The entire tree seemed to be shaking, similar to a wet dog. Efrain did not stop to wonder how the bark and roots withstood the forces that must’ve been required.

“What’s happening?” said Naia, “please tell me you didn’t insult it.”

“No, rather, it’s giving me a gift,” said Efrain, “what that may be is beyond me.”

From somewhere in the distance, there was a high, shrill sound. Then a series of them that resolved into two distinct voices, both screaming. That being said, one of them seemed to be in fear, and the other in… excitement?

The roots that lined the cavern shuddered and twisted themselves into two openings. Moments later, two bodies slid out and crashed into the floor. One of them sprang to her feet, covered in dirt and leaves, and smiled.

“That was fun!” she said, before looking around and shaking the dirt free of her.

The other, who Efrain recognized as Frare’s sister, groaned as she sat up.

“Where now?” she said as she looked around the cavern.

Naia, carefully stepping over the roots, drew her up.

“It would seem you’re far from your minders, Lady Sorore,” he said, with a tired smile.

[Query. Is this the gift? Confused.] said Efrain.

[Statement. The smaller one is one of yours, lost among us. The larger one is the gift owed. ~]

Efrain looked at the older woman, dressed in a combination of furs and softer, light layers of fabric, seemingly hand-stitched. A series of leather belts strewn her body, lined with holsters for scrolls, metal implements, and two or three heavy-bound books. She returned the look back at him, and smiled, perfectly at ease in the realm of the rot-god.

[Query. Who is the gifter? Curious.] said Efrain.

[Statement. The soul-eater, Kalnive. A payment for obligations fulfilled. ~]

“What?” he said, looking at her, “she’s the reward?”

The pourjava said nothing, merely regarded him impassively from its empty sockets.

“Alright, who and what are you?” he said, sighing as he turned to the woman.

“Claralelle, human,” she said, striding over, notably taller than Efrain.

“And why is Kalnive sending you to us as a gift?”

“Did she say that? All that she told me is that you two could use my help?” she said, spinning on her heel as she looked around “you know, if you lanced one of the roots here, you could see the whole forest.”

A mage, then? Efrain thought, realising that he’d have to work this one out later.

“You would also die instantly for such an offence,” he said.

“Oh, I know. Wouldn’t it be worth it though?”

“Uhhh,” Efrain stalled, before returning to the pourjava.

[Statement. We accept the gift and are grateful. Gratitude.] he said, not daring to presume the rot-god might convey his thanks.

[Command. Then it is done. Present your flesh. ~]

Efrain signalled to Naia to retrieve the corpses, and after a moment they had them laid before the roots, which began to circle their bodies. After taking his equivalent of a deep breath, he spoke.

[Request. We ask to take some small portion, for remembrance. Respect.]

[Query. Why? The woods will remember them, as it does all that pass to rot. ~]

Efrain really couldn’t provide an answer to that, and stood there, fumbling. Before the girl, Claralelle, chimed in.

[Explanation. They seek to learn from their experience, and to honour and respect the memories of a pourjava’s guidance. Belief and memory, great one. Of little value to you, but of much to them. A single knuckle from each, if you are willing. Respect.] she said.

The undulations of the roots slowed as the pourjava considered the request.

[Statement. Very well. Take what is agreed. ~]

[Statement. I will, and shall cast the flesh back into the trees. Joy.]

Efrain would’ve frowned somewhat at the ‘joy’ indicator, but she had pulled them from something of a sticky situation. She knelt by one of the bodies, grasping one of the arms, and withdrew a short blade. Before she could continue, however, Naia spoke up.

“What exactly is this… woman doing, lord Efrain?”

“She’s retrieving your mementoes, commander. I would suggest you memorise which one came from where,” Efrain said.

“Not the strangest thing to happen today,” Naia said, “well I-”

“Say their names, as I carve them,” she said, “it’ll help!”

Efrain ignored Naia as she pressed the knife to the corpse’s finger. The detachment was quick, but also methodical. Muscle, tendons and fat seemed to fall off the bone as she carved them away and finally tossed the bloody knuckle to Naia.

