As the Metal Trees Grow

"Our third has arrived," The Elder said moments before the male hit the floor by them, "Follow me, you'll find my dwelling a bit more hospitable as we await the fourth, come come," He walked slow and with a limp using a cane to support most of his weight, still he found no trouble among the underbrush of the forest.
 
Grenz did't understand what the old man meant about another arrival, until a body dumped down beside them. He screamed in surprise and jumped back. He then realized that was who the old man talked about, and started following him towards his home.
 
She arches a brow but shrugs... She wanted to save her precious caves. She followed after them picking the goblin up and setting him on her back do he did not lag behind
 
He shook his head slightly before groaning. "Man that fall sure hurt... and hey, where are those other people going?" The male didn't really have anything else to do, and he sure did not want to be caught up in the change of the environment that was going on, so he dusted off his pants before standing up. "Well, you know, I might as well go with them, maybe they know whats going on, because I, have no idea.." He then jumped up and down before running after the three, hoping to catch up with them.
 
The elder opened the tent slowly and led the three inside, it was much bigger on the inside, old decorative furniture seemed to be everywhere. Masks, trophies, snapshots of the man in his younger days lined the shelves and almost every table. In the center of the room stood a coffee table, on it a silver chalice with strange looking water. The four gawked slightly at the room they were in, this Elder was once a great treasure hunter, a man of prowess and now, in his old age, of respect. As the four stared they were shocked to see a second elder wonder in from what one would hesitate to call a room. The Elder saw them and smiled, "And so the four find their way to me, excellent," He said with a elated tone, "You can shed your disguise there Jet, they will now shun you," he slowly and shakily took a seat as the Elder that had them there shifted and bent into a short kid, his gray clothes too big for him, his eyes red as rubies, skin darker than night and his hair white as snow.
 
Panic once more filled Grenz's mind for a moment, as he was once more lifted from the ground. Yet the panic was replaced with confusion, then with joy, as he understood what had happened. "Thanks" He simply said, as he enjoyed the ride towards the old man's home.
Once they got there, Grenz started feeling that the old guy might just have used his years well, seeing how much nice stuff he had. Then, another old man, looking just like the first, came into the room. Grenz didn't react too much, as he figured that old humans just looked a lot alike. He changed his mind when the old man next to them suddenly changed into a kid though. He hid behind Zhai's back, in surprise. "More magic..." He mumble, peeking his head around her. "I don't like magic..."
 
Jet looked up to the goblin, "It's not magic, it's a natural ability, I'm a shadow-shifter," he said softly face unemotional, "I can change into other people or things by kind of 'borrowing' their shadow for a bit,"
The tent was filled with a wheezing laughter from the old man, "And here i thought my old age was getting to me, thought i had lost my shadow, turns out, i did," he laughed again, "Oh my, i haven't laughed that good in ages. Well come now, sit sit, don't you want to hear of the treasure?" the Elder opened his other eye for the first time and peering back at the four was a piece of metal shinning as if it were a light source. He pulled it out and set it on the table, it rumbled and shook, "This my small friend, is magic, very powerful magic, powerful enough to capture a God,"
 
Outside the home a warm wind blew in. A man approached the small dwelling. He looked around him,staying aware of his surroundings. It was evident that he was out of his element, making it difficult to remain calm. His head was lowered and he gazed upon the world with sunken eyes underneath a crossed brow. His had was blackened with ash giving it the look of dirty silver. It was swept back smooth against his scalp, leaving a few strands down his sideburns. He dressed in a battered old brown leather coat and carried an odd blackened sword on his back.

He stood before the door, glaring at it with bluish green eyes that shimmered like mirrors.
 
The male was kind of confused about the whole thing. But he wasnt paying attention to that, Ib mean, look at all this treasure. It was absolutely splendid! The cloaked man then went to look through all of the Elders trinkets and knick knacks before his eyes stopped upon a particular mask "... Am I lost for words... This Mask is amazing, I must find some way or some how to have it..." He then thought about simply asking, but removed that thought from his head. I mean, more importantly, why was he here, and why was he chosen to come?
 
