Chapter 22
Gwen landed on the ground after another jump and looked around, seeing no sign of her team.
"I don't see them anywhere and I've been almost up and down this forest." Gwen sighed. "I guess this means that they may have been caught."
As if to answer her question the Dimension Seal was cast, freezing time around Gwen.
"Who's doing it this time?" Gwen sighed.
"Me." A voice spoke from behind her.
She turned and saw Jimmy peak out from behind a tree, looking around cautiously. "Is the coast clear?"
"You tell me." Gwen crossed her arms. "Why are you out here?"
"I had to move when those vines attacked the plane and took out the camera crew." Jimmy shrugged. "Good news is that Chris is already at Machu Picchu waiting for you guys."
"Bad news is that I don't think we're going to make it, not just because of the trouble." Gwen shook her head. "You see Dawn and Elliot?"
"Not yet, came out looking for you when you started calling Andromeda's power." Jimmy replied. "What's going on?"
"You ever hear of a guy named Corin?" Gwen looked around.
"The Masked Jungle Hunter that liked to hunt humans and spirits in the dark forests of America back in the 17th century?" Jimmy looked surprised and a little scared. "That guy was at the top of the list back in those days. Why's he here?"
"He has a score to settle with me." Andromeda replied. "Sarah defeated him, forcing him to flee but not before he swore revenge. By the time he had returned Sarah had already died thus he was unable to complete his revenge. But now that Gwen is my Avatar it's possible he's targeting her, guilt by association."
"Great, of all the bad guys it had to be him." Jimmy groaned. "Well, that explains what happened to the other teams and the camera crews that followed them."
"You mean..." Gwen started, her eyes going wide.
"Yep, they all disappeared." Jimmy nodded.
"Corin's Method, Bloody Garden." Andromeda stated darkly. "It's already at work."
"And no sign of the giant tree that sprouts when the seeds are planted." Dionysus said, speaking from the glass bottle Jimmy was holding. "We need to a way to locate it before the Method leaves us trapped in the forest."
"We need to find Dawn and Elliot, now!" Andromeda's power flared to life around Gwen, acting as a beacon.
Vines glowing pale green came out of the ground to grab her but Gwen summoned her sword and sliced through them.
"Well, so as long as we're going this." Jimmy brought up the empty bottle and a purple liquid appeared inside.
Jimmy drank it, tilting his head back and spat a purple mist out of his mouth. The mist covered the area, the vines fell to the ground with their pale green aura fading. Jimmy ran out of the mist with Gwen right behind him.
"What was that?" Gwen asked as they ran.
"Dionysus's personal Method, Mist of the Madness." Jimmy smirked. "It can be used to confuse and intoxicate enemies and even dispels Methods caught in the mist."
Xxx
The Masked Jungle Hunter stood at the top of his giant tree, overlooking the forest. His yellow eyes narrowed as he sensed Andromeda's power along with another spirit that had disrupted his Method's powers when he commanded the forest to attack them.
"He lied; there are not three Avatars but four. That purple mist can only be the work of Dionysus." Corin whispered. "I can't attack them with the forest with Dionysus's personal Method protecting them."
Corin was not worried or angry, like any skilled hunter he was ready for when a prey proved to be unpredictable. Looking down at the large number of cocoons his tree now possessed he considered the bait he had set up.
"Four Avatars, one of them is the Avatar of Andromeda while the other is the Avatar of Dionysus plus two more." Corin whispered, thinking his next strategy. "I need to learn the powers and capabilities of the other two."
Corin waved his spear and a swarm of moths appeared around it, flying in a circle. He pointed his spear down to the forest and the moths flew too fast for the human eye to follow, disappearing into the forest.
"The next stage of the hunt has begun."
Xxx
"Okay, this is getting annoying!" Elliot panted as she summoned a large sword and cut through another vine.
