by Hans Bezdek
"Thank you so much for your help back there," said Zane, patting Tomm on his shoulder. "I don't know what would've happened if it weren't for you."
"I know," replied Perkins. "We'd be fighting our way out of this town."
"Aye, but ye two deserve a break from fightin after savin me life," chuckled Tomm. "I'm sorry the rest of the people on the boat made up some lies about ye. Promise not all of us livin in the Epworth Empire be like that."
"It's not your fault," shrugged Zane. While he was thankful for the dwarf's help, he wasn't sold on the rest of the citizens being like him.
"Anyway, me caravan's gotta go past the wall that separates us from the Lund," said Tomm. "Since the two of ya are headin that way, foolish as it may be, want a ride?"
"Are you sure?" asked Perkins. "You've already paid us back."
"Aye, but we're friends now, ain't we?" smiled Tomm.
Zane and Perkins looked at one another. The elf shrugged, deferring the decision to the paladin. Zane would have preferred traveling on their own, but if word about them spread, they might bump into other guards that wouldn't be so likely to take a bribe. The dwarf had already proven himself to them, and a caravan that knew its way to the Lund was sure to be faster than wandering around on foot.
"Yes," nodded Zane. "I suppose we are. And I think we'll take you up on your offer."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"This map looks like it was drawn by a five-year-old," muttered Farr, flipping the paper over a few times to figure out where they were.
The Lund wasn't making the map any easier to read. Trees were in every direction around them, their heavy and plentiful leaves blocking out most of the sunlight. Everything looked more or less the same. The only thing they knew for sure was that they had been walking for roughly six hours.
Hopefully, those six hours were in the right direction.
"I don't like this," said Khuwa, the orc walking with one of her giant axes in her hand. That was rare. The orc continued to wear her armor and weapons out of respect to the culture that she grew up with, even if she ultimately disagreed with their blood lust and need for war. For her to actually be prepared for a fight meant that she had learned from her first encounter with the Lundori.
"What's not to like?" asked Yri dryly. "We're only deep in a hostile area, surrounded by strange plants, and have no idea where we are or how far we are from Death's Eye."
"Which is a lovely name in itself," added Cupcake, floating a foot above the warlock.
"Even I am a bit uneasy," admitted Grex, glancing over his shoulder every few steps.
"Why?" asked Farr. "We already know your druidic powers still work here."
"The trees give off a strange aura to me," admitted the gnome. "I'm afraid that if I call upon them they might not respond, or worse. It's not out of the realm of possibility that they would join the Lundori in attacking us. Of course, I haven't tried to do so yet. Maybe now would be a good-"
"No," said Farr, Yri, and Khuwa in unison.
"Probably for the best," nodded Grex, smiling to himself. "On top of the trees, the creatures here are... different."
"I haven't seen any animals," remarked Khuwa. Farr also hadn't, and for that matter hadn't even heard any rustling since they entered the Lund.
"They've seen us," replied the gnome. "And again, I'm not so sure if I can convince them to help us like I can the usual wildlife."
"So that just leaves you with the ability to manipulate the ground," said Farr, making a mental note for any future fights in this place.
"Perfect," sighed Yri. "There's a good chance that we'll have to fight off an army of Lundori on our own, and one of us can't even use half of their abilities."
"But surely someone as powerful as you can take them all by yourself," said Cupcake, rolling his eyes.
"I never said such a thing," said Yri, crossing her arms. "Fort Pel was different."
"Besides some buildings, I don't see how," said Cupcake. The flying pig spun around and continued to float backwards as the rest walked. "You just can't hit moving targets, is that it?"
Yri held up a finger and pointed it at the demon. "I guess we could find out right now, couldn't we?"
"Calm down, you two," said Farr. While he hadn't seen the two actually physically fight before, it always seemed like something that could happen at a moment's notice. While it would be interesting to see Cupcake and Yri at their full power, now was certainly not the time or place for it.
"Nothing for me to worry about," oinked Cupcake with glee. "Yri couldn't... couldn't..."
