《The Garden of Hrund》 Chapter 1: A Warm Welcome ¡°Welcome to Grenton,¡± A large man clad from head to toe in leather armor stated as he picked his nose, ¡°please state yer names and reason for visitin¡¯ our fair town.¡± Zeke didn¡¯t think the man could sound any more bored if he tried. Standing next to the guard was an elderly man holding a stack of papers atop a wooden slab as well as a quill and ink. ¡°I¡¯m Gerald sir, this is Dawn and Frieda. We¡¯re here to explore the-¡° ¡°Yes, yes. Explore the Garden, in you go then. Next!¡± The guard called, motioning for the three to enter the walled town through the gate. The old man glared at the guard but quickly jotted down the information. The boy, Gerald, looked dumbfounded at the guard¡¯s rudeness. Before he could respond to the guard however he was quickly pushed onward by one of his companions. Zeke eyed the group as they walked into the town. The trio looked to be close in age, he guessed that they were no older than sixteen. They all had brown hair, the boy and one of the girls wore theirs short while the other left hers long. They all wore the same well-worn clothing often found on the lower-class populace. But while the girls held strong-looking wooden staves, the boy had a sword sheathed at his side. ¡°Poor bastards,¡± Zeke muttered to himself as they disappeared from view, ¡®If they¡¯re smart they¡¯ll gather herbs for a few days for cash, then ditch the rags.¡¯ Zeke knew better though, they¡¯d rush headfirst into the forest and be dead by tomorrow, if not sooner. His gloved left hand clenched the hilt of his sword at his waist before quickly unclenching it and clenching once more. A habit of his he hadn¡¯t been able to shake despite attempting to for years. He shook his head and stepped forward as the line to get into the town shortened. As another group of people entered the town Zeke shuffled forth, noting these looked far better equipped than the last group. Two wore plated armor while the rest toted leather while equipped with swords, maces, bows and a magical staff ¡®Decent.¡¯ All men and women had the capability to use magic, but not all could channel it successfully. In those that could however, it manifested differently. Rare was the mage who could use magic to attack from afar, rarer still for one to be able to heal wounds. Before long it was Zeke¡¯s turn to stand before the bored guard. ¡°Well look what we got here, if¡¯n it ain¡¯t young Zeke!¡± The guard gave a grin, revealing more than a few missing teeth. Zeke smirked, ¡°Hrund¡¯s balls. Donil, that you?¡± The guard and him clasped arms. Before Zeke could react however, Donil pulled him into a bear hug and ruffled his short black hair. Zeke laughed, ¡°You¡¯re missing a few teeth more than when I was here last. Been getting into many brawls while I¡¯ve been away?¡± Donil grinned and released Zeke, ¡°Not my fault you ¡®venturers get rowdy after a glass of wine. Bloody lightweights.¡± The two laughed, ¡°My but it¡¯s been a long time Zeke. Six years since you been here last? And lookit you now! Full blooded ¡®venturer!¡± Donil lightly slapped Zeke¡¯s armor. Zeke grinned, if anything he felt underdressed. He wore leather boots well-worn from travel, padded leather leggings with flexible iron knee-guards. Softened leather armor covered his upper body and arms. Over the leather he wore an iron breastplate. As for weapons Zeke only had his sword buckled at his waist with a couple throwing knives sheathed at his legs and behind the buckler strapped to his left wrist. His helmet and the rest of his weapons were left in the pack he carried ¡°If you think I look like an adventurer now, you should see me at full kit. Grabbed more than a few Burners before leaving Bintil.¡± ¡°¡¯Bout that,¡± Donil began in a hushed tone and leaned in close. ¡°Man in the guard hears whispers. Rumors if¡¯n ya like. But I¡¯d like the scoop straight from the horse¡¯s mouth. What happened in Bintil?¡± ¡°Tell ya later Donil. The Waning Storm still around?¡± ¡°Yeah, Ol¡¯ Gretts still serving deer piss disguised as ale too.¡± Donil and Zeke shared a laugh. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll board there then. When you get off duty tonight you can find me there.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Donil nodded and clasped Zeke¡¯s arm once more. ¡°Have a care boy, forests been same as usual but that don¡¯t mean it ain¡¯t as deadly.