After breakfast, the sunlight was just right. Leylo wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, while Moonlight was still wrestling with the remains of a herb rabbit, its face covered in oil.
"Ed." Leylo's voice rang out.
Ed stepped forward. "My Lord."
"Gather a squad of knights. Come out with me." Leylo stood up.
"Yes, My Lord!" Ed immediately went to assemble the men.
Moonlight seemed to understand they were heading out. It gulped down the remaining rabbit meat in a few bites and leaped onto Leylo's shoulder, finding a comfortable spot to settle, the tip of its tail twitching gently. Leylo smiled, ignored its antics, and walked straight outside.
The party of ten or so sped off on their horses, soon arriving at the Withered Woods, five kilometers southeast of Blackstone Town. The trees here were mostly dead, their branches twisted, and the ground was carpeted in thick fallen leaves that crunched loudly underfoot, lending a desolate atmosphere to the place.
They quickly located the exceptionally large oak tree. "Moonlight was playing out here a few days ago and found something buried under this oak. Dig it up and see," Leylo patted Moonlight's head. The little creature let out a soft, miffed meow; having just eaten its fill, it only wanted to sleep.
Unlike the surrounding dead wood, this oak, though ancient, still had dense foliage and a hint of vitality. The knights dismounted and began digging with their portable shovels. No one doubted Leylo; in their eyes, anything strange involving Moonlight was perfectly normal.
Dirt flew. Before long, a clink sounded as a shovel struck something hard. "My Lord, we found it!" a knight shouted excitedly.
Soon, an aged wooden chest was unearthed. It wasn't large, still caked in damp earth, and its latch was rusted beyond recognition. Ed stepped forward and, with a bit of force, snapped the lock. Inside the chest sat a small pile of glittering gold coins—roughly a hundred Gold Dragons. Next to the coins lay two items: a silver bracelet engraved with magical sigils and a roll of yellowed parchment.
Leylo picked up the bracelet; it was cool to the touch, and he could feel a faint pulse of mana within. "A Bracelet of Protection?" He identified it with some surprise. "A low-tier magic item. It can briefly trigger a Rank 1 magic shield." He pulled a ring from his pocket and tossed both it and the bracelet to Ed. "Take these for now. You'll test them in a bit."
Ed caught them steadily. Leylo then unrolled the parchment, only to find it was a damaged magic scroll. The complex arrays suggested a defensive spell, but it was too heavily ruined to be useful. "Better than nothing," Leylo handed the gold and scroll to a knight for safekeeping. A hundred gold wasn't a fortune, but it was a nice windfall.
"Let's go. To Crying Canyon. Moonlight says there's more good stuff there." Leylo mounted his horse, and the group set off again.
Crying Canyon earned its name from its unique geography; steep cliffs lined both sides, and when the wind whistled through, it sounded like a woman sobbing. The canyon was damp, rocks were covered in moss, and the air smelled of wet earth and humus. As they moved deeper, the light dimmed, and the canyon walls seemed to close in until only a sliver of sky remained.
"My Lord, it feels a bit eerie here," a knight remarked, gripping his sword. Ed stayed close to Leylo, his eyes scanning the surroundings alertly. Ever since seeing Moonlight's "magic" in the woods, he didn't dare underestimate the harmless-looking cat.
"Everyone, stay alert," Leylo warned. "Moonlight said there's a giant snake here—likely a guardian beast!"
After a bit more travel, the terrain leveled out into a relatively open valley. Moonlight suddenly leaped from Leylo's shoulder and ran toward an inconspicuous corner. "Follow it."
Rounding a massive rock shaped like a weeping face, the view opened up. A strange small tree came into view—about the height of a man, deep red, with branches knotted like dragon claws and covered in fine, metallic-looking thorns. More strikingly, several fruits hung from the branches, the size of pigeon eggs, blood-red and shimmering with a faint, flowing light.
"Is this..." Ed's eyes flashed with surprise. The knights crowded around the Dragonthorn tree.
Just as they prepared to examine it, Moonlight arched its back, its fur standing on end, and let out a low, guttural hiss. Ed reacted instantly, drawing his sword to block Leylo. A foul wind suddenly gusted from the side!
Hiss—!
With a piercing screech, a massive shadow darted from a rock crevice like a bolt of lightning, lunging at the knight nearest the tree. It was a giant python, thick as a water bucket, covered in icy blue scales that glistened in the gloom. Its triangular head was terrifying, with two lantern-like vertical pupils locked on its prey. Its maw hung open, revealing four dagger-sharp fangs dripping with a freezing frost.
A Frostfang Great Python!
"Scatter!" Leylo shouted, jerking his reins. His horse reared up, narrowly avoiding the python's lashing tail. The target knight reacted quickly, rolling away just as the python slammed its head into the ground, sending stones flying.
"Protect the Lord!" Ed roared. He drew his longsword and charged toward the beast. A faint yellowish glow erupted around him—the signature Qi of an Earth Knight, making him appear steady as a mountain.
The Frostfang Python missed its first strike and immediately whipped its head around, locking its cold pupils onto Ed. It let out an angry hiss, coiled its massive body, and lunged again with incredible speed! Ed's expression was grim; he took a deep breath, circulating his Qi to the limit. Just as the foul maw approached, Ed let out a low shout. The ring on his left hand flashed, and a surge of violent power instantly flooded his body!