Drake climbed up into a gloomy night surrounded by towering silver trees as, below him, the last trace of the torchlight disappeared. Emily would climb up that ladder in darkness. He gratefully caught Lydia’s white-gloved hand as she offered it, and she helped him onto solid ground. Sachi waited impatiently, glancing between Lydia and the trees.
The smell of the woods hit him first, sap and pine and even a trace of sweet honey in the air. He also smelled wet wood and leaves. It shocked him just how vivid the smells were out here in the woods, but at least it didn’t smell bad.
A thick fog continued to hang over this forest despite the cold—didn’t fog usually arrive when the temperature suddenly increased?—and it limited visibility into the densely packed trees. The fog also swirled constantly, and not always in sync with the cold wind. Drake got the distinct impression the fog was... watching him... which was far from his favorite feeling.
There were all the sounds he’d expected in a normal forest, at least. He heard insects buzzing away in the distance along with a few scattered bird calls. There was also the standard sound of branches rustling as wind whistled through the trees. The cold on his face told him it was chilly out here, but with his multiple layers of clothing and armor, he was comfortable.
Moments later, Emily clambered into sight and hopped out of the hole. She snapped her fingers at it. Drake then watched in wonder as roots, dirt, and leaves magically painted themselves over the opening. A moment after that, there was no sign the hole existed.
“Nice,” he said quietly. “How do we find it again?”
“Sachi can sniff it out,” Emily said. “She’s wonderful at sniffing things.” The smirk beneath her innocent smile was back in full force now.
Drake turned to Sachi. “All right. Before we set off, I have a new decree.”
Sachi’s expression went sour. “Can’t this wait, lord?”
“Don’t say that!” Emily said eagerly. “You’re going to like this decree.”
Sachi’s ears twitched. “Go on.”
That sounded like a challenge. Drake was happy to accept. He compelled Sachi to follow the single degree that would ensure she never had to follow any other decree again. He made it clear he would never compel her to do anything again.
When he finished, Sachi sniffed. “You intend to make this decree across the manor?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Then you are exceedingly brave or exceedingly foolish.”
“Might be both. Still, it’s your choice. Do you want to stay and help us save the manor?”
“Will you continue to pay me?”
“Yes,” Drake said, then glanced at Lydia. “Right?”
“Of course, lord.”
When he looked for Sachi again, she was gone. Vanished. Completely disappeared.
Emily patted his arm. “She does that! I wouldn’t worry about it. You surprised her, lord, but more importantly, I think she’s quite pleased. Sachi never liked being told what to do.”
Lydia lightly touched his upper arm. “The vero are presenting themselves.”
Drake turned in the direction she indicated and looked for more catgirls, or lizard girls, or whatever kind of girls he hadn’t run into yet. It took him a moment to spot the vero. They only came up to his knees, for one. Also, they were stick people.
Stick people.
As in people made of sticks, sticks that wound together like wicker furniture twisted into the form of child-sized dolls with arms and legs but no visible heads. Drake was pretty sure they were completely covered in mud as well, and the leaves all over them looked... living. There were four of the little stick people gathered ahead of him, lined up in a neat line.
Since they had no heads, they had no faces, and since they had no faces, he couldn’t be certain they were looking in his direction. They were at least oriented in his direction. They were also all completely still, which was why he had trouble picking them out in the gloom. Had Lydia not suggested these were living things, he’d have assumed they were creepy little totems.
So what were they waiting for? Lydia leaned close enough that her whisper tickled his ear. “Say those words aloud, lord. As per our sacred pact, I ask you to lead us to the Proudglade knights who entered these woods this afternoon.”
Drake stared right at the center stick child and repeated Lydia’s words verbatim.
The stick children responded immediately, with one moving to stand directly before him, Lydia, and Emily. The fourth darted off into the woods, likely to where Sachi was hanging out. He hoped she was still out there somewhere and hadn’t just left.
The way the stick children—the vero—skittered about made his skin crawl. Even with only two legs he still couldn’t help but think of fuzzy spiders, likely because of how twitchy their little arms and legs were. They also had all those extra protrusions, like hair.
And oh fuck. Fantasy worlds always had giant spiders. Were there giant spiders somewhere in this forest? Drake had always been a fierce arachnophobe, and he was going to absolutely lose his shit if they ran into a giant spider. Or a whole nest of them.
