《Crown of Thorns》


 Chapter 1.1 - Birth of a Garden

    Beep-beep-beep-beep


    ¡°All your plants are here, you know. We brought them all for you to see. I¡­ I know how much you love your flowers.¡±


    The sounds of various monitors and life support equipment were audible above the sounds of consoling words and the muffled sobs of two young parents in a hospital room, at a little girl¡¯s bedside. The girl¡¯s skin was pale and clammy, and her cheeks looked sunken. Even opening her eyes was an almost impossible task for her. She had a weak smile on her face, seeing the many plants from her garden.


    ¡°Little one¡­ we know you¡¯re tired. If¡­ if it hurts too much¡­ it¡¯s ok for you to go. We just want you to know that we love you, and you¡¯ll always be our little girl.¡±


    Beep--beep--beep--beep


    It was hard for them to tell how much time passed before the girl¡¯s eyes slid shut and a flat tone came from the monitors, followed by a wail and the choking sobs of the parents.


    <hr>


    In another place


    Two large, dark eyes sprang open and took in the world for the first time. Filled with childish wonder, they gazed around at all the vibrant colours that filled their vision. A small humanoid shape, nearly 15cm tall, revealed a slender figure and somewhat angular features and hazelnut skin as her wings unfurled from around her and she sprang into the air in excitement. If one were to look at here, their first impression would obviously be Faerie.


    She fluttered from flower to flower, plant to plant, examining all that was around her, before looking further overhead and noticing the massive trees towering overhead. Every time she would pass by a plant, they would bend in her direction as if drawn in by gravity.


    The place where she awoke from was a lotus blossom that grew in the middle of a small spring in the midst of a glade perhaps 20 meters across. The spring water glowed with unknown power, and fantastical and seemingly magical plants could be seen throughout the area. Surrounding the glade on all sides was dense jungle, filled with the cacophonies of life. Everywhere one looked, insects could be seen bustling about, and the calls of various birds and animals punctuated the living soundscape.


    Seemingly unconcerned with anything at all, the tiny faerie danced around and sang to the flowers near the spring, and all around her, the plants appeared filled with vigor. Approaching the small spring, she looked at her own reflection, and only now seemed to notice her own nakedness, not that she minded much. But how could she not want to be draped in colour!


    She shot off, searching around the glade for something to wear, not knowing what it was she was looking for until she came across a small spider¡¯s web in a tree. She sang to the spider, not with words, but with melodies that seemed to carry her every emotion, and the spider obliged by spinning her some silk. With its¡¯ nimble legs, the spider wove the silk into cloth and formed an immaculate backless dress for Faerie that looped over her neck and came down to just above her knees.


    Through Faerie¡¯s magic, an ordinary spider became a clothier in an instant, all while Faerie herself remained blissful and unaware of how absurd and fantastic the entire situation was! After receiving the dress from the spider, she held our her hand to it, singing a short tune that called to it, and seemed to resonate in its¡¯ heart. After a brief moment, the spider scuttled along and crawled up her arm to perch on her shoulder as she flew peacefully back towards her spring.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Feeling thirsty after her day¡¯s activities, Faerie came to the edge of the glowing spring, and scooped some of the water between her palms. Taking a deep drink, she felt quite refreshed, and after scooping some more to offer her spider companion, she fluttered over to the lotus she had emerged from which arranged its petals into a bed on which she could sleep. Smiling softly, she curled up with her new companion beside her and drifted off to sleep. As she slept, the lotus gently closed its petals, offering what protection it could while she dreamed.


    <hr>


    The next morning, as Faerie awoke, the lotus unfurled itself, and she glanced over at her arachnid companion. Seemingly overnight, it had grown, and grown considerably. Originally small enough to rest on her shoulder, (bearing in mind our faerie is quite petite at 15cm) tall, the spider was now three times its original size, and its chitin and hair had begun to turn white.


    Faerie, however, was completely unconcerned with this transformation, and rather her face lit up with a brilliant smile as she lunged over to lift the spider into a hug and carry it to the shore of the spring. Once they had landed, she scooped a handful of the glowing water, feeding it to the spider, before she scooped up another for herself.


    Having slaked her thirst, she set about dancing and singing, making a point to stop by all of the flowers in the glade, each of which was larger and more vibrant than the day before. As she approached the edge of the glade, she noticed that some of the flowers were damaged, seemingly a large animal had torn through the glade in the night.


    A serious look came over Faerie¡¯s countenance for the first time since her emergence, and as she sang to mend the flowers, she considered what she might do. Would other things come to harm her garden? These plants and flowers were her friends, as could be seen by how she greeted them at the start of her day. While magical, Faerie was more or less simple in her thinking, and didn¡¯t know quite what to do.


    At a loss, she flew over to the new companion she had made yesterday, the spider, and sang to it of her worry. In response, the spider scuttled and danced, making gestures with its¡¯ legs, and like this, the two conversed for a time. After the spider finished offering its¡¯ opinion, Faerie grabbed its¡¯ two front legs and danced in a circle with it, singing in joy, before releasing it and bolting off towards the edge of the glade in search of a particular plant.


    The search didn¡¯t take long, and she discovered some vines, just past the edge of her glade. She sang to them, beckoning them closer, asking for them to follow her. Inexplicably, the several vines uprooted themselves. She sang and moved along the edge of the glade, urging all the vines to gather with her, before weaving themselves into a web along the edges of the glade. After hours of singing, she looked at her handiwork, and smiled at the vines that formed a woven wall, now stretching a meter high, helping to protect her beautiful plants.


    She sang the vines one last tune conveying her wish for them to protect the glade and all her precious friends from harm. After this, she flew back towards the spring to drink and rest with her spider companion. While she had been away, the spider had seemingly grown again. Its¡¯ body was now roughly 8cm long, and 3cm tall. It appeared to have spent its day weaving all sorts of things from its webs, including some soft silky pillows for Faerie¡¯s bed.


    Because the spider was now a bit too large for Faerie to carry over to the lotus, instead, she sang to the lotus, asking it to move to the shore. After boarding the lotus, the spider began arranging the curtains, pillows and sheets it had made for her, and they faerie once again laid down to rest, feeling delight at her new bedding. As she and the spider drifted off to sleep once again, the lotus once again closed its petals, though it left some gaps where the curtains hung from it, and returned to the center of the spring.


    Having answered Faerie¡¯s plea for protection earlier, along the edge of the glade, all across the outside of the vine wall, thorns sprouted, while the inner side of the wall became adorned with white blossoms.

 Chapter 1.2

    As morning light filled the lotus in the glowing spring, it gently drifted towards the shore while unfurling its¡¯ petals. From within came a vocal yawn from the faerie as she rose up on her bed, followed by a joyous laugh as she looked over at her companion.


    No longer could it, or rather, she, be described as simply a spider. Rather, she was now an Arachne. While her lower body was still very much that of a spider, she now resembled a doll-like little girl from the waist up, with porcelain skin and pure white hair. While her facial features looked distinctly humanoid, her forehead was slightly taller than typical, with additional smaller pairs of eyes set above her human features. While she also possessed rather sharp and long canines, all of her features were exceptionally elegant.


    Faerie caught Arachne in a hug, whilst Arachne¡¯s snow white face took on a hint of pink. After Faerie released her, Arachne took a moment to examine her changed body. With the addition of the humanoid torso, she now stood 12cm tall, with straight white hair hanging down to waist. Her arms were lean with a hint of defined muscle, and while her hands looked as delicate as the rest of her, each of her fingers could become a vicious claw at any moment.


    Having made Faerie¡¯s dress days before, Arachne decided to make herself some clothes as well, weaving herself a loose-fitting top with billowing sleeves that suited her quite well. As she looked at her reflection in the spring, a small smile came to her face.


    <hr>


    While Arachne was weaving herself clothing, Faerie was greeting all her friends throughout the glade, and was filled with delight when she saw the new blossoms covering the vine wall. While the majority of the blossoms were white, at various points along the wall, streaks of crimson could be seen in the petals.


    Faerie was feeling quite happy with Arachne¡¯s transformation, and was thinking about how wonderful it would be to have more companions to enjoy her garden. Currently, she was still quite young and inexperienced, but when she thought about how happy her flowers made her, and how Arachne helped her with making clothes and protecting her garden, she felt like it would be wonderful to have even more friends.


    Just as she was thinking this, the was a crashing sound coming from outside the wall, and streaks of red began to spread through some of the blossoms. The sound continued, along with howls of pain, which left Faerie feeling quite alarmed. She flew over to the vines and sang to them to be strong, and to protect the garden. With this melody, vines began snaking their ends beneath the soil before pushing outward.


    Meanwhile, on the outside, the wall of thorns grew more wicked. From beneath the ground, thorned vines exploded forth wrapping around the intruders, before pulling them down into the soil. Soon, things became quiet outside the Thornwall, as any creatures nearby did not dare approach it. Within the glade, new crimson blossoms bloomed along the inner side of the Thornwall, and Faerie¡¯s anxiety faded. She sang thankfully to the vines before returning to near the glowing spring.


    Faerie spent some time singing to Arachne, who would make small sounds in response, as they discussed Faerie¡¯s wish for more companions. After the two chattered back and forth for a while, Faerie left the spring with a smile on her face, and flew high up towards the trees at the edge of the glade.


    The sky was growing dim and Faerie still had not found the object of her search, but she did come across a nut that she thought was quite pretty. She approached it with a soft tune, and to her delight, the nut dropped from the branch where it hung into her hand. As she returned to the glade carrying it, she continued to sing to it about her garden where she lived with her friends.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    After reaching the glowing spring, she dug a small hole near the shore before singing encouragement to the nut, and placing it in the hole. Finally finished with her business for the day, despite not finding what it was she was looking for, Faerie had a happy smile on her face as she went to look for Arachne before heading off to sleep.


