1 | Welcome to the Everwood

The prison cart wheels creaked over dirt and roots with the help of twin bronze-scaled drakes. Nito bumped along with it on the splintering planks gazing out solemnly through the bars. He was fairly sure twelve or so days had been spent this way, though day and night were difficult to distinguish based on the few light rays that slipped through the leaves. He wasn’t about to ask any of the armored escorts how long it had been either, so he simply sat there breathing in the thick air, tasting its floral flavors.

“Looks like we’re almost at our station,” the cage mate next to Nito muttered with a sly squint. The silence between the barred lot of five was finally broken after near a fortnight.

“How would you know?”

“Well, these tin buckets can’t do a thing without the crown pulling their strings. There’s no way in both hells they could survive if they venture much further in. You look like a tough stone though. You get captured for the free ride too?”

“Uhh… Not exactly. I just got caught when my guard was down a bit.”

“Oh? Regardless, from the looks of that tattered red cloak and the spear emblem on it you were part of the Burning Lance mercenary group, right?”

“Yeah, I was…”

“Ha! I knew it! Bet you could give the guard captain a good spear to spear dual then. Don’t think I’ve introduced myself, I’m Mazo.” He offered a hand.

“The name’s Nito. I guess we’ll never know being trapped like this.” He remarked shaking the extended hand.

“Alright men, we're about a three day’s ride in. Let's Stop here!” Just after being mentioned the captain’s voice rang out. At its sound, all the subordinate guards reined in their drakes and circled around the cart.

“You three tie the drakes to trees and set up the camp. The rest of you unload the scum. It’s about time we put these sorry shits to work!”

“Yes Sir!” the guards immediately acted, doing their training since the age of ten star-cycles justice. The prison cart’s door clanged open ringing freedom in the ears of its captives. Hastily, they marshaled the prisoners a microleague away from their cage by blade point to a clearing in the undergrowth, providing a reminder of authority.

Despite the looming weapons, Nito couldn’t help marveling at the endlessly outstretching forest before him unobscured by iron bars. Thick trunks towered overhead topped with vibrant foliage, flowers and ferns of countless colors were scattered about, and the leaves rustled occasionally as some unidentifiable creature darted across the rich earth. It was hard not to be in awe at the place that inspired almost every tale he had given an ear to. Before he could fall too entranced in the scenery, the captain's voice snapped him back to reality.

“Welcome to the Everwood flee sacks! By Hyburn royal decree, you lot are to serve the kingdom for your crimes. You’re to collect zeolith crystals and bring them here, pocket even one and I’ll have your hand. And don’t think about escaping. If we don’t kill you, whatever’s out there will rip you up nice and well.”

A guard to the right pulled out a faintly glowing pinkish crystal from her satchel and held it up for all to see, “This is what you’re looking for, got it? They tend to form at the base of trees and large plants for whatever reason, so look there. If you ever want to smell freedom again, you’ll have to work for it.”

With their job laid out, the prisoners began sluggishly wading through bushes and brambles in search of their door to independence under watchful eyes. Nito and Mazo strode off in the same direction in the comfort of having shared a few words previously. They came upon a bunch of stalk-like plants about as tall as them and noticed a crop of pink crystals by the roots.

“Those look like what we’re after. Though they’re a good bit smaller…” Nito pointed out.

“Bah! As if I give a damn. I’m only waiting for the perfect moment to slip into the shadows. This here is just a leisurely stroll to take in the greenery. There’s no way I’d work for them.” Mazo scoffed indignantly, obviously not bending under the threats posed by the captain.

“You’re really going to run? You’re not concerned about the monsters out there or the guards catching you?”

“Of course not! Speed is my specialty, none of those fools could even taste my farts if I ran. Besides I came here for the thrills. I'm not about to let my arrest happen in vain. Weren’t you going to go too? You’ve got the frontier at your feet and all its unfound treasures could be yours.”

“My mind wasn’t on that honestly. I want a tranquil life where I can find what I ought to be doing with it, you know. So, my plan was to get through this, head back, and start a farm. All the 24-odd star-cycles I’ve lived through just splitting peoples’ skulls for bread and coin, that can’t be it.”

“Seems like you’ve got more baggage than I trusted you for… Well, maybe these woods have your answers, but I’ve sure never heard of an ex-mercenary prisoner living a quiet life where his exploits are known.” Mazo’s words gave Nito pause.

“No no, I’d hoped to not wield a weapon again unless absolutely necessary, and I’ve got a sense that this place isn’t so merciful. So, I think I’ll try to live as humbly as my situation allows.” Nito responded resolutely.

“CAPTAIN!” A frantic cry burst out.

Startled, everyone whipped their heads in the howl’s direction to determine the cause. Just as Nito’s eyes found the scene, a blur blitzed past the guard captain, one of his subordinates, and a prisoner. Before a blink, bone and sinews snapped, the captain's head was gone, and the other two were cleaved in half at the waist. A lean humanoid figure stood at the clearing’s center, the captain’s head in hand, blood spewing profusely in its wake. The creature was banded eery grey and navy with gangly claws and a featureless face, save for the horn protruding from its center. In shock, or perhaps inability to react as quickly as the events unfolded, no one had made a move or sound yet. Then, the horned face turned, and the nearest guard shrieked and spun to flee.