¡± Zeke nodded and walked past Donil. Moments later he stood within the walls of Grenton, where cobbled streets led deep into the human jungle of brick and stone. People walked to and fro as children ran through the streets, voices meshing together into a cacophony of chaos. Zeke took a closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡®Seems like its been a lifetime since I''ve been here last. I¡¯ll say hi to Gretts and take a room at the Storm. I¡¯m done sleeping on the ground for a few days. But first...¡¯ Zeke gazed towards the sky with a smile. The day was still young after all. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frieda shivered as she walked through the forest known as the Garden of Hrund, a labyrinth of trees and vines. Gerald and his sister Dawn marched ahead at a brisk pace, one that she had trouble keeping. She clenched her walking staff with both hands, using it to help keep from stumbling over the uneven footing of roots and vines. ¡°C¡¯mon Frie,¡± Dawn called, waving her friend forward, ¡°Just think of this like the fields at home!¡± Both Gerald and Dawn had been the outdoorsy type in their home town of Opal Creek. Frieda couldn¡¯t begin to count the amount of times Dawn had come to her home and strong-armed her into coming along with them. But this time Frieda had no one to blame but herself. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Back in Opal Creek Dawn had let slip that she and her brother were preparing to hunt in the Garden of Hrund; all in an effort to make enough money for their families. Frieda knew that her family was in the same situation as her friend¡¯s so she had insisted on coming along. Now, days later, in the very forest she once read about she was regretting her impulse on joining the two. Her thoughts quickly swam through stories she had read about adventurers and the beasts they hunted in the various labyrinths around the world; Bears with hides of steel, wolves with fangs able to bite through metal armor, even dragons that breathed fire. Frieda felt her stomach drop at the thought of coming eye to eye with any of those beasts. She took a deep breath and redoubled her efforts to keep up with the group. ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t have brought her.¡± Gerald whispered to his sister as they walked forward. ¡°She¡¯s jumping at every bird call and frog croak. We¡¯d have gotten so much farther in if we didn¡¯t bring her.¡± ¡°Shut it Gerald, we all need the coin hunting here can provide. At least together we should be able to handle whatever comes our way.¡± Dawn whispered harshly in response. Gerald nodded, he knew his sister was right. But he knew that Frieda shouldn¡¯t be here. The girl was more of a bookworm than an outdoors type. He glanced back at her, noting that her forehead was matted with sweat. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break here sis.¡± He suggested as he leaned against a nearby tree. ¡°Wait, look!¡± Dawn called out and pointed. Two large mushrooms stood directly ahead in the shade of a tree. The cap of the mushroom was yellow with white spots, the body a sickly white looking color. ¡°What the¡­¡± Dawn whispered as she observed the mushrooms. Both had two long, spindly ¡°arms¡± and looked to be rooted to the ground. Frieda took deep breaths as she stared at the mushrooms as well. ¡°Our first quarry!¡± Gerald announced to the group as the girls stared. He drew his sword in a flourish. ¡°They don¡¯t look like they¡¯ll pose much threat. Let¡¯s take them down here and now.¡± Dawn readied her staff and took a deep breath, ¡°Ready when you are!¡± she called. Together Gerald and Dawn charged towards their foes, yelling aloud as they ran. ¡°W-wait!¡± Frieda called weakly as she took tired breaths. ¡°Something is¡­amiss¡­¡± but her warning was drowned out by the shouts of her friends. ¡°Take this!¡± Gerald yelled, stabbing forward with his sword at the closest mushroom. With a sickening squish, the sword found its way home and sunk into the flesh of the beast. Gerald yanked back on the sword, only to find it stuck. ¡°What?¡± He questioned before the mushroom spewed a large amount of yellow powder from the wound, hitting Gerald square in the face. ¡°Blech!¡± was all Gerald could utter before falling to the ground, unable to move. ¡°Gerald!¡± Dawn yelled as she dodged a strike from one of the mushroom¡¯s arms. She raced towards the wounded mushroom and began a flurry of strikes with her staff. The wounded mushroom rose from the ground and began to turn towards Dawn, withdrawing its roots from the ground and using them as legs to maneuver. Noticing her strikes having very little effect on her foe Dawn reached for the sword sticking out of the mushroom¡¯s cap and yanked with all her might. ¡®C¡¯mon!