That's right, Lenore is nobility. She is very dignified when talking to the knights, like a different person.

[Then I shall make sure my mother does not hear about this...] She gives a small bow and the rude knight looks like he has a sword on his throat.

[N-naturally young lady. We'll clear the table, won't we boys? Please, do not let us disturb you.]

The same group that tried to intimidate us into leaving the guild house is now slavishly cleaning up a table for us to sit at. Lenore sure can be scary when she throws her family name around, I don't think I've heard her say Pyuu once during that.

[Pyuuu~] There it is. [Wasn't I helpful? Praise me Rudy!]

I pat her head. She deserves it this time.

Xandra is scanning the room. [There sure are a lot of knights around, aren't there? The guildhouse is for adventurers! Shouldn't they be at that new fortress or something?]

[Don't say it too loudly, they're prickly about it.] The guild receptionist lady walks by holding a tray of foamy mugs. [Harkness and his knights were chased off by a goblin army. It's actually kinda funny.]

[A whole army? But goblins are most numerous in spring, aren't they?] Xandra interrogates her like a detective.

She shrugs. [I think there were some bandits sheltering and feeding them or something.]

[Hey!] One of the knights calls out to her. [What's holding up the beer? Come on!]

[These meatheads think I'm here to wait on them or something.] She complains.

[Pyuu. You are though?] Lenore purrs naively.

The guild lady clicks her tongue. [Here is the address for the escort mission you're taking, but guild rules say you can't accept unless you have at least one more rank D member.]

[I'm practically rank D,] Xandra boasts, [I just haven't had the chance to prove it!]

[Rules are rules. Take it up with the guildmaster.] She says as she leaves.

I wonder when the guildmaster will resign and Marie is appointed in his stead. It's only a few more years until the events of the game take place.

[Rudy,] Xandra looks to me, [where are we going to get another member?]

Didn't you appoint yourself the leader? You figure it out.

[I don't know.] I say.

Hearing that a tall knight slams his hand on the table. [Are you kids going to the forest?]

[The witchwood.] I explain.

[Excuse me. It's not your business is it?] Lenore bites at him.

The knight ignores her and straddles a nearby chair. Sticks out his hand to greet me. [My name's Rocksteady. William. My unit is a bit directionless at the moment, I could come with you lot.]

Xandra looks triumphant. [Sure you can!]

But I'm still not convinced. [Does that count? I mean you're not in the guild are you?]

[Sure, I've done it before. A knight is like a level D adventurer. You just need permission from your guildmaster.]

[Good. Then well go upstairs and ask.]

It's a good excuse to get away from the knights everywhere. And maybe if we see Marie I can tell her about keeping track of the spring amulet for when the hero comes by.

-

After we've climbed the curved stairs onto the balustrade I apologize to the group and suggest a slight detour. It's been years since I've played 'four realms', but I still now the exact layout of Eston's adventurers' guild.

At one side the training rooms and monster cages, at the other the offices of the staff.

However, most seem empty. I only find the magic teacher Mildred in one of them.

[Marie? Marie doesn't work here anymore.] The halfling mages barely looks up at us.

That doesn't make sense, in the story of the game Marie is the dependable guildmaster. How can she quit the guild if she's going to be the leader in the future?

I'm curious now. [Did she quit the guild?]

[What's up with you Rudy,] Xandra giggles, [got a little crush?]

Of course Lenore becomes agitated. [Pyuuu~]

[That would be very inappropiate,] William says, [you should be looking towards girls your own age.]

Xandra immediately changes her tone. [Well... sometimes it's more about mental maturity than biological age. Isn't it Rudy?]

Mildred is becoming impatient. [Did she quit? She's dead, I had to see her die myself. What are you lot even doing here? The quest board is downstairs.]

[I apologize for them,] William is being very condescending, [I'm here to-]

[Go apologize somewhere else.]

I feel a hand on my shoulder. [It's fine Mildred. You three are here for Lacrima's requires aren't you?]

It's the old man guildmaster. I don't remember his name, he wasn't in the game.

[Yes but we-]

[I'll waive any requirement. If she thinks you are good enough, I believe her.]

William sticks out his hand. [William Rocksteady, I would like to go along for this escort.]

