Out For the Glory

by LurkingGhost

Chapter 7: Chapter 6

Patience was not a virtue Weiki was blessed with, but this was eclipsed by his capriciousness, both anticipating and not expecting the sporing to arrive, but a day and a night later it was here. Dani and Markus, acclimated to rising with the first cock's serenade, were already up, the former wearing his breastplate, greaves, and gauntlets over a thick wool shirt, the latter wrapped too in leather, wool, and canvas, plumed Gamekeeper's hat atop his iron-grey ringlets. The morning was blue and frigid, north wind respiring the prospect of snow and a crust of rime on the ground. Weiki had acquiesced to rolling out of bed early, under the threat of great bodily harm if he didn't (to paraphrase the good captain) get his skinny ass out of the sack, alternating between puffing his pipe and nibbling on a sweet honey roll full of currants and nuts. Sascha arrived too, unusually drab looking in canvas trousers and a rough-hewn blue tunic, different from the luxurious dresslike robes and ankle-length skirt he usually wore, only simple silver hoops adorning his ears this time, his green eyes looking sharp and alert. Kai, tawdry as ever, rounded out their group with his lute and ocarina in hand and an arsenal of tricks up his sleeve, his eyes reflecting a mix of excitement and concern. In the end, it was decided that the quintet would enter the forest alone to summon less attention, but Rangers, Gamekeepers, and Castle Guardians were on the outer perimeter and ready to mobilize once the horn was sounded in hark.

The Charcoal Spotted Puffshrooms usually begin to spore as soon as the sun rises," Sasha informed them, his eyes scanning the horizon. "We need to be quick before the winds pick up. If we time it right, we can harvest them at their peak potency."

"I prefer my mushrooms fried in butter and garlic and smothered in cheese," Weiki groused half-heartedly. "Or coated in crumbs and deep-fried, but as usual, nobody asked. And then there's also the matter of examining the spot Dani the Castle Guardians and Rangers did battle, to verify Kiske's magic has left its residue and see if we can't trace him using it."

"Whereabouts did you do battle with these...creatures?" Markus asked, his curiosity piqued as he studied the map laid out on the table. His thick, meaty fingers traced the main road through the King's Forest, the path and its connected arteries most expedious to foot traffic and carriages, with periodic Ranger stations and patrols to ward away bandits and monsters. His gaze drifted to the darker areas of the map, the parts where the ink bled into the parchment and the paths grew thinner and more serpentine. Here there be hunters, trappers, woodsmen, wild men and women, hermits, and uncatalogued beasts best left to legend and whispers. Ranger stations were few and far between in the deep woods, with some relying on the friendly principalities, grand duchies, and kingdoms Pumpkin Kingdom had allied with for men and supplies, under the watch of King Andi only on paper.

"It was here," Dani said, pointing east to a spot just off the main road, but not too deep into the woods. His finger hovered over an area marked with a skull and crossbones, denoting danger. "The merchant we captured spoke of a clearing where the Brotherhood performs their foul rituals.

The group exchanged solemn glances, the weight of their mission sinking in. The Puffshroom sporing was vital, but finding Kiske and preventing the resurrection of Gorgar was paramount.

"Whatever we do, nobody goes alone," Weiki, a self-proclaimed loner, declared firmly. His eyes searched the serene forest, clutching his halberd and ready to spear. "We stick together, no heroics, no going off half-cocked, we can't risk it."

" If we do have to split up, I have something that may help," Sascha said, patting the pouch on his hips, extracting a series of white tablets. "If anything happens, just crush them and throw the powder into the air and they'll emanate a fountain of red starlight, alerting us to your position."

Good thinking, Sascha," Weiki said, the quintet divying up the tablets among themselves until they each had a dozen. Dani tested his weight on his ankle, finding it surprisingly steady, the potions having done their job well. With a nod to the wizard, they set off into the woods, the crunch of leaves and the occasional snapping of a twig underfoot the only sounds to break the silence.

The journey to the forest was silent, each man lost in their own thoughts, their breath misting in the cold air. They arrived at the clearing where the battle had taken place, the evidence of the fierce fight still etched into the earth. Here, the tree stumps were blackened, and the scent of charred wood and burnt flesh lingered in the air. But amidst the destruction, there was something peculiar. Here, where the Castle Guardians and Rangers had fought the Brotherhood, was grass green and velvet soft, nascent crocuses peeking tentatively out of the grass and the boughs of the trees full of green leaves and berries, as if the very earth itself had been reborn, the temperature agreeable and balmy. Kai took a deep breath, his eyes closing briefly as he felt a tingle of energy in the air, his bardic senses attuned to the residue of powerful magic. "Kiske's magic is here," he murmured, his voice hushed with reverence. "It's faint but it's here."

Dani nodded gravely, his eyes scanning the area with the sharpness of a hawk's even as nothing more offensive than a rabbit darted through the underbrush. "We've got to be careful," he said, his hand hovering near his sword hilt. "The Brotherhood could still be around, keeping an eye on their handiwork."

"I think they'd think twice if they knew Michi's magic was with us," Weiki said, his voice a mix of pride and concern. "But let's not underestimate them. They've proven they're capable of the worst crimes."

Markus, the ever-pragmatic one, suggested."We should split into two groups. Dani, Weiki, and Kai can track the Brotherhood while I focus on the Puffshroom sporing with Sascha. We'll cover more ground that way and keep the kingdom safe."

"It does make sense, having at least one person familiar with Michi in each group, and having a good blend of offensive abilities and magic. Markus knows the woods and Sascha's got magic and is our mycology expert, Weiki's scarier than anything in these woods, and he's got his halberd, Dani's a soldier in tiptop shape, and well, I'm good for a sucker punch and a smoke bomb if things get hairy," Kai said with a wink, but beneath his merriment he was surprisingly sensible, his mind racing with strategies, Weiki declaring his approval with a quirk of his head.

"It's... around eight I'd say," Dani squinted at the sun, his hand blocking the glare. "Let's try to meet up before nightfall, we can go to a Ranger station for shelter, we're friends of the kingdom and bear no harm."

Weiki nodded in agreement. "Good plan, Dani. We'll need to keep our wits sharp and stick to the main roads as much as possible. And remember, we're not just looking for Puffshrooms. We need to keep our eyes peeled for any signs of Kiske or the Brotherhood. Ideally, we want to avoid combat, but if it's unavoidable, we stand our ground until we can't stand no more."

Dani nodded. "Sounds good to me. We'll check the battle site, you guys head to the Puffshroom grove and start harvesting."

They all nodded in agreement, the tension palpable. As they ventured deeper into the woods, the foliage grew denser, the air thick with the scent of pine, and the sound of distant waterfall grew clearer. They split into the groups they had agreed upon, each pair sticking to a different path, their eyes peeled for any signs of trouble.

Markus and Sascha took the path to the right heading towards the Eastern Fen, their steps measured and cautious, the former holding his crossbow at the ready dopey smile disarming, his eyes flickering around the woods and the latter's fingertips buzzing with magic, a broomstick for whomping monsters and men alike at his side. They walked in companionable silence, their eyes peeled for any sign of Michael Kiske or any telltale signs of the Brotherhood of the Black Fire's handiwork.

The path grew narrower and more overgrown, the trees towering above them like sentinels of an ancient world as the air grew heavier, wild scent of primal forest magic thick and palpable. Markus felt a prickle at the base of his neck, the hairs standing on end and he stopped in his tracks as he heard something large traipsing through the underbrush, his eyes narrowing. "Do you hear that?" he murmured to Sascha.

Sascha nodded, his own gaze sharp as he listened to the whispers, a sussurating hiss eclipsing all others in volume, both men poised to strike as the reeds rustled and a reptilian figure the size of a large dog trotted out, with emerald green scales, wings, long tail, and steam furling from its snout as it snuffled around curiously, it's orange eyes like two burning embers in the gloom, it's movements graceful as it's tongue darted out to taste the air.

"A Bush Dragon, juvenile one too," Markus murmured, his eyes locked onto the creature, feeling a bit foolish for his earlier hasty dramatics. "It's not dangerous, it's an insectivore, it's more curious than anything, and it doesn't produce fire, just steam."

Sascha's expression relaxed but only slightly. "In the words of Tobias Sammett, here there be dragons I guess," he quipped, watching the creature with a mix of fascination and wariness. Markus couldn't help but chuckle at the wizard's attempt to lighten the mood, his eyes never leaving the dragon, which was snuffling around for worms and insects, then exhaling a breath of steam to soften the ground and scoop up it's prey."We must be getting into the primordial part of the forest, these creatures are more common where man rarely ventures, but by the same token, we may be near the Eastern Primordial Sloughs, and I really don't want to fight off Oozing Slimesuckers or Green Bloodgourds."

The dragon looked at them with mild interest before deciding they weren't worth bothering and scurried off into the underbrush. With a sigh of relief, the two men continued along the path, the whispers growing fainter as the forest grew denser, but the sense of magic remained strong. It was like they were walking through a veil of enchantment, each step bringing them closer to something unknown and powerful. Said dragon must have been feeding or the were indeed approaching the wetlands as the ground yielded from panked dirt to semi-frozen mud and the scent of damp earth and moss grew stronger.

Still, they trudged on until Sascha squealed, eyes going wide as the earth beneath him crumbled, his steady cadence faltered and he tumbled headfirst off to the side, his broomstick flying out of his grasp and clattering uselessly to the ground.

"SASCHA!!!" Markus bellowed, scrambling only to trip over a fallen vine, just missing the last flail of those long fingertips as Sascha plummetted down the ravine, the bottom occluded by hollow, rotten old tree trunks parallel to the bottom vines depending from their blackened boughs, and an impassible thicket of leaves and plants primordial in age and complexity. Sascha's scream cut off abruptly, and Markus' heart lodged in his throat as he stared down into the abyss.

