Chapter Ten

Yui and Mai watch as the black hole that is Maple devours yet another batch of food. "She's eating so much. Go Maple." Yui cheers. "Where's the food going?" Mai wonders.

"Thanks for the meal." Maple exclaims the moment she finishes eating. "I didn't realize how hungry I was. Hehehe."

Maple hands her empty plates to the young woman dressed as waitress beside her. "Are you sure I can't help? I can wash really well you know, Doja."

"Don't worry Maple, it's what I'm here for. Anything I can do to help my mom and dad." The young woman smiles and starts clearing the table, her movements efficient and graceful. "I'll get these out of the way."

Maple nods, stretching her arms over her head. "Sounds good to me. I'm exhausted from all the walking i did today."

Yui yawns, her eyes drooping. "Same here. I can't wait to crash and get some rest."

Mai stands up, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "And then tomorrow, we start our adventure in earnest!"

As the sisters' enthusiasm fills the air, Doja smiles warmly, her eyes shining with a mix of amusement and fondness. "I'll make sure to have your rooms prepared and ready for you. You all must be exhausted from your journey and explorations today."

As Doja efficiently clears the table, Maple, Yui, and Mai make their way to the inn's reception area, where a cozy fireplace crackles and spits, casting a warm glow over the room. The atmosphere is tranquil, with soft murmurings from other patrons and the occasional clinking of glasses.

Chrome, seated on a nearby couch, looks up from his chat with the innkeeper, a hint of a smile on his face. "Ah, perfect timing! I've just finalized the arrangements for our rooms. Let's get some rest, and we'll regroup bright and early tomorrow."

As the group heads towards the stairs, Maple's eyes sparkle with excitement. "Tomorrow, we start our adventure! I can't wait to see what the world has in store for us!"

Yui and Mai exchange a knowing glance, their faces mirroring Maple's enthusiasm. The trio ascends the stairs, their footsteps echoing through the inn.

The next morning, Maple is the first up of the three. She nudges the twins awake, her eyes shining with excitement. The room, cozy and warm, is filled with the soft glow of morning light streaming through the windows. The wooden furniture, adorned with intricate carvings, seems to gleam in the gentle light. The beds, plush and comfortable, have been slept in, with the sheets and blankets rumpled from a restful night's sleep.

As the twins stir, Maple helps them up, and they begin their morning routine. They wash their faces, brush their teeth, and change into fresh clothes, the sound of running water and gentle chatter filling the room.

Downstairs, the inn's common room is bustling with activity. The fireplace crackles and spits, casting a warm glow over the room. The air is filled with the savory aromas of breakfast cooking in the kitchen. Patrons mingle and chat, enjoying their morning meals and planning their day's adventures.

The group joins Chrome in the common room, where Doja greets them with a warm smile. "Good morning, Maple and friends! I hope you slept well. Breakfast is ready, and I've prepared a special meal for you all." She leads them to a table laden with steaming dishes, and they dig in, savoring the delicious flavors.(drop suggestions for fantasy inn foods and I'll write them down.)

With their breakfast finished, they change into their gear, then bid farewell to Doja and the innkeeper, stepping out into the sunlight. They head towards the adventurers guild. Maple practically skips along the way, her excitement palpable. As they approach the Blue Beri guild, they notice a a familiar group of adventurers leaving through the doors. Rollo leads the party, a massive axe resting on his shoulder. Thorn and Priscilla follow close behind, a sword on his hip and her staff in her hand. Silvari is the last out holding a cyan colored bow and she immediately notices Maple Tree.

"Hmph." Rollo walks past them with a frown on his face. Priscilla gives an apologetic smile and Thorn just snickers. Silvari holds Maple's gaze for a few seconds before rushing off after her party.

Maple and the twins pause to watch the odd party leave with a sigh from Chrome.

"Well... They seem nice." Maple smiles and the twins chuckle.

////

It took them over a day but at the dawn of the next day, the party known as Ironhaven finally arrive at Riverra. A quick glance from Rollo and Silvari immediately vanishes, off to gather information. The rest of Ironhaven head on to the nearest village named Brindlemark, seeking accommodations and a warm meal. Rollo leads the way, his massive axe drawing curious glances from the villagers. Thorn and Priscilla follow close behind, their weapons and armor a testament to their profession.

