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Chapter 49
🕑 Added 2023-05-01 19:45:11 +0000 UTCWolvensden, Etson National Forest, Etson - 9:51 PM
Wolvensden was built around a perennial spring that flowed into a small stream. It was large enough for the Kobold’s needs while providing them with a pleasant environment. The grass here was lush, the trees provided cover from the hot Florida sun, and their huts were made of wood with plenty of ventilation. The biggest building was a stilt house belonging to Elder Tet. It was situated over the spring and provided shade to any who had business with the water. Overall, Wolvensden was a quaint and cozy village.
Which made it all the worse that they had to leave. I knew the Kobolds would come back after the Vespae were beaten and the forest was safe again, but the wasps didn’t take kindly to any sort of slight whether real or imaginary. By the time they returned, Wolvensden would be burnt to the ground. As long as the people were around, they could rebuild and that was all that mattered.
Some of the Kobolds stopped working momentarily to watch us as we approached. They wore light clothing that I would consider almost Amish in nature. A group of children no taller than my knee were amongst the boxes, crates, and baskets of necessities to be taken with the group. They scattered as soon as their eyes met ours, hiding behind the pile of things they had been left with. Elder Tet ignored them, but Jeff stopped with a hand on Kayla.
“Hey kids,” he said gently, smiling. “Want to see something cool?” Some of the kids poked their heads up, their ears still straight up and vigilant. Jeff moved Kayla so that she was in front of him, his hands on her shoulders.
“What am I supposed to… Oh,” Kayla started to say before getting it. She closed her eyes and muttered something under her breath. I paused to watch her. The air around her body shimmered and distorted like a mirage in the distance. It was just for a few seconds, but when it went away there was a Dryad standing there instead. Different from Serranras and certainly far more clothed, Kayla had a similar bark pattern to this forest’s mother but had vibrant green hair similar to that of a weeping willow.
“Tree mother!” The children cried out in near unison. They rushed from their hiding spots to swarm her, grabbing onto her legs and laughing.
The adults still working stopped to bow or curtsy at Kayla out of politeness. Once they were gone, she lowered herself so that she was closer to their level and put a finger to her lips. “I’m a secret tree mother, okay? No telling,” Kayla requested as the illusion wore off and she returned to her normal form. She was met with the giggles of the Kobold children before they were called back into the village by someone.
“Dang, Kay,” Jeff said once she stood up. He hugged her from behind and rested his head on her shoulder despite being a solid foot taller than her. “You look good with green hair and dark skin.”
“You say I look good in anything, honey,” she retorted. Jeff whispered something in her ear, and she tapped him on the nose before extricating herself and heading inside. “You’re cute, Jeff.”
With a snicker, I walked up to him. “Level ten,” I said.
“Level ten what?” he asked, tilting his head towards me but not taking his eyes off of his wife.
“That’s when Part of the Crowd stops being an illusion and starts being a transformation,” I said. “You know, something to look forward to.”
We shared a look before laughing. He held out his fist, and I bumped it with mine. “Good looking out, Ant, but I really am happy with how she is, you know? Doesn’t matter what she looks like; as long as she’s Kayla then she’s all I need.”
“I hear you, you love sick dog. C’mon, let’s get inside and see if anyone needs help moving something heavy.”
We entered Wolvensden to see that most of the work had already been done. Usually it would take more time than this, but that was when I came alone. Apparently, bringing along two more people and their dog meant the Kobolds thought we had a better chance and they acted accordingly. Jeff and I were regulated to helping a few more while Kayla and Corwin were being chased by children wanting to see the secret again.
The Kobolds were wary of us, especially Kayla as she had the full attention of their kids, though they warmed up quickly once they saw that we were working just as hard as they were. Not many of them spoke to our group outside of giving directions, however, and I wasn’t holding that against them. They were being removed from their home against their will. It didn’t matter that the system had only dropped a couple of days ago; to them, they lived their whole lives here.