Grenz put his arm around Zhai's waist and his feet on where her skin changed, holding himself out to the side, staring at the old man and listening as he mentioned the treasure. Yet when he took out his eye, Grenz forgot to hold on and fell to the floor. He quickly stood up, pretending it never happened.
 
Zhai feels him slip and chuckle softly pushing him up with one of her legs. She was weirdly protective of the little goblin. " I just want my caves back. You may all have the treasure so long as the caves are mine"
 
Lily skipped through the woods, slowing when she saw the construction ahead. She bit her lip in frustration and scanned the area for something interesting, since her beloved forest had come to an abrupt halt. Her eyes flitted to a tent that sat only a few trees away. She tilted her head in curiosity and started towards it, but suddenly a butterfly crossed her path. She squeaked with excitement and skipped after it, seeming to forget the odd tent completely.
 
The Elder chuckled darkly, "You see the growth of the world is driven by a dark god," He said cracking a smile, "He wants electricity running through the ground instead of roots, machines instead of animals and towers spewing coal dust as the burning fires feed a city," he watched their faces and watched the hooded male move around his house, he grabbed him by the back of his hood and yanked him back with force no man his age should have tearing the hood away. The Elder glared, "You should not going rummaging through an old man's house without permission," he took the eye from the table and handed it to the Spideran, "This will guide you to the treasure, head to the heart forest beyond The Sea of White Sand, over The Scar and passed the Acrid Lake. Hidden within the massive forest, the last great green place on this earth lies to treasure, that will lead you there. Find and use it to enslave Mutatio." The Elder stood, "But beware it is said that Lignum, the forest God, was imprisoned within the roots of the Mother Tree and guards his forest well. There may be others that wish to join you, turn none down, i fear you will need them before this is through, now go." he shooed them from his tent.
 
Lily playfully caught the butterfly, then slowly opened her pale hands to admire it. It's wings spread out and fluttered, but it didn't fly off, obviously comfortable in the grasp of the young child. Her grin widened as she held it up to a patch of sunlight. The golden specks in it's crystal-like wings danced in the light.
Lily then proceeded to stuff the butterfly in her mouth, eating it hungrily. She wiped the insect's guts from her lips, before turning to the sound of people.
The tent had been opened and several figures stepped out into the light.
"Friends!" she breathed excitedly to herself.
 
The man looked at the tend dwellers as they filed out. He stood before them and looked them over. His eyes impulsively flitted between them. He was ssilent for a while and his face bore an expression of iritation.
"Are you the ones that are looking for the treasure.?" He asked them calmly. A faintly hot breeze stirred around him.
 
"We're... We're gonna capture a god...? Protected by another one?!" Grenz felt the panic building in his again as they started leaving the tent. "I'm starting to regret ever coming here... I could still leave and earn money somewhere else..." He had started mumbling to himself, trying to come up with a better idea. His train of thought was abruptly ended as they got outside however. One person shouting at them and another was asking them something. Grenz reacted instinctively and almost jumped onto the closest being that was larger than him, which was Zhai.
 
Zhai takes the key and nods solemnly she arches a brow at the goblin, " hold is worth nothing if one has nothing to live in little one" she sees the girl and arches a brow and chuckles as he jumps back almost behind her as the male shouts, "indeed. Are you to join us on our path?"
 
"My home was invaded and now another flame besides myown sweeps the land. These invaders are viral, growing without restraint.. this must end.. and so I will join you" he bowed to them. "I am called Wendigo. "
 
"Another ally! Just a few more and... Oh wait, we're against gods, right..." Grenz said with a pessimistic tone. "Wait a minute... What do you mean another flame? You try to destroy the world too, or something?" He asked, once more hanging from Zhai's side.
 
Lily flopped down on the grass and crawled towards the people near the tent. She watched them with adventurous eyes as she crept closer and closer, unaware if they noticed her or not.
"Hello," she sat up suddenly, only a few feet from the group.