Entryway Garden

The party carefully moved towards the foliage covered entryway, wary of any ambush or loose stone falling from the impressive arch above them.

“This place isn’t going to crash down on us, is it?” Beth asked, warily eyeing the vine covered facade.

"We may need to pull our punches," Senka added, lightly tracing a crack along the wall. "It would certainly ruin our plans if we get crushed by falling rocks."

“You don’t have to sound so unfazed by the possibility,” Beth remarked flatly. “I just want to make sure the ceiling won’t break if I try running on it.”

“We can try firing off an attack to see if the structure will hold,” Vivian suggested. “Maybe we can try to get some of the debris to fall onto some enemies.”

“We need to find some first,” John interjected. “There aren’t any out here.”

“Think they’re all behind door number one?” Aeolia asked glibly as they reached the once impressive doors. Large sections had been broken by outward growing roots and moss covered most of the remainder.

Vivian eyed the moss curiously, leaning close to the bright green growth.

“Something up with the plant life?” Teri asked, peering at the moss herself.

“It’s bioluminescent,” the redhead answered, her tone excited. To demonstrate, she lifted a hand and drew away the light from the unseen sun. A disk of shadow grew around the patch, but instead of the growth dimming, it began to glow with a neon green hue.

“That’s interesting,” John said. “You think it is a magic moss?”

Beth snorted. “That makes it sound like it’s a type of weed.”

Ignoring Beth’s interjection, Vivian said, “I think it is. There is the smallest amount of mana pulsing through it.”

John hummed and cast Observe on the patch.

Evring Moss
A typical moss that Aramlian elves have bred to take in ambient mana, allowing it to glow in low light environments.

“Aramlian?” John muttered. “Why does that sound familiar?”

John tapped his foot as he tried to recall why the word rang a bell, his eyes widening as the answer came to him and he turned to Aeolia.

“It’s the same name as the elves that made this armor and probably the Woads,” he said, lifting a foot for emphasis.

Aeolia tilted her head, a look of confusion on her face. “Were they? Sorry, I was a little burned out after that fight.”

John let out a small chuckle. “Yeah, you did kind of fall asleep when I was sorting that stuff out. Wonder if Woads are going to be in there?”

Seeing the confused expressions on Beth and Teri’s faces, John briefly described the wooden golems to them, quickly going over their basic features.

“Good thing you’ve got fire power,” Beth said once he was done detailing his and Aeolia’s encounter.

“Yeah,” John agreed, flexing his gloved hand. “But let’s not get too ready to fight an enemy type we haven’t seen yet. For all we know, whatever's on the other side of this door is something less straightforward than wooden soldiers.”

“We won’t know until we press on,” Senka cut in, moving towards an opening. “And every minute we spend not advancing is wasted mana. Shall we?”

“She’s right,” John said, following the spirit’s lead. “Let’s see what we’re up against. I’ll go in first and scan with Observe.”

Senka let John overtake her position and he stepped through the hole, clamoring over the root that made the opening. The inside of the temple was in just as an overgrown state as the outside. Trees grew in the dimly lit expanse, growing towards holes in the ceiling. Patches of evring moss grew over bark and stone, glowing in the spots where the sunlight didn’t reach.

John strained his eyes for any movement, finding nothing moving in the dimly lit chamber. He stilled his mind and reached out with Arcane Sense, just in case whatever the dungeon was populated with had some kind of camouflage or was just hiding in the shadows. A serene wave washed over John, and he felt like he was relaxing on a grassy hill under a shady tree.

He shook away the lazy feeling and focused his attention deeper, hoping that he could detect any sign of an enemy, magical trap or other bits of spellwork. Then he felt a ripple in the calming energy, like a coiled spring ready to be released. John opened his eyes and looked to where he felt that patch of potential energy, resting among the roots of a tree near the center of the chamber.

It was hard to make out in the spotty light, made worse by it being covering in bark of the same shade as the tree, but John could see it and he fired off an Observe at it.

