IRON DEMON ARC
HISTORY CLASS
The classroom smelled faintly of old parchment and chalk. Professor Fedrick stood at the front, tapping his quill against the desk with restless energy.
"Alright, class," he began, his voice carrying easily. "Open your books to page 398."
A collective groan rippled through the students. Pages flipped lazily, the sound echoing across the quiet room.
One student raised his hand, squinting at the heavy text. "Uh, Professor… what are we even looking at?"
Fedrick smiled faintly, then turned to the board. Slowly, he wrote two words in bold chalk strokes:
Iron Demon.
The classroom went silent. Even the air felt heavier.
Adam leaned closer to Jimmy, whispering, "What's an Iron Demon?"
Jimmy's brown eyes darkened, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "A demon with a hide almost indestructible. Only three specimens have ever been seen."
Adam's eyes widened in disbelief. "Only three…?"
Jimmy nodded once, his tone grim. "And each nearly wiped out an army."
The room grew tense as Fedrick launched into a lecture about the rare demons, sketching crude illustrations on the board. He explained their immense strength, their rumored origins from the depths of Noctina, and the devastation left in their wake.
Then, with a wave of his hand, he passed papers down each row. "This," he said with his usual enthusiasm, "is your assignment. Due next week."
Students shuffled through the sheets, muttering. Then one voice suddenly cried out: "Professor one of the questions is to see one up close!?"
The room erupted into chaos.
"Impossible!""We'd die before we even saw it!""Are you insane, old man!?"
Fedrick raised his hand sharply, silencing the protests. "That one," he clarified, "is optional. I only included it because I know some of you… might actually try.." His gaze lingered suspiciously on Jimmy's table
The bell rang, sparing the class from further complaints. Students bolted for the door, chattering nervously about Iron Demons.
BREAK
In the corridor, Adam's chinchilla and August's grumpy toad faced off once again, glaring like bitter rivals. Tiny sparks of tension passed between them as if they were seconds away from brawling.
"Wait," August said suddenly, her voice firm. "We should… search for a demon."
The group fell silent. Jimmy, Adam, and Liana all froze, exchanging uneasy glances.
Before Jimmy could respond, a familiar presence filled the hallway.
The five heroes of Lalantia appeared Alexandra, Selena, Sharika, Cassie, and Ceila their presence drawing every student's attention. Alexandra's violet gaze swept the group, landing on August.
"You realize," Alexandra said evenly, "that those demons are not only rare, but incredibly dangerous?"
August crossed her arms, her green eyes blazing. "I know. But I want to see how strong one really is."
Jimmy's voice cut through the tension, calm but edged with warning. "There are three types. Silver — the normal kind. Black — stronger, slower, but brutal. And Red…" His eyes darkened. "…fast, unpredictable, and the hardest to kill."
The five heroes exchanged shocked glances. Ceila frowned, her silver hair shimmering faintly. "How do you even know that?"
Jimmy didn't answer. He only adjusted his scarf and turned away, already walking down the hall.
Reluctantly, the others followed. Step by step, the unlikely group made their way toward the wildlands outside Avalon toward the place where Iron Demons had last been spotted.
AT FOREST
The air inside the forest was damp and cool, the canopy above swallowing most of the sunlight. Strange vines hung low, and massive mushrooms as tall as students clustered around the roots of ancient trees. The ground smelled of moss and wet earth.
"Woah," Liana whispered, her silver hair catching the dim light. She stepped carefully toward one of the towering mushrooms, reaching out as if to touch its smooth cap.
Before her fingers could brush it, the mushroom shifted. It trembled, then shuffled aside on stubby legs.
Liana yelped and stumbled back.
The group froze as the mushroom peeled away to reveal a squat, half-human-sized creature beneath. Its mossy green skin was covered in small warts, and a wide mushroom cap sprouted directly from its head. Its eyes were large and round, glowing faintly in the gloom.
Jimmy raised a hand casually. "Don't worry. That's a Forest Troll."
The troll tilted its head curiously, sniffing the air, then gave a tiny grunt before waddling away toward a patch of glowing fungi.