As they enter the village inn, the patrons turn to gaze at the newcomers. The atmosphere is lively, with laughter and music filling the air. Rollo's party makes their way to the bar, ordering a round of drinks and food.

The bard in the corner raises his mug in a friendly toast. "Welcome, adventurers! What brings you to our humble village?" Rollo's eyes narrow, his gaze scanning the room. "We're investigating strange occurrences in the area. Undead sightings, rumors of a lich..."

The bard's expression turns serious. "Ah, you mean the strange happenings in the woods? We've heard rumors too. Some say a lich has already taken up residence."

The bard leans in, his voice barely audible. "Be careful, travelers. The woods are treacherous, even without a powerful undead lord lurking in the shadows."

As Ironhaven departs, they notice the village of Brindlemark stretching out before them. The thatched roofs of the cottages are a vibrant green, and the air is filled with the sweet scent of blooming wildflowers. The villagers, a mix of humans and halflings, bustle about their daily business, casting curious glances at the adventurers.

Rollo leads the way, his axe slung over his shoulder, as they make their way through the village. They pass by the local blacksmith, where the sound of hammering on hot metal echoes through the air. The smell of freshly baked bread wafts from the nearby bakery, enticing their senses.

As they leave the village, the landscape shifts to rolling hills and dense forests. The trees tower above them, their leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. The party follows a winding dirt path, their footsteps quiet on the earth.

A few hours later and they've arrived at their last hint of safety. The forest loomed before them, its once-verdant canopy now shrouded in a sickly yellow haze. Twisted branches grasped towards the sky like skeletal fingers, their leaves long since withered and fallen. The air reeked of decay and death, heavy with the stench of rotting flesh.

Shambling corpses stumbled through the underbrush, their eyes glowing with an unnatural, malevolent light. Bony fingers dragged against the earth, leaving trails of grave dirt and decay in their wake. The ground itself seemed to writhe and twist, as if the very land was alive and tormented.

A faint hum of dark magic hung in the air, like the distant buzzing of a thousand flies. The trees seemed to whisper to each other in hollow, spectral voices, their words indistinguishable but their malevolent intent clear.

In this forsaken place, death reigned supreme, and the living were unwelcome intruders. The forest seemed to wait with bated breath, eager to claim its next victim.

The shock is evident on Priscilla's face, Rollo turns towards her. "Sis?" His voice curious.

"This... This is too quick." Priscilla staggers as a nauseous feeling rises in her throat, a result of the dark mana wafting from the forest. "A newly born lich isn't capable of this. Whatever is in there is far stronger than a lich. It's presence is transforming the forest at an insane rate. How did an undead this strong get this close to the city?"

Rollo frowns. "We still need to figure out what's causing it though. If we know the kind of undead it is, the guild can organize a raid."

"Don't bother." Silvari appears from the dark and scary forest. "I've scoured the entire north side of the forest. Lots of undead but no leading boss. It's probably deeper into the forest, I couldn't go deeper though, not without making it hard for a retreat." She pulls out a water skin from Priscilla's bag and takes a long drink.

Thorn's eyes narrow, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "So, we're dealing with a powerful undead lord, possibly an archlich or a demilich. And it's hiding deep in the forest, surrounded by an army of minions."

Rollo's face sets in a determined expression. "Then we'll need to gather more information and come up with a strategy before we head in. We can't afford to take this thing lightly. Thorn, you and I will scout the edges of the forest, create a perimeter."

Priscilla nods, her color returning. "I'll see if I can gather any information from the villagers. Maybe someone's seen something that can help us."

Silvari hands the water skin back to Priscilla. "I'll scout ahead, see if I can find any clues or weaknesses in the forest, possibly map a path. Meet back here in an hour?"

The party nods, dispersing to their assigned tasks.

Rollo and Thorn creep through the underbrush, their eyes scanning the forest edge for any signs of danger. The trees loom above them, casting long shadows in the fading light of day. They move quietly, their armor muffled by the rustling of leaves and snapping of twigs.

"See anything?" Rollo whispers, his hand on the hilt of his axe.

Thorn shook his head, his eyes fixed on the forest. "Not yet. But I don't like this. We haven't seen many strong undead here, it makes sense since they're made from the body of the villagers but this sensation."