"Sascha! Are you okay?" He called out, his voice echoing through the trees but only the ambiance of the deepest wood in late autumn was returned. Markus scrambled to the edge of the ravine, his heart racing as he peered into the gloom, trying to spot any sign of his friend. "Sascha!" he roared again, fear and concern etched into his features, knowing that any delay in rescue could be fatal. The only thing he could hear was the distant serenade of corpulent bullfrogs swollen with song and ready for a show, and apologizing to Sascha, he picked up the wizard's broomstick and clutched it tightly, fighting back the tears as he reached into his pocket and crushed a tablet of the emergency signal.

A fountain of red starlight erupted from his hand, spraying into the air like a crimson mist, highlighting the spot where Sascha had disappeared. Markus' breath hitched as he watched the grey sky erupt in red, imploring every divine omnipotent being he had yet to offend that the other three saw it as a maelstrom of emotions - guilt at abandoning a friend, fear and urgency that the other three saw his sign of distress - and a desperate hope that Sascha was alive as he made the executive decision to go find the other three, his legs trembling with the effort of not jumping after the wizard. Snagging branches, uneven ground, sedentary lifestyle and overindulgence leading to a bit of corpulence, unsettling noises, let them all be damned, nothing could steer his feet away from the path west towards where Kai, Weiki, and Dani said they'd inspect, somehow inherently knowing where Sascha was."

The two of them had gone east and south, the three of them heading north and west and regrouping in the middle, and the terrain had suggested wetlands and ancient forests, the type all five of them had sworn off against exploring. Rangers didn't patrol, gamekeepers opting to let the wilderness govern itself, ordinary man had no obligation there unless death was his only other option.

The Primordial Sloughs were a place of whispers and ancient horrors, and Markus knew Sascha had fallen down into the heart of them.

Weiki saw the crimson eruption in the sky first, his eyes snapping towards it like a hawk spotting a field mouse from a mile away. "Shit, look! Markus and Sascha, they're..."

"In trouble," Dani finished for him, his own expression grim as he broke into a run, to hell with his ankle, he was not going to leave his lover in peril. Weiki, grim, surly, melancholic Weiki said to delight in other's misfortunes, eclipsing both knight and bard in speed, his eyes never leaving the crimson beacon that grew brighter in the distance, halberd ready to skewer any threat that dared to cross their path.

As they neared the spot where the signal originated, the air grew colder and a spot of steel blue streaking towards them grew clearer in the dim light, something heavy rushing through the underbrush, its breath steaming in the chilly autumn air. Kai, his hand on a stink bomb, squinted as he saw the shape of a man, barreling through the trees broomstick in his hands, his face a mask of desperation and fear. They all gathered around Markus, who was panting heavily, their eyes scanning the area for any sign of their missing comrade.

"Sascha fell," Markus managed to get out between gasps. "Into...the...Primordial Sloughs."

Kai's eyes grew wide with horror. "The Sloughs? Shit, that's no place for a wizard!"

"That's no place for anyone," Weiki's face grew sterner than ever, his eyes flashing with determination. "Then we go after him," he said without a second thought, his hand tightening on the hilt of his halberd. "We can't leave him down there."

Dani nodded in agreement, his own eyes flashing with a fiery resolve. "We stick together, no matter what," he added, a hint of steel in his voice.

Markus finally composed himself, gaze following the path of the red starlight to the edge of the ravine, his jaw set in determination. "We have to move quickly," he said, his voice gruff. "Every minute counts. My maps are almost fifty years out of date, but I doubt it's changed much, if we go north another mile and a half we can backtrack, the ground slopes down gently to the wetlands and we can find a way down safely

Kai looked around at his bandmates, his heart heavy with a mix of fear and anger. "We can't let the Brotherhood get to him first," he said, his gaze lingering on the spot in the sky where the starlight had bloomed. "We go now."

-----

Over craggy outcroppings, bare branches, and slimy moss tumbled Sascha into the primordial sloughs. He landed with a squelch in a noisome slop of stagnant, anoxic mucky water and rotting vegetation. The impact knocked the wind out of him, but he managed to push himself up onto his elbows, gasping for air. His head spun, and the world around him was a blur of greens and browns, really, it was the chill that kept him conscious, slimy wetness all around save for the warm patch on his forehead, blood running into his eye from a gash he hadn't noticed. Granted, he was no stranger to trekking into the wilderness to gather plants for his potions, given he could only grow so much in his garden, but this was far from the usual tannin-steeped wetlands wreathed in weeping willows and cottonwoods he occasionally harvested moss and other plants from, this was a place where the very air felt malevolent.

He moaned in pain as he tried to sit up, mud sucking at him like a greedy lover. Before him was a great stagnant pool of stinking sediment, millennia of dead vegetation decayed into slime and black water with an oily glimmer, slowly churning methane bubbles ascending and popping at the surface, their putrid breath whispering to the heavens. This was not a patch of muddy water cut through with patches of sodden ground, with wild heather, bogrush, springy Sphagnum moss, and heath dotting the sparse areas of land, no habitat nourishing the moors, this was the Primordial Sloughs. The Green Bloodgourds served as a haunting sentinel, mottled green pitcher plants with their gaping maws, filled with a viscous, digestive liquid that could dissolve a man's bones in a matter of days, if one wasn't careful to avoid the sticky tendrils that coated the edges.

Sascha's eyes darted around, searching for any sign of his comrades, but the dense foliage and the murky light obscured everything beyond a few feet. He knew that they would come for him, but he also knew the risks of this place. He had read the scrolls, heard the stories. The sloughs were not just dangerous; they were cursed.

He forced himself to his feet, the weight of the thick layer of sludge coating him making his movements sluggish, but his attempt to stand sent pain shooting up both legs, and he hissed, collapsing back into the mud and running a hand down the side of his long calf, wincing as he felt the broken bones jutting out from his skin, his hand coming away sticky with blood and mud, and that's when the chill truly set in. Sascha couldn't help it, he collapsed and curled up like a cooked shrimp on the cold, frosted ground, rubbing his arms in vain to generate some heat as he was still soaking wet with torn clothing hardly sufficient when the ground was still glazed over with frost and the mornings dawned with a foggy chill, and the thick layer of mud clinging to every inch of him did little to insulate him.

And then he heard the still waters splash as if something had fallen in, or as he turned his head to see, something had emerged.

Several somethings.

As a teenage sorcerer's apprentice, one of Sascha's least favorite tasks, delegated to him on the grounds of him being a giant, healthy boy with blood to spare before he grew anemic, was standing out in a muddy marsh for hours, trousers rolled to his knees to attract leeches for his master, the eccentric Alchemist Stein, sweeping off his legs every hour into a glass box on the shore taking care not to crush any of the wretched things. As a grown man, he occasionally saw earthworms while tending to the Botanical Gardens, and while less squeamish, he still had no love for the slithering creatures, but would gingerly pluck them out of the soil and toss them aside without much fuss.

But what he saw now was no mere earthworm, nor were they leeches, these were monstrous annelids, fat and bloated, slithering out of the murk with a disturbing speed, their segmented bodies glinting in the faint light as if they had been coated in pitch.

The Oozing Slimesuckers emerged from the murky depths with an eerie grace, their elongated bodies leaving trails of slime in their wake, their gaping maws, lined with razor-sharp teeth, stretched wide as if eager to devour him whole.

"C-Crystaline-oh Keeper-!S-S-Starfaa...", summoning the last vestiges of his waning strength, Sascha tried to cast a spell, Crystalline Starfall, to ward off the advancing Oozing Slimesuckers, but his voice trembled with fear, and the incantation fell flat. The creatures seemed to sense his vulnerability, their movements becoming more deliberate and menacing. He tried to twist around to his bag of potions only for another wound to declare itself in a spurt of blood and agony. Panic clawed at his chest, thick and suffocating as the slime coated his throat, making it difficult to breathe, and he gargled out a last few words as seven rows of teeth filled his vision, his end near. Tears streamed down his bruised, muddy face as he recollected his forty-eight years of life in the space of a heartbeat, his thoughts straying to his friends above, his apothecary and gardens, the simple whimsy of making potions and tending to people as he awaited the final crunch of jaws and stench of putrid slime.

Only they didn't, but he was at once drenched in mud and Oozing Slimesucker mucus as an unfamiliar baritone from above bellowed. "Eat this, you slimy bastards! Fire in the hole!"

Above there were two figures he couldn't make out as a radiant red light and searing heat ripped through the slithering monsters, turning them into writhing puddles of their own making, screams piercing the air that made the very trees wilt. Sascha felt the heat from the flames, but the cold grip of fear had not left him as he watched the figures approach. He squinted through the smoky haze, the smell of burning ooze acrid in his nose. They were about the same height, one a bit older than Weiki and the other looking just a bit younger than Markus, one with dishwater blonde hair and green eyes, the other bearing luxurious thick brown hair in his prime that was cut short and spiked up now, blue eyes darting to and fro as he waved his hand and summoned some of the reeds to braid themselves into a rope, one growing corpulent with the years while the other wasted away. Sascha thought he recognized them, though their ignominious dismissal from the court was before his time and their portraits were almost thirty years out of date. But there was something about the way they moved, the way they worked together, that was undeniably familiar.

The man with the spiky brown hair bent down and offered a hand," Let's get you out of there before more of those Oozing Slimesuckers come back for seconds," he said, his voice a soft, nervous tenor, with an accent from the borderlands to the west. His companion, the one with the green eyes and the blond hair, chuckled, his baritone echoing in the sudden quietude of the forest.