The guildmaster doesn't grab it. [Bill. I knew your father.]

[Ofcourse.]

[I can't stop you from going along but... the witch will know what's best.]

Now he's herding us out of the building.

[You lot should get going to pick up little Elpheba. It's getting late you see. You must have passed the orphanage on your way here, can't miss it. Goodbye now!]

-

[He really wanted us out of there.] I say while we're walking back over the Eston streets.

[They were probably just busy. The building was packed you know.] Xandra dismisses me. [So, William, what other quests have you done for the guild?]

She's mimicking how Lenore is grabbing my arm with his.

When William pries himself loose, so do I.

[I'll let the party she wanted talk to the quest giver,] he says, [I'll meet you outside in a few minutes while I go talk to someone.]

Before I'd noticed it we're already at the orphanage. It's pretty ostentatious! Is that a statue over the entrance?

[Rudy, why did you let that knight come with us?] Lenore complains after he's left. [I don't trust him, he smells like a basilisk.]

[Can you please try to get along with others? I like having someone that can fight with us, okay?]

Xandra puffs up her cheeks. [I can fight-]

We are interrupted when the heavy wooden doors suddenly open.

A girl our age with green hair and a black dress stands in the opening. She bows to greet us, and we quickly bow back. [You must be Rudy.

Come in, my misstress is expecting you.]

[More tea, dearie?]

The witch of Eston is actually a really sweet old lady! She takes care of these orphans that don't have a family.

And for the tea she's prepared a tower of sweets and buns.

[No. What exactly are we supposed to retrieve in the Witchwood?] Xandra gets right down to business. Of anybody I'd expect Xandra to seize the opportunity for more cake.

[Elpheba will know what to do. All you have to do is protect her.]

[And when we get back, you can cure this nasty curse. Pyuu?]

What do you want Lenore, for her to repeat herself? Leave the nice old lady alone!

[That's right, honey.] She pinches the catgirl's cheeks. [The feybloom is the only thing that can dispell magical diseases.]

[One more question.] My curiosity has been peaked. [Why us? You send out a specific request. Why?]

The woman's expression sours. [Are you saying you won't do it?]

Xandra springs in. [Oh! No we'll definitely do it! He was just curious, heheh.]

She sighs and puts down her teacup. [The truth is... that the feybloom can be sold for a lot of money. On top of that, I will be sending my precious apprentice alongside the party. Some of adventurers might be tempted to betray us and leave with the flower. The bloom I can lose, but to think of my dear girl, stranded in the wild...]

By the door Alpheba looks at her master. Her expression doesn't change much, difficulty communicating huh?

[We understand, we understand!] Xandra is diverting the conversation towards herself again. [We're totally the dependable sort. You can count on us.]

[Master. It's getting late.] Alpheba mentions. [Perhaps we should leave.]

[I see. Do you kids have camping equipment?]

[Of course.] Xandra boasts. [We're a rank D party you know!]

[Rank D. My my. Then I will not take up anymore of your time. Please bring my apprentice back to me in one piece.]

She bows. We bow. Everybody bows.

-

On our way out of the orphanage we see the orphans playing in the courtyard. They're passing a ball between them.

[Letta! Hey! Letta!] Xandra waves at the little girl we saved from goblins last year.

[We really must be going.] Alpheba guides us along.

It's a pity that we couldn't say hello to Letta. She didn't even notice us, too focused on the game. Although it looked a bit boring to me, the same actions over and over again.

[We're meeting up with a party member though.] I explain.

But outside William is already waiting for us. We did take a long time with the tea.

[Oh! Uh..] Alpheba seems startled.

[Is there a problem?]

[No... Ofcourse not.]

[Elpheba and I have seen each other around.] William admits. [I'll be accompanying you on your mission witchling, and see for myself what finer details it entails.]

[As you wish.] She bows.

He bows.

Just to be safe I bow as well.

[Pyuu what is the soldierer wearing now?] Lenore is grabbing my arm again.

[Oh this.] William looks at his flowing robes. [I'm not allowed to take steel equipment with me for personal use, so I got changed.]

[But why a mage robe?]