“My chance came faster than I anticipated, I’ll take my leave then. Until we meet again Nito.” Not missing a beat Mazo dashed between the trees leaving no time for response.

The guard who stood a few steps away took no notice as his eyes were glued in horror to the unfolding bloodbath.

“W-why is a horned reaver here, we aren’t that deep in!” The guard stuttered out.

On the contrary, Nito had no clue as to what the beast was, his mind had instantly shut out all thoughts except survival.

“Shit I need to act before I die too! A weapon!” His eyes wildly darted about, pupils expanding. The captain’s spear popped into his head and he locked on to the corpse, spotting the spear in a neighboring pool of blood. Immediately he raced towards it without a second thought. Reaching it, he expertly slid his foot under the shaft and kicked it into his hands, taking stance a moment later. It was lighter than he was accustomed to, but the lance brought a familiar feeling as if a limb had been reattached.

By this point, all but three were left alive, and the horned reaver faced Nito who had just swept his spear up ready to defend. Curiously, the creature didn’t make a move initially. But Nito wasn’t about to let the opening go as all his instincts surged sending him in a lunge. The second his feet left the ground the reaver shifted to dodge. Seeing he would miss, Nito planted his forward foot down and swung out in the beast’s direction, using the momentum to turn. The reaver backstepped, avoiding the swing, then exploded forward. Nito barely managed to bring the shaft in front to block. The impact reverberated through his arms shaking his bones. It forced him back several steps, his feet carving into the dirt. The creature relentlessly pounced at Nito again and his muscle memory rolled him out of danger. The reaver’s claws ripped through the tree Nito’s back was against the instant before.

After the brief exchange, Nito was made painfully aware that he couldn’t fight this thing longer than a few breaths more. His arms ached so much from the previous block that he strained to still grip his weapon. He was also struggling to take in the thick air as his body kicked into overdrive. The two others were already fleeing and wouldn’t be much help.

“Guess it’s time to get the hells out!” He exclaimed while turning on his heels to run.

Sprinting as fast as his legs allowed, he zigzagged between the trees opposite from the other guards without glancing back. That bastard better chase the other two, he pleaded in his heart. He didn’t waste time to check though and kept bolting past the verdure and vaulting over any shrubs in his way.

It wasn’t even a microleague before he was gulping for air and having to force down the voice screaming from his legs. The air seemed to get thicker the further in he traveled, which wasn’t helping his already labored breathing. His strides began to slow and his heart began to quicken with death’s every breath on his neck. The air seeped into his orifices and tried to choke him from the inside. Nito’s vision grew hazy no matter how violently his eyes flitted in an attempt to focus. He started to stumble over every rock and rootstock on the path in exhaustion. In the distance, his half-open eyes scarcely made out an odd shape jutting out of a large stone. When he neared it, a signpost became clear. On it perched an arrow with “Garden’s Gate 1 League” scratched in. That was the last he saw of it as he tripped and faceplanted right on the stone getting knocked out cold.

◈◈◈

Nito’s eyes shot open and he was met with the moving ground an arm’s length away from his face.

“What the-” he tried to get up and felt himself sliding.

“Hey hey, your- Woah watch it! Try not to fall off now,” a booming unfamiliar voice cautioned. “Here, let me pull you up, ” A hand firmly grasped Nito’s shoulder and hoisted him upright.

As he was helped to find his seating, Nito realized he had been slung across the back of some hairy quadruped along with the saddlebags. Without giving him time to survey his new surroundings, a jolt shook his mind.

“Wait! That thing chasing me, where did it go!”

“There was something after you? We found you passed out on the signpost rock still clutching your spear. No sign of nothing else.” The burly man riding in front of him spoke. He looked back at Nito over the fringe of fur that collared his long brown cape, his bushy beard waging with his jaw, “Right Grig?”

“Yeah, no nothin’. ‘Sides, you look livin’ to me mate.” a gruff voice sounded ahead.

Nito glanced around the man blocking his view and saw another slightly leaner man on his own mount, though he looked equally as rugged. No one else was in the party, and the two didn’t give off the intent to harm, but Nito still questioned them hesitantly.

“Who are you guys exactly and where is this shaggy animal taking us?”

“This isn’t a shaggy animal, this is Kapy and she’s my trusty vargan.” The rider said tenderly as he stroked Kapy’s head. “I’m Croll and the guy in front of us is Grig. We’re Explorer Guild members and we were out patrolling when we found you. Now it’s back to town.”

“Oh… I’m new to this place so-” Nito’s response was cut short by a coughing fit. His mouth was drying up in the suffocating air.

“Mate if yer new you’d best stop yappin’ and let yer body acclimate to this here atmosphere,” Grig suggested.

“Oh, you’re a newcomer to the Everwood is that it? Well, you should have spoken sooner. I almost took you for a clueless fool ha! Just kidding, no one who knew any better would sleep out in the open like you were. You’ll find answers soon enough. I’ll leave that to Devrik, but we’re at the town now.”

Following Croll’s announcement, Nito glanced up and saw a log wall rising from the ground. Two braziers burned outside the iron lattice which groaned open as they approached.

“This here is our humble home, Garden’s Gate."

____

World Notes:

One star-cycle is roughly equal to one sidereal Earth year

Ophon’s measurement system for distance is as follows:

Macroleague = about 500 km, League = about 5 km, Microleague = about 0.5 km (500 m), Nanoleague = about 0.0005 km (0.5 m)