The dust cleared and rubble remained in the once-closed room. The sky became visible below the newly formed hole. It was late in the afternoon and a flock of black avians swooped through. The adventures never realized the number of days that passed by.
“What happened?” Rez woke up from the smell of Milas’s medicine. A sack containing minerals and fluids triggered his groggy senses. Nia quivered out of exhaustion. The shield dissolved and an unconscious Corbin was seen. She sat down while preventing herself from falling.
“Good, now we have to patch up Corbin. He has a gaping wound and needs help.” Rez shook his head to regain consciousness. The two approached Corbin who was still profusely bleeding. Rez grabbed his last black powder and poured it over the wound. He ignited his flint and tinder while preparing for a violent reaction.
“This might hurt a little.” Rez tried to talk with Corbin. Milas let Corbin lie back on her chest. A bright flicker burns Corbin’s wound.
“ARRGH!” Corbin wailed while his wound cauterized a little. The treatment only temporarily closed the mortal wound.
“Please stay awake, you have to handle this.” Milas looked worried for her companion while cradling him.
Corbin slowly opened his eyes and coughed with blood. While the two were treating Corbin’s wound, Nia crawled toward them.
The ground trembled and a crystal-clear pillar emerged in the middle of the room. Gone was the dark obelisk. Along the tremor came the Motherlode and greater elementals. Their presence was very tremendous, yet benign. Made of incorporeal, crystalline bodies, their light warmed the once-cold room.
“We are greatly in debt to you, adventurers. You have released us from our plight.” They telepathically communicated with the adventurers as they possessed no mouths.
“How can we repay you?” The greater elemental of water looked at them with compassion. These unseasoned adventurers managed to defeat a threatening being. If they failed to defeat the Messenger, soon the whole forest would be corrupted.
“Can you treat Corbin’s wound?” Nia glanced at the greater elementals with awe. She hasn’t encountered a being mightier than anyone else.
“It shall be done.” The greater elementals encircled Corbin and the Motherlode radiated light to the greater elementals. The greater elementals emitted prismatic rays to Corbin. His wound cleaned itself up and closed. It only left a circular scar and blemish.
“You have our deepest gratitude. We shall also shower you with our blessing.” The greater elemental of fire proclaimed. Nia felt more invigorated about using her magecraft again. Corbin slowly rose from Milas. Rez felt better than ever before.
“What is this tingling feeling?” Milas witnessed a glistening aura surrounding them.
“This is the Motherlode’s blessing. From this day forward, the four of you will have protection from danger.”
Just as the adventurers were about to leave, they discovered something under the rubble. A metallic cube rested beside the ruined obelisk. It came with dials and panels which are foreign to them. A shriveled old geezer in rags slumbered beside it. Black liquid oozed from one of the cube’s exhausts.
“Look what we have here, mister Messenger.” Rez aimed his firearm while bluffing. He has no bullets left from the last battle.”
“Please have mercy. I’m just following orders!”
“Who are you?” Nia asked as she lowered Rez’s firearm.
“My name is Spud.” The old geezer scratched behind his head. He feigned innocence from the incident.
“Are you responsible for this?” Milas menacingly stared at him
“Yes, I mean no!”
“Where did you get that metallic cube?” Rez looked interested in the relic sitting on the floor. He was about to pick up the metallic cube when Spud angrily hissed.
“The Visitors entrusted me with this relic.” Spud grabbed the cube and tiptoed away from the adventurers. He was very possessive of the metallic cube.
“Why have you resorted to corrupting the elementals?” Nia questioned him.
“They promised me immense riches and power, woman! Everybody wants it, right? It was an opportunity to rise!”
“That’s where terrible rulers come to be.” Rez bumped Spud’s head, reprimanding the foolish old geezer.
“Okay, I apologize, just spare me!”
“Care to tell more about the Visitors?” Milas leaned forward with her hands holding her hips.
“Um, as you can see…” Before the old geezer could say more, the black liquid from the cube engulfed him. He screams in pain as the liquid ate his flesh. The black liquid buzzed as it slowly crawled the whole body.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Step away from it!” Corbin shielded the others away from the puddle.
The glob of black liquid stretched and formed various shapes. The old geezer’s arm attempted to break out, but it submerged back into the black liquid. It shrinks and fizzles into nothingness. The metallic cube also disappeared from the adventurer’s sight,
“Any ideas of who the Visitors are?” Nia looked back at the greater elementals.
“Our knowledge regarding the Visitors is limited. They hail from the distant past. Residing beyond the stars. Mightier and grander than us.” The greater elemental of earth looked above the sky.
“How did they reach this place?” Milas asked one of the greater elementals.
“The Visitors sow their seeds in far reaches of the planet. They lure feeble-minded individuals. They can sense worldly desire from everybody” The greater elemental of earth explains.
Corbin’s strength has not yet fully recovered. He tried to stand but he is still trembling.
“Try not to tire yourself too much. Your wounds are closed but you lost too much blood.” Nia reached Corbin and he sat down.
“We shall meet someday.” The Motherlode and greater elementals bid farewell, leaving the adventurers. It sinks back to the earth and the ground seals itself. The greater elementals faded like a vapor after returning to their respective spots. Each crystal broke and diffused in the air.
“Need a ladder? I heard some nearby shaking.” Out of the surface, a familiar face showed up. Dipper peeked from above while checking for survivors.
