**I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender (duh)
As the Innkeeper had promised, the Forest of Deceit was truly a cursed maze of dangers. Pit-falls and deadly traps tripped them up along the path while monsters lurked around every corner, challenging the party of heroes and constantly halting their journey. Ghosts lingered in the branches, mimicking voices and calling out to them, whispering false directions and threatening to lead them astray. Illusions of the exit kept them twisting and turning, confusing them to no end as they helplessly traversed the dark and dense woods.
"Ugh, we're going around in circles!" Meklavar growled, her frustration getting the better of her. "We've passed that same glowing mushroom at least six times already!"
They all stared at the familiar fungi, unable to deny her claim. Shiro took a deep breath, trying to maintain his cool and keep their hopes up. "Remember what the Innkeeper said, guys. Patience yields focus. It's the only way we'll get through this place."
"Well, my patience is running dangerously thin," Pike huffed, stopping to lean against a nearby tree.
"We've been doing a lot of fighting. Let's take a break, maybe?" Block suggested. "You know, regain our bearings."
The others nodded in agreement and came to a stop in their path. They kept their guards up as they peered through the thicket in case another monster ambushed them.
"I would try to summon a mount, but the canopy is too thick for my arrows to pierce through," Valayun said, lifting her head to the endless layers of green leaves blocking out the sky.
"I don't think Zee will be able to make it through either," Cerulean admitted, cupping her now fritzing companion in her hands. "The weird magic of this place is messing with his systems."
"Same here," Block said. He waved his staff experimentally, only for a few orange sparks to splutter out from one end. "The magic of this forest is all funky."
"Then let's just do it the non-magical way and climb up ourselves," Pike said, latching onto the nearest trunk and beginning to scramble up. "Maybe I can find us the right way out."
"Roll a nine or higher, and you may peek through the trees," Coran prompted.
Lance clicked on the virtual twenty-sided die and it began to spin on their screens. "C'mon, c'mon…"
It landed on eight.
"What the – Seriously?" he groaned.
The party gathered beneath the tree, watching Pike disappear into the foliage. A few seconds later, he shrieked and fell back to earth with a heavy THUD, a pair of nasty looking crows with razor-sharp teeth squawking around him. Meklavar quickly chopped them down and they disappeared in puffs of smoke, dropping two coins and increasing her XP.
"What did you see?" she asked.
"Nothing," Pike grumbled, hauling himself to his feet. "Those dumb birds attacked me before I could reach the top."
"Well…I guess we just have to keep going the normal route then," Shiro relented.
Pike let out a heavy sigh. "Fine."
He took a step forward and a twig snapped at his feet. Suddenly, the forest floor beneath them crumbled and they all screamed as they were yoinked off the ground, ensnared in a massive net. They dangled from the treetops, smushed together and squirming.
"Way to go, Pike," Cerulean muttered.
"It's not my fault!" he shrilled.
Meklavar thrashed for room, pressing her axe blade against the ropes. But no matter how much she sawed and hacked, their prison remained undamaged. "The net's enchanted," she reported. "I can't cut through."
"What the heck? No fair!" Pike snapped, furiously tugging at the net. "Why can't we break free?"
"You're not supposed to break free." Below them, a hooded figure soundlessly emerged from the shadows. Donned in rugged armor, a hooded cloak, and a mask that covered his mouth and nose, he kept a hand alighted on the hilt of a wicked-looking blade that hung at his side as he glared up at them. "That's how you know it's working."
Pike scowled at him. "Who the heck are you?"
"I'm Yorak. A ranger." He hesitated before removing his mask and lowering his hood, revealing a head of dark purple hair, triangular cheek marks, and pointed ears.
"You're half-elf!" Valayun realized.
He nodded. Then folding his arms over his chest, he took in the seven trapped travelers. "What are you doing in the forest? Do you idiots have a death sentence?"
"We're trying to get to the Castle of Shadows to defeat the Queen of Darkness," Shiro explained.
