Snek Slipskin, Escape from the swamp: I'm sorry in advance, this is a little long for a challenge entry at almost 7500 words. It just kept going and going.
Pie squinted against the light that suddenly filled the room. 13 days he had been held prisoner by the season elves. Eladrin, though that name often slipped his mind. Karthack, a fire maned summer presenting elf. He cringed, the season elf often introduced himself with a swift kick, yet this time no kick followed his entrance. The chiseled smooth face of the fey elf lacked its usual malicious look and instead wore an expression like something creepy and crawly was somewhere uncomfortable.
"It seems that you have a chance to be forgiven for your crimes. Were it up to me I'd see you executed for trespassing in the sacred grove." Venom bled through his tone.
"I told you, I was visiting the grandmother dryad, she's the one who brought me there." Pie struggled against the ropes holding his hands behind his back, though his weak efforts were further hampered by the minimal diet he had received while in the Eladrins captivity.
"I don't want to hear your lies again today. We have more pressing business anyway, and an offer for you to avoid your pending execution. The elders have a problem of more pressing importance and for some reason they think risking your pathetic already condemned life is a better option than letting a proud warrior of the forest do what is needed. One of the elder druids was captured by the swamp folk. We can't go in there, the druids walled off the area and its effects on us are brutal. I still think I could withstand such for the short time to break them out, but my objection was dismissed."
"Oh, someone is in trouble? I'll help, that would get me out of here and I don't mind going in the swamp." Pie hopped in the chair inching it closer to Karthack. "Untie me and I'll get going. Some food would help too. You haven't been really nice about feeding me. Oh and I need some wine too. At least 4 bottles."
Karthack grumbled but cut the rope reluctantly. While pie stretched and massaged his wrists, Karthack continued. "To make sure that you do your job, we'll put a Geas on you, you'll until the sunset tomorrow to free the elder and return, if you fail, it will wither the life out of you. So you'd better give this all of your effort."
"That's not very nice, but fine. I'll go get your mage and bring them back. Dying if I fail is better than dying in captivity. You guys are a bunch of jerks though. I didn't even do anything wrong and you want to kill me or make me your slave to do dangerous things you are too afraid to do."
"Why you little- " Pie waved a hand to cut him off.
"I'd better get going if you want your person friend back. Maybe dead is better than certainly dead."
Karthack glared at him and guided him down a hallway that was naturally formed within one of the giant trees of the settlement the Eladrin inhabited. Soon a mage was chanting away an ancient elven incantation that would bind him magically to the task. He could feel the grip of the sorcery wrap around him and dig it's thorns into him. Then he was handed a traveling pack, presumably with the food, and the unmistakable clink of bottles. He had only arrived at the grandmother dryads with what he was wearing, being pulled into a dream was definitely not a prepared way of traveling.
He quickly put on his vest that they had taken from him, and checked his pouch for his tome of magic. Well at least he wouldn't be helpless. He was given an armed escort to the unnaturally erected barrier of trees and earth the druids of the Eladrin had erected to encircle the cursed swamp that was so near to their home. Their doctrine prevented them from destroying it, but they had taken every step to ensure that it stayed contained and not spilling over into their pristine woods here in this mostly docile section of the fey marches.
They had told him that the druid had been taken by surprise as they flew over the swap in the form of a fey corkscrew owl, when it was netted from within. They didn't know what denizens of the swamp had made the capture, but the most likely target was the tribe of lizardfolk that lived within. Not much to go on, but a start. They warned him that other threats were in the swamp as well, including at least one hydra. He'd need to be careful.
Under the watchful eyes of the guards, Pie went to a tree near the unnatural wall. He drew the shape of a door on it, and pulled the handle that appeared when he completed the gesture. He leaned his head into the doorway and called out for his friends.
"Hi guys! Would you all like to help me with some digging? I have wine."
Within moments the hoots and hollers of the Korred dwarves were audible and the little men in their loincloths with wild hair that moved with a life of its own were tromping out through the doorway, with their silver shovels in hand. Pie pointed to the top of the wall, and soon the dwarves were building a ramp of earth to the top. They molded the earth expertly, their arms and even their wild animated hair wielding their silver shovels with lightning speed and in only a short time the ramp to the top was built and smoothed. With it finished Pie thanked his friends as he handed them the bottles of wine.
"Oh, these are kind of old. They didn't skimp on the wine, you guys will enjoy these!" They danced away back into the tree and their own space of the marches, where their party never seemed to cease. Pie began his way to the top, noting the disapproving stares of the guards. He shrugged. If he died it was their problem. If he lived … well maybe their treatment of him didn't merit him fixing it either.
At the top of the wall he surveyed the swamp before him. The wall circled in both directions and went out of sight. This swamp was very large. Fortunately the druid had been captured within sight of this side of the wall, so they couldn't have been taken too far. Hopefully. THe swamp was mostly a forested area with some open areas, but it was nearly impossible to see any specific details from this vantage point. If the lizardfolk had a village or camp or something it wasn't visible from here. He'd have to get in and just start looking. He looked down, it was a long way down and the swamp on this side as he had expected might make it difficult for his dwarven friends to help.
"Miss Meela? Are you around? I could use some help getting down from here." He called out.
The air around him was still for a moment but then he felt a breeze brush his cheek. He smiled, knowing his friend was indeed around. The sunlight gathered and spun as the wind picked up and the sylph took form in front of him, the light bouncing and swirling inside the vortex that made up her dress. She held out a hand and he took it, taking a step off the ledge.
He fell for the brief moment until Meela dipped and enveloped him in the vortex of her dress where he gently swirled and floated as she slowly drifted down to the ground with the weight of merely a feather, the warmth of sunlight gently buffeting him as he giggled and spun in slow circles. When the sylphs nearly ethereal form reached the ground he felt her shift and he slipped out of her dress, landing softly on the grass, the soil slightly squishing under even his light weight.
"Thank you Miss Meela! That was super helpful. I need to start looking for this druid person, though, so I'll see about more hugs later. Thanks for helping!" He waved as her form slipped apart into the breeze and sunlight and was gone, leaving a simple warm tussle of his hair as she dissipated into her elemental natural state. He thought for a moment and decided to get some help right away. He patted his pockets until he felt what he was looking for and pulled a gold gilded flower from it.
He held it up so it caught the light of the sun and thought of the particular friend he thought might help him. One of the glints of light split off into a glowing tiny orb of light. Smaller and more white in light than the bigger bluish Will o wisps, this was a tiny Devas. Pie grinned widely.
"Hello, hi! Thank you for coming to help me! I remember meeting you when Miss Ashla needed to make a healing elixir and we were trying to find some really special plants she needed for it." THe orb of light bobbed around, slowly at first but with increasing agitation as it flitted from tree to plant around the edge of the swamp.
"I'm sorry, the plants here are a bit wild here, and I know you like things more taken care of, but i was hoping you could ask the plants which way the people that were here recently went? I only have a little bit of time to find them and help someone, so I would really appreciate your help. I think I'm looking for some lizardfolk who took a pretty bird out of the sky. I want to find out where they went."
The devas little orb of light flitted unhappily back and forth a bit more but calmed and hovered near a few plants. After flitting back and forth between a few trees and plants, it started floating deeper into the swamp. Pie started picking along the path, trying to find solid ground to walk on, but was forced to slog through some of the water logged areas , his wrapped but basically bare feet tenderly testing the squishy mud as he proceeded forward. In other circumstances he may have had fun with that, it felt almost good to feel the ground squish up and try to swallow his feet.
The devas led him further into one of the waterlogged wooded areas and the light dimmed as it filtered through the thick lush and overgrown canopy. Vines and other plant mossy tendrils wrapped around the trunks and branches of the trees, and hung down all around him as he went deeper in. He could see no signs of anyone passing through here, so he was just trusting the Devas, even though he couldn't communicate with it. He remembered that they seemed to understand speech even though they did not communicate back themselves.
So he followed.