“Don’t get them mixed up now,” she said, as she moved on to the next one.

Several minutes later, she was done and the phalanges were collected. Standing back from her work, she wiped the scalpel off on the edge of her skirt.

“Anything else?”

She could’ve been in a festival for how bright and cherry she was.

“No,” Naia said slowly, holding the knuckles between his fingers, “I think that’s it.”

“Well, great!”

[Statement. We are finished. Thanks be given, rot god. Respect.]

The pourjava gave no response other than its roots circling around the bodies, burrowing into them. A powerful buzz of magic filled the air as Efrain watched the flesh darken, sheets of mould and plates of fungus sprouting. As the magic rose to a painful whine, the flora grew larger and more varied in colour as flesh dissolved beneath them. Until, finally, they too blackened and crumbled away into the network of roots below.

Naia tried to say something, but Efrain held up his hand. In the silence that followed, the flowers seemed to glow just a little bit brighter, and the trickle of foul liquid from its vacant eye sockets quickened slightly.

[Statement. The tribute is accepted. The Path is open to you. ~]

[Statement. Thanks be given. Gratitude.]

“The way is open to us,” Efrain said, feeling some of the tension leaving him, “I imagine they’ll guide us to the Green Way when we leave the hollow.”

“I hope this was all worth it,” Naia said, as he looked at where the remains of his men had lain.

“If you want to traverse the forest quickly,” Efrain responded, “sacrifices for boons. That’s the way of this side of the world.”

“I don’t need for that to be explained. Lady Sorore, let’s return. I’m sure Lillian and Niche are losing their minds about now.”

The girl nodded, and Naia took her by the hand and led her down into the gloom.

“Now, what am I supposed to do with you?” Efrain said to Claralelle.

She shrugged.

“That’s profoundly unhelpful,” he said, “did Kalnive say anything other than ‘you might be useful’ to us?”

She shrugged again. Efrain’s finger crept towards his temple before he stopped it.

“Well, far from me to question a gift given from Kalnive. You’re coming with us?”

“Yes!”

“You have a mount?”

“You’re going on the Green Road, none of us need mounts,” she said.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

“We’ll talk about this later, then. I’m sure Innie will love to interrogate you.”

The woman bounded into the dark passage upwards.

“As if I didn’t have enough problems already,” he said, “who is she?”

[Statement. Dead one. ~]

Efrain turned around to face the skull and its whispers.

[Query. You walk with the scent of the old wood. Why? ~]

[Statement. Scent of the old wood? I don’t understand. I travel with a… soul-eater. Confused]

[Statement. No. The scent of the old wood. The First Seed. ~]

[Query. I don’t understand. Confused.]

The pourjava fell silent, and a response never came. Efrain returned to the shadowed tunnel and left it to its quiet reflection. Emerging into the mists, he found Innie perched just above the entrance.

“By the fact that you’re leaving intact, it seems it went better than I expected.”

“Yes, I dealt with my own mess. You’re welcome.”

She snorted as she floated down to the floor.

“Passive-aggression doesn’t suit you. You’re at your best when it's full-on sarcasm.”

“I’m so glad I’m catering my spite to your tastes.”

“There you go. Now, how did it go?”

“We got passage. Oh, and Kalnive gave us a gift,” he said.

“We must’ve gotten the rest of those things,” Innie said with a shudder of sparks, “spirits don’t forget debts.”

“I suspect that she had the reward in mind the whole time.”

“Why do you say that?” Innie said, the ball of fire floating up before him.

“Well-” Efrain began, before something tumbled out from some burrow or branch, giggling before him - Claralelle, in all her dishevelled glory.

“Hello!” she said, smiling near deliriously.

“That,” Efrain finished.

“Oh,” said Innie, floating over to inspect the woman, “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“If this keeps up you’re going to have as many charges as me,” she chuckled.

“No. Don’t say that. Don’t even think it.”

