Power allows evil. Weakness causes it.
The Hymns of Xylon 2:42
Out of the pot and straight into the fire, Patroclus was completely defenseless against the wolf devil. Her orange eyes gleamed with murderous intent. She held the point of her scimitar at his neck, pressing in hard enough for a drizzle of blood to run down. Suddenly, the wolf woman pulled her sword back. She looked for a brief moment sympathetic before her face broke out into a grin. She laughed, sheathing her sword and bending down to look Patroclus in the face.
“My apologies, adventurer. I guess you were telling the truth. This sword does not belong to you. That much is clear.” Patroclus looked at her with confusion and disgust. He mentally pushed up his chest.
“Well, it looks like you can finally see reason,” he said, trying to stand up before falling back down again.”
“You won’t get up by yourself, I’m afraid,” Tayna said, still laughing. “That blade certainly has given you a nasty curse. Whoever wielded that dagger before truly had it in for you.” She bent down so that the two of them were at eye level.
“I’m not fond of humans seeing me like this since they’re so prone to gossip so I should let you die.” She twirled her hair around her fingers, as if debating with herself whether to say more. “But a curse like that would lead to a fate far worse than death. Despite how it may seem, I do pity you.” She reached out her paws towards Patroclus.
“St...stay away,” yelled Patroclus, who bent backward trying to avoid the wolf devil.
“Now, now,” said Tayna, chiding him for his misplaced fear. “I’m not going to hurt you. Unless, of course, you resist, in which case you’ll make a lovely little morsel. I am starving after my previous fight.”
Patroclus moved not an inch. Tayna placed her paws on the injured hand. She gripped the dagger embedded in Patro’s palm and in a quick tug pulled the cursed weapon straight out along with a small geyser of blood. Patroclus yelled out in pain.
“That's always the tough part,” Tayna said as she layered her paws on both sides of Patroclus’ hand. Patroclus’ pain slowly began to diminish. For a beast, Patroclus thought her touch was rather gentle. As soon as he thought this, he noticed a heavenly glow emanating from the center of his palm. The glow spread to encapsulate his entire hand. The whole in his hand that formed from the dagger began to close up though he did not feel it. The blood too, evaporated into the glowing aura. Patroclus clenched his hand. In no time at all, Tayna had managed to completely heal him.
“Impossible. That must have been light magic. I recognize the sensation from Lenny, but for a beastman to have such an ability.”
“Watch your tongue, human,” said Tayna, who now stood overlooking him. “What I used to heal your hand was light magic, a far more concentrated burst than what your healer managed to accomplish. Then again, he was foolish trying to heal all of those adventures at the same time. With his mana reserves, he likely died from exhaustion long before the troll’s club could end him.”
“You have no right to insult my friend, devil,” said Patroclus, rising to his feet. His nose was mere inches away from Tayna’s snout. “He was a valiant adventurer, endlessly skilled in divine magic. His father, Sir Henry of Lesbbon, he... “
“Enough with the posthumous praise. Regardless of what he was, right now he’s dead, and you would be too if it wasn’t for me. You should praise me.”
“Methinks it is quite the coincidence that you came in just to save me, letting the rest of my men be slaughtered. They say that the evilest of devils come disguised as saviors, only to whisk away one’s soul at the most opportune moment. Praise to a devil is an insult to the gods and if ever I was to accept the favor of a man-eater, Mother Earth would surely pull me into an early grave for my perversion.”
“Think, human. Do you honestly think a man-eater would help her prey?”
“Perhaps this is a trap. One must never trust the words of a beastmen. They lie as easily as they breathe.”
“That’s one word too much. Regardless of anything else, Tayna is not a liar.”
“What nonsense is this? What beastmen, what devil cares to hold his promises. Do you find me a fool?”
“A complete on, yes, too stupid for even a queen to find funny.”
“You watch your tongue.”
“Or what, will you best me with your lost sword, I wonder.” Patroclus reached for his back. His long sword had disappeared, sheath in all. Tayna chuckled.
“In Timere’s name, what did you do with my blade, devil?”
“Good question, adventurer. Perhaps I fed it to the troll. Maybe you should look inside. You might find your courage there.”
“You best be warned. A man does not need a sword to deal with a beast.”
“Oh, so you want to challenge me? I wonder how you think that will go.”
