[Somewhere close but further than you think]

Well now the little fox is quite the extraordinary girl. To make such progress in so little time is just simply remarkable. In just a few days she went from absolutely nothing to a real rising star. When she met the Defiler I nearly wept. I thought for sure this is the end, but it wasn’t! Using both her skill and her wit to their fullest she was able to survive. I won’t bore you with the details of how close a thing it was but let’s just say she was lucky the first element she learned to control was wind.

After the battle she was also able to obtain a second legendary class too! I am quite interested in seeing how she develops it and integrates it into her life. I will admit that I am the one who intervened to offer her the Ascentium of Speed, but she really deserved it. To overcome the odds like she did you can’t possibly she didn’t deserve such a reward. Also it was quite funny to watch her trip all over herself. Stats are meant to be improved slowly so that the body can adjust, so watching her struggle to just learn how to walk again had me clutching my sides and nearly crying with laughter.

What? You think I’m a bit sadistic? Well that may be true. I don’t always find joy in the suffering of others, but I doubt you can say that you’ve never laughed at something similar.

That’s beside the point. Her next shocker was to find one of the clues that I left behind. I highly doubt that she will be able to use it in its intended capacity any time soon. I will be interested to see how she uses her new powers. If wielded by a true master of the art the magics she possesses could crush planets. Now the power it takes to do such a thing is still far beyond our little fox so don’t go worrying about her accidentally creating a black hole or something ridiculous like that.

To top it all off she even discovered the song of water. This one I can say was expected. With her current affinities and the way she thinks most of the others are still out of reach. For some reason she doesn’t seem to want to call on the power of a song again after she initially discovers it. I have been wondering why that is. I guess only time will tell.

Now looking away from our favorite friend the other players are starting to make their moves. A group is gathering to plunge into the depths of the forest. Looking at their levels and abilities they do have a chance of catching up to Reiza if they go the right way, or if she keeps leaving a trail of massive signs in her path. I mean shooting a pillar of green light over a hundred feet wide into the sky! The girl does not know the definition of subtle. Well I mean she really doesn’t I do remember taking that memory away…

Ah I’m rambling again. Apart from the group getting ready for the expedition the gods are starting to make moves as well. All of them seem to suspect the others of causing the recent disturbances. This means that they are all moving cautiously and preparing for war. I am quite surprised that they haven’t called for one of their silly council of gods meetings. I would have expected Radiance to do that rather than send a little girl to run an investigation. She does tend to think a bit more on the big picture than the others though so we shall see.

I don’t think that I will see any real movement from the gods until Reiza manages to do something either really big or really stupid. The only thing that I know for sure is that when the wrench is thrown into the system, it will be a big one, and it will come from her.

Until that day comes, I will just sit here and watch closely as our little fox finds new ways to surprise me.

[Greenwood Village]

[Lilly POV]

I sat in a private room at the back of the village guild hall. I lean back in the unexpectedly comfortable chair and prop my legs up on the large wooden table. Sampson sits beside me with his head propped up on the edge of the table and I look over the profiles of the people who will be joining me on my quest. I had only posted the offer of the quest with the guild yesterday and by the time I came in at noon today there were already fifty applicants. After hours of pouring over the applications I finally came out with three that I think will be the best fit.

Okay so the first person who will be joining is Adam. He is a level 63 warrior. His profile says he has proficiency in playing the role of tank and seems to have the stats to back it up. He uses heavy armor, and equips himself with a shield and longsword, but can also wield a Warhammer. He will work well. With his abilities to draw the enemy’s attention and take a lot of damage the rest of the team will be able to preform much better. Furthermore, his versatility in using different types of weaponry will allow us to fight and win against a larger range of enemies.

The next applicant that I decided to take was his brother Will. Will is a level 61 ranger. His profile says that his expertise is in tracking and hunting. His skills with the bow are apparently quite well know. I don’t know if his tracking will do us a lot of good in helping towards our ultimate goal but his hunting skills will be essential if we want to make the most of things. On top of all that having a ranged damage dealer helps to balance the party. He claims to also be able to wield a short sword which isn’t uncommon for someone of his level but I think I will keep him as a vanguard for traveling and move him back to rear support for combat.