    As always, she and Arachne each drank from the spring before boarding Faerie¡¯s lotus to rest for the night. The lotus itself had gotten bigger as the days passed, ensuring there was enough space for both Faerie and Arachne within. While Faerie laid herself down on the bed of petals with the pillows Arachne had made her, Arachne wrapped herself in a blanket she had made during the day, and settled down beside Faerie, before both of them drifted off to sleep.


    As the night wore on, the nut planted by the spring by Faerie began to sprout. It inched a root towards the spring, and after taking in a bit of the glowing water, in seemingly no time at all, it pushed above the earth as a sapling with a white-silver hue.


    <hr>


    The next morning, Faerie awoke to find Arachne lying facedown nearby, seemingly having undergone another transformation. Now, instead of a spider''s lower body, her form was humanoid, with a set of eight spider legs now able to extend and retract from her upper and lower back respectively.


    After gazing at Arachne''s still sleeping new form momentarily, Faerie rolled over and snuggled up to her and rubbed her face against her doll-like companion''s silky hair. Much to her surprise, Arachne rolled onto her back, grabbing onto Faerie and trapping her in a hug whilst she squeaked briefly in panic.


    While Faerie was still squirming in Arachne''s embrace, the latter''s eyes slowly opened. Arachne looked at Faerie blankly for a moment before snorting lightly and proceeding to tickle her mischievous friend with her nimble spider legs.


    After Faerie managed to extricate herself from Arachne¡¯s arms, she was pleasantly surprised to see that the nut she had planted had now become a sapling, roughly 1 meter tall with shining silver-white bark and sterling leaves. Much to her delight, Silver waved its branches at her when she came over to look more closely.


    Perhaps due to the influence of Silvers¡¯ roots directly drinking from the glowing spring, it was much more aware of both Faerie and its¡¯ surroundings, in addition to growing quickly. Faerie herself could not have said whether or not anything in her garden was peculiar or unusual, though. The only thing in her mind was her love of her beautiful garden.


    <hr>


    Faerie had decided she would continue her search today while Arachne made herself some more clothes to suit her now humanoid form. After her morning rounds through the glade, singing to her flowers, Faerie once again flew high up and into the jungle in search of her new companion to be.


    After several hours of searching the area, Faerie came across a rather large hive with many bees swarming about, and headed off to various destinations. As she approached the hive, the bees eyed her cautiously, but seemed to relax when she sang to them.


    Shortly after her song, a young new queen crawled from the hive, and Faerie danced in delight upon seeing her. For a colony this size, it was not uncommon for new queens to be born to branch off on their own. Faerie sang to the new queen about her garden, and how she had wonderful friends there and wanted to share it with more companions. In no time at all, Queen took to the air circling Faerie.


    Chiip~ Chiip~


    Queen made several small chirps, following which, a small group of bees scuttled out of the hive and flew over to her. Queen surveyed her small swarm briefly before flying over to bump her tiny head into Faerie¡¯s cheek, and finally landed on her shoulder. Faerie gave a light giggle before fluttering her wings and turning back toward her garden with Queen¡¯s subordinates in tow.

 Chapter 2 - Growth

    After returning to her garden, Faerie brought Queen to meet Arachne, and then to her glowing spring. Being quite thirsty from all the travel, Faerie took a drink, and gave Queen a mouthful as well. She sang a brief tune to Queen, to have her bees drink as well.


    After everyone drank, Faerie flew around her garden with Queen still perched on her shoulder, introducing her to all of her flowers. Despite not having eyes or faces, all of the plants in hergarden turned towards her voice as she passed by, and Queen released contented chirps as they passed through the various scents and colours surrounding them.


    As the day was coming to an end, Faerie returned to the spring with Queen, and after they both drank again, Queen finally took flight to find herself a perch among Silver''s leaves along with her bees. While they hadn''t had the time to construct a hive yet, Arachne had woven them some platforms from her silk for the bees to rest among Silver''s branches comfortably.


    <hr>


    That night, great changes occurred to both Silver and Queen and her bees while Faerie slept in her lotus with Aracne. Silver¡¯s trunk expanded, with its larger roots forming a ridge around the outside of the spring, and it¡¯s height was now roughly 10 meters. Meanwhile, Queen underwent a transformation, becoming much more humanoid.


    Her eyes were large and pitch black while her facial features were sharp and angular, and she retained her antenna extending slightly from her forehead, and framing her face was golden hair that extended to the base of her neck. Her upper body no longer looked like an insect¡¯s thorax, and instead she looked more like a woman wearing yellow and black close-fitting plated armor, with a bee¡¯s abdomen extending from the back of her waist like a tail.


    As for her appendages, Queens six insect legs became two rather long slender legs, and two sets of delicate arms, one set directly at her shoulders, and another slightly lower, such that they wouldn¡¯t interfere. Lastly, on her back, were two sets of elegant diaphanous wings. Queen now stood 16 cm tall, and resembled a warrior angel.


    Queen¡¯s bees too had undergone changes. Rather than becoming more humanoid, their forms changed to be more efficient in their respective jobs. Some of them had changed to feature heavier plating, as well as growing a second set of wings, and while they still had six legs, the front set now resembled a pair of wicked scythes. In addition, their abdomens and stingers had changed such that they would no longer kill themselves by stinging an enemy, and a dark glistening poison coated the tips. Adding onto the fact that they were now 8cm long, these Soldier Bees were clearly suited for combat.


    Queen¡¯s workers too had undergone changes, being bigger now at 6cm long, in addition to having gained stronger and more dextrous arms. They had gained flexible digits at the end of their front two legs, which would allow them a basic level of manual manipulation, but otherwise still just looked like rather large ordinary bees.


    When Faerie woke up and saw the changes that had happened to Queen and her bees, she was so ecstatic she grasped Queen¡¯s hands to twirl and dance in the air with her. Queen gave a few wry chirps in response, but both she and her bees were in a very good mood.


    Seeing that Silver had gotten quite a bit bigger, Faerie sang to it, asking if it could open up a space for the bees further up, to which Silver obliged. High up in Silver¡¯s branches, a platform extended from the trunk near a large main branch, and small hollow structures began to form at a size ideal for the new tenants. A much larger structure extended out of the trunk onto the platform, sized to be Queen¡¯s residence, complete with doors and windows, and a small fountain of the very same glowing spring water.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Upon seeing the transformation, Faerie was shocked. She dashed up to the new hamlet that had sprung up in Silver¡¯s branches, staring wide-eyed as she inspected the different buildings. While Faerie dashed from place to place, Arachne and Queen, along with the rest of the bees made their way up to investigate. Once the bees arrived, they entered what looked to be a tall warehouse lined with pillars.


    Each of the pillars was slightly textured but otherwise smooth, and had crevices below to pipe honey away for storage once the combs were full. With everything they needed in place, the workers set off to visit flowers while the soldiers either took up positions in their new home, or began patrolling the air around Silver and the edge of the glade.


    Meanwhile, Queen looked at her new residence before chirping gratefully at Faerie, who seemed to have calmed down from her earlier excitement. Faerie gave Queen a hug before flying out into the glade to pay a visit to her flowers, singing a cheerful melody all the way.


    Arachne found herself a comfortable place out on the platform to sit and weave while Queen began the important task of laying eggs. Fortunately, with the fountain Silver had provided, Queen didn¡¯t need to worry about food, and thanks to its¡¯ magic, it also seemed like the eggs would mature rather quickly.


    <hr>


    Several days passed, and Queen¡¯s swarm grew daily. There were now dozens of soldiers patrolling throughout the glade, and many workers paying visits to the various flowers. Over this time, Silver continued to grow at a startling rate, it¡¯s trunk becoming thicker, and the roots rimming the spring came to encompass its edge.


    Along with the growth of her swarm, Queen too grew, gaining the ability to change between a humanoid (albeit with two sets of arms) and insectoid forms. Along with her transformation ability, Queen became able to summon an elegant and vicious looking spear, tipped with a deadly venomous stinger. The spear was patterned in black and gold, with a metallic gleam, and stood at twice Queen¡¯s height (Queen now being slightly taller than Faerie at 17cm when in her humanoid form). Seemingly a part of herself, even when the spear wasn¡¯t in her hand, it would levitate nearby, never out of arm¡¯s reach.


    On the day Queen¡¯s spear made its appearance, Faerie stared at it in wonder. Despite being obviously physically separate from Queen, the spear would hover around her and follow her will, as much a part of her as any other. Queen herself was quite in love with this spear, and aside from her time producing eggs, she would spend her days in a small courtyard high in Silver¡¯s branches, practicing spearmanship. Her techniques were ethereal and illusory, unlike anything the world had ever seen before.


    Faerie spent her days singing to her flowers and the various bees she would encounter. With Queen¡¯s transformation and new passion for spearmanship, Arachne often spent time sparring against her. While Arachne didn¡¯t appear to carry any weapons, the spider legs on her back were as deadly as any spear, and it seemed that much like Queen, she could manifest monstrous and deadly knives that resembled a spider¡¯s fangs, as well as conjure invisibly thin threads seemingly as strong as steel to bind and slice her opponents.


    Despite the various activities Arachne would engage in throughout the glade, there always seemed to be points throughout the day where she would disappear without a trace, always returning before she was missed. Meanwhile, along the edge of the glade, the Thornwall grew thicker and more robust, occasionally striking down creatures that tried to force their way into the garden.


