The Tainted Wood

by Alara Branwen

  "Lurupine,” the other dryad responded.

  “What are you doing here?”

  "We’re trying to hide. You need to go. This place isn’t safe,” Alexal said.

  Lurupine looked at the other woman and stopped, staring at her with a suspicious gaze.

  "Do you know what is going on here?” Alexal asked.

  "No. We came to Devdan for answers,” Lurupine answered.

  "Devdan is already gone. He left this place. He told me not to let anyone in. He said that if anyone came here, we were to turn them away.”

  "I don't think Devdan left. This is his home, and he’d fight to protect it,” Krug said.

  "Lies. You know nothing,” Alexal said.

  "Hey, that’s no way to talk to him,” Tarka said, glaring at the dryad in front of her.

  "No. You know nothing kobold. The forest is dying. We are warning you. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave,” she admonished.

  Tarka was about to tell her that their goal was to stop the forest from getting worse, but then, a couple of others from Alexal’s party started to close in.

  Berryl had a gut feeling that the dryad was not being honest. She looked at the creatures and spoke. "I have a feeling that the ring, along with the grove, is this way. I think Alexal is lying to all of us,” she said.

  "Quiet cat. You don’t know anything,”

  "Fuck off. I know what I'm doing here, lady, and I know that you’re hiding something,” Berryl hissed, drawing her claws and slinking into the shadows.

  Cleave, watching the group and feeling the obvious tensions, knew that he had to convince the dryads to relax, in hopes that they would agree to let the party continue their quest. "I mean no harm. I just want to know about Drevdan,” he said.

  "Then why do you bring such hostile company here,” Alexal chided.

  "We just want answers. We are trying to save this forest. If we don’t...then a lot of people are going to die.”

  "I don’t trust you. I don’t trust humans,” Alexal said.

  Suddenly, she began to change. Her clothes, originally resembling leaves, took on a strange and hooded look to them. She was now dressed in a green robe. Cleave realized he had seen her robe before. It was the same as the green robes worn by the group they had encountered the day before, the group of druids that sent the skeleton creatures after them.

  As if on cue, skeletal wolves appeared out of the forest, lumbering over and taking their places beside the green robed druids. Alexal flicked her hand towards the group from Fey Wilder, and the wolves launched themselves at the members of the party. Cleave stepped out of the way at the last second, narrowly dodging a vicious swipe to his shoulder. He had managed to recover most of his health and stamina, courtesy of the rest he had gotten within the guild last night, but he was not ready for a combined attack. As he avoided the first wolf’s attack, a second wolf launched himself at the elf. Jagged teeth ripped into his calf muscle, and Cleave winced in pain.

  Cleave:

  HP: 90% (-5%)

  Stamina: 85 (-15%)

  Mana: 100%

  Character Status:

  Healthy

  Cleave didn’t want to get into dangerous health status like last time, nor did he want other members of his party to be attacked to that point either. He blocked the attacks from the skeletal creatures with his sword and moved closer to the other party members. If they could stay close together, they could protect each other’s backs. He reached Tarka, and the two of them stood back to back fighting the wolves that surrounded them. They were working in tandem, calling warnings and protecting each other’s weak side.

  Krug had moved away from Tarka and Cleave so he could get more room to swing his weapons at the wolves. He was slinging his Warhammer and bringing his shield down on the skeletal wolves.

  As the wolves were attacking the party, the dryads moved behind a group of trees. One began conjuring an energy ball, preparing to hurl it at the half giant since he was the bigger target. Just as she had the ball ready to launch, Berryl seemed to materialize out of nowhere. She snuck up behind the dryad. Extending her claws, she reached out and slit her throat. The dryad cried out and fell to the ground, the ball of energy dissipating harmlessly. "There we go. That’s one down!” she said. She was able to sneak in on a couple more druids and take care of them before they could hurl their magic, but as each cried out and barreled over, she lost the element of surprise. Berryl disappeared back in the trees.

  Tarka managed to take down a couple of skeletal wolves with ease, noticing that these wolves were a bit weaker than the ones before. Was it because different druids controlled them? Were these druids not as strong as the last druids they had fought?

  Cleave managed to deal a couple of direct blows to two different wolves. One blow cracked the wolf’s spine, and another cracked the wolf’s skull, dropping both to the ground. He too was surprised with how quickly the wolves were dispatched. He stepped over the fallen wolves to attack a couple more. A few quick slices with his sword, and two more wolves were reduced to a pile of bones on the ground. Cleave was mowing his way through the pack of wolves with ease.

  Tarka was making fast work of her wolves too. She was turning to launch another attack when a druid shot a bolt of energy that hit her in the back, just above the shoulder blade. Tarka screamed out in pain and fell to the ground. She felt her vision go blurry.

  That was when Krug raced over, shielding her from more bolts. He carried her off to the side, ducking into some dense foliage. Cleave followed suit, swearing as he realized what just happened. The wolves had separated them. He had left her unprotected in his frenzy to fight. He had fucked up. Now she was hurt. He went over to Krug, who held the shaking kobold in his arms.