Farr noticed the pig stop floating backward. It also wasn't like the demon to stop talking mid-insult. He and the others paused. Cupcake's typically black eyes appeared glazed over, and almost gray.
"Yri," said Farr firmly as he turned to the warlock. "I get that you're within your rights to discipline your demon, but now isn't the time for this. Knock it off."
Yri slowly walked around Cupcake, her eyes narrowed as she examined the demon. "But I'm not doing anything..."
"This isn't you?" asked Farr, moving from annoyance to concern in an instant.
"No," said the warlock, rubbing her chin as she thought.
"C-Cut it out, Cupcake," said Khuwa, nervously adjusting her grip on her axe. "This isn't funny anymore."
Based on how Yri was reacting, Farr had a bad feeling that the demon wasn't playing a joke on them. He held his hand up to Cupcake's face and waved it back and forth. There was no reaction. The demon hadn't blinked for over a minute now.
The pig suddenly spun around, then dashed off into the trees to their right.
"Cupcake!" demanded Yri. "Return!"
The pig didn't hesitate as it continued on its path through the trees.
Farr glanced back at Yri, whose face was paler than usual.
"That... That should've worked," said the warlock quietly.
"Do we follow him?" asked Grex.
"Won't we get even further lost if we do?" asked Khuwa.
The two of them looked at Farr, who in turn looked at Yri. The warlock looked surprisingly worried for her demon. While Cupcake was more of an honorary member of The Delinquents than an actual one, it looked like he might need their help.
"Let's go!" shouted Farr, running off in the direction that Cupcake went.
The others followed quickly behind as the blademagus peeled through the forest, quickly scanning the trees as he went for any sign of the demon. He caught the blur of movement up ahead and to his right, then followed after it. After pushing through a particularly thick set of trees, there was a slight clearing that let him see the back of Cupcake as the pig flew to the south.
"Cupcake!" shouted Yri, passing Farr as she tried to close the distance between them and the pig. "Cupcake, return! Return!"
The pig wasn't listening. Again he disappeared through the blackened trees. The Delinquents weren't giving up, however, and continued their pursuit.
"Grex!" said Farr, glancing back to see the gnome had turned into a pigeon in order to keep up with everyone. "The next opportunity you get, try and get vines from underground to spring up and trap Cupcake!"
The bird chirped and flew ahead of them. The trees in this part of the forest began to be more spaced out, and they again could see the back of Cupcake as he weaved through the landscape. The pigeon shot ahead in an attempt to close the distance. When he was less than a dozen feet back, the pigeon transformed back into a gnome.
As Grex fell to the ground, he stretched his arms out toward Cupcake. Four black vines sprung out beneath Cupcake and reached for the demonic pig. Without looking, Cupcake flew over the first vine, spun between the second and third, and easily outdistanced the fourth.
Grex grunted as his face met with the floor. Before he could get back to his feet, the rest of the Delinquents passed him, with Khuwa yanking him up by his robe and carrying him.
"Nice try," she said.
"That pig's not easy to tie up," sighed Grex, dusting off his robe as Khu
wa continued to carry him.
The group began to slow in spite of themselves. They had been running for too long and were starting to run out of breath. Farr grew less sure that they would catch the demon. Would he eventually return to them if they couldn't? Would they find their way back toward Death's Eye now that they were legitimately lost?
The trees parted as they slowed. A slow moving river cut through the forest, its water appearing to be the same as in the normal world. Farr vaguely remembered seeing a river somewhere on the map that Major Esper had given them, but his attention was focused on what floated before them.
A brightly shining figure stood next to the river. As Farr's eyes adjusted, he realized that the figure was an elven woman. She wore a white gown, a golden crown, and several silver bracelets. Her long blonde hair reached past her feet, which were hovering a foot off of the ground. She held Cupcake out before her in one hand, gently petting him with her other.
"Woah..." gasped Grex.
Farr shared the sentiment.
