Elyndris soared through the halls. For the first time in her life, she could see clearly. She knew what vision was, and had an inkling of what to expect. Her Thaumic Sense was not it. It was somehow more.
Some things were made clear to her. It was as though she could see the idea of something, rather than its actual form. The shape was there, she could easily sense boundaries and edges, things of that nature. But she could see a distinct wallness in the walls. The floor looked very floorlike, not just wooden planks. Even cobwebs had an ancient, forgotten look that she was sure was an exaggeration. The shadows were both clear to sense through and dark and sinister.
It was as though the world had become an artistic representation of itself. In some ways, it was superior to vision while also being worse in some aspects. For instance, she was pretty sure she still couldn’t read. Art and images would be more exaggerated and thus inaccurate.
Above it all, however, was mana. It was like a glowing cloud that drifted in the air. It seemed to be moving towards something behind her. Either the demon or something else. It was clearly corrupted by something. It had a sickly feel to it. Usable, but not trust-able.
Zuss told Elyndris that Daggat had control of the labyrinth. So, hopefully, this path laid out before her was a direct one.
After a few minutes, she had to rest her wings. Pounce took a lot from her, but it was the fastest way for her to move. When she flew again, she came across a crude set of stairs down.
As she moved into the laboratory she noted the smell. Putrid water, smoke, and the distinct musk of Klaw mixed with blood. That was not a good sign.
Bright, glistening blood nearly coated the metal floor. To either side of her, prisoners that seemed to be in the process of becoming living mulch moved faintly. They were mostly animals, but some were humanoids. None looked as though they could speak.
In the center of the room was a great, golden tree. It was an effigy of ancient life. Absolutely brimming with energy. The face in the center of the tree was the face of an old man. In her senses, it was flesh-like. As though a human's face melded into the tree.
Was this the tree? The demon?
Grunting drew her attention away. Klaw was trying to rip an ax out of a wall.
“Hey, Klaw.” She called out.
“Yeah?” He reacted as if they were just casually resting, not as if they were in the heart of a demon-controlled dungeon.
“What are you doing?”
“This fucking ax nearly broke my wrist. The same wrist that keeps getting broken. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME.”
“So?”
“So I want the ax to break the demon's wrist, IS THAT A PROBLEM.” Klaw seemed stressed.
“What happened here? You were supposed to be kidnapped.”
“Yup. Got out. Killed the ax guy. Then killed a heap more undead. What have you been up to?”
“I found treasure.” Elyndris flew to him. He tsked. “We need to hurry. The demon is right behind me. The others are holding it back.”
“One moment.” Klaw hissed through his teeth. His muscles bulged. Half of the bugbear was soaked in blood. He was holding onto the ax with one arm, pulling with all his strength. It was really buried in there deep. She lept up, flew in a circle, then pounced directly down on the ax head. The impact didn’t hurt at all and she bounced off.
She must have knocked something loose because suddenly Klaw ripped the ax from the wall. He pushed himself off the wall with enough strength to send him towards the metal platform. He hit it with a painful twang.
She flew down after him.
This couldn’t be the tree Daggat wanted to be cut down, could it? It was the base of the massive tree that grew through the entire manor. Cutting it down would destroy the place. Despite that, cutting it down would take FOREVER without a massive saw.
“You okay?”
“Ouch. Yes. Maybe. How much blood can you lose before it’s a problem?” Klaw stood up. He wobbled a bit. Elyndris observed the lines of blood and scorch marks on the floor.
“Must have been some battle. But, don’t relax now. The demon is coming, and we have to kill it. Preferably before it gets here.”
“Sorry, bit woozy, did you say kill it before it gets here?”
“Indeed. Daggat passed on information that we must cut down a tree that rests beyond the laboratory. That will kill it.”
Klaw turned to the large tree. The face was motionless, eyes and mouth closed. He shrugged and muttered some curses under his breath. Then he sauntered to it, lifted the ax, and buried it into the tree.
