Part 6: Into the Woods
We continue our tale of four soon-to-be-heroes of the Land of Jeeje. Grim the halfling brawler. Bogflug the goblin with a new, forever burning torch. And Letty, a cat person who has just been given a ring with the ability to draw healing energy from the plantlife around the wearer.
Oops! And Blande. A human. I keep forgetting about Blande.
Our four adventurers have just left Murkyrie’s senior center, now armed with guidance, and new gifts. All, but Blande.
“No, Murkyrie didn’t have anything for me,” he replied to Letty as she showed off her ring, “BUT that doesn’t mean I didn’t get anything.” Blande pulled a tiny heart-shaped vial, filled with red liquid from his pocket.
“Now… I don’t quite know what this is,” he added, then continued, “but it was in his nightstand, tucked away behind a buncha reading glasses and vitamins… So it’s gotta be good!”
As they marched further from town, the air grew colder. And still. It was odd, they thought. They knew the woods were quiet, but tonight they seemed… devoid of sound. Like something was suppressing the normal chitter chatter of the animals at night.
Grim tripped! Or… it was more that feeling where you think you’ve already made it to the last step and you expect the floor beneath you, but it’s nothing. His foot went through the path! His whole leg actually, and if he were a little smaller he would have fallen right in!
Into… what?
Blande grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him out. Out of what can only be described as “nothing.”
“What is that,” Letty wondered aloud.
Bogflug held up his torch, imbued with Goblin magic, and willed the flames to burn bright. The torch illuminated the silent forest all around. Almost all around, that is, because while they could see the trees, and leaves, and shining animal eyes… there were small “holes” in everything, about the size of a pumpkin. Just… holes.
They’d all been in these woods a hundred times, but this was new. Bogflug shined his light on the path behind and the trees had closed them in.
There was no going back now.