Thanks," Sascha managed to croak out, his throat feeling raw from the slime and fear. He took the hand and was pulled out of the muck, his legs giving out from under him as soon as he was free of the bog. The two men caught him, supporting him between them, and Sascha felt a strange warmth radiate from their touch. The brunet was a wizard, seemingly with dominion over vegetation, in green robes and brown trousers while the blonde was a Mundane, a craftsman, perhaps a metalworker given his leather apron, thick-soled boots, and equipment in his pockets.

"Are...are you...?" Sascha's warbling countertenor was weak, his eyes fluttering.

"Sascha!!!" Weiki, a gangly vision in black barrelled across the clearing, his eyes wide with shock and relief, Kai, Dani, and Markus following close behind, panting for breath. The wizard's eyes snapped open and focused on the faces of his friends. He managed a weak smile, despite the pain that still lanced through his body.

"I'm okay," he murmured, his voice hoarse."Well, at least I don't need to exfoliate for half a year, but I'd prefer this warm, full of herbs and scented oil, and with some candles on the rim of the tub, and I think I'll skip the maneating leeches next time."

It was admirable, Sascha's attempt to lighten the mood despite his dire condition, but he was doing a poor job of concealing his shivering, and his startled cry when a new Oozing Slimesucker emerged from the murky pool, mouth open wide, was anything but comforting. Markus loaded his crossbow, Dani drew his sword, Weiki tossed his halberd menacingly, even Kai seemed to be fiddling with something in his pocket, his eyes on the creature.

"Thorny Root Whip!"The brunet shouted, heaving his hand forwards as he cast his spell, a series of light brown roots shooting out of the ground to wrap around the Oozing Slimesuckers, pulling them into the earth, their shrieks muffled as the ground closed around them. The two strangers had been sidelined for the time being to focus on Sascha, but now that things had settled down they approached, curiosity and wariness etched into their faces. Dani and Sascha had never met them, Kai perhaps by chance, but Weiki and Markus knew them well, the latter civil enough to keep a straight face while the former grimaced in distaste.

"You know them?" Dani asked, his grip on his sword tightening.

. "Unfortunately, " Weiki replied, the blonde stranger smirking but before they could spar verbally, the sound of twigs snapping and rustling leaves grew louder, drawing everyone's attention to the edge of the clearing. Out of the dense foliage, figures in tattered black robes emerged, their eyes glowing like embers in the shadows. The Brotherhood of Black Fire had found them. Sascha's heart sank as he recognized the emblem on their chests, the very same he had seen on the map Dani had found in the camp, the very people they had come here trying not to fight.

"Oho Gorgar smiles upon us, we have almost all of Pumpkin Court save for your fat, stupid, little king," one of the figures sneered, his teeth gleaming maliciously as he pointed his staff at Sascha, his eyes alight with dark energy."You're going to be Oozing Slimesucker chow and we'll give the bones to the Bloodgourds!

"We can't fight, we're outnumbered and we got a man down," Weiki, assuming executive control, snapped. "We need to get Sascha to safety, not risk our necks in a skirmish in this godforsaken swamp with a bunch of Gorgar zealots and killer worms!"

"You're not getting out of our territory alive," the leader of the Brotherhood hissed, his staff crackling with dark energy. Sascha's vision swam as he struggled to stand, but the pain from his injuries was too intense. The blonde stranger Weiki took so much umbrage with stepped forward and withdrew a small red sphere from his apron, smirking as he tossed it a bit, a swooning Sascha perking up with half-lidded, woozy eyes.

"Hey, that's a Scarlet Imp! We s-s-sell those at t-t-t-the a-p-pothec-c-c-ary,h-h-heat your bathwater... " Before he could finish speaking, the blonde stranger threw the Scarlet Imp at the robed figures, and it burst into a fiery explosion. The Brotherhood of Black Fire recoiled, momentarily stunned by the bright flash and searing heat.

"Go, now!" Weiki bellowed, his voice booming with authority, his eyes alight with a fierce determination that was at odds with his earlier panic. Markus and Dani shored up Sascha, half carrying him through the swamp as fast as they could manage, while Kai had his dagger out, and smoke bombs at the ready to fend off any pursuers. The two strangers followed, the blonde with a hammer in hand, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light as he took the rear, the brunet coaxing further overgrowth in their wake to entangle and slow down the pursuers. Sascha felt the ground shift beneath them as they moved, his head swimming with pain and fatigue.

The robed figures had recovered quickly from their surprise and were now giving chase, their staffs crackling with malevolent energy. They threw curses and spells that sizzled in the air, missing their marks by mere inches. The group's escape was desperate, each step fraught with the risk of falling into another hidden slough or being ensnared by the forest's treacherous underbrush. Kai, his agility and speed surprising even himself, dodged a particularly nasty-looking vine that shot out from the brush, his eyes scanning ahead for a clear path, his heart hammering in his chest. Dani's sword flashed in the dim light, deflecting a spell aimed at Sascha. Markus's crossbow sang a tune of deadly bolts, finding their marks in the black-robed figures. They were outmatched in terms of speed and maneuverability, but the band had the advantage of knowing the land, and they used it. Weiki swing his halberd, whomping one cultist with the butt of it before the two figures emerged from the smoke, panting heavily.

Eventually, they stopped running as a series of screams, crunches, and squelches, as if flesh and bone alike were being crushed echoed through the swamp.It seemed the cultist's predictions on the Oozing Slimesuckers feasting wasn't wrong, but they weren't going to feed on the Pumpkin Court, the Bloodgourds surely snagging any spare scraps. Weiki leaned heavily on his halberd, his chest heaving with exertion. Sascha was turning an unflattering shade of blue, his breaths coming in short, sharp gasps.

"It isn't much but here," Markus undid the clasp of his cloak and draped it across Sascha's shoulders.

Markus, no, it's going to get dirty," Sascha murmured weakly, but Markus had already pinned it in place and slipped an arm under the wizard's shoulder to help hold him up and gesturing for Dani to do the same, mud be damned.

Suddenly Sascha stopped shivering, his breaths coming slower and slower, and under Markus's fingers, he felt the wizard's pulse decrease to a sluggish cadence. Stranger, he came to a stop as if bewitched by something the others couldn't see, starting off in the opposite direction, and he reached for the hem of his ruined tunic to peel it off, Markus and Dani wincing at the blue tinge of the creamy white skin untouched by mud, and he fixed them with a delirious smile "It's ok, I'm not as cold anymore..."

But before they could argue or even question his lucidity, his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out, his head lolling to the side, his breathing shallow. Panic flooded Markus' chest and he stumbled under Sascha's weight, his own injuries forgotten in the face of his friend's condition.

"We need to get him out of here, now!" Weiki's voice was a bark of authority, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of shelter or help.

"There's a Ranger station not too far," Markus said through gritted teeth, his arm tight around Sascha's waist. "It's our best shot, hardly luxurious but it's got a hearth and a bed. "Roland, put that 42-pound ass of yours to good use and help me!"

Roland, the blonde stranger, nodded and took Sascha's other side, his eyes on the unconscious wizard with a strange mix of admiration and concern. Together they hurried through the swamp, their boots sinking into the squelching earth, leaves slapping against their faces as they plowed through the dense foliage. The air grew colder and the scent of damp earth stronger, but they didn't dare slow down.

So that's why they were so familiar, Sascha realized as his mind swam with fever and pain. Roland Grapow and Uli Kusch, who had preceded him and Dani before being exiled by Andi, Roland for having his fingers in too many honey pots and Uli making the foolish decision to follow him. Sascha himself had replaced Roland in the court's lineup and taken on Uli's role as Court Wizard, though he had never met him, but the blonde seemed to bear no umbrage towards him. Roland nodded, his broad shoulders squaring under the weight of his friend.

"Onward, to the Ranger station!" he boomed, his voice cutting through the damp, deathly silence of the swamp. The journey was painfully slow, each step agony for Sascha and a testament to the endurance of his friends. The Ranger station was a rustic brick building where the trees thinned, but the chimney billowed grey smoke and the lanterns outside were lit, a man in tights and a Lincoln green jerkin, cap, and cloak chopped more firewood outside.

"Hold on, Sascha," Kai said, his voice tight with worry as he took point, his dagger ready to deal with any trouble they might encounter. The man looked up from his task, seeing their plight, and nodded grimly, his own hand moving to his bow and quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder.

"Halt, who goes there?" the Ranger called out, his eyes narrowing at the bedraggled group emerging from the swamp.

"Friends of the crown, and in dire need of your hospitality!" Weiki shouted back, his voice carrying a mix of urgency and authority. Weiki stepped forward, his own eyes flashing with urgency."We're friends of the King, and we've got a man down," he panted, "He was attacked by Oozing Slimesuckers, and we need shelter and fire!"

The Ranger's gaze took in their disheveled state, the mud, the blood, and the fear etched into their faces. He nodded, his expression softening. "Bring him inside, quickly!"

They stumbled into the warmth of the station, the heat from the hearth wrapping around them like a comforting blanket. Sascha was laid on a rough-hewn wooden bench, his eyes fluttering open briefly to take in the unfamiliar surroundings before shutting again, his breathing shallow and labored.

"What happened to him?" the Ranger asked, his eyes on Sascha's pale, damp face. "He fell down a cliff into the Primordial Slough, was attacked by Oozing Slimesuckers, and is hypothermic," Markus rattled off, his voice tight with urgency. The Ranger nodded grimly and set to work, his movements swift and efficient. He grabbed a pot of steaming water and some clean rags, his eyes never leaving Sascha's face.