The trevolk stirred, stimulated by John’s spell, and stepped away from the tree, its head twisting towards him. John tensed, ready to fight back against an attack, but the animated tree only looked at him with eyes of unblinking purple light before turning away from him and beginning to inspect the tree behind it.

John watched it work, and studied its sheet.

“Guys, it’s safe to come in,” he reported. “Our first enemy is the ‘only attacks when attacked’ sort.”

“At least we don’t have to worry about getting ambushed,” Vivian remarked as the girls filed in behind him. “What are we looking at?”

“Animated trees,” John answered, letting the girls look at the sheet.

“Your powers give you any info on what these drops are?” Beth asked.

“Sadly, no. Which puts us at a crossroad,” John said, eyes flicking to the trevolk as it moved towards another tree. “We could just walk past it and head deeper in, but we’d be giving up loot and experience.”

“Plus, it leaves at least one enemy behind us,” Aeolia added. “And if we piss something off, we might get caught in a pincer.”

Senka nodded to Aeolia. “That is a real possibility. There’s also no way of knowing what awaits us further in. Securing the entrance sounds like the best option. It gives us a beachhead and procures us some loot and fighting experience. Plus, it could inform us how future enemies will fight.”

“Put me down in the fight camp,” Beth cut in. “Want to test out this sword.”

Teri silently followed the trevolk with an intense stare. “I may be able to pacify it. Or at least temper its response to our attack. It’s a bit hard to read its emotions, but if what your spell says is accurate, it’ll get angry when we attack. I can blunt it, which might slow its response. Sorry, I can’t say for certain. Never tried on something that's only kind of alive.”

Vivian lightly placed her hand on the goblin’s shoulder. “Won’t know until we try. And figuring out what does and doesn’t work is important.”

Teri’s lips twitched into a slight smile and she nodded. “Well, I’m ready to try.”

“Mind if I take the first attack?” Aeolia asked, stepping towards the front of the group and leveling her gaze at John. “Kind of wondering how they stack up against the woads. Plus, you have to keep your mana up so Senka can hang around. Don’t want her first real Barrier to end with her going poof, right?”

“Thank you for the consideration,” Senka said, shooting John a pointed look and a sly smile. “I wouldn’t want that to happen either.”

“I’m keeping track of my mana,” John defended. “Plus, I’ve got the backups. But you’re right. I shouldn’t needlessly throw my mana around.”

Aeolia smirked. “Knew you see it my way. I don’t think I need it, but just in case…”

She pivoted and easily captured John’s lips with her own in a quick kiss. She pulled back and shrank down before darting towards the trevolk.

“What was that about?” Beth asked.

“It’s for good luck,” Vivian quickly replied. “Though the first time we did that was right before the Natural Barrier.”

Vivian trailed off and Teri’s ears dropped slightly, but she maintained a neutral expression.

“It worked out in the end,” the goblin girl said softly, petting Kitai. “If you hadn’t come, I don’t think we could have come up with a plan to win. We’d be dead and the clan completely without warriors.”

Vivian nodded. “Yeah. Looks like Aeolia is ready to attack. Better get ready to back her up.”

In the chamber proper, Aeolia flew above the trevolk in a wide circle, gauging its reaction to her. When it paid her no mind and only continued to amble from tree to tree, Aeolia shot up higher before diving down, her glaive coated in swirling wind. Letting out a cry, Aeolia fired off a wind blade right into the wooden figure’s back, cleaving a modest gash into it.

9 DMG

The trevolk pitched forward from the blow, but stabilized itself with its sturdy legs. Then, with surprising speed, it twisted at the waist and snapped its arm towards Aeolia, the purple light that served as its eyes flickering intensely. A thin vine, covered in wooden spikes, shot out of its extended palm and swung at Aeolia like a whip.

The AvenFae pulled her wings in, dropping down to avoid the attack. She unfurled her wings as the whip flew over her head, catching the wave of displaced air and increasing the distance between her and the now aggressive monster. A second vine dropped from the trevolk’s other arm and it began to swing for its second attack. Then its movements slowed, blazing eyes stilling slightly.