"They're not dangerous," Jimmy continued. "Ninety-five percent of their diet is fruits and vegetables. The other five is meat, but they don't usually bother with humans."
August frowned. "Usually?"
Jimmy smirked. "Well, unless you try to eat them first."
Liana let out the breath she'd been holding. "So it's harmless…"
"Harmless and stubborn," Adam added. His chinchilla, perched on his shoulder, twitched its whiskers warily. "Try pushing one out of the way, and you'll be there all day."
The grumpy toad croaked on August's shoulder, glaring at the retreating troll as though daring it to fight.
"Don't," Jimmy warned without even looking back. "Spirit animals or not, you don't want to start a fight here. Trolls live in groups."
As if to prove his point, several more Forest Trolls shuffled into view between the trees. Some carried woven baskets filled with fruit. Others tugged along bundles of roots. They glanced at the students but made no move to attack — only gave lazy, blinking stares before returning to their foraging.
Selena lowered her bow slightly. "Strange… I thought trolls were supposed to be violent."
"These ones aren't," Jimmy said. "Avalon's forests are different. But if demons are moving through this area…" His voice trailed, his eyes narrowing. "Then even peaceful creatures might not stay peaceful for long."
The group walked deeper into the forest. The air grew colder, the silence heavier. Every so often, a troll could be seen shuffling between mushrooms, but they kept their distance.
Finally, Alexandra broke the silence, her violet eyes scanning the shadows. "If Iron Demons were sighted here, they must have left traces. Stay alert."
Jimmy adjusted his scarf, his expression unreadable. "Trust me. If one's near… we'll know."
The group pressed deeper into the forest, mist curling around their boots. The towering mushrooms loomed above like crooked umbrellas, their caps dripping dew that sparkled faintly in the dim light.
Suddenly, a low growl echoed from the shadows. Figures shuffled out from behind the stalks — half a dozen Forest Trolls, their mushroom caps tilted forward like helmets. Their eyes glowed faintly green as they stepped into a loose circle around the students.
One troll, slightly larger than the rest, slammed its stubby hand against its belly and croaked in a gravelly voice:
"Hand over your fruit and veggies."
The group froze.
Jimmy raised a brow, scarf swaying lightly as he tilted his head. "Eh? And what if we don't have any?"
The trolls grumbled among themselves, their basket-ropes dragging across the mossy floor. Then the leader snorted and jabbed a stubby finger toward them.
"Then you can leave. But…" The troll sniffed the air, eyes narrowing. "…we smell fruit and veggies on you."
Adam patted his shoulder bag nervously. "Oh no. They must smell the rations I bought in town." His chinchilla twitched its whiskers, growling quietly at the trolls.
August shifted, her fists curling. "They're shaking us down?"
Jimmy sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Figures. Even peaceful trolls can get pushy when they're hungry."
The troll leader stepped closer, his mushroom cap brushing the hanging vines above. "Last chance. Hand over food."
The tension thickened. Alexandra's hand drifted toward her sword hilt, and Selena's bowstring creaked as she readied an arrow.
Jimmy raised a hand sharply, stopping them. His expression was calm, even amused. "Fine. Here."
He reached into Adam's bag, pulled out a small bundle of carrots and dried vegetables, and tossed it onto the moss. The trolls scrambled forward, snatching the food with stubby hands. Their glowing eyes brightened as they sniffed, then immediately began chewing noisily.
The leader gave a satisfied grunt. "Good. You can pass."
The trolls shuffled back into the mushroom shadows, happily munching their prize.
August blinked. "That's it? No fight?"
Jimmy shrugged. "They only wanted food. Easier to pay the toll than waste energy."
Ceila frowned, her silver hair shimmering in the dim light. "Still… that was unusual. Trolls don't normally ambush travelers."
Jimmy's gaze lingered on the shadows where the trolls had vanished. His eyes narrowed. "You're right. Something's got them desperate. If trolls are acting out of character, then an Iron Demon really is close."
The group exchanged uneasy glances. The forest around them seemed darker, quieter, as if holding its breath.
And somewhere deeper in the woods, a metallic scrape echoed — the sound of something unnatural moving through the trees.