    In addition to the thorns, new and enticing flowers began to grow outside the wall, enchanting scents and appearances drawing in creatures and insects alike. Sadly for those caught by these carnivorous beauties, by the time they realized something was wrong, they had already been paralyzed by the flowers poison. Despite the number of gruesome deaths suffered in the area, it continued to look idyllic as all of the corpses quickly became fertilizer, enhancing the beauty of the area further.


    As the days continued peacefully, the residents of the glade found plenty of time to grow and enjoy their little piece of paradise, and Faerie¡¯s joy grew with the number of new companions she had gained. While others might have been aware of the movement of time, and that indeed, nothing lasts forever, as far as Faerie new, this was as all days should be.

 Chapter 3.1 - Upheaval

    Some time had passed since Silver grew, and the glade was now filled with the hum of bees moving between the flowers. Faerie danced and fluttered to and fro throughout the glade, singing to her many blossoms as she would each morning, seemingly without a care. Recently, the blossoms that blanketed the inner edge of the Thornwall had been changing from their pristine white to contain more and more crimson, entire stretches of the wall were now without a white blossom anywhere to be seen.


    As Faerie ventured closer to the Thornwall, she caught wind of a disturbance happening outside. Flying up and over to see what was going on in the forest, she looked past the vines and down towards the glade¡¯s newest protectors, the Enchanting Vineblossoms. These vibrant flowers wafted out an enchanting aroma that would draw in predators and incapacitate them, before their vines would quietly draw them down beneath the soil to feast upon. While Faerie was mostly ignorant as to the grisly nature of these beautiful flowers, she did know they were here to keep her garden safe, and sang to them her gratitude.


    Seeing how rapidly the Vineblossoms were growing in the area, Faerie was somewhat excited at the thought of her garden expanding. Without any hesitation, Faerie rushed off to fly around the perimeter ensuring her new guardians were faring well on all sides of her glade. Observing the situation with a touch of anxiety, Faerie noticed that the Enchanting Vineblossoms hadn¡¯t been effective against all would-be invaders of her garden. In several places, there were patches of destruction leading right up to the base of the Thornwall where the still-fresh corpses of large predators could be seen still poking out of the soil. In a number of places, some creatures had seemingly attempted to pass above the Thornwall, only to be bisected by some invisibly thin threads spanning between various trees.


    <hr>


    As she looked outwards, another group of creatures rushed towards her glade, lead by a pack of giant centipedes. Faerie let out a dismayed cry as she saw the centipedes ripping through the flowers and vines, heading for the Thornwall. In direct response to the creatures approach, a loud buzzing came from behind and above as a squadron of Queen¡¯s soldiers came swooping down to engage the approaching swarm. Several centipedes launched themselves airborne to intercept the bees, only to find their numbers being cut down by more of the invisible threads as they flew through the air. A few of their number managed to reach the bees intact, only for the soldiers to strike them down immediately with their scythelike forelimbs as still more bees descended towards the ground like valkyries, reaping the lives of the invaders.


    Faerie watched in alarm as the battle continued, unsure of what to do. Not being a creature of violence, she found the entire situation quite frightening, and was wishing for Queen and Arachne to be by her side at the moment. The instant the thought crossed her mind, Arachne inexplicably stepped out of a nearby shadow, and a high pitched hum rang through the air as Queen raced over like a bolt of lightning. Rather than bearing their usual appearances, Arachne¡¯s form, while still mostly humanoid, was covered in black chitinous armor to which shadows seemed to cling, and she held a deadly blade in one hand reminiscent of a fang. Queen, meanwhile, was covered from head to toe in black and gold plating that shone with a metallic lustre, and carried her majestic spear ready to do battle at any moment.


    As her bees continued fighting off the encroaching centipedes, Queen looked further afield for more enemies, and spotted another wave approaching. With a determined chirp and a resolute gaze, Queen shot forward to engage the new enemies, several soldiers trailing in her wake. As Queen headed towards a snake easily ten times her size, she lofted her spear before throwing it directly at one of the snake¡¯s eyes. Although the snake recoiled from the approaching spear, attempting to dodge, the spear corrected its flight, following after the snake and impaling itself deep within the beast¡¯s right eyeball.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    HISS~


    The snake spat and hissed in agony, thrashing as it suffered while Queen and her soldiers approached. While maintaining a distance from the snake, Queen reached her hand towards the spear, making a grasping motion, then twisted her wrist and drew her hand back, only for the spear to follow her motions, increasing the agony and panic felt by the snake. While Queen¡¯s spear was quite venomous, the snake possessed a natural resistance to such things, and although it wasn¡¯t wholly unaffected by her venom, it was not nearly enough to finish the thing off. Whilst Queen was now the snake¡¯s foremost target, her soldiers flanked the wounded creature and struck from several angles with their scythes and stings, leaving several less severe wounds across its scaly hide.


    Enraged and in pain, the snake reared its head up and back, prepared to strike down it¡¯s foes as they darted to and fro, keeping to the beast¡¯s blind spots. Its one remaining eye narrowed as it caught some motion to the left and it suddenly sprung forward, striking down a soldier in a single blow. As soon as it lunged, Queen dived low and launched her spear again, aiming for the snake¡¯s jaw. At the moment the snake struck her soldier, Queen¡¯s spear punctured the snake¡¯s throat and pierced directly into its brain, striking the beast down for good. There was no joy on Queen¡¯s face despite her victory, having sacrificed one of her subordinates to bring down the enemy. Instead her eyes burned with determination as she searched for the next invader she would bring down.


    <hr>


    Elsewhere on the battlefield, Arachne appeared and vanished like a wisp of smoke, hopping from one enemy to the next. She would strike with her blade, rendering enemies immobile or bind and slice them with her invisible threads. Any time Arachne encountered a significantly larger foe she would climb upon it and bite into its flesh, making an odd gulping noise briefly and then moving on to repeat the process.


    Not long after the wounds of these beasts would begin to writhe and the afflicted creatures would howl in madness, scratching at their own skin before finally falling to the ground with their bodies continuing to churn. When the last spark of life left their eyes, a wave of baby spiderlings would erupt forth from beneath the skin and pour from orifices, spreading across the battlefield in search of more prey to sate their hunger.


    Before long the wave of invaders was driven back by Queen¡¯s valiant efforts and Arachne¡¯s nightmarish attacks, while Faerie remained by the Thornwall looking pale and upset by the destruction the invaders brought with them. Shortly after her fight concluded, Arachne appeared at Faerie¡¯s side once again, having returned to her beautiful, fully white appearance; no longer the vicious killing machine that slaughtered her way across the battlefield. She embraced Faerie tightly, who was still quite shaken, and they made their way back to the lotus in the spring to rest.


    Despite their exertions, not all the residents of the glade returned within to relax. Queen took it upon herself to increase the number of her soldiers patrolling outside of the Thornwall in the hopes that regardless of what might approach, she and her soldiers could deal with it before it could further upset Faerie and the peaceful home they had all come to enjoy.

 Chapter 3.2

    Days had passed since Faerie ventured out past the Thornwall only to witness the devastation being wrought upon her defenders, and her mood had been somewhat sombre and downcast ever since. With melancholy hanging in the air, internally both Arachne and Queen were deeply concerned for Faerie¡¯s wellbeing, as they had an intrinsic understanding of her nature.


    Faeries could be considered forces of nature, they would shape the world around themselves, and would be shaped by it in turn. This very nature would leave them with a fairly shallow sense of individuality, and would instead view their ¡®domain¡¯, or area of influence as their ¡®self¡¯. Because of this lack of self identity, it was extremely difficult for Faeries to internalise concepts or ideas, and their perception was mostly limited to the ¡®here¡¯ and ¡®now¡¯.


    Fortunately (or unfortunately) this in and of itself acted as a sort limiter on the vast powers they held sway over, simply because they lacked an understanding of power to begin with, let alone the will or desire to use it. Instead, Faeries were creatures driven by whim and it would be extraordinary for one to ever venture to think outside of the present, or consider anything beyond their own respective habitats.


    Regardless, Faerie¡¯s usual demeanor had been disturbed, which could have drastic consequences for the glade. With both the plants and other inhabitants being shaped and molded according to Faerie¡¯s desires, Arachne and Queen could find themselves transformed into twisted monsters, not to mention it could mean the end of the garden paradise the residents had come to enjoy. Even now, the effects of Faerie¡¯s mood could be seen throughout the garden. The colours of blossoms were less vibrant, and while Faerie¡¯s ever-present singing hadn¡¯t stopped, her melodies were tinged with hints of fear.


    <hr>


    The morning air was cool as Faerie awoke on her lotus, and she opened her eyes to see Arachne snugly held in her embrace. She looked over her doll-like companion, noticing a change in her features. Recently, as Arachne had taken to being by Faerie¡¯s side as an emotional support, her features had rapidly matured, and she had grown to become slightly taller than Faerie.


    Arachne¡¯s every feature remained porcelain white, from her hair to her skin, to the translucent, claw-like nails that adorned her delicate hands. Only her eyes remained an inky black abyss, no colour to be seen within their depths. In addition to her physically maturing, her face had become much more expressive, and when she was with Faerie she would shift between subtle signs of care and concern and a mask of warmth, meant to soothe her companion despite her worries.


    It seemed, as if by coincidence, that Arachne also stirred from her sleep soon after Faerie opened her eyes. Rather than rising from the bed, she shifted Faerie¡¯s body so that she could tuck her head just beneath Arachne¡¯s chin, and began to gently stroke Faerie¡¯s lustrous hair and hum a mild tune reminiscent of a lullaby. Under her companion¡¯s encouragement, Faerie buried her face into Arachne¡¯s chest and her eyelids soon fell, drifting off to sleep again with her anxieties eased for what seemed the first time in days. Arachne¡¯s face bore a small smile as she felt her companion¡¯s heart ease, and she continued humming her tune.


