The group moved deeper into the forest, Ezra, Aliya, and Lime following closely behind Bobby as he led them forward. Ezra had handed Bobby a dagger earlier, and now he used it carefully, slicing aside thick leaves and hanging vines that blocked their path.
"The road is kind of straightforward," Lime said, glancing around at the towering trees and tangled plants.
Unlike the forest Ezra had entered during the second stage, this one wasn't damp or cold. Heat pressed down from above, thick and heavy. Sweat ran freely down their backs, soaking their clothes. The air felt thin, every breath requiring a little more effort than the last. Even so, Ezra kept his coat on. To him, the heat was only mildly uncomfortable, as if the warmth stopped just short of his skin.
"This is amazing…" Bobby murmured, his eyes shining as he stared at the vegetation around them. "Some of these plants…I've only ever seen them in books."