The final applicant was much harder to decide upon. There were a lot more high level warriors and even a couple mages that applied but I think this one will work out better despite her relatively low level. Her name is Mya. She is a level 26 cleric. I had almost put her application aside but am glad that I kept it now. She specializes in healing and protection magic. Her skills are a bit higher than her level would suggest if the report from the guild is to be believed. If she comes with the right gear, she would be a huge help to the party. Her application says she doesn’t have experience with adventuring, but she has spent some time in hospitals and high ranking medical clinics. If that is true then she shouldn’t freeze up if someone gets injured. I will have to keep a close eye on her. Who knows maybe she will do just fine.

I let out a sigh and put the papers down to glance at the clock. Hmm almost time for them to arrive. The party looks good on paper, but you can never really tell until everyone actually meets and you can get a sense of how their personalities work.

Just as the echoing chimes of the bell tower starts to ring the hour, the door opens and the first group member walks in.

She seems awfully young. Is the first thing I think when who can only by the cleric, Mya, walks into the room. Even for a human, who age rather quickly, she looks more like she is 17 or 18 rather than her true age of 20. She is of average height but that’s probably the only thing about her that’s average. With bright eager green eyes and long wavy locks of fiery red hair she cuts quite the striking figure. I am happy to see that even for a newbie to the adventuring life she seems to be fit and has dressed sensibly.

Rather than dawning the gaudy white and gold robes that most clerics seem to favor she is dressed instead in faded browns and black. Tall black leather boots come up to just below her knees and a pair of sturdy looking brown trousers are expertly tucked into them. Above that she wears a good traveling shirt and is covered with a dark cloak. Strapped to her back is a long golden scepter of high quality that thankfully doesn’t have any of those useless jangling rings hanging from it.

I smile happily at the sight of her. Well it looks like I actually get to work with a sensible one. She might not be as much of a burden as I had anticipated.

“I- is this where the meeting for the expedition into the forest is?” She asks a little nervously. I nod and smile gently at her before replying, “Yes it is. You must be Mya, please come take a seat while we wait for the others to show up.”

[Will POV]

“I know we were expecting for a quest to investigate the goings on in the forest to come up but I really didn’t expect it all to come together this quickly.” I say to Adam as we make our way towards the guild hall. Just last night we had been talking about waiting until a quest came around before setting off and today it is in motion. We had checked in with the guild first thing in the morning and sure enough there was an application open to join a party going into the forest already up. Naturally we put our names in right away and by midday a runner had come to tell us we had been accepted and to meet back at the guild at an appointed time this evening.

“Right! Didn’t I tell you that it would work out this way? You were so impatient, ready to set off all on your own and now less than a day later we are joining a party.” Adam replies happily while letting out a deep chuckle and slapping me affectionately on the back. “Yea, yea I get the point. I can be a little impatient at times. I just hope that our party is a good one. I don’t want to get stuck with a bunch of newbies again after what happened last time.” I mutter, cringing slightly at the memory.

“Huu. Didn’t you see who posted the quest in the first place?” Adam asks seeming confused. “What are you talking about?” I demand. Could I really have missed something like that being on the application? If I did I would sure feel like an idiot. “Oh well I guess that it might not have really been posted. After we signed up I stayed behind for a bit and was trying to chat up that pretty receptionist girl. We talked for a bit and she let slip who posted the quest.” Adam replied sheepishly, a light blush coloring his cheeks. Ah well that explains things. My stupid brother tries his charms on almost every girl he meets and I have gotten good at just tuning it out. “So, who posted it?” I ask.

“Oh it was some druid named Lilly. Apparently she is pretty well known in these parts.” He replies offhandedly. The name makes me freeze mid stride. Lilly? Did he really just say Lilly? There is only one druid in these parts that goes by that name and she supposedly doesn’t leave the forest. It can’t be her, can it? I am jerked out of my thoughts by a sharp cuff to the back of my head. “Ouch!” I shout, “What the hell was that for?” “Dude you just stopped there and I called your name like ten times. What’s going on do you know this Lilly chick or something?” He asks seeming concerned by my actions. “Know her? No I don’t know her personally but if she is who I think she is then our trip is going to be more exciting than either of us though.” I reply while starting to walk again.

If the Lilly really is going to be the leader of this expedition then we really are in for one hell of a ride. For the entire rest of the walk to the guild I am lost in thought, going over stories and rumors of what Lilly has supposedly done. Upon walking into the small meeting room at the back of the guild and seeing the two women sitting there my eyes widen. It’s really her. Lilly the Druid of Death.

