Miscellaneous Stories
Page 2
Campaign Concept - O.Z.
He breathed hard as he ran through the forest. He could hear the ground and dead leaves crunch under his feet as he made his way through the dusk light realm. He was surprised he could hear anything but his own heartbeat. He had been running for over a day now, not stopping for drink, food or even sleep, he had to get there before he was found.
She was right behind him, he was sure, but he had a lead, a small lead, but he had one none the less, if the stars were with him he would make it out before she found him. His brief swell of hope distracted him and he tripped, falling hard on the ground and rolling a few times.
Stunned, he stared upwards at the sun as it broke through the green canopy. Such beautiful canopy, such a pretty color, he smiled for the briefest of moments before realizing he had dropped it. He rolled over in a flash and desperately searched the ground. It had to be here, it had to be nearby, and he didn't roll far. It was a tiny thing though, easily hidden by leaf, or grass or mere dirt.
He scurried along the forest floor, counting the seconds that he lost as he searched for it. He could not leave without it, it was his only chance at getting out, only chance at finding… a glimmer in the ground caught his eye and he lunged for it. He had found it, the tiny little jewel that meant everything. He clutched it close to himself, but he couldn't let the moment catch up to him, not yet, he couldn't stop running yet.
His head shot upwards as he heard rustling in the trees. They had found him, he stood up and ran as shouts and cries spread across the forest top.
***
"Report."
"They found him your holiness; he has retreated into the Forbidden Forest." The guard stated as he bowed to her, hiding the fear he obviously had.
"What desperation could have driven him into that forsaken place I wonder?" the commander at her side stated, amused though he knew the answer.
"Me." The Matriarch smiled as she stared deep into the forest. "Order them to circle around and cut him off, he is not to reach the forest's edge at any cost."
The guard bowed again and went off to follow her orders. The Matriarch looked onward at the rising sun.
"He's going east, there is only one reason he would head east." The commander said standing by his lady's side.
"Nothing to worry about Commander Boq." The Matriarch smiled as she raised a small silver mirror.
"Holiness?"
"We are taking a short cut."
***
The screeching and the fluttering got louder and he knew they were almost upon him. He clutched tightly to the jewel, he was almost there, he merely had to clear the forest's edge and he would escape.
His heart sunk as he stopped running.
"It's over Wizit."
"Matriarch." Wizit said with a sigh. She and her men stood in front of him, shining at the forest edge. He saw as his pursuers landed around him, snarling and screeching, waiting for her order to rip him apart.
"Poor little Wizit. What did you hope to accomplish coming all the way out here?"
"A way to defeat you!" Wizit snarled and spat at the matriarch, her henchman yowling and screeching louder at the sign of his defiance.
"You're rebellion is over Wizit. We found your last hiding place. You are the only one left. Give up." Commander Boq ordered.
"Never. It's not over yet."
"And what could one person do?"
"This!" Wizit grinned as he held up the jewel, it's ruby color flashing in the sunlight.
"Stop him!" the Matriarch screeched, but it was too late, the ruby's energy flared out, sending virtually everyone off their feet. A fierce wind howled around Wizit, protecting him from Matriarch as she released a torrent of energy from her fingertips. The whirlwind energy flashed and Wizit was gone.
The Matriarch roared, she let loose more energy into the whirlwind, it's energy changing from red to green.
"Matriarch?" Commander Boq yelled above the sound of the roaring wind.
"He must not return. He must never return!" She yelled as the wind grew in strength.
"Wheelers!" She cried "After him! He must never live to see the O.Z. again!"
Wheels screeched across the forest floor as they disappeared into the vortex.
And The Forest Wept - A Lost Tale of Valrin
Pheliah scanned the valley ahead, not happy with what little she could see. The place was a rich forest and much of the valley lay hidden. Even worse, the valley had several off shoots, hidden places beyond her field of vision. Countless ways into the valley she suspected, and far too many places for them to search, they would be here a while.
"Nessus, Damcia." She called forth two of her scouts, "Take another scout with you and try to see into those two valleys." She pointed at the two nearest offshoots from the main valley. "Look for any unusual outcropping, rock formations, it's possible what we seek is ruins and may blend in with the surrounding mountainsides."
The two scouts nodded, each pointing to another in the group. "Commander, permission to join the scouting force." The scouts stopped looking at their commander. The voice that had spoken was Princess Seerra.