The elven woman shifted her attention to them, her emerald eyes scanning each of them thoughtfully as she smiled.
"Hello, travelers," she said, her voice almost singing.
"H-Hello..." said Khuwa, slowly and gently putting Grex back down. The orc glanced at the others and lowered her voice. "What do you think she's doing?"
"Looks like she's petting Cupcake," said Farr simply.
"Does... Does he like that?" asked Khuwa, tilting her head to the side.
"Doesn't seem like it's bothering him any," pointed out Grex.
"I guess that's true," yielded the orc. "Do you think that means she's friendly?"
"Possibly," nodded Farr. "I don't think she means us any har-"
Yri stalked forward and held her hand up and palm out toward the elf.
"Release my demon," announced the warlock, a ball of green flames forming in her palm, "or die."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
"Yri," cautioned Farr, holding his hands up. "Calm down..."
"No!" said Yri, taking another step toward the bright elf as the ball of green flames grew larger in her palm. "She's done something to Cupcake, and if she doesn't let him go on her own, then I know one way to make her!"
The shining elf smiled and held her hands, and Cupcake, out. The demon pig floated away from the elf and back to the warlock. When he got close, Yri dispelled the fire and grabbed Cupcake.
"I believe there is a misunderstanding," said the beautiful elf. "I don't intend any of you any harm."
"What did you do to him?!" demanded Yri, holding Cupcake up and examining him. Farr could see that the pig's eyes were still gray. "He still isn't back to normal!"
"I apologize," said the elf, bowing her head slightly toward Yri. "My very presence seems to have this kind of effect on demons. It's not something I can turn on or off."
"Maybe if I turn you off..."
"Yri," said Farr, quietly but sternly. They didn't know who this elf was or how she could have this kind of power over Cupcake. If she meant to kill them, surely she would've attacked them before they found her. They should hold off on fighting unless they absolutely needed to, especially now that they were in the heart of the Lund.
"Please, madam," said Grex, walking forward and bowing deeply to the elf. "Perhaps you can explain to us who you are?"
"Of course," beamed the elven women. "I am the Goddess of the Wild."
"A goddess!" exclaimed Grex, his face turning red as he bowed a few more times. "I should've known someone of your beauty couldn't have been from this world!"
"I've never met a deity before," marveled Khuwa, kneeling down and bowing her head toward the elf. "It's an honor."
Farr bowed as well, not knowing what else to do. He noticed Yri didn't follow them in showing respect to the elf.
"I suppose that explains why demons get put in a trance when near you," said Farr as he finished his bow. "Does that happen to most gods?"
"Some," said the elf. "Although, truth be told, I haven't interacted with any of the others in many centuries."
"Why is that?" asked Grex.
"I keep to this land," explained the Goddess of the Wild. "I believe you travelers call it the Lund. None of the other gods visit here."
"Because of Aodh, right?" asked Farr.
The elf's eyes focused on him and he felt his knees grow weak. He gave a nervous laugh and smiled.
"That is correct," she said. "Even though he is chained, they fear that even getting near to his prison will risk setting him free. My home isn't far from there, and I've found that not be true at all."
"You live near Death's Eye?" asked Khuwa. "That's where we were headed!"
The elf shifted her focus to the orc, and Farr felt like he could breathe again. He wasn't normally one to get befuddled by someone, but this elf was the most stunning woman he had ever laid eyes on.
"Perhaps it is destiny, then," said the Goddess of the Wild. "I just finished gathering food for my pets and was on my way back. Please, allow me to escort you to my home."
"More like you want us to escort you," snarled Yri. She looked back at Farr and lowered her voice to a whisper. "She's using us."
The Goddess of the Wild's laugh sounded like wind chimes in a soft breeze. "I appreciate your concern for me, warlock, but I think you will find it quite the reverse."
"Why is that? If you don't mind me asking," said Farr, ignoring Yri. He couldn't blame the elf for wanting their help back to her home. While he would normally charge someone for being protection, he didn't see the harm in doing this one free of charge.