The vero ahead of him spun like a hanging Christmas ornament and toddled off, which was Drake’s cue to follow it. He vaguely noted Lydia and Emily were following him now, instead of Lydia leading the way. Because he’d given the order? He was following the vero.
“What type of sacred pact do we have with those things?” Drake whispered.
“We protect the silverwood,” Lydia said. “In exchange, it allows us passage.”
That sounded... less awful than the blood pact. Could you even enslave trees? The fact that his invocation had been “ask” and not “compel” was reassuring.
As they approached the menacing interlocking branches of the tall gray trees, Drake grimaced. He didn’t mind a good hike in the forest, but he preferred to stick to trails. These serpentine branches, by comparison, looked wound together tightly. There were likely a bunch of thorns and scratchy bark, and also spiders, tucked away in there.
They didn’t have helmets. Why didn’t they have any helmets? This whole set of armor would be worthless if he took a crossbow bolt between the eyes.
“Lord,” Lydia whispered from directly behind him. “Now would be a good time to pull your hood up. Best to cover our faces during the journey.”
He glanced back at Lydia to find her head cloaked almost entirely in shimmery black leather, with a black oval in place of her face. Emily now had the same. With their hoods up, their black armor left them little more than shadows.
For a moment he thought Lydia meant the hoodie inside his armor, which he couldn’t reach. As he fumbled around behind his head at the collar of his feathersteel armor, he found what felt like a stiff ring. He yanked it up and gasped as a hood popped over his head.
The sounds of the forest dulled immediately as a warm cloth wrapped around his ears, head, and the sides of his face. Drake was shocked as what felt like a veil settled in front of his eyes. He could still see in the dim moonlight almost as well as he’d been able to see without the hood up. Except now, he suspected, he was pretty much invisible.
Fuck creepy stick children. Fuck giant spiders. But feathersteel fantasy armor? This stuff was all right. He felt less like a full cringe LARPer and more like a badass ninja.
They were almost to the first of the clusters of interlocking branches. Drake braced himself to start shouldering his way through. Could Emily’s soul-rending axe also chop through wood? A big two-handed axe would be perfect for chopping through tree limbs.
As the vero ahead skittered into the forest, the branches locked together ahead of Drake writhed and shifted like a nest of snakes. The movement stopped Drake dead, which led to Emily bumping into him from behind. He expected a curse and got a giggle instead.
In less than a breath every last interlocking branch barring his way had shifted out of his way, forming what looked like a naturally grown tunnel into the woods. The vero stopped halfway inside the new tunnel, then spun to face him. One of its little stick arms beckoned.
The silverwood was granting them passage.
So vero could control tree limbs? That made sense, since they were essentially little trees themselves. Drake only had to lower his head to walk into the new tree branch tunnel, and he walked right in. The vero took off once more, darting left and right as it made its way around towering tree trunks and branches simply shifted out of the way to allow passage.
A fresh grin crossed his face. This was awesome. The branches and undergrowth in Gloomwood forest looked to be frustratingly thick, and those big knights in their bulky armor must be exhausting themselves trying to chop their way through it all. Meanwhile, he and his party in their sleek light armor could just stroll through these naturally-made tunnels.
No wonder Lydia had been confident they would easily catch up to the Proudglade knights despite setting out past nightfall. With luck, once full dark fell, those golden dickheads had stopped for the night and made a camp. With the vero making these tunnels for them, and this all but invisible ninja armor cloaking them from view, they could walk right up to the edge of whatever campsite the knights made without a soul the wiser.
They walked for a long while. Drake didn’t get winded, but he was definitely burning energy. He’d done enough cardio back in his world that he remained in decent shape, but the vero kept up a steady pace. Even though he didn’t have to push his way through branches, his back did start to ache from the way he had to constantly and incrementally lean down.
Soon Drake was practically in a trance, aware of the tunnel and aware of little else. He continued walking like that for what might have been hours. When the vero finally halted suddenly and gave a quiet chirp, he nearly tripped over it.
He instinctively dropped into a crouch. His thighs and calves were already sore from the long walk, but he still felt mobile. He’d probably be cramped as hell tomorrow, though.
Movement out of the corner of his eye announced Lydia’s arrival at his side. She made no noise as she came around him, but she was staring straight ahead. Drake followed the direction of her gaze.
There was faint light from far ahead. Not moonlight. Firelight. They’d caught up with the Proudglade knights already, and they had made camp for the night. Success!
Sachi’s silky whisper at his other ear was a jump scare he just barely avoided. “Only one lookout, lord. A woman.”
