Chapter 5: Forester
Yugi and his friends Tea, Joey, and Tristan had road across the plains atop two Niwatoris and arrives at the forest regions known as Tentil. Yugi stops his band for a minute and survey his map.
"This is our first stop," says Yugi. "Somewhere in these forests lies the first temple; the temple of Wood. From here on we go on foot, our friends should know the way home."
At the edge of the forest the group dismounts the Niwatoris and releases them.
The group says there final good-byes to the departing Niwatoris.
"Why did you let them go?" asks Joey to Yugi. "They could have made the journey in half the time. "
"True," Yugi answers. "Yet, I sensed they need to go. Even though they're good transportation, they still have hearts, and I could tell those hearts were starting to miss there master."
"Do you think they'll find him, what if he's no longer alive?"
"They know he's alive, and they'll find him someday. They known for they have developed a bond that connects them; it is a bond that connects husband to wife, parents to children, and friend to friend. A bond that strong is not easily broken."
Finally, Yugi proceeds into the woods with Tea and Tristan right behind them; Joey stays behind for a minute to think about the words that Yugi has said, until Tristan sneaks up behind him and taps him on the shoulder.
"Hey," Tristan says as Joey turns around. "Are you coming Joey or are you scare of the big bad woods?"
Annoyed by this sarcastic remark, Joey takes out his sword, and points it in Tristan's direction.
"I'll give you something to be scared off," says Joey.
Tistan runs knowing he said the right words to get Joey started, and leads him into the unknown woods of Tentil.
**********
Hours after walking the trail of the forest, Yugi looks at his map again to see if they are on the right trail to the temple. Not recognizing any of his surroundings, he decided to keep heading in the same direction.
"We're almost their," says Yugi.
"You said that an hour ago," says Tristan. "Are you sure you're not lost?"
"Almost sure. Tea, are you familiar with any of these woods?"
"Kind of, but then again these woods have had a knack for changing all of a sudden. When I was here I go lost several times before I got to the temple."
"How did you manage to get their?"
"I had an insect creature guide me. Insects have a gift for finding there way around the woods."
"Does any body have an insect to summon, because I don't?"
"No, the insect I used in these woods was borrowed from a friend," says Tea.
"Sorry Yug," says Joey. "Besides that time wizard you gave me, I don't have any others."
"You mean you don't carry summon creatures."
"Didn't have to," remarks Tristan. "We were doing so fine without them that we didn't need for them. After all with a pair like us who needs reinforcements?"
"I hear that," says Joey as he gives give Tristan a high five.
"Okay," says Yugi. "So we have no insects to Guide us, how do we find the temple?"
The group thinks for a minute or two, until Tea thinks she has found a solution.
"I don't have any insects," she begins. "But maybe there's another way. I summon forth the fairy trio of, Dancing Fairy."
One by one three green lights emerge from out of the mist and take the form of three pixies with blue skirts, blue eyes, and angel wings. The first was a long, brown haired fairy with brown eyes, the second was a long pinked haired fairy with green eyes, and the third was blue eyed fairy with braded red hair. One by one the doll sized figures flew toward Tea and stopped in mid air, three feet in front of her.
"Guys these are the trio of Dancing Fairy," starts Tea. "The brown haired one is Hazel."
"Enchanted to meet you," says Hazel.
"The red haired one is Rose."
"Nice to see you," says Rose.
"Finally, the pink haired one is Carnation.
"Hello," says Carnation.
"Together they are the Dancing Fairy Sisters and they are my companion. See I figure they might be able to help us considering they are wind types."
"That might work," says Yugi. "They could spot the temple from the air."
"What do you say girls, could you help us find the temple?"
The fairy trio huddles to discuss this situation, then the group breaks up and Hazel acts as the Liaison between the groups.
"We'll help."
"Great, do your stuff girls."
The trio takes to the air to survey what they can see. A several moments later the trio returns to the surface and speaks to Tea.
"We could see any sign of a temple," says Hazel. "No clearing or sign of any building structure, but we spotted a waterfall not to far from here. We'll lead you to it.
"Hopefully will find some sign of life in that vicinity," says Yugi.
"Lead the way," says Tea.
The group follows the trio of fairies, hoping to find any sign of life or the temple that they seek.
