Another shadow darted through the stems, and everyone suddenly turned toward it.
“Show yourself!” Benny demanded of the shadows.
A soft giggle echoed through the darkness.
Not again. Not more monsters.
Seda promised herself she would act the next time they faced new fears. She looked inward and drew on her anger, focusing on Cahir, and her arms started to glow in the dim light.
“STOP!” a loud voice echoed through the mushrooms. An older man, no taller than five feet, with a long, gray beard, stepped out from behind the large stems. He wore a crown made of the painful mushrooms on his head. “What magic is this, human?” he asked. He was a stout, broad man dressed in earth-toned clothes that stretched over his belly.
“I thought you said humans don’t have magic, Papa?” a small boy, no taller than two feet, said. He ran up to him and hugged his side.
The older man looked down in alarm at the little boy and reached out his hand toward the group. He unleashed a spray of thorny vines that shot out in all directions, trapping everyone. The thorns were as thick as Seda’s arm and sharper than needles at their tips. She gaspedand stepped back, pointing her hands at the older man. Elco growled deeply, and warmth spread through the area. The Corvids quickly moved closer to Seda.
Kalon gently placed his hand on Seda’s arms, softly pushing them back down. He looked at her and shook his head, saying, “There is a child.”
Seda looked at the small boy, at the innocence shining in his eyes as he watched eagerly. She dropped her arms to hang loosely at her sides, the magic still flowing through them, casting a ghostly glow around the area.
“Sorry, everyone. My grandson wasn’t supposed to be here. You know how kids are. I had to be cautious in case you have bad intentions,” the old man said as he protectively wrapped his arms around the little boy. He looked back down at his grandson and said, “You’re right, little Orion, humans don’t have powers. She looks human. But… I’ve never seen a human display any magical abilities, and I’ve never seen a magical being with purple power before.” He looked back up at the group and said sternly, “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”
Benny moved closer to the edge of the thorns. He held up his hands protectively and said, “We’re travelers heading north. We do not wish to have any conflict.”
The old man hummed thoughtfully and then clicked his tongue, “You seem to be travelers consisting of a Lionne, Corvids, a Lycanthrope, humans, and… more.”
“We wish no harm to your family or people. We want to pass peacefully,” Benny added.
A small, round woman with full cheeks like ripe peaches, wearing a dusty-colored dress with a worn-out hem, approached the older man. “Father, is this how you treat travelers in need of warm food and soft beds? Look at them! They could use a bowl of soup in their bellies.” She crossed her arms over her heavy chest andharrumphed loudly, her matching crown of mushrooms shifting on her head.
“I’m the leader, Lucja. It’s my job to make sure we’re safe,” he said to her, his eyes narrowed and fixed on the group with a wary gaze.
“Hobberwash! Release these people from the prison you built. Just look at the poor souls. They need our help!” she demanded.
“We do not help. Ever since the gods fled, my dear,” the man replied.
“Then it is past time. We’re due for a little fun around here.” Lucja placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot impatiently.
He eyed Seda and Elco suspiciously, then turned back to Benny. “How did you find us?”
“We don’t know our exact location, sir. Like I mentioned, we were heading north and stumbled upon these mushrooms, so we kept moving forward,” Benny replied.
“These mushrooms have shielded us since the monsters won the war,” he stated.
Since the monsters won the war, that was the truth. No sugar coating it.
Seda stepped forward and said as powerfully as she could muster, “I apologize for calling upon my power. We do not wish to harm anyone who does not wish to harm us. These are my friends, and I promise that if you bring us no harm, none will be returned.” She smiled to herself, pleased with how she handled that perfectly, without a single stutter.
He gazed at her curiously, then glanced down at her hands, noticing the purple was fading away. He looked doubtfully at Elco, his lips pressed into a thin line.
“Tell him I wish the same, please,” Elco said to Seda.
“My friends all wish the same,” she told him. “Even my friend, Elco.” She nodded her head toward Elco as she continued to look at the older man.
A long moment of silence as the older man considered her words. Then he sighed and snapped his fingers. The thorny vines disappeared without a trace.
“Wow,” Askold said in awe. “How did you do that?”
“My name is Chief Vidar. Follow us,” the older man said. “I will tell you along the way to our village in the Amanita Copse. Please do not make me regret this. I do wish to please my daughter, and my kindness only goes so far.”
