain in his head caused him to lie down again. "My sword ......," he said.

Wade searched around until he saw the two-handed greatsword stuck in the back of a petrified priest. "Wonderful!" said the wide-eyed Kande. "Look, Hubble, that's Stone's sword!"

"I know, you pig-brained Kander!" Hubble cried. At the same time, he saw a priest draw his weapon and run towards them.

"I'll give it to you right away. Wade said happily on his knees next to Stone. "It won't be long!"

"No!!!" Hubble realized that the Kand could not see the priest who was rushing towards him. The monster's curved sword arced and slashed at the dwarf's head. Hubble followed suit with the tomahawk in his hand, but at that moment, Wade—with his eyes fixed on Stone's sword—stood up. The Kander's Houpak staff struck the dwarf in the back of his knee, causing him to stumble and fall on top of Stone. The enemy's sword arced in a white arc and swung over the head of the dwarf who fell with a scream.

Wade heard the dwarf's shouts and looked back to see a shocking image: a priest was about to attack Hubble, and the dwarf was supposed to face the enemy bravely, but he didn't know why he was lying on the ground facing the sky.

"What are you doing, Hubble!" called Wade. He nimbly struck his enemy in the abdomen with his Houpak staff, then hit them in the head with it, and watched as they fell unconscious.

"Look!" he said to Hubble, exasperated. "Do I have to deal with your enemies for you every time?" the Khandman then turned and walked towards Stone's sword.

"Solve the enemy !! for me" The dwarf angrily spat out every word, struggling to his feet. The helmet covered his eyes, making him unable to see anything. Hubble managed to push it back into place, but another priest lunged on him and knocked him down again.

Robert saw Scarlet Moon and River Wind standing back to back, Scarlet Moon using her crystal staff to force back the invading enemy, and three corpses lay at his feet, each with the marks of being burned by the blue flames of the crystal staff.

Riverwind's dagger was stuck in the belly of a petrified priest, and the Plainsman quickly pulled out his only remaining weapon—a dake—and immediately mounted an arrow. The creatures retreated for a moment, exchanging ideas in incomprehensible language. Robert knew that they must want to concentrate on the river wind, so he immediately struck one enemy from behind with his blade, followed by a backhand swing at the other.

"Come!" he shouted to the Plainsman. "This direction!"

Some of the enemy turned to this new offensive, others hesitated. River Wind shot an arrow that knocked down an enemy, and then he grabbed Scarlet Moon's hand and ran as fast as he could, passing over the petrified corpse on the ground without hesitation.

Robert asked them to get past him, attacking the enemy with a knife face. "And this dagger!" he shouted at the running river wind, which caught it and used the force of the hilt to strike an enemy in the jaw, breaking its neck. With a flash of blue, Crimson Moon struck the enemy in her way with her crystal staff. Then they ran into the forest.

The wooden trailer burned violently. Robert surveyed the roadside through the smoke. He couldn't help but feel a chill when he saw that the roads in front and behind him were filled with these winged creatures half a mile away. Both sides of the road were cut off, and if they did not flee into the forest at once, they would be surrounded in a few moments.

He immediately rushed to the place where he had left Stone, where Scarlet Moon and River Breeze had arrived, as had Hubble. What about the others? He looked around in the smoke, trying to hold back the tears that kept pouring out.

"Help heal Stone. He said to Scarlet Moon. He then turned to face Hubble, who was trying to pull out the tomahawk stuck in the petrified corpse. "What about Calamon and Rodrith, and why is Wade gone? I told him to stay here!"

"Damn the Khandians almost killed me!" Hubble erupted. "I want him to be taken away by the enemy! I want them to feed him to the dogs! I want to—"

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Robert, surprised. He began to rush towards the last place where he saw Rodrith and Calamon. But he accidentally stepped over Wade, who was dragging Stone with his greatsword. ”

"How did you pull out this sword?" Robert asked, surprised, coughing violently from the thick black smoke around him.

Wade smiled, two tears streaming from the smoke on his cheeks. "The corpses were all turned to ashes. He said happily. "Oh my God! That's really fun! I walked over and drew my sword, I couldn't pull it out at first, I'll try a second time-"

"Now is not the time to tell a story! Get back to everyone!" Robert grabbed the Kander and pushed him forward with all his might. "Have you seen Calamon and Rodrith?"

Then he heard Calamon's deep voice say in the thick smoke, "Here we are." He held his brother in one hand, who was coughing violently. "Did we defeat them?" asked Dahan excitedly.

"No, not yet," Robert replied solemnly. "In fact, we had to get into the forest and flee south. He also helped to help Rodlis, and the three of them quickened their pace back to their companions gathered on the side of the road, and although they were all coughing incessantly, they were grateful for the smoke for providing enough cover.

Stone stood up, his face pale, but the pain in his head had disappeared and the bleeding had stopped.

"Did the crystal staff heal him?" Robert asked Crimson.

She coughed and said, "It's not completely healed, but it's enough for him to get up and walk." ”

"It has ...... limits," Rodlis gasped.

"That's right. Robert interrupted them. "We're going south now, into the forest. ”

Calamon shook his head. "In that direction is the Forest of Eternal Night—"

"I know—you're going to say, you'd rather fight the living. Robert interrupted again, "And what do you think of fighting these living monsters?"

The warrior did not answer.

"More and more monsters are coming from the front and back. We can't cope with the next wave of offensives. If we don't have to, we can still avoid the Dark Forest. I know of a hunting trail that leads to the Eye of the Prayer Peak, where we can see the path leading in every direction. ”

"Then you can go north again, to the cave not long ago. Our ship is still hiding there. River Breeze suggested.