After a while the Devas flitted around quickly and rose up in the air. Ahead of him he could see a spot in the swamp with obvious signs of disturbance, and ahead further in the distance he could just barely make out structures. It seemed that he had arrived at the dwelling of the lizardfolk, if what he had been told was correct.
He bowed to the small glowing fae light. "Thank you for helping me. I might not have ever found this place on my own. The next time I call you i'll try to have some interesting and well cared for plants for you to talk to."
The Devas spun in some fast circles, perhaps in excitement and then winked out and was gone. The goblin crept forward, sloshing in the water that was well past his knees, doing his best to remain silent. As he got closer he could see figures moving around, but rather than lizard folk it seemed to be elongated half snake people. He was just about to move in closer when he heard movement from beside him.
To his left, a slightly grey-green half snake person looked up startled. Just like that, before he had even gotten started he had been discovered. So he did the only thing he knew how to do.
"Hello there, hi! Uhm… My name is Pie and I was trying to find someone. What's your name? Do you live here?" The greeting and the questions just spilled out. The snake person was taken aback, by his presence, and by his sudden outburst of questions.
It dropped a bundle it was carrying, which splashed and as it half recoiled from that it, but instinctively answered. "Ssssssnek Slipssssskin. Yesss. I livessss here. You don't live here. Susssspisscious."
Pie put his hands on his hips in indignation. "Hey, I'm not suspicious! I introduced myself and told you exactly what I'm doing! I just want to find my friend that got lost or taken in here. I don't know anyone here so I was just looking around and the plants told us that they went this way".
*Plantsssss told you…? You don't want to be here. Village doesnt like ssssstrange people." Snek tilted their head and a bit of tongue slipped past the scaled lips.
"Oh well I'm just passing through. I need to find the person I'm looking for, and I don't have a bunch of time. So I need to go in there and see if I can find them. If they might be in there I need to check." Pie turned to look at the huts of the village he could see in the near distance.
Snek reached out and lightly touched his arm, then tugged his cloak. "No one goessss in there and comesssss out. The red one did though, only becaussssess the Lady of Grotto wants the red one. They takesss to her already." Their eyes stared at Pie unblinkingly, but seemingly without any malice.
"The red one? Was the red one a Bird, an Owl?" Pie leaned in excitedly.
"Yessss. They takesessss to the Grotto for the Lady. Gone they issss already." As the question formed on Pies lips the snake person was already lifting a slender arm to point deeper into the swamp, toward a taller set of trees that could be seen rising above some of the others.
"None comessss back from there either. Lady is hungry. Eats much things."
Pie sighed. "How far is that? Can I reach it by nightfall?"
Snek cocked their head and then nodded. "Just after one sssleep.not far, but not good. Very dangersss.SSsshould not goesss there. Not comess out."
Pie shrugged. "No choice. I gotta go there and do what I can. I promised I'd help this person" Pie nodded to Snek. "Thank you for your help. It was really nice of you to talk to me." He started to turn, but Snek reached out and tugged on his cloak again to stop him.
"No one goes to there on purpose. Lady of the Grotto is very mean. Meet her only once, and never meet othersss again."
"I need to go though. I'm not helpless, but the person I want to help might not be able to help themselves right now, and I kinda promised too."He gently removed the snake persons hand from his cloak and began slogging through the water towards the grotto that had been pointed out.
Snek followed him, leaving behind whatever it was they had been carrying. " I guide you. If you meet Lady and still be alivessss after you meet, you help me leave ssswamps. You probably don't be alive if you meetsss her though. My father meetsss her and never comesss back."
Pie paused and turned to look at the snake person briefly, then nodded. "Oh! I'm sorry to hear about your father! This lady sounds really dangerous! Sure. I could use some help getting around this place if I want to get there in time. I can help you get out and over the wall, but I don't know if you can stay there with the season elves, you'll need to find somewhere else to go when you get out."
Snek took the lead pointing out safe places to walk and the pace was much quicker than when he had been following the Devas. The snake person talked little and they progressed across the terrain towards that taller set of trees. Occasionally Snek pointed out a threat or danger and they slowed and skirted around it or even back tracked to take a different path to avoid natural and unnatural beasts of the swamp. The orange of dusk spilled across the stagnant swamp, changing the atmosphere as Snek motioned that they should stop.
"Resssst now. Dangersss more in the darktime. Ssstay here, on dry until light." Snek picked a dry spot for them to camp. They skipped a fire and Pie shared some of the bread and some elven cheese and fruit. Snek talked casually about the swamp, not just the dangers but the delights as well, and Pie shared some stories of his experiences with the Eladrin and other fae. And they both took turns sleeping and taking watch. Despite just meeting them, Pie felt he could trust Snek, and didn't worry too much about their intentions.
Snek woke him when there was just the barest hint of light, and they began early. Approaching the Grotto of the Lady. The trees here were taller, and even though they reached above the other trees there were also more twisted and gnarled than the ones around them and would have stood even taller if they had grown straight. Moss and vines hung and twisted around the branches and trunks, draped over them and reaching toward the ground like fingers waiting to snare those that passed underneath.
Snek slowed and chose the path more carefully, sometimes doubling back when they weren't sure about the path forward. Once again their path led through the muck and there was no way to continue without wading through parts of the swamp. Not long after entering this grotto they arrived at a wall of trees and bushes and brambles that had woven themselves together, forming a barrier.
"Near here, the place where they goess in. Where my father … " Snek pointed to the right. "The othersss there now, delivering the bright bird."
A faint wailing wrung briefly through the trees, high pitched and haunting. It sounded unnatural and then receded silence followed it as if even the bugs and the animals of the swamp had been quelled into a fearful lull.
Snek started to turn to the right to head in that direction but pie stopped them. He shook his head and motioned to the right. "I'm sorry, don't think your friends made it Snek. We should find another way in." Pie recognized that wail, only one kind of fey sang that kind of death dirge.
"I live in the lizardsss village, my family did, I am the last one now. I know themesss… they were not kind but they sssstill helped us."
Snek tilted their head to the side looking a little upset, but did not say more. While that settled in on his companion Pie turned to the swamp and swished his hand in the water. He patted down his pockets for a bit, until he found the one he was looking for and took a small wrapping out, which contained a clump of butter when he finished unwrapping it. He dropped that in the water and waited.
Snek watched with detached curiosity, still puzzling how the goblin could know the lizard folk had met their fate, but also unsettled by that eerie shriek. The water began to churn and some of the dark vines and grasses clumped in the water began moving and lifted out of the water as a sickly green skinned woman, whose hair was made up of that tangle of vegetation rose out of the water.
"Little bite, strange you calling me here, to this swamp. You usually ask me out to much dryer places." Her gaze took in the snake person. "Ohh perhaps you've thought to feed me, as thanks for all the times I've helped you…" Her voice trailed off dripping with moist anticipation.
"Pie took a step back protectively towards Snek. "No, no, but I should get you something nie. I promise next time I'll bring you something tasty ok? This is Snek, they are my friend, so please don't eat them. Or me. I don't want to be eaten either."
The swamp Nixie let out a small burbling giggle. "It doesn't look like either of you would make a fulfilling treat little bite. You've yet to put any meat on those bones. Settle down, get fat, then come to me."
Pie smiled but shrugged. "Uhm, I don't think I'll be settling down anytime soon. There's a lot going on still. Like right now too! We have to get inside this place," He gestured to the unnaturally formed natural barrier, "and I'm pretty sure going through the front door would get us killed. Snek says a lady lives here that doesn't like anybody."
"Snek. What a cute name, not very unique perhaps, but descriptive." The water fae glanced onward the walls blocking their path. "I'll have a look, and see. I'm sure there is a way through, very little stops the water from getting through." Her grin was slightly malicious as she dropped back beneath the murky water and only ripples marked that she had been there.
She was gone for a short while and then slowly her head and the dark vines of her hair broke the surface once more. She let out a low gurgling whistle. "You are messing with some real power here Little bite. A swamp hag, old and green and gnarled, not that her dweomer would let you see any of that. You sure you need to go in there? You might not be coming out, and that would rob me of my eventual meal."