"You need to get him warmed up," he said, "But not too fast or you'll shock his system. Start with his extremities, his hands and feet." As the group worked to strip Sascha of his muddy clothes and wash him Weiki's gaze fell upon the two strangers. "Roland, Uli," he said through clenched teeth, "I never hoped to lay eyes on you two again. What are you doing here?" Roland, the portly blonde blacksmith, gave a hearty chuckle.

"We've had our differences, Weiki, but we're hardly your enemies," he said, his eyes on the unconscious Sascha. "I have my forge off to the east, I guess some Gorgar cultists are lurking in the sloughs and have been getting ballsy they've been vandalizing the village, stealing things, and killing livestock, I caught one trying to nab a block of pewter from my forge and bashed him in the toes with a mallet, that was the last I saw of him."

Uli, the brunet wizard, frowned as he gazed out the window to catch any lingering remnant of Oozing Slimesucker or cultist. "I have a nursery off to the north, now I raise trees, flowers, herbs, fruits, vegetables, and other such things," he said, his voice calm despite the tension. "But we've noticed something...strange. These swamps are changing. Something's stirring that shouldn't be."

The room fell silent as the Rangers worked to get Sascha into a bath of lukewarm water, their movements swift and coordinated. His breathing grew steadier, though his skin remained a ghastly shade of blue. The warmth of the room began to seep into their bones, the comfort a stark contrast to the cold, clammy grasp of the swamp. Dani stood vigil over the wizard, only conceding his self-imposed post to allow the Rangers to tend to him, reasoning he'd be damned if he let his lover leave this world far from the opulence and light of the Pumpkin Kingdom, taking his last breath in a remote Ranger's hut on the edge of a stinking swamp. He knelt beside the tub, his eyes never leaving Sascha's face, his hand on the wizard's forehead, his thumb brushing away a damp lock of hair and kissing those full lips."Come on, Sleeping Beauty, wake up, your prince is here."

"Can we do anyhing to help?" Kai asked the Ranger, his own face lined with worry.

The Ranger, a gruff but kind man named Hagen, looked up from his task of tending to Sascha's injuries."Your wizard friend's got a nasty bump on the head and has definitely contracted an infection," he said, his brow furrowed with concern. "But he's strong, he'll pull through if we can get his core temperature back up. Stay strong and positive for him and trust that he'll pull through."

Weiki nodded, his eyes never leaving the unconscious Sascha. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "We're in your debt."

"We're all in this together," Hagen said gruffly, his hands working with gentle efficiency. "Now, I need you lot to tell me everything you know about what these Oozing Slimesuckers did and what you're doing in my neck of the woods."

Weiki took a deep breath and began to explain,his words tumbling out in a rush. "...so Markus and Sascha were on their way gather-aw shit,we missed the sporing!"

"What?" Dani interrupted incredulously,his eyes wide with horror. "We've waited a week for the damn things to spore!"

Weiki nodded gravely, his eyes not leaving Sascha's still form. "We were too late," he said,his voice heavy with regret. "But we found something else."

Hagen looked up sharply,his gaze intense. "What did you find?"

Weiki met his eyes,his expression grim. "The Brotherhood, they've been hiding out in the Sloughs," he said,"And they've got something big planned. War against the Pumpkin Kingdom, unleashing Gorgar, fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes! The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria!"

Hagen's face grew paler than a full moon on a cloudless night. "That's...not good," he murmured, his hands still moving over Sascha's wounds with a gentle touch. "The Sloughs have been growing more dangerous, but I had no idea it was because of those madmen."

"We need to get back to the castle," Markus said, his voice tight with urgency," and tell King Andreas what's happening. He needs to know the threat is closer than he thinks."

"The Puffshrooms though, they're a miracle drug and we missed out," Weiki said, his voice filled with regret. "They could've helped with Sascha's injuries."

Uli seemed to be deliberating something, his gaze flicking to Roland and then to Sascha before he spoke up. "I might have something," he said slowly. "I have domain over plants, and I suppose I might be able to work with fungi. If we can get some of those Puffshrooms,I can try and force them to spore and even grow them in my nursery. Weiki,I know we're not exactly friends, but am I absolved of my grievances if I help you?"

Weiki's eyes narrowed at the brunet but Markus squeezed his shoulder in a silent plea for peace. "We're all fighting for the same cause," he said firmly. "We need those Puffshrooms. Let's get through the Apocalypse and then you can go back to putting their portraits at the bottom of every outhouse you pass."

Roland chuckled and Uli's expression remained neutral, his gaze flicking to the unconscious Sascha before nodding. "Very well," he said, his voice soft. "Just until we get through the end of the world. Dani, Sascha had a bag with him there should be a Magic Mirror in there, let's give Andi a call and tell him what's going on."

Dani rummaged through the bag, his heart thumping with urgency as he searched for the reflective surface. He found it nestled between some herbs and a well-worn spellbook, and with trembling hands, he held it up to Weiki's face. The king's visage appeared in the mirror, his eyes widening in concern when he saw the state of the group. "What happened?" he demanded, his eyes raking over their mud-caked clothes and Sascha's prone form.

"We er, failed the mission, your majesty," Weiki said, his voice tight with a mix of fear and frustration. "Sascha's been hurt, and we encountered the Brotherhood of the Black Fire."

Andi's eyes grew as round as full moons in the mirror. "The Brotherhood?!" he exclaimed, his expression morphing from shock to anger in a heartbeat. "What are they doing here?"

"They've been using the Sloughs as their base," Markus grunted, taking a sip of the offered mulled wine to thaw his massive frame. "We ran into a nest of them, too many to fight but we managed to escape. The Ooziing Slimesuckers helped, though. They took care of the ones chasing us."

Andi had read about Oozing Slimesuckers at one point in time, repulsed by the attendant diagram, and he blanched at the thought of someone meeting their end snapped up, chewed and gnashed by those teeth, even if it was someone he didn't like. "How's Sascha?" he asked, his eyes searching the group.

Kai fished out his pipes and held them parallel to Sascha's full lips, watching for the condensation of breath to mist on the cold metal. "Breathing for now."

"He fell off a cliff and was hypothermic and covered in mud when we got to him," Markus explained, his voice cracking with the weight of their failure. " The Oozing Slimesuckers found him before we did, but he doesn't appear to have any markings on his body indicating they wounded him, and" he dropped his voice to a conspiratorial quiver."I think Roland and Uli may have saved him."

The room went quiet as they processed this revelation. The king's eyes searched the mirror, landing on the two progidal sons of the Pumpkin Court. "Roland, Uli," he said diplomatically"Your actions today are commendable. You shall be recognized for your service."

Markus, alike with Andi in charmed tongue and amiable spirit, continued before a sour interjection from Weiki. "And If we are indeed at war, would you not agree we operate under conditions of grace for our mutual benefit? I think it would be pragmatic to postpone any petty quarrels until the end of the world is over."

By all accounts, Kai should have born a grudge against Roland for taking his place,but he held no umbrage,no envy,no ill will;he was a bard,Roland was a blacksmith,so what was there to begrudge? With this in mind he proved himself cooler headed than Weiki,though casually irreverent as he concurred with a nod. "He's right,Andi we need all the help we can get if we're going to get through this,you know yourself politics makes for strange bedfellows."

The king nodded gravely in the mirror, his expression inscrutable in the audience of two men he personally exiled from his court doing something that left him indebted to them, and though he didn't hold grudges as intensely as Weiki, he wasn't quite ready to absolve them of their past grievances." We'll discuss this at the castle, I'd prefer not having to make burial arrangements for Mr. Gerstner. Secure his welfare and we'll talk. Until then, no decision has been made."

Roland and Uli dipped their heads in gratitude the latter's overflowing emotions revealed when the small box of herbs on the windowsill, panked hard and grey with winter, burst forth with verdant overgrowth as rosemary, thyme, basil, and oregano blooming in a wild display of greenery, spilling over the sill like a celebratory bouquet. "Thank you, Your Majesty," Uli murmured, his voice thick with feeling.

Andi nodded, ignoring Weiki's contesting glower, his mind racing with the implications of their failure and the potential for future cooperation.

The Ranger, Hagen, spoke up, his voice steady and firm."We can't risk moving Sascha until he's stable," he said," But we need to act quickly. If we can't bring him to the healer's ward in the castle, then we'll bring the healing to him. Can you spare anyone, your Highness? "

Andi was prepared to reply in the affirmative and switch to his mirror connected to the healer's ward when Uli interjected." We don't know how long it may take them to get through to this area, not only with the Brotherhood lurking around every weeping willow, but the terrain is treacherous when approached from Pumpkin Castle, and the flora and fauna are even less hospitable. More than that, we don't have the luxury of time, we need to treat Sascha and fast. Please, your Highness, let me help, I've got some healing herbs and spells at the ready. I can do more than just grow pretty flowers, you remember just what I can do, right?"

"Elaborate," Andi murmured in as neutral of a tone as he could.

"The Puffshrooms, I know you were looking for them and need them for defensive potions, but their sporing window's closed till spring or so. I can make them grow to full maturity in about ten minutes, even without dirt or substrate or organic material," Uli explained, the herbs on the windowsill growing faster than a young Ranger could thresh them in a week. "Even from just scraps."

Weiki's eyes narrowed. "How is that even possible?" he demanded skeptically. Uli met his gaze without flinching. "It's part of my magic, technically, domain under fungi in addition to plants," he said, his voice steady."I figured it might be useful. I've done it for consumption purposes but never like this. Even if it's a speck's worth of spores, I can make them grow and multiply within minutes."

Weiki's skepticism remained etched on his face, his arms crossed over his chest."That's great, you can go mess with Roland's toe fungus then. "

"Weiki!" Markus, Kai, Andi, and even Dani exclaimed, stunned by his venomous reaction.

