Third Person's POV (Ken 4yrs. and 8 months old)

The three children continued walking deeper into the forest, they encountered lots of different magical beasts, some looked bushy or full of trunks, indicating they are nature beasts, having the form close to that of a deer,

These beasts young would run around playing with its other kin and the nature around them would blossom/sprout little flowers beneath their feet, leaving a trail upon their wake, this is due to their weak control over their magic, they still can't use it properly, so it's like a chaotic volcano, spewing magic everywhere, in the form of flowers,

Adult deer's, however don't sprout flowers when they walk, this is due to their mastery over their magic, they concentrated on their antlers, which are big, but looks as if they can still carry the weight, for their antlers have the features of branches of a tree, and each individually having their own distinct features unique to one another.

The children just watched from afar as the herd was moving east of their location, making them unable to interact with the creatures, but that's not to say they didn't get to interact with others.

Some magical beasts had fiery streaks of red, and upon close inspection they were lines of lava, having the form of wolves, these wolves come in packs, situated farther from the herd of Deer.

Pups ran around playing with other pups, and adult wolves just lounged around, though they did look at the three warily, but minded their own business as the three just passed by them. One pup who was too distracted running around, had come across the three children, it stopped in front of Celine and looked up confused but then started growling,

The kids though that the little wolf -as they like to call it- was going to attack Celine, but was quite surprised when it started pouncing back and forth on Celine's feet, and nipping at her feet playfully, and every other pounce it would look up, wag it's tail, and show it's tongue happily at her,

Soon enough, the other pups that were playing decided to come to the three and instead, played with them.

Ken and Celine sat cross legged to play with the pups, and prevent themselves from tumbling down on the sheer force the pups applied when they play tackle at the three, sadly Wilbert is laying on his back letting all the pups ran rampant atop his body,

But it's no surprise that they weren't burned alive by the pups fiery lava coat because Ken casted an elemental spell to negate the fire from burning them and their clothes, while there were occasional nips here and there, some accidentally apply too much force to their bites and drew blood,

Quite a small amount due to a small hole from the bite, but still a bite nonetheless, and the unfortunate one person to be injured, is Wilbert, he winced in pain when one of the pups had bit hard on his left ear, making him sit straight and hold his bleeding ear,

But as if by a miracle, an adult wolf stepped to the side and started licking his ear, a few licks and his ear was healed and cleaned along with his blood stained hand, the pups that were playing with him looked wearily at his side,

With their ears tucked behind their head and tail between their legs, as if showing how fearful they are of what Wilbert might do to them for hurting him, but was surprised when Wilbert suddenly hugged the pups making them yelp in surprise, and once again returned to playing, but this time, Wilbert sat upright as to not let that accident happen again.

The other two watched this happen before them, at first getting flustered and anxious of Wilbert's bleeding wound, but then relaxed as it was treated early, they noticed that all the other adult wolves have situated themselves around them and the pups,

The wolf that licked Wilbert's ear laid itself next to him, while another laid at the back of Ken, but none laid next to Celine, as she was surrounded by many pups, so the adults couldn't sit next to her could they.

The three couldn't stay longer as they needed to fulfill the task at hand, so they bid goodbye to the pack with happy and contented hearts, the whines of the pups made them falter for a moment, they steeled themselves to carry on with their journey giving the pack one last glance and a wide smile, carrying with them a promise of coming back to visit the pack and play with the pups once again.

Continuing with their journey, they encountered another type of magical beasts, that look similar to lions, or maybe mountain lions, since they are situated here at the forest,

Although they don't have distinct features like the aforementioned magical beasts, making the three think that they were just your regular lions, but boy where they very shocked to witness what was happening when these lions demonstrated their prowess in wielding the earth beneath them in a seemingly normal manner,

Some used it when they wanted to form beds to lie down, others used it to cage their cubs preventing them from running around and pouncing just about anything that catches their attention, and while others used them in a form of combat.

A mock battle between adult lions, the three children watched as the two lions danced around each other, using the earth beneath them to strike their opponents down, both where quite nimble and able to dodge the attacks of one another swiftly,

As if they had done this in the past many times, rock spikes, earth platforms, earth walls, earth pillars, shoot from the clearing the two lions where fighting, everywhere, and when I say everywhere, and I mean everywhere,

One thing to not is that they would use the extended part of the earth used previously as leverage for their attacks and their opponent did too forming another spike, pillar, platform or wall, within their previous formed attacks...

(A.N.: I'm referring to the rock spikes, earth wall, platform and pillars the two lions casted previously as another casting point of their attacks, which some others commonly knew as spells)

And would try to gain the upper hand, but still couldn't do so, since both are equally skilled in dodging, casting, lunging, and fighting one another a good mix of both combat and weaving magic, but there were the occasional scratches here and there from avoiding a close call confrontation or spell attack from the opposing enemy.