Snek was nodding enthusiastically, his long neck bobbing with the severity of the Swamp Nixies words. Pie did no back down. "I still need to go in and help that druid person get out. I said I would do it. You found a way in I take it?"
Nixie nodded and ducked under the water and reappeared circling around to the left. She bobbed under and reemerged several times until she stopped and pointed to a spot along the wall where the water ran close to the tightly woven vegetation. "There. Dive under and you will find a way through. You will emerge behind the hags abode. Without waiting she grabbed th goblin and pulled him under, smirking as his shocked expression vanished only the moment before he clamped his mouth shut and the murky waters of the swamp closed in all around him.
She pulled him along, and he instinctively kept his eyes shut, not quite sure if she was helping, or finally dragging him down to his death. Nothing was certain with the fey, not even your friends. Moments later he felt his head push past the surface and he gasped out a breath, only to have one of Nixies slim hands clamp over his mouth to mask the noise.
"Be careful now, and be quiet if you don't want to give my meal away to another too soon." She removed her hand and he slowly took deep breaths until his head stopped spinning. He nodded his thanks as she slipped silently back into the water, her long kelpy hair swirling as she descended away, back to her own swamp or wherever she had come from.
Pie carefully stepped out of the water, climbing up onto the embankment by this part of the slimy water that had been missed when encircling the mostly solid ground of the interior of the enclosure. His clothes were still wet, but he didn't dare call for Meela to dry himself off and risk discovery, so he pushed and patted out the dampness as best he could and then started moving. Before him a cottage of sorts was made, again by some power that had turned and twisted the natural elements of the landscape into a makeshift cottage, made of twisted tree trunks and vines and branches.
To his left stacked unceremoniously in a pile were the corpses of three lizard men, double, maybe even triple the size of the snake boy he had traveled with, they appeared to have been rent by the claws of some beast. Flies buzzed around the corpses and the wailing he had heard earlier confirmed the fate of the poor lizardfolk. They were indeed dead,. There was no sign of the owl though, so he pressed forward.
He crept toward the cottage and peered in one of the windowlike openings, carefully doing his best to remain silent and not make any sudden movements. Within he could see the layout of an almost cozy cottage, full of odds and ends, jars and skulls and feathers and bones of all kinds. It was cluttered in a quaint way, and had he not been warned of the inhabitant he might not have been suspicious of the owners ill reputation.
A beautiful woman clad in very little was walking around the cottage humming as she collected things, it looked like she was preparing a meal. One of those ingredients was a very colorful small owl, with its wings and feet tied to prevent it from moving. The blond vision of beauty poked the owls belly as she passed and her melodic voice taunted it. "My my, I will eat well tonight my darling!. You look small, but I can smell all that spiritual energy of the land you;ve been collecting. This will be quite the feast. I've already had the appetizer they sent with you, and now I'm practically drooling with delight thinking about the main course." She moved beyond still chopping and preparing the seasonings for the dish she was making.
Pie carefully crept through the window opening, and carefully walked toward the bound owl. He kept a wary on the woman, if she turned and saw him there would be trouble, but for the moment her attention was on her preparations. He reached the owl, and carefully picked it up cradling it in his arms. Though ti was a small owl, it was large in his small grasp, He put a hand to his lips motioning for quiet as he carefully began creeping back toward the open window. He worked at the knots as he walked hoping to free the druid from their bonds.
He was almost to the window with the woman none the wiser when some of the water still soaking his trousers happened to pool and dribble down into the cloth bindings on his feet. The squelching sound it made as he took the step seemed so small but the rush of air and the thumping of bare footsteps told him immediately that it was heard and he was discovered!
Pie flung himself toward the open window, feeling fingers grasping at his toes as he dove. He tossed the owl ahead of him, he'd freed its feet, but the knotting binding the wings was only partially undone, so it rolled and then scrambled to its feet, but was unable to fly away. Pie landed on the ground hard, rolling as best he could, but grunting as his shoulder took the impact.
"Thief"! The beautiful voice screamed as she also dove through the window, the window that was a bit to small for her to easily make it through, and th skin on her arm and hip tore, leaving her beautiful naked form marred by scrapes that revealed green and mottled skin underneath, the beautiful exterior just a shell hiding the true monster underneath.
Pie scrambled away from her but not fast enough, one of her arms grabbed his leg and yanked him into the air, dangling him out in front of her as she advanced on the small red owl as it tried hopping backwards away from her steady advance.
"You think you can steal my dinner? You are a fool, and you can join the pot as seasoning. I smell power on you as well, dark power. I will have double my fill tonight." she laughed low and menacingly, though her mirth was not betrayed by her actions as she continued holding the small goblin by the ankle and advanced on the owl, who was running out of room to hop backwards away from her.
Pie frantically patted his pockets, searching for a specific one, there were a hundred pockets and he was always forgetting just where everything ended up. The woman noticed his frantic gestures and punched him in the gut, knocking the wind from him as he reeled from the force of the blow. He stopped flailing, but his hand had finally found that which he sought for, a small burlap pouch with a finger bone inside, it still had a small bit of dried flesh and blood attached, and had come from a woman that had passed from mortal life and had been taken by the fae. He doubted this woman was nearby, but he hoped that by calling her name and invoking his ties to her he might ask for the aid of the other lost soul that was nearby.
"Senna, if you or your kin can hear me, I need help!"
The woman laughed at his plea, but her laugh changed into a high pitched shriek as a dark cold shadow fell over them. Pie had already clamped his hands over his ears as the wailing cry of the tattered ghostly woman spirit passed over and then through them crying out in horrifying melancholy. The woman dropped pie and he hit his head hard, causing him to loosen his grip on his ears and he too was assaulted by the dark chill that mournful wail had just wrung through all that could hear it. He was dazed bot hfrom the womans blow and the assault on his soul and could only crawl pitifully on the ground.
The woman recovered more quickly and kicked him once, long talons bursting through the snow white skin of the masking shell that she had encased herself in, tearing into his side and leaving bleeding gashes in their wake. She raised her foot to stop down on him again, but the banshee flew between them again and she retreated a pace, watching warily as the banshee began circling and crying over and around the pile of dead lizardfolk.
The pile of dead creatures began to stir, seemingly in answer to the spirits piteous wail. The fresh corpses rose and began moving with slow but purposeful movements toward the woman that had killed them, the light of dark foul energies backlighting their non functioning eyes. The haltingly lunged at the woman, attacking her with slow awkward attacks while the banshee circled around, dashing back and forth in between the moving corpses and the woman now fighting them.
Claws split through the soft flesh of the human shells fingers, and more and more of the hags true form tore through its exterior as she lashed out clawing through the zombie lizards swarming her. Her attacks were less effective now, now that spilling blood from the lifeless creatures neither caused pain nor impacted their movement as the energies that animated them cared little for ligaments and muscles and blood vessels.
Despite the difficulty she slashed the head from one of them, leaving it to crawl towards her on the ground impaired by the loss of part of its body but still animated, still unerringly honed in on its target. She howled in rage, long sickly yellow teeth tearing at the flesh of her beautiful face to reveal a fanged maw, flaps of the porcelain skin hanging and swinging as she darted about.
Pie crawled toward the owl, temporarily forgotten in the mayhem, and through gritted teeth pulled at the knots binding the owls wings. As the knot was finally undone, the owl spread and flapped its wings hopping into a short flight before landing again.
"Go! Get out of here!" He shouted as he himself crawled toward the freedom offered by the patch of water that would lead to escape the inner sanctum of this dangerous hag. Behind him the sounds of the fight continued, but the triumphant laugh of the woman hinted that it was going her way. The circling banshee let out one last cry and darted off as the last of the animated lizard folk was rent by the hags long claws. The owl few up and over the wall of twisted trees bushes and vines, and disappeared from sight.
He was hurt and bleeding and was almost to the water when he heard the taloned feet of the woman behind him.
"You cost me much you foul little shit! I'll still have a meal and with that swirling vortex of power in your soul I'll mend this flesh and be beautiful once again. I'll end you quickly now, you've caused too much trouble and I don't want to see what other nasty surprises you might yet have." She was right behind him, and the water was still just out of reach.