“Why not? You were talking about having some ‘merry adventures’. What are children, if not-”

“Don’t even go there, old woman,” he said, extending one long finger in accusation, “besides, she’s not even a child.”

“Hm. What’s your name?” Innie said, as she settled down among the leaves, solidifying into her cat form.

“Oh, you’re gorgeous,” said Claralelle.

“Claralelle,” Efrain supplied, “at least that’s what she told me.”

“Kalnive never liked dressing up,” she said, to both their confusion, “I think she thought it too ‘gauche’.”

“…what?” said Innie.

“Too demeaning,” said Clarallele, “at least, that’s what I think that word meant. I wasn’t the best at them. Except for bones. And muscles. I could label each one of yours, I’m sure.”

“Clarallele?” inquired Efrain softly.

“Yes?”

“Shut up, slow down, and then start by telling us who you are and why you’re our gift.”

“Sure! So, more-or-less, I was born dead, or close to it, then my teacher saved me, taught me, died, and I’ve been wandering the woods ever since.”

There was a moment of silence between the three.

“Well, that was surprisingly succinct,” Efrain said tentatively.

“Well, I actually glossed over a lot, there was my reconstruction, my training, all those anatomy studies teacher made me do, the time where I hung about with Kalnive and she taught me Tema’tek, and of course there was that time we, me and my teacher, were running from the Coven which didn’t work, oh, and then there’s the vergigantes letting me into the grove and-“

“Nope. I’m not dealing with this,” Efrain said, “Innie, this one’s yours.”

“Why is it me who has to do the work?” she complained.

“I just opened passage to the Green Road.”

“Any idiot with a sac of offal can do that.”

“Just do it,” Efrain said, “you’re better with children anyways.”

“Oh, she’s a child now?”

“Innie-”

“Fine. Alright Claralelle, let’s slow down a little,” said Innie.

“Okay,” she said, “where do you want to start?”

“Why don’t we start at the beginning. Where did you come from?”

“Uh-”

“One thing at a time. And take your time, please.”

“Okay, so, I was born from… some people. I don’t really know. The earliest person I remember was my teacher.”

“Did she raise you?”

“More-or-less. I don’t think she would call it that?”

“Why?”

“Well, I think she’d call me an experiment,” she said, pointing to the faint scars around her head, “I was born with a problem with the brain. She never thought to dwell on the details.”

“So you lived with your teacher, then, and she taught you what, exactly?”

“The ways of Flesh. Anatomy, medicine, magic, the usual,” said Claralelle.

“Ah,” said Efrain, as the piece began to fall into place, “your teacher was one of the Coven.”

“I guess? She really didn’t like being around others.”

“Flesh lords are, as a rule, solitary,” Efrain said, “and so, then, what happened to her?”

“She was hunted down and killed,” she said, “by others of the Coven.”

“Hm,” Efrain said, as he regarded the scars, “she was playing with people’s heads, wasn’t she?”

“Yup!” said Claralelle.

“Why is that important, Efrain?” said Innie.

“One of the few taboos of the flesh Covens. Tinkering with the brain beyond cursory fiddling or very controlled adjustments can get you in a lot of trouble. Push too far, and the other members will hunt you down and destroy you.”

“Carnes told you?”

“One of the things that they were insistent on when they taught me flesh-craft,” he said, thinking back to his lonely castle in the Frozen Vale, “why do you think that most of my creations lack intellect? Sounds like your teacher was playing with fire.”

He glossed over the fact that he’d ignored that rule more than once. Also the fact he generally failed at producing said intellect.

“She seemed driven enough. I think she had a good reason beyond idle curiosity.”

“Hm. That might be,” Efrain said, “and so, what happened to you when she was killed? I doubt that the others of the Coven would suffer her creations to live, and they’re not known for being sloppy.”

“Didn’t you mention Carnes?” she said, cocking her head.

“Let me guess. They found you and told you to run to the north, didn’t they?” Efrain said.