Rollo nods, his gaze darting back and forth. "I know what you mean. Let's keep moving."

Meanwhile, Silvari picks her way through the forest, her senses on high alert. She avoids the main paths, instead following a narrow game trail that wounds through the trees. She moves slowly, her eyes scanning the ground for any signs of danger.

As she walks, she notices that the forest has grown impressively quieter. The zombies have stopped growling, and the rustling of leaves seem to take on a more ominous tone. She quickens her pace, her heart pounding in her chest.

Back in the village, Priscilla searches for any clues that might have been missed. She speaks to the villagers, asking about anything unusual they might have seen or heard. She searches the village elder's hut, looking for any ancient texts or scrolls that might hold some answers.

As the sun begin to set, the party reconvene at the edge of the forest. Rollo and Thorn look grim, their faces set in determined expressions. Silvari looks pale, still haunted by what she had felt in the forest. Priscilla looks determined, her eyes flashing with a fierce light.

"What did you find?" Rollo asks, his voice low and urgent.

"Nothing." Silvari shivers.

The rest of the party look at her with a hint of concern and a good amount of surprise. "I couldn't find anything, no clues, whatever is creating all those undead, I can't find it. Not here anyway."

Priscilla places a hand on Silvari's shoulder. "I couldn't get anything from the villagers either except this only happened a few days ago. Silvari's right, we might need to go deeper into the forest."

"No... It's in this part of the forest." Silvari raises her head. "Hmmm." Rollo cocks an eyebrow. "I thought you said you couldn't find anything." Thorn asks. "I couldn't, but I could feel it. Like it was watching me, I didn't think I would leave the forest alive to be honest. That feeling like it was observing, follow... ing." A look of realization suddenly dawns on the party and they immediately ready their weapons. They immediately form a circle, Silvari nocking an arrow, Rollo readying his axe, Thorn drawing his sword, Priscilla in the middle of chanting a spell.

As the party readies their weapons, a faint whispering echoes through the forest, the words indistinguishable but the malevolent intent clear. The air grows colder, the shadows deepening and twisting around into a massive form.

An undead behemoth with the clawed arms of a gorilla and the body of a bear emerges from the darkness, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly grey energy. It's fur blending into the darkness. Its presence is suffocating, the air thickening with an unspeakable horror that makes the party's hearts race with terror.

The creature's gaze sweeps over the party, its eyes lingering on each member as if sizing them up for the kill. Its massive arms hang limp at its sides, yet the party can sense the unfathomable power coiled within those shadowy limbs.

The whispering grows louder, the words still indistinguishable but the urgency clear. The party feels like they're being pulled into a nightmarish realm, one from which they may never escape.

Rollo's axe trembles in his hand, his voice barely audible as he whispers, "What in the world are we facing?"

Thorn's sword shakes with fear, his eyes fixed on the behemoth's unblinking stare. "This thing... it's not of this world."

"It's an Ursagorath." Silvari whispers, but her teammates hear her. "It's a B rank monster, at least it's supposed to be. An undead Ursagorath has never been recorded before."

Priscilla's eyes are wide with terror, her voice a mere whisper as she chants a protection spell around herself.

Silvari's arrow is frozen in her bow, her eyes fixed on the Ursagorath's glowing eyes. "We can't defeat this... thing. We need to run."

But it's too late. The Ursagorath's gaze fixes on Silvari, its eyes burning with an unholy intensity. The whispering grows deafening, the words seemingly cry: "You will be consumed."

The Ursagorath's massive arm raises, its shadowy energy coalescing into a dark bolt that hurtles towards Silvari with unstoppable force. As the dark bolt hurtles towards Silvari, the sky above grows darker, as if nightfall has descended in an instant. The air thickens with an unspeakable horror, the whispering growing deafening as the Ursagorath's power surges forward.

Silvari's eyes widen in terror, her body frozen in place as the bolt bears down on her. The air around her seems to distort, as if reality itself is bending to accommodate the Ursagorath's malevolent energy.

Rollo's axe flashes in the fading light, striking the ground mere inches from Silvari's feet as he tries to deflect the bolt. The blade shudders with the impact, the force of the blow sending Rollo stumbling backwards.