Pie wracked his mind trying to think of anything that might help, something to just get him a few more feet towards the safety of the water. Though that might not even be enough. Pain clouded his thoughts and he rolled over and raised an arm to block as a clawed foot descended towards him. His other arm landed hard ont he ground and a vine, and the vine yelped.
The little bog sprite that he had somewhat rudely awakened let out a shrill shriek, similar to a mandragora, but as it did the vegetation around them withered as the little sprite pulled the energy from the living things around them towards itself. Some of that energy began knitting Peis wounds together due to his proximity, and the hag yelled and recoiled as her own life energy was drained as the little sprite instinctively defended itself. More of her false skin withered and tore away as the withering drew the energy and bloomed that positive life energy around the sprite.
The hags advance resumed as the tiny bog sprite scampered away in a burst of energy empowered by its shriek, and pie lunged toward the water as the hags dove at him long claws rending and shrieking in fury. Two wet hands splashed out of the water and grabbed the goblin, pulling him down and under as the hags claws rent the air where he had just been. Pies' world went black and he gulped down swamp water accidentally and flailed as he felt the cold dirty water spill down his throat. He couldn't swim, and water in general terrified him, dark murky swamp water even more.
He was pulled through the water and he tried opening his eyes but the water was so dark and gritty that he had to immediately shut them again before he could see anything. He was carried along, helpless and out of his element until he was pushed up above the surface, gasping and gulping air. Nixie was there pushing him up above the surface, coughing and sputtering.
"Little bite, you are trying to rob me of my meal! I told you not to let someone take it from me. That thing is angry we must be away from here. If you have other friends that can make that happen faster, you and your friend might just make it before that thing runs around to the front or climbs over that wall."
To punctuate her words wild screaming rang out from within the walled area, crying out in rage and frustration. Pie patted his freshly knitted side, marvling that the wounds that were there just moments ago were completely healed now. That little bog sprites surprised reaction might have just saved his life. He shook his head and thought about what he could do to expedite their withdrawal. AFter a moment, he patted his pockets looking for something again and this time
He pulled out the gilded flower again and this time when he concentrated he thought warm and fuzzy thoughts and of some friends that might be able to help. Snek was still there by the spot he had entered looking quite nervous about the noises coming from inside.
"Angered the lady. Now neither of ussss meet othersssss again. Meet the lady, never meet otherssss again."
Pie shook his head, and pulled snek away from the wall.
"Lets go. Lets get as far away as we can."
They both started running and slogging through the water as fast as they could, and had barely gotten away from the wall when the sound of claws tearing into the wall could be heard and then the hag was at the top of the wall, glaring down at them before jumping in one leap, landing with a splash in the water behind them. She was wild with anger, and that glare was turned on them. Snek whimpered and pie gulped as they tried to go faster but could not, the terrain hindering them as they fled.
Nixie swam along beside them, effortlessly keeping pace. "Oh I was wrong, not a green hag, it was a bog hag. You better run faster little bite." He could hear the concern in her voice but their short legs and the near waist deep water prevented them from making much ground.
Pie was beginning to think that this might be it when he heard the buzzing. He grabbed snek and yelled "JUMP!"
He jumped in the air and was caught by the giant fuzzy buzzy that came zooming between the gnarled trees of the swamp, and several more were right behind it, seeing Pie caught up Snek also jumped and was carried up and away as well. Nixie waved at the fast retreating friends as she sank beneath the waters to stay away from the raging bog hag.
The hags yells and shouts echoed around them as they were carried away, but soon they were too far to hear them and pie began laughing as they were buzzed across the same distance they had taken a day to walk in just a short time. The wind felt good and as they neared the edge of the swamp and the giant wall the Eladrin had erected to keep the swamp separated from their forests loomed in front of them the sun peeked through the clouds and they were bathed in a warm comforting light.
Snek did not appear too excited as the fuzzy giant bees carried them along, but he seemed to appreciate that it was better than facing that violent hag. The snake person was amazed by the comforting softness of the catlike fur of the the feline giant bee was wrapped around them as they were held by its paws. In a heartbeat they were up and over the wall and the guards left to watch the wall were debating whether to fire on the creatures that just emerged from the swamp when pie was waving and shouting to them.
The giant fuzzy Buzzys set them down and after some purring and nuzzling were off into the air buzzing too and fro in lazy patterns, pouncing on things that moved a little too suddenly. Pie giggled and laughed, the mood from earlier completely changed in the sunlight, and the distinct lack of life threatening monsters.
"What is thosesss?" Snek asked. "I never seessss before."
THe guards were walking their way, their bows still out, but at least not pointed at them any longer. Pie sat on a rock as they waited for the eladrin. "Fuzzy Buzzys, well GIANT Fuzzy Buzzys. They normally are a lot smaller like the size of a kitten. But I met these giant ones in a nice place where a nymph lives… but thats a story we DON'T need to get into. Anyway, they are super cute, and friendly and soooo soft, and they like to play like kitty's do."
Snek nodded and watched the elves approach apprehensively. He had never had good experiences with them in the rare times they had come into the swamp apparently. Pie patted his shoulder. Don't worry, I will get you away from here too. They don't like me much either, but I did them a favor. I hope the druid got back here ok. It's all for nothing if they didn't make it back all right. I think I saw them get away though."
The eladrin approached and after seeing who it was and hearing the briefest description of what had happened, one of them ran off to deliver the news, and summon Karthack. It was clear they were still guarded, but they were not overtly hostile.
They waited a while and Pie and Snek rummaged through the last of what was in the supplies pack he had been given, finding some small dried rations to nibble on while they waited. When karthack emerged, it was nearly sunset and Pie got the feeling that it was done on purpose to push it close to the point where the Geas magic would start making him worried. He didn't' feel any pulls from that magic at al although, maybe it didn't start doing its thing until it was too late, or maybe the druid getting back was enough to satisfy the magic? He had thought it would have had more impact on him by now, but strangely he felt nothing. The magic would be active by now if the druid hadn't made it back right?
Karthacks smug look faded when he did not see any signs of Pie stressing over the geas. He concealed that disappointment and greeted them begrudgingly.
"I'm surprised you made it back. The druid is not returned to us. Did you want to let us watch you writhe and wither as the geas works its magic on you for your failure?"
Pie was shocked, the druid hadn't made it back? He didn't feel anything from the magic of the geas at all.
"She didn't come back? We freed her though! She should have been back hours ago!" He looked to Snek, checking to see if he was not hallucinating The snake person shrugged, looking just as bewildered.
"Red bird make esssscape before usssss." . They confirmed what he thought to be the truth.
Karthack laughed maliciously. "It looks like I will get to go after them myself. I will show my worth when I recover the elder. First I will get to watch you suffer first hand." The elf grinned as he gestured grandly.
"I doubt that elfling." A gnarled voice emanated from the forest as two figures emerged. One was a dryad woman, old and regal, her bark skin rippling as she walked, and her branch and vine hair waving with flowers that grew on them. Beside her a dark haired woman in long robes walked, icey white hair peeking from the hood.
"Grandmother!" Pie exclaimed excitedly.
"Elder!" Karthack gasped in surprise.
The Winter Eladrin gestured toward Pie and Snek. "The youngsters did well and faced much peril to free me from the hag that had captured me. I owe them my lives and I am glad to see them returned safely. Calling on those giant Bees was a very creative way to escape from the hag."
Grandmother dryad opened her arms, and pie rushed into them, embracing his friend in a hug.
"I sent one of my daughters to remove that silly enchantment on the first night these two ventured into the swamp. You boys were so tired you didn't even wake when she visited."
The elder druid shot karthack a piercing glare, "I am displeased that you imperiled the ones you enlisted aid from. An action that reflects our hospitality very poorly I might add. We will discuss this later Karthack. Little Pie, Grandmother dryad has told me much of you, please let us show you and your friend the hospitality we have to offer in thanks to your service."
Pie nodded and motioned for snek to join them as he held grandmother dryads hand and walked with them toward the elves village where they would receive their reward and enjoy a festive evening celebrating the safe return and arrival of the elder druid.