The three kids watch in horror and awe as the battle took place in front of them and marveled at the way the two lions fought one another, they were too caught up in a trance for when the battle ended, they seemingly broke from a daydream,

They could not believe that these magical creature are capable of using their strengths effectively and efficiently, as if they were watching a battle between humans in an arena, they could not help but praise the lions for their wits and tactical choices in battle, within themselves, as they had seen that the group of lions or pride as we call them, had returned back to their leisure ways.

The three decided that it was time to move along too, as to not delay further their journey, as they were walking away from the pride, one such lion, observed from afar, and watched as the three walk out of sight,

A couple of other lions including him, was able to sense the three children, but decided not to move to intercept the three for they sensed no hostility from them only unconcealed curiosity for the world around them.

This lion witnessed the arrival, the seemingly entranced demeanor of the kids, and the contrasting emotion of horror and awe upon watching the battle that took place in front of them, and lastly the firm decision of moving along with their lives carrying along with them the memory of a life time,

This lion decided that it should watch over them, for it too was captured in curiosity for the three seemingly childish yet mature looking kids, or so that’s what their demeanor portrayed to him.

Despite them being too young to even venture out for themselves, for we all know it's dangerous for a child to wander into the woods, especially those kids who are aged lower than 13, so this lion could not help but follow the three kids, worrying over their safety.

The three also encountered along their journey, a flock of colorful magical beasts, birds of different shapes and sizes, in a very wide field -preferably 1 cubic mile-, having different features from one another,

But are very close nit with each other, for you could not witness them leaving a single one of their kin and would try to encourage them to join them when they take flight, their beautiful and elegant wings when they fly look as if they are dancing in the sky,

Amazing the three children with wide sparkling eyes matching with wide opened mouths, the three giggled as they ran across the field following where this flock of birds would go too.

Some decided to stay at tree tops looking over their chicks, while the majority is out flying on the clear blue sky, some groups of the same and different colors, flew majestically as if they are performing their presentation in front of a large crowd,

And what would make the performance more magical and enticing without music, the birds surprisingly synchronized their singing, their chirps and tweets to their dance, soon enough the three noticed this and the first one to stop and look was Ken, followed by Celine and then Wilbert.

They watched as the birds performed up in the sky, doing summersaults collectively, diving consecutively, and rising into the air in a line only to separate into different directions, creating circles, both big and small, high and low, tall and short, it was like watching a circus, not that the kids know what a circus is, but the birds performed like a circus nonetheless.

A big bird five times the size of an eagle -the kids don't know of this yet- flew pass by the three dragging the wind along with it, making Celine's hair fly everywhere , and them stumbling forward,

They caught their ground, looked up only to see that the massive bird is hovering at the center of all the birds, it had a long tail, and wingspan with feathers that are ablazed, the three watched as the gigantic bird stood as if it's the head of the flock as they marveled at its sheer display of beauty, grace and dominance over all the birds present before them,

It looked at the three gawking children before looking away minding its own business and then suddenly screeching into the air, sending shock waves of air around the field, hitting the children below, making them close their eyes and using their hands as shields in front of them, but not getting blown away.

They opened their eyes to see the flock returning to the lush forest around them and perching themselves at the branches of the trees but some of them landed on the grassy field

The three watched as the birds created a path in front of them seemingly urging them to take the path, and as if on cue the massive bird that the flock circled around landed itself behind the three children,

The three turned abruptly at the sudden action and found themselves trembling under the gaze of the giant bird, what seemed like an intimidating stare turned to a soft look as the massive bird lowered its head and lightly pushed the three children with its head, making the three relax their tensed shoulders and watched with a small smile at the bird.

Seeing as the three children didn't understand what the bird meant to them, it pushed harder, not making the children fall, but making them stumble upon the path created by the flock of birds,

Ken, who was the one pushed further into the path, looked at the bird then back to the path, then back to the bird then back to the path, but lingering on the path, until it realized what the bird meant, sprouting a wide smile,

He turned towards his two companions, held their hand each, and then tugging them to following him up the path, and soon after the three were walking side by side up the path created by the flock of birds going into the forest, deep into the forest.

The Lion that had followed them walked to the giant bird’s side and sat, both looked at each for a moment and proceeded to stare at the backs of the three children. Coming to a conclusion that the three are in good hands.

As the children Trek the last line of the path created by the birds, they found themselves surrounded by lush bushes and tall trees, and in front of them looks to be a wall of a cliff, when Wilbert looked back at their path, they couldn't find the birds that made a path for them anymore,

He said this to his other two comrades and they looked back only to confirm that the birds really are gone out of sight, but they didn't falter in the least, for they still had to continue on with their journey.