I allowed myself to be distracted as Corwin ran into my legs, tail wagging and tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. He was wet from the spring water but as happy as could be. Before I could reach down to pet him, he shook his body and soaked my clothes. Then he trotted away. “Really?” I called out. “A drive by dousing? You’ve betrayed me, Corwin.” Corwin turned his head to look at me before running off to Kayla.
“Come on,” Jeff said as he passed by holding a basket of handmade wooden and cloth toys. “I think this is the last of everything.”
“They asked you to take the toys with us?” I asked.
“Nope, I just decided to grab them. Kids’ll be a bored handful if they don’t have anything to play with,” he responded.
I nodded after thinking it over. “I gotcha. Can you grab an empty box or basket from somewhere? I’m out of inventory space.”
“Sure thing, Ant.”
“Appreciate you, man,” I said before I headed towards the front gate.
All sixty-something Kobolds were gathered at the entrance shortly after we arrived. They began grabbing as much as they could carry. I moved to the front of the pack to talk with Tet as Kayla returned to Jeff, looking tired but pleased with herself.
“Is everyone ready to go?” I asked the elder.
He turned to me and nodded. “Yes, we are ready. Do you already know where we’re going?”
“I do. There’s a youth camp near one of the rivers just outside of Etson National Forest. It’s close enough that people are very unlikely to wander into the area while being outside of the Vespae’s patrols.”
“Then please, Anthony, lead the way,” he said with a gracious downwards tilt of his head. Tet looked back at his people. “We are leaving today, but we will return to our homes once the Vespae have been conquered. Be at peace, my people, we shall not be away long. Remember, when we reach the tree divide everyone will move to a single file line and follow after the person in front of you. This will stop us from triggering Talspra’s traps. Let’s move out!”
A murmur rocked through the Kobold people, but they were determined and began following after Tet and I. The warriors took up the rear while the Mills moved up to be with us. Jeff had been carrying two boxes, but I took one of them from him so he could have a hand free in case there was fighting. I didn’t expect any further resistance, but it was still in the realm of possibility. Out of consideration for the group, I didn’t lead them nearly as fast as I had led Kayla and Jeff.
“So about the Vespae queen,” Kayla said not long after we left.
“She is a terrible tyrant,” Tet said in a low voice. “The queen is smaller than most of the other Vespae, but just as much a bundle of disgust and hatred as the rest. A single sting from her is fatal.”
“Is she that strong?” Jeff asked.
“Worse than strong,” I interjected. “She’s based off of a jeweled wasp, or also known as an emerald cockroach wasp. The queen’s a metallic bluish green with red limbs, which is where they got their name from. Her sting doesn’t kill you, but the poison will disrupt the chemistry in your brain to change you into a mindless husk. You won’t be able to take care of yourself, let alone defend yourself.”
“Good lord,” Jeff said. “Is that something they do in real life?”
“Close enough for the system to take it and make it worse. If you don’t already know about them, I’m not going to explain it because it’s really damn gross.”
“It can’t just be boiled down to don’t get hit, right?” Kayla asked. “There has to be a way to protect yourself from it.”
“Everything boils down to ‘don’t get hit,’ but that’s not the discussion we’re having. A high constitution can offset the poison, but it has to be near the scenario limit. Like fifteen or sixteen, and that’s only for a single sting. If she keeps hitting you then you have more of it in your system and the requirement to shrug it off gets higher,” I answered. “I have one vial of antitoxin left, which I had planned to give to Jeff so that he wouldn’t be in danger of getting poisoned when he’s trying to get the Needle Lancer class.”
“Will that be enough?” Tet asked. “I don’t mean to imply anything after you’ve worked so hard to free us, but I find it hard to believe that you’ve found a catch all antidote powerful enough to counteract the poison of the queen of wasps.”
“It’s a special, super rare drop,” I explained without taking offense. “We’re not going to see an antidote like it for a very long time to come.”
“And what about you? Will you not need it?” Jeff asked, clearly concerned.
I smiled. “Maybe someday, but thanks to the Writhing Zeppelin I am more than set up on the constitution stat for a good while. This belt is serving me incredibly well.”
“How high is your constitution?” Kayla asked, then she backpedaled quickly. “You don’t have to answer, I was just curious.”
