Up close, I could observe them better. None of those present were prepared for battle. They only knew how to use the forest's properties very well to amplify their magic. Those lianas were not typical. I suspected they could be used to restrain and, if necessary, strangle prisoners. Their clothes were animal skins. There were inscriptions of basic protection runes. It was not at all simple. As far as I understood, none of them knew how to handle magic, but they seemed to know at least the principles. Greenclaw, who was observing me, did not take his eyes off me. Even though they had a limited magical field, summoning mine would be noticed immediately. Until I understood what they sought to do apart from the settlements of those who had fled, I would spare them a battle with me or my people.
Laughing and joking, he transported me to the front of the druids' circle. All wore a version of the clothes Greenclaw wore. One by one they introduced themselves, but most were too far gone to say anything coherent enough to understand. All smoked from reed pipes. Whatever they drank had high alkaloid content, which led me to suppose it was a stew of some animal with psychotropic venom. They offered me a bowl but did not seem bothered by my refusal. When all had a cup, their leader began to speak.
"Whatever your proposition, herald of destruction, we do not want it. Here in the Shadow Valley, we learned to live with nature. When we fled the cities, dead with fear, the forest cared for us. Nature taught us what to eat and where, explained our powers, and when the succubi came, it taught us how to survive them."
"You represent everything and everyone who still walks these lands with hatred. The forest told us where you are going. It also told us of the risks you face. It even warned us that your recently acquired keep faces difficult times if you do not return in time. So return! Your people—denied and burdened with dark energies—await you so they do not become a stain on the cursed land of inedible mushrooms. We will not leave here, but at the same time, we will not let you take anything. We are exiles, but we believe in honor, respect, and duty. You follow none of these, so you should not be respected... but if you are willing to renounce your burden—that monster you carry and left guarded in your castle—here you will find the peace that everyone seeks..."
At that moment, I had had enough. They intrigued me, especially how they obtained their abilities and who this "Nature of the Forest" was. But I had come for them and the others they had mentioned. I would not leave without at least one of the two. As I saw it, they were users of "green" magic. It was time to show them why they should not be so confident. My aura expanded a little, enough to collide with theirs. Noticing the threat, their fields charged, and they began to attack me.
The first spell was very sharp, obviously poisonous thorns. I only had—and would only use—one spell. My mouth opened as I traced the rune: "Explode." My field superheated and incinerated their ridiculous thorns. Since my magic was special, the lianas disappeared in seconds. The next one summoned stones that orbited around him in a kind of foolish shield. I drew my sword. The spell was the same, only now channeled through the sword's rune. One fluid motion, a descending arc, and without the tip touching the ground, a shockwave extended the attack to the druid's feet. The stones might have defended him from physical attacks, but fire came from the ground—where there were no stones, only leather clothing that began to smell of burning.
The third had been casting an incantation for some time. I saw clouds beginning to gather. The static charge in his body became visible; his greasy hair stood on end. What he was attempting was difficult even for magic adepts. Since he did not have enough magical field, he concentrated it all around him and attacked from there—very ingenious. Four spheres of pure electricity he concentrated, then a lightning chain. Seeing someone unprepared launch such a spell, I could not counter it with fire magic, but that was not necessary. I drove my sword into the ground. I only needed a little more magic. The rune was "Thunder." That deadly energy slid harmlessly into the ground.
Greenclaw chose that moment to raise his hand. "Stop," he said in a low voice. "The enemy is here."
I knew the druids had not sought to harm me. Their attacks, though ingenious, were not meant to inflict damage—rather to demonstrate all that "the forest" had shown them. But now they drew their staves and began to invoke truly great magics. Their fields expanded to their limits. Several summoned golems. Others combined stone shields and electricity. One even invoked a shield of branches. Only Greenclaw and I remained unprotected. As I unearthed my sword, the elder druid sat on a log and began to roll a joint.
Just as I began to wonder what they were protecting themselves from, and more importantly, why he did not join them, I started to hear them. They sounded like promises, pleasure, lust. Velvety, vibrant voices. Women began to emerge from the forest's edge. They were red—completely red with black—naked and without modesty. Some were voluptuous, others gangly. I also saw men emerge, all very slender at the waist, exhibiting a certain allure. They surrounded the druids and began to call to them. Within their protections, the druids drank and smoked, waiting for them to leave, waiting not to succumb to temptation.
Before me were the miserable creations manufactured in the towns with the aid of the Blood Elves' devices. I asked Greenclaw why they did not go after him.
"As a child, I never got smallpox. I did not suffer it until my coming-of-age ceremony. It lasted many days and was terrible. When it ended, my priest said I would never conceive. Since we arrived here, none of them have tried anything with me. I think they seek nutrients I cannot give them." Saying this, he took another long drag from his joint.
Without realizing it, three of them surrounded me. Meanwhile, the druids, with their purity at risk, tried to attack these creatures. However, they seemed to have high magical resistance. Thunder and other spells only made them scream more, which only meant more torture for them. One, unable to restrain himself, brutally struck an incubus that had come too close. The blow sent it flying to where I stood. It was a strong hit; in the creature's expression, I saw pleasure, but its stomach was ruptured from the blow. Without hesitation, I approached.
Once it was within my sphere of influence, I solidified my field and moved closer to examine it. My suspicions were confirmed. The poor being agonizing at my feet was destined to die. Instead of a stomach, it had a continuation of the small intestine. I began to understand why they sought partners. Hunger made their curse more intense and forced them to seek mates because of the permanent remnants of aphrodisiac in their bodies. They had eaten nothing but semen and lubrication for weeks, perhaps months. If not for the Blood Elves' apparatus, their appearance would not be this; they would be miserable walking skeletons, not these voluptuous beings. However, I had already studied this case when I was at the keep. I had brought several test tubes of Dark Mushroom distillate for that purpose.
These mushrooms, besides being nutritious, had high magical content. I gave it to the miserable human now at my feet to drink. After drinking, his skin lightened slightly. When his eyes opened, they were no longer a slit of a pupil—they were "normal." He realized how he looked and voluntarily deactivated what in magic is known as charm, which gave him that imposing physique, the vocal features, and his perfect teeth. The man looked at me and murmured, "I just wanted a partner for myself..." And died.
My potion was a success, but administering it would kill everyone present. There had to be another way.