"We don't have time for your petty squabbles," Markus added, thumping Weiki on the back of his head, his voice carrying a firmness that surprised everyone.

"Well, how do I know we can trust you?" Weiki spat, his skepticism flaring. "You're just a wizard who's been playing in his garden for years, what makes you think you can just waltz in here and save the day?"

"Come with me then if you doubt me, if I dare betray you, then skewer me with your halberd and leave me in the sloughs for the Oozing Slimesuckers to feast on," Uli said, the quiver usually accenting his nervous tenor absent, his voice steady. Weiki studied him for a long moment, his expression unreadable before sighing.

"Markus, Dani, I need some backup muscle," he said, his tone conceding the argument without conceding defeat. Markus paused his cleanup and nodded firmly, reasoning he too had been there when Uli and Roland were chased out of the kingdom's gates, the two certainly deserving of the kingdom's wrath, but that was then and this was now, and he held no grievance against them anymore. Weiki he knew trusted the duo not, but the Chancellor trusted him implicitly, and Markus reasoned that if he were to forgive Roland and Uli, his judgement could temper the stubbornness of his old friend. That, and he believed healing was not only physical but mental and though Sascha was in a deep slumber, the knight's attendance had to have some subconscious soothing effect on him."I'll go, Dani, Sascha should see you first thing when he opens his eyes. But first, dinner, it's around that hour, it's going to be cold, dark, and miserable, and we need to keep our strength up. Besides, they show up best under moonlight, correct?"

Weiki really hated how logical Markus was underneath that disarming, sanguine smile and relaxed, affable demeanor. "Fine," he grumbled, his eyes never leaving Sascha's still form. "But if this is some kind of trick-"

"Uli! Just the man I'm looking for. Now, Rangers and Gamekeepers are pretty good at living off the land, but the Rangers can actually plant gardens at their stations. Everything's in hibernation, but I reason you may be able to get a few vegetables to spawn for us," Markus declared, clapping a hand on the wizard's shoulder, startling him a bit.

"And what the hell, you've been helping us Castle Guardians out, do you need any help with chores? I was a squire once, I'm used to doing housekeeping," Dani offered with a grin, his good humor a stark contrast to the dire situation.

"Need some tools sharpened? I'm your man," Roland announced, twirling his hammer.

And so it was decided before the sun fell that the inner court of Pumpkin Kingdom and the two former councilmen would repay the Ranger's charity with acts of service. Markus and Uli indeed wandered over to the small barren vegetable patch(Rangers aimed for self-sufficiency when the nearest settlement was easily at least a day's ride on the most virile stallions, armed with vegetable seeds, knowledge of plants to forage, fish hooks, and bows to take down wild game) and together they returned with bountiful fresh peas, parsnips, carrots, onions, turnips and swede, which they hoped would give them a decent meal for the night. Dani chopped firewood, Roland made himself useful sharpening blades and repairing weapons after Rangers learned he was knowledgeable in such things while Kai regaled the Rangers with tales and songs of their adventures to boost morale, his laughter and good cheer infectious as ever. Markus set to work on some pies for dinner after assessing the larder and finding squab, hare, boar, and venison, his heart swelling with a warmth that had nothing to do with the fireplace as he chopped and seasoned, his movements efficient and precise. He set Uli to the task of making crusts from lard and flour while he cooked the meats with the vegetables in a stew, making a small, separate vegetable pie for Sascha should he rouse enough to eat. As the sun began to submerge below the horizon, Roland and Weiki stepped outside to check the perimeter, despite the latter's protests that he wasn't needed.

"I know we have bad blood," Roland conceded, his tone mild," But two heads are better than one, especially when one of them is attached to a body that knows how to swing a hammer."

Weiki sighed but nodded in acquiescence, his hand resting on the shaft of his halberd. "Fine," he said, his voice gruff, but the edges of his mouth tugged up in a begrudging smile. "But only because it's for the greater good."

As the evening grew darker, the distant howl of the swamp creatures grew louder. Inside the station, the warmth of the hearth and the aroma of cooking food created a small bastion of comfort against the cold and fear. Markus was beginning to carve his pies for the hungry Rangers and their unexpected guests, his large, calloused hands moving with surprising delicacy. Weiki spotted Kai and his ever-faithful repertoire of tricks ready to cheer up the weary souls, leaning in to snag the bard's attention and whisper."Put a whoopee cushion under Roland's chair for me,ever-faithful will ya?"

Kai smirked, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Only if you promise to be civil with him," he whispered back.

"I'll try to refrain from the tar and feathers," Weiki whispered back with a smirk, before he turned to join Markus by the fire, the butcher distributing boar and venison pie slices to the men in green, the darker game meat heartier and richer than the squab they had for themselves. The pies were a hit, the flavor a comforting blend of meats and herbs that seemed to warm everyone's spirits, if not their bodies, and Markus had even made a dozen pasties for the men on guard, his own way of returning the favor for the Ranger's hospitality. Dani noshed on a turnip turnover, running it under Sascha's nose in an effort to rouse him. His eyes remained stubbornly shut, but his nose twitched with curiosity, a good sign, and his fever seemed to be abating, gauging from the hand the knight laid upon his forehead.He resumed the vigil by Sascha's side, his eyes never leaving his lover's face, while Markus wrapped himself in boar's hide and bear's pelt, grabbing his axe, as he wasn't exactly confident in his accuracy with a crossbow at night. Weiki grudgingly followed Uli and Markus outside, halberd pointed in the wizard's general direction and making poking gestures when he wasn't looking until Markus quirked a brow disapprovingly. "Sascha's more important than some petty grudge you should've forgotten twenty years ago."

The chancellor grumbled but complied, following Markus and Uli into the moonlit night. Assembled on a nearby log were bullfrogs three, one baritone harmonizing with two tenors, throats puffing in and out like tiny bellows until one broke the song to snag a fly, the one immediately to the right smacking it silly in retribution for ruining their recital.

Uli looked over to Weiki, his eyes shining with excitement."See those?" He pointed to a small patch of fungi growing alongside the frog choir. "They're young Puffshrooms. I can make them mature enough to heal Sascha and provide samples to transplant to the castle grounds for cultivation "

Indeed when he swept his lantern in an arc over the frogs, there were three dozen odd olive green mushrooms spotted black, effluent dark spores coating the area around them. Weiki's eyes widened and he took a step back. "You can do that?" he asked, his skepticism waning.

"I can, and I will," Uli affirmed, his hands already weaving through the air in an intricate dance, the bystander frog hopping off to take his seat atop one of the emerald-hued caps. The air grew thick with the scent of earth and damp, and the Puffshrooms grew before their eyes, stretching upwards in a silent symphony of growth.

The mushrooms grew to a foot in height, with caps the size of castle plates, one of the frogs startled from his stool by the sudden growth, hopping away in a panic, his croaks echoing through the night. Weiki had seen Uli's chemokinesis (fungokinesis?) in action before, usually to grow crops or herbs for potions, but nothing quite so...immediate. The speed of their growth was astonishing, each cap plump and ripe, spores glinting in the moonlight.

"Tell me, is my botanical garden still as it was?" Uli inquired, a hint of longing in his voice as he surveyed the towering mushrooms. Weiki nodded, his expression a mix of amazement and suspicion.

"It's untouched," Weiki said gruffly. "Every last tree and flower remains, though the fish have been replaced as they die off, the pond's been restocked."

Uli nodded, his eyes misting over for a brief moment before focusing back on the task at hand. He carefully plucked several of the mushrooms and set them in the basket he'd brought along. "These will be enough to treat Sascha and I can multiply them further at the castle," he said, his voice firm with determination.

Weiki nodded, his skepticism giving way to a begrudging admiration as he unpinned his wool cloak and placed it on the ground, heaping it high with as many Puffshrooms as he could and then tying it into a bundle and securing it with the cameo at his throat, nascent winter be damned.

They made their way back to the station, the frogs having made amends and beginning their concert anew as the black winter night swallowed the sounds of their approach, golden glow of the Ranger's station's lanterns burning away just a little of the cloaking shadows. The air was crisp and sharp with the scent of frost, each breath a silent battle cry for the warmth of the station's hearth.

Kao apparently had taken up sentry just inside the door, and as they approached the Ranger station, his whistling tune on the ocarina swelled the bard acting as sentry, his eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the three, Weiki without his cloak in spite of the frost glazing the windows, a bundle of something in his arms that smelled faintly of mildew and fungus.

"Is that what I think it is?" Kai called down, his voice carrying a hint of incredulity.

Weiki nodded, his teeth chattering slightly from the cold more than his pride would dare concede as he made use of his long legs to cross the distance to the station in quick strides. "Puffshrooms," he confirmed gruffly, his breath fogging in the frigid air. "Enough to save Sascha and the whole kingdom. Look at 'em!"

Unceremoniously he opened his cloak onto the table, the Puffshrooms spilling out in a cascade of fungal splendor, heaping upon the rough-hewn wood like a pile of treasure, Kai taking the opportune moment to dial up Andi on the Magic Mirror. Though midnight was nigh, Andi was still awake in an antechamber, exchanging his lumpy little burned-out candle for a freshly lit one from the night steward, and he pushed aside the three indexes of geopolitical or historical references he was reviewing while poring over proposed legislative changes, eyes lighting up at the sight of the trio, his smile wide. "Kai, good evening, has something happened? Is Sascha okay?"

"He's still out of it, but look what we found!" Kai exclaimed, holding up a Puffshroom with a flourish, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Well then, they're bigger than I thought! I was under the impression they were the size of an egg, but that's nearly a sixth of a Kai!" Andi said, his eyes squinting through the mirror.