“Under normal circumstances, asking someone else their stats is very rude. However, we are partners in all this so long as you two are with me, so I’m not going to sweat the details. My constitution is my highest stat at 41. Dexterity will go back to being my highest once I have full use of my hands back and I can wield the Vague Stick again.” I flexed my hand underneath the box. It was mostly propped up between my chest and forearm since I didn’t trust my fingers to hold it.
“41?” she asked, nearly dropping the basket she carried. “How in the hell did you manage that?”
“I had a constitution booster, like the ones I gave you, and that jacked it up to twenty,” I said with a shrug. “The belt is a huge plus ten, and the other eleven come from little bonuses here and there. ”
“No wonder you were so sure of yourself when you arrived at our village,” Tet said. “Slaying Talspra must have been easy for someone with your level of power.”
“Nah. Well, it would have been, but I actually only helped a little. It was these two that did the hard part,” I said, jerking my thumb at Kayla and Jeff.
“He made us work for it, that’s for sure,” Kayla said.
“You two did great,” I said with a wave of my hand. “All I did was prevent some damage done to you both in the form of traps. I certainly didn’t expect you to dive into the gasoline to stop the second smoke bomb from lighting it up.”
“Ugh, that was so gross. I can’t believe I have the life experience to say this now, but blood is definitely preferable to gasoline,” Kayla said, shivering.
“You did great,” Jeff said. “I’ve already had experience with burns before, I certainly don’t want to deal with that while fighting a pain enhancing freak like her.”
“It was a badass move,” I agreed.
“Yeah, that’s my wife!” Jeff yelled, bumping his shoulder into her since he was holding a box with both hands.
“Keep it down, honey, we don’t need to invite disaster to ourselves. Not with all these people in tow,” she chastised. However, she leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder for a few steps before backing off.
“Does Serranras know you are so close to her champion?” Tet asked cautiously.
Kayla snorted. “He was my ‘champion’ first, Elder,” she challenged. “And I’m not letting anyone forget the fact.”
“Ah, yes, I see,” the Kobold replied, giving me a look as if I could give him a different answer. I just chuckled.
We entered the area that had once been Talspra’s domain. Without any fuss, the Kobolds switched to a single file line in order to keep themselves as safe as possible. A fearful quiet blanketed the forest as we forged ahead. While the danger had passed, this was still the home of the Kobold's tormentor. It had only been two days, but the memories implanted in their head made it much longer for them than it was for us.
Behind us, the Kobolds were getting antsy. They increased their speed, forcing me to do the same as the leader despite not being told to do so. The mood had shifted enough that no one wanted to speak, and we marched in silence. When I looked back, I saw that one of the children had grabbed onto the back of Kayla’s shirt. She shifted the basket to one arm and lifted the pup into her other. They immediately seemed more at ease. I caught Jeff staring wistfully at his wife with a sad smile on his face, though he schooled his expression when his eyes met mine. Without saying a word, I looked forward again.
The minutes stretched as the dread wove itself deeper into the Kobolds. It seemed they expected a battalion of Vespae to descend on them at any moment. The fear was almost palpable, but I ignored it. They’d be safe one way or another.
Once we came across a shallow river, I knew we were safe. The area opened up around us into a series of rustic log cabins surrounding a large building with the words “Chuck Wagon” on the front. Each of the cabins were large enough to fit several people, or in this case the human child-sized Kobolds, and were named after various tribes that used to live in the area.
“Elder Tet, we’re here,” I said after crossing the river.
“We have arrived!” Elder Tet cried out. A wave of relief passed over the Kobolds as they, too, cheered. “Place your things by the big building and we’ll start figuring out sleeping arrangements.”
“This is as far as we go,” I said. I stopped Kayla and Jeff from following Tet and placed my box down on the ground. “Any further and we’ll rouse the guardian of this place, so it’s best to let the Kobolds go from here.”
“It won’t attack them?” Kayla asked with concern.