"No!" Hubble shouted in a muffled voice. The dwarf immediately rushed into the woods and ran as fast as he could to the south. Note: The spell that Rodrith casts here is "Burning Hand". The magician must bring the thumbs of both hands together and the palms of the hands open outwards when casting this spell.

The magician's hand will then erupt with a fan of flames with a range of about five feet, burning all creatures in its path, as well as any combustible objects.

The group ran as fast as they could, and soon reached the hunting trail. Calamon took the lead, sword in hand, watching every movement. His brother followed closely behind, one hand on top of him and his lips pursed resolutely. The others followed, their weapons unsheathed.

But they never saw those terrible monsters again.

"Why didn't they go after us?" asked Hubble after more than an hour of travel.

Robert touched his beard - he was thinking the same thing. "They don't need to hunt us down," he finally said, "we're already trapped." They must have blocked every opening in the forest, except for the Dark Forest......"

"Dark Forest!" Crimson Moon repeated softly. "Isn't there any other choice?"

"Not necessarily," Robert said. "We can observe from the peak of the Eye of the Prayer Seeker. ”

Suddenly, they heard Calamon shouting in front of them. Robert ran forward and saw Rodrith slumped on the ground.

"I'm fine," the mage whispered, "but I need to rest." ”

"We all have to take a break," Robert said.

There was no answer, and everyone sat down exhausted, gasping for breath without stopping. Stone closed his eyes and leaned against a large rock. His face was pale, and blood clots congealed on his beard and hair.

The wound was cut deeply, and the edges began to slowly turn purple, and Robert knew that Stone would not complain even if he had only one breath left.

"Don't worry," Stone said hoarsely, "let me rest for a few minutes." Robert shook his hand and walked over to sit beside River Breeze.

There was a long period of silence before Robert asked, "Have you fought these monsters before?"

"It's in the ruined city. The river wind shuddered. "When I looked at the monster inside the trailer, those horrible memories suddenly flooded back to me, at least—" He shook his head and smiled at Robert. "At least now I know I'm not crazy, these monsters do exist - I didn't believe it before. ”

"I can imagine," Robert muttered. "So now these monsters have spread across the Candela continent! unless the ruined city you're talking about is around here. ”

"Probably not. I came from the tribe of the east of Vero, and that city was far from here, far beyond the great plains of my homeland. ”

"Guess what those monsters mean when they say they tracked you and ended up chasing our tribe?" Crimson Moon asked slowly, snuggling her cheek into his leather sleeve and holding River Breeze's arm.

"Don't worry. River Wind took her hand and said, "The warriors of the clan will take care of them." ”

"River Breeze, do you remember what you were meant to say?" she asked.

"Yes, I remember. River Wind replied, caressing her long blond hair. He looked at Robert and smiled, and Robert saw through his expressionless mask for a moment, the warmth hidden in his brown eyes.

"Half-elf, I express my deepest gratitude to you, and to all your friends. His eyes were on everyone. "You've saved me more than once, and I'm so ignorant. But," he paused, "these things are so unbelievable!"

"We're going to have things that are harder to believe. Rodlis said in an incomprehensible voice.

The group of adventurers was getting closer and closer to the tip of the Forest of Eternal Night, and they could already see it gradually rising from the top of the forest from the road. The bifurcating twin peaks look like a pair of hands clasped in prayer – hence its name. Now the rain has stopped, and the forest is silent.

Everyone began to feel as if the creatures of the entire forest had fled, leaving only a dead forest. Everyone was uneasy—except Wade—and everyone kept looking back, unable to contain the feeling of rumour.

Stone insisted on playing as a defender, but the pain in his forehead slowed his steps and he began to feel dizzy and vomit. Soon he didn't know where he was or what he was doing, he just kept moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other, just like the robot Wade had said.

What does Wade's story say? Stone tried to remember in a pang of pain.

Three honest men serve a wizard, who summons a demon to capture the Khand. As with all Kander stories, this is nonsense. Stone put one foot in front of the other.

Nonsense, like the story told by the old man in the inn. Those stories about the white elk and the ancient god Palatin, and those about Shuma. Stone pressed his hands to his temples, as if that would make his soon-to-be-cracked head feel better.

Shuma ......

Since he was a child, Stone has often heard the story of Shuma. His mother, the daughter of a Thunder Knight.

Married to a noble knight - she would only tell the story to the little ones. Stone's thoughts turned to his mother, and the pain reminded him of his mother's gentle soothing when he was sick.

Stone's father sends the mother and son on the run, as his only son will be targeted by the enemies who seek to make the Sorenian knights disappear from the continent forever. Stone and his mother settled in Solania.

Stone quickly made some new friends, especially a child named Calamon, both of whom were interested in martial arts. Stone's proud mother didn't think they were qualified to climb high, so when she died of a high fever, she was left with only her teenage son. She ordered the boy to return to his father—if he was still alive—something Stone began to suspect.

After his mother's death, Stone became an experienced warrior under the tutelage of Robert and Hubble, who officially adopted Stone in the same way they had adopted Rodelis and Calamon.

Together with Wade, a travelling Kander, and occasionally a twin half-sister, the wild and beautiful Ella, they escort Hubble to run a blacksmith business in the small town of Curry.

Five years ago, the partners decided to separate to investigate rumors of a growing evil—they had vowed to reunite at the final lodge.