"Highness?" Pheliah knew where this conversation was about to go, it was one she and Seerra had to have every now and then.
"Please Commander, while I am in the guard, I have no title, I expect no special treatment."
"In that case, request denied."
Seerra opened her mouth as if to question Pheliah, but Pheliah cut her off. "I only need 2 scouts on each ridge; any more would be a waste of resources. Nessus, Damcia, Loren and Helios will move faster and quieter than you can Highness."
"Yes commander." Seerra backed off the subject; she knew that Pheliah never treated her any better or worse than the others, though she wondered if perhaps her dear friend was overly cautious at times. Pheliah was personally tasked with the safety of her life by her mother.
As the scouts departed Pheliah called for the rest of the squad to rest for a bit until their return. It would be unwise to enter into the valley where who knows what could be waiting for them.
"Commander, a moment?" Pheliah nodded as she and her second-in-command walked out of earshot of the others.
"Don't you think you're coddling her a bit?" the tone of voice her second took with her never surprised Pheliah, after all, he was her husband, and only did it our of ear shot of the others.
"She's too green Kildred; she would have slowed the others down." She smiled as she looked at her husband. They both treated the princess as if she were a younger sister or perhaps an older daughter; she could see Kildred's fatherly concern in his eyes.
"And she won't gain any more experience if you keep putting her on the sidelines. She's trying very hard here; you should let her show you how much she has improved since she joined up with us."
Kildred had a point, Pheliah thought; Seerra had been trying very hard. It was tradition and law that all those of royal blood must spend time in the military. Seerra was obviously not cut out for this type of life though. Her red hair tied up in a bun always seemed a bit frayed, and only made the Princess's pale skin even more apparent. She looked like a porcelain doll playing at soldier. Still, Seerra was no spoiled brat. She wanted to prove to her mother that she was as strong as her brothers, all of which where distinguished commanders themselves.
Pheliah sighed and looked at her husband, the smile on his regal face showing he knew he had won the argument. "Very well, I'll let of the reins a bit, but is he gets hurt you are standing there right next to me when the Queen scolds us."
"Aye Commander!" Kildred saluted mockingly and the two broke out in laughter. Pheliah took her husband into her arms and they shared a relaxed moment together.
"I can hear you Seerra, you can stop hiding now." Kildred said as he and Pheliah broke their embrace.
Pheliah smiled as Seerra appeared, slightly blushing that she had interrupted their personal moment. "It's alright Seerra, we're just talking." Upon hearing her name said the princess relaxed. She knew that when Pheliah actually called her by name, that they were not Princess and subject, or Commander and soldier, they were just three friends enjoying each other's company.
The three talked and laughed and enjoyed the moment's rest.
* * *
Pheliah led the group through the valley, making sure they went as quietly as possible. One of her scouts had reported back sighting ruins near the edge of one of the outer legs of the valley and they proceeded to investigate. Though the ruins they were sent to investigate were expected to be long abandoned, Pheliah took no unnecessary chances. The cult of Asmodeus was extremely dangerous in it height. The Elofenian military hunted the cult out mercilessly and stamped it out completely. All that remained were ruins such as the ones they were sent to explore. Though the cult was long gone, it's secrets were left behind, and the last thing they wanted was some upstart cult getting their hands on dangerous magicks.
As they crossed through the valley Pheliah marveled at the sheer beauty and growth of the forest. The view from above the valley belied the sheer size and vibrancy of the place. Some of the trees and plant life could have been argued to be a match to some of the great Elofenian forests. Pheliah knew that these forests were no mere natural occurrence. No there was something more here at play and her curiosity burned in the back of her mind.
Kildred watched his wife closely. He had come to the same conclusion, this place was a place of long lost magick, a verdant forest with great growth, and it spelled trouble. He watched as his wife admired the forest closely.
She couldn't help herself. Pheliah knew that every inch of this place must have once been touched or perhaps is still touched by the primal forces of the forest. Each leaf seemed to glitter as she touched on here, caressed another there.
He watched her as she walked through the forest, his eyes narrowing as she took a touch too long in a step, as if entranced by the foliage around her. It was when she started humming that he approached her.
Pheliah didn't even notice the others had been sent forward until Kildred grabbed her by the arm.