[Because I'm a mage! We rocksteady's, we're pyromancers, our pedigree goes all the way back to when Rhada blessed this realm as the fire country.]

[Knights are so proud of their national roots.] Lenore giggles in my ear. [Real nobility is global. We Purmas have baronies all over the overworld.]

[Be nice.] I reprimand her.

To reach the witchwood we need to follow the river upstream for a couple of days.

That means we'll pass by the burnt farm again...

William knows about it. [The goblin infestation in the woods nearby had gotten so big the duke had send us to build a fortress nearby. To keep the region under control.]

I want to ask about the orcs that will inhabit the region by the time the story of the game begins. [Just for goblins?]

William laughs. [Goblins are more dangerous than you think. Supression by the adventurers' guild is done to keep them at straggling numbers.

You don't get to see them when they really crowd up, they're a lot stronger in numbers.]

Lenore puffs her cheeks. [The adventurers at least do their job. These steelswingers lost to them!]

[Aye, I can't deny that. Look over there.]

He points at the horizon to show another burned building.

[We had to abandon fort and they burned it. Could have taken it for themselves, but they didn't know how presumably.]

[But it's not your fault!] Xandra insists. [They had hobgoblins and bandits with them and everything!]

[It was mostly regular goblins though. As I said, they're quite fiercesome in large groups, a goblin throng never retreats you know.]

Now I'm scared. [I-is it safe to get so close to their territory then?]

[Don't worry.] Alpheba turns around to walk backwards, she winks at me. [When you travel in small groups you don't have to fight throngs.

These goblins are all rank F.]

She's much more energetic outside. Must have been getting bored in the orphanage.

[And what about orcs? Are there any orcs in these regions?]

[Orcs? No...] William thinks about it. [There were a few hobgoblins, high level bandits, no orcs that I know of. TTalking about rare monsters, did you know the goblin leader is declared an enemy of humanity by the church? That's special for a fodder creature like that.]

[Ooh,] Xandra's interest is peaked, [does that mean there's a high reward for its ear?]

[I don't think so.]

[The priests are a bunch of bozos anyway,] Alpheba claims audaciously, [a little goblin like that wouldn't be in charge anymore if there's hobgoblins that means they've taken over. And anyway you said yourself they're led by a bandit knight.]

[No.] I say. [If it's who I think it is that guy can definitely be the leader.]

[I remember when you told me this story, pyuu~]

I don't like thinking about it. How we were captured by a primitive tribe and our party members were killed for the capricious amusement of the eye-patch goblin.

[Please, tell me about what you saw.] William seems strangely insistent.

[Well...] Xandra blushes, [I suppose we've got a lot of time to fill up until we arrive...]

After camping by the riverside we're woken up by a horned rabbit attacking the tent.

[Ugh, Rudy, go kill it.] Xandra says such a demanding thing before turning over to go back to sleep.

Well, it's morning anyway.

I kill the rabbit and wash my face.

I am surprised to see William making breakfast. He's used magic to create a campfire and is baking eggs and beans over it.

[Ugh. I should have eaten more scones while I had the chance.] Xandra complains.

Not me. What I really want is some rice. But people in this world don't eat rice except during extravagant feasts.

[Gahaha. This is the breakfast that fuels the king's army. Eat up! Eat up!] William pushes the warm broth onto our plates.

[We're not going to run into any goblins around here, are we?] I ask.

[Not with Lenore's sense of smell.] Xandra points her finger in the air. [If you've been counting we've dodged three nests just yesterday. With the

Purma catgirl on our side we'll always exactly know where to camp.]

[Hehe, praise me more pyuu~]

[We absolutely do have to follow this river to get to the witchwood.] Alpheba smacks through a mouthful of beans. She's packed pajamas to sleep in and she's wearing them now. [Up to the warped tree and then to the left. If that comes by a goblin tribe we'll have to go through them.]

[You three are a capable bunch, aren't you? Goblins don't scare you.] William asks.

[No, but killing goblins... is kinda sad.] Xandra explains.

[You just feel bad for them you know?] I add.

He and Alpheba look at each other like we're crazy.

[What are you talking about, pyuu? Last night you two told us about how you were captured by goblins last spring,] Lenore protests, [didn't that make you think of them as dangerous enemies?]

