IRON DEMON ARC
After the trolls vanished into the mist, the group pressed deeper into the forest. The air grew thicker with the smell of damp moss and mushrooms, the silence broken only by the occasional croak or rustle.
Finally, the trees opened into a clearing. At its heart stood a village unlike anything the students had seen before.
Houses built from giant mushroom caps dotted the area, their stems hollowed out into crude dwellings. Rope bridges connected the larger stalks like webs, and glowing fungi served as lanterns, casting an eerie green light across the village. Small fires burned in clay pits, where trolls gathered around baskets of fruit and roots, sharing food with lazy grunts.
Adam blinked in surprise. "This is… kinda cozy."
His chinchilla squeaked nervously on his shoulder, eyes darting toward the trolls.
August crossed her arms, her toad croaking from her hood. "Cozy? More like slimy. Look at them—eating like pigs."
Jimmy ignored their bickering, his eyes scanning the trolls. They weren't just lazy scavengers. Many of them looked gaunt, their mushroom caps wilted. Hunger lingered in their movements.
One troll child, no bigger than a human toddler, waddled past clutching a half-rotten apple. When it dropped the fruit, two larger trolls immediately snatched it up and fought over it with snarls.
Liana's silver eyes softened. "They're starving…"
"Exactly," Jimmy muttered. "And when peaceful creatures starve, they get desperate." He glanced at the others. "That's why they shook us down earlier."
Before anyone could respond, the troll leader from earlier emerged from one of the larger huts. His mushroom cap had faint glowing veins running through it, marking him as an elder.
He stomped forward, glaring at the humans. "Why are you here? Humans bring trouble."
Alexandra stepped up, her hand resting lightly on her sword. "We're not here to fight. We came searching for signs of Iron Demons."
The trolls erupted in low growls and croaks, their eyes darting toward the treeline. Even the elder's expression hardened.
"Leave," he snapped. "Iron Demon not your concern. Not for children."
Jimmy's eyes narrowed. "You've seen one."
The elder's gaze locked onto him, suspicion clear in his glowing eyes. "How do you know?"
"Because I've fought them before," Jimmy said calmly. His voice carried an edge of authority that silenced even the trolls' muttering. "And I know what happens when they show up. They eat everything. Not just humans—trolls too."
The elder hesitated, his shoulders slumping slightly. After a moment, he gestured for them to follow.
He led the group to the far edge of the village. There, half-hidden beneath moss and roots, lay a massive metal claw mark carved deep into the ground. The soil around it was scorched, and strange fragments of iron-like scale glimmered faintly in the dirt.
The elder's voice dropped into a grim growl. "It came three nights ago. Silver hide. We tried to fight. Many died."
The group stood in silence, staring at the claw mark.
Jimmy's scarf shifted in the wind as he whispered, "So it begins."
The group stood silently before the great claw mark, the metallic grooves gleaming faintly under the mushroom lanterns. The trolls muttered among themselves, their fear obvious.
Jimmy broke the silence. He stepped forward, his eyes steady on the elder.
"Elder," he said calmly, "can you tell me why your food supply is so short? Your people look half-starved. That doesn't happen overnight."
The troll elder's mushroom cap shifted as he lowered his head. His wide, glowing eyes flicked toward the younger trolls scavenging scraps behind the huts. He let out a long, tired croak before answering.
"Our hunters cannot leave the forest anymore," the elder admitted. His gravelly voice carried the weight of despair. "Iron Demon prowls. It eats the beasts. Burns the trees. Poison spreads where it walks. Even mushrooms wither. We have only what we can steal or find close."
Liana's face softened, her silver hair glinting in the faint glow. "That explains why they stopped us earlier… They weren't just greedy. They're desperate."
August crossed her arms, frowning. "Still doesn't excuse an ambush."
Jimmy gave her a sharp glance. "When your people are starving, August, you'll do worse than an ambush. Remember that."
The elder croaked in agreement. "We do not wish to harm travelers. But hunger makes fools of us all." His gaze turned grim again as he looked toward the claw mark. "If Iron Demon not stopped… trolls will vanish. Forest too."
The five Lalantia heroes exchanged uneasy looks. Alexandra stepped forward, her violet eyes hard. "Where was it last seen?"
The elder pointed deeper into the forest, where the mist curled thick and dark. "North. Near the black river. That is where it hunts."
Selena's hand hovered near her bow. "And you expect us to go there?"
The elder gave a deep grunt. "No. I expect you to leave. You are children. Demon will crush you."
But Jimmy's scarf fluttered in the windless air. His eyes glinted faintly blue. "Children or not, someone has to stop it. If not us… then who?"
The elder studied him for a long moment, then sighed heavily. "If you face it, know this. Its hide cannot be cut by steel. Its breath burns hotter than fire. Only those who wield true power can stand against it."
Jimmy's gaze didn't waver. "Then it's a good thing I'm not empty-handed."
The forest grew darker as the group followed the elder's directions north. The air hung heavy with damp mist, and the glowing mushrooms thinned out until only the moonlight guided their path. The silence was oppressive—no birds, no insects, not even the croak of trolls.
August frowned, hugging her arms. "It's too quiet. Even in forests at night, there should be sound."
Jimmy's eyes flicked across the shadows. "That's because the Iron Demon's been here. Its presence drives everything else away."
Adam's chinchilla twitched nervously on his shoulder, chittering with unease. On August's hood, the grumpy toad croaked low, the sound almost like a warning. Even the Lalantia heroes walked more cautiously, weapons at the ready.
Finally, they reached the river.
It wasn't like the clear streams of Avalon. The Black River lived up to its name: the water was thick, dark, and sluggish, reeking faintly of sulfur. The soil at the banks was scorched and cracked, as if burned by unnatural flames.
Ceila knelt, running her hand above the water without touching it. "It's corrupted. Magic residue is heavy here."
Selena scanned the treeline with narrowed green eyes. "Something big passed through." She pointed to the mud—massive claw prints, deeper than any animal's. Each one was as long as a human arm.
Liana's voice was barely a whisper. "That… thing really exists."
The five Lalantia girls drew closer together. Alexandra kept her hand on her sword, her violet eyes sharp. "We should set a formation. If it's near, we can't afford to be caught off guard."
"Too late," Jimmy muttered. He crouched low, brushing his fingers over the scorched soil. His eyes glowed faintly blue for a moment, reading the mana trails like a map. "It was here hours ago. But it's still close."
The group fell silent.
Then the forest answered.
A metallic scrape echoed through the night, followed by the sound of something massive shifting in the shadows. The trees shook, birds scattered in panic from far above, and a guttural, mechanical roar vibrated through the ground.
The chinchilla hissed. The grumpy toad puffed up angrily.
Jimmy rose, adjusting his scarf. "Get ready. It knows we're here."
From the darkness across the river, two glowing red eyes blinked open. The air filled with the scent of scorched metal and ash as the creature stepped into the moonlight.
Its body gleamed like living iron, plates of blackened steel grinding against one another with each movement. Massive claws tore into the soil, leaving sparks in their wake. Steam hissed from vents along its back, and its jagged maw dripped molten saliva.
The Iron Demon had found them.