"I may have helped them along some," Uli confessed, cheeks pinkening."From what I've read, they're just as potent cooked into food, similar in taste to porcini mushrooms with an earthy undertone and a firm, thick meaty texture. Markus, you're still our master chef? Can you make them into something good for Sascha to eat?"

"Mushroom ragout, perhaps?" Markus suggested, stroking his beard thoughtfully as he surveyed the bountiful Puffshrooms, having surveyed the Ranger station's larder and found enough for a simple stew base. He took one specimen, equal to twelve of its normal-sized brethren, and washed it of grit and dirt, then set to work slicing it. Carrots, celery, onion, parsley, and garlic alike went into a stockpot along with a splash of wine and the Puffshrooms according to Markus' culinary knowledge, while Uli procured and dictated a few tasteless, odorless healing draughts with no bearing on the flavor to be added at certain intervals.

"...and after adding this for general malaise, bring this to a boil, then simmer it on gentlest heat for six hours, stirring periodically," Uli instructed, his voice a gentle murmur as he poured a clear liquid from a flask into the pot. "The potency of the Puffshrooms will be drawn out and infused into the broth, making it a potent elixir."

Weiki felt a tickle in his nose as the savory aroma of the stew filled the small space, his stomach grumbling in favorable judgement, grateful that there were still plentiful leftover pasties and pie to cure his peckishness, long fingers scuttling across the table to pilfer one. Markus gave the pot a final stir before letting it rest on the faintest ghost of flames, flipping the hourglass six times.

"Excellent, it should be done just before sunrise?" Andi yawned, shaking his head in vain to rouse himself from his desk-induced slumber, having rose at the cock's song, sat through petty quarrels, listened to Castle Guardian and Ranger reports promising a grim next few months, and had been working on an end of the year budget for the kingdom and miscellaneous legislative affairs, and though his position was cerebral and sedentary, he had still been up for over half a day. In an ironic twist of fate, any vulnerability was a luxury beyond his possession, Andi couldn't falter just because of personal discomfort he had a kingdom to put forth before his own comfort; even when his mind and body were imploring him for rest, sustenance or relief from his duties, he would take a deep breath clasp his hands together and carry on with grace and a placid smile, his own grievances kept hidden inside to address behind closed doors.

" Markus you look beat, if you want to catch a few z's, I can keep an eye on it," Roland, who had slept while the others went out for Puffshrooms, offered, his hand on the butcher's shoulder eyeing his slouch Markus nodded his thanks, his hand passing over the spoon in a silent gesture of trust. He took his cloak and rolled it up into a pillow, using Weiki's for a blanket as he settled in on the floor, not wanting to impose himself on the Rangers and their finite beds, content with the arrangement. Before he closed his eyes he noticed the Magic Mirror was still connected, and on it, he saw that Andi too, had his eyes closed, head resting against a tome of political history, crown askew, and a quill in his clutch, hardly proper but precious to Markus as it reminded him of the humanity behind the crown."Good night to you too," He whispered to his friend, his voice soft with affection, before rolling over and letting sleep claim him.

Tenebrous and cold the misty swamp was as it settled in the witching hour, cries and snarls of beasts Weiki dared not ponder resounding through the night as he stood vigil with a Ranger for four hours. Occasionally, he saw a miasma of teal blue light rise above the treetops or something rush through the trees, the Ranger occasionally raising his bow but never letting fly, his eyes a mix of boredom and wariness. Weiki felt his stomach drop, knowing that somewhere out there, the Brotherhood of the Black Fire was stirring, waiting for their moment to strike. He tried to shake the feeling, focusing on the task at hand. The Ranger, who he discovered was named Jorn, began a lukewarm,polite conversation about hunting tactics. Despite the tension, Weiki found himself nodding along, appreciating the distraction from his darker thoughts.

"...you're too jumpy, mate," Jorn said with a smirk, noticing Weiki's eyes darting towards every sound. "Ain't nothin' out there we can't handle."

"I can't afford not to be jumpy, I have a kingdom to worry about and I don't have the luxury of relaxing," Weiki murmured, his gaze unwavering from the darkened horizon. Jorn clapped him on the shoulder, his grip firm and reassuring. It was rather inopportune that Kai chose that moment to emerge in all his garish patchwork glory, ocarina, tambourine, and castanets in hand, to relieve Weiki from his watch, the chancellor's yelp splitting the night like a shattered crystal goblet.

"I'm here to keep you on your toes!" Kai announced cheerfully, his voice carrying through the swamp with the ease of a nightingale's song, causing Jorn to groan and roll his eyes heavenward. Weiki couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he stepped aside, his own nerves unwinding a bit.

"Thanks, Jorn," Weiki said, clapping the Ranger on the back, relinquishing his seat to Kai, and heading on in. "I'm gonna go see if I can't catch some z's before the stew's done. Wake me if anything happens,"

The Ranger station had accommodations for its staff as well as a few spare bunks for weary travelers in the King's forest, but outside of Sascha in a cot, none of the other members of the court were in bed. Markus kipped under a cloak, Uli slumped in a chair, a great lump that was likely Roland given the blonde curls peeking out from the leather cloak by the fire, and Dani sprawled over Sascha. Tomasz, the Ranger tasked with the overnight guard, was stirring the stew and poking at the tender Puffshrooms with a wooden spoon. There was a low bench opposite the fire, made of crude cast iron and narrow planks of wood not quite perfect enough for normal crafstmanship, and Weiki sprawled over this. Given his height, it wasn't quite large enough to accommodate him, his arms and legs dangling over the sides, he didn't feel comfortable enough to impose further on the Ranger's charity for a blanket, scratchy green and woolen, and he had no pillow, but he found himself drifting off quickly, his thoughts swirling with strategy and suspicion, the warmth of the fire lulling him into a fitful slumber.

No dreams reached Weiki in the few hours he allowed himself to rest, only the occasional crackle of the fire and the gentle murmur of the men outside as they talked in low voices about the night's watch. When dawn crept over the horizon, he was already awake, his eyes snapping open at the first light of day. He stretched out his long legs with a groan and sat up, the bench having made an uncomfortable bed, but better than nothing.

The stew had been simmering away all night, filling the station with a mouthwatering aroma that washed over him as he approached the hearth. Uli stirred the thickened concoction, a small smile playing on his lips as he nodded at Weiki. "It's ready," he said softly.

They gathered around the table, the air thick with anticipation. Dani was the first of the guests to awaken when under his fingertips, the slow, steady cadence in Sascha's breast seemed to quicken a beat. His eyes snapped open and he was on his feet at once, watching those pouty lips curve into a cough, spasming as the wizard sat up and hacked, clasping a hand over his mouth to catch the thick green phlegm that came with it. Sascha continued to cough for a minute straight, his face pinkening with the effort and his eyes watering before finally, he took a deep, steadying breath, his eyes widening in shock as he took in his surroundings.

"Dani?" he asked, his voice a paper-thin, fragile whisper as he looked around the room, low ceilings, simple cast iron hardware, unscented beeswax candles, and dark, sturdy wood and brick, the smell of stew thick and potent in the air. He looked around, spotting the dozing Markus, Roland, Weiki, and Kai, Uli ladling something into a bowl, and then immediately flopped back down, He had definitely caught some cold between the mud, the swamp, and the chill, his sinuses swollen and tight and his head feeling like it was sloshing should he extend himself any further than perpendicular with the ground, as if his skull were full of liquid spilling over the edge of a cup.

Uli padded over with the bowl and a cup of water, his eyes gentle as he offered it to Sascha. "Here, drink this," he urged, his tone soothing. "It's got the Puffshroom in it, it'll help."

"Oh no, the Puffshrooms, we missed the sporing!" Sascha exclaimed, his voice still hoarse from the night's ordeal.

"Don't worry, we got a bumper crop to take back and experiment with, even if it's through some unorthodox methods," Weiki of all people said, laying a hand on Sascha's shoulder to calm him." Thank Uli for it. Now drink up, it's no good cold."

Sascha took the bowl and cup with trembling hands, his eyes never leaving Uli's for a moment as he took a tentative spoonful and exhaled on it. It was warm, rich, and earthy, suffusing him with a pleasant warmth from the inside out. With a nod of thanks, he took a sip, and the flavor exploded on his tongue. It was heavenly, a symphony of flavors that seemed to dance and swirl around each other. Despite his weakened state, his eyes lit up and a genuine smile graced his lips.

"This is delicious, Markus, you had a hand in this, didn't you?"

The burly man looked up from his stew with a wink. "Maybe, just to get a basic vegetable stew going. I have it from our fungus expert there that the Puffshrooms are still potent even after they cook and some of their healing properties are infused in the broth."

Uli fiddled with the brim of his pointed hat, his eyes shining with quiet pride at Sascha's approval. "The potency should be just right for you," he murmured, his gaze flickering to the steaming concoction before returning to his friend. "Drink up, it'll help you regain your strength."

Hagen and Tomasz were already gathering a spare Lincoln green jerkin and hose for Sascha, dressed in a simple linen shift, his feet bare and toes curling slightly against the cold floorboards. The wizard took the proffered clothing with a nod of thanks, his eyes still watering from his coughing fit but his spirits seemingly bolstered by the warm meal. He took a few tentative sips before setting his bowl aside, his gaze flickering to the map Dani had taken from the ruined altar. " Let's give Andi a call, he should be up and eating breakfast."

Weiki nodded, his long fingers brushing the dust from the Magic Mirror, the glass warming to life with the touch of his hand. Andi was indeed awake and in the same antechamber he had fallen asleep in, his blonde hair tousled with sleep and his crown lopsided as he tried to rub the cricks out of his neck." Chancellor, good morning to you, how goes? Good news, I pray?"