Xandra sighs. [No. It kind of just made me think of them as people like us.]

The conversation falls dead as we eat our beans and eggs.

-

We do have to kill goblins.

It doesn't seem like any belong to Scratch's [family]. They're mangy like the depictions on the wanted posters.

Yet they carry advanced weapons for goblins, stone-tipped spears, slings, and even straw armor.

Luckily we have no trouble dispatching them. Xandra can strike at the vital areas before any of them even have the chance to move, and

Lenore blocks all the projectiles they throw at us with her shield.

[A bit embarrassing, isn't it Rudy?] William laughs, [having to be protected by these girls. For me, I have to preserve mana. Usually I'd fight with my sword, but you know how it is.]

[Rudy can't do anything because he only has rogue equipment,] Xandra winks at me, [they say rogue is the weakest class, don't they Rudy?]

[I'll remember that you said that the next time you're imprisoned in a dungeon.] We can only say mean things to each other because we know each other so well.

[These goblins were not surprised by us.] Alpheba makes the tone serious again. [They were looking for us.]

[They have to have a nest or camp nearby to project their raids out of.] William concludes.

-

Sure enough, before reaching the warped tree we come across a goblin nest.

A patch of dry land stands out between the stream, on top of it the goblins have build a wall out of red fired bricks. The structure looks akin to a tower, a circular wall reaching up three stories high. On top of it there are goblins holding slings and crummy wooden javelins. Luckily with my trained rogue skills I can help the party stay out of their field of vision under a tree.

On the ground there is a water wheel slowly turning in the water, and channels carry water through a patch of upturned earth. An irrigated farm?

If there's any surface on the ground level constructions it's covered in barbed punji sticks, more against wildlife than invaders.

[This isn't supposed to be here.] Alpheba whispers. [Nothing this large...]

William rubs his chin. [Ths does not look like a typical infested farmhouse or mill. It's almost like... they made it themselves?]

[Do you see that?] Xandra points at a series of wooden planks on top of the sharp punji sticks laying out a path to the other side of the farm.

[We can get to the other side over that.]

The path looks suspiciously out of place. New. Like it was laid out for us.

[What about the women?] William asks seriously. [A goblin nest of this size must be keeping women captive.

[We shouldn't waste our mana on something like this.] Alpheba says.

[Nonsense!]

[Shhh!] We all urge him to keep his voice down simultaneously.

[Nonsense. Is that what adventurers do? We have the power to collapse this whole tower and kill them all in one go. If you put up a distraction I can summon some magic-]

[Rudy.] Xandra interrupts him. [You're a rogue. You can climb in and break out the prisoners without anybody getting killed.]

[Are you kidding!]

[Shhhh!]

[Are you kidding?] I protest, [in broad daylight? Do you think I'm some legendary hero?]

[Daylight is good, at least the goblins won't see better than you,] she explains, now in love with her own plan, [if you get captured just scream and we'll come fighting.]

My shoulders slump. I don't want to do it, but everybody is looking at me with such big eyes.

[Pyuu, you can do it Rudy.]

[Fine...] But they better appreciate this.

-

It's no difficulty at all stepping through the sharped sticks, I cast my usual spell in order to see the field of view of the guards.

Luckily they don't scan their surroundings as sharply as our previous enemies, so I can easily stay clear of the field as I jump across the waterwheel.

The hole for the wheel's axle is wide enough that I can squeeze inside to the other side of the brick wall. William was right, it's not very thick,

Lenore could probably collapse it with her shield bash.

I had expected the inside of the tower to look like the inside of a house, but it seems like the wall is all there is. The place is lit with natural light from the open ceiling. Nothing more than scaffolding and ladders holds it up from this side, it's more green than brown with all the goblins swarming the vertical structure.

Most of them are typical goblins, but a few among them are better dressed and look more human-like, like the family.

More to the point, in such an open space it's harder to hide. I had hoped on some internal walls and corridors to sneak through.

By making myself very tiny I can hide behind the moving millstone attached to the axle. By the looks of it they aren't grinding wheat but rock...

[You little monsters! What did I tell you? Huh!?]

