[Mkguild] Echoes of the Dead Wood Part 4

[Stealth]

Part 4

   This time he’d prepared...

   Today Stealth utterly refused to leave the bed no matter what. He
would be drenched in its softness and warmth for as long as he
pleased. For today, he had a canopy-supporting-bed head to wrap his
arms around. He felt satisfaction and anticipation when Edmund failed
to struggle with his legs at all...

   A moment later the coldest thing Stealth had ever felt in his life
trickled down his neck and quickly spread to his back and to the bed
sheets.

   The feline sprang out of the bed with a yelp and flailed in an
attempt to dry himself off.

   “I didn’t know you could jump that high!” Edmund laughed and put
the flowers back in their vase.

   With a sagging, wet muzzle, Stealth silently glared at the paladin.

   “And now that you are awake we can leave!”

----------------------------------

   “Alright, we have food and provisions to last us several days.”
Edmund said as he fixed the harness on his back pack.

   “I intend to be home with my family by the end of this day.”
Nestorius answered.

   “I intend to be in bed, yesterday...” Stealth mumbled, “If
something happens we may be stuck for many days.”

   The courtyard of the castle was quiet at this early hour. The only
ones awake besides themselves were the soldiers on guard and Amelia.

   "Is everyone asleep except for us?" stealth grumbled.

   "We have a long way to go and I’d prefer to be at the forest by
dawn so as to have the maximum amount of time there." Nestorius
explained.

------------------------------------

   The three of them came to a halt. The road they had been travelling
on came to an abrupt end in a junction with another road leading
perpendicular to it. Heading north and south. North to the Giantdowns
and south to Metamor Keep...

   In front of them was a line of trees that lined the north-south
road. The trees were tall and straight and the area beyond was hidden
in shadows.

   "There it is. Haunted woods," Edmund said.

   No one moved for a moment. All of them just stood staring at the
forbidding wall of trees and forest.

   Stealth wanted to warn or at least reason with the mage but
Nestorius would never pass up such an opportunity. Stubborn pride is a
powerful thing.

   “If we continue in this direction it should take us straight to the capital.”

   “Good!” the lion said but he did not move for a moment. Instead
staring at the forest.

   Stealth shifted his gaze, “Don’t stray from the path...”

   “What path?” Nest asks. “All I see are trees and brush.”

   Edmund stepped forward and pushed two large bushes apart. There
barely visible in the weeds and branches were the stones of an old
road - barely visible.

   “The forest guards itself well.” The lion said.

   “All imperial roads follow straight lines, the same as Hareford.
When in doubt, pay attention to the ground, also, keep a look out for
markers and rubble.” Stealth explained.

   “This is as far as I’ve been into the wood... I spent a month recovering.”

   “What happened?” Edmund asked.

    Nest shook his head.”I am not sure. I remember stepping forward. I
was found a short time later twenty feet away and both legs and 5 ribs
broken and with odd burns on my body. I took the hint that my presence
was not wanted there and I have stayed out of the woods.”

   Stealth looked meaningfully at Edmund but didn't say anything.

   “So long as you obey the rules and take nothing you will be safe,”
Edmund said calmly.

   The lion nodded his head slowly but still did not step forward.

   "Nervous?" Stealth asked.

   "Yes!" Nest answered honestly. "I'm always nervous about dealing
with the undead and unknown magic. It has kept me alive."

   "Are you coming?" Stealth asked. "Or are we going back to Hareford."

   Edmund poked Stealth in the ribs.

   Nest took a deep breath and stepped into the woods. Stealth half
expected a lightning bolt or a ball of flame to incinerate them all
but nothing happened. He saw the lion pause and look around for a
moment.

   "Well, it seems the woods have accepted you," Edmund said.

   "For now," Stealth muttered.


*****************


   The sun didn’t rise until they were well into their journey; even
then it took several hours more for it to even appear by which time
they’d arrived at the gates of a large satellite city bordering the
capital. Long hours of walking in the semi-darkness had given them
only brief glimpses of walls and stonework amidst the trees. The trio
used the arrival of dawn as a queue for a rest break.