She and Dawn were surrounded by vines that attempted to grab them but Elliot's large sword unleashed shockwaves of spirit energy that obliterated them. Dawn was sitting crossed legged with a pale white aura shining around her. She opened her eyes, revealing they were now color the full moon at night. "Shining Judgement!"
A shock wave of white light erupted from her body and the vines fell to the ground lifelessly as the shockwave passed through them. Elliot sighed in relief as her sword vanished when everything attacking them was now on the ground and not being animated to life by a supernatural monster.
"Now is not the time for breaks, Elliot." Lancelot spoke up. "There will be more."
"He is right." Luna spoke as her Avatar stood up. "My Shining Judgement Method can only as spread as much as my Avatar can handle and this Method seems to spreading almost through the whole forest."
"So we only got about a minute of rest before more come." Dawn looked around. "We must locate Gwen and the others for a Method this powerful may put everyone in danger, including the other teams."
Luckily that wasn't going to be very hard as the second Dawn finished her sentence both her and Elliot's senses went off sensing two familiar spirit signatures somewhere west of them.
"That's Andromeda and Dionysus's powers! Why would Jimmy be out here so far from the plane?" Elliot looked worried.
"It can only mean we are dealing with a very dangerous spirit here." Dawn said, looking as worried as Elliot but keeping herself calm. "Come, we must hurry and meet up with them."
"Leave it to me." Elliot clasped her hands together but before she could do anything Lancelot spoke up. "No don!"
"Why not?" Elliot glanced her earring.
"We cannot risk using Strider in a forest that will attack us." Lancelot explained. "Fly up and even more vines will attack, possibly too many for Dawn to disable with Shining Judgement."
"But we need to find Gwen and Jimmy fast!" Elliot pointed out.
"Leave this to me." Dawn held up her hand that had the bracelet acting as her connection to Luna and looked up at the moon. "Luna is not called the Heavenly Light for nothing and it's now night with the moon shining down on us."
As she spoke her bracelet glowed with a bright pale light, releasing bright orbs of light that flew around her.
"Anything in the moon's light will be stopped." Dawn looked back at Elliot. "Stand in the light and we will be safe."
Elliot ran over to her just as more vines came out to strike them.
"Interception!" Dawn thrust her hands forward as the vines came forward.
The orbs of light flew at the vines, slamming into all of them, not seemingly doing any damage.
"Ninety degree angle!"
The vines suddenly changed direction before hitting the two Spirit Avatars, slamming themselves into the ground.
"Let's move!" Dawn said.
They started running as more orbs of light appeared around Dawn. Any vines that tried to attack instantly changed their directions thanks to Dawn's Interception Method. A green glowing moth watched from a tree branch as they walked through the forest.
Xxx
Everything the moth saw was transmitted to its master who watched as the two Spirit Avatars fended off his personal Method.
"Luna...the Heavenly Light, a Nature Spirit who derives her powers from the moon itself. Only she could have disrupted my Method's abilities like this." Corin whispered. "And the other girl, I heard the voice...Lancelot: Right Hand of the Light."
Corin slammed his spear into the giant branch he stood on.
"Andromeda, Luna, Dionysus, and Lancelot's Avatars all gathered in this place." Corin chuckled. "Perhaps I can get a challenge out of this hunt after all."
"Help!"
Corin's thoughts were interrupted by the captured contestants screams for help.
"I know there's someone up there! Please help!" Bridgette screamed.
"I'm scared of heights!" Owen cried.
Corin grunted, annoyed at the constant screams and considered killing them just to shut them up.
"Gwen, I know you have something to do with this so get us down!" Heather shouted. "You and this spirit stuff!"
Corin stopped and listened. These children knew one of the Avatars? Spirit Avatars are sworn to secrecy of the existence of the Spirit Realm yet these children knew? Perhaps they could still be useful.
"Somebody please help us!" Courtney screamed.
"Gwen! Dawn! Elliot!" Cody called out. "Can you guys hear me?"
