The Tainted Wood

by Alara Branwen

  "Go fight the undead. I'll take care of Padwin,” she said.

  "But--”

  "Listen, Cleave is acting weird, and I think it has something to do with that elf girl. I know that she’s got answers to our questions, and we should go after him,” Tarka spat.

  Berryl was already on the prowl, using her claws to take out the zombie creatures. Her claws cut through their already putrified flesh with ease. Meanwhile, Cleave was taking down more and more of the hordes of undead with his sword. They were slowly chipping away and feeling like they were close to victory, but then he noticed there were other creatures nearby. "What the hell?” he said.

  A chimera approached, looking only about half-alive. As it roared at the party, Cleave looked at it with pure and utter confusion. What the hell was a chimera doing out here? He noticed that it had a tag, and as Cleave tried to get close to grab it, the chimera attacked him, slashing at his chest. "Fuck,” he said.

  Cleave:

  HP: 85% (-15%)

  Stamina: 50% (-50)

  Mana: 80% (-20)

  Character Status:

  Healthy

  Cleave knew that he couldn't survive too many blows like that. Berryl, however, was moving about like a cat, and he motioned for her to go towards the chimera to stop it. She moved with deftness towards the back of the chimera. Due to her high agility and her class, she was able to grasp the collar and pull it off. The chimera cried out, and Cleave realized that it was in rage mode. The undead started to increase in size and number. Krug was able to take out a few of them, but he knew that they’d have to get out of here and fast.

  "We should leave,” he said.

  "Yeah, but what about--” As Berryl said those words, the chimera charged at her. She moved out of the way, and the chimera ran into a tree. That’s when Berryl got an idea. She smirked at the chimera as it fought in vain to get out of the area.

  "I have an idea. Get Padwin and get the hell out of here,” Berryl said.

  The party listened to Berryl’s directive. Krug began to move his body, throwing off the undead as he moved clear of the attack. Cleave rushed towards Tarka. Together, they carried the almost-unconscious Padwin out of the area. They ran as fast as they could, wondering how long it would be before they all met up again.

  Krug took a bit of a beating from the sheer size and number of the attackers. Knowing that this was for the future, for the survival of all of them, he tapped into his reserves. He shuddered as he felt the enemies launch onto him. He groaned as he threw them off with a deftness that knew no bounds. He looked over at Berryl, who was moving about with swift speed. He wanted to help, but he knew the best thing to do was to let her do what she needed to do. He had been around her long enough to know she worked best on her own.

  Knowing the chance for escape was better if they all split up, they parted ways, each of them agreeing to meet up near the Fey Wilder area as soon as they could. They didn’t want to bring Padwin near the guild, so the other members of the Fey Wilder met them halfway. As they all began arriving at the agreed upon place, the members of the Fey Wilder looked at the party, noticing both the addition of Padwin and the lack of Berryl.

  "Who is this?” Bitterroot asked.

  "This is Padwin. When he comes to, we need to ask him about what is going on with the forest and the attacks of the undead. He is part of the Crimson Kingdom, and I think they play a large part in what is going on,” Tarka said.

  "Very well. Make sure he’s bound and guarded. I don’t want him getting into any funny business,” Bitterroot said.

  The party all agreed with that, each of them watching as Padwin laid there. Lurupine replenished his stamina, so that he could talk, but not his health. They couldn't trust him yet.

  They all waited for Berryl to show up, whenever that would be.

  Meanwhile, Berryl was running out of stamina. She needed to act fast. The chimera was gaining on her, getting closer and closer with each passing moment. She shuddered, realizing that this could be the end for her if she wasn’t careful. She could hear it approaching, but had yet to find the creature.

  She scoured the area, using her Cat Eyes ability, and finally, after a bit of looking, she noticed it.

  "There you are!” she cried out, pointing towards the chimera. She knew what she had to do. She braced herself, getting ready for what was going to happen next. Soon, she motioned at the chimera, taunting it to come and get her. It accepted her challenge and raced towards the spot, crying out as it bolted towards her. At the very last second, she moved. The chimera rammed its two heads into a hole in the tree. Upon closer inspection, the chimera was undead. One head was in the shape of a bird, the other head a serpent. Both heads cried out as they tried to fight their way out of the tree. Berryl grinned.

  "That’s what you get for trying to take me down. Nyeh!” she cried out, sticking her tongue out at the chimera. She moved in quickly and tore the struggling chimera to pieces with her claws. She then made her way to the meeting place.

  When she arrived, she noticed that Padwin was finally conscious, which made her tense. "What are we going to do with him?” she asked.

  "We make him talk. That’s what,” Tarka stated.

  The party watched as Padwin slowly acclimated to his surroundings. Soon he started to smile. "Well, this is an interesting change of events," he said.

  The members of the party did not smile. They didn’t have time for his games. They needed answers, and they needed them fast.