  "Is she okay?” Cleave asked.

  "Yeah, I think so, but she should've been more careful," Krug replied.

  "I should’ve been more careful. It’s my fault,” Cleave said. He knew that he had been careless. His impulsiveness was always a problem. Krug simply looked at him, motioning for them to leave this part of the forest. They needed to return to the Fey Wilder headquarters, needed to tell Bitterroot about Devdan being gone and about the dryads who had taken the side of the necromancers.

  "This doesn’t sound good,” Cleave said as he heard the snapping and zapping of magical energy all around them.

  "It’s not, Cleave. We can't stick around here. We won’t make it out alive,” Krug said.

  "That’s true,” he admitted. He grasped Tarka from Krug’s arms, and after Berryl was able to decimate two of the other dryads, they managed to get out of there. Cleave kept his sword on him and carried Tarka on his back as they made their way through the forest, but, it proved to be much harder than he thought to evade the attack. The energy bolts were flying all around them. Though he was able to evade a few while managing to keep Tarka out of harm’s way, he was unable to move as quickly, and an energy bolt glanced off his arm.

  Cleave:

  HP: 80% (-15)

  Stamina: 35% (-50%)

  Mana: 100%

  Character Status:

  Healthy

  Cleave knew his stamina was getting low. The weight of Tarka on his back was starting to overwhelm him. He stumbled as they passed the second fork in the road. Krug looked at Cleave, his eyes demanding. "Give me the girl,” he said.

  "But--”

  "You’re in worse shape than I am. If you insist on continuing, our attackers will reach us. Give the girl to me,” he demanded.

  Cleave hated that Krug was so much stronger. Berryl shot him a dirty look, one that would only get worse if he ignored what Krug said. He gave Tarka to the half giant, and they continued to race through the forest. The bolts stopped flying, but they could hear the skeletal wolves racing through the forest getting closer and closer.

  Krug looked at Cleave. "You and Berryl take out the wolves. I'll get her out of the forest to Fey Wilder.”

  Cleave knew he wasn't in the best of shape, but the half
giant’s plan was the most effective way to see Tarka to safety. "Got it. See you in a few,” he said. He readied himself, and so did Berryl.

  "Same as usual?” she inquired.

  "Course. You ready?”

  "Born ready.”

  The two of them waited for the attack they knew was inevitable. Cleave picked a place in the open, a visible target. Berryl darted into the shadows, trying to find the best place to launch a surprise attack. Soon, three skeletal wolves appeared. They circled around Cleave as he held his sword at the ready. One wolf launched itself at Cleave, but he quickly brought up his sword, slicing off the head. The lifeless bones fell to the ground. The other two wolves circled more carefully looking for an opening in Cleave’s defenses. One wolf jumped towards Cleave. As he brought his sword up, the wolf leaned away to the side, and the other wolf plowed into him, knocking him to the ground and pinning him down. The wolf snarled at him, mouth open, and razor sharp teeth ready to bite down. Cleave was able to hold the wolf at bay, but his arms were already growing tired because of his low stamina. He knew he needed to find the strength to fight. He needed to protect Tarka, and he wouldn’t be able to do that if he got killed. He couldn’t stand the idea of leaving her alone, and that’s what spurred him on. With a final surge, he flung the wolf away from his body, flipped his sword out and grabbed the frying pan. When the wolf came back at him, he brought both weapons together, first slicing the wolf’s head then smashing it with the frying pan. Cleave heard bones snap and break. He grabbed the lifeless skeleton and threw the animal off him.

  Meanwhile, Berryl saw the wolves come after Cleave from her hiding place. She saw him go down when the second wolf attacked him. She rushed out from her hiding place and grabbed onto the other skeleton wolf. With claws drawn, she made several swipes at the wolf. Feinting and twisting, she was able to get around the sharp teeth and claws of the wolf and land several hefty blows. The wolf yelped loudly, and this only spurred Berryl on to attack even more relentlessly. When she finished, the wolf was nothing more than a pile of bones crumbled on the ground.

  Cleave called out to Berryl, "Let’s get out of here! This is our chance,” he insisted.

  "Right here with you. Let’s go while the getting is good,” Berryl agreed.

  He urged her to follow him, and soon, they raced down the path, looking behind them for any dryads or skeletons that might be on their tails. He wondered if the dryads were acting on Devdan's accord, or if they were really working with the necromancers. He wondered if Devdan was alive.

  SEVENTEEN

  They made their way back to Fey Wilder, past the faux wall and inside the cave. Cleave noticed Bitterroot motioning for Berryl and him to come to the table where he and Krug were speaking.

  "It seems like Devdan has already moved out,” Krug said.

  "I see. So, we’re going to need to find him,” Bitterroot replied.

  "The only people around his home were the dryads, but they seemed to be working against us. They refused to answer our questions about where Devdan had gone, and they seemed to be harnessing necromantic power. I never thought I would ever see a dryad working against the life force of the forest,” Krug said.