"Do you mind freeing us?" Evren asked, her voice strained as she was pressed into the bottom of the net beneath the weight of the others. "This is extremely uncomfortable."
Yorak tilted his head as he mulled over her request. "I don't know," he said finally, his dark eyes glinting. "At least this way I can keep a better eye on you trespassers."
Evren's eye twitched in annoyance and her grip on the net tightened. "I'd bet you'd like that, wouldn't you?"
"Ahem," Coran interrupted. "Would the monk and the ranger kindly stop flirting, please?"
"We weren't flirting!" Keith and Mari exclaimed.
With one swift flick of his wrist, Yorak cut the rope suspending the net. The group fell roughly back to earth in a tangled heap. They dragged themselves up to their feet, brushing off their dusty butts and removing leaves from their hair. Just as they regained their composures, a massive blue wolf stepped out from the trees onto the path. It stared at them with intelligent golden eyes before approaching, sending the party on high alert.
"AHH! Look out!" Meklavar shouted, and Shiro held his sword up while Valayun notched an arrow, ready to defend their team from the new creature before them.
"Wait, stop! Don't shoot!" Yorak intervened, stepping protectively in front of the wolf. "He's a friend."
"A friend? He's a wolf!" Block wheezed in disbelief. "A big, scary, horse-sized wolf!"
The wolf seemed unbothered by their fear as he turned to the ranger. Yorak fondly petted the animal, his features softening as he said, "This is Kosmo. He won't hurt you."
"So you've accepted the name," Pidge mused.
"...It's grown on me," Keith admitted.
"What are you doing in the Forest of Deceit?" Cerulean asked of the ranger.
"I grew up in the woods," Yorak answered. "My parents were forced to separate due to differences amongst their people. I lived with my dad, but he died when I was young. I've been searching for my mom. She's supposedly a ranger too. I've been hunting down the monsters of these woods in the meantime."
"Wow. Creative backstory, man," Lance drawled.
"Shut up, 'Pike,'" Keith huffed in response.
"And you're not having trouble navigating this place?" Shiro wondered, lifting a brow at the ranger.
"Not at all," Yorak replied.
"Rangers are the best hunters and trackers," Meklavar pointed out. "The wild's their home territory."
"Could you help us get out of this forest?" Valayun requested. "We need to save Princess Romelle from the Queen."
"Sure," Yorak shrugged, hiding beneath his hood and mask once more. Kosmo knelt next to him, allowing him to climb onto his furry back. "Get on and let's go."
"Roll a sixteen or higher, and you may escape the Forest of Deceit right away," Coran said, and Keith rolled the die. It landed on nineteen.
"Why do you have all the luck?" Lance grumbled.
After everyone had mounted the gigantic wolf, Kosmo carried their large party through the trees. He effortlessly sprinted along the path, the wind rushing in their hair and eliciting several delighted squeals from Meklavar and Cerulean. Monsters and specters became a blur as they rushed past, making a beeline for the exit. In no time, the trees thinned and sunlight poured back into the forest as they reached the end. They burst through the last line of trees of the Forest of Deceit and came to a halt on a cliff that overlooked the Queen of Darkness' territory.
Sliding off Kosmo's back, they surveyed the land before them, taking in the dark clouds and gray land that laid ahead. Surrounded by a field of tree-trunk sized briars and a swarm of watchful vultures, a pitch black castle sat not too far on the horizon. They trekked down the cliff until they were face-to-face with the first layer of prickly defense.
"I suppose going over is out of the question. Those vultures don't look too friendly," Shiro said, cautiously eyeing the red-eyed birds looming in the air above. "Good thing they haven't noticed us yet."
Yorak studied the thorny patch nearest to them. "These are Sleeping Briars," he informed his companions. "One cut from them, and you'll be sent into a hundred-year sleep."
Everyone wisely took a step back from the field of poisonous plants.
"Try casting a spell of dispersal," Meklavar suggested, elbowing Block in the ribs.
