Mason probably worked the girls harder than he should have. He'd picked a reasonably comfortable pace at first, but they kept pushing him (each other, really) beyond until he more or less said 'fuck it' and went at 'human fast run' speed for two hours.
It wasn't a remotely fair competition, either. Rebecca was a player, Rosa was a civilian. Mason wasn't sure what Rebecca's Vitality was but considering she was a defensive player he was guessing it was pretty damn high.
But Rosa was incredibly competitive, and also in great shape. At the two hour mark she was dripping with sweat, skin a little pale and breathing frantic. Still she hadn't said a word.
Mason was about to turn and snap about this being ridiculous, and that they needed to have a conversation like grown ups, when Rosa tripped. She went down with a shriek, and Mason just saw the blue shield flash as Rosa smacked into a fallen log.
She stood up looking somewhere between pissed off and exhausted, checking herself for injury.
"You alright?" Mason hunched down and pulled some dirty leaves off her sweaty shirt.
"Fine," Rosa said, obviously embarrassed. "We can..." she closed her eyes and wobbled as she tried to stand, and Mason had enough.
"OK that's it, climb on." He grabbed her and forced her to his back, giving Becky a 'don't act like you're not involved' sort of glare before he continued.
They ran mostly in silence after that, but took a little break to eat and drink before they reached the grove.
"I'm getting a little cold," Rosa said after putting on a sweater from her bag, but still shivering. Mason flinched, forgetting the weather was actually getting quite cool in the forest and that it bothered the others more.
He ended up sitting next to her and putting his arm around her, getting Becky to do the same on the other side. They sat awkwardly until Streak clobbered into them from behind trying to get in on the action.
"Yes, yes, everyone loves you most, Streak." Mason pulled him over and flipped him semi-violently, and at this point he was so big all three of them could hug a chunk of his increasingly long body and thick fur. He stuck out his tongue and closed his eyes happily.
"No offense, big guy," Rosa said, hugging him for warmth. "But you really need a bath. You stink like wet dog and dead orc." She pulled up at the realization and crinkled her nose, and Mason decided it was time to keep going.
He carried Rosa the rest of the way, and after their group hug things at least felt a little less awkward. But as they approached the grove Mason heard voices on the wind. He felt something in the trees that didn't belong, and held up a hand as he set Rosa down.
"Stay here," he said to Becky, "watch Rosa. I'll be right back."
Before she could complain, he touched the nearest bark and camouflaged himself with his Sleeves, then gestured Streak on as he slipped through the trees.
* * *
Itzit, Third Circle Wizard of the Mountain Guild, stared at the empty, mist-filled grove.
"Ley line seer said between river and valley on Western forest edge. This must be place, Prospector. It's on map. But I see no tree." He gestured at the colored cloth provided by the Guild and shrugged when his client frowned.
"It's here, Wizard, I can smell it. This is nymph magic."
Itzit sneered at the word. The forest whores had been trouble for goblins since the dawn of time. Always interfering, always opposing. They brought trees to life to destroy their machines, tricked and even seduced them only to cut their throats and leave their bodies drained like insect husks.
Itzit stepped to the edge of the 'clearing' and closed his eyes, invoking a rare incantation taught beginning at the Third Circle to destroy or at least suppress magic. The more time and mana he gave it the more powerful it became, but he thought it best to try a test. Perhaps he could at least break the illusion for a moment to see if the Prospector was right.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
His spell finished, filling the air with a dull purple glow as it blanketed over the clearing. For a moment, just a moment, he thought he saw something physical in the mist. He smelled it, too. Tree sap and pine, just like all the forest life he hated.
He glanced at the Prospector, who met his eyes and grinned.
"Can you end the spell?"
"I think so, Prospector. But I will need time."
"Time is something we have, Wizard. The rest of you, make camp. Scouts, find us something to eat. I’ll take anything that isn't salted or dried."
"There you're wrong," whispered a foreign voice from somewhere very nearby, and Itzit squinted and stared as he looked for a source. "You've a lot less time than you think."
"Who is that? Show yourself! Wizard, tell me who's speaking before I..."