The face’s eyes snapped open and it gasped. Elyndris and Klaw both yelled and jumped back.
“What the f-” Klaw started.
“Why?!” The face cried. Klaw ripped out the ax violently and it yelled again. “Ow, ow, ow… I was sleeping, you imbeciles. Just knock if you wish to speak.” The tree spoke. Its voice was raspy and old but had an echoing quality to it.
“You can talk?” Elyndris asked.
Suddenly the room began to writhe. The countless roots that coated the walls began to slither. They pulsed as though responding to something.
“Oh. Victor is returning. You woke me for nothing because soon you will be dead.”
“This the right tree?” Klaw asked. Elyndris wasn’t so sure.
The room seemed to darken. Everything took on a wood-like appearance in Elyndris’s senses. Metal railing became twisted branches, the floor shriveled into dried wood, and even Klaw’s fur took on a dried leaf consistency.
Then the aura hit. It was despair and fear. The feeling of wandering lost in a dark forest of dead trees. She noted Klaw take a step back, then growl. He recovered quickly, and so would she.
“Tree, are you allied with the demon?” Elyndris asked.
“No. I have no alliance with it. That thing was my ruin.”
“We’re supposed to cut down a tree to kill it. That you?” Klaw pointed the ax at the tree.
“Certainly not. The tree you seek has been sealed away for over thirty years. You don’t have time to unseal it, unfortunately.”
It arrived silently. A broken mess of its previous self. Head split in two and still smoldering, one arm missing, half of its roots gone and the rest have chunks missing from them. It hung from the ceiling, being dragged like a puppet.
What the hell had they done to it? Was this Anath or Hunter? Or both? It was unbecoming for her minions to be stronger than her. She needed to hurry up and learn some magic. For now, there was a demon to deal with.
“The hell happened to you?” Klaw asked. “Someone got to you before I could. Pity.”
It didn’t reply. Instead, it pointed a finger at him. Klaw grinned and hefted the ax.
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They charged each other.
Klaw’s ax cut through a root, splintering it. In response, the demon lashed out with several roots. He swatted them aside.
Alright, while he did that, she needed to find this other tree. There was a hole in the back of the room.
She flew through it.
On the other side was a hall, similar to what they had just gone through. This metal bridge had been torn down. Half of it was twisted.
Beyond the ruined bridge was another large room. In the center was a bone-white tree in the shape of a woman. In her thaumic sense, she could see the evil seeping off of it like a black mist. Its roots twisted from the base and bloomed out. It was the same root that puppeteered the demon.
Yes, this was It. The real demon. Not its husk or puppet.
“Worm… you do not know what you are doing.” The tree whispered. The womanly head did not move, rather the sound came from the tree in its entirety. “I know you seek power. We can make a deal.” Anyone who made a deal at the end was desperate. Elyndris sensed weakness.
“What power does a tree offer?” She flew towards it, picking up speed.
“I can teach you to twist reality to your will. You only must do one thing.”
Elyndris smacked into the tree. She could feel how brittle it was. She needed more speed. Or an ax. But getting Klaw in here would be awkward at best.
“Do you think I, the great Elyndris, don’t already know the ways of the demon? It’s child play to me.”
“You boast, but you are no demon. I can teach you. You must only stop this foolish quest.”
“No demon by choice. I will be a dragon and champion. Then I will show YOU what a demon looks like.” She turned to fly back towards Klaw. She had an idea. “Oh, except, you will be dead.”
“You fool!” the tree hissed, “If you destroy me, I will only track you down when I return. You cannot kill a demon such as I.”
“Eh. Dead, in hell. Same thing. Next time, you won’t get off so lightly.”
As Elyndris flew back to the other room, the roots in the walls had moved in. They were slowly forming a cage through the entire room. Reaching slowly to grasp Klaw.
Klaw was swinging wildly and laughing.
This was a demon of deadwood, after all. An ax is a tool designed specifically to chop wood. What Klaw was doing was like smacking a werewolf with a silver sword.
“Klaw, stop playing around. I need your help.”
