Into the Light (Axe Druid Book 1)

by Christopher Johns

  A series of rope bridges leading to branches grown into homes and pathways high above us. I could see thick rope ladders and pulley systems that had buckets leading to the ground. It was like something straight out of a fantasy book that I had back home.

  “Can I help you?” a light voice asked from behind us in Sylvan.

  I turned, and there was a Kitsune, her long, chestnut colored fur muted in the dull light under the great trees. She wore leather dyed green and brown like the scenery around us; it fit her well, and I had the feeling she could move swiftly in it as it looked. She was as at home in it as her own skin. She didn’t appear to have any weapons on her that I could see. Strange.

  “Uhm, please?” I asked. I couldn’t smell or hear anything off, so she was legit. “We are new here, and we were looking for information on how to get back home.”

  “Where is home for you, then?” she asked, her head tilted slightly to the side, like she had heard something we couldn’t.

  “Prime,” I said, hoping that would peak her interest enough to help us.

  A look of horror passed over her face, and she looked around wildly before coming toward us. “Go that way, behind you, up into that large bucket to your right behind the fern.”

  “No. Not until you tell us what has you freaked out. We just met you,” I told her matter-of-factly.

  “GO! If they don’t know you’re here by now, they will soon. I’ll tell you everything. You have my word!”

  A binding contract right there. I relayed her words to my friends, and we beat feet to the bucket she was talking about. As soon as we began to move, the world around us came alive. Archers and stealthier Rogues had moved, and we could finally see them. Dozens of warriors had us surrounded that whole time, and if we had been enemies, we would’ve all died. Fuck, I hated this place already.

  “What’s going on?” Balmur asked. The rest of the group looked ready to draw their weapons if needed.

  I asked her for him, and she just held a hand out for silence and motioned us to follow her into the bucket. Once we were all inside, she touched the tree and blew on it in a quick puff of air. The bucket began to rise swiftly like a jungle elevator. As we rose into the air, I could see more of the structures in the branches, and it was more of a city than a village. It must have been a long time since the lake Fae had been here. The structures were made entirely of wood, and the figures in the crowds going around them were made of different creatures: Kitsune, Elves, Dryads like the one we had seen before coming across James, and all other manner of strange creatures.

  “Where are we?” I asked.

  “This is Terra’s Escape,” she said. Her eyes roamed the horizon line. “Our village isn’t a village anymore but a small city. We like our privacy and newcomers don’t just happen by like you all. Who told you of us?”

  “The little lake peoples.”

  “Ugh, Lake Pixies,” she grumbled in disgust. I had to admit I felt the same.

  Once we got to the right branch, she turned, and I noticed her tail. Then another came into view. And another. She had three tails, all of them as bushy and beautiful as mine. I was dumbfounded. She saw me staring and growled a little. She motioned for us to get out of the bucket and follow her.

  We followed her through the crowds, easily keeping up with her because people were staring and moved out of the way when they saw her coming.

  We entered a hut with a couple guards posted at the door. They saluted her with a fist over their heart then stared stoically forward.

  The hut was sparse with actual furniture, but plants were everywhere: a bed that looked to be made of interwoven vines that grew from the ceiling, a table made from a branch that grew up and laid almost flat at a ninety-degree angle, and the chair was made of wood but not grown. Our guide turned and mumbled something to her hut, and the tree beneath us shivered. Wooden bumps rose up, and she motioned for us to sit.

  “Forgive me, I did not mean to be inhospitable,” she began. “Your arrival here was both unexpected and dangerous for all of us here. I am Farin F’arine, High Druidess of Terra’s Escape and speaker for the forest you are now in.”

  “How is our arrival dangerous to you?” I asked. “Also, do you speak the common Prime tongue?”

  “I don’t, no.” She shook her head. “Although, your Azer friend seems to understand me just fine?” Balmur just smiled at her without comment. “There, he smiled. As to the danger, your arrival could spell a visit from the hunt.”

  “What hunt? Why?”

