UNLEASHED

Over the course of the last three challenges, the contestants were taken deep into the woods.

In the survival challenge, the men were far from civilization. They were tasked with finding food, water and shelter. After days of hardship only ten of the original contestants remained.

The challenges would only grow harder and harder.

The forest awaited, and within it the next test. "Tug of war." A grueling challenge that required strength, endurance and teamwork. The remaining contestants were pitied against each other. They grabbed the rope with all their might, their muscles straining against the weight of their opponents. The ground beneath their feet turned to mud and their sweat poured down their faces.

In the end only one team emerged victorious. The five contestants were left standing, they had proved themselves worthy. Only one more challenge remained. They were about to face their greatest challenge yet. "Ultimate search."

The remaining contestants were: Leomere, Parele, Joz, mohieazttha and lustros.

Venus was tasked with keeping an eye on the contestants during the final challenge - since the king sensed Zagaroth had other intentions.

"Brave men..."

"Ehem." Mohieazttha cut in.

He smiled. "Forgive me brave men and bravest woman of all! I congratulate you for coming this far, the last challenge is the ultimate search. In the heart of this vast forest, a treasure lies hidden. The first warrior to collect all the clues and solve the riddles will find the treasure and win the game. But time is of essence! The sun sets quickly in these woods, and those who linger too long may become lost forever! Know that, YHÀKADÉI forest has rules don't fall for it. With that all said let the games begin!" He disappeared.

"You know the rules of the game, no cheating!" His voice said in the air.

Parele looked around, his tired eyes surveying the forest landscape. The heavy, dark circles under his eyes were a testament to the lack of sleep he'd had over the past few days.

The test for survival did leave a mark!

The forest was dense and lush with trees towering high above their heads. Their leaves a golden brown color. In the distance, a flock of birds flew by, their wings beating in unison. The forest was alive with sounds of nature but it felt strangely still and silent to the contestants.

While looking around, lustros noticed bright colored ostrich eggs hidden in the bushes.

"Where do we start from?"

How on earth were they going to find treasure in such a place before sunset??

It was best to split up. They didn't have much time.

"Well...the treasure's not gonna find itself. Good luck guys!" Mohieazttha

took the lead.

The contestants dispersed, each of them eager to find a clue that will lead them to the unknown treasure.

Lazy Parele was tempted to rest before he started his search for the treasure. "I'm much too young and handsome to go through all this hassle." He thought aloud.

He found a nice shady spot beneath a tree and laid down. "A few minutes of rest wouldn't hurt." He said closing his eyes but his slumber wasn't long.

After a short while, he awoke as if the forest itself had spoken to him. "Wake up wake up!!" He heard, and he sprang to his feet.

Parele heard the wind whistling through the trees as if it were singing to him, trying to tell him something. He noticed a change in the forest, a sense of peace and calm. He closed his eyes in power and wind began to blow strongly his feet planted firmly on the ground. He breathed deeply and asked aloud. "O forest! Tell me what do you conceal?"

As if in answer to his question, the wind blew stronger as if to say "listen and you shall know." He stood firm. He was part of the forest, a part of the trees and the leaves. He saw a clearing filled with light. In the center of the clearing, he saw a stone, a stone that glowed with a faint ethereal light. In ease he walked to the stone and lifted it. Underneath it he saw a note.

The first clue!

"For real that was too easy..."

The note read: "I'm an orb with no hinges, key or lid, yet a golden treasure lies within me that none can see. The only way to open me is to break me. But doing so will surely wake me."

Parele blinked after reading it, the note written in old tongue.

"What the??"

Unknown to Parele lustros had been hiding nearby, observing his every move. He had seen everything, the way Parele navigated the forest with ease, the way he conversed with the forest. He was part of the the forest, the forest a part of him.

But how???

How did he???

"This is sorcery!" Lustros cried out. "How did a child know and master omawoa (summoning the forest.) It's in the book of fandrahe only the greatest mages know this!"

"Kid!" Lustros called out. "Just quietly hand me that note and perhaps I'll let you leave!" He unsheathed his sword ready to strike Parele. "I could kill you here and bury you. No one will ever know!" He added moving closer to Parele.

Parele laughed teasingly, amazed at the red hair's gut.

He shut his eyes and raised his hands in the air, in one swift movement. "Zirieane aliauz!"

The vines grew on lustros with each passing second and finally it strangled him, his eyes widened in fear. He was choking.

"I didn't know reds had no brains." Parele began. Lustros' eyes started going blank, the vines held him in place he couldn't move. He recalled the day Joz almost killed the gibber in their room a few weeks back. Was Parele only

pretending??

"lustros my friend." Parele ran his fingers through lustros'red hair. Their faces only a few inches apart. "I'm surprised you still have the audacity to threaten me after what you just witnessed." He grabbed lustros' collar and pulled him close. His words were full of power as he spoke. "I'll make the vines squeeze every bit of life from you." He hissed, his breath hot on lustros' face.

"Please!" Lustros pleaded in pain. His heart racing as he looked into Parele's unblinking eyes. Parele gave a strange innocent smile. "Aliauz!" And the vines died down. Lustros fell to the ground gasping for air as he coughed.

"What were you saying lustros?" He asked as if nothing happened.

"Nothing... nothing I saw no..." Lustros replied in fear.

"Good boy!" Parele patted his head. He shuddered, his skin crawling at the gibber's touch.

"Go on now...get out of my sight!" Parele smiled and lustros took to his heels.