The Empress of Beasts, page 68
part #13 of The Wandering Inn Series
Then they were outside, making a beeline for The Wandering Inn. The other teams were following Bevussa’s at a fast march. They were disconcerted by Liscor; not only by Tekshia, but by the fact that Liscor’s pedestrians would shove them aside rather than give way to adventurers.
“Move it, you inbred Humans! I see you in that armor! Move it! Don’t you know how to walk?”
“Dead gods. That was the Guildmistress? They’re so—military around here!”
Alais panted, too wide-eyed to be awkward as Ceria and Yvlon fell into place next to them. Yvlon had to grin.
“Welcome to Liscor.”
——
“Hey Bevussa! Ceria, Yvlon, Ksmvr! My favorite team!”
Another surprise greeted the Human adventurers at the inn. They’d all come through, but the sight of Erin Solstice, a bunch of [Actors] trying to put on zombie makeup, and a carrot cake stumped them. Bevussa turned as they poured into the room via the door.
“Alright! Everyone move forwards! To that side! We’re going back through the door! Erin, I set up the door. It’s the purple stone now. Where is—”
“Lyonette already added it to the dial. We even have labels now! See?”
The adventurers all turned and saw the purple stone marked ‘Bloodfields’ on it. Bevussa nodded.
“Don’t let anyone wander around near there or go through, Erin. Oh—and I’m supposed to tell you your service fee’s coming.”
“Awesome! Hey everyone! I’m Erin Solstice! This is my inn and you’re using my door! It’s free of charge and we’ve got a connection to Esthelm! You can go to Pallass, but you have to apply. And this is my favorite team in all of Liscor! The Horns!”
Erin waved at Ceria, Yvlon, and Ksmvr. Yvlon flushed and Bevussa raised an eyebrow.
“All of Liscor? What about us or the Halfseekers?”
“Uh—hey Bevussa, want some cake? It’s carrot! Hey, you adventurers! Any of you ever had cake?”
Some of the teams looked very interested; they’d probably not even stopped when coming through to the guild. Bevussa shook her head briskly.
“No time, Erin. We’ll come back later. Everyone through? Okay—someone turn that dial to the purple stone. Yes, just turn it. Then open the door—go on through, but don’t go anywhere!”
She began barking orders. Erin waved the adventurers off.
“Alright, but when you get back, I’ve got cake ready! Ooh, and potions and my special Scale Soup! Lyonette, we’re doing a product demonstration when they get back! Have you got a nail? My knife is too sharp…”
Yvlon followed Bevussa out into another world. South of Liscor, the bowl-shaped valley opened up and the higher elevation sloped downwards, away from the High Passes, the mountain range that separated Izril. A flatland emerged, full of grass and open space, perfect for pastures and forests.
Or that was how it should have been. In truth, the flat area was a perfect battleground that Humans and Drakes had traditionally fought in in ages past. By mutual consent, armies had fought in this space, and so much blood had been shed that over time the ecology of the grass had mutated, turning red. Crimson. And a new biome had emerged, one that craved blood. A deadly, alien landscape.
The Bloodfields. Yvlon looked around, her skin crawling under her armor. She stared around at the green…lush…grass..
They weren’t at the Bloodfields. The adventuring teams spread out on the grass, looking around, many muttering about their encounter with Erin.
“I was told she’s insane—”
“Heard about the incident with that gang?”
“Knows the Horns? Maybe—”
“Alright! Attention! Eyes forwards teams!”
Bevussa’s shout made every head turn. She flew out of the door and held her position in the air, wings beating as her team flew out and landed behind her. A few other Drakes and Gnolls were present; Yvlon recognized them as [Scouts] and the [Builder]. Bevussa’s voice directed her attention back up.
The Gold-rank Captain was in full authority-mode. She shouted down at the Silver-rank teams.
“My name is Bevussa Slenderscale, Captain of the Wings of Pallass! You are now standing at the edge of the Bloodfields, where you’ll be working! I don’t have the specifics of your job; it will change day to day. You’ll be responsible for removing monster nests, guarding workers as they clear a road, and scouting! However, my job is simple! To educate you about the dangers of the Bloodfields!”
