After the encounter with the sea serpent, Shio and the cub had slowed their pace a bit, so that they wouldn’t have to deal with similar experiences. They were in no place to fight against an Elemental Creature, neither did they want to. They had already passed the first lake and entered the next region of the enchanted jungle. Here the trees began to change too. They seemed to start forming bridges between each other, as if they agreed to trade resources. As they changed the forest began to look like a maze and the lakes of water turned into rivers that flowed through the labyrinthic natural passages. Nature seemed to begin cooperating. The flora’s individualistic strategy, where the tallest trees would be the ones that got the most resources changed to a synergic system where all resources were being shared in an enigmatic system.
‘I know, I know they are quite bothersome’ the cub had started to communicate his feelings with his master more frequently.
Right now it felt displeased as they had encountered yet another group of common creatures.
“At least they serve us to train to combat together” Shio said trying to appease the cub.
The cub responded with a low growl and refused to comply with his master.
“hahahaha don’t be so mad, I’ll grill them with the salt we found the other day”
Shio had found out that the tiger loved his cooking, it had always eaten its meals raw and unseasoned so it couldn’t help being enchanted by Shio’s cooking.
Raaawrrr the cub seemed to be agree to the deal and began its killing spree.
Shio had been showing the cub how to cooperate with him on a fight. They had been using the same strategy that the non-identical twins had used in the island before.
Shio created an ice-chain and entered close combat while using his water transformation to pass by the enemy, an ape like creature that hunted in groups. The chain remained solid and restrained the foe. Then the tiger would finish it off. The tiger had begun to learn new ways of using its powers.
It had learned to build a fighting water armor around itself. Its body became that of a bigger tiger. When he needed to strike, he would convert that part of the water armor into ice. The knew fighting approach improved the cubs’ battle performance by leaps and bounds as its range would grow. As the armor was made of water, he could move within it and evade attacks aimed towards the main body.
Both master and beast had become a menace in the battlefield a force to be reckoned with. Even so, their advantage was growing lower and lower as they approached the inner part of the jungle.
The common creatures were scarcer than before and Minor guardians were everywhere, so they couldn’t evade them.
“We have to get used to fighting with them, we won’t be able to avoid them anymore” mused Shio to himself.
A loud cry, resounded through the maze and causing the whole structure to tremble and groan.
“I jinxed it, shouldn’t have said anything.” A bigger monkey was running towards them seemingly furious for some reason.
‘Oooh that’s it, maybe these monkeys here were his lackeys?’
Some creatures tended to live in harmony with creatures of a rank above them if they belonged to the same species. The enormous monkey was banging its fists against his chest and crying for its lost comrades. Its gaze, a mixture of grief and anger reached them like an arrow.
“Don’t be that mad at us, I mean, they attacked us first” Shio said in contemplation while he mocked the incoming Minor Guardian. The creature seemed to get bigger as it approached them. Growing from 3 meters tall to 6 meters, looming above them like King Kong.
“Come on I’ll be Mario and you’ll be Donkey Kong, we just need the princess to complete our play” Shio tended to use sarcasm and Irony when he felt nervous, instead of running he began to laugh at the beast.
“Well here we go again.”