**********
The group is lead to a simmering waterfall that pours into a particularly deep and slightly wide pond surrounded by wildflowers of many different species. The group beholds the sight of this waterfall a sign of paradise.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking what I'm thinking?" Tea asks Yugi.
"I think so," answers Yugi.
Without warning Tea runs to toward the pond and jumps into the air to land in the pond. Just before she hit's the water an aura of energy surrounds her as she changes from a Tea the Magician of Faith, to Tea in a bathing suit. Tea takes a dive into the water causing a splash to rain down on the rest of the group. A little wet from the splash Joey and Yugi, watch as Tea swims around in the pond. Tea waves to the group saying," Come on in, the water's fine."
Yugi smiles at this action of Tea and decides to join her.
"Let me show you how it's done," says Yugi as he takes a dive in the water. The same aura that surrounded Tea surrounded Yugi as he transformed from Yugi the Dark Magician to Yugi in a pair of swimming briefs. Yugi hit's the water making a splash bigger then Tea's, the shock of the water splashes into Tea's face. The two friends laugh together, until Joey calls out to both of them. Tea and Yugi try to find Joey, but cannot seem to spot him until Joey draws them to the top of the fall. Joey gazes at them some several feet up until he jumps from the fall to land in the water. Before he hit's the water an aura surrounds Joey and transforms him from Joey the Flaming Swordsman to Joey in a pair of swimming briefs. The splash that he makes in the water tops the ones made by either Tea or Yugi combined. Tea and Yugi look for Joey in the water, but can not seem to find him, until he appears behind them and splashes them with some water. Joey laughs at his own prank, but his laugh is stopped as Tea and Yugi gang up on Joey and hold him and start splashing some water on him. In all the commotion, Yugi notices that Tristan is not in the water, but is leaning against a nearby tree slightly away from the water.
"Hey Tristan," Yugi says. "Come on and join us?"
"Thanks just the same Yugi," says Tristan. "But I'm going to set this one out."
"What's the matter Tristan," says Joey in the same sarcastic tone that Tristan used at the entrance of the forest. "Afraid of the big bad water?"
"Joey if you we're my friend I'd send you to the healer by now."
"Sure you would buddy."
At the note the trio of Yugi, Joey, and Tea begin to swim and play in the water. Tristan looks at the water knowing full well that water to a machine was a bad sign of either rusting or drowning. Unfortunately, Tristan wasn't water proof, so the probability of him drowning was very high, so he stood on the side lines and watched as his friends played in the water. While the trio in the water played, another trio began to play as well. The Dancing Fairy Sisters begin to live up to there name as they shrink down to the size of flower petals and begin to dance on the flowers. In circle and lines, in squares and triangles, they danced and danced from flower to flower.
As the group began to enjoy themselves a set of eyes began to watch from out of the bushes. The eyes began to get closer to the pond and closer to seeing the group. Then a sound of a sword being slowly sheathed was heard by Tristan, but he remained to seem uninterested. The mysterious creature watched as Tristan appeared to be heading into the woods in the opposite direction of the creatures location. The foreign eyes began to watch the group again until a tap was felt on his back. Shocked by this development the creature looked back to spy Tristan had snuck up behind him. Tristan looked at the creature and said in a soft mellow voice," Boo."
The creature let out a yell of fright, alerting the Yugi, Joey, and Tea in the pond. A sound of a struggle could be heard in the bushes for a few moments, until the creature that had been spying on the group was tossed upside down toward a tree several feet from the bushes the creature revealed himself to be a Cockroach Knight, a brown humanoid insect with a patch on his chest with the number "54247" written on it. The cockroach landed with his back against the tree and slowly slid down the tree, until he was on the ground with his feet above his head. The rest of the group rushes out of the water to see the insect, and then Tristan heads toward the Cockroach Knight and picks him up, turning him right side up.
Tristan tires to interrogate the insect by saying, "Why were you spying on us?"
Yet, all he gets out of the insect is a cry for help that seems to go unanswered, until a swarm of Cockroach Knights comes to assist there captured ally. Yugi, and the rest of the group that was in the water, materialize there weapons without changing there current clothing. By the dozens, Cockroach Knights surround the area with there swords drawn until the group realizes that they are completely surrounded.
"Put down your weapons, let your captive go, and no harm will come to you!" says a voice from the crowd. Joey looks over to Yugi and says," Do you think we should?"