"Very good, look who's awake!" Weiki said with a smug grin, his voice echoing through the Magic Mirror to the antechamber where Andi was rubbing sleep from his eyes, and he panned the mirror over to where Sascha was sitting up, tentatively spooning some stewed Puffshrooms into his mouth."

"Sascha! Thank the Keeper!" ejaculated the king, knocking over his reference books in an unintentional clamor. His blue eyes searched the mirror frantically, seeking confirmation of his friend's condition." How are you faring?"

Sascha took another bite, his cheeks flushing with warmth from the stew, and managed a small smile, only able to render a few words with his croaky warble, conveying the rest of his speech with a dip of his head, quirk of a brow or raise of a hand." I'm alive."

"And you can thank Markus for cooking something that tastes good and Uli for making sure it is good for him, " Weiki said softly, his previous antipathy tempered into something akin to fondness. Markus nudged Kai, the two pleased that Weiki had finally come to his senses and seen the value of their friendship beyond their past grievances, Uli pinkening with delight beneath his wizard hat at the faint undertone of praise.

"And what of the Brotherhood?" Andi inquired, his expression a mix of relief and concern.

"Preferably digesting, but we can't afford to assume anything," Weiki said darkly, his eyes narrowing at the mention of the Brotherhood, and around the common room of the station, his audience of Rangers and court members listening intently as he stood and cleared his throat. "I'll consult with Cosmas later for his opinion, but I don't think we should return today, Sascha's still got the head trauma and illness from the swamp to deal with, but we have a servicable plant wizard with knowledge of medicine right here to help us with that. When we do return, I'd like it to be during the daylight, Markus, I'll need your knowledge too, see if we can't get back to the King's Road through the forest as fast as possible, even the Brotherhood would be imbeciles to attack anyone passing on that route."

"Shall I send an escort of Castle Guardians to fetch you?" Andi offered, his relief palpable through the mirror.

"Tempting, but I'd rather not draw any more attention to ourselves than necessary. Keeper willing, all goes peacefully on the way back, but if it doesn't, we only engage if retreating and evading fails," Weiki's words were firm, his gaze sharp. " Markus, shoot to kill, Dani, keep your sword sharp, Roland, feel free to burn this mud pit to Kingdom Come with whatever you got on you, and Kai, go ape. As far as I care, any action taken against the Brotherhood will be done in self-defense and can and will be dismissed in a court of law."

Weiki was at his zenith, exhibiting just why he may not be likable enough to be king, he made for an excellent chancellor and competent leader, with a mind stuck in overdrive churning out ideas, strategies, and insights, the strength to maintain peace and order even in crisis, and when he forgot to make caustic criticism, he was generous with his praise. He stood tall, fervent passion blazing in his eyes, jaw set and his audience rapt as he glanced around the room, his eyes resting on each of his comrades in turn, gauging their reactions, ensuring they were all on the same page.

"That sounds like a plan," Andi said, his eyes reflecting the seriousness of the situation despite the slight quirk of his lips. "Just be safe, and remember, the kingdom needs all of you." With a nod, he ended the mirror's enchantment, the glass reverting to a silent, reflective surface.

The group took this to heart, their expressions a mix of determination and trepidation. Markus clapped his hands together, rising from his seat with a grunt. "Well, if we're not leaving yet, I've got a few things to discuss with our Ranger friends. It's been thirty years, but I'd like to see their maps, just on the off chance there's been some changes, because I could've sworn there was a path that led to the King's Road not too far from here."

"Excellent, see to that," Weiki said, his voice firm but not unkind as he took a seat by Sascha's cot, lost in thought once more. Roland and Kai. it seemed had decided to make themselves useful doing odd jobs here and there to maintain the station, Uli outside kneeling on the frozen, panked earth and plunging his fingers into the dirt to summon three dozen or so medicinal plants whose purposes were known to him alone, and Dani was busy practicing with his sword, his armor gleaming in the early morning light.

Hagen and Jorn were awake, Tomasz having settled in for a nap as they led Markus down the hall to the right of the common room, to a chamber with a small bookshelf laden with titles on flora, fauna, all the natural sciences, martial arts, and practical crafts, as well as a book of maps drawn relatively recently by the court cartographers. Two tallow candles sat on a low desk, a trio of simply hewn oak chairs, and a single storm lantern swinging gently from the ceiling adorned the room, as well as a small brick hearth and window that looked out into the dense foliage of the forest.

"Go south about a half mile and then veer west, the trees should turn from cottonwood and weeping willows to birch, oak, and maple, there's a whole grove of birch, actually, from a recent fire, they're the only ones to have survived and propagated along the edge of the King's Road," Jorn said, tracing his finger along the map laid out before them. Markus nodded, his eyes following the path with a keen gaze." There's no dangerous flora or fauna to note, just your standard woodland creatures, maybe a few Bush dragons and a unicorn colony or two around there somewhere, but they're mostly nocturnal."

"And we've got a high-pressure system moving in, 1000 millibars and rising, expect crisp, cool, clear weather with a chilly sun," Hagen glanced at some instruments just outside the window, his eyes squinting slightly at the brightness." Should be good for traveling, but it'll be cold."

Markus nodded, his thoughts racing as he studied the map, his mind already piecing together the journey ahead. "Perfect, we'll part no sooner than tomorrow morning, ideally the journey back to the Kingdom should be done before sundown, I want to get Sascha either to one of the wise women or to the healer's ward in the castle. We've been lucky so far, but I don't want to push it."

Meanwhile, Kai was rearranging his inventory, a deck of playing cards hidden up his sleeve, a pouch of stink and smoke bombs handled gingerly, three pairs of dice, some corks he had forgotten to remove from a bottle of cheap wine, a couple of silver coins for bribery, new strings for his lute, deflated pig's bladder, and his trusty dagger which had seen better days but still had a decent edge. His eyes flickered to the map, the path to the King's Road looked straightforward enough, but he knew better than to trust appearances in the woods.

Weiki couldn't help the snortgiggle that slipped out watching Kai fuss over his gear. "How did you manage to get a deck of cards in here?"

"How'd you get this coin behind your ear?" Kai retorted, standing up and indeed retrieving a ten-seed coin from behind Weiki's ear, causing the chancellor to blanch.

"Cheeky," Weiki said, rubbing his ear and wondering just how Kai's deft little fingers had managed that trick as Markus padded over just in time to see the coin appear. "But I don't think you can trick Gorgar with some sleight of hand."

"No, but I could certainly catch some of his cultists off guard," Kai said with a wink, tucking the coin back into his sack. "now where'd I put my itching powder?"

Weiki took a quick survey of his surroundings to assess the woodgrains in his immediate settings and ensuring none of the offending powder tainted his vicinity, Markus picking up the conversation with a grin."Kai, feel free to lob as many stink bombs as you like, drop itching powder down the trousers of every cultist you come across, make as much mischief as you'd like, but we're keeping the fighting to a minimum, we're escorting, not engaging. I've got a route mapped out that'll get us back to the road without crossing paths with any potential trouble, it'll be a long hike, but it's better than the alternative."

"How long will it take us?" Weiki asked, his eyes scrying the map as if he could divine the answer from its birch fibers.

"With Sascha in his current state, we'll need to move at a moderate pace," Markus replied, tapping the map with a thick finger. "If we leave at dawn, we should make it to the grove of birches by early afternoon, provided we don't encounter any unexpected delays. Roland, Dani, Uli, and I will be the outside of the group while you and Kai stay close to Sascha. If we stick to the plan, we should be back in the kingdom before nightfall. Our priority is Sascha's safety and returning him to the castle. We're not a fighting force, but we could manage for a while, and if all else fails..."

Kai grinned, tossing his smoke bombs in the air and catching them with a flourish. "Then it's party time!"

Weiki couldn't deny the snort of laughter that Kai's words brought to his lips, but he quickly sobered up, knowing the gravity of their situation. "Well, Keeper forbid it comes to that."

The rest of the day elapsed with little to catalog save for Kai finding his itching powder when Weiki put his palm down into it by mistake, sending him into a fit of scratching caught on Magic Mirror for Andi's amusement. Uli's bountiful harvest of herbs and leaves was soon shredded, chopped, steeped, and boiled to create a satchel's worth of helpful elixirs, Weiki unable to look away out of fascination as the wizard worked. The rest of it Markus packed up for the journey home, and together, he and Roland went out hunting, returning with a few ducks and a couple of rabbits. Dani's time not spent at Sascha's side was devoted to patrolling the area with Hagen, his eyes ever vigilant, and Kai was doing what Kai did best: entertaining and charming everyone.

As nightfall approached, the group gathered around the hearth in the common room, polishing off the pies and pasties from yesterday's feast, while Uli made a cup of blueberry tea infused with one of the draughts to help allay Sascha's infected sinuses. The wizard was still wan, dark circles not unlike the ones perpetually under Weiki's eyes besmirching the paleness of his rosepetal skin, nodes at his neck swollen and he kept coughing up yellow phlegm, but he carried on with a weak smile, his eyes shining with gratitude to his friends.

Roland stared out of the window into the deepening dusk, gritting his teeth as he thought. He had only grabbed a select few tools when leaving his forge to investigate the disturbance in the woods, converting with Uli coming down from the north along the way, a hammer, knife, and tongs as well as a few modern alchemical breakthroughs that expedited the metalworking process. Three dozen Scarlet Imps were in one pouch, trustworthy flint and striking stone in another, and a coil of rope in his pack as well as an apple long since devoured and his pigskin water jug. He hadn't exactly been young when first entering the Pumpkin Court, settled into his quieter third decade with a wife and child, three years Weiki's senior, but now in his sixth decade, he knew he wasn't as spry as he used to be. Even still, working the anvil and hammer for damn near forty years may have stiffened his joints and slowed his step, but it had kept his body solid and his arms as strong as ever. He wasn't foolish enough to think he was invincible, but he knew he could handle himself in a fight if it came to it, and now he had a reason to fight. Weiki seemed to cotton on to him thinking, so quickly, he grabbed a pine log and fed it into the flames."One last log for the night, this should last us till morning, yes? C'mon, let's get some shuteye, we got a big day tomorrow, set your hourglasses for eight bells."