“A valiant trip to the Great Groove in the sky. A fitting end for a hero.”
“You make me sick.”
“You are sick.”
For a moment, the pair were silent. The sky was pitch dark so that only Tayna’s eyes were clearly visible.
“I believe I have done my good deed for the day despite the lack of gratitude. I’ll be on my way”. She went up to where she pulled out the dagger. She pulled out the handkerchief she used to wipe the blood off her scimitar to pick up the dagger.
“A proper reward indeed. Now I’m one step closer.” She turned to face Patroclus.
“Make sure to die a more honorable death next time, adventurer. I don’t think even the Sky Mother would welcome such a cowardly face as the one you showed tonight. Farewell.” She turned around and leaped into one of the trees above them. Then something peculiar happened. The dagger that she placed in her pocket flew out from under her and landed directly into Patroclus’ hand. At the dagger’s touch, his body erupted in pain. Tayna saw this, and as quickly as she lept fell down near Patroclus once again.
“This is absurd. I thought I erased the curse from you, but from the looks of it, it appears far stronger than even my magic can handle.” She racked her claws over her face.
“Ah, so you're saying I’m stuck with this accursed weapon now. Can you at least remove it? The pain is unbearable.”
“Where’s your nerve,” said Tayna, who used her handkerchief to grab the dagger. She placed it on the ground beside him.
“The dagger is attracted to you like a magnet.”
“What on Mother Earth is a magnet?”
“Ignore what I said. What I mean is that the dagger will not be able to move far from your location. However, as long as it does not touch you, it will not hurt you.” She let out a sigh. “Guess I’ll be sleeping with you tonight. Then tomorrow, we’ll go to the local village and find a mage powerful enough to rid that curse from you. I need that dagger.”
“I refuse to sleep anywhere near a lustful beast like you. Without a sword to protect me, how will I save myself from your advances?
“Fine then, vermin. I’ll sleep near the pond right from here. I’ll meet you here tomorrow at the crack of dawn.” She edged up closer to me, her huntress eyes staring daggers into my own. “However, if you even try to run away, I’ll hunt you down, cut you into little pieces, and stuff you into my belly. Don’t think you can hide, either. The blade’s aura is like a signal flame to me. No matter where you go, I’ll be able to track you. That is a promise made by Tayna herself.” She turned, a windy aura surrounding her hooves before she flew up into the air, hopping between the trees like a ninja. Patroclus made an attempt to call at her to demand his sword back, but by then, she was gone.
At the disappearance of the devil child, Patroclus found himself relieved. Though weaponless, he need not worry of facing the wolf woman's blade. The thought of his own demise seemed like a distant memory. A sick twist of fate it was to follow a beast who the Temptresses had just told was a conniving man-eater. Patroclus wished to run away, to find shelter in a nearby village and send word to his guild on the failed mission. However, he knew not to underestimate the beastwoman who so easily defeated the seemingly invincible troll. With that in mind, all that was left for Patroclus to do was to saunter back to the tent and fall asleep. And so he tried, though it did not take him long to realize the futility of his efforts. His heart beat faster than the rivers of Trividad and his mind ached so much over the preceding events that he believed the dagger was still stuck in his hand. With Tayna gone, there was no more reason to stave off his emotions. He spent the night weeping.
The sun rose over the Jurien Forest. At the forest's center, a conference of nature spirits was held to discuss the night’s events. Dryads sat on tree stumps that formed a circular ring resembling a symposium, their branchy antlers swinging nervously. Dryads were the protectors of the Jurien Forest who prevented creatures of the dark from entering the domain. They excelled at causing confusion among trespassers, causing insanity to those less initiated. For those with greater wills, the dryads used the trees to blockade the enemy’s encroachment. Their power seemed infinite as long as they stayed close to their central tree, their lifeblood.
At the center of the dryads was the kneeling figure of an earthen spirit whose discolored leafy dress indicated the forest’s stress. In her flower-made lap laid the broken form of a woman. A hole protruded through her head where a blade had passed. Her damage was far more than just physical. Exuding from her was dark tainted magic that threatened to corrupt the entire forest, given enough time. The earthen spirit rustled the woman’s bushy hair singing a melancholic hymn never before heard in the forest. The dryads cried at the song because they knew what it entailed. The songbirds, her loyal helpers, gathered around the unmoving body, adding to the earth spirit’s song. A great evil had entered the forest and with it the death of one of the forest’s greatest protectors. Her body was beyond repair, her birth tree tainted with such cursed energy that even the greatest of holy magic would be ineffective. All that was left was to return her to her mother. In finishing the hymn, the earthen spirit embraced the woman in a motherly hug and as the dryads looked in dismay, the earthen spirit dragged the poor creature back into the earth so that it may rest peacefully for all eternity.
