Deep within the Great Biteran Woodlands, the rough forest floor lies several miles below the canopy of the towering demaria trees, cold from the lack of entry for the sun to shed its beams. The thumping of the beasts that reside so far into the unforgivingly beautiful land echoes past the broad, darkly colored trunks. A single misstep would result in a long trip down the steep, seemingly bottomless slope into the unknown. The dimly glowing mushrooms blossoming on fallen limbs bathe the ground in an eerie, blue radiance with its own kind of elegance. Lowly chittering rodents, their dark pelts gained after years of evolution, dash by the deep green creeks and bitterly red thorn bushes, staying low to the ground to avoid the eyes of any ravenous fowl observing from the lower branches of the trees. Of the many kinds of tracks scattered about the muddy floor, no human footprints can be found this far beneath what was once considered to be the sea level.

There was an unusual stir in the brush today; Intruders had entered the forest, clamoring down the deep hills of the Biteran Woods. While dwarfed by the towering trees and unsettled by the faraway growls, two bold adventurers cut their way through the thick foliage, steeling their nerves to the deep-set troubles that arose in their minds.

A tall, dark haired girl with her head held high slashed past a high bush, her blue eyes searching around in search of possible dangers. Behind her, a blonde man, steadily holding a flashlight to shine upon the path ahead. While not as tall or frightening as the girl, his intelligent brown eyes shown with an academic determination behind his round glasses. The pair slunk down into the depths, prepared for whatever the land may throw at them.

“Amelia, look!” The boy whisper-shouted as they stepped into a clearing, shining a light in their path to point out the source of his excitement. Amelia’s eyes snapped towards the unknown object, only to widen in acknowledgement as they landed upon a monstrous beast, a horrid creature with flapping ears and a dark brown pelt. Its snores vibrated lowly through the claustrophobic space, slightly calming the duo. “Is that what I think it is?”

With a grin, the dark haired girl turned to her companion, returning his excited whisper. “The Treasure Beast!” she said will glee. “The monster who guards the gold of the ancient ones!” Whipping around once more, she feverishly whispered, “It’s sleeping. We can sneak right past him, just stay quiet. Got it, Howard?” The man nodded, determination filling his dark eyes to the brim.

Holding their breaths, the pair cautiously set foot into the opening, keeping one eye on the snoring monster and the other on the muddy floor. As they approached, they caught sight of what they had traveled so far to discover; a massive pile of gold lay behind the Treasure Beast, held up by a massive wall of bushes, ripe for the taking. Pride and awe seeping into them, they snuck around the monster, struggling to keep their balance on the declining ground.

Halfway past. The adventurers were halfway past the monster, halfway to the magnificent treasure. However, this path had put them just beside the head of the creature, its hot breath fanning over them as they walked. It was unpleasant, but the two pushed on. What they didn’t account for, however, was the effect the moist air would have on the leaf-covered floor. A single second and one improperly placed foot later, Amelia slipped and hit the ground hard, rolling down about 10 feet. Despite her attempts to remain silent, she couldn’t stop the frightened yelp that escaped her lips. And, to the duo’s horror, the beast’s eyes snapped open, looking around for a moment before settling on them.

Snores replaced by growls, his massive paws slammed on the ground, working to push him up to his full, terrifying height. Snapping out of his paralyzed state, Howard grabbed onto his companion’s arm, shouting, “Come on! We have to go! Get up!”

Tripping over her own feet, Amelia struggled to get up, taking a minute to catch her balance. Unfortunately, the beast did not. With a mighty roar, he charged toward them, his drooling mouth looming over them. In the last possible second, Howard yanked Amelia towards him as hard as he could. She felt onto him as they narrowly avoided the attack. With his support, the two ran down the hill toward the treasure as fast as their legs could carry them without sliding down once more. While they had a few close calls, the two managed to remain on their feet as the monster stood up once more.

Another ear-slipping call later, the creature jumped, soaring through the air before landing ten feet behind them. The shockwave, however, traveled forward, knocking Howard off of his feet, sending him slamming into the ground. Amelia, having released his hand in the impact, whirled around. “No! Howard!” But, it was too late. The Treasure Beast loomed over the trembling blonde. Howard could do nothing but stare upward as the gaping maw drew closer and closer before…

“I figured I’d find you three goofing off out here,” a patronizing voice called out. The two children whipped around to look at their mother, who stood atop the hill, hands on her hips and a knowing smile on her face. “Here, Beast! Here, boy!” With a bark, the big, old labrador retriever stood up, getting off of the boy’s chest before bounding toward the familiar figure. He dashed past her as she continued to look at her two dirty, panting children. “Have a good adventure, did you?”

9 year old Amelia Hartfield helped her little brother to his feet. Looking a bit dizzy, he bent down to pick up his glasses, which had fallen off of his nose in their encounter. Bruised and disoriented, the pair grinned up at their mother. “The best!”