“No, it’s a fey creature that’s only hostile to humans. It wouldn’t be a big deal to us, but it’ll help deter other people from finding this place and hassling the Kobolds,” I explained. Once she heard that they would be safe, Kayla set the child down. He hugged her leg before running off. “I’m sure Elder Tet will be able to talk it into letting us come in, but we don’t have time for that. Not until after we save Serranras.”
As the Kobolds all passed by us, Tet turned to me. “Thank you so much for bringing us this far. We thought that we would have been dragged into the war, but you three have truly brought peace upon us.”
“Peace for now,” I corrected. “We would still like your help with the war efforts if at all possible, though only as much as you’re comfortable providing. Volunteers only, not forced conscription.”
Tet raised his staff and brought it to the ground. “Even if no one else heeds the call to action, I will be there by your side. I pledge this on my life.”
“You’re a good person, Elder Tet,” I said, offering him my hand. He took it without hesitation, and after we shook I looked back at the group of Kobolds crossing the river. There weren’t many left now; the quest would be over soon. “We should get going. I’m expecting this forest’s mother will have something to say to us shortly.”
“I did say we would help liberate the forest mother, so I’ll come and-“
“You need to stay and help your people get in order,” I said, talking over Tet. “And you need your warriors around to make sure they feel protected. We’ll be fine on our own.”
Tet frowned and stroked his chin, but after a few seconds nodded. “Very well, I suppose I can’t argue with that. Thank you for thinking of Wolvensden first.”
[[Quest complete!]]
You have completed the task given to you by this forest’s mother, Serranras. Now that the Kobolds are free from the evil clutches of the Vespae, the dryad feels it is safe enough to attempt to uproot herself and find new fertile ground. No matter what happens next, Serranras will always be eternally grateful to you.
Reward: Serranras’ Trust passive, +100 points.
[[Passive]]
Serranras’ Trust: You have learned the language of the Dryads and they will always welcome you into their forest unless you give them a reason to be wary. When in a wooded environment, you will never be hindered by the natural terrain.
“Kayla, Jeff, you ready?” I asked as I swiped away the text boxes.
“About as ready as I’m going to be,” Kayla answered.
“Good to go, boss,” Jeff responded.
I nodded to them and turned back towards the river. Serranras stood on the other side, as regal as she did when we first summoned her hours ago. I began walking back.
The bark-skinned woman waited for us in the trees as we wadded across the river. Serranras had a gentle smile on her face now that hadn’t been present when we first met. Despite the dangerous mission we would be undertaking soon, she looked relaxed. At peace with herself and her predicament.
“This forest’s mother greets these heroes,” she said, inclining her head politely.
“These heroes greet this forest’s mother,” I replied as we stepped out of the water. “We have done as this forest’s mother has requested.”
“And done well. The leavings of the huntress have already been dismantled and discarded. This forest’s mother will show you to the way.” Raising her arm and turning, the leaves and detritus on the ground shifted to give us a clear path. “Once these heroes have arrived, this forest’s mother will begin harmonizing with a new sapling.”
[[Quest: The Tree of the Forest's Mother]]
With the rousing success you’ve had leading the Kobolds to safety, the mother of the forest has decided to trust you with a task that will leave her all but vulnerable to attacks from the outside: merging with a new tree. Once the Vespae learn of this, they will undoubtedly send troops to punish Serranras for daring to rebel against them. Rally against the wasps and allow this forest’s mother to transfer safely to her new abode.
Objective: Guard Serranras’ sapling until her essence has fully merged with it and take it to safety.
Reward: 200 points.
Failure: Serranras’ death
I accepted the quest and glanced at the Mills. Jeff was looking at the invisible menu screen with furrowed brow, and Kayla almost looked resigned at hers. I knew that Jeff’s reward was going to look different due to Serranras’ interest, but I didn’t expect the trepidation on Kayla’s face. Something must have been weird there, too. “Something wrong?”
“No,” they both said quickly before Kayla spoke up. “Let’s go get this over with.”
I nodded. “Alright, let’s get to it.”
Comments
Conor McGroarty
Serranras asking for a threesome in the quest menu? Probably for the best Anthony doesn’t have her interest considering his “unlabeled” relationship with Sara
Conor McGroarty
Interesting quest description for the couple over there