Right across from me stands a bed, covered in animal pelts and patterned wooden blankets. The woman lieing inside is holding a goblin by the hair and screaming in his face.

[You do what I tell you to. And you do it when I tell you to! Only then!]

She throws him to the ground.

[Take him outside. He's with the hunting group for... I don't know, a week.]

This person is not being kept as a breeding slave, she's commanding them.

I want to leave, but Xandra would lecture me if I didn't at least search for any other possible women. A goblin nest without breeding slaves would quickly fall apart as the goblins die, wouldn't it?

[Eyes of Gold.] I still haven't once used this spell to actually find gold like a rogue class adventurer is supposed to.

Instead I search for an underground space.

... If there is one nobody has left any coins down there.

[Bwuh?] A goblin with a basket of pebbles has discovered me!

Before he can scream I grab his arm and force my hand over his mouth.

[You're going to bring me closer to your boss over there, you hear me? Or I'll kill you.] He doesn't stop struggling so I push my knife right against his throat. Only when he feels that does he nod.

-

We pass through the shadows of the scaffolding. I'm hiding behind the goblin holding the woven basket, with the outer wall on my other side, my knife is against his belly the whole time.

The others are all too preoccupied with their own business to pay attention to us.

[What's your name?] I ask.

[S-spit...]

[That's... fine. Spit. Everything's going to be fine, I only want to know where your mother is.]

[Bwuh?]

I see my chance and jump out, grabbing the boss woman's shoulder and pricking the tip of my knife in her back. She's wearing thin silk so she feels in immediately.

She may be an adult, but if you can sneak up on someone and put a knife in their back you always win, no matter how much stronger they are.

That's why the other adventurers are wrong, rogue isn't the weakest class but actually the strongest.

[You're in charge here?] I feel around for hidden weapons. [Or do you work for Harkness? Or for the one-eyed goblin?]

[Argh!] She screams.

About a thousand little heads turn our way all at once.

[Nobody move!] I threaten. [Or your leader dies!]

[Whaddaya want!?] She bellows, [gold? We ain't got any.]

[Tell me where you're getting new goblins from. Who are you keeping here?]

[They come from me.]

[What?]

She grunts in annoyance, trying to slip away from my blade, though I follow er around with it. [I am their mother.] She's talking through her teeth.

[Papa Scratch gave me this place to rule, I can command the goblins I spawn. If you're going to kill me get it over with.]

[Command? Command how? With magic.]

[No with... just with parenting. I lost everything the day I became a bandit, my body is the only thing I can leverage anymore.]

Just what is this setup? I remember one slave playing mother for the litter the last time I was in these forests, does Scratch have goblin mothers like that all over the territory?

[Just kill me.] Her voice breaks and she begins to cry. [I'm disgusting, aren't I? I birth monsters for food and shelter, how low have I sunk? I should be dead is what I should be!]

[H-hey now.] I want to comfort her, but when I pull away my knife she suddenly turns around and grabs me by the wrist.

Four different goblins jump on top of me and hold me down.

Right now I could scream, the rest of the group could probably break down this whole tower by spending some mana. But I don't want to.

If I could just reach the spellpaper on my belt...

[So you're the punk they don't want us to touch, are ya?] The mother gloats. [The witch girls can wait. Let's see what you have on ya.]

[Who are 'they'? What are you talking about?] I buy some time while inching my fingers closer to my belt through the weight of my goblin captors.

[Look for his coinpurse,] she commands her children, [I bet the brat has some pocketmoney saved up. That'll buy us some proper wood for once.]

One of the healthy looking goblin comes up next to her an whispers in her ear.

She angrily pushes him away. [I rule the river home. If they come through my territory then I get first pickings, Papa can't claim them before me. So say I.]

I have my hand on the spellpaper. I can't throw it on the ground the way I'm restraint now.

So...

I clench my teeth and activate it. A painful explosion burns my skin through my clothes as a loud *poof* envelops us in a cloud of smoke.

Disoriented, the goblins let me go. I draw my knife. I could kill them, but I still feel bad. So instead I run, spending precious mana I jump out of the smoke and from scaffold to scaffold, evading quick-fingered goblins at times, until I get over the top of the wall. I scrape my knife against the bricks to slow my fall and land on the soft grass.