  TWENTY-ONE

  Cleave was the one to do all of the talking. He stepped forward, glaring at Padwin."You’re not in any position to bargain with us,” he said.

  "I'm surprised you and your little elf friend didn’t leave me for dead,” he said with a smile.

  "Fuck off,” Cleave said, kicking him. Tarka touched his shoulder.

  "Be careful. He’s close to death, and he’s got valuable information. We need him alive,” Tarka insisted.

  Laryhalla stepped in, and spoke to Padwin. “Do you know anything about this undead fiasco?”

  "I do, but I wasn’t the one who did it,” he said.

  "Maybe not, but you had a part in it,” Tarka muttered.

  "I did, but it has gotten out of hand. The entire forest is out of control. They’re attacking anyone that they can,” he stated.

  "Yeah, no shit. So, what do we do?” Cleave tensed as he uttered those words. He didn’t know what they could do at this point.

  "The Crimson Kingdom is behind most of this. I didn’t do it all, I was just following orders. My job was to work with the Severed Elves, but there are more groups that are behind this,” he said.

  "Fill us in. What is the story behind it all?” Tarka stated, grasping his shoulders and glaring at him.

  “Easy there kobold. I'll tell you what I know.”

  The party waited as Padwin took a deep breath, creating a dramatic pause, and smiled at them. "The Crimson Kingdom is trying to use different avenues to assert control over the forest. The goal of this is a monopoly on the resources here. We wanted to take it over from the elves and various forest spirits. We worked with the Severed Elves, who were downtrodden and angry about the past. They desired to have some control back, and they wanted to get revenge. They welcomed the help of the Crimson Kingdom. The original plan was to use the natural life magics found here to assert dominance over the other forest dwellers. Simply put, we would work with the Severed Elves, put them in control, and offer aid to the other forest creatures here,” he said.

  Laryhalla then scoffed. "So that’s why you were working with the Severed Elves,” she said.

  "Correct. It was all for the end-goal of control,” he explained.

  "That’s why you were so friendly with Posie,” Tarka said, still slightly disgusted at the thought that her boyfriend had slept with the friend of the enemy.

  "Correct. We were trying to work with the Severed Elves to gain an edge over the forest creatures and control the forest magics. Unfortunately there wer
e others that had the same idea. Necromancers and other creatures were subverting the forest magics to create an undead army. They wanted to gain control of this forest just as we did, and the grove that everyone keeps talking about is the end goal of many of the people here, including the Crimson Kingdom,” he explained.

  "So what you’re saying is, the people who are causing all of this,” Krug waved his hand around the wilted and purplish forest, “are not just you guys, but others too.”

  "Wow, the half-giant does have a brain. That’s the truth of it, my friend. We want to have control, but unfortunately, so does everyone else, so it’s now in disarray.”

  The party listened, and then, the Fey Wilder group approached the representative of the Crimson Kingdom, listening tentatively. After a moment, Bitterroot took a deep breath and spoke.

  "It seems that the undead outnumber the living now in these woods. So if the undead could think for themselves, they might turn against those controlling them, but they could also end up fighting against us. We don’t have enough numbers to defeat the current threat,” Bitterroot said.

  "Yeah, I think that’s what I'm getting from this too. We are definitely not in any way capable of fighting off these undead. There are just...too many of them,” Lurupine said.

  Everyone from Fey Wilder nodded in agreement. They knew their place. They had just managed to survive the complete destruction of their guild house, and now they were little better than nomads living in a temporary location. Their numbers were small, and it was obvious that if they were to defeat the necromancers and the undead, they needed to work together. But would that be enough? Could they trust the Crimson Kingdom?

  "I think there is a chance that we could win if we all worked together,” Padwin stated.

  "And why should we work with you?” Cleave stated, his hand near his blade.

  "Because I'm acting on my own accord. I don’t want Larkin to win either. I personally want to do things on my own. When I realized that Larkin was just going for power, I bounced. His rise in power does nothing for my personal benefit. That’s why...I had nobody with me when you found me,” he stated.

  "Really now?” Tarka said, scoffing at his words.

  "Really. Here’s the thing though, we need to act fast. The truth is, Larkin could take these undead, and let them run amuck there. I know that you probably don’t realize the impact, but he could make them work under his control. But, I know a way to get a spell that will give the undead free thought,” he stated. “It’s a magic known only to the inhabitants of the City of Undead.”

  The party listened. "And you think that will save this place?” Cleave asked.

  "Well, right now they are acting based on necromancy, and the Crimson Kingdom’s control. The Severed Elves, though small in number now thanks to you, still control them. If we get the spell and free them, we’ll be able to cut the power of our enemies and reduce their numbers down to a manageable size. Even if the undead still come after us, they won’t be under the control of the Severed Elves or the Crimson Kingdom. Our enemies will be easier to defeat if the undead are not bound to them, and it will be better for the forest. That’s got to be the best way, right?”