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When Patroclus emerged from the tent and entered into the morning sun, he felt a tingly sensation that reverberated through his entire being. The light seemed ticklish to his skin. The dagger laid next to his tent. From where it lay, the grass dried and wilted away. The weapon emanated a strong pressure that made it impossible to ignore. The dagger pulled on Patroclus, who struggled to distance himself from the cursed blade. In a moment of weakness, he reached out for it.
Something grazed Patro’s back. He heard a roar from behind him. He spun round to see the grizzly maw of a wolf, tongue salivating. Patroclus screamed, reaching for a sword that was not there.
“Good morning, adventure,” said Tayna grinning.
“You devil. I would have had your head if…”
“If you had your sword, yes. Is that what you were going to say?” She covered her mouth to muffle a laugh. In her right paw, she held the dagger wrapped in her handkerchief. “Honestly, it’s so fun to see you squirm.” She smiled briefly before assuming a serious face. She spoke with a lower tone..
“We have to get out of here. Right now.”
“Get out of here. Why, of course, but why such the serious demeanor?”
“The dryads. They’ve taken notice of that cursed dagger of yours. I’m surprised it's taken so long, but now that they’re on your scent, they have no intention of letting you leave here. I can sense extreme animosity coming from the forest. The sensation is nauseating. If we don’t leave now, we’ll certainly be swallowed up.”
“Of all the bad luck, now the forest makes me her enemy.”
“Stop complaining and get to moving.” She pulled on her grey cloak, which magically shrunk her bulkier frame into a small, thin humanoid. Her face looked like a young maiden’s, pale and clear. She passed for human, conventionally attractive and mysterious. Tayna tossed something at Patroclus’ feet: a long broadsword carved with the emblem of a dragon.
“Take your sword, adventurer. You might need it.”
Patroclus and Tayna scurried about trying to escape the forest. Tanya leaped through the trees slowing down so that Patroclus could follow underneath. If Tanya was to outpace Patroclus too far, the dagger would fall out of her pocket. She would be remised to give up an object so essential to her goals.
The forest spirits held nothing back. An army of dryads, the Folki, was assembled. They were skilled archers who used wooden bows magically enchanted to replenish after a set period. They dipped their arrows in wild frog poison that caused extreme numbness and fatigue to the target. They navigated the forest on large deer whose antlers were as sharp as knives. The moss people, the male version of dryads, were also in hot pursuit armed with long timber spears. Their larger build allowed for greater durability than their sisters, which they used effectively in their hit and run strategies. Minor spirits directed the two armies who, under the earthen spirit’s command, provided the location of the mysterious intruders.
As Patrocolus continued to run in the direction of Tayna, the ground in front of him began to rip apart creating a bottomless pit for him to fall into. Patrocolus barely managed to slow himself down, his legs dangling over the edge. However, he was not safe yet. From the crevice emerged a giant plant-like creature: a white tulip with a giant mouth lined with circular rows of sharp teeth. A purple substance dripped from the creature’s human-like tongue that dissolved the earth on contact. The plant wriggled out from the hole, the vine from which it originated from extending upwards until it towered over the terrified hero.
The plant attacked, charging directly at Patroclus. He rolled to the side, avoiding the creature's acidic bite. He picked up his broad sword and aimed a downward strike on the creature's head. The plant avoided the blow and spit out a torrent of purple acid as it pulled back its head. Patrocolus rolled out of the away, barely avoiding the lethal substance that charred the earth where he once stood. The creature charged at him again only this time he was prepared. He held his blade horizontal and stepped into the blow catching the creature's jaw right open. Before the creature could bite down, Patrocolus spinned towards the creature's stem neck and with his sword in hand managed to chop off the creature from the root causing it to fall over dead. Patrocolus looked at his blade, which had almost completely melted away. Demoralized, Patrocolus threw his treasured sword away.