Prospector Snarsk gasped as the tree beside him seized his neck. Then the tree shimmered and became a thing with arms and legs and...
"Humans!" Itzit screeched a warning then turned and fled behind a rock before starting his spell. He had many destructive tools in his arsenal, and usually preferred speed, but decided better to reveal himself with a first, brutal surprise.
The human had slammed Prospector Snarks against a tree trunk several times before it finished, tossing the merchant dead to the ground.
But Itzit cared nothing for the Prospectors. He’d already been paid, and only served his own order. Besides, the tree had been found. All that mattered now was returning the knowledge before somehow the nymphs moved it, or tricked them.
Boil Flesh swirled green and launched in spray of acidic venom that filled the air in a wide, deadly cone. The ooze stuck to anything it touched—covering trees and sending steam rising as it burned and melted even wood.
Itzit watched long enough to see his target half covered before he smiled and turned to run.
Hot breath hit his face. He pulled back as what must have been white teeth rose above and below his vision, like the pretty stalactites of the cave Itzit called home.
"Oh," he said, mostly just surprised. Then they closed.
* * *
[Apex Predator active: Elemental]
[Title activated: Poison Shmoison]
Mason growled as the foul substance covered most of his body. He'd underestimated how many goblins there actually were, but ducked and ran as darts and arrows zipped and thunked all around him from the trees ahead.
He wiped some ooze off his face, beginning to feel the sting. It was some kind of contact poison, apparently, but felt more like acid. It seemed little worse than the pit of the Devourer's stomach, though, and maybe not even that bad.
It wasn't too easy to get off, apparently, but if these goblins thought it would stop him before they were all dead, they were very wrong.
Mason activated Aspect of the Cheetah, summoned both his Claws, and sprinted after any creature he could see in the gloom. The first stood with a blowgun and wide eyes as Mason almost cut it in half with his larger sword. He instantly moved on, finding another with a short bow. He took its throat with his sickle, then its bow as he unsummoned his larger blade.
"Thank you," he said, then turned and drew, activating Endless Quiver for the first time in quite awhile.
He blinked in surprise at the drop down list. It looked like it had way too many options compared to normal. But there was no time to inspect. He quickly accepted some random barbed tip and loosed at a goblin with Power Shot, blasting it flying.
Then he heard Streak growl and leap on some poor little bastard and start thrashing it like a dirty rug. He ignored them and moved through with his camouflage active, putting arrows into anything green and moving. The bow wasn't particularly good, the draw too light to pierce much but flesh. But then it didn't need to be.
The goblins soon broke and ran. Mason followed and hunted them down without mercy, telling Streak to do the same. They moved well and fast, but not fast enough. Mason soon had the last of them lying in the dirt, looking up at him with terrified eyes, remaining hand quivering in front of its face.
[Greenblood Prospector Team defeated. Experience gained.]
Mason had heard enough to understand this ‘Prospector Team’ was here looking for the great tree. After what he'd seen in the dungeon he knew more than he wanted to about why.
"Tell me where your mountain entrance is," he said, grabbing the goblin's severed stump and hovering a thumb over the wound. "And I'll make your death quick and painless."
The goblin sneered, grabbing for something at its waist before Mason used Predator's Strike and took its head. He sighed, and found the rusty knife before tossing it away. Then he went back and collected as many of the bows and blowguns and darts as he could carry, whistling for Streak on the way.
He found a crude map on the goblin leader, some strange coins made with at least rudimentary craftsmanship, and a staff on the wizard. Then he walked back to the girls and almost panicked for a moment when they weren't where he'd left them.
"Thank you, druid," said a feminine voice from the mists, and Calypsa stepped out with her spear and bark-like armor covering her from neck to knees. She was leading Rosa and Becky with the other hand, and gave Mason a bloodthirsty smile. "I enjoyed watching that. Very much."
Mason cleared his throat and tried not to enjoy her enjoyment of his murdering things.
"Nice to see you again, Calypsa. Why don't we go inside?"
The nymph's smile only widened, and before Rosa or Becky could say anything, she turned and disappeared back into the mist. Mason took a deep breath and followed.