So she’d stayed after all. Another win for team No Slavery. Drake glanced in Sachi’s direction to find her crouched by his other side. Her orange pupils glowed in the faint light.
Emily physically shoved her way between Drake and Lydia, squeezing in between them. “May I get her, lord? I can easily silence one lookout.”
“We aren’t killing anyone,” Lydia reminded her.
“I’d just kill her a little. She’d live!”
Drake stared at her. “You chop people’s souls in half.”
“Better I slip up behind and choke her out,” Sachi suggested eagerly. “I promise she’ll never hear me coming, lord, and when the rest come to look for her, we’ll silence them too.”
“I don’t want to silence anyone,” Drake whispered firmly. “We’re here to talk, remember? I need to negotiate with them.” He looked to the catgirl. “Westin is with them?”
“Aye, lord.” Her big cat ears twitched once, which suggested she was either annoyed or amused by the question. “The little lord’s all tucked away in his bag.”
“Then I’ll walk up to their camp and announce myself.”
Lydia gripped his bicep. “That is not a good idea. They could attack you.”
“They won’t attack Lord Gloomwood in his own forest. Not after I confidently announce myself. They’ll be too wary I’m trying to lure them into a hidden trap.”
“It is too great a risk, lord.”
“Life is risk.” Drake wasn’t willing to gamble with his life unless the odds were good, but these odds were good. “Also, if they do attack me, I’m confident all of you can kick their asses.”
Sachi purred beside him. “But not kill them, lord?”
“Let’s try to avoid killing any of them, but definitely don’t let me die.” He’d probably be a little upset if a golden knight died, but he’d be a lot more upset if he died.
Lydia looked toward the firelight and frowned. “I don’t like this course of action, lord. I think it is a mistake to approach their camp openly. We should capture and immobilize the knights first, then negotiate with Lord Westin from a position of strength.”
“That’ll just make Westin think I don’t trust him. Him thinking we’re best buddies is the key to ensuring we can negotiate. Trust me, Lydia. Remember what only I can do.”
She watched him for a moment. “If they react poorly, you need only run.”
“I know.” Drake glanced back at the camp. “But I bet I won’t have to.”
Drake climbed up into a gloomy night surrounded by towering silver trees as, below him, the last trace of the torchlight disappeared. Emily would climb up that ladder in darkness. He gratefully caught Lydia’s white-gloved hand as she offered it, and she helped him onto solid ground. Sachi waited impatiently, glancing between Lydia and the trees.
The smell of the woods hit him first, sap and pine and even a trace of sweet honey in the air. He also smelled wet wood and leaves. It shocked him just how vivid the smells were out here in the woods, but at least it didn’t smell bad.
A thick fog continued to hang over this forest despite the cold—didn’t fog usually arrive when the temperature suddenly increased?—and it limited visibility into the densely packed trees. The fog also swirled constantly, and not always in sync with the cold wind. Drake got the distinct impression the fog was... watching him... which was far from his favorite feeling.
There were all the sounds he’d expected in a normal forest, at least. He heard insects buzzing away in the distance along with a few scattered bird calls. There was also the standard sound of branches rustling as wind whistled through the trees. The cold on his face told him it was chilly out here, but with his multiple layers of clothing and armor, he was comfortable.
Moments later, Emily clambered into sight and hopped out of the hole. She snapped her fingers at it. Drake then watched in wonder as roots, dirt, and leaves magically painted themselves over the opening. A moment after that, there was no sign the hole existed.
“Nice,” he said quietly. “How do we find it again?”
“Sachi can sniff it out,” Emily said. “She’s wonderful at sniffing things.” The smirk beneath her innocent smile was back in full force now.
Drake turned to Sachi. “All right. Before we set off, I have a new decree.”
Sachi’s expression went sour. “Can’t this wait, lord?”
“Don’t say that!” Emily said eagerly. “You’re going to like this decree.”
Sachi’s ears twitched. “Go on.”
That sounded like a challenge. Drake was happy to accept. He compelled Sachi to follow the single degree that would ensure she never had to follow any other decree again. He made it clear he would never compel her to do anything again.
When he finished, Sachi sniffed. “You intend to make this decree across the manor?”
“That’s the plan.”
“Then you are exceedingly brave or exceedingly foolish.”
“Might be both. Still, it’s your choice. Do you want to stay and help us save the manor?”
“Will you continue to pay me?”