Pie squinted against the light that suddenly filled the room. 13 days he had been held prisoner by the season elves. Eladrin, though that name often slipped his mind. Karthack, a fire maned summer presenting elf. He cringed, the season elf often introduced himself with a swift kick, yet this time no kick followed his entrance. The chiseled smooth face of the fey elf lacked its usual malicious look and instead wore an expression like something creepy and crawly was somewhere uncomfortable.
"It seems that you have a chance to be forgiven for your crimes. Were it up to me I'd see you executed for trespassing in the sacred grove." Venom bled through his tone.
"I told you, I was visiting the grandmother dryad, she's the one who brought me there." Pie struggled against the ropes holding his hands behind his back, though his weak efforts were further hampered by the minimal diet he had received while in the Eladrins captivity.
"I don't want to hear your lies again today. We have more pressing business anyway, and an offer for you to avoid your pending execution. The elders have a problem of more pressing importance and for some reason they think risking your pathetic already condemned life is a better option than letting a proud warrior of the forest do what is needed. One of the elder druids was captured by the swamp folk. We can't go in there, the druids walled off the area and its effects on us are brutal. I still think I could withstand such for the short time to break them out, but my objection was dismissed."
"Oh, someone is in trouble? I'll help, that would get me out of here and I don't mind going in the swamp." Pie hopped in the chair inching it closer to Karthack. "Untie me and I'll get going. Some food would help too. You haven't been really nice about feeding me. Oh and I need some wine too. At least 4 bottles."
Karthack grumbled but cut the rope reluctantly. While pie stretched and massaged his wrists, Karthack continued. "To make sure that you do your job, we'll put a Geas on you, you'll until the sunset tomorrow to free the elder and return, if you fail, it will wither the life out of you. So you'd better give this all of your effort."
"That's not very nice, but fine. I'll go get your mage and bring them back. Dying if I fail is better than dying in captivity. You guys are a bunch of jerks though. I didn't even do anything wrong and you want to kill me or make me your slave to do dangerous things you are too afraid to do."
"Why you little- " Pie waved a hand to cut him off.
"I'd better get going if you want your person friend back. Maybe dead is better than certainly dead."
Karthack glared at him and guided him down a hallway that was naturally formed within one of the giant trees of the settlement the Eladrin inhabited. Soon a mage was chanting away an ancient elven incantation that would bind him magically to the task. He could feel the grip of the sorcery wrap around him and dig it's thorns into him. Then he was handed a traveling pack, presumably with the food, and the unmistakable clink of bottles. He had only arrived at the grandmother dryads with what he was wearing, being pulled into a dream was definitely not a prepared way of traveling.
He quickly put on his vest that they had taken from him, and checked his pouch for his tome of magic. Well at least he wouldn't be helpless. He was given an armed escort to the unnaturally erected barrier of trees and earth the druids of the Eladrin had erected to encircle the cursed swamp that was so near to their home. Their doctrine prevented them from destroying it, but they had taken every step to ensure that it stayed contained and not spilling over into their pristine woods here in this mostly docile section of the fey marches.
They had told him that the druid had been taken by surprise as they flew over the swap in the form of a fey corkscrew owl, when it was netted from within. They didn't know what denizens of the swamp had made the capture, but the most likely target was the tribe of lizardfolk that lived within. Not much to go on, but a start. They warned him that other threats were in the swamp as well, including at least one hydra. He'd need to be careful.
Under the watchful eyes of the guards, Pie went to a tree near the unnatural wall. He drew the shape of a door on it, and pulled the handle that appeared when he completed the gesture. He leaned his head into the doorway and called out for his friends.
"Hi guys! Would you all like to help me with some digging? I have wine."
Within moments the hoots and hollers of the Korred dwarves were audible and the little men in their loincloths with wild hair that moved with a life of its own were tromping out through the doorway, with their silver shovels in hand. Pie pointed to the top of the wall, and soon the dwarves were building a ramp of earth to the top. They molded the earth expertly, their arms and even their wild animated hair wielding their silver shovels with lightning speed and in only a short time the ramp to the top was built and smoothed. With it finished Pie thanked his friends as he handed them the bottles of wine.
"Oh, these are kind of old. They didn't skimp on the wine, you guys will enjoy these!" They danced away back into the tree and their own space of the marches, where their party never seemed to cease. Pie began his way to the top, noting the disapproving stares of the guards. He shrugged. If he died it was their problem. If he lived … well maybe their treatment of him didn't merit him fixing it either.
At the top of the wall he surveyed the swamp before him. The wall circled in both directions and went out of sight. This swamp was very large. Fortunately the druid had been captured within sight of this side of the wall, so they couldn't have been taken too far. Hopefully. THe swamp was mostly a forested area with some open areas, but it was nearly impossible to see any specific details from this vantage point. If the lizardfolk had a village or camp or something it wasn't visible from here. He'd have to get in and just start looking. He looked down, it was a long way down and the swamp on this side as he had expected might make it difficult for his dwarven friends to help.
"Miss Meela? Are you around? I could use some help getting down from here." He called out.
The air around him was still for a moment but then he felt a breeze brush his cheek. He smiled, knowing his friend was indeed around. The sunlight gathered and spun as the wind picked up and the sylph took form in front of him, the light bouncing and swirling inside the vortex that made up her dress. She held out a hand and he took it, taking a step off the ledge.
He fell for the brief moment until Meela dipped and enveloped him in the vortex of her dress where he gently swirled and floated as she slowly drifted down to the ground with the weight of merely a feather, the warmth of sunlight gently buffeting him as he giggled and spun in slow circles. When the sylphs nearly ethereal form reached the ground he felt her shift and he slipped out of her dress, landing softly on the grass, the soil slightly squishing under even his light weight.
"Thank you Miss Meela! That was super helpful. I need to start looking for this druid person, though, so I'll see about more hugs later. Thanks for helping!" He waved as her form slipped apart into the breeze and sunlight and was gone, leaving a simple warm tussle of his hair as she dissipated into her elemental natural state. He thought for a moment and decided to get some help right away. He patted his pockets until he felt what he was looking for and pulled a gold gilded flower from it.
He held it up so it caught the light of the sun and thought of the particular friend he thought might help him. One of the glints of light split off into a glowing tiny orb of light. Smaller and more white in light than the bigger bluish Will o wisps, this was a tiny Devas. Pie grinned widely.
"Hello, hi! Thank you for coming to help me! I remember meeting you when Miss Ashla needed to make a healing elixir and we were trying to find some really special plants she needed for it." THe orb of light bobbed around, slowly at first but with increasing agitation as it flitted from tree to plant around the edge of the swamp.
"I'm sorry, the plants here are a bit wild here, and I know you like things more taken care of, but i was hoping you could ask the plants which way the people that were here recently went? I only have a little bit of time to find them and help someone, so I would really appreciate your help. I think I'm looking for some lizardfolk who took a pretty bird out of the sky. I want to find out where they went."
The devas little orb of light flitted unhappily back and forth a bit more but calmed and hovered near a few plants. After flitting back and forth between a few trees and plants, it started floating deeper into the swamp. Pie started picking along the path, trying to find solid ground to walk on, but was forced to slog through some of the water logged areas , his wrapped but basically bare feet tenderly testing the squishy mud as he proceeded forward. In other circumstances he may have had fun with that, it felt almost good to feel the ground squish up and try to swallow his feet.
The devas led him further into one of the waterlogged wooded areas and the light dimmed as it filtered through the thick lush and overgrown canopy. Vines and other plant mossy tendrils wrapped around the trunks and branches of the trees, and hung down all around him as he went deeper in. He could see no signs of anyone passing through here, so he was just trusting the Devas, even though he couldn't communicate with it. He remembered that they seemed to understand speech even though they did not communicate back themselves.
So he followed.
After a while the Devas flitted around quickly and rose up in the air. Ahead of him he could see a spot in the swamp with obvious signs of disturbance, and ahead further in the distance he could just barely make out structures. It seemed that he had arrived at the dwelling of the lizardfolk, if what he had been told was correct.
