The Adventures of Mighty Zander

“Let’s use this bucket!” Zander shouts proudly.

All the Lignumkin, guardians, and even Sylvian and Lyra stand with their jaws agape in awe, marveling at the massive wooden bucket Zander has created.

“Ho-h-h-how—yo?” Sylvian stammers, struggling to find his words.

“Yeah, I know I’m a master crafter,” Zander replies with a grin. “But save the praise for later. We must save this land!”

“How are we going to do that?” Sylvian asks, still bewildered.

“With this bucket,” Zander explains. “We’ll move it to one of the waterfalls, fill it with water, and dump it on Huo Xie.”

“And how exactly are we going to push this massive thing to the surface?”

“Good question! It’ll be lightweight if we all push together. Plus, I’ll use my clones for extra power!”

“This seems like a stupid plan... but we don’t have any other options.” Sylvian sighs, then rallies the crowd. “Come on, everybody! Push it toward the surface!”

Zander summons his clones, who line up beside him, ready for the task. With everyone—the Lignumkin, the guardians, Sylvian, and Lyra—all pushing with every ounce of strength, the massive bucket begins to move. It’s a struggle, each step harder than the last, but with every push, they edge closer to victory.

Leo and Huo Xie clash fiercely, their swords meeting in a flurry of sparks as each strike grows more intense. Huo Xie narrows his eyes and says, “Out of all the people I’ve fought in my life, you’re the most determined. Why?”

“Because there are people I need to see again!” Leo shouts, his resolve unwavering as he presses forward.

Huo Xie smirks, fueling his blade with even more fire, causing it to extend with searing heat. “Well, you can meet those people when I deliver your ashes to them.”

Leo grins defiantly. “My ashes? I’ll bring them your head as a trophy instead!”

With renewed fury, they both launch into a relentless assault, their strikes fierce and unyielding. Both feeling like this battle will never end. Out of the corner of his eye, Leo spots a massive shape moving in the distance.

“What is that?” he murmurs, squinting to make it out. It’s Zander and the other Lignumkin, all pushing the enormous wooden bucket toward a waterfall.

Huo Xie notices too, momentarily distracted. “What are they doing?”

Leo seizes the opportunity, channeling all his strength and landing a powerful blow on Huo Xie, catching him off guard. The blow sends Huo Xie stumbling back, but with a furious glare, he charges forward, igniting his sword in flames as he returns to the fight. The two clash once more.

“COME ON, EVERYBODY! ALMOST THERE!” Zander shouts, urging everyone on.

Though exhaustion begins to creep in, and some feel the weight of doubt pressing on them, they push forward with renewed determination. At last, they reach a towering waterfall, and the massive bucket quickly fills to the brim with cascading water.

Zander summons a clone and sends it sprinting toward Leo, who’s still locked in battle with Huo Xie, both clashing fiercely through several intense rounds.

“Leo!” the clone calls out.

“What is it, Zander? I’m fighting here!”

“I know, but you need to bring him toward the bucket.”

“What?” Leo glances back, confused.

“Just bring him to the bucket.”

“Fine!” Leo grits his teeth, bracing himself to lure Huo Xie toward the trap.

“Huo Xie, you coward! If you’re really strong, fight me over here!” Leo taunts, turning and sprinting toward the bucket.

With a furious roar, Huo Xie gives chase. “I will kill you, tiger!” he snarls, charging up a massive fist of fire, the flames roaring so intensely that the impact could lay waste to the entire Great Lands of Waterfalls.

Zander shouts, “Everyone, lift it over!”

With renewed energy, the Lignumkin and guardians rally together, hoisting the massive bucket. As Huo Xie charges closer and closer, Zander summons his sword, raising it high as he shouts, “Expand!” The sword grows longer, allowing him to tilt the bucket faster and faster. And finally the bucket came down.

Huo Xie notices the bucket and tries to react, but it’s too late.

All the water spills from the bucket, a massive cascade crashing down toward Huo Xie.

“What am I gonna get caught in?” Leo wonders aloud, bracing himself. But just then, Zander swoops in, grabbing Leo and lifting him into the air with his flight power, pulling him out of the water’s path.

Huo Xie tries to fly up, but the torrent of water engulfs him completely. When the flood finally subsides, his once-mighty flames have been extinguished. He struggles to ignite them again, but drenched and weakened.

Sylvian strides slowly toward Huo Xie and kneels beside him. "Huo Xie... I'm sorry for what happened. There could have been a different way to solve both of our problems."

"Stop!" Huo Xie snarl. "I hate hearing 'sorry.' I won’t stop until all of your kind... is dead."

“Guardians, take him away!” Sylvian orders, and the guardians move swiftly, restraining Huo Xie and leading him deep into the underground.

As the dust settles, Zander and Leo walk toward Sylvian.

“So, what now?” Leo asks, still catching his breath.

“We will… I don’t know,” Sylvian admits, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “But I have to do something.”

Zander glances at him. “What about the Hellstrom legions? If they find out Huo Xie’s been defeated, they might retaliate.”

“They’ll most likely come back to save their leader,” Sylvian says, his gaze hardening. “But we Lignumkin will be prepared.”

He turns to Zander and Leo. “In the meantime, would you two be able to stay for a little while? Just for extra protection in case they return?”

Zander nods. “Sure, we can stay a while. Come on, Leo.”

“Are we going back to the temple?” Leo asked as they made their way back.

Inside the temple, they settled in. Leo sat cross-legged, eagerly devouring the food the Lignumkin had provided, savoring each bite. Across from him, Zander sat quietly, his journal open as he recorded the details of their latest adventure, his pen scratching thoughtfully across the page.

Zander’s journal entry read:

"My adventure traveling the world was... interesting and amazing. I came across a village drowning in despair, almost overtaken by death. There was a monster lurking there, feeding on innocent people. So, I did what I had to do—I killed it. I went to a kingdom where the people were suffering under a greedy king, hoarding their wealth. I took it back and returned it to the people, bringing a bit of justice to the land. And that’s where I met a new friend—Leo."

"Then Leo and I faced a god in battle. It was an experience—there were moments when it felt like death was just a heartbeat away. We were fortunate to have the guardians by our side, but that Mercury guy… he poses a real threat from what I heard from Leo. If it were solely up to me, I would have gone after him without hesitation. Yet, Leo advised against it. I wonder where else this journey will take us.”

Zander closed his journal and took a deep breath, letting the air fill his lungs as he reflected on everything they had faced.