  “The Wild Hunt. Surely you have heard of it. You’re Fae. Did your parents never teach you of your ancestry? The plane from which you came?”

  “I never knew my parents.” Not technically a lie. This avatar had been created specifically for me. “But I have heard legends and myths in passing from texts and storytellers.”

  “If you did not know your parents, then how do you speak our tongue?” she asked, and I think I could see the curiosity behind her deep brown eyes. “And what did you hear about them?”

  “A gift from a goddess, that they protect the realm from Demons and evil. A horde of creatures that hunt in a pack for things that don’t belong?” I said to her.

  “The last bit is correct, but they are the evil, not the protectors. They hunt for sport, killing creatures who are banished here, who don’t belong. You and your friends have been put into great danger, and being here draws the hunt. If they haven’t gotten your scent by now, they will soon. Why did you come?”

  “We were looking for information to get us back to the Prime plane.”

  “The only creatures strong enough to get you back are the queens—the Seelie and the Unseelie.”

  “Wait, who is the leader of the Seelie Court? They’re the good Fae. They would help us.”

  “Where did you ever get such an idea?” She actually balked and rolled her eyes at me. “The leader of the Seelie Fae has the Hunt out looking for things that don’t belong. She’s the reason you’re going to die, just for her entertainment, and the Unseelie Queen? She’s insane. She might just kill you for breathing. You’re in trouble. We all are. You need to leave. Now.”

  “Can’t you help us?” Balmur asked, and I relayed his request.

  “If you will leave, I will do what I can. Is there a magic user among you who favors nature?”

  I stepped forward. “I’m a Druid, like yourself.”

  “Excellent, lean forward.” I bent at the waist, and she put her right hand on my head. “This will hurt.”

  “Wha–?” Then my entire being was pain. Searing, blinding light swept through my mind, and I felt something in me shatter as my knees buckled.

  For the second time this day, all was darkness.

  I awoke to see the Druidess above me frowning. “I did not know that would happen. Are you well?”

  I grunted and raised myself up onto my elbows; my brain throbbed a bit, and my backside ached as well. I could see that I had some notifications to sort through, but my sudden cottonmouth was a little more pressing.

  “Could use a drink.” She bustled off to grab something from outside.

  I opened my notifications quickly and looked through them.

  CONGRATULATIONS!

  The following racial trait has been unlocked for you.

  Nine Tails Bloodline – As a Kitsune grows in strength, their blood may awaken to the power of their ancestors who sported multiple tails. Each tail signaled growth of abilities, statistics, or other unknown traits. The results and gifts will vary from individual to individual.

  You have gained one extra tail for a total of two (2) tails.

  Please choose one spell from current or previous spells that you did not pick. The spell will become permanently learned by you.

  CONGRATULATIONS!

  You have been bestowed Druidic knowledge specific to the realm of the Fae.

  Fae Heart – Grants a measure of favor and control over nature in the Fae Realm, such as the forests and animals.

&nb
sp; Fae Shape – Fae Druids naturally tap into the ability to take the form of their realm’s animals and beasts. This ability has been passed on to you. It works the same way as normal Shapeshifting, but you can turn into Fae creatures now, too.

  By the time I had read these through the second time, Farin had returned with a wooden cup of water. I drank it down and thanked her.

  I chose my spell, Mass Regrowth. It was basically just an AoE heal that I had passed up originally because of the steep cost of mana, one-fifty MP a pop. I had wanted Heal at the time. This would help take pressure off our Paladin a bit, I hoped. Besides, I had other tricks up my sleeve now too after my last level.

  “Thank you.” I heard a groan, and Bokaj was getting up off the ground. She must have given him something too as a Ranger.

  “You may not live long enough to repay me, so I ask you this—leave. Now. So that my people aren’t slaughtered while they search for you.”

  “Done,” I said. “Can you tell us where to go to get to the Unseelie Court?”

  “Keep traveling north until the cold surrounds you. There, they will find you. Go.”

