After a long-winded conversation, Zalia was able to tell the others in the room everything she knew about their enemy so far. That began with a deeper explanation of the undead, the shades everywhere in Cormaine, the corrupting aura and where she thought it came from, the low-ranked four-legged spiked creatures, the Bronze creature that had chased Aylie, the flying demons that she had first seen outside her cave home and finally, the larger god-like ones.
“They’re… they’re horrible. They have four legs that end in spikes, a twisted torso covered in thousands of eyes, and wings like a bat yet covered in a dark flame. They have no head, only a gaping maw where their neck should be. Despite all that, the most terrible thing about them is the aura they have. It’s like the corrupting aura yet so, so much stronger. It feels almost alive, a little different to the one the others all have, controlled by the twisted creatures. When it comes down on you, you feel as if all hope is lost, the meaning in fighting gone. If you’re strong enough you can fight it but the effect it would have on the army if one of these did decide to join the fight would be.. disastrous. And there is one in the capital, I can feel its aura even here, though so weak at such a distance, the fact it reaches this far is terrifying. I would hold no hope that the people in that city live anymore,” Zalia explained.
There was silence at her proclamation, the people present all very aware of what that meant for the kingdom. Many of Endaria’s most important or most powerful people have been living in that city but more impactfully, many people that the soldiers would have known. Friends, family, loved ones. All most likely dead, even more likely to be undead now if Zalia was right.
“But, you must have been able to survive it somehow if you’re here now. You have a way to fight them right?” Indis asked, hope in her voice
“No. A friend, Ro-ak, otherwise known as Nateysta, god, spirit, whichever you choose, of nature and mystery. He was the one to save me, a divine being whose own aura matched that of these monsters. I don’t know if he is now dormant once more, reduced to an afterthought by the very beings he saved me and Boreal from. Perhaps he lives, though the chances of that being true and him being able to find his way to this world are slim,” Zalia said.
She had to very carefully remember select parts of her last hour in Cormaine, avoiding the big painful lump that sat amongst the memories.
“Well, that is unfortunate,” Indis replied, deflating back into her seat.
“Yes, though some might be able to fight still, such as any Gold rank and above, if we have any. Larel would probably fare better than any of us, for one. Speaking of, where is Larel, did she survive her fight with the Hidden. What happened with him?” Zalia asked.
“After Juniper vanished, he surrendered and told us we couldn’t trust him. Obviously in agreement, he allowed us to… imprison him. He now lives crushed into a tiny cube deep below this building, where he will stay until this is over. As for Larel, she is well but busy. As one of the only Gold rankers amongst our ranks, she is kept moving any second we can get her to be,” Faian explained.
Zalia didn’t really know how to feel about that. She had been close, or had thought she had been, to the Hidden. To Hidey. His betrayal was a deep wound yet not one that was really his fault. Juniper had been the real hand behind that particular shadow puppet.
The fact that he had allowed himself to be imprisoned rather than run the risk of him doing any more damage definitely pointed to him really being on their side. Perhaps he had even been the one that had left the note for Larel to come save them in the first place.
“Well, that is one worry to put aside at least,” Zalia said.
“One of a flock, unfortunately,” Faian added with a grimace.
“I overheard one of those issues and I might be able to help, just a little,” Zalia offered.
“How so?” Indis asked curiously.
Zalia explained the Druid’s Grove ability as well as her ability to grow plants that were more nutritious than normal. That part of it wasn’t anything super special but the Grove itself was very unique, or so the other’s reactions told her.
“Very interesting, how long would you need to set it up?” Faian asked.
“A day, maybe? Things would be sped along quite a lot if you could provide me with various plants and seeds that are edible rather than me having to collect them myself,” Zalia replied, shaking her hand in a ‘maybe?’ gesture.
“That can be done easily enough if you would provide extra space for people to live,” Indis said immediately.
“I must warn you it won’t be a huge space. It could fit maybe twenty, thirty people comfortably? Forty if you really stretched it but it needs space for plants to grow for it to work,” Zalia quickly explained.
“Done, we will have some plants and seeds ready for you by the time you’ve finished finding a place to set it up. Is there anything else you can think of that will help?” Faian asked.
“Immediately? No. I learnt a lot about the history of Cormaine that I would like to go over but it can wait for now. Something about the Bathar that you would definitely enjoy learning,” Zalia said, turning to Indis at her visible excitement at the word ‘history’.
“Thank you Zalia, if there is anything we can do for you for the help you are providing and the help you have provided already, let me know,” Faian said.
Stolen novel; please report.
“I’d love to know what exactly happened with the army after we left for Endelbyrn. Did you know we would fail?” Zalia asked.
“We didn’t know but we did plan for it. I can explain it all to you later if you wish. For now we have to get back to the meeting you walked in on,” Faian said with a sigh.