“Yes,” Drake said, then glanced at Lydia. “Right?”
“Of course, lord.”
When he looked for Sachi again, she was gone. Vanished. Completely disappeared.
Emily patted his arm. “She does that! I wouldn’t worry about it. You surprised her, lord, but more importantly, I think she’s quite pleased. Sachi never liked being told what to do.”
Lydia lightly touched his upper arm. “The vero are presenting themselves.”
Drake turned in the direction she indicated and looked for more catgirls, or lizard girls, or whatever kind of girls he hadn’t run into yet. It took him a moment to spot the vero. They only came up to his knees, for one. Also, they were stick people.
Stick people.
As in people made of sticks, sticks that wound together like wicker furniture twisted into the form of child-sized dolls with arms and legs but no visible heads. Drake was pretty sure they were completely covered in mud as well, and the leaves all over them looked... living. There were four of the little stick people gathered ahead of him, lined up in a neat line.
Since they had no heads, they had no faces, and since they had no faces, he couldn’t be certain they were looking in his direction. They were at least oriented in his direction. They were also all completely still, which was why he had trouble picking them out in the gloom. Had Lydia not suggested these were living things, he’d have assumed they were creepy little totems.
So what were they waiting for? Lydia leaned close enough that her whisper tickled his ear. “Say those words aloud, lord. As per our sacred pact, I ask you to lead us to the Proudglade knights who entered these woods this afternoon.”
Drake stared right at the center stick child and repeated Lydia’s words verbatim.
The stick children responded immediately, with one moving to stand directly before him, Lydia, and Emily. The fourth darted off into the woods, likely to where Sachi was hanging out. He hoped she was still out there somewhere and hadn’t just left.
The way the stick children—the vero—skittered about made his skin crawl. Even with only two legs he still couldn’t help but think of fuzzy spiders, likely because of how twitchy their little arms and legs were. They also had all those extra protrusions, like hair.
And oh fuck. Fantasy worlds always had giant spiders. Were there giant spiders somewhere in this forest? Drake had always been a fierce arachnophobe, and he was going to absolutely lose his shit if they ran into a giant spider. Or a whole nest of them.
The vero ahead of him spun like a hanging Christmas ornament and toddled off, which was Drake’s cue to follow it. He vaguely noted Lydia and Emily were following him now, instead of Lydia leading the way. Because he’d given the order? He was following the vero.
“What type of sacred pact do we have with those things?” Drake whispered.
“We protect the silverwood,” Lydia said. “In exchange, it allows us passage.”
That sounded... less awful than the blood pact. Could you even enslave trees? The fact that his invocation had been “ask” and not “compel” was reassuring.
As they approached the menacing interlocking branches of the tall gray trees, Drake grimaced. He didn’t mind a good hike in the forest, but he preferred to stick to trails. These serpentine branches, by comparison, looked wound together tightly. There were likely a bunch of thorns and scratchy bark, and also spiders, tucked away in there.
They didn’t have helmets. Why didn’t they have any helmets? This whole set of armor would be worthless if he took a crossbow bolt between the eyes.
“Lord,” Lydia whispered from directly behind him. “Now would be a good time to pull your hood up. Best to cover our faces during the journey.”
He glanced back at Lydia to find her head cloaked almost entirely in shimmery black leather, with a black oval in place of her face. Emily now had the same. With their hoods up, their black armor left them little more than shadows.
For a moment he thought Lydia meant the hoodie inside his armor, which he couldn’t reach. As he fumbled around behind his head at the collar of his feathersteel armor, he found what felt like a stiff ring. He yanked it up and gasped as a hood popped over his head.
The sounds of the forest dulled immediately as a warm cloth wrapped around his ears, head, and the sides of his face. Drake was shocked as what felt like a veil settled in front of his eyes. He could still see in the dim moonlight almost as well as he’d been able to see without the hood up. Except now, he suspected, he was pretty much invisible.
Fuck creepy stick children. Fuck giant spiders. But feathersteel fantasy armor? This stuff was all right. He felt less like a full cringe LARPer and more like a badass ninja.
They were almost to the first of the clusters of interlocking branches. Drake braced himself to start shouldering his way through. Could Emily’s soul-rending axe also chop through wood? A big two-handed axe would be perfect for chopping through tree limbs.
As the vero ahead skittered into the forest, the branches locked together ahead of Drake writhed and shifted like a nest of snakes. The movement stopped Drake dead, which led to Emily bumping into him from behind. He expected a curse and got a giggle instead.