Xandra and the others stand out in the open on the riverside, not really hiding anymore at all. [What happened?] [Do we go in?]

[There's nothing here,] I explain, [let's leave.]

We run for it. But after some distance it becomes clear that they're not sending anything after us.

[This sympathy for goblins is not healthy.] William proclaims.

[Let us go around on the way back.] Alpheba proposes.

After half a day's travel Alpheba suddenly stops us.

[Are you prepared? This is the entrance into the witchwood.]

[What kind of creatures will we face there?] I'm nervous about this sort of thing. I didn't want to become an adventurer, I wanted to live a normal life.

[If we can follow the plan faithfully, you won't have to fight anything. But you have to be prepared before we go in, just like a dungeon there's no resting or retrieving from your bags while we're inside.]

[We are prepared Elphie, show us the way.] Xandra makes a fist.

Now the apprentice witch waves her wand about and the mud from the riverbanks rises up to meet in the middle. A bridge has been formed!

[Ooh! Earth magic,] Xandra whistles, [that's a witch for you.]

Alpheba blushes. [I'm only an apprentice.]

[Well... onwards!] Xandra takes out her tonfas and runs across towards the magic bridge.

[H-hey! Wait for us!]

-

The forest on this side of the river has a purple glow to it. Although the roof is thick and no sunlight comes through everything is bathed in an ambient light.

A beautiful yellow-gold dirt road twists ahead of us. Vibrant green grass with patches of flowers all around.

In a place as austere as this, you can't help but whisper when talking to one another.

[Did she say that?] William asks me about my sneak in in the goblin nest. [That Scratch wanted us for himself?]

[I don't quite understand it myself, but I think what he wanted was for us not to be toucheed. She knew we were with a witch apprentice. So... what does that mean?]

He breathes deeply in and out. [I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but as it stands, it seems to me that the goblins and the witch are working together.]

[That can't be... Do you think Elpheba knows?]

[Let's keep it between you and me for now. Can you keep a secret like that?]

I don't think I want to. [Sure.]

[And if she ever asks you to give a drop of blood. Don't do it. A witch could use that to gain power over you.]

I don't see any reason why a witch would want power over me. But I suppose there is no harm promising that.

-

[Stop.] Alpheba suddenly demands. [It's a petal boar.]

Breaking up the painterly beauty of our forest path stands a pink furred boar, the tips of its tusks are gold and it has what seems like a mane of flower petals.

It grunts threateningly and scrapes its hooves.

Alpheba falls back to behind us as Xandra jumps forwards, landing a kick on its nose and jumping over it as it gores at her.

She lands some extra hits with her tonfas before Lenore manages to get between her and the monster, catching its tusks with her buckler.

[Pyuu! Don't rush in without your vanguard! I have to block the attacks for you, remember?]

[I had it.] Xandra complains.

The monster seems to activate some sort of ability, it lowers its head and starts shaking its flower petals.

But before anything happens a bolt of fire hits it. William!

The fire seems super effective on this type of enemy, it catches fire and begins to roll on the ground to put it out, squealing loudly.

[Let's put it out of its misery.] Xandra lifts up her weapon.

[No. Leave it alone,] Alpheba instructs, [it's more dangerous now than ever.]

So we watch as it panics, running in circles and then bolting away to die somewhere else.

[Aww!] Xandra boasts. [You know you can get a silver piece for killing a monster like that.]

[You're not here to enrich yourself with monster hunting,] William reminds her, [we're here to protect the witch apprentice.]

[Why didn't Rudy do anything?] Alpheba asks.

[Heh.] Xandra has a smug look on her face, [if it's a fight you can count on me. If it's sneaking about like a coward you can count on Rudy.]

[What is that? Who's the coward here?] I prod her face.

[You'd do best to save your mana some more,] Alpheba warns, [the way back is more dangerous.]

-

We continue walking the path.

There are more of these petal boars, but also other monsters. Alpheba calls them by name.

Will-o-wisps, shimmerflies, and a ghost raven. With Lenore's shield and Willliam's fire we get rid of them rather easily, I'm becoming more confident!

