by Wolfe Locke
Some of the villagers approached them: two adult cats with a young kitten. The child stared at the ruined village, looking horrified.
“Matriarch Ilsa,” she said. “We were wondering about my brother.”
“What about him, little one?” Ilsa responded.
“He’s out on patrol right now." She replied, "With the other warriors.”
He could see Ilsa very carefully not reacting to what the kitten had said. “Went out today?”
“Yeah. To fight the Draugr." Came the reply, "Have you heard anything about him?”
The parents looked at Ilsa expectantly, as if they’d deliberately sent their child to ask the matriarch what was going on. The child looked like she was heart broken already. Maybe the parents felt she’d be more successful in getting an answer than they would be.
“Our warriors went out this morning,” Ilsa said, doling her words out carefully. “They haven’t come back yet. We don’t know if they ever will.”
“You mean—my brother—” The child started to sob.
“Whatever happens, know that he was brave. He set out to defend Meoxia, and he did. He bought us precious time. If it weren’t for their efforts, we wouldn’t have escaped. And now we have to make their sacrifice—if it was a sacrifice, if the worst did happen—worth it. We have to be brave, and we have to rebuild.”
The kitten looked crushed. “But the entire village is destroyed. And it’s full of Draugr. They burned down everything and destroyed whatever was left behind. We have nothing!”
“The Draugr won’t be there forever, little one. And when they go, we’ll have to start over. If we give up, they win. Do you understand?”
“I guess.” The child replied, unconvienced.
“I hope we find your brother." Ilse continued, "I hope he comes back all right. But if he doesn’t, the village will need new warriors. We’ll need new cats to take up their spears and fight the Draugr. Maybe, someday, you’ll be one of those cats. If you want to. And if you train hard, and you’re brave.”
Her parents didn’t say anything, just gathered the kitten up in their paws and took her away.
“You see what I have to deal with?” Ilsa said. “I’ll be having many more conversations tonight, and most of them will be much like that one. Meoxia has lost a lot today—both buildings, and cats. I’ll need to be at my strongest going forward. I’ll need to be able to lead my people and be there for them in their grief. That’s the job of a matriarch.”
“That’s hard,” Zander said quietly. He didn’t really know what else to say.
“But at some point, we’ll need revenge. That wizard can’t be allowed to play recklessly with people’s lives. Whatever he’s doing, whatever he’s up to, he has to be stopped before he attacks again. Something in me suspects he won’t stop at Meoxia. He’ll keep going into the woods. Even your own village might be at risk.”
“Haven,” Zander said. “Did the wizard say anything about what his goal was?”
“We were too shocked by the request for young lives to sacrifice to question him further." Isle admitted "I regret that now. We should never have let him leave”
A cat brought them bowls of stew, and Ilsa nodded her thanks. Zander took a bite. It was thick and rich, with a slight tinge of the exotic spices the Meowpeople liked.
“Good,” he said. “Thank you. I’ll see if I can find out what this wizard is up to. Hopefully I can stop this from happening again. Ever.”
Celeste is awake, Rocktooth said. She’s eating. Seems all right.
“That’s my cue,” he said. “We’ll head out as soon as she’s ready. And we’ll do whatever we can to help. I promise you that.”
Chapter Twenty-One: The Titan Skeleton
Given the circumstances, their departure from the ruined village was a little underwhelming. Zander was used to getting a send-off, but the villagers were busy watching Meoxia burn. They slipped off into the woods alone, in silence.
“Celeste, you all right?” he said.
“Yeah, just a little tired." She replied groggily. "But I can feel my power coming back already. Should be right as rain soon.”
“I think I can teach you some tricks,” Terra said. They all turned to look at her, surprised.
“Tricks?” Celeste said. She was clearly trying to figure out if the nymph was insulting her—and if so, in what way. “What kind of tricks?”
“Did you see my vine attacks?” The Nymph pressed.