    <hr>


    Over the days while Arachne was supporting Faerie emotionally, Queen and her swarm were putting forth their fullest efforts towards supporting the defenses of the glade. Both she and her soldiers fought through many waves of beasts over the coming days, as they seemed to be coming more frequently, driven by some indeterminate need.


    Regardless of reason, the savage creatures could not be allowed to rampage through the garden, and Queen remained vigilant. Over the past week she had gotten very little rest while she split her time between personally engaging in combat in an effort to limit casualties among her soldiers, and spawning new soldiers for the hive. If not for the fountain drawing from Faerie¡¯s spring that Silver had formed in Queen¡¯s chambers, it would be impossible for Queen to maintain this degree of exertion.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Presently, Queen was feeling some complex emotions. She was not overly discouraged by the need for her to continue birthing more soldiers or fight on the front lines, but she recently had sent her soldiers to scout further out to identify any potential source of the incursions and had discovered what could possibly be the origin of their troubles.


    Several of her bees had ranged far to the north, in the direction they were most often attacked from and had seen disconcerting black clouds blanketing the horizon for hundreds of kilometers to the east and west, and it appeared that these black clouds were moving south towards them, and driving a wave of beasts forward as they sought to escape whatever gave rise to the phenomenon.


    Unfortunately, knowing this raised more questions than it answered, and didn¡¯t particularly offer any solutions to alleviate the continuous surge of beast attacks the glade was suffering from. For now it seemed all that the residents could do is shore up their defenses and look for ways to divert the incoming tide of beasts around or away from the glade, while trying to come up with ideas to deal with the dark clouds making their way towards their home.


    <hr>


    With Faerie¡¯s mood having greatly recovered, she made her way up from her lotus towards the bees¡¯ village situated in Silver¡¯s branches above the glade. It would have seemed to the casual observer that Silver¡¯s changes and growth had stopped over the past several days, but contrary to appearances, Silver was undergoing significant and extraordinary changes beneath the surface.


    On her way to visit Queen and the bees, Faerie sang to Silver to encourage it, of her wish for it to be the ultimate protector of her garden and the foremost pillar of her strength. She poured forth all the turbulent feelings she had undergone over the past few days, along with the sense of relief and security brought by her companions, and most of all, her desire for a home safe for all of them.


    Within her song, Faerie¡¯s magic did its work and helped to guide Silver towards her desire. As the song came to an end, and her will was fully conveyed, the glade underwent a massive upheaval. For a moment, to any land-bound residents of the garden, it would seem as though the earth shook. The shaking continued and grew in intensity while around the outer fringes of the garden, past the Thornwal, massive silver roots were burrowing through the ground rapidly, spreading out in all directions.


    After the roots had sprawled hundreds of meters in all directions, the earth beneath the garden began to shake more vigorously before it began to rise. No longer did the Thornwall mark the boundary of the glade, as the garden rose high above the forest canopy on the nonsensically wide trunk of a tree that continued to grow skyward.


    The garden now rested in a basin at the top of the trunk, surrounded by silver branches and leaves reaching further still into the sky, and as Silver¡¯s growth came to an end, it was now truly massive. From the base of its trunk to the highest branches, the tree stretched more than 150 meters tall. Interestingly, within the glade things still looked more or less the same, with Silver¡¯s original location and form being maintained, it appeared that rather than just growing up, Silver first expanded under the glade before lifting it, soil and all, out of harm¡¯s way.


    Faerie had alighted in the bee¡¯s village in Silver¡¯s original branches when things began to shift, and now as it was quite impossible for the residents not to have noticed the monumental change that their home had undergone, both Queen and Arachne made their way over to Faerie¡¯s side, next to whom stood an androgynous figure with silver hair and eyes that seemed that it wasn¡¯t entirely solid, a projection rather than a physical presence.


    The figure wore no apparent clothes and had a slim humanoid body that looked exactly like the real thing, except lacking any sexual organs or characteristics. The face could only be described as beautiful, and the body appeared to be that of a young adolescent.


    Although Faerie was typically one to express her affection physically, be it through a hug, or whatever mischief she might imagine in the moment, she merely gazed at this newly formed projection with her radiant smile. Without a doubt in her heart she knew, this would be her protector, her home; Silver.

 Chapter 4 - Home

    Within the Wilds, somewhere north of the Garden


    Beneath the seemingly endless canopy that spanned across the land, a group of peculiar creatures hid themselves within the exposed roots of a large tree. What made these creatures so peculiar in a land rife with the magical and fantastical was that they took the form of luminescent crystals with fluctuating colours that hovered just above the ground.


    These crystalline creatures, known by the sapient races as Aethelii were pitiful things, victims of mortal greed. Because of their nature, being both magical and objectively beautiful, they were hunted the world over by wielders of magic for use in various constructs and spells, treated as reagents and materials rather than living beings. It had almost become impossible to live in the world as one of their race, without the need to constantly flee in fear. The very concept of safety was completely alien to them. If one were to look at things on a global scale, they would see a species that had once thrived being driven to the edge of extinction in less time than their own (admittedly significant) typical lifespans.


    At present, these Aethelii were fleeing south, as were most creatures inhabiting this part of the wilds. The ever-present ash clouds to the north were approaching, and they did not wish to be caught up in what came with it. They had been moving south cautiously when they sensed a disturbance, a massive surge of magic followed by the earth trembling. While the event seemed to have occurred many kilometers away, between the tremors and the surge of energy, their small group had chosen to seek cover, fearing a disaster was about to occur.


    As they hid, the surge of magical energies died down, but did not fade away completely. The epicentre of the event now shone like a beacon to those who could sense magic, and despite the previously terrifying occurrence, it felt¡­ inviting. It didn¡¯t take long for the Aethelii to begin moving in a new direction, heading towards the faint music that seemed to call out to them. It was a song that reminded them of something they had lost¡­ of the home they had forgotten so long ago. For the first time in more than a millennium, these Aethelii felt hope.


    <hr>


    Within the wilds, south of the Garden


    Milky white eyes stared into the smoke that rose from the brazier, the scent of burning incense and blood filled the shaman¡¯s small hut as she performed the ritual magic. A member of the Fengal Tribes, this aged shaman was a troll, and one who happened to be getting on in her years at that. For as long as her people could remember, they had made the Wilds their home, and many different tribes inhabited it. Werecats, lizardfolk, or trolls like her own people, the tribes were many and diverse.


    The shaman, like most of her people, stood over 1.5 meters tall. Her skin was an earthy brown, and her thick, ropey grey hair hung down her bent back to her waist. Her face was wizened and filled with wrinkles, and she bore a prominent nose and brow, as was typical of trolls, as well as a small pair of worn down tusks. She had large pointed ears adorned with many hoops and charms, but otherwise wore a plain robe that appeared to be made of moss as her only other adornment. As the smoke dissipated, her eyes cleared, her irises now slate grey, with a sharp look that belied her centuries of life.


    Better days, her people had seen. Every time she looked into the smoke, what she saw caused her distress. A shadow fell over the Wilds, coming from the north. Few Fengal knew like she did, that the Wilds once spanned the whole continent. Indeed, her people were not always a mere tribe, but part of an empire now lost to time. More than three thousand years since her peoples¡¯ empire collapsed, as to why? The memories told of a pillar and a mountain, when ash and fire rained from the skies, and of cities full of people turned to stone in an instant. They told of an enemy long forgotten that marched beneath skies of boiling black.


    For months now, when the shaman gazed into the smoke, she did not see portents of weather or beast migrations, no. When she gazed into the smoke, what she saw could be mistaken for the memories she was given when she took up the mantle of shaman of her tribe, and she knew that they were coming. She had spoken to the chieftain already several times, told him the tribe must leave or face destruction, and for all her years of shepherding the tribe, protecting it from calamities that easily befell those who lived in such untamed lands, but her warning was dismissed. Dismissed. For weeks she¡¯d been seeing it in the smoke, and in the dreams, but things had been unclear. Now she saw. Now, she could only hope it wasn¡¯t too late to protect her people.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°We be Stoneblood, elder. Remember this. These lands be we¡¯s, and you say we must run away? Why!? Because of ashes? I do not believe it!¡± The chieftain had said. ¡°And how you think we come to these lands, little chief?¡± She replied, exasperated and annoyed. ¡°You think we come this land because it rich? Because we people wanted to? No. We be Stoneblood, and we ran like the rest. They who did not be gone, chieftain. Gone like we be if we do not go now. If we go south, we meet the sea, and then go west to the mountains. We lose some people, yes. But we will survive. Nobody survive in the ash. I been watching over we Stoneblood too many years, chieftain. I¡­ We not about to fail we people now.¡±


    The chief snarled and stomped his feet as she lectured him, shaking his head. He was a hunter, and he believed his people were strong. Who among the tribes didn¡¯t know the might of the Stoneblood? And now this old woman wanted their people to run away instead of fighting for what was theirs!? The chief¡¯s only reply was to spit on the ground before stomping away, frustrated at the choice before him.


    The shaman had protected the tribe for longer than he¡¯d been alive, he knew this and he could not ignore her words, no matter how he felt. Running did not sit well with him, especially running without even trying to face what was coming. The chief was not a fool, no matter how much he wished to argue with the shaman. If she said their people must run, he knew it to be so, because she was Stoneblood too. Ashes come to kill we all? Pah!