Xandra is totally bored though. [So are you going to find this feybloom thing soon or what? Do we have to scavange around for it?]

She's about to step off the path to look around.

[Stay ON the path!] Alpheba insists, suddenly very strict in tone.

Shocked Xandra retracts her foot.

[This is a fairy path. It leads us to where we need to be, but you absolutely cannot step off or you'll be lost in the woods!]

She regains her composure.

[I mean: Please.... Ma'am.]

[Okay okay I get it.] Xandra sighs. [We'll follow after you, just give a shout when we get there.]

-

After a few more fights like that we've starting to use up our mana, despite the advance warning.

I want to ask when we're finally going to arrive. But just now the road winds around a large tree and in a wide yellow-gold circle.

[We're here,] Alpheba whispers, [the fairy queen's garden.]

Around the edge of the circle stand hedges trimmed into a variety of shapes, animals, people, and monsters.

She turns around. [William, good that you're here. Can you... stay here and quard our backs. Just to make sure nothing's followed us.]

[You want the mage to block the corridor?]

[You're a trained knight, aren't you?]

[Fair enough.]

We leave him behind and walk towards the outer edge of the circle. Lights are flowing all round us.

[Look!] Lenore squeals excitedly. [Fairies.]

What seems like floating points of light are actually little people with butterfly wings, tending to the gardens and encircling us.

[Don't touch them!] Alpheba peeps. [They're very fragile.]

Xandra freezes in the middle of trying to grab one out of the air.

[Are they here to give you the feybloom?] I ask.

[Not them.] Alpheba puts her backpack on the ground and pulls out a bell jar. [Caretaker. Appear and grant me the feybloom.]

A grass covered mound between the hedges begins to move. Except it's not a mound, it's a hump-backed creature in a great green cloak.

When it comes close to the edge of the circle a hand stretches out from under the cloak, holding a fluffy white object, a poofy bunny tail made up entirely out of flower petals.

[Receeeiive the treasure of the queeeen~] It croaks like some sort of toad.

[Rudy.] Alpheba asks in er nicest tone. [Please take the feybloom.]

[Aren't you supposed to?]

[I'm holding the container. Now be carefuly, it's very fragile.]

Underneath her feet small magic circles are floating. She must be casting some powerful magic.

I reach out to grab the fluffy flower, but when I touch it the petal cut me like glass! Ouch!

The monster creaks in pain.

[Careful, don't break it!] Xandra scolds me.

Don't break it? It broke me! I can see trails of my blood seeping into the core of the peculiar plume.

I try again. This time I put my hands underneath it and lift it out of the creature's palm. Shakingly, I carry it over to her and place it on the wooden stulp of her bell jar. She quickly closes the glass over it.

[You can go now.] She tells the cloaked figure.

It slinks into the forest and is soon replaced by a grassy knoll.

Alpheba breathes out deeply. The magic around her feet disappears.

[Pyuu~ What kind of magic was that?]

She shrugs humbly. [Just something to keep the bloom-]

[That was control magic!] William grabs her roughly by the arm. He followed us! [You little poisoner, the captain was right to send me after you!

The fairy queen doesn't even know about all this, does she?]

The jar with the bloom almost falls to the ground, I catch it and keep it upright. That's the item we worked so hard to retrieve! It's like glass, it'll shatter!

[No, let me go!] Alpheba cries in fear.

[Let go of her!] [Yes! Pyuu~] The others ready their weapons.

[Rudy, you know how the goblins are in league with the witch don't you?] He turns to me now!? [Lacrima has been suspected of illicit activity for longer, I was supposed to catch them in the act, and I did. Tell them.]

[I... Don't know anything.] The goblins are in league with the witch? I didn't say that? Those are his own weird conclusions.

[We're only trying to cure the plague. He's hurting me!] What Alpheba says at least fits what we're seeing.

[I said: let go of her!] Xandra jumps in the air. She feints an attack with her weapon and then kicks his shoulder, forcing him to let go of the girl.

Lenore goes to stand in front of me and Alpheba, as Xandra takes in a battle stance across from William.

[You little brats!] He points his wand and it looks like a mighty fire spell is forming!