   Nestorius didn’t rest and preferred to continue his search,
restricted as he was by the Paladin. Edmund ordered the mage to remain
within the confines of the clearing he’d located.

   With the lion doing all he could to extend his leash as far as
Edmund would tolerate it was very easy for Stealth to catch Ed in
reasonable privacy.

   “Ed, why do I have to be out here? It’s not like you need me to do anything.”

   “Why? Because I value your opinions and I need your help.” The
cheetah paladin said, emptying his canteen.

   “With what exactly?”

   He shrugged. “I don’t know but you have a way of finding things and
seeing things in a light I would never have.”

   “But I don't need to be here...” Stealth seethed.

   “I need you here,” Edmund says earnestly.

   "We BOTH need you here," Nestorius said in a solemn tone. "You are
fated to be here with us in this place."

   "How long have you been listening?"

   "That doesn't matter. I am well aware of your reluctance to come
here. That is understandable. Who wants to willingly walk into a
graveyard filled with the undead. The souls trapped here need help and
we three are the only ones who can help. We’re the only ones to have
tried to help in centuries."

   "He is correct," Edmund added. "They need us."

   "Yet neither of you know what, if anything, you can do."

   "That," Nestorius said firmly. "Is why we MUST go into the woods.
You cannot solve this problem sitting safe and cosy back in my home
drinking wine."

   "...Your home... drinking wine?" The feline said tersely.

   The lion raised one ear up. "It's bad enough my wife won't let me
drink now you don't want me enjoying a few glasses of wine?"

   Stealth pinched his nose bridge, "We're at... somewhere, the
capital should be just another mile."

   "Just a short walk," Edmund said trying to sound cheerful.

-------------------------------

   The pavement was still visible where it peeked through the tree,
grass and earth. The three felines walked slowly along the ruined
road. Close on either side were the tumbled down walls of ruined
buildings.

   Nestorius shook his head slowly. "So sad. This was once a beautiful
city, bustling with life. At one time this city alone had a population
larger then is now in the entire valley."

   "And a lot of them are still here," Stealth said. "They never left."


***************


   The three felines walked slowly down the street. Skirting around
the debris and small bushes that often blocked their path. "There is
so much we still need to learn. Each one of these buildings holds its
own secrets," Nestorius said.

   Nestorius stepped off the path and walked slowly into the remains
of a building. A flash of colour on one wall caught his attention.
Gently he pushed away the branches and vines revealing a small mural
with an unusual subject. It showed men and women in a wide variety of
sexual positions. And next to each pair was a drawing of a variety of
coins. "What is this?" he asked surprised.

   Nestorius looked at the mural for a moment. "It's a price list!" he
commented with a chuckle.

   "Then this place was a . . ," Edmund paused.

   "A bordello," Nestorius whispered.

   "Ed what's a bordello?" Stealth asked. The cheetah was still
outside the ruin and had not seen the mural yet.

   The paladin sighed, "It's a place where men and women get together
for bodily pleasure."

   "Huh, and I thought it was a deli or something," Stealth commented
as he walked up to where his friends stood.

   "Well they do sell meat... sort of," Nest quipped and the lion
pointed to the erotic sign.

   "Oh my!" The cheetah exclaimed, seeing the mural, "They do indeed,"
He said with a lusty grin revealing all his sharp teeth.

   Edmund shook his head slowly. "Another bordello. Did the men in
this town ever have any entertainment besides sex?"

   Stealth nodded and gave a yip of laughter. "Yup. Drinking and
gladiator games."

   Nest pointed to one unusual position. "Is that even physically
possible? Be fun to try!"

   "Well," Stealth joked. "It must be very special since it cost 3 gold."

   "Please!" Edmund exclaimed, "Let's move on."