He bowed to the small glowing fae light. "Thank you for helping me. I might not have ever found this place on my own. The next time I call you i'll try to have some interesting and well cared for plants for you to talk to."
The Devas spun in some fast circles, perhaps in excitement and then winked out and was gone. The goblin crept forward, sloshing in the water that was well past his knees, doing his best to remain silent. As he got closer he could see figures moving around, but rather than lizard folk it seemed to be elongated half snake people. He was just about to move in closer when he heard movement from beside him.
To his left, a slightly grey-green half snake person looked up startled. Just like that, before he had even gotten started he had been discovered. So he did the only thing he knew how to do.
"Hello there, hi! Uhm… My name is Pie and I was trying to find someone. What's your name? Do you live here?" The greeting and the questions just spilled out. The snake person was taken aback, by his presence, and by his sudden outburst of questions.
It dropped a bundle it was carrying, which splashed and as it half recoiled from that it, but instinctively answered. "Ssssssnek Slipssssskin. Yesss. I livessss here. You don't live here. Susssspisscious."
Pie put his hands on his hips in indignation. "Hey, I'm not suspicious! I introduced myself and told you exactly what I'm doing! I just want to find my friend that got lost or taken in here. I don't know anyone here so I was just looking around and the plants told us that they went this way".
*Plantsssss told you…? You don't want to be here. Village doesnt like ssssstrange people." Snek tilted their head and a bit of tongue slipped past the scaled lips.
"Oh well I'm just passing through. I need to find the person I'm looking for, and I don't have a bunch of time. So I need to go in there and see if I can find them. If they might be in there I need to check." Pie turned to look at the huts of the village he could see in the near distance.
Snek reached out and lightly touched his arm, then tugged his cloak. "No one goessss in there and comesssss out. The red one did though, only becaussssess the Lady of Grotto wants the red one. They takesss to her already." Their eyes stared at Pie unblinkingly, but seemingly without any malice.
"The red one? Was the red one a Bird, an Owl?" Pie leaned in excitedly.
"Yessss. They takesessss to the Grotto for the Lady. Gone they issss already." As the question formed on Pies lips the snake person was already lifting a slender arm to point deeper into the swamp, toward a taller set of trees that could be seen rising above some of the others.
"None comessss back from there either. Lady is hungry. Eats much things."
Pie sighed. "How far is that? Can I reach it by nightfall?"
Snek cocked their head and then nodded. "Just after one sssleep.not far, but not good. Very dangersss.SSsshould not goesss there. Not comess out."
Pie shrugged. "No choice. I gotta go there and do what I can. I promised I'd help this person" Pie nodded to Snek. "Thank you for your help. It was really nice of you to talk to me." He started to turn, but Snek reached out and tugged on his cloak again to stop him.
"No one goes to there on purpose. Lady of the Grotto is very mean. Meet her only once, and never meet othersss again."
"I need to go though. I'm not helpless, but the person I want to help might not be able to help themselves right now, and I kinda promised too."He gently removed the snake persons hand from his cloak and began slogging through the water towards the grotto that had been pointed out.
Snek followed him, leaving behind whatever it was they had been carrying. " I guide you. If you meet Lady and still be alivessss after you meet, you help me leave ssswamps. You probably don't be alive if you meetsss her though. My father meetsss her and never comesss back."
Pie paused and turned to look at the snake person briefly, then nodded. "Oh! I'm sorry to hear about your father! This lady sounds really dangerous! Sure. I could use some help getting around this place if I want to get there in time. I can help you get out and over the wall, but I don't know if you can stay there with the season elves, you'll need to find somewhere else to go when you get out."
Snek took the lead pointing out safe places to walk and the pace was much quicker than when he had been following the Devas. The snake person talked little and they progressed across the terrain towards that taller set of trees. Occasionally Snek pointed out a threat or danger and they slowed and skirted around it or even back tracked to take a different path to avoid natural and unnatural beasts of the swamp. The orange of dusk spilled across the stagnant swamp, changing the atmosphere as Snek motioned that they should stop.
"Resssst now. Dangersss more in the darktime. Ssstay here, on dry until light." Snek picked a dry spot for them to camp. They skipped a fire and Pie shared some of the bread and some elven cheese and fruit. Snek talked casually about the swamp, not just the dangers but the delights as well, and Pie shared some stories of his experiences with the Eladrin and other fae. And they both took turns sleeping and taking watch. Despite just meeting them, Pie felt he could trust Snek, and didn't worry too much about their intentions.
Snek woke him when there was just the barest hint of light, and they began early. Approaching the Grotto of the Lady. The trees here were taller, and even though they reached above the other trees there were also more twisted and gnarled than the ones around them and would have stood even taller if they had grown straight. Moss and vines hung and twisted around the branches and trunks, draped over them and reaching toward the ground like fingers waiting to snare those that passed underneath.
Snek slowed and chose the path more carefully, sometimes doubling back when they weren't sure about the path forward. Once again their path led through the muck and there was no way to continue without wading through parts of the swamp. Not long after entering this grotto they arrived at a wall of trees and bushes and brambles that had woven themselves together, forming a barrier.
"Near here, the place where they goess in. Where my father … " Snek pointed to the right. "The othersss there now, delivering the bright bird."
A faint wailing wrung briefly through the trees, high pitched and haunting. It sounded unnatural and then receded silence followed it as if even the bugs and the animals of the swamp had been quelled into a fearful lull.
Snek started to turn to the right to head in that direction but pie stopped them. He shook his head and motioned to the right. "I'm sorry, don't think your friends made it Snek. We should find another way in." Pie recognized that wail, only one kind of fey sang that kind of death dirge.
"I live in the lizardsss village, my family did, I am the last one now. I know themesss… they were not kind but they sssstill helped us."
Snek tilted their head to the side looking a little upset, but did not say more. While that settled in on his companion Pie turned to the swamp and swished his hand in the water. He patted down his pockets for a bit, until he found the one he was looking for and took a small wrapping out, which contained a clump of butter when he finished unwrapping it. He dropped that in the water and waited.
Snek watched with detached curiosity, still puzzling how the goblin could know the lizard folk had met their fate, but also unsettled by that eerie shriek. The water began to churn and some of the dark vines and grasses clumped in the water began moving and lifted out of the water as a sickly green skinned woman, whose hair was made up of that tangle of vegetation rose out of the water.
"Little bite, strange you calling me here, to this swamp. You usually ask me out to much dryer places." Her gaze took in the snake person. "Ohh perhaps you've thought to feed me, as thanks for all the times I've helped you…" Her voice trailed off dripping with moist anticipation.
"Pie took a step back protectively towards Snek. "No, no, but I should get you something nie. I promise next time I'll bring you something tasty ok? This is Snek, they are my friend, so please don't eat them. Or me. I don't want to be eaten either."
The swamp Nixie let out a small burbling giggle. "It doesn't look like either of you would make a fulfilling treat little bite. You've yet to put any meat on those bones. Settle down, get fat, then come to me."
Pie smiled but shrugged. "Uhm, I don't think I'll be settling down anytime soon. There's a lot going on still. Like right now too! We have to get inside this place," He gestured to the unnaturally formed natural barrier, "and I'm pretty sure going through the front door would get us killed. Snek says a lady lives here that doesn't like anybody."
"Snek. What a cute name, not very unique perhaps, but descriptive." The water fae glanced onward the walls blocking their path. "I'll have a look, and see. I'm sure there is a way through, very little stops the water from getting through." Her grin was slightly malicious as she dropped back beneath the murky water and only ripples marked that she had been there.
She was gone for a short while and then slowly her head and the dark vines of her hair broke the surface once more. She let out a low gurgling whistle. "You are messing with some real power here Little bite. A swamp hag, old and green and gnarled, not that her dweomer would let you see any of that. You sure you need to go in there? You might not be coming out, and that would rob me of my eventual meal."
Snek was nodding enthusiastically, his long neck bobbing with the severity of the Swamp Nixies words. Pie did no back down. "I still need to go in and help that druid person get out. I said I would do it. You found a way in I take it?"