“Hurry up,” yelled Tayna from above him. She sommersalted down to inspect him.
“Where’s your sword?” she asked. He pointed to the dismantled hilt laying next to the deceased plant.
“Truly unbelievable.” The ground began to shake below them.
“Grab on,” she yelled, “less you want to face about ten more of those things.” Patrocolus said a quick forgiveness prayer to all the gods before clutching on to the wolf child. She pulled him over her left shoulder. They leaped into the air, landing on a nearby branch. Below them, the ground erupted with man-eating plants, mouths wide open for harvesting. Before Tayna managed to leap towards the next branch, an arrow whizzed by her head brushing through the thick orange mane causing it to darken slightly.
The dryads were upon them now, their green eyes narrowed on the enemy’s position. A volley of poisoned arrows poured down on Tayna as she maneuvered through the trees. Despite the extra baggage, Tayna remained agile, a sign of her animal instinct fully tuned into her surroundings. However, at this moment, the very surroundings were her enemy. The trees protested the wolf child’s usage of them. They extended their branches trying to slice off her legs then quickly contort inwards so that she would lose her footing. Spiked tendrils from the earth reached out to Tayna who sliced them with her scimitar as she passed. The scenery around her was amassed with crushed leaves, broken branches, shredded grass, and dismembered plants all once tasked with killing the intruder. As she looked up from a sliced spiky tendril, a moss man leapt from the branch above Tayna and dove at her, spear in hand. She parried the weapon with her scimitar and before the moss man could respond, she thrusted three times with her sword in her right, cutting into the creature's chest. She tried to retrieve her weapon, only to find the sword stuck soundly into the moss man’s muddy center. Assessing the situation, Tayna raised her leg and kicked at the creature's head while pulling away the sword with both hands. The moss man flew from the kick plummeting to the floor where the man-eating plants lay waiting. All of this she did while holding onto Patroclus.
From above more moss men began descending down towards Tayna. Their general, twice the size of the average moss man, observed from the highest tree in the forest the onslaught of his men. Realizing the futility of fighting such a large enemy, Tanya focused on deflecting the nature spirits’ attacks, weaving and dodging the spears, disarming with her sword when possible so as to whittle the number of attackers down. The moss men could not compete with the devil wolf’s speed, their round bodies unfit for long excursions. Tayna continued her escape only to be met by an entirely different foe.
Music from a lyre, beautiful and enchanting, inundated the forest. A charming voice spoke out, singing a graceful tune. Her words calmed the mind and transfixed the soul so that when Tayna’s superhuman hearing perceived it, she lost all track of where she was. She found herself in a meadow, A calm meadow full of dandelions and roses where there was no one else except her. The voice told her to lay down, to rest in a soft grass bed prepared for her so that she may sleep all her worries away. An irresistible decision. Nay, not a decision, but a command. A command she must obey.
“Snap out of it,” yelled Patroclus, slapping Tayna across the face. He held his hands over the enlarged ears of the wolf girl. Tanya blinked, her senses returning to her just in time before the man-eating flowers below could swallow them whole. She unwrapped her tail hidden in her cloak and wrapped it around the nearest tree, swinging off of it so as to carry her momentum.
“That was an elder dryad,” said Patroclus, still holding onto Tanya’s ears. Their music makes men mad or lures them to their deaths. Why I am not affected, I do not know, but now is not the time to worry about that.”
Tayna leaped to the next tallest tree and saw the elder dryad still playing her lyre. Tayna charged at her. The elder dryad in, seeing Tanya unaffected by her singing, tried backing away from the animal who stared at her with murderous intent. She would not be fast enough. Tanya swung her scimitar, hoping to lop off the creature's neck. Instead, a giant mushroom formed in between Tayna and the dryad, which absorbed the blow and pushed her back. From below her, stood another of the forest’s generals. A large brown shroom with eyes. In each hand, it held two small mushrooms, which when squeezed, produced spores that sprouted mushrooms all around the landscape.. The mushroom general had created a cavern of fungi that spewed noxious gas into the atmosphere, a clear deaf sentence for a creature so reliant on scent.. As such, the defeat of the mushroom general was of high importance. The odor from the mushrooms made it hard for Tayna to pinpoint its location. Patrocolus, however, caught a glimpse of the creature hiding on a wooden stub near and directed Tayna towards it by pulling on her eyes. Tayna dropped down where Patroclus had guided her. The general noticed her advancement and prepared a mushroom wall to guard against Tayna’s inevitable attack.