"I really hope these cocoons don't snap and we fall to our doom." DJ whimpered.
"Maybe we'll morph in ghost monsters."
"QUIET!" A voice snarled, sounding like an angry lion.
Everyone was quiet as they tried to find the source of the voice.
"Humans never change, even after all these years you are still as weak and cowardly as before." The voice spoke with no attempts to hide the disgust in its tone. "If not for bait being needed I'd consider gutting you all just shut you up."
"Wh-who's there?" Alejandro looked around.
"You tell me, mortal. From what I heard you know exactly what this is." The voice growled.
"We don't know anything! Please let us go!" Bridgette pleaded.
"So, you claim to not know anything about 'spirit stuff'?" The voice commented.
Heather's eyes widened when she realized what the voice was talking about. "That night in mansion...was real?"
The voice laughed. "So you've been through something similar before? Interesting. And from the sound of how you spoke of this 'Gwen' character she obviously must be someone who had a hand in it."
"You mean how she's got a super powered spirit that giver her super po..." Lindsay said.
"Lindsay!" Duncan shouted, cutting her off. "That freaky voice doesn't need to know!"
"Oh, a super powered spirit huh?" The voice chuckled. "Sounds familiar."
"What do you want?" Bridgette asked.
"The power that allows a heart to beat shines like a star until it reaches its end and burns out. The power of the living taken without a sound and the visitors return to the hidden world." The voice spoke. "I am just another visitor, come to settle a score."
Something landed on the tree branch the cocoons were attached to and they could see a tall glowing man dressed like a tribal warrior looking down at them with burning yellow eyes. "I am Corin, the Masked Jungle Hunter."
Everyone gulped at the fierce appearance of the dangerous spirit, not daring to tick him off when they saw the huge spear in his hand.
"Now tell me, does this 'Gwen' happen to wear a necklace with a star charm?" Corin levelled his spear down. "Answer quickly or fall to your death!"
"Yeah! She's got a necklace with a star!" Heather and Courtney cried when the spear was near their cocoons.
Corin lifted the spear up and chuckled. "So, she is here after all."
"What do you want with Gwen?" Cody whimpered.
"Oh, the insignificant avatar? I am not actually interested in her, but the spirit she is connected to. Since you seem to know so much what do you know of the spirit powerful enough to be called Heaven's Star?" Corin levelled the spear back down at them.
"Well...not really anything," Cody said, glad that he could be truthful yet not sell Gwen out. "Probably less than you do!"
"She has attitude," Noah mumbled, wishing he could rub his nose at a certain memory.
"She's like a queen?" Courtney shrugged. "Seriously, we don't know much of anything about her except that she made Gwen into some sort of demon slayer."
"Oh, and that she could vaporise half of Toronto! Soooo sweeeet!" Izzy giggled before clapping both hands over her mouth. "..." She removed them. "...should I have kept that quiet?"
"Don't bother; it seems your information is indeed not needed." Corin scoffed. "She is no queen, but is considered one by many who fear her power. I guess I'll just have to go after her Avatar assuming she is as powerful as her predecessor. Tell me about this 'Gwen'."
"No way!" Cody shook his head.
"Ain't telling you nothing!" Duncan barked.
"Why are you after her?" Bridgette cried. "What did she do to you?"
"It's not her I am interested in, all though I am going to enjoy gutting her like a wild animal." Almost everyone gasped when they heard Corin's reply. "Just need to get her in the right place and the trap will be set."
"Stay away from her!" Cody shouted but Corin turned around and vanished. "Don't you lay a finger on her!"
But Corin was done listening. He had everything he needed to know from these children. All that was left now was to set the trap. He waved his hand and the cocoons the contestants were trapped in grew, making them scream until their heads were completely covered.