She pointed one wing, turning in midair. The adventurers turned with her and saw…
Red. Dark red soil and grass in the distance, crimson. Like a stain, spreading across the normal grass and trees. But where the Bloodfields began, still miles distant, the world changed.
It was alien. Distant, tall and strange plants grew out of the soil. Brambles, huge and twining, emerged. Bright, glowing plants emerged, and the Bloodfields grew denser further in. Almost like a jungle—but in pockets. Some areas looked strangely bare; the growths of plants were dense in some places, not at all in others. But what stood out was simply the color.
Blood red. And yet, it was still distant. So far away in fact that Yvlon estimated there were at least two miles, maybe even three of ordinary grass between them and the Bloodfields. Bevussa pointed grimly.
“You may know of the Bloodfields or you may not. Either way, this is what you must know. The Bloodfields are an exceptionally dangerous area south of Liscor. The plants, animals, and monsters are all a lot more dangerous than most areas of the world. Everything there wants your blood. Even the animals and other creatures living there want to drain you dry.”
She looked back at the Silver-ranks. Yvlon glanced around and saw some doing likewise. She’d heard of the Bloodfields of course, but they weren’t being paid to go through it, just around it. However, older adventurers like Stan were seriously listening to Bevussa, and Yvlon looked back up. The Garuda’s voice snapped at the teams below.
“My only lesson I’m being paid to teach you is this: do not go near the Bloodfields. Not in the summer, and even in the winter some of the things living there will kill you. The Bloodfields are a Gold-rank threat—meaning that Gold-rank teams can and have died there, not that it’s safe for them. The only time the Bloodfields are safe is when an army comes through and literally burns everything away. And when they’re gone, the Bloodfields are back within the month. Now. I know you’re probably not convinced, so we’re going to have a demonstration. Everyone look ahead. See those huge plants?”
She pointed. Yvlon had to squint to see and the adventurers shaded their eyes. They were so far distant from even the nearest discoloration in the soil from green grass to red, and the nearest objects breaking up the flatlands were even more distant still. Because everything was flat, as opposed to Liscor’s rolling valleys, Yvlon could see what Bevussa was pointing out.
“Those things? What the hell is that?”
Kam muttered as she peered ahead. She was looking at a cluster of fat…plants? They looked like pillows. Or fat cushions, some as large as…Yvlon squinted. Houses? Only, it was one entire plant.
It was an odd, disconcerting sight. Some of the adventurers muttered.
“I can barely see it! What is that, a boulder?”
“No. It’s a plant.”
“Why the hell are we so far back?”
“For your safety.”
That came from one of the Drakes. One of the Silver-rank teams, actually, a rarity in the north. She looked very nervous. And Yvlon realized all of the non-Humans were regarding the distant red edge of the Bloodfields warily.
She stared at the pillow-plant in the distance. It gave her an uneasy feeling. Ceria moved over and whispered to Yvlon and Ksmvr.
“My [Dangersense] is going off just looking at that thing.”
“I believe it is highly dangerous, Captain Ceria. I am familiar with the Bloodfields.”
“What is it, Ksmvr?”
“I have only studied it, never seen it, but most likely—”
“Your attention!”
Bevussa shouted and everyone looked up. She pointed.
“Can anyone hit that target from here? If not, I’ll fly closer and shoot it.”
The adventurers looked at her, surprised. From here? If it were a thousand feet, it would still be a huge ask. Alais looked around, shifting as she lifted her staff.
“I could try a [Lightning Bolt]? It’s awfully long, though, and my control—”
“What, and fry us? I’ve seen your aim. Let me try. [Long-Range Shot]!”
Captain Kam stepped up. The [Bow Rider] wasn’t mounted; she’d been complaining about having to find a stable since Erin’s inn didn’t have one, a huge problem. She lifted her shortbow, drew it back, and loosed. Her arrow sped through the air as the adventurers watched. High, going further, further…
It fell short by about, oh, nine thousand and five hundred feet. Good for a shortbow! But the adventurers all laughed. Kam lowered her bow, flushing.
“It really is far. I wondered if it were an optical illusion.”
“Let us try, then. [Seeker Shot]!”
“[Arrow of Light]!”
“[Ice Spike]!”