Tayna raised her sword above her head, wind rustling her hair as a white smoke evaporated from the blade. She swung down hard, a torrent of wind flowing from her slash that ripped apart the branches it encountered on the way to its target. The mushroom general’s shield was sliced in half and the general himself suffered a crescent-shaped scar on his head. One of the miniature mushrooms that General held fell out of his hand, which Patroclus caught as they ducked below him quickly putting it his pocket so that he could return to shielding Tanya’s ears.
As they emerged upwards again, Tanya again encountered the dryad. She repeated her air slash, which caused the dryad to meld back into the tree. Tayna landed on the tree where the dryad once stood.
“What a monster,” a voice echoed from the bark.
“That’s what it takes to survive in this world,” responded Tanya, stabbing her sword into the branch. The voice did not respond. They had defeated two of Forest’s generals. Now the most dangerous of them all approached.
In a blink of an eye, a figure jumped behind Tanya and slashed her sword at Patroclus. Tayna managed to turn around to block the attack, but lost her footing in the process, causing her to fall back into another tree. She recovered from the hit, digging her sword into the tree and hanging from it with her paws so that she would not fall below. Digging her feet claws into the bark to stabilize herself on the tree, she pulled out the sword, just in time to counter the knife thrown directly at her throat. She scampered up the tree, the pursuing figure gaining on her with speed that rivaled her own. When Tanya reached the tree’s crown, the figure was already upon them. It came down on Tayna with an airward slash, which she avoided only to be met by a sideways jab that grazed her chest leaving a mark. Tayna readied her sword, ready for a fight with one of her brethren. A foxhuman, dressed in leather armor, her fur on edge and iron blade dripping with the blood of a fresh cut.
“It’s been a while since I had to fight my own kind,” said Tayna, who tried to gather her energy.
“Don’t be mistaken,” said the fox girl, whipping the blood off her blade with her tongue. I am a fox spirit, protector of the forest, and right hand to the earthen spirits. I am not your kin.”
“Listen, we’re not your foe. The cursed dagger this human has is not his own. Another man, he…”
“Silence demon. Do you find me foolish enough to believe a wolf? Spirit, I may be but a fox must never trust a wolf. Prepare yourself.”
“Suit yourself,” said Tayna. “My words never seem to reach, anyway.” The two engaged in heated combat. Tayna struck hard, but the fox spirit’s speed was something to behold. She quickly sidestepped Tayna’s jab and countered with her own, cutting Tayna’s left arm. Before Tayna could retaliate, the fox spirit entered her guard, cutting her across the chest. Tanya retreated, blood dripping from her wounds.
“Give up,” said the fox spirit. “Your pointless battle will not make your death any less painless. Your sins against this forest must be paid in blood.” Tayna breathed heavily. From around her, moss men began to surround the area, their general leading the charge to battle. The dryads too were nearby, their bows at the ready, prepared to fire at a moment's notice.
“No choice,” whispered Tanya to herself. She buried her sword into the tree branch, which whistled meaningly from impact. From the blade, a large gust of wind emerged. The fox spirit backed away. A miniature tornado caught both Tanya and Patroclus and lifted them high into the sky. The dryads tried firing their arrows at them, but the violent wind tore them up. The tornado lifted them high in the sky, high above the trees whose branches reached out to crush them. The pressure of the wind tore at Patrocolus’s skin. They soared in the sky until the gust of wind, losing the power of its initial incantation, threw Tayna and Patroclus over the forest. They fell sharply, and if it was not for Patrocolus’ quick thinking, they would surely have died. Patroclus brought out the miniature mushroom he stole from the general and squeezed. On the ground below them formed a giant mushroom that cushioned their fall, allowing for a successful landing.
Tanya and Patroclus rolled off the giant mushroom exhausted. Their escape from the forest seemed inconceivable. The forest spirits would never leave the forest to chase them. At last, a nice respite after the ensuing chaos. Or so they thought. Out of the pot into the fire. Out of the fire and into Hell, the two were met with the evil forces the forest had been protecting from since yesterday morning. An army of lesser trolls searching for their general.