Indis looked like she was about to protest but didn’t say anything, General Ballast crunching on a nut with an unhappy look.
“Well, you aristocrats enjoy your meetings, I’m going to go walk in the sun and fresh air,” Zalia said with a smile. Things were bad, but they were better than not so long ago when she had appeared in Cormaine.
“Would you like to come find a nice place to set up a magic forest?” Zalia asked Aylie, leaning down.
Zalia had noticed she had been staring into nothing the entire conversation, as if she wasn’t really there. She definitely needed a distraction and the creation of Zalia’s Druid Grove was a very pretty sight.
Aylie nodded uncertainly.
“Come on, it’ll be good. We can find a place with a nice source of water and safety from the weather. You’ll love the Grove, it’s a good safe place,” Zalia encouraged.
Aylie looked at Boreal.
“Boreal will come too, of course. I wouldn’t want to set up our home without Boreal’s agreement,” Zalia promised.
That seemed to convince her so Zalia lifted her onto Boreal’s back and they left, the trio behind looking miserable at the prospect of re-entering their previous argument.
They had a little more trouble forcing their way out than they had entering, partly due to the people being less surprised by Boreal and partly due to the fact that there was a group of people waiting there for Zalia to come out. Whispers spread like wildfire as she walked into the room, the crush of people that were not all there for a purpose.
“Are you Zalia?” someone called out.
Some of the low talking paused as they waited for a response, Zalia having stopped to consider the task of shoving through so many people. Many of the administrative people were looking at the packed group of people in annoyance. Zalia understood that quite well.
Zalia sighed.
“Yes,” she answered warily.
A burst of chatter came from the crowd, a few questions drowned away by the noise.
“Can you take this outside please?” an administrator to her left asked.
“I’d prefer it not be happening at all,” Zalia retorted, “I don’t know how to get them out of here.”
The administrator stood up.
“If everyone would please leave the premises, Zalia will be leaving now and will answer your questions outside,” he said.
It took a little bit for the message to spread through the crowd but they began filtering out through the doors. Zalia gave the administrator a look that was a mix of thanks and accusation.
He just shrugged like it wasn’t his problem and went back to what he had been doing.
She followed the crowd out, Boreal close behind. As she left the building, she was bombarded with questions mixed with thanks for what she had done for the kingdom. What the hell had Indis told these people?
She opened her mouth to answer one of the questions but thought better of it. She wasn’t responsible for this gaggle of idiots, she wouldn’t be the one to deal with them.
“Lady Indis will provide answers to all your questions in future, please be patient while they deal with the information I’ve brought. For now it’s best you all go back to your duties,” Zalia yelled over the crowd, before walking off.
She ignored the protests, people asking how she was alive, where had she been, how had she stopped the ritual and could she reverse it. Some tried to follow but the fear inducing aura of Boreal stopped them from doing so. She was the best friend a woman could ask for.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” she thought to Boreal.
“Stinky people,” Boreal agreed.
Zalia gave that a quiet chuckle and moved away from the group of people as quickly as she could without running.
She made her way through the camp, giving her statue an evil look as she passed, before finding the gates once more. She was allowed out but was informed that she would have to undergo inspection again when re-entering, a reasonable precaution. She gave Alara a nod on her way out and stepped out onto the plains before the walls.
She wanted to find somewhere nice for her Grove, definitely somewhere that put the camp between herself and the city in the distance. The hilly landscape behind the camp would also have a high chance of having a river she could set up near as well. While not necessary, it would make life a lot easier if she was going to provide shelter for some people.
She was second guessing that decision a little but enforcing a ‘no crazy person’ rule wouldn’t be too hard. Her Grove was meant to be a safe space, no nuts people who thought her a hero allowed.
It took a little while before they found a place they all agreed on. Aylie definitely got into the role of critical eye, only agreeing to a location with a silent nod when Zalia told her she would be able to move some of the earth around to form a better space for planting.
It was a small gorge with water trickling down the stone wall within, leading into a small waterway that formed a pool near the entrance of the gorge. That entrance had a good clear area around it, trees dotted about the place but not too thick. The gorge was formed where the bottom of two steep hills met, forming a little V section that would provide good cover from the wind.
After Zalia widened out the little gorge a bit and made its walls steeper so it formed into something more akin to a wide crevice at Aylie’s insistence, the first words she had spoken since telling Zalia her name, the spot was ready. Zalia would need to plant a few things as well before being able to form the Grove but it was a good start. It was only ten minutes walk from the camp to its east, putting the camp between it and the city.
“Ready to see how a Grove is made?” Zalia asked Aylie.
She nodded excitedly, a little bit of joy forming in Zalia’s heart to see her still able to be so after what she had been through.
Zalia began pulling out plants from her storage.