Thorn's sword slices through the air, striking true but failing to leave a mark on the Ursagorath's shadowy form. The blade seems to pass through the undead behemoth as if it were a specter, leaving Thorn stumbling forward with a cry of despair.

Priscilla's protection spell flares to life around her, the holy energy repelling the darkness but failing to quench its intensity. The Ursagorath's power pushes against her defenses, the pressure building to a crescendo as the bolt closes in on Silvari.

The forest around them erupts into chaos, trees splintering and crashing to the ground as the Ursagorath's energy ravages the landscape. The earth shudders, the ground cracking open as if the very foundations of the world are being torn asunder.

In the midst of this maelstrom, Silvari finds her voice, a blood-curdling scream tearing from her throat as the bolt strikes her with incredible force. Her body is lifted off the ground, her form silhouetted against the dark sky as she's suspended in mid-air.

The party's weapons fall limp, their eyes fixed on Silvari's helpless form as the Ursagorath's power threatens to consume her. Time seems to slow, the world around them grinding to a halt as they realize they're powerless against this abominable horror.

And then, in an instant, the bolt dissipates, Silvari crashing to the ground with a bone-jarring impact. The party rushes to her side, dragging her to her feet as they turn to flee from the Ursagorath's wrath.

The forest seems to stretch out before them like an endless nightmare, the trees twisting and writhing like living serpents. The sky above is a deep, foreboding crimson, the air thick with the stench of death and decay.

As they run, the Ursagorath's roar echoes through the forest, the sound waves crashing against their backs like a physical force. The ground shudders beneath their feet, the earth cracking open as if the very foundations of the world are being torn asunder.

They burst through the treeline, the village of Brindlemark spread out before them like a haven of safety. They don't dare look back, their hearts pounding in their chests as they flee from the horror they awakened in the forest.

Only when they're safely within the village walls do they dare to glance back, their eyes scanning the treeline for any sign of the Ursagorath's pursuit. The forest stands silent, the trees looming like sentinels over the darkness that lurks within.

Priscilla's hands tremble as she reaches for Silvari's limp form, her eyes fixed on the horrific wounds that mar her friend's body. The Ursagorath's dark energy still lingers, its malevolent presence making Priscilla's skin crawl.

She begins to chant a healing spell, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart. Her hands glow with a soft, white light, but the energy seems to falter as it approaches Silvari's wounds.

The darkness within Silvari's body seems to resist Priscilla's efforts, the shadows twisting and writhing like living things. Priscilla's eyes widen in horror as she realizes the true extent of the Ursagorath's power.

With a surge of determination, Priscilla channels more energy into her spell, her hands shaking with the effort. The white light intensifies, but the darkness within Silvari's body seems to grow stronger, pushing back against Priscilla's attempts to heal.

The air around them seems to grow colder, the shadows deepening as if the very presence of the Ursagorath's energy is suffocating the life out of Silvari. Priscilla's breath comes in ragged gasps, her eyes fixed on Silvari's face as she struggles to keep her friend alive.

Rollo and Thorn watch in helpless silence, their eyes fixed on Priscilla's desperate efforts. They know that if Priscilla fails, Silvari will be lost forever, consumed by the very darkness that they had hoped to vanquish.

As the minutes tick by, Priscilla's energy begins to flag, her hands trembling with exhaustion. The white light flickers, threatening to extinguish itself in the face of the Ursagorath's overwhelming power.

In a last-ditch effort, Priscilla calls upon the deepest reserves of her strength, her voice rising in a desperate chant. The white light surges forward, clashing against the darkness in a burst of energy that seems to shake the very foundations of the earth.

Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the darkness begins to recede, Silvari's wounds beginning to close as the light of Priscilla's spell pushes back against the shadows. The air around them seems to warm, the shadows retreating as Silvari's life force begins to flicker back to life.

As the light fades, Priscilla collapses to the ground, her body exhausted. Silvari's eyes flicker open, her gaze fixing on Priscilla's face as she struggles to speak.

"Pri...scilla?" Silvari's voice is barely audible, her eyes filled with a deep gratitude.

Priscilla's face creases into a weary smile, her eyes shining with tears. "I've got you, Sil. You're safe now."

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"Hey Chrome what's wrong." Maple asks a frowning Chrome.

"I don't know." He answers, "I just feel like I forgot something."