To pass the Northern Forest, fulfill their mission and return to their families, after wiping aside the tall grass in front of them, the three find themselves facing the wall of the cliff from the place the birds path ended, and as just as they thought, this place seemed to be a dead end.

Something from the corner of their peripheral vision, they could see a hole, driven by curiosity, they each individually walked towards the hole that they are seeing, but caught themselves before they could ever enter it and looked back at one another.

"Guys, where are you going?" asked Ken heading left.

"Umm into a hole?" said Wilbert heading forward.

"Me too." seconded by Celine heading right.

"But... you're going the wrong direction." Exclaimed Ken, and that's when it click, that they have to go their separate ways, they don't know how or why, but they have this feeling that this is what they should do at the moment, and regroup later after this, so they each nodded their heads at one another and a silent agreement that they would be back for each other.

And so they each walked to the hole that only they can see, the hole Ken is walking to is on the left and at the ground, but upon close inspection, he concluded that it was a cave, similar to Wilbert's and Celine's hole, they also concluded that it was a cave.

The cave Wilbert was walking to, was in front of him at the base of the wall, while Celine's was at the right, also at the base of the wall but farther from Wilbert's, they steeled themselves, and took the step towards the cave that chose them.

-Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Northern Forest-

"Coralia, where do you think those caves are heading to?" asked Lyn. Curious as she has never seen this part of the Northern Forest before.

"The domain of the forest, it's like the base city of this forest, and the caves are the path to that city, but the caves also serve a purpose, they are entries to each houses the Northern Forest have, and it has over 34 houses, which resides on these caves,

Therefore we call them by house and each house is named after the magical beast that resides within, and they are magical yes, for they only appear to those whomever they chose to appear to, sometimes we classify them as seemingly harmless, and others, very dangerous." explained Coralia.

"Can you please explain to us what you meant with 'Seemingly Harmless and Very Dangerous'?" asked Erick.

"Well, to put it on simple words, 'Seemingly Harmless' is where you are able to travel within without putting your life in danger, while 'Very Dangerous' is where you can get killed with a single strike." explained bluntly by Trunk,

Coralia can't help but glare at him, making trunk raise his shoulders in a 'What's the matter with my explanation' look, making Coralia sigh, and decided to take a look at the expression of the parents,

Seeing them calm and collected, Coralia, can't help but conclude, that they won't be able to keep that facade for long, if they ever hear of the bad news, and she's not saying it's bad, because it is truly bad.

"Oh, so what do you think the caves our children went into?" asked Lorna.

The two Deers looked at one another, and sighed before Trunk said.

"Very Dangerous."

Dread, worry, anxiousness, fear, and distress, filled the parents, for they did not thought that their child would be able to lure a cave, that may or may not kill them inside, and because of those thoughts, the parents can't help, but be frantic, paranoid, and everything in between.

One such parent, who is not paranoid or frantic or everything in between, but curious, curious as to what type of cave their children had gone in to.

"What are the names of the cave our children had entered?" asked Vin, ever so curious for he has not only entered the Northern Forest in the past, he had also entered one of this magical caves.

"Your child, Celine if I'm not wrong, entered the cave of the 'Black Panther', a master manipulator of shadow magic/shadow arts, and is our renowned assassin in the Northern Forest,

The child named Wilbert, entered the cave of the 'Fluffy Bunny' our master caretaker, and mother hen of all the creatures inside the forest, a master of deception, and holy magic,

While the child named Ken, who I remember is ecstatic about anything magical, entered the cave of the 'Colossal Snake', the monarch of all beast that both live in habits of land and water,

A master spell caster, and brute, perfectly combining the concept of 'brain and brawn', which is rather iconic." explained Trunk, exuding pride for the beats he mentioned.

He wanted to explain more and make these humans before him gawk at the powers these beasts possessed but got interrupted by Coralia by saying.

"I think that would be enough explaining for the mean time, for I do not know if they will still be able to process what you had said, and besides look, they look close to passing out, well except for our dear Vin, who is barely keeping himself, upright."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" said Trunk.

"Let's let them rest for a bit, I fear if we explain further it may take a toll on them, and they will need to reserve their energy for what we will be witnessing later." said Coralia urging the humans to take a rest.

"Agreed." said Trunk, glancing over at these parents before him, and sympathizing with what they are feeling, because him and Coralia may not have had family of their own, but they were able to watch other families go under the same situation before, and thus they know what it's like when one of them may disappear, never to be seen again, to be felt again, to be hugged again.

Alfred took out a parchment of paper on one of his pockets, read the contents briefly then placed it inside again, he looked at his wife wearing a worried expression, he sighed then returned his gaze on the magic circle revealing his son.

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