In less than a breath every last interlocking branch barring his way had shifted out of his way, forming what looked like a naturally grown tunnel into the woods. The vero stopped halfway inside the new tunnel, then spun to face him. One of its little stick arms beckoned.
The silverwood was granting them passage.
So vero could control tree limbs? That made sense, since they were essentially little trees themselves. Drake only had to lower his head to walk into the new tree branch tunnel, and he walked right in. The vero took off once more, darting left and right as it made its way around towering tree trunks and branches simply shifted out of the way to allow passage.
A fresh grin crossed his face. This was awesome. The branches and undergrowth in Gloomwood forest looked to be frustratingly thick, and those big knights in their bulky armor must be exhausting themselves trying to chop their way through it all. Meanwhile, he and his party in their sleek light armor could just stroll through these naturally-made tunnels.
No wonder Lydia had been confident they would easily catch up to the Proudglade knights despite setting out past nightfall. With luck, once full dark fell, those golden dickheads had stopped for the night and made a camp. With the vero making these tunnels for them, and this all but invisible ninja armor cloaking them from view, they could walk right up to the edge of whatever campsite the knights made without a soul the wiser.
They walked for a long while. Drake didn’t get winded, but he was definitely burning energy. He’d done enough cardio back in his world that he remained in decent shape, but the vero kept up a steady pace. Even though he didn’t have to push his way through branches, his back did start to ache from the way he had to constantly and incrementally lean down.
Soon Drake was practically in a trance, aware of the tunnel and aware of little else. He continued walking like that for what might have been hours. When the vero finally halted suddenly and gave a quiet chirp, he nearly tripped over it.
He instinctively dropped into a crouch. His thighs and calves were already sore from the long walk, but he still felt mobile. He’d probably be cramped as hell tomorrow, though.
Movement out of the corner of his eye announced Lydia’s arrival at his side. She made no noise as she came around him, but she was staring straight ahead. Drake followed the direction of her gaze.
There was faint light from far ahead. Not moonlight. Firelight. They’d caught up with the Proudglade knights already, and they had made camp for the night. Success!
Sachi’s silky whisper at his other ear was a jump scare he just barely avoided. “Only one lookout, lord. A woman.”
So she’d stayed after all. Another win for team No Slavery. Drake glanced in Sachi’s direction to find her crouched by his other side. Her orange pupils glowed in the faint light.
Emily physically shoved her way between Drake and Lydia, squeezing in between them. “May I get her, lord? I can easily silence one lookout.”
“We aren’t killing anyone,” Lydia reminded her.
“I’d just kill her a little. She’d live!”
Drake stared at her. “You chop people’s souls in half.”
“Better I slip up behind and choke her out,” Sachi suggested eagerly. “I promise she’ll never hear me coming, lord, and when the rest come to look for her, we’ll silence them too.”
“I don’t want to silence anyone,” Drake whispered firmly. “We’re here to talk, remember? I need to negotiate with them.” He looked to the catgirl. “Westin is with them?”
“Aye, lord.” Her big cat ears twitched once, which suggested she was either annoyed or amused by the question. “The little lord’s all tucked away in his bag.”
“Then I’ll walk up to their camp and announce myself.”
Lydia gripped his bicep. “That is not a good idea. They could attack you.”
“They won’t attack Lord Gloomwood in his own forest. Not after I confidently announce myself. They’ll be too wary I’m trying to lure them into a hidden trap.”
“It is too great a risk, lord.”
“Life is risk.” Drake wasn’t willing to gamble with his life unless the odds were good, but these odds were good. “Also, if they do attack me, I’m confident all of you can kick their asses.”
Sachi purred beside him. “But not kill them, lord?”
“Let’s try to avoid killing any of them, but definitely don’t let me die.” He’d probably be a little upset if a golden knight died, but he’d be a lot more upset if he died.
Lydia looked toward the firelight and frowned. “I don’t like this course of action, lord. I think it is a mistake to approach their camp openly. We should capture and immobilize the knights first, then negotiate with Lord Westin from a position of strength.”
“That’ll just make Westin think I don’t trust him. Him thinking we’re best buddies is the key to ensuring we can negotiate. Trust me, Lydia. Remember what only I can do.”
She watched him for a moment. “If they react poorly, you need only run.”
“I know.” Drake glanced back at the camp. “But I bet I won’t have to.”