But suddenly his face goes pale and his arms slump. He's been hit! A vine protruding from the earth with green glowing thorns has emerged from the ground behind him and is piercing his body. The weapon keeps him in place, but he's dead.

[I had to.] Alpheba sobs. [He was going to kill us...]

Lenore hugs her. [It's not your fault, pyuu~]

[We killed a knight... Xandra says slowly.]

We killed a knight? We killed a knight! That's a noble! That's something you'd be exiled for normally, wouldn't it?

[But he was a bad guy, so it was okay, right?] She laughs.

Was he really though? We acted in the heat of the moment, but could it be that Alpheba really...

Suddenly Alpheba jumps up. [We need to leave!]

[What's wrong?]

[Our alloted time is up. We need to leave the forest.]

[Pyuuu~? What are you talking about?]

But I can feel it too. The light has dimmed, the winds have turned, it's like the forest itself has turned against us.

From outside the fairy path two humanoid figures wearing chitin like armor approach.

[Mantis Knights!] Alpheba panics. [Those are level C monsters!]

Level C?

...

Level C!

[Everybody run!] We begin sprinting back the way we came.

[They can't follow us out of the woods,] Alpheba says, she's being carried by Alpheba because it's faster, [we just need to make it out!]

I hear a scary buzzing sound. They're flying with pairs of bug wings on their backs, at this rate they'll catch up!

[Having a mage handy would be useful right now!] Xandra pants, [do you have anything else in your back of tricks, Rudy?]

I grab my spellpaper. Burning it on the ground won't do it this time, so I pin them on some throwing knifes and throw them at them.

As we run I can just over my shoulder see how they're enveloped in smokey clouds. Hopefully that'll slow them down.

-

There are more aggressive animals on the road, with what mana we have left we kill them as quickly as possible before they block our path.

Eventually, we have to resort to swerving around them, risking life and limb with acrobatic jumps and dodges.

This is slowing us down too much. Now the buzzing becomes audible again.

I keep my head down and just keep sprinting.

Light!

Yes!

We jump out between the trees and roll over the mud bridge, which Alpheba collapses immediately with her magic.

We've made it out! We've survived the witchwood!

The monsters growl at us from behind the treeline, but don't follow. I don't know what magic keeps them there, I can only be grateful.

[And the feybloom? Did we save the feybloom!?] Xandra scrambles around a bit panickingly.

[Who cares about the quest. Xandra, we could have died you know!] It takes all my willpower not to scream at her.

[Fufufu. I have it!] Lenore proudly displays the bell jar with the quest item in it. [Pyuu! Praise me!]

[Lenore, well done!] Xandra hugs the cat-girl.

[Don't drop it, don't drop it!] Alpheba hisses between her teeth.

[What do we do now?] I ask.

[We go back.] Alpheba states. [My master will know what to do.]

[But how do we get back? We're out of mana, energy, and health.]

Fodder we can take. But if a serious threat would be devastating right now. Whether it's mana, items, or health, we're all at our limits.

[Didn't I say it's fine?] Alpheba pouts. [Goblins don't cluster together in groups that big outside of their nests anyway.]

Just as she says that a troll swings from between the trees and lands inches away from my feet. It's looking at the ground by growls menacingly.

Level D! That's a level D enemy!

I take in my battle pose, pointing my knife straight at it.

Just then I see them, from the other side of the river. The glistening eyes of half a dozen hobgoblins and twice as many wolves.

[Oh no...]

Petal Boar

Family: Beasts

Threat Level: E

Reward: 5 copper pieces

A monster mostly found in enchanted forests. It can be recognized by its flower-like appearance.

Petal boars are much more docile than their mundane cousins, and will let adventurers it does not see as a threat freely pass through its territory.

However, as with many 'petal' monsters the petal boar is affected by the aura of a fairy queen and can go berserk if the forest is threatened. In that case it will make use of weakening pollen and poison clouds to subdue the enemy, alongside its devastating tusks. Small plants in the surrounding area can also be manipulated by the monster to move in accordance to its will.

If one is attacked by a petal boar the best strategy is to move away from bushes and weeds, avoid using plant based magic, and if possible use fire magic to burn the plantlike petals on its body.