Nixie nodded and ducked under the water and reappeared circling around to the left. She bobbed under and reemerged several times until she stopped and pointed to a spot along the wall where the water ran close to the tightly woven vegetation. "There. Dive under and you will find a way through. You will emerge behind the hags abode. Without waiting she grabbed th goblin and pulled him under, smirking as his shocked expression vanished only the moment before he clamped his mouth shut and the murky waters of the swamp closed in all around him.
She pulled him along, and he instinctively kept his eyes shut, not quite sure if she was helping, or finally dragging him down to his death. Nothing was certain with the fey, not even your friends. Moments later he felt his head push past the surface and he gasped out a breath, only to have one of Nixies slim hands clamp over his mouth to mask the noise.
"Be careful now, and be quiet if you don't want to give my meal away to another too soon." She removed her hand and he slowly took deep breaths until his head stopped spinning. He nodded his thanks as she slipped silently back into the water, her long kelpy hair swirling as she descended away, back to her own swamp or wherever she had come from.
Pie carefully stepped out of the water, climbing up onto the embankment by this part of the slimy water that had been missed when encircling the mostly solid ground of the interior of the enclosure. His clothes were still wet, but he didn't dare call for Meela to dry himself off and risk discovery, so he pushed and patted out the dampness as best he could and then started moving. Before him a cottage of sorts was made, again by some power that had turned and twisted the natural elements of the landscape into a makeshift cottage, made of twisted tree trunks and vines and branches.
To his left stacked unceremoniously in a pile were the corpses of three lizard men, double, maybe even triple the size of the snake boy he had traveled with, they appeared to have been rent by the claws of some beast. Flies buzzed around the corpses and the wailing he had heard earlier confirmed the fate of the poor lizardfolk. They were indeed dead,. There was no sign of the owl though, so he pressed forward.
He crept toward the cottage and peered in one of the windowlike openings, carefully doing his best to remain silent and not make any sudden movements. Within he could see the layout of an almost cozy cottage, full of odds and ends, jars and skulls and feathers and bones of all kinds. It was cluttered in a quaint way, and had he not been warned of the inhabitant he might not have been suspicious of the owners ill reputation.
A beautiful woman clad in very little was walking around the cottage humming as she collected things, it looked like she was preparing a meal. One of those ingredients was a very colorful small owl, with its wings and feet tied to prevent it from moving. The blond vision of beauty poked the owls belly as she passed and her melodic voice taunted it. "My my, I will eat well tonight my darling!. You look small, but I can smell all that spiritual energy of the land you;ve been collecting. This will be quite the feast. I've already had the appetizer they sent with you, and now I'm practically drooling with delight thinking about the main course." She moved beyond still chopping and preparing the seasonings for the dish she was making.
Pie carefully crept through the window opening, and carefully walked toward the bound owl. He kept a wary on the woman, if she turned and saw him there would be trouble, but for the moment her attention was on her preparations. He reached the owl, and carefully picked it up cradling it in his arms. Though ti was a small owl, it was large in his small grasp, He put a hand to his lips motioning for quiet as he carefully began creeping back toward the open window. He worked at the knots as he walked hoping to free the druid from their bonds.
He was almost to the window with the woman none the wiser when some of the water still soaking his trousers happened to pool and dribble down into the cloth bindings on his feet. The squelching sound it made as he took the step seemed so small but the rush of air and the thumping of bare footsteps told him immediately that it was heard and he was discovered!
Pie flung himself toward the open window, feeling fingers grasping at his toes as he dove. He tossed the owl ahead of him, he'd freed its feet, but the knotting binding the wings was only partially undone, so it rolled and then scrambled to its feet, but was unable to fly away. Pie landed on the ground hard, rolling as best he could, but grunting as his shoulder took the impact.
"Thief"! The beautiful voice screamed as she also dove through the window, the window that was a bit to small for her to easily make it through, and th skin on her arm and hip tore, leaving her beautiful naked form marred by scrapes that revealed green and mottled skin underneath, the beautiful exterior just a shell hiding the true monster underneath.
Pie scrambled away from her but not fast enough, one of her arms grabbed his leg and yanked him into the air, dangling him out in front of her as she advanced on the small red owl as it tried hopping backwards away from her steady advance.
"You think you can steal my dinner? You are a fool, and you can join the pot as seasoning. I smell power on you as well, dark power. I will have double my fill tonight." she laughed low and menacingly, though her mirth was not betrayed by her actions as she continued holding the small goblin by the ankle and advanced on the owl, who was running out of room to hop backwards away from her.
Pie frantically patted his pockets, searching for a specific one, there were a hundred pockets and he was always forgetting just where everything ended up. The woman noticed his frantic gestures and punched him in the gut, knocking the wind from him as he reeled from the force of the blow. He stopped flailing, but his hand had finally found that which he sought for, a small burlap pouch with a finger bone inside, it still had a small bit of dried flesh and blood attached, and had come from a woman that had passed from mortal life and had been taken by the fae. He doubted this woman was nearby, but he hoped that by calling her name and invoking his ties to her he might ask for the aid of the other lost soul that was nearby.
"Senna, if you or your kin can hear me, I need help!"
The woman laughed at his plea, but her laugh changed into a high pitched shriek as a dark cold shadow fell over them. Pie had already clamped his hands over his ears as the wailing cry of the tattered ghostly woman spirit passed over and then through them crying out in horrifying melancholy. The woman dropped pie and he hit his head hard, causing him to loosen his grip on his ears and he too was assaulted by the dark chill that mournful wail had just wrung through all that could hear it. He was dazed bot hfrom the womans blow and the assault on his soul and could only crawl pitifully on the ground.
The woman recovered more quickly and kicked him once, long talons bursting through the snow white skin of the masking shell that she had encased herself in, tearing into his side and leaving bleeding gashes in their wake. She raised her foot to stop down on him again, but the banshee flew between them again and she retreated a pace, watching warily as the banshee began circling and crying over and around the pile of dead lizardfolk.
The pile of dead creatures began to stir, seemingly in answer to the spirits piteous wail. The fresh corpses rose and began moving with slow but purposeful movements toward the woman that had killed them, the light of dark foul energies backlighting their non functioning eyes. The haltingly lunged at the woman, attacking her with slow awkward attacks while the banshee circled around, dashing back and forth in between the moving corpses and the woman now fighting them.
Claws split through the soft flesh of the human shells fingers, and more and more of the hags true form tore through its exterior as she lashed out clawing through the zombie lizards swarming her. Her attacks were less effective now, now that spilling blood from the lifeless creatures neither caused pain nor impacted their movement as the energies that animated them cared little for ligaments and muscles and blood vessels.
Despite the difficulty she slashed the head from one of them, leaving it to crawl towards her on the ground impaired by the loss of part of its body but still animated, still unerringly honed in on its target. She howled in rage, long sickly yellow teeth tearing at the flesh of her beautiful face to reveal a fanged maw, flaps of the porcelain skin hanging and swinging as she darted about.
Pie crawled toward the owl, temporarily forgotten in the mayhem, and through gritted teeth pulled at the knots binding the owls wings. As the knot was finally undone, the owl spread and flapped its wings hopping into a short flight before landing again.
"Go! Get out of here!" He shouted as he himself crawled toward the freedom offered by the patch of water that would lead to escape the inner sanctum of this dangerous hag. Behind him the sounds of the fight continued, but the triumphant laugh of the woman hinted that it was going her way. The circling banshee let out one last cry and darted off as the last of the animated lizard folk was rent by the hags long claws. The owl few up and over the wall of twisted trees bushes and vines, and disappeared from sight.
He was hurt and bleeding and was almost to the water when he heard the taloned feet of the woman behind him.
"You cost me much you foul little shit! I'll still have a meal and with that swirling vortex of power in your soul I'll mend this flesh and be beautiful once again. I'll end you quickly now, you've caused too much trouble and I don't want to see what other nasty surprises you might yet have." She was right behind him, and the water was still just out of reach.