“Yeah?” Celeste replied, wondering what they had to do with her own powers.
“I wonder if you could do the same thing, but made out of ice." Terra mused, "It might be pretty handy. You should consider it.”
“Yeah?” Celeste said again. “Let me think about how that might work.”
“Maybe we can work together on the spell when we get to Haven.” Terra offered.
“Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?” Celeste asked, suddenly off gaurd.
The nymph shrugged. “You’re a good warrior. I saw what you did back in Meoxia. That’s something I can respect.”
“Hey!” a voice shouted from behind them. It was Caroline the Catgirl, running fast. “Wait up! Guys!”
They stopped and waited for her to catch up. She had found a new spear and was fully clad in the wood and leather armor the Meowpeople liked.
“I borrowed a weapon from Ilsa,” she explained. “Since mine’s still broken. And back in the village.”
“What’s going on?” Zander said.
“Can I come with you? At least as far as Haven?” Caroline asked, practically begging.
“I don’t know. It’s kind of a dangerous journey. Have you ever left Meoxia?” Zander challenged.
She sighed. “Look, I know I didn’t exactly impress anyone back there. But I swear I’m a capable warrior. I really am. Let me prove it to you.”
“Our party’s already pretty big—” Zander tried to interject
“Just as far as Haven,” she cut him off. “That’s all. If I haven’t shown you my skills by then, I’ll turn right around and come back to Meoxia. I swear.”
“I—” Zander tried again.
“Oh, let her come,” Terra said. “She’s not hurting anyone by being here. And you let me come along without having to prove myself. Why should she be any different?”
That was because Terra was terrifying, but Zander suspected that it was a bad idea to tell her that.
“Fine,” he said. “Caroline, you can come. Hopefully you’re good with that spear.”
“I am,” she said eagerly. “Just you wait and see.”
“We need to get to Haven as quickly as possible,” he said. “I need to tell the Elders there about the craziness we saw today. Whatever’s going on with this wizard doesn’t sound good. I think Ilsa’s right that he’ll keep going. Haven’s at risk, and so is every village in the area. We have to figure out what he wants and how to stop him.”
“No problem,” Caroline said. “I can move quickly.”
“So can I,” Terra said.
Celeste looked queasy, and Rocktooth stomped over to her.
You can ride on my back again if you’re still tired little sister. You were very brave, but very foolish back there.
“Thanks, Rocktooth.” Celeste nooded to him in gratitute.
Notification: You have gained a party member.
Caroline the Cat Girl has joined your party. While technically a Meowperson, among the Meowpeople they prefer the term cat.
Just until you recover. Don’t get too used to it.
The group pushed further into the forest, walking so fast they were almost jogging. It was starting to get dark, but Zander was determined to get as far as they could before they made camp.
“Should we be traveling so late?” Celeste said from her perch on the golem’s shoulder. “We’re making a lot of noise. Isn’t that going to attract undead creatures and other Monsters?”
“We’ll camp soon,” Zander said. “Just want to squeeze in
one more hour of travel.”
“I’m not making any noise at all,” Terra said smugly. “Wood nymph, remember? This is my home. And Caroline’s doing pretty well, too. It’s all Rocktooth.”
Tell her I’m stronger than she is and I can squash her like a bug if I deem it necessary. Rock, paper, wood nymph.
Celeste laughed, but Zander just ignored the golem. He didn’t have time for petty squabbling. He had to get home. Anxiety filled him with tension.
They crested a ridge and took in the view. The highway wound through the forest ahead of them, and they could see the last glimmers of sunlight on the horizon.
“Time to camp, yeah?” Celeste said. “This is a good spot. We can see in all directions.”
“Let’s just get across the highway. There’s an underpass close by that we can use. We’ll camp when we get to the other side, I swear.”
Celeste looked uncomfortable, but no one else seemed willing to argue with Zander—not even Rocktooth. He was too deadset on his plan, too determined to push forward. Something about his attitude suggested that there’d be no point in trying to convince him.
