Run Free And Restore Us Trees

As the hooded figures tugged Hiro deeper into the forest, he toiled against their grasp, his mind racing with worry and perplexity. He had to discover a way out of this dilemma and fast.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of leaves crunching underfoot. The figures stopped short, and Hiro strained his eyes to see through the dark. Unexpectedly, a figure arose from the shadows, lofty and imposing.

It was the sorceress.

"You should not have come here, young one," she sneered, her voice trickling with malice. "But since you have, you will pay the price."

Hiro sensed a deluge of nervousness, but he rejected to let it engulf him. He had to flee to locate a route back to security.

He squirmed in the sweaty grip of the hooded figures, attempting to break free. He felt a piercing ache in his side and hollered out in anguish. The figures had speared him with a needle, and the world began to reel.

As his vision clouded and he slumped into swoon, Hiro's last thoughts were of a getaway. He would not let the hex proclaim him, not without a fight.

Hiro regained consciousness, and he found himself in a dimly lit enclosure. His limbs were tightly swathed, and he could scarcely move. A sense of apprehension soaked him as he realized he had been collared by the hooded figures.

The room was crammed with arcane stamps and strange relics, and the walls were embellished with macabre artworks depicting scenes of death and devastation. A chilly sweat broke out on Hiro's brow as he strained against his bonds, trying to free himself.

He heard a door creak open, and a man named Alatar joined the room. His face heavily sufficed with blotches and scars, his two eyes a piercing blue.

"You should not have tampered in things beyond your understanding," Alatar said. "But we have use for you yet. You possess a unique talent, one that we require for our purposes."

Hiro's brows hardened as he caught sight of a glistening silver knife clasped tightly in Alatar's hand; Alatar grinned maliciously as he knew Hiro had noticed it.

The figure tipped in close, his breath searing on Hiro's face. "You will work for us," it said. "Or you will die."

Alatar bent to depart; his eyes were now bloodshot, but how?

His fingers brushed against something hard. He saw a key and used it to flee.

Without hesitation, Hiro inserted the key into his bonds, and with a sharp wrench, they fell away. He leapt to his feet, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

He witnessed a considerable crevasse in the border; a sign said 'Press __ To Open' The gap was a block with a keyhole, so something that was key..Oh!

Hiro grabbed his key and positioned it in the block; a rumbling like thunder, the barricades split open, exposing its unlit passageways.

As he ambled through the dim corridors, the hooded figures roared behind him like lions searching for grub. He shivered. There was a callous ambience that made him cower at every drop that fell, every little scrape of a door or a locker.

But as he rounded an intersection, he came face to face with Alatar, who had jeopardised him earlier. His hand was outstretched, an orb of crackling power forming in his palm.

'I warned you, little man. Stop trying...'

Hiro dashed away, but before the figure could strike, there was a blinding instant of rays, and Alatar was tossed back against the wall. 

Hiro caught a glimpse of a lady standing in the outlet, a baton in hand. It was the witch from the cottage, and she was trying to own the hooded figures at bay.

"Quickly," she said. "We don't have much time."

Hiro shadowed her down a hidden gallery; he observed every inch of the place, spiders scuttling, webs coated on the borders; it felt like an excellent location to host a Halloween party.

As they emerged into the light of day, Hiro glanced back at the place and witnessed the irate members who were now entangled behind a barrier of a mystical blaze. He had narrowly escaped their clutches, but his eyes widened as he had now made a decisive foe.

The witch was never immoral; she was the victorious and watching one this entire mission. Her twin sister was the satan lady; she was Hiro's rival, she detested Hiro, and she desired his stardom.

He bowed to the witch, who was eyeing him with a gaze of concern. "What now?" he asked, risking his trust in her.

The witch placed a friendly hand on his shoulder and beamed. "Now," she whispered, staring around to see if anyone was watching.

 "We prepare for war."