Even Ceria joined in. Spells and arrows flew from the Silver-rank teams, but all were far, far too short. Even Ceria’s best, enhanced spell didn’t even come close to the distance. Yvlon looked around and saw some of the Gold-rank adventurers of Bevussa’s team shaking their heads. She looked mildly annoyed.
“If none of you has a mile-long Skill—”
“Who has one of those?”
One of the adventurers looked incredulous. Bevussa stared at him. Gold-ranks, that’s who. Captain Kam looked around and frowned.
“It’s fine. I’ll get closer and—”
“Hold your ground!”
The order came from Bevussa, a screech of fury. Kam stopped, flushing, and Bevussa swooped down, glaring.
“No one gets closer! I don’t care how fast you are or what dodging skills you have—even if it looks clear, you will not approach the Bloodfields, regardless of how the ground looks! You will keep your distance? Is that clear?”
“But we’re two miles away! This is ridiculous! We don’t need to be this far. Do we?”
One of the adventurer captains looked annoyed at this display of caution. Zassil, the Oldblood Drake on Bevussa’s team, snapped at him.
“That’s why we’re demonstrating this, Human!”
Bevussa ignored them. She swooped down towards where Yvlon was standing. The adventurers moved back as she stopped before Stan. He hadn’t tried loosing a bolt. He blinked at her as his team stared. Bevussa nodded at his side, her brilliant plumage blowing in the faint breeze.
“Crossbows, right? Mind if I borrow one?”
Stan started. He reached for the two crossbows at his side—Yvlon knew he had four more in his bag of holding. He could fire six bolts in a blink, hence his nickname.
“Of course, Captain Bevussa. Here.”
He offered her both crossbows. Bevussa took one and jumped up into the air. She looked down at the others.
“See that plant? Furthest from the right? Watch it.”
So saying, she flew towards it. The Garuda was fast, a speeding bullet in the air. Yvlon had only seen Bevussa’s max speed once during the baseball game and now she understood why the Gold-rank Captain was one of Pallass’ best. Bevussa closed the distance as fast as any bird, even with her armor, gear, and the crossbow’s weight. They saw her flying higher as she reached the edge of the crimson grass.
“She’s got to be at least three hundred feet up. What’s she worried about?”
Ceria glanced at Yvlon. The armored woman bit her lip. There were stories, but she didn’t know the specifics. Everyone was watching now, as Bevussa paused in the air. She was aiming, Yvlon guessed. But she was so tiny they couldn’t see when she fired.
They didn’t see the bolt strike the distant pillow-plant either. But what they did see was it pop. One second it was a bulb in the distance, the next—
“Dead gods! It exploded!”
It was so hard to see, but—Yvlon stared. A mass of red and black had erupted as the bulb burst. It flew into the air—like powder? No—it wasn’t spores. She saw it land, and then—movement. Bevussa was flying back quickly, but the Silver-rank adventurers were transfixed.
The pillow-bulb had unleashed…something. But the adventurers took a few minutes to figure out what they’d seen. Then they realized what the squirming, moving mass was on the ground and several swore or blanched.
Bugs. So many that they’d filled the plant to bursting. They rained down, writhing, released from the crossbow bolt hitting their bulb. Now they were spreading out in a huge mass, visible even from here.
How many? Yvlon shuddered. She tried to imagine being covered in them. You’d inhale them. And if they bit or tried to get in your armor, your mouth—
Everyone was silent when Bevussa dropped down in front of Stan and handed him the crossbow back. She looked around, flew up again, and pointed with one wing towards the exploded bulb.
“Even if you fly, you will not get closer to the Bloodfields. That’s one reason why, and the least of your threats. Let me say it again: my one job is to explain to you how dangerous the Bloodfields is today. You’re all adventurers, but you need to understand.”
She gestured at the other pillow-structures. Now they seemed full of danger to Yvlon. Each one was a nest of insects? How did that even work? Yvlon felt a crawling sensation on her arms and shuddered. Bevussa was continuing her lecture.