"Odds are we should," says Yugi. "By my estimates we're out numbered at least twenty to one and Cockroach Knights are known to travel in larger groups."
"This is your last warning," says the voice. "Put down your weapons, let your captive go, and no harm will come to you!"
Yugi throws his staff down and advises the others to do what the voice says. Joey puts down his sword, Tea puts down her staff and Tristan lets go of the captured insect. The insect runs toward the middle of the crowd as the voice reveals himself to Yugi and his group. The voice is another Cockroach Knight; his badge has the number "42525" written on it. The Cockroach Knight number 42525 heads toward number 54247, as number 54247 solutes the lower number. Number 42525 looks at the group survey there faces and trying to decipher there identities.
Number 42525 looks toward number 54247 and says," What were you doing at this sector?"
Number 54247 says, "I heard the splashing in the water and thought they might be enemy troops."
"First off, enemy troops would have been stealthier. Second, if they were enemy troops, you should have called for reinforcements before you decide to engage them."
"But-"
"No buts. I afraid your sense of judgment is underdeveloped, so I'm going to have to assign you five hours of training with number 54412, now get."
"Uh, Yes Sir."
The Cockroach knight number 54247 leave into the mass of the crowd, then number 25 heads up to the group of Yugi and friends for a face to face chat.
"Please forgive number 54247," says number 42525. "He's young and inexperience. I just had to see for myself who it was we were dealing with...Knights, at ease."
The Knights withdraw there swords at number 42525's command, leaving Yugi and his group baffled by this development. Number 42525 walks up toward the group and then turns his head toward Tea.
"It's been a while, Tea," says Number 42525
Tea does not recognize what the knight is saying, until he continues his speech by saying," Don't you recognize me; I met you about a year ago in these woods. Though back then I was a younger and I had a bronze sword."
As if a light had been lit in a dark cave, Tea recalls the name of this former stranger.
"Randolph, is that you?" asks Tea.
"The one and only," he answers with a smile.
"By the Gods, it's been so long. It's so good to see you."
At first the rest of the group was surprised that these two knew each other, but Tea explained to them exactly who this Cockroach Knight was.
"Guys," she began. "Do you remember when I told you about that insect that guided me through the forest? Well this is him. I'd like to introduce you to Randolph of Tentil."
"Well that was my name about a year ago " says Randolph. "Now I am known as Number 42525, member and good standing of the Tentil Cockroach Knight."
"When did you join the Tentil League?"
"About a month after you left. My master let me stay here and join the League and I've been here ever since. Now, what brings you to these parts?"
"We're here on official business by General Freed regarding the temple of Wood."
"I see. I hate to ask, but do you have any proof of this."
Tea was shocked at the moment, until Yugi stepped forward and presented the map that had accompanied them on the trip.
"I believe this could be proof," Yugi says as he unfolds the map. "Marked on this map is the signature of Freed himself."
After inspecting the map's signature, Randolph looks up at Tea and Yugi's faces.
"This seems to check out," the Knight. "Very well, I'll accompany you to the base of operations; there you can be brief on the current situation by our general."
"One moment," said Tea. "Girls, you can come out now!"
The Dancing Fairy sisters emerge from behind a flower petal and return to there average height as they head toward Tea.
"Sorry," says Hazel of the Dancing Fairy. "We hid when we saw the insects."
"Its okay girls," says Tea. "I know you three don't realize it, but together you girl can be brave. Until then, I think you've had enough excitement for one day. So why don't you take a rest."
The trio of Dancing Fairy nod there heads as Tea calls them back by saying," I call back the fairy trio of, Dancing Fairy."
The trio disappears in a spark of light at Tea's command.
"Now, shall we proceed to the base?" says Randolph.
"Alright guys let's move out."
"Before we go may I suggest you put on some proper attire because you're still in your bathing suits?"
The group realizes that in all the fuss they forgot to dry off or change into there uniforms of.
"Oh, sorry about that," says Tea.
The group uses the same aura as before to dry off there wet bodies and change into there uniforms of there appropriate ranks. Then the group picks up there weapons from the ground and holsters them for the time being.
"Now, lets proceed." says Randolph the Cockroach Knight.
With that said, Yugi and the rest of the group follow Tea as she follows Randolph and the rest of his Cockroach Knights to there home base to meet the general and be briefed on the current situation of the Tentil Forest.