She nodded, and Efrain shook his head.

“That slimy- I’m not an orphanage,” Efrain said, “I’m not here to host their curios. So, you went north and…”

“I wandered the woods for a good while. Had a few close calls, until I found Kalnive. She took me in for a few months, taught me more about magic and the forest, and then the cold came.”

“The cold?

“The one that wrapped around you like a serpent and tried to squeeze the life out of you. She told me to leave south. I argued with her. She told me to seek out the pourjava and tell him of the problems with the wood.”

“And here you are.”

She nodded emphatically.

“And so what, does Kalnive expect us to take you in and teach you? To guide you to further goals?”

She shrugged.

“Okay,” Efrain sighed, “what exactly do you want, then? You can go back to Kalnive - the forest should be safe now. I think.”

“I’m not sure what I want,” she said, smiling absently as she looked up at golden branches, “but she said I was your ‘gift’, so maybe I should just stick with you.”

“That’s incredibly contrived,” Efrain said, “you really have no deeper motivation? No goals, no nothing?”

“I guess I’ve always wanted to go into an actual town,” she said, “I only went with my teacher, and she handled everything. I wonder if things have changed now that I’m on my own.”

“Innie, can I talk to you for a second?” Efrain said as he retreated from the bubbly woman, the cat following.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Efrain said, “how exactly is this a ‘gift’?”

“Who knows? Kalnive is much older than the both of us. Perhaps she knows something that we don’t.”

“Or maybe she has an antiquated sense of humour,” Efrain said sourly, “I can’t care for a child.”

“She’s hardly a child, Efrain - she has knowledge, experience, and judging by her clothes, she knows how to survive on her own.”

“Point taken,” he said, “still, I don’t know what she expects of us. Guidance? Teaching? For what?”

“Maybe she thought that having someone around with a diametrically opposed personality to yours would do you good.”

“Or she got tired of the girl and is just another person shuffling their problems off to me.”

“Please. She’s not that petty, impatient, nor irresponsible. Wisp-mothers are surrounded by children, and she’s one of the oldest.”

“So she gave her to us for a reason then, but didn’t bother to convey it to us.”

“Looks like it.”

Efrain sighed as he stretched out towards the skies.

“And how exactly am I going to explain this to our company?”

“Do you have too? She’s a ‘gift from the forest’ to guide us on our way on the Green Road.”

“And if she wants to come to Muphestfelm, or beyond?”

“Efrain, are you really planning to follow this group beyond Muphestfelm?”

“I have no idea. To be totally honest, those children are a tantalising mystery. Even if I don’t choose to go with them, I might still want to go down south.”

“And then what?”

“Onward and on, to elsewhere or back home. Who knows? Either way, I’ve got more important things to deal with in the present.”

“So she’s coming with us,” Innie said, “your retinue is getting larger by the day.”

“Hm,” Efrain said, “I don’t really see a practical way of stopping her, nor do I have a huge number of reasons to do so. So we’re stuck.”

“How benevolent,” Innie said, as the pair walked towards Claralelle.

“Fine. You can come with us, if that’s what you want,” Efrain said, “on one condition.”

“Great! Even if you said no I was probably going to-”

“When I say you do something, you do it. Without question. Including telling you to stay quiet. Deal?”

“Deal,” she said, sending torn up moss fluttering as she assumed her full height, which was considerable.

“Right. Now I’m going to try and convince the members of our retinue to ignore the fact that I’m bringing on another person. Let me do the talking.”

She nodded, and the trio set off through the misty trunks. When they emerged, they found the soldiers consolidated around an area near the entrance, flanked by two still ents. Efrain found Naia standing at its core, speaking in hushed tones to men polishing their gear.

“Alright, commander, I think we’re ready to go when you are,” Efrain said, nodding toward the Vergigant.

“Captains, get your men ready,” Naia said as he turned to greet Efrain, “so how does this work?”

“Once everyone’s lined up to go, I’ll call the ents, and we’ll be on our way, to wherever the forest touches. Assuming you want to go to Muphestfelm, that should be no issue.”