"Roll a ten or higher, and you can disperse the vultures," Coran pitched in. "Roll a fourteen or higher, and you can disperse the thorn barrier."
"C'mon, gimme anything higher than a ten…" Hunk murmured, rolling the die.
It landed pathetically on one.
"Wow. Really?" Hunk sighed.
A few wisps of magical energy emitted from Block's staff, only to bonk uselessly off the briars. The vultures continued to laze about in their aerial patrol, taking no notice of the party below.
Pike tsked. "Now how're we gonna get through?"
Cerulean hummed in thought. "What if I briefly enhance the power of your weapons?" she suggested. "I can magically tinker with Valayun's bow and arrows to take down the vultures and Meklavar's axe to take care of the thorns."
"To magically tinker with both weapons, you must roll a perfect twenty," Coran said.
Scarlett rolled the die. To her delight, it landed on twenty. "Nice!"
"Aw what the heck, man?" Lance muttered. "Coran, did you rig it for the newbies?"
"Of course not!" Coran gasped, struck with horrified disbelief that he would even think such a thing. "I may be a wise and gentle advisor, but I am a merciless Lore Master. Besides, I can't show weakness before my apprentice!"
"Mhm!" Romelle agreed. "No mercy!"
Valayun's bow and arrows and Meklavar's axe glowed and morphed as Cerulean infused a spark of her artificer's magic into them. When she returned them to their owners, they had become bigger and sturdier with metal enhancements, emitting the pure blue light of magic.
"They're good for three uses," Cerulean reminded them. "Make them count."
"Wonderful work, Cerulean!" Valayun beamed, notching her first arrow and aiming it into the sky. "Three uses will be plenty."
She released her shot and it streamed into the air. The arrow glowed and split into dozens of beams of energy, each one finding its way into the heart of a vulture and vanquishing them in a poof of smoke. The other birds turned on the adventurers, hissing and squawking in alarm. They circled and charged towards the party, dagger-like talons flashing and ready to shred their flesh to bits. But they never got the chance to land a single blow on the heroes. Releasing her last two tinkered arrows, Valayun wiped out the remaining vultures, clearing the skies of danger.
Meanwhile, Meklavar tried out her new axe. She grunted, lifting it high above her head before bringing it down on the briars. A blade of magical energy sliced through layer after layer of thorns, creating a wide path nearly halfway through the field. Grinning giddily, she swung her axe again, cutting away more of the Sleeping Briars and making the ground quiver in the face of her weapon's power. With one last swing of her blade, she shredded the last of their obstacles, allowing them to step up to the home of the Queen of Darkness.
The Castle of Shadows was surrounded by a towering wall made of solid black stone. As they scanned the premises, there didn't appear to be an apparent entrance.
"I can sense a lot of evil magic coming off this gate," Block said, his grip tightening nervously on his staff.
"One does not simply walk into the Castle of Shadows," Meklavar murmured, leaning on her axe as she frowned up at their newest obstacle.
"How are we supposed to get in?" Pike wondered. "Maybe you just have to knock again?"
He experimentally rapped his knuckles against the stone. Nothing happened.
"Okay…how about we climb over it?" he suggested next.
"To sneak over the castle's magical barrier, you must roll a nine or higher," Romelle stated this time.
"Please gimme a nine, just one little nine," Lance whispered, rolling the die.
It landed on a five.
"Gosh dang it!"
Using his stealth ninja assassin skills, Pike began to scale the side of the wall. He was hardly halfway up when the stone beneath his fingers began to glow a deep purple. Lightning flew from the wall, shocking him so badly, he lost his grip. He fell to the ground below, stiff and singed and twitching as his health dropped. Block kindly helped him up, brushing off the soot and flattening his frizzy hair.
Evren testingly placed a hand flat on the black rock of the wall. "If this entire thing is rigged with dark magic to keep us out, why don't we make our own entrance with good magic?" she proposed.
"And how will we do that?" Shiro inquired.
"Sometimes a little brute force goes a long way," Evren stated. "I'll break our way in."
