Chapter 6: The Forest of Flame and Fury

In front of them were three little doors, each no bigger than Zsolista's shoulder, with cat paw prints and holes for shiny gems. Zsolista looked at them carefully, the monster gems glowing softly in her hand.

She put in the three gems she had – two from the frozen monsters and one from the burnt battlefield – and the doors started to hum.

Then, with a creak and a soft purring sound, the doors folded open and turned into one big doorway shaped like a cat's paw – five pads, three claws.

Three missing claws on the big stone paw shimmered as the gems glowed with heat. Slowly, like roots growing back together, the gems twisted and joined – making one shiny claw of crystal and memory.

The new claw wiggled, floating just above the stone. It pulsed like it was worried, spinning a little, twitching left, then right, like a compass that forgot which way was North. It wanted to fly – but didn't know where. It felt like it was being called, but not yet.

Beyond the doorway was a big forest – dark like twilight and full of tangles. The trees were so tall they touched the clouds, their trunks twisty and old. Funny squirrel-ferret creatures ran from branch to branch looking for glowing nuts and sparkly fruits. Speedy rabbit-dogs chased them, their golden eyes watching. High above, baby Gruhana creatures swung on vines, looking for snacks. The forest buzzed with their sounds.

The floating gem wiggled thoughtfully, like waking up from a long dream. Then, with a quiet hum, it started to glow – soft at first, then brighter. Slowly, it floated into the woods, going between trees and over bushes, zigzagging like it had just remembered something it forgot a long, long time ago. It wasn't just moving. It was saying, "Follow me!"

Boka squinted. "It's taking us somewhere! Boka-Boka!"

"But we're too tired to fly," Zsolista whispered. "And the way out is way up high."

She watched the gem disappear between the trees, its glow flickering like a forgotten promise. For a second, a sneaky idea popped into her head – what if they just burned the forest down? Not to be mean, but to make it faster to see what was underneath.

But that wasn't the right way. Not yet.

She looked at her friends, tired and covered in soot. "Let's eat. Let's rest. Let's remember we're more than just finders."

Just then, Baby yawned. "Maybe we camp," Baby offered sleepily. "Make something yummy. It's-a-Baby!"

They made a cozy camp on a cliff. Zsolista opened her travel table, Boka made bubbling slime-honey soup, and Baby nibbled on monster-dog patties with golden bee honey.

"Don't forget the sparkly horn shavings!" Zsolista reminded them, sprinkling them with a flourish.

They finished eating, and Zsolista saw a tiny sparkle in the distance.

She watched the gem disappear between the trees. For a moment, they stood quietly, feeling tired but knowing they had to keep going. Chasing it now in this big forest would be silly – they all felt it. The forest was alive, not mean, but watching. It would twist their paths and make time feel strange.

"What if," Zsolista said slowly, "we don't follow it at all?"

Boka blinked. "You mean… let it go?"

She nodded, still looking at the trees. "We're too tired. If we move now, we'll get lost. But if we make a clear path tomorrow – burn it instead of chasing – we might find something more important."

Baby yawned, already curling up by the soup pot. "So… sleep?"

"Yes," Zsolista said. "We let the gem run. Tonight, we finish eating. We rest. And tomorrow, the forest will listen to fire."

The next day they woke up feeling strong. They looked everywhere for the gem before burning the forest. They wanted to try their best.

Under the trees, time felt weird. Shadows got long. Roots reached out and pulled back. The forest moved behind them with every step.

"I don't feel any danger," Zsolista whispered. "But we're not supposed to walk through here nicely."

They saw it for a second. The gem zipped away even faster!

Boka huffed. "We'll never catch it like this!"

Zsolista narrowed her eyes. "Then we stop chasing. We make a path!"

She raised her arms and called out an old spell:

"Oh Herr, Keeper of the Endless Flame – let fire sing where feet can't go!"

Ashenwald’s Song: Hymnler’s Fury!

A line of fire shot from her fingers and ripped through the trees like a fast sunbeam! Vines curled up, leaves turned to ash. The fire made a path wide enough for a giant to walk through!

Boka and Baby jumped onto her head, turning into shiny horns of swirling fire and wind! The fire got sharper and stronger with their energy!

Ahead, the gem hit a wall!

Another paw print, carved in stone!

This one was missing two fingers and three claws!

"More pieces!" Zsolista whispered. "We're building something!"

The firestorm blazed in all directions, carving the forest into a spiral. Under the ash, old things shimmered – metal signs, melted seeds, old treasures from long ago.

When the fire finally went out, Boka and Baby turned into Wyndmeers – old creatures of breath and ash, born from forgotten winds and smoky goodbyes. They looked like shiny mist with antlers like branches made of stars! Air swirled inside them, whispering old storms.

Their feet barely touched the burnt ground as they danced through the clearing. With every step, the ashes moved, lifting in beautiful swirls and parting like curtains for a king and queen. They moved not to erase the past, but to show what was still there. Under the soot, treasures glowed – waiting patiently.

Together, the Wyndmeers cleaned the battlefield, their presence feeling old and important. The burnt forest bowed to them.

Among the things they found: hard sweet chocolate seeds that looked like shiny candy, old papers with writing only the moon knew, and two more cat paw pieces – jagged, important, glowing softly with old magic.

When Zsolista put them with the floating gem, the big paw glowed brightly! All five pads lit up like stars! For a moment, the whole forest held its breath.

Then, without a sound, a gate shimmered open all by itself, like the world was bowing.

The trio stepped forward together, ready for anything.

Zsolista stopped, her hand on Ice Fang, her eyes narrowed.

Something felt unfinished.

Something was waiting.

"What in the world is this cat paw for?" she wondered out loud.

From the shadows came a voice – cold, clear, and strong.

"Knowing that won't help you," it said. "You've reached the end of your journey."

Luna Lumos Maximos stepped out, his eyes like two mean stars.

"I am one of the Nine Kings," he said. "And I will bury you in bright light!"

 

                                         Jump to the Next Part:

 

1) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 1

2) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the FLower of Eternal Compassion pt 2

3) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 3

4) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 4

5) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 5

6) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 6

7) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 7

8) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 8

9) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 9

10) The Great Wizard Zsolista and the Flower of Eternal Compassion pt 10

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Lets goooo we finally get to meet the baddie of this story! Its Luna Lumos Maximos one of the 9 kings. So Me and the Kids are in adventure 3 right now at home and we just introduced 2 new team mates but I think I will make the 5 kids fight another one of the kings. The second story I told AZS didnt really have a king in it but maybe her transformed state will become a 9th king as there must always be 9 kings ( like maybe they  are compelled by the spirit of the fallen kings to become bad or mad or whatever to propel their agenda forward)

Anyway, they are going to fight Luna here twice so the next  floor wont be the last, this tower has 9 floors  but the 9th floor just  holds the flower of eternal compassion.  I also have to reread these so its a little consistent lol, I have just been typing floor to floor and kinda just making the story I tell them alittle longer. Eventually I will go back and finalize/expand on these some more and those will become PDFs so I can sell them for 3 dollars or something/with AZM drawings of the story. Mainly I want to print these out so we can make a book for the kids and read it to them during bed time because eventually they are going to want to just read all of it in one sitting which is what I am aiming for.

Something you can read in like an hour with pictures!