The pair turned away from the river and headed into the abandoned fishing village. Joe mused that he really needed to read the books he bought in the Shoppe to see if there was any kind of explanation for the stitching of worlds together, especially since it seemed that the pieces of villages that he had encountered so far all looked to be of similar origin. Another thought was that the area that the village fit into was obviously the same as the previous Boardwalk area as certain buildings were sheared off to accommodate the space.
Bixby flowed through the dark streets like a hint of a shadow. Joe knew that it would take some extraordinary perception to see the dog, let alone defend against a surprise attack. Joe’s own armor helped him blend in with the darkness and with eh help of his spell [Umbral Caul], he too, was practically undetectable. They ghosted past crumbling one story homes and old shops. Joe got a sense that the town was built in a circular grid and was not surprised when they came upon the town center. What surprised him was that the center had a broken travel stone. So, this was part of the System at some point. I wonder what happened to the people? Bixby bumped Joe’s arm and looked off towards the ocean, he had heard something.
Joe tried traversing the rooftops but found that most of them had been thatch and would not support his weight, but it did give him a glimpse of something large near the shore, moving wildly. He relayed to Bixby what he saw, and the duo moved quickly, but silently towards their goal. Within a minute, Joe could hear the noises as well. There was a loud keening noise that sounded like a mix of a wounded animal and the creaking of breaking wood. Along with the noise were odd guttural sounds. Shouts and yells from inhuman throats.
The companions peered around the corner of a worn-down fishmonger’s warehouse and saw a bizarre scene. Bizarre by even Joe’s newly cemented standards. Where once there was a Boardwalk with various rides and attractions, there was now a wooden promenade that ran the length of the village with several piers jutting into the water. However, piers were a charitable term as mostly it was wooden struts sticking out from the waves with the occasional plank of wood still attached. The promenade was not the focus of Joe’s incredulity, though. Occupying the wooden walkway were over a dozen creatures from someone’s fever-dream, water-logged nightmare.
The monsters were humanoid but held no true resemblance of a human. They ranged between five and a half to six feet tall, with greyish green, glossy skin that looked slimy. They had pale white bellies and stood slightly hunched with scaled and ridged backs. Their necks pulsed in an odd rhythm that Joe realized were gills opening and closing. Their oversized hands were webbed and clawed, and they all carried spears made from coral or some other rough looking substance.
Deep Dagonite (50)
HP: 12000
Status: Angry
Vulnerable to Fire, reduced damage from bladed and crushing weapons and Cold attacks
The fish-men were dancing around a tree. At first, Joe thought they were worshiping it, but they would lash out with a spear every once in a while, as if goading it. The tree itself looked like a willow tree, with long thin branches that spilled out from its crown to reach the ground. As Joe and Bixby watched, it made the keening, creaking sound that Joe had heard earlier and then the branches whipped around wildly, keeping the Dagonites at bay. Several fast-moving branches managed to hit one of the creatures and easily tor its arm off, sending brackish, green-hued blood spraying. Although it looked like the tree could handle itself, peering closer, Joe could see that there were quite a lot of severed branches on the ground and some serious looking gouges in the tree’s trunk.
Juvenile Weeping Treant (40)
HP: 5400/13000
Status: Bleeding
Acid attack, Vulnerable to Fire, Bladed attacks
Joe pulled Bixby back behind the corner of the building, “Dude! That’s an Ent!” excitedly, he pulled an amulet from his inventory. It was a disk of wood with a very fine carving of a tree on each face.
Voice of the Ent
This amulet formed of wood allows the holder to speak the language of the Ents.
Smiling wickedly, Joe put the amulet around his neck. He winked at Bixby, “Let’s go rescue that tree.” Bixby wagged his tail and disappeared in a blink.
Joe launched his first attack from afar. Dark tendrils of umbral energy erupted from the ground at the feet of several Dagonites. The tendrils solidified and shackled the creatures in place. Their surprise lasted long enough for Joe’s follow-up to wreak serious damage as he appeared in their midst, swinging his smoking, ebon blades to deadly effect. His compounded bonuses from his titles as well as the combat bonus he received from being with his own city limits allowed both he and Bixby to do massive amounts of damage to the aquatic invaders.