[Adam POV]

Will has been acting weird ever since I mentioned the name Lilly. She must be someone rather important or powerful to make him act this way. I just hope whatever has made her so well known hasn’t turned her into some stuck up bitch. Wouldn’t that be just my luck. Well even if she does turn out that way I’m sure I’ve dealt with worse people in my time so I should be able to handle it.

Walking into the small meeting room that had been reserved for our group my eyes were initially drawn to the girl with the bright red hair. Damn she seems pretty young. Is that a scepter? She must be the healer. Most sensibly dressed cleric I’ve ever meet. Looking past the young girl my eyes land on the tall elf who is currently lounging in her chair with her feet kicked up on the table. A large black panther sits next to her and seems to glare at me.

The elf who must be Lilly judging by the panther seems to be on the younger side but with elves it is pretty hard to tell. She could be a couple centuries old and I wouldn’t know the difference. Her tall lithe body with deep brown eyes and dark almost black hair make her quite beautiful. However, it is always a bad idea to try romancing a party member so I guess I will have to keep myself in check for this little excursion. Okay I’ve been staring a little too long and the panther is definitely glaring at me now.

“Hey there you must be Lilly. I’m Adam and this is my brother Will. We are pleased to make your acquaintance and join you on your expedition.” I say pointing to first myself and then at Will as I make introductions. I then purposefully take the chair that is furthest from the glaring panther and leave the seat right next to it open for Will to take. He gives me a small glare and takes a seat as well.

“Good, now that we are all here let’s get first introductions out of the way. We have a lot to go over tonight before we set off tomorrow.” Lilly says, starting the meeting. “To begin with I am Lilly and I will be your leader for this expedition. I expect you all to follow my orders when I give them as we may need to approach territory that is extremely dangerous. I do not say this to be rude, to assert my will on you, or put fear in your heart, it is just a fact. In Greenwood forest there are some forces that we will not be able to face. Know that if I tell you we cannot go a specific direction or that we must not enter a cave I am saying it to keep us all alive.”

“Now for something a little less ominous I am a level 94 druid. I specialize in using a longsword, attack magic, and am good with animals.” She concludes her introduction by dropping this bombshell. Did she really just say she is level 94! If she is such a high level then why does she even need a party to explore the forest?

Lost in the shock of Lilly’s introduction I almost miss it when the other girl starts to introduce herself. “Hi. I’m Mya. I am currently only a level 26 cleric. I am really good at using healing and protection magic. I can fix bones and cure some poisons and should be able to reattach a limb but I’ve never tried to do that last one before. My shields are fairly good and I can cast a couple of buffs to help with regeneration of mana and stamina.” Mya concludes her introduction blushing slightly and glancing at Lilly who gives her an encouraging nod. Poor thing. It would be hard for anyone to introduce themselves right after someone else says they are a level 96. It was kind of funny how she rambled on for a bit about her skills. I will admit I am a bit impressed by her versatility for being such a low level. I don’t mind her being quite so low a level now that I know what all she can do. It never hurts to have a healer around.

After Mya finishes it becomes my turn. “I’m Adam. Level 63 warrior. I’m good at getting the enemy to focus on me and can take one hell of a beating. Ill most likely be playing the role of tank for this group. I am also skilled in the use of shield, sword, and hammer depending on what the situation calls for. The only magic that I do know is personal combat buffs.” With that I finish my introduction and turn to Will.

“My name is Will. I am a level 61 ranger, and Adam’s brother. My primary skill set is in tracking and archery. I am an expert marksmen with the bow and am skilled in most areas of woodcraft. I am an excellent hunter and can also make anything I kill in the woods into a decent meal. My magic is limited to improving my tracking skills and applying minor enchantments to my arrows.” With Will’s short introduction over all eyes turn back to Lilly.

“Very good. Now that we all know each other we can get along just fine. If you find you have a problem with another member of the group, get over it. There is no place for trivial matters such as that out in the wilderness. It will be dangerous enough without us snapping at each other. Since you all understand that it is time to talk about provisions. Will can you craft arrows in the wild or retrieve the ones you fire?” She asks. “I can retrieve the ones I use but don’t have the skill to make them to the quality that I need.” He responds. “Well at least you’re honest. Make sure you bring a large supply of them with you then. If need be I can use nature magic to grow some for you but that will be slow. You all should know that we will be traveling light on this trip. We will gather our meals in the forest and will likely not return for over a month. Do any of you have a problem with this?” Lilly asks in a tone that makes it clear there is not much of a question to weather we will be doing it or not. Everybody at the table just shakes their heads.

