The giant beast rushed toward them with terrifying speed.
"Spread out!" Draven shouted.
He jumped forward, slashing his sword toward the creature.
The blade struck its thick fur but barely slowed it down.
The beast swung its massive claw, sending Draven flying several feet backward.
"Draven!" Arian shouted.
Lyra quickly raised her hands.
Blue magical energy formed around her fingers.
"Stand back!"
She released a powerful blast of magic.
The energy struck the beast, pushing it away slightly.
But the creature stood up again, even angrier.
"This thing is stronger than I expected," Lyra said.
Arkon raised his staff.
Golden light surrounded him.
"Ancient spirits of the forest," he called.
"Calm this creature's rage!"
For a moment, the beast hesitated.
But then the glowing map inside Arian's bag began to shine brighter.
The beast roared loudly.
"It's reacting to the map!" Lyra shouted.
Arian quickly realized something.
"The beast is protecting something!"
Draven stood up again, wiping blood from his lip.
"Then we don't need to defeat it," he said.
"We just need to get past it."
Lyra nodded.
"I have an idea."
She whispered a spell.
Suddenly, thick mist spread across the forest floor.
The beast growled, confused by the fog.
"Now!" Lyra said.
The group ran quickly through the mist, escaping deeper into the forest.
After several minutes, they finally stopped to catch their breath.
Arian looked back.
The beast had not followed them.
Draven smiled slightly.
"Looks like we survived our first real test."
Lyra looked at Arian's bag where the map was glowing softly.
"That beast reacted to the map," she said thoughtfully.
"That means we are getting closer to something important."
Arkon nodded slowly.
"Yes…"
"The map is beginning to guide us."
And somewhere deep inside Shadowroot Forest…
Another secret of the Forbidden Map of Magic was waiting to be discovered.