Joe watched as Bixby launched one of his own spells and a sphere of void energy formed above the dog’s head, creating a vortex that pulled several monsters towards him. They lost their footing and without that, they were hard pressed to defend against Bixby’s [Void Fangs] and [Corrosive Claws]. Joe marveled at his companion’s speed, agility, and terrifying ability to shred his opponents. Every one of the Dagonites were on the precipice of Advanced Rank and yet the two of them waded through their ranks as if they were toddlers fighting an MMA expert.
The Treant, for its part, recognized a reprieve when it saw one and began lashing out once more at any fishman in its way as it retreated down a side street, back into the village proper, moving away from the promenade and ocean front area.
In all, there were fifteen corpses on the ground in less than eight minutes as the battle came to a gory end with Joe splitting one of the creatures completely in half at the waist. He stepped away from the bloody torso, surprised to not even be breathing hard. Although the stench of the bodies was fairly bad, he compared them to the goblins and thought that so far, they smelled the worst of everything he’d fought up until now. Dismissing his weapons, he and Bixby methodically looted the bodies and then headed back into the village.
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
It did not take long at all to reach the Treant. It was still moving through the village, looking for a way out and way from the beachside area, but it was not particularly swift. Staying well out of range of any possible branch whip, Joe called out, “Hey there! Are you alright?”
The roots of the tree that moved and undulated, dragging it forward, stopped and the entire trunk turned towards Joe. I guess I got its attention. “Do you need any help in healing or anything?” Joe asked with his hands held out, palms open and empty.
There was a long silence and then a voice rumbled from the tree. It was not as deep and resonant as Joe had expected, but it was still quite the Dark Vader sounding voice. “How?” The branches creaked as the willow leaves shivered and the roots wiggled in place. “How is it that you speak my language?”
Carefully, Joe raised up the amulet to show the tree, but he was unsure of where its eyes were. To him it just looked like a small willow tree. “This amulet allows me to converse with the Ent.” He took a nominal step forward. “I received it while adventuring with my Jotun friend, Gharak.” He hoped that mentioning Jotun would be a good thing, and he was rewarded for his optimism.
“You are Jotunkin!” The tree said with obvious surprise. Its leaves and branches moved in a ripple as it seemed to stare at Joe. At least that’s what Joe thought it was doing.
“Yes. My companion Bixby and I have that honor.” Joe motioned towards Bixby who was sitting nonchalantly, head cocked towards the talking tree. Joe placed a hand on his own chest, “I am Joe, and this is my friend, Bixby. We would like to offer any aid that we can provide.”
The Treant let out a long, low rumble, “Hhhhmmmmmmmmmm.” As the rumble faded, a face appeared in the bark of the tree trunk. The eyes were uneven and the mouth a jagged line following the fissures in the bark, but still, distinctly a face. “I am Bobarix’andringlarsignar. The Branchsnapper.”
“Um, wow! That’s a mouthful. Pleased to meet you Bobarixanderbringerlingsnar.” Joe winced at the slaughter of the creature’s name. “I apologize for mispronouncing your name. I am not accustomed to such a grand name.” He looked at Bixby who simply shrugged.
“It is a grand name is it not?” The Treant replied.
“That it is.” Joe concurred. “Um, would you be amenable if I perhaps shortened it to better speak with you by name? Perhaps…” Bixby let out a bark and Joe raised and eyebrow, “Really dude?” Bixby barked again and Joe nodded in resignation, “Fine.” He addressed the Treant again, “Maybe I can call you, Bob?” Joe made a face as if he just insulted its family lineage and he was very aware of the tension of the moment.
This time, there was a very long silence as the creature pondered Joe’s words. Finally, just as Joe was beginning to worry, it said, “I am aware that your kind are generally not as cultured as most, however, you have approached me with respect, and I cannot deny that your assistance most probably saved my existence. I will allow it.”
Joe inspected the tree creature once again.