“Good. Now to the purpose behind this expedition. By now I am sure you are all well aware of some of the events that have been happening recently. Several days ago, there was a massive disturbance that came out of the heart of the forest. Also, I doubt that any of you managed to miss the huge spell that light the sky up earlier today. Our job will be to find out what caused these disturbances. If whatever caused them turns out to be a hostile, we will need to be prepared to take them out. If the cause is something or someone else then we will have to play it by ear and try for a peaceful resolution.”

“Now as to whatever loot or riches we may find along the way, we will try to distribute it as evenly as possible. If one item will benefit one of us more than the others it goes to the person who can best use it. The value of that item will then be deducted from that persons share of whatever’s left. If we find nothing of real value or don’t find much I will pay everyone the standard fee that the guild recommends upon our return. Does that sound fair?” This time there is a chorus of nods and murmured ascent. The offer really was a fair one and having this established at the start will help to prevent any fighting later on.

“Alright then remember we are traveling light. If you have a storage item use it and if you don’t I recommend you get one. Pack cloths, and whatever you need to sleep along with enough trail food to last two days in case we don’t get lucky hunting and gathering. Sleep well tonight we will be leaving at dawn.” With that obvious dismissal Will and I get up and leave while Mya stays behind to ask Lilly a couple of questions.

Once we are out of the room I turn to Will and ask, “So what do you think about the group?” “I think we have a decent crew. Lilly has definitely covered all the bases for making a solid party. We have a tank, ranger, magic user, and a healer. I am a little concerned about Mya. She seems a little on the young and inexperienced side, but judging by her attitude as well as her gear and skills we should be able to teach her what she need to know to be a proper adventurer.” He replies. “I was thinking the same thing. I feel pretty good about this. Let’s go gather the supplies Lilly said to bring and hit the hay a little early tonight, I am not looking forward to getting up and leaving at dawn.”

From there we chatted amiably about what could possibly be going on and Will finally informed me about who Lilly was. One things for certain things are definitely going to be interesting.

[Mya POV]

Three days have passed since our group first met at the guild and so far I would say things are going pretty well. Getting up that first day to meet Lilly at dawn was not fun. A girl does need her sleep after all. Today we all seem to be a bit on edge since we are approaching the first point in our investigation.

When the group met on the first day by the edge of the forest just as the sun was cresting the horizon Lilly told us where we would be going first. To the sight of the massive pillar of green light. The others seem to think that it was something called a high magic ritual but I have no clue what that is. Adam tried to explain it to me but his explanation wasn’t really good. As far as he could explain it was just a really, really big spell. It is apparently a big deal because to cast something like that it requires a lot of power, something like 12 or 15 powerful mages kind of power.

As we set off Lilly decided to take the lead since she knows the forest best. She said that once we picked up any signs of something to follow she would let Will take the lead. After about half the day had passed I could tell that I was slowing the others down a bit but it didn’t seem to bother them. They really are nice people. Adam can be funny and he likes to tell jokes and stories to pass the time. Lilly is also nice though she likes to act tough. She has been teaching me about the different plants and trees that we find. I have learned quite a lot from her and can now identify several edibal and poisonous plants.

For the past day I have been working more closely with Will. He is quieter than the rest of the group. He has been showing me how to move more naturally in the forest. I guess he got tired of me stomping and stumbling around. What he’s teaching my is hard to follow but I’m starting to get it and I can tell that I am able to move a little faster and not make quite as much noise as before.

“We’re here.” Lily says breaking the silence and drawing me out of my reflections of the past days. I look around trying to find something different but it just looks like the same forest to me. Well maybe the trees here seem a little wilted but that could just be a water problem. Also the air seems oddly heavy. I wonder why that is. “How do you know this is the place?” I ask hesitantly.

“Can you feel the difference in the air like it is heavier or maybe like it is charged with energy?” Lilly asks. In response to my nod she continues, “What you’re feeling is the mana residue of a large spell. From what I can tell it was some kind of massive cure disease spell.” “Uhh, and how do you know that?” I ask.

