"Hey, why don't you take off that helmet?" Krasper said to Golden with a teasing smile. "We'd like to see your ugly face."
"If I could, I would," Golden retorted indignantly. "But it's stuck, and I can't remove it."
"What do you mean, ugly face?" Golden shot back, catching the jab from Krasper. The two began exchanging sarcastic remarks, their lighthearted bickering drawing amused glances from the others.
Once the meal was over, Krasper stood up and announced, "I have some matters to attend to. We'll see each other sooner than you think."
"Hey, butler," Krasper called out, looking in Mok's direction.
Mok pointed at himself with a puzzled expression. "Me? I'm the only one dressed like this," he replied sarcastically, adjusting his impeccable suit.
The butler approached Krasper, who said, "I have something for you. It will help you on this journey."
Krasper asked him to extend his hands. In them appeared a small purple gecko, its head and torso glowing vibrantly while its lower half, from the waist down to the tail, was black, as if wearing pants.
"I noticed you have skills and training, butler," Krasper explained with a faint smile. "Geki, as this gecko is called, will teach you a few things about defense."
"Understood. I'll be with you," Geki said in a sweet yet firm voice.
"I'll need to enter your mental space, like Master Paltio did," Geki added calmly, looking at Mok.
"Yes, though if you don't want me to, it doesn't matter," Geki responded kindly.
"Lord Serlet, don't go!" Lucca exclaimed, stepping forward with concern.
"Calm down," Krasper said, placing a reassuring hand on Lucca's shoulder. "Be good and support these people."
"Yes," Lucca replied, nodding determinedly.
"Well then, that's all. See you later. Goodbye." With those words, Krasper vanished, leaving behind a brief trail of purple light that illuminated the area.
"That friend of yours left us more questions than answers," Paltio commented, crossing his arms.
"That stupid lizard always disappears when you want to ask him something. I hate him! He always gets under my skin whenever I see him," Golden growled, visibly irritated.
"Calm down, Golden. Aren't you happy to see your friends?" Paltio said with an ironic smile.
"Well, maybe a little," Golden admitted after a moment. "With him, we're the five warriors who serve Avocios."
"Aren't there six?" Paltio asked, frowning.
"Six? Where did you get that idea, boy? There have only ever been five of us," Golden replied firmly.
"There's Meliradal, the bird mage, with her magical powers and the only female figure on the team," Golden began listing. "Then there's Silver, the mangy silver dog, who uses all his immense strength, though not much of his brain. There's also Kilibur, the fox child, capable of using order and illusion magic so real it can even be touched. Krasper, the laid-back dragon, whose abilities include creating weapons and protection. And finally, me—your humble servant, Golden: my lord Avocios' right-hand man, the best swordsman, and also the fastest, thanks to my psychic and telepathic powers. You see, there are only five of us. Just five."
"Alright, if you say so, then it must be true," Paltio replied with a shrug. Yet, deep in his mind, he knew there was a sixth warrior. Avocios had hinted that one of his ancestors was part of the group. He wondered if that warrior was still alive and whether Avocios had intentionally erased him from the memories of his warriors. Why would he do such a thing?
"I hope your friends can help us," Paltio said, looking at Golden with a mix of hope and skepticism.
"I don't know… I didn't see them looking particularly helpful. Besides, Meliradal is trapped in that place and can't leave," Golden responded, crossing his arms thoughtfully.
"And by the way," Mok interjected, observing Golden curiously, "I see your friends are different species—animals, unlike us fruits and vegetables with human traits, as you mentioned before." After a pause, he asked, "So, what kind of animal are you, Golden?"
"Naturally, I see you've noticed," Golden replied with pride, lifting his chin. "Well then, you'll see… I am a—" He was about to reveal his species when, suddenly, they heard something strange nearby: sinister trumpets echoing through the trees.
Everyone tensed up immediately.
"Quick, let's get out of here," Golden said, leading the group away from what remained of the cabin. "It's better if we hide," he added, gesturing toward what Toco-Toco had warned them about earlier.
From the trees emerged strange vehicles resembling armored war tanks. From one of them descended someone familiar to Paltio, Mok, and Lukeandria: it was Meloc. Apparently, the rat had managed to recover from whatever they'd done to him last time.
Meloc stepped down from the vehicle, accompanied by a contingent of blue shadow soldiers. One of them approached and informed him, "Sir, this is the location where we planted the Treelion."
"Good, secure the area," Meloc ordered coldly.
"Great, trouble," Lukeandria muttered under her breath, clenching her fists in frustration.
Meloc pulled a device from his pocket and began scanning the area, detecting the exact spot where the tree had been. "Hmm, this thing says the tree cultivated a lot of energy. I want to see it," he said, approaching what remained of the cabin.
One of the guards tried to stop him. "Sir, it's better if you don't go in there."
"Nonsense! It's my research and my creation," Meloc retorted dismissively, stepping into the cabin. However, upon arriving, he realized nothing remained of the tree. Anger began bubbling on his face, but then he noticed something on his device: it was radiating immense energy from a large hole in the ground. A malicious smile spread across his lips.
"Decided. I'll take a sample," Meloc announced, pulling out a special device to collect material from the ground. After analyzing it, he confirmed it was extraordinarily powerful. "Perfect, this is exactly what we needed," he said with satisfaction. He called over some soldiers to carry the sample. "It seems not everything is lost."
"But what are they doing here?" Paltio asked, looking at Golden with concern.
"Golden, can you read their minds?" Mok asked.
"I'm on it," Golden replied, focusing intently. But after a few seconds, he shook his head. "I can't read their minds. It seems they must have blockers, like the ones used by the Purple Shadows," he explained, frustration evident in his voice.
"That rat is a thorn in our side," Mok growled, clenching his teeth.
"They must be plotting something," Paltio murmured, watching carefully as Meloc and his men collected the sample.
"Well, it seems they have blockers that neutralize my powers," Golden said with an exasperated sigh. "I have no choice… Leave this to me," Lukeandria volunteered determinedly. "I've learned some new techniques from my master, Lume."
"Be careful," Paltio warned, casting her a concerned glance. Rykaru had fallen asleep in his arms, so he decided to place him in the carriage to keep him safe.
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon," Lukeandria responded with a confident smile before slipping agilely among the trees.
"Do you think you're ready for this, child?" Lume asked, appearing in her mind as a calm but firm voice.
"Yes, don't worry. Remember, you're my teacher," Lukeandria replied with assurance. With a fluid motion, she vanished into the trees, preparing to investigate what Meloc the rat was up to.