¡¯ she shouted in her mind, gripping the hilt with both hands and kicking the monster with a booted foot. ¡®I should be able to do this¡­why do I feel so weak?¡¯ She thought as she tugged the stuck sword and pushed the mushroom with her foot. ¡°Dawn¡­watch out!¡± Dawn heard Frieda yell. She turned her head in time to see the second mushroom swing an arm towards her. Her dodge came too slow and the arm slapped her across her torso, ripping her clothes and sending both her and some of her blood flying. Frieda saw her friend hit the ground and not move. ¡°Dawn!¡± she gasped and glared at the mushrooms. Taking deep breaths, Frieda extended her hand, more infuriated than she ever had been before her in her life. She felt a part of her snap when she saw her friend fall to the ground and now she would make those who hurt her friends pay. The energy within her burned for release and she knew what she must do. ¡°Darkbolt.¡± She whispered and a small ball of energy black as a midnight sky shot from her hand. In the blink of an eye the bolt collided with the nearest mushroom. Black flames burned through the mushroom and in seconds nothing remained of the creature. Frieda gasped for breath and fell to the ground unmoving. ¡®No¡­I still have the energy¡­I can kill the other one¡­¡¯ But she couldn¡¯t move no matter how hard she tried. ¡®Why¡­why can¡¯t I move¡­I¡¯m fine! There¡¯s nothing wrong with me!¡¯ Frieda screamed in her mind, but her body wouldn¡¯t move no matter how much she willed it. She couldn¡¯t even blink her eyes. Searching through her mind she could only come to a single conclusion, they had been paralyzed. ¡®But how can that be? I never got hit by anything.¡¯ Unable to do anything but stare, Frieda watched the mushroom with the blade still stuck in its cap move towards Dawn. Upon reaching her unmoving friend the mushroom took root in the ground and stabbed her friend with one of its arms. Frieda wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. What she saw next made her sick to her stomach. The mushroom¡¯s arm looked to be drawing something from inside her friend in gulps. It was absorbing Dawn¡¯s insides. Chapter 2: Savior in the Forest Doing his best to stifle any sound he made, Zeke snuck through the Garden of Hrund in full gear. Opposite to the sword buckled at the left side of his waist, his mace was buckled on his right. Every step he took made the two weapons clink against his breastplate. In addition to his weapons were two apple-sized metal spheres that were clipped onto the back of his belt. He didn¡¯t expect that he¡¯d need to use the burners, but experience taught him better. He removed his open face helm to adjust the piece of cloth covering his nose and mouth before placing it back upon his head. ¡®The first step to longevity as an adventurer is preparation.¡¯ Zeke quoted in his mind as his eyes scanned every direction for danger. ¡®An adventurer who neglects to prepare is one who prepares for death.¡¯ He gave a slight smile and glanced at the sky, ¡®Gone but not forgotten. Are you watching me even now Sala?¡¯ Zeke shook his head and continued his skulking through the forest, close behind the three rookies he had sighted earlier. Zeke wanted to forgo his current path and brave the depths of the Garden of Hrund. But he had given an oath to an old friend long ago; an oath to help other adventurers in need at every opportunity. He crept silently just out of sight from the rearmost of the group. The long haired brunette struggled to keep up with the other two in her group, taking deep, exhausted breaths as she moved forward. Zeke shook his head, ¡®Foolish.¡¯ ¡°Wait, look!¡± A voice called from ahead. Zeke crept forward as the fatigued brunette caught up with the rest of her group. Treading softly, he snuck around a tree off to the side away from the group to see what had given them pause. ¡®Ahh, Yellowcaps.¡¯ Zeke grinned, ¡®A great introduction.¡¯ He leaned against the tree to watch as the two short haired group members charged towards their targets, ignoring their third group member. Zeke grumbled to himself, these amateurs would need work. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± ¡°Yaahhhh!¡± The two yelled out as they charged. ¡®Idiots.