“You walk by one of those living beds and it pops and those things will eat you alive faster than you can scream. That’s one of the Bloodfields’ fauna. Ever seen a Watchertree? They stand high up and ‘see’ anything that moves on the soil for a hundred, sometimes hundreds of feet around them. You can spot them by the bare ground around—that’s because their root system is killing anything in their area! And if you step on the ground, a root comes up and spears you! It can even go through unenchanted armor if the hit’s right!”
The Silver-ranks shifted. That sounded like a nightmare come to life! But Bevussa pointed out a nearly invisible, tall, tall plant in the distance. And it was indeed devoid of vegetation around it.
“There are monsters too. Blood slimes, vampiric spiders—there are animals, but all are adapted to live there and most are dangerous. Even the rabbits. That’s why you will all stay clear of the Bloodfields by at least two miles from the nearest visible edge, understand?”
“Captain Bevussa, is that safe? Would some monsters…pursue us out of the area?”
Kam raised her hand, looking worried. None of the adventurers were protesting Bevussa’s injunction now. If anything, Yvlon agreed. Were they too close? Bevussa shook her head.
“Most of the Bloodfields’ threats are stationary. The bugs, for instance, don’t pursue you that far. And the Watchertrees? Totally safe if you stay away. That’s why the radius is important. Frankly, you need to be worried about creatures living around the Bloodfields; there are monsters in the area. But we want to make sure you don’t wander close. Got it?”
Everyone nodded. Bevussa flew lower. Now her team took wing. The Wings of Pallass joined Bevussa and she pointed.
“I’m with you all just for today. I won’t be around to bail you out; I might be in the dungeon or unavailable. So we’ll be flying above, watching you. These are some [Scouts] from Liscor. [Pathfinders]—and [Master Builder] Reikhle is from Pallass. He’ll be helping determine which way we’ll be setting a path. Your job is to escort the [Scouts]; each team pair off with a scout and coordinate your path. They know where to go!”
Suddenly, it was work. And credit where credit was due; the Silver-rank teams might have been nervous from the threat of the Bloodfields, and new to Liscor, but they were still adventurers. Each captain began calling orders and Yvlon found Ceria and Ksmvr. They made their way to a Drake [Scout].
“Excuse me? I’m Ceria, Captain of the Horns of Hammerad.”
“Hissle. Don’t laugh. I’m a [Pathfinder]. Is this your team?”
Ceria nodded.
“There’s only three of us today; our fourth member’s occupied. Is that a problem? Should we double up?”
The Drake paused.
“Hm. Maybe. Let’s see what Captain Bevussa has to say. How fast is your team?”
“We can jog. Yvlon, you can keep up, right?”
“I can. Can you?”
Yvlon looked pointedly at Ceria. The half-Elf was the least in shape. She turned red.
“I’ve been running! Grimalkin’s been forcing me to do all kinds of lifts with those stupid weights—”
“Hey! That team! Yes, you! Thunder’s Solace? With the Horns of Hammerad! There! Partner up with Scout Hissle!”
Bevussa’s voice shouted from overhead. Yvlon winced, but Captain Alais and her team didn’t protest. Awkwardly, she made room for the other team and Hissle looked around.
“My name’s Hissle. Don’t laugh. I’m the [Pathfinder] tasked with the eastern side—we’ll be taking that route. It’s some climbing, but we’ll move as fast as you’re comfortable. Let’s confer before we get moving. Who has detection Skills? I’ll share point if there’s someone with similar Skills to mine. And who are the team captains? I know Captain Springwalker. And the other is…?”
“Alais. This is Thunder’s Solace. We have a [Tracker]. Ceria?”
Alais stepped forwards and Hissle shook her hand. Ceria shook her head.
“All we’ve got is Ksmvr. He’s fast, though. [Skirmisher]. And he can jump. Should we put him on the front?”
Hissle brightened up.
“I’d appreciate that. Extra security is nice. Uh—oh, one of the new Antinium? Are you painted?”
He looked at Ksmvr. The former Prognugator shook his head.
“I am a disgrace.”
“Uh—”
The [Pathfinder] looked at Ceria. She shook her head. He paused.
“Right then! Let’s get marching. We’ll sort out an order of movement and commands; for now, listen to me when I shout! If any of you see something suspicious, shout it out and everyone groups up, understand? If one of the Wings of Pallass shouts? Pay attention!”