---------------------------------------

   Stealth suddenly stopped. "I smell bread! Fresh baked bread!"

   "Impossible," Nest said. "There's no . . . " he paused. Then spoke
in a softer tone. "I smell it too,"

   "Where is it coming from?" Edmund asked and looked around. All he
saw was the ruins of the dead city.

   "Well we've seen ghosts and heard them, why not smell them?" Nest
said softly.

   "Don't jump to conclusions." Stealth ordered, "For all we know
we're not alone here."

   "In the haunted woods?" Nest countered. "No lutin would be so
stupid as to stop and bake bread? No one would be that stupid."

   "I didn't say lutins." Stealth countered.

   "Then who? The Keepers avoid these woods. That leaves the shadow
and the ghosts. Unless you think a squirrel is baking."

   "Or someone the Shadow hasn't informed us of." Stealth mentioned,
"Can we really be sure we're the only ones here? Has the Shadow ever
said otherwise?"

   "That brings me back to Who? Who goes into these woods but us?"
Nest said. "I've never known any keepers to go into here willingly."

   "No, you haven't..."

   "I think," Nest said slowly. "That we have lingered here for too
long. It will not remain daytime forever."

   "We'll track our phantom keepers later," Edmund agreed, "If they
are keepers or even mortals."

   Nest paused a moment. "Of course.”

*****************************

   As they continued through the ruins Nestorius became either more
oblivious or more drawn to the obvious dangers around them.

   Edmund grabbed the lion by the back of his mane, "Ware your
enthusiasm, this is a place filled with the dead."

   "This is the chance of a lifetime!" Nest answered and edged closer
to the hole in the pavement.

   “It’s intact!” The lion exclaimed, bounding through the rubble in
another direction with boyish energy.

   In the remains of an antechamber he found a statue of a Seuilman Goddess..

   “Fantastic, there doesn’t seem to be any weathering on this, well,
apart from her right leg.” He said brushing his hand across the stone.

   “Don’t touch that! Explore with your eyes.” Edmund ordered.

   “An inscription!” Nestorius exclaimed and pushed through some large
slabs. “Yes, I believe I can make this out...”

   “How long have we been here?” Stealth asked.

   “Two hours, it’s still late morning.” Edmund said, keeping his eyes
on the inattentive mage.

   “Ed... look how long his shadow is.” Stealth whispered to the
paladin as they gazed at the mage.

   It was not his shadow, there were two shadows... It darkened and
encircled him, rippling like a puddle.

   “Nest! Halt!” Stealth ordered.

   “Why? There are no magical traps, I told you.”

   “Nestorius!” Edmund shouted and ran towards him.

   The lion mage began to feel odd. He looked down at his feet and
shivered. He tried to move but his feet were numb, and the shadow
trickled up further still.

   The shadow enveloped him and Nest felt himself being drained into
it. He couldn’t move his arms or legs, he couldn’t summon up a spell
he felt himself...dissolving. Nestorius found himself paralysed in a
world of ice cold stone, he could see and hear nothing, not even his
own heart beat, but somewhere in his tomb he felt a warmth and then
the ice melted.

   Edmund touched the mage gently on his shoulder and the shadow
quickly dispelled, drained, and faded away into the ground.

   Nestorius panted for breath and rubbed his forearms for warmth,
“What? What happened? Did I miss a trap?”

   His question was answered with a claw-tipped finger pointed at his muzzle.

   “Touch nothing.” Edmund ordered coldly, “Step only where I say.”

   Dumbfounded and frightened, the lion simply nodded.

   “We all need to remember just how dangerous this place truly is.”
Edmund intoned in a softer voice.

   “In many ways the Haunted Wood is dead.” Stealth added, “In many
more it is very much alive. Listening, watching and waiting. Ready to
pounce.”


-- 
My Fur Affinity page - http://www.furaffinity.net/user/stealthcat/

My Deviant Art page - http://stealthcat15.deviantart.com/

!DSPAM:4be7811b130221804284693!