Bobarix’andringlarsignar (Bob) (40)
Juvenile Weeping Treant
HP: 5100/13000
Status: Bleeding
Acid attack, Vulnerable to Fire, Bladed attacks
“Bob, now that we are acquainted, and I hope you can see that our intentions are kind. I see that you are bleeding. I have several healing potions that I can offer if that will work on you?”
“That is kind of you to offer. Unfortunately, I cannot partake of any healing elixirs that affect the Chosen.” I must find a suitable body of soil, preferably near a sustained water source so that I may take root and heal.” Bob’s bark covered face appeared sad, but Joe did not want to attribute anything to its emotions as he was not familiar with a tree’s body language and facial cues.
Joe snapped his fingers and pulled out his flask. “This is water from a Pool of Vigor. Would that help?”
At that, Bob’s large eyes opened a bit wider in surprise. “That it would.”
Joe held the open flask before him, “Is it alright if I approach you?” he asked tentatively.
“You may.” The rumbling voice replied.
Joe stepped forward until he was within arms reach of the tree. He poured a measure of water onto one of the deep gouges in the trunk and he watched in fascination as the bark slowly closed the gap with a small seepage of sap. Bob hummed deeply and his eyes closed in what appeared to be relief. That encouraged Joe to continue to slowly move around the large trunk, pouring the never-ceasing flow of healing liquid onto the tree. He even found some damage to Bob’s roots and applied the miraculous water to them as well. All in all, it took over ten minutes for Joe to find all the cuts and damaged areas. When he finished, the Treant had most of his health restored, but it would need to rest in soil to fully recover the remainder.
Joe and Bixby sat and conversed for a few minutes before he approached the walking willow. “Listen, Bob. Bixby and I were talking, and we’d like to make you an offer.”
“Hmmm?” Bob seemed willing to listen.
Joe forged ahead, “We have established a City here and our main stronghold is set right next to the river. Do have any aversion to being around humans? Because if not, you would be welcome to rest yourself under the protection of our walls and people.” This is crazy. I can’t believe I’m offering sanctuary to a talking tree. Joe marveled internally at his crazy life.
“You speak for your people?” Bob asked.
“I do. I am the governor of the city and as such I am responsible for their well-being. And if I am not mistaken, we have many people with appropriate System classes that would be happy to attend to your needs.” Joe added hopefully.
“You have druids?”
Joe thought back to the meetings with the council, “I recall there are at least a few, but I do not know their levels or if they have any specialties.”
“Why?”
Joe’s mouth snapped shut for a second, “Um, why what?”
“Why do you offer this to me?” Joe detected a hesitance in Bob’s voice.
“Well, uh, because you seem to need the help and I… We are able to help.” Joe looked to Bixby for more. Bixby stood and barked and woofed for a moment. “Bixby says that we are Jotunkin and that the Jotun and Ents have a long history of friendship. It is only right that we honor that by offering aid to you.” Aside to Bixby Joe whispered, “Dude, you’re freaking smart.” Bixby wagged his tail proudly.
“You speak wisely, but…” He paused and stared at Joe. “Humans are not exceptionally trustworthy. How can you guarantee your offer?”
Joe thought about it for a time, “Bob, I’ll tell you this.” He stepped closer to the Ent and held up one hand, “I Joe Sherman, swear to do my utmost to assist you and keep you safe when in my City. I further promise that no harm shall come to you from either myself or the citizens of my City.”
Bob blinked and said, “I accept your oath.”
A breeze blew through the narrow street and rustled Bob’s leaves, while Joe felt a slight shiver and a notice appeared before him.
Achievement Unlocked! Friendship unbound! You have befriended a second monster! Your ability to find friendship amidst adversity is truly admirable. Rewards Unlocked! You and your companion gain +2 Intelligence, +2 Willpower, +2 Charisma. Exp earned, 20,000. Gold earned 5,000.
Achievement Unlocked! Rootbound! You have sworn an Oath to a treant! You have pledged an Oath to protect and aid the treant, [Bobarixanderbringerlingsnar]. Rewards Unlocked! You and your companion gain +1 Strength, +1 Constitution and +1 Willpower. Exp earned, 10,000. Gold earned 5,000.
Joe laughed, “Well, I guess that makes it official.” With a look from Bob, he explained the achievements.