“Dipper, we’re alright!” Milas enthusiastically waved back at the jolly ogre.
“The others might take a while to arrive. Just stay there for the meantime.” Dipper summoned his hunting avian again. He scribbled an emergency message on a parchment. He sent the hunting avian back again to the settlements. Then he dropped some supplies by tying a sack with ropes, connecting it to a large, square cloth, and tying its edges. The sack glided down to the rubble and Milas caught it. She acquired some medicinal herbs, a bond of firewood, a freshly-caught piscis, and a glass bottle with water and cloth. She carefully carried the supply back to the group. Rez volunteered to cook the piscis on a bonfire.
The evening arrived and the cold air blew. The moonlight graced the sky and gleamed with its gentle light. The night felt more tranquil than ever before. It felt eternity for the adventurers. The bonfire slightly warmed the adventurers at the hole. Milas kept on prodding the bonfire with some sticks. Rez juggled some pebbles out of boredom. Corbin was peacefully resting on Nia’s lap while she vigilantly watched him. While the adventurers rested, the forest militia came to pick them up.
“What did you find?” Dipper scanned the vicinity with some forest militia. Nothing looked particularly interesting from the rubble except the adventurers.
“An old geezer named Spud claimed to be a Messenger or something,” Milas shouted back from the bottom.
“A Messenger? What’s that?”
“Unfortunately, he got dissolved by a black liquid,” Nia mentioned the grim news to the ogre.
“That looks terrifying. That could be Spud, but lately, he has been missing.”
“Who is this Spud?” Rez mumbled while nibbling a charred piscis.
“A mumbling old geezer. Dreams of having a farm in the middle of the forest. The residents refused and ostracized him. He’s my only friend since we lived on the outskirts.” Dipper looked very lonely upon knowing his untimely death.
“Any significant landmarks below, adventurers?” A senior militia inquired at the exhausted adventurers.
“Beyond this rubble is a narrow passage back to the ruins. Quite narrow and difficult to traverse.” Rez recalled their path from the ruins to the hole.
“Better warn the nearby villages. Nobody wants to fall into that terrifying place.” The senior militia orders to drop a very tall ladder down the hole. Dipper volunteered to pull the adventurers from their place. Nia was the first to climb up, followed by Milas. Rez cleared the temporary shelter and climbed the ladder. He also handed the ruin’s map to the senior militia. Dipper carried Corbin on his back. It took ten forest militia to pull the ladder upwards. The weight of the two almost broke the ladder, but they made it to the surface.
Many passages of the sun passed since the incident happened. Housewives gossiped about the new hole. Children pretended to be adventurers and play-fight against straw dolls. Traders shared stories of how they survived the night. Rothar planned to hold a celebration, but the forest shaman personally approached him.
“This is not the right time to hold festivities. The danger is still present.” The forest shaman warned of Rothar’s carefree attitude.
“Don’t be such a downer, elder. It’s just meant to raise spirits.”
“We should spend more time piously remembering those who are gone.”
“Maybe a ritual for the elementals would suffice?” The forest shaman sighed in disbelief as Rothar found more excuses to celebrate.”
Corbin woke up wrapped in bandages. He was slowly recovering from the impalement. Wearing only his trousers and boots, he took a peek at the balcony. The atmosphere was different from the first time they arrived. Residents freely moved into the settlements. Corbin decided to go downstairs and check the settlement. Milas and Nia are chatting with some of the residents. Rez went back to the forest blacksmith for a last conversation.
‘Well, the forest shaman refuses to have a celebration.” Rothar laughed while chugging a mug of fermented wheat. His mug has a copper-brown beverage with fizzles.
“Relish the peace,” Corbin commented like a wise mage. Despite surviving wars, he personally yearned for a momentary quietness. He tried to enjoy the morning scenery for the first time. Battles and fights over the years have exhausted him very much.
While relishing the peaceful moment, the forest shaman approached Corbin. She wrote a letter about the Messengers of the Visitors.
“Can I ask you a favor? Please send this to the Capital City of Arche. You have to find the city’s captain named Fuji.” The forest shaman handed out an envelope with a wax seal. It has her insignia with decorative flakes.
“On it.” Corbin went back to his room to pack up. He called the others who finished socializing with the residents.
“What is it?” Milas approached Corbin who showed the letter.
“A letter for Fuji. We’ll visit Capital City.” Corbin redirected the instructions for them.
“That sounds great! Can’t wait to visit Capital City. Come on, let us pack now!” Milas zoomed back to the cottage while Nia and Res calmly approached. They grab some supplies provided by the residents. Inside were provisions that would last for their trip. It would take them five days to reach Arche by carriage.
The adventurer boarded the wooden carriage. They bid farewell as the sun greets them. Some children ran towards them and cheered.
“Thanks for your generosity again. We will cherish them deep in our hearts.” Nia bowed elegantly to the residents.
“So long, I had fun in this place despite the hostile meeting.” Rez saluted the residents and laughed about the bygone matter.
“Hey, try to say something to them.” Milas nagged Corbin as she waves her hand.
“Ugh, thank you,” Corbin muttered quietly.
“Take care and good luck!” Rothar and the forest shaman watched the adventurers leave Florescent Forest. A pair of tamed equidae pulled the carriage. A quarter-beast coachman tugged the equidae’s lead, ordering it to travel northeast.