    Chiefs did not inherit the memories like the shamans did, so he could not know of the things the shaman spoke. Thinking for a bit, the chief made a decision, and gathered three skilled hunters from his tribesmen. ¡°Boys, we shaman say that bad times come from the north, and if we not go, we Stoneblood finished.¡± He paused and sighed, then looked at the men before him with determination. ¡°She say we go south, so we go. I need you go north, she say the skies are boiling black. You go for four days, you see what you see, then you come back. We tribe be ready to leave by then. You see the ash, you come back quick quick. Stonebloods need you, nobody gonna let to stay behind.¡±


    The chief looked each hunter sternly in the eye; and receiving a nod from each, he nodded in return. ¡°Go. And when you pass other tribe, you say them we heed we shaman. We Stonebloods be leaving south. Some chiefs got hard heads, not listen them that know better.¡± He said with a dry chuckle, thinking of the shaman, before moving off to gather his tribe to prepare them to leave the only home they had ever known.


    <hr>


    Not two days later, one of the hunters the chief had sent north returned to the tribe. He called the chief, and together, they went to see the shaman. As they settled within the Shaman¡¯s hut, the chief was the first to speak. ¡°Elder, you know that I think on what you say, and get we people ready to move. I sent this one and two more north to see what they see, just in case.¡± The chief paused, nodding to the hunter. ¡°Go on, tell we what you see.¡±


    The hunter took a deep breath before speaking. ¡°Not a day gone from we tribe, the grounds shake, and the Wilds go quiet. Boys and me, we look out for the clouds and the ash like you say. When the earth was still we find a tree. Big big tree you ever see, come outta nowhere! We not sure what it mean, so I come back quick quick to tell you¡¯s. Maybe spirits say more than me.¡± The hunter finished with a shrug, his gaze shifting between the chief and the shaman. The chief looked to the shaman for a moment, before looking back to the hunter. ¡°You done good, man. Go on rest you bones a while, then help we tribesmen getting ready.¡± Said the chief.


    After the hunter left, the shaman grabbed a bowl of ritual herbs and moved towards the brazier. Tossing them in, she deeply inhaled of the smoke, and her eyes went from a dark grey to a milky white. For a short time, she swayed back and forth in a trance as she underwent the ritual. When her eyes cleared, she looked at the chief. ¡°Aye, I see the tree, big like a mountain. The ash will come, and the tree will delay it. We must go.¡± She said, conviction in her voice. The chief sighed and shook his head. ¡°We heed the shaman. We must go.¡± He replied, melancholy present in his voice.


    That night, the shaman did not sleep. She spent the hours consulting the spirits and the ancestors about what she¡¯d seen in the smoke. The truth was, she now saw two paths that things could take if her people remained here. On the first path, the lands were swallowed by the ash. On the second, the lands were swallowed by a garden of thorns. We must go. She thought, hoping it wasn¡¯t too late for her people.

 Chapter 5 - A Constant Companion

    Silver knew what it needed to do. From the first time it heard her music, it knew, ¡®I will be the one to protect her¡¯, and that nothing else could be more important than this. From the moment it had budded, Silver was striving to grow as quickly as possible. Silver had connected with the network of roots within the garden, through which it could feel the constant love and joy of the flowers, and the one who sang to them. For all of this, Silver knew it needed to grow more. It needed to be bigger, and so it grew faster than it could imagine, but somehow still not fast enough.


    As its roots expanded, so did its connections, and when it finally connected with the Thornwall, it saw. Invaders and usurpers, coming to destroy her garden. It was the first time that Silver knew rage. Rage at the ones who would dare to take what was not theirs, and rage at its own impotence. It needed to grow more.


    Knowing that it was unable to protect the glade directly, Silver chose to focus on what it could do. With its central roots dipping into the Faerie¡¯s spring, every day it drew forth a small amount of water for itself, willing itself to grow faster. At the same time, it portioned some of the mystical water and fed it to the Thornwall.


    Silver continued trying to grow as quickly as it could, but then came the day of the battle. The bees which Silver sheltered took to the air, the beautiful Queen flew from her chambers like a black and gold comet streaking across the skies, yet Silver remained, unable to protect, unable to assist. If Silver had a heart, it would have been in anguish, knowing that the others were fighting to protect their home while it remained powerless to help¡­ It needed to grow more.


    It could feel her distress and melancholy through the bond that brought them together, the panic and fear that now lived beneath the surface of her thoughts trapping her in a cycle of destructive emotions, and when it heard something that was not song made by her voice, but instead a sound filled with pain and sadness, Silver knew then, that it had failed in its purpose.


    It needed to grow more.


    <hr>


    High above the wilds within the garden, the countless plants and flowers of the glade began to shift and change. Silver now stood as tall as a mountain, keeping the residents well out of reach of the more common invaders, but they all knew that more would come with time. This home of theirs was a paradise, and it would draw those who wished to claim it like moths to a flame.


    The largest immediate change was the Thornwall. The vines that had separated the glade from the outside collapsed and burrowed through the soil, then began extending their lengths along Silver¡¯s colossal branches, draping themselves about to ensure that no unwelcome guests would make a roost there.


    Along the vines that now stretched into the open air, the flowers that previously enchanted and paralyzed intruders also underwent a transformation, becoming Thornspitting Vineblossoms, ready to rain venomous barbs upon any that dared intrude whether by land or air.


    Perhaps the most significant change of all concerned the area central to the entire garden. The glowing spring expanded, and Silver shifted the branch that was its former main body that previously housed the bees and encircled the spring. Now the glowing spring was a moderately sized pond. Its magic was truly overflowing to the point at which its power impregnated the air, leaving motes of light floating about in a truly enchanting display.


    <hr>


    Faerie¡¯s expression was filled with childlike wonder at this new mystical feeling her garden gave her. She looked to the plants and flowers she had sung to regularly and realized that many of them had changed, taking on new and fantastical forms. Crystalline bellflowers filled her garden with the sound of delicate chimes, and even the grasses seemed to hum and sing as she passed them. Faerie dashed to and fro in amazement, seeing luminescent herbs and mosses while she smelled all of the new and bewitching fragrances blanketing the glade.


    It seemed that with all the changes, Faerie had also changed somewhat. Deep within her subconscious she felt there had been a time before, filled with sadness and pain, but also joy and love. Without knowing exactly why, tears began to roll down her cheeks as she was momentarily lost in trying to grab hold of the fleeting memory before it escaped her grasp.


    Coming back to herself, Faerie looked around her garden once more before returning to the spring where her companions were waiting. As she approached the water, a wave of exhaustion seemed to roll over her and she could see the concern on the faces of Arachne and Queen. Faerie gave them a small smile, and for the first time, she spoke. ¡°Tired.¡± She said, and then fluttered over to her lotus to sleep.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    <hr>


    While Faerie rested, the other residents set out to explore and patrol their new and changed environment. Queen dispatched soldiers to patrol the outer branches of Silver¡¯s canopy, as well as having a number of them descend the trunk to keep an eye on the lands below. Meanwhile, Arachne did as she often would and seemingly vanished without a trace.


    Despite Silver now possessing a projected avatar, the avatar was unable to physically interact with anything, so it spent its time watching over the sleeping Faerie. As the day progressed late into the evening, Silver sensed something near its outer roots, now stretching well over a kilometre out from its trunk, and turned its attention there.


    Beneath the canopy of the trees, Silver found some curious creatures approaching, but they carried no hostility with them, instead their spirits called out like family, similar to those who already called the garden home. Their odd crystalline bodies floated along as quickly as they could manage while there seemed to be a beast pursuing them. As Silver examined the beast, it knew; this was certainly an enemy.


    The beast was a hulking six legged canid, 1.5 metres tall and nearly 4 metres long, with dark grey fur and vibrant green eyes. Along its snout it possessed silvery scales that scintillated in the dappled light, and two massive dagger-like fangs jutted down from its maw.


    Silver felt its shame and helplessness when it had failed to protect the glade previously, and it swore on its soul that it would never again allow that to happen. Concentrating on the pursuing beast, Silver readied one of its roots beneath the surface, and just as the beast pounced at one of the crystals, Silver struck.


    A silver root as sharp as a spear shot up through the soft earth and stabbed towards the beast¡¯s throat, seeking to kill the creature in an instant. Unfortunately, it seemed the beast had sharp instincts, and while it didn¡¯t fully evade the stab, it merely suffered a punctured shoulder rather than having its life ended by Silver¡¯s thrust. The beast growled in pain as it leapt back from where it landed, trying to detect whomever attacked it, its swift movements seemingly unhampered despite the injured forelimb. ¡®I will not fail again!¡¯ The thought rang through Silver¡¯s mind, hardening its determination further.


    Observing the beast, Silver readied another strike. This time, instead of one root, Silver prepared several. As the beast sniffed at the air and searched its surrounding with its probing vision, Silver struck. The first strike came from behind the beast, and again it dodged making use of its acute instincts, but this time as it twisted its large frame, more roots struck towards it simultaneously. Three roots from various angles struck into the beast¡¯s chest and abdomen, impaling it on the spot, and a final precisely aimed strike pierced the throat, ending the creature¡¯s life.


    ¡®I will not fail again.¡¯ Silver thought once more as it drew the beast¡¯s corpse beneath the soil.


    <hr>


    While this battle went on between the tree and the beast, the Aethelii kept moving forward, feeling that their destination was close. The land began to slope upward where Silver¡¯s massive central roots had previously dragged it up back when its trunk burst forth to lift the glade. It was late at night when they arrived at Silver¡¯s trunk.


    Just as they arrived, Silver¡¯s projected avatar stepped out of the wood, and a passage within the trunk opened up behind it. The Aethelii were startled, but followed the projection as it waved them within, the entrance sealing itself behind them. With everyone inside, the chamber they were in seemed to shift, rising towards the top of the tree before coming to rest, and a new opening appeared, with a short tunnel leading out into the garden.