¡¯ Zeke thought as he scanned the area for additional threats. Luckily none showed. Zeke didn¡¯t want to reveal himself too soon, and these kids needed to learn some valuable lessons about adventuring. He watched them attack the two small-sized Yellowcaps that stood at three feet tall and a foot wide. Their paralyzing spores would be pretty weak at such a young growth. But Zeke knew they could grow far more if they lived a long time. The boy, Gerald, met his target first with a stab to the head of the Yellowcap. Zeke grinned, knowing what was about to follow. ¡°Blech!¡± Gerald yelled after being bombarded with a large amount of yellow powder that gushed from the Yellowcap¡¯s wound. He collapsed right after, paralyzed from the large amount of spores that were spewed at him. Zeke bit into his knuckle to keep from revealing himself with his laughter. ¡°Gerald!¡± the short haired girl yelled as she turned from her target and moved to engage the wounded Yellowcap. Her following offensive proved useless against the squishy body of her foe. Zeke shook his head and looked towards the third group member. The long haired brunette could barely move. ¡®Not surprised,¡¯ he thought, ¡®she doesn¡¯t look very strong. Weakest of the three by far.¡¯ It was a shameful thought, but one can¡¯t hide from reality. ¡°Dawn¡­Watch out!¡± the long haired girl called to her friend which surprised Zeke. ¡®Quite a bit of will in this one to resist the spores this long after gasping for air like she was earlier.¡¯ Perhaps he had misjudged her? Zeke glanced over at the other girl, Dawn, in time to see her be knocked down by the second Yellowcap¡¯s arm. ¡®And down goes the second one.¡¯ ¡°Dawn!¡± the remaining girl yelled. Zeke quickly turned to face the girl, feeling the crackle of energy in the air. She extended her arm and¡­ ¡°Darkbolt.¡± Barely a whisper, but the word of power resounded through the nearby area for all to hear. A small ball of energy black as night shot from her hand and collided with the nearest Yellowcap. In seconds her target disintegrated in black flames. ¡°What power¡­¡± Zeke whispered in awe. He had encountered many who could channel magic, but never one who used black fire. ¡°How very interesting¡­¡± He smirked and stared at the third girl who had collapsed, finally paralyzed by the spores that lingered in the air. The remaining Yellowcap slowly shambled up to Dawn and began to feed upon her. Zeke stepped forward and drew his sword, it was time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Frieda could only stare in horror at the beast that fed on her friend. No matter how she tried to look away or close her eyes they wouldn¡¯t move. Frieda had always devoutly prayed at the small church in Opal Creek, giving thanks to The Three for keeping everyone safe from the beasts that roamed the world. Now she prayed as hard as she ever had in life, ¡®Gods above please save my friends!¡¯ As if in response to her prayer she heard the sound of footsteps followed by a metallic sound. ¡®What¡­¡¯ was all she could think as she strained to move her eyes in the direction of the sound. The mushroom that fed on her friend withdrew its arm from Dawn¡¯s stomach and turned to face this new threat. The sound of footsteps increased to a run and soon a man in leather and metal armor entered her vision. Time seemed to slow as she watched the man swing his blade, severing one arm from the mushroom. A second later he spun, fell to his knee and stabbed into the center of the mushroom. The mushroom¡¯s second arm fell limp at its side and the man yanked his sword out. The man nodded, satisfied with his work and sheathed his blade before he knelt next to Dawn. Frieda watched as he pulled his pack from his back, set it next to him and pulled out a roll of bandages and a vial of pinkish liquid. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The man lightly dripped a small bit of the liquid on the bandage before he re-corked the vial and placed it in his bag. Frieda blushed as the man lifted Dawn¡¯s shirt and began to wrap the bandage around her stomach. ¡°Gonna sting like the hells for a bit. That¡¯s how you know it works so don¡¯t go ripping these off later.¡± The man muttered as he tied off the bandage and pulled Dawn¡¯s shirt back down. Next he put the bandages back in his pack and then pulled out another vial, this one filled with dark yellow liquid. He gently lifted Dawn up to a seated position, opened her mouth and poured a few drops of the strange liquid in. ¡°This part ain¡¯t so bad, stuff tastes like honey once you get used to it.