“I’m dulling its anger!” Teri shouted, her face contorted in focus. “I think that’s confusing it. It only really has two states, peace and rage. It can’t process one being weaker without the other one triggering.”

“So go all out while it's messed up. Got it!” Aeolia cried back, growing to full height and swinging down at the trevolk’s head, her glaive coated with wind.

29 DMG

Aeolia’s weapon carved into its head, cleaving more than halfway into the wooden ovoid. The winged woman strained to withdraw, a frustrated look crossing her face.

“Think you’re tough, huh?” she muttered. “Hey, John, how much have I done to this guy?”

“Just shy of fourty,” he relayed. “Should probably have less than the Woad Knight’s HP. It’s a level weaker and doesn’t look as heavily armored.”

“Thanks,” Aeolia shouted back, redoubling her efforts to free her blade. “Let’s see how much more it’ll take to turn you into firewood.”

1 DMG

Aeolia wrenched her glaive out of the trevolk’s head and began to fly up to repeat her diving attack. Before she could do so, movement to her right caught her attention and she darted to the left as a thorn covered vine shot out from a shadow.

“We’ve got another one,” she shouted, flying back to the others.

“Yeah, I see it,” John remarked, firing off an Observe on the newcomer. “Same everything as the first guy. But where the hell did it come from?”

“I think it was always there,” Teri theorized. “Its emotions just popped up.”

“I couldn’t sense it before,” John said.

“Maybe the first one acts as a sentry,” Vivian suggested. “And if it reacts to defend, it wakes up reinforcements if it can’t deal with whatever’s attacking.”

“Are we going to debate where tree number two came from or are we going to deal with it?” Beth asked impatiently. “I don’t think these guys are just going to let us keep chatting.”

“Beth has a point,” Senka stated. “If we don’t deal with these saplings soon, others might appear. Best to deal with them while we have the numerical advantage.”

Vivian nodded. “Yeah, we shouldn’t let them gather strength.”

“Mind if I take one on?” Beth asked Aeolia, unsticking her sword from her back.

“Sure,” Aeolia answered with a saccharine smile. “You can take the one I’ve softened up.”

“Oi!” Beth complained. “Why do I have to get the damaged goods?”

“Because I’m pulling rank,” Aeolia answered. “Plus, you’re close to their level and using an unfamiliar weapon. Safer to go after the weakened enemy.”

Beth opened her mouth to argue, but only let out a frustrated noise.

“Gah, you’ve got a point,” she admitted. “OK, I’ll mop up your leftovers. Anything else before we start?”

“We should see what the rest of our abilities can do to these foes,” Senka suggested. “We shouldn’t rely on prior experience with plant based monsters to plan our attacks. Plus, it’s a waste to not train our ranged attacks.”

“Pretty roundabout way to say you want to get in on the action,” Aeolia said with a grin.

“Standing about is rather boring,” the spirit admitted, moving to the front of the group. “If no one objects, shall I start round two?”

“How about we make it a double feature?” John asked, stepping up on her right, lifting his gloved hand.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Senka answered. “I'll take the injured one so we can see what fire will do to them.”

“Hold on a sec,” Teri interjected. “I can’t affect the second one while hitting the first with as much as I can but if I split the spell, it should dull both somewhat.”

John and Senka shared a glance then John nodded at the goblin. Teri nodded back then scrunched her face in concentration. The uninjured trevolk, who was stalking towards them, slowed slightly, the purple glow of its eyes dimming slightly. At the same time, the first trevolk lurched into sluggish motion, the first since Aeolia had landed her second attack.

“Dulling each,” Teri reported. “It’s a bit hard, but I should be able to hold it if I don’t get distracted. I think they won’t attack anyone who doesn’t directly attack them.”

“Shall we?” Senka asked, lifting her hand, shadows gathering around the appendage.

“Let’s light it up,” John answered, casting Fiery Pursuit.

John fired his attack as Senka launched her Black Thorn. Her dark projectile flew faster than the fireball, easily striking the wounded trevolk dead center in its chest, causing it to rock back on its heels.

20 DMG

The unwounded trevolk didn’t stop its advance, unfazed by its companion’s injuries. It kept moving even as John’s fireball closed in. It tried to dodge, jumping to one side while reeling back its arm to attack.