  Bitterroot frowned as he listened to what Krug was telling him. "It sounds like the forest has been tainted in an even stronger way if the dryads are being turned. The information we would’ve gotten from Devdan is already obsolete. We have to find a way to stop the necromancers from proceeding farther,” he said.

  "Yeah. I think so," Krug said.

  "In that case, we have to uncover whatever is going on here. I know that the forest is being tainted with necromantic magic, and according to other records, including yours, not all of the druids are working together, but many groups have joined together and those within their ranks are numerous. There is too much division between the inhabitants of the forest, so we don’t have the numbers to fight against this threat

  "Bitterroot, you and I are both are needed here to support the people,” stated Lurupine. “If the bad guys have convinced even the dryads to join their ranks, then you need my skills and knowledge here in the forest. I will stay with you and help the forest inhabitants against this threat.”

  Bitterroot frowned, and then, he sighed. "That is probably for the best. I know that you have been a big help on their journey, but you are the queen of the dryads, and I am the elder of the guild. We have intimate connections with the dryads and the druids. This forest is growing more tainted every hour, and we all have a reason for working together to figure this threat out.

  "Lurupine, you will be missed, but I agree that you are needed here more,” Cleave said.

  At this point another guild member walked over to Bitterroot and said something in a low voice. Bitterroot nodded his head and dismissed the messenger.

  "Before you leave, you should take care of her Cleave,” Bitterroot said, pointing toward the small alcove where he and Tarka had shared their room the night before. Whatever magic she was hit with, she is not responding to healing potions. We have been tending her, but she is still unconscious. It seems some nasty necromantic magic has her in its thrall. She needs a different type of healing. One we figured only you would want to do. If she is to break through this dark hold, you are going to have to stimulate the life energy within her, and there is only one way that can be done.”

  Cleave blushed, realizing what he meant by that.

  “I will, sir.”

  "Cleave, reaching her life energy is going to take more than just sexual intercourse. You are going to have to connect with her and reach deep within her to bring her back. Take your time. Worship the woman that she is, and you will help her find her way back to you,” Bitterroot instructed. “You two need to be in the best of shape, and I do think that, with the enemy that you’re going to face, you need all of the strength you can get. Make tonight about healing for both of you.”

  Cleave listened, and as he thought about taking care of Tarka, his member started to grow stiff. He left the table and hurried to the alcove where Tarka was waiting.

  She was lying on the bed. Sleeping fitfully. Cleave approached, and bent down to kiss her. Tarka grew more fitful as his lips pressed against hers, the dark magic causing her to fight against him. Then he had an idea. He went to his bag and grabbed a set of fur lined leather cuffs. He came to the bed and drew back the blanket that was covering her. He knelt down and very gently put the cuff around her left ankle. Then he walked to the other side of the bed and placed the cuff around her right ankle. He drew her ankle towards the post at the foot of the bed and locked it in place. Then he went back and did the same with her left leg. Next, he went and cuffed both of her arms to the posts at the head of the bed. She was now spread eagle and helpless. She looked so beautiful and vulnerable.

  She had barely responded to the pressure of the cuffs. The dark magic had a firm hold on her, but he was going to reach her. Her body in some unconscious way was already responding to the bonds. Her pussy glistened with moisture. He ran his hand through her hair, then down her neck and over the swell of her breast. He continued stroking her over her mound and down her inner thigh. He then trailed kisses where his hands had been. He moved and did the same to the other side. Though she didn’t wake up or make a sound, she didn’t seem to fight him either. Her skin prickled and her nipples peaked from his touch. He then grabbed both breasts with his hands and began massaging them, rolling her nipples with his thumb. As the nipple peaked even more from his ministrations, he became hungry to taste her flesh. He closed the protruding bud in his mouth and began to suckle slowly. Tarka moaned and lifted her breast toward him as much as she could.

  Cleave could feel that he was reaching her. She was becoming more and more responsive to his touch. Her pussy was opening up and weeping even more. He got on the bed and knelt down between her legs. He rubbed his finger along her outer lips. Tarka gave a deep moan and her body jerked, trying to get him to touch her clit. She was unable to move in the bonds, and she gro
aned again in frustration. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked at Cleave with lust and surprise. "What...happened?” she asked.

  "You were hit by some kind of necromantic energy sent from one of the dryads. Krug brought you back here while Berryl and I were able to ward off the rest. The dark spell had you in some sort of coma. But, you’re safe now, I think,” he said.

  She looked at him, a slight smile on her face. "Thank you Cleave.”

  "I'm glad I can help,” he said.

  Cleave bent down to kiss her. She leaned up as much as possible in the bindings, giving him a kiss that was far more passionate than he expected. Cleave took this opportunity to let their tongues collide, the need within them growing even more feverish. This wasn’t just to gain the stamina and the health needed to survive, this was something they both desired.

  .