"To break the castle's magical barrier with a Ki Strike, you must roll a fourteen or higher," Romelle relayed.
Mari rolled and the die landed on sixteen. "Perfect!" she grinned.
"What the quizank," Lance wheezed, incredulous.
Taking a deep breath, Evren stepped back from the wall and closed her eyes in concentration. Her hands began to emit a golden light, and when she was ready, she raised her glowing fists and assumed the proper offensive stance. She reopened her eyes and with one swift punch, she blasted a hole straight through the wall. Dark rock cracked and crumbled around them, sending up thick clouds of dust. As the air settled, she casually brushed off her hands and stepped over her mess, leading the way into the castle grounds.
"Scary," Block squeaked as he timidly followed after her.
"Scary awesome!" Meklavar grinned, her eyes sparkling in awe at their monk party member.
The Castle of Shadows loomed over them, the only things separating them from the entrance an abyss of a moat and the giant green ogre that stood guard on the lowered drawbridge. Shiro bravely stepped up to the scowling guardian, his sword glinting in the light as he brandished it in challenge.
"I've got this one, team," he confidently assured them. "I'll slay this mighty beast."
"Ooh, you sound so sure of yourself," Romelle mused. "To defeat the ogre, you must roll a seventeen or higher."
"Okay," Shiro affirmed before rolling the die. Everyone waited with bated breath as the virtual game piece flipped and spun…
…Only to land on a four.
There was an awkward silence amongst the inhabitants of the lions.
"Crap," Shiro muttered.
Before the paladin could even think about hitting his opponent, the ogre backhanded the entire party of heroes off the bridge into the moat. They screamed as they plummeted into the abyss, falling further and further into the inky depths to who knows where.
"Kosmo!" Yorak called out and the wolf grunted in response.
With one sweeping swish of his tail, he gathered the flailing heroes to him, allowing them to grab onto his back. The ground came rushing up to meet them, and Kosmo nimbly landed on all fours, breaking their fall with his massive form. The rock beneath his paws cracked and the air was filled with thick clouds of disturbed dirt from the impact. The heroes coughed and sneezed until the dust had settled.
"Nice work, bud," Yorak said, scratching Kosmo behind the ears. The wolf nodded, relishing the praise and the reward of pets.
The heroes hopped onto the ground and uselessly squinted through the darkness.
"Where are we?" Block wondered.
"I don't know." Pike frowned, rubbing his eyes. "I can hardly see two feet in front of me."
Valayun rummaged in her quiver and produced an arrow with a glowing head. It brightened the space around them, revealing the gritty gray floor of the moat and its impossibly high walls on either side. A door had been built into one of said walls, right beneath the bridge above them.
"This must be the very bottom of the Castle of Shadows," Shiro said as they stood in front of the entrance. "The basement level."
"Pike, check it for traps," Meklavar ordered the thief, nudging him forward.
Pike sighed. "Oh, great. Another mysteriously locked door," he deadpanned, wrapping his fingers around the handles.
"You need to roll a ten or higher to disable any traps on the door," Romelle dutifully chimed in.
"Fine," Lance huffed, all enthusiasm gone as he rolled. He gasped when the die landed on ten. "Yes! Finally!" he cheered.
"See? I told you it wasn't rigged," Coran said, matter-of-fact.
Pike pushed open the set of double doors, permitting the party to enter. Then they shut soundly behind them, sealing them within the Castle of Shadows. Torches bolted into the walls were suddenly set alight with eerie purple flames, illuminating a tiled foyer. A horde of sneering imps loitered on the only set of steps leading upward, their shrill cackles filling the air as they prepared to face off against the intruders.
"Princess Romelle must be in the highest tower guarded by the Queen and her leviathan," Shiro concluded, holding his sword at the ready as his companions brandished their own respective weapons. "We'll have to fight our way up to the top."
A/N: I ended up drawing Evren, Cerulean, and Yorak. Check them out on my tumblr!
**Check out my tumblr to see some cool art: pufftheninja