    Once again, Silver¡¯s avatar waved for them to follow, and they made their way towards the central spring where Faerie slept. As soon as the new arrivals had approached the spring, Faerie had wakened, and sensing the inviting and hopeful feelings of these new crystalline visitors, her face lit up with a smile. Interestingly, it seemed that she had undergone a change while she slept, her form had increased in size, though she still looked quite childlike. Her height had surged from 15cm to 21cm, and her dark eyes had taken on a mystical glimmer that seemed to peek out from within their depths from time to time.


    Faerie went to meet the Aethelii, and she felt their minds connect with hers, going still as they relayed their memories and experiences to her. As she fully processed everything these unique creatures had gone through, the painful emptiness that was their desire to have a place to call their own, she gave them a somewhat melancholic smile, before her melodic voice washed over them. ¡°Home now.¡± She said, and lead them to the spring.


    As she scooped up handfuls of the enchanted water, giving it to them one by one, the Aethelii felt the despair that had become their constant companion wash away, and a new light filled each of them as they accepted Faerie¡¯s blessing. When each of the Aethelii had been given the water, they began to look around the garden for a suitable place to settle in, finally coming back to Silver¡¯s original form that held the bee village high in it¡¯s branches.


    When they arrived at its base, Silver opened up and hollowed out the inside, forming various rooms, ramps, balconies and windows. The moment they passed inside, the Aethelii entered a large room and settled down for the first true rest that any of them could remember. Faerie wore a gentle smile as she returned to her lotus to sleep, grateful to have a group of new companions added to her growing family.

 Chapter 6 - Gathering Storm

    Faerie¡¯s new companions were interesting creatures. Very interesting creatures. Being able to see the obvious, she was well aware that they were magical beings, but until now she had no idea just what that could mean. Feeling rested after the previous night¡¯s sleep, she had gone out into the glade as per usual. While she noticed the crystals floating in various locations throughout her garden, she was quite shocked at their reactions to her song.


    As the first melodic notes left her lips, ripples of light could be seen passing through the crystals, spreading her voice and power to every corner of the garden. The ripples rose into waves, following the crescendos of music in harmony, and the power of her song rose. No longer a single voice, the glade now possessed a choir.


    Delight quickly overtook Faerie¡¯s surprise, and spurred on by the new residents involvement Faerie infused more power into her song, her voice rising and falling in a cascade of magic. As the magic became more layered and potent, the very air throughout the glade seemed to ripple, and the waves of power began to extend towards the wilds below.


    Faerie, seemingly intoxicated with her own performance at this point, drew even more power through her voice, extending it out into the garden. Arcs of raw magic began to crackle across the garden and areas of space could be seen distorting more and more. Meanwhile, all of the Aethelii had been drawn into the song, their crystalline forms shining like miniature suns as the power of Faerie¡¯s song circulated through each of them.


    Not far away, both Queen and Arachne looked on at the scene, more and more concern showing on their faces at the buildup of magical energies. Arachne looked like she was about to intercede in the song when the massive buildup of energy seemingly found an outlet. The power that was radiating outward was all drawn towards the center of the glade in an instant, the power seemingly having focused on Faerie¡¯s lotus in the midst of the spring.


    Light coalesced around the lotus, seemingly drawn from each of the Aethelii, and when it faded, the flower¡¯s white petals had become luminescent crystal, with several new smaller crystal blossoms spread out amongst the spring. While Faerie and the Aethelii had ceased singing, there seemed to be a whisper of the tune remaining among these new blossoms, enticing the Aethelii into their embrace.


    Several Aethelii went forward to inspect these new and unique blossoms while Faerie went forward to inspect her altered lotus, feeling a convergence of power around the area stronger than before. As Faerie took her place, the new blossoms along with the Aethelii resting upon them began to orbit the lotus, and Faerie felt as though her power could reach further than ever before. As she thought about spreading her garden further, she thought back to all the incursions she and her family had suffered trying to protect the garden. ¡°Wish they wouldn¡¯t bother us!¡± She exclaimed.


    As the words passed her lips, power spread out, extending to the base of Silver¡¯s trunk hundreds of metres below, spreading in all directions. Soon, tendrils of mist began to rise from the earth out near the edges of Faerie¡¯s domain. For kilometres in all directions an impenetrable fog settled over the land, extending up above the canopy, deceiving the senses of even potent magical beasts and monsters.


    <hr>


    South of the garden, Stoneblood Village


    The Shaman had felt the magic gathering to the north. She had called forth an animal spirit to investigate when she sensed a massive buildup early in the morning and was shocked by what she¡¯d observed. A massive amount of magical energy had gathered around the giant tree and then was dumped into the surroundings, a massive flood of magical power submerging the wilds over a 30km radius.


    ¡°Ay¡­ I hope we not too late.¡± The elderly troll muttered to herself. The sea of fog surrounding the massive tree confounded her. Even her summoned animal spirit couldn¡¯t penetrate it, easily becoming lost and disoriented as soon as it entered. The shaman thought she¡¯d caught hints of music within the fog, but it always seemed as though just out of reach.


    The two hunters sent to keep an eye to the north and inform the other tribes of the Stonebloods¡¯ departure would return in a few days, and despite knowing that time was very much needed for the tribe to prepare, she truly felt it could not be fast enough. As she thought about what was going on to the north, there was a knock at the door of her small hut. ¡°Shaman, we¡¯s got news from them we sent north.¡± Came the voice of the chief.


    A short while later, the shaman was sat alongside the chief with the remaining two hunters he had sent north, apparently they had chosen to return after encountering the massive wave of magic. Both hunters were strong trolls, among the best hunters in the tribe, and yet they looked haggard and spent as though they¡¯d been running nonstop for hours.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Chief¡­ we was just leaving the Nightfang tribe after we pass on you words, and we look north and see the fog, it cover everything!¡± Said the hunter. ¡°It ain¡¯t natural! Soon as it roll past, everything disappear and all around get quiet. I know you say four days chief, and we heed you words, but me and Jas¡­ if we in the fog, we there to stay. Ain¡¯t nothing coming outta there.¡± In the eyes of the chief, the troll looked shaken and he saw the same alarmed expression on the face of the other hunter, Jas. ¡°Chief, we did run from the fog for hours before it stop, and I tell you this. It already cover the Scalebacks¡­ If it move again, we¡¯s gonna be in it too. I not be scared to face beasts, but this¡­ I be but one troll, what can I do?¡±


    Both the chief and shaman were silent, wearing grim expressions as they thought about this problem. They needed to evacuate as quickly as possible, but if they left with their people unprepared, there would be many more losses on their journey to new lands. The chief looked to the shaman, who gave him a resigned nod before he spoke. ¡°You¡¯s go rest, then help the preparations for we to go. Ain¡¯t nothing for we Stonebloods in the north. We go in three days. If we shaman ask the spirits to watch the fog, we know as soon as it move.¡±


    <hr>


    As the magical fog spread out from the garden, so too did the various magical plants and flowers. As Faerie¡¯s powers spread and permeated new areas of the wild, the plants and animals came under her influence as well. Soon, transformations could be seen in those that accepted Faerie¡¯s power, various new magical flora appeared throughout the region, and the various native pollinators seemed particularly receptive to it, feeling relief and security in the dappled sunlight beneath the canopy.


    Meanwhile, all those that rebelled and resisted Faerie¡¯s influence found themselves shrouded in a sea of boundless fog that they could not escape. Many creatures seeking to find a way out ran for hours, never managing to make it more than 30m from their initial locations. It seemed that Faerie¡¯s wish had been powerfully infused within the magic as the fog acted to trap and isolate those that pushed back against Faerie¡¯s power, while any which accepted her were completely unaffected, perceiving nothing more than some light motes of mist within the air instead of impenetrable fog.


    Upon its highest branches on the northern side, Arachne stood facing outward. With Faerie¡¯s growth, although Arachne¡¯s form remained the same, her size had changed proportionally. She looked out towards the horizon with a thoughtful expression, her eyes fixed on a sky full of boiling black clouds far in the distance that appeared to be advancing south.


    <hr>


    North of the Wilds


    In a land covered in roiling black clouds, a massive rabble of various creatures had gathered. Savage and brutal, they considered themselves to be a righteous army, spreading the word and domain of their liege. For hundreds of years the armies of the Ashen One had scorched the lands and consolidated power, with few if any able to resist.


    Far, far to the north, past the Pillar that was the Ashen holy land, the Ashborne struggled in their crusade against the Throne of Winter, as they had for many years, but as their holy war dragged on, supplies ran thin, thus word had come from the Pillar, and new armies had been raised.


    ¡®Burn the southern Wilds, and the Ashborne victory against the Wolves of Winter will be assured.¡¯


    Formerly Primus Pilum of the Scorched Legion, and now Legatus of the Wildfire Legion, Triyet Vash had fought for and served for as long as he could remember. His race was unique, and like many races, they had struggled for many generations to carve out a place in this world to call their own. Triyet¡¯s people were a tribe of humanoids with snakelike features, originating from the lands northeast of the Wilds long ago. Triyet himself was a tall and sturdy man, roughly 1.8m in height with broad shoulders, while his face was flat like that of a snake, with yellow eyes and slits for a nose. Among his people he could be considered relatively handsome, with small dark diamond shaped scales covering his body, many of which carried the scars of combat.


    As for his people, they were thralls to the Ashen One who had long ago given them a place of their own in exchange for their unending service. While many might think it unfair or unreasonable, before she took them in, his people had been fighting for their lives and losing. The Ashen One was a harsh mistress, but she forged each of her people into a weapon that would crush any who stood against them, and let each of them make their own destiny among her ranks. That is what Triyet believed, trying to control his emotions as he looked at the rabble in front of him, the vanguard for the expansion to the south.