  There was a definite risk. The reward would be that the forest would no longer have its power drained by the necromancers once they lost control of their undead army. But, it also would mean that by fighting with Padwin and trusting him in this, they would end up allowing a large portion of the forest to fall under the control of the Crimson Kingdom.

  Padwin stared at them with a smile on his face. Cleave didn’t trust him. "So you promise that you’re not just acting on behalf of the Crimson Kingdom,” he stated.

  "Of course. I want to make it so that everyone is happy. The Crimson Kingdom is a big power, and I think it’s safe to say that if we don't act fast, they’ll continue to destroy the forest,” he stated.

  They all listened to Padwin, and then Cleave spoke.

  "Do you know how to get to the City of the Undead?”

  "Yeah, I do. Larkin told me a bit about how to get there. He told me to go to the cemetery that’s right along the edge of the forest, and then go to the biggest mausoleum there. When you find the mausoleum, place your hands in a certain spot on the wall near the door, and you’ll be able to open up the pathway to the realm of the undead.”

  "So what you’re saying is, we need to travel down to the city to get the spell that will free the undead,” Cleave said.

  "Correct. I think it’ll be in all of our best interests if we go there together,” Padwin said.

  "And what makes you think we can trust you enough to bring you with us?” Tarka asked.

  "Simply put, kobold, if you want to get down there, you’ll have to work with me. I have the knowledge that you need. I can also talk to the lich that’s in charge of the City of the Undead too. He likes me,” he said.

  The party listened to his logic. They would have an easier time if they took him along, and he’d only create trouble for Fey Wilder if they let him go.

  "I think that settles it. Let’s take him," Cleave said.

  "Fine,” Tarka muttered, still not convinced that Padwin could be trusted.

  "We need to be careful. We have to go through the Giant’s Forest before we make it to the cemetery. It can be dangerous passing through their land. They can be very territorial, but I'll talk to them," Krug said.

  "Oh yeah, that’s your home, right?” Cleave said.

  Krug nodded, a bit solemn. "Correct,” he replied. He frowned slightly and got a far off look in his eye.

  The party didn’t press him for further information. Soon, they all turned and headed for the Giant’s Forest. Lurupine stayed back with the Fey Wilder, since she was a dryad and didn’t feel comfortable being so close to the undead and so far from the trees. Laryhalla understood how the dryad felt. Even she was a bit unsettled by the idea. "I'm not too happy about getting so close to the undead, but I know that we must go, and I can help on our journey,” she stated.

  "It’ll be okay," Cleave told her with a smile.

  Tarka looked at them, slightly confused by the jealousy that spiked within her at the interaction between Cleave and Laryhalla. She shook it off, and soon they were on their way. Krug and Tarka kept a close eye on Padwin who was shackled and walking between them. He seemed placated by their actions now, almost docile. Cleave wondered just what he was hoping to get from this. After a bit, the party got to a small part of the forest with much larger trees. It had a sign that said "Strangers keep out! Travelers talk to the Giants before going through!”

  When Krug saw that, he stepped forward. "Let me go talk to them,” he said. He went forward, going to the first house there. As he drew closer, the party heard screaming coming from beyond the doorway. A female giant came running out of the house towards Krug.

  "It’s been so long since we’ve seen you!” the female giant screamed excitedly.

  "Yeah. Sorry for never coming back,” Krug said.

  "It’s alright. I understand. You didn’t feel like you were welcome. Bartz was very angry when you decided to adventure out and leave the Giant’s Forest. But, it looks like you’ve got companions now,” the female giant said.

  Krug came forward with a woman who was slightly smaller than he was but towered over the rest of the party. Cleave stepped forward to meet them, and soon, Krug spoke. “Everyone, this is my guardian Matilda. Matilda, this is everyone,” he said.

  "Hello there! Come on in. It’s such a pleasure to see Krug here. And friends of Krug’s are friends of ours. Seems like you’re not here just for a visit though, right?” she asked.

  The party all shook their head. "We have to pass through here to get to the cemetery. We need to go to the land of the undead,” Cleave explained.

  "Oh! Why are you going there?” she asked.

  "Let’s talk with the elder before we continue,” Cleave insisted.

  Krug shook his head. "We can’t.”

  "Why?”

 
; Krug turned away when Tarka asked, but then, he spoke. "The elder and I...we aren’t on speaking terms. We had a difference of opinion and haven’t spoken to each other since,” he said.

  "Well that’s no reason to just up and not talk to one another,” Tarka insisted.

  "It’s a bit of a complicated story, but I do want to spend a bit of time with Matilda. She’ll grant us passage,” Krug said.

  The party seemed to understand that whatever was between Krug and the elder was personal and did not involve them, so they let it go. They went inside, where Matilda explained the realm of the giants.

  "This is the forest passage to the realm of the giants. It’s where the half-giants are. Krug was raised here since he wasn’t a full giant,” Matilda said.