Pie wracked his mind trying to think of anything that might help, something to just get him a few more feet towards the safety of the water. Though that might not even be enough. Pain clouded his thoughts and he rolled over and raised an arm to block as a clawed foot descended towards him. His other arm landed hard ont he ground and a vine, and the vine yelped.
The little bog sprite that he had somewhat rudely awakened let out a shrill shriek, similar to a mandragora, but as it did the vegetation around them withered as the little sprite pulled the energy from the living things around them towards itself. Some of that energy began knitting Peis wounds together due to his proximity, and the hag yelled and recoiled as her own life energy was drained as the little sprite instinctively defended itself. More of her false skin withered and tore away as the withering drew the energy and bloomed that positive life energy around the sprite.
The hags advance resumed as the tiny bog sprite scampered away in a burst of energy empowered by its shriek, and pie lunged toward the water as the hags dove at him long claws rending and shrieking in fury. Two wet hands splashed out of the water and grabbed the goblin, pulling him down and under as the hags claws rent the air where he had just been. Pies' world went black and he gulped down swamp water accidentally and flailed as he felt the cold dirty water spill down his throat. He couldn't swim, and water in general terrified him, dark murky swamp water even more.
He was pulled through the water and he tried opening his eyes but the water was so dark and gritty that he had to immediately shut them again before he could see anything. He was carried along, helpless and out of his element until he was pushed up above the surface, gasping and gulping air. Nixie was there pushing him up above the surface, coughing and sputtering.
"Little bite, you are trying to rob me of my meal! I told you not to let someone take it from me. That thing is angry we must be away from here. If you have other friends that can make that happen faster, you and your friend might just make it before that thing runs around to the front or climbs over that wall."
To punctuate her words wild screaming rang out from within the walled area, crying out in rage and frustration. Pie patted his freshly knitted side, marvling that the wounds that were there just moments ago were completely healed now. That little bog sprites surprised reaction might have just saved his life. He shook his head and thought about what he could do to expedite their withdrawal. AFter a moment, he patted his pockets looking for something again and this time
He pulled out the gilded flower again and this time when he concentrated he thought warm and fuzzy thoughts and of some friends that might be able to help. Snek was still there by the spot he had entered looking quite nervous about the noises coming from inside.
"Angered the lady. Now neither of ussss meet othersssss again. Meet the lady, never meet otherssss again."
Pie shook his head, and pulled snek away from the wall.
"Lets go. Lets get as far away as we can."
They both started running and slogging through the water as fast as they could, and had barely gotten away from the wall when the sound of claws tearing into the wall could be heard and then the hag was at the top of the wall, glaring down at them before jumping in one leap, landing with a splash in the water behind them. She was wild with anger, and that glare was turned on them. Snek whimpered and pie gulped as they tried to go faster but could not, the terrain hindering them as they fled.
Nixie swam along beside them, effortlessly keeping pace. "Oh I was wrong, not a green hag, it was a bog hag. You better run faster little bite." He could hear the concern in her voice but their short legs and the near waist deep water prevented them from making much ground.
Pie was beginning to think that this might be it when he heard the buzzing. He grabbed snek and yelled "JUMP!"
He jumped in the air and was caught by the giant fuzzy buzzy that came zooming between the gnarled trees of the swamp, and several more were right behind it, seeing Pie caught up Snek also jumped and was carried up and away as well. Nixie waved at the fast retreating friends as she sank beneath the waters to stay away from the raging bog hag.
The hags yells and shouts echoed around them as they were carried away, but soon they were too far to hear them and pie began laughing as they were buzzed across the same distance they had taken a day to walk in just a short time. The wind felt good and as they neared the edge of the swamp and the giant wall the Eladrin had erected to keep the swamp separated from their forests loomed in front of them the sun peeked through the clouds and they were bathed in a warm comforting light.
Snek did not appear too excited as the fuzzy giant bees carried them along, but he seemed to appreciate that it was better than facing that violent hag. The snake person was amazed by the comforting softness of the catlike fur of the the feline giant bee was wrapped around them as they were held by its paws. In a heartbeat they were up and over the wall and the guards left to watch the wall were debating whether to fire on the creatures that just emerged from the swamp when pie was waving and shouting to them.
The giant fuzzy Buzzys set them down and after some purring and nuzzling were off into the air buzzing too and fro in lazy patterns, pouncing on things that moved a little too suddenly. Pie giggled and laughed, the mood from earlier completely changed in the sunlight, and the distinct lack of life threatening monsters.
"What is thosesss?" Snek asked. "I never seessss before."
THe guards were walking their way, their bows still out, but at least not pointed at them any longer. Pie sat on a rock as they waited for the eladrin. "Fuzzy Buzzys, well GIANT Fuzzy Buzzys. They normally are a lot smaller like the size of a kitten. But I met these giant ones in a nice place where a nymph lives… but thats a story we DON'T need to get into. Anyway, they are super cute, and friendly and soooo soft, and they like to play like kitty's do."
Snek nodded and watched the elves approach apprehensively. He had never had good experiences with them in the rare times they had come into the swamp apparently. Pie patted his shoulder. Don't worry, I will get you away from here too. They don't like me much either, but I did them a favor. I hope the druid got back here ok. It's all for nothing if they didn't make it back all right. I think I saw them get away though."
The eladrin approached and after seeing who it was and hearing the briefest description of what had happened, one of them ran off to deliver the news, and summon Karthack. It was clear they were still guarded, but they were not overtly hostile.
They waited a while and Pie and Snek rummaged through the last of what was in the supplies pack he had been given, finding some small dried rations to nibble on while they waited. When karthack emerged, it was nearly sunset and Pie got the feeling that it was done on purpose to push it close to the point where the Geas magic would start making him worried. He didn't' feel any pulls from that magic at al although, maybe it didn't start doing its thing until it was too late, or maybe the druid getting back was enough to satisfy the magic? He had thought it would have had more impact on him by now, but strangely he felt nothing. The magic would be active by now if the druid hadn't made it back right?
Karthacks smug look faded when he did not see any signs of Pie stressing over the geas. He concealed that disappointment and greeted them begrudgingly.
"I'm surprised you made it back. The druid is not returned to us. Did you want to let us watch you writhe and wither as the geas works its magic on you for your failure?"
Pie was shocked, the druid hadn't made it back? He didn't feel anything from the magic of the geas at all.
"She didn't come back? We freed her though! She should have been back hours ago!" He looked to Snek, checking to see if he was not hallucinating The snake person shrugged, looking just as bewildered.
"Red bird make esssscape before usssss." . They confirmed what he thought to be the truth.
Karthack laughed maliciously. "It looks like I will get to go after them myself. I will show my worth when I recover the elder. First I will get to watch you suffer first hand." The elf grinned as he gestured grandly.
"I doubt that elfling." A gnarled voice emanated from the forest as two figures emerged. One was a dryad woman, old and regal, her bark skin rippling as she walked, and her branch and vine hair waving with flowers that grew on them. Beside her a dark haired woman in long robes walked, icey white hair peeking from the hood.
"Grandmother!" Pie exclaimed excitedly.
"Elder!" Karthack gasped in surprise.
The Winter Eladrin gestured toward Pie and Snek. "The youngsters did well and faced much peril to free me from the hag that had captured me. I owe them my lives and I am glad to see them returned safely. Calling on those giant Bees was a very creative way to escape from the hag."
Grandmother dryad opened her arms, and pie rushed into them, embracing his friend in a hug.
"I sent one of my daughters to remove that silly enchantment on the first night these two ventured into the swamp. You boys were so tired you didn't even wake when she visited."
The elder druid shot karthack a piercing glare, "I am displeased that you imperiled the ones you enlisted aid from. An action that reflects our hospitality very poorly I might add. We will discuss this later Karthack. Little Pie, Grandmother dryad has told me much of you, please let us show you and your friend the hospitality we have to offer in thanks to your service."
Pie nodded and motioned for snek to join them as he held grandmother dryads hand and walked with them toward the elves village where they would receive their reward and enjoy a festive evening celebrating the safe return and arrival of the elder druid.
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