    Little more than beasts, these creatures were Ashborne too, and served their mistress, but Triyet found them distasteful. They lacked unity, cohesion, and discipline. How could beasts like these truly serve her wishes? ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ He thought. They were here to go before the real army, to search out and locate the heretics and apostates that they would surely find, so that they could be brought to kneel before the Ashen One, or be burned away like a cancer.


    ¡®Ashen Lady, Illiet, I will turn these lands to ash in your name.¡¯

 Chapter 7 - Advance

    Arachne rushed throughout the mists that blanketed the land surrounding the Garden, her destination was far to the north. While she usually appeared as a porcelain beauty with white hair hanging to her waist, currently all but her face was inky black and her lower body had reverted to that of a spider. At incredible speed she raced forward, her eight legs an unceasing blur.


    ¡®I know not who these guests are,¡¯ she chuckled to herself internally. ¡®But never would I dare be so rude as to not prepare an appropriate welcome.¡¯ While her face rarely displayed anything but calm or care towards Faerie, currently her face was split from ear to ear in a massive grin displaying dozens of needle-like teeth. Were she not obscured by the magical sea of fog, any who saw her face would have wilted in fear.


    As Arachne approached the edge of the fog barrier, her figure seemed to dissolve into wisps of black smoke leaving no sign of her passage. To many of the beasts that were still in the area nearby, it seemed as though a fell wind blew, chilling them to the bone. Just as many were about to give into their dread and flee, a dark mist would descend upon them, leaving them bound in webs and covered in bites. It would then vanish the next instant, on the hunt for more prey.


    As night descended, the Wilds had gone unnaturally quiet, save for the skittering of countless spiders.


    <hr>


    Camp of the Wildfire Legion, north of the Wilds


    For days now, the legion had been trying to push south to establish a foothold in the region, and for days Triyet¡¯s forces had been met with resistance. The Ashen were a warlike people, and fancied themselves among the best on the continent when it came to their ability to conquer, and yet here he was, a Legatus at the head of a full legion, being stymied before even managing to take the first step in the conquest.


    For days now, Triyet had been dispatching scouting parties to map the region, dozens of experienced troops whose only occupation was war. And yet day after day, the only reports he received were lists of teams listed MIA after failing to return. His forces had yet to advance and there were nearly a hundred men and women of the scouting corps simply gone.


    ¡®This is unacceptable!¡¯ He thought, hissing in fury. ¡®How is it that not a single team has returned? This godless jungle, home to no more than mere beasts and heretics, has managed to devour every last scout thrown at it? If this continues, I¡¯ll be forced to offer the Ashen Lady my head to erase the shame of this failure!¡¯


    Triyet closed his eyes, taking several long breaths to calm himself and refocus, before calling for his aide de camp. ¡°The scouting corps has failed to investigate the lands we are bound to conquer, but I will not let this indignity stand. At dawn tomorrow the legion will march, and the Ashweavers will burn these lands. As for the failures of the scouts¡­ Decimation. Weakness will not be tolerated.¡± The aide quickly saluted before performing an about face and leaving the command tent. Triyet let out a tired sigh before looking back to his papers. ¡®Illiet, if this legion is weak, I will forge it anew in your name.¡¯


    <hr>


    That night, the legion was assembled to witness the Decimation of the scouting corps. The scouts were assembled in groups of ten, naked above the waist and without weapons. With the camp Prefect presiding over the scene, they were ordered to purge their weakness. Nine men would surround one and beat him to death with their bare hands while their brothers in the legion watched.


    After the killings, the legion returned to their tents to rest and prepare for the morning march. Though some were downcast after witnessing the decimation, far more had hardened resolve in their eyes, and if one were to view them from the outside, they would feel an aura of bloodthirst surrounding the camp.


    At dawn, the Wildfire Legion rose and formed ranks. Instead of the rabble that had been serving as the vanguard until now, the Legion itself took the lead. Several columns of Ashen led the way, with cohorts of robed Ashweavers close behind. As the front lines advanced, the Ashweavers began casting large gouts of fire into the treeline, burning everything that stood in their path. Like this, the legion advanced for the entire day, burning a path several kilometres into the wilds.


    With the area shrouded in smoke and flame, ashes rained from the sky like snowflakes blocking the vision of their surroundings, yet the legion was met with no resistance. When night fell, the legion set up camp, digging trenches around their position before setting ablaze as much of the surrounding jungle as possible.


    The next morning, the camp rose from slumber without incident, and the legion again advanced as they had the day before, burning everything before them as they marched for a full day before digging in at night. On this night, tired after days of marching through rough terrain covered in smoke and ash, the sentries had grown somewhat lax. The legion hadn¡¯t encountered any living things as they pushed forward, and many of those on watch were not as vigilant as they should have been.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    <hr>


    Just outside the camp of the Wildfire Legion


    Arachne looked at the invaders in disgust. ¡®My lady¡­ Give me the strength to show these beasts how they have erred. If it is destruction they bring, then I shall make them an offering in kind.¡¯ Smoke and clouds had obscured the night sky as Arachne¡¯s black form moved towards the camp. She advanced like a silent spectre towards the sentries, springing out of their shadows and wrapping their throats in invisible silken lines as she garotted each one she came across. As each sentry went limp and collapsed, she would bite their exposed flesh before moving on to the next victim.


    Soon, she moved away from the sentries and towards the tents, drawing out her venomous dagger she would pierce each sleeping soldier with it before biting them and moving forward. The venom coating the dagger had anaesthetic properties, and their sleep remained undisturbed even as spider eggs grew and incubated beneath their skin, waiting for the right moment to feast upon the still living victims.


    Arachne continued to make steady progress throughout the camp, visiting the bunks of dozens of soldiers while the camp remained unaware. When she had implanted as many eggs as she felt able, she then proceeded to look for the legion¡¯s stores of food and water.


    It wasn¡¯t until after Arachne had already withdrawn from the camp that the alarm was raised, and she observed the panic that ensued from a safe distance within the trees. Someone had stumbled upon an incapacitated sentry, and Arachne grinned as she thought. ¡®Wake now, children. It¡¯s time to eat.¡¯


    At that moment, many soldiers who were seemingly fine, were completely unaware of the fact that masses of baby spiderlings had hatched beneath their skin and were about to feast upon them while they still lived. Fortunately for them, Arachne¡¯s anaesthetic venom had yet to wear off, and the situation went unnoticed until they began collapsing one after another with movement visible beneath their skin.


    The fallen soldiers were completely consumed by the spiderlings before their skin would rupture, the spiders sloshing out like water from a burst dam. The newly emerged spiders would then find new victims to attack, injecting their own eggs within, and spreading unspeakable terror to all those who had witnessed what occurred.


    Before long, cries went out for the Ashweavers to burn the arachnids that were plaguing the camp. Unfortunately for the Legion, Arachne had not been indiscriminate in the process of selecting her targets. Knowing she was unable to infest the entire force, she chose to spread her eggs through the Ashweavers she had observed throughout the day, noting that their numbers were relatively few compared to rank and file soldiers. At this point, nearly 60% of the Wildfire Legion¡¯s Ashweavers had already met a truly gruesome end, and any that remained to cast fire into the swarm of spiders would soon find themselves the primary focus of thousands of the tiny fiends.


    ¡®Well deserved,¡¯ thought Arachne, ¡®A barbaric end for barbarous creatures.¡¯


    With that thought she turned away, making her way back towards the garden while her many children within the trees kept watch over the legion.


    <hr>


    Command Tent, Camp of the Wildfire Legion


    Thunk!


    The body of a watch commander fell to the ground as Triyet removed his head from his shoulders, a pool of dark blood spreading across the ground. Triyet threw the head straight out of the tent with as much strength as he could muster, where it struck a post and burst like an overripe melon. ¡°More than half of the Ashweavers are dead!? This is inexcusable! How the bleeding hell did something infiltrate the camp and assassinate more than 80 magic users unopposed and unnoticed!?¡±


    At this point, Triyet was incensed and his voice had risen to a shriek. First, there was the repeated failures from the scouting corps. Now, something had invaded the camp and slaughtered more than half his mages, which would make it impossible to advance south in the manner they had been. On top of that, seeing the manner in which the sentries and Ashweavers had been killed, the troops were shaken and morale was abysmal. ¡®I¡¯ll be lucky if I¡¯m not executed when I report this debacle to the Pillar. Fuck! This is supposed to be one of the preeminent legions of Illiet and we¡¯re being made fools of by godless heretics! I can¡¯t allow this to continue!¡¯


    Triyet stared at the body on the ground as it began to cool, wheels turning in his head as he thought about how to salvage this disaster. ¡°We have no idea what infiltrated the camp other than it being some kind of spider. It can evade detection both by sentries and magic, as it failed to trigger any of the wards set up¡­ and it was clearly a targeted attack at our contingent of Ashweavers, as they were the only ones targeted aside from the sentries on duty at the time.¡±


    Triyet considered for a few more moments before coming to a decision. He looked to one of his aides saying ¡°Send word to Fort Ratus. We¡¯ll need another contingent of Ashweavers to reinforce us, and request a contingent of hounds as well. In the meantime we will fortify our position, double up sentries and have the men sleep in shifts. We cannot afford to withdraw, nor can we allow attacks like this to continue.¡±


    ¡®I cannot fail here, not now.¡¯ Thought Triyet. Little did he know at the time that his day was only going to get worse from there on.

 Chapter 8 - The Forgotten

    ¡°¡­ra.¡±


    ¡°¡­ora.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sora.¡±


    As she woke, Faerie clung to the voices that seemed that seemed to evade her memory, always just out of reach. She hummed a tune from the deepest recesses of her spirit, a bittersweet melody that brought joy and pain to her heart in equal measures for reasons she could not fully understand. Humming to herself, she lounged within the comfort of her lotus until Arachne appeared to check up on her.