This time Will is the one to respond. “Look at the trees. In this area they aren’t as healthy as the ones we have been walking through recently. They look like they have been sick but there is no sign of any disease, therefore a cure spell had to of been what was cast. The ting that is bothering me is that we haven’t seen the spell circle yet. Something of that magnitude would definitely need a large circle.”

“He’s right. We should all spread out and search the area for anything out of the ordinary. I am going to meditate and try to get any information that the trees can give me. Don’t wander too far and if you find something give a shout.” Lilly says before sitting down and closing her eyes.

I look at the two brothers and give a small shrug before walking deeper into the grove of trees. The further in I go the clearer it becomes that something terrible happened here. The trees start to look more and more sickly and eventually I reach a ring of them that are completely dead. This is so sad. I’m glad that something cured them all but now that I can actually see the size of this grove… the amount of power it would take… just wow. Oh what’s that?

Off about a hundred or so paces away from me is a barren clearing with only a single large stump at its center. The stump looks withered and might actually be crumbling as I watch it. The thing that caught my attention is the long perfectly straight black stick that appears to be coming out of the ground behind it. Perplexed I make my way over to the stump and finally get a good look behind it. What I see almost makes me scream.

Piled at the base of the stump is a skeleton. Pearly white bones are stacked delicately around what I can now see is a long black spear. What is this? Is this the person who cast the spell? If it is who stacked their bones? Also why does the skeleton look like it’s in perfect condition. With trembling hands I slowly reach out to touch the gleaming white skull.

“Stop! Don’t touch it!” The shout freezes me in place my fingers mere inches from the skull. In the blink of an eye both Lilly and Will are at my side guiding me slowly back. With my heart nearly pounding out of my chest I stair between the two of them a question in my eyes.

Seeing what I am about to ask Lilly answers, “Those are the remains of a Defiler.” The angry look on her face and the hatred in her voice are explained as the image of the disease spreading druids of darkness fills my mind. Oh shit. Oh shit. I can’t believe that I almost touched it. Who knows what would have happened to me.

“Wh- why is it he- here?” I manage to stutter. Stepping forward Will is the one to reply. “My best guess is that the Defiler was the one who made this grove of trees sick. Someone came here and cured them and then engaged the Defiler in battle.” “What do you mean someone? And what battle?” Lilly demands. “Well just over there, there are obvious signs of a fight. The ground is all disturbed and there is blood, a lot of it. Whoever won must’ve been one hell of a healer.”

We follow Will over to the area he described and my blood chills. The ground looks like a slaughterhouse floor. Dark stains cover huge patches of the ground and one patch looks like somebody laydown and bleed out. How could anyone survive something like this? They would have to of lost so much blood.

“So what were you able to get from the trees Lilly? I have a general idea of what happened here but I am missing a lot of the details.” Will asks. Wow he really can understand what happened just from looking at the ground! This guy is insane. “I didn’t get a lot from them but your guess was mostly right. Someone came here and cured all of the trees with a single massive spell then was confronted by the Defiler and killed her.” Lilly responds. “Any information on who did the curing or killing?” Will asks. “No for some reason the trees are concealing their presence from me. What can you make of it?” Lilly asks in return.

“As far as I can tell it was only the two of them, both women. One was wearing armor and heavy boots that were melted by some sort of acid attack and the other was barefoot. That one is who I think we are after. There are tracks coming this way from deeper in the forest and they are the only ones that leave. From looking at what I can see our mystery healer was getting her ass handed to her on a silver platter but it all changes right here.” He says pointing to the largest bloodstain. “Right here I believe that our mystery healer was stabbed rather badly and then something happened. The Defiler just fell over and then was gone. I can’t tell you how it happened just that it was quick.” Will finishes before turning back to look at the rest of us.

“The only thing I was able to see from the trees was that a small figure who I couldn’t make out touched her chest and the she died… painfully.” Lilly states, her words causing us all to fall into a deep silence.

“So this means… this all means that we are after a small girl… and she can kill with a single touch.” I say slowly. “Yes. I guess we are. We now have an idea of who we are looking for and a trail to follow. I say that we stay here and rest for the night and set off tomorrow to find our mystery woman.” Adam says to nods and murmured agreement.

Well after what I’ve seen today I don’t know if I want to thank this girl for killing the Defiler, or run away as fast as I can from someone who is far more powerful than I expected.