  I nodded to her, and then we all piled out the door. I reached back and felt my rump—boom! Two tails. Oh yeah.

  “Tails lookin’ ass,” Yohsuke muttered at me. “Think you can fly?”

  We had neared the edge of the branch near the bucket we had used to get up in the first place, and I saw that there was a branch below us about ten feet down. If this didn’t work, I’d land there. For now? Time to play.

  “Only one way to find out.” I smiled at him and stepped off.

  I dropped and activated my Nature’s Hidden Path spell. I felt the wood on my leg. Then I was inside the tree as if it were an elevator you might see in a cartoon. I willed myself to the bottom of the tree where the bucket would land and stepped out to wait.

  My friends came down in the bucket moments later. Yohsuke was smiling at me, and then I felt a blunt force hit me on the shoulder. I turned to see that Balmur had snuck up on me. Both mumbled something to the effect of me being a smart ass.

  We nodded to the Druidess and left them in peace. All we knew was that we needed to go north until it got cold.

  “One last thing,” she said as we made to leave. “Mind the night. Nasty creatures call the night their home here in the forest. Nastier than even the nastiest day walker. Be careful, and good luck.”

  “Alright, thanks,” I replied, following up to the party in Common, “Come on, guys. Let’s get gone before they decide to put an arrow in us and be done with it.”

  We waited until we were well away from the city to speak again, and even then, we spoke through our earrings just to be safe. I informed the party about what I had gotten, and Bokaj told us that he had received a similar ability.

  And so, we walked. By this time, our appetites had returned, so we ate and rested for a little bit and kept going. After a few more hours, dusk settled in, and we decided that sleeping on the ground was not in our best interests. The forest around us had begun to fall silent, and we wanted to be above whatever had made the insects and exotic-looking birds soften their life sounds.

  I let Kayda out of the necklace, and she perched in the branches above us. I touched Yohsuke with it, and his form sifted into the stone before I used Nature’s Hidden Path to get to a wide branch that he and I would share. The others managed to get to their own within easy reach of ours. We laid down with Jaken and Balmur taking first watch.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  We spent most of our time walking north. At one point, a large ursine creature—built like a bear who took steroids with every meal—with striped brown and white fur, crossed our path. That first battle was rough, though. The thing easily dwarfed my hulking thousand-pound dire-bear bulk. Jaken and I had to distract it while the others ganged up on it. Eventually, Yohsuke and Bokaj decided to try something new.

  Bokaj peppered the thing’s snout with arrows, and when it roared in anger at him, Yoh threw his Star Burst spell into its mouth. Its chest expanded like it was about to burp, and it actually breathed a small flame before dropping lifelessly to the ground. It gave us a really good chunk of experience, and I was also able to collect the animal as a form I could take. With this, I would be hard pressed to want to take my Dire Bear form. Bokaj set about skinning it.

  “Does the skin have a name?” Yoh asked before I could.

  “Ursolon,” he said. “The hide is ridiculously tough, and these teeth are massive and sharp. A few of these hides, and we might be able to make better armor for our stealth and caster types.”

  “If we do run across any more, sure, I’m down,” I said. “Besides, with that little secret play, how the hell can we lose? Good thinking with that spell to the mouth man.”

  “I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it.” He shrugged. “It’s basically just a grenade spell. You swallow a grenade, splat. Same concept here.”

  “Smooth, man, real smooth.” Jaken held his fist out for a bump. We rested a moment then continued on.

  We still couldn’t see the names or levels of creatures here on anything. Was it because of the secretive nature of this entire plane that these things were hidden? I guess we would just have to gauge our fights on possible or not and work out how to run, if we could, on the fly.

  With the new form I had and the closeness of the humongous trees in the area, I was going to wait to play with it. I would be too large to fight something else that size and have my friends be effective in the confined spaces.