    Despite Arachne¡¯s normally impassive exterior, she wore an expression full of mixed emotions as she gazed at Faerie, although care and concern were at the forefront as always. ¡°Missed you,¡± said Faerie, and gestured for Arachne to come join her on the lotus. Arachne obliged, coming to rest beside Faerie on the lotus before drawing her into a hug. Faerie¡¯s emotional turmoil had been increasing lately, reflected by the rapid changes she was undergoing.


    ¡°Now, now, little one.¡± Said Arachne. ¡°You needn¡¯t fret whilst I¡¯m away. There is naught in this world that would prevent my return to you.¡± She continued, stroking Faerie¡¯s hair soothingly. ¡°Had a dream¡­ wasn¡¯t here, it was¡­ before¡­¡° Said Faerie, recalling the barely formed scene from when she slept. ¡°Wasn¡¯t¡­ me¡­ but felt the same¡­ so tired, it hurt¡­ it hurt so much¡­ Why did it hurt?¡± Faerie¡¯s thoughts became chaotic as she recalled the half formed scenes from her dream. ¡°There were¡­ two. They always smiled, even though they were sad¡­ They brought flowers, said they loved me¡­ Don¡¯t understand¡­¡± At this point, tears were running down Faerie¡¯s cheeks as she recounted her dream. ¡°Why can¡¯t I remember them? They¡¯re gone now, why did they leave? Will you go too? Will I be alone? Don¡¯t want¡­¡±


    Faerie¡¯s voice faded to mumbling as she curled in on herself, clearly distressed. Arachne made soothing noises, and cupped Faerie¡¯s cheek in her delicate hand, turning Faerie to look her in the eye as tears continued to stream down her face. ¡°You mustn¡¯t think like that, my darling. Your smile is far too precious a thing to be lost to fears and worries. Never forget, you and I are bound together. Leaving you is not something I could ever consider.¡± Arachne said, before pulling Faerie¡¯s head close to rest against her chest. ¡°My dear¡­ The beauty you possess is too great for this cruel world.¡± ¡®I would raze the heavens and earth if need be, to protect your innocence.¡¯ Arachne thought, as she continued to soothe Faerie.


    Before long, Faerie¡¯s tears had stopped, and in a small voice, she spoke more about her dream. ¡°The called me Sora.¡± She said. ¡°¡­Can¡¯t remember them¡­ will they come back to me, too?¡± She asked, causing Arachne to freeze at the unexpected question. Though momentarily at a loss for words, Arachne finally spoke hesitantly. ¡°I know not how or where they¡¯ve gone, but I¡¯m certain they would return to you as swiftly as they¡¯re able¡­ If it is your wish, I could call you Sora, that you might hold onto their memory better.¡±


    Faerie thought for a moment before answering. ¡°Mmm¡­ That¡¯s good. But what about you? Call you Sora, too?¡± Faerie asked, to which Arachne chuckled. ¡°No, my dear. I could never claim that which is yours. Sora is your name, but if you would, you could choose a name to gift to me. I wouldn¡¯t dare wish for a more wonderful blessing.¡± Faerie smiled for a moment, thinking of what name would best suit her friend. ¡°Hmm¡­ Midala. It sounds pretty and sharp, like you. Your name will be Midala.¡± Said Faerie, her smile now broad, the earlier hints of melancholy nowhere to be seen. Arachne stared wide-eyed at Faerie before her face broke into a beautiful smile, showing her pristine white fangs. ¡°My name¡­ Midala¡­ yes. Thank you for this wonderful gift, my lady. Sora, I will never forget this. Thank you!¡±


    Faerie-- Sora was delighted seeing Midala¡¯s reaction to being named, and thought of Queen and Silver. She called out to them both through their bond, deciding to name them as well. Silver¡¯s projection materialized standing at the edge of the lotus, while Queen flew down from the bees¡¯ village, a streak of black and gold shooting through the air, alighting next to Silver. Midala beamed as she looked to both of them ¡°Our lady has recalled her name, Sora, and has gifted me the name Midala!¡± She said, barely containing her excitement.


    Sora nodded before saying, ¡°Want to give you names too¡­ If you want.¡± Both Silver¡¯s and Queen¡¯s eyes lit up at the offer, Queen¡¯s practically blazing with anticipation and energy. Without hesitation, Queen knelt before Sora, her posture that of a knight before their lord. ¡°My lady, I am your spear. To bear a name given by you would be my life¡¯s honour.¡± Said Queen, her voice quivering as she tried to maintain a solemn tone.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Sora moved to stand before Queen, her head slightly tilted as she thought about a name for her champion. ¡°Has to be brave and strong like you¡­¡± Sora muttered, thinking aloud. ¡°Alright. You¡¯re Vana. Vana is the bravest!¡± She concluded with a proud smirk on her face, tapping her knightly companion¡¯s shoulder with a gentle hand. Queen, now Vana, rose to her feet, her back straight as she radiated pride in her new name. ¡°Vana¡­ Vana will be brave for you, my queen.¡± She said, saluting with her right fists held against her heart.


    Finally, Faerie came to stand before Silver¡¯s projection, observing it¡¯s figure, before turning her head skyward to take in the view of Silver¡¯s branches that sheltered the entire garden. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ home; our protector.¡± She said, and the eyes of Silver¡¯s projection seemed to tremble at these words. ¡°Your name will be Arun.¡±


    <hr>


    Camp of the Wildfire Legion, within the Wilds


    ¡°Legatus, we¡¯ve lost almost an eighth of the men to poisoned provisions. It would seem that the attack last night was not solely aimed at the Ashweavers.¡± The Prefect stood within the Legatus¡¯ command tent, delivering a report. ¡°The poison was not discovered until it was too late, as it seems to remain dormant within the victim for hours before it leads to a swift and painful death. We are trying to identify which of the food and water stores have been tainted, but it will take time. Based on the present circumstance, I recommend limiting the Quartermaster¡¯s punishment to flaying. Organizing rationing and resupply will be difficult without him, otherwise.¡±


    Triyet sat at his desk, a dark expression on his face as he contemplated the disaster that had fallen upon his forces. Despite being preoccupied with his own thoughts, he listened carefully to the report of the Prefect. ¡°Flaying it is. Two hands from the back. It is as you say, we cannot allow the legion to crumble due to incompetence.¡± Triyet said in a perfunctory tone. ¡°Your will be done, Legatus.¡± Said the Prefect, snapping to attention and saluting before performing an about face and exiting the tent.


    ¡®That was no ordinary enemy that attacked us¡­ It was an agent of a false idol, I¡¯m sure of it! With this¡­ I may yet be able to salvage things. When I report to the Pillar, I¡¯ll inform them that an Archon has been mobilized against us¡­ with luck, our Lady will spare one of her chosen to face this aberration.¡¯ Thought Triyet. ¡®Let warriors face warriors, let monsters face monsters.¡¯ was his view. Most Archons could lay waste to entire armies with ease, as had been painfully demonstrated with this incident. Furthermore, this particular Archon seemed to be an assassin, able to wreak havoc unseen.


    He had to make his report to the Pillar, the decision to withdraw or advance after suffering such damage against a single foe¡­ could not be left to him alone. Not if he wanted to keep his head atop his shoulders. Opening his desk drawer, he pulled out a smooth stone with runes carved into its surface. ¡°Report.¡± Came a voice after the connection was established. ¡°We¡¯ve suffered a grievous attack from a false idol¡¯s Archon. Our cohort of Ashweavers was wiped out completely, along with hundreds of soldiers. The Archon in question appears to be an assassin, employing poison and stealth, but we do not have the means to identify or defeat it. Requesting reinforcements and the dispatch of the Lady¡¯s Chosen.¡±


    For a long, drawn out moment, there was no response. ¡°Report received. Response forthcoming, await reply.¡± Came the voice again. ¡°Await reply, acknowledged.¡± Replied Triyet, as he settled in to wait for the response of the Pillar¡¯s War Council.


    <hr>


    Far to the north, War Council Chambers of The Pillar


    ¡°The Wildfire Legion suffered an attack by an Archon, their losses are significant. Based on the assessment of the Archon, and the potential for more than one to appear, it is reasonable to dispatch on of the Lady¡¯s Chosen to the south.¡± Said a voice, dry, aged, and lacking all feeling. ¡°Triyet Vash is handed control of a Legion and manages to get it decimated not even a month into the campaign? While his family should not be held accountable, given their record, the man should be replaced and made a public example of.¡± Said a second voice, deep and filled with wrath.


    ¡°Seconded.¡± Came a third voice. ¡°Failure must be punished, no matter the circumstance.¡± This voice belonged to an aged and hardened serpentine man whom many would recognise as a member of the Vash family himself. ¡°If we can agree upon a suitable replacement, I recommend recalling the Legatus, and sending him to the caldera as punishment.¡± The elder Vash had been a member of the War Council for decades, and his family had served the Legions of Ash since they had come into being. He could not allow his descendant¡¯s failure to mar the family name now, especially while they were at war with the Throne of Winter to the north. ¡°If he can salvage the campaign to the south without further mistakes, I recommend he be allowed to die in battle against the Wolves of Winter. Any further disgrace, and let him be broken on the Wheel.¡±


    ¡°Seconded.¡± Said the first voice. ¡°Agreed.¡± Said the second. ¡°Very well. As for the request for one of the Lady¡¯s Chosen¡­ Malgrin, that beast, should be sufficient to the task.¡± Said the elder Vash.¡°Seconded.¡± Came a reply.¡°Agreed.¡±