Quiet Before the Bloom

By the time we were done looting and catching our breath, it was still early—midmorning at most. The forest air was heavy with scorched bark and wet moss, but the worst of it was behind us.

Lae’zel stood a few paces off, already rechecking her gear. Shadowheart leaned against a tree nearby, quietly finishing the last of the healing work. Their silence wasn't exactly warm, but it was no longer biting. A truce, however strained, was a welcome change.

Karlach, meanwhile, paced with a spring still in her step. Her grin was smaller now, tempered by the passing of the high, but the fire hadn’t entirely faded.

I eyed our packs—now heavier with supplies—and the note tucked inside my coat. With that much leverage on Kagha, and food for the road, it was time to move.

“We head back,” I said. “Blighted village is the goal. Let’s see how far we get.”

They fell in without question. The trail back wound through thinner brush and sun-dappled patches where the canopy thinned. It was less miserable than expected.

Karlach sidled up next to me as we walked, flicking a twig off her shoulder.

“So, these Shadow Druids,” she said. “What’s the deal?”

“They’re... obscure,” I admitted. “Not a lot of written history. But from what I’ve picked up, they’re extremists. Think regular druids, but furious about any sign of civilization. They hate machines, settlements, progress. Want to return everything to raw nature.”

“Like... no villages? No farms?” she asked.

“No tools, no buildings. Probably no beds, either.”

Karlach grimaced. “Hard pass.”

“They’ve infiltrated the Grove?” she pressed.

I nodded. “Kagha at least. Maybe more. We don’t know how deep it goes yet, but if she’s writing notes to them, they’re planning something.”

“Something big,” she said.

“Yeah.”

The conversation drifted after that, settling into the rhythm of our footsteps. The trees thinned, and soon the path curved back toward familiar territory.

We passed through the edges of Ethel’s grove again—faster this time. The ground was oddly dry, the roots less twisted. Where once the path seemed designed to mislead, it now led clear and firm.

“Feels... easier than last time,” Shadowheart said softly.

“The swamp rejects us. It wants us out,” Lae’zel muttered, eyes scanning the shifting trees.

Ethel’s hut sat quiet in the glade. Smoke still rose from the chimney in lazy spirals, but the porch was empty.

“No one's out,” Karlach said.

“Anyone wants to knock?” I mused.

"No," Shadowheart said flatly, without even looking back.

We moved on.

The trail toward the Blighted Village was just as forgiving. No traps. No illusions. Even the sheep, once constant sentries, grazed idly in the distance.

“She’s letting us pass,” I said aloud.

Karlach glanced sideways. “That’s... worrying.”

"Maybe she's not so bad after all..."

The girls said nothing. No one even entertained the idea.

We made good time. Too good. By late afternoon, the broken gates of the Blighted Village crested into view.

Still deserted. No goblins. No ogres. Just wind and rot.

We stepped through the cracked stone and splintered beams. Silence reigned.

“No signs of life,” Shadowheart said.

“No signs of **** either,” Lae’zel replied.

“We’ll camp early,” I said. “Take the win while we can.”

They didn’t argue.

We set up on the east side of the village, tucked behind what was once a smithy. The roof had collapsed, but the forge hearth still made a decent windbreak. The others unpacked slowly, settling in as the sun dipped lower through the trees.

For once, there was no tension. No immediate danger.

Just firelight and the smell of old embers.

And, if I was lucky, a little peace before the next storm.

As the fire crackled to life, I glanced around the circle. Lae’zel was sharpening her blade, expression neutral but still. Shadowheart sat near the forge wall, lost in thought as she traced a line in the dust with her finger. Karlach leaned back on a half-toppled barrel, staring into the flames with a strange half-smile.

There was something in the air—something tense and unspoken.

Shadowheart and Karlach both gave me brief, unreadable glances, then looked away. Curious, thoughtful. Almost expectant.

I opened my interface. The familiar overlay shimmered into view, transparent against the campfire’s glow.

Lae’zel

[Approval - Positive: 61] [Corruption: 16%]

Shadowheart

[Approval - Very Positive: 77] [Corruption: 19%]

Karlach

[Approval - Positive: 62] [Corruption: 19%]

Somehow I could feel it—Shadowheart and Karlach were close. One more push and something would tip. Something pivotal. I let the interface fade and stared back into the fire, tonight was gonna be fun.