"I have no need to kill the bait but I better erase all knowledge of this." Corin waved his spear at the cocoons. "My Method must have dispelled a Seal of the Void Method she had placed on all of them. As much as I like to spread terror it's easier if the hunter is hidden,"
Xxx
Thanks to Jimmy, he and Gwen moved through the forest relatively unharmed despite the number of vines that came out of the ground to attack.
"You feel that?" Gwen asked, glancing at Jimmy.
"Yep, Dawn's using Luna's power, probably for a powerful Method to deal with this." Jimmy nodded, taking another drink from his bottle.
He released another purple fog as more vines tried to attack them and just like before they fell to the ground.
"Gwen!"
Gwen smiled as Dawn and Elliot came into the view, bright orbs of light illuminating their figures.
"About time." Jimmy sighed in relief. "I was getting tired of all the drinking."
"Thank you for helping, Jimmy." Dawn smiled. "You helped us find you two a lot quicker thanks to the mist."
"But now we have to find the others." Gwen frowned. "Any reason why there's no giant tree looming over the forest?"
"A Camouflage Method can be powerful enough to hide almost anything from view, even a giant tree." Dawn offered. "Why are you talking about a giant tree?"
"Has Luna or Lancelot told you two about a spirit named Corin?" Gwen asked.
"The Masked Jungle Hunter." Luna stated darkly as Dawn's bracelet flared. "Only he could twist a beautiful forest into something as dark and terrible like this. I thought I recognized his handy work."
"I heard of him as well, a truly horrific spirit." Lancelot spoke up. "We must hurry or he may kill everyone in the forest."
"There's only one who will die tonight." The Avatars spun around when they heard a dark voice.
Floating in the air was a mask that resembled the kind of masks tribal warriors wore resembling a snarling demon and yellow eyes.
"Corin." The Star Necklace flared brightly. "It is you."
"Indeed, Andromeda." The mask floated down and took the shape of Corin's humanoid form. "I have been waiting for this day."
Gwen pointed her sword at Corin. "Where are the others? What have you done with them?"
"Nothing, yet." Corin stared down Andromeda's new Avatar. "My quarrel is with Andromeda, they are the bait."
A shining broadsword appeared in Elliot's hand as she stood next to Gwen. "Come near Gwen and I'll slice you up!"
"It's not the real him, but an image conjured to communicate with us." Luna spoke. "However, there is much you will answer for, Masked Jungle Hunter. How dare you corrupt this forest just to settle your grudge?"
"I don't answer to you, Heavenly Light. I am a hunter; I fight and kill whatever I see as prey." Corin growled. "Andromeda's Avatar humiliated me and now her successor will pay."
"Come out and let's settle it." Gwen glared darkly.
"No, you will come to me." Corin waved his spear and behind him a gigantic tree appeared, shimmering into view. "You now know where to find me and just so you know if you don't come I will kill all I have captured."
His image faded before the Avatars could reply, leaving them to hurry and meet his ultimatum.
"That is one huge tree." Elliot gulped. "How do we take it out?"
"Andromeda, how did you and Sarah take out the tree the first time?" Gwen looked down at her necklace.
"We applied a Method to separate the tree from the forest, removing it like a tumor from a patient." Andromeda replied. "The tree is the heart of Corin's Method, kill it and Method is dispelled. It cannot be killed by conventional Methods because it can drain life energy from either the forest or anyone its captured to stay alive."
"So we must separate from the rest of the forest." Dawn nodded. "I've studied on a lot of Methods and I remember one that may do it but I need time."
"We'll give you all the time you need." Gwen nodded. "Just hurry."
"All right, good luck!" Dawn took off running.
"You think we'll last long against this maniac?" Jimmy asked.
"What do you think?" Elliot asked sarcastically.
"I think I should have stayed on the plane and had a drink." Jimmy replied.
Gwen and Elliot rolled their eyes, turning in the direction of the tree. Jimmy sighed and ran after them, not wanting anyone to say he ran out on his comrades. Oddly no vines or animals attacked them on their walk to the giant tree but they suspected Corin was waiting for them to spring his trap. Gwen pushed the bushes out of the way and giant tree, the center of Corin's personal Method Bloody Garden stood before them.