"Pheliah get a hold of yourself, you can't be doing this now." She looked as he said the words but they barely registered. They were singing to her, the forest was singing a very quiet and gentle lullaby."
"Commander?" Seerra had also stayed behind; she had suspected something might be wrong by the look on Kildred's face.
"Join the other's Seerra, Pheliah and I will be up there with you in a moment." Kildred looked at his wife again, a mix of emotions. Her eyes looked directly at him and he could see the obsession. The violet glow of her eyes had turned green and even the green in her hair seemed more apparent and gently glowed in the twilight of the forest.
"What's wrong with her?" Seerra asked, she had never seen her friend to entranced before.
"There is nothing wrong with me." Pheliah said, through the gentle chorus of the trees. "You will rejoin the others and continue on with the exploration of ruins. I have something else I have to gather information on."
"Pheliah, please, don't."
"You have your orders Captain."
Kildred stepped back from his Commander, his face hardening. "Yes ma'am. Come on your Highness, the Commander gave us our orders."
"But Kildred, we can't just leave her."
"You said you wanted no special treatment." Pheliah said, "Here is your chance to show me what you can do without me looking over your shoulder. Go on. You have your orders."
"Yes, ma'am." The other two walked away, both looking back as Pheliah walked away from them, here eyes closed, humming.
***
The music swayed through her mind as Pheliah followed the singing. It was as she always imagined, the gentle fey creatures must be near. She needed to see them, needed to dance among them, to feel the living embodiment of nature all around her. The sun beams that broke through the canopy of the forest glittered as if liquid gold. The forest glowed a hallowed green that she could almost feel against her skin.
And the singing, such sweet gentle singing of the forest, it coiled in and around her, through her, like a drug, she felt it deeply. Her mind wandered back to look on Kildred's face. He was angry, but he would forgive her. He always did.
Pheliah opened her eyes wide and drank in the energy around her, she was here. They were here, she knew it; she could feel it. The music was all around her, the trees hummed, the planted played soft music on the wind, and the fey, they sang, they sang around her, and laughed.
Pheliah turned around quickly, the laughter was wrong. The laughter tore at the music, tore at the humming; tore away the energy. She felt the forest grow cold, grow darker.
"Who are you!?" Pheliah called out at the laughter as it circled around her. It swirled liked some malevolent maelstrom.
"Show yourself!" she demanded. Her mind thought of Kildred, of Seerra, of her men, and the forest laughed.
***
Pheliah ran as quickly as she could through the forest, using the power of her blood to carry her forward like a mad spirit flying through the forest. The others were in danger; something was waiting for them as she had to warn them. She ran and ran, not knowing how far she had wandered, how far she had let herself be taken by the vile creatures masquerading in the trees. The forest had grown quiet, or so she assumed. All Pheliah could hear was her own heartbeat, her own words as she desperately hoped she could reach the others in time. She heard no wind, heard no rustle of plants, and when she arrived it was as if the world went silent.
The ruins laid covered in blood. Vile tormented forms were strewn about and Pheliah's heart froze as she could not tell the bloodied corpses of her men from the flayed bodies of the creatures that attacked them. No, not attacking them, devouring them.
A scream pierced the silence, it was Seerra. Pheliah rushed and witnessed as Kildred slashed at a great abomination in front of him. He looked and saw her, unable to express his happiness to see her, as the great creature's twisted form struck out, impaling her beloved and pulling him out of her sight. Seerra did not scream as the creature descended on her frail form, breaking the little doll.
Pheliah watched, in horror. The image of her husband's face frozen in her memory, of her dear brave friend as death befell her, of the tiefling, in the shadows, the mistress and maker of this carnage.
Pheliah screamed, and the forest roared.
***
Pheliah awoke, a cold sweat gripped her body, numbing her. She opened her eyes to the harshness of the sun which struck her face with no comfort. She reached around, seeking what would not be there, and felt only stone. She sat up as the hope of a nightmare broken beneath the weight of truth. She looked at herself, she was covered in blood. Her soaked robes flowed out from beneath armor that was not hers. She went to trace her fingers across the royal seal but a weight kept her hand at bay. She looked as her hand gripped and would not let go of the sword she knew so well, the sword of a long and proud family line with no heir, the sword of her beloved.
Pheliah clutched at the sword, clutched at the armor she wore, and closed her eyes.
The forest wept.