The troll army stood there aimlessly, armed with stone swords, axes, and shields. They lacked a military formation, instead of bunching up in a giant circle marching forwards once they saw the humans at the border of the impenetrable forest. Their bluish figure contracted their generals' golden exterior though their pig-mouthed faces showed a clear resemblance. They roared as they advanced, ready to rip apart any who stood in their way.
Despite the previous battles, despite her injuries and fatigue, the blood dripping down her shoulder, and all the other ailments the wolf devil had suffered up to this point, she stood. She could ignore the pain. She could ignore her needs, her safety, her precaution, her life, when it came to her own desire, her reason for being. She would kill all the trolls.
She held her sword tight in her arms. She closed her eyes as if in prayer. Around her, the earth began to shake. Lightning crackled in the sky with a thunderous boom. A column of wind wrapped around her cold and violent like the caster. The column of wind touched the sky creating a vacuum in heaven. Her fingers clawed at her blade, the wind ripping into her fingers drawing blood. Her eyes were bloodshot. Tayna’s body could barely handle the force exerted, but she refused to budge. Tanya slammed down with a blade. A massive tornado formed from the edge of the sword, only growing larger as it gained speed. The trolls had no defense for such powerful magic. They stopped their charge, eyeing the object of their imminent destruction. The tornado plummeted through their numbers, a gruesome sight to behold even considering the target. Flesh churning, bone tearing force all concentrated in one attack. The more trolls consumed in the attack, the larger the radius of the tornado grew until it imploded from within, releasing the majority of the army’s forces high into the air, plummeting towards their death. The enemy forces were washed in blood, a horrible mass of broken body parts, and severed limbs. Truly, this was a terror caused by a devil.
The remaining troll army, small in number, dropped their weapons. Despite their lack of intelligence, they maintained their natural instinct of survival common in all living creatures. They fled, going back to their encampments in the North. Tanya knelt on the hilt of her sword, her body incapable of further combat. And yet.
“Don’t let them escape. Kill them all. Don’t let a single one of those monsters live.” Her body trembled with each word. Her hair stood up so much that she resembled a porcupine. Her hunter eyes remained fixed on the retreating target.
“There’s no point for further conflict. We’ve won this battle.”
“Ignorant fool. There’s no winning unless all those bastards are dead. Murder them, destroy them, do something dammit.” She turned her hunter's eyes at him.
“Do you have no soul? Aren't these the creatures that killed your fellow adventurers, your friends. Do you not want vengeance? Do you not want their souls to go on peacefully or to remain tormented by your continuous failure?’ Patroclus stared at her shocked. Such burning rage emitted from her being, enough to burn down the entire forest. A rage he, too, felt. Rage against the monsters that had taken his allies' life. In truth, he agreed with what the wolf child said. A darkness had surrounded the two, formed my shared mystery. The dagger in Tayna’s pocket glowed with a deep malice. Patroclus' skin blackened in response to the evil magic as his own dark desires began to surface. But this did not compare to the devil before her. If malices’ hand wrapped around Patrocols cursed dagger, then it squeezed at Tayna’s heart.
“Did the death of your allies hurt you this little? Did their loss not ripple anything in your heart, cause you loneliness beyond repair? Are you that weak that when the opportunity strikes you won’t do what needs to be done? You...you…” Tanya's eyes closed as she fell face-first on the ground.
Patroclus looked at the fallen devil with a mixed expression. Now was his chance to kill the monster and escape. The creature surely was mad, attempting a massacre on a fleeting army especially given her condition. She lived up to her epithet. And yet, there was still that business with the curse. The dagger's presence still weighed him down, and no one knew yet the terrible effects such an evil object might cause. Right now, she was her only hope. Additionally, he would be traveling alone, his sword destroyed, the miniature mushroom he grabbed earlier vanishing into mist after he brought it out of the forest. A weaponless adventurer is a walking dead man. He needed her terrifying power. She had defended him well against the forest attack. A risky adventure for her, all for his protection. The action was selfish in nature, but still the creature suffered for his sake. A foolish thing to convey pity towards a monster. What a pathetic excuse for a human. The gods would surely smite him there for allying himself with a manbeast even if only for a moment. To leave her or stay with her, where would his humanity take him?. Patrocolus chose the latter.