"Not at all," smiled the elf. "You see, the Lundori have a great respect for power. They know of me and the strength that I bring. Because of this, they always keep a wide distance from me."
"So we'll have safe passage with you!" exclaimed Grex, smiling at the others. "This is wonderful news!"
"Indeed, you are doubly in luck," continued the Goddess of the Wild. "I can have us travel at a much faster speed than your legs could take you, so long as we are in the Lund. I'll have us there in no time."
"What luck!" exclaimed Khuwa, the orc grinning a toothy smile.
Yri stared hard at Farr, but the blademagus paid her little attention.
"Then it's settled," smiled Farr. "We'll travel there together."
Yri looked down at Cupcake, who still wasn't back to himself. With a sigh, she nodded.
The Goddess of the Wild spent a few minutes constructing a circle around them in the ground with some help from Grex. The gnome asked her a few questions, but it seemed that this was some higher form of magic mortals wouldn't be able to use. When they were finished, the elf moved to the center of the circle, held her hands together, and closed her eyes.
Several minutes passed.
Farr blinked and looked around. Everything seemed exactly the same.
"Impressive," scoffed Yri, grinning at Farr. "This seems like a very efficient way to travel."
"It takes a moment to kick in," said the elf quietly.
A few seconds later, and the trees outside of the circle appeared to flash by them in a blur. Everything inside of the circle remained static, however.
"Incredible..." mumbled Grex, pulling out a scroll and jotting something down quickly. "I've never seen magic quite like this before."
"Sure you have," said Yri, trying not to let the elf get too much credit. "Our portals act essentially the same way."
"Very good, warlock," smiled the Goddess of the Wild appreciatively.
Yri didn't return the smile.
After a few minutes of watching the Lund pass by them in a blur, the trees slowed until they came to a complete stop. They were now on top of a large cliff, which overlooked a large mound. To their backs was a deep cave, with a small source of light coming from inside of it. Past the cave Farr could see similar large rocks and cliffs, behind which the ocean occasionally crashed into. Trees dotted their own cliff, but were fewer in number than those spread out beneath the cliff, a
side from the mound which was bare of any plant life.
The mound had a dark metal object in the middle of it, covered in large, metal chains. While he couldn't be sure, it looked like the container continued deeper into the ground. Knowing what it was, it made sense that it did.
Aodh's prison.
"So that's it, huh?" asked Grex, writing again in his scroll. "I've got to say, it's not as impressive as I pictured it in my head."
"It was simpler times millennia ago," shrugged the elf. "The gods were more concerned with effectiveness than style."
"Seems reasonable to me," nodded Farr. He glanced sideways at Yri. "You taking us here must have saved us hours, possibly days."
Yri mumbled something and went back to studying Cupcake. She gently smacked him a few times, but the pig's demeanor didn't change.
Farr motioned back to the cave. "Is that your home?"
"It is," smiled the elf. "Would you like to come inside?"
There was a loud mixture of chirping and buzzing coming from inside of the cave. The Delinquents each took a few steps back, their eyes locked on the entrance.
"Uh, I think I'd prefer to stay out here," said Farr.
"Is something the matter?" asked the elf.
"What is that noise?" asked Khuwa, gulping.
"I know what it is, and what it comes from," said Yri cryptically.
The Goddess of the Wild didn't need to answer them and Yri didn't need to explain any further. Several dozen small creatures slowly walked out of the cave. None of them were taller than a foot, and each of them were either black, red, or dark yellow. Most of them had wings, several had long tails, and all of them had sharp talons and sharper teeth. They exuded a smell of burnt rubber, causing Farr to briefly cover his nose as he adjusted to it.
"These are my pets," said the Goddess of the Wild simply.
"Y-You keep demons for pets?" asked Khuwa, gripping her axe tightly.
"And a lot of them," added Grex.
"You mentioned something before we left," said Yri, her voice quiet. "You said you were out looking for food to feed them. Only... I don't see you carrying anything."