TIMBER!!!

It takes longer than you expected for Adam to finish cutting through the remaining trunk of the pine you now sit in, perched at the very top the slight breeze blowing you to fro in what you would guess is a four foot back and forth arc. The motion is soothing until with a loud snap and a giant yell interrupt the motion.

“TIMBER!!!!!” Bellows Adam in a deep bass that echoes across the clearing.

Now you decide to shift your weight and bat your powerful wings, pulling the tree in his direction as the resounding snap of the trunk pulls its massive weight free and begins to fall, unfortunately for Adam he believed his cut was enough to send the tree in the other direction. So as the 100ft White Pine falls he fails to notice in time to move and is crushed by the trunk and hit with the shrapnel of the boughs breaking on impact. You remain aloft in the air well clear of the damage, after having let go when you knew it was falling in the intended direction. You hear a strange cha-ching noise as the lv 5 barbarian is crushed. And more of those obnoxious letters float to the surface 140 xp rewarded.

“Shit, this idiot was probably to busy thinking about earlier instead of watching what he was doing, now I’m lost and by myself in this damned forest.” Vanessa casually strolls over from the fire, failing to notice you just 20ft above her in the air.

At her feet lying against the tree trunk is a brown bag with a timer over it reading 15 mins and counting down. Well shit if it is on a timer, it must be important you think so you decide to risk it. Swooping down and grabbing the bag from in front of her, issues a surprised scream followed by some cursing. Your taloned feet deftly grabbing one strap and your outstretched wings pulling you back into the air and safely into the trees before she has time to react. Now what is in the bag? Opening the leather flap at the top and reaching inside you find some shiny circles of metal etched with pictures, around 30 or so of them in varying shades of copper to gold. And a leather shirt that has letters on the back of XXL you don’t think it would fit your scrawny form, nor is there any holes for your wings to fit through the back. Next is a Shiny yellow potion in a glass stoppered bottle it swishes around, and you can see a long brown worm in the bottom of the vial. Then a glowing red crystal, a pickaxe and axe set of matching bronze, and finally a jar of black ink.

After grabbing the bag, you notice the timer is no longer counting down and it has white letters above it reading Claim? You hover your taloned nail over the words as you read them, and a shower of yellow sparks explode. Now it reads “Unnamed Harpy Bag”, huh that’s different apparently, I can claim gear and tools. That’s when you hear a sharp snapping noise from below, and the woman Vanessa appears on the trail. Dagger in hand and looking up into the foliage, clearly hunting you. You try your best to blend into the shadows the overhead sun throws through the pine boughs, but it isn’t very effective. She looks at the tree you are in, and you meet her emerald eyes, your brief respawn of a life flashes before your eyes as she takes aim and throws the dagger. Time slows and as you watch the dagger go end over end flying straight at you throwing beams of sunlight in a reflected light across the nearby foliage. The only thing that saved you was the new backpack, as the dagger raced towards your heart, you instinctively clutch the pack to your chest. The dagger embeds itself in the leather and sends you falling off the branch you were perched on toward the forest floor below. As you hit your vision goes black.

When you come to Vanessa is standing nearby with another dagger in hand as she crouches at the base of the tree you fell from, her eyes intent on you.

“So, you killed my friend….” Vanessa says with a dangerous calm to her voice.