The blacksmith's predictions as did the Ranger's held true, as in the morning the pine log wasn't quite grey and withered into ash, the cold sun having just begun to rise above the treeline. Sascha was already stirring, his eyes fluttering open to the sound of his comrades getting ready for the day ahead. Despite his illness, his spirits were high as dressed in the Ranger's uniform, his condition had improved markedly overnight, his fever had broken and his voice was stronger, though his cough and congestion prevailed. Hagen was ending his watch while Jorn was sipping his morning tea when they departed just as the birds began to sing in the canopy above.

As they set off, Andi too had risen at his usual hour and was eating breakfast as his stewards tended to him and advisors recited a list of affairs that had transpired while he was asleep. The kitchen staff had outdone themselves again, one of the patissiers crafting a delightful treat of gossamer thin pastry and layers of pistachio creme in a shell of solid cream flavored with vanilla bean and cinnamon, her specialty, and normally he would be salivating at the first whisper of its name. But it sat along with the rest of his breakfast untouched as he retraced the path over the map of the forest, no reports from the men on patrol had come in yet, and while he wanted to delude himself into believing his friends would return without incident, he was no fool.

"Your majesty, are you well? That's the third morning in a row you've skipped breakfast," one of his stewards ventured, his concern etched into the lines of his face.

Andi sighed wistfully, his gaze lingering on the map. "No, Martin, I just have no appetite knowing they're out there past the safety of the city walls. You heard, right? Sascha's hurt, he had a nasty fall and contracted something in the Primordial Sloughs, maybe even Oozing Slimesucker bites. I know he's been tended to by the best, but until he's back here, no, all of them, even Roland and Uli, are back in my own castle, I can't relax."

"You're very altruistic, Your Highness," the steward, Martin, said tentatively, placing a comforting hand on the king's shoulder. "But remember, you can't control everything that happens out there."

Andi nodded solemnly at Martin's words, his gaze never leaving the map. "I know, but I can't help but worry. They're my handpicked best men, and their valor is matched only by their friendship. I've seen them conquer the most daunting of stages, but this...this is different. This isn't a tournament or a spellcasting competition; this is real danger. I can't just stay here sitting around in a castle with an army of guards when they're out there."

He paused a bit in contemplation before standing and finally admitting a bit of sustenance past his lips, one of those half dozen cream and pistachio pastries finishing it in two bites. "I'll have the queen preside over today's council, she's more than capable of governing in my stead. I need to... do something, go out and at least wait to see them return."

"But Your Highness!" One of the stewards protested. "The castle is your place, the people need you here!"

"And my friends need me out there," Andi countered, his voice firm but gentle. "I'm not going to charge into battle, but I can at least be there when they return. It's the least I can do. Besides, I could use the exercise, I don't want to be like Dieter the Third, so fat and bloated I explode in my coffin," he joked, trying to lighten the mood, but the stewards knew their king well enough to recognize the underlying anxiety, taking their leave to inform the stables and Castle Guardians of his plot. Andi departed not long after, his progress arrested only to look back at the corridor behind him, where out of his farthest periphery he could've sworn he glimpsed a shape, a shadow, amorphous and vaguely in the shape of a man. Even more curious, he would swear on his honor it was sentient, watching him, but for now, he would leave it, the corridor was abandoned when he looked back and the Castle Guardians were more than adequate in dispatching interlopers.

Back in the forest, Sascha had Weiki bolstering him on one side and an impressive walking stick on the other, the two on the inside and the rest of ther group forming a ring around them, Ka .darting too and fro as the smallest and swiftest, keeping an eye on the surroundings. Markus took the lead, crossbow nocked at his hip and arrows in a sling over his back; Mitzi, his beloved herding dog had long since passed to greener pastures, but he still looked every bit the part of Gamekeeper tending to the King's forests with his faithful canine companion bounding by his side.

Roland, the second most solid of the men took the rear, marching step by step with Dani, hammer ready to fall on any man or beast that threatened them. Uli hovered closer to the middle, his eyes darting around the forest floor, and while he spoke not, the frenzied growth of grass, shrubs, and bushes to proportions nature could not craft was a testament to his tumultuous mind.

The trek went on until Kai shrieked and pointed. "Over there! Look! A whole stretch of birch trees! And look, some of the trees look like they were burned!"

"Good, we're getting close to the King's Road," Markus confirmed, his eyes narrowed at the sight of the birches."But let's keep our guard up, lads. The Brotherhood may have left signs or traps for us."

The group quickened their pace, the anticipation of reaching safety and medical help for Sascha pushing them onward through the grove of birch, pale trunks all.around standing like spectral guards in the early morning light. Dani's hand rested on his sword hilt, eyes scanning the underbrush as they approached the blackened, gnarled remnants of trees and one with bark twisted asunder from the lightning strike that had set the forest alight last summer. Eventually, the clutch of birch trees around them began to wane, a clearing up ahead where the King's Road, laid with smooth red brick at a breadth large enough for a royal carriage to comfortably manage, lay like a crimson serpent through the foliage.

"Onwards to the Emerald City!" Kai exclaimed as they reached the King's Road, his trickster's eyes alight with excitement at the prospect of their journey's end. Here Rangers and Gamekeepers patrolled frequently, other travelers may be on the road, and the castle's protection was never far. The group's spirits lifted as they stepped onto the road, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the dense trees, the manmade terrain a stark contrast to the wildness they'd just left behind. Indeed there were a few encounters with the men of the forest, Rangers in their distinct Lincoln green hoods and caps adorned with crimson feathers, doing a double take at Sascha dressed as one of them, but they were friendly enough, simply nodding in greeting before disappearing back into the foliage to continue their patrols. As the day waxed, so did the shadows of the trees, stretching like elongated claws toward them. The air grew heavier and the silence grew more oppressive, until it was almost unbearable, broken only by the occasional birdcall. Markus spoke in a low whisper, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "We should be close to the castle now. Stay alert, we don't know what the Brotherhood's up to."

The group nodded in unison, their eyes scanning the surrounding woods with a newfound vigilance. The sun had reached its zenith, casting a soft, golden glow through the leaves above, when suddenly the silence was shattered by the cadence of footsteps not their own. Markus had some percussion arrows from the local blacksmith, which didn't penetrate flesh, but created a cacophony and soundwave that could knock a whole regiment of men off their feet. He had them at the ready in case they encountered trouble, a nonlethal, but effective tool to keep them safe. Weiki felt the first twinge of anxiety as the footsteps grew closer. His hand tightened around the handle of his halberd, nowhere near as impressive as a sword but practical, with three weapons in one that kept a good breadth between him and his opponent, and he could manage well enough until he could run away with it. His eyes met Dani's, who gave a curt nod, confirming his own readiness. Kai's fingers strummed a soft, calming melody on his lute, not loud enough to be heard by the oncoming party, but enough to soothe their nerves.

Hold your fire until you see the whites of their eyes," Markus hissed, his eyes never leaving the forest edge. The group tensed, their steps slowing as the footsteps grew louder. Dani took a protective stance beside Sascha, his sword drawn but not yet pointing at the threat.

The foliage parted, revealing a quintet of men, four of them bearing no livery or armor but still robust in build and purposeful in stride while the fifth was a smaller man clothed in the simple jacket and trousers of a modest craftsman, his cloak hooded, obscuring his features. He stepped forward, hands outstretched, palms up, and that's when Weiki saw it. A signet ring of gold inlaid with an orange gem surrounded by little emeralds and engraved vines, finery that only adorned the finger of one man, an emblem of his sovereignty and he lowered his halberd in signal to the rest of the group to lay down their arms.

"You were almost incognito, Andi," Weiki said with a smirk as the hooded man pulled back the wool to reveal the king's own visage, his blonde hair pulled back into a short braid."Shouldn't you be at the castle dealing with kingdom politics?"

"There's no new developments I need to address, it's mostly debate over new laws and civil disputes, nothing requiring my immediate attention, and Lydia does a fine job dealing with the day-to-day politics," Andi, blue eyes scrutinizing each man for injury only to find nothing exceeding the cosmetic; the Ranger's station offered baths, but none of them had indulged the previous night and were a tad gamey from the travel. "But this is something that troubled me greatly, five of my best men out here, in the wilderness, one of them wounded, I can't just sit on my throne and wait for news."

The group chuckled, a bit of the tension draining away at the sight of their concerned sovereign fussing like a mother hen.

"We're fine, Andi," Kai assured him, though his eyes remained sharp, scanning the woods for any signs of trouble. "You're actually the first oddity we've come across on this road."

Kai was one of the few men who could insult the king to his face with no repercussions, albeit his jests were always couched and in good cheer, but at this moment, Andi was too preoccupied to be concerned with his ego."Oh thank the Keeper, I was worried sick about you all, especially after what happened to Sascha. Let's go back to the city, get you all mended up and rested,and then I want a full report on what happened out there..."

To be continued

Notes:

https://youtu.be/yQ6LAno0U5k?si=VB6cW3y9xCaUy5i_&t=377

I remember playing this back in senior year of band and well,it kind of fits the story's ambiance during the more whimsical medieval fantasy scenes.