¡± He tilted her head up to let the liquid slide into her stomach. Almost instantly Dawn began to cough. ¡°Easy there, you¡¯ll be able to move in a few moments so just sit tight till I get to everyone else.¡± He rose and lifted his bag and approached Frieda. ¡°Your turn little mage.¡± He spoke gently as he did the same with her as he did with Dawn. Seconds later Frieda began to cough as the liquid slowly crawled down her throat. ¡°Now for spore-face over there.¡± The man spoke with an amused tone as he patted Frieda on the shoulder. Frieda could feel control coming back to her body as she moved her eyes to follow their savior¡¯s movements. He walked over to Gerald who had fallen forward after being sprayed by a large amount of yellow powder. The man rolled him over, took out a piece of cloth and drenched it with water from a water skin. He then wiped Gerald¡¯s face. ¡°Bet you haven¡¯t been treated like this since you were a babe, eh kid?¡± The man chuckled to himself. After cleaning Gerald¡¯s face the man sat him up and made him drink what remained in the vial. Before long Gerald began to cough and gag. ¡°Better keep that medicine down boy, else you¡¯ll have to wait till we get back to town for another vial of the stuff. And the girls¡¯ll have to carry you the whole way there.¡± Gerald shut his mouth and swallowed hard in response to the man¡¯s words. Dawn slowly walked over to Gerald and knelt next to him. Frieda studied her friend from afar. Dawn¡¯s face was filled with concern as she looked her brother over for any wounds. But her eyes frantically darted about the forest at every strange animal sound. ¡°She¡¯s still in shock.¡± The man explained as he knelt beside the large mushroom that lay unmoving by Frieda. ¡°She¡¯ll come to her senses soon enough.¡± Frieda watched the man as he pulled the sword out from the cap of the mushroom. ¡°Here, give this to the boy when he comes over here.¡± He spoke as he handed over Gerald¡¯s sword. Frieda tentatively took it with her right hand, almost dropping it from being surprised at the weight. The man nodded towards her then drew a knife and began cutting apart the mushroom. ¡°Who are you?¡± Frieda asked with a whisper as her voice slowly came back. ¡°Zeke, an adventurer.¡± He responded simply as he cut into the cap of the mushroom. ¡°Thank you sir Zeke.¡± Frieda bowed towards him. The man made a dismissing wave, ¡°Just Zeke is fine.¡± ¡°Ok¡­Zeke¡­¡± She felt weird calling someone she had just met by their first name. ¡°¡­What are you doing to that thing?¡± She questioned as the man reached into the cut he made with his knife with his free hand. ¡°Playing doctor.¡± Zeke deadpanned as he ripped out a large fleshy looking sac. He then held the sac next to his head and shook it lightly. ¡°Damn, empty. Spore-face over there took the full blast.¡± He shook his head and tossed the sac away before cutting into the body of the mushroom. ¡°My name¡­isn¡¯t spore-face!¡± Gerald complained as he shuffled towards Zeke and Frieda, supported by Dawn. Frieda held out Gerald¡¯s sword for him, which he took with a nod and sheathed it at his waist. ¡°Thanks Frie.¡± Frieda nodded, ¡°These are my friends Mr. Zeke. Gerald and Dawn. My name is Frieda.¡± ¡°A pleasure.¡± He responded as he cut the body of the mushroom into rectangular slices about three inches thick. After cutting the body into pieces he placed as many of the slices into his pack and handed the rest to the group that had watched him butcher in silence. ¡°Why¡¯d you do all this?¡± Gerald asked as he held a few slices, no longer needing to lean on his sister for support. He glanced at his sister who shrugged in response. ¡°The meat from a Cap is worth a bit of coin to chefs and food merchants.¡± Zeke explained. ¡°A¡­cap?¡± Dawn asked as she stared at the remains of the mushroom monster that had been draining her insides. She began to dry-heave at the phantom pain she still felt from being stabbed in the chest. ¡°Caps are what we call the monstrous mushrooms. The ones that you fought were Yellowcaps, called that because of their yellow heads.¡± Zeke kicked the Yellowcap¡¯s remains for emphasis. ¡°These lovely beasts are the weakest monsters you¡¯ll ever face in this forest.¡± Together the three felt their blood freeze. ¡°Weakest¡­¡± Gerald whispered. ¡°That¡¯s right. And you three almost died fighting them.¡± Zeke lowered the cloth that covered his nose and mouth and let it hang around his neck. He gave them all a bright smile, ¡°Welcome to the life of an adventurer kids.¡±