“This underpass is sort of creepy,” Caroline said as they approached it. “It’s full of bones.”
It was true. Animal skulls crunched underfoot. It was as if something carnivorous had made a den here—and had been living here a long time.
“Is this the pass you typically use, Zander?” Celeste said.
“No,” he admitted. “I normally take another one to the north. But this one will get us there faster.”
“And why, exactly, don’t you usually take this one?” Celeste pressed, feeling like the distinction was rather important.
With a thud, a massive skeleton landed on the ground in front of them. Its eyes were glowing red, and its jaw hung loose from its skull.
“I’m going to guess that thing is probably why,” Terra muttered. “A Titan Skeleton. Ugh. Time to fight! Thanks, Zander!”
The Catgirl had already vanished, and Zander scowled. “So much for her being an able warrior. I really believed she was telling the truth about that.”
“No time to complain about it!” Terra said. “Let’s kill this thing first, then look for Caroline!”
The skeleton stomped toward them, bellowing, and Celeste rose into the air again.
“I’m low on magic,” she said. “I’m not going to be able to do what I did in Meoxia. But I’ll do my best.”
It’s okay, Rocktooth said. We all understand.
“Hey!” Caroline hissed from the shadow of the underpass. “Over here!”
The cat had drawn a tripwire across the path, low to the ground. In the fading light, it was almost invisible.
“Do you think that thing can understand us?” she said.
“I don’t think so,” Zander said.
“Then get it over here." The cat girl shouted. "Run! Quick! Maybe we can trip it.”
“Great idea!” Terra said. “Hey! Skeleton! Come this way!”
The giant skeleton was moving toward Celeste, mesmerized by the light of her transformation. Terra kept shouting, but it hardly noticed her at all.
Movement, Rocktooth said, stepping in front of Celeste to guard her. Tell her it needs movement and sound. She's a terrible decoy, it hardly notices her..
“We have to run!” he said. “Both of us, together, maybe! Maybe we can get it to follow us!”
“Got it,” the nymph said, leaping into action. She ran in front of the skeleton, moving in a zigzag pattern. Zander joined her, and together they weaved back and forth, trying to catch the creature’s attention.
“It’s working,” Zander said. The skeleton’s head was following their movements. “Now let’s turn into the underpass.”
Caroline lowered the wire to let them through, then raised it again as the Titan Skeleton stormed after them, screeching with rage. They watched anxiously as it approached, waiting to see if it would sense the trap lying in wait for it.
The wire hit it right at the shins, and it toppled over onto its back with a crash. The Catgirl raised her spear high and did a jaunty victory dance.
“We did it!” The Catgirl smiled at them.
“Not yet, we didn’t,” Terra said. “It’s just down, not dead.”
She quickly went on the attack. Vines shot out of her arms and wrapped tightly around the skeleton like a cocoon, immobilizing it. It strained against its bonds, bellowing with rage, but it couldn’t move. It lay flat on the ground, arms tied tight to its sides, as Caroline danced around it.
“Celeste!” Zander shouted. “Do you think you can take this thing out?”
One second. Slow transformation tonight. She just killed a few hundred undead.
He watched the Titan Skeleton wriggle back and forth, trying to escape. This fight was all his fault. He’d been the one to push them to move faster. He’d been the one who wanted to travel after dark. Things had turned out well this time—but that was partly because they’d been lucky. All they’d had to fight was one skeleton. What if they’d run into the wizard from Meoxia and his undead army with Celeste so low on power? If they had, they might already be dead now.
“All right,” Celeste said, gliding over to them wearily. Her light was dim and flickering. “This is it?”
“Yeah. Not too bad, right?” Celeste commetned
She readied a [Frost Spear]. “Easy.”