The tree's bark was dark, almost black and the tree itself was as big as a small mountain.
"This is it, the center of Masked Jungle Hunter's Method." Andromeda said.
"Where are the others?" Elliot looked around. "I can't see them."
"I sense them, the ones who made wishes and were touched by my power." Andromeda replied. "They are up there."
Gwen looked up, following Andromeda's directions and seeing cocoon hanging from one of many tree branches. "Oh boy."
"We have to climb all the way up there and get them down? Whoa, what a day." Jimmy rubbed the back of his head.
"You won't have time to worry about them."
The Avatars stiffened as Corin jumped down from the branch holding the contestants and landed perfectly on his feet despite how high he jumped. The Masked Jungle Hunter stood up fully with his spear out, ready for battle.
"And now the hunt begins."
"Corin, you have not changed at all. All of this to settle your grudge with me." Andromeda said disappointment clear in her voice. "You even settle for attacking Gwen, the successor of Sarah because she died before you could have your revenge."
"Don't talk down to me, Andromeda. I wouldn't expect you to understand." Corin growled, leveling his spear at Gwen. "I see three, where is the Avatar of the Heavenly Light?"
"You really asking questions in a time like this?" Elliot glared darkly. "You'll be too busy getting your butt kicked by us."
Elliot slammed her hands down on the ground and drew a Hexagon Symbol. She then slammed her hands together as a Lancelot released his power in the form of a bright blue aura surrounding Elliot.
"I, the Avatar of Sir Lancelot, Knight of the Round Table, Right Hand of the Light and defender of both worlds summon you, come forth Arondight!" Elliot shouted.
The Hexagon symbol was consumed by a bright light that shot out into the sky and out of it floated a sword with glowing white and blue with a golden hilt. Elliot grasped it in her right hand, holding it in a reverse grip.
"Andromeda's not the only one who has a personal weapon for her Avatar." Elliot smirked.
"Arondight, the personal sword of Lancelot?" Gwen asked, looking very surprised.
"The Sword of the Lake gifted to Lancelot by the woman who raised him Nimue, the Lady of the Lake." Andromeda explained. "Said to have been forged from the stars themselves. When Lancelot became a Spirit and wished to aid in the protection of the realms his sword was retrieved. It has long since gained new powers as Lancelot's personal weapon and is part of his Personal Method, Summoning of the Sacred Blade."
"Only now it's got a new title: Sword of the Raging Sea!"
As if on cue Elliot's new sword glowed bright blue and Elliot swung it, sending out projectiles of high pressure water that punched into the giant tree, leaving dark holes. The holes went in so deep that Gwen and Jimmy swore they thought they could see the other side through the holes.
"Let's see how you handle this, masked lunatic." Elliot grinned, taking a ready stance with her sword held in a reverse grip. "I've been waiting to use this in a real fight rather than training."
Corin glared darkly at the Avatars. "Very well, let's begin."
With a wave of his spear gigantic wooden tentacles came out of the ground around the three Spirit Avatars.
"No choice here then." Gwen said.
The Star Necklace glowed and Gwen was engulfed by bright silver aura and her hair grew slightly longer with silver bits at the very end.
"Giant Trees, its own roots coming out of the ground to attack us, a mad spirit who wants to cut our heads off and mount them on a pike...Meh, I've had worse at school." Jimmy shrugged as he held up his bottle.
The bottle started to glow pale yellow as a liquid of the same color appeared inside. He drank until it was completely empty.
"Hmmm...that's some...good!" Jimmy laughed drunkenly. "Let's get ready to...huh...fumble!"
He threw his head forward and vomited a stream of fire from his mouth that incinerated several large wood tendrils that were ready to attack him. The battle had now begun.