  We traveled for another day in relative peace. We only saw two more Ursolons, and only one of them attacked us, so we had killed two in our time here. When we set up camp that second night, we didn’t want to risk a full fire out in the open with us potentially being hunted, so I built up a wall around the flames and under the skillet. The construct helped hide the light, but the smoke had to escape. There wasn’t much we could do about that.

  The meat simmered as we sat in companionable silence, the night creatures making their normal noises. Once dinner was done, we ate and climbed into the trees once more. Tonight, I took first watch, along with James. He and I sat back to back a little way away from the sleeping and meditating members of the group. I watched the smaller branches move in the slight breeze. The air was crisp, not quite cold, but you knew we were heading in the right direction. At least, I hoped.

  “Do you miss it?” James asked after a little while.

  “Miss what, brother?”

  To which he replied simply, “Home.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I do,” I said with a sigh. “Even knowing that there’s supposed to be this time dilation where time moves so much faster here than there, I can’t help but think about what’s going on at home with my boy. I can’t help worrying that he’s growing up without me and that I’ve unknowingly become my father. There one day, then gone the next. I’m pretty sure Jaken feels the same.”

  “I hear you,” he said.

  “How’re you holding up?”

  “I’m okay. I mean, I miss my fiancée,” he said. “Like, a lot. This is every gamer’s dream! Even with the unknowns, this is what we’ve always done—you, me, and Yoh. Having you guys here makes it easier.”

  “I feel the same way, man. I’m glad to know you guys have my six.”

  “Same. Shit.” He stopped. “No noise, something’s close. I’ll put out the all-call.”

  “Go ahead.” I scanned the area in front of me and started trying to catch any kind of information I could. The moon, full thankfully, provided a lot of light. I couldn’t see anything or hear anything out of the norm. A breeze blew from my right shoulder, and I caught a scent I had smelled before earlier on in the day. It was a muskier scent, stronger than earlier. Telepathy only now, guys. Get ready. Whatever it is I caught the scent on your side, James.

  Tmont caught it too, Bokaj thought to us. She thinks that whatever it is, it’s close and that it is watching us. No sudden movements.

  Chances a
re good that it has caught that something is up. Bokaj, you and I are going to get up and walk over to Zeke and James. Act like it’s a watch changeover. You guys come over toward us and see if you can catch something on your way over.

  Got it, we answered.

  Jaken sat up and yawned a genuine yawn before standing and tapping Bokaj. They stood and walked over to us. I stood and stretched a bit, trying to casually catch a glimpse of anything I could. Nothing yet.

  “Have a good watch, guys,” James said. We bumped fists and tried to keep a fluid and relaxed exchange going.

  As we walked over to our spots, James and I laid down, but Yohsuke got up and made a show of stretching and scratching his neck. He walked over to the ledge closest to the direction I caught the scent of… well you know, business.

  Got eyes on. Sixty feet out, yellow eyes. Bokaj, if you aim right at me from where you are and adjust for sixty extra feet? You got it, broskie. Stay still, and give’em a show.

  For a tense second, we heard nothing, then a growling yelp from the spot where our observer was. The creature leapt out into the open and onto the same large branch we were on.

  Before us stood a seven-foot-tall Werewolf with grey and white fur. Its slavering jaws were open with razor-sharp teeth bared in pain; it snarled at us as it walked forward. It pulled the arrow out of its chest, and the projectile clattered to the ground.

  “Well, that wasn’t nice,” it growled in the common Prime language that we all understood. “Downright rude for a guest in someone else’s territory.”

  “Look, we didn’t know this was someone’s territory,” Bokaj said.

  Here’s hoping that high Charisma came in handy.

  “Oh? Well that sounds like a personal problem.” It chuckled bestially. “One that you may not survive.”

  Here went nothing, “We’re trying to get as far as we can before the Wild Hunt catches our trail.”

  “The Hunt is a worthy opponent. Running is smart, but running through our territory wasn’t. You’ll pay for that.”

  “What’s to stop us from destroying you right now and moving on?” Jaken asked. I was kind of taken aback to hear him suggest that, but hey, desperate times.