John smirked and let the fireball accelerate as he adjusted its course to intercept his target.

25 DMG
1 DMG

The trevolk was set alight, the smoky scent of burning wood quickly filling the air. Despite being aflame, it kept moving, driven by the singular purpose to eliminate the threat to its grove. Before it could assail its igniter, Aeoila flew over John and let loose a wind blade, one far more intense than her first attack.

23 DMG
5 DMG

Her strike cleaved through the blazing trevolk’s torso, carving a deep trench into its body. The rush of wind fed the fire that burned it, turning the lingering flames into a full bonfire.

5 DMG

“One more hard hit should do it,” John informed Aeolia, who hefted her glaive over her head, a storm gathering along the edge.

“One final strike, coming up!” Aeolia said, flew high above the flaming monster and released a downward strike. Her crescent of wind slammed into the trevolk and a sickening crunch echoed through the chamber as it collapsed inward, its structural integrity failing.

35 DMG Critical Hit

84(5) EXP Gained

While Aeolia dealt with the flaming trevolk, Beth sprang towards her target, bounding around the uneven ground before running up a tree, jumping off it to deliver a downward strike of her own.

16 DMG

The zilhavrum sword cut into the back of the trevolk’s head, the impact causing the attendant to pitch forward. Beth moved to withdraw before it recovered, but found her borrowed blade stuck. Before the trevolk could take advantage, dark tendrils rose from the ground and wrapped around its arms, pulling them down.

Beth twisted her head to see Senka standing with an outstretched hand coated in darkness. The spirit nodded at her and Beth smirked back, putting all her weight into freeing her weapon, the struggling trevolk unintentionally making it easier to wrench the blade free. Once free, she lined up another swing and brought the blade back down on the wound she created.

20 DMG Critical Hit

84(5) EXP Gained

The trevolk started to crumble under its own weight, its head split open, before fading into nothingness. The one on fire likewise disappeared, the flames vanishing with it.

“Well, that could have gone better,” Beth bitterly said, eyeing her sword, then shifted her gaze to Senka. “Thanks for the save.”

“It was no problem,” the spirit said, waving her hand dismissively. “We all have each other’s backs. You would assist me if I was in danger.”

“Yeah. If something’s coming up from behind you, I’ll try to trip it up,” Beth remarked, affixing the sword to her back once more.

“I think things went smoothly enough,” Vivian chimed in. “Though, I’m not sure if I have any right to comment, since I didn’t do anything.”

“But you were keeping an eye on everything,” John asserted. “Honestly, we were a bit reckless with this encounter. Probably would have been better to open with range and see if that baited anything out.”

John eyed everybody’s mana bars. Vivian’s was of course full, and Beth’s was above ninety percent. Aeolia was around eighty and Senka hovered around the three-quarters mark. Teri surprised him as, despite her constant employment of her ability, her mana was no more drained than Aeolia’s.

“Is something wrong?” the goblin asked when she caught John staring at her.

“No. It’s just, well, I expected you to have burned a bit more mana than you did,” John explained quickly. “It looked like it took a lot out of you.”

Teri smiled slightly. “It does take a lot of focus, especially with something unfamiliar,” she said. “But dampening emotions for something like these guys doesn’t take a lot of mana. It would have cost me more if I was doing the same to one of you. A person can fight back, for lack of a better way to put it. Resistance ups the cost. These guys can’t do that so affecting them is more a mental effort than a mana one.”

“Well, dulling them is too good a strategy to pass up, so it’s a good thing it’s not too hard on you,” John remarked. “Alright, guess we should sweep the entryway for anything that looks like it could be loot and make sure there aren’t any more sleeping enemies. Once things are clear, we’ll head deeper in. Sound good?”

The girls nodded and John clapped his hands together.

“Let’s get to work then.”

Thanks again for reading this little story. If you liked the chapter, please hit that thumbs up, and if you want to support my writing, check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/ScrapCrow. Get access to my chapters before they’re published here and join my private Discord.