“Anything else we should know?” he said.

“Double check that everyone you want to come is here,” said Claralelle, braving the poisonous glare from Efrain, “If you leave anyone here, you’ll have to come back the long way.”

“So, you’re coming too?”

Claralelle nodded. Naia looked back at Efrain and raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t have much of a choice in this one, I’m afraid,” Efrain said apologetically, “I’ll make sure she behaves herself.”

“As you say,” he said, “I suppose you’ll want to prepare for the journey. Your mount’s over there.”

He pointed to where Tykhon lay, rolling around in the earth, apparently enjoying itself immensely.

“Right, we’ll wait for you at the entrance.”

Tykhon arose and sniffed suspiciously at Claralelle, who, in utter contrast, gave a delighted squeal as she rushed towards it.

“No, don’t-” said Efrain, as he watched the two bolt off and circle around the clearing.

After a few moments, when it became clear that Tykhon wasn’t about to disember the young woman, Efrain stepped forwards.

“You seem to like it,” he said as the mount shuddered to a stop at his presence.

“Oh, he’s beautiful. You are a he, no?” she said, “maybe it’s a they, if it’s a chimaera. Why bother integrating a reproductive system? Easier to chop off and forget about.”

She approached and ever-so-slowly offered her hands, at which the mount sniffed, and allowed her to stroke it.

“Such artistry! You’d never be able to tell it's a composite from the flesh work. Look at what they did with the shoulder, integrating the deltoid into the biceps structure, rather than an extensor.”

“Carnes is nothing if not talented,” Efrain said dryly, “are you going to join us, or are you going to be walking the Green Way?”

“I can ride him?” she gasped, eyes genuinely shining at the prospect.

“Yes. You may ride him. Now come on,” Efrain said as he stepped up into the saddle.

Tykhon, for his part, didn’t seem to have any difficulty with the extra weight and meandered where Efrain led him. The retinue of knights were lined up before the entrance, the paladins and the children on their own horses. Efrain circled to the front, where Naia awaited him, arms crossed.

“Ready?”

“We are,” he said, “time for you to uphold your bargain.”

[Request. Will you open the gate? Respect.]

“Your sequencing is rusty,” said Claralelle, “should I do it?”

“Shush,” said Efrain as the Ents knelt, cradling the entrance in their arms, their bodies fusinng into the roots and rocks that surrounded the entrance to the hollow. The air began to quicken and his teeth began to buzz as a great rush of magic flowed throughout the surface. From behind them, a series of dryads rushed towards the dark tunnel. Once they passed through the ring of wood, they began to flicker and glow, as if swarmed with fireflies.

“You’ll want to stay close on my tail. It’s a bit harder to get lost on the Road than the mists, but if you follow an errant path, you might get spat out fifty leagues from your target,” Efrain called out.

Spurring Tykhon on, Efrian and his ‘retinue’ passed through the new entrance. There was the distinct impression of pushing through an elastic membrane. He didn't bother looking behind as he went deeper and deeper into the darkness. It was sometime later, when he heard Naia call towards him.

“Is it this dark the whole way?”

“Only the first part,” Clarallele called back, “it’ll all be worth it in a few moments.”

There was further silence, as they rounded a corner in the passage a green-yellow light began to shine down towards them.

“So, is this the-” Naia said as he emerged, and was struck silent by the sight.

A massive underground ravine, its sides composed of trunks fused together with the occasional boulder or rock face. Vines and branches twisted and criss-crossed its width as great bridges, hundreds of them repeating at different angles and heights into the hazy distance. A layer of what looked like moss crawled and scuttled and slithered over the tree trunks. In truth, they were bioluminescent insects, some small as ants, others that looked like they could comfortably eat a horse whole. Many metres below, a calm river lapped at the dense network of roots that stretched into the water at either side.

Efrain waved to the expanse, and to the newly grown path that the dryads floated over.

“Yes. This is the Green Road.”