The skeleton roared as Celeste’s spear pierced its ribcage, right where its heart would be if it were human. It convulsed once, twice, then died. As the light faded out of its eyes, Terra withdrew her vines, and eventually the skeleton lay still on the ground.
“Not too bad,” Celeste said. “Still, though. I’m exhausted. No more battles today, Zander. Please.”
Notification: You have defeated a titan skeleton. This battle has offered you boons yet released. Be wise with the power you have gained.
She lost hold of her frost spirit form and changed back, sinking gently to the ground and onto one knee. Zander gave her a guilty look. This was definitely all his fault.
“Hey!” Caroline said as she packed up her tripwire. “Over here! There’s something glowing in the underpass.”
He walked over to take a look. It was a gleaming green orb, half-buried in a pile of weasel skulls. He bent down and picked it up.
“That’s funny,” he said. “It almost looks like a—”
The green light coming from the orb suddenly turned bright and blinding, and he dropped it. It rolled out into the clearing in front of the underpass.
“Ugh!” Celeste said. “What’s going on?”
“It might be a new summon,” Zander said, trying not to get too excited about it. “Well. I hope it’s a new summon.”
“Me too. And I also hope this thing is friendly. If it’s a fight, you’re on your own.”
The light was dying down, revealing a massive creature standing in front of them, swaying gently with the evening breeze.
Notification: You have acquired the summon “Forest Titan”.
Details: These creatures are born when trees sacrifice themselves for the good of the forest and become sentient forest spirits. Often formed after floods or forest fires. They can be temperamental, but if they see you can be trusted, they can be powerful allies.
“Wow,” Zander said, awestruck. It was half-tree, half-human—but the tree was clearly gnarled and dead. Its eyes were sharp and inquisitive, and it peered at each of them in turn.
Who are you? The tree asked projecting its thoughts directly into Zander's mind.
Zander looked around. It didn’t seem like the others had heard it.
Correct. I’m only talking to you. You’re the one who activated me, so it seems like the polite thing to do.
“I’m Zander. I’m—well, I’m an elf. A scavenger. But I want to be a summoner someday. Maybe even a master summoner.”
Interesting. Well, you have the potential for it.
That’s what I said, Rocktooth said eagerl
y, and the Forest Titan gave him a withering look.
I said, potential. I didn’t say he could do it.
Its voice was kind, though, and it seemed like it might play along with being his summon. It was clearly far more powerful than he was.
“Guys!” Terra said. “Is the tree coming with us? We should get out of here. This road’s too exposed. Draugr will be coming any minute now.”
I’ll travel with you, the Forest Titan said. For a bit. We’ll see if you’re up to my usual standards for a master. I has been a long time though since last I was free of the Nether.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Third Eye of the Golem
They moved away from the underpass and set up camp in the woods on the other side of the highway. Terra and Zander pitched the tents and built the fire while Celeste rested.
“I can hunt something for dinner!” Caroline said enthusiastically. Terra flinched, but didn’t object.
“Cats are obligate carnivores,” she said once the cat had bounded away into the woods. “She has to eat meat, or she’ll die. It’s gross, but I’m not going to complain about it.”
“More for us, then,” Celeste said wanly. Her face was pale. “Hope she brings back something good.”
Zander smiled. It was good to see everyone getting along, finally. He hoped it lasted.
It was fully dark now, and the fire was warm and inviting. They all gathered around the blaze and waited for Caroline to return.
“We should get to Haven tomorrow night,” he said, spreading his hands out over the flames to warm them up. “Thanks for pushing through today.”
“If it gets us there in time to warn the other elves, it was worth it,” Celeste said. “Let’s just hope we make it.”
“Rabbits!” Caroline trilled, padding back toward the camp. “I got two fat ones. And for you, Terra, I got some potatoes from an abandoned farm.”
“Oh joy. Potatoes. Anything else?” Celeste commented, not amused.
“No. Should I have gotten something else? I don’t eat that kind of stuff.” Caroline responded.