“A little busy…” he said. He wasn’t bleeding, so he must be doing fine. But he did have a worried look on his face. She noted the skin flap on his head wasn’t bleeding either. He HAD lost a lot of blood.
Elyndris dove for the demon and pounced at the last moment. Her blow didn’t do much, she only bounced off. She hissed.
“Klaw! This is just a puppet. The real demon is up there.” She pointed with her tail.
A root slammed her into the ground. For a brief moment, she flattened.
“Shit, Elyndris? You good?!”
“Yes, I’m fine,” Elyndris said. The demon looked like a tree branch after a storm. Broken, limp, and sagging. “Cut the roots controlling it, obviously.”
Almost in response to that, the roots from above descended, adding more strings. It began to vibrate as it was lifted into the air. Roots began wrapping around it, adding to its bulk.
“Klaw, you remember the zombies? I need you to throw me.”
“At the demon? I used burst of strength a while ago, can’t use it again.”
“No! Through that hole. And it is past midnight. New day.” She pointed with her tail again. Klaw sighed and dropped the ax. Then he grabbed her.
She needed to focus. Gather the speed, and keep it. She hadn’t been flying for long, but there was some instinct she had for it.
Klaw threw her like a stone with his burst of strength. She wasn’t actually sure it was past midnight. It was a good guess. It would have missed, but she had her wings. She activated her own burst of strength and pounced in the air.
She shot like a sling bullet towards the hole. Roots descended to stop her, but they were too slow. Elyndris couldn’t use her wings to fly in this situation. Rather, she used them to guide her flight and stay aloft.
She weaved through the roots, narrowly missing each one. Then she pounced again and again. Pushing her speed to its max.
Her roar would have shaken the foundations of the manor. If only she wasn’t so tiny, for the moment.
Soon, the tree came into view. The demon hissed something, but Elyndris couldn’t stop if she wanted to.
She hit dead center. At first, she felt her body squish and stretch. Her tail pushed into the back of her head. Then, the tree cracked. All of the stored energy from the flight was transferred into the tree.
It shattered like glass with the thunderous sound of cracking wood. Elyndris was only slowed slightly. She hit the back wall and bounced off, only to bounce again and again off of various objects.
Eventually, she flapped her wings to catch herself once she slowed. The tree had fallen. Its limbs snapped under its own weight. With it came an otherworldly scream of rage.
The Demon of Dead Wood had fallen. Its soul was being dragged back to hell. She could sense it through the mana. It couldn’t be sensed directly, but the absence of mana gave it away.
Elyndris roared again and flew in a circle. She was victorious.
She flew back into the main room. Klaw was chopping at a motionless giant of roots, screaming incoherently.
“Klaw.”
He kept chopping and yelling. Then he rolled to the side to dodge an attack that would never come.
“KLAW!” She yelled.
“THAT’S RIGHT, HOW'S THAT FEEL?!” he was now repeatedly slamming the ax into its wrist.
“IT’S DEAD YOU IDIOT!” She screamed. Klaw hesitated. Then looked up at it. He stepped back, cautiously. Then a grin spread on his face.
“WOO! That’s right fucker. Two monsters in less than an hour.” He slumped down on his back, looking suddenly exhausted. “I’m the best…” he mumbled before the adrenaline wore off. He fell asleep.
Immediately he began to bleed from his wrist, head, and dozens of cuts. Elyndris flew to him, panicked. What was happening?
“Klaw! Wake up!” She slapped him on the face repeatable. His eyes fluttered for a moment. “Why weren’t you bleeding? What did you do?”
One eye opened and he took a sharp intake of breath. Then, the bleeding stopped. His breathing was now steady, as though he was focusing on something.
“Okay. Good. Don’t, uh, fall unconscious again.”
“Oi!” Came a voice. “You kill it? Hey, nice place.” It was Daggat. A floating boy made of wood was following him.
“We did. Klaw’s hurt. He can stop his bleeding somehow, but without closing the wounds…”
“Yeah, the girls are not in great shape either. Even Hunter is a bit hurt.” He walked over. He didn’t seem that hurt. “You alright, Klaw? We’ll get Hunter down here.”
Klaw groaned.
“So, who got the kill?” Daggat asked. The boy was staring at the demon's old puppet.
“I did, I think. Klaw helped.” Elyndris said. Daggat had a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Really? Didn’t take you for the oath-giving type. But, hey, at least you could get a class.” Daggat mused. Elyndris’s stomach dropped. She forgot about that.
There was no way she was going to swear an oath to an ANGEL. She’ll give this kill to Klaw. He was dumb enough to do it.
“It is dead.” The boy said. “After… so many years. I don’t know what made you different than the others. But, thank you. I am now truly free.”
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t do anything rash. We need to talk about the next steps.” Daggat said. “But, now we need to get everyone to the hearth. Al?”
The boy sighed, and Klaw began to float in the air.
Together, they left the dungeon. They found Hunter, Zuss, and Anath a moment later. Hunter was carrying Anath, who was covered in splinters, carefully.
Everyone had survived, barely. It was more than Elyndris expected. They would need to heal. That would take time, even with the hearth. She mused on the future. Perhaps these goblinoids were a decent source of power. A true demon was no small enemy to face, even a simple one like this one.
Elyndris needed to discuss things with her party leader.
Klaw
True Name: Klaw
Soul: Monster
Genseed: gremlin [ 3 Str, 4 Dex, 3 Con, 2 Int, 3 Wil, 3 Cha; Regenerating Teeth, Rot Resistance; Tiny Size]
Genbloom: Bugbear [ +3 Str, +1 Dex, +2 Con, +1 Int, +1 Wil; Rough Fur; Small Size]
Monster Level: 8
Attributes (0/6):
Strength: 19
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 11
Intelligence: 8
Will: 9
Charm: 8
Feats:
Knowledge: System Knowledge
Act: Devotion [Layered feats]
Ability: Mighty Strength
Skills(0/2):
System Aptitude: 1
Burst of Strength: 1
Attribute Boost: Strength (+2)
Notable Natural Skills:
Savagery: Apprentice
Biotraits (0/8):
Base size: Standard [Source: Gremlin]
Regenerating Teeth [Source: Gremlin]
Enhanced Night Vision [Source: Gremlin]
Disease Resistance [Mutations: Rot Resistance; Source: Gremlin]
Claws [Mutations: Forged, Retractable]
Dense Muscle Fibers
Rough Fur [Mutations: Insulating Fur; Source: Bugbear]
Dense Bone
Cardiovascular Control
Transformations:
Drakeheart Form:
+2 strength
+2 constitution
Fire-proof Scales
Claws [Mutation added: Burning]
Night Stalker form:
+2 strength
+2 dexterity
+2 constitution
Dark Vision
Notable Gear:
Mountain Heart Armor
Elyndris
True Name: Elyndris
Soul: Monster
Genseed: Larva [ 1 Str, 1 Dex, 1 Con, 1 Int, 1 Wil, 1 Cha; miniscule Size]
Monster Level: 8
Attributes (0/12):
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 8
Constitution: 8
Intelligence: 15
Will: 7
Charm: 7
Feats:
Encounter: True Angel
Knowledge: System Knowledge
Act: Devotion [layered feats]
Act: Blasphemy
Ability: Mighty Intellect
Act: Vile Concoction
Skills (0/3):
Burst of Strength: 1
Pounce: 1
Construct Capacity: 1
Biotraits (0/8):
Base size: Miniscule
Jaws
Thaumic Sense [Synergy: Tremor Sense + Magic Sense; Mutations: Refined Sense]
Complex organs
Limbs [Mutation: Lesser Wings]
Disease Resistance [Source: Vile Concoction]
Force Distributing Flesh
Transformations:
Night Stalker form:
+2 strength
+2 dexterity
+2 constitution
